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<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine smirked slightly when the man didn't respond but it was quickly replaced with a frown as a voice rang out from the alley. "Fire!!" He yelled and the assassin crouched slightly, prepared to jump out the way if necessary, but, when nothing came their way, she narrowed her eyes. Just what was this guy planning to do? Her unasked question was promptly answered as Drake pointed out that the man was coming from above them. Not wanting to get crushed, the assassin quickly sprung out the way, just as Flake landed in front of the tax collector. As Raine turned around, she was not surprised to see Flake standing there, beating the crap out of the heavily armored man. She would've helped but figured watching would be much more fun. The assassin even smirked a bit as she returned her dagger back to its hiding spot beneath her cloak and the responded to Flake's question. "I slept rather well, actually. Thanks." She replied with a slight shrug and then pointed to the tax collector with another smirk on her face. "I assume that you know this guy here?" Raine asked, event though the answer to that was pretty obvious. Still, she wanted to hear it herself; in fact, she wondered how two very different people like those two could become acquainted at all. As the assassin waited for a reply, she walked over to the nearest set of trashcans and proceeded to retrieve her armor and tights from their hiding spot. It was rather easy to slip back into the chest plate but it was a bit more difficult to get the tights back on without flashing all her business--again--in front of Flake and his friend. Somehow she managed to become completely clothed once more without any issue and promptly walked back over to the two. By that time, the crowd gathered at the entrance of the alley had begun to disperse, but it was guaranteed that news about the tax collector's defeat would spread like wildfire throughout the town. In fact, Raine could already hear them talking about it now: "Did you see how quickly that man brought him down?" "Yes! It was amazing!" "I didn't think that he could be defeated so easily."</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The assassin smirked and sheathed her dagger, then responded with a curt shrug, "I slept rather well, actually. Thanks." After her response, she pointed towards Drake and continued, "I assume that you know this guy here?" Drake grunted and Flake nodded after hearing the lady's question, then the guard said , "too well sometimes." For the next few minutes, Raine walked over to her armor and attempted to get suited up once more. As she did, Flake approached Drake and whispered in his ear, "Delta six." Drake bellowed out a laugh, then Flake started to chuckle as well, leaning against the wall in the alley to support him. "You're kidding," Drake begged, still laughing under his visor. "I'm not," Flake retorted, serious once again. Drake looked over at Raine for a few seconds in disbelief, then whispered in Flake's ear, "that's more than just a favor." The bounty hunter quickly whispered back, "that's a lie and you know it." The exchange of whispers continued for another few seconds, then stopped as Raine walked back over. Drake sighed, then asked, "do you need any armor, miss?" Flake smirked at Raine as she approached, fitting the stop-pin back into his sheath as he watched. Only one person from the original crowd remained by that point in time, a red-haired boy with a wooden sword at his hip. A lady swiftly walked by and rushed him away, thus ending the crowd scene. "Plates like that couldn't even stop Drake's fist," Flake commented, grinning at the hunk of metal next to him with a competitive grin. At this comment, Drake rose his arm and flicked the bounty hunter's shoulder with a loud thwack. The only response the guard got was a quiet chuckle, so he looked back over at Raine.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine raised an eyebrow at the question. It was out of the blue, especially since she hadn't said anything about needing new armor to him but, after glancing over at Flake, she figured that he had something to do with the sudden offer. "How much would I have to pay you to get some new armor from you?" The assassin asked, assuming that she still had to pay the man for the armor. As she waited for an answer, Raine pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, throwing part of her face into a shadow. She wasn't cold or anything; The assassin just felt less exposed with her hood on. Raine then counted the number of coins in the money pouch that Flake had given her with her fingers. After paying for a room in the inn the night before, she was like with two fifths of the original amount. However, the assassin would still try to bargain a price that was much lower than the original price, based on what price would be proposed.*I just hope that he gives it to me for free or at least really cheap...I haven't had this much money in since I had to leave the Assassin's Guild.*Shet thought with a soft sigh.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The two men watched as Raine glanced at Flake, more-or-less silent. "How much would I have to pay you to get some new armor from you?" she asked, pulling up the hood of her cloak. Drake answered quickly, wasting no time, "I'll assume that's a yes. Follow me." The guard then set a quick pace and made his way over to the shopping district, motioning for a nearby guard to take his spot at the stand. As he walked, people noticeably altered their paths so as to avoid bumping into him. Flake followed the behemoth with a skip to his step, grinning all the way. After leaving the alley, Flake hopped off in a different direction and started sprinting away, surprising a great many people as he flawlessly avoided them. After a few seconds, he hopped up on a sleeping person's head and managed to grab hold of a balcony. From there, Flake launched himself up, onto the roof of a short building and started to run and jump from building to building, steadily working his way up. "Ignore him," Drake said, assuming the lady was still behind him, "by the time you're suited up properly he'll still be messing around." The armored man gently brushed aside a drunk man who was in his way, then continued walking through the shopping square, his location in mind. The shouts of a nearby vendor caused him to turn his head, "buy bread! Cheapest in Talgot!" the merchant shouted, a fake smile plastered across his face. He didn't bother to respond to questions and accusations flying at him, mostly because he was busy. He couldn't tell whether or not the lady he met was still following him, or talking, but he continued through the chaotic shopping district anyways. Every step was met with a shout, and each one steadily brought back Drake's grin.*No matter how stupid he is, he'll never take what matters away from this town,*the guard thought, waving thoughtfully in response to the greeting of a jewelry merchant. "Thanks again!" came a shrill voice from below, a little boy running by in glee. The soldier eyed a large building in the distance, one which was isolated from the rest of the chaotic market. The building had a large banner hanging above the entrance with the town guard insignia on it. "When you walk in, ignore everyone and continue following me," the guard ordered, turning his head back slightly in the hopes that the lady could hear him.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Drake heard what he assumed to be the voice of the lady he met earlier, so he continued on through the entrance to the building. Immediately after entering, an almost unbearable heat shot across the room as a foundry crucible passed by. A few men looked over to see the faces of the intruders, but quickly returned to their tasks after seeing the walking tank charging through. Six anvils were lined up along the left side of the large room, along with two large furnaces. A group of men were busying themselves with hammers and tongs, forging and drawing tools and weapons with surprising fluidity. Steam erupted from a bath of water which one of the metalsmiths dropped a metal rod into. The painfully loud sound of metal on rock pierced the air as a man spun a grindstone. The right side had a wall of molds and a rack of tools and materials set in an organized chaos. At the far wall was a wall of buffered and finished-looking items, a few doors, and a flight of stairs. Drake continued his quick pace until he reached a table with what seemed to be a merchant behind it. "Ahh, you're ba-" the man behind the table started, a fake smile lining his face. He was instantly interrupted by the guard as he shouted, "I need light armor, something I won't laugh at." He then gestured behind himself and added, "suit her up and put it on my tab." With that said, the merchant nodded at Drake, who then shifted over and rushed up the stairs, his footsteps heavy on the wooden surface. The man reached the second floor and walked over to a lady at a leather molding station worked at her task. He stopped a few feet away and gave a quick bow, then waited for her to respond. "You're too polite," the leather crafter commented, smiling over at him, "give me a minute, I'm almost on quota." Drake then nodded and walked over to a chair, cautiously taking a seat. "You're getting careless," she added, continuing her craft as Drake watched. The guard was silent, more concerned than nervous. The leather crafter looked up after a minute and asked, "what's wrong?" Drake sighed, then pointed to his helmet. "You know how much I hate taking this off," he started. The lady giggled after hearing this, her voice bemused as she responded, "want me to handle it again?" Drake shook his head, quickly adding, "Delta six." The leather crafter looked up in disbelief, but said nothing. With one last tug, she finished making what looked like a quiver and set it on a mold to dry. "I'm honored," she commented, her voice laced with venom as she wiped off her hands on her apron, "that you would ask me for something like this." Drake rose from his seat, then began walking back towards the stairs as he said, "don't let him down." The guard then walked back down the stairs, a frown set across his face beneath his visor.*I'm sure she can, but this is definitely pushing the limit*he thought, looking around to see where the merchant took the thief-lady.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine glared at the guard's back as he practically ignored her and continued walking. "Rude, much?" She mumbled to herself but decided that, since he was getting her new armor, the most she could do was keep her sarcastic remarks to herself. With that thought in mind, the girl continued to follow him until he stopped in front of a man, one who she assumed to be a merchant since he had a few items displayed on his table at that time. For a moment, Raine found herself staring at the various items until she heard Derek's voice beside her. He practically commanded the man to put armor on her before walking away without another word. The two watched him go before turning to look at each other. It was only then that Raine had actually got a good look at the merchant: he was a man who looked to be in his late forties, early late fifties. Dirty blonde hair was pulled back neatly with a leather strap and his face was lined with wrinkles of all shapes and sizes. His hands were large and worn, as if he had been working since he was born. Despite that, his eyes held a bit of kindness in them as he stood up from where he was sitting. "Follow me, please." Nodding, Raine followed the merchant as he led her to a set of steps that led to an area below the main part of the building. "Where exactly are we going?" Raine asked the man curiously. "Down to the armory so we can get you a new set of armor. It looks like your current one is a bit worn, don't you think?" He responded with a slight smile and watched as the assassin glanced down at her armor: It was true. The metal plates were covered in scratches and dents while some of her leather straps were hanging on by little strands. The sad part about it was that Raine hadn't noticed any of it. "Well, I guess you're right…I do need a bit of an upgrade." She said in agreement then fell into a comfortable silence. The silence didn't last for too long, though, as they finally arrived to the armory. The area was actually much bigger than Raine would have guessed. Armor of all kinds were placed upon the walls neatly and in certain spots so that the heavier armor would sit on a stand that could hold its weight without collapsing. Another thing the girl noticed was the merchants. They were busy pandering to the customers' needs and sometimes had to climb ladders in order to retrieve the armor that their customer desired. Raine was surprised to see that even children were being fitted for armor as well but she figured that it was simply for training instead of actual work that would require them to fight. Then again, she was fairly unfamiliar with the area, so who knows? "This way." The man called to Raine, pulling her out of her thoughts. She followed him once more through the growing crowd of people until they stood in front of what she assumed to be the light weight armor area. The merchant then gestured for her to stand in one spot as he measured her torso, legs and arms. Once he recorded the measurements, he turned and examined the wall of armor behind him. Raine then watched as he scaled up a ladder and looked at the measurement for various pieces of armor before coming back down. "Unfortunately, we don't have any in your size, so we'll have to make one especially for you. I just need a few more measurements." This time, the measurement taking too a bit longer since the merchant had to measure nearly every part of her arms, legs and torso to make sure that everything would fit comfortably. Eventually, she was allowed to head back up while the merchant took the measurements somewhere else. As she made it back to the main area, she spotted the guard that brought her here and walked over to him. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set or armor for me." She told him simply. "And thanks for taking me here, I guess." Raine added under her breath, though her statement was genuine.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I To his delight, Drake saw the lady standing by the front counter once again, thus Drake assumed she had been measured already. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set of armor for me," the lady declared, quickly adding, "and thanks for taking me here, I guess." Drake nodded, then asked, "Miss, do your weapons need replacement or refinement? There are few blacksmiths in town like John." With this said, the guard pointed over to a man by the entrance who was pounding a bastard sword with a narrow hammer, refining the edge of the blade. The man clearly did not realize that his name was mentioned, for he busily continued his work. The wall behind the front counter had plenty of daggers arrayed along a weapon rack with other small arms, some models very thin with somewhat wide guards, some fairly flat-tipped, and some very odd models with wavy edges. Drake stood motionless in anticipation of a response, watching Raine closely. Small weapons did not need as much maintenance as his own sword, as he knew well, but judging from the condition of her armor, the guard suspected that her weapons did not fare much better. --- Meanwhile, a great thud echoed through an open area in front of the mercenary guild hall as Flake landed a jump from a nearby balcony. The bounty hunter quickly opened the large doors and entered the building, his face solemn. Various people passed by him as he entered, giving him no second looks. The bounty hunter walked through the gilded halls and, after a few minutes of searching, found a mission board. Once again, he looked through all the missions, however he did not find what he was looking for. Disappointed, Flake turned back and left the building, still solemn. Upon leaving the building, he jumped up to a balcony once more and climbed his way up to the rooftops again.*It's a wonder so few people use the rooftops,*Flake thought, pulling himself up by grabbing a hold of a few stable shingles. The bounty hunter then hopped away, venturing to another location in the big town.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine glared at the guard's back as he practically ignored her and continued walking. "Rude, much?" She mumbled to herself but decided that, since he was getting her new armor, the most she could do was keep her sarcastic remarks to herself. With that thought in mind, the girl continued to follow him until he stopped in front of a man, one who she assumed to be a merchant since he had a few items displayed on his table at that time. For a moment, Raine found herself staring at the various items until she heard Derek's voice beside her. He practically commanded the man to put armor on her before walking away without another word. The two watched him go before turning to look at each other. It was only then that Raine had actually got a good look at the merchant: he was a man who looked to be in his late forties, early late fifties. Dirty blonde hair was pulled back neatly with a leather strap and his face was lined with wrinkles of all shapes and sizes. His hands were large and worn, as if he had been working since he was born. Despite that, his eyes held a bit of kindness in them as he stood up from where he was sitting. "Follow me, please." Nodding, Raine followed the merchant as he led her to a set of steps that led to an area below the main part of the building. "Where exactly are we going?" Raine asked the man curiously. "Down to the armory so we can get you a new set of armor. It looks like your current one is a bit worn, don't you think?" He responded with a slight smile and watched as the assassin glanced down at her armor: It was true. The metal plates were covered in scratches and dents while some of her leather straps were hanging on by little strands. The sad part about it was that Raine hadn't noticed any of it. "Well, I guess you're right…I do need a bit of an upgrade." She said in agreement then fell into a comfortable silence. The silence didn't last for too long, though, as they finally arrived to the armory. The area was actually much bigger than Raine would have guessed. Armor of all kinds were placed upon the walls neatly and in certain spots so that the heavier armor would sit on a stand that could hold its weight without collapsing. Another thing the girl noticed was the merchants. They were busy pandering to the customers' needs and sometimes had to climb ladders in order to retrieve the armor that their customer desired. Raine was surprised to see that even children were being fitted for armor as well but she figured that it was simply for training instead of actual work that would require them to fight. Then again, she was fairly unfamiliar with the area, so who knows? "This way." The man called to Raine, pulling her out of her thoughts. She followed him once more through the growing crowd of people until they stood in front of what she assumed to be the light weight armor area. The merchant then gestured for her to stand in one spot as he measured her torso, legs and arms. Once he recorded the measurements, he turned and examined the wall of armor behind him. Raine then watched as he scaled up a ladder and looked at the measurement for various pieces of armor before coming back down. "Unfortunately, we don't have any in your size, so we'll have to make one especially for you. I just need a few more measurements." This time, the measurement taking too a bit longer since the merchant had to measure nearly every part of her arms, legs and torso to make sure that everything would fit comfortably. Eventually, she was allowed to head back up while the merchant took the measurements somewhere else. As she made it back to the main area, she spotted the guard that brought her here and walked over to him. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set or armor for me." She told him simply. "And thanks for taking me here, I guess." Raine added under her breath, though her statement was genuine.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I To his delight, Drake saw the lady standing by the front counter once again, thus Drake assumed she had been measured already. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set of armor for me," the lady declared, quickly adding, "and thanks for taking me here, I guess." Drake nodded, then asked, "Miss, do your weapons need replacement or refinement? There are few blacksmiths in town like John." With this said, the guard pointed over to a man by the entrance who was pounding a bastard sword with a narrow hammer, refining the edge of the blade. The man clearly did not realize that his name was mentioned, for he busily continued his work. The wall behind the front counter had plenty of daggers arrayed along a weapon rack with other small arms, some models very thin with somewhat wide guards, some fairly flat-tipped, and some very odd models with wavy edges. Drake stood motionless in anticipation of a response, watching Raine closely. Small weapons did not need as much maintenance as his own sword, as he knew well, but judging from the condition of her armor, the guard suspected that her weapons did not fare much better. --- Meanwhile, a great thud echoed through an open area in front of the mercenary guild hall as Flake landed a jump from a nearby balcony. The bounty hunter quickly opened the large doors and entered the building, his face solemn. Various people passed by him as he entered, giving him no second looks. The bounty hunter walked through the gilded halls and, after a few minutes of searching, found a mission board. Once again, he looked through all the missions, however he did not find what he was looking for. Disappointed, Flake turned back and left the building, still solemn. Upon leaving the building, he jumped up to a balcony once more and climbed his way up to the rooftops again.*It's a wonder so few people use the rooftops,*Flake thought, pulling himself up by grabbing a hold of a few stable shingles. The bounty hunter then hopped away, venturing to another location in the big town.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine's hands disappeared inside of her cloak once Drake asked her a question about her weapon. Sure enough, she realized that her dagger was nearly in the same condition as her armor, maybe even a bit worst, actually. "I guess I'll be visiting your friend over there, then." It was a shame that the assassin had let her armor and weapon get this worn out without getting it fixed but what could she do? She'd been hiding out for a year now with her only way to gain food and money by stealing it; that was no easy job, especially if she happened to be caught by the person as well. Raine could practically here the angry voices of those people as she made her way over to the one called John. "I would like to get this dagger fixed please." The assassin said once she was standing in front of John's work area. The man paused for a moment and looked from her, to her dagger, then back to the sword he was currently working on. "Leave it there." He said, gesturing to the table beside him. "It should be done in approximately two hours." Nodding, Raine thanked him before heading back over to Drake. "Is there a tavern around here? I'm in need of something to eat." She inquired; the girl needed something to do while she waited for both her new armor made and dagger to be fixed.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Drake watched silently as the lady walked over to John and spoke to him about her daggers. As she did so, the guard turned around to find the merchant back at his place. "Your tab, sir?" the merchant asked, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. Drake nodded, then quickly added, "Delta six." The merchant chuckled after hearing this, then quickly walked down the stairs to the armory, shocked more than amused. Drake turned back to see the thief lady walking back towards him. "Is there a tavern around here? I'm in need of something to eat," she asked, looking up at the hulking giant as she spoke.*I wouldn't dare,*he thought with a quick grin. "I know of a place," Drake responded, walking towards the entrance of the armory, "the Greener Club is the name. I suspect you aren't as wealthy as most around here, so it should suffice." He stepped through the entrance to the armory and back onto the streets of Talgot shortly after this. "If you want to find the place, head to the tax stand I was stationed at, go towards the money-lender stand to the left and continue straight until you see the sign. I'm going to find that devilish roof-monkey," Drake claimed. The guard then walked off, looking around for any sign of the bounty hunter. His dull, blood-stained armor barely glinted in the sun as he walked, the sun still low in the sky.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine watched with wide eyes as a beaten, yet familiar face appeared in the door--or rather on the floor in front of the door that led to the top of the staircase.*What the hell s he doing here?*The assassin knew that Flake could be quite a mischievous trouble maker but she did not think that he would do something bad enough to get thrown in here with her. Unless...*He must have done this on purpose then...but why?*Raine knew that she would not get her questions answered if she continued to ask them to herself so, once the guards disappeared back up the stairs, she stood up from her bed and walked over to Flake. As she got closer, she raised a questioning eyebrow that she was sure that he could see. "What did you do to get thrown in here and why?" The assassin asked, suddenly wondering if he had done it to help her escape. Whatever it was, she was sure that he had done it for some important reason. As she waited for a reply, Raine silently examined the male: it looked as though someone had kicked him in the face repeatedly before stepping on the rest of his body as well. Of course, she was probably exaggerating a bit but that's what it looked like to the girl at the time.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Flake noted that Raine did not respond immediately, to his surprise. As he wiped a bit of blood off his face, he saw Raine approach him from his peripheral vision. "What did you do to get thrown in here, and why?" Raine asked, her tone dripping with curiosity. Flake felt around his mouth with his tongue to ensure he didn't lose any teeth, then he responded, "long story short: they think I'm a traitor," with a nasal voice. He was gradually starting to feel the damages he had taken as his adrenaline drained away, resulting in a lowered capacity to retain a neutral expression. The man had taken quite a few hits, but he had taken them well. The only signs of major damage were present in his face, where he had a black eye and a few bruises. His fighting experience and solid muscles absorbed the hits like armor. It was well noted that the hits he took were not made to kill him. His broken ribs were an unavoidable result of getting beaten, but his tunic was still fully intact, thus there was no visible sign that he took any hits below his clothing. He checked to see if his nose was still bleeding as he finished the last words of his comment, but pinched his nose again after a few drops of blood leaked out. He then spat out a bit of blood which leaked into his throat from his nose-bleed and paused. Flake needed the time to collect his thoughts and suppress the signals of pain and fear running across his mind. With a somewhat retained composure, Flake looked over at Raine, still pinching his nose, and continued, "I suppose we are traitors…murderers betraying murderers." He then looked towards the ground, where a few drops of blood had pooled, and asked, "how long do you think they'll keep us here?" slumping forward slightly to examine the liquid on the floor.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine was too busy looking at the horrible condition that he was in to completely pay attention to what he saw saying. "Geeze Flake. Did you let them run all over you or something?" She mumbled, watching as the blood fell from his nose to the floor. He looked as though he needed medical attention now, but Oruin wasn't going to return from whatever he did during the day until later and she was almost sure that the guards would ignore her if she tried calling for help. Flake would just have to deal with it, but she was sure that it wouldn't bother him that much,...at least she hoped that it wouldn't. "They can keep us in here for as long as they want. We're 'traitors' and they do not want to put the public in danger by letting us go...And sit back, you'll make the bleeding worst." Raine said as she gently but firmly pushed back on his shoulders until he was sitting upright once more. "Now, of course we don't*have*to stay in here for the rest of our lives...we can always find a way out of here, ya know?" Flake was a smart man; Raine knew that he would be able to think of something that would get them out of this mess. "Also, you'll just have to deal with any pain you're feeling until night falls. Oruin won't be back until then." She add, unaware that she had said her friend's name as if Flake was supposed to know who it was.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I After a slight pause, Flake got an unexpected response from Raine. "Geeze Flake. Did you let them run all over you or something?" The bounty hunter looked over at her in confusion, opening his mouth to talk, but instead spat out more blood which was collecting in his throat. His nose-bleed was clotting, but there was still enough blood floating around to pose a minor annoyance. Flake wasn't a doctor by any sense of the imagination, but he knew enough about blood to know that he'd be fine soon. His confused expression returned as she finally answered his question. "They can keep us in here for as long as they want. We're traitors, and they do not want to put the public in danger by letting us go," she responded. Flake was satisfied with this answer, so he leaned forwards again to stop the blood from leaking back into his throat. Suddenly, Raine continued, "And sit back, you'll make the bleeding worse," as she gently pushed him back, further surprising him.*What is with her? She's acting like…*he thought, his train of thought interrupted as he started listening to Raine continue speaking. "Now, of course we don't have to stay in here for the rest of our lives," she pointed out, "we can always find a way out of here, ya know?" Flake managed to suppress the urge to grin after hearing this: he needed to keep Delta Six a secret for awhile longer. "Also," she continued, "you'll just have to deal with any pain you're feeling until night falls." This point did make Flake grin. He had dealt with pain far worse than he was feeling now. Raine then explained, "Oruin won't be back until then." After Raine had finished her speaking, Flake cleared his throat of blood once more, spitting to the side of the bed, then scornfully responded, "The only medicine I need right now is rest. I appreciate the concern, but choking won't make my nose stop bleeding any faster." He paused for a moment after saying this, pushing Raine back so he could lean forwards once more, then, with an intrigued look, asked, "who's Oruin? Never heard of him."</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I As Raine responded to Flake, he watched her intently, remaining still as a statue. His cold, grey eyes followed her as she walked over to her bed. He resented how she had not given him a single opportunity to respond as she spoke, continuing to stare at her as she lay down on the filthy bedding. After a few minutes, he sighed and checked to see if the bleeding had stopped in his nose. After releasing his hand and wiping off as much of the red liquid as he could manage, he noted that the bleeding had stopped. With that done, he carefully lay down on his own bedding and closed his eyes, waiting and listening for noise. He knew for certain that he had not a chance at falling asleep at that time a day, so he took the time of silence to think about the past. Before long, Raine had fallen asleep and Flake had found a comfortable position on his bedding. The minutes passed like hours. All the same, thoughts of dishes he heard of and fantastic missions he missed out on flooded through his mind, distracting him from the minor pain in his side. As he was dissociating from reality, a few brief noises from the other side of the room alerted him. He instantly shot out of bed and looked around to see Raine tumbling around in her sleep, whimpering. Flake got up, feeling slightly light-headed from doing so as quickly as he did, and walked over to observe her. Without his leather armor and boots, his footsteps were all but silent as he approached her sleeping figure. Once he reached her, he loomed over the tossing girl and his eyebrow shot up. Her expression was terrified, the same as a bounty target pinned against a wall.*Sleep, the conversation with one's self,*he thought, grinning slyly. She turned away from him after a few seconds, still turning around in her sleep and whimpering. A sound shot down from the stairwell, calm footsteps following soon after, alarming Flake. He felt his nose once more as he headed back over to his bedding pile, then lay down, relaxed, and closed his eyes, adopting the illusion of sleep.*Best to trick than to be tricked*he mentally recited, awaiting the nearing sounds. The noises were not the metallic thuds of a guard's armor, but the pat of leather boots, the soft type a citizen would wear. Flake heard the cell door open and cracked his right eye open to see who it was. The figure he saw wore the garb of an herbologist, so Flake judged that the man was "Oruin" the prison medic whom Raine had spoken of. He closed his eye and waited, pretending to sleep as he listened to the interaction between him and Raine. The man seemed to be compassionate enough to trust, but Flake questioned his judgment, especially after waking up a sleeping prisoner by contact. Again, Flake felt resentful towards Raine due to the way in which she described the acquisition of his injuries, but retained his sleeping persona. He heard the man approach and also observed the sound of clinking metal and wooden materials, likely the tools of medicine in his bag. Flake planned a response mentally as the man went about assembling his tools. As he finished, Oruin shook Flake and asked, "Excuse me, but do you mind waking up so I can properly treat your wounds?" Within a second of contact, Flake's arm shot from under his head to the medic's wrist, breaking his contact, then used the momentum to sit up. Once again, Flake felt light headed due to the sudden change in altitude, but the bounty hunter's cold eyes stared into the medic's soul. Flake needed a few seconds for his light headedness to go away, then he asked, "How do you expect to treat me, 'properly,' Oruin?" His eyes shot over to the tools on the ground, then back at his eyes. "Do your tools mend bones and restore blood as well as rest?" he continued, wiping some more blood from his nose. The bounty hunter saw Raine watching from his peripheral vision after his question and thought to himself for a moment with slightly softened eyes.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Oruin barely flinched when Flake smacked his hand away and stayed where he was once the male finally sat up. He had kept in mind that Flake might not have been truly sleep in the first place, which was something that he was, too, used to at this point. The inmates that he'd known for a while often pretended to be asleep when he would come and check on them to see if they could get a hit in. Once Oruin had took a few defensive lessons from the prison guards, it was rare that he took a punch from a 'sleeping' inmate. "I personally cannot mend your bones but I do recommend that you try to lay down and stay still for a while. It will hurt much less if you do. About your lost of blood, all I can truly do is pray that you get more. Now, about rest, I have no control over whether you will close your eyes and*actually*go to sleep." Oruin responded before looking up at Flake with piecing green eyes. "Do you have anymore concerns about injuries that you may have? I can pray about them too." As he waited for a reply, Oruin began to take out a simple bottle of water and various sized bandages and wraps to clean the smaller wounds with. On the other side of the room, Raine watched silently from her bed with an unreadable expression. While her eyes looked at them, her mind was busy thinking about the nightmare that she had already had twice in the past twenty four hours. She knew what had caused it the first time but to have it again? Raine figured that, since Flake was in the room, then it wouldn't plague her dreams once more, but that wasn't the case. It bothered her more than she was willing to admit but the assassin managed to keep a straight face.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I As Flake observed Oruin's response to his actions, he felt underwhelmed.*This guy has given me absolutely no help*, he thought, frowning at the medic as he reached down for some supplies.*Then again, I expected as much from a prison medic,*he continued, waiting as the medic prepared a bottle of water and a few healing wraps. Flake had no open wounds, as he well knew, so he figured the medic was pulling out bandages for something else. When Flake briefly looked over towards Raine, he noticed that her expression had not changed in the least. Looking back at Oruin, Flake leaned in towards Oruin and, in a voice soft enough for an ant, whispered, "the next moon is three days from now. It's bad luck this cycle," with a quick, unassuming wink. With this, the bounty hunter stole the medic's bottle of water and flicked out the stopper. He then drank a bit, splashed some water over his face to clean some of the blood from his jaws, and passed it back to Oruin. As he held out the bottle, he commented, "if you're going to pray, pray for her heritage and for my blade." With all this said, Flake started to lie down on his bedding once more. As Oruin pointed out, it was his decision whether or not he would sleep, but the bounty hunter could not make a decision. He wanted to rest, but it would leave him unaware of his surroundings, a risk he wasn't willing to take outside of his home-shack.*Although, I will need to sleep eventually…otherwise I'll die of some stupid fault.*</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Having no inclination to stop, Flake continued to motionlessly lie on his bedding, pretending to sleep. He peeked over to see Raine take half of the food back to her bed, then resumed his act. One would say that it was a waste of time, but the bounty hunter had a child-like curiosity to see what Raine would do provided he was still sleeping. He couldn't hear her doing anything beside crunching on stale bread and quietly drinking soup, so he decided to keep his eyes closed and practice visualizing the room some more. After a few minutes, he noticed that her eating sounds had stopped and that she was silent. Instead of peeking over at her immediately, he waited a few seconds, then slowly opened his left eye just a crack to see the lady crawling over to the food tray. He closed his eye once more, fighting the urge to grin as he thought of something witty to say, but halted himself as he heard the door which slammed earlier open up once again, fairly noisily as well. From the door came a guard who looked quite heavily hung-over, with dark rings around his eyes, a slumped figure, and a steady groan emitted from his person. The guard looked over as he passed to see the traitor girl reaching for food, then looked over to see an empty bowl on her own bedding. His expression turned angry, his voice loud and ferocious as he shouted, "you conniving gundygut! I'll teach ye' a lesson 'r two about stealin!" as he energetically fumbled through his keys. "Stealing?" Flake questioned, keeping his eyes closed as he spoke, "she was just bringing me my food." The guard, unable to think clearly, stopped for a moment to look over at the other guy in the cell. His anger turned to confusion over a few seconds, then he rattled out curses and continued on his way towards the stairs, mentioning "thieves" and "mudlark bitches" as he dizzily stumbled up the steps. The bounty hunter remained silent and motionless until the guard was long gone, then looked over at Raine with a wry expression and probingly asked, "so? Are you going to eat that or not?"</s> <|message|>Raine Starling The bread was merely inches from her lips when the guard suddenly came down stairs, looking like hell.*Hm, I guess they got wine while we had water.*She thought with a slight smirk then turned her attention back to the bread, though she flinched slightly as the man began to yell at her, saying that he would teach her a lesson for stealing. They were in an enclosed space and his loud voice echoed painfully off the stone walls. "Technically, I was permanently borrowing it." The assassin commented slyly and made no effort to moved from her spot by the tray but the man's attention seemed to turn towards Flake as the supposedly sleeping male spoke. Raine didn't mind as he seemed to get the guy to go away somehow and it was only then that Flake finally addressed her directly. "I was going to ask you the same thing." Raine replied with a smirk before tossing the bread to him, watching as it landed on the bed beside Flake. "You know, that guy saved your breakfast. Any longer and the bread would've been mine." Slowly, she stood up from the floor so she could retrieve her own bowl and spoon and place it back on the tray. The assassin then settled back down on her bed, sighing softly as she did so. "I was kinda hoping he would come in here so I could teach him a lesson myself but I don't think he would've have been able to find the key..." She hadn't had a good fight in over 24 hours and Raine was getting bored, to say the least, sitting in the cell, thinking about things she didn't want to think about.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I *That sounds much more familiar*Flake thought regarding Raine's response to his question. He lazily caught the bread after she threw it at him, but set it back down on the floor. As she continued talking, Flake got up, walked over to the tray of food and carried the soup and water back to his bedding, setting it down next to the bread before sitting down once again. Unlike the previous night, he was no longer dizzy, although he was still unable to breath out of his nose due to dried blood. As Raine continued to speak, he quickly downed his soup and looked over at her. As he watched her speak, he was certain that she was disappointed with the result of the previous interaction. "You sound like you wanted to get beat up," he commented, tossing the empty bowl back at the tray before reaching for the water, "want some help with that?" He downed his water much faster than the soup, almost in one gulp, then grabbed his bread and stood up, kicking the cup towards the door. He doubted she would have lost any of her capacity to fight, but it was another opportunity to ask her questions. In his plain tunic and trousers, having been beaten up the previous day, he had lost a significant advantage, but he had also gained a huge advantage by dropping off all of that weight. After taking a bite of bread, he picked up the tray of dishes and carried it over to the door, lazily dropping it there as he continued to eat.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling "As much as I would love to have you pummel me until my face swells up, I'll have to pass....my food needs to settle first." Another smirk formed on her face and Raine turned her head so that she could watch Flake. He seemed to be just fine, despite coming into the cell bloody and sore the night before. Either he was a fast healer or he was great at hiding his pain...though Raine believed the later to be true. However, as she continued to watch him, Raine found herself wanting more and more to find out if he was truly okay though, instead of asking him directly, the assassin decided that she would take up on his previous offer. Slowly, she used her foot to gently slide her cup of water closer to her so that she could reach down and pick it up. Raine then made quick work of draining the liquid from inside then pretended as though she was examining the cup itself before quickly chucking in Flake's direction. She purposely aimed at the area beside his head than directly at him and, when it came into contact with the wall with a loud smack, she smirked. "My food is done settling."</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The bruised bounty hunter acknowledged Raine's response with a nod of his head as he walked back to his bedding.*I wouldn't mind a few seconds to finish eating either,*he thought, eating through the bread. He was used to stale, moldy, and rotton food by that point, however he heard a rumor that burning it after it spoiled ensured that you wouldn't get sick. He could not care less about getting sick in prison, seeing as he would not remain within the bars for an extended stay. Still, even though the stale bread was not warm or partly burned, he was familiar with the taste, and was able to consume it in its entirety before the assassin managed to throw a cup at him. The cup came as a surprise to Flake, seeing as he had only just swallowed his last bite and looked up at Raine. As it whizzed by, he felt a few droplets of water hit his cheek and neck. He wiped these droplets off, along with a small bit of dirt, and threw the innocent cup over to the pile of other dishes. Upon hearing Raine's comment, Flake stood up and tilted his head to both shoulders, resulting in popping sounds in his neck. His bruises steadily became more apparent, both visually for others and painfully for Flake, as faint sunlight from the staircase gradually got stronger. He had nine bruises, mostly on his torso and arms, and could localize them all quite accurately in his mind. He was not nearly as worried about his nose as an amateur would be. He never fought with head protection, so he was not worried about getting hit in the face. His issue, which he demonstrated by grimacing as he flexed a few muscles in his arms statically as a check, was that he would have to expend more energy in order to nullify the effects of pain completely.*That might be a bit much for a friendly skirmish,*he thought, his grimace fading as he retorted, "in that case, I guess I'll help you out." Before advancing to initiate combat, the bounty hunter clenched his fists tightly, resulting in more popping noises, and then adopted a stance next to his bedding. The room was larger than Flake's shack, but that was barely saying anything. He doubted he would be able to get to kicking range after the fight started, so he decided to start off with a kick.*Just to be flashy,*he thought, leaping towards Raine in two steps,*I'll do this.* Around five feet in front of Raine, Flake dropped to the floor and kicked high, aiming for Raine's head as he slid. When he stopped moving, he placed both hands right above his shoulders and kicked straight up with his other leg, pressing down with the leg which was already out for momentum. This momentum allowed him to press off of his hands and launch himself backwards in a flip with a slight spinning motion, allowing him to land facing his target on his feet, albeit a bit disoriented. He quickly adopted his lazy forward stance after regaining his composure and brought his left arm in front of his chest.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine stood to her feet as Flake prepared himself to fight with her, her eyes watching him carefully as he began to approach her. She wasn't sure what he was going to do, but she knew it wouldn't be too extensive since they didn't have much room in the cell and he seemed to still be in a bit of pain from the injuries he received the day before. However, that did not mean Raine would underestimate him, as she knew that he was more than capable of still fighting as he did when she first met him. Soon enough, Flake made his move and, in an attempt to avoid getting kicked in the face, Raine leaned back and raised an eyebrow as she felt the tip of his shoe graze her nose. She stood back straight once his foot was out of range, though she quickly brought her arms up to defend herself as his leg came up again. Once they were both on their feet again, Raine took up her usual stance: her hands into fists and her feet moving lightly against the floor as she bounced lightly in place. For a moment, she stayed like that, silently weighing her options. The cell wasn't that big, so she couldn't do more than one or two flips of any kind before hitting a bed or the wall. Kicking also required so extra space and the assassin was sure that Flake probably wouldn't allow her to have enough time to move back and prepare for a kick. So her only option seemed to be fighting up close, not like it was much of a problem for Raine. Without warning, she dashed forward and, once she was close enough, Raine used her right arm to quickly push Flake's left arm out of the way so that she could punch with her left. Whether she made contact or not, the assassin quickly moved back and raised her arms to defend herself, figuring that he would counter in some way before trying her method of attacking once again, figuring that she would hit her mark at least once.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Where the bounty hunter landed was where he stood. He barely moved at all after his maneuver, despite wanting to move quickly to avoid pain. The bruises on his chest seemed to flare up every other second as he waited, each imaginary needle in his side distracting him ever so slightly. He only barely noticed Raine begin moving as she took the offensive, but quickly focused as adrenaline kicked in. He stood his ground as she approached, however he was unnerved by her approach. As she pushed his readied arm to the side, he feigned off to the outside, retreated a step, and snapped his right arm upwards into an overhead block, easily deflecting her attack. To his surprise, Raine then jumped back. He wanted to take the opportunity to counter attack, but he deemed such an action as "unsafe" because she barely seemed to be trying. When she jumped forward once more, Flake anticipated that she would push his arm out of the way, so he preemptively brought his left arm up to his head with his elbow out and watched her right arm. She pushed his facing hand out of the way, as he expected, then immediately tried another punch. Instead of blocking, Flake side-stepped as Raine punched at him and brought his clenched fist down towards her back, in the same motion as a person who would stab with a knife. The instant after his attack, he shifted his weight to his right side and snapped his right elbow at Raine's right shoulder, side-stepping to her right once again. "Don't treat me like an amateur," Flake commented, shifting to a left fore-stance with his left arm out and ready. A barely-readable frown showed briefly over his face as he spoke, evidencing his disapproval at her previous attack.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Flake avoided her attack with ease and made a counter attack of his own, one of which Raine was not able to avoid herself. However, she ignored the stinging on her back and got back into her usual defensive stance--both arms up, hands in fists and her body bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet--saying, "I would do no such thing." She stated, her voice holding no malice nor teasing tones in it. Raine hadn't wanted to do anything that would possibly further his injuries but, as expected, he wouldn't want her to bring light-hearted and simple attacks to the table.*Well, if that's what he wants, then fine...*The assassin thought with a slight, unnoticeable shrug before suddenly closing the space between her and Flake, leaving a few feet between them. She then spun, using the momentum to also kick towards his face at the same time. The process only took a few seconds and, whether or not she hit him or not, Raine moved back about three feet once both feet were on the ground once more, her arms moving up to defend herself from whatever Flake may throw at her in return. However, she did not wait long in this spot and proceeded forward again, attempting to throw a punch at his face once more while using the other arm to shield herself from his attacks once more.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The bounty hunter realized that his arms were very tense after his previous attack as Raine responded to his previous command, but ignored his realization.*I'd rather lose form than agility,*he thought, his frown gradually melting away as his opponent started to move. At first, Flake lifted his foot up to counter a low-sweep, anticipating that the assassin wouldn't risk a head-level attack against him. To his brief dismay, his prediction ended up misleading him, however he managed to shift his weight back just in time to avoid her foot. He spent the next few seconds jumping back up to his feet as Raine mercifully retreated, giving him time to ready himself once more before advancing with another simple punch. This time, Flake anticipated a high attack. At the opportune time, right before she hit him, Flake dropped to a crouch to Raine's right and kicked low, targeting Raine's right knee with his left shin to catch her advanced leg. on hit Flake twists his leg on contact with Raine's, locking his foot around her ankle, and turns so as to use his other leg to push her forwards, force tripping her. He then releases her leg and calmly gets back up, commenting, "you almost had me for a second there," before offering her his hand. on miss Flake's leg continues through his kick and a hidden bruise sharply lances through his entire right leg, causing him to topple over on the ground. With a surprised squeak, the bounty hunter rolls onto his back and grasps his tense leg, frightened by his inability to move it. He felt a thousand needles shooting into his leg as he forced himself to straighten his leg. After a few seconds, the pain subsided and his leg was fine once again, however he remained seated, looking up at Raine. "I sure wasn't expecting that…" he commented, averting his eyes back to his leg after speaking, his cheeks hot with shame.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Flake avoided her attack with ease and made a counter attack of his own, one of which Raine was not able to avoid herself. However, she ignored the stinging on her back and got back into her usual defensive stance--both arms up, hands in fists and her body bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet--saying, "I would do no such thing." She stated, her voice holding no malice nor teasing tones in it. Raine hadn't wanted to do anything that would possibly further his injuries but, as expected, he wouldn't want her to bring light-hearted and simple attacks to the table.*Well, if that's what he wants, then fine...*The assassin thought with a slight, unnoticeable shrug before suddenly closing the space between her and Flake, leaving a few feet between them. She then spun, using the momentum to also kick towards his face at the same time. The process only took a few seconds and, whether or not she hit him or not, Raine moved back about three feet once both feet were on the ground once more, her arms moving up to defend herself from whatever Flake may throw at her in return. However, she did not wait long in this spot and proceeded forward again, attempting to throw a punch at his face once more while using the other arm to shield herself from his attacks once more.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The bounty hunter realized that his arms were very tense after his previous attack as Raine responded to his previous command, but ignored his realization.*I'd rather lose form than agility,*he thought, his frown gradually melting away as his opponent started to move. At first, Flake lifted his foot up to counter a low-sweep, anticipating that the assassin wouldn't risk a head-level attack against him. To his brief dismay, his prediction ended up misleading him, however he managed to shift his weight back just in time to avoid her foot. He spent the next few seconds jumping back up to his feet as Raine mercifully retreated, giving him time to ready himself once more before advancing with another simple punch. This time, Flake anticipated a high attack. At the opportune time, right before she hit him, Flake dropped to a crouch to Raine's right and kicked low, targeting Raine's right knee with his left shin to catch her advanced leg. on hit Flake twists his leg on contact with Raine's, locking his foot around her ankle, and turns so as to use his other leg to push her forwards, force tripping her. He then releases her leg and calmly gets back up, commenting, "you almost had me for a second there," before offering her his hand. on miss Flake's leg continues through his kick and a hidden bruise sharply lances through his entire right leg, causing him to topple over on the ground. With a surprised squeak, the bounty hunter rolls onto his back and grasps his tense leg, frightened by his inability to move it. He felt a thousand needles shooting into his leg as he forced himself to straighten his leg. After a few seconds, the pain subsided and his leg was fine once again, however he remained seated, looking up at Raine. "I sure wasn't expecting that…" he commented, averting his eyes back to his leg after speaking, his cheeks hot with shame.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Flake managed to avoid her attack and counter with his own but as Raine tensed slightly in anticipation of the attack, she was surprised to see Flake suddenly fall to the ground. With wide eyes, the assassin jumped back slightly, thinking that she had done something that had seriously injured him or something when she had wanted to avoid doing something like that. However, the moment was soon over and Flake seemed to be okay again, though he did seem to be a bit embarrassed after his fall. "Hey, can you stand?" Raine asked him with a hint of concern in her voice. If he needed help, then she would try her best but Raine's arms were probably not strong enough to lift a man who couldn't use both of his legs to help her. Those thoughts momentarily went from her mind as a familiar voice echoed throughout the cell. "While that was quite an impressive fight, it wasn't a wise one." Oruin called from his spot across from the cell. He had been leaning casually against the far wall with a concerned frown on his face. He knew that Flake wasn't in the proper condition to be fighting like that but he was sure the man had his reasons for doing it. His green eyes then glanced over to Raine as she spoke to him. "When did you get in here?" Raine hadn't heard him come in through the door, which made her a bit disappointed in herself. she had been so engrossed in the fight that she had become completely unaware of her surroundings, despite the fact that they were in a locked cell. While she was sure this wouldn't happen if she wasn't in the jail, the assassin made a mental reminder to be more observant, even when fighting. "I came down here only a minute or two ago to check on both of you but it seems that you both are fine...to a certain extent at least." Oruin stated, his eyes glancing over at Flake for a moment before returning to Raine. "Do either or you need any assistance?" His question was mainly for Flake, though Oruin offered it to Raine as well.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I **"Hey, can you stand?"** The voice sounded very strange to the bounty hunter, as was noted by his expression. His confused expression, however, were not focused on the assassin, but the medic who was watching them from the other side of the cell.*That food! God damnit!*he thought, his surprise instantly gone, replaced with suspicion,*I doubt the medic would…would he?*The odd, stiffness in his leg gradually returned as the medic started speaking again, but Flake ignored it as he shuffled over to his bedding. He had felt the ungodly sensation already, so he anticipated the feeling and suppressed it as a drop of sweat rolled down his face. He was certain that his soup was poisoned. Bounty hunters, assassins, and medics all had at least one thing in common – they were trained in the use of poisons. Sometimes, a poison's effect can be extremely subtle. The first stages of the plague are usually the same. Nonetheless, these three groups deal with poisons quite often, whether in combat, in an infirmary, or in day to day life. As a result, these three groups are easily able to distinguish between common occurrences such as headaches, and potentially life-threatening symptoms such as head pains and dizziness, despite their similarities. Some poisons, on the other hand, are exceedingly rare. Only the most wealthy of persons – only the strongest of alchemists – only the best of the best can get their hands on these poisons because of their special, almost universally lethal attributes, and because of how illegal they are. Most of these poisons act so quickly that the only way to survive would be to take the antidote prior to taking the poison. On the other hand, some have a long delay, but progress quite rapidly afterwards. As the other two spoke, Flake mentally shut off his ears and closed his eyes, thinking as fast as he could. No matter how many possibilities he posed, he could not think fast enough to narrow down the possible range of causes for his symptoms. He could barely focus over the medic as he proposed to offer assistance, so he muted his voice by thinking aloud. "Lower body paralysis, dizziness, loss of balance, hot feeling, scentless, tasteless – Green! The soup was greenish!" It was a very faint green, but as he looked over to the soup bowl he threw by the door, it was an undeniable greenish hue. He had gulped down the soup too quickly to realize his mistake. Immediately after realizing this, he quickly shot his gaze over to Raine, eyeing her wrists. "You…" he spat, interrupted by violent coughing.*I wasn't watching her! She could have dropped powder...*he thought, suddenly stopping himself as his coughing worsened,*no, neither of us would be able to sneak poison in here.*His eyes then widened as he looked back over to Oruin, controlling his coughing. "N-no! It couldn't b-be…" He pulled his legs in towards himself, then looked over to the bowl of soup Raine had. From what remained, it was a whitish brown. "He - he c-couldn't have…" he stammered, starting to shiver where he sat. By this point in time, the bounty hunter could only barely move his legs, and he was totally deaf. A numbness spread through his whole body, dulling the pain from his bruises. By the time it reached his head, his eyes were already closed, and he was unconscious, still seated upright on his bedding.</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I After a bit of tending, Flake got a tinder fire going and added larger pieces of wood, hoping the logs would catch fire soon enough. Once he figured that the fire was large enough, Flake grabbed his spear and the padlock for the door. He rose from his place in front of the fire and walked over to the door with the two items in hand. He calmly locked and bolted the door, then returned to the fire, sitting on a chair a few feet from the fire. As Raine started to speak, Flake rested the spear against the back of the chair and adjusted his robe to a more comfortable arrangement. His only response to the assassin's initial statement was a slight nod, even though she was not looking. As the assassin continued, the bounty hunter closed his eyes and attempted to reenact the scenes which she described. After she was finished talking, ending her brief monologue by searching her figure for unusual objects, Flake opened his eyes once again and looked over to her, reaching into a pocket in his robe. "I found this map and this key on the ground between our beds when I woke up," he answered, holding out the map and key for his ally's inspection, "the map was edited by my 'friend,' but it seems to be from the prison medic, originally." After the two items left his hands, Flake continued, "there are enough supplies inside the house to last us a week, but there is a river West of here and plenty of deer." After waiting for a brief comment by the assassin, Flake proposed, "I'd wager that two days are enough for us to sneak through the prison and recollect our belongings, but we should scout out the castle and prepare ourselves before assaulting your uncle. The poison will only take a day or two to wear off, but we will not be primed for extended combat until next week." The bounty hunter paused, then rose from his seat and placed another log into the fire. He determined that the wood in the fireplace would last well into the evening, so he organized the tinder on top of the extra lumber, then returned to his seat once more, listening to the assassin all the while. Once he was seated again, he closed his eyes and relaxed, a hint of impatience on his expression.*I said that we should rest, but I am going to need to keep myself occupied if I am going to put up with staying in this building for more than a day,*he thought, balancing the prospect of scout detection and the benefits of training.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine reached over and accepted the items from Flake, her eyes scanning the words on the page as her ears listened to what her companion. "We should probably utilize that deer supply at one point to make dried meat for our future travels." Was all she said before falling silent once more, nodding slightly at Flake's next statement. "That sounds like a plan. Until we're ready to move on to the next stage, I guess we'll have to find ways to occupy ourselves here." Silence engulfed the pair once more, both too deep in their own thoughts to really care. Eventually, the assassin got tired of sitting still and gave her hands one last brisk rub in front of the fire before getting to her feet. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." And with that statement, she receded down the stairs without another word. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ **Present Day: 1200 Hours** Inhale. Exhale slowly. Arms up, right leg up...and go. Raine put her foot down and used the forward motion as momentum to send her body forward and up onto her hands, completing her hand stand.*Okay, I'm doing good. My arms aren't trembling and my breathing is controlled...*Maybe this would finally work after her sixth time trying...or maybe not. The assassin's vision swam and for a moment, she blacked out as she crumpled to the floor with a loud thud. "It seems as if I've really over worked myself now..." Raine mumbled breathlessly as she came to only a few seconds later. Deciding that it wouldn't be wise to move around, the woman waited for the little black dots in her vision to go away, assessing the situation as she did so. She had done everything that she usually did to get the stiffness out of legs and arms: toe touches, leg and arm stretches but, as soon as she tried to do a hand stand, she had gotten dizzy and fallen over.*Maybe it's because I went down too quickly...or maybe it's because of this stupid dress thing.*Sure, the dress that was way too big kept falling slightly into her face when she went to do a handstand and made the woman want to take it off and toss it into the fire upstairs but...her excuses were weak and she knew that the actual cause of her failure was because of the little bits poison that lingered in her body. Despite that, Raine was determined to do one handstand without falling but, in the end, she only ended up making herself feel worst. "Yup, that was a stupid thing to do." She scolded herself; oddly enough, she could picture Oruin saying the same thing to her if he had been in the room with her. Knowing that the next best thing that she could do at this moment was rest, the assassin moved over to her temporary bed before lying down, falling asleep almost instantly. --- 1700 hours The next time that Raine woke up, it was because of the hunger that once again gnawed at her insides, causing her to frown slightly. She figured she must've been sleep for quite a while if her food that she had eaten hours before had now settled.*At least I don't feel dizzy anymore...*The assassin thought to herself as she jerked the cloth of the dress back onto her exposed shoulder. The dress was about as annoying as the grumbling in her stomach and Raine knew exactly how to fix the problem...though after scanning the surrounding area, the woman wasn't so sure that she would find the materials she needed to do so. Figuring that her only other option would be to search around upstairs, Raine slowly got to her feet and ascended the stairs. As she neared the top, the assassin noted that dealing with her hunger would be easier to do than to find sewing materials so, instead of searching around, she turned to Flake. "Would you like some deer for dinner?" The woman asked with a slight smirk as she took out the short sword she found downstairs and impaled it into the table beside her. Sure, she did not have all of her energy back up but she should be able to snag a deer that runs slower than the rest or a few small animals at least in her current condition.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I As Raine left, Flake felt a chill shoot across his skin. The chill was a contradiction, because he knew that his skin was too warm, and that the chill was a sign that he was starting to go numb. Flake responded to Raine with a curt, "Very well," and rose from his seat. He picked up his spear on the way over to the door, then took the robe off, leaving his somewhat adequate pants the only apparel on his figure, and left the building. He shuddered at the sudden change in temperature, but quickly tuned out his inner voice as it told him to return to the comforting warmth.*I should be more careful, or I might melt,*he thought, grinning at the image as he rummaged through the forest, in search of a small, open area. --- **Present Day: 1700 hours** As Flake sat in his chair once more, surrounded by luxurious fabric and hypnotic warmth, he could almost mistake the sounds of movement behind him for the sounds of people at the town market. Fortunately, as Raine's voice entered his ears, Flake escaped from the grasp of the fire's hypnotic gaze and shot out of his seat to look her in the eye. As she finished speaking, Flake nodded, maintaining his composure, and responded, "Certainly, but you should probably take a bow. Professional hunters tend to prefer wounding animals before chasing them." He then collapsed back into his chair and sighed with a frown of annoyance.*I'll need a good meal after today,*he thought, remembering the feeling of needles at each overstressed muscle,*otherwise this might become a trend…*</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I **1900 hours** With a sudden burst of energy, Flake shot out of the seductively comfortable chair, breaking free from the hypnotism of the fire, and grabbed his spear. After recovering from the light-headedness, he made his way over to the opening to the basement, then jumped down without a thought. Once he reached the basement floor, he walked over to the weapons rack and examined the weapons once again. The bounty hunter practiced a few techniques with each individual weapon, being careful to avoid hitting or stepping on any of the furniture. After practicing with each melee weapon, he mentally separated out the unworkable weapons from those which he might appreciate using as secondary weapons. After staring at the weapons for a full ten-minute interval, he concluded that his first observation was inadequate. All of the light weapons were exact copies of the ones which the guards used, standard issue with a few modifications which were likely the result of an over-excited blacksmith. The heavy weapons, on the other hand were original, possibly the favorites used by Drake in the past. The ranged weapons were the same, although to a lesser degree. The heavy ranged weapons were all castle guard varieties, such as a heavy crossbow with metal support. Even the throwing knives were standard issue, except Flake only felt that the castle guard varieties would be sufficient for use. After thinking carefully about the different opportunities he would get to use the weapons, Flake grabbed one of the sacks of throwing knives and tied it to the belt of his pants, under his robe.*I'll try them out later on,*he thought, taking the spear back off of the weapon rack. Upon rising back up the stairs, he noticed that the fire was starting to die down. In the hopes that he would not have to start a fire again if he fed it some logs and watched it return to life. The bounty hunter looked around the room once more, his hunger reminding him of Raine and the complete lack of sewing materials in the house. With a dissatisfied frown, he sat back in the chair in front of the fire and waited a few minutes, his impatience slowly mounting within him. --- **2000 hours** A few minutes later, Flake shot out of his chair at the sound of the door and, upon recognizing the trespasser, walked over to her and lifted a few deer pieces from her back. He was about to comment about how she should have brought the entire carcass back, but determined that she was likely too weak to drag it all the way back to the cabin. Flake managed to listen to Raine, despite the sound of his hunger pains, but only managed to respond by saying, "go ahead," and heading back over to the chair by the fire. He watched Raine out of the corner of his eye, so that he could comment if she did anything interesting, but otherwise watched the fire to pass the time.*I wonder how an assassin learned to cook,*he thought, quickly looking over to watch her search for cooking items in the drawers before returning to his biding occupation.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling "Well, I guess I'll get to cooking then..."' Raine mumbled more to herself than to Flake with a soft sigh; she was beyond tired but she needed food even more than sleep. After moving the hide of the deer off to the side, she laid out the strips of meat she'd brought in and began to cut them into smaller pieces using her short sword so they could easily pop the pieces into their mouths. Afterwards, the assassin searched around for something that she could prop of the fire and succeed in finding a metal rack hidden behind a box nearby...but, she needed something else, too. Raine continued her search around the room, hoping to find a skillet of some kind but only succeeded in finding a sheet of metal that could serve as a makeshift skillet for now. "This will have to do, then." After threading the ends of the sheet through the slits on either side of the metal rack, Raine made her way over to the fire were she carefully assembled the metal object over the fire, but not too close to where it would cook the outside of the meat too quickly. She then grabbed a few pieces of meat from the table and placed them on top of the metal sheet, hissing a bit as her fingers were nipped by the fire. Once done, the assassin pulled out a pinch of herbs that she knew would give the meat a bit more flavor and sprinkled them on top. "And now we wait." She stated to no one in particular as she settled on the floor in front of the fire, her half lidded eyes watching the meat sizzle above the fire.</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Flake decided to remain silent as Raine carried out her cooking tasks, lacking the willpower required to think of words. He stared blankly at the fire in the furnace as Raine began to build a cooking station, as like a statue. His expression had exactly the same eager, yet solemn expression. Despite this, he was beginning to recognize a new sensation within himself. It was a warming feeling, much like the warmth from the fire. It made him hopelessly restless, as if he was overdosed with his own adrenaline, but his muscles were all asleep. The urge was not foreign to him, but his lack of activity, food, and his warmness brought the urge to the forefront of his mind. Soon enough, Flake was desensitized to his hunger and tiredness, as his consciousness focused on the odd feeling in his chest, this "urge." The more he focused on it, the more memories flashed through his mind, key words of fights and triumphs, important conversations, forgotten and repressed thoughts. It was a fury of excitement, the embodiment of an overwhelming desire to do something, to move, to fight, to destroy. The urge took the form of a fire, the overflowing of emotion and desire, everything he sought to compress for control's sake, simply raging away before him. *So that's it, that's what it is,*he thought, his senses flooding back as a frown covered his face. He continued to think about the urge for a few seconds, despite no longer feeling it, but determined that he might be going insane and pushed it out of his mind. Instead, he focused on the food before him, which slowly crackled away on the fire. His hunger was nowhere near as strong as his "urge," but he allowed hunger to stay in mind. He allowed hunger to make him even more impatient. When he finally decided to speak, it was apparent to him that his companion was about as tired and hungry as he was. To keep both of them awake, he commented, "Tomorrow, I'm going to scout out the area and find the way back to town." After this comment, he leaned forward and took a deep breath through his nose, as if to eat the meat through the steam and smoke it released. He immediately regretted his decision, as it made him even more hungry. After finally looking away from the fire, turning his attention to Raine, he continued, "if I don't do something tomorrow, I'll fall back into a coma…"</s>

<|description|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Alias: Flake Sex: Male Age: 20 Occupation: Bounty Hunter Appearance: His eyes are often bloodshot, his eyelids heavy from sleep, and his body is usually deprived of food. Dirt crusts all of the jet-black hair on his head, the likes of which he never styles and rarely cuts. He never shaves, instead opting to use a dagger to cut hair off when it gets too long for his convenience. Usually, this means he has facial stubble and relatively short hair. His teeth are more-or-less aligned, and are mostly yellow, but he has one missing tooth on the right side of his lower jaw. His jaw is fairly sharp, and his chin is rounded. Overall, he has a rough look to him. His body is lean and very muscular. He has dense bones, dense muscles, and thick, calloused skin. He is about average height, 5'8", and weighs around 130lbs. His strength is divided about evenly between his upper and lower body, and he is extremely agile. His body is iron-hard from years of combat, and he wears many scars on his exposed flesh, many of which he treated himself. . Personality: Harsh and exacting, but seeks moral good. Makes puns and jokes to himself. He has great wisdom and charisma, although he isn't too knowledgeable about much aside from economics and combat. His main personality feature is his control over his emotions - he doesn't like it when people learn more about him than he learns about them, so he takes great pains to blank out his expressions when around hostile influences. In addition, he is a loner, but is very sociable. He likes to play with other people and to learn from them as much as possible. His playfulness is rarely more prominent than a mere mischievous tendency, but he is prone to making games out of otherwise boring situations even when it inconveniences others. The one most important part of his personality is that he is rarely serious. He jokes a lot so that he can keep himself thinking. When he stops thinking is when he becomes most dangerous, since he defaults to analysis of his surroundings, and consequently, the weaknesses of those around him. He is only serious when he is in a truly challenging situation, or when his life is at stake, and he rarely offers mercy or consideration to others when in this state, despite his tendency for moral goodness. . Backstory: Flake grew up under the close observation of her father, who was the captain of the Talgot city guard. Talgot was the capitol of Kiodomn, the kingdom in which he lived. Sheckels were the main currency, and thirty were needed each month to provide modest accommodations and enough food for one person to survive. His childhood wasn't very difficult since his father earned enough for the family, but one day, his father didn't return from work. After that day, Flake and his mother tried making a living on their own, but his mother ended up starving herself to keep her son alive. To avoid squandering his mother's efforts, Flake ended up trying to join the guard force of Talgot. He learned after joining the guard that it was a burdensome job full of ass-kissing and chores as opposed to actual fighting, so he gritted his teeth and bore with it as he searched for another job. During this time, he weighed three options: he could try to get an honest job like a guard, he could join in competitions to make money, like a bar-fighter, or he could get an illegal job, like an assassin. As he searched, he found the perfect role model, and thusly, the perfect job: The Bounty Hunter. He immediately quit his job as a guard by challenging the guard captain, Drake, to a duel. He ended up winning the duel, then used his fame to march into the Sweeper's Hall and ask for a bounty. From that day forward, his legacy as a bounty hunter began. He would spare many of his victims if he saw it morally right and they let him exchange their lives for proof of their death. He only had to kill a few of his targets, and even then, he never did so by accident. The Sweeper started to respect him quite quickly. But that's when the Hardest Night of Winter came along and he earned his nickname, "Flake." The Hardest Night of Winter is an event that he rarely talks about due to how gruesome and horrific it was. The word "genocide" would be inadequate for describing the event. A mixture of snow, thunder, and monstrous creatures attacked the town and darned near annihilated the guard forces. But Flake teamed up with Drake and repelled the creatures by analyzing their attacks and telling Drake what to do. Drake himself gave Flake the nickname since he supposedly, "danced through the wind like a snowflake, untouchable, unseeable, heartless, cold, and deadly." Flake decided to keep the name, since it was the first and only accolade he had to his name aside from his successful bounty hunting. Immediately after getting the name of Flake, the Sweeper of Talgot honored him with the unnamed bounty they had in reserve. Flake eagerly accepted it, completely unaware of the lasting implications of doing so. And so the story continues... . Equipment: - Armor: He has a set of leather armor that covers his body from the base of his neck to his ankles, leaving only his hands and feet exposed. Beneath the leather armor is a set of thinly-woven steel chainmail and thin cloth padding, and there are metal ribs along the forearm sections of the armor. He wears dark leather boots with iron-plated and cushioned soles. - Weapons: He uses a straight, 50cm long falchion with a smoothed and ergonomically designed ebony handle and a weighted pummel. The hand-guard on the weapon is minimal. He has three balanced daggers arranged parallel to his oblique. Additionally, he keeps a composite shortbow with a draw weight of 60lbs in his rucksack(unstrung). - Carrying Equipment: He has a rucksack with 2 cubic feet of volume and 40lbs of carrying capacity, one quiver with 20 arrows, and a bandolier that can hold up to 3 daggers. He also has a coin purse that is almost always empty. - Other Equipment: Varies. Usually he has a set of spare clothes, a mirror, and at least one day's worth of food and water in his rucksack. Sometimes he carries extra supplies or equipment to carry out a bounty.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling "Well, I guess I'll get to cooking then..."' Raine mumbled more to herself than to Flake with a soft sigh; she was beyond tired but she needed food even more than sleep. After moving the hide of the deer off to the side, she laid out the strips of meat she'd brought in and began to cut them into smaller pieces using her short sword so they could easily pop the pieces into their mouths. Afterwards, the assassin searched around for something that she could prop of the fire and succeed in finding a metal rack hidden behind a box nearby...but, she needed something else, too. Raine continued her search around the room, hoping to find a skillet of some kind but only succeeded in finding a sheet of metal that could serve as a makeshift skillet for now. "This will have to do, then." After threading the ends of the sheet through the slits on either side of the metal rack, Raine made her way over to the fire were she carefully assembled the metal object over the fire, but not too close to where it would cook the outside of the meat too quickly. She then grabbed a few pieces of meat from the table and placed them on top of the metal sheet, hissing a bit as her fingers were nipped by the fire. Once done, the assassin pulled out a pinch of herbs that she knew would give the meat a bit more flavor and sprinkled them on top. "And now we wait." She stated to no one in particular as she settled on the floor in front of the fire, her half lidded eyes watching the meat sizzle above the fire.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Flake decided to remain silent as Raine carried out her cooking tasks, lacking the willpower required to think of words. He stared blankly at the fire in the furnace as Raine began to build a cooking station, as like a statue. His expression had exactly the same eager, yet solemn expression. Despite this, he was beginning to recognize a new sensation within himself. It was a warming feeling, much like the warmth from the fire. It made him hopelessly restless, as if he was overdosed with his own adrenaline, but his muscles were all asleep. The urge was not foreign to him, but his lack of activity, food, and his warmness brought the urge to the forefront of his mind. Soon enough, Flake was desensitized to his hunger and tiredness, as his consciousness focused on the odd feeling in his chest, this "urge." The more he focused on it, the more memories flashed through his mind, key words of fights and triumphs, important conversations, forgotten and repressed thoughts. It was a fury of excitement, the embodiment of an overwhelming desire to do something, to move, to fight, to destroy. The urge took the form of a fire, the overflowing of emotion and desire, everything he sought to compress for control's sake, simply raging away before him. *So that's it, that's what it is,*he thought, his senses flooding back as a frown covered his face. He continued to think about the urge for a few seconds, despite no longer feeling it, but determined that he might be going insane and pushed it out of his mind. Instead, he focused on the food before him, which slowly crackled away on the fire. His hunger was nowhere near as strong as his "urge," but he allowed hunger to stay in mind. He allowed hunger to make him even more impatient. When he finally decided to speak, it was apparent to him that his companion was about as tired and hungry as he was. To keep both of them awake, he commented, "Tomorrow, I'm going to scout out the area and find the way back to town." After this comment, he leaned forward and took a deep breath through his nose, as if to eat the meat through the steam and smoke it released. He immediately regretted his decision, as it made him even more hungry. After finally looking away from the fire, turning his attention to Raine, he continued, "if I don't do something tomorrow, I'll fall back into a coma…"</s> <|message|>Raine Starling _How did I get here?_ It had only been a month or so (Raine wasn't really sure since her sense of time had been thrown off for the last week or so) since she was milking her cow back in that old town. She'd worked hard to find such a cozy little cabin where she felt like she could be at peace, even if it was just for a little bit. Now all that seemed so far away since Flake came along and reignited the flames of revenge within her. She went from running through the streets, taunting soldiers, to being locked in prison for a second time, to sitting in a cabin in the middle of a forest, cooking meat on a piece of metal with the same man sent to capture her for a bounty. _Will I finally get peace after all this is over?_ There was no doubt in Raine's mind that she would give her uncle the death her deserved, but would it be enough to give her the peace that she longed for? What if it all ended up being a waste of time? The assassin was pulled from her thoughts as Flake spoke up, his voice sounding way louder than it probably was, making her head throb slightly. Being both hungry and beyond tired was not helping the situation. Ignoring the pain, she nodded absentmindedly at his comment, too tired to really respond with a valid response, and flipped over the pieces of meat, hissing slightly as the flames licked a little too closely at her fingers. The girl also noted that the meat was close to being done and it didn't take long for the other side to cook. Raine then stood up grabbed a broken plate from the table to put the sizzling cubes of meat on, swaying slightly as she did so. After handing the plate to Flake, she finally spoke up. "Here, taste that. I need to know how well it tastes before I decide to cook the others like so."</s>

<|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Flake analyzed the girl's movement as she swayed to either side, but could only tell that she was tired as she nodded at him. He thought to tell her to be careful with the fire, but imagined that the assassin would only respond by taking it as an insult to her skill instead of as concern, and abandoned the thought. Flake imagined that the food could not possibly have been finished cooking by the time Raine pulled the food out from the fire, but was surprised to find that, once she placed a few of the meat cubes on a broken plate, that it was crunchy on the outside and not dry on the inside. He took a bite of one of the pieces of meat, then nodded at her and gently commented, "it's the best food I've had in months…" then stoically continued to eat the other pieces of food on the plate, feeling as if his comment wasn't actually saying anything. After a few more bites, he re-stated his comment by continuing, "better than tavern food, even." He continued to watch her cook the last few pieces of meat, then stood up and walked over to the table in the kitchen and placed the empty broken dish on the table. He ensured to get out of Raine's way when she walked around, and occasionally looked over at the door with nervousness. After the food was finally ready, he dropped the stoic expression and grinned. He quickly shoved a few pieces of meat into his face, but slowed down after this in an attempt to be courteous to the lady. Whilst he slowed down, he declared, "I'll bring back a gutted carcass tomorrow…we'll need the sinew and bone for scaling equipment if we're going to break into the castle, and we can smoke and dry some of the meat so that we don't have to cook more every day."</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling The only response that Raine got to her demand was a clanging sound, which made her glare in that direction. "I told you to make yourself visible, not-" Her sentence was cut short as a familiar voice echoed throughout the alleyway and, with narrowed eyes, she turned around, not surprised to see that tax collector guy coming her way. "You gave me a warning for attacking you, not for standing here and minding my own business." The assassin pointed out with yet another glare. "So why don't you go on back to your tax collection booth and cheat more people out of their-" Raine was cut off once again by a voice whose source was currently unknown. *This is really irritating.*The girl thought as she glanced around to see if she could at least get a glimpse of the one doing this but, as expected, they did a good job at keeping themselves hidden. Suddenly, she turned back towards the big bulk of a man and asked: "Is this what you do to people that don't pay taxes? Get your buddies interrogate them when they're alone?" By that time, the absence of the tax collector had attracted the curiosity of many of his customers, who were currently watching from the entrance of the alley. Raine, however, was not interested in the public attention, though she figured that messing with this man in her own little way once more could prove to be fun. She had a plan of her own: make it seem like everyone one was distracted by the drama she was causing then somehow get the mimic to show himself. She wasn't sure why he was doing this but figured that it had been done for some personal reason. Now she had to find a way to get the actor from behind the curtain. It was show time. "Well, Mr. Tax Collector?" The assassin said in a serious yet teasing voice. "What do you have to say for yourself?"</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I As Drake continued walking down the alleyway, the lady with the dagger turned around, her narrow eyes piercing through the tax collector's soul. "You gave me a warning for attacking you, not for standing here and minding my own business., So why don't you go on back to your tax collection booth and cheat more people out of their-" then came the second voice. Drake looked around, trying to find the source based on the reverberations, but the sound seemed to come from multiple directions,*clearly an amateur ventriloquist.* After a second, Drake being considerably closer to Raine, she turned back around and said, "Is this what you do to people that don't pay taxes? Get your buddies and interrogate them when they're alone?" Drake continued walking, ignoring her words as he did so.*I wish I'd just taken her coin to shut her up,*he thought, grimacing. Before long, she was talking yet again, this time in a mocking tone, "Well, mister tax collector? What do you have to say for yourself?" Drake brushed past Raine quite casually, but was then greeted by two more voices. Flake adjusted his voice towards the back end of the alley once more and, in the same voice as before, he said, "one more step and we'll shoot the girl." The sound reverberated off the wall perfectly, but then, Flake decided to add one more voice, this one a bit more raspy and aged, "Yeah, don't take another step, ya' punk." Flake then watched as Drake stepped in front of Raine, shielding her from the unseen enemies at the back of the alley. He reached for his sword, saying, "You know who you're messing with?" He grasped the hilt of his sword, his knuckles popping from the sudden strain. Flake adjusted his voice once again and, in the raspy voice, he retorted, "dern' straight. We're talking to the drunkest bas** in Talgot." Drake gritted his teeth, but the voice wasn't echoing in the same way. He quickly looked up, but all he could see were balconies.*He's on a balcony, but which one?*Drake was glad for the excitement, but he didn't want any civilians getting hurt, especially due to him. In a low voice, Drake told Raine, "hey, miss whoever-you-are, look up, see if you spot any movement." Flake sighed silently, knowing that they were already on to his little plan. He closed his eyes and retreated from view a half-minute ago when Drake first started to look up. He was now waiting, thinking up the next move in his little game.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine smirked a bit as the man ignored her. It didn't bother her at all, especially since she managed to get the crowd rowdy. They were murmuring to each other and pointing towards the area where the tax collector and Raine were standing. Her victory was short lived, though, and the threat of being shot at brought her attention back to what she truly wanted to do: find out who was currently taunting her and the man in the armor. She pulled her dagger from it's hiding spot beneath her cloak and got into a defensive stance, even if it wouldn't stop her from getting a bullet. Because of this, she didn't mind when the man covered in armor stepped in front of her, shielding her from the hidden threat.*A cannon would probably only make a dent in that thing...*the assassin thought with a low whistle and then pushed the thought away so she could focus on the voice coming from the other end of the alley. Raine also picked up on the difference in the way the sound of the voice each echoed off the walls and she too glanced up, expecting to see the owner of the voice. "hey, miss whoever-you-are, look up, see if you spot any movement." "My name is Misti...and I saw movement about ten feet from where we're standing at an angle of elevation of about sixty six degrees." She mumbled to him. "Any plans on how we're going to get him to show himself, Mr. whatever-your-name-is?" Apparently they were working together now, or at least that's what Raine assumed, so she figured that creating a plan that they both could efficiently execute together would be a smart thing to do.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Drake noted and ignored the low whistle the lady behind him uttered, then listened as she whispered, "My name is Misti." Drake grinned as she continued, instantly checking off "meet a smartass lady" from his bucket list. "and I saw movement about ten feet from where we're standing at an angle of elevation of about sixty six degrees. Any plans on how we're going t get him to show himself, Mr. whatever-your-name-is?" After hearing her speak, all Drake could do was roll his eyes and continue looking sharp, hoping to notice when the enemy made a move. Flake carefully listened to their words as they attempted to quietly speak to one another, then decided to reveal himself.*Who would've known. So lady assassins do learn something at that academy*he thought, silently drawing his saber. He rested it against his arm, then picked up a rock, adjusted his voice towards the back wall once more, and shouted, in a new, scratchy voice, "Fire!!" After doing so, he threw the rock at a trashcan and jumped from the balcony, launching himself down with aid from the railing. Drake braced himself for a heavy projectile, but none came, instead the plink of a rock hit a trashcan. "ABOVE!" he shouted, instantly pulling his sheath down along his back, drawing his blade with a loud, metallic screech. The figure was falling so fast that his features were nearly indistinguishable, besides his black leather armor and glinting blade. The guard's huge blade only barely made it out of it's sheath as Flake's blade slammed onto the captain's helmet, releasing a few bright sparks and a powerful thud. Drake stumbled back for a second, trying to pull his sword back towards his chest, but Flake was moving too quick for the heavy soldier. "Hey buddy," Flake said, swiftly chopping at the joint of the gauntlet against his radial plate. The heavy soldier's hand instantly released from shock, causing his weapon to fall to the ground. "YOU!!!" Drake roared, reaching for the man with his other hand. Flake instantly brought his saber over to the man's other arm, savagely whacking the same spot on his other arm, this time with the blunt side of the blade. "Yeah," Flake said, quickly shifting positions. At the moment he finished speaking, he delivered a sideways thrust-kick directly at the soldier's chest plate, tossing him back at the assassin, "me." The soldier landed on the ground with a resounding thud, and as the sound echoed across the alley, Flake sheathed his saber, a wide smirk on his face. "How'd you sleep, missy?" Flake asked, directing his attention towards Raine as his royally-pissed-off friend started to get up once again. The crowd near the entrance to the alley was erupting with conversation as Flake watched the lady, the sounds of metal plate thundering as Drake quickly got to his feet, grabbing his large sword with a grunt. "You owe me five for that act, ya idiot," Drake mumbled, sheathing his sword smoothly as he stood up once more.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine smirked slightly when the man didn't respond but it was quickly replaced with a frown as a voice rang out from the alley. "Fire!!" He yelled and the assassin crouched slightly, prepared to jump out the way if necessary, but, when nothing came their way, she narrowed her eyes. Just what was this guy planning to do? Her unasked question was promptly answered as Drake pointed out that the man was coming from above them. Not wanting to get crushed, the assassin quickly sprung out the way, just as Flake landed in front of the tax collector. As Raine turned around, she was not surprised to see Flake standing there, beating the crap out of the heavily armored man. She would've helped but figured watching would be much more fun. The assassin even smirked a bit as she returned her dagger back to its hiding spot beneath her cloak and the responded to Flake's question. "I slept rather well, actually. Thanks." She replied with a slight shrug and then pointed to the tax collector with another smirk on her face. "I assume that you know this guy here?" Raine asked, event though the answer to that was pretty obvious. Still, she wanted to hear it herself; in fact, she wondered how two very different people like those two could become acquainted at all. As the assassin waited for a reply, she walked over to the nearest set of trashcans and proceeded to retrieve her armor and tights from their hiding spot. It was rather easy to slip back into the chest plate but it was a bit more difficult to get the tights back on without flashing all her business--again--in front of Flake and his friend. Somehow she managed to become completely clothed once more without any issue and promptly walked back over to the two. By that time, the crowd gathered at the entrance of the alley had begun to disperse, but it was guaranteed that news about the tax collector's defeat would spread like wildfire throughout the town. In fact, Raine could already hear them talking about it now: "Did you see how quickly that man brought him down?" "Yes! It was amazing!" "I didn't think that he could be defeated so easily."</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The assassin smirked and sheathed her dagger, then responded with a curt shrug, "I slept rather well, actually. Thanks." After her response, she pointed towards Drake and continued, "I assume that you know this guy here?" Drake grunted and Flake nodded after hearing the lady's question, then the guard said , "too well sometimes." For the next few minutes, Raine walked over to her armor and attempted to get suited up once more. As she did, Flake approached Drake and whispered in his ear, "Delta six." Drake bellowed out a laugh, then Flake started to chuckle as well, leaning against the wall in the alley to support him. "You're kidding," Drake begged, still laughing under his visor. "I'm not," Flake retorted, serious once again. Drake looked over at Raine for a few seconds in disbelief, then whispered in Flake's ear, "that's more than just a favor." The bounty hunter quickly whispered back, "that's a lie and you know it." The exchange of whispers continued for another few seconds, then stopped as Raine walked back over. Drake sighed, then asked, "do you need any armor, miss?" Flake smirked at Raine as she approached, fitting the stop-pin back into his sheath as he watched. Only one person from the original crowd remained by that point in time, a red-haired boy with a wooden sword at his hip. A lady swiftly walked by and rushed him away, thus ending the crowd scene. "Plates like that couldn't even stop Drake's fist," Flake commented, grinning at the hunk of metal next to him with a competitive grin. At this comment, Drake rose his arm and flicked the bounty hunter's shoulder with a loud thwack. The only response the guard got was a quiet chuckle, so he looked back over at Raine.</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling Raine raised an eyebrow at the question. It was out of the blue, especially since she hadn't said anything about needing new armor to him but, after glancing over at Flake, she figured that he had something to do with the sudden offer. "How much would I have to pay you to get some new armor from you?" The assassin asked, assuming that she still had to pay the man for the armor. As she waited for an answer, Raine pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, throwing part of her face into a shadow. She wasn't cold or anything; The assassin just felt less exposed with her hood on. Raine then counted the number of coins in the money pouch that Flake had given her with her fingers. After paying for a room in the inn the night before, she was like with two fifths of the original amount. However, the assassin would still try to bargain a price that was much lower than the original price, based on what price would be proposed.*I just hope that he gives it to me for free or at least really cheap...I haven't had this much money in since I had to leave the Assassin's Guild.*Shet thought with a soft sigh.</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine blinked in surprise as the guard suddenly began to walk away, barely giving the girl enough time to react to the sudden change of course. Sighing, she quickly made sure that her money pouch was secured underneath her cloak before moving to catch up with the guy, who was nearly around the corner by the time she finally got moving.*Geeze, why is he in such a hurry? Or does he always walk this fast?*The assassin planned on asking that question out loud to Flake but, when she turned to address him, he was busy climbing over sleeping people to get to the roofs of the buildings. "Ignore him, by the time you're suited up, he'll still be messing around." The guard said without slowing down and, once again, Raine had to practically jog in order to keep up with him. She may be in shape, but she didn't enjoy running without some sort of reason too and, by the looks of things, they weren't running from anything. In fact, people seemed to be trying their best to get out of Drake's way to avoid getting trampled on by the big bulk of a man. "Yeah, I'd probably be running away too if I wasn't behind him." Raine mumbled to herself as she glanced up at the man; she immediately looked away as she noticed all the gunk and blood stains covering the back of the armor and she wondered what the front looked like. "Geeze, do you ever clean this thing? I can barely see my reflection in it." She complained and knocked on his armor lightly with her knuckles, though the assassin noticed that the probably hadn't heard her.*Oh well. I have no problem saying it again to him when he can actually hear me.* Raine's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a vendor called out, trying to bring people in to buy his bread. The girl's stomach seemed to growl in response and she paused for a moment, seriously contemplating whether or not to buy herself a piece of bread or not. "I bet it would be really tasty...but I should probably keep following..." As she looked up, Raine realized that the guard was no longer in sight and she silently cursed to herself.*Why does the delicious smell of bread always distract me?*Soon, the cloaked female could be seen running through the crowd, dodging and shoving people as she did so. Her hood fell from her head as she hopped onto a pile of crates, exposing her silver hair, but she welcomed the sun as it warmed her nose and cheeks. While standing on the crates, Raine had a good view of her surrounding and she was able to spot the guard nearing what she assumed to be the armory. Now that she knew where he was, it didn't take long for her to catch up to the man, just as he was telling her to ignore every and follow him. "Sir yes sir." Raine said with a mock salute before following him inside with wide and curious eyes. The armory was like nothing she'd ever seen: People--mainly men--of all shapes and sizes stood over what she assume to be their own little work stations, complete with hammers, metal, and even more metal. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed to her left and, when she looked over, she saw a man using a hammer to shape a sword that was nearly as long as her arm.*That guy might be someone who would wield a sword that big...*She thought, referring to Flake's friend, who had managed to get far ahead of her again. "Where are you taking me?" Raine called loudly to him once she caught up once more.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Drake heard what he assumed to be the voice of the lady he met earlier, so he continued on through the entrance to the building. Immediately after entering, an almost unbearable heat shot across the room as a foundry crucible passed by. A few men looked over to see the faces of the intruders, but quickly returned to their tasks after seeing the walking tank charging through. Six anvils were lined up along the left side of the large room, along with two large furnaces. A group of men were busying themselves with hammers and tongs, forging and drawing tools and weapons with surprising fluidity. Steam erupted from a bath of water which one of the metalsmiths dropped a metal rod into. The painfully loud sound of metal on rock pierced the air as a man spun a grindstone. The right side had a wall of molds and a rack of tools and materials set in an organized chaos. At the far wall was a wall of buffered and finished-looking items, a few doors, and a flight of stairs. Drake continued his quick pace until he reached a table with what seemed to be a merchant behind it. "Ahh, you're ba-" the man behind the table started, a fake smile lining his face. He was instantly interrupted by the guard as he shouted, "I need light armor, something I won't laugh at." He then gestured behind himself and added, "suit her up and put it on my tab." With that said, the merchant nodded at Drake, who then shifted over and rushed up the stairs, his footsteps heavy on the wooden surface. The man reached the second floor and walked over to a lady at a leather molding station worked at her task. He stopped a few feet away and gave a quick bow, then waited for her to respond. "You're too polite," the leather crafter commented, smiling over at him, "give me a minute, I'm almost on quota." Drake then nodded and walked over to a chair, cautiously taking a seat. "You're getting careless," she added, continuing her craft as Drake watched. The guard was silent, more concerned than nervous. The leather crafter looked up after a minute and asked, "what's wrong?" Drake sighed, then pointed to his helmet. "You know how much I hate taking this off," he started. The lady giggled after hearing this, her voice bemused as she responded, "want me to handle it again?" Drake shook his head, quickly adding, "Delta six." The leather crafter looked up in disbelief, but said nothing. With one last tug, she finished making what looked like a quiver and set it on a mold to dry. "I'm honored," she commented, her voice laced with venom as she wiped off her hands on her apron, "that you would ask me for something like this." Drake rose from his seat, then began walking back towards the stairs as he said, "don't let him down." The guard then walked back down the stairs, a frown set across his face beneath his visor.*I'm sure she can, but this is definitely pushing the limit*he thought, looking around to see where the merchant took the thief-lady.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine glared at the guard's back as he practically ignored her and continued walking. "Rude, much?" She mumbled to herself but decided that, since he was getting her new armor, the most she could do was keep her sarcastic remarks to herself. With that thought in mind, the girl continued to follow him until he stopped in front of a man, one who she assumed to be a merchant since he had a few items displayed on his table at that time. For a moment, Raine found herself staring at the various items until she heard Derek's voice beside her. He practically commanded the man to put armor on her before walking away without another word. The two watched him go before turning to look at each other. It was only then that Raine had actually got a good look at the merchant: he was a man who looked to be in his late forties, early late fifties. Dirty blonde hair was pulled back neatly with a leather strap and his face was lined with wrinkles of all shapes and sizes. His hands were large and worn, as if he had been working since he was born. Despite that, his eyes held a bit of kindness in them as he stood up from where he was sitting. "Follow me, please." Nodding, Raine followed the merchant as he led her to a set of steps that led to an area below the main part of the building. "Where exactly are we going?" Raine asked the man curiously. "Down to the armory so we can get you a new set of armor. It looks like your current one is a bit worn, don't you think?" He responded with a slight smile and watched as the assassin glanced down at her armor: It was true. The metal plates were covered in scratches and dents while some of her leather straps were hanging on by little strands. The sad part about it was that Raine hadn't noticed any of it. "Well, I guess you're right…I do need a bit of an upgrade." She said in agreement then fell into a comfortable silence. The silence didn't last for too long, though, as they finally arrived to the armory. The area was actually much bigger than Raine would have guessed. Armor of all kinds were placed upon the walls neatly and in certain spots so that the heavier armor would sit on a stand that could hold its weight without collapsing. Another thing the girl noticed was the merchants. They were busy pandering to the customers' needs and sometimes had to climb ladders in order to retrieve the armor that their customer desired. Raine was surprised to see that even children were being fitted for armor as well but she figured that it was simply for training instead of actual work that would require them to fight. Then again, she was fairly unfamiliar with the area, so who knows? "This way." The man called to Raine, pulling her out of her thoughts. She followed him once more through the growing crowd of people until they stood in front of what she assumed to be the light weight armor area. The merchant then gestured for her to stand in one spot as he measured her torso, legs and arms. Once he recorded the measurements, he turned and examined the wall of armor behind him. Raine then watched as he scaled up a ladder and looked at the measurement for various pieces of armor before coming back down. "Unfortunately, we don't have any in your size, so we'll have to make one especially for you. I just need a few more measurements." This time, the measurement taking too a bit longer since the merchant had to measure nearly every part of her arms, legs and torso to make sure that everything would fit comfortably. Eventually, she was allowed to head back up while the merchant took the measurements somewhere else. As she made it back to the main area, she spotted the guard that brought her here and walked over to him. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set or armor for me." She told him simply. "And thanks for taking me here, I guess." Raine added under her breath, though her statement was genuine.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I To his delight, Drake saw the lady standing by the front counter once again, thus Drake assumed she had been measured already. "So, they didn't have any in my size and now they have to make a new set of armor for me," the lady declared, quickly adding, "and thanks for taking me here, I guess." Drake nodded, then asked, "Miss, do your weapons need replacement or refinement? There are few blacksmiths in town like John." With this said, the guard pointed over to a man by the entrance who was pounding a bastard sword with a narrow hammer, refining the edge of the blade. The man clearly did not realize that his name was mentioned, for he busily continued his work. The wall behind the front counter had plenty of daggers arrayed along a weapon rack with other small arms, some models very thin with somewhat wide guards, some fairly flat-tipped, and some very odd models with wavy edges. Drake stood motionless in anticipation of a response, watching Raine closely. Small weapons did not need as much maintenance as his own sword, as he knew well, but judging from the condition of her armor, the guard suspected that her weapons did not fare much better. --- Meanwhile, a great thud echoed through an open area in front of the mercenary guild hall as Flake landed a jump from a nearby balcony. The bounty hunter quickly opened the large doors and entered the building, his face solemn. Various people passed by him as he entered, giving him no second looks. The bounty hunter walked through the gilded halls and, after a few minutes of searching, found a mission board. Once again, he looked through all the missions, however he did not find what he was looking for. Disappointed, Flake turned back and left the building, still solemn. Upon leaving the building, he jumped up to a balcony once more and climbed his way up to the rooftops again.*It's a wonder so few people use the rooftops,*Flake thought, pulling himself up by grabbing a hold of a few stable shingles. The bounty hunter then hopped away, venturing to another location in the big town.</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling Raine's hands disappeared inside of her cloak once Drake asked her a question about her weapon. Sure enough, she realized that her dagger was nearly in the same condition as her armor, maybe even a bit worst, actually. "I guess I'll be visiting your friend over there, then." It was a shame that the assassin had let her armor and weapon get this worn out without getting it fixed but what could she do? She'd been hiding out for a year now with her only way to gain food and money by stealing it; that was no easy job, especially if she happened to be caught by the person as well. Raine could practically here the angry voices of those people as she made her way over to the one called John. "I would like to get this dagger fixed please." The assassin said once she was standing in front of John's work area. The man paused for a moment and looked from her, to her dagger, then back to the sword he was currently working on. "Leave it there." He said, gesturing to the table beside him. "It should be done in approximately two hours." Nodding, Raine thanked him before heading back over to Drake. "Is there a tavern around here? I'm in need of something to eat." She inquired; the girl needed something to do while she waited for both her new armor made and dagger to be fixed.</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I *That sounds much more familiar*Flake thought regarding Raine's response to his question. He lazily caught the bread after she threw it at him, but set it back down on the floor. As she continued talking, Flake got up, walked over to the tray of food and carried the soup and water back to his bedding, setting it down next to the bread before sitting down once again. Unlike the previous night, he was no longer dizzy, although he was still unable to breath out of his nose due to dried blood. As Raine continued to speak, he quickly downed his soup and looked over at her. As he watched her speak, he was certain that she was disappointed with the result of the previous interaction. "You sound like you wanted to get beat up," he commented, tossing the empty bowl back at the tray before reaching for the water, "want some help with that?" He downed his water much faster than the soup, almost in one gulp, then grabbed his bread and stood up, kicking the cup towards the door. He doubted she would have lost any of her capacity to fight, but it was another opportunity to ask her questions. In his plain tunic and trousers, having been beaten up the previous day, he had lost a significant advantage, but he had also gained a huge advantage by dropping off all of that weight. After taking a bite of bread, he picked up the tray of dishes and carried it over to the door, lazily dropping it there as he continued to eat.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling "As much as I would love to have you pummel me until my face swells up, I'll have to pass....my food needs to settle first." Another smirk formed on her face and Raine turned her head so that she could watch Flake. He seemed to be just fine, despite coming into the cell bloody and sore the night before. Either he was a fast healer or he was great at hiding his pain...though Raine believed the later to be true. However, as she continued to watch him, Raine found herself wanting more and more to find out if he was truly okay though, instead of asking him directly, the assassin decided that she would take up on his previous offer. Slowly, she used her foot to gently slide her cup of water closer to her so that she could reach down and pick it up. Raine then made quick work of draining the liquid from inside then pretended as though she was examining the cup itself before quickly chucking in Flake's direction. She purposely aimed at the area beside his head than directly at him and, when it came into contact with the wall with a loud smack, she smirked. "My food is done settling."</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The bruised bounty hunter acknowledged Raine's response with a nod of his head as he walked back to his bedding.*I wouldn't mind a few seconds to finish eating either,*he thought, eating through the bread. He was used to stale, moldy, and rotton food by that point, however he heard a rumor that burning it after it spoiled ensured that you wouldn't get sick. He could not care less about getting sick in prison, seeing as he would not remain within the bars for an extended stay. Still, even though the stale bread was not warm or partly burned, he was familiar with the taste, and was able to consume it in its entirety before the assassin managed to throw a cup at him. The cup came as a surprise to Flake, seeing as he had only just swallowed his last bite and looked up at Raine. As it whizzed by, he felt a few droplets of water hit his cheek and neck. He wiped these droplets off, along with a small bit of dirt, and threw the innocent cup over to the pile of other dishes. Upon hearing Raine's comment, Flake stood up and tilted his head to both shoulders, resulting in popping sounds in his neck. His bruises steadily became more apparent, both visually for others and painfully for Flake, as faint sunlight from the staircase gradually got stronger. He had nine bruises, mostly on his torso and arms, and could localize them all quite accurately in his mind. He was not nearly as worried about his nose as an amateur would be. He never fought with head protection, so he was not worried about getting hit in the face. His issue, which he demonstrated by grimacing as he flexed a few muscles in his arms statically as a check, was that he would have to expend more energy in order to nullify the effects of pain completely.*That might be a bit much for a friendly skirmish,*he thought, his grimace fading as he retorted, "in that case, I guess I'll help you out." Before advancing to initiate combat, the bounty hunter clenched his fists tightly, resulting in more popping noises, and then adopted a stance next to his bedding. The room was larger than Flake's shack, but that was barely saying anything. He doubted he would be able to get to kicking range after the fight started, so he decided to start off with a kick.*Just to be flashy,*he thought, leaping towards Raine in two steps,*I'll do this.* Around five feet in front of Raine, Flake dropped to the floor and kicked high, aiming for Raine's head as he slid. When he stopped moving, he placed both hands right above his shoulders and kicked straight up with his other leg, pressing down with the leg which was already out for momentum. This momentum allowed him to press off of his hands and launch himself backwards in a flip with a slight spinning motion, allowing him to land facing his target on his feet, albeit a bit disoriented. He quickly adopted his lazy forward stance after regaining his composure and brought his left arm in front of his chest.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Raine stood to her feet as Flake prepared himself to fight with her, her eyes watching him carefully as he began to approach her. She wasn't sure what he was going to do, but she knew it wouldn't be too extensive since they didn't have much room in the cell and he seemed to still be in a bit of pain from the injuries he received the day before. However, that did not mean Raine would underestimate him, as she knew that he was more than capable of still fighting as he did when she first met him. Soon enough, Flake made his move and, in an attempt to avoid getting kicked in the face, Raine leaned back and raised an eyebrow as she felt the tip of his shoe graze her nose. She stood back straight once his foot was out of range, though she quickly brought her arms up to defend herself as his leg came up again. Once they were both on their feet again, Raine took up her usual stance: her hands into fists and her feet moving lightly against the floor as she bounced lightly in place. For a moment, she stayed like that, silently weighing her options. The cell wasn't that big, so she couldn't do more than one or two flips of any kind before hitting a bed or the wall. Kicking also required so extra space and the assassin was sure that Flake probably wouldn't allow her to have enough time to move back and prepare for a kick. So her only option seemed to be fighting up close, not like it was much of a problem for Raine. Without warning, she dashed forward and, once she was close enough, Raine used her right arm to quickly push Flake's left arm out of the way so that she could punch with her left. Whether she made contact or not, the assassin quickly moved back and raised her arms to defend herself, figuring that he would counter in some way before trying her method of attacking once again, figuring that she would hit her mark at least once.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Where the bounty hunter landed was where he stood. He barely moved at all after his maneuver, despite wanting to move quickly to avoid pain. The bruises on his chest seemed to flare up every other second as he waited, each imaginary needle in his side distracting him ever so slightly. He only barely noticed Raine begin moving as she took the offensive, but quickly focused as adrenaline kicked in. He stood his ground as she approached, however he was unnerved by her approach. As she pushed his readied arm to the side, he feigned off to the outside, retreated a step, and snapped his right arm upwards into an overhead block, easily deflecting her attack. To his surprise, Raine then jumped back. He wanted to take the opportunity to counter attack, but he deemed such an action as "unsafe" because she barely seemed to be trying. When she jumped forward once more, Flake anticipated that she would push his arm out of the way, so he preemptively brought his left arm up to his head with his elbow out and watched her right arm. She pushed his facing hand out of the way, as he expected, then immediately tried another punch. Instead of blocking, Flake side-stepped as Raine punched at him and brought his clenched fist down towards her back, in the same motion as a person who would stab with a knife. The instant after his attack, he shifted his weight to his right side and snapped his right elbow at Raine's right shoulder, side-stepping to her right once again. "Don't treat me like an amateur," Flake commented, shifting to a left fore-stance with his left arm out and ready. A barely-readable frown showed briefly over his face as he spoke, evidencing his disapproval at her previous attack.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Flake avoided her attack with ease and made a counter attack of his own, one of which Raine was not able to avoid herself. However, she ignored the stinging on her back and got back into her usual defensive stance--both arms up, hands in fists and her body bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet--saying, "I would do no such thing." She stated, her voice holding no malice nor teasing tones in it. Raine hadn't wanted to do anything that would possibly further his injuries but, as expected, he wouldn't want her to bring light-hearted and simple attacks to the table.*Well, if that's what he wants, then fine...*The assassin thought with a slight, unnoticeable shrug before suddenly closing the space between her and Flake, leaving a few feet between them. She then spun, using the momentum to also kick towards his face at the same time. The process only took a few seconds and, whether or not she hit him or not, Raine moved back about three feet once both feet were on the ground once more, her arms moving up to defend herself from whatever Flake may throw at her in return. However, she did not wait long in this spot and proceeded forward again, attempting to throw a punch at his face once more while using the other arm to shield herself from his attacks once more.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I The bounty hunter realized that his arms were very tense after his previous attack as Raine responded to his previous command, but ignored his realization.*I'd rather lose form than agility,*he thought, his frown gradually melting away as his opponent started to move. At first, Flake lifted his foot up to counter a low-sweep, anticipating that the assassin wouldn't risk a head-level attack against him. To his brief dismay, his prediction ended up misleading him, however he managed to shift his weight back just in time to avoid her foot. He spent the next few seconds jumping back up to his feet as Raine mercifully retreated, giving him time to ready himself once more before advancing with another simple punch. This time, Flake anticipated a high attack. At the opportune time, right before she hit him, Flake dropped to a crouch to Raine's right and kicked low, targeting Raine's right knee with his left shin to catch her advanced leg. on hit Flake twists his leg on contact with Raine's, locking his foot around her ankle, and turns so as to use his other leg to push her forwards, force tripping her. He then releases her leg and calmly gets back up, commenting, "you almost had me for a second there," before offering her his hand. on miss Flake's leg continues through his kick and a hidden bruise sharply lances through his entire right leg, causing him to topple over on the ground. With a surprised squeak, the bounty hunter rolls onto his back and grasps his tense leg, frightened by his inability to move it. He felt a thousand needles shooting into his leg as he forced himself to straighten his leg. After a few seconds, the pain subsided and his leg was fine once again, however he remained seated, looking up at Raine. "I sure wasn't expecting that…" he commented, averting his eyes back to his leg after speaking, his cheeks hot with shame.</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling Flake managed to avoid her attack and counter with his own but as Raine tensed slightly in anticipation of the attack, she was surprised to see Flake suddenly fall to the ground. With wide eyes, the assassin jumped back slightly, thinking that she had done something that had seriously injured him or something when she had wanted to avoid doing something like that. However, the moment was soon over and Flake seemed to be okay again, though he did seem to be a bit embarrassed after his fall. "Hey, can you stand?" Raine asked him with a hint of concern in her voice. If he needed help, then she would try her best but Raine's arms were probably not strong enough to lift a man who couldn't use both of his legs to help her. Those thoughts momentarily went from her mind as a familiar voice echoed throughout the cell. "While that was quite an impressive fight, it wasn't a wise one." Oruin called from his spot across from the cell. He had been leaning casually against the far wall with a concerned frown on his face. He knew that Flake wasn't in the proper condition to be fighting like that but he was sure the man had his reasons for doing it. His green eyes then glanced over to Raine as she spoke to him. "When did you get in here?" Raine hadn't heard him come in through the door, which made her a bit disappointed in herself. she had been so engrossed in the fight that she had become completely unaware of her surroundings, despite the fact that they were in a locked cell. While she was sure this wouldn't happen if she wasn't in the jail, the assassin made a mental reminder to be more observant, even when fighting. "I came down here only a minute or two ago to check on both of you but it seems that you both are fine...to a certain extent at least." Oruin stated, his eyes glancing over at Flake for a moment before returning to Raine. "Do either or you need any assistance?" His question was mainly for Flake, though Oruin offered it to Raine as well.</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling Flake managed to avoid her attack and counter with his own but as Raine tensed slightly in anticipation of the attack, she was surprised to see Flake suddenly fall to the ground. With wide eyes, the assassin jumped back slightly, thinking that she had done something that had seriously injured him or something when she had wanted to avoid doing something like that. However, the moment was soon over and Flake seemed to be okay again, though he did seem to be a bit embarrassed after his fall. "Hey, can you stand?" Raine asked him with a hint of concern in her voice. If he needed help, then she would try her best but Raine's arms were probably not strong enough to lift a man who couldn't use both of his legs to help her. Those thoughts momentarily went from her mind as a familiar voice echoed throughout the cell. "While that was quite an impressive fight, it wasn't a wise one." Oruin called from his spot across from the cell. He had been leaning casually against the far wall with a concerned frown on his face. He knew that Flake wasn't in the proper condition to be fighting like that but he was sure the man had his reasons for doing it. His green eyes then glanced over to Raine as she spoke to him. "When did you get in here?" Raine hadn't heard him come in through the door, which made her a bit disappointed in herself. she had been so engrossed in the fight that she had become completely unaware of her surroundings, despite the fact that they were in a locked cell. While she was sure this wouldn't happen if she wasn't in the jail, the assassin made a mental reminder to be more observant, even when fighting. "I came down here only a minute or two ago to check on both of you but it seems that you both are fine...to a certain extent at least." Oruin stated, his eyes glancing over at Flake for a moment before returning to Raine. "Do either or you need any assistance?" His question was mainly for Flake, though Oruin offered it to Raine as well.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I **"Hey, can you stand?"** The voice sounded very strange to the bounty hunter, as was noted by his expression. His confused expression, however, were not focused on the assassin, but the medic who was watching them from the other side of the cell.*That food! God damnit!*he thought, his surprise instantly gone, replaced with suspicion,*I doubt the medic would…would he?*The odd, stiffness in his leg gradually returned as the medic started speaking again, but Flake ignored it as he shuffled over to his bedding. He had felt the ungodly sensation already, so he anticipated the feeling and suppressed it as a drop of sweat rolled down his face. He was certain that his soup was poisoned. Bounty hunters, assassins, and medics all had at least one thing in common – they were trained in the use of poisons. Sometimes, a poison's effect can be extremely subtle. The first stages of the plague are usually the same. Nonetheless, these three groups deal with poisons quite often, whether in combat, in an infirmary, or in day to day life. As a result, these three groups are easily able to distinguish between common occurrences such as headaches, and potentially life-threatening symptoms such as head pains and dizziness, despite their similarities. Some poisons, on the other hand, are exceedingly rare. Only the most wealthy of persons – only the strongest of alchemists – only the best of the best can get their hands on these poisons because of their special, almost universally lethal attributes, and because of how illegal they are. Most of these poisons act so quickly that the only way to survive would be to take the antidote prior to taking the poison. On the other hand, some have a long delay, but progress quite rapidly afterwards. As the other two spoke, Flake mentally shut off his ears and closed his eyes, thinking as fast as he could. No matter how many possibilities he posed, he could not think fast enough to narrow down the possible range of causes for his symptoms. He could barely focus over the medic as he proposed to offer assistance, so he muted his voice by thinking aloud. "Lower body paralysis, dizziness, loss of balance, hot feeling, scentless, tasteless – Green! The soup was greenish!" It was a very faint green, but as he looked over to the soup bowl he threw by the door, it was an undeniable greenish hue. He had gulped down the soup too quickly to realize his mistake. Immediately after realizing this, he quickly shot his gaze over to Raine, eyeing her wrists. "You…" he spat, interrupted by violent coughing.*I wasn't watching her! She could have dropped powder...*he thought, suddenly stopping himself as his coughing worsened,*no, neither of us would be able to sneak poison in here.*His eyes then widened as he looked back over to Oruin, controlling his coughing. "N-no! It couldn't b-be…" He pulled his legs in towards himself, then looked over to the bowl of soup Raine had. From what remained, it was a whitish brown. "He - he c-couldn't have…" he stammered, starting to shiver where he sat. By this point in time, the bounty hunter could only barely move his legs, and he was totally deaf. A numbness spread through his whole body, dulling the pain from his bruises. By the time it reached his head, his eyes were already closed, and he was unconscious, still seated upright on his bedding.</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling When Flake did not respond to Oruin's question, Raine turned back to look at him, only to realize that he wasn't looking so good...that and he was whispering some things to himself. "Flake...?" She asked with concern. He seemed just fine a few moments ago, what was wrong now? He began coughing so hard that Raine was sure that he would end up upchucking his breakfast. With her concern rising, Raine moved from her current spot and walked over to Flake, who now had his legs pulled up towards himself. By that time, Oruin had also become worried about the man's condition and was unlocking the cell so that he could come in as well. Knowing that he probably knew what was going on, the assassin moved back out of his way, though she ended up kicking Flake's breakfast bowl slightly.*Wait a second...*Now that she thought about it, Flake had been repeatedly looking over at the bowls as if something was wrong with them. Crouching down, Raine took a closer look at the bowl, only to soon realize what Flake had been mumbling about. Silently, she stood up, her blue eyes glaring dangerously at Ourin as he got to work with laying Flake down on his back but, before he could touch him anymore, Raine went to his side and shoved him roughly up against the cell door. "Did you poison him?" She demanded coldly, her hands curling tightly into fists. Raine was already calculating where and how hard to hit Oruin if he gave her a stupid answer. While Oruin was tense, he showed no outward fear of Rain as he responded to her rather calmly. "I'll first say that, if it was me who poisoned him, I would have not made a rookie move of giving the wrong dose to the wrong person." That was all he said before slowly moving from in front of Raine and walking back over to Flake. "Since that poison was actually for you, he receive just enough poison to*almost*kill him, but not quite completely kill him, if that makes since." Oruin explained as he felt for a pulse and found one, but it was very weak, just almost non existent. "While I'm not completely sure of the type of poison that was used, I know that it will be a slow process for his body to get rid of the poison." Raine frowned deeply at this newfound information. "How long do you think he'll be out like this?" "Approximately three days, at least." That seemed like a long time in the assassin's eyes, especially since they've only been in the jail for two days but it has felt like a hundred days. "But don't worry. We could actually use this to both of your advantages. It could help you escape. The only thing is: you'll have to take some poison too." At first, Raine was hesitant to go through with the idea, even if it was to help her and Flake escape. Just who in their right mind takes poison willingly? What if the same person that poisoned Flake actually managed to slip it into her breakfast? "Don't worry Raine. I'll be the one giving you the poison and it won't be enough to kill you either." "Then I'll just be like Flake and I won't be able to protect either of us." Oruin sighed as he turned to look at her. "I will be personally escorting your bodies out of here, I won't let anything happen." It took a bit more convincing, but the assassin eventually went along with the idea. And thus, the two began to put their plan into motion. A few hours later, a male came down holding a tray with two bowls and two cups. "Lunchtime." The assassin muttered as she watched him open the cell for a brief moment so he could slide the tray of food inside. As he stood up to leave, his eyes turned to look over at Flake. "What's wrong with him?" Even though Oruin had managed to make it look like Flake was simply sleeping away, he was still quite pale and deathly still. "Nothing. He felt a bit light headed earlier and decided to take a nap." The assassin lied and watched as the man glanced her way. "I should probably get the medic." Raine shook her head in response. "No, it's fine. He already came to check on him earlier." That part wasn't exactly a lie but it would also ruin the plan if they called Oruin too early. The man looked a bit conflicted at first before finally turning to leave. "Okay, well if he gets worst, let one of us know by dinnertime." Once he was gone, Raine crouched down and examined the bowls before finding the little "O" that had been carved onto one of the sides.*This one has poison that I'm supposed to take in it.*She thought to herself as she gently lifted the bowl in her hands.*The poison that will set us free...*With that thought in mind, she tipped the bowl up and downed the pasty substance as quickly as she could without choking. Afterwards, she drunk both hers and Flake's cup of water before wiping her mouth clean. "Let's do this." At first, the assassin did not know what to expect. Intense pain? Bleeding? Vomiting? Stomach aches? It was just as torturous having to sit there and wait for the symptoms to come as it was actually having the symptoms themselves. Raine was so busy worrying about it that she almost missed the first signs of the poison's affect: she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Originally, she thought it was because she had been sitting down for so long but as she tried to stand up, her legs gave out from beneath her and Raine fell to the ground hard. "Ow..." The woman mumbled as pain shot up her nose; she'd managed to face plant the ground when she fell and, boy, did it hurt. Raine tried to reach up and check to make sure that her nose wasn't broken but soon found that she couldn't move her arms either. Panic began to set in after that moment.*Is this what Flake had to go through? It's a horrible feeling...*She thought to herself as a sharp pain pierced her stomach, though she could not even clutch her stomach in pain due to her now useless limbs. Eventually, the pain began to be too much and the assassin ended up passing out on the floor. The last thing that she could remember was the faint sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.... ~~~ *Oruin had a slight smile on his face as he finally entered the area in which the two of them were being held. From the looks of things, everything had gone exactly according to plan. Raine was sprawled out on the ground and Flake was still lying in the same position that he had put the bounty hunter in before. Both looked very dead at the moment. "Now, for the last part of the plan..." the medic mumbled to himself as he went and opened the jail door. The medic strolled over to Raine and slipped a small, folded piece of paper into her shoe, figuring that it was a place that no one would happen to discover the note. It held a brief message from Ourin, a map of the land, and directions on how to get out of the forest and where to find their stuff that he managed to steal from the guards. He then proceeded to exit the area to go and fetch a pair of guards, yelling, "Help! Help! They've been poisoned!" The next hour went by in a blur for Oruin. He had to lead the guards back to the cell and explain to them what had happened. He then spent who knows how long trying to "revive" the two before announcing that there was nothing else that he could do. They were gone. By then, the news of the assassin's and bounty hunter's death had reached the ears of other inmates and, of course, the man in charge of the prison as well. He would no doubt relay the information to Raine's uncle who would only be relieved, but not satisfied. She still had the inheritance papers. He didn't. Oruin then assisted the guards with transporting the bodies to the site in which they dumped all inmates that died inside in the prison. It was only a thirty minute walk from the prison into the dense forest behind it. It was there in which the guards tossed the two bodies into a pit that was about twelve feet deep and a third filled with **actual** dead bodies. "May they rest in peace..." Oruin muttered softly after saying a quick prayer. It was only then that he and the guards left, leaving the two to rot.*</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling After having a peaceful rest without any dreams at all, Raine figured that Oruin had actually given her too much poison and that she had died. She would've have minded too much. Dying was a lot more peaceful than her crazy, dangerous life. However, the assassin soon realized that she could feel and heart her heartbeat in her chest, letting her mind know that she was, in fact, still alive. Slowly, the woman opened her eyes, silently wondering why she was looking at the ceiling of some sort of building instead of the forest canopy. With that thought in mind, Raine sat up with a soft groan, trying to determine why there was a dull ache in her belly and why she was dressed in such ridiculous clothes that were actually slightly too big for her thin frame. One sleeve continued to slide down her shoulder, much to her annoyance.*Wait a second...*Raine thought as she jerked the surprisingly soft fabric back onto her shoulder.*Who put this dress on me....?*She may have been asleep for a while but the assassin was quite sure that she had not been wearing these clothes before she blacked out back at the prison. That thought alone was enough to bring a blush to the woman's cheeks, though her embarrassment didn't last long as another change showed itself: hunger. It wasn't just any type of hunger, it was the painful kind that you get after going a few days without food. With narrowed eyes, Raine searched around the little area for any thing that could be considered edible and, low and behold, she found a tray full of something other than stale bread and clumpy porridge. Reaching over, she grabbed a few items from the tray and began to nibble the food, knowing that she would only make herself sick if she decided to down it all at once. It was only after she had gotten a little food in her stomach that Raine was truly able to access her situation: someone had obviously brought her here, changed her clothes, and left some food out for her. To be honest, she did not feel like she was in any danger, since the person didn't die her up and leave her for dead like any other sane person would do if they knew who she was. There was also a large collection of weapons on the far wall but, as the assassin got up to examine them, she realized that whomever these things belong to did not carry daggers. At all. Rolling her eyes in frustration, the woman ended up picking out a short sword, since it was the closest thing she could get to a dagger. As she took a few practice swings, Raine realized that her movements were a tad bit sluggish, probably due to the fact that the food in her stomach hadn't broken down just yet into much needed energy. That or some of the poison was still left in her body. It was then that someone began to descend the stairs and, much to her surprise, it was Flake. "Flake? You're here too?" Now that she thought about it. there*had*been another bed and tray on the side of her own. The assassin listened silently to his explanation and soon realized that this was not a part of her and Oruin's plan, but it still worked. It worked perfectly, actually. "Hm, I guess I owe your friend a favor. He or she gave me food." Raine stated simply then watched as Flake made his way back up the stairs moments later. Her blue eyes then wandered over to the items that he tossed on her bed. The pants looked a bit too big but it shouldn't be much of a problem since he also gave her a belt. It didn't take Raine any time at all to slip the pants on beneath the dress and secure it with the belt before she headed up stairs with her sword in hand, just before Flake returned from his hunt for fire making materials. For a moment, she simply observed him quietly as he concentrated solely on getting a fire going. Flake looked very different in the red robes that he currently had on and, if she didn't know any better, she would've sworn he was a different person entirely. Once he finally got the fire going, Raine walked over to it and sat down a foot or so away from it, holding out her small, chilled hands so that they could get warm. She stayed like this, silently, for a moment before finally speaking up. "I bet you're wondering what happened after you lost consciousness a few days ago." The assassin did not wait long for him to answer, since she planned on telling Flake the details anyway. "Oruin realized that you weren't completely dead but almost, and realized that it would be a perfect way for us to escape. So, I was poisoned to and we were supposed to be dumped into a pit of dead bodies but apparently, there was a bit of change with that last part." Raine stated, referring to the fact that they were now staying in his friend's home for a bit. "He also told me that he would put a map somewhere on me but I can't seem to find it...It has the whereabouts of our stuff on it..." The assassin began patting herself down, hoping to find the map on her but to no avail. "You haven't happened to see it, have you Flake?"</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I After a bit of tending, Flake got a tinder fire going and added larger pieces of wood, hoping the logs would catch fire soon enough. Once he figured that the fire was large enough, Flake grabbed his spear and the padlock for the door. He rose from his place in front of the fire and walked over to the door with the two items in hand. He calmly locked and bolted the door, then returned to the fire, sitting on a chair a few feet from the fire. As Raine started to speak, Flake rested the spear against the back of the chair and adjusted his robe to a more comfortable arrangement. His only response to the assassin's initial statement was a slight nod, even though she was not looking. As the assassin continued, the bounty hunter closed his eyes and attempted to reenact the scenes which she described. After she was finished talking, ending her brief monologue by searching her figure for unusual objects, Flake opened his eyes once again and looked over to her, reaching into a pocket in his robe. "I found this map and this key on the ground between our beds when I woke up," he answered, holding out the map and key for his ally's inspection, "the map was edited by my 'friend,' but it seems to be from the prison medic, originally." After the two items left his hands, Flake continued, "there are enough supplies inside the house to last us a week, but there is a river West of here and plenty of deer." After waiting for a brief comment by the assassin, Flake proposed, "I'd wager that two days are enough for us to sneak through the prison and recollect our belongings, but we should scout out the castle and prepare ourselves before assaulting your uncle. The poison will only take a day or two to wear off, but we will not be primed for extended combat until next week." The bounty hunter paused, then rose from his seat and placed another log into the fire. He determined that the wood in the fireplace would last well into the evening, so he organized the tinder on top of the extra lumber, then returned to his seat once more, listening to the assassin all the while. Once he was seated again, he closed his eyes and relaxed, a hint of impatience on his expression.*I said that we should rest, but I am going to need to keep myself occupied if I am going to put up with staying in this building for more than a day,*he thought, balancing the prospect of scout detection and the benefits of training.</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling Raine reached over and accepted the items from Flake, her eyes scanning the words on the page as her ears listened to what her companion. "We should probably utilize that deer supply at one point to make dried meat for our future travels." Was all she said before falling silent once more, nodding slightly at Flake's next statement. "That sounds like a plan. Until we're ready to move on to the next stage, I guess we'll have to find ways to occupy ourselves here." Silence engulfed the pair once more, both too deep in their own thoughts to really care. Eventually, the assassin got tired of sitting still and gave her hands one last brisk rub in front of the fire before getting to her feet. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." And with that statement, she receded down the stairs without another word. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ **Present Day: 1200 Hours** Inhale. Exhale slowly. Arms up, right leg up...and go. Raine put her foot down and used the forward motion as momentum to send her body forward and up onto her hands, completing her hand stand.*Okay, I'm doing good. My arms aren't trembling and my breathing is controlled...*Maybe this would finally work after her sixth time trying...or maybe not. The assassin's vision swam and for a moment, she blacked out as she crumpled to the floor with a loud thud. "It seems as if I've really over worked myself now..." Raine mumbled breathlessly as she came to only a few seconds later. Deciding that it wouldn't be wise to move around, the woman waited for the little black dots in her vision to go away, assessing the situation as she did so. She had done everything that she usually did to get the stiffness out of legs and arms: toe touches, leg and arm stretches but, as soon as she tried to do a hand stand, she had gotten dizzy and fallen over.*Maybe it's because I went down too quickly...or maybe it's because of this stupid dress thing.*Sure, the dress that was way too big kept falling slightly into her face when she went to do a handstand and made the woman want to take it off and toss it into the fire upstairs but...her excuses were weak and she knew that the actual cause of her failure was because of the little bits poison that lingered in her body. Despite that, Raine was determined to do one handstand without falling but, in the end, she only ended up making herself feel worst. "Yup, that was a stupid thing to do." She scolded herself; oddly enough, she could picture Oruin saying the same thing to her if he had been in the room with her. Knowing that the next best thing that she could do at this moment was rest, the assassin moved over to her temporary bed before lying down, falling asleep almost instantly. --- 1700 hours The next time that Raine woke up, it was because of the hunger that once again gnawed at her insides, causing her to frown slightly. She figured she must've been sleep for quite a while if her food that she had eaten hours before had now settled.*At least I don't feel dizzy anymore...*The assassin thought to herself as she jerked the cloth of the dress back onto her exposed shoulder. The dress was about as annoying as the grumbling in her stomach and Raine knew exactly how to fix the problem...though after scanning the surrounding area, the woman wasn't so sure that she would find the materials she needed to do so. Figuring that her only other option would be to search around upstairs, Raine slowly got to her feet and ascended the stairs. As she neared the top, the assassin noted that dealing with her hunger would be easier to do than to find sewing materials so, instead of searching around, she turned to Flake. "Would you like some deer for dinner?" The woman asked with a slight smirk as she took out the short sword she found downstairs and impaled it into the table beside her. Sure, she did not have all of her energy back up but she should be able to snag a deer that runs slower than the rest or a few small animals at least in her current condition.</s>

<|description|>Raine Starling Alias: Misti Sex: Female Age: 19 Occupation: Assassin Weapon of Choice: daggers, knives, or short swords; if it comes down to it, she's able to fight with her bare hands as well Personality: *will finish this later* Background: Although Raine lost her mother to a guild raid 6 months after she was born, she still had a great childhood and trained to become an assassin just like him. All was well until one night, her uncle and a few of his accomplices snuck into her home, torturing her father to death. When Raine went to investigate, her uncle ended up framing her for his death, resulting in Raine getting the death penalty. Before she could be killed, she escaped her prison and has been on the run ever since, waiting for a moment to clear her name and get revenge for her father's death.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I As Raine left, Flake felt a chill shoot across his skin. The chill was a contradiction, because he knew that his skin was too warm, and that the chill was a sign that he was starting to go numb. Flake responded to Raine with a curt, "Very well," and rose from his seat. He picked up his spear on the way over to the door, then took the robe off, leaving his somewhat adequate pants the only apparel on his figure, and left the building. He shuddered at the sudden change in temperature, but quickly tuned out his inner voice as it told him to return to the comforting warmth.*I should be more careful, or I might melt,*he thought, grinning at the image as he rummaged through the forest, in search of a small, open area. --- **Present Day: 1700 hours** As Flake sat in his chair once more, surrounded by luxurious fabric and hypnotic warmth, he could almost mistake the sounds of movement behind him for the sounds of people at the town market. Fortunately, as Raine's voice entered his ears, Flake escaped from the grasp of the fire's hypnotic gaze and shot out of his seat to look her in the eye. As she finished speaking, Flake nodded, maintaining his composure, and responded, "Certainly, but you should probably take a bow. Professional hunters tend to prefer wounding animals before chasing them." He then collapsed back into his chair and sighed with a frown of annoyance.*I'll need a good meal after today,*he thought, remembering the feeling of needles at each overstressed muscle,*otherwise this might become a trend…*</s> <|message|>Raine Starling The assassin blinked slightly as Flake suddenly stood up, stopping just a little ways in front of her. In response, she raised an eyebrow, but nothing more, and then nodded at his statement.Taking Flake's advice, Raine headed down stairs to select a bow that she could easily handle. After searching the rack of weapons for a bit, she noticed one that seemed to made for a smaller male or a woman. As she reached out to grab the bow, the sleeves of her robe slide down and, out of frustration, she took it off, tossing it to the other side of the room.*That damned robe!*The woman was a moment away from tossing the thing in the fire but refrained from doing so, knowing that she could fix it later. Of course she couldn't stay like that, though, as Raine didn't enjoy being this exposed to the elements. She needed to find a solution to her clothing mishap. A few minutes later, the woman could be seen walking up the stairs with a bow in one hand and a bag of arrows slung over her shoulder. No longer was she wearing that annoying robe but rather a tight binding of cloth that wrapped around her chest and over her shoulders. Raine even wrapped her wrists with the cloth, knowing that the bow string could be quite painful after pulling it. Her stomach and upper arms were still slightly exposed but Raine knew that she wouldn't be able to catch anything with that robe on so she would have to deal with until she got back. "Can you look for some needle and thread while I'm gone? I can fix these robes so that they fit us." She called to Flake, who was sitting by the fire, and left without waiting for a reply. --- **1830 hours** At first, all Raine could find were deer tracks but not the animal that the tracks belong to.*Damn, I can't go back without something for us to eat, though.*She thought to herself with a slightly frustrated sigh, but if she continued the way she was going, she would end up burning herself out before she caught anything. Figuring that she should take a small break, Raine made her way over to the small stream but, just as she was about to kneel and take a sip, she noticed a small family of deer grazing in the fresh grass across from her.*A doe and two babies...but where is the buck?*Raine knew he was somewhere nearby, watching out for danger; she just needed to find him first. Taking a deep breath, the assassin calmed her inner thoughts, focusing solely on her target. *"You must silence your mind as you stalk your prey, think of nothing but your prey. Study it, match your movements with it until you practically become one with it, until you know what its next movement will be. Once you get to that point, you're ready to go in for the kill, but don't rush. You may fail to complete the job by getting caught. Proceed slowly, let your steps be silent, your body and mind calm. Focus on nothing but the prey and, when you're in the perfect position to strike, do so quickly and cleanly. It'll be less of a mess to clean up afterwards. Make sure you leave no traces of your presence. That would defeat the purpose of calling yourself an assassin."* --- **2000 hours** Raine entered the door to the cabin, her arms full of clean, neatly sliced strips of raw deer meat and a few pieces of deer hide. "I figured that we might need the hide for something at some point during our stay here." She said as she laid all the items on the table, letting out a heavy sigh as she did so. The woman was exhausted after running through the forest trying to catch the buck and then having to skin and clean the meat as well...but she was more hungry than tired and that thought alone was what was keeping her standing at the moment. Raine then turned to Flake, asking: "Do you want to cook this, or should I do the honors?", a small smirk managing to peak through the tired look on her face.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I **1900 hours** With a sudden burst of energy, Flake shot out of the seductively comfortable chair, breaking free from the hypnotism of the fire, and grabbed his spear. After recovering from the light-headedness, he made his way over to the opening to the basement, then jumped down without a thought. Once he reached the basement floor, he walked over to the weapons rack and examined the weapons once again. The bounty hunter practiced a few techniques with each individual weapon, being careful to avoid hitting or stepping on any of the furniture. After practicing with each melee weapon, he mentally separated out the unworkable weapons from those which he might appreciate using as secondary weapons. After staring at the weapons for a full ten-minute interval, he concluded that his first observation was inadequate. All of the light weapons were exact copies of the ones which the guards used, standard issue with a few modifications which were likely the result of an over-excited blacksmith. The heavy weapons, on the other hand were original, possibly the favorites used by Drake in the past. The ranged weapons were the same, although to a lesser degree. The heavy ranged weapons were all castle guard varieties, such as a heavy crossbow with metal support. Even the throwing knives were standard issue, except Flake only felt that the castle guard varieties would be sufficient for use. After thinking carefully about the different opportunities he would get to use the weapons, Flake grabbed one of the sacks of throwing knives and tied it to the belt of his pants, under his robe.*I'll try them out later on,*he thought, taking the spear back off of the weapon rack. Upon rising back up the stairs, he noticed that the fire was starting to die down. In the hopes that he would not have to start a fire again if he fed it some logs and watched it return to life. The bounty hunter looked around the room once more, his hunger reminding him of Raine and the complete lack of sewing materials in the house. With a dissatisfied frown, he sat back in the chair in front of the fire and waited a few minutes, his impatience slowly mounting within him. --- **2000 hours** A few minutes later, Flake shot out of his chair at the sound of the door and, upon recognizing the trespasser, walked over to her and lifted a few deer pieces from her back. He was about to comment about how she should have brought the entire carcass back, but determined that she was likely too weak to drag it all the way back to the cabin. Flake managed to listen to Raine, despite the sound of his hunger pains, but only managed to respond by saying, "go ahead," and heading back over to the chair by the fire. He watched Raine out of the corner of his eye, so that he could comment if she did anything interesting, but otherwise watched the fire to pass the time.*I wonder how an assassin learned to cook,*he thought, quickly looking over to watch her search for cooking items in the drawers before returning to his biding occupation.</s> <|message|>Raine Starling "Well, I guess I'll get to cooking then..."' Raine mumbled more to herself than to Flake with a soft sigh; she was beyond tired but she needed food even more than sleep. After moving the hide of the deer off to the side, she laid out the strips of meat she'd brought in and began to cut them into smaller pieces using her short sword so they could easily pop the pieces into their mouths. Afterwards, the assassin searched around for something that she could prop of the fire and succeed in finding a metal rack hidden behind a box nearby...but, she needed something else, too. Raine continued her search around the room, hoping to find a skillet of some kind but only succeeded in finding a sheet of metal that could serve as a makeshift skillet for now. "This will have to do, then." After threading the ends of the sheet through the slits on either side of the metal rack, Raine made her way over to the fire were she carefully assembled the metal object over the fire, but not too close to where it would cook the outside of the meat too quickly. She then grabbed a few pieces of meat from the table and placed them on top of the metal sheet, hissing a bit as her fingers were nipped by the fire. Once done, the assassin pulled out a pinch of herbs that she knew would give the meat a bit more flavor and sprinkled them on top. "And now we wait." She stated to no one in particular as she settled on the floor in front of the fire, her half lidded eyes watching the meat sizzle above the fire.</s> <|message|>Kenenniah Alphanso I Flake decided to remain silent as Raine carried out her cooking tasks, lacking the willpower required to think of words. He stared blankly at the fire in the furnace as Raine began to build a cooking station, as like a statue. His expression had exactly the same eager, yet solemn expression. Despite this, he was beginning to recognize a new sensation within himself. It was a warming feeling, much like the warmth from the fire. It made him hopelessly restless, as if he was overdosed with his own adrenaline, but his muscles were all asleep. The urge was not foreign to him, but his lack of activity, food, and his warmness brought the urge to the forefront of his mind. Soon enough, Flake was desensitized to his hunger and tiredness, as his consciousness focused on the odd feeling in his chest, this "urge." The more he focused on it, the more memories flashed through his mind, key words of fights and triumphs, important conversations, forgotten and repressed thoughts. It was a fury of excitement, the embodiment of an overwhelming desire to do something, to move, to fight, to destroy. The urge took the form of a fire, the overflowing of emotion and desire, everything he sought to compress for control's sake, simply raging away before him. *So that's it, that's what it is,*he thought, his senses flooding back as a frown covered his face. He continued to think about the urge for a few seconds, despite no longer feeling it, but determined that he might be going insane and pushed it out of his mind. Instead, he focused on the food before him, which slowly crackled away on the fire. His hunger was nowhere near as strong as his "urge," but he allowed hunger to stay in mind. He allowed hunger to make him even more impatient. When he finally decided to speak, it was apparent to him that his companion was about as tired and hungry as he was. To keep both of them awake, he commented, "Tomorrow, I'm going to scout out the area and find the way back to town." After this comment, he leaned forward and took a deep breath through his nose, as if to eat the meat through the steam and smoke it released. He immediately regretted his decision, as it made him even more hungry. After finally looking away from the fire, turning his attention to Raine, he continued, "if I don't do something tomorrow, I'll fall back into a coma…"</s>

<|message|>Raine Starling _How did I get here?_ It had only been a month or so (Raine wasn't really sure since her sense of time had been thrown off for the last week or so) since she was milking her cow back in that old town. She'd worked hard to find such a cozy little cabin where she felt like she could be at peace, even if it was just for a little bit. Now all that seemed so far away since Flake came along and reignited the flames of revenge within her. She went from running through the streets, taunting soldiers, to being locked in prison for a second time, to sitting in a cabin in the middle of a forest, cooking meat on a piece of metal with the same man sent to capture her for a bounty. _Will I finally get peace after all this is over?_ There was no doubt in Raine's mind that she would give her uncle the death her deserved, but would it be enough to give her the peace that she longed for? What if it all ended up being a waste of time? The assassin was pulled from her thoughts as Flake spoke up, his voice sounding way louder than it probably was, making her head throb slightly. Being both hungry and beyond tired was not helping the situation. Ignoring the pain, she nodded absentmindedly at his comment, too tired to really respond with a valid response, and flipped over the pieces of meat, hissing slightly as the flames licked a little too closely at her fingers. The girl also noted that the meat was close to being done and it didn't take long for the other side to cook. Raine then stood up grabbed a broken plate from the table to put the sizzling cubes of meat on, swaying slightly as she did so. After handing the plate to Flake, she finally spoke up. "Here, taste that. I need to know how well it tastes before I decide to cook the others like so."</s>

<|description|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan The Assassin Race: Fae Age: 24 Height: 5' 1" Weight: 110lbs Hair: Blond Jareth mullet with faint purple streaks. Eyes: Icy blue, no pupils Skin: Pale, but naturally colored above the eyes and over the eyelids with a faint purple color that matches the hair. Build: Gymnast build, with wiry but powerful muscles. Clothes: Skin tight one piece that goes to the wrist, ankles, and up the neck. The wrists come to a point over the back of the hand, and the legs have a part that runs under the middle of the foot like a strap to keep it in place. The whole thing is dark blue in color with white designs on the chest in a 'V' pattern that resembles white caps of waves that is mirrored in a slightly smaller section on the back. Along the legs and lower arms are very fine seaweed embroideries that look sorta like ivy vines and leaves. When not working he wears a simple loincloth with similar patterns. Accessories: A woven rope belt, silver and gold in color, used to hold his knife sheath of simple brown leather. Powers/Skills(If Applicable): Rei is a precision killer, and uses a relatively small blade. It's 6 ½ inches long, and resembles a small rapier. He has memorized the vital areas of several races, including the animals he hunts for food on occasion. He has excellent bare handed climbing skills, finding even minute hand and footholds too small for others. He has lightning quick reflexes, and has amazing control over his breathing and heartbeat. As part of the Riverwalk clan he can be underwater for very long periods of time without needing to come up for air. General Personality: Rei is very cold and distant from everyone. The only times he seems to be anything else is when he alone in the wild talking to nature, and right before each kill. When alone in the wild he seems to be very lonely and troubled. Before each kill, he seems to have a flicker of sympathy. Other than that, he is very unapproachable and a bit unnerving. Background: Rei grew up far away from his clan, having been kidnapped as a small child. The group that took him were ordered to kill his family, but one of the raiding party saw no point in killing a baby, so he took him in and began training him. Rei learned quickly, his race's natural abilities aiding in his learning, and by the time he reached age nine, he was getting his own assassination jobs. After his fifth job his mentor told his about how he came to live with the human, and said that if he one day wanted revenge, he was free to try. It took six years for Rei to take out the other men and woman in the raiding party. By then he was fifteen. Only his mentor was left, and the man encouraged him to complete the job. It became almost a running game for Rei and his mentor. Rei still took missions, but for two years he had his own mission to work on. He came close several time until one day he succeeded. His mentor died in Rei's lap, his last words being ones of pride to have raised such a fine, talented young man. Rei then returned to his clan, his parent's family and friends providing him a small home to live in. Having always been on the move, he accepted the hut, but tended to stay either out on the woods or out under the stars on the open plains. A few of the elders know what he does for a living, and when he began learning about his heritage and the innate abilities his clan and race have, a couple tried to object. However, the grand elder decided that learning such things could be the thing to turn him away from a life of killing for profit. The Riverwalk clan takes no issue with killing for what's right, such as fighting to defend people and the like, and indeed they have aided the humans to the south from time to time in their wars. Rei had never learned to read, so when he began trying to learn more about their history, one of the people who were in charge of the upkeep of the village's library took him under her wing and taught him. He learned quickly, and soon he was reading everything he could get his hands on, both in the village and when he was on assignment. To this day, he still seeks out new books every time he has a spare moment in any given town or city.</s> <|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan Making short work of the hunk of meat Rei is soon licking his fingers clean, drying them on the clean parts of the cloth in his lap. Moments later he stiffens, feeling the prince moving to his door. Sliding off the bed and directly into the boots he's made ready earlier that morning he takes only a moment to adjust them on his feet before striding quickly over to the door.*'By his speed he does not plan on stopping'*Without a thought he pulls the door open bare moments after the prince passes and almost as if it's the most natural thing in the world he begins trailing a fair distance behind the taller male, the door swinging closed with s small click behind him. His boots are uncomfortably loud to his ears but years of practice walking softly makes his steps nearly silent to the duller human sense of hearing. Despite the wig Rei finds the man before him very recognizable. Something about the way he moves and the way he holds himself screams that he is none other than a prince on the edge. At the bottom of the stairs he spares a glance at the gathered lords and ladies at the other end of the hall. Most do not even seem to notice the prince's passing, but one girl looks to him with a sad expression on her face. Before he looks away he sees her gaze shift and for a brief moment their eyes meet. Rei can not read the expression behind her gaze as he passes along behind the young royal, but something about it causes him to make a note in his head to get to know more about her.*'I have the distinct impression she may be related to him'*Unable to confirm his suspicion at the moment, the concentration and time it would take to send out his magic to check would have him falling too far behind his charge. As it is the prince seems intent on not being seen, moving through the area like a shadow behind the servants until at last he moves outside. When he vanishes into the light Rei quickens his pace, the sound of his boots bothering him, but other than the servants already looking after the prince none seem to notice him passing by. Once outside he slows again, not sure how close his ward wants him to be. A few guards on the wall look down at him, but he pays them no mind. Even this early in the morning he can already feel the air warming with the sun, still not very high in the sky.*'This will most likely be the extent of my connection to nature for a while, plus the gardens on the grounds. I wonder if a part of me will crave the nature it's grown accustom to'*As they move to the stables Rei takes the opportunity to once more stretch his boots a bit, curling and uncurling his toes with each step. The motion is unnoticeable, and the only difference it makes in his stride is a slightly slowed pace. At the stable door he stops. Even at that distance, all the beasts inside seem to become a little edgy. He watches a large black horse shake off a stable boy trying to get his harness fixed properly.*'This may be a good time to tell the prince about how animals feel about me'*Looking over to where the young man is he finds himself curious about his the animal at his hands is acting. The young filly doesn't seem bothered by Rei at all, nickering happily while the Alessandro feeds her an apple. Something like this has happened only a few times in his life. Some animals that are different from most. For some ineffable reason they don't seem to be bothered by him.*'If the prince is to ride, I would say that one would be best. There is no telling what would happen if he mounted a horse with me around. At a safe distance they are unaffected, but I would have to travel a little closer than that to do my job properly'* Risking setting off the entire barn Rei moves across the straw strewn floor to the young lord's side. The filly looks to him, shaking her head before reaching out to nibble at his shirt in an effort to find more treats. Around them the other horses begin snorting and stomping, a few kicking out at their stall walls. Raising his voice about the din he looks up at the prince. "Most animals do not like me, so if you are planning on riding today I would ask you use this one. She does not seem to mind me." As if to further his point she headbutts his arm before chewing on his sleeve a little. He steps carefully back out of her reach before retreating to the stable door once more not wanting to start a stampede.</s> <|message|>King Augustus Castalan II. it seemed odd that the horses began to grow riled, the dogs often slept in the barn and as most were used for hunting and war it was a rare thing to see them agitated if not scared, glancing up with briefly narrowed eyes he attempt to find the source of their discomfort. It was his sweet girl who alerted him to Rei and glancing at the fae boy he listened closely to get his words above the din being created. His own horse seemed utterly unruffled by the fae's presence, going so far as attempting to find treats in the boys own pockets which caused a light-hearted grin to form on Alessandro's face. The heaviness of Rei's words not hitting him until the fae had backed out and the animals started to calm themselves once more. This was going to be a problem. Alessandro would love to heed the advice of his heart and of Rei but a prince, least of all a crowned prince, could be seen doing such a dishonour to any one who had given them a gift such as the Stallion, let alone his own father. The politics behind the gift were half the reason behind his constant despair of birthdays and other celebrations. If one did not honour their gifts then they were seen either as ungrateful or worse still unhappy with such a gift, wars in the past had been started over gift giving though few sides would admit to such in history books. An ungrateful King was one who did not respect their allies and was seen as to think he was somehow better than them. An unhappy King would be considered as to be thinkign the gift unworthy of their time, perhaps not lavish enough and thus considered greedy for something worthy of more money. All this was intensified with the children of a king, oh girls had it easy with their ponies, dresses and jewelry, they rarely rode so it mattered little which they rode and dresses were circulated more than the town criers news. A boy though, Alessandro, had standards to uphold, things he had to do or use or be seen using to be considered doing his father right. With a sigh he kissed the dappled horse again and called to a stable hand to saddle her up as well, if he was going riding he'd ride the black one, his father would never let him hear the end of it if he did not. Judging by the reactions of the other horses only she would allow him to ride her without throwing him off. While the stallion had seemed uncomfortable and agitated he'd have to take that chance and remember to be ready for it to throw him off. With the horses being saddled Alessandro slipped outside to find his guardian, leaning upon a bale of stacked hay once found, "You will be riding today, you will treat her gently she is my favorite." Alessandro took a deep breath, "Have you ever ridden before?" Hopefully the fae would not ask to many questions about his choice, so much as speaking of it in the presence of the 'wrong' ears would be disastrous.</s>

<|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan Standing in the doorway for a few seconds, Rei decides to give the animals a break and moves a little further away. Still close enough to be in the bard in two seconds flat at any sign of trouble he hops atop a small pile of hay bales set up against the stable.*'I've always wondered why animals do not like me. I mean, most of my race are really close. I have tried asking before but I'm never welcome around those fae who keep animals, and no one else seems to have an idea on the matter'*He turns his eyes to the brightening sky overhead and hums a little.*'I wonder if he will acquiesce to my request. Perhaps he can not? I'm not sure about royalty and stuff like this'*Feeling the prince moving closer to the stable door he slides off the bales, the leather pants keeping the hard dead foliage from poking him, and lands with a tap beside the stacks. *'I guess that is one advantage of these clothing, but then again, the pokes do not hurt all that much'*His thoughts trail off as he leans back against the bales, waiting for the prince to appear. Once he comes into sight Rei stops his wondering, tilting his head to the side slightly as he listens to what the man has to say. His head tilts to the other side at the question, then shakes slowly. However before the prince can say anything he brings up a hand. "I will be alright. Since she is not afraid of me I am sure we will understand one another." He blinks a slow blink, hoping the prince gets the hint so he doesn't have to say the word Magic aloud. In a slightly quieter voice he adds, glancing down to somewhere around the man's navel, "Besides, I have always been nice to animals." Behind the prince a couple of grooms bring out his stallion, it's tack gleaming in the pale light. They both hold one side of the now agitated beast's reins. "I don't understand." One says tot he other past the dark one's head. "He's always been strong, but I've never seen him this jumpy." The one on the other side of the beast, the one with a clear view of the prince and his new "bodyguard", points at them with his chin and murmurs, "He was fine until that child came into the stable." They both glance over at the two of them before he goes on. "How can the prince seriously believe that that little thing can protect anyone? Let alone anyone taking him seriously as a bodyguard. I'm sure many will see him as a disgrace." He keeps his voice low so that the prince can not hear him, but his companions shushes him anyways.</s>

<|description|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan The Assassin Race: Fae Age: 24 Height: 5' 1" Weight: 110lbs Hair: Blond Jareth mullet with faint purple streaks. Eyes: Icy blue, no pupils Skin: Pale, but naturally colored above the eyes and over the eyelids with a faint purple color that matches the hair. Build: Gymnast build, with wiry but powerful muscles. Clothes: Skin tight one piece that goes to the wrist, ankles, and up the neck. The wrists come to a point over the back of the hand, and the legs have a part that runs under the middle of the foot like a strap to keep it in place. The whole thing is dark blue in color with white designs on the chest in a 'V' pattern that resembles white caps of waves that is mirrored in a slightly smaller section on the back. Along the legs and lower arms are very fine seaweed embroideries that look sorta like ivy vines and leaves. When not working he wears a simple loincloth with similar patterns. Accessories: A woven rope belt, silver and gold in color, used to hold his knife sheath of simple brown leather. Powers/Skills(If Applicable): Rei is a precision killer, and uses a relatively small blade. It's 6 ½ inches long, and resembles a small rapier. He has memorized the vital areas of several races, including the animals he hunts for food on occasion. He has excellent bare handed climbing skills, finding even minute hand and footholds too small for others. He has lightning quick reflexes, and has amazing control over his breathing and heartbeat. As part of the Riverwalk clan he can be underwater for very long periods of time without needing to come up for air. General Personality: Rei is very cold and distant from everyone. The only times he seems to be anything else is when he alone in the wild talking to nature, and right before each kill. When alone in the wild he seems to be very lonely and troubled. Before each kill, he seems to have a flicker of sympathy. Other than that, he is very unapproachable and a bit unnerving. Background: Rei grew up far away from his clan, having been kidnapped as a small child. The group that took him were ordered to kill his family, but one of the raiding party saw no point in killing a baby, so he took him in and began training him. Rei learned quickly, his race's natural abilities aiding in his learning, and by the time he reached age nine, he was getting his own assassination jobs. After his fifth job his mentor told his about how he came to live with the human, and said that if he one day wanted revenge, he was free to try. It took six years for Rei to take out the other men and woman in the raiding party. By then he was fifteen. Only his mentor was left, and the man encouraged him to complete the job. It became almost a running game for Rei and his mentor. Rei still took missions, but for two years he had his own mission to work on. He came close several time until one day he succeeded. His mentor died in Rei's lap, his last words being ones of pride to have raised such a fine, talented young man. Rei then returned to his clan, his parent's family and friends providing him a small home to live in. Having always been on the move, he accepted the hut, but tended to stay either out on the woods or out under the stars on the open plains. A few of the elders know what he does for a living, and when he began learning about his heritage and the innate abilities his clan and race have, a couple tried to object. However, the grand elder decided that learning such things could be the thing to turn him away from a life of killing for profit. The Riverwalk clan takes no issue with killing for what's right, such as fighting to defend people and the like, and indeed they have aided the humans to the south from time to time in their wars. Rei had never learned to read, so when he began trying to learn more about their history, one of the people who were in charge of the upkeep of the village's library took him under her wing and taught him. He learned quickly, and soon he was reading everything he could get his hands on, both in the village and when he was on assignment. To this day, he still seeks out new books every time he has a spare moment in any given town or city.</s> <|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan *'He was tense, however he did not tell me to stop. I have heard, and even seen on occasion, cases where repeated actions cause automatic reactions in animals, however I have never seen in it a human. I mean, any down trodden underling will flinch back if a hand is raised against them, however this was different. I find this all very strange, and different, but then again if I did not, I would not be here, no?'*He keeps his focus on the black even as he finally manages to release the lady. His hands do not sooth over the horse's neck as he has seems most riders good to their mounts do. He does not know such soft touches, nor their power, having never felt them himself, least as he recalls. She however does not seem to mind, the faint hum of his magic in so close to her serving the same purpose as a stroke, though he does not know this. He does not know the comfort his magic brings to those beasts that trust him, believing that the taint runs so deep that even his mystic energy is laced with the blood spilled across his soul, however since he can not converse with the beasts, he will never know that he still has a part of himself that is untainted, even if he does use it to help him kill from time to time. Stepping away from the other horse to try and give it some space the fae's eyes slide over to the young man donning the hair not his own. He looks at it curious for a time, a part of his knowing the reason for it, but his being not understanding it in the slightest.*'I know any family I may have left is far too ashamed of my life to claim me, but with the things I have done, that is completely understandable, however from the rumors the only thing the prince has done to warrant this is something about his hair color'* His head tilts from side to side, watching as the young man approaches his mount. Rei's hand goes to his dagger, even after the words from the prince earlier he still will not tolerate the horse bringing him harm. It is not until the beast settles that Rei drops his hand and leaps lightly into the gray's saddle once more. He looks at the young man curiously, unable to respond to the offer as the prince almost immediately moves off towards the town.*~Same as before lady, just keep up but stay back~*With a soft knicker she nods and moves into an even pace with the black several paces ahead. Rei thinks on many things as they make their way back to the prince's home, some bits about society's oddities, other bits about familial ties, however his mind keeps coming back to the idea of how the prince is not treated as he should be. *'I have known him not long, however I have come to believe that he is one to be honored far more than it seems. His voice is soft, when speaking to me at least, and his eyes are keen, taking in subtle things I can see but not understand, however he understands them and knows how to get what he wants. I do not sense that greed and evil I have found in many human leaders over the years, though I have not live as many as some, I have dealt with his kind enough to know, he. . .is. . .different'*Rei knows that different is not always a good thing, but that is not the only thing that makes him confused about the young man's treatment. As they move through town he once more looks to the peasants and the like, their eyes showing a very small range of emotions from envy to anger to small gleams of admiration here and there.*'All of these people, no matter how they feel about him, even if there is no one around to order it, treat him as the crowned prince and move from his way without word or qualm. This is a normal way for him to be treated'* His eyes travel to every side, even looking to the roofs to keep an eye on those who use the thieve's highway even at this hour of the day.*'I have watched the families in my village, the love and trust laying light a thick fog across every interaction between parent and child, and every child I have seen listens to their parent without question. True, I have not been there long, far shorter a time than any other my age, however that does not change the truth of what I have seen'*As they move through the front gates and back into the castle yard his focus returns to the large black stallion even as he dismounts.*'Perhaps it is just in a human's nature to strike what does not obey. To teach through pain'*His gaze shifts to the prince for a long moment. "Perhaps one day even you will no longer believe as you do, and come to strike your own offspring. . ." His words are soft, too soft for any other than the mare at his side to hear him, however he meets the prince's eye for a moment and in that instant, he is sure that his eyes are speaking, the conviction of his idea both confusing and disturbing him ever so slightly. Normally, Rei does not show his emotions, finding them useless in his line of work, and not having really found time to develop them, however every so often his own mind will conjure such things that affect him so, and in these moments he looks almost normal, almost like the young fae he is, and not the cold assassin he's grown into.</s> <|message|>King Augustus Castalan II. With little knowledge of what was said behind him the Prince simply hands over the Beast and dashes off towards the front of the castle, he pauses only long enough to register his father at his window and offer him a bow, to which the Regal father turns away, no doubt to return to the council or accounts he was tending. With grace that is made to look steady and not overly hurried he vaults the stairs two at a time until he is inside and then quick walks down a corridor to the main throne room. It had been emptied aside from a rather serious looking man with a squirrel like face and beady little eyes. Over his hooked nose he glowers at the Prince and tuts shaking his head, Alessandro heaves a brief sigh when the cane in hand is put ot the table and instead the large book before him is picked up. It is easily as thick as an arm and the man has a struggle to grip it at first. "Again master Dravnos?" "Again. Until it is perfect." The man had a shrill voice, much befitting his looks but no ounce of kindness dripped from his thin lips as Alessandro took the book and put it upon his head, getting it to balance with some effort. "I don't understand how walk-" The Cane was struck against the desk and Alessandro gave a sigh, "Yes My Lord." He replied, setting his shoulders square and keeping his chin held level with the ground. Slowly he made his way down the length of the hall, the book wobbling only a little from time to time but each time producing a tut from the mentor. "Faster boy, faster." Hissed Dravnos and Alessandro upped his pace just a little, when it came to the end of the hall and his turn the book fell and the man tutted again. It seemed Alessandro knew what to do, picking up the book and starting again, the second time went better but the tutor didn't seem pleased, instead he barked "Faster boy you aren't a snail." Followed later by "Now turn properly, you look awkward like that." Encouragement did not come in verbal thoughts or words, only tuts and criticism's for two hours before, as with every lesson, Dravnos declared Alessandro ill-suited for the throne, unlike that brother of his and left, exclaiming he'd return in a few days, if he could find his optimism in that time. With a huff Alessandro glanced from the book to the carpet and took the book up once more, placing it on his head and closing his eyes. He walked the hall with the book balanced and his turn was smooth and graceful even his return was pretty good albeit a little slow for a normal walking pace. It wouldn't be good enough though, the tutor wasp aid to teach not hand out compliments and so Alessandro was not foolish enough to expect one.</s>

<|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan Moving swiftly and smoothly Rei follows behind the prince as he dashes along into and through the palace.*'He really is in a hurry. I wonder how late he is. . .'*The fae had not looked up when the prince had stopped, instead taking the opportunity to get close to the young man without looking hurried. As they step into the throne room Rei tenses, sensing hostility, but as Alessandro walks towards the source of it without hesitation Rei keeps his hands in check.*'This must be one of his tutors'*He eyes the cane.*'Yes, I am sure of that now'*He remains on edge, just in case the rodent looking man decides to take out his hostility on the assassin's ward, however he relaxes a moment later as the cane is put down. What follows confuses the hell out of the fae. He takes up a place about halfway between the tutor and the end of the hall where the young man does his turn, not even bothering to look for something to sit on, simply sitting on the cool stone floor as if it is the most natural thing ever. When he first does this he notices the instructor looking to him now and again with a sneer, however as the session goes on Rei begins ignoring the man completely save for when the prince is near him. The hours pass, and the fae begins to understand**what**the man wants out of the prince, however it is still a mystery as to**why**he wants it. *'Is it some royalty thing? Is it really important for him to carry a book on his head if he is to be king? I have never seen a king with a book on his head, let alone making it look natural. How is he expected to carry that thing like that on his head, his head is pointed, like that of most humans. . .Perhaps if his hair was thicker, but that is not something once can really change, and with that slick black wig, he really is asking a lot'*He tilts his head this way and that, curiously trying to figure things out, until at last the man leaves with a few choice declarations. As soon as he is out of sight Rei stands and moves closer to the prince. Following along side of him for a few seconds he examines the activity closely until, with a sharp nod, he wanders off to the table. There are a few other tomes on the wooden surface and after thinking a bit, he grabs the one closest to the size of the one the prince has. The book feels light to his fingers, however he has an unfair advantage over the prince. His small frame hides a lot of power. Walking over to where the prince was practicing he plops the book on his head and starts walking. His hair packed under his hat helps a little, however his natural grace mixed with his training at walking silently helps him to master the skill in only one pass. He walks along at his normal speed, tucking his hands into his pockets, having never had them before he finds it slightly entertaining, and walks as if he's putting no effort into the task. Once he pulls even with the prince again he carefully removes the book from his head and looks up into the taller male's eyes. "What is the point of this training?"</s>

<|description|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan The Assassin Race: Fae Age: 24 Height: 5' 1" Weight: 110lbs Hair: Blond Jareth mullet with faint purple streaks. Eyes: Icy blue, no pupils Skin: Pale, but naturally colored above the eyes and over the eyelids with a faint purple color that matches the hair. Build: Gymnast build, with wiry but powerful muscles. Clothes: Skin tight one piece that goes to the wrist, ankles, and up the neck. The wrists come to a point over the back of the hand, and the legs have a part that runs under the middle of the foot like a strap to keep it in place. The whole thing is dark blue in color with white designs on the chest in a 'V' pattern that resembles white caps of waves that is mirrored in a slightly smaller section on the back. Along the legs and lower arms are very fine seaweed embroideries that look sorta like ivy vines and leaves. When not working he wears a simple loincloth with similar patterns. Accessories: A woven rope belt, silver and gold in color, used to hold his knife sheath of simple brown leather. Powers/Skills(If Applicable): Rei is a precision killer, and uses a relatively small blade. It's 6 ½ inches long, and resembles a small rapier. He has memorized the vital areas of several races, including the animals he hunts for food on occasion. He has excellent bare handed climbing skills, finding even minute hand and footholds too small for others. He has lightning quick reflexes, and has amazing control over his breathing and heartbeat. As part of the Riverwalk clan he can be underwater for very long periods of time without needing to come up for air. General Personality: Rei is very cold and distant from everyone. The only times he seems to be anything else is when he alone in the wild talking to nature, and right before each kill. When alone in the wild he seems to be very lonely and troubled. Before each kill, he seems to have a flicker of sympathy. Other than that, he is very unapproachable and a bit unnerving. Background: Rei grew up far away from his clan, having been kidnapped as a small child. The group that took him were ordered to kill his family, but one of the raiding party saw no point in killing a baby, so he took him in and began training him. Rei learned quickly, his race's natural abilities aiding in his learning, and by the time he reached age nine, he was getting his own assassination jobs. After his fifth job his mentor told his about how he came to live with the human, and said that if he one day wanted revenge, he was free to try. It took six years for Rei to take out the other men and woman in the raiding party. By then he was fifteen. Only his mentor was left, and the man encouraged him to complete the job. It became almost a running game for Rei and his mentor. Rei still took missions, but for two years he had his own mission to work on. He came close several time until one day he succeeded. His mentor died in Rei's lap, his last words being ones of pride to have raised such a fine, talented young man. Rei then returned to his clan, his parent's family and friends providing him a small home to live in. Having always been on the move, he accepted the hut, but tended to stay either out on the woods or out under the stars on the open plains. A few of the elders know what he does for a living, and when he began learning about his heritage and the innate abilities his clan and race have, a couple tried to object. However, the grand elder decided that learning such things could be the thing to turn him away from a life of killing for profit. The Riverwalk clan takes no issue with killing for what's right, such as fighting to defend people and the like, and indeed they have aided the humans to the south from time to time in their wars. Rei had never learned to read, so when he began trying to learn more about their history, one of the people who were in charge of the upkeep of the village's library took him under her wing and taught him. He learned quickly, and soon he was reading everything he could get his hands on, both in the village and when he was on assignment. To this day, he still seeks out new books every time he has a spare moment in any given town or city.</s> <|message|>Prince Alessandro Castalan VII Alessandro certainly didn't see Rei as a pet, though it was truly bizarre to think that Alessandro thought of him as anything other than a body guard. There was though a sweetness, a sort of naive charm that radiated from the fae man. His soft, good looks and his wild white hair made him something the prince was happy to call beautiful but he regarded a good many things beautiful. In truth Alessandro had thought little about Rei aside his profession, then his race, then his services and only now that things were calming down could he reflect on the man himself rather than his various backgrounds. Alessandro was not gay, as far as he knew, he had had a crush on and lusted for many a woman in his younger days, unlike some men he had not acted on any of these impulses and aside being kissed 'for practice' by one of his sisters hand maiden's he'd not truly experienced a woman. It was far too confusing a topic and so it was kept locked away as he listened to the fae with that same quiet patience. When he had finished speaking the Prince smiled and nodded lightly, "I had noticed you were rather keen on them ,that is why when we are out in town tomorrow -I have to make a speech of thanks to the citizens for their support, their generosity and so on- I thought we could visit the local book makers? We will be leaving the castle shortly after breakfast to deliver the address which in all should take an hour at most. After which I'd like to go to the book makers, while you are here I think you should write your own book, if it suits you and if it does not they sell some good children books and light novel readings. Though nothing as extravagant or in depth as you find here in the castle. After that we are to dine with the local merchants, their trade is important to my father and keeps the city itself busy with customers in and out of the city. Then I have a few free hours in which we can do as we desire until supper here. The evening I have to meet a Lady named Christiana from one of the neighboring strongholds, my father thinks she will make a good match for me and if she and her father consent by the end of the matchmaking then it could solidify our position against any potential enemies." When the food arrived he fell silent and quietly took a few bites from his meal, once again listening to Rei as the fae spoke, "Rei, I'll always listen, it's the least I can do right? I'm interested, he's part of you, part of who made you and you interest me." The Prince grinned that same grin he had before for Rei and only ever for him or the meister, warm and carefree rather than burdened and caged. "Besides you've seen my Father, aside the killing people how bad can yours be?" With that Alessandro pulled in his chair, cut his food so it was in bite sized chunks and lowered his knife to just eat with a fork, which left his gaze squarely on Rei , engaged, interested and without judgement. "Don't force yourself though, we've got all night."</s> <|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan As his mind goes over the prince's schedule his thoughts grind to a halt for several long seconds on the idea of he himself taking up the pen. However, like many things that cold replace his current profession that he, undoubtedly would be good at, the idea of actually trying at such a thing quickly falls by the wayside and silently he concludes that entertaining such thoughts are folly. He continues tumbling over the schedule, a wonder at this thing he's heard of, this, matchmaking. Somehow humans believe that they can decide what person is best for another, and this common practice among the short lived beings is all but a joke among the fae. Rei had spent many long hours reading the history in the archives, and more than once he came across the fact that many times the humans tried to bring about peace through the wedding between races, only to fail as they refused to understand the heart of a fae. *'I do not understand it myself, not that understanding it would be of use to me, however I can understand that part about the bond'*He blinks a few times, looking forward to the next day a bit. He has a little gold with him and if he can, while at the book makers, he hopes to hunt down one of the books he's been seeking. However as the smell of the meal begins permeating the room, Alessandro's open face and willing tone once more has his mind slipping from one thing to the next, and at last his mind settles on where to begin. Having decided to not give the short answer he mulls over various ways to go about his tale, until at last he feels comfortable. Carefully he removes his hat and sets it on the table beside his plate. Plucking a few bits of some sort of cut fruit cluster he downs them carefully before beginning the story of how he came to be. "When I was not yet walking there was a raid on my home. My parents lived near the edge of the woods, not in the main village, so it was less protected, and easy target. My birth father, as I understand it, made amulets, of metal, stone, and wood, that my mother, and enchantress, would then turn into forces of magic." His tone is a little softer than usual, but still the cool disconnected tone. The hush only to keep from being overheard by any who may pass by the prince's room. "They would trade with the outside world, none really knowing what they were, just that they made masterworks worth a king's ransom." He takes a sip of his drink, the cool liquid soothing his throat. He didn't even realize how dry it was until now. "So, as it would so happen, a local lord wanted my birth parent's entire stock, but they would not sell." Rei looks to the window, his gaze distant. "So, he hired a group of assassins, thinking them able to take care of them more readily than normal guards or soldiers, and for the most part, the lord was right. As it was told to me, my father was taken out first, then my mother. A nearly clean kill with only my mother's dying eyes seeing her and her husband's killers." His gaze, still distant, moves to Alessandro. "It was then I was discovered, crying. No doubt at the time I was able to feel their passing, those who gave me life. I know that is the way of the fae children in the village. The family ties of blood are very very strong." He looks to the table, snagging a bit of bread to nibble on as he continues. "At first, it was to be a clean sweep, however one man realized that my life givers were not human, and imagined the potential I may harbor, and as such, took me with at their retreat." His head tilts to the side as once more he looks to the prince. "So ended my first life, my first father, and my existence as a fae."</s> <|message|>King Augustus Castalan II. Alessandro remained quiet as Rei began his story, he was rather hard to read until the first pause from Rei at which point he let out a gentle sigh. It honestly sounded an awful way to start ones life, taking a drink and a mouthful of his plated meal he contemplated on just what to say. 'I'm sorry' was neither going to help matters or really address anything except his own guilt at his rather lavish upbringing. So he offered Re a reassuring smile and motioned for him to continue with his tale, surely it got better at some point, right?</s>

<|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan As he waits for the prince to mull over the first part of his tale, Rei downs a bit of his meal. The expenditure of magic for the day has been higher than usual and as such he feels a little drained, however a little food is all he needs to replenish for now, and later, a trip to the garden. When motioned to continue he washes his mouthful down before going on. "From that day on to my fifteenth year of life, I lived in an assassin's guild. The man who stayed the blade on my life became my unofficial caretaker, however the entire guild had a hand in raising me. I. . .Do not recall too much of the youngest years, however after the age of five I recollect the coldness growing inside me." He looks to the prince. "I am sure it is still there, though I can no longer consciously feel it." He looks to his hands as he continues. "I trained in many weapons, each member insisting that I would be best with this or that, until at last we found the perfect weapon. Due to my speed and reaction time, along with the precision I learned from my second father while practicing on the easy marks he would pick for me, my current weapon is what I am most efficient with." On instinct his hand falls down to the handle of his blade, lifting it slightly to make sure it is clear of it's scabbard. An old habit, and one that has served him well. "At first, I was a bit obstinate, I recall many beating for not listening, and for the most part they did the trick in getting me to do as they wanted of me. However, I was able to stand fast on not killing the people they brought in for the other young ones like me to practice on. If it was not a mark with a contract on them, I would not take their life." He lets out a low hum as he thinks about it. "The other children would, and it was a note of shame on my second father for quite some time that I would not obey him in that. However with my excellent performance on the easy missions that shame soon was forgotten." He looks at the prince, and with a slow nod he says, "By the age of twelve, I no longer needed direction, or correction. I could hold my own against almost any other assassin in the guild, my magic having awoken and given me quite the edge, as he would put it." He now keeps his eyes on the prince, wanting to see his reactions, unsure of what to expect. "However, holding my own was not good enough. As I said, family bonds among my race are far stronger than it is for humans, and with my violent upbringing, I did not seek to mourn their passing. Indeed, I consciously felt nothing for them by the age of ten, but by then my instincts had enveloped them, and I reacted to the need the only way I knew how." He tilts his head to the side. "I sought to repay them those lives they took."</s>

<|description|>Prince Alessandro Castalan VII The Prince Age: His 21st Birthday is the day we begin the rp. Appearance: Personality: He is a rather compassionate soul, while few can match his prowess with a blade in the kingdom he doesn't raise his arms lightly against a foe. He is a thinker more than a fighter and has deep and extensive plans on how to better the kingdom for his people when he takes the crown. He is though a little naïve to the world, forbidden from entering the city unless accompanied by a guard and thus is unaware of the cruelty and brutality that the streets would otherwise offer. He is slow to anger as he finds anger leads to rash and bad decision making. While he is quite laid back there are some things that do produce an emotional response from him but being 'locked up' has given him very little time to explore these. History: When he was born the King and Queen hoped that they're second son'sh air would darken as all members of the royal family had -aside the wives- before they had hit five years of age. However as he reached and surpassed this age his hair remained light, even went a shade lighter and like a mane of golden sun it stood out as a sign of suspicion for a suspicious townsfolk. Many heralding infidelity to which the King frowned heavily upon such rumours and others still quoting it to be a sign from the gods of the end of an age. Nether the less he grew up with little knowledge of the distrust outside the castle walls, out of a sense of protection or perhaps embarrassment his father rarely let him roam further than the court yards without good reason but he grew bored and lessons in swordsmanship and music were not enough for him. Listening to tales of his brothers heroic's or his sisters trips into town made him jealous and occasionally he was found by his guards beyond his walls and in the city true. It irked him how some of their people could barely scrap the living to survive and he put forward ideas to his father for small changes that would benefit the people but these discussions often ended in arguments and his father citing the war as a more important topic. The war had been hard on everyone, the lower born the most, their farmers and field workers had struggled especially with raids to their fields or crops at times. Reputation: He is the family's tarnish, all other members of his family –save his mother- are dark haired, including his little sister Avengaline. Rumours did their rounds of the Queen's infidelity and some about the Kigns but the royal family and court advisor know he is indeed a rightful heir. Some speculate this caused tension when the King's eldest son died in battle as Alessandro is now next in line to the throne. Some servants talk that they hear the pair arguing constantly and have rumoured to see the king strike his son several times though those are just rumours. The people view him with mixed grace, some call him a demon, an ill omen and a changeling, they distrust him and secretly hope he will die so his sister can take the throne as a true Castalan. Others, children mainly and their families, find him compassionate and kind, charming and witty. His sister loves him dearly and does not tolerate bad things being said about him by any of the staff but is helpless when it comes to the King's angry words. His mother is said to be stoic to him, treating him as if he were the bastard he was accused of being. While his father's stand point seems constantly to conflict, at times he will seem over protective of his boy, forbidding him outside the castle and even more now that the eldest brother was gone and from threatening to cast him out. He doesn't seem to have many 'friends' though a prince rarely does seem to have any, the closest he has is the stable hand who cares for his horse and who he talks too about the city.</s> <|message|>Prince Alessandro Castalan VII The prince layed his head on the fae's lap, a bad habit he likely picked up from the few times he is allowed to socialise with women. His hands under and behind his head to keep the majority of his weight off the boys lap, "I don't like the idea of my sister sending an assassin after me and personally I don't think my heart will believe it. Despite her views we were close before my brother was killed." He lightly closes his eyes and draws a deep breath only to let it out slowly from his nose. "However that is why you are here, my family may not love me but I'm predisposed to think good of them, even my father, as laughable as that might seem." Eyes still closed he smiles faintly as Rei reassures him that no one, aside a true threat, will be attacked or treated differently and a slightly secretive smirk briefly wiggles onto his lips. The language the fae is using, while not noticeably different from any other time they spoke holds hints of, affection. Alessandro did not for a moment think it was aimed at him or his family but the books and perhaps the position he now held. He spoke of bodyguards with the same wonder the children in the village spoke of the knights in the castle and personally, while it had been a short time he could imagine Rei as a wonderful knight. "Perhaps you'll be one someday." He idly commented, imagining the petite male in light armours, perhaps a mithril chainmail or some fae plate, glittering like a thousand suns and removing the ice in those pale eyes. As Rei started to move the Prince opened his eyes and raised his head, moving to sit up from his lounging position. There was no denying the pout he wore as the fae refused his desire to go drink his pain away. It was probably for the best anyway, while it was unlikely he'd be recognised that only increased his chances of getting into drunken brawls or caught up with a certain type of woman. His father of course would be disgusted and that would only cause a heap of new problems and arguments for them to have in front of his darling little sister. Alessandro had to hide a quiet laugh behind his hand however when the fae's goal was turned towards the books of the castle, it was of little surprise of course and he had seen the love –for lack of any words better fitting- that Rei had displayed for knowledge. "The library, then you should go there when you have finished. I am sure I would only get in the way and if I can't drink I think I shall get myself an early night to better my chances of being able to deal with the adventures tomorrow. I should take a long look in that library, I do not doubt there to be many a secret corridor, compartment or door in that old room." He offered the fae a wink that he was pretty sure the boy wouldn't understand (all it meant was that the Prince didn't mind if duty somewhat took a back burner should there be material the fae liked). Surprised at how quickly the food from the plates was disappearing he tried to hide another chuckle and he stood from his bed to shuck his shirt and throw it into the basket for his dirty linen. Crossing the room he took a wooden toothed comb from a drawer in his dresser and ran it through the fluffy blonde locks. When brushed they were somewhat straighter and flatter but still held the volume and thickness his own sisters hair had. With hair brushed flat he tied it loosely with a length of leather cord into a short ponytail at the back of his neck.</s> <|message|>Rei Torrnic, Riverwalk Clan Rei nods slowly, swallowing and washing down his mouthful before replying to something the prince said earlier about family. "I understand about predispositions. I do not recall my family in the slightest, however I still felt compelled to seek revenge for their murders." Looking down at the bone in his fingers he adds, "As to being a knight, I do not think that will ever happen." He does not sound sad at the announcement, that same detached tone he always has setting back into his voice like a well fitting glove. The look on the prince's face after he places his request that they stay in the castle for the night reminds the fae of a human child who has been denied candy and wonders if he should have kept his mouth shut, however as the prince replies he returns his focus to the meal. With a loud snap he breaks off a bit of the bone and begins eating it as if it were no harder than a cracker or hard nut. He finishes the bite quickly and turns to look at the prince when he announces that he'll be going to bed early, wondering if his thoughts on secret passages and the like are true.*'I do not see a reason for so many things to be connected to the library, though that may be the very point of having them. If the people in the castle were attacked and they all escaped into the passageway riddle library then the attackers may think as I do and not rush to capture them, thinking them trapped'*Nodding slowly he watches the prince move around the room, his eyes once more taking in those scars at the young man's back is revealed. *'He seems to be in a much lighter mood now. . .I wonder why? I practically deny him his evening fun out right, and he has hardly eaten anything. I do not understand how he shifts moods like this'*It does not even cross the little fae's mind that it is he himself who has brought up the prince's mood. He has no idea how his words and actions amuse the young man, and given his normal mental workings he may never come to realize just how much the youth enjoys his company. He's an assassin after all. Most people are terrified when he's around, even if they wish to hire him. He downs the rest of the bone as the prince is brushing his hair, something Rei himself has never had to do due to the nature of his hair, and grabs the last little bit of food, stuffing it in a cloth napkin before tucking it into a pocket for later consumption. Heading to the door he offers a nod towards Alessandro before taking his leave of the man. Outside a little ways down the hall he spots the youth from the morning who'd given him that odd look. He closes the door quietly and walks off towards the young man.*'He is the one I saw in the prince's window. I believe he is some kind of personal servant. . . .'*He stares openly at the guy as he passes and the young man responds the same way everyone else does when he stares.*'He is no real threat. At least not for now'*Rei continues down the main stairs and heads off to the library wing. His magic snakes out around him, taking in every little bit of information as usual. When he finally steps through the large double doors into the vast expanse that is the hall of tomes Rei stops, his countenance changing ever so slightly. The change would go unnoticed by anyone who does not know him well, and that means almost everyone. His eyes take in every minute detail available for them to see, his body still as his head moves this way and that like a raptor seeking out it's prey. He stands like this for a full minute until a slight movement catches his attention.*'The prince said there is a keeper of the books here. . .'*He muses, stepping into the room proper and closing the doors behind him. The movement turns out to be who he thought it was and as soon as the fit elderly man spots him he looks ready to either scold him, or flee. Rei walks up the central dais, shaped like a stack of circles, with a large circular desk at the top where the keeper stands inside like his own little fortress. He eyes the boy for a time before speaking up. "You. . . You're that new bodyguard of the prince's aren't you?" His voice is a bit wheezy, like a man too long on the pipe. Rei nods. He shakes a hand. "A little runt like you, eh? As well, wouldn't expect any better from that one." He points to the shelves as Rei suppresses an unconscious growl at the way the man speaks of the prince. "This is the largest library in the whole kingdom, and a lot of these books are irreplaceable, you hear? I don't want you just tearing your way through this place and leaving things about all willy nilly, got it? You put things back where you found them, and you treat these books with respect, or else orders or no orders, I'll kick you out unless you have the brat himself with you, understand?" Rei tilts his head tot he side, understanding the man's words, but at the same time wondering at how a servant could have the right to usurp the prince's orders. A part of him even doubts that he can even do it, and the words are on the tip of his tongue before he recalls that the prince wants him to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary.*'Disagreeing with a man like this would likely end in a verbal fight'*he concludes and simply nods. "I understand. I have never mistreated a book, and do not intend to start now." His tone seems to bring back the urge to flee in the man and he steps away from the young fae. "Well, so long as you understand that. . ." His voice is much quieter now, and that note of fear feels very familiar to the assassin. Without another word Rei looks once more around the room before heading for the nearest wall to begin his search. The entire library is round, the shelves curved, and the pillars likewise rounded. The dark red finish on the wood is off set by the white walls. The room is three stories high with balconies running along the walls, leaving the middle open so you can see the roof if standing in or near the center of the room. The areas not taken up by shelves, some of which are free standing turning the walkway between the wall and the next curves of shelves into a kind of tunnel with only the occasional break to exit the tunnels, are filled with various chairs and tables, no doubt not often used by the looks of things.</s>

<|message|>Prince Alessandro Castalan VII Alessandro, once the fae was gone, finished undressing, his clothes left for his man servant to pick up and take away. He readied himself for bed by washing his face and then once readied he blew out first one, then another of the candles. Idly he wondered how he could be so calm, an attempt on his life not two days passed and he was here, in his own room, settling in for sleep like nothing had happened. Of course, if he lost sleep every time a kidnap or murder attempt had happened he'd likely never sleep again, though this was different, far from his usual non-challance at the idea of his upcoming demise he felt something, a hint of it perhaps, wavering just out of perception. While Rei had opened a whole world of uncertainty up before him something about the diminutive fae made him feel...safe. With head on pillow and sheets pulled to chin the prince settled in for sleep, hoping dreams and nightmares a like left his night uninterrupted, there was little a fae could do to guard against ones own mind after all.</s>

<|description|>William "Billy" Murdoch Age 18 (appears 17) Species Vampire History Childhood wasn't quite as picturesque for Billy as most others', with a drunkard for a father and a mother who struggled to make ends meet, he didn't exactly grow up surrounded by sunshine and rainbows. But still, that was something he wanted. A loving, close-knit family, just like the ones in the paintings of Norman Rockwell. His father's idea of a bond with his son, however, was keeping women his father brought home at night a secret from his mother. While Mrs. Murdoch thought quality time with Billy was handing him a list of household chores to do as she spent her days waiting tables at the local diner. Other than that, Billy, for the most part, was left to his own devices. Which may be the reason why he was so intent on getting attention outside of his home. The neglect he felt from his parents translated into rowdy, rambunctious behaviour as a kid, which then evolved into sarcastic remarks to his teachers in high school. From setting off the sprinklers, to surreptitiously peppering the history teacher's chair with thumbtacks, he was notorious for the pranks he pulled. You had to be living under a rock to not know his name, in fact, and Billy loved every second of it, no matter how many times he got sent to the principal's office. It was a good thing the principal claimed he had so much potential, if only he "channelled his energy appropriately" - whatever that meant. On a rainy afternoon, at the local diner, the then seventeen year-old Billy struck up a conversation with a young man from New York in town for a funeral. One thing led to another, and after a several day affair, he told Billy to leave with him, back to the Empire State. Not seeing how anything bad could happen, Billy bought himself a one-way ticket to New York and left for the train station, leaving behind his parents' nothing for a note explaining everything. Little did he know that things would never be the same again. He never saw it coming, he never anticipated the moment when razor sharp fangs sank into his neck, draining the very life out of him. The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was the taste of metal slipping past his lips And then, a gasp of air filled his lungs, eyes shooting open. An iron hunger burnt deep within the pits of his stomach, he came across an unsuspecting morning jogger. He felt no remorse as he leapt upon the woman, sinking his teeth into her limbs much like his maker had done to him the night before. Soon enough, every last drop of blood had been drained from her, and Billy was finally satiated. Blood dripped down his chin, as widening, blue eyes roamed the destruction before him. He was no longer human, but a vampire. With nothing more he could do other than to run, he decided to follow through with his original plan, fleeing to New York to find some answers. Unfortunately, even after months of searching, Billy never uncovered any trace of the vampire who turned him. Plus, the curious pattern of missing blood bags and the occasional, dried-up corpse were beginning to garner him unwanted attention. It wasn't long before he had to leave the city, travelling across America with whatever money he could scrape up from his various victims. Personality The first thing most people see when meeting Billy is his spirit. He's always been an energetic one, full of life and personality, almost to a fault. The guy is, by nature, extremely impulsive, both in the things he does and the things he says. As far as he was concerned, at least as a human, life was too short to sit around and let shit happen. It's all about the now, and how you handle the people and things that surround you. If he likes something chances are he'll let you know it, and if he doesn't, well, he's never been shy about voicing his opinion in that matter, too. Try as he might, he's never really had the best poker face in the world, and it tends to give him away more often than not. On a regular basis, despite his predicament, Billy is of the happy-go-lucky mindset. He often finds himself stating that no one should take life too seriously, because in the end, everyone ends up in the same place - even if he doesn't truly believe what he's preaching. More often than not, he can be seen with a smile on his face, and he's always quick to crack a joke or make a teasing remark. He's never uncomfortable; in fact, his boldness often borders on brash and crosses into downright crude, thanks to his lack of a filter. If it's on his mind, it's out of his mouth. He's completely indifferent to major events unless they directly impact him. When Billy gets serious and loses the grin, you know shit's gotten pretty fucking heavy. Still, the vampire has never met a boundary he wouldn't cross. He'll go to bat for you if you make him laugh, if he likes your style, or if you have an offering that tickles his fancy (he's really quite fond of stuffed animals, cigarettes, and puppies, just as an FYI). Powers - Extremely enhanced senses that include being able to smell humans and vampires over long distances, and the ability to see in pitch darkness. - Sharp, pointed, retractable teeth that emerge from his gums and extend beyond his human teeth. - Indefinite lifespan, seemingly immortal unless killed. - If he has enough human blood at his disposal, he can heal quickly from any wound besides amputation. Weapons n/a</s> <|message|>EZRIA The bags under his eyes were deep. These books used to be nothing but helpful but now they were letting him down. Bobby brought up his glass of bourbon and sighed. "Balls." They would be calling soon if he didn't call them, and all of his books had done nothing for him. He needed to find the right one, but anything he read spoke of the anti-Christ. And that was far from helpful, but he continued on, opening an even older more worn down book. - And there it was, Singer Auto Salvage. It had been a long trip here, but the brunette girl with human emerald eyes smirked. The black crossed over her eyes as she made her way up the driveway, a small token under her arm. She may have done her best to stay under the radar, but she knew a lot, having been watching this Bobby Singer for a while. A demon child was to be born, but nearly all signs pointed to the anti-Christ. Not the one she had though. Took some doing, but after a run in with her own kind, she managed to get it. She moved herself towards the door, and she stopped, her eyes staring at the frame. "Balls!" She heard from the other side of the door. "Definitely not good." She muttered to herself, knocking on the door. The older man opened the door, and looked to her. "Bobby Singer, right?" She asked, and he looked at her. "Do I know you?" He asked, and she chuckled. "No, but you're going to want to." She said, holding up the book as her eyes flashed black. He moved to do something, but she held up her other hand. "Now, Now, peace offering. I don't want the apocalypse anymore than you do. Besides, a demon lovechild?" Bobby's face said it all, "Balls." He repeated, and he picked up his phone. "What's your name?" "Ezria." She answered. Bobby sighed, and the other end picked up. "Dean." He said, forcing himself to allow the girl in. "I may have found something, but first I need you to ask Arik about the name Ezria." Ezria leaned against the door frame. Oh this would be interesting.</s> <|message|>Arik Arik perked up as, right on cue, Dean's phone lit up with Bobby's number scrolling across. Dean grabbed for it, setting his pie aside to answer the oddly timed call, "Yeah, Bobby. Whatcha got…", he started, before he was interrupted by Bobby's words. Narrowing his eyes, he sat up a little straighter in his chair, and listened. "Alright…", he murmured quietly, turning his head to Arik, who was now leaning in close to him on the bed, "What do you know…about the name Ezria?" As soon as the name rolled off Dean's tongue, Arik's face fell. His eyes widened, and he stared straight ahead, as if Dean had uttered something terrifying. He quickly recovered, leaning back a bit with a sigh, "We go way back." "Why don't you define way back…", Dean began. However, Arik leaned back a little further, before he vanished, "Dammit! Bobby, I think he's coming to you." On cue, Arik appeared next to Bobby, lighting a cigarette with a smug smile, "Boss man's tricks. I still got 'em.", he muttered, explaining once more the reason he had learned to teleport. His time working for crossroads demons wasn't for nothing. His eyes shifted, simply landing on Ezria with no expression.</s> <|message|>EZRIA Bobby had just barely heard Dean's warning when Arik appeared. Bobby saw Ezria open the book and turn it towards him. "There may be a spell we can use, but I've got to read more on it. I'll call you back when I have more to tell." Ezria's eyes soon fell on Arik, her face equally expressionless until she gave a half chuckle. "Its been a while, and you know, honestly, I'm a bit hurt. You don't write, you don't call, and when you knew a ball fell into my court I had to find out by following this mortal." Ezria motioned to Bobby. "I mean sure, getting hold of the tome was a bit bloodier than I may have liked, but hey, witchcraft was always my forte." Bobby looked between the two for a moment. "This spell. Where would we get half of the necessary ingredients?" Ezria gave a slick grin. "I could help there, but I'm not stupid like others I have to, unfortunately, share a species with. But, that's only if you ask and I get something in return." Bobby groaned. He looked to Arik, showing him the spell. "How difficult would these be to come by regularly?" A valid question, and Ezria just smirked. If she had learned one thing, having the Winchesters in the pocket was a good thing.</s>

<|message|>William "Billy" Murdoch It had been a quarter to midnight when he snuck into the back of the ER. No one paid any attention to him; they were too busy trying to help the people who actually needed it. Billy could smell it in the air, the sick and the dying, those who'll live and those who won't. But what got him the most was the blood, the hot, sweet smell of the blood. It's everywhere, permeating the air like an expensive perfume. His fangs extend a little, pushing down on his bottom lip, almost puncturing skin. It's uncomfortable, but it helped him focus. The sweet smell of the blood rushing underneath skin was almost too much to bear, just begging to be - Why do you do this to yourself? It's not worth it, he can hear his own voice in his head, chastising him again for even daring to step inside this place. While Billy might not've been the most cautious of vampires, even he should've known the risks of putting himself right into the middle of a group of humans. It was horribly masochistic, sure, but the payoff was worth it. He could survive walking through a buffet when it meant he could get the particular kind of nutrition he needed without killing anyone. Granted, he'd drained at least a dozen people in his first few months of vampirism, but that was besides the point. He was trying his best to go off the live stuff, and thus, that was all that mattered. Inching closer to a 'Staff Only' door, Billy checked to see if the coast was clear. People still didn't look his way. If anything, they avoided catching his eye. He was the last thing from intimidating, but as a vampire, there was something about him that made people instinctively shy away, even if they didn't know why. Slipping inside the room, the door clicked shut behind him, and he quickly set to work. The sooner he got out of here, the better, but he wasn't about to pass up the chance to try out some of the more… exotic fare. Who knows when he'd be able to pull something like this again, right? --- Slurp. Sluuurp. A long, heaving sigh of satisfaction escaped from Billy as he sucked up the last of the blood through a neon green silly straw. O negative - his favourite. Of course, it wasn't quite as good as it would've been straight out of a jugular, but hey, beggars couldn't be choosers. Microwaving the blood bags for just a few seconds to get them to just the right temperature was a neat little trick he'd picked up a couple months back. Not like he could do much else with them, anyway. The amenities of a motel were sparse at best, and that was putting it gently. Just as he was about to retrieve the fifth serving from his messenger bag, the overwhelming stench of rotten eggs filled his nostrils. Uh-oh, that wasn't good. The last time few times he smelt sulfur, things didn't turn out too great for him. What was behind these strange occurrences? He didn't know, but one thing was for sure - they fucked him up big-time. Whether it was bad luck or something else altogether, the trail of carnage left behind put the law enforcement on high alert, making it near impossible for Billy to even keep himself fed. People got antsy, and just the thought of having to leave town yet again pissed him off. Just as he was having an internal debate with himself on the merits of leaving versus those of staying, the scent of sulfur was gone, almost as quickly as it'd surfaced. For a moment or two, Billy simply sat there, waiting for the stench to return, but it never did. Well, that was weird. What was he supposed to make of that? The whole blink-and-you'll-miss-it thing unnerved him, but he wasn't about to hit the road just because he smelt some rotten eggs. He had a good thing here, and it was honestly shocking how the hospital he kept stealing from hadn't caught on after this long. Billy wasn't complaining, though. The subpar customer service made his job a whole lot easier.</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie Ethans had been waiting for this day for the past four years. She had been blown away by the sudden appearance of a barn owl on her brother Brennan's eleventh birthday and been extremely put out about not getting one herself. Her parent's had thought the letter a silly prank until a woman in dark robes had appeared on their doorstep and told them no, magic really does exist. It had been a day Sadie would never forget, one that forever altered the course of her life. When she had asked the severe looking woman if she would get to go to Hogwarts, the evil woman had simply told her to wait and see. For four*years*, Sadie had waited. She sent Brennan letters weekly, demanding to know everything he was taught and to reassure her that she would get her chance as well. He did neither of these things, likely because he found her frustration amusing. Her pestering only worsened over his holidays, to the point where mum and dad had to send her to her room (which Sadie found supremely unfair). She'd nearly had a nervous breakdown in the week leading up to her eleventh birthday. Her owl had been cruel and hadn't shown up until nearly*lunchtime*on July Thirteenth. She'd already given up hope on being selected for Hogwarts and had resigned herself to a life of misery by the time her beautiful parchment letter arrived. Nothing had been as wonderful as reading 'Dear Miss Ethans' in elegant emerald script. Nothing, perhaps, except the sight of the scarlet Hogwarts Express, and knowing that she had a place on it. "Right, now promise you'll write every week," her mum instructed her as she dusted off Sadie's cardigan. Sadie could barely speak for her excitement. "Yes mummy. Oh, look at the*train*," she was bouncing in place, and she missed the amused look her parents exchanged with one another. Sadie only had eyes for the steam spilling out of that beautiful engine, her heart beating a painful staccato in her chest. She needed to be on the train*now*! "Sadie, calm down," Brennan grumbled, looking annoyingly cool in his school robes and with a broomstick slung across his shoulder. "You're embarrassing me." She stuck her tongue out at Brennan, before her father shot her a warning look. She blushed and tried not to fidget. "Brennan, you look out for Sadie. Make sure she doesn't, err, blow anything up." Sadie pouted. Blow up one loo, on accident, and no one ever lets you forget it. Brennan sulkily muttered some form of assent. As soon as mum and dad were done hugging him goodbye, he had scurried off to go meet up with his friends. Sadie made a 'hmph' sound. He couldn't have abandoned her any quicker! "Be good sweetheart. Work hard," her mum squeezed her tight. Sadie laughed as her father picked her up in a bear hug, before setting her down neatly next to her trunk. "I will. I'll be the best," Sadie's fist clenched and her eyes lit up. She was going to make Brennan, who thought he was too cool for his little sister, look like a complete twit. She'd best him at everything! Her parents exchanged another, rather worried look, but before they could say anything the whistle had sounded. "I have to go! I love you mum, love you dad!" Her father helped lift her and her things onto the train, and before she knew it, they were pulling away from the station. Sadie released a high pitched squeal of excitement. Oh gosh, she was finally here! She was here and this was real and not just another frustrating dream! She tried not to hyperventilate. Mr. Tufty, her screech owl, shot her a withering look. A taller girl with dark hair helped her move her things into an empty compartment, where she left Sadie to bounce on the seat, nose pressed to the glass. "I'm going to Hogwarts, I'm going to Hogwarts~!"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Coming from one of the remaining Pure Blood families, George had no fear of not recieving his letter. After blowing both the kitchen windows one Novemeber evening, both his parents couldn't deny they'd be sending their son to Hogwarts with their eldest. Of course, that night had always stuck in his mind vividly. That was the night his own father was finally caught and arrested. It had been all over the Daily Prophet that week. *Known Death Eater George Nott Sr. Finally In Chains* It was a black stain on his family, although many of the other Pure Blood families didn't care for their status, even his brother had recieved a fair number of threats over the years. However, in his fifth year, Theodore was no longer under such scrutiny. As they passed onto the platform for the fifth time, George clung onto his trunk as tightly as any nervous child would. "Here you are. Your father would be proud." His mother cooed. She was a tall woman, thick brown hair completely opposite to George's. It had been pure luck; he shared his father's name as well as his hair and looks. Unlike Theodore, who had his mother's rosy cheeks and bushy brown hair. Swallowing hard, George turned his eyes to his remaining parent and sighed. "Write when you can. I'll try and get letters to your father." She kissed his cheek gently and smiled, stepping back to look at her two sons. "Both of you, behave. Please. Theo, look after your brother. For heavens sake, don't do anything stupid." She teared up and pulled them both into a hug. "I'll be back for Christmas, mum." Theo smiled, patting the woman gently on the back. She pulled away and nodded, a hand moving to each of their cheeks. Seconds past before she let them leave. "Greyback!" Theodore shouted, making a dash into the crowds. Of course this left George standing around on his own. He sighed gently and passed his trunk over to a prefect. He smiled gently and climbed on board. It was a strange feeling to climb on board the Hogwarts Express. As his feet touched the floor and his hands touched the shiny metal exterior, George felt himself change. There was no way life was ever going to change. Hogwarts was going to be the best seven years of his life. He would be on the Quidditch team, maybe even join Duelling Club, something that had picked up since Professor LongBottom arrived in the school. He could meet all the ghosts, find Peeves, spot the Giant Squid, meet a real centaur. George inhaled his first breath as a new person and pushed himself onto the train. He walked along onto the first corridor, looking at all the students, most meeting with friends, others bumbling around to meet new friends. He felt his feet carry him down the gangway, moving with the crowd. He eventually forced himself to stop by one door; it had been the first mostly empty cabin he'd seen in almost an entire carriage. He swallowed hard and pulled open the door. The whole train jerked forwards, and they were off. "Can I sit?" George coughed, resting his trunk by the door. To be honest, if the girl said no, there wasn't much she could do. He pulled his trunk inside and rested it against the opposite seat. He looked at her for a second and silently judged. She seemed far too excited to be pure blood. Half blood perhaps, he guessed Muggle Born lastly, avoiding the term his father had grown him up using.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie hummed an idle little ditty, the same annoying little tune she had bothered her brother with all summer. By the end of the holiday, she'd had her brother flying into fits of rage only three notes into her song. It had backfired slightly, as it was now perpetually stuck in her head, but it was a small price to pay. She'd achieved what all little sisters worked towards-- she'd driven her older brother insane.*That*would teach him to think twice before he played keep away with her things again. She continued to bounce in her seat. Mr. Tufty tucked his head beneath a wing disdainfully. She'd thought the owl to be quite funny when she'd bought him, but Sadie wished she had selected a pet less prone to nipping her fingers. Maybe Mr. Tufty just wanted to stretch his wings. He'd been confined to her room since she'd bought him last month. Her mum said having an owl swooping around the neighborhood might qualify as suspicious. Sadie hoped Mr. Tufty was just grumpy. The alternative was rather...worrying. Mr. Tufty wouldn't*always*hate her, right? The door to the compartment slid open, and Sadie's head immediately swiveled to watch. Her hazel eyes lit up with curiosity. A boy stood in the doorjamb, about her age, with white blonde hair that would be the envy of all the girls back in tiny Hankerton. Mum always said not to stare, but Sadie had yet to kick the habit. She wanted to know everything about everyone. Was that so terrible? This argument had never gone over well with her mum. "Go right ahead!" She chirruped brightly, legs swinging. Sadie was exceptionally useless at sitting still. The train jerked forward, and Sadie managed not to squeal in delight (but only just). She gripped the edge of her seat in a bid not to fidget, craning her neck to look out the window. Her idle hands had a way of getting her into trouble. She didn't mean to break things, but she just got so excited and then things ended up dropped or shattered or, like the unfortunate Loo Incident, exploded. It was best for everyone that she refrained from poking things. "I'm Sadie Ethans, by the way!" Sadie was at the stage of excited where 'Everything I Say Ends in Exclamation Points!' Mr. Tufty hooted derisively, clearly unimpressed. The nerve! She scrunched her nose at her bird before returning her attention to her new companion. "What's your name? Is this your first year too? How long is this train ride anyways?" The last bit wasn't entirely directed at her companion. She looked out the window impatiently, the city transforming into a blur as the train picked up speed. Surely this would be a quick ride... wouldn't it?</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans He was awfully quiet. Sadie didn't quite know what to make of that. Mum had bemoaned her inability to keep her voice down a thousand times this past summer.*"You've been screaming since you were born, Sadie, please give it a rest,"*was a popular complaint of Brennan's. She didn't mean to be so loud, honest, but something about quiet made her deeply uncomfortable. Sadie resolved not to worry about it, her excitement for Hogwarts swiftly overwhelming any other thoughts. "SIX HOURS," she hadn't meant to shout, but the thought was horrifying. She'd already waited*years*for this! Now she had to sit through a six hour train ride? Couldn't magic speed things up? Sadie had been reading her textbooks for weeks, and a little extra speed seemed perfectly within the realm of possibility! Of course, perhaps it was a safety thing, but she'd nicked her brother's spellbooks and they had things like shield charms in them—Sadie finally remembered that shouting was rude. She winced. "Sorry. Just… that's like, a million years." A beat of silence passed. Sadie tried not to fidget. The landscape blurred past, turning into rolling countryside. Somewhere out there, in a tiny little village that smelled of cows and cheese, her little dog would be waiting for mum and dad to come back home. That life felt a thousand miles away, almost unreal compared to the train. It was curious. George offered her a sweet. Sadie blinked intelligently. A jelly bean? She was about to ask what was so scary about jelly beans when he mentioned vomit. Curiosity lit up her hazel eyes as she connected the dots. "So, they're weird… on purpose? Huh." Sadie considered that for a moment, and waited as he tried one. A wild grin spread across her face as he mentioned toothpaste. "I have got to try this." She tipped out a bean, brown and shiny, popping it into her mouth enthusiastically. It took a moment for her to place the lemony flavor. She laughed brightly, even as she resisted the urge to spit it out. That was impressively disgusting. How had Brennan not shared these with her before? What a git! "Wood Varnish." She turned the box over in hand, examining the packaging. It looked unlike anything she'd ever seen before. "'Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans'. That is really the most accurate name for anything in the history of the world." She replaced the box neatly, impressed she hadn't spilled it. His next offer made her eyebrows elevate and her grin grow wider. 'Exploding' was such a dangerous description, especially when it came to Sadie, but it was awfully exciting. "Mum says I'm not to explode anything," she admitted with a laugh, swinging her legs as her excitement built. Sadie had always been rather… competitive. "But I'm the reigning Queen of snap back home, and I will defend my title at all costs. How does the exploding part work? Is it like normal, non-blow-uppy snap?"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. She really was exicitable. George almost leapt out of his seat when she screamed some rather angry distaste out loud. "It flies by." He stammered. They did have an entire country to cross, on a steam train. He'd heard muggle trains were faster, but there was something spectacular about steam powered trains. Perhaps it was the magnificence. "You've got a whole year ahead of you, more things than you'll ever imagine." If Hogwarts was really as wonderful as he'd been told, then things were really going to take off, he couldn't quite picture it in his head. His own parents- well, his mum would already be home and his father would be fully aware of his sons new attendance to the school everything started at. His stomach turned at the thought. Both his parents had been Slytherin's, his grandparents and his cousins; at least most of them. He didn't need to be related to his death eater father in any other way, he shared a name and some hair, that was all. He didn't want or need to share a house. He watched her amazement for a second and smiled. Deffintely muggle born. He couldn't wait to see her face when they finally arrived. She was entering a whole new world and nothing was ever going to be the same again. "Some of them are nice. I've had banoffee pie more than once." He added, rolling up his sleeves. "There's plenty of sweets like this out there. Liquorice snaps, candy wands which produce sparks when you use them. They're not harmful, just fun." George , despite having forced himself out of his comfort zone, was feeling at ease. Sadie could quite well be a friend by the time they got off the train. He quickly laughed. "It's a lot like muggle snap, the cards just explode randomly. Makes the games a lot harder. Especially when you're trying to match a pair and this whole deck goes up." He smiled.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans He assured her the train ride would fly by—Sadie could only hope it would. She'd never been particularly patient, and she'd wanted to go to Hogwarts for so*long*. Brennan never answered enough of her questions and he had refused to show her even just a hint of magic ("*It's against the law, blah blah blah, I'm a total jerk"*). She knew next to nothing about it. It was a magical school, Brennan played some sort of game on broomsticks and was in a house called Gryffindor and apparently a ghost taught one of his classes. He'd always been rubbish at writing home and his letters never went into much detail. Mum and dad said he was going through a phase and simply needed space. Sadie thought he was just being a selfish prat. "I hope so," she tore her gaze from the green farmland rolling by, resolving to be a little less anxious. Everything would work out. She would make it work out. Sadie had always been determined, and Hogwarts had been so dear a dream for so long, she couldn't bear the thought of it not living up to her expectations. George was explaining the sweets and Sadie was trying not to get too excited, which was a doomed effort. Candy*wands*? How would that even work? Sadie's curiosity burned, gears beginning to whiz in her brain. She'd read the brief section on crafting in*The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One*which stated that, beyond simple tricks, true item enchantment was all but lost. Only the Goblins still knew how to create wondrous things, a secret they jealously guarded. Sadie hadn't finished the section on Goblin Crafting in her copy of*A History of Magic*, as her mum had to physically confiscate her textbooks so she would do her chores. Mum had kept her busy with the chickens and the cows for the remaining week of summer holiday, insisting that she would have plenty of time with her books at school. "They just explode? That's perfect. Prepare to lose!" she laughed, folding her legs up on her seat. Sadie got comfortable, pulling her red hair to one side and absently fiddling with the ends. "So did you grow up with all this, then?"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George was a little jealous. The Pure Blood kids, well, they were excited, finally going to Hogwarts. The act was like a coming of age, a right of passage. Yet to all the muggleborns, the whole thing was something from their wildest dreams. "Yeah, both my parents came here." His voice trailed off slightly, uncomfortable and a little unsure. Perhaps he should have been thankful that Sadie wasn't like him. All the Death Eater arrests had front pages of the Daily Prophet, for years. Sometimes there would be months or years without another arrest. George shuffled the cards quietly, replaying that evening in his head. *** "Mum! Theodore has my gobstones! He won't give them back!" "For Merlin's same, stop arguing." His mother had called from the living room. "Just give them back and stop fighting." It took a few moments before Theodore gave them back. Outside, it was thundering, stormy and cold. The eldest Nott son moved over to the window and innocently looked outside. At the age of eight, he was old enough to realise somethings. Such as the two ministry officials that stood outside their house. He watched for a moment longer, counting men from the far side of their curtain. It was another thundering noise that disturbed both Theodore and George from whatever they were doing. They were the unmistakable sound of their father's feet on the stairs. "Kiera." He shouted, hurrying down the hall at a sprint. "They're here." That's all George and Theodore heard. During fights and private conversation, their parents always surrounded themselves with a protective wall of sound, preventing any sound from escaping that bubble. He next noise they heard wasnt something any of the Nott family would forget any time soon. Bang! The whole front door flew off the handles and sped at full speed down the entrance hall. Foot steps hurried down their corridor and the most visor moment he could remember from that evening occurred. His brother hurried over and pulled George up and behind the sofa, whilst the vision of his parents running in, holding hands occurred before them. There was another moment, one that defied his entire childhood. His father's hand rose up, as if the murder any of the Auror's that had come into their home. Instead, a small, pale white hand arose to deter George Sr. from making any more mistakes. Then his father pulled their mother into a loving embrace and kissed her, longer than he ever had, until he was thrown from her side. *** George had never been able to remember just why that image stuck in his head for so long. Theodore had often explained it to be due to 'Dad's other women over the years. That Mum wasn't even sure he loved her.' It was obvious from that kiss, surely. Coming back to reality, George handed the cards out quietly and offered Sadie another sweet. "What was it like for you growing up?" At least it would create conversation, he wouldn't hear the same boring stories again and again, he'd finally hear something different and something new.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans It was a little strange, to be chatting to someone whose*family*had gone to this mythical school. Logically, Sadie knew that she and Brennan were the strange ones, what with being muggleborn, but it was still impossible to imagine what magic was really like. She'd only ever seen the severe woman in green transform into a cat—and now some funny jelly beans. Her textbooks had moving pictures, but so did the internet, and that in itself didn't seem particularly special. Growing up with magic had to be better than farm life in a tiny village. No wonder Brennan was so bitter coming back to Hankerton every summer. Surely it couldn't even compare. George went quiet for a moment. Sadie wasn't the most aware of people, but even she could sense that something was off. He looked contemplative and Sadie, in a rare fit of good manners, elected not to comment on it. He dealt cards, and they felt curiously warm. They really*could*explode, and the thought made her grin widen. She accepted the sweetie, ignoring the thought of her mum's chiding (*"They'll rot your teeth!"*), nibbling as she considered his question. What was life like in Hankerton? "Boring. The Ethans have been raising cows for the past hundred years, and will probably keep doing so until the eventual heat death of the universe." She grimaced. She'd never liked farm life. School in Swindon had captured her imagination, and Swindon wasn't even really a proper city. She'd been to London once to get her school supplies and it had been the best day she'd ever had. The city was glamorous and exciting and didn't smell of cows. There were so many lights and*people*! It was a whole other world. "When I wasn't in school, I was cleaning out the barn or tending chickens or doing any one of my ten billion chores. I mean," she blushed as she realized how selfish she sounded, "It was just a lot of work. Things weren't*bad*I just… don't want to be a farmer when I grow up. I like cows, they're funny creatures, and it's important work and all, but I want to go explore. My brother's the same way. Dad was right upset when he said he didn't want the farm." She'd said too much, as she usually did. Sadie had never been good at knowing when to stop talking. The cards were dealt and smoking slightly. Sadie flipped hers, a funny looking King of Hearts with a lion's hat. The hat roared at her. Aww, how cute! She couldn't help but giggle. Mr. Tufty shot her a foul look, which she ignored. "So, you said something earlier about sorting," she commented, feeling a bit apprehensive. "My brother's gone on and on about how awful it is, but he's a git and last time I trusted him I ended up stuck in a well, sooo… what's the deal with that?"</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Theo was the very personification of the middle class wizarding world. Like most Pureblood families, the Nott's came from a rich history, linking back to the Black family as most did nowadays. Both boys had been raised in a household, although unstable, had been 'proper'. It had rubbed off more on Theo than it had on George. The taller, black haired boy smiled and disappeared towards the door. The book in his hands was thick, ancient in appearance and clearly well-read. On close examination, several of the pages could be seen to be dislodged and no longer connected to the spine of the white cased tome. Inside was passages George could never understand. He'd stole a moment to try and work out exactly what had been keeping his brother so quiet over the last year, but inside were confusing texts and passages written in a language he didn't know. Theo had told him they were Runes from time to time but he still didn't understand. Earlier in the summer, he had managed to work out partially at what Theo had hoped to do with his life after Hogwarts. The day they took a trip to Diagon Alley, Theo had expressed a great interest in the wand George had been given. Aspen, something Theo had seemed to think had made a lot of sense. Dragon Heart String, something Theo seemed almost hesitant in.. It worried George, he didn't understand what it meant but if it was going to make school worse- Theo seemed to stop in the doorway, another voice bursting over their ears. The newcomer was clearly talking to Sadie, whoever he was. Mum? Her brother? He glanced over to Theo and watched his head raise a little; a trait he'd taken up from his uncle. He smirked and scoffed. "Ethans." He muttered curtly. Clearly they hated each other for whatever reason. George felt his mind race, he was worried. If they hated his brother, would they hate him too? For what his father did.. Probably. He didn't want them too, school was already going to be difficult. It hadn't occurred to him, despite the news that Sadie had shared, that the two were Quidditch rivals. His own brother had been a chaser for over a year now, despite his height he was exceptionally quick. "I'm sure I'll see you on the field this year, best not to fly into the wall again. Sometimes it hard to keep up with better players." His accent was richer than his brother's, heavy in an Oxford tone. Theo smiled and pushed past him into the corridor again, leaving George watching the two. Sadie's brother looked almost like he was going to explode himself. He wouldn't have been surprised if his brother ended up with a black eye before the train ride was over. Then the boy turned his attention to them both. He felt eyes on himself, uncomfortably. Discerning? What was he, an animal? George felt annoyed, stressed almost. How exactly was he lesser? So his brother and the boy didn't get on, he didn't exactly care. He wasn't his brother, he was just related to him. As they were both related to a mass murderer.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The cards were smoking vigorously now. Sadie was far more worried about her brother's temper than the playing cards in hand. Ethans blood ran hot, and Brennan was the worst of all of them. Sadie drew in a deep breath. Already she could feel her ears reddening, her own teeth grinding as she tried to keep her irritation under control. "You're a prat," she informed her brother with a hiss, "Get out of my compartment." "Shut it you little shit," Brennan was surlier than usual—he must*really*hate Theo, she surmised. She knew him well enough to know he was simply lashing out, emotionally crippled as he was. Still, her lips pursed into a thin line at his poor manners. Instinctively, she chucked her cards at him. Several of them exploded along the way, and it filled her with a vicious sort of pleasure to see her idiot brother flinch back. For a moment she thought he might tackle her; their childhood had been half spent in cahoots and half spent trying to maim each other. She jut out her chin, sitting up as tall as she could. He made an irritated huff that sounded something like 'brat', but he stalked out nonetheless. Sadie tutted, sticking her tongue out at his disappearing back. After a long moment (and a quick set of deep breaths), she shot George an apologetic look. Sadie had the good grace to blush. "So," she said after a beat, "My brother's kind of a jerk. A lot a jerk," she amended thoughtfully, scrambling to pick up the cards she'd chucked at him. "He kind of turned into a rampaging git a few years back. He used to be pleasant, I swear." She sighed there, before bouncing back brightly. "I'm sorry about all that!"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Theo hadn't exactly been the one to talk about the people he hated and those he didn't consider a friend. Their mother had said he got his temper and superiority complex from their father. So long as neither of them would end up reliving the life the man had, neither of them had seemed too bothered; at least until George noticed how much his mum saw their father in his face. Bastard genetics... He'd be okay so long as nobody paid attention. There had to be other Death Eater's kids in the school, they were all probably fine. That was how things tended to work, people just didn't care, right? George glanced up at Sadie and smiled. He shook his head. He could hear his brother's voice in his head.*How can an eleven year old have the weight of the world on his shoulders? Grow up, George* "**Honestly, it's fine. Brothers are like that.**" He commented, gathering what was left of his cards.The box had been enchanted on purchase, a simple repairing charm fixed each of the cards once they returned to their packaging. Perhaps they were a more expensive brand. He stuffed them back into his pocket and turned his eyes out the window. He had no idea where they were now or how long it would be until they arrived at school. He dreaded to think in all honesty. His stomach was leaping and jumping around. Was it this normal to be nervous? The sounds coming from the compartments on either side of them indicated just how excited everyone seemed to be. Then there was Sadie who seemed to be bouncing off every wall. "**What sort of things did you do then? You know, as a muggle?**" Perhaps he sounded ignorant, yet he knew very little of the muggle world. He'd seen muggles living in his neighbourhood but he didn't know what they did for fun, or where they went to school. "**Did you go to school as a kid? There is no other school for wizards. We're all home taught.**"</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George's comment on brothers brought a grateful smile to her lips. It was nice to not be alone in dealing with obnoxious siblings. She finished collecting the cards she had thrown, arranging them as neatly as one could arrange recently exploded cardstock. Passing them to George, she returned her attention to the landscape, humming brightly. Everything would be lovely—they must be getting close, right? Sadie could only hope. She needed to be at the castle*now*! He asked her about what she did—and she tilted her head, considering his words. As he mentioned that he had yet to go to school, she found herself gaping. No primary school? That was just*weird*. "Everyone is homeschooled? What if both your parents work?" She frowned, finding the idea very peculiar. Her mum and dad were always busy with the farm and their business. There's no way they would have had time to homeschool her. "I started primary school when I was five. I would have been going to secondary school this year if I hadn't gotten my letter. Um… outside of school and the farm, I really like films! And video games!" Sadie didn't really think how alien her words would sound as she began babbling, bouncing away.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George laughed. Perhaps it seemed strange, most wizarding mother's stayed home to tutor their children until eleven years old, unless they were well off. George had been tutored by a witch at home, alongside Theo, who'd taught them all the basics of reading and writing, life and everything else they'd need to learn in order to survive school. Their real education had started at Hogwarts, and perhaps that was the reason so many seemed out of place in Muggle Society. "Most mum's teach their kids, but me and my brother had a teacher, she taught us three times a week." He turned to Sadie again and furrowed an eyebrow. She'd already been to school? It was strange to think. It was probably why muggle-borns and halfbloods fit into the system better, or so his brother had said. "You've already been to school, that's so strange." "Video games?" George asked, looking at Sadie as if she were mad. Muggle's were odd. "I don't understand." Maybe he sounded like an idiot in her eyes, completely unaware of what she was talking about. During his trips through muggle London, George had seen various video games, though unaware at the time. He'd unknowingly noticed how popular and how many they were Yet without knowing what they were, he disregarded the fact and carried on their trip to Gringotts that day. His world must seem so strange to Sadie too, a world that was so sought after by muggles, a world of magic and myth. They had broomsticks, time travel, unicorns, wands, wizards, talking pictures and goblins. His world was her stories, however it was life to him. "What did you think of Diagon Alley?" He asked, smiling to himself. So far it would probably be the only wizarding location she'd seen. He could imagine her face at the site. It would have probably been at lot like the faces of some of the other kids he'd seen.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Why's it the mums job?" Sadie asked, a little annoyed at the idea. It hardly seemed right to her. She knew several of her friends mum's stayed at home, but Sadie had never liked the idea. As much as working on the farm didn't appeal to her, she'd been raised to work hard. She detested the idea of being stuck at home all day. She 'hmph'ed a little, before moving onwards. It was hardly George's fault that the wizarding system was so seemingly unfair. "School is brilliant," she enthused brightly, folding her legs up onto her seat. "There weren't a lot of other kids in the village, but I got to make lots of friends in class." He looked confused—oh, right, Brennan had mentioned that wizards didn't really have video games or television. How strange. She lit up, clapping her hands. "Oh! They're brilliant! People make stories and you get to play them. Um! I don't know how else to describe them? I'm bad at this," she laughed there, scratching her nose. "You get to be someone else and fight bad guys or solve puzzles or save the galaxy. It's magical!" He asked about Diagon Alley and Sadie lit up like it was Christmas. She couldn't help but gush. "Oh my goodness! The*hats*! And the owls! And and the broomsticks were great and it's just,*wow*. I saw someone transform someone else into a teapot! Then blokes in funny robes came by and dragged them off and wow, it was just*crazy!*Ollivander's was brilliant, too. I guess it just, I don't know, made everything seem*real*. It's amazing. I never would have imagined something so wonderful, you know? I'm just Sadie," she softened there, shrugging her shoulders awkwardly. "One minute I'm gathering chicken eggs and cleaning up after cows, the next I'm buying a wand and going to learn*magic*. It's just… I guess I thought it was going to be a joke for a long time, like 'fooled you, Sadie, we got you good' but I'm on the train and it's*happening*. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and I'll be back on the farm."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George tried to imagine what it would be like to have not grown up in the world he'd already been surrounded in. How he'd feel when he first recieved his letter, what it would feel like to enter a world that seemed so unlike what he'd alreay experienced. Seeing Sadie react was hilarious. Having grown up with wands, Wizards and witches, goblins, elves, ghosts, talking paintings, flying and apiration, it would seem unwordly to someone who'd never expirenced it all before. Despite all this, he felt Hogwarts would be the same for them both. His brother had described it to be the most amazing place he'd ever experienced, something of which George was already aprehensious about. He was nervous, for no reason he repeated to himself often. "This would be an awful dream if it were one." He commented, adding a smile as he spoke. "Considering you're not the only one here." He reached into the bag for another Bean and glanced over the flavour. It shone a strange, misty blue, dancing almost. After Norway's win at the Quidditch World Cup that summer, there had been an influx of themed sweets. "Here." George offered, handing it to Sadie. "It's not a sweet, so don't eat it. It's a miniturised Dragon Egg, frozen as simply a shell. You can collect them, I think there's thirty, or just use them as decoration." They weren't rare as such, but a collection of petrified dragon eggs had certainly become a collectors item over the few months they'd been sold. He turned his eyes over to the window, wondering just how long it would be until they were reaching the school. The last time George had known, they'd been in parallel with Norfolk, perhaps less than half way. He knew they usually arrived after sundown, but without watches, he hadn't a clue of the time. "How long do you reckon is left?" He asked, turning his head back to his.. Friend? Was Sadie a friend now? His train of thought had been pushed aside when the door pushed open, two girls laughing and giggling themselves at the door. "Here, a present." One laughed, throwing a small black package onto Sadie's lap. The girls laughed for a second, both pushing the door shut before the compartment burst into complete darkness. They could hear the girls on the opposite side of the door, but as George fumbled for the train window, he noticed one voice disappeared. He fumbled, coughing up the dust, or whatever it was. A hand found the latch and soon the window was open, black powder filing out the window as if it were forced. He rushed to the door and pulled it back open, aiming to shout at the girls who'd pranked them. Down the carriage, he saw the two girls running, hand in hand, hurrying away from them. One had been a slightly plump female, brunette and loud, the other had been a taller female, slimmer, and with a similar blonde to his own. It wasn't a rare quality, but striking to him all the same. The girls glanced back, laughing once more. George let out a sigh and groaned. He waved at the last bits of the Instant Darkness and sat back down.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie laughed brashly at George's comment, tipping her head back with her mirth. He was being really rather nice. She didn't doubt the lengths that jerk's like her brother would go to in pulling a prank. She supposed the train was a bit out of his reach, but as a professional younger sister she'd learned that there was*always*a chance she was being messed with. Especially considering she tended to give as good as she got. "Maybe it's just a massive prank and there's loads of hidden cameras everywhere," she grinned, although she had visibly relaxed in her seat. "And instead of Hogwarts we're just going in a big loop and we'll end up back at King's Cross. My dreams can be right terrible sometimes." George offered her a small blue bean, which she accepted. She blinked as he told her not to eat it—and her mouth dropped when he explained what it was. Sadie was aware she looked daft, but this was too wild to be stupid like Brennan and feign apathy. "A*dragon egg*?" She repeated, her little mind blown by the implications. "Like, there are enough dragons in the world that eggs can just be like, shrunk and passed out in sweets?" She stared at the little blue bean—*egg*—in her palm, pale fingers reaching out to better examine it. It was so wee; and a little sad. She'd much rather it be a proper egg, with a proper dragon. Still, it was wonderful. "Thank you," she breathed, rather enthralled, her brain working a mile a minute. She didn't process his question about the time, still puzzling over the egg, and then, rather alarmingly, something dropped in her lap and the compartment when black. "Ack!" Sadie coughed, reflexively covering the egg with her hands to keep it safe. The light had been extinguished. It was oppressively dark, pressing in all around her, and Sadie let out a desperately uncool*squeak*. Her lungs burned and her heart raced in terror. She had to get out, it was too dark, she didn't have her phone to use as a light and— The window opened, the air clearing almost instantly. Sadie breathed deep, grateful for the fresh air and all the precious*light*. Black powder streamed out in large swirls, but her heartbeat was taking longer to slow down. She relaxed against her seat as George went to the compartment door. An empty sachet sat in her lap, which she carefully turned over. "'Weasley Wizard Wheezes Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder'," she read aloud, a painful knot in her throat. A humiliated flush had crossed her cheeks, freckled ears burning bright red. Sadie knew it was silly and childish, her fear of the dark, and wished desperately that she could be less pathetic. "That's, um… s-something else."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George dropped into his seat with a light thud. He gave a short sigh once again and looked back up at Sadie. "It's just prank stuff. There's a huge shop filled with it in Diagon Alley, I'm not sure if you saw it. It's supposed to 'get you out of any trouble spot'." Wouldn't work for something outside the safety of Hogwarts. "Just ignore it anyway, pranks never mean to hurt anyone." Despite the ease of their conversation before, the sudden interruption had done nothing but twist the eleven year old stomach into knots. He sat quietly for a short while, pulling a small handful of beans from the box. They were two separate sides of the spectrum. Sadie was filled to the brim with excitement. George couldn't help but feel nervous. It didn't matter though, it hardly would. His dad had been in prison for a long time and wouldn't be facing the Dementors for a long while. He'd serve his time before they'd 'put him to sleep'. It was pretty much how his mother described it, how she'd always described what would happen to their dad. He gave another sigh and tossed back the last few sweets he'd taken from the packet. George finally glanced up, taking in the colour of Sadie's cheeks and face. He gave a short laugh and smiled. He didn't mean it in offence, children never did. "It's only a prank, no need to get embaressed." He smiled, offering her the box once more. Outside their compartment, he could hear the sound of others laughing and cheering, playing games and talking. He wondered how many of them would share the same family history as him. There had been potential for a fair few, especially if he truly believe the stories they had from before the Ministry burst into their home. George turned back to his friend once more. "If you keep the egg warm for long enough, they're supposed to hatch. I don't know how true it is, they're only eggs. But there's loads of dragons, tons in the north and east. I've heard of them being found in the deserts in Africa. You'll learn about all that though." He added with a smile. He was sure they'd learn everything there was to know about the Wizarding World in time, they just needed to get there first.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The train ride felt as though it had taken a lifetime. Sadie was nearly mad with excitement by the time it began to slow into the station. She'd changed into her uniform and school robes when the skies had gone black, positively bouncing with excitement. Sadie was certain she was being impossibly annoying, but she couldn't help herself. Hogwarts was here! The station was all glittering lights and a massive crowd. Sadie stared out the windows, eyes bright, before scrambling to join the throngs leaving the train. She patted her robes pocket to ensure her wand was still in place. The dogwood wand seemed to warm to her touch, as if reassuring her. Beaming, Sadie babbled as she and George exited the train. "Firs' years! Firs' years over 'ere!" Sadie had never seen such an enormous person before. She gaped for a moment (before reminding herself that staring was rude) at a man in heavy furs and with the thickest beard she had ever witnessed. He was a redfaced man, beaming wide, and Sadie instinctively liked him. Grinning to George, she followed the crowd of short students gathering around the giant of a man. "Alrigh' everyone? I'm Professor Hagrid, I'll be takin' ye to the castle. Ready to go? Follow me!" "Wow," she breathed. The group struggled to keep pace with Professor Hagrid's long pace, winding down the streets. The walk was quick, which Sadie was rather grateful for, with the chilly September air biting through her robes. She gasped loudly as they reached a large, shimmering lake. Several stately boats sat at the water's edge. Sadie and George ended up in a boat with a chatty boy named Seine with long dreadlocks and a pale girl who looked rather displeased by their mode of transport. Sadie spent most of the trip leaned over the edge, looking deep into the water or up at the castle. Oh, the*castle*. It was better than she could have imagined, all soaring towers and ramparts and lovely. Even the quiet girl, Verdana was it?, seemed amazed by the castle and its majesty. Sadie practically ran for the castle the instant they landed, eager to see its halls. Seine said something funny, but she barely had the presence of mind to reply because Hogwarts was too lovely. She arrived breathless, bouncing on the balls of her feet as the doors swung open. Sadie was pleased to be the first of the students after Professor Hagrid to enter the school. A warm looking witch with kind eyes and curly grey hair greeted them, "Welcome to Hogwarts, dears. The start of term banquet will begin soon, but first, we need to sort you. Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be your family within the castle. You will have classes with your housemates, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has numerous famous witches and wizards to its name. Your successes will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. It will be just a few moments before the ceremony is ready to begin. I'll be back in just a few moments." The squat woman hurried out with a cheery wave to Hagrid, leaving the group of rambunctious eleven year olds to wait anxiously. Sadie was humming brightly, searching the small crowd for George. Verdana had left them for another dark haired girl, but Seine was grinning widely and waved her over. She complied and bounced over. "Oooh! This so brilliant!" She enthused, clapping brightly. "It's awesome," Seine agreed, before looking between them. "What house do you want? I reckon I'll be Gryffindor like my dad." Sadie shrugged, rocking on her feet, straining to see everything. "Um! I don't know! I'll be happy wherever, I'm just glad to finally be here!"</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie had held her breath the whole time George sat beneath the silent hat. He'd been so nice to her, and she hoped against hope that he would be sorted into Gryffindor. Perhaps, somehow, her desperate prayers had worked, because not a moment later the hat had shouted _Gryffindor_! She applauded brightly, grinning as Seine stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. Sadie noticed, however, that not everyone was as excited as they were. Brennan looked especially grumpy, and even the crazy pretty Xia He seemed... a little hesitant. Still, she plastered on a smile and applauded as the pale blonde boy approached. Others were less polite. Sadie wasn't sure what to make of all this. Scooting over so George could sit, she clapped him on the back happily. "Yay! We're all together!" She cheered, entirely too excited. But she'd been so terrified for so long that she'd come to Hogwarts and would be all alone. She'd had friends at school in Swindon, but they never came round the house to visit. And now she was here, and everything seemed to be better. "Welcome to Gryffindor," Xia He smiled. Rames, Hector became a Ravenclaw to thunderous applause, and Rames, Cassandra to Slytherin. Sadie eyed the dwindling crowd with interest, bouncing in her seat.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George was grateful for the house he'd been sorted into. After all, he'd been terrified completely by the prospect of becoming the manic murderer his criminal Dad seemed to have been. He wondered exactly what his dad would make of all this, how he'd react at knowing neither of his son's were following in his footsteps. George grinned back at Sadie and dropped down next to her and their other friend Seine. At least now he could relax, let himself go a little and become himself again. He adjusted his robes so he could sit down comfortably, blissfully unaware of what had been a less than warm welcome. It didn't matter anymore. He had friends, one's he'd spend the next seven years with. He turned to watch the remaining crowd, the last nine being passed towards the other tables with ease. He wondered how many of them were like him. Blue eyes turned about the rest of the room, wondering how many more in the room were the same. He avoided making eye contact with Brennan after earlier and switched back to looking towards the front. He watched the last student step carefully towards the front of the room, sitting gently on the stool. They seemed quiet, a little shy and not at all there. Regardless, off to Slytherin they went. The whole table cheering simply out of habit. George let his mind wonder a little before resurfacing when an older looking women took to the front. Her robes were an old pattern, shining and almost silk like. They were a mixture of green and black, clinging to an older frame. Her hair was pulled back tight on her head and knotted into a small bun. Whoever she was, the whole room was silent upon her standing. "Welcome everyone to Hogwarts School. For some of you, it's your first day and for some others, it's your last year. The rest of you have time here to truly become brilliant." She looked about the room, a strange grace to her that George couldn't put his finger on. "To new students and old, remember the Forest is out of bounds, as always. Let us all have a wonderful year." She clapped with a smile and the world infront of them burst into life. Bright colours of food exploded before their eyes. Roasted, boiled, fried, chopped and diced. It was all laid out beautifully. George turned to Sadie wanting to see her reaction, laughing to himself already.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh! That's her," she whispered to George and Seine, bouncing excitedly, ignoring the sharp look her brother gave her. Xia He looked amused, and Sadie blushed, dropping her voice lower as she leaned in. "She's the one who came to our house when we got our letters!" As frustrating as she had found being told to 'wait and see' all those years ago, she remembered the wonder she'd felt when the woman had transformed into a cat to prove her point. She'd returned in July and Sadie had pinned the severe looking woman in a tight hug. Professor McGonagall had looked rather displeased by that. She fell silent for her speech, listening with interest. Suddenly, she had clapped and the whole room lit up with food and Sadie could only stare. She couldn't even fathom how much food this was, had never seen… this was incredible. She gasped, looked to Brennan, but he was already piling food onto his plate. He'd never told her about this. Sadie smiled as Seine passed her a large dish of potatoes, scooping a healthy portion. There wasn't a lot of food at home—it wasn't her parent's fault, just sometimes things were tight and they had to make do with what they had. She snuck another glance at Brennan who was chatting with Amos, smirking about something or other. She looked to Seine and George, grinning brightly. "This is amazing! How does this even happen?"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George laughed and passed a grin towards his two friends. "My brother says it's House Elves, though I don't know how many." George commented, helping himself to some of the various and amazing meals in front of him. It was certainly a feast, with everything they could ever have imagined. It was more amazing than he'd imagined and it was all only just beginning. Their lives were changing now and no matter what, they weren't going to go back. George stood lightly, scooping a ladle full of soup from the cauldron to his left. He'd probably be sharing a dormitory with Seine, which he was grateful for. The last thing he needed was to be alone. Of course, he'd make friends in time, but there was no way that they'd all be friends in one night. George began to took into his meal, a small bowl of onion and pepper soup with a bread crust to go with it. He was a small lad, destined for height like his brother but thin and a little lanky. However, it was the way they'd been raised. "What do your parents do?" George asked Seine, now having relaxed enough to come out of his shell and speak to the lad properly. "Sadie's work on a farm, I wondered what your parents did for a living?" He scooped up a spoonful and eat it quietly, looking between his two friends and outright refusing to look up the table. He wondered what Quidditch was going to be like after earlier that afternoon. His brother wasn't the type to hate, too much but what he'd seen seemed almost a grudge. It would be brutal between the two of them. His own brother was a chaser, having speed over strength. He couldn't remember what Brennan played but he guessed it was either Keeper or Beater. He had the build for both.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "House elves?" Sadie asked, taking a bite of her potatoes. Oh god, these were _divine_. This was already the best place in the world. She was going to get so fat here and she didn't even care. This was exquisite. There should have been choirs of angels celebrating this meal. Huh. Sadie hadn't thought about it, but she wondered if there would be church. She'd attended Catholic school in Swindon, but the books list hadn't mentioned a bible. Were wizards religious? She couldn't imagine Sister Maribelle being particularly on board with witchcraft. She filed that question away for later. It was loud, and Sadie had to lean in to better hear George talking to Seine. She grinned, looking over in curiosity. Seine held up a dark finger, busy working on a massive chunk of bread, before finally swallowing. "My dad has a show on the WWN, sometimes he writes columns for the Prophet. My mum's a Healer at Mungos." He must have caught Sadie's confused look, because he chuckled and elaborated, "Wizarding Wireless Network is radio, St. Mungos is a hospital in London." "Gotcha!" Sadie chirped, then paused. "So Healer's are like… Doctors?" "Yeah, I guess? My mum doesn't cut anyone up or anything, but I think it's the same thing." Sadie felt a little overwhelmed—there was so much to learn and to know and it seemed like she'd never figure everything out. She looked at the pitcher of juice Xia He was pouring a little suspiciously. "It's pumpkin juice," the pretty prefect smiled, "I promise, it's good." "Weird," Sadie shrugged, thanking the older girl as she poured her a goblet and sniffing it hesitantly. It tasted a bit strange, but not unpleasant. She looked down the table and boggled at the sight of something… someone rather transparent near the far end of the table. She looked at Brennan in alarm, who finally made eye contact with her and followed her pointed look. "That's Nearly Headless Nick," he remarked gruffly, "Don't stare, Sades. It's rude." "Is he…what…" "He's a ghost. Relax." Sadie shot him a sharp look. Relax? _Ghosts_ were real? She obeyed his request not to stare, but she peeked a few glances, gasping as the ghost tilted his head off his neck almost completely… Sadie winced and quickly dropped her gaze. Gross gross gross!</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie wasn't sure she really understood what House Elves were, or what "live to work" meant, but it seemed a little troubling. She bit her tongue, because she got the sense she wouldn't quite like the answer and she didn't want to stir up trouble. She'd just gotten here and made friends. She didn't want to ruin everything on her first night in the castle. Sadie busied herself with her dinner, listening as George enthused about Seine's dad. Famous then, she deduced, looking over at him. Seine grinned a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. Wow, she'd never met anyone famous in her life. Sadie drained her pumpkin juice, listening intently. She was going to learn everything-- she detested this feeling of being lost, of others having to fill in the blanks for her. Brennan had told her the library here was a monstrosity, and she was eager to find it. "Yeah, that's my old man. He just took a contract for the World Cup next summer, so that'll be fun," he sounded proud and excited, and Sadie bit back the bitter taste of envy for a smile. It was silly—she couldn't change her humble beginnings, so there was no point in being jealous. Sadie almost believed herself. Sadie listened as George explained his mum's theory behind ghosts, watching a stream of pearlescent figures streaming in. A beautiful woman floated to the table of blue and bronze, and man with trailing chains to the far end of the room. Sadie rather liked the jolly friar moving along his table. He reminded her a bit of Father Elliot from church, who had always been kind and welcoming. As brilliant as this was, Sadie found herself missing St. Catherine's. This was amazing and shining and the food was wonderful and magic... but it felt so frighteningly large, and Sadie felt so very small here. St. Catherine's had been strict, but it had been calm and kind. Dinner concluded well over an hour later, and Sadie had never eaten so much before in her life. Her stomach hurt, but she firmly regretted nothing. The pretty prefect and the grumpy one were calling for first years, and Sadie fell in obediently behind them. Xia He was explaining the path to the common room, the importance of passwords and various other things. Sadie was busy studying the moving portraits and gasping as the stairs moved beneath her—not like an escalator, the whole bloody staircase was moving! They had stopped at a portrait of an exceptionally fat, but elegant, lady garbed in luxurious pink robes. "Password?" she intoned, touching the crown of flowers in her hair and smiling coquettishly. " _Acta non verba_," Xia He spoke clearly, and the portrait swung open wide to reveal a beautiful circular room. Sadie smiled at the crushed crimson velvet and gold and overstuffed arm chairs. She waved to George and Seine as she followed the girls to a staircase on the right. She smiled at a girl with a beautiful red hijab and a blonde who was nearly half a foot taller than the rest of them. Their dorm was gorgeous. Handsome four poster beds with crimson and gold draping stood around the room, with their names stitched in elegant golden cursive. Sadie beamed, testing her bed with a bounce. Ooh, nice! "Wow," a curly haired girl commented, running a hand over the mahogany of her bed. "This is nice." "It's brilliant," Sadie agreed, sliding off her bed. She extended her hand, the shorter girl shaking it with a polite smile. "I'm Sadie." "Tasia," she looked around the room questioningly. The lanky blonde blushed, stammering. "G-Gail Mascolo. Nice to meet you." "Maryam," chirped the girl with the pretty headscarf, looking up at the ceiling, where a beautiful carving of fire connected all the decorative silk from the walls. It looked as if it were actually burning, and Sadie decided she quite liked these accommodations. "Rosamund," a curly redhead nodded, digging in her trunk for something or other. A brunette lingering near her arched a brow, arms folded. "Holly," she remarked cautiously, almost suspiciously, and Sadie turned to smile at a quiet girl with coppery braids assigned to the bed next to hers. "Asenath," she murmured, looking almost alarmed as Sadie bounced for joy. Sadie had not had many girlfriends before in her life, but here, sitting on the floor of the common room with the other girls and laughing over stories, she finally felt properly at ease in the castle.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George smiled and laughed, joining in like any normal child would. "No way! Are you going? My Mum's trying to get us all tickets for the Final. It's in Denmark, but it doesn't take long to get there, so it shouldn't matter. Be cold, mind." He commented, taking a sip of his soup again. The room around him was more alive than he'd ever expected it to be. More friendly and cheerful. Certainly more welcoming than he'd pictured. It may have only been a few hours and tomorrow may be the beginning of their real lessons, but he could already feel how amazing everything was going to be. They were all going to be friends for their entire school lives. He could feel it. Sadie wouldn't have trouble making new friends and he was glad she'd made the effort to chat to Seine. He was a good kid, he could see it already. George hoped he'd at least be sharing a room with him. He wasn't even sure how many he had to share a room with. He'd never shared a room before. What if his stuff wasn't safe? He stood up with the rest of his House when everyone sprang to life once more. He joined the bustle as hundreds of children and teenages tried to leave the giant doors together and all at once. He followed suit, keeping close behind Sadie and Seine. He spotted a house dressed in yellow disappear down a hall just to the right of him before watching another horde descend down some stairs. That just left themselves and Ravenclaw to ascend on the staircase that seemed to rotate and move! George watched along with those around him, some spotting the moving stairs above them, whilst others gawked at the moving paintings. He gave a short laugh at the sight of Sadie's reactions to everything. Muggleborns were the funniest. Soon the troop slowed down, reaching a complete stop before a strange looking painting. He couldn't see much behind all those infront of him but soon heard a rich voice, old and firm. He tried to make mental note of the password and followed everyone inside. He peered over the shoulders of some of the taller students and gaze around a room clad in red and a vivid gold, lions on each wall and paintings that walked about, trying to see all the new students. He heard something about splitting up and gave Sadie a brief wave in goodbye. He felt a pang of anxiety and kept close to Seine. The other students were going to be as nice as the two he'd already made friends with but there was nothing certain about it. Climbing up the stairs, he counted the small group of boys to be about five, including himself. He didn't dare look back to try and work it out. They were guided into a room with thick wooden beds, each clad with red again. He would probably grow sick with the colour in time, but this was really it. This was his home. He followed Seine inside and spotted his trunk against one bed, shining a thick, expensive looking leather, silver straps covering the top, contrasting against the gold well. He walked over to his own bed and sat down, taking a moment to realise it was all happening. This really was it. He pulled his wand from his robes, running a hand over the white wood before placing it down on the cabinet by his pillow. He looked about the room at the boys he'd be spending his years with, smirking at the fact most of them had already started talking. Brent was the first name he noticed. A stocky lad with thick bushing eyebrows, who sat opposite Seine, juggling a pair of socks in his hands. A thinner and shorter boy with a considerably round face introduced himself next, his voice quieter than anyone expected. "Lincoln." He stammered, slipping down onto what would be his bed. George watched Seine introduce himself next, leaving just George and another boy, who seemed cheery and a little over-weight. "Devon." He smiled. George quickly judged him to be over-confident and possibly prone to accidents and many failures over the next coming years. Finally, George spoke his name, avoiding looking at everyone in the room. Instead, he chose two and flicked between them both before looking back down at the ground. Slowly they all settled in, unpacking and decorating, chatting and sharing sweets. It took some time before himself and Lincoln began to relax around the others. Brent spent too much time talking about quidditch and Devon seemed too interested in being everyone's friend. Yet it was Lincoln who George found more interesting. They sat and discussed Duelling more than anything else that night, sharing magazines and chatting teams and favourites. Before too long, everyone was yawning and growing sleepy. One by one, they retired, changing into pajamas and climbing into bed. George didn't dream that night, or at least he couldn't remember it. Instead he awoke feeling tired and rushed as the room about him all hurried to get dressed into their Gryfindor robes and scurrying down to breakfast. George grabbed his wand and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, perching on armchair whilst he waited for Sadie and Seine.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The morning was a bustle of excitement and nervous giggles, getting ready together. Maryam was particularly clever, her sharp wit even getting Holly to smirk appreciatively. Sadie sat on the end of her bed, Asenath perched behind her and weaving a waterfall braid through Sadie's red hair. She seemed content to let Sadie chatter away, occasionally offering a quiet remark that Sadie had to strain to hear. Her uniform had been neatly pressed, with red and gold embroidered into the trimming sometime during the night and her black flats polished to a shine. A silk tie had been included, emblazoned with what she assumed was the crest of the house at the very base. Sadie ended up helping most of her dormmates knot their ties neatly, rather surprised to find that most of them had never done so before. But she recalled George's explanation; few of them would have attended any form of formal school before. She patted Gail's shoulder with a beam as she finished. Buttoning her cardigan over her crisp white shirt and high-waisted pleated skirt, Sadie followed Maryam and Tasia, slipping her red lined robes on over her shoulder. Luckily the castle was so drafty, otherwise Sadie suspected she might sweat to death. Gail fell into step with them as they descended the circular stairs. "My mum just took over Madame Malkins," Tasia informed them, her massive curls bouncing with every step. "What about you?" Sadie asked Gail over her shoulder, nearly tripping into Maryam. She blushed with a laugh, apologizing profusely. Gail cleared her throat a little nervously. "Um, my papà's a liaison from the Italian Ministry. My mother collects art." "And your family, Sadie?" Maryam queried as they entered the Common Room. Sadie scanned the room and found a familiar head of white blonde hair. She brightened, waving. Turning to her dormmates, she smiled apologetically. "Oh, they're farmers. Sorry, have to go, I'll catch up with you later?" Maryam's brow arched, and Sadie was surprised to see her direct a cool look towards George, as if she disliked him intensely. She offered Sadie a stern look. "Be careful," she warned her, and Sadie tilted her head. "He's a Nott," she sounded as if that meant something really big and important, but it flew over Sadie's head. She shrugged. "He's nice. Anyway, bye!" She bounded over before Maryam could lecture her further, joining her friends as Seine arrived with a loud yawn. "Morning!" She chirruped, hitching her leather bag more evenly across her shoulder. "You look like a zombie, Seine." He looked at her flatly, as if he didn't quite get her reference. What, really? All this magic and no one knew what zombies were? Maybe the magical world wasn't as great as she'd been lead to believe. She shook her head. "Never mind. Did you sleep well?" She directed to George, plowing on ahead with a bounce. "I didn't. This is all too brilliant. Ahhh! Oh my gosh and we have class and I am so totally beyond ready. I've been waiting like, a hundred million years for this."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Had the girl been old enough to play such games, her words wouldn't have been loud enough to pass across the narrow space between his own chair and the walking fleet of Gryfindor girls. The blonde shot his eyes to the ground and clenched his jaw. He was too anxious for his own good.. He'd grow out of it, he was sure. After all this was day two, nothing was ever fixed over night. Did he really look like alike? Why hadn't Seine said anything? He was Pureblood at least on one side, he was sure. Sadie wouldn't know unless it hit her in the face... George pulled himself upright, his uniform pulled on as best he could. It seemed baggy in places, his shoulders looser and his shirt waist slack. He tugged at his sleeves and turned to his two friends, greeting them with a smile. "I slept okay. It's hard to sleep in a bed you're not used to." He commented, fidgeting with the small button in his sleeve. The boy couldn't fully understand why it was all bothering him so much. He had good friends and an amazing life. Personally he was lucky. He knew some students whose families were less than well-off. He needed to stop acting like the victim of something that wasn't his fault.. Right, it wasn't his fault. It wasn't. His father was a murderer well before he was born. There was no way it was his fault. George followed behind her, smiling away his consistently growing anxiety and distress. "I wonder what lesson we'll have first." He commented. His feet took him out of the protrait hole and into the noisy castle around them. Paintings were awake, eating their own meals and sharing stories they'd been told from whomever else they'd spoken to during their nights. George waited for his two friends before placing a hand on the railing and starting down the stairs. He could already smell the food from the Great Hall. Thick smells of pastry and cooked meals. Unfortunately his stomach twisted in protest. He'd eat at lunch. He needed to meet the others for himself first before hed allow himself to relax. Of course he was an idiot. He paused as the staircase lurched into life, taking them down another route. One day theyd learn which stairs moved where and no doubt they'd be up and down the castle in minutes before they left the school. He headed down into the large hall, looking for a selection of seats they could all take without bothering anyone. It was a fair distance down the table and the entire trip wasn't something he was comfortable with. Instead however, he tried to focus his thoughts on Sadie's excitement. He tucked himself onto the bench and managed to find something that he thought would cheer Sadie up more. "This will help you learn our world quicker." He smiled, passing her what seemed to be an abandoned Daily Prophet. "It's okay from time to time." George smiled, his hands nervouslg twisting his wand under the table.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Thanks!" Sadie chirped as she accepted the paper. Huh. Little gifs printed on the paper. Well, they were a little more involved, but it was nice to see something she could (sort of) understand. She hummed through it, nibbling on a sausage. She couldn't make sense of a lot of what was being discussed, but she folded the newspaper. She'd unlock its secrets later. For now, food and conversation. "Looks like we've got Herbology with Hufflepuff first," Seine piped up, buttering his toast. Sadie had already memorized their schedule and prepped her composition books—because parchment was ridiculous—and pens and read most of her textbooks. Her hunger to know was insatiable. "With Professor Longbottom. Dad says he's a war hero." "War hero?" Sadie blinked, looking to Seine. "Like, Afghanistan or something?" "What?" Seine returned her blank expression, shaking his head so his dreadlocks bounced. "The Second War? You Know Who? Battle of Hogwarts?" "…Seine. You keep saying words but none of them make sense." Battle of Hogwarts? Sadie didn't like the sound of that. She looked between Seine and George. Wizards had wars? Well, that wasn't so weird, she supposed. War was everywhere in the muggle world. Why would it be any different just because of magic? Seine looked wary, as if he wished he hadn't said anything. Sadie's frown deepened. She wasn't going to like this, but she had to know. "Okay, so this is obviously important, so I'm going to find out eventually. Tell me."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George fumbled over a jug of the thick, orange liquid they'd all become accustomed to and carefully poured its condense into the metal goblet he suspected to be silver. He was nervous but he knew he'd be sharing his lessons with his friends at least. So long as they were there, he would feel even the slightest bit more comfortable and that's what mattered most, surely. His hands tucked the pitcher back down on the table before searching for his cup. Yet the cup barely left the table before his toes curled under his shoes, his stomach wrapping around itself over and over again. He chanced a glance at his two friends, noting Sadie's interested face and Seine's now rather regretful and uncomfortable. George gave a short stammer at first. It was all he could manage. She didn't need to know everything.. Slowly, the blonde twisted in his seat to face his friend, his brain trying to make sense of the story he'd been told by his parents numerous times. "Way before any of us were born, there was a wizard. He was pretty bad and he had an army. He lost the first war and everyone thought he'd died." He paused and flicked his eyes about the duo. "Turns out he didn't die. There was this other wizard too, and he was the only one who could kill this bad wizard. When he was at this school, the second war happened and his army arrived at this school. A lot of the students stood and fought him, some died. The Ministry came to fight too and other witches and wizards. The bad wizard was killed here and his army scattered. Some of them were never found and some were caught years later.." George quickly turned back in his seat and held his cup in both hands. He skipped over far too many details. Why were his palms sweaty? It felt incredibly hot. He glanced up between the two of them again and tried so hard to work out what they were thinking. There was no way Sadie would link anything together, but that wasn't his worry. He turned his eyes to Seine, studying him hard for a moment. He couldn't tell, how on earth did he expect himself to… "It's a pretty famous story. Apparently people were celebrating for weeks afterwards. Ask your parents, they may have seen some weird things around that time." George forced himself to change his tone, desperately trying to make it sound like he wasn't affected at all by what had been said.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie listened to George intently. She didn't miss the look the two boys shared, deeply uncomfortable and knowing, as if she was going to regret asking. How could knowing be bad? She tried to keep up with George's stories, but the lack of details and names made it a bit tricky. The idea of dying, but not really, caught her interest. There were ghosts, but she had thought that death was still a forever thing. The curiosity gnawed at her brain. "Okay, but why?" She pressed. She felt a little guilty; George looked really uncomfortable. But she got the sense that she was missing an important detail and she couldn't help herself. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Seine said quietly, "he didn't like muggleborns. A lot of the older families agreed, said that muggleborns were stealing magic and destroying wizarding kind. They rounded up muggleborns as criminals. The lucky ones got sent to Azkaban." She'd heard of that—her textbook had talked about the prison, about things called Dementors. The photograph had made her feel physically ill. It was a desolate place. "The lucky ones?" She asked cautiously, her heart fluttering. No one had ever said… it made sense, in an awful way. People were people, magic or not. She'd always been an avid lover of history, but it seemed that every corner of the planet was marked by genocide and scapegoats. "Yeah," Seine didn't elaborate further. He smiled at her tightly, clapping her shoulder. "Things are getting better, though. There's been a lot of reform. You're fine. We've got your back." He looked at George, and Sadie caught the faintest nod, the glimmer of something like understanding. He's a Nott, came to mind suddenly, and Sadie filled in the blanks. Had George's family been a part of that, then? She glanced to the pale haired boy, before a little smile crossed her face. Her left hand squeezed the dark palm on her shoulder, her right found George's palm and squeezed it tightly. "Thanks," she said quietly, releasing the boys before they could complain. She tucked back into her breakfast, "So, I don't know about you two, but I'm super stoked slash terrified about flying on Thursday. On one hand, flying, on the other; I'm already super clumsy on the ground. I'm pretty sure I'll find a way to screw it all up."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. It was a strange place to linger in. A child could love a parent more than then themselves, cling to them with everything they had. No matter what they did, some parents were ever 'bad'. George may have wished his father a better life, one he didn't have to spend on the run, but he was still his only Dad. It may have been embarrassing and uncomfortable to know a man so close had ended more than one wizard or witch's life, even worse to know their descendants may have been in the room. He knew his cousin, Njall had it worse. Descending directly from the werewolf every Wizard had feared couldn't have been great. George watched his two friends, a smile rising on the corners of his lips when the two of them seemed so easy to stand by him. Sadie would have stood by anyone in his situation. She was a good friend. Seine, well no doubt he'd be around for years. There was nothing stopping him. George turned back to Sadie and nodded his head. "Thanks." He muttered, feeling a heavy weight slowly ease itself from his shoulders, gently allowing his mind to relax. As anyone would have been, the blonde was thankful for the change in conversation. Sadie was talented that way. "You'll love Quidditch." He commented, choosing to feed himself a round of toast. "It's pretty damn amazing. I'll try and get my Mum to get us a extra couple of tickets and you guys could come to the World Cup with us in the summer? Sadie you'd love it." George could only remember swirling colours and screaming fans from his previous World Cup. Argentina against Japan. It had been insane. The game didn't last two hours. His brother had told him how three Argentinian players went out, leaving a single chasers and a single beater. George could just remember the noise. "It would be amazing to see the final, but those tickets go quickly." He just hoped the rest of the day would be this easy. "Either of you two looking forward to Herbology?" He asked, turning his attention back to his food. "Personally, I'm not big on plants. My brother says I'd be better at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts." He added, nervously rambling a little.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Quidditch again. Sadie perked up. Brennan hadn't explained it much, mostly because mum tended to fuss over the stories of his injuries, but she had gathered that it was deeply important to him. He'd mentioned broomsticks and that it made football look positively glacial in pace. "That'd be brilliant," Seine lit up, a toothy grin crossing his face. Sadie smiled, tucking her hair behind an ear. The World Cup… that sounded like fun, even if the sport was still a mystery to her. Maybe there was a book on it in the library? She'd have to investigate. First thing after class today, she was going to find this magical place and devour its secrets. "Wow," she beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "That would be incredible. Thanks!" George asked about Herbology. Seine shrugged, draining his pumpkin juice. "Sort of. My mum says it starts slow, but that it's dead useful." "It'll be interesting to see how it's different," Sadie nodded, clearing her plate of the remnants of breakfast. "But I do like gardening. My dad has a green thumb, and he always said that nurturing a plant from seeds to the dinner plate was important. People forget how much work it takes." She paused, swinging her legs as she looked around. Large hourglasses filled with beautiful gems caught her eye, glittering in the morning light. "House points," Seine explained. "The more in the bottom, the more the house has. At the end of the year, the winning house gets honored at the feast." He grinned suddenly. "My dad says he and his best friends nearly set a record for losing the most points in a single go." Sadie quirked a brow, watching the rubies shimmer curiously. The display of wealth was just… incredible. "That doesn't exactly sound like a good thing," she remarked, but looked to her wrist watch. "Ooh! I think we need to get to class." "We have half an hour," Seine remarked and Sadie boggled "We can leave in twenty minutes and still be on time." "On time is late."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George was surprised he understand the phrase 'green thumb' although he'd only heard it when his mum had spoken about the elderly lady in the tiny shop down Diagon Alley. He assumed the term probably wasn't so derogatory in the Muggle world. For a moment, he tried to imagine exactly what plants muggles did grow, but eventually drew the line at simply vegetables and possibly a few cooking herbs. Maybe that was why they'd be forced to take muggle studies for the next three years. He couldn't imagine what the next few years would even be like. No doubt he'd look back on himself in years to come to simply think about this day, to remember his friends when they were young, to recall how wonderful their first real day at school was. He'd look back and laugh at the homework, the spells and even regret not trying harder; George had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, so trying hard didn't exactly matter. George turned his eyes towards the huge hourglasses, all remaining solidly at the top, waiting for when slowly students would start earning points. The more attention the eyes gave, the more the castle seemed to sparkle and reveal a secret. "Oh gosh, how many?" George asked, trying to imagine what a new record in lost house points was. One hundred points? One thousand points? How many points did students even get? It couldn't be one, that was too little. It wasn't going to one hundred either, that was too much. "You're dad sounds he caused a lot of trouble whilst he was here." George added, sharing a laugh with Seine before Sadie chimed in. "It's not the end of the world if we're not the first there." He looked back over as Sadie expressed her desire to be early. "Suppose we should go then." He commented, sliding out of his seat and back onto his feet. He didn't exactly know where Herbology was.. And the map they'd been given was less than helpful. However, he remained quiet, walking towards the great doors once again. He passed glances over at his two friends, unsure if they were sharing the same lost feelings. By the looks of things, George thought as he twisted the small parchment in his hands, the green houses were outside.. Problem was, there were three ways to leave the castle. The blonde turned towards a row of stairs, looking down towards a door that a few students were passing through. "This way?" George asked, looking between the map and his friends. He gave himself a determined push and headed down the stone stairs. They'd get the hang of it before too long. Maybe having so long to travel was a good idea. Travelling out into a courtyard filled with students playing games and shouting loudly just to hear over the voices of those around them. A group of five students seemed intent in rolling glass balls across the ground. Each one varied in size and colour. Some rolled further than others, and a few exploded just to knock others from the middle. "Gobstones." Seine pointed out, as they walked past. "Not the most interesting game in the world but it's funny to watch some times." They headed out towards a bridge and the same stairs they'd climbed from the docks the night before. They looked so different in day light. The lost expressions on their faces had already attracted the attention of a particular prefect dressed in royal blue. "You three look lost." He chimed, a huge grin on his face and an accent that screamed Oxford. "Can I help?" He asked, leaning on the stone wall beside him. "Let me guess-" He spoke first, butting in before any of them could speak. "Herbology." Another boy added. His accent was different, similar but with an older and more 'BBC' tone: London. "Max, this is my brother." He added, pointing out George and his two friends. "Herbology is directly across the bridge. Then through a few coridors before some huge doors. You can't miss them." Theodore spoke, pointing them across the bridge. His stopped with his eyes on Sadie for a moment, his nose flaring a little. "Max can walk you if you need it." The prefect smiled again, pointing to himself. It was strange to know he was a catch with a lot of Ravenclaw girls. "Come on then, follow on. I'll lead." He headed out, his sandy blonde hair bouncing a little as he walked. He certainly was strange, but the confidence worked. "So names." Max smiled, starting with George. "I know you, you have your brother's nose but I don't know you two." He began to walk backwards, pointing over at Seine. The first year replied with his name, leaving only Max to jump his attention to Sadie.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The castle was infinitely better in the daylight. Now that she could finally see everything, Sadie's head kept whipping back and forth, wonder painted across her face. A castle. She lived in a castle. How was this even her life right now? How had she been so fantastically lucky to be a witch and live in a castle in such a mythical landscape? She felt like she was in a movie, clicking across the courtyard. The crisp air was so real, stinging her cheeks. How would seven years ever be enough to marvel over this wonder? She hitched her bag more securely on her shoulder, quickening her pace to catch back up after the distraction of gobstones and the light glittering off the most beautiful clock she had ever seen. Sadie had opened her mouth to ask for the map when they were joined by a pair of older boys. She recognized George's brother—whom her own had looked ready to murder, she remembered with a wince. He hadn't seemed to have forgotten that. Sadie was grateful for the distraction of the other upperclassmen, who seemed several million times friendlier. With a glance to her companions, she obediently followed. He—Max—was… chipper. She felt a little more at ease, even with her nerves coiling in her stomach. Class. Her first class. She'd waited so long for this, hoped for so much… she had to be the best. She was going to learn everything. Because magic. "Seine Jordan," her taller companion offered, a heavy brow quirked. Sadie waved a little, bouncing as she walked. "Sadie Ethans. It's—ooh!" The bridge! She hadn't meant to get distracted, but the view! She darted on ahead, red hair flouncing, undoubtedly mussing up the braid Asenath had woven so expertly that morning. She bounced, leaning out across the railing as far as she could, utterly enamored. The misty valley was beyond beautiful—Sadie laughed in delight, dropping back to her feet to bounce. She heard Seine's snort of amusement, but she couldn't muster any embarrassment. "That," she informed them brightly, "Is officially The Best View in the History of Views. Full stop."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Max chuckled soon after. "Wait until you see the Astronomy Tower. It's fantastic in the day, but amazing at night. However not a good enough reason to take the subject for your O.W.Ls but you've got plenty of time before you have to think about them." The boy smiled. George had determined the boy wasn't a threat and relaxed a little. He turned himself and glanced back at where his brother had been standing. Theodore was still watching them, thick brown hair resting neatly on his shoulders. Despite the two being brothers, George found it hard to tell what his brother was thinking sometimes, although he often found himself wishing it was possible. "So, let me think- what did I do in first year Herbology..." Max wondered outloud, occasionally turning back to look at them both. He slowed down and stopped beside Sadie. "Up there." He added, now pointing to the tallest tower in the entire castle. "If you look carefully enough, you'll see the telescope." He leaned down get his arm level with Sadie's eyes. "See?" Max pulled himself upright and waited a few moments before continuing his small tour. It took him only a second before he began to talk once again. "First year Herbology is nothing special, neither is your second or third year. It all gets going in your fourth year. You learn real defensive and interesting magic. Like summoning spells and much more useful transfiguration spells." He just kept going. George and Seine walked behind him, listening to the none-stop words falling from the boys mouth. "I suppose one of the most interesting things about your first year is Quidditch, which starts next month I believe. You should come see your brother practice, George. He's incredibly fast. I have no idea how he does it. Bit weird really, you don't normally see someone as book-smart as him being so into sports. Guess he's just lucky. The rest of us just have to try and keep up. I like chess personally but that's not a sport and it's kind of dull. Ravenclaw always win the cup though, guess we're just better than most." They finally reached the inside of the castle again and were, thankfully, only a small number of steps away from the green houses. As they turned the corner, a small congregation of students had formed outside the greenhouses. Max seemed to burst with glee at the thought of being able to help a few more students out during his first morning back. He picked up his pace before chiming out: "Greenhouse One is this way." George passed a laugh to his friends as the man walked too far ahead for earshot. "He was certainly something." Seine laughed. They could all agree on that at least. George felt his stomach tighten up again at the sight of the others students in their house. He wasn't sure his aprehension was noticeable but he certainly felt like his entire face had lost all colour.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie wasn't quite sure what to make of Astronomy. It had been the first textbook she had devoured after the trip to Diagon Alley. She had found herself immensely disappointed. Astronomy, apparently, was more like astrology in the wizarding world. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but Jupiter in the twelfth house of Capricorn's horns or whatever had not been it. Magic was incredible, but she still found the whole 'the stars have bearing on human affairs' argument a little suspect. It struck Sadie once again just how little she knew about the wizarding world. Magic was its own beast, played by its own rules. There were so many possibilities. She felt the familiar excitement bubbling in her chest again as she considered that thought. How far could you push magic? Where could it take you? She followed Max's direction to peer at the tower. Something glittered in the morning sunshine, filtering in through grey clouds. Her eyes lit up. That telescope looked enormous. Maybe magic could rival Hubble. That would be insane and she might actually die of delight. Sadie hung on Max's every word, committing them to memory, even as she disapproved. Fourth year? That was forever away. He had to be wrong. How could the fundamentals of magic be anything but incredible? MAGIC. Did he just not get how mind bogglingly awesome that was? He'd said something about Quidditch. Beyond her brother's tight-lipped involvement, it didn't really sound interesting. Flying sounded incredible, sure, but who had time for sport or whatever it was? She wanted to get to the meat of everything, get her teeth into her coursework. But maybe her brother was simply bitter over not winning everything? That sounded right. Sadie admonished herself internally; she really needed to stop judging things. Open mind. You don't have any frame of reference for any of this. "I quite liked him," Sadie laughed as they shuffled into the Greenhouse. Sadie took the lead, aiming for a table right towards the front, claiming three of the four seats for themselves. The table was loaded with several trowels and pots, and Sadie felt a little at ease. This was somewhat familiar. Undoubtedly it would turn strange and alien soon enough, but she'd been in the garden her whole life. She felt a little less like she'd been thrown into the deep end here. Undoubtedly having scoured A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi cover to cover had helped a little. "Mind if I join you?" Sadie looked up to see a tall, dark haired girl with a loosely knotted bronze and black tie nodding at the empty seat. Evidently, most other students had had the same idea to arrive early, and tables were filling up rapidly. "Sure thing," Sadie chirruped, scooting over to make room. "I'm Sadie. That's Seine and George." "Nice to meet you. I'm Freyja," the girl nodded, considering the greenhouse a little skeptically. Sadie suspected she knew what that expression meant. She was pretty sure it was simply a (significantly calmer) variant of her own mystified look. Freyja dropped her bag on the ground next to the table, seating herself. "So this is all... weird."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie decided instantly that she rather liked Professor Sprout. She reminded Sadie of her mum, kind eyes and the little smear of soil on her cheek. Her heart ached for home; as wonderful as Hogwarts was, she missed their little dog and the way her mum hummed around the kitchen. Sadie forced her thoughts to the present, tucking a loose red bang behind an ear. The Professors were busy placing potted plants on the table, all sorts of strange and familiar flora. Enormous daffodils that trumpeted enthusiastically as they strained towards sunlight, shivering shrubs whose spines looked as sharp as swords, bulbs that hopped enthusiastically in a glass covered tray. Sadie wanted nothing more than to answer herself, but nerves had kept her hand in her lap. A reedy little Hufflepuff answered, eying the pot of violet flowers in front of him. Professor Sprout's encouragement bolstered her confidence and her hand rose into the air. "Wolfsbane; the leaves are toxic and used to be used to hunt wolves?" Sadie ventured, ears turning pink as eyes turned on her. Why had she said it as a question? She knew the answer. She'd studied her textbook exhaustively, since it had been the most familiar subject. Professor Sprout smiled sweetly nonetheless, and Sadie could feel her heart beat easing up. "Correct! Five points to Gryffindor," she moved on swiftly, and Sadie breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Freyja was slouching beside her, nails drumming a little rhythm on the table. The calm was interrupted by a Hufflepuff squeaking terror as a tangle of vines lashed itself around Professor Longbottom's arm, slithering up to his shoulder and chest with truly remarkable speed. Sadie gaped, the expression shifting rapidly to a grin of delight. No. Way. That was awesome! It occurred to her suddenly that, perhaps, she ought to be less thrilled by this development. But Professor Longbottom looked perfectly at ease, withdrawing a long wand from his pocket. "Incendio," he offered calmly, a little tendril of flames curling from his wands, chasing away the plant. Sadie's grin widened further, eyes alight at proper magic. She felt Freyja perk up beside her, and she glanced to the Hufflepuff, her eyes glittering with interest. Okay, yes, that was the reaction people were supposed to have! Even Seine looked impressed, although he seemed less amazed by the magic itself. She glanced over to George, eyes dancing. Incendio, hm? She'd be practicing that tonight, she mused. "Devil's Snare. It fears fire. You'll be working extensively with it in your third year," he gently slid the plant further away from shrinking students, "We'll start smaller." Sadie's grin twisted to a frown of disappointment. Smaller sounded far less exciting than this Devil's Snare.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George felt a little taken back by the entire situation. He knew very little about the plants of his world. Neither of his parents had taken an interest in Herbology. He knew his father had N.E.W.Ts in Potions and Charms and he knew both his parents had passed with at least an E in Defense Against the Dark Arts. They're opinion of Herbology had been less than enthusiastic. Blue eyes turned to Sadie when her voice perked up beside him. One day he'd grow to disagree with how smart she was; who knew that much as a muggle born? The plant closest to them, exactly two benches to their left, seemed as if to breathe. He watched its dancing leaves and sharp spines, a cautious warning to leave that plant alone echoed a little inside his head. The shriek brought his attention back to reality however. He followed everyone elses' eyes as they watched a thick vine begin its ascent up Professor Longbottom's arm. Longbottom? The name rang a bell in his head. Somewhere in the back, where the memories from childhood were kept. Strangely the name reminded him of Christmas and he wasn't entirely sure why.. "Incendio." George watched as the familiar flares carried their way along the vine until the plant let go and hurried back into its pot. He could wait for their first real lesson. Things were going to get really interesting. Then again, George couldn't wait until their fourth year, when they already knew so many spells! It was going to be far more exciting than learning about stupid plants; perhaps he'd never share Sadie's excitement for everything. Partly he was jealous! The room's attention turned back to Professor Sprout who continued about the room, testing the students knowledge on plants. There was sweet looking flowers and one plant that seemed more boring than anything else in the room. Its green stem occasionally produced a thick green branch with rubber looking leaves attached on each end. It looked more like an ornament than an actual plant. Their teacher slowly more her way over to the plant and smiled widely. "Anybody want to hazard a guess to this brilliant little thing?" She giggled, the sound of pure joy in her voice. She looked over the room, more than one making eye contact with George, who was already squirming in his seat. "Yes." She smiled, turning to one of the other Gryfindors in their year. "Isn't that Dit-.." The boy paused, looking at his hands for a second. "Dit-something." "Dittany!" Another girl called out, having picked up on the missing syllables. Professor Sprout immediately clapped with pride. Clearly the girl was correct. ((Skip ahead at any point :) ))</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The lesson eventually entered familiar territory as Professor Sprout explained their tools and showed the class around the Greenhouse. This, at least, didn't require the use of a wand. As much as Sadie had loved buying her wand (and nearly blowing up half of Ollivander's shop when the dogwood wand had met her hand), there was something… intimidating about that sort of magic. Sadie hadn't been able to find anything in her textbooks about how to grip it, let alone how it worked. And as much as she yearned to cast magic, a secret terror lingered in her heart. What if she wasn't actually a witch? What if she didn't actually belong here? By the time they were filing out of the greenhouse, Sadie was starting to feel sick. Freyja smiled and flounced off to join a round-faced blonde and an extremely tall boy. Sadie tried not to let her nerves drive her spare. Following the massive crowd out of the Greenhouse, she dug in her bag for the schedule she had already memorized. Transfiguration with Professor Clearwater in Classroom 1B. "First years!" Sadie perked up at the familiar voice of their prefect Xia He, crossing the bridge with a wide grin. Sadie glanced to Seine and George before falling in, twitching her fingers in greeting at Gail and Asenath. "Right, looks like that's all of you. Let's get you to Transfiguration," Xia He was all smiles, and Sadie winced as she spied her brother over her shoulder, surly as ever. Resolving to ignore him, she instead returned her attention to Seine and George. "Professor Sprout seems nice," she remarked lightly, clasping her hands behind her. "Pity we can't actually do anything yet," Seine remarked, nose scrunched in distaste. Sadie blinked. "Well, yet. You have to walk before you can run though, right?" She pointed out with a lopsided grin, brow quirking. "Besides. It's magic. Even the 'boring' bits are freakin' magic."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. The lesson was interesting none of the less but it wasn't exactly George's cup of tea. Plants weren't what he was interested in. They were more his brother's sort of subjects, although he was sure Theo wasn't taking Herbology for his N.E.W.Ts. Plants weren't anything useful to him. You could just buy what you needed instead of having to grow it. Spells were pretty much everything that mattered. George pulled the crumpled paper from his robe pocket and read through their lessons for today. Knowing Transfiguration was their next subject left George feeling a little more enthusiastic than the gardening lesson he'd just had to sit through. He'd been lucky enough to seen more than one Dueling World Championship in his life; the talents and strength of those players were insane. The difference in styles between players from all over the globe was mesmerizing. The Scandinavian teams were always harder to beat. The Ström Svärds from Sweden were the strongest team on the planet. Seven wizards with an incredible ability for some of the strangest hexes and curses he'd ever seen. Then there was the teams from South America. They were faster than any other players, spinning charms quicker than any Quidditch player. George longed to be able to perform that kind of magic. Not the useless stuff he wouldn't need, like Herbology. He'd have said the same for Potions if it wasn't something that interested him. George filled out behind Seine and Sadie, shuffling between other students as the class filed out the door. As soon as the crowd reached the end of the bottleneck, the voice of the girl from the previous night echoed over to them. She seemed chirpy. He joined his two friends and stuffed his timetable back into his pocket. "Thing is though, you're never going to need any of that stuff. Not unless you plan on having a garden full of them. Spells are the only thing you're really going to need." George added, following the rest of their group towards their next lesson. He wondered who they'd be sharing their next lesson with. It can't have been Hufflepuff again, otherwise they'd be following them now; The excitement of the lesson ahead was enough to push all natural apprehension out of the boy's mind, leaving him to relax quite peacefully. "It may be interesting but it's not exactly useful. Diagon Alley has everything you'd need anyway. You can just go there." He added, turning left along a long corridor filled with paintings again. The crowd moved quickly, all glancing around at the characters on the wall. One small girl had turned her attention to to the painting long enough for the crowd to move just a little further away from her. "Boo!" Yelled a creature from the other side of the painting. A wicked laugh danced around the room as a small ghost floated past the girl he'd made jump. He watched as she jogged to catch up with her friends, still shaken from the 'joke' she'd just endured. The ghost passed the group a wave and drifted off down the halls laughing loudly.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie wasn't sure why she felt so defensive over Herbology. It was just… Well, perhaps she did know. Plants—crops and herbs and flowers alike—had been a huge part of her life. The Ethans raised cows, but they put their own vegetables on their table. And on some other tables, too. She'd always wanted to be more than a farmer, but something about George's dismissal irritated her. It was too mundane, she supposed, which was ridiculous. Professors Sprout and Longbottom had told them about plants that could cure curses and diseases, that could kill with a scream, that gave power to their cleaning potions and truth telling serums alike. How could anyone see that and not be fascinated? Maybe that was the thing about growing up with magic. Maybe it only seemed simple because they were used to seeing even more fantastic things. It was a sad thought. "I like gardens," Sadie insisted, a little sulky. She wished she had the words to explain herself. Useful felt like such a dirty word, as if the only things that mattered were big and flashy and wondrous. Mundane things—muggle things—didn't matter. Sadie's poor mood didn't last long. They'd entered the castle and she was enraptured by the portraits. She'd never seen so much art in one place—even museums didn't seem so full. And the paintings, oh—oh they danced and lived and spoke--! Sadie jumped as something startled the group at large, a wiry, cackling ghost slipping out from a painting and spiraling off. Her heart slammed against her ribs, stomach clenching. Something about ghosts still unsettled her. If magic was real, if ghosts were real… what else was there? Angels? Demons? Were Bible stories just Muggles interacting unknowingly with Wizards? She didn't know if she was devout, but she wasn't sure how to reconcile anything she'd been taught with this world. "There's a tapestry," Seine was whispering conspiratorially to them, "On the seventh floor. We need to find it; it's the best secret in the school. Trust me." Sadie arched a brow, privately wondering when she would have time to fit that in with all the other things she needed to do—devour the library, explore the grounds, read every book, talk with every person—but the glimmer of mischief in Seine's eyes told her that this was properly important. Her lips curved into a delighted grin. "I'm a sucker for a good mystery," Sadie bounced slightly, before looking up as the crowd began to slow. It seemed they had arrived at their classroom, shuffling in slowly. Sadie beamed at Xia He and glanced to her brother, hanging off to one side impatiently. Brennan met her eyes, and she could have sworn that his expression had softened-- but then he had scoffed and set off with Xia He.</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George passed off Sadie's comment on gardening. Maybe it was a farm thing? Sadie had mentioned that she'd lived on a farm during the train ride so plants must have been pretty common there. A garden would be pretty sweet if only to look at. He didn't have a garden- was that a bad thing? Well it was tiny and they didn't use it. He shrugged his thoughts away after a moment of deciding it really didn't matter, no one in the middle of London had a garden. He carried on walking, eyes darting left and right, taking in the paintings and art. They did remind him of home. The paintings at home weren't as grand as the ones covering every stone wall of the castle but the figures in the paintings were all the same, living, moving and speaking. He had the faintest memory from childhood of one of his uncles telling him there was painting within the castle who's subject had another frame within their home. George for the life of him couldn't remember the name although the letter O kept rolling on his tongue. Ol- Olli- Oth- Othe- A loud scream stopped his train of thought as a student came screaming down the hall. Everyone laughed, mostly. George exchanged glances with Seine and smiled at Sadie's expression. George waved a hand in front of her face and smiled. "Aren't ghosts stories to muggles?" He asked, turning to walk down the hall. "My great-great-aunt Ilza is a ghost." It was quite sad, or so his Dad had always told him. There was nothing noble about a ghost. They weren't brave just cowards. Cowardice was weak, the sign of bad blood and a flawed mind. Everyone got scared though.. He knew his Dad had been scared, they all had been that night. With a quiet smile, George turned his feet and carried on along the path they were walking. He probably should have been paying attention on the path they'd been taking, considering the castle was so huge. George felt his attention drift from trying to memorize the route to his friend. A tapestry? Secret? "We should go look for it this evening. After dinner." George added, looking about as excited as the next person. Whatever it was, they'd find it. It was probably a secret passage of some kind. Theo had mentioned one once, although mention was a light term. His memory played a rather hostile image of his brother pacing backwards and forwards in the dining room, ranting and raving about how he'd found Amelia Fuller, his sweetheart from the previous year, making a real fool of herself with a Gryfindor boy behind a tapestry the previous Christmas. George followed to stream and headed in a classroom with little decoration inside, aside from a large globe and a few wardrobes. He felt the excitment drain from him. Transfiguration was probably going to be way less interesting than he'd hoped. Searching for a seat, George grabbed them a bench to the side, placing his bag on the middle desk. Judging by the space, the tables only really left space for two people, so instantly he regretted the decision and made an effort to save the desk next to him for his friends. The more people starting filing in, the more people started to take notice of the feline sitting on the floor by the desk. Girls cooed and smiled, offering a hand to stroke it. The whole room seemed to assume that it was a pet, at least until the cat lurched forwards and shifted into the face of their headmaster.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie started when George waved his hand in front of her face, snapping back to focus with a cheery smile. If she didn't look in the ghost's direction again, well, who was going to call her on it? The dead were meant to stay dead, weren't they? There were hundreds of books and movies all about how badly things went wrong when the dead came back to life. Zombies outnumbered saviors a thousand to one. "All of this is stories," she said lightly, grateful for the distraction of intrigue and secrets. After dinner sounded like a lifetime away. A lifetime filled with magic and wonder; Sadie could deal with that, she decided. They filed into the classroom, chattering brightly. It seemed that after the successful Herbology lesson, most students were in a good mood. Sadie was very nearly elbowed as she made her way towards a table George was holding. Finally, she managed to drop her bag on the table and claim a seat of her own. Seine dropped in beside her, leaning forward on his elbows. Watching a cat transform into a woman would never get old, Sadie decided. Her eyes lit up as Headmistress McGonagall strode across the front of the classroom. The woman's severity was a thing of wonder—the whole classroom went quiet, sitting up straight in their seats, hands stilling. "Good morning," Professor McGonagall's sharp voice reminded Sadie of Sister Marguerite's no-nonsense attitude. Sadie decided she rather liked the woman in tartan at the head of the classroom. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Sadie felt Seine shift a little uncomfortably beside her. The whole classroom seemed hesitant—and then Professor McGonagall transfigured her desk into a large, prowling lion. Gasps and delighted laughs filled the classroom, and Sadie swore that the severe woman looked rather pleased with herself when she transfigured it back with a complicated dance of her wand. "We will not be starting with object to animal transfiguration. We will begin with the fundamentals. Now…" By the end of the lesson, Sadie had filled nearly five pages of lined paper with her neat cursive, and she was nearly bursting with excitement. Herbology didn't come anywhere close to transfiguration, she decided—this was incredible! Professor McGonagall had spoken of laws and rules and, despite the impossibility of magic, the fact that it had rules it had to follow was a pure joy. She could make sense of this. She would. She refused to let herself just mindlessly recite words and wave her wand. She would learn everything about this world. Seine was glassy eyed as she chattered all this at him, and seemed entirely too relieved when they were joined again by George, as if he'd found an escape in the blonde haired boy. "Looks like it's time for lunch, yeah?" Seine enthused, "And, look, we have the afternoon period free. We can go find that tapestry." "But…" Sadie started to interject, already thinking of working on the problem set they'd been assigned. She thought better of it. Surely this adventure wouldn't take the whole evening, right?</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. It did kill George as much as it did any other student. When were they going to actually learn magic!? His brother was speaking and reading foreign languages, turning water into wine and creating the most insane of potions. Here, he was, writing notes on parchment like some idiot. Of course, everyone had to start somewhere and they all knew that this was every first year's first lesson but George couldn't help but pine for that first moment of magic. That first spell he would learn, not matter what it was. George would master every single one of them regardless of how difficult the rest of the year found it. He'd the best; join the London Longswords and professionally duel like there was no tomorrow. He just had to get through school first. He was sure they'd be learning magic by the end of the week. They had to. By the time the lesson was over, George's hand was cramp. Was it normal to write this much? Did every student write as much as this. He shook his left hand and tried to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in his wrist. He looked across to his friends and quickly concluded it was a wizarding thing. Seine seemed to be much slower and occasionally shook his hand himself.. Then there was Sadie, the unstoppable force. He was surprised she could handle a quill so well- did they have those in the muggle world? London hadn't ever sold any that he'd seen.. Surely none of this was useful stuff. George pondered the thought, reading over his notes whilst their headmaster babbled on about how a transfigured wizard wouldn't know he was a cup at least until another wizard turned him back. George's thoughts drifted off and wondered how many inanimate objects were just trapped wizards. That could have been how they'd found his dad.. 'The house is secret.' It was a phrase he'd heard a hundred times before as a child but it didn't make sense. He'd have to ask Theo later. George bubbled just as quickly as Seine did and stuffed his parchment into his bag. Anything was better than homework! He waited for the bottleneck to disappear from the door once again and watched as the horde of students all began to walk in one direction. Hungry or not that was clearly the way to the Great Hall. He waited against a wall for his two friends and stood on Sadie's left. He wasn't overly hungry but the sheer wonder of their previous night's meal was all too tempting. Breakfast had been just as wonderful and there couldn't be any denying just how spectacular lunch was going to be. Although he couldn't work out what food they'd serve. Sandwiches? Soups? Cakes? Pastries? The hum of the student crowd around them gave them enough cover to speak happily without prying ears. "My brother told me the first lunch time back, the Quidditch team has a race around the castle. Apparently someone set a record once and they're all trying to break it." He smiled, looking towards the two. "Apparently it's just over two minutes to get round the entire castle. It's tradition to try and set a new record." He was a little excited to show Sadie their world's sport. He'd seen muggle fans cheering for their own sports and seen the 'Football' newspapers all over the place. There was no end of fans in London. His memory reminded him an evening one summer. Two muggles, he assumed both drunk, began fighting on the road outside their house. They smashed a few cars before someone called the police. He assumed they were rival teams, one was wearing red and the other blue. Quidditch was only the same. "I think you'll enjoy watching it." He added, feet following the group in front as they stepped between halls and finally onto the staircases and down towards the Great Hall. The more he looked, the more amazing the school seemed to be. Bright colours and history all over the place. He couldn't work out which part was more amazing. "We should grab lunch and head into the grounds. Then once we're done, we should go find that tapestry." George stopped a second later. "Do you have any idea what it looks like?" His eyes turned up towards the long and towering inside of the castle, his excitement dwindling at the thought of how many tapestry's there were in the castle.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George was enthusing about a race. Sadie perked up, and while lunch sounded fabulous, her curiosity demanded she agree. Quidditch meant broomsticks, and though Sadie wasn't particularly fond of heights, she wanted desperately to see people in flight. Broomsticks were such a staple in the muggle view of witches and wizards. It amused her that actual witches and wizards did use them. How much of her storybooks were true? "Alright then," she agreed, quickening her pace so as not to be left behind by the boys. Seine grinned as George asked about the tapestry, bringing a finger to his dark temple. "Yeah, it's Barnabas the Barmy and his trolls," he commented lightly, as if that sentence made any sense. Sadie didn't question it. Inevitably she'd figure it out, and she was anxious to get to this race. If it was the Quidditch teams participating, she realized suddenly, Brennan would be there. He wouldn't want her there, she mused a little sadly, but as a professional Younger Sister, she felt it was her duty to cheer for him. They stopped in the Great Hall, wrapping up sandwiches in scarlet napkins. Even the sandwiches seemed extravagantly made, and Sadie wondered who had time to make so much food for so many students. Seine chattered away, and she forced herself back into the moment, bantering brightly as they followed a crowd down to the grounds. The grounds were lush and marvelous, rolling hills and the black lake glittering in the distance. The Forbidden Forrest loomed, its trees still and shadowed, and she wondered why a forrest needed to be off limits. "There's loads of dangerous creatures in there," Seine remarked when she posed the question. "Acromantula and thestrals, for one. My dad says there's a giant in there, and the centaurs of course." "Centaurs," Sadie repeated a little skeptically. She caught herself with a faint laugh, "Of course." The throng of students seemed to be settling in on the grass. The three first years found a spot (Sadie waved to Gail and Tasia, who returned the greeting) in among the other students. Standing with vaguely familiar faces, Sadie caught sight of her brother. He looked surprisingly happy, chatting with a tall girl with a massive French braid. Ooh, that was suspicious. Sadie filed the information away for later, lips curving into a mischievous grin.</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George happily stuffed a small sausage pastry into his mouth as they made their way out towards the grounds, carrying a beautifully made cheese and cucumber sandwich. Whoever made this food was far better than his mum and far better than his Aunt Lysa's cooking. He hated Christmas for that reason, he knew Theo hated her cooking too but was just to polite to say. The Great Hall was fairly full although there seemed to a small majority of the students missing. "Unicorns too." George added as soon as the conversation came up. "My brother says you can start to study all the creatures in the forest when we're in Third Year." The boy had found an insane fascination with the magical creatures of his world, all after an incident in Norfolk one winter. His Aunt Lysa lived in an ancient house on top of a small hill. She was an odd women, 'touched' was the word his father had used on occasion when their mum had been out of earshot. Her garden stood before a bog, far stretching along an old barely used road. His attention had been caught by a drifting light that looked far too unlike a car headlight. It bounced around for a second, dancing happily in the late evening moonlight. It seemed peaceful against the shallow snow, drifting to and fro across the bog. George shared the moment with his brother, both staring at the light as they sat on their Aunt's porch, not two winters ago. Hinkypunk was the word Theo had used as he explained all he'd been taught earlier that year. The blonde's attention drifted over the crowd as they walked out off the bridge and into the grounds beyond. He could see groups huddled together, brooms in hand, chatting and pointing up at the castle as a lone figure twisted about the turrets. The whole prospect was exciting. He already longed to see his first Hogwarts Quidditch match although it wouldn't start until at least November. He followed behind his friends, trying to locate his brother among the collection of students. He wasn't hard to find though, standing among a strong bunch of Ravenclaw students, again, standing alone from the rest of the congregation. The crowd quickly perked up as a student clad in vivid yellow raced along the bridge at such a high speed it felt like a gale, rippling through robes and hair. There was no doubt that the new models of broom were getting faster and faster. The student crossed through a hovering red line and joined a group of cheering Hufflepuffs. A slender women with thick black hair blew a whistle and shook her head, causing both outrage and joy. The Hufflepuff students spent a moment expressing their anger before patting their friend on the back and stepping back to let someone else try. George watched a Slytherin girl with long brown hair pull her hair into a ponytail and step up to the line, feet on the either side of her broom. She shuffled her feet and pushed off the ground as soon as the whistle hit, her silver broom disappearing into a blur as she shot through the line at the simple sound of the whistle. George found a small spot of free grass and sat, Seine joining him soon after, eyes glued to the girl as she turned around the first tower. "When do we get to do this?" Seine laughed, making room for Sadie on the ground which was thankfully dry.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Unicorns. They had captured her imagination as a little girl, curled up on the sofa with her mum watching The Last Unicorn. She'd spent months wishing she could actually be a unicorn, much to her mum's amusement (and Brennan's chagrin). She'd been heartbroken when none of the unicorn hair wands Ollivander had her try seemed to fit. In the end, she'd bonded with a dogwood and phoenix feather wand. She'd gotten over her upset quickly enough—her wand was so happy! It always seemed to warm when she touched it, as if it were pleased to see her. But—unicorns. For real unicorns, in the forrest! Sadie looked longingly at the trees, which looked far more inviting than they had five minutes ago. "Wow," she murmured, lost in her wonderings for a moment. Seine elbowed her in the ribs. Sadie jumped and laughed bashfully, forcing herself to look away. She wasn't sure if she could wait until third year to see a living unicorn. For now, there was a ruckus erupting on the grounds. They seated themselves near a group of fellow first years. The redhead—Ellis, she thought—was chattering enthusiastically to a black haired girl (Kelly? No, the bird, Kestrel!) and a bunch of boys whose names Sadie couldn't remember. The dark haired Ravenclaw had the same look of skepticism that Sadie had seen in Freyja, and she made careful note. Sadie got the feeling that banding together with her fellow muggleborns would make this whole experience much better. Seine asked when it would be their turn. Sadie went a little pale, but grinned weakly. She wasn't exactly…keen on heights, but she knew she at least had to try. They were flying! Maybe she could just push her way through it and everything would be fine. "Second year," an older boy informed them, having evidently heard Seine's comment. Sadie looked over and tried not to swoon. The Hufflepuff leaned back on his elbows, with the sort of face that looked more like it belonged on a magazine than in a school. "It's been nearly twenty years since a first year played." "Oh, that was Harry Potter, right?" Seine asked, with all the ease of someone who was not stunned by chiseled jawlines. The older student offered a lopsided grin. "Yeah. You lot are Gryffindors, yeah? My little brother, Graham, just got sorted into your house. Try not to let him cause you too much trouble, he's kind of a little shit." "Language, Adam," A leggy Ravenclaw girl chided, punching his leg. "And look, it's Pepper's turn. Pay attention." A tall blonde with messy hair had perched on a sleek broom, crimson robes stark against the grey morning. She was laughing about something, leaning sharply into the starting line before she was off with the whistle. Someone had hung something like a screen from a window, and it wasn't unlike a movie being played, following the girl as she sprinted through the sky, the school more blur than building on the rather strange monitor. It couldn't be electronic—the picture wasn't quite right, and she'd discovered that electronics simply didn't work in the castle—but it was essentially the same thing. Someone was chattering a blow by blow, and the crowd—namely the Gryffindors—were cheering enthusiastically. The race didn't last long. Soon, the blonde had crossed the finished line, her hair tousled and face flush. She laughed sheepishly as the dark haired girl shook her head, and several of the Gryffindors let out a groan. "Better luck next time, Spicy!" The amplified voice of the announcer echoed. "Next up!"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Second year seemed so far away! George span in his spot upon hearing another voice. He glanced over each of the faces behind them, flitting silent and unconscious judgment as anyone did. "If it's been so long, why don't they let first years play?" George asked. It didn't seem fair but it probably made sense. He imagined briefly what it would be like to see Sadie trying to fly among so many others who'd had years of practice. It wasn't a pleasant sight.. He answered his own question during his moment of imagination and twisted back to the conversation at hand. George felt a twinge of misunderstanding during the mention of Harry's name. He'd been a curse word in his home- "Fucking-Potter", "Boy-Who-Lived-My-Arse", and his father's favorite "Fucking Potter." He had never really understood why and he still didn't. There were so many questions he still didn't have answers to, even after eleven years. He suspected Theo had already worked it out. He'd always been one step ahead. George turned his attention off the exchange and looked about for his brother again. Theo had moved this time, standing nonchalantly against the backdrop of forest. He looked so cavalier standing tall in his uniform, George almost hated him and it made it him feel resentful. He had no reason to hate his brother other than for his own selfish jealously. The crowd buzzed again when a girl stepped out and everyone's eyes shifted. No one seemed to be continuing their conversations now someone was racing. Everything seemed to be on her. All comments, cheers, hesitant and nervous breaths- no one's eyes were off the screen for more than a second. Pepper darted the course with a speed that seemed so unnatural. It wasn't enough though, her landing again and the echoing whines of the rest of Gryffindor seemed to prove that. The crowds quickly turned back to their conversations whilst the next student decided to have a go. George tugged from blades of grass from the floor, subconsciously ripping it into tiny pieces. There was a cheer again from across the gathering, and everyone's attention snapped up. George flushed a vivid red that rivaled even the brightest of country beets. He watched his brother slide off his cloak and carry what looked like the broom their Uncle Chilton had bought him not days before they'd left for Hogwarts. It stood out that was for sure; silver wood and deep black bristles was totally common, right? George followed his brother's eye contact for the slightest second and stopped on Sadie's brother. It wasn't long until Theo had his two feet planted firmly on the ground, his chest low against his broom, waiting the whistle to blow. "GO!" The announcer yelled followed by the eruption from the Ravenclaw gathering on the hill across. George watched with shallow breath and nerves as large as a house as his brother's journey was displayed so largely in front of everyone. What if he didn't beat the record? Or Sadie's brother beat him? He'd be embarrassed so much! There was no way Theo could solely rely on the newest model to keep Brennan out of the way.. This was all it was about, George was sure. That was unless Theo had someone he was impressing. The boy weaved between the towers, the wind rattling against his jumper and trousers, his thick brown hair blowing wildly. The Ravenclaw's had blown up into some kind of chant, guided by a skinny red head holding Theo's robes. Of course there was a girl- George turned his attention back to the screen as Theo came back into view, almost flat against his broom, heading straight for the finish, red faced and windswept.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The Ravenclaws were cheering. Sadie blinked when she recognized the boy shrugging off dark robes. She glanced to George, who had turned the colour of a ripe tomato. Seine glanced over, looking puzzled. "His broom's different," She blurted—it was the first observation Sadie could think to make that would distract Seine. It worked. Seine laughed brightly, teeth flashing in a wide grin. "Yeah. Alright, so that's the newest Kovalski broom—" Sadie listened intently as Seine began to expound about differing broom companies, although it sounded mostly like waffle. Seine was interrupted by a shrill whistle, and the topic was dropped. It was almost dizzying to watch. The magical cameras did not seem to operate by the normal laws of physics, spiraling and rushing to capture every angle of the race. The race itself was insane—they were flying between pillars and over and under bridges and whipping around towers, climbing and plummeting on a dime. How many G-forces were they subjecting themselves to? Had anyone ever managed to kill themselves flying like this? The elder Nott was beyond fast. He was back in a flash, looking windswept but not winded. He seemed to be smirking at—oh. Brennan. Judging by the cheering, the Ravenclaw had done exceptionally well, and Sadie didn't think she'd ever seen her brother look so determined. The blonde girl, Pepper, was clapping him on the shoulder, and several of their housemates were cheering. "AND HE'S OFF!" The amplified voice shouted. Brennan shot forth like a cannon-ball—it was evident that where Theo had been graceful, the elder Ethans favored raw power. His turns weren't quite so tight, and his broom wasn't so exotic, but he seemed to explode through the straight aways. Sadie bit her nails, unsure if she was hoping for her brother to win or not, he was so close, he'd be insufferable either way— "AND IT'S A TIE BETWEEN NOTT AND ETHANS!" …and that was, somehow, the worst possible outcome.</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Barely heard anything either of his friends said until the announcer spoke again. He watched his brother float down to the grass and hop of his broom as if the whole world was his oyster; George had always envied him in that regard. As soon as his two feet touched the grass, the same skinny red head ran over, his robes folded neatly over her arm. Theo didn't have a girlfriend- He was sure of it. He hadn't written to anyone over the summer and there was no way it could have happened overnight. Watching his brother slide on his robes once again, a conceited and smug smile toying with the corners of his mouth, George couldn't help but feel embarrassment bubble and boil in his stomach. The younger Nott traced his brother's gaze directly to Brennan and instantly shrank into the grass. Theo had to win this... The blonde contemplated hiding behind his hands, staring at the ground, even feigning illness and returning to his dormitory. If Brennan won this, Theo would be humiliated. Braving a glance towards his friends, George tried to judge their expressions. Sadie looked just as apprehensive as he did; Seine clearly electrified by the whole situation. All George could hear was the echoing boom of the Gryfindors behind them, rallying together to scream Brennan's name as he flew. George's eyes were fixated on the screen, as was everyone elses'. No single pair seemed to have taken their attention from the footage for even a moment. From the corner of his eyes, George could see his own brother following the boy's race around the turrets and towers of Hogwarts, pushing his hardest around the track. Brennan could fly, there was no denying that. The closer he came to the finish line, the louder his friends began to screech. This was it... Brennan thundered across the finish at a speed that didn't seem possible, straight into the whooping cries of those clad in red. "It's a tie-" George felt his stomach twist in on itself a thousand times over. All of his previous trepidation frothing over the edge and out of control. There couldn't have been a more unwelcome result.. "That's troll shit!" One boy yelled, thick and stocky. "Everyone knows Ethans can't fly for jack!" The silence that followed was painful. George gaze darted about for his sibling again, who stood with his back to Brennan, displaying nothing other than loathsome and obnoxious hate for the result. He said nothing- did nothing, despite the constant distress of the red head beside him. She rather looked like a chicken at this point, flapping her wings and throwing feathers about the place. "We should go..." George muttered, slowly standing. His voice uncertain and shaky. "We have lessons soon." It was the only excuse he could think of and watching Theo seethe in his spot was an less welcome than a cockroach at a restaurant. Watching his brother smolder and simmer, boiling and brewing, fuming and foaming, George could feel his toes curl. He'd never seen his brother so irate. Theo rolled his shoulders and turned to face Brennan, smirking again. He pushed off the red head, who'd clung to his arm by this point and stood firmly at the edge of his friends. "Considering your broom is not top notch, I'd say you flew well. You still take corners terribly but there are first years who can fly better with their eyes closed." "We need to go." George insisted by this point, all his alarms going off on full DEF-CON 1. He tugged on Seine's robes and passed him a pleading look. "We really need to go." "Other than simply blood minority, it's hard to say exactly why you made the team, Ethans. After all, your arm isn't up to par. I'd blame parentage but after all these years, I think it must simply come down to the fact you're a runt." Another short shove towards the red head who'd returned to his side to pull him from the inevitable fight. George froze still on his spot, staring in horror as his brother just kept going. "You're a fuck up, Ethans. You've no skill, only luck. One day that luck will run out and everyone will realize exactly what you are. A half-pint moron with dirt for blood." George felt the color drain from his face pretty quickly after that. He was thankful Sadie didn't understand, although he dared to guess what Seine must have been thinking. He felt his attention shift directly to Brennan, waiting for the moment he'd be expected to side with his brother. Their uncle had always said Theo was too proud and smug for his own good. He'd really out done himself this time.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie was blown away by the intensity of the cheers. Brennan looked both frustrated and pleased; bolstered by the joy of their housemates, but determined, as if he wanted another go around the castle. She knew that look—Brennan had always been hyper-competitive, and it had gotten him into trouble hundreds of times over the year. But the blonde had slung her arm around his shoulder and for a moment, Sadie thought everything might be okay. The peace didn't last but thirty seconds. A vulgar protest shot through the crowd, quieting the raucous laughter. Everyone knows Ethans can't fly. Sadie felt her stomach twist, one parts surprise to two parts indignation. What did that mean? He had just tied, hadn't he? She looked between Seine and George, confusion written on her face. Seine shrugged, but George was urging them to go. Sadie rose to her feet, but couldn't quite tear her eyes away from the spectacle. She'd never seen Brennan look so hateful, not even when she'd accidentally set his jumper on fire last summer. He looked at Theo like he wanted to rip his throat out, fists clenched. Sadie realised suddenly that the blonde, Pepper, had a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "You know, for two thousand galleons, I would have thought your broom should do the flying for you, seeing as how you can barely put the bird through her paces," Brennan's voice was strangled by frustration, and Sadie couldn't look away. It was a train wreck in slow motion, and everyone surrounding the two boys seemed to recognize it. "Come on, Brennan, let's just go," One of the crimson clad boys muttered. Brennan seemed to try and compose himself, and Sadie though that he'd managed the impossible and controlled his temper. A half-pint moron with dirt for blood cut through the air like a knife. A gasp and a chorus of outrage rippled through the crowd—and Brennan had launched himself at Theo. Sadie gaped as her brother grappled the taller boy, raining down blow after blow. People were shouting—several of the students in red were screaming for blood. "ENOUGH," boomed throughout the courtyard. Brennan and Theo were ripped apart, and Sadie could see her brother straining against the magic, knuckles bloody, as if all that mattered was the fight. The Headmistress was sweeping across the grounds in a rush of emerald tartan robes, wand aloft. Students cleared a path for her automatically, "Control yourselves, the both of you! Never, in all my years—" "Professor," Pepper interrupted. The sharp look Professor McGonagall gave terrified Sadie, and she wasn't even the one receiving it. Pepper swallowed, but continued, fists clenched. "Brat deserved it, he called Ethans a mudblood—" "That is enough, Miss Averys. I cannot believe a Head Girl would condone this response—the both of you," Professor McGonagall directed her wand to the two boys, still suspended and held apart. They were placed on their feet, and Brennan looked as though he might launch himself at Theo once more. Sadie chewed her nails anxiously as Professor McGonagall marched the boys—and a few of the older students with little golden badges—away. Dirt for blood, he'd said. Sadie watched Theo and Brennan's backs. That was what Seine and George had meant.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George stood stationary, on the edge of hyperventilating after his brother's outburst. If it was possible to turn back time... Theo was going to get himself killed for saying that. The blonde's eyes constantly flicked between the boys, waiting. The uproar of response was expected, after all, he'd said the worst thing. His brother was an idiot! He made one last attempt to pull his friends from their spots only to startle and jump as soon as a thud echoed the grounds. Theo was on the ground, Brennan throwing punches faster than George thought possible. Watching was unbearable. His brother deserved the response, it what he'd sought after but George doubted it was this. He peered round at the students, Gryfindor backing Brennan, two Ravenclaws making a dash to pull Brennan from their friend, along with plenty of students disappearing back to the castle as if they sensed the trouble that seemed so close at hand. "Enough!" A voice rang out like a bell, standing each student still, with magic and without. Seeing his brother stood upright was a sorry sight. His nose looked displaced and his shirt- Oh Theo. George felt himself feel sorry for his brother. No one dared to speak aside from the blonde girl Brennan had been attached to. No one was denying Theo didn't deserve it but Brennan had broken his nose; it was uncalled for. The skinny red head looked more distressed than before. George couldn't tell if that was a joint effort or whether the final shove had been the cause. It didn't stop her looking like a hen, clucking and flapping wings, red feathers all over. All anyone could do was watch their Headmistress and silently argue, she was terrifying. Watching the two boys stand alone again was worse than tortue. Theo lifted a hand up to pinch his nose, stopping the bleeding Brennan had caused, and Brennan looked for than ready for round two. George couldn't look yet he still did. He needed to be there for his brother, it was the reason they were so close. The sight of watching him walk away, head tipped back, was painful. His face no longer held the twisted smirk that it had done when dealing with Brennan, now Theo just looked tired. As soon as the two figures were out of sight, George let out a sigh, a breath of nervous and anxious air. He glanced between his two friends and then at the ground. "I'm sorry my brother said that." George muttered quietly, as if speaking too loudly would turn the mob on him. "He can be a bit thoughtless sometimes." George felt the undying need to protect him rumble and stir despite how little he could do. The students began to shuffle back towards the castle, speaking amoungst themselves, murmurs and mutters everywhere. George had suspected Theo hadn't been best impressed when Sadie's brother bumped into him yesterday but he didn't expect the hate to run so deep. It seemed unnatural for him, starting fights on purpose. He watched those whose George suspected to be friends of Theo's leave his broom with the red head as they stalked back to the castle embarrassed. George waited until most of the students were gone before heading back to the castle, his lunch no longer appitising. His stomach still flipped like a robotic muggle dog, faster than Brennan punched his brother. This wasn't going to plan at all- he was hating school because of this. He paused whilst Seine caught up and again whilst they waited for Sadie. Both of them knew they'd have to explain what Theo had said to her, neither of them wanted to. There wasn't anything worse Theo could have uttered. No doubt they'd be hearing about it all day though.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Be careful. He's a Nott, Maryam had said. Sadie hadn't really understood—she'd thought maybe it was something personal. But things began to click as George apologized, and a thousand questions raced through her head. What exactly did the Nott name mean? Did she even want to know? Her stomach churned. "Thoughtless is an understatement," Seine said with a shake of his head. Sadie chewed thoughtfully on her lip, watching the crowd cautiously. Most of the students had reacted as though disgusted, but had everyone? How many people thought her brother—and her, she realised suddenly—had dirt in their veins? "It's okay. We should get to the common room," Sadie said with a strained smile. They had nearly half an hour, but she found herself wanting to get out of the crowd. Mercifully, Seine nodded, and they rushed to catch up with George. Sadie smiled weakly, hooking loose red hair behind her ear. "We've got six inches to write on Gamp's laws before Wednesday. We should get it done now—it looks like tomorrow's going to be hectic." Seine groaned, jamming hi hands in his pockets, looking entirely too displeased by the notion. "Ughhh, seriously?" "We're literally learning magic, how is that not the most exciting thing ever?" Sadie boggled at Seine, who simply grumbled in return. Looking to George, she cocked a brow. "Don't tell me you find bending the laws of physics boring too."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans After the first week, Sadie finally found the rhythm of her schoolwork. It was tricky work—she frequently had to ask her classmates what certain magical terms meant—but that was good. Sadie had always liked cutting her teeth on difficult concepts. There was nothing like the joy of finding the answer, especially when she found it herself. She'd apparently become the class nerd, but Sadie found the near apathy of some of her classmates staggering. She knew in the way that she knew that she must breathe that she would never tire of the magic of spells and potions and earth beneath her fingernails. The first Quidditch game was terrifying and exhilarating in equal parts. She couldn't forget the sight of that little Hufflepuff girl hurtling towards the ground. She'd woken up in a cold sweat half a dozen times, heart slamming into her ribs until she feared they might break. No one else seemed particularly bothered, and Sadie kept those nightmares quiet. It had been two months, and Brennan had barely spoken more than a dozen words to her. She'd seen how he darkened when she came around with George, his lips pressing into a thin line. But it hadn't been George who'd said those awful things, she wanted to scream at her brother. Somehow, Sadie didn't think Brennan much cared. It was, truthfully, rather lonely. At least her mum wrote frequently, sending sweets and trinkets from back home. Her dormmates had been fascinated by the still photographs Sadie's muggle friends had sent, their fashion and technology so alien to them. She was surprised to find herself missing home. Magic was wonderful and great, and she adored it, but she yearned for her phone, for streaming music and television. She missed knowing slang and context and staircases that didn't change on her. Sadie had a sharp sense of direction, but Hogwarts seemed to be purposefully trying to make her late for classes by completely altering its layout halfway through her walks. Halloween was as lavish as Christmas, she'd realised with a gasp as she and her friends entered the Great Hall. It was spectacular, flickering candles and spiders crafted of wisps of smoke dancing up and down webs of gossamer magic. Sadie spent the first five minutes of the meal whipping her head back and forth to catch sight of something new and wondrous. One of the older students chuckled as she gasped in delight at little cauldron cakes with ladles stirring around in their chocolate. Seine was regaling them with a particularly thrilling (and brutal) Quidditch recounting, Estonia vs. Laos, but she was only half listening. Seine was an amazing story teller, but she'd already heard the match--yellow and black robes whipping in wind, body tumbling like a rag doll toflat, flat earth—and she instead focused on the food. She was halfway through a bowl of pumpkin soup when she noticed that a tall, thin Professor was whispering into the Headmistress' ear. Sadie watched at the elderly witch's face blanked, her lips pursing into a thin line. Little whispers seemed to break out along the Head Table—and then they were hushed, smiles placed back on their faces. She almost thought she had imagined it, but… "Did you see that?" Niall muttered from across the table. Sadie met the his curious gaze, flicking her eyes back to the Head Table. Everything seemed normal, but… "That didn't look like good news," Sadie murmured, knitting her brows together. "Wonder what they're hiding."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George found himself chatting along with Seine, regaling the events the match he'd read about. "Wasn't that the game where Keola was banned for life?" He asked, wiping pastry crust from the corners of mouth. "Didn't he almost murder Estonia's keeper?" He was barely aware of Sadie's attention existing elsewhere, instead solely focused on the conversation at hand. Seine's eyes animated and his hands waved with enthusiasm. "Yes! He nearly get the woman on fire. Oh what was her name- Ti-, no... To, er-" He paused for a moment, as if trying to pull the name from the very back of his mind. His hands danced in a circle like a fisherman recoiling a rod. "Tulli!" Seine yelled suddenly. "My dad said that the whole crowd just freaked out! He plays for some Chinese team now though, so his ban must have been lifted... I don't know why." Seine continued, trailing off to stuff more food into his mouth. The Great Hall echoed with the chorus of the ghosts and the echo of students laughing and babbling about anything that sprang to mind. The faces of each first year still seemed to irradiate with excitement and elation. Pumpkins floated about the room, each one carved to display a different face. From cackling smiles to slanted and devilish eyes. Each one was unique. George had spent the first part of the evening wondering exactly how had spent all afternoon craving each face with such creativity until it occurred to him that a simple charm would have easily done the job. The ghosts seemed to glade through the room, going from table to table, each joining in a small chorus of a song that seemed far older than anyone else in the castle. "What do muggles do for Halloween?" George asked after the conversation of Quidditch had died down. He'd never truly realized how different their worlds were. Muggles had such strange things, items he didn't understand. Their paintings and photographs didn't move yet large screens played sound and moving images, changing at the push of a button. There was music coming from tiny devices in pockets and huge metal birds that flew in the sky. How could they stand not being able to get somewhere instantly? What if something was broken? Did they just throw it out? There were far too many questions to make any real sense of and two months of Muggle Studies had done little to ease the burden he had in his head. He wondered what muggle kids did for fun? What sports did they play? What did they learn at school? How did they speak to people in other countries? How many of them knew his own world existed? What was it like to be told you were a wizard!? George pulled another lump of his pastry and ate eagerly awaiting Sadie's response to his question. Did they eat big meals? Did they have parties? Did they do nothing? He could remember seeing shop windows decorated with masks and spiders webs. The image of a green faced women, her nose huge and long, with a single boil on the end was firmly placed in his mind yet he didn't really understand why. Was that what muggles thought his kind looked like? Sure, goblins weren't great looking but wizards and witches looked like anyone else. There were some perculier types but everyone looked normal. George looked across to Sadie, waiting for her reply only for his eyes to follow her gaze across the table. He frowned a little and pulled his forehead tense. He watched the exchange for a moment before voicing the same opinion they all had. "What was that about?" He muttered, looking between his two closest friends and Niall. "Do you think it's something serious?" Seine asked, leaning in close to his friends. "Maybe something has happened in the castle. They wouldn't just start panicking if it did." He offered, putting down his food to glance at the others. George followed suit, looking between the trio in the hope that someone would provide answers. "It's probably nothing." He suggested, trying to, for once, play devils advocate. It wasn't a role he usually played, but one he felt he would need to learn in time. "Its not like their going to tell us, is it? Regardless of what it is. If it's serious, it'll be in the Daily Prophet tomorrow. It's probably nothing." He repeated, desperate fantasy despite the fact he was riddled with anxiety, his thoughts lousy with the one hundred worst case scenarios he'd suddenly come up with. "George has a point. If it is anything serious, it'll be in the Daily Prophet. It's not like their going to hide it really. Even if they did try, someone's parents would know and send a letter." Seine blurted, his eyes bright. "Do you think the centaurs are angry? Maybe thats what it is. I heard they start stampedes a lot in the forest. What if it's a werewolf? Then again, they'd have to tell us about that one.." He added.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George offered reassurance—they were probably just being suspicious, right? Sadie chewed her lip, glancing back up at the Head Table. The Headmistress seemed impassive, tucking into a roasted pumpkin. Professor Sprout looked cheery as ever, regaling Madame Hooch was a tale, hands dancing as she spoke. Niall didn't look convinced. His brows had furrowed, blue eyes still watching their professors, like he didn't trust them. She couldn't imagine why not. Her professors seemed lovely—although Professor Binns' voice was very difficult to listen to without feeling drowsy—why should she distrust their judgment? It wasn't like she knew enough about this world yet, anyways. "I guess," he said finally, shifting his gaze over to the Slytherin table, as if he were trying to make eye contact with someone. He nodded his head towards the table and shrugged. Sadie resisted the urge to twist around in her seat and see who he was looking at. "Are werewolves common, then?" Sadie asked Seine. God, would she ever feel like she knew this world? Every day seemed to be a constant reminder that the rules of reality she'd known her whole life meant nothing. Seine shifted uncomfortably for a moment, studying his mashed potatoes as if they might answer her question. She was nearly ready to brush it off when he spoke up. "Yeah—during the war there were a lot of attacks. A lot of people were turned." "Jesus," Sadie didn't mean to blasphemy, but it was just… she didn't know the context, but even she could tell that that was awful. She frowned, pushing her roast beef about her plate with a fork. She forced her thoughts to better places and turned to George. "Right! So, muggle Halloween…"</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans November came with a sudden plummetting of temperature. Sadie hadn't wanted to leave her warm bed, still recovering from the late night of Halloween and the poor choice to eat sweets until she hated herself. It had taken both Tasia and Maryam badgering her to roll out of her crimson blankets and stumble to the loo. The dormitory was chilly. Someone had left a window open and frost glittered on the glass. She felt considerably better after she got ready, bounding down the steps after the other girls. Asenath had woven twin braids into Sadie's red hair and they bounced cheerily as she caught up with Seine and George. In later years, undoubtedly the three of them would be teased for spending so much time together, and rumors would fly. But the innocence of youth made their friendship easy, free of complication. "Hiiiiii!" Sadie greeted with exaggerated vocal fry. Seine chuckled, clearly chalking it up to a weird muggle thing. They'd nearly made it to the great hall when George's brother snatched the back of his jumper. Sadie frowned deeply, looking between the pair as the elder Nott dragged the younger off. It was hard to like Theo after The Race. She did her best not to voice her displeasure or make George uncomfortable, but she couldn't help but scowl after the Ravenclaw. "C'mon Sades," Seine gently tugged her arm. Sadie unclenched her fists--she hadn't even realised she was so tense--and took a deep breath. She beamed at Seine, flouncing along with the taller boy. They found their usual spot near the Head Table, chattering brightly. Sadie didn't notice the smattering of upset faces, too happy to have breakfast and the post coming in. The owls were still one of her favorite parts of the morning, swooping and dropping parcels and papers. George dropped down next to her, looking paler than usual. Sadie frowned, cocking her head at him. She shared a worried look with Seine. "George?" Sadie ventured, but her voice was drowned out in the beatings of wings and the cries of hundreds of owls. A parcel was dropped next to her plate, adorned with her mum's neat handwriting. Seine accepted a copy of the Prophet from his handsome tawny owl, thanking the bird. As he unfolded the paper, his face dropped. With dread pooling in her stomach, Sadie looked over to read massive letters above a photo of a terribly familiar building. MASS BREAK OUT AT AZKABAN DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REFUSES TO COMMENT ON THIS "ACTIVE INVESTIGATION" "No," Seine muttered, looking grim. Sadie looked over to George, concern painted on her features. His expression connected the dots on all the hints. Oh. Oh. Was one of those escapees related to him? Sadie touched his elbow instinctively, uncertain what to say but plainly worried. "Look," Seine whispered. Tension was rippling throughout the Great Hall as silence gave way to a buzz of activity. There were students all over the Great Hall shrinking, looking sick, angry, stone faced... "V," Niall muttered from across the table. Sadie followed his gaze to the dark haired Slytherin girl they'd crossed the lake with. She was staring resolutely at her plate, spine ramrod straight. Someone passed and hissed something at her--the girl flinched, and then pursed her lips into a scowl. Niall sprang to his feet, looking furious, but the girl (Verdana, she remembered suddenly) pushed away from the table and began to walk briskly out the hall. Sadie turned to look at Niall as he followed. Several students were leaving suddenly, whereas others had been cornered, either shouted at or arguing with other students. Suddenly, Sadie found herself scared. Her grip tightened on George's arm. Seine took her other hand, lacing his dark fingers with her. "Don't run," he spoke to George, "It's not your fault--" There was a shout as a fight broke out, hexes and sparks filling the air. Sadie flinched, suddenly terrified. Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall at precisely that moment, her eyes sharp. "Enough," her voice was magically enchanted to echo throughout the castle. "All students will report to the Great Hall immediately."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Had the dreary news not set over the wizarding world, many could have argued that pleasantness of the day. Despite the growing November chills, the strong gale winds, and the frigid rain, the blue sky ahead seemed amiable. Students bustled across the Great Hall, gorging on their breakfasts and rushing through parchments of late homework. Moral appeared high, yet the encroaching fog appeared in the weary eyes of staff sat solemnly at the top table. The professors muttered among themselves, voices out of hearing. The occasional student would send a smile, a wave or a greeting and the noted teacher would return with a trained faultless expression. It appeared very few were expecting the disaster plastered on the cover of The Daily Prophet. George had begun ripping his toast into small bite size pieces, his mind reeling with possibilities. What would happen if they caught him again? They'd lose him. Anyone who escaped ended up with the Kiss without trial. The blonde eleven year old pulled at his jumper sleeves, and rested his hands on his lap. Theo had more than one exclaimed the boy's tendency to worry too much; if it weren't for the thundering sound of his pulse within his ears and his throat closing within his neck, George might have disagreed. The echo of beating wings flurried in from the roof of The Great Hall. Students excitedly searched for their own owls, smiling gleefully as they caught their parcels as they dropped from the air. The young Nott turned his head, his eyes trailing across the table for the boy he called brother. Theo sat upright, chatting happily to the friends he had, as if oblivious to the news the morning paper would bring them. George often wondered how his brother managed it, covering himself and his feelings; ones that weren't anger. It took a moment of staring before the bushing haired brunette spotted his younger sibling's gaze, panicked and unsure. He shook his head firmly and twisted his gaze towards the Ravenclaws beside him. George turned back towards his own friends as a result with his stomach twisting. In the pause that lingered- the short moment before each student clambered for their friend's copy, ripping and snatching the paper from one to another- George felt the dread set in. Blue eyes stared directly at Seine only to flick to Sadie as she took her own turn to read. One by one, hysteria began to set in. Students began to panic, shouting and confused. Seine drew their attention to a small student with thick dark hair. Her familiarity now struck him- Verdana Dolohov, a cousin. Her own father had been trialed shortly after his own. Antonin Dolohov had been present more than once in their family home during both his and Theodore's childhood. The latter of the brother's had once claimed the man to be "one of the worst" and professed his own fear of the man. George felt the pang of empathetic trepidation as the students around her turned into snakes, hissing her way. The Great Hall suddenly sprang to life with the shrill panic of several hundred students, each fearing for their safety. Theodore Nott was gone when George turned again for support. The tall Ravenclaw had already begun his beeline for the tall doors as the fights began. His feet carried him along the thick oak table, between his own and the yellow house. His face displayed little emotion aside from a faint sense of concern and dread. A spell shout from one 6th year student as he passed, its intended already screeching in return. Theo's feet picked up their pace and quickly he slipped from the hall. "Don't run." George couldn't see why not. Sadie's grip grew tighter around his forearm, scrunching his sleeve and creasing his shirt. "What do we do?" The boy stammered in return as his attention turned to Seine. The yell that erupted from further down the Slytherin table and the spells that followed seemed only to make things worse. A huge boy, matted mouse brown hair and a thick set jaw roared a hex in response and the first fight broke out. "What do we do?" George squeaked again as the frenzy grew worse. He pulled Sadie's hand down from his arm and twisted his fingers into her palm, holding tightly. The situation grew worse, escalated to a state almost out of control. The sudden booming voice of a wiry woman shook the castle still. Students froze, wands raised and friends in tow. A painful second passed before slowly each student complied, taking a seat at the nearest table, fear on every face. An icy silence followed as Professor McGonagall made her way towards the plinth ahead of all four tables. Her expressed seemed stoic, although by force. Several hundred faces stared her way for guidance, desperate, scared. The few students who'd rushed from the room slowly began to enter the hall and many of the ghosts had taken to join them. They floated quietly against the back wall, whispering among themselves. "I understand you're all scared, perturbed and many of you are angry. This wasn't something any of us expected to find out, especially in such a fashion." Her voice strained as she spoke, kind old eyes hiding a fear of something they'd never expected to see again. "Many of you know Hogwarts was subject to its own battle many years ago, and the scars of this have not all healed. Students, professors, witches and wizards alike lost their lives to keep this place standing; but I can assure each and every one of you that this school is as safe as it always has been. These walls will keep you safe. The Minister of Magic is more than prepared to ensure the protection of each student within these walls, regardless of who they are." She paused in her speech and her gaze circled the room ahead.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie had never seen anything like this in the flesh, but she was struck suddenly by how familiar it looked. It was like one of a dozen scenes she'd seen on the news, despite her parents best efforts to hide it from her. It was yet another vision of panic rolling through a crowd after an act of violence. It was different, in person. She could taste something acrid in the air, a whipcrack whisper of terror and rage. Clutching George and Seine's hands, Sadie was struck with the cold realisation that maybe magic was dangerous. Headmistress McGonagall spoke with a gravity that captured the attention of the Great Hall, gazes turning forwards to lock on her, trapped in her orbit. She spoke of a battle that Sadie only knew two paragraphs about, a footnote in the latest edition of Hogwarts, A History. He Who Must Not Be Named had launched an assault on the Ministry of Magic, on Hogwarts, and reparations were slowly being made to those impacted. It had all been very rushed, saying barely anything of use. But McGonagall? There was something in her tired eyes that made Sadie realise the Headmistress had lived every moment of those scraps of sentences. "Years ago, our sorting hat warned us that we must unite within these walls, or we will crumble from within," The wiry woman remarked, and the lines around her eyes seemed to deepen as she gazed upon the sea of students. "Those words remain as relevant as ever." She looked to the staff table, to the row of professors. She seemed to think on something for a long moment, before turning back to the crowd. "Classes will proceed as scheduled," She instructed. "That is all." Sadie boggled. How could they just go to lecture, like everything was fine and normal? There were a few murmurs, but under the Headmistress' gaze, no one spoke up in opposition. She frowned, turning to look at her friends, but finding her brother's gaze along the table. He looked scared. Sadie hadn't seen Brennan truly scared in five years. They'd been climbing trees, laughing and half-wild, climbing ever higher. She'd lost her footing, reaching for a higher branch, and she remembered the terror of plummeting to the ground. Brennan had screamed; she had bounced harmessly into the grass, but she'd never forget how quickly he clambered down to the ground, panicked. Sadie gnawed on her lip as his expression steeled. The Great Hall was beginning to rouse, facing rapidly approaching lessons. Brennan rose, strode towards her, and Sadie had barely started to stand before he caught her arm and tugged her along after him. "C'mon," he muttered, his voice thick. Something about his manner made Sadie stumble and fall into step with him. She looked over her shoulder at George and Seine, confused, before he lengthened his stride and she had to turn away.</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Brennan, slow down," Sadie whined as she struggled to keep pace with her brother. He'd dragged her off from the Great Hall and hadn't bothered to tell her where they were going. He didn't respond, and Sadie huffed and yanked her hand back. "Brennan, stop!" They drew to a halt on the stairs, and he turned to look down at her. He was angry--which wasn't unusual--but there was concern painted across his face. "I told you that Nott kid was trouble. Do you get it now, Sades?" Brennan's voice cracked as he shouted, grabbing her shoulders as if he meant to shake her. Sadie flinched, frightened of the intensity of his temper. He squeezed for a moment before pulling her into a hug. "I don't want you getting hurt because of them." "Bren, you didn't say anything," Sadie pushed him back, puffing her cheeks in temper. "You just said that he's a Nott but you didn't explain what that meant. No one has explained anything! Everyone just talks about it like I should already get it, but they won't out and say it!" "Fine! They're blood maniacs, alright? Their old man murdered dozens muggleborns and supporters in the war, and you need to be careful so you don't get offed too! They hunted people like us for sport and there's plenty of records of muggleborn kids getting tortured in Azkaban for 'stealing' magic, and that's only scratching the surface." Brennan exploded at her, face flushed red. Sadie was a clever girl, and she had already put together plenty of the pieces based on her talks with Seine and George and what she found in the library, but that had been so...clinical. Brennan spoke plainly and for the first time it all felt real. "George has been nice though," She tried, and Brennan shot her a look as though he couldn't believe her. "You don't know the kid, Sades. Look, he could be the nicest person in this damn castle, but it doesn't mean you're safe with him. You need to stay away from him." Sadie searched her brother's face, uncertain what to make of everything. As angry and infuriating as he was, Brennan looked so scared. He was insufferable, but she knew he cared, and he knew so much more about this world, but... "Look, I...I get it, Brennan, but I'm not going to blame him for what he didn't do," Sadie chewed on her lip. Her brother's face fell and she cut him off. "No, look, that's not fair and you know it." "Sades," Brennan tried to reach for her, but she turned sharply on heel in a flutter of red hair and began to descend the steps. "I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder before focusing on making the trek back towards class, gears spinning violently in her head. It was a lot to take onboard, and, truthfully, Sadie wasn't sure what to make of it all. She frowned, before looking up to see Seine and George a ways down the hall at the base of the stair case. She quickened her pace and jogged towards them, flashing a tight smile. "Sorry! My brother's an arse. Lets get going!"</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. As the term had continued, George had grown ever more comfortable, even though such had only been that way within their tiny triangle of friends. Now, with the news the morning had brought, he felt small, out of place and afraid. The Wizarding World was going to change before their eyes and the dense pit in the young boy's stomach only suggested exactly how much worse this was becoming. "Do you think it's going to happen again?" The scrawny blonde asked through a mouth that barely opened. His words were almost inaudible, sapped away by the dread and fear hanging over the school; pungent. Whilst he greatly feared the loss of his friends, the lingering apprehension within twisted around a fear of his own. Before, it had always been a family affair, two or three generations at a time. Once their world shifted back toward the chaos, exactly how long would it have been before Theo and himself were presented as willing volunteers? Sadie's arrival frightened the remaining colour from George's face, leaving the ghostly complexion to outwardly compete with the unpigmented and chalky shade of his hair. "You can't blame him really. We've all had a shocking morning." Seine added with a smile. "They would have sent us home if it were anything serious. I'm sure they'll catch them soon." He paused before apologising to the impish kid to his left. "Hopefully, they do," George added in a defeated murmured. He loved his parents, although he wasn't going to outwardly admit that he missed having his own father at home. George Snr was a murderer, but he was still a parent; someone George longed to return home. They all knew capture meant the end of the line: a duel to the death or the Kiss. His Dad hadn't been able to avoid them forever before, it was unlikely he'd be able to do so again. He trudged alongside his two friends in silence, occasionally adding a note or comment to Seine's attempt at altering the mood. As they climbed the staircases towards the Third Floor, the milling crowds had begun to disperse. Transfiguration stood as their first lesson of the day and George was entirely grateful for the possibility of quietly taking notes instead of being forced to communicate. Seine, however, had spent their entire walk trying to engage Sadie in conversation entirely separate to the news they'd received that morning; for all their sakes. "Did you manage to finish the essay Professor Thirmin had asked for? The one on foreign object transfiguration? I was barely able to manage the two sides and we were expected to cover three." It was a rushed conversation but entirely expected considering the state of their previously comfortable schooling day.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George looked as scared as Brennan had, but where Brennan's temper had flared, George just seemed to shrink into himself. It hurt, seeing her best friend like this. After a moment, she realized it was the first time she'd thought of George like that, but it rang true. George and Seine were the closest friends she had here. She missed her girlfriends from home, but they didn't know about this part of her, and it was difficult to feel close to them with such an enormous secret in her heart. But George and Seine always waited for her, always had a joke and a story, and she looked forward to every day they had together. Still, best friends or not, Sadie couldn't understand why they seemed so bored by their homework. "Um, yeah," Sadie laughed a little nervously. "It's not like it was a lot?" One of the things that had struck her was just how more relaxed Hogwarts was. She hadn't gone to the world's most prestigious school, but her workload had been ramping up as she had been getting older, and her muggle teachers had assigned far more work than this. Sadie usually found herself going comparatively overboard with her work, but she was used to a far more aggressive pace. "Ugh," Seine grumbled intelligently. "I must once again remind you that you are always welcome to join me in the library after class. We can do our work together," Sadie offered, but Seine pulled a face at her. "You spend hours there," He complained. Sadie rolled her eyes. "We are literally learning magic, breaking the laws of physics and doing impossible things. That should make you want to study nonstop," Sadie reminded Seine. They'd had this argument half a dozen times, and she suspected they would have it until they graduated. They'd reached the Transfiguration classroom during their bickering. Seine pushed open the door and they filed in, taking their usual spots. The atmosphere in the classroom was like a coiled spring, ready to explode with energy. Other students were shooting George dark looks, whispering, and Sadie simply held her head high. She and Seine sat on either side of George in a show of solidarity. The whispers were silenced upon the arrival of Professor Thirmin, and Sadie sank into the rhythm of the lesson.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. The school seemed muted compared to the excited volume it lingered on most days. Such was to be expected considering the news they'd received that morning. Just like Sadie and Seine, the halls were still echoing with the sound of students discussing what mattered in the present; School. Regardless of the situation at hand, their world certainly didn't feel like it was in danger. Perhaps, however, it was. To students like both the Nott children and the Dolohov siblings, their families were finally returning home. The smallest sense of happiness lingered within, a smile he wouldn't have shared in public. All George could do, was hope his parents were still reunited as Christmas arrived. The Transfiguration classroom felt far more constrained than it usually did. The walls felt unnaturally enclosed, despite their previously large size. He turned his eyes to Sadie and followed suit; letting the glares fall within his peripheral vision. This would all blow over soon, surely. People would forget, surely? George was more grateful than ever and allowed himself to focus entirely on the subject at hand, in an attempt to ignore the burning sensation in the centre of his skull. "We should explore some more of the grounds this evening," George muttered whilst the room was preoccupied with the notes at hand. "There's the east side of the Black Lake that we haven't had the chance to see yet." "It would be cool to see if we can spot the Merpeople beneath the Lake." Seine smiled encouragingly, furthering their friend's request to remain entirely out of the view of the remainder of the school. "It's a shame we're not old enough to leave the Grounds yet. My Dad says Hogsmeade is cracking." The boy's positivity was appalling and contagious. "I've heard good things about Honeydukes. I could ask my brother to bring us back something next time he goes." His tone quickly slid off into one of instability and self-doubt. The last few weeks had been nothing short of enjoyable; yet now George felt the mist of dread settling uncomfortably along the edges. "You should definitely try Pepper Imps, Sadie." Their more cheerful friend returned with a grin wider than necessary. George let the two of them speak for a moment as he uncomfortably considered the day's news. Had Sadie and Seine not remaining his friends, he likely would have been sat alone. He'd thank them one day; when he thought as much to do so. For now, however, he meerly clutched at his least healthy thoughts and made an extended effort to remain focused on the lesson; one of which ended much longer after George had hoped- or his preception of time certainly felt off.</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie frowned as George and Seine whispered during the lesson. Had the morning not been quite so awful, she might have shushed them and gotten annoyed. But with things so raw, she couldn't muster the will to be so sharp. She was already several chapters ahead in the textbook, frustrated by the snail's pace Professor Thirmin seemed all too content to set. Suddenly she could hear the Hat humming in her head, Plenty clever…what a thirst to prove yourself. It had flashed images of eagles swathed in bronze and blue with those words in her head, and it seemed all too ready to name her a Ravenclaw before it found whatever had tipped the scales so firmly to Gryffindor. Privately, Sadie wondered if she had been sorted wrong. She loved her house, her friends, but it was frustrating, feeling so alone in her wonder. Sadie shook her head to clear it. What was done was done—there was no resorting, as far as she knew. She'd just have to make the best of it. "I'd like the see the squid again," Sadie murmured. She arched a brow at Seine's insistence she try some unheard of sweet. Pepper Imps? "Those do not sound good." "Would you like to share your conversation with the class?" Professor Thirmin called suddenly. Sadie flushed scarlet, dropping her gaze to her notes. Seine had the good grace to look uncomfortable and manage a quiet 'no'. Professor Thirmin frowned but, mercifully, did not dock any points and continued on. The rest of their lessons passed by in a rush. Sadie led the way to the lake, chattering with Seine about music. He was filling her in on the classics of the wizarding world, and seemed amused by the muggle artists she named in return. He offered to lend her records and look bemused when she burst out laughing, calling them quaint. "Records. What are we, hipsters?" Sadie snorted, "I mean, they've got great sound quality and all, but come on. Digital is so much more convenient." Seine looked at her blankly, and Sadie sighed. "It's like this world is trying to stay backwards," She said theatrically, tossing her hands in the air. The three of them were following the banks of the lake, the castle growing ever more distant. The black forrest seemed to almost beckon to her, trees rustling, and it took Sadie a great deal of willpower to remember that it was forbidden. "We're not backwards," Seine said, sounding a little defensive. Sadie snorted again. "You use owls for mail, Seine. Owls. Back home, I can email or text and get a response instantly. Or call someone instantly, without having to shove my head in a fireplace. I mean, magic is great and all, and I'm super happy to be here, but it's like I was shot back fifty years. This is so weird." "We've got quidditch! And dragons!" "I'll give you dragons."</s>

<|description|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me", I said "you're holding back", she said "shut up and dance with me!" Face Claim: Kay Panabaker Age: 11 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: July 13th, 1998. Swindon. Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Dogwood, 6 ¾", Phoenix Feather. Springy and excitable. Patronus: Will be a Stoat Personal Childhood/Family Life: Sadie's childhood has been hard work. Raised on the family farm, Sadie is well acquainted with long days and extensive studying. An excellent student, she often ranked in the top ten in her coursework. Exceptionally close to her mother, Sadie's most cherished memories are their numerous outings and girly nights. Sadie nurtured a mechanical streak with her father, helping him maintain aging farm equipment. Her relationship with her brother Brennan has always been strained, their personalities too similar to allow them to get on. Personality: Bubbly, excitable, and prone to mischief, Sadie has a loud personality. Often bouncing between four different thoughts, she is often mistaken as a brainless ditz. Beneath her cheery exterior, however, lies a deeply curious mind and fiery determination. Passionate, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her friends, Sadie's sharp wit is a weapon in and of itself. Hobbies: Video games, geo-caching, studying, calligraphy, cards.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. The school seemed muted compared to the excited volume it lingered on most days. Such was to be expected considering the news they'd received that morning. Just like Sadie and Seine, the halls were still echoing with the sound of students discussing what mattered in the present; School. Regardless of the situation at hand, their world certainly didn't feel like it was in danger. Perhaps, however, it was. To students like both the Nott children and the Dolohov siblings, their families were finally returning home. The smallest sense of happiness lingered within, a smile he wouldn't have shared in public. All George could do, was hope his parents were still reunited as Christmas arrived. The Transfiguration classroom felt far more constrained than it usually did. The walls felt unnaturally enclosed, despite their previously large size. He turned his eyes to Sadie and followed suit; letting the glares fall within his peripheral vision. This would all blow over soon, surely. People would forget, surely? George was more grateful than ever and allowed himself to focus entirely on the subject at hand, in an attempt to ignore the burning sensation in the centre of his skull. "We should explore some more of the grounds this evening," George muttered whilst the room was preoccupied with the notes at hand. "There's the east side of the Black Lake that we haven't had the chance to see yet." "It would be cool to see if we can spot the Merpeople beneath the Lake." Seine smiled encouragingly, furthering their friend's request to remain entirely out of the view of the remainder of the school. "It's a shame we're not old enough to leave the Grounds yet. My Dad says Hogsmeade is cracking." The boy's positivity was appalling and contagious. "I've heard good things about Honeydukes. I could ask my brother to bring us back something next time he goes." His tone quickly slid off into one of instability and self-doubt. The last few weeks had been nothing short of enjoyable; yet now George felt the mist of dread settling uncomfortably along the edges. "You should definitely try Pepper Imps, Sadie." Their more cheerful friend returned with a grin wider than necessary. George let the two of them speak for a moment as he uncomfortably considered the day's news. Had Sadie and Seine not remaining his friends, he likely would have been sat alone. He'd thank them one day; when he thought as much to do so. For now, however, he meerly clutched at his least healthy thoughts and made an extended effort to remain focused on the lesson; one of which ended much longer after George had hoped- or his preception of time certainly felt off.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie frowned as George and Seine whispered during the lesson. Had the morning not been quite so awful, she might have shushed them and gotten annoyed. But with things so raw, she couldn't muster the will to be so sharp. She was already several chapters ahead in the textbook, frustrated by the snail's pace Professor Thirmin seemed all too content to set. Suddenly she could hear the Hat humming in her head, Plenty clever…what a thirst to prove yourself. It had flashed images of eagles swathed in bronze and blue with those words in her head, and it seemed all too ready to name her a Ravenclaw before it found whatever had tipped the scales so firmly to Gryffindor. Privately, Sadie wondered if she had been sorted wrong. She loved her house, her friends, but it was frustrating, feeling so alone in her wonder. Sadie shook her head to clear it. What was done was done—there was no resorting, as far as she knew. She'd just have to make the best of it. "I'd like the see the squid again," Sadie murmured. She arched a brow at Seine's insistence she try some unheard of sweet. Pepper Imps? "Those do not sound good." "Would you like to share your conversation with the class?" Professor Thirmin called suddenly. Sadie flushed scarlet, dropping her gaze to her notes. Seine had the good grace to look uncomfortable and manage a quiet 'no'. Professor Thirmin frowned but, mercifully, did not dock any points and continued on. The rest of their lessons passed by in a rush. Sadie led the way to the lake, chattering with Seine about music. He was filling her in on the classics of the wizarding world, and seemed amused by the muggle artists she named in return. He offered to lend her records and look bemused when she burst out laughing, calling them quaint. "Records. What are we, hipsters?" Sadie snorted, "I mean, they've got great sound quality and all, but come on. Digital is so much more convenient." Seine looked at her blankly, and Sadie sighed. "It's like this world is trying to stay backwards," She said theatrically, tossing her hands in the air. The three of them were following the banks of the lake, the castle growing ever more distant. The black forrest seemed to almost beckon to her, trees rustling, and it took Sadie a great deal of willpower to remember that it was forbidden. "We're not backwards," Seine said, sounding a little defensive. Sadie snorted again. "You use owls for mail, Seine. Owls. Back home, I can email or text and get a response instantly. Or call someone instantly, without having to shove my head in a fireplace. I mean, magic is great and all, and I'm super happy to be here, but it's like I was shot back fifty years. This is so weird." "We've got quidditch! And dragons!" "I'll give you dragons."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George was as glad as anyone to see their school day finally over. There was only so long he could manage to keep his head from spiralling over the morning's headline until it became ingrained in his brain, word for word. It wasn't as if it was only his family who'd willfully taken part in the two most recent Wizarding Wars, voluntarily murdering muggles and wizards alike; Theo's continuing bigoted options weren't helping George's case. He followed along behind Sadie with a handful of pastries he'd quickly taken from the Great Hall: pumpkin pie, sausage rolls, and a traditionally sized Cornish Pasty. Tonight would just be the three of them, at least until time grew too late. "Quidditch is great, normally," George added to the two's current discussion. "I'm not looking forward to the next three years of Quidditch here, mind you. Friendly competition is one matter, but I don't think things are going to be friendly." He passed a tiny chuckle as he spoke. Round Two of the Battle of the Brothers rang low on his list of events he wished to revisit. "Quidditch is fantastic! I still can't believe you don't like it. The season has already started and you'll see your brother play in a few weeks; you'll be a fan before too long!" Seine continued with his family smile, wide and genuine. "Did you follow any muggle sports?" George pulled his robes from his shoulders and laid the collection on the fabric between them. "Don't muggles have lots of sports? I remember seeing one in a pub once where the players were throwing tiny sticks at a target. All the crowd seemed so serious, it was incredibly daft." It was the first time all day his tone hadn't sounded entirely defeatist. "I just don't get it, a lot of muggle things don't make sense." He even managed a chuckle. "Wait, what were they doing?" Seine asked with a snort of utter confusion. "These men were dressed in waistcoats and were tiny sticks-" He paused and motioned the throwing of a dart. "against this huge target, covered in numbers. There was another target in the pub itself since most of the muggles were watching it on a rectangle." George fumbled over his words. His childhood might have been far from sheltered in terms of the Wizarding World but George had little knowledge when it came to the world of Muggles. "It really weird, the sport, not the rectangle, paintings have moved for years." Siene cracked a grin behind his hand and soon found himself roaring with laughter, much to the confusion of his friend. George glanced at Sadie and Seine with panic and bewilderment plastered on his face. His skin shifted in tone, rolling from pale to an uncomfortable red hue. "I'll let you explain this one, Sadie."</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "It's also like, horrifically violent," Sadie pointed out, rolling her eyes about Quidditch. It didn't help that she was terrified of heights. She had spent her flying lessons desperately trying to get away with not flying, and had managed a decent job of it thus far. She suspected Madame Hooch was aware of her self-sabotage, and Sadie wasn't sure how much longer the hawk-eyed woman would let her get away with it. "Hard pass." As George asked about sports she was interested in, Sadie bounced back with a grin. "I really like tennis! My mum and I are big fans of the Williams' sisters. They're incredible, literally the best players ever! I'm not very good at playing, but it's so fun to watch." It took Sadie a couple of moments to piece together what George was talking about. It was adorable, really, the way he described the real world. Perhaps it was unfair to think of it like that, but she suspected the wixen world would always feel more like a vacation than her own life. Sadie giggled as Seine burst into laughter. Their amusement wasn't mean spirited, but she did feel a tinge of guilt as George's face turned pink. Her tone was gentler as she spoke up. "You're talking about darts. It's more of a pub game than anything else. You're trying to throw darts at specific numbers so they can sum up and get your score down to zero. I mean like, it's kind of a sport, but it's not super popular. We're more into like football and rugby." She wrinkled her nose, shrugging her shoulders. "They're okay, I guess. Brennan played a lot of rugby with some of the other boys in the village when we were kids and never let me join, so it kind of soured me on it. That jerk."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George looked at Sadie as if she was speaking a completely different language. Football he'd heard of, but tennis and rugby? Perhaps had he seen a video or an example of the former, he likely would have understood the former. Since examples weren't available, he remained clueless. "That's a bit rude if they didn't let you play. Did you ever ask him why?" It hardly seemed fair that Sadie hadn't been allowed to join in. Although, had he known the rules, he likely wouldn't have agreed. Quidditch was violent but at least they weren't so young; and magic, which helped a great deal when injuries got worse. "You'll have to show us some, one day. Probably not when it's freezing outside though." Especially since it was only going to get much colder. November had started wet and continued through until the approaching winter winds hit the castle and seemed to whip across faces and under cloaks as students made their way across the bridges and the grounds. They'd each be grateful for the temperature inside their year-round home, but it only seemed to be getting colder by the week. George hadn't expected it be long at all before the snow hit, as excited as he was. The white flakes weren't common in London, nor at his Aunt's boggy home. "Who do the sister's play for? Are they on a team? Like a city team or a country team?" Such a closeted anti-muggle household meant such commonplace things such as television and tennis were far more alien than most would expect; especially considering the short distance between his home and the famous tennis court. "I think you're thinking of Rugby, Georgey." Seine continued, a wide and bright grin still creasing his cheeks. "There aren't really any teams in Tennis, right?"</s>

<|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Sometimes they play doubles, but it's not like Quidditch teams," Sadie explained, before clicking her tongue in irritation. "It's so annoying. If I had a phone, I'd just show you a video. I'm seriously having withdrawals. I mean, don't get me wrong, magic is amazing, I'm happy to be here, but it's so frustrating being disconnected like this. It's going to be weird going back home for the holidays. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to tell my friends about where I've been." "I hadn't thought about that," Seine admitted, rubbing his chin. "My dad's a half blood, so we have some muggle stuff, but we don't really talk a lot with that side of the family." "Brennan made it really clear we're not allowed to talk about this with our old friends. We can tell mum and dad, but that's it," Sadie said grimly. Brennan's old friends had stopped coming round the past few years. She couldn't blame them; from their perspectives, Brennan had ghosted them. Sadie was pretty sure it was going to happen to her as well, and she didn't much like that thought. Sadie pushed past it. That was a problem for future Sadie.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George smiled and laughed. Magic really was something new to all people like Sadie. He knew they had stories, nursery rhymes; even he did. "He's in Ravenclaw. First of my entire family.." He awkwardly shifted in his seat and pulled up his next card. "He's in his fourth year too, they probably know each other. Does your brother play Quidditch?" He realised soon after Sadie probably didn't know what Quidditch was. It wasn't like he knew any muggle sports to compare it to either. Regardless, he found it unlikely that she'd know. "It's fun. You'll probably enjoy it." Turning over a single goblin, he looked over the card and his almost hateful stare. The card was a little damaged due to use, something which seemed to have bothered the goblin in the picture. "It's pretty violent at times, or at least the professional stuff is." He'd never seen Hogwarts Quidditch before. Outside the carriage, the countryside sped by. The world outside a blur, yet in the distance, the muggle city of Luton spat grey and brown onto the horizon. George's geography wasn't the best. He could see a town he did know though, located some miles to their left. "You see that town there?" George pointed to the small blot on their left. "That's Ilkley. Its completely inhabited by wizards. There isn't a muggle in the entire town." The blonde dropped back into his seat and sighed. It was an awkward moment before he finally dropped his goblin Ace onto the table. Much like a lot of the cards, its suit was often difficult to tell. The goblin adjusted his jacket and brandished his own spades patch on both of his pockets. Perhaps it wasn't his day, before George could even notice, the compartment door slid open and a tall, thin student, already dressed in the black, blue and silver robes he'd been chosen to wear the same day four years ago, stepped inside. "Fane packed my study books in with your stupid Duelling magazines again." Theodore stepped up onto the seat, ignoring both his brother and Sadie until he yanked the heavy leather trunk down onto the seats. He looked between the two of them and his brain ticked quickly. "Theo." He introduced, offering his hand out to Sadie. She wasn't freaking out about either of them... She seemed the same age as his brother... The simple fact she was almost buzzing in her seat. Muggleborn. He smiled a little and pulled his hand away. "Yeah, this is-" "I'm his brother. Your cards are smoking too much, best play faster. I don't expect them to have much game time left." The taller brunette yanked the trunk open and hunted around for a thickly bound, leather and ivory book from the bottom of George's trunk. He slammed the whole this shut and pulled out a wand that seemed almost too well cared for. He looked both ways before swishing his wand to lift the trunk up to a height he could manage. With both feet on the seats again, Theo pushed the trunk up onto the racking and dropped back down. It was something the boys did share in common that seemed to show. They both equally pushed strength over magical talent. Theo preferred to use his own body to move objects than rely solely on magic. George on the other hand, who currently knew very little on the subject, would, over time, prefer the strength of his own mind to push his magic to greater levels and more powerful standards. "Mum needs to sort Fane out." Theo sighed before picking his book up and moving towards the compartment door.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Quidditch is the thing with broomsticks, right?" Sadie queried, "Brennan says he plays Beater, but he won't explain much past that. It freaks mum out, she's right protective. Apparently he broke his leg last year; she had a fit when she found out, tried to convince him to quit playing." George pointed out the window to a blurry town and Sadie dutifully followed his gaze. It was whipping by, and she realized suddenly how fast they must actually be moving. She couldn't help her gasp when he described it. No muggles? Somehow, she'd never thought of wizarding villages or cities, had thought everyone was simply living among normal people. That was silly; of course wizards would flock together to form towns. Sadie flipped a card over. A stag with ten clubs in his horns thrust his head into the breeze majestically, a doe nuzzling against his chest. "That's crazy awesome," she began, but she was distracted by the opening of the door. A much taller boy, taller even than Brennan, entered. He didn't pay them much mind, saying something about books as he dragged down George's trunk. She shot a curious look at her companion, but as he wasn't looking too perplexed, she surmised that he knew the bloke. "Theo," the boy introduced, offering his hand. She shook it with a bright smile, sunny as ever. "Sadie! It's a pleasure." Ah, brothers. Sadie was amazed Theo was as cordial as he was, her own brother being a massive prat. At his warning she turned her attention to her cards. She laughed in delight, a wicked grin dimpling her cheeks. "Haha! This is stupendous!" "Oi, Sadie, did mum leave the pasties with you—" The door opened again, catching her attention. Her brother stood in the doorway, speaking more to the bubbly blonde waiting behind him, waving her off. He turned, nearly running straight into Theo, stopping on a dime. Sadie had never seen Brennan's face twist so hatefully so quickly. Grumpy git though he was, this was beyond his normal levels of surliness. His loathing was, alarmingly, directed entirely at Theo. Sadie quirked a brow. "*Nott*," he gritted out. Holy shoes, was that a vein popping? Sadie snorted, but Brennan (for once) didn't take the bait. Sadie cleared her throat loudly. "Ground control to Major Bren?" He seemed to snap out of it, huffing in irritation. Sadie twisted in her seat, digging into her large messenger bag and withdrawing a paper bag. She passed it towards him, rolling her eyes as he grabbed it viciously. "Hey! Don't be a jerk!" "Sadie—" He looked ready to explode. Rather like the cards, Sadie mused. His scowl renewed at the gaze he cast about the compartment. "You should be more discerning in your company."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Theo was the very personification of the middle class wizarding world. Like most Pureblood families, the Nott's came from a rich history, linking back to the Black family as most did nowadays. Both boys had been raised in a household, although unstable, had been 'proper'. It had rubbed off more on Theo than it had on George. The taller, black haired boy smiled and disappeared towards the door. The book in his hands was thick, ancient in appearance and clearly well-read. On close examination, several of the pages could be seen to be dislodged and no longer connected to the spine of the white cased tome. Inside was passages George could never understand. He'd stole a moment to try and work out exactly what had been keeping his brother so quiet over the last year, but inside were confusing texts and passages written in a language he didn't know. Theo had told him they were Runes from time to time but he still didn't understand. Earlier in the summer, he had managed to work out partially at what Theo had hoped to do with his life after Hogwarts. The day they took a trip to Diagon Alley, Theo had expressed a great interest in the wand George had been given. Aspen, something Theo had seemed to think had made a lot of sense. Dragon Heart String, something Theo seemed almost hesitant in.. It worried George, he didn't understand what it meant but if it was going to make school worse- Theo seemed to stop in the doorway, another voice bursting over their ears. The newcomer was clearly talking to Sadie, whoever he was. Mum? Her brother? He glanced over to Theo and watched his head raise a little; a trait he'd taken up from his uncle. He smirked and scoffed. "Ethans." He muttered curtly. Clearly they hated each other for whatever reason. George felt his mind race, he was worried. If they hated his brother, would they hate him too? For what his father did.. Probably. He didn't want them too, school was already going to be difficult. It hadn't occurred to him, despite the news that Sadie had shared, that the two were Quidditch rivals. His own brother had been a chaser for over a year now, despite his height he was exceptionally quick. "I'm sure I'll see you on the field this year, best not to fly into the wall again. Sometimes it hard to keep up with better players." His accent was richer than his brother's, heavy in an Oxford tone. Theo smiled and pushed past him into the corridor again, leaving George watching the two. Sadie's brother looked almost like he was going to explode himself. He wouldn't have been surprised if his brother ended up with a black eye before the train ride was over. Then the boy turned his attention to them both. He felt eyes on himself, uncomfortably. Discerning? What was he, an animal? George felt annoyed, stressed almost. How exactly was he lesser? So his brother and the boy didn't get on, he didn't exactly care. He wasn't his brother, he was just related to him. As they were both related to a mass murderer.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans The cards were smoking vigorously now. Sadie was far more worried about her brother's temper than the playing cards in hand. Ethans blood ran hot, and Brennan was the worst of all of them. Sadie drew in a deep breath. Already she could feel her ears reddening, her own teeth grinding as she tried to keep her irritation under control. "You're a prat," she informed her brother with a hiss, "Get out of my compartment." "Shut it you little shit," Brennan was surlier than usual—he must*really*hate Theo, she surmised. She knew him well enough to know he was simply lashing out, emotionally crippled as he was. Still, her lips pursed into a thin line at his poor manners. Instinctively, she chucked her cards at him. Several of them exploded along the way, and it filled her with a vicious sort of pleasure to see her idiot brother flinch back. For a moment she thought he might tackle her; their childhood had been half spent in cahoots and half spent trying to maim each other. She jut out her chin, sitting up as tall as she could. He made an irritated huff that sounded something like 'brat', but he stalked out nonetheless. Sadie tutted, sticking her tongue out at his disappearing back. After a long moment (and a quick set of deep breaths), she shot George an apologetic look. Sadie had the good grace to blush. "So," she said after a beat, "My brother's kind of a jerk. A lot a jerk," she amended thoughtfully, scrambling to pick up the cards she'd chucked at him. "He kind of turned into a rampaging git a few years back. He used to be pleasant, I swear." She sighed there, before bouncing back brightly. "I'm sorry about all that!"</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. Theo hadn't exactly been the one to talk about the people he hated and those he didn't consider a friend. Their mother had said he got his temper and superiority complex from their father. So long as neither of them would end up reliving the life the man had, neither of them had seemed too bothered; at least until George noticed how much his mum saw their father in his face. Bastard genetics... He'd be okay so long as nobody paid attention. There had to be other Death Eater's kids in the school, they were all probably fine. That was how things tended to work, people just didn't care, right? George glanced up at Sadie and smiled. He shook his head. He could hear his brother's voice in his head.*How can an eleven year old have the weight of the world on his shoulders? Grow up, George* "**Honestly, it's fine. Brothers are like that.**" He commented, gathering what was left of his cards.The box had been enchanted on purchase, a simple repairing charm fixed each of the cards once they returned to their packaging. Perhaps they were a more expensive brand. He stuffed them back into his pocket and turned his eyes out the window. He had no idea where they were now or how long it would be until they arrived at school. He dreaded to think in all honesty. His stomach was leaping and jumping around. Was it this normal to be nervous? The sounds coming from the compartments on either side of them indicated just how excited everyone seemed to be. Then there was Sadie who seemed to be bouncing off every wall. "**What sort of things did you do then? You know, as a muggle?**" Perhaps he sounded ignorant, yet he knew very little of the muggle world. He'd seen muggles living in his neighbourhood but he didn't know what they did for fun, or where they went to school. "**Did you go to school as a kid? There is no other school for wizards. We're all home taught.**"</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George's comment on brothers brought a grateful smile to her lips. It was nice to not be alone in dealing with obnoxious siblings. She finished collecting the cards she had thrown, arranging them as neatly as one could arrange recently exploded cardstock. Passing them to George, she returned her attention to the landscape, humming brightly. Everything would be lovely—they must be getting close, right? Sadie could only hope. She needed to be at the castle*now*! He asked her about what she did—and she tilted her head, considering his words. As he mentioned that he had yet to go to school, she found herself gaping. No primary school? That was just*weird*. "Everyone is homeschooled? What if both your parents work?" She frowned, finding the idea very peculiar. Her mum and dad were always busy with the farm and their business. There's no way they would have had time to homeschool her. "I started primary school when I was five. I would have been going to secondary school this year if I hadn't gotten my letter. Um… outside of school and the farm, I really like films! And video games!" Sadie didn't really think how alien her words would sound as she began babbling, bouncing away.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George laughed. Perhaps it seemed strange, most wizarding mother's stayed home to tutor their children until eleven years old, unless they were well off. George had been tutored by a witch at home, alongside Theo, who'd taught them all the basics of reading and writing, life and everything else they'd need to learn in order to survive school. Their real education had started at Hogwarts, and perhaps that was the reason so many seemed out of place in Muggle Society. "Most mum's teach their kids, but me and my brother had a teacher, she taught us three times a week." He turned to Sadie again and furrowed an eyebrow. She'd already been to school? It was strange to think. It was probably why muggle-borns and halfbloods fit into the system better, or so his brother had said. "You've already been to school, that's so strange." "Video games?" George asked, looking at Sadie as if she were mad. Muggle's were odd. "I don't understand." Maybe he sounded like an idiot in her eyes, completely unaware of what she was talking about. During his trips through muggle London, George had seen various video games, though unaware at the time. He'd unknowingly noticed how popular and how many they were Yet without knowing what they were, he disregarded the fact and carried on their trip to Gringotts that day. His world must seem so strange to Sadie too, a world that was so sought after by muggles, a world of magic and myth. They had broomsticks, time travel, unicorns, wands, wizards, talking pictures and goblins. His world was her stories, however it was life to him. "What did you think of Diagon Alley?" He asked, smiling to himself. So far it would probably be the only wizarding location she'd seen. He could imagine her face at the site. It would have probably been at lot like the faces of some of the other kids he'd seen.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Why's it the mums job?" Sadie asked, a little annoyed at the idea. It hardly seemed right to her. She knew several of her friends mum's stayed at home, but Sadie had never liked the idea. As much as working on the farm didn't appeal to her, she'd been raised to work hard. She detested the idea of being stuck at home all day. She 'hmph'ed a little, before moving onwards. It was hardly George's fault that the wizarding system was so seemingly unfair. "School is brilliant," she enthused brightly, folding her legs up onto her seat. "There weren't a lot of other kids in the village, but I got to make lots of friends in class." He looked confused—oh, right, Brennan had mentioned that wizards didn't really have video games or television. How strange. She lit up, clapping her hands. "Oh! They're brilliant! People make stories and you get to play them. Um! I don't know how else to describe them? I'm bad at this," she laughed there, scratching her nose. "You get to be someone else and fight bad guys or solve puzzles or save the galaxy. It's magical!" He asked about Diagon Alley and Sadie lit up like it was Christmas. She couldn't help but gush. "Oh my goodness! The*hats*! And the owls! And and the broomsticks were great and it's just,*wow*. I saw someone transform someone else into a teapot! Then blokes in funny robes came by and dragged them off and wow, it was just*crazy!*Ollivander's was brilliant, too. I guess it just, I don't know, made everything seem*real*. It's amazing. I never would have imagined something so wonderful, you know? I'm just Sadie," she softened there, shrugging her shoulders awkwardly. "One minute I'm gathering chicken eggs and cleaning up after cows, the next I'm buying a wand and going to learn*magic*. It's just… I guess I thought it was going to be a joke for a long time, like 'fooled you, Sadie, we got you good' but I'm on the train and it's*happening*. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and I'll be back on the farm."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George tried to imagine what it would be like to have not grown up in the world he'd already been surrounded in. How he'd feel when he first recieved his letter, what it would feel like to enter a world that seemed so unlike what he'd alreay experienced. Seeing Sadie react was hilarious. Having grown up with wands, Wizards and witches, goblins, elves, ghosts, talking paintings, flying and apiration, it would seem unwordly to someone who'd never expirenced it all before. Despite all this, he felt Hogwarts would be the same for them both. His brother had described it to be the most amazing place he'd ever experienced, something of which George was already aprehensious about. He was nervous, for no reason he repeated to himself often. "This would be an awful dream if it were one." He commented, adding a smile as he spoke. "Considering you're not the only one here." He reached into the bag for another Bean and glanced over the flavour. It shone a strange, misty blue, dancing almost. After Norway's win at the Quidditch World Cup that summer, there had been an influx of themed sweets. "Here." George offered, handing it to Sadie. "It's not a sweet, so don't eat it. It's a miniturised Dragon Egg, frozen as simply a shell. You can collect them, I think there's thirty, or just use them as decoration." They weren't rare as such, but a collection of petrified dragon eggs had certainly become a collectors item over the few months they'd been sold. He turned his eyes over to the window, wondering just how long it would be until they were reaching the school. The last time George had known, they'd been in parallel with Norfolk, perhaps less than half way. He knew they usually arrived after sundown, but without watches, he hadn't a clue of the time. "How long do you reckon is left?" He asked, turning his head back to his.. Friend? Was Sadie a friend now? His train of thought had been pushed aside when the door pushed open, two girls laughing and giggling themselves at the door. "Here, a present." One laughed, throwing a small black package onto Sadie's lap. The girls laughed for a second, both pushing the door shut before the compartment burst into complete darkness. They could hear the girls on the opposite side of the door, but as George fumbled for the train window, he noticed one voice disappeared. He fumbled, coughing up the dust, or whatever it was. A hand found the latch and soon the window was open, black powder filing out the window as if it were forced. He rushed to the door and pulled it back open, aiming to shout at the girls who'd pranked them. Down the carriage, he saw the two girls running, hand in hand, hurrying away from them. One had been a slightly plump female, brunette and loud, the other had been a taller female, slimmer, and with a similar blonde to his own. It wasn't a rare quality, but striking to him all the same. The girls glanced back, laughing once more. George let out a sigh and groaned. He waved at the last bits of the Instant Darkness and sat back down.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie laughed brashly at George's comment, tipping her head back with her mirth. He was being really rather nice. She didn't doubt the lengths that jerk's like her brother would go to in pulling a prank. She supposed the train was a bit out of his reach, but as a professional younger sister she'd learned that there was*always*a chance she was being messed with. Especially considering she tended to give as good as she got. "Maybe it's just a massive prank and there's loads of hidden cameras everywhere," she grinned, although she had visibly relaxed in her seat. "And instead of Hogwarts we're just going in a big loop and we'll end up back at King's Cross. My dreams can be right terrible sometimes." George offered her a small blue bean, which she accepted. She blinked as he told her not to eat it—and her mouth dropped when he explained what it was. Sadie was aware she looked daft, but this was too wild to be stupid like Brennan and feign apathy. "A*dragon egg*?" She repeated, her little mind blown by the implications. "Like, there are enough dragons in the world that eggs can just be like, shrunk and passed out in sweets?" She stared at the little blue bean—*egg*—in her palm, pale fingers reaching out to better examine it. It was so wee; and a little sad. She'd much rather it be a proper egg, with a proper dragon. Still, it was wonderful. "Thank you," she breathed, rather enthralled, her brain working a mile a minute. She didn't process his question about the time, still puzzling over the egg, and then, rather alarmingly, something dropped in her lap and the compartment when black. "Ack!" Sadie coughed, reflexively covering the egg with her hands to keep it safe. The light had been extinguished. It was oppressively dark, pressing in all around her, and Sadie let out a desperately uncool*squeak*. Her lungs burned and her heart raced in terror. She had to get out, it was too dark, she didn't have her phone to use as a light and— The window opened, the air clearing almost instantly. Sadie breathed deep, grateful for the fresh air and all the precious*light*. Black powder streamed out in large swirls, but her heartbeat was taking longer to slow down. She relaxed against her seat as George went to the compartment door. An empty sachet sat in her lap, which she carefully turned over. "'Weasley Wizard Wheezes Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder'," she read aloud, a painful knot in her throat. A humiliated flush had crossed her cheeks, freckled ears burning bright red. Sadie knew it was silly and childish, her fear of the dark, and wished desperately that she could be less pathetic. "That's, um… s-something else."</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. George dropped into his seat with a light thud. He gave a short sigh once again and looked back up at Sadie. "It's just prank stuff. There's a huge shop filled with it in Diagon Alley, I'm not sure if you saw it. It's supposed to 'get you out of any trouble spot'." Wouldn't work for something outside the safety of Hogwarts. "Just ignore it anyway, pranks never mean to hurt anyone." Despite the ease of their conversation before, the sudden interruption had done nothing but twist the eleven year old stomach into knots. He sat quietly for a short while, pulling a small handful of beans from the box. They were two separate sides of the spectrum. Sadie was filled to the brim with excitement. George couldn't help but feel nervous. It didn't matter though, it hardly would. His dad had been in prison for a long time and wouldn't be facing the Dementors for a long while. He'd serve his time before they'd 'put him to sleep'. It was pretty much how his mother described it, how she'd always described what would happen to their dad. He gave another sigh and tossed back the last few sweets he'd taken from the packet. George finally glanced up, taking in the colour of Sadie's cheeks and face. He gave a short laugh and smiled. He didn't mean it in offence, children never did. "It's only a prank, no need to get embaressed." He smiled, offering her the box once more. Outside their compartment, he could hear the sound of others laughing and cheering, playing games and talking. He wondered how many of them would share the same family history as him. There had been potential for a fair few, especially if he truly believe the stories they had from before the Ministry burst into their home. George turned back to his friend once more. "If you keep the egg warm for long enough, they're supposed to hatch. I don't know how true it is, they're only eggs. But there's loads of dragons, tons in the north and east. I've heard of them being found in the deserts in Africa. You'll learn about all that though." He added with a smile. He was sure they'd learn everything there was to know about the Wizarding World in time, they just needed to get there first.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George fumbled over a jug of the thick, orange liquid they'd all become accustomed to and carefully poured its condense into the metal goblet he suspected to be silver. He was nervous but he knew he'd be sharing his lessons with his friends at least. So long as they were there, he would feel even the slightest bit more comfortable and that's what mattered most, surely. His hands tucked the pitcher back down on the table before searching for his cup. Yet the cup barely left the table before his toes curled under his shoes, his stomach wrapping around itself over and over again. He chanced a glance at his two friends, noting Sadie's interested face and Seine's now rather regretful and uncomfortable. George gave a short stammer at first. It was all he could manage. She didn't need to know everything.. Slowly, the blonde twisted in his seat to face his friend, his brain trying to make sense of the story he'd been told by his parents numerous times. "Way before any of us were born, there was a wizard. He was pretty bad and he had an army. He lost the first war and everyone thought he'd died." He paused and flicked his eyes about the duo. "Turns out he didn't die. There was this other wizard too, and he was the only one who could kill this bad wizard. When he was at this school, the second war happened and his army arrived at this school. A lot of the students stood and fought him, some died. The Ministry came to fight too and other witches and wizards. The bad wizard was killed here and his army scattered. Some of them were never found and some were caught years later.." George quickly turned back in his seat and held his cup in both hands. He skipped over far too many details. Why were his palms sweaty? It felt incredibly hot. He glanced up between the two of them again and tried so hard to work out what they were thinking. There was no way Sadie would link anything together, but that wasn't his worry. He turned his eyes to Seine, studying him hard for a moment. He couldn't tell, how on earth did he expect himself to… "It's a pretty famous story. Apparently people were celebrating for weeks afterwards. Ask your parents, they may have seen some weird things around that time." George forced himself to change his tone, desperately trying to make it sound like he wasn't affected at all by what had been said.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie listened to George intently. She didn't miss the look the two boys shared, deeply uncomfortable and knowing, as if she was going to regret asking. How could knowing be bad? She tried to keep up with George's stories, but the lack of details and names made it a bit tricky. The idea of dying, but not really, caught her interest. There were ghosts, but she had thought that death was still a forever thing. The curiosity gnawed at her brain. "Okay, but why?" She pressed. She felt a little guilty; George looked really uncomfortable. But she got the sense that she was missing an important detail and she couldn't help herself. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Seine said quietly, "he didn't like muggleborns. A lot of the older families agreed, said that muggleborns were stealing magic and destroying wizarding kind. They rounded up muggleborns as criminals. The lucky ones got sent to Azkaban." She'd heard of that—her textbook had talked about the prison, about things called Dementors. The photograph had made her feel physically ill. It was a desolate place. "The lucky ones?" She asked cautiously, her heart fluttering. No one had ever said… it made sense, in an awful way. People were people, magic or not. She'd always been an avid lover of history, but it seemed that every corner of the planet was marked by genocide and scapegoats. "Yeah," Seine didn't elaborate further. He smiled at her tightly, clapping her shoulder. "Things are getting better, though. There's been a lot of reform. You're fine. We've got your back." He looked at George, and Sadie caught the faintest nod, the glimmer of something like understanding. He's a Nott, came to mind suddenly, and Sadie filled in the blanks. Had George's family been a part of that, then? She glanced to the pale haired boy, before a little smile crossed her face. Her left hand squeezed the dark palm on her shoulder, her right found George's palm and squeezed it tightly. "Thanks," she said quietly, releasing the boys before they could complain. She tucked back into her breakfast, "So, I don't know about you two, but I'm super stoked slash terrified about flying on Thursday. On one hand, flying, on the other; I'm already super clumsy on the ground. I'm pretty sure I'll find a way to screw it all up."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. It was a strange place to linger in. A child could love a parent more than then themselves, cling to them with everything they had. No matter what they did, some parents were ever 'bad'. George may have wished his father a better life, one he didn't have to spend on the run, but he was still his only Dad. It may have been embarrassing and uncomfortable to know a man so close had ended more than one wizard or witch's life, even worse to know their descendants may have been in the room. He knew his cousin, Njall had it worse. Descending directly from the werewolf every Wizard had feared couldn't have been great. George watched his two friends, a smile rising on the corners of his lips when the two of them seemed so easy to stand by him. Sadie would have stood by anyone in his situation. She was a good friend. Seine, well no doubt he'd be around for years. There was nothing stopping him. George turned back to Sadie and nodded his head. "Thanks." He muttered, feeling a heavy weight slowly ease itself from his shoulders, gently allowing his mind to relax. As anyone would have been, the blonde was thankful for the change in conversation. Sadie was talented that way. "You'll love Quidditch." He commented, choosing to feed himself a round of toast. "It's pretty damn amazing. I'll try and get my Mum to get us a extra couple of tickets and you guys could come to the World Cup with us in the summer? Sadie you'd love it." George could only remember swirling colours and screaming fans from his previous World Cup. Argentina against Japan. It had been insane. The game didn't last two hours. His brother had told him how three Argentinian players went out, leaving a single chasers and a single beater. George could just remember the noise. "It would be amazing to see the final, but those tickets go quickly." He just hoped the rest of the day would be this easy. "Either of you two looking forward to Herbology?" He asked, turning his attention back to his food. "Personally, I'm not big on plants. My brother says I'd be better at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts." He added, nervously rambling a little.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Quidditch again. Sadie perked up. Brennan hadn't explained it much, mostly because mum tended to fuss over the stories of his injuries, but she had gathered that it was deeply important to him. He'd mentioned broomsticks and that it made football look positively glacial in pace. "That'd be brilliant," Seine lit up, a toothy grin crossing his face. Sadie smiled, tucking her hair behind an ear. The World Cup… that sounded like fun, even if the sport was still a mystery to her. Maybe there was a book on it in the library? She'd have to investigate. First thing after class today, she was going to find this magical place and devour its secrets. "Wow," she beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "That would be incredible. Thanks!" George asked about Herbology. Seine shrugged, draining his pumpkin juice. "Sort of. My mum says it starts slow, but that it's dead useful." "It'll be interesting to see how it's different," Sadie nodded, clearing her plate of the remnants of breakfast. "But I do like gardening. My dad has a green thumb, and he always said that nurturing a plant from seeds to the dinner plate was important. People forget how much work it takes." She paused, swinging her legs as she looked around. Large hourglasses filled with beautiful gems caught her eye, glittering in the morning light. "House points," Seine explained. "The more in the bottom, the more the house has. At the end of the year, the winning house gets honored at the feast." He grinned suddenly. "My dad says he and his best friends nearly set a record for losing the most points in a single go." Sadie quirked a brow, watching the rubies shimmer curiously. The display of wealth was just… incredible. "That doesn't exactly sound like a good thing," she remarked, but looked to her wrist watch. "Ooh! I think we need to get to class." "We have half an hour," Seine remarked and Sadie boggled "We can leave in twenty minutes and still be on time." "On time is late."</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. George was surprised he understand the phrase 'green thumb' although he'd only heard it when his mum had spoken about the elderly lady in the tiny shop down Diagon Alley. He assumed the term probably wasn't so derogatory in the Muggle world. For a moment, he tried to imagine exactly what plants muggles did grow, but eventually drew the line at simply vegetables and possibly a few cooking herbs. Maybe that was why they'd be forced to take muggle studies for the next three years. He couldn't imagine what the next few years would even be like. No doubt he'd look back on himself in years to come to simply think about this day, to remember his friends when they were young, to recall how wonderful their first real day at school was. He'd look back and laugh at the homework, the spells and even regret not trying harder; George had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, so trying hard didn't exactly matter. George turned his eyes towards the huge hourglasses, all remaining solidly at the top, waiting for when slowly students would start earning points. The more attention the eyes gave, the more the castle seemed to sparkle and reveal a secret. "Oh gosh, how many?" George asked, trying to imagine what a new record in lost house points was. One hundred points? One thousand points? How many points did students even get? It couldn't be one, that was too little. It wasn't going to one hundred either, that was too much. "You're dad sounds he caused a lot of trouble whilst he was here." George added, sharing a laugh with Seine before Sadie chimed in. "It's not the end of the world if we're not the first there." He looked back over as Sadie expressed her desire to be early. "Suppose we should go then." He commented, sliding out of his seat and back onto his feet. He didn't exactly know where Herbology was.. And the map they'd been given was less than helpful. However, he remained quiet, walking towards the great doors once again. He passed glances over at his two friends, unsure if they were sharing the same lost feelings. By the looks of things, George thought as he twisted the small parchment in his hands, the green houses were outside.. Problem was, there were three ways to leave the castle. The blonde turned towards a row of stairs, looking down towards a door that a few students were passing through. "This way?" George asked, looking between the map and his friends. He gave himself a determined push and headed down the stone stairs. They'd get the hang of it before too long. Maybe having so long to travel was a good idea. Travelling out into a courtyard filled with students playing games and shouting loudly just to hear over the voices of those around them. A group of five students seemed intent in rolling glass balls across the ground. Each one varied in size and colour. Some rolled further than others, and a few exploded just to knock others from the middle. "Gobstones." Seine pointed out, as they walked past. "Not the most interesting game in the world but it's funny to watch some times." They headed out towards a bridge and the same stairs they'd climbed from the docks the night before. They looked so different in day light. The lost expressions on their faces had already attracted the attention of a particular prefect dressed in royal blue. "You three look lost." He chimed, a huge grin on his face and an accent that screamed Oxford. "Can I help?" He asked, leaning on the stone wall beside him. "Let me guess-" He spoke first, butting in before any of them could speak. "Herbology." Another boy added. His accent was different, similar but with an older and more 'BBC' tone: London. "Max, this is my brother." He added, pointing out George and his two friends. "Herbology is directly across the bridge. Then through a few coridors before some huge doors. You can't miss them." Theodore spoke, pointing them across the bridge. His stopped with his eyes on Sadie for a moment, his nose flaring a little. "Max can walk you if you need it." The prefect smiled again, pointing to himself. It was strange to know he was a catch with a lot of Ravenclaw girls. "Come on then, follow on. I'll lead." He headed out, his sandy blonde hair bouncing a little as he walked. He certainly was strange, but the confidence worked. "So names." Max smiled, starting with George. "I know you, you have your brother's nose but I don't know you two." He began to walk backwards, pointing over at Seine. The first year replied with his name, leaving only Max to jump his attention to Sadie.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie was blown away by the intensity of the cheers. Brennan looked both frustrated and pleased; bolstered by the joy of their housemates, but determined, as if he wanted another go around the castle. She knew that look—Brennan had always been hyper-competitive, and it had gotten him into trouble hundreds of times over the year. But the blonde had slung her arm around his shoulder and for a moment, Sadie thought everything might be okay. The peace didn't last but thirty seconds. A vulgar protest shot through the crowd, quieting the raucous laughter. Everyone knows Ethans can't fly. Sadie felt her stomach twist, one parts surprise to two parts indignation. What did that mean? He had just tied, hadn't he? She looked between Seine and George, confusion written on her face. Seine shrugged, but George was urging them to go. Sadie rose to her feet, but couldn't quite tear her eyes away from the spectacle. She'd never seen Brennan look so hateful, not even when she'd accidentally set his jumper on fire last summer. He looked at Theo like he wanted to rip his throat out, fists clenched. Sadie realised suddenly that the blonde, Pepper, had a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "You know, for two thousand galleons, I would have thought your broom should do the flying for you, seeing as how you can barely put the bird through her paces," Brennan's voice was strangled by frustration, and Sadie couldn't look away. It was a train wreck in slow motion, and everyone surrounding the two boys seemed to recognize it. "Come on, Brennan, let's just go," One of the crimson clad boys muttered. Brennan seemed to try and compose himself, and Sadie though that he'd managed the impossible and controlled his temper. A half-pint moron with dirt for blood cut through the air like a knife. A gasp and a chorus of outrage rippled through the crowd—and Brennan had launched himself at Theo. Sadie gaped as her brother grappled the taller boy, raining down blow after blow. People were shouting—several of the students in red were screaming for blood. "ENOUGH," boomed throughout the courtyard. Brennan and Theo were ripped apart, and Sadie could see her brother straining against the magic, knuckles bloody, as if all that mattered was the fight. The Headmistress was sweeping across the grounds in a rush of emerald tartan robes, wand aloft. Students cleared a path for her automatically, "Control yourselves, the both of you! Never, in all my years—" "Professor," Pepper interrupted. The sharp look Professor McGonagall gave terrified Sadie, and she wasn't even the one receiving it. Pepper swallowed, but continued, fists clenched. "Brat deserved it, he called Ethans a mudblood—" "That is enough, Miss Averys. I cannot believe a Head Girl would condone this response—the both of you," Professor McGonagall directed her wand to the two boys, still suspended and held apart. They were placed on their feet, and Brennan looked as though he might launch himself at Theo once more. Sadie chewed her nails anxiously as Professor McGonagall marched the boys—and a few of the older students with little golden badges—away. Dirt for blood, he'd said. Sadie watched Theo and Brennan's backs. That was what Seine and George had meant.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George stood stationary, on the edge of hyperventilating after his brother's outburst. If it was possible to turn back time... Theo was going to get himself killed for saying that. The blonde's eyes constantly flicked between the boys, waiting. The uproar of response was expected, after all, he'd said the worst thing. His brother was an idiot! He made one last attempt to pull his friends from their spots only to startle and jump as soon as a thud echoed the grounds. Theo was on the ground, Brennan throwing punches faster than George thought possible. Watching was unbearable. His brother deserved the response, it what he'd sought after but George doubted it was this. He peered round at the students, Gryfindor backing Brennan, two Ravenclaws making a dash to pull Brennan from their friend, along with plenty of students disappearing back to the castle as if they sensed the trouble that seemed so close at hand. "Enough!" A voice rang out like a bell, standing each student still, with magic and without. Seeing his brother stood upright was a sorry sight. His nose looked displaced and his shirt- Oh Theo. George felt himself feel sorry for his brother. No one dared to speak aside from the blonde girl Brennan had been attached to. No one was denying Theo didn't deserve it but Brennan had broken his nose; it was uncalled for. The skinny red head looked more distressed than before. George couldn't tell if that was a joint effort or whether the final shove had been the cause. It didn't stop her looking like a hen, clucking and flapping wings, red feathers all over. All anyone could do was watch their Headmistress and silently argue, she was terrifying. Watching the two boys stand alone again was worse than tortue. Theo lifted a hand up to pinch his nose, stopping the bleeding Brennan had caused, and Brennan looked for than ready for round two. George couldn't look yet he still did. He needed to be there for his brother, it was the reason they were so close. The sight of watching him walk away, head tipped back, was painful. His face no longer held the twisted smirk that it had done when dealing with Brennan, now Theo just looked tired. As soon as the two figures were out of sight, George let out a sigh, a breath of nervous and anxious air. He glanced between his two friends and then at the ground. "I'm sorry my brother said that." George muttered quietly, as if speaking too loudly would turn the mob on him. "He can be a bit thoughtless sometimes." George felt the undying need to protect him rumble and stir despite how little he could do. The students began to shuffle back towards the castle, speaking amoungst themselves, murmurs and mutters everywhere. George had suspected Theo hadn't been best impressed when Sadie's brother bumped into him yesterday but he didn't expect the hate to run so deep. It seemed unnatural for him, starting fights on purpose. He watched those whose George suspected to be friends of Theo's leave his broom with the red head as they stalked back to the castle embarrassed. George waited until most of the students were gone before heading back to the castle, his lunch no longer appitising. His stomach still flipped like a robotic muggle dog, faster than Brennan punched his brother. This wasn't going to plan at all- he was hating school because of this. He paused whilst Seine caught up and again whilst they waited for Sadie. Both of them knew they'd have to explain what Theo had said to her, neither of them wanted to. There wasn't anything worse Theo could have uttered. No doubt they'd be hearing about it all day though.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Be careful. He's a Nott, Maryam had said. Sadie hadn't really understood—she'd thought maybe it was something personal. But things began to click as George apologized, and a thousand questions raced through her head. What exactly did the Nott name mean? Did she even want to know? Her stomach churned. "Thoughtless is an understatement," Seine said with a shake of his head. Sadie chewed thoughtfully on her lip, watching the crowd cautiously. Most of the students had reacted as though disgusted, but had everyone? How many people thought her brother—and her, she realised suddenly—had dirt in their veins? "It's okay. We should get to the common room," Sadie said with a strained smile. They had nearly half an hour, but she found herself wanting to get out of the crowd. Mercifully, Seine nodded, and they rushed to catch up with George. Sadie smiled weakly, hooking loose red hair behind her ear. "We've got six inches to write on Gamp's laws before Wednesday. We should get it done now—it looks like tomorrow's going to be hectic." Seine groaned, jamming hi hands in his pockets, looking entirely too displeased by the notion. "Ughhh, seriously?" "We're literally learning magic, how is that not the most exciting thing ever?" Sadie boggled at Seine, who simply grumbled in return. Looking to George, she cocked a brow. "Don't tell me you find bending the laws of physics boring too."</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. Halloween arrived faster than anyone had expected. The incident on the grounds was pretty much forgotten, even with Theo sporting a dark purple eye for over a week after. By the time the middle of October emerged the entire school was ready for the first Quidditch game of the year. Thankfully the tension between Theo and Brennan wouldn't be pushed any further beyond its limits: Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw was a thankful event. Of course the entire team was insistent on crowning themselves Champions, pushed even further ahead with one chaser's violent and grim determination to beat one Gryfindor beater if it killed him. The match itself started particularly well; clear skies and only hateful glares. The game continued slowly to begin with. One goal to Ravenclaw; two to Hufflepuff; another one to Ravenclaw. A scuffle broke out shortly after the wind picked up, chilled Autumn air speeding across the highlands bringing the hideous and unwelcome promise of rain. A small Hufflepuff clutched the Quaffle close to her chest, mouse brown hair flowing behind obviously troubled by the wind, glancing backwards as Ravenclaw closed it. It happened to quick to say exactly who caused the girl to fall fifty feet to the ground, unconscious and limp. George felt inclined not to blame his brother, but instead the buck tooth chaser beside him. One, two, three... Ravenclaw pulled themselves into a 40 point lead before either of the two seekers caught into the Snitch. The crowd cheered along, pulling up hoods as the rain closed in, darkening the sky within minutes. The prospect of a "nice, clean game" was all but memory now. Theo pushed forwards, eyes fixed on the two Hufflepuff chasers, juggling the ball between them. The two others joined him, speeding along behind preparing for impact. Theo dropped down, disappearing from their sight whilst the two other chasers closed in on either side, pushing them together, cornering them. Theo pushed upwards, almost knocking one off their broom. Rhonda, a tall and gangly Hufflepuff pulled the Quaffle close to his chest and pulled round, making a break for the goal posts. At least until he took a bludger to the chest, winding him enough to drop the ball. A short mad dash for the Quaffle and Ravenclaw had the lead again. Another two goals passed by, with borderline foul play occurring almost every time Hufflepuff had possession. Ten further points to Hufflepuff and the snitch was caught. Whistling and cheering erupted from stands covered in Blue and Silver, not a single member caring about the growing downpour. Ravenclaw house seemed to be on high for the rest of the month after that, every ego inflated beyond repair, despite the fact one Hufflepuff had two broken ribs and the mousy-chaser was still unconscious; Quidditch wasn't a soft sport. School passed less quickly even though they were finally learning magic! It may have only been beginner's spells but a spell was a spell and that's what mattered. The homework made things worse, essays for this and reading for that. Thankfully the excitement still hadn't truly worn off. Outside, the weather had dropped considerably. Blustering winds and crunching leaves under every foot really set the scene for their first Halloween. George joined his friends in the Common Room before heading back down to dinner, robes abandoned and comfier casual clothes ready for the a Friday night feast. They spoke about lessons and other students, teachers and ghosts, spells and mischief. The sight of the Great Hall covered in floating pumpkins and full with every child's Halloween dream. Candy apples, cakes, sweets galore! Stuffed food in the shapes of monsters. Skulls filled with soup and towering stacks of assorted meals, all balanced with talent. George made headway for a space towards the top of the table, helping himself to a bowl of soup and a crusty roll. He stayed silent for the most part, listening to Seine retell the events of a Quidditch match his old man had previously explained in a letter. Deep down, he was jealous. There was no denying it. Having a functional family must be something amazing. Sure, there were student's whose parents were no longer together, but having a parent in prison was a step beyond that. He poured the three of them a glass of pumpkin juice and settled down into his seat, enjoying the sights that Halloween brought.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans After the first week, Sadie finally found the rhythm of her schoolwork. It was tricky work—she frequently had to ask her classmates what certain magical terms meant—but that was good. Sadie had always liked cutting her teeth on difficult concepts. There was nothing like the joy of finding the answer, especially when she found it herself. She'd apparently become the class nerd, but Sadie found the near apathy of some of her classmates staggering. She knew in the way that she knew that she must breathe that she would never tire of the magic of spells and potions and earth beneath her fingernails. The first Quidditch game was terrifying and exhilarating in equal parts. She couldn't forget the sight of that little Hufflepuff girl hurtling towards the ground. She'd woken up in a cold sweat half a dozen times, heart slamming into her ribs until she feared they might break. No one else seemed particularly bothered, and Sadie kept those nightmares quiet. It had been two months, and Brennan had barely spoken more than a dozen words to her. She'd seen how he darkened when she came around with George, his lips pressing into a thin line. But it hadn't been George who'd said those awful things, she wanted to scream at her brother. Somehow, Sadie didn't think Brennan much cared. It was, truthfully, rather lonely. At least her mum wrote frequently, sending sweets and trinkets from back home. Her dormmates had been fascinated by the still photographs Sadie's muggle friends had sent, their fashion and technology so alien to them. She was surprised to find herself missing home. Magic was wonderful and great, and she adored it, but she yearned for her phone, for streaming music and television. She missed knowing slang and context and staircases that didn't change on her. Sadie had a sharp sense of direction, but Hogwarts seemed to be purposefully trying to make her late for classes by completely altering its layout halfway through her walks. Halloween was as lavish as Christmas, she'd realised with a gasp as she and her friends entered the Great Hall. It was spectacular, flickering candles and spiders crafted of wisps of smoke dancing up and down webs of gossamer magic. Sadie spent the first five minutes of the meal whipping her head back and forth to catch sight of something new and wondrous. One of the older students chuckled as she gasped in delight at little cauldron cakes with ladles stirring around in their chocolate. Seine was regaling them with a particularly thrilling (and brutal) Quidditch recounting, Estonia vs. Laos, but she was only half listening. Seine was an amazing story teller, but she'd already heard the match--yellow and black robes whipping in wind, body tumbling like a rag doll toflat, flat earth—and she instead focused on the food. She was halfway through a bowl of pumpkin soup when she noticed that a tall, thin Professor was whispering into the Headmistress' ear. Sadie watched at the elderly witch's face blanked, her lips pursing into a thin line. Little whispers seemed to break out along the Head Table—and then they were hushed, smiles placed back on their faces. She almost thought she had imagined it, but… "Did you see that?" Niall muttered from across the table. Sadie met the his curious gaze, flicking her eyes back to the Head Table. Everything seemed normal, but… "That didn't look like good news," Sadie murmured, knitting her brows together. "Wonder what they're hiding."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George found himself chatting along with Seine, regaling the events the match he'd read about. "Wasn't that the game where Keola was banned for life?" He asked, wiping pastry crust from the corners of mouth. "Didn't he almost murder Estonia's keeper?" He was barely aware of Sadie's attention existing elsewhere, instead solely focused on the conversation at hand. Seine's eyes animated and his hands waved with enthusiasm. "Yes! He nearly get the woman on fire. Oh what was her name- Ti-, no... To, er-" He paused for a moment, as if trying to pull the name from the very back of his mind. His hands danced in a circle like a fisherman recoiling a rod. "Tulli!" Seine yelled suddenly. "My dad said that the whole crowd just freaked out! He plays for some Chinese team now though, so his ban must have been lifted... I don't know why." Seine continued, trailing off to stuff more food into his mouth. The Great Hall echoed with the chorus of the ghosts and the echo of students laughing and babbling about anything that sprang to mind. The faces of each first year still seemed to irradiate with excitement and elation. Pumpkins floated about the room, each one carved to display a different face. From cackling smiles to slanted and devilish eyes. Each one was unique. George had spent the first part of the evening wondering exactly how had spent all afternoon craving each face with such creativity until it occurred to him that a simple charm would have easily done the job. The ghosts seemed to glade through the room, going from table to table, each joining in a small chorus of a song that seemed far older than anyone else in the castle. "What do muggles do for Halloween?" George asked after the conversation of Quidditch had died down. He'd never truly realized how different their worlds were. Muggles had such strange things, items he didn't understand. Their paintings and photographs didn't move yet large screens played sound and moving images, changing at the push of a button. There was music coming from tiny devices in pockets and huge metal birds that flew in the sky. How could they stand not being able to get somewhere instantly? What if something was broken? Did they just throw it out? There were far too many questions to make any real sense of and two months of Muggle Studies had done little to ease the burden he had in his head. He wondered what muggle kids did for fun? What sports did they play? What did they learn at school? How did they speak to people in other countries? How many of them knew his own world existed? What was it like to be told you were a wizard!? George pulled another lump of his pastry and ate eagerly awaiting Sadie's response to his question. Did they eat big meals? Did they have parties? Did they do nothing? He could remember seeing shop windows decorated with masks and spiders webs. The image of a green faced women, her nose huge and long, with a single boil on the end was firmly placed in his mind yet he didn't really understand why. Was that what muggles thought his kind looked like? Sure, goblins weren't great looking but wizards and witches looked like anyone else. There were some perculier types but everyone looked normal. George looked across to Sadie, waiting for her reply only for his eyes to follow her gaze across the table. He frowned a little and pulled his forehead tense. He watched the exchange for a moment before voicing the same opinion they all had. "What was that about?" He muttered, looking between his two closest friends and Niall. "Do you think it's something serious?" Seine asked, leaning in close to his friends. "Maybe something has happened in the castle. They wouldn't just start panicking if it did." He offered, putting down his food to glance at the others. George followed suit, looking between the trio in the hope that someone would provide answers. "It's probably nothing." He suggested, trying to, for once, play devils advocate. It wasn't a role he usually played, but one he felt he would need to learn in time. "Its not like their going to tell us, is it? Regardless of what it is. If it's serious, it'll be in the Daily Prophet tomorrow. It's probably nothing." He repeated, desperate fantasy despite the fact he was riddled with anxiety, his thoughts lousy with the one hundred worst case scenarios he'd suddenly come up with. "George has a point. If it is anything serious, it'll be in the Daily Prophet. It's not like their going to hide it really. Even if they did try, someone's parents would know and send a letter." Seine blurted, his eyes bright. "Do you think the centaurs are angry? Maybe thats what it is. I heard they start stampedes a lot in the forest. What if it's a werewolf? Then again, they'd have to tell us about that one.." He added.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George offered reassurance—they were probably just being suspicious, right? Sadie chewed her lip, glancing back up at the Head Table. The Headmistress seemed impassive, tucking into a roasted pumpkin. Professor Sprout looked cheery as ever, regaling Madame Hooch was a tale, hands dancing as she spoke. Niall didn't look convinced. His brows had furrowed, blue eyes still watching their professors, like he didn't trust them. She couldn't imagine why not. Her professors seemed lovely—although Professor Binns' voice was very difficult to listen to without feeling drowsy—why should she distrust their judgment? It wasn't like she knew enough about this world yet, anyways. "I guess," he said finally, shifting his gaze over to the Slytherin table, as if he were trying to make eye contact with someone. He nodded his head towards the table and shrugged. Sadie resisted the urge to twist around in her seat and see who he was looking at. "Are werewolves common, then?" Sadie asked Seine. God, would she ever feel like she knew this world? Every day seemed to be a constant reminder that the rules of reality she'd known her whole life meant nothing. Seine shifted uncomfortably for a moment, studying his mashed potatoes as if they might answer her question. She was nearly ready to brush it off when he spoke up. "Yeah—during the war there were a lot of attacks. A lot of people were turned." "Jesus," Sadie didn't mean to blasphemy, but it was just… she didn't know the context, but even she could tell that that was awful. She frowned, pushing her roast beef about her plate with a fork. She forced her thoughts to better places and turned to George. "Right! So, muggle Halloween…"</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. There was no denying something had set the professors on edge. For the rest of the holiday, the lines of age seemed deeper, eyes carrying a wave of exhaustion they hadn't known for some time. It was as if the whole castle seemed covered in a blanket of dulled anxiety but none of the students knew why. George joined his friends in the chatter of Halloween, oblivious to the chaos that lingered in the ocean 200 miles away from the castle they all called home. Seine and George spent the remainder of the evening engaged in a round of Exploding Snap with Sadie, hoping one day she'd be used to the wonder of it all. George set out a box of chocolate snap dragons his Aunt had sent on the floor beside them all, the contents emptying as the common room followed. Outside the wind was beginning to howl, screaming the news in a language no human would understand. The Gryfindor Tower slowly dispersed into silence as the student body finally drifted off to sleep. As the night passed, echoing through without a dream to comfort, the stirring of the world outside began to creep into the world. The stirring of one student after another was enough to wake each dormitory. George twisted himself out of his bed, eyes shifting to observe the grounds outside. The sky was bleak, dark and menacing, a threatening storm of the horizon. The boys dressed themselves in weary silence and began to descend into the halls for breakfast. Seine encouraged his friend to wait for Sadie by the fire and the trio reunited once again. The conversation was light but cheerful, blissfully ignorant of the previous night's events. They spoke of dreams, of the day ahead and of questions unanswered. They walked into the Great Hall, the familiar soundtrack of yawning following them as they walked. George turned his attention behind him as the uncomfortable sense of eyes stopped on his back. A frown crossed his face as the ever-concerning face of his brother appeared from the sea of students. There was barely a foot between them when Theodore snatched his brother's jumper and pulled him from the Great Hall with an expression he'd never seen before. His eyes seemed contorted with unease, warped with trepidation. Soon however, he stopped, waiting in a small silent spot beside the doors. "Have you seen the news?" He barely gave George time to answer when he spoke again. "The Daily Prophet-" "It's not here yet." George spat back. "Theo what's going on?" He asked, his voice squeaking with confusion. His brother merely took a deep breath and checked their privacy. "There was a break out-" His voice dropped low, whispering the words that followed. "Azkaban; they got out. Dad got out. They don't know who. Mum doesn't know anything more. She didn't want to worry you, but you need to know. It'll be all over the papers." Returning to his full height, Theo rubbed his face and stepped back. "Just try not to think about it. Chances are, it'll just mean moving again, which isn't an issue. Just don't think about it." The boy turned on his heels and headed back into the Great Hall with the remaining stragglers, leaving George on the edge of a panic attack. He crept back into the hall and sat himself down next to Sadie. His hands felt clammy, his chest tight, his whole body felt like it was going to explode. The student body existed in cheery spirits as the morning post arrived. George merely shrunk further into his robes, toying with the one slice of toast he'd chosen to eat.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. Had the dreary news not set over the wizarding world, many could have argued that pleasantness of the day. Despite the growing November chills, the strong gale winds, and the frigid rain, the blue sky ahead seemed amiable. Students bustled across the Great Hall, gorging on their breakfasts and rushing through parchments of late homework. Moral appeared high, yet the encroaching fog appeared in the weary eyes of staff sat solemnly at the top table. The professors muttered among themselves, voices out of hearing. The occasional student would send a smile, a wave or a greeting and the noted teacher would return with a trained faultless expression. It appeared very few were expecting the disaster plastered on the cover of The Daily Prophet. George had begun ripping his toast into small bite size pieces, his mind reeling with possibilities. What would happen if they caught him again? They'd lose him. Anyone who escaped ended up with the Kiss without trial. The blonde eleven year old pulled at his jumper sleeves, and rested his hands on his lap. Theo had more than one exclaimed the boy's tendency to worry too much; if it weren't for the thundering sound of his pulse within his ears and his throat closing within his neck, George might have disagreed. The echo of beating wings flurried in from the roof of The Great Hall. Students excitedly searched for their own owls, smiling gleefully as they caught their parcels as they dropped from the air. The young Nott turned his head, his eyes trailing across the table for the boy he called brother. Theo sat upright, chatting happily to the friends he had, as if oblivious to the news the morning paper would bring them. George often wondered how his brother managed it, covering himself and his feelings; ones that weren't anger. It took a moment of staring before the bushing haired brunette spotted his younger sibling's gaze, panicked and unsure. He shook his head firmly and twisted his gaze towards the Ravenclaws beside him. George turned back towards his own friends as a result with his stomach twisting. In the pause that lingered- the short moment before each student clambered for their friend's copy, ripping and snatching the paper from one to another- George felt the dread set in. Blue eyes stared directly at Seine only to flick to Sadie as she took her own turn to read. One by one, hysteria began to set in. Students began to panic, shouting and confused. Seine drew their attention to a small student with thick dark hair. Her familiarity now struck him- Verdana Dolohov, a cousin. Her own father had been trialed shortly after his own. Antonin Dolohov had been present more than once in their family home during both his and Theodore's childhood. The latter of the brother's had once claimed the man to be "one of the worst" and professed his own fear of the man. George felt the pang of empathetic trepidation as the students around her turned into snakes, hissing her way. The Great Hall suddenly sprang to life with the shrill panic of several hundred students, each fearing for their safety. Theodore Nott was gone when George turned again for support. The tall Ravenclaw had already begun his beeline for the tall doors as the fights began. His feet carried him along the thick oak table, between his own and the yellow house. His face displayed little emotion aside from a faint sense of concern and dread. A spell shout from one 6th year student as he passed, its intended already screeching in return. Theo's feet picked up their pace and quickly he slipped from the hall. "Don't run." George couldn't see why not. Sadie's grip grew tighter around his forearm, scrunching his sleeve and creasing his shirt. "What do we do?" The boy stammered in return as his attention turned to Seine. The yell that erupted from further down the Slytherin table and the spells that followed seemed only to make things worse. A huge boy, matted mouse brown hair and a thick set jaw roared a hex in response and the first fight broke out. "What do we do?" George squeaked again as the frenzy grew worse. He pulled Sadie's hand down from his arm and twisted his fingers into her palm, holding tightly. The situation grew worse, escalated to a state almost out of control. The sudden booming voice of a wiry woman shook the castle still. Students froze, wands raised and friends in tow. A painful second passed before slowly each student complied, taking a seat at the nearest table, fear on every face. An icy silence followed as Professor McGonagall made her way towards the plinth ahead of all four tables. Her expressed seemed stoic, although by force. Several hundred faces stared her way for guidance, desperate, scared. The few students who'd rushed from the room slowly began to enter the hall and many of the ghosts had taken to join them. They floated quietly against the back wall, whispering among themselves. "I understand you're all scared, perturbed and many of you are angry. This wasn't something any of us expected to find out, especially in such a fashion." Her voice strained as she spoke, kind old eyes hiding a fear of something they'd never expected to see again. "Many of you know Hogwarts was subject to its own battle many years ago, and the scars of this have not all healed. Students, professors, witches and wizards alike lost their lives to keep this place standing; but I can assure each and every one of you that this school is as safe as it always has been. These walls will keep you safe. The Minister of Magic is more than prepared to ensure the protection of each student within these walls, regardless of who they are." She paused in her speech and her gaze circled the room ahead.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie had never seen anything like this in the flesh, but she was struck suddenly by how familiar it looked. It was like one of a dozen scenes she'd seen on the news, despite her parents best efforts to hide it from her. It was yet another vision of panic rolling through a crowd after an act of violence. It was different, in person. She could taste something acrid in the air, a whipcrack whisper of terror and rage. Clutching George and Seine's hands, Sadie was struck with the cold realisation that maybe magic was dangerous. Headmistress McGonagall spoke with a gravity that captured the attention of the Great Hall, gazes turning forwards to lock on her, trapped in her orbit. She spoke of a battle that Sadie only knew two paragraphs about, a footnote in the latest edition of Hogwarts, A History. He Who Must Not Be Named had launched an assault on the Ministry of Magic, on Hogwarts, and reparations were slowly being made to those impacted. It had all been very rushed, saying barely anything of use. But McGonagall? There was something in her tired eyes that made Sadie realise the Headmistress had lived every moment of those scraps of sentences. "Years ago, our sorting hat warned us that we must unite within these walls, or we will crumble from within," The wiry woman remarked, and the lines around her eyes seemed to deepen as she gazed upon the sea of students. "Those words remain as relevant as ever." She looked to the staff table, to the row of professors. She seemed to think on something for a long moment, before turning back to the crowd. "Classes will proceed as scheduled," She instructed. "That is all." Sadie boggled. How could they just go to lecture, like everything was fine and normal? There were a few murmurs, but under the Headmistress' gaze, no one spoke up in opposition. She frowned, turning to look at her friends, but finding her brother's gaze along the table. He looked scared. Sadie hadn't seen Brennan truly scared in five years. They'd been climbing trees, laughing and half-wild, climbing ever higher. She'd lost her footing, reaching for a higher branch, and she remembered the terror of plummeting to the ground. Brennan had screamed; she had bounced harmessly into the grass, but she'd never forget how quickly he clambered down to the ground, panicked. Sadie gnawed on her lip as his expression steeled. The Great Hall was beginning to rouse, facing rapidly approaching lessons. Brennan rose, strode towards her, and Sadie had barely started to stand before he caught her arm and tugged her along after him. "C'mon," he muttered, his voice thick. Something about his manner made Sadie stumble and fall into step with him. She looked over her shoulder at George and Seine, confused, before he lengthened his stride and she had to turn away.</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. George could feel his stomach roll, processing each and every possible scenario. As hideous as his own Dad's crimes were, he was still a father; yet all of this had to mean something. He Who Must Not Be Named was dead, long dead, still, however, their most secure location was lacking a number of residents. George turned his attention to the chaos surrounding and his two closest friends with a face almost as pale as his hair, all colour had vanished as quickly as aspirating criminals. The more he thought about the possibilities, the colder his sweat become. With a face displaying nothing brighter than sheer panic, George remained on frozen on the spot. The passage for air within his neck felt uncomfortably tight, closing slowly. A clammy hand wrapped around Sadie's as the tension grew. The school's headmistress continued to speak but with increasing tunnel vision, George remained oblivious. A vacant expression met Seine for a moment despite his stare passing beyond his friend. Slowly, however, the trained voice of their ageing Headmistress registered within the swirling pandemonium. Classes were proceeding? They couldn't, he had to speak to Theo, his mum and find out where his own father had headed. How was he expected to pretend everything was entirely normal when his own family had murdered the parents and grandparents of his fellow classmates? George was grateful he called so few of them friends. He felt a tug on his hand as Sadie began to stumble away behind her brother. How long would it be until his own flesh and blood found Sadie and Brennan? After all, Muggleborns were part of the problem, he'd said. As the communion around them began to evaporate out the main doors, the gravity of the news laiden on their minds, the blonde let out an unsteady sigh. "I don't think anything good is going to come from this." He stammered in an uneasy and feverish tone. George pulled his bag from the floor and followed the river of students. "It's gonna be okay-" Seine started as the duo began to move. "I think it's going to be okay. We would be going home if it wasn't." Neither of them knew exactly how true the latter statement was yet they both had to believe it. George's eyes scanned the halls as they walked, searching for Sadie and his brother. He needed reassurance, anything. His gaze, perturbed by worry, hunted between the crowd before eventually spotting a bush of familiar brown hair crossing into the grounds to their right. "Theo!" He yelled among the flock of students. Instead of a response, however, the older sibling returned only a glare and a shake of his head that heavily suggested their current location and the present time wasn't entirely ideal for a conversation on a convict family member having gone AWOL.</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. As the term had continued, George had grown ever more comfortable, even though such had only been that way within their tiny triangle of friends. Now, with the news the morning had brought, he felt small, out of place and afraid. The Wizarding World was going to change before their eyes and the dense pit in the young boy's stomach only suggested exactly how much worse this was becoming. "Do you think it's going to happen again?" The scrawny blonde asked through a mouth that barely opened. His words were almost inaudible, sapped away by the dread and fear hanging over the school; pungent. Whilst he greatly feared the loss of his friends, the lingering apprehension within twisted around a fear of his own. Before, it had always been a family affair, two or three generations at a time. Once their world shifted back toward the chaos, exactly how long would it have been before Theo and himself were presented as willing volunteers? Sadie's arrival frightened the remaining colour from George's face, leaving the ghostly complexion to outwardly compete with the unpigmented and chalky shade of his hair. "You can't blame him really. We've all had a shocking morning." Seine added with a smile. "They would have sent us home if it were anything serious. I'm sure they'll catch them soon." He paused before apologising to the impish kid to his left. "Hopefully, they do," George added in a defeated murmured. He loved his parents, although he wasn't going to outwardly admit that he missed having his own father at home. George Snr was a murderer, but he was still a parent; someone George longed to return home. They all knew capture meant the end of the line: a duel to the death or the Kiss. His Dad hadn't been able to avoid them forever before, it was unlikely he'd be able to do so again. He trudged alongside his two friends in silence, occasionally adding a note or comment to Seine's attempt at altering the mood. As they climbed the staircases towards the Third Floor, the milling crowds had begun to disperse. Transfiguration stood as their first lesson of the day and George was entirely grateful for the possibility of quietly taking notes instead of being forced to communicate. Seine, however, had spent their entire walk trying to engage Sadie in conversation entirely separate to the news they'd received that morning; for all their sakes. "Did you manage to finish the essay Professor Thirmin had asked for? The one on foreign object transfiguration? I was barely able to manage the two sides and we were expected to cover three." It was a rushed conversation but entirely expected considering the state of their previously comfortable schooling day.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans George looked as scared as Brennan had, but where Brennan's temper had flared, George just seemed to shrink into himself. It hurt, seeing her best friend like this. After a moment, she realized it was the first time she'd thought of George like that, but it rang true. George and Seine were the closest friends she had here. She missed her girlfriends from home, but they didn't know about this part of her, and it was difficult to feel close to them with such an enormous secret in her heart. But George and Seine always waited for her, always had a joke and a story, and she looked forward to every day they had together. Still, best friends or not, Sadie couldn't understand why they seemed so bored by their homework. "Um, yeah," Sadie laughed a little nervously. "It's not like it was a lot?" One of the things that had struck her was just how more relaxed Hogwarts was. She hadn't gone to the world's most prestigious school, but her workload had been ramping up as she had been getting older, and her muggle teachers had assigned far more work than this. Sadie usually found herself going comparatively overboard with her work, but she was used to a far more aggressive pace. "Ugh," Seine grumbled intelligently. "I must once again remind you that you are always welcome to join me in the library after class. We can do our work together," Sadie offered, but Seine pulled a face at her. "You spend hours there," He complained. Sadie rolled her eyes. "We are literally learning magic, breaking the laws of physics and doing impossible things. That should make you want to study nonstop," Sadie reminded Seine. They'd had this argument half a dozen times, and she suspected they would have it until they graduated. They'd reached the Transfiguration classroom during their bickering. Seine pushed open the door and they filed in, taking their usual spots. The atmosphere in the classroom was like a coiled spring, ready to explode with energy. Other students were shooting George dark looks, whispering, and Sadie simply held her head high. She and Seine sat on either side of George in a show of solidarity. The whispers were silenced upon the arrival of Professor Thirmin, and Sadie sank into the rhythm of the lesson.</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. The school seemed muted compared to the excited volume it lingered on most days. Such was to be expected considering the news they'd received that morning. Just like Sadie and Seine, the halls were still echoing with the sound of students discussing what mattered in the present; School. Regardless of the situation at hand, their world certainly didn't feel like it was in danger. Perhaps, however, it was. To students like both the Nott children and the Dolohov siblings, their families were finally returning home. The smallest sense of happiness lingered within, a smile he wouldn't have shared in public. All George could do, was hope his parents were still reunited as Christmas arrived. The Transfiguration classroom felt far more constrained than it usually did. The walls felt unnaturally enclosed, despite their previously large size. He turned his eyes to Sadie and followed suit; letting the glares fall within his peripheral vision. This would all blow over soon, surely. People would forget, surely? George was more grateful than ever and allowed himself to focus entirely on the subject at hand, in an attempt to ignore the burning sensation in the centre of his skull. "We should explore some more of the grounds this evening," George muttered whilst the room was preoccupied with the notes at hand. "There's the east side of the Black Lake that we haven't had the chance to see yet." "It would be cool to see if we can spot the Merpeople beneath the Lake." Seine smiled encouragingly, furthering their friend's request to remain entirely out of the view of the remainder of the school. "It's a shame we're not old enough to leave the Grounds yet. My Dad says Hogsmeade is cracking." The boy's positivity was appalling and contagious. "I've heard good things about Honeydukes. I could ask my brother to bring us back something next time he goes." His tone quickly slid off into one of instability and self-doubt. The last few weeks had been nothing short of enjoyable; yet now George felt the mist of dread settling uncomfortably along the edges. "You should definitely try Pepper Imps, Sadie." Their more cheerful friend returned with a grin wider than necessary. George let the two of them speak for a moment as he uncomfortably considered the day's news. Had Sadie and Seine not remaining his friends, he likely would have been sat alone. He'd thank them one day; when he thought as much to do so. For now, however, he meerly clutched at his least healthy thoughts and made an extended effort to remain focused on the lesson; one of which ended much longer after George had hoped- or his preception of time certainly felt off.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie frowned as George and Seine whispered during the lesson. Had the morning not been quite so awful, she might have shushed them and gotten annoyed. But with things so raw, she couldn't muster the will to be so sharp. She was already several chapters ahead in the textbook, frustrated by the snail's pace Professor Thirmin seemed all too content to set. Suddenly she could hear the Hat humming in her head, Plenty clever…what a thirst to prove yourself. It had flashed images of eagles swathed in bronze and blue with those words in her head, and it seemed all too ready to name her a Ravenclaw before it found whatever had tipped the scales so firmly to Gryffindor. Privately, Sadie wondered if she had been sorted wrong. She loved her house, her friends, but it was frustrating, feeling so alone in her wonder. Sadie shook her head to clear it. What was done was done—there was no resorting, as far as she knew. She'd just have to make the best of it. "I'd like the see the squid again," Sadie murmured. She arched a brow at Seine's insistence she try some unheard of sweet. Pepper Imps? "Those do not sound good." "Would you like to share your conversation with the class?" Professor Thirmin called suddenly. Sadie flushed scarlet, dropping her gaze to her notes. Seine had the good grace to look uncomfortable and manage a quiet 'no'. Professor Thirmin frowned but, mercifully, did not dock any points and continued on. The rest of their lessons passed by in a rush. Sadie led the way to the lake, chattering with Seine about music. He was filling her in on the classics of the wizarding world, and seemed amused by the muggle artists she named in return. He offered to lend her records and look bemused when she burst out laughing, calling them quaint. "Records. What are we, hipsters?" Sadie snorted, "I mean, they've got great sound quality and all, but come on. Digital is so much more convenient." Seine looked at her blankly, and Sadie sighed. "It's like this world is trying to stay backwards," She said theatrically, tossing her hands in the air. The three of them were following the banks of the lake, the castle growing ever more distant. The black forrest seemed to almost beckon to her, trees rustling, and it took Sadie a great deal of willpower to remember that it was forbidden. "We're not backwards," Seine said, sounding a little defensive. Sadie snorted again. "You use owls for mail, Seine. Owls. Back home, I can email or text and get a response instantly. Or call someone instantly, without having to shove my head in a fireplace. I mean, magic is great and all, and I'm super happy to be here, but it's like I was shot back fifty years. This is so weird." "We've got quidditch! And dragons!" "I'll give you dragons."</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. George was as glad as anyone to see their school day finally over. There was only so long he could manage to keep his head from spiralling over the morning's headline until it became ingrained in his brain, word for word. It wasn't as if it was only his family who'd willfully taken part in the two most recent Wizarding Wars, voluntarily murdering muggles and wizards alike; Theo's continuing bigoted options weren't helping George's case. He followed along behind Sadie with a handful of pastries he'd quickly taken from the Great Hall: pumpkin pie, sausage rolls, and a traditionally sized Cornish Pasty. Tonight would just be the three of them, at least until time grew too late. "Quidditch is great, normally," George added to the two's current discussion. "I'm not looking forward to the next three years of Quidditch here, mind you. Friendly competition is one matter, but I don't think things are going to be friendly." He passed a tiny chuckle as he spoke. Round Two of the Battle of the Brothers rang low on his list of events he wished to revisit. "Quidditch is fantastic! I still can't believe you don't like it. The season has already started and you'll see your brother play in a few weeks; you'll be a fan before too long!" Seine continued with his family smile, wide and genuine. "Did you follow any muggle sports?" George pulled his robes from his shoulders and laid the collection on the fabric between them. "Don't muggles have lots of sports? I remember seeing one in a pub once where the players were throwing tiny sticks at a target. All the crowd seemed so serious, it was incredibly daft." It was the first time all day his tone hadn't sounded entirely defeatist. "I just don't get it, a lot of muggle things don't make sense." He even managed a chuckle. "Wait, what were they doing?" Seine asked with a snort of utter confusion. "These men were dressed in waistcoats and were tiny sticks-" He paused and motioned the throwing of a dart. "against this huge target, covered in numbers. There was another target in the pub itself since most of the muggles were watching it on a rectangle." George fumbled over his words. His childhood might have been far from sheltered in terms of the Wizarding World but George had little knowledge when it came to the world of Muggles. "It really weird, the sport, not the rectangle, paintings have moved for years." Siene cracked a grin behind his hand and soon found himself roaring with laughter, much to the confusion of his friend. George glanced at Sadie and Seine with panic and bewilderment plastered on his face. His skin shifted in tone, rolling from pale to an uncomfortable red hue. "I'll let you explain this one, Sadie."</s>

<|description|>George Nott Jr. "One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people." Age: 11 Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Date/Place of Birth: October 7th - Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London Currently: Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Wand: Aspen, 9 ¾", Dragon heart-string Patronus: Grey Wolf Personal Childhood: George grew up in a modest London home. His first years were spent in constant tension. Although he remembers very little, being only five when his criminal father was finally arrested, George remembered the arguing and the hushed voices. He could remember the masked faces in the living room before his parents would disappear for a few days, leaving them in the care of their relatives. George's relationship with his father is based merely on what he knew of what he'd done. His relationship with his mother had been close, not completely, but enough to substitute a healthy childhood. However, his relationship with his brother was closer. They stuck together and supported one another, despite the distance in location and now the distance in House. Personality: George has a furious temper. Often people will find him stubborn and irritable, although this is rare at a young age. Whilst young, George is anxious and cautious, although friendly and outgoing once comfortable. He fears a great deal and expects much more of himself. Protective of his friends, he will prove to be more protective of himself and sometimes just plain selfish. Hobbies: Duelling, Chess, Card-games and quidditch.</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans Sadie frowned as George and Seine whispered during the lesson. Had the morning not been quite so awful, she might have shushed them and gotten annoyed. But with things so raw, she couldn't muster the will to be so sharp. She was already several chapters ahead in the textbook, frustrated by the snail's pace Professor Thirmin seemed all too content to set. Suddenly she could hear the Hat humming in her head, Plenty clever…what a thirst to prove yourself. It had flashed images of eagles swathed in bronze and blue with those words in her head, and it seemed all too ready to name her a Ravenclaw before it found whatever had tipped the scales so firmly to Gryffindor. Privately, Sadie wondered if she had been sorted wrong. She loved her house, her friends, but it was frustrating, feeling so alone in her wonder. Sadie shook her head to clear it. What was done was done—there was no resorting, as far as she knew. She'd just have to make the best of it. "I'd like the see the squid again," Sadie murmured. She arched a brow at Seine's insistence she try some unheard of sweet. Pepper Imps? "Those do not sound good." "Would you like to share your conversation with the class?" Professor Thirmin called suddenly. Sadie flushed scarlet, dropping her gaze to her notes. Seine had the good grace to look uncomfortable and manage a quiet 'no'. Professor Thirmin frowned but, mercifully, did not dock any points and continued on. The rest of their lessons passed by in a rush. Sadie led the way to the lake, chattering with Seine about music. He was filling her in on the classics of the wizarding world, and seemed amused by the muggle artists she named in return. He offered to lend her records and look bemused when she burst out laughing, calling them quaint. "Records. What are we, hipsters?" Sadie snorted, "I mean, they've got great sound quality and all, but come on. Digital is so much more convenient." Seine looked at her blankly, and Sadie sighed. "It's like this world is trying to stay backwards," She said theatrically, tossing her hands in the air. The three of them were following the banks of the lake, the castle growing ever more distant. The black forrest seemed to almost beckon to her, trees rustling, and it took Sadie a great deal of willpower to remember that it was forbidden. "We're not backwards," Seine said, sounding a little defensive. Sadie snorted again. "You use owls for mail, Seine. Owls. Back home, I can email or text and get a response instantly. Or call someone instantly, without having to shove my head in a fireplace. I mean, magic is great and all, and I'm super happy to be here, but it's like I was shot back fifty years. This is so weird." "We've got quidditch! And dragons!" "I'll give you dragons."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George was as glad as anyone to see their school day finally over. There was only so long he could manage to keep his head from spiralling over the morning's headline until it became ingrained in his brain, word for word. It wasn't as if it was only his family who'd willfully taken part in the two most recent Wizarding Wars, voluntarily murdering muggles and wizards alike; Theo's continuing bigoted options weren't helping George's case. He followed along behind Sadie with a handful of pastries he'd quickly taken from the Great Hall: pumpkin pie, sausage rolls, and a traditionally sized Cornish Pasty. Tonight would just be the three of them, at least until time grew too late. "Quidditch is great, normally," George added to the two's current discussion. "I'm not looking forward to the next three years of Quidditch here, mind you. Friendly competition is one matter, but I don't think things are going to be friendly." He passed a tiny chuckle as he spoke. Round Two of the Battle of the Brothers rang low on his list of events he wished to revisit. "Quidditch is fantastic! I still can't believe you don't like it. The season has already started and you'll see your brother play in a few weeks; you'll be a fan before too long!" Seine continued with his family smile, wide and genuine. "Did you follow any muggle sports?" George pulled his robes from his shoulders and laid the collection on the fabric between them. "Don't muggles have lots of sports? I remember seeing one in a pub once where the players were throwing tiny sticks at a target. All the crowd seemed so serious, it was incredibly daft." It was the first time all day his tone hadn't sounded entirely defeatist. "I just don't get it, a lot of muggle things don't make sense." He even managed a chuckle. "Wait, what were they doing?" Seine asked with a snort of utter confusion. "These men were dressed in waistcoats and were tiny sticks-" He paused and motioned the throwing of a dart. "against this huge target, covered in numbers. There was another target in the pub itself since most of the muggles were watching it on a rectangle." George fumbled over his words. His childhood might have been far from sheltered in terms of the Wizarding World but George had little knowledge when it came to the world of Muggles. "It really weird, the sport, not the rectangle, paintings have moved for years." Siene cracked a grin behind his hand and soon found himself roaring with laughter, much to the confusion of his friend. George glanced at Sadie and Seine with panic and bewilderment plastered on his face. His skin shifted in tone, rolling from pale to an uncomfortable red hue. "I'll let you explain this one, Sadie."</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "It's also like, horrifically violent," Sadie pointed out, rolling her eyes about Quidditch. It didn't help that she was terrified of heights. She had spent her flying lessons desperately trying to get away with not flying, and had managed a decent job of it thus far. She suspected Madame Hooch was aware of her self-sabotage, and Sadie wasn't sure how much longer the hawk-eyed woman would let her get away with it. "Hard pass." As George asked about sports she was interested in, Sadie bounced back with a grin. "I really like tennis! My mum and I are big fans of the Williams' sisters. They're incredible, literally the best players ever! I'm not very good at playing, but it's so fun to watch." It took Sadie a couple of moments to piece together what George was talking about. It was adorable, really, the way he described the real world. Perhaps it was unfair to think of it like that, but she suspected the wixen world would always feel more like a vacation than her own life. Sadie giggled as Seine burst into laughter. Their amusement wasn't mean spirited, but she did feel a tinge of guilt as George's face turned pink. Her tone was gentler as she spoke up. "You're talking about darts. It's more of a pub game than anything else. You're trying to throw darts at specific numbers so they can sum up and get your score down to zero. I mean like, it's kind of a sport, but it's not super popular. We're more into like football and rugby." She wrinkled her nose, shrugging her shoulders. "They're okay, I guess. Brennan played a lot of rugby with some of the other boys in the village when we were kids and never let me join, so it kind of soured me on it. That jerk."</s> <|message|>George Nott Jr. George looked at Sadie as if she was speaking a completely different language. Football he'd heard of, but tennis and rugby? Perhaps had he seen a video or an example of the former, he likely would have understood the former. Since examples weren't available, he remained clueless. "That's a bit rude if they didn't let you play. Did you ever ask him why?" It hardly seemed fair that Sadie hadn't been allowed to join in. Although, had he known the rules, he likely wouldn't have agreed. Quidditch was violent but at least they weren't so young; and magic, which helped a great deal when injuries got worse. "You'll have to show us some, one day. Probably not when it's freezing outside though." Especially since it was only going to get much colder. November had started wet and continued through until the approaching winter winds hit the castle and seemed to whip across faces and under cloaks as students made their way across the bridges and the grounds. They'd each be grateful for the temperature inside their year-round home, but it only seemed to be getting colder by the week. George hadn't expected it be long at all before the snow hit, as excited as he was. The white flakes weren't common in London, nor at his Aunt's boggy home. "Who do the sister's play for? Are they on a team? Like a city team or a country team?" Such a closeted anti-muggle household meant such commonplace things such as television and tennis were far more alien than most would expect; especially considering the short distance between his home and the famous tennis court. "I think you're thinking of Rugby, Georgey." Seine continued, a wide and bright grin still creasing his cheeks. "There aren't really any teams in Tennis, right?"</s> <|message|>Sadie Natalia Ethans "Sometimes they play doubles, but it's not like Quidditch teams," Sadie explained, before clicking her tongue in irritation. "It's so annoying. If I had a phone, I'd just show you a video. I'm seriously having withdrawals. I mean, don't get me wrong, magic is amazing, I'm happy to be here, but it's so frustrating being disconnected like this. It's going to be weird going back home for the holidays. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to tell my friends about where I've been." "I hadn't thought about that," Seine admitted, rubbing his chin. "My dad's a half blood, so we have some muggle stuff, but we don't really talk a lot with that side of the family." "Brennan made it really clear we're not allowed to talk about this with our old friends. We can tell mum and dad, but that's it," Sadie said grimly. Brennan's old friends had stopped coming round the past few years. She couldn't blame them; from their perspectives, Brennan had ghosted them. Sadie was pretty sure it was going to happen to her as well, and she didn't much like that thought. Sadie pushed past it. That was a problem for future Sadie.</s>

<|message|>George Nott Jr. George frowned, pulling his forehead together, skin faint with subtle hints of pimples. He'd never thought, nay considered, what muggles had to go through. The secrecy they were all bound to was standard life to those without non-magic family members. Sadie was practically losing half her life. "You'll have the entire Ministry on your back if you tell them anything- your brother is right. There are stricter laws protecting what we do with magic than anything else when it comes to Muggles." He shifted unsteadily and sighed. "Why not write to them? I'm sure your parents could easily send supplies-" Parchment would have been the least of their concerns considering the usual method of mail postage. "Send 'em to your parents though first. I doubt they'd shrug off letters coming by owl." Seine offered his suggestion with a smile. "There's nothing to suggest your can't have Muggle friends; just don't go casting magic in front of them." Seine let out a small laugh, before resting his hand on Sadie's shoulder. "We should go exploring this evening. Find some of the secret rooms my Dad mentioned. Apparently him and his friends knew so many of the passages. Part and parcel of how he caused so much trouble I guess."</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt James was a bit surprised at how easy it was for them to just have fun together doing so little. As the night progressed, Sasha proved herself to be more polite than most of his friends and his parents didn't dare let her help with any of the things that needed done. As he heard the quiet knock at his door, he looked over and saw the girl poke her head in and he nodded, "Yeah. I was just getting the bags," He said pulling one from the closet and setting it beside another. His room was a little bit of a mess, in part due to his rummaging about the closet for the sleeping bags. Posters dotted the chamber and some clothing was strewn about the floor. Old issues of Game Informer magazine were stacked messily in a corner while the newest one rested on his nightstand. In front of the window was a telescope which seemed easy to move if he were to open the window. He brought the sleeping bags out with him and shut the door behind him, handing one of them to the girl as they descended the stairs. Things in the house were winding down as they went outside, James's dad had set up a small tent for them already, whenever they were ready to sleep and while they were laying their bags down, his mother came out with two thermoses of hot chocolate, a warm smile on her face. "Have fun you two, and don't stay up too late - it's harder to ignore the morning's son out here," She warned teasingly, handing over the beverages and then leaving. James laid out a blanket as well, outside the tent, and sat cross-legged with the hot drink beside him as he leaned back, his hands supporting him from behind as he looked up. It was quiet for a little bit as a small smile puleld up the corners of his lips. Lights blinked as satellites orbited the planet from an unfathomable distance. "My dad told me that a lot of the stars that we can see have already burned out. But uhm... he said that the light comes at a certain speed... and they're so far away that when they're gone, the light is still coming," he explained thoughtfully, trying to remember what he was taught. "I wonder how far it goes... Do you think there's an end?" The boy asked, looking over for a moment before his eyes were glued to the sky once more. He took a timid sip from the thermos at his side, trying not to burn himself as it warmed his hands. The school year seemed to be approaching faster every minute too, soon they would have homework and activities filling their schedules. Not to mention it would be getting cold. "Hey," He started, breaking away from the sky, "Do you think we should walk to school together? I mean... you're not too far away and... I dunno, maybe it'd be fun..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you joining any clubs? I haven't really decided yet, I just know I won't be on the football team," The boy laughed, carefully holding his thermos with both hands and tipping it back for a short, satisfying sip as the heat warmed his face.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson "Oh okay." Sasha nodded, not sure if she could help him navigate through the mess or not. She waited instead and soon they were situated outside. The air felt nice and comforting, not all at restraining or suffocating. Today's weather had been quite the blessing. James' dad set up a tent for them but for now sitting outside under the stars seemed like the best option in her mind. James' mother then headed outside and handed them some hot cocoa. "Oh thank you!" Sasha said cheerfully. She did enjoy sweet things. And what girl didn't like chocolate? She sat down on the blanket with James as she smelled the beverage, wanting to wait and not burn her tongue. She was sure they'd get a lovely sunrise outside and that sleeping would be cut short but she didn't mind. As long as sprinklers didn't come on, she wouldn't have anything to fuss about. James leaned back slightly, having set his drink aside. Sasha looked over at him, wondering what they could talk about. Somehow, for some reason, in movies meaningful conversation usually took place outside under the stars. She brought the mug of hot chocolate to her nose, getting a more intense aroma. Her mother craved chocolate like crazy because she was pregnant so Sasha rarely got to have any for herself lately. James spoke up and mentioned how the stars they were looking at were already burned out which didn't make a whole lot of sense of her. They looked just fine from where she was sitting. "Hmm." She blinked at James as he slowly tried to relay the explanation his father gave him, to her. He then wondered how far it went, she wasn't sure if he meant light or just space itself? She looked back up at the dark abyss which was littered with specks of light and wisps of clouds. "I dunno. I don't think so...I mean if there was an end, would you wanna find it? That might spoil things, don't you think?" She commented, finally bringing the thermos to her lips to take a small cautious drink. "Mmm." She licked her lips and felt a bit more relaxed. James then spoke up, asking her if they ought to walk to school together since it could be fun. She opened her mouth to speak but he then quickly mentioned clubs. Clubs? "O-oh...I'm not sure. I've only heard about a few, and some don't get continued after certain members think." Sasha wasn't totally sure how they worked or what was offered but she would want to join one or two if time allowed for it. And if she wasn't needed at home of course. The future, despite it nearing the present and merging together, was quite unknown. "I'd love to see if they have a Book club or maybe a Gaming club...or maybe something to do with animals...?" She wasn't sure but it was something to consider. "I don't know, I hear most freshmen are supposed to join one, so you can get used to the school and everyone in it." Sasha frowned a little. While the idea of everyone becoming part of something was a good natured one, she wondered what people did if they honestly didn't fall into anything offered. She supposed they could make a new one or be forced to try something new. Then she remembered his question. "I think it would be fun to walk together, i mean we're going to the same place and we pretty much come from the same place. There's no reason why would shouldn't have some company and encouragement for when it's pouring or when we've got some big test." She smiled at James as she took another drink of hot cocoa. Deep down, she was still a little nervous, this was a guy. And for most of her short life, guys and girls did things separately. And now come high school, they were encouraged to interact and find common ground. And yet being with James wasn't too bad, they had some things in common and they were from the same cozy neighborhood. Still, Sasha was still uneasy, change was happening all around her. High school, a new sibling, new friends and classes, clubs and everything else. She wished she could hit pause and enjoy freedom a bit longer. "You like space and numbers and games...you should probably go be an astronaut or something like that." She told him lightly as she took another drink. "Go figure out where it all ends of where it all came from." She said and yawned. Despite the sugar nestled between her hands, she figured it was time to get some shut eye. A long day was now behind her and night was beckoning her into dreamland. Sasha fidgeted and got up, finishing her drink. She set it down on a nearby table and looked back to James. "We better try and get some sleep." She advised as she moved for the tent and saw the sleeping bags had been set up. She got in and plopped down on hers and stretched her arms above her head. "Ah!" She then moved and got in the sleeping bag. She briefly wondered how her parents were doing. She smiled, knowing they were fine and not that far away. "Thanks for having me over, I'll have to have you come over sometime." She smiled to James as she laid down and tired to get comfortable. "Night." She said quietly when she finally did get settled. Her dreams weren't anything to remember and when she next opened her eyes, she was greeted by a bright light. She cringed and pushed herself up, reminding herself where she was and why. Grinning, she looked over and saw James was still sleeping so she quietly went outside and wandered inside. The smell of waffles greeted her. "Morning." She said sleepily. James' mother greeted her and said she made up a place for her and James as the table. Since the other males in the household were still sleeping, Sasha was advised to get James up now so they could enjoy a slightly less chaotic breakfast. She hurried back outside and wondered as to how she could wake James up. She could, and should be nice about it or she could have a little fun. Scampering around to his side of the tiny tent, she tapped and scratched on the tent wall and let out a few growls, one which angry animals or demons might make. That seemed to do the trick. James was quickly up and she laughed at him as they went back into the kitchen to eat. "James and I were thinking of walking to school together." Sasha commented as she buttered her waffle. She looked over at the boy who's hair seemed quite wild though she was sure hers was too. "I'll make sure he's never late and doesn't forget anything." She laughed a little as she poured some syrup on her waffle and thanked his mother for the food, as well as the cocoa from last night.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt **And so the school year began...** The days were filled with classes, homework, and club meetings. Sasha and James found that, though they had little time to do anything after school, they could hang out on the weekends. They shared classes in Math, Science, and Art spread throughout the day, but they were separated for their other periods as well as for lunch. After school, however, James had found more clubs than he thought he would want to join. First was robotics, where he learned that mechanics were a bit more interesting than he gave them credit for only weeks ago; and he was good at it too. True to their word, he and Sasha joined a gaming club, which was a bit more active than he had thought a club for*video games*could be. The heat of summer turned into a cool, breezy Fall and more indoor activities. The sun started rising later and setting sooner as the leaves began to change into beautiful yellows and oranges. James grew out of nearly every thread of clothing he'd had before the start of summer. While he wasn't a painter or performer, he delved deeper into his love for words by pouring everything into his essays for English class and became something of an artist. He had become a creator; devices and worlds filled his head and a spare notebook he kept in his single-strap bookbag at all times. Somehow, he found time to work in his own study of coding and programs, bolstering the robotics club which, until recently, had been dying and even rather pathetic. Of course, his father helped wherever he could. "You're sure that you guys don't need a ride? It's getting awfully cold outside, I don't want you two to get sick," James' mother stated worriedly as he stuffed the remainder of breakfast into his mouth. "Ye' ohm, I'm 'ur," He said agitatedly with a roll of his eyes as he spoke through a piece of toasted bread in his mouth as he pushed his arm through the sleeve of his coat. "Don't talk with food in your mouth," The woman chastised, crossing her arms. He pulled the bread from his mouth and swallowed the bite, "I said, yes mom, I'm sure. It's going to be way too cold soon, so I wanna enjoy it," He stated. He began to fasten the buttons on the double-breasted military-style coat before slinging his pack over one shoulder and putting the food back in his mouth, "'ye, mum," He said, heading for the doors. "Hey, hey, wait a second," She said and he froze at the door. "Goodbye, love you, see you tonight," She said, kissing his cheek as he rolled his eyes and mumbled an appropriate response, pushing out of the house. The wind kicked up the leaves and gave the air a nip as he shrugged his shoulders and popped his collar, trying to keep warm. As he moved for Sasha's, he could feel his heartbeat picking up. How many of his friends had asked him if they were a couple? It had to be all of them so far... He wasn't just tired of having to explain they were just friends, he really had wanted to be more since a few days into the school year. When she came out, he gave her a smile,*I'll ask after Gamers' Club tonight, don't want to make the whole day awkward if she says no right now, right?*he resolved to himself,*Plus, if she says no, then at least we'll be able to have enjoyed today.*"Hey, how's your art project going?" He asked, his hands keeping warm in his pockets as the wind softly whipped the little bit of slack on his scarf about. "I thought my sketch turned out well enough, but now that we have to colour it, it's turning into utter shite," He joked, shaking his head pathetically.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt "I know, mom," James said, rolling his eyes for the millionth time as he was lectured about manners and girls. "You act like she's just some random girl... I'm not gonna hurt her," He said confidently as she adjusted a tie around his neck. It felt like it took ages for him to peel away from her while she worked to continuously 'fix' his dress clothes. Finally, the door was closing behind him and he had no doubt his mother would be watching him until he disappeared from view. He had a type of dark dress jacket over a white shirt and dress pants. It required a lot of argument to keep his mom from following him to Sasha's place. Despite the number of times that his mom looked him over, James still felt the need to do so again upon reaching the girl's door, clearing his throat and trying to keep his heart from racing as he reached up and knocked. When it was answered, he smiled brightly, "H-" He started before Sasha's mother cut in, wanting pictures and the like before the girl swept him away from the door and what, to a child, was a potentially dangerous scenario: embarrassing pictures of them before their first dance. Ugh. As they reached a safe distance away, he started to laugh, shaking his head. "Thanks for saving me," He teased as she released his hand and he took a moment to catch his breath, taking her pace in the walk. All things considered, he was just glad he didn't fall over and humiliate himself in their escape as he finally got to see her dress and she complimented him on how he looked. He shrugged as though it was an outfit that had been thrown together at the last minute, "Your dress looks, uh... Cute," He stammered sincerely, blushing slightly. "We can stay as late as you like, I've not got a curfew," He said proudly, "As long as I don't wake my parents up if they're asleep." Cigarettes and alcohol filled the air, but it was the norm for most places in London. He lightly took her hand as they approached, a few older students asked for their tickets and they showed them before being let inside. The music could be heard from beyond the front doors, but James wasn't quite so familiar with it. It wasn't in his favorite genre so it typically fell off of his radar. He glanced down at his watch and wow was she right, they had all night, which was good simply because he felt like it would take him that long to get over his nerves. After entering the gym, he looked around, scanning over the faces of everybody. He could see Matt with Aisha and even Alex, who seemed to be having a relatively good time. Honestly, James almost felt bad for asking her after him and still getting the date. Matt didn't quite see them, James figured, so they took their own walk out to the floor, James' most dreaded moment of the night. He tried to look at other people around him... Would he really have to look that stupid? Oh geeze this was going to be a trainwreck. It wouldn't take long before Matt*did*spot them, took his girlfriend's hand, and nearly ran James over. "Oi, little brother, good to see you finally came," He said and James flinched, half-expecting to get an embarrassing ruffle of his hair. Nothing happened though as his brother smiled down, wrapping an arm around Aisha, "C'mon, we'll show you two lovebirds how to have fun!" He said excitedly as the couple took the Freshmen under their wings and showed them around the dance floor and James quickly realized that nerves were something entirely created in his head. As the night moved on, it seemed as though a lot of people were getting tired and the entire rhythm of the room changed at the turn of a song. Something slow... soft... James looked around in fear as he saw what felt like a million different options flood the room. They could have left minutes ago, and now it was too late. He looked back to Sasha, rather unsure what to do, wondering if Matt would come to their rescue a second time. There was no such luck, he and Aisha were buried in one another's arms, not to mention she had stopped him before he could help them, mentioning that it was their job to work it out. Matt simply sighed, giving her his tired, teasing line,*"C'est la vie."*The girl would roll her eyes as she always did, call him a jackass, and start the dance. "U-uh..." James couldn't bring himself to look at her, "Sorry... What do you think?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't keep himself from walking on eggshells for fear of hurting whatever they had before the dance. If worse came to worst, they could always just... annul the night, right? Easy fix. Then they would always know it didn't work out, if she didn't want to. It wasn't like it would actually ruin them. He silently, and every so slightly, shook his head,*Don't be a pessimistic idiot,*He scolded himself, finally looking her way, smiling. Even if he had wanted to, there was no way he could keep himself from doing it.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson The dance was just as she thought it would be, no surprises there. Sasha had spotted a few of her friends and made small talk with them. She and James were soon approached by Matt and his lovely date. Sasha was happy to meet the girl, Aisha. Things went by alright, Sasha had nothing to complain about. Well, James did seem rather high strung, wound up tight about the issue of a dance. She didn't think he needed to be so nervous, after all, emotions could be infections. If he was uneasy, she would get uneasy as well. But if they relaxed and kept enjoying themselves with the food and chatter, then it would be easier to let the drama of the rest of the world slid off their shoulders. She had spotted Alex but hadn't gotten the chance to speak with him. She did feel bad about turning him down but with James being the other option, as her new boyfriend, she didn't feel too bad. As the mood took a slight turn from hyped and bubbly, Sasha noticed a few people heading off, holding hands as they left the building. It seemed the new tone of the night was sparking a lot of mushy romance. She and James had yet to really kiss each other, they had only been together a short time as boyfriend and girlfriend. They didn't want to rush things but now, at the moment, it seemed like they had a chance to make the actual transition from one thing to another. Some people were snogging by the snack table while many of the chaperons were calling it a night. The dance had about a half an hour left but she wasn't sure if she really wanted it to end so soon. She had fun and she hoped James could say the same too. "Ah." She looked over when James regained his power of speech and turned to her, asking what she thought they should do. "Ohh." She looked back at the dance floor which was only home to a few couples at this point. Sasha held her breath and decided they could carry on with their little date but that it didn't have to be where everyone or anyone could see. Our of the corner of her eye, she spotted Alex heading off in a group. Somehow she felt a little less in the spotlight now, even so, it seemed James was still nervous. "Why don't we head off and go somewhere else?" She suggested. They could walk around, meddle and loiter as all the kids did. She and James headed off and she was hoping that a chance in scenery would do them some good, well James some good. Despite being away from their peers, Sasha did still feel a little nervous but she saw it as a good thing. "I've got a massive craving for ice cream." She gushed as the cool air hit them as they left the campus. "Like if I don't some soon, I might go mad and try climbing a tree. Can you imagine? In this dress? My mum would kill me an' all for ice cream." Sasha laughed a little as they walked, her face still a little red. Ice cream was a great way to cheer people up and she wanted something sweet and cool. "I wonder there's any frozen custard around here." She said aloud. She spotted a petrol station up ahead and decided they'd have some good cheap ice cream for sale. "Come on." Sasha grabbed James' hand and hurried to the stop light and waited for it to turn before she jogged across the street. They got their ice cream treats and both paid for themselves since they both wanted to pay for each other, and couldn't budge on the matter. Once they got back out on the street, they were back to wandering again. The girl had picked a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, plain but yummy. She did her best to not make a mess but when it became too much of a hassle, she threw out half of it and wiped herself off with a napkin. Everything was changing for them, she liked it though. Sure, it was new and scary but it wasn't like they needed to be afraid of each other. "You know when I first met you, I thought were totally mental, like, someone who would be so tough to get to know but I was wrong about you." Sasha smiled. "I'm glad I was, not so glad you beamed me with a football but...you know things sorted themselves out." Sasha shrugged a little as they walked back towards their neighborhood. Checking her phone, she saw it was 9:24 so they didn't need to rush home by any means. The two ended up wandering back to the rock that James had showed her the day everything changed. She took a seat on the edge and looked around. While things were changing, it was hard to consider that in a few years, they'd be in Matt and Aisha's shoes. Would they still be together? Sasha wasn't sure, that was a peculiar thing to consider but she'd like to believe that no matter what happened, they'd still be mates. She pulled out her phone and picked out a song, the slowest one she had anyway, which was tough since she loved peppy songs. It was a really old one by Vance Joy called Riptide. It was cute and kind of made her think of James. "Come on, we skipped out on that last dance but I still want one last one." Sasha grinned and jumped down, holding her hand out to the boy. If they didn't want to make fools of themselves in front of strangers at a stuffy dance, they should at least be able to do it by themselves.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt He was relieved when she suggested that they leave the dance. It felt so strange being surrounded by so many people, it felt too exposed, seeing as they had only recently become more than friends - it was all new to them. At the mention of ice cream, he laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that sounds really good, come to think of it," He agreed, more confident than he had been before, now that they were outside and more relaxed. He had chosen a basic Drumstick cone with chocolate shavings on top, which he quickly found running down his hand and dangerously close to his sleeve. However, he fought on, catching each melted drip and quickly devouring the cold refreshment, leaving part of the cone for the rubbish bin. It felt so much more fun now that there wasn't any pressure from the dance, he could just feel the next one being more effortless and enjoyable. Despite her not letting him pay for her ice cream, he found their compromise to be fair enough for now. He couldn't help but laugh as the ice cream in her sandwich would press from every side whenever she took a bite and she had to give up on it halfway through. He was nearly done when she pitched it, so he did the same with his, making sure to clean up his hand before wiping it off. He smiled slightly, "Yeah, my football skill could use a bit of tweaking, but I don't think it could have happened any other way..." He pointed out, laughing, "Then again,*I'm*not the one who got hit with the ball." It really was funny how things worked, James hadn't even realized how their wandering about took them back past their homes and toward the rock where he had asked to be her boyfriend. It was also the night that she had become a big sister, so the location had quickly become someplace very special. Somehow it felt like the one place where everything could just be true, where nothing would have to change. Consistency was nice, especially during times like this. As she pulled out her phone and started playing a song, he nodded, "Sure, I'd love to." It was easy to ignore feeling silly around Sasha, because she wasn't afraid of doing it too. Not to mention, nobody else was watching, it was so much easier, seeing as he had no idea what to do. He took her hand when she offered it over and hopped off the rock himself, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. It wasn't exactly a slow song, but it was sweet. It was so much less nerve-racking when they were secluded. Tentatively, he placed his free hand on her hip, his heart starting to beat more quickly as he took a step closer, meeting her gaze. "I had fun tonight," He said brightly, "I'm really glad we decided to go together, Sasha." Their hands disconnected as he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling more natural after the song had been going for a bit. As the chorus began to repeat for the song to pan out, he looked down slightly to her, tilting his head and leaning forward. He tried his best to quell the part of him that actually understood the situation, wanting nothing more than to calmly handle what he hoped would be his first kiss. He brought a hand up to her cheek, pushing her short hair back as their lips met. A few moments later, he pulled away, blushing hotly, blinking in surprise at himself. "Wow..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as the song ended. Part of him knew that it was okay, but another part was worried she would be mad or that he had moved too quickly, assuming she would accept the kiss. To break the silence, he smiled slightly, "So... Was that okay?" He asked with a small laugh, wanting nothing more than to keep the air from becoming too awkward.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt James walked Sasha to the door, though Alex accompanied them, so it was a mere hug and a wave goodbye. It wasn't fair that she had to leave so that somebody with a job could have a party, but then again, Sasha might also not have been a late-nighter like James was. However, after the ball dropped, the party began to generally disperse anyway. Everybody seemed vanish within the hour and, though they would have liked ot wait until morning, the Delacourt family was left cleaning up the most noticeable parts of the mess. As James was left with his mother in the kitchen, wrapping up leftover snacks and taking care to make sure that they were put away correctly to prevent spoiling. "So," the woman began as she emptied the contents of a pot into some tupperware, "You and Sasha seem to be having a lot of fun with your first relationship." She smiled brightly to her son, but something felt off. "Uh... y-yeah, I guess so. I mean, we really like each other, so... Why?" He asked, looking over curiously, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "Well... Uhm... I just wanna make sure you two aren't moving too fast... You know, at your ag-" "Mom! No, stop, don't," He dropped what he was holding and it fell to the counter as he turned and waved his hands, "Let's not go there. Nothing, uh... er... l-like*that*is going on," He said, clearly flustered and blushing hotly in humiliation. Matt had just started walking by at the wrong minute and the older boy nearly fell to the floor, laughing his ass off. "Oh, look at him, poor little guy," He teased. "Shut yer trap, Matt!" The boy snapped, turning back around to take care of the leftovers, trying his best to just... disappear. The subject, thankfully, was dropped. February 11'th 2019 James was just about to sit down, open his lunch, and tear into it. He was starving. His friends were all waiting with a friendly hello as he was just about to sit down. "Hey, guys, o-oh!" He yelped as he was quickly tugged away, "Nevermind! Guess not today!" He said with a laugh as he was pulled away, almost missing his lunch bag as he stepped away, just barely managing to grab it. He would be the last guy to let go of Sasha's hand, so he caught up to her rather than being dragged along and softly squeezed it inside of his own. "Oh, uh, sure," He said, shrugging. They almost never ate without their friends. They hung out nearly every day after school, anyway, so "alone time" wasn't really a problem. As they took their lunch a little farther from their friends, the two found a place under a tree at the edge of campus. They were allowed free roaming, so long as they were back to the school before class started again, so some students would even go home for it; James knew a few who would go home and play PlayStation until the break was over. "So... did you hear? The next Sony console was finally announced a few weeks ago. It's pretty huge news, the style of actual console gaming, they said, is going to die with the PlayStation Five. The next one is going to take their Morpheus and turn it into a fully-supported gaming device - entirely run by digital copies of games, which was entirely expected anyway. Looks like VR is taking quite a while, but the head and hand tracking is making leaps and bounds, I wonder how it'll play..." He mused, "But I think I'm going to sit the next Sony generation out - I hear Valve is funding a little third-party company that's been working on full-V.R. for years now and from what I've seen in leaks, it's going to be huge. Knowing Valve, I wouldn't be surprised if the release date wasn't announced until only a few months before it hit the market, but I wanna be the first one in the running while everybody else is still clinging to the media-hyped stuff," He explained, "We'll have to see how limiting it is, I don't imagine they've cracked the code for all five senses in one fell swoop when all they've gotten thus far is some neat head tracking and motion control." It was sadly true, the hype of the "VR Movement" was a bit underwhelming at the turn of the last decade. The senses were really hard to recreate, as was expected, but even more so than most realized. Even still, five years later, they were still trying to find a way to control a character without placing a controller in somebody's hands. Third-party consoles had been making a huge amount of noise in the community, but few beyond hardcore or passionate gamers and tech-lovers knew much about them. James then realized he'd been completely out of it and rambling about something that was clearly far from Sasha's mind. He felt like an idiot, looking over to her, he knew she wanted to talk about something, and there he was, back on technology and games. "Oh, geeze, sorry," He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck and he unwrapped his sandwich. "So... uh... what's up, Sashie?" He asked playfully, using his pet name for her before nudging into her with a bright smile and placing an arm over her shoulder. James leaned his head back against the tree and took in the scenery while he waited for her to speak. If he was being perfectly honest, he'd almost completely forgotten about Valentine's Day. He knew the weekend was important, but he just couldn't remember why. His mom had mentioned something, but he'd not really listened, he was on his way out the door when she mentioned it a few days ago.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson It wasn't that she minded their usual group of friends but a change wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially since she wanted to talk about something personal and most of their friends would make stupid noises in the background. A little privacy would be welcomed in Sasha's mind. "It's cool innit?" She smiled, remembering she had read that online somewhere. James went on to talk about Valve and how it was going to release something big soon, hopefully. As she ate, she found herself half listening to what he had to say. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, but she had other things besides video games on her mind. Part of her worried that they wouldn't get to do anything really special for their first Valentines Day as boyfriend and girlfriend. Sasha wasn't looking forward to the idea of them just sitting around playing games or wandering the city and people watching. As she finished her small meal of rice and curry, it seemed James had finally winded down from his ramble about games. "Oh it's uh okay." She smiled a little and considered not talking about what was on her mind now. She took a few grapes from her box and nibbled on them, still wondering if he cared about it as much as she did, or if she was possibly making it bigger than it actually was. Sasha didn't want to be an awful girlfriend after all. "I was just thinking..." She looked back over to James. "You know Valentines Day is coming up and I wasn't sure...what we wanted to do." She said nervously. A few things had come to mind but she wasn't sure. Should they just go someplace nice? Or should they just go to the movies and walk around? The last thing she wanted was to put pressure on either one of them. She wasn't expecting much but that was because she didn't know what to expect. She and James were still novices when it came to dating, all the experience under their belt was thanks to the past few months of dating. "I wasn't sure if you had something in mind or if we should talk about it...?" Now Sasha felt a bit silly for bringing it up. James' mind was on something else, not that she could blame him much. The gaming world was finally showing a bit of promise. It was pretty exciting. As she finished her own lunch as James was just starting his, she wondered what she'd look like in a few months time, let alone a few years. Would she and James be together still? Would she want something else for a career? Would the world be less congested with politics? She really didn't know and while that was scary, it was kind of fun too. Sasha wanted to enjoy the present though. It was the least amount of time out of the three options: past, present, future. The past was ever expanding and the future could be just an infinite too. She wanted to enjoy what time she had at this very moment. "Or should I plan something?" She then offered.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt Valentine's Day...? James furrowed his brow, the words not really registering at first. What was- Oh!*Valentine's Day*his mind clicked and he instantly felt like an idiot for forgetting. He physically facepalmed as she explained herself nervously. He groaned, "I'm so sorry, Sash... I completely forgot... My mom even mentioned it the other day, I was barely listening... I hope it's not too late," He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure if it was, she'd have said something already or tried to remind me..." As he rambled on about God-knows-what, he was packing up the mostly-finished lunch. "... so, anyway, my mom realized a few days ago that we were going on vacation during Valentine's Day... And she mentioned that it wouldn't really be fair to separate us because it's our first one y'know... uh...*with*somebody... Anyway, she said I could invite you... If you parents said it was okay. I mean, we'd miss school on Monday, and we leave Friday night, so we really won't even be gone for a full vacation, but it was the first weekend in a long time that my aunt and uncle could have us over." He paused, taking a breath, "Oh, duh, I didn't even... Sorry. They live in Princeton, out in New Jersey... Uh... Eastern? I think it's Eastern America... I don't honestly know, I always forget when my mom tells me..." He shrugged, trying to stop rambling. "So... Y-yeah, I mean, we always have a lot of fun, even when we can't go out to the beach 'cause it's so cold," He explained. "She hasn't asked your parents, but she could talk to them, Mum's always so convincing... Plus, I'm sure your parents trust her almost as much as they do themselves with us," The boy gave a small laugh, clearing his throat nervously. Finally, he felt able to actually stop talking, though he wanted to keep going for fear of rejection. His fingers fiddled with one another in his lap as he waited for an answer. It was astounding that the ground wasn't wet or covered in snow, but it would likely snow an obscene amount over the next few days. Or freezing rain. Or hail... Really, the air was quite brisk, but it was one of the few nice days they'd had since Winter started. Despite the cold over early February, the air still smelled slightly of Springtime, as it crept closer with each passing week. Flowers weren't quite blooming, at least not those flowers which filled the fields when the dreary grey of overcast skies cleared, but the scent in the air still held that faint anticipation of the season's arrival. Perhaps it was simple nostalgia. James gently rubbed his hands together before breathing into them, and finally hugging himself, tucking his hands under his arms. A lot of students were out today, simply because it had any semblance of warmth and nobody wanted to be the first guy to say it was 'too cold' outside. James knew that nearly every one of his friends, himself included, would sooner catch hypothermia than complain about the cold.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt It was a shot in the dark, if she was allowed and wanted to go, that would be an absolute blast. Otherwise, he'd spend Valentine's Day halfway across the globe, feeling guilty for missing it. He'd already tried to get out of going and his mother refused to let him stay home alone while she was overseas. The boy was content moving from the subject in order to revisit it later, though it was likely that Rachel needed some form of answer soon, lest they run out of plane tickets. However, he enjoyed pointing out their classmates and just spending time with her; he realized sometime during their lunch how natural holding hands had become. Their fingers locked and he barely even felt her hand in his. In fact, when they separated, his hand felt unnaturally empty. He smiled, a change of pace was rather welcome - he'd never felt like they were in a rut, but it was always such a treat to go "adventuring" with Sasha. She was so hungry for exploration and his mind was more than inquisitive enough for his curiosity to follow her wherever she wanted to go. "I'd love to," He said somewhat brightly, trying to keep from sounding too excited about spending time with her. Enthusiasm was interpreted too much like desperation by the other kids anyway. As she went on to explain the place more he listened intently, rising before pocketing his hands and rocking on the heels of his feet. "Oh, I'd feel so bad," He lamented with an exaggerated tone, "What*ever*would I do with so much guilt for all my life..?" One more goodbye and then she was gone off with her friends. Did she talk about him as soon as they were separated? Or did she do what he did and keep all of it locked up inside her head, reveling in the moments past in reservation? He shrugged and brushed away the question, perhaps it was none of his business anyway. The day couldn't go any more slowly and James was working over time to keep cool during class. He didn't hear a word any of the teachers said after lunch, but he rarely did anyway. He'd already finished the chapter for most of his classes. His biggest problem with grades was ignoring his homework; the assignments never felt helpful, they were just boring and wasted his time. Unless it was Maths or Foreign Language, he actually enjoyed doing the homework for those classes. Ironically, very few of his friends understood his interest in them. He worked ahead, but "studying" was a word he worked hard to keep out of his vocabulary, as he'd always been able to keep up without paying much attention and doing more self-teaching. Whe nthe final bell sounded, he packed his things away in his locker and put his free reading book in his backpack with very little else, as he was notorious for never taking home a textbook. Currently he was reading*Black Swan Green*by David Mitchell; he had seen his father reading the author's work and simply picked up one of the first titles he could find. He slung the single-strap bag over his chest and stuffed his hands in his coat's pockets. However, he didn't have to close the front today, as the air hadn't gotten any colder since lunch. He found Sasha waiting for him and walked more slowly to meet her, savoring the moment of her waiting. When he finally reached her, he couldn't resist the small smile that perked up the corners of his lips. "Hey, Sashie," He said teasingly, "How'd the rest of your day go?" He asked curiously, trying to resist the powerful urge to ask about her joining them for vacation.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Sashie. It was a funny nickname he used from time to time. Either she hated it or loved it, it just depending on the situation. In the current one, she didn't mind at all. Sasha was happy to reunite with her partner in crime. He said he'd with her but he could have easily made different plans or change his mind between lunch and now. But he was here and evidently still interested to see what she had in mind for their random outing of sorts. "Oh it went fine, I figured out the secret to immortality, so not much really happened." She replied, grin still on her face, her voice giving a bit of a tune in reply. "Come on, let's go." She motioned him to follow her. The pair headed back toward their neighborhood. "Go get your bike." She told him, swatting his arm lightly as they headed down the street. The sky above was gloomy but that was typical for them. While James headed off, she ran into her house. She grabbed an umbrella and some snacks and dropped off her backpack. She dumped her things into the basket of her bike and pulled it around from the side of the house. Soon James met up with her and she got in. "Alright, now we're really ready." Sasha told him. If she could, she wouldn't have minded blindfolding him and taking him to the place herself but that might get confusing and put one of them in the hospital. So for now she was happy to have someone to go with her, rather than someone to drag along and hopefully surprise. At some point, she did want to surprise him with something. Maybe a new game or something. Her part-time job was good for saving extra cash away. "Got any homework?" She asked James as she led them into the thicker, more busier part of London. She had some, but right now, she was more than happy to push it aside. Sasha slowed down at a stop light as they were in the bike lane. Most cars were careful but buses on the other hand wanted to plow down any poor cyclists. "I already did my English." She laughed. Of course she did. Maths on the other hand, er she didn't want to go there. No thanks. As the light turned, they went back to pedaling. She took a right turn and slowed down. "We gotta go on foot from here." She told him as she got off and pocketed the snacks and grabbed the umbrella. It would make a nice weapon if they stumbled upon any king sized rats or monsters. When James was ready to continue, she led them down an alleyway, it smelled furiously awful. She pushed some trash bins aside and then positioned them against the wall to act as stairs to get over the tall chain link fence. She hopped over and made sure she hadn't torn her pants. If she did, her mum would be rather cross. "I know this seems weird but trust me." Sasha said cheerfully as they continued down the alleyway until they got to an unsuspecting lid that led underground. She pulled it off and used her umbrella to poke around the darkness. No monsters yet. She found a ladder and climbed down it. "Come on down and close it on your way!" She shouted as she stepped onto a ledge. There was a shallow stream of water underground but there were thin six inch ledges on either side of the small cavern. She wished she brought a flashlight but it was a little late for that now. Feeling her way using the walls, she took a left turn and soon light from the other end came into view. "Oh we're almost there!" She hissed in excitement. As much as she wanted to charge forward, she knew if she did, she'd probably fall into the nasty muck. So she calmed herself down and looked over her shoulder to make sure James was alright. She took his hand and they finished creeping along the rest of the way. When they got to the end, fresh air greeted them as they found themselves over looking the famous river. They had a ledge to sit out and look at the sights. She sat down and dangled her feet off the edge. "I figured this place might be fun to check out." She panted softly and tossed James a Jaffa Cake.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt "Well, somebody has jokes, it seems," He replied, rolling his eyes as he took her hand and they started walking back toward their neighbourhood. The idle chit-chat never felt like a wasted moment as they walked together. She was so bossy sometimes... But to be honest, he needed it sometimes. Rarely would he do anything progressive for himself if he didn't think it was necessary, like studying or homework, but she kept on him well enough when it came to those things. By keeping an eye on him, his marks were better than they normally would be simply because he found a lot of the assignments pointless. Plus, her found her bossiness to be just adorable, so he did as he was told and headed for home. He made sure his pea-coat was nice and firmly fastened around him as he decided to grab a pair of gloves and a white scarf, in case they were out late enough for it the temperature to drop dangerously low. He grabbed his bike from the garage, told his mom he was going out for the evening with Sasha. The woman stopped him before he could head out, however. "James, wait," She called, drying her hands on a towel as she came out of the kitchen to see him. "Did you talk to Sasha yet about joining us? I really want to get everything in order. The plane has seats near us left because of the time of year and the fact that we're not going when traffic to the States is very high," She explained. "But still, we can't have things going last minute - I wish you would have asked sooner..." "I remembered today and asked her at lunch, but uhm... I'm not really sure if she wants to go, it might just be because it's a flight and it's another country... She said she'd think about it and I don't wanna press too hard in case it'll bother her." Rachel nodded and rolled her eyes, "Fine... but from now, make sure that you look into these things sooner rather than later, okay?" "Sure thing, mum, I'm heading out," He said hurriedly, "Love you." "Mmmmhmmm..." She hummed skeptically, "Bye, hon." He walked his navy, metallic blue mountain bike out of the man-door of the garage and swung his leg over it. It didn't take long after that for the two of them to be riding down the quiet, neighbourhood streets. Within a few more minutes, they were forced into a bicycle lane and had to be wary of traffic. "Uhm... Define homework..." he said, laughing in reply. "I did my French and Maths in class, but that's because Madame writes her assignments on the board before class starts and so does Mr. Lancaster... I didn't do the English yet, I speak just fine. I'll do the essays and read the books, but I'm not doing some silly grammar worksheet when I'm taking a class that has the same name as my nationality..." She had done her English, ironically, but he wondered if she got anything else done. James always rode his bike with one hand, anything he could do to avoid working harder than he needed to. He pulled the hand brake on the handlebars and propped himself up with one foot when Sasha stopped. He flicked the kickstand down and hopped off the bike, "Where the heck are we...?" The boy asked, scrunching his nose. Luckily the cold had caused his sense of smell to all but disappear entirely. Over a fence and into the sewers, the boy's face contorted into one of perplexity. "God, Sashie... How the Hell did you find this place and where are we fekkin' going?" He asked, but he knew she wasn't going to tell him. Finally... Fresh air, even if it was cold air, was the most welcome thing he could think of just as the light at the end of the sewer appeared. He gripped her hand firmly and followed her to the ledge, taking a seat beside her. As he looked out to the scene before him, he completely forgot about the sewage behind him, his eyes lighting up as they reflected the beautiful sight. He took the Jaffa Cake and began to passively nibble at it, using his free hand to wrap around the girl's shoulders. He scootched over close to her and tilted his head, letting it rest atop hers. "Wow... This is a lot nicer than I thoughti t could be... considering the route we took to get here." He grinned and softly rubbed her shoulder, hoping she didn't feel too cold. "Not that I don't think it's nice, but... Why did we come here?" He asked curiously, looking over to her, "I mean, it's really cool, I'm just curious," He pointed out with a smile.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Sure it took them a bit of effort to get to the new location but Sasha had hoped that it had been worth it. She leaned against James when he moved his arm around her. "Yeah I know but it was the only way and I mean who else would go to all that trouble to get here?" In her mind it was a great security system. When he then asked why they came all the way out to such a place, her smile faded, rather crestfallen that he didn't understand. Sasha wasn't too cold but being close to him made her happy either way. "..." She wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to seem like she was complaining or anything but she also wondered if he was happy with how things were between them. In her mind, things were fine, the polish was coming off already and balancing school along the club activies and social events and personal time together was hard. Surely he sensed that much. "I just thought it would be fun to do something different, you know, explore something together instead of hanging out at school or the cafe or any other of the typical places." While neither of them knew how relationships were supposed to go, Sasha had a feeling that they couldn't fall into a rut. For starters, it probably meant something bad. And with their lack of experience it was better to be proactive in regards to making sure both people were happy. She wanted to make sure that James was happy and that she was as well. Valentines Day could be an opportunity to get closer though she wasn't sure what that would exactly entail. "I thought it would be fun to have a change of peace but if it's not something you're into, we can go." There was no point in sticking around if he wasn't comfortable or enjoying the view. But so far there wasn't anything to complain about. The smell couldn't reach them anymore and the sounds of the city were faint, like they tickled the ear rather than perturbed them. Had she known that James neglected to ask her sooner, she would have been a bit more upset about it. She didn't like being put on the spot, nor did she think he was in trouble for letting something slip from his mind. At times he could be even more absent minded than her, which was a bit funny. Just a bit. She glanced back out at the view. "You know I read that years ago, the water was a bit lower and over time it was refilled by man, rather than relying on a natural source. I guess this river is a big landmark. I can see why it's treasured. it's an icon." She considered absent mindedly. Sasha then looked to James, watching the sun light bounce off his face. Some alone time was nice though she could just be her. Guys weren't wildly known for being sentimental but James wasn't like most guys. He was nice and smart and didn't seem to shy away from much. In her mind, it wouldn't be too bad to keep getting to know each other, try new things.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt The boy sat intently, listening with more patience than other boys his age to the girl beside him. She was just full of interesting little facts. As she spoke, his eyes held on to the scene before them, the trees sprawling out as the river weaved between them. It was strange how, in just another couple of months, the leaves would all be back and of the lushest greens. Gorgeous. James tilted his head to rest softly against hers. These were the moments that he knew adults were talking about when they said they said there were moments that they didn't want to end. James was always one for moving forward, but it was so serene. "I'm glad somebody decided it was worth the resource to keep it alive..." He noted, making a small pause. He was not wont to be the mushiest of boyfriends. It was less that he lacked the ability to and more that he actively tried to avoid too much cliché and that generally acting too sweet could cause a bit of heckling from his friends, or even Matt. But today they were alone and he always felt at ease with Sasha. "That makes it the second most beautiful thing out here, I guess," He said, hoping to keep the statement from sounding too awkward. "I don't wanna go, let's stay... We don't get to sit like this too much, y'know? I mean... we do at school, but... I dunno, there's something about being like this... alone, but together. Like you said, getting away from our everyday schedule's nice." He grinned and gave her lips a soft kiss, yet another luxury they could rarely enjoy because of her parents, his parents, or their classmates being around. A lot of the other kids in their school liked to show off and snog in front of everybody, but it absolutely disgusted James - the absolute disregard for other people's personal space was atrocious so he avoided doing more than very light displays of affection unless they were positive they were alone. "I don't wanna push it too much, Sash... But... Mum asked me to see if you'd been able to talk to your parents. It's my fault for not asking you to go with us sooner, but you know I'm kinda forgetful and, even though you've had like... no time to get ready for it, I'd really like you to come along," He admitted, scratching, biting the inside of his cheek nervously. Rarely was James one to admit what he personally wanted beyond a gentle hint in one direction or another. He didn't like to overtake another person's preferences just because he wanted things one way or another. He was a "go with the flow" kind of guy; however, some people would label him falsely as introverted or stoic.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Finding new spots was an adventure, one she thought they should be ready to do. There were plenty of places they haven't been and why not explore them together? It was fun looking at new things and places but to share the excitement and discovery with someone was even better in her mind. When James listened to her explain what she had read, she could tell that he was actually listening to her. It was really nice since her parents could get distracted by the newest addition to their family. And her friends could tune her own when they felt like the topic she was babbling about was dull. James then threw her a cheesy romantic sort of line which made her grin. It was sweet of him and she couldn't reject anything sweet from her boyfriend, even if it was a little corny. It was still nice and made her smile so there was really no harm in it. She glanced back out at the scene in front of them and felt her cheeks turn a little red. "Tryin' to score extra points before Valentine's Day huh?" She teased him. Of course she knew that wasn't what he was trying to do but she thought for his sake, she should accept it and try not to make him feel to embarrassed. Guys typically didn't dish out lovey dovey comments so she was happy to get one, especially from James. When he added that he was alright with staying, she found herself feeling more happy, more relaxed. It gave her reassurance that they were on the same page now. She was glad he liked her idea and destination of choice, even if it meant going through a question route to get to it. "Yeah." She sighed gently and looked to him. he kissed her lightly and she smiled even more. That would definitely earn him bonus points. James wasn't really one for public displays of affection. If they could hold hands, that was okay but she still knew it was a push for James. Sasha wished he'd be more open to it put she didn't want to put him on the spot or make him uncomfortable. So she'd take what she could get. As they were enjoying the moment together he brought up the trip again and her face fell. Did he really need to bring it up again? So soon? Sasha scooted away a little and gave him a tired look. "You wanted to ask me sooner?" She frowned. "I haven't seen or talked to my parents since you brought it up at lunch." She pointed out, getting a bit upset. "I've been in school and with you since then. I really wish you told me sooner so I could think it over and talk to my parents but thanks to you, I'm in a tight spot and so is your mother!" She folded her arms, staring at him, not sure if she wanted to go now, let alone talk about it. "If it was so important, why didn't you ask me right away? Why couldn't your mother talk to mine?"</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt James frowned when he noticed he'd upset Sasha. "I know, I'm sorry... Really... And my mom didn't want to talk to yours until she knew if you even wanted to go... But... I forgot... You know I get distracted really easily. Every time I remembered, I was either just falling asleep, or on my way to school, or something..." He looked down to his lap anxiously. "Sometimes, I get kinda flustered and if I try too hard to remember something, it slips from my head and I start to panic and I-I... Ugh I don't know..." He explained, releasing her hand and nervously crossing his arms with his gaze averted. Why was it so hard to tell people about things like this..? His doctor had said it was a small form of ADHD. He wasn't overly excitable or energetic in class, but it seemed like he couldn't quite focus when he was told to remember something. His mother, as much as she loved him, would get rather frustrated when she'd leave the house and ask him to do something, come home, and it wasn't done. A lot of people would accuse him of making an excuse, but she knew that if she wanted something done that writing it down was going to make it more likely. Sometimes, when he was trying to recall something and couldn't quite bring it to mind, it would frustrate him to no end. "I'm sorry, we'll just drop it... Let's just enjoy this tonight, Sashie. If you don't want to go or can't go, that's fine, we'll just make tonight our Valentine's... or any night - we can hang out after school for the rest of the week too," He said, trying to cover himself. "I don't want you to have to spend Valentine's alone..." He said sadly. He scooted close to her again, frowning. "I hate seeing you so mad... or anything but happy - I like your smile," He pleaded, biting the inside of his cheek as he felt his heart taking a hammer to his sternum. Why couldn't he be better at these things? He always felt so awkward and his anxiety spiked every time he did anything beyond casual conversation. Sasha always managed to help him keep his cool and stay calm - it was just the atmosphere around her all the time, it kept him easygoing. However, when he got like this, he had to remember to stop worrying himself. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him have a panic attack or anything. Matt never had problems like this either, James was sure of it. The boy pulled back again and cleared his throat absently, pressing a hand flat to his chest, taking a few easy breaths in and letting them out. A seemingly mutated form of ADD and slight anxiety made for the perfect bundle to make others think he was awkward and even rude sometimes. The rudeness was something he worked hard to combat, and often he was successful, but still people would mistake his uncontrollable dismissive attitude.*Say it, or you never will...*He warned himself as his heart raced faster. His throat closed and he felt like he was choking, but he swallowed forcefully and looked over to Sasha. "I just... I wanted to make your Valentine's Day really nice, since it was the first time we'd both have a date for it... And I forgot about the trip every time I had a chance to ask... And... I wanted to wait until the actual day, but... I love you, Sasha Watson," He said sincerely. It felt like the night they first kissed again, and the dance... This was the first time he'd actually been able to say it at all, but he actually felt exhausted after pushing through his nerves. "You... I... Yeah, that's... that's all," He said, failing to find more words than those three...</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt He felt her hand take hold of his once again and the pressure of the moment was instantly lifted with her four-word response. He smiled and looked at her, his eyes glinting with warmth and excitement. Sharing like this was new... But it was also really uplifting, despite the anxiety it had initially wrought. She loved him too; the relief such a thought could bring was immense. He tilted his head curiously, "Impede our trip how?" He asked, laughing slightly, "It isn't like anything has changed to anybody else, we've just... said it now, right? It feels really nice, but I don't know if it really affects other people so much. If anything, it'd make it better," He pointed out, taking a moment to realize what she had exactly said. Instead of pointing it out, he smiled and listened to her give a small laugh. She was so cute, how was he so lucky? He kissed her, turning as he placed his free hand on her knee, simply savoring the few seconds that he had right there. A dismal thought occurred to him in that moment: this moment will never happen again. He may feel this way for a long time and he was sure they'd enjoy countless other 'adventures' together, but... right here, right now... He could never tell her he loved her for the first time again. After reluctantly pulling away, he shrugged, "I know, but I thought that you'd want Valentine's to be a million times better because of it." He didn't want to leave, but after a few more moments, he squeezed her hand and stood up, ushering her with him. "Come on, it's starting to get cold and if you get sick, we'll lose our Valentine's Week," He said with a small smirk. "Besides, we've been out here longer than I thought, the sun's already starting to go down." He lifted his hand and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her lips once again. They walked as closely as they could to get out of the underground, which was quickly growing colder, especially with the weather being so unpredictable. As they rode home, there wasn't quite so much talking, but that was okay; James really just enjoyed being around her, doing just about anything. Once they got back to her house, he pushed his kickstand to the ground and dismounted, walking with her up the driveway. "I had a really good night... I'm glad we went out like that, I was so confused at first..." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sleep well tonight, okay Sashie?" He urged with a smile. Hesitating again, as he was still unused to the way the words felt rolling off his tongue, "And I... uhh... I love you," He said again, still testing out the phrase. He smiled, loving the way it made him feel to say it. "Good night," He finally finished before getting back on his bike and starting off for home, really not excited to face his mother's interrogation on him talkin to Sashie again.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson The pair stood up and Sasha felt a little better, she wasn't as cross with him as she was before. Still, it didn't make up for the fact that she needed to figure out if she could go and if she wanted. Spending time overseas with his family was a bit scary and daunting but she would consider it if her parents would. He was right, the sun was looking to set set soon and they needed to get out of London before the drunks and creeps decided to take over. When he moved closer once more and kissed her, she returned it sweetly, happy they got one thing off their chest at least. The pair then gathered up their belongings and headed back out the way they came. There wasn't much said as they hopped on their bikes and took the long trek back home where the suburbs would keep them safe from any trickery that the city might play on them. When they came to her house, Sasha got out off and put it away and saw James getting off his and coming up to meet her before she headed inside. She rubbed her neck as he closed the gap between them. He copied her as he began to say his goodbye for the night. The girl with the bushy blond hair tried to assure herself that this was normal and nothing had changed and that she shouldn't be freaking out a little that the boy standing in front of her, actually loved her. Sasha forced herself to focus on whatever he was saying but found it hard to do so. Thankfully she caught that he loved her. This caused her to wear a wide smile. "L-love you too...night." She waved and watched him head down the street. She stood there in the cold before she hurried inside to where dinner was surely waiting for her. Closing the door behind her, she saw her mother cooking as it seemed her father was out with the baby, doing something or other. Walking over to her mother, she hugged her from behind. The woman turned around, surprised to see her teenage daughter so affectionate. "Hi mom." She said and pressed the side of her face against the woman's back. Her mother pulled her into her arms and kissed the top of her head, not going to question it for now. When Sasha pulled away, she felt so happy with the progress and even potential of how amazing her life could be. "I hope I marry a great guy like dad someday." She said out of nowhere. Sasha sighed softly and knew she needed to talk to both of her parents about what James had offered. In her mind, it was a bit better if his mom contacted her parents but sadly she had no TARDIS nor Time Turner to change what had happened, or in this case, didn't happen. That night, the three sat around the table to talk about the trip in question. Her parents were worried as any would be, to let their daughter just go off with a boy and his family. Though they were friends by now with one another, her parents were pretty uncertain about Sasha being alright in anther country by herself. In the end, they decided it would be okay for her to go, provided she used her job to pay for her expenses while they would cover her plane ticket. It was a tough bargain, but Sasha agreed to it, still a bit nervous about not having the ideal Valentine's Day and feeling a bit intimidated by his family now that they said their 'I love you's. She didn't get why James didn't see how this changed things. The would be under a lot more scrutiny now but she tried to think of the positives rather than the negatives and spent the rest of the night writing some short stories.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt "James Allan, why are you packing now?" Hannah asked, arms folded as she stood in his doorway. She was still in pyjamas while her youngest son was fully dressed and running frantically around his room, throwing clothes into a duffel bag and his gadgets into his backpack. "I asked you to do it*last night.*Like the rest of us did, so that you could join us for breakfast while we waited for Sasha to get here - we're not waiting for you before we start breakfast and we're leaving right after, so you'd better get a move on," She scolded in frustration. James barely heard her, but acknowledged her speech with unintelligible mumbles as he stuffed his handheld devices and games into his bag and then a portable blu-ray player with a couple of his favorite movies before he zipped it shut and set it aside. As Hannah sat down at the table and yawned, she shook her head, "I swear, that boy thinks that just because he packs faster than us, he ca-" "Done, when's breakf- hey, aren't you guys going to go get ready? Aren't we leaving soon?" James asked, walking into the kitchen. All three heads at the breakfast tabled turned their heads up at him - bedhead ran rampant among the Delacourt family this morning as they all just... stared at him, like he was some kind of alien. "How did you pack so fast?" Matt was the first one to ask. "You have more crap than any of us!" James shrugged and opened the refrigerator, "It's not crap. But I'm good at waking up... sometimes. I pack lighter than you think. It just looks like I have a lot of stuff 'cause i don't organize my packs - they'll get all screwed up anyway. You guys all fold up your clothes and stack them inside your bag and neatly cram whatever you can into your backpack... I just throw it in there and worry about it when we where we're going. Ugh, what's for breakfast?" "You can make some eggs if you want, I'm going to take a shower," Peter spoke for the first time that morning, tipping his head back as he downed the last of his straight, black coffee. The smell of it typically filled the house in the morning, and today was no different. It was nice, but the actual drink made James gag. Hannah, on the other hand, drank much more slowly and with a lot more cream. Matt took his coffee in moderation and rarely had any, so James could only guess what was in his glass this morning. The youngest Delacourt had decided milk would be a fine option while he waited for everybody else to get ready. He sat down and looked at his mother smugly. "So, mum, what was that about not waiting around for me?" The still-tired woman stared daggers at her soon and he gave a small laugh, rocking on the back legs of his chair as she rose to take the other bathroom in the house for her own shower... And then there were two. "Hey, Matt, is Anaïse coming today, or couldn't she come?" "No, she's coming. She just messaged earlier; should be here any minute now... When's Sasha coming?" "She'll probably be here soon..." Matt nodded and a few moments passed in semi-comfortable silence. A knock at the door caused both boys to rise to their feet, trying to figure out whose guest had arrived. It was Matt's girlfriend, of course, and after he got her bags situated, the two of them took to the parlour while Matt waited for a shower to open. Anaïse showed up perfectly, as usual - cleaned up, well-dressed, and ready to go. James pulled out his phone and swiped his thumb over the screen, connecting the letters with a line at a rather impressive speed as he belted out a quick message to Sasha.***Morning, sunshine, how's your packing going?***</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt "I didn't know you already packed! I got done this morning," He replied, stuffing his phone in his pocket, simply beaming as his girlfriend entered the house. It wasn't long before everybody was getting ready to go. The next couple of hours were a blur as they queued and were ushered through security. James looked at his ticket - his seat was a window. He'd been on planes of this size several times and he knew that the numbering system put him by a window.*Score!*He thought to himself, grinning as he showed Matt. "Cool, I got a window too. Gave it to Anaïs though, she wanted to see the ocean," He answered with a 'gotchya' smirk. James looked wistfully to his ticket and frowned... His brother had a point. Before getting on the flight, James offered Sasha his own seat. He'd had a window last year and he knew that the London skyline was not something anybody could miss. He felt good after doing it too - knowing he'd made a right move. However, once they'd gotten to their row, he noticed a guy sitting by the window already. James furrowed his brow and looked at the labels above the seats, then the tickets... No, he was right - they had the middle seat and the window. So what was this guy doing? The man had his head propped against a pillow, headphones on, already sleeping. Or rather, he was pretending to be asleep, and he was doing a poor job pretending he wasn't. What kind of selfish jerk does that? In disgust, the boy moved to shake the guy and let him know they weren't going to stand for it, but everybody in line was getting anxious for them to just take their seats and Sasha looked like she wanted anything but a scene. Quietly, he looked to his girlfriend, "I'm sorry... I was really excited for you to see London from above... Maybe you can see past him as long as he doesn't close the window..." He pointed out a bit wistfully before taking the aisle seat, their carry-on bags stuffed in the overhead bins. Soon they were taking off and he held Sasha's hand, wanting to keep her from being too nervous, "I'm glad you get to go too. Love you," He said cheerfully, leaning over and pecking her lips quickly. For most of the trip, they looked out the window, played videogames, or fell asleep against one another. It was a long flight, lasting over twelve hours, and it was the single most amazing span of time he'd ever spent sitting and doing nothing. The plane touched down in New Jersey and it was still early afternoon due to their flying against the turn of the Earth. Once the Delacourts and co. had reunited and stepped off the plane, they were greeted in the terminal by James' aunt, uncle, and cousins. He had four cousins, one was about Matt's age (Kyle), the fraternal twins were sixteen (Kendra & Mark), and the youngest was only four (David). Everybody was a bit out of sorts - it was always surreal when you stepped off of a plane in another country. Just as the trip to the airport, leaving was a blur. The family was able to take two cars back, however. Princeton in the late winter/early spring... It was quite a drive, but they took the backroads in order to get the real views on the way to the university town. Trees lined some of the roads, the colours of early spring were everywhere. James stared out the car window, smiling as the car radio played some vague, cookie-cutter pop song that none of them were really listening to. Small conversation filled the car, but only barely. After getting back to the house, James' mother suggested, to keep themselves awake, that Kendra, Mark, and he all show Sasha around the neighbourhood. The boy rolled his eyes... God, the twins... They could be unbearable. Even if they were fun, they liked being twins far more than anybody should. It wasn't long before they were firing Sasha and he with questions as they walked down the sidewalk. "So, where'd you two meet?" Kendra would start. Mark would jump in right after, "How long have you been together?" "Did James ask you out or did you ask him?" "How long did you know each other before you started dating?" And finally, Kendra stuck her tongue out, "Do you guys*loooove*each other?" She asked brightly, merely teasing them. James, however, froze and looked over to Sasha... Were they going to tell anybody? Kendra had kind of a big mouth, if she knew, she'd tell everybody else... He looked to his girlfriend for some kind of sign as to how they could answer the question.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson It wasn't a big deal if she couldn't look out the window during their extensive flight. It would have been lovely to do so but she was fine in the middle since she could look around the other passenger to see out of the window or get out to stretch her legs without going over two people to do so. It was a bit annoying though, to have someone take their seat but it was also rude to make a scene when it wasn't a big deal. "Don't worry about it, James." She assured her boyfriend. "London is a beautiful city and I'm sure this will be the first of many trips in and out of our amazing hometown." She assured him. She returned the light kiss, hoping no one else saw, well to be more specific, no one in James' family as she was still a bit unsure of how much PDA they could actually display before they got taunted or teased and embarrassed. The flight was spent doing many things, drinking, snacking, playing games, napping, chatting, etc. Sasha was still nervous about not seeing her family for a while but she kept reassuring herself that this was a new adventure and she had someone right beside her who felt like home. Once the group landed and got a car after exchanging numerous greetings with the extended family, they all took the long drive out to Princeton. Sasha looked out the window and marveled at the rustic scenery. It felt like home but it was much greener in her mind. Thankfully there wasn't rain falling from the sky so things were already looking up in Sasha's mind. Sasha kept quiet though, she felt out of place and wasn't sure what to say. Most of the light conversation was between the various family members as they asked general questions about how people and places were and such. Sasha kept to herself and when they all got out, they quickly headed into the home to settle in. Sasha and Anaïs were sharing a spare room together which was fine with them. As they tried to find something to keep them occupied and awake, that the twins, her and James look around the area. She waved to the older teenager and headed out, not sure what to expect but was taking her backpack with her in case she wanted to snap pictures or write something down. "What?" She looked up as the questions began to fly out of nowhere. "Um..." Sasha looked to James, unsure of how to handle this situation. "We met at a neighborhood picnic." She said, her light British accent sounding rather different from the American accents the twins had. "We uh...we've been together a few months." She should know the exact amount of days but that information was failing her as she nervously looked back to the curious pair of people. "We..." Her voice began to trail off as she found herself overwhelmed and unable to answer as to how long before they met, did they start going out. "L-love?" She blushed and cleared her throat. She really didn't think it was proper to be saying such things to people she hardly knew. And she wasn't a fan of gossip either. In her mind, the Americans were being rather pushy but Sasha didn't want to seem rude herself. "What James and I do and how we may feel is a private matter." She said with a nod and then realized that may have just been a direct way of pushing the topic under the rug while also trying not to confirm they did in fact love each other. "Are we in love?" She glanced back to James, not wanting everyone to know and she hoped he understood her reservations. "I don't know..." She shrugged and put on a sly grin. "For all anyone knows, we could have driven to Cornwall and gotten hitched in secret." She laughed, unable to let some of her creative spirit run a bit wild. "But if we did, it was for money, not love. I'm secretly a billionaire, you know." She giggled some more and hooked her hands behind her back as she began to balance on the edge of the sidewalk. Glancing toward James, she gave him a wink, hoping this playful banter would take some of the pressure off the two of them.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt The female twin perked up at Sasha's statement. "What you and he*do*?" She asked, leaning forward. James looked at her, perplexed, but Mark caught on far sooner. "James-y boy," He cooed excitedly, "What does she mean what you guys*do*? Private matter, hm?" He asked, grinning at his cousin. James realized a moment later what they meant and his eyes went wide. "U-uh, no, no, nothing like that! We just..." He fumbled over his words, shaking his head frantically. He looked to Sasha for help, but instead found her being just... her. He grinned and let out a breath, "She's right; this one here is a pop star*and*an heiress. Twentieth in line for the throne, check Wikipedia," He said, bouncing right off her own comment as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "But enough about us, you two will get plenty of gossip on Matt and Anaïs, I'm sure. How are things around here?" "Boring!" Kendra replied without skipping a beat. "God this town is so... bleh. Just glad class is in session now, when all the posh Princeton students are gone, there's absolutely nothing going on in this town... And even when they're here, it's still pretty bad unless da let's us sit in on a class..." Mark simply rolled his eyes, "That's because you're a*boar*, Kendra; you need to get some class, that's all." James began to tune the conversation out as he looked over to Sasha, mouthing the words 'thank you' for her help. The twins were a handful, that was for sure. He made a note to take her for a walk without them later. In a way, they were right, there wasn't much to do around here; but somehow the family managed to have fun. Not to mention, it was still a different country. It was a new place, even if it didn't always feel like it. The air nipped sharply, so James pulled his jacket around him a little bit more tightly, tucking his chin down against his scarf. "You too cold, Sasha?" He asked while the twins continued to argue about the excitement of their hometown, "Don't want you to get sick while we're on vacation or anything, y'know? That's always the worst... I got stomach flu one Christmas while we were out here and dear god it was awful..." The boy shook his head and ran a hand through his hair quickly. "Anyway, how's your jet lag holding up?" What could he say? The boy was a worrier.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt He grinned as she wrapped her arms around him. The man wrapped his arms around her back, squeezing for a moment; she was right, it had been too long. Why didn't he try harder to see her more or talk to her? For a brief moment, he was fifteen again, a blissful grin meeting his lips. In fact, it was so second nature to him, he had to remind himself that they were friends and nothing more as the hug broke off and he took his seat. "I guess a bit different, yeah," He chimed in, nursing his drink lightly as his other hand drummed nervously on the table. He hung onto every word she had, but still, it took all of his power not to shake as he drank. He just needed to loosen up a little bit. "Editing at Oxford too, eh?" He asked, genuinely impressed, "Don't feel nervous - you've always been an amazing writer. They clearly hired you for a reason, be proud of that. Hiding a broom cupboard'll get you fired," He pointed out teasingly, a small smirk on his face as he sipped his drink again. Oh boy, he was being awfully quiet... And when he was quiet, it meant he was drinking more than the people who were talking. Just slow down, James, he had to remind himself, setting the glass down again. He shook his head, "Don't be sorry, Sashie. You can talk all you like," He reassured her, tipping his glass her way before taking another drink of it from the straw to control his intake. Inevitably, she asked about Matt and James had to wonder if he ever told her about Nathan and how that was going over... Probably not, it only happened in the last few weeks and the two of them hadn't discussed much in detail since Matt's death. James distanced himself quite a lot after that. Finally, he let out a breath and gave his ex-girlfriend a sombre smile, "It's okay. I'm well, really, I am," He told her calmly, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. He'd always done that in class too... More than once, it fell out from under him and caused the entire room to erupt into several minutes of uncontrollable laughter. Actually broke his tailbone in Junior year - what a god awful few weeks that had been... Old habits die hard, he supposed. "We actually went to Germany when I was on break a couple of months ago... The accident site isn't there anymore, of course, but... it was good. It's a beautiful country, despite everything. I know my parents still have their days, and I miss him like hell, but I just keep myself busy. As cliché as it sounds, I take solace in the 'gone but not forgotten' mantra." The speakers died as a song faded out and James looked around as the sound of a guitar began to strum over them. He looked at Sasha, realizing it at the same time as she did... He couldn't help but laugh as 'Riptide' filled the room. "Wow, this place really plays the oldies, eh? I'll drink to that," He said brightly, lifting his glass again. James had to wonder what exactly she was thinking about. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I live in Canterbury noworking in the same company as da. It's great - Boeing and the government both contract them a lot, it gives me a lot of experience... I like it. Word around is that we'll be getting a contract for parts on a discovery shuttle to Mars. Very delicate work. I know I won't be on the team, but it's a really big deal for everybody, it means we'll all be getting more dynamic jobs and better pay in the next few months, given that the guy with the project doesn't screw it up too bad," He explained with a wink, realizing that now it was his turn to ramble about something that Sasha likely wasn't too itnerested in, as he had done many times in the past. The topic changed and he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Now that depends; any friends you want to introduce me to? When you're not hiding in the broom cupboard, I can go have a good snog," He teased, shaking his head as he took another sip, "No, nobody in my life right now like that. Had a few dates in uni, but I'm sure you knew a couple of engineers - our workload only grows over time. No matter how many hours you work, it's always growing," He sighed, "I'm glad to only be schooling part time now. Nothing teaches better than actually working hands-on, I'm sure you know that as well as I do. No curfew tonight, Miss Watson. What about you, still flying solo?" Words could not describe how relieved he was that she asked if he was single. It meant that he didn't have to find some way to ask her for himself. James tapped his leg softly to the rhythm of the song... Wow did that take him back. All the way to the little clearing in the woods, before the neighbourhood was developed, when it still felt like their own little private place.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Though she knew hiding from her work would get her fired, she was sure the idea would be tempting at times. She knew she needed to just relax and be herself, but that wasn't easy when she was in such a holy place, surrounded by such great minds of her age. The topic then moved towards Matt and James and their family. She could only imagine what kind of loss they had to endure and she hoped that their family knew, she and hers were around if they needed more comfort. Sasha gave herself a hard mental kick in the shin, since she still felt like a rubbish friend for not being more present for James and the others. She felt awful but hoped she could make it up somehow. And not because she felt she needed to, but because she wanted to. "I feel old enough." She held up her glass as he did when they mentioned the song that was playing in the background. It really took her back. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed when he mentioned Mars. "It's about time we got something up there, America can't do everything for space exploration." She pointed out. "Oh, I am not introducing you to any of my friends!" She gasped and gave him a grin. She didn't think they'd really hit it off but it did conjure up some interesting scenes. Her friends were more of the artsy type who wrote or acted, she wasn't sure how well they'd get along with James and his own complicated field of study. It was great though, since they were both able to break off and find friends in their own interests but now, she wondered if they could somehow meet in the middle again, like when they first met and enjoyed the video game club at school. She nodded when James mentioned the usual workload of engineers and how it wasn't easy to hold anyone down at the moment, even with a better use of his time. Part of her wanted to ask if he was playing Endless Realms, she assumed he was but figured it wouldn't be right to bring it up at the moment. After all, she wasn't sure how close they were anymore, or how close they may become. It was all up in air, despite her hope that they could go back to being the best of mates, close as thieves. "For the moment, yes." She replied when he asked about her own status. "I would rather settle down before I try to add a relationship to juggle." It would seem unfair to adjust to a job and university and try to get to know a new man. For now, she was positively happy being on her own. Of course having friends and lovers were two different things. Sasha had plenty of fun online with her friends or offline with others from around school. She took another long drink and set her glass down, finishing her beer. A silence formed between them but for her, it didn't feel strained and heavy. She sat back in her chair and looked over her shoulder at the news. She looked back to James, her expression still soft. They could probably spend hours reminiscing but she didn't want to, getting stuck in the past just made things hard and brought up regrets. Sasha wanted to enjoy their present, right now. "I can't believe we're in our twenties, James. I mean, we're adults! When the hell did that happen?" She laughed and shook her head. It was so weird to be sitting with someone who she remembered as being a kid. He was different though, and so was she. "I don't wanna blink and find us in our fifties." She protested as the thought crossed her mind. So much had happened in the last five or so years and she couldn't imagine what the next five years would bring both of them. From the sounds of it, James was in a good place, all things considered, which did make her happy. James had so much potential back when they were younger and she was thrilled that he was finally able to tap into it and do something brilliant. "I'm hoping by the time I'm that old, we can upload ourselves into robots and live forever." She professed. "Then maybe we can just use our jet-packs to fly into space and explore with other robots." That sounded like a pretty fun idea for a short story. She quickly took out a small black notebook and quickly wrote down the idea. She had about 22 other matching black notebooks back at her flat, all crammed with ideas.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt "Settling's a smart way to go about it, Sashie," He said with a nod. "I don't think I've had a slow moment in the past two years, to be honest, it'll be nice once I get into some kind of routine again, like in high school. I miss all the time off we had back then," He joked, "Growing up for me was the moment I realized that summer didn't mean you were on vacation just because the weather got nice. But at least I'm pretty well-off and I'm not going to work because 'that's just what you do,' y'know?" He swirled his drink around in the glass, watching the dark brown-ish liquid spin. The ice tinked softly every with every round, he almost didn't realize that the conversation had moved back to his work and he laughed. "Aye, they've not had the money to do much since The War," He observed. "But I don't follow economics or politics or most other -ics, so I could be wrong. I'm not worried about the competition, just focused on getting my own stuff done. Time spent worrying about somebody else's progress is time wasted anymore. Of course, I really don't know how other countries are faring financially, it has been quite a while since the ceasefire. My aunt and uncle left Princeton for a university in Luxembourg once the kids graduated and shortly before the accident. It was pretty good timing, since we could have everybody back together for that. But otherwise, I haven't been 'stateside' in ages." He put his hand up, realizing that he was sucking on an ice cube after his next sip, "'Nother Rum & Coke, please?" The bartender nodded and sent a waitress out with his drink. James grinned greedily and took it with a polite nod, "Thanks, lass." He waited a moment to turn back around, taking a sip of his drink as she walked away. "Ahh... I haven't had a drink in a long time. I try not to go alone, so it's nice to have somebody to come out here with again. My mates and I are so busy, we mostly keep our discussions digital. After uni, we kind of scattered; most of the guys I work with are either past their thirties or lucky co-op students and interns, so I don't have anybody my age that I can call a 'colleague' at the workplace. I'm not complaining, just saying there's not as much alochol in my diet as there was in school," He said with a cheeky grin. Not to mention that drinking alone was how the habit could develop and that was last thing he'd needed. "Despite popular belief," He pointed out, "jet packs are hardly an avenue worth pursuing. Sure, they look fun, but the practical application is pretty much nil. Not to mention the dangers of that... You think a drunk driver is bad, wait until we have jet fuel explosions from the winos strapping on a rocket... Devastating. And dumping a brain into a robot... isn't that kinda the movie Surrogates? I never actually saw it, but it sounds kinda like it. A bit scary, sometimes, yeah?" There he went again, over-analyzing everything. He shook his head and smiled, "Oh, but there's VR and stuff. I mean, even I know a lot of older people who're starting to lose their ability to walk themselves around and stuff... I've heard they use the games to kind of... Relive their youth, since the avatars aren't restricted by their own physical abilities. It makes for a real interesting experience, I hear, getting that feeling back, even if it's temporary. Or even feeling it for the first time; I remember when some of the first reports of that stuff were coming out," He explained, turning back into that kid Sasha knew, the one that got all kinds of excited over technology and how it could help people and provide new experiences.</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>James Delacourt James was both surprised and relieved that the encounter with Sasha had gone off without a hitch. Even the pauses didn't feel too awkward despite how much time apart they'd spent. He felt rather bad about leaving, but they'd been out longer than planned and the night felt like it was reaching an end anyway. Not to mention, he had some good scores to get on Endless Realms tonight. Nathan was staying at James's parents' house, so he had the weekend to himself. The engineer had a great set-up for his gaming. He had a small study area in his flat. It wasn't his own room, but it was separated from the parlour by an open wall. His computer rig was hooked up on the desk in front of him, as were his headset and VR console. He let out a comforted sigh as he sat down and leaned back, clicking the device on. ----- Spectre was greeted with the new forum announcement for the Summer's End Quest. He read through the rules, nodded, and swiped the notification away after putting himself into the registry. With a shrug, he gave a quick glance to his surroundings. Yeming, a small city in the Fantasy Zone. Out here, there were few mods and even fewer negative-alignment players. The houses were inexpensive and the goods were low and mid-level crafted items. The Mechanic had a tendency to move through towns like this one, often on the Fantasy side of the world. He had no regrets about his starting class choice, but he quite liked the thrill of blending in over here. He wore little armour, as it provided stealth boosts, and it was made of red leather. Over his shoulders he wore a dark grey cloak with a white 'X' crossed over the back. The hood was pulled up over his head as he walked down the road. Most of the player shops were closed - many were getting to bed. However, it wasn't so late, a few souls wandered the streets with him. Some were shady like him, but others were just at their shops. It wasn't like the town was busy during high-traffic times either, but their goods wouldn't fetch a good price in the major cities. This zone was for the people who played in this level range, so the goods would sell best around here. Checking the roads north and south, he slipped between a pair of buildings and started checking one particularly for windows. His alignment, while not publicly visible, was mostly Chaotic. It was hard to really put much more of a label on it, as his playstyle was far from consistent. Finally, he found a good spot and pulled out a couple of tools from his inventory, starting to pick at it. As soon as it popped open, he grinned. "Score!" Over the following couple of weeks, James waited to get his partner and kept in touch with Sasha. Nathan was getting ready for school; the boy was rather autonomous, all things considered, and James was shocked daily by Matt's ability to have raised the child. Levels in Endless Realms moved incredibly slowly, so he actually hadn't advanced much thanks to how little time he had and how much work the game required. Finally, the day came. The registered users were all paired up and James furrowed his brow, "Hm... Fracture? Interesting name. Nice get..." He muttered to himself, dismissing the message. He'd touch base later. Meanwhile, as he walked through the streets of Whispering Village, he sized up the other players around him. While walking through the throngs of people, Spectre would wait for the right, low-level character to pass by before sticking a hand into their pocket. Simultaneously, he would bump into them and just as he walked away from the aghast fellow player, the coin would transfer to his own stash. It wasn't much at all, but to be honest, it gave him a different kind of thrill. Were he caught, it was likely that he'd have all eyes from those around him. He got caught once and they took half the cash he had on him all at once for reparation. It was still pretty god damned fun. Ding! The little notification rang out and he looked to the upper corner of his screen. A message? From whom? Checking the message, Spectre read it and rubbed his chin. "How nice..." He muttered, furrowing his brow. At first, he'd assumed "Fracture" was a male player, but... based on the mail, there was no way. Finding a seat, Spectre pulled up the interactive keyboard and starting typing away. [Indent]To: Fracture Subject: Re: Hello new friend and partner! Content: Nice to meet you. I'm not too worried about placement, either, but I'd like to at least aim for a ranking of some kind. I'll add you as soon as I get this sent out and sure, I can be in Neutral City. Meet me in a shop called Bogarted Blues - it doesn't see too much business, so it'll be a good meeting spot. -Spectre Sabre Soldier 212 Overview LN, Blue Harbor Residential District After clicking 'send,' Spectre felt satisfied. It wasn't exactly long-winded, but it got to the point. Bogarted Blues was his store, it wasn't big and it wasn't popular, but it was locked down fairly tightly. It was how he fenced a lot of the little trinkets. He kept it in Neutral City because he didn't want to keep it in the same place which he lived, so Neutral City brought the most business. Sometimes, Spectre got a good score, but mostly it was just some extra goods which were marked way down. The shady origin of the store is why it didn't see many customers, but in all honesty they would face no penalty for the fenced goods.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson After her work day ended, she finally allowed herself to check back online and see if the other person had gotten back to her. She was anxious that her partner may be someone rude or not interested in interacting, which was the entire point of the quest itself. Either way, Sasha read over the message and felt somewhat relieved. It seemed as though the player she had been matched up with, was fine with meeting right away. Sasha made a quick stop at a cafe so she could treat herself to some fresh tea before she finished the trek back to her flat. Once there, she brushed her hair out, started a load of laundry before sitting down in front of her computer. Sasha did some writing, replied to some personal emails and finally hopped onto the E.R Forums and from there, she logged into the game. She put on her goggles and sat back for a moment. She enjoyed the scenic tranquility of where she was and she hated to venture into Neutral City. She didn't have a shop like some players but like many, she established her own home of sorts where extra inventory could be stored and where injuries could be healed up. Fracture let out a soft but shallow sigh before she climbed out of her tree house and landed on the lush grass, a light few sticking to her bare legs. She had on a brown Japanese styled top and a yellow ribbon, as a sort of shout out to her blond hair in real life. Fracture also had pink hair tied back. She had a long boot and a short one because to her, it seemed fun to mix and match. She also had long white and red sleeves attached to her forearms, something that might come from the old manga, Naruto. In her hair was a brown ribbon and she had decided until she had more currency, her look didn't need to change. Players had so many unique items and attire. You could hardly find people who looked the same and usually, that sort of thing was done on purpose. She waved to a few friends and headed over to the ring which could let her go right to Neutral City. She did just that and within seconds, she was in the middle of bustling chaos. [ Hey, Fracture here, I'm on my way. Sorry about the delay. ] After she sent Spectre a quick message, she began to walk around, searching for the shop he had said to meet at. Fracture was a little side-tracked by the window shopping and merchants trying to make a hard sell. Soon she came across a group of players who seemed to be making a bet of some sort in an alleyway. Shaking her head, Fracture continued to walk along the street and finally came across Bogarted Blues. Looking to her left, and then her right, she knocked and then went inside. "Hello?" She looked around, it being hard to miss the collection of items and treasures the player had accumulated over time. It was impressive but she wasn't one for rare items. "I'm Fracture...Spectre, are you around?" She called out and slowly turned around in a circle, hoping this wasn't a shady decision.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt Spectre had been working to keep his shelves straight and looked over his inventory. Some fantasy cloaks here, demolitions armour there... He hadn't created any of it, but it sold just the same. Marked down quite a bit, considering he didn't need any materials to gather these things. Some had nice enchantments, others were low-level equipments without any kind of augmentation. He donned a long white trenchcoat with gold trimmings and a high collar. At his side was the handle to his sabre which glowed a menacing black when active. His boots were black and were actually from the Fantasy realm; they were enchanted with a short-range teleport which recharged each day. He couldn't use it through walls, but it was great for evasion, distraction, and escape. The Cloak was a Mechanic item, with a technological armor buff built into the thread. It repelled attacks and absorbed damage that way, rather than being the hard armors from the Fantasy Realm. Some of the displays showed off the more expensive goods he'd acquired, like a stand holding a katana-like weapon and a mannequin bust adorned with some finely enchanted jewelry. The building was in a more Mechanic-centric district, so it was automated for sales and prices were set specifically. It could run without a teller, but the equipment inside was more expensive. Spectre placed the small trinket he was examining back on the shelf as the door opened. He waited for them to identify themselves before coming out. He'd had somebody come in once and notice an item he'd stolen from them. It only happened once, but it was a real unnerving affair. "Hi," He said, stepping into view, "Fracture... Neat name. Good get," He observed, pocketing his hands and rolling his shoulders slightly, "Nice to meet you." He pulled out his menus and looked at the forums' list of rules. "On the plus side, level doesn't matter... Not that it's a huge factor anyway, it's not like anybody's even hit the cap yet, but still... It can really exclude some of the mid-levels like us. I looked into your profile a bit earlier, just doing my own research. Don't see a lot of Warlock-Clerics around. Considering most people who go Warlock like to really specialize their damage - you've got a lot of juggling to do in a large-class raid, considering you watch everything that needs to be hit, but then keep an eye on the health of the others' too. Impressive multi-tasking..." He put a hand on his chin, "Found it kinda strange too... Interesting the way the pairing system works. They put Mythics with Mechanics, which is a cool hook for the quest, but beyond that from everybody I've talked to, the pairs complement well. I'm heavy damage per second and being a Rogue gives me a high crit-bonus for sneak attacks. I draw heavy aggro after the fight starts too, but Sabre Soldiers don't absorb damage, we just dodge... a lot. But you're a healer and a damage-dealer... Kind of a good complement. I know a guy who was a Gunslinging Ghost Healer who got paired up with a Gladiator Flyer. Both of them were about mid-forties too, so they could have their third classes in the next few weeks. Just interesting to me to see how those things work..." With a small laugh, "Sorry, kind of get lost rambling sometimes. Anyway, my place is upstairs, if you wanna check it out. Nothing too big, but I put a lot of my credits into the details, since it doesn't see a lot of guests anyway," He observed. "Unless you'd rather hang out somewhere else?"</s>

<|description|>James Delacourt Birthday: August 23'rd, 2008 Appearance: Online Alias: Spectre Online Join Date: September 12'th, 2029 Online Appearance as a Mechnic: Note: Image can be clicked for a link to higher resolution. Level: 33 Class: Main - Sabre Soldier Sub - Rogue *Has yet to decide whether he wants to have Technician or Rider for his third class at level 50 Personality In-Game: Outwardly Friendly, Clever, Thoughtful, and Manipulative in order to get ahead Personality Out-of-Game: Serious, Careful, Reserved, Blunt, and Distrusting – often misinterpreted as being a bit of a jerk Ambitions: After high school, James followed in his father's footsteps, chasing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Unlike his long-term girlfriend Sasha, he had no desire to leave London. Travel for him didn't go out it went up. He always wanted a pilot's license, but with schooling there was no time to get into school for it. Besides, Engineering fascinated him and maths was so natural for him that there was no question when it came time to pick. His postgraduate studies are being conducted at the Imperial College of London, but he only takes them part-time and in small loads. He's in no hurry to receive his Master's Degree because his father was able to get him a job at the same company where he works. Even still, experience weighs far more heavily than just a sum of classes and a slip of paper. James now works full-time for the company headquartered in London, taking most of his classes at-distance and as 'independent study.' Apart from this, he spends most of his time in the world of Endless Realms, occupying himself recreationally with the relatively new world of VR. He found his own flat in Canterbury after graduation for a fair price, considering he gets paid more than the average bachelor's graduate.</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Her silent observations were soon disrupted by the person finally coming out from the shadows. Fracture turned to him as he greeted her but left without formally introducing himself. He then went on to say how he had looked at her profile. It was public, everyone's was just to ensure that some secrets couldn't be kept. It was basic information though, anything personal was kept away from the players to make them as comfortable as possible when it came to slipping into a new persona when they played the game. "Yes...there are plenty of magic fanatics out there but most people neglect the need for health until it's too late. You can only rely on potions for so long." In her mind, the spells she casted were a lot better, more potent and quick than drinking potions or using herbs in a pinch. He then shifted the topic to the matching itself and how it seemed so far, each pair somewhat complimented one another. That was a possibility that they had been matched purposefully but Fracture wasn't convinced that someone would take the time to make sure they worked out. To her, it was just a coincidence that some people worked well together, as she was expecting some clashing to happen among the two different classes. But then the topic once again shifted to another point about people Spectre knew and how well they ended up working together. He also noted their level and how they'd get a new sub-class soon. All she could do was nod until he noticed his ramblings. It was something she was used to but it was still annoying. They hadn't really gotten to know one another, all of this talking was just above the surface, it didn't help when it came to their tactics and ideas of how they wanted to have fun but also get the points. Spectre had mentioned how he wanted to get them and Fracture had been expecting a more harsh, narrow minded sort of Mechanic. So far, she was glad her expectations hadn't been met. "It's alright, we've just met, things are a little weird." She held up a hand to him when he apologized. Then he mentioned how they could go up to his place which was above the shop. At first, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. But she also considered it would be easier to talk without anyone eavesdropping. "Sure, I wouldn't mind taking a look." Fracture finally ended up giving her reply, knowing the ice still needed to be broken. "So...in terms of when you're most online, we should figure out when we can meet up so we've at least got a plan for meeting up." Once the event began, it would be tricky to find time between her work, social obligations and spending time online for E.R. Even so, Sasha was hopeful that this would be fun, as opposed to stressful. "I'm not looking to spend all night online when I have to get up in the morning but I do think we'd be able to take advantage of the weekends." She considered as she followed Spectre up to where he was staying. She made a quick save as they headed up the stairs, just in case. "You haven't made enemies with any factions or groups, I'd need to know in advance since we'll be needing to spend a lot of time together in the open areas and fields..."</s> <|message|>James Delacourt Spectre nodded and headed for the stairs. A soft blue glow blocked the threshold; it was quick to dissipate when he scanned his hand on the pad beside and started up the stairs. The security was good, but not top-notch. Ironically, the thief couldn't afford to keep anybody who was a higher level than himself out. At least, not yet. His store wasn't a target for a lot of burglars anyway, let alone his little apartment above it. He opened the door to his "apartment," which was hardly a large living space, and allowed Fracture to step in first. The kitchenette and living space were not separated by more than a little bit of counter space, a door down the hall lead to what was presumably a bedroom and another to what was obviously a bathroom. Apart from that, it was a fairly empty place. Basic accommodations aside, he had a sofa and chair with a coffee table and holo-screen in the parlour. There were windows which provided only a view to the less-than-scenic street below, but it still felt like a home. It was apparent where his priorities lie, as the walls were lined with images hung up in frames - a non-digital touch that was typically found more in the traditional Mythic's home. Mechanics preferred electronic displays, but Spectre's were all the virtual equivalent of printed images. The frames were still a sleek, silver colour to blend with the home, but it still made it feel more realistic. There was an array of them too, everything from pictures in Mythic cities, featuring him and some unfamiliar faces wearing the clothing that low-level Mythics often would in all sorts of locations. Some were out in the fields or on floating rocks or even by the water. Only a couple were in the Mechanics' cities or training spots, but he wore gradually-improving gear in each one. Some had repeating players with him, some were him alone, and some were faces you only saw once. It wasn't truly important, but it showed that he liked to move around a lot more than the average Mechanic would. He scratched his cheek at her question and cleared his throat, "Uh... well, I wouldn't say enemies with a faction, no. Maybe some... particular individuals. But they've got bigger fish to fry than some missing trinkets..." He waved his hand dismissively, "Or the deed to a house..." He smirked, "That was a fun day. You ever try to fence a whole house? It's not easy. I tell you what, if that guy ever finds me, I'm in the shit," He laughed, "Sorry for the language. He has no idea who I am, but boy was he pissed at the guy who bought it." The haughty mechanic shrugged his shoulders, "Nah, nobody's gonna know who I am from a glance in a field. As far as I know, I'm not being hunted either. Of course, I could be wrong, so we'll just be careful. Wanna take a seat? Can I get you anything? I've got... let's see..." The man made his way to the small kitchen and began sifting through the refrigerator. "I've got water... Or... ooh, water... And bread, I think. Nope, no bread," He concluded as he checked a cabinet, "But there's... Nope, nevermind, ate that this morning." He rubbed the back of his neck, "In fairness, I wasn't on that long before we met today, so I haven't been to the store." He sighed and shook his head, "Anyway... You seem like a Karmic Player; do good things, good things happen? I bet you haven't made a single enemy since you started playing."</s> <|message|>Sasha Watson Fracture's eyes scanned the new area upstairs. When he mentioned he didn't have anything against Factions, that was a relief but only a short lived one. If he had enemies, she was willing to bet they would come into play even with the event in eventual full swing. If his collection had it made it perfectly clear, his mutterings sure did. He liked to steal things. Even if it caused him trouble. Well for now, his trouble was now hers and even though she wasn't really happy about it, Fracture was interested in knowing just who might come them, or even her now. Spectre's ramblings continued for a bit, definitely not offering the girl much reassurance at all. Her worried face offline, was thankfully not fully translated into the game but it had to be obvious that his new partner was a little more than uncomfortable with his habits and nonchalance. He offered her a seat and she took it. "Thanks." She did her best to remain open minded. That there had to be something redeemable about the guy. There had to be, right? Fracture looked up when he began to see what supplies he had to offer his guest. Her stats were a little low but she was fine. "Don't worry about it, I'm able to get home safely." She said sweetly, raising a relaxed hand. "Ah yes...I try not to make enemies." She agreed with his assumption. Fracture smiled a little, assuming it had to be written across her face. A part of her feared someone like him could just double cross her at some point and steal everything on her. She hoped that didn't happen. "I am fond of taking newbies by the hand and showing them the ropes." It paid off, some of them went on to reach high levels in which they'd come back and give her things for being so generous with them in the past. Even though she still considered herself a novice in some senses of the game's aspect, she enjoyed it and liked making friends. It helped when she was too tired after work. She still got to socialize with others even when she didn't want to go out because she was too tired or if money was tight. "While I do healing and combat magic, I'm still training to get stronger so don't think you'll be tasked with doing all the fighting." Even though she wasn't into battling like others, she still found it thrilling and almost beautiful. Well, it was beautiful when Mythics fought each other. With Mechanics, it was just crude and soulless but she didn't meant that train of thought to Spectre. "I also do a lot of mapping of areas so I should have us covered when we need to scavenge in other areas." She added proudly.</s>

<|message|>James Delacourt Spectre nodded, "Fair enough. Just making sure my hospitality is on-par with polite standards... Though, I suppose not having any food kind of means it failed." He shrugged; it obviously didn't bother him that much. "I gave up on the new people a long time ago... But to be honest, I didn't want help figuring the game out - I really enjoyed my early months in the game, still discovering new stuff and finding all the little things you could do was half the fun. I can't stand the ones out asking for a handout or a 'mentor...' They let way too many little kids on here, it's almost ridiculous..." The Mechanic came back into the parlour and stretched a bit, "Ah... Anyway, we don't get our tasks for a few days, so until then, we're kinda stuck just doing our normal thing or seeing how we work together. I do, however, have work most this week... They're keeping me real busy, got a really big thing coming up here soon that could apparently make or break the company. I assure you, not nearly as interesting as it sounds," He stated, waving a hand, "But, if there's something else you'd like to do online, I'm all ears. Otherwise I'm pretty free this weekend. Might go out with a friend for a while, but my nephew's gonna be gone till Sunday, I'm really quite open." Ping! James looked to the top right of his field of vision to see a notification pop-up. It was a message, which he promptly opened and began passively reading - he was still part of his conversation, but he wanted to check who this was from. From: R1ngz Subject: Got Something... Hey, Spectre, I think you might be a bit interested in this... Found a guy out on the Mythic Side. Apparently somebody he knows got a really rare drop recently that he's been trying to get himself. He wants it... Bad. Wiling to pay out huge - I'll only charge you a small finder's fee for his information if you want to take the job on. We're talkin' big cash. Apparently this thing, whatever it is, can't be bought on the regular market. We're talking some high-level stuff here. You're a good thief, and I don't think anybody's ever tried to steal from this guy. You can check out his place if we've got a deal. Hit me up. -R1ngz to Rule them All Spectre closed the e-mail... God he hated that name, but he found some of the best jobs and there was no doubting that. Maybe later he'd check out the score. It'd be nice to not have to fence something too - paid jobs were the best jobs, but also the hardest. Petty thievery was for skill grinding... This kind of task could only be done with enough work on the less than exciting half of it. "Nothing important," He said, swiping the message away for now. "So, what are you doing the rest of the evening?"</s>

<|description|>Kiel Age: 469 Spices: Werewolf</s> <|message|>Kiel Before she became a werewolf, Karen was just a normal human girl. She was promised to a young boy in the village; she had loving parents, and was going to have a wonderful life. Until one full moon, John was dragged away in the dead of night leaving nothing but a trail of blood in the freshly fallen snow. Karen was torn to shreds. Her cries could be heard through the whole village the next morning when his body was found in the town square torn to shreds by wolves. The people of the village expected her to lock herself in her room for months. However, too much anger flowed through her to just sit in her room and sweep. She grabbed her cloak and stole off in the middle of the night with her father's sword in hand. It took her several weeks, and honestly she did not know what she was looking for, but she found it, a group of humans sitting around a camp fire. A better description would be a group of humans mixed with wolves. She approached them campfire when she saw him, John. He was laughing with the others with a wolf's head in his lap. "John?!?" she cried in horror. His hand wiped around to stare at her wide eyed. "Karen, you were not supposed to come after me…" he choked. "You were dead! Killed by a wolf!" she put her hand over her mouth. "I saw you…" the words came out muffled. "Kiel, I thought you said she wouldn't come. She would mourn, but not follow you." A guy called from across the fire. "Shut up!" John yelled as he approached Karen. "You need to go back. Forget you saw me. Go back and live out your life." Karen shook her head. She saw his body. She cried against his cold and bloody body. Another guy got up and walked towards them as well. "Kiel, she can't leave now. She has seen you alive. She knows too much!" "She doesn't know anything!" "She knows you're alive!" "Let her go!" "I cannot." Karen watched the exchange with wide, innocent blue eyes. All she knew was Jake was alive. The wolves from around the circle got up and started walking around her. Jake reached out to her but she jerked away from his comfort. "What are you going to do?" Jake asked softly, afraid to know the answer. "Bite her." The guy's eyes flashed yellow and before Karen could blink his teeth sank his teeth into her neck. Karen screamed as she fell to the ground. Pain ripped through every part of her body. Her muscles screamed in agony. The guy who bit her put his hand on Jake's shoulder as he wiped his mouth of blood. "If it makes you feel any better. She is probably too weak to survive." Jake fell to his knees beside her but did not touch her. "I'm sorry, Karen. I am so sorry! I did not want this for you…." A tear slid down his cheek and he stood up want walked away, leaving her in fate's hands. ___ They had no idea who they had changed or who she would have become. She was not weak and she did not die in her transformation. She became stronger than anyone could have imagined. She became Avina.</s> <|message|>Devin Devin used to live in small town, it was where he had been born and raised. He had been a fisherman, with a happy life and loving wife. It was peaceful and quiet there, despite the fact that everyone knew one others business. That was until people in town started to go missing in the middle of the night, and the ones who returned would start acting strange. They refused to leave their homes at daylight and forced their guests to leave roughly at sundown. This was when the town went downhill quickly, people were afraid for lives, as they should have been. It happened right after sundown, he was on the way home when he was attacked. There was no seduction or being mesmerized as there should have been, Devin was attacked from behind with no warning. Fangs biting into his side, and without his mind dazed the turn was both more painful and powerful. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins, before his whole body went cold, and his heart stopped beating. When he awoke, a man looking no older than nineteen explained everything to Devin, claiming to be his elder and the one in control of him. Though he wasn't as weak as the others, he fought the urge to listen to the man and visited his wife, when the so called elder found this out, the teenager killed her. And in return Devin killed him, before fleeing the others and running all the way to the states, once he got to the states he was forcibly brought before the dead vampires elder, a woman called Cadence. Instead of killing Devin, like was called for in their laws, the woman claimed him as her changeling, he took the place of the vampire he killed. Causing him to lose what chance of freedom he could have had, now he is on a much shorter leach than before.</s>

<|message|>Kiel The sky above was full of bright stars lighting the forest floor with a pale white light. The forest floor was alive with the trampling of a dozen wolves foot falls. It was a mad race. Wolves were snapping at each other's' legs trying to gain the lead. Others howled at the half full moon as their four paws kept time with those around them. One red wolf pulled from the pack, out running all of those around it. A few others tried to keep up, but with a burst of speed the red wolf left them in the dust. Just on the outskirts of the town, the red wolf came to a sliding stop. The rest of the pack came to a stop just behind it, as if they were afraid to go past it. The red wolf laid down and started to shift. Bones cracked, skin pulled and stretched, red fur disappeared, and in the place where the red wolf had laid down a red headed woman stood up. Her strawberry hair was wild, her blue eyes held a tint of yellow left over from the change, and her bare skin was flushed pink from head to toe. She turned around to the rest of the pack not at all ashamed of her naked form. "For too long have I kept you cooped in the forest! Tonight you will run! Remember to stay in a wolf form, try to stay hidden, stay with a partner, do not attract attention to yourself, and do not under any circumstances bit a human! Howl if you need me. Go! Run!" The red head lifted her arms and the wolves charged past her. She turned to watch the wolves run into the city. All except one. A grey wolf came to sit beside her as the forest became quiet once again. "Hello Kiel." She said in a dead voice. "You did not have to come tonight." The grey wolf wined softly. Avina rolled her eyes and walked over to a nearby tree and pulled out some clothes. Once she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue tank top she headed into the town. Ever since she first changed, Kiel had been trying to apologize. He had purposely left her after promising her a life and family. He faked his own death to get away from her. It was not something she wanted to get over anytime soon. Sure, four hundred years was a long time to hold onto it, but he was always bring it back to her attention. He glued himself to her side most of the time, acting as her second when he was far from second rake in the pack. "Go run, Kiel. I don't want you by my side tonight." She told him as he started to follow her into the town. Kiel wined but continued to follow her again. She turned to him kneeling down in front of him so that she could look into his eyes. "Go. Run. Kiel." Her eyes flashed yellow. Kiel whimpered and took off in a slow trout. "Finally…" She mumbled as she continued on deeper into the city.</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Avina This is what death felt like. Avina had accepted the idea that after four hundred years she was finally gonna die. Her eyes closed and a peaceful sigh escaped her muzzle. Then his hand gripped her jaw, roughly shoving her head to the side. Every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for the sharp piercing of his teeth, But the pain did not come. Instead his grip on her neck loosened until it disappeared altogether. What was he doing? His words still rang in her ears even after he had pulled away, making her worry about what kind f scare tactics he was using to kill her. She opened her eyes slowly, not sure what she would find. He could be waiting to kill her until her eyes were open. Maybe he enjoyed watching the light fade from his victims eyes. What she saw, she was not expecting. He was sitting cross legged on the ground in front of her, his eyes grey. With a huff of relief, she laid on the ground with her nose close to his lap. It was not until his latest comment that she had the urge to reply to him. Of course she figured out that it was not him who killed her pack member, but his kind did. How could she justify their interaction when she knew his people killed on her own? Avina knew she was gonna have to talk to him, and to talk to him she was gonna have the change back. With so many shifts back and forth,and her wolf being fully alert, it was sure to be a painful shift. The change between wolf and human was a sacred part of being a werewolf. Therefore, she could not allow him to see her change, not after he killed of her own. She stood up, placed a paw on his knee as if to tell him to stay, then trotted off to a patch of trees and bushes near by that she could hide in. She knew that if his hearing was as good as hers that he would hear the sound of her bones cracking and resting into place and possibly even hear the stretching of her skin. This change was particularly painful, even managing to make her give a few small whimpers of pain. The change itself lasted about twenty minutes but it felt like eternity to her. Not only was the change painful, but she had to fight for control over her wolf, and it left her exhausted. Once the change was over, she stood up and walked back to him. It did not occur of her that her completely nude form might bother him, in the pack one quickly gets over body image issues because everyone is naked after changing. Also, her pack lives in the woods, so it is much simpler to go without clothes most of the time anyway. She sat down in front him him again, her posture mimicking his. "Rather it was you or one of your kind, the fact still remains. A vampire killed the youngest in my pack, and that cannot be overlooked. I cannot justify being around you knowing that your kind killed one of mine." She did not bother with pleasantries, rather she just skipped to the tension in the air. "I started to trust you." She bowed her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "I liked you…" Her blue eyes looked back up at him. "But how can I let myself feel that way, when you were the reason I was distracted in the first place last night? If it had not been for you, I might have been able to save him! If it was not for your kind, he would not have been killed!" She stopped abruptly. If she was claiming not to trust him, then why was she venting her anger to him? She tilted her head to the left and studied him carefully. Why was she venting all of her feelings all of a sudden to some vampire who's name she did not even know. "I don't even know your name…" she said in a gentle tone as the realization hit her.</s> <|message|>Devin Eyes watching as the wolf lay with her noise close to his lap. Letting out a relieved sigh as she did this, almost like she was saying she wasn't going to fight him anymore. If he knew her better he likely would have softly patted her head, or something along those lines. She didn't even have to look human to mad him no longer annoyed with her. How strange. After he repeated his first statement to her, she stood up, and as she did his whole body tensed up again thinking she was going to attack again. Though when she simply put her paw on his lap, Devin nodded understanding what he thought she had said which was to stay where he was. As she went into the bushes he stayed where he was still as stone and not moving an inch as he did. Of course he could hear her bones popping and the sound of something stretching, his hearing matched hers after all. Hearing the whimpering sound his eyes looked at the bushes as he waited for her to come back, part of him feared that maybe she was getting her pack to attack him as he simply waited for them like a fool. Though those fears were quickly wiped away as the woman appeared in a completely nude form, his gray eyes scanned over her body quickly before looking away. It was strange how she didn't even seem to notice. When she sat down in front of him, Devin tried to keep his glaze from slipping from her eyes and over her body. She was a rather beautiful….werewolf in her human form and it only made it harder not to look. Her words brought him from his train of thought.**"I'm not foolish lass, I know it cannot be overlooked. Even though it was a changeling on our side that killed a changeling on yours. But I'm not the one in charge."**He stated before frowning that she couldn't justify being around him because of something he had no control over. When she said she trusted him, it was odd for Devin, why did she trust him? Was it because he didn't attack her in the alley way? That was an odd reason to trust someone she had just met? She liked him? Devin couldn't help the soft smile that spread on his face even when she looked up. He had liked her as well, for some reason he couldn't understand. Though what was a nice statement was quickly turning into a rather harsh one.**"Now is it my fault what happened to the changeling? I never asked you to interrupt my hunt lass, I even tried to scare you away. You only moved closer to me, not that I'm complaining about it."**He said in defense of himself, as she blamed him for what happened.**"Not to mention that you attacked me, when you were the one I came looking for."** For not trusting him, she sure wasn't doing a good job of it. He had almost killed her, and she put her head near his lap, now she was telling him about her feelings. If this was a form of distrust, is sure was a new one he hadn't seen. Raising an eyebrow he watched her tilt her head at him, before being asked for a name. Her tone was gentle and it helped him to relax somewhat.**"I never gave it? Names aren't really a strong suit of mine, after so long they all blend together. Didn't you think?"**He asked with a soft chuckle, he wasn't trying to get out of the as must as simply talking. Realizing that it sounded like that was what he was doing he shook his head trying to collect his thoughts, through the almost haze of things to say to her.**"My name is Devin though. This is the point I ask for yours?"**He asked before shaking his head to answer his own question, with a frown.**"Your name is lass?"**He asked softly. What was wrong with him? He sounded like a changeling when they were first made, annoyingly blurting out things and asking stupid questions. Something about this woman made him want to ask her everything, but still if felt like he didn't want to ask her anything. Then there would be no reason to be around her. And he wanted to be around her. His eyes scanned over her body again without meaning for them to, as he thought.**"I would never be so foolish to tell you to trust me, I'm a vampire and you have blood running through your veins. Though I'm sure you could say the same. Both of us are hunters, but the fact that I came to tell you it was not my doing, that I only found out when he came to the elder should…."**He cut off because his eyes scanned her again, and he sighed loudly, rolling his gray eyes.**"You have a very beautiful body….it is distracting my train of thought as I try not to look at it and talk to you."**He said finally.</s> <|message|>Avina Not his fault. Not his fault. Not his fault. NOT. HIS. FAULT. How many times would she have to tell herself that before she could truly believe it? Frustrated, she ran a hand over her face. "I want to believe you had nothing to do with it… I want to believe it so much. Maybe it is the grief talking, but I just keep picturing someone leaning over my baby wolf. Someone with fangs, and enough anger to rip out his throat. All I can picture is you. I realize that it's not you, you have convinced me of that, but you are the only vampire I know. The only pair of fangs I have ever seen." She looked at him with a sad look in her eyes. Maybe she needed to allow herself to grieve. How could she do that? Anger and the want to revenge still owned most of her energy. His interactions pulled her back to the present. "Of course it isn't your fault. I'm the one who did this." She stood up angrily. If she had walked away. If she had kept her head. If she had watched over her pact like she was supposed to. If. If. if. A scream of anger erupted inside of her, she drew her fist back, and punched the closest tree. The tree splintered, and her fist was covered in small bits of bark. "Son of a b*tch!" She pulled her fist back to her chest and bowed her head over it for a moment. With her anger slightly spent, she came back to sit across from him again and began to pull the wood from her fist. His name made her smile. Devin? It suited him. "I think deciding not to kill you, and deciding not to blame you earns me the right to know your name." She flashed him as smile then continued to work on her hand. The wombs healed as soon as she pulled the wood from her hand. "Werewolf." she held up her hand, still covered with wet blood, but flawless skin. "We have this natural ability to heal. When I first change, I tried to run away. I fell, cut my hand only to watch the skin stitch it back together again. My alpha at the time, told me how quickly I healed, even for a werewolf. Neither of us knew then, but I was, and still am, the quickest healing werewolf." She put her fist back down. "Everything blends together over time." She brushed her fingers over her knees. "Time blends into a never ending stream. Night. Day. Night. Day." She laughed. "I'm Avina. If you don't want to remember that, or it blends with all your other names, then it's fine by me. Such is the curse of immortality." She put her hand over her face again. "I'm sorry, Devin. I should not attack you, and I should not have blamed you for the act of one. If I was judged by the act of any single wolf, I would always have a negative light shining on me." It should not have taken her as long as it did to read his body language. From the way his eyes roamed her body, to the stiffness of his body, to the way he trained his eyes on her face it all pointed to his uneasiness. Through it took her a while to figure out why he was reacting so weird. Was he surprised that she looked human? She tilted her head to the side to study him. Did he see her change through the bushes? Was he bugged by the idea that she went in looking like a wolf and walked out on two legs? It dawn on her slowly, and she let her eyes fall down onto her naked body. Of course! How could she forget? A blush rose on her cheeks as she looked back up at him. "Um… May I borrow your shirt?" She asked, suddenly feeling shy and very self-aware. She pulled her knees up to her chest and crossed her ankles trying to hide everything. Never had she felt like she should be ashamed of her bare form, it was a weird feeling that sent tingles into her stomach. "I've never had to worry about hiding my body before." she told him, hiding her face in her knees.</s>

<|message|>Devin Devin sighed closing his eyes as she blamed herself for what had happened to the young wolf. Is this how werewolves reacted to this kind of thing? It had been a very long time since he cared for someone that much, it was strange to him slightly, mostly because he had forgotten how that would feel. Opening his eyes, he quietly watched the red head stand up, punch a tree yelling in anger, and return to him calmer than before. His body stiffening up until she sat back down where she was standing over him. Devin saw the smile as he told the woman his name, and at her words about letting him live, he started to smile a little bit as well. Though when she showed her hand, still wet with blood but healed, he took a deep breath looking away, still listening to her story though. She really was not making this easy on him with showing her sweet and wet blood, and what was worst was she likely didn't even realize she was doing it. Truly Devin had too much pride to admit that he was hungry, that didn't stop the fact that when he looked back at her, his eyes had a slight red tint mixed in with the grey. **"You've changed elders…no alphas than?"**He asked curiously, in his world the only way that could happen was if they were killed. So her name was Avina? Such a beautiful name, it matched her quite well. He quickly tried to memorize it the best he could, it was easier to remember names he thought were important to him, than the ones he didn't find to be. Her apology from his thoughts about her name and want he was trying to say. Eyes softening a little bit he nodded.**"Anger…..makes people do things that…they would not do thinking clearly. I gave up on regret years ago Avina, oddly I still wanted to clear my name with you…."**He answered pausing for for a moment before quickly resuming what he was saying.**"…either way I can understand being attacked. Still don't like it though."**He added with a slight laugh. Watching the fact that, yes, she was indeed very naked in front of him dawn on her. A wide slightly amused smile spread across his face as Avina started blushing, such a lovely thing that being a vampire caused one to lose, the blush. Watching her pull her legs up to cover herself.**"If you don't mind me looking, you don't have to cover yourself lass"**Devin chuckled softly as he nodded. Quickly he unbuttoned his own light blue button up shirt, showing his own body a little bit. Almost flawless, muscular pale skin, a tattoo on his left shoulder from before he was turned, and the scar on his right side was the only marks that showed on his skin. He handed Avina the shirt for her to put on, before closing his eyes slowly so that she could cover herself.**"The kill mark from the turning bite never goes away, every other mark heals and fades but it. Most think of it as a bandage of honor."**He explained with a snort, his eyes still closed as he waited for Avina to say she was covered.</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Devin Violet was interesting he had never had to deal with a changeling before, that was his anyway. In a strange way the fact she learned to charm so well already made him…proud? Odd he hadn't been proud of someone in years. It had been about ten minutes since he found her some prey, she hadn't called for his help, and Devin didn't have a catch the man trying to ran away from her. She was actually doing better than he did at first. Though he doubted she was in as much pain, as he had been, or thinking about her family. No she was likely thinking about her meal, or the intimate things that came to mind while feeding. That thought brought up Avina and what else happened. First the great kiss between them, after she gave him blood, then the fact that her pack had been there the while time. He had foolishly thought she had went to change so they could talk. But no! She clearly had called her pack to attack him, when his guard was down. That was the reason he never dropped his guard, the last two times, other than this that he did was what killed him, and his wife. Somehow she must have known that drinking blood clouded the mind, she must have planned it. Because wolves, they hunted in packs after all. As Avina had said all she knew was a vampire killed her youngest pup, whether she said it had been her wolf or not, clearly it was her feelings too. Leaning his head against the pole, Devin closed his eyes, though he would never drop his guard again. He didn't want to think about Avina anymore, so he just listened to the humans and cars go by. It was not as peaceful in his city as it was in her woods, but it was still peaceful. Soon the strong smell of wet mutt filled his noise, and Devin's whole body tensed up. He wanted to be left alone, he didn't know what wolf it was, but they likely had something to say about him biting her last night. Though hearing Avina softly say his name, Devin opened his eyes giving a soft sigh.**"Hello, lass. Glad to see that you're fine."**He answered softly back to her, before turning his head soft grey eyes looking at her, a happy smirk on his face. However when he saw the other two, his eyes slowly started to darkened into an almost black color, a low angry hiss escaped his lips. It wasn't the other female that bugged him, but the other male that was behind her. Males of his kind seemed to have a problem with each other, they fought more than the women did. His eyes went to Avina again, narrowing slightly, yet again she had called her pack after him. This time it was even in his home, if there was any doubt that he felt betrayed last night, it should have be clear he was feeling it now. Devin opened his mouth to say something to her, the man he had gotten for Violet walked out of the alleyway. Faded eyes looking at Avina for a minute, before looking at Devin and walking past him, an almost proud smirk crossed his face as he looked into the alleyway. When another man came out that he hadn't caught her came out of the alleyway though, acting the same way Devin's eyes watched him pass impressed. Violet came to the edge of the alleyway into the light, fixing her dress, she looked at the other group before wiping her mouth on her long sleeved dress.**"Two?"** Violet shrugged smirking lightly.**"He came out of the club. I was hungry."**She answered softly looking at her Elder again. When Devin looked at Avina though his smirk disappeared, replaced by an almost shameful look. Why was it that even mad at her, just looking at her made him show the way he felt right now? He didn't want to change Violet, he had been forced to do it.**"Well lass you came to attack me. Should we just get it over with?"**He said looked back at her almost annoyed that she had came here just to fight with him.</s> <|message|>Avina Walking up to him like she was, was probably foolish. Avina was not an idiot, she knew he was mad. She knew he probably thought she had called her back. And bring her pack members with her was not going to help matters. Yet, there had to be a part of him that still trusted her. This unexplainable connection she had with him was not broken when she accused him of killing her pup, so this should not break it either. Almost like a physical weight, she could feel the trust of Jessie and Brice riding on her shoulders. They were going out on a very dangerous limb for her, one that could kill them all, just on the assumption that she did indeed know and trust this vampire. With all of her might, she hoped she was right about him and their connection. Bravely she stepped into the light, keeping her arms by her side, and attempting to appear unthreatening. When he first saw her, a smile grew on his face one that she returned timidly. Then he looked behind her, saw her two pack member and when his eyes met hers again they were black. A piece of her hope cracked, and still she pushed on. "I am not alright, Devin." For a moment she thought about stepping into his line of sight to keep him from looking at Jessie and Brice, but then she thought better of it. "I am in trouble. We," Avina pointed back at the werewolves behind her, "are in trouble." About then, two males walked out of the alleyway, high on the buzz of a bite. All was silent as they both stumbled past the group. Avina looked back at Devin questioningly. Then a young changeling vampire stepped out, fixing her dress as she did. Jessie giggled, then covered her mouth to keep quiet. Brice gave her an icy glare then focused his attention back on the vampires, not wanting to let his guard down even for a second. Avina crossed her arms and looked from the changeling back to Devin. "Vampire hunt alone." She quoted him, venom dripping from every word. If he was hunting with someone now, then who was to say he wasn't hunting with someone the night her pup was killed? She couldn't think like that. She had to trust this bond with him. Avina lowered her head, closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She let down her guard on purpose, hoping he would see what he needed to see to help her. "I didn't come to hurt you." she said softly. She lifted her head back up to look at him. At first it was just one small step then it was two, until she was just inches away from him. "If you want to attack me, then do. But I did not come here to fight. I had to run, I still have to run. A pack member called my Marrok, my elder. If he finds me, he will not hesitate to kill me for what I have done." She held up her arm between them, showing him her dried blood still on the sleeve of his shirt. "I would not take back anything that happened between us last night, but I do not want to die for it either." She dropped her arm and looked down at the ground. A sigh escaped her lips. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she shouldn't have come to him. Maybe she should have been using this time to run. Avina looked back up at Devin, only to still find his black eyes looking down at her. "I should not have come." She took a step back. "You obviously have things to do tonight." She gestured at Violet. "I'm sorry." She turned her back to him and started to talk back to Brice and Jessie.</s>

<|message|>Devin He had been happy to see her, he wasn't happy to see her pack members. The look on her face at his black eyes, showed what looked like it pained her. Well he was in pain as well, he had trusted her and it could have killed him. When she said that she wasn't alright his eyes snapped back to her, looking her body over really quickly looking for wounds. When she pointed back at the other two saying they were in trouble as well, why should he care about them? Before he could reply, the two men out of the alleyway followed by Violet. Avina's voice venomous as she quoted him the other night, and Devin looked away from her in shame for a moment, before sighing and looking back at her.**"We do, it is a sense of freedom, unless you have a changeling. I told you that I was told to stay away from you, Violet here was my punishment, a way to put me where I belonged."**He explained to her before looking at Violet who seemed very hurt but the truth of why she was killed. Hearing that she was only here because of a punishment, was not a nice thing to deal with on her first day, she wiped her eyes quickly hoping no one would notice. He told her to attack him, and instead she closed her eyes in front of him as she had before. The words that she didn't come to hurt him, made him raise an eyebrow at her, looking at the other two before she lifted her head up to look at him. No they would have to fight! That was the way things worked! His guard raised the closer she got to him, body tensing, though instead of looking at Avina, he was watching the other two closely. He didn't know them, and the male had been one that was standing behind him yesterday. That was enough to make Devin not like him. Even though his eyes stayed black, he still listened to her problem, not showing any emotion, though he took a deep breath out that he had been holding. Eyes closing slightly, until she lifted her arm showing the dried blood still on his shirt, his shirt even smelled like Avina. A smirk trying to cross his face at the mention of last night. Thinking about kissing her, it made him want to kiss her again. Then she stepped away, and it hurt him in a way he hadn't been hurt in years. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair what she was doing to him, she was making him care. Looking at Violet for a second as she gestured to her, Violet rolled her eyes, if she could breathe already, she would huff. It was almost like she knew what he was going to go before he did. When she turned away from him Devin slowly rubbed his hand over his face annoyed and thinking over what she had told him. Why did he have to care about what happened to her? Was it because of the blood she gave him? It could very well create a tight bond when actually given. No, though it likely, he had cared before then was why he went to her. **"D*mn it! Avina this isn't….you will be the actual death of me."**He yelled angrily though there was a slight trace of agreement in his tone, as Avina walked a few steps in front of him, back to the others. In the blink of an eye he was behind her, his hand gently on her arm, turning her quickly to face him, Devin's eye were the soft dark grey again and they looked into hers. As his fingertips rubbed against her warm forehead softly, pushing her beautiful red hair behind one of her ears, before smiling at her.**"I would have protected you last night there was no reason to call your pack. I wouldn't have let Rachael touch you."**He told her softly, before other hand pushed the hair on her other side out of her face as well, it was meant to be sweet so that he could see her face clearly. Taking a step back to where he was clearly more comfortable, he relaxed a little bit and looked at the other two.**"And I guess that, what is that stupid thing the humans say? The more the….perrier? No merrier. But you do understand that we…."**He gestured between himself and Avina.**"Will have to fight once you are safe? It is our way, to gain trust back fully. Just us."**He finished looking at her pack as he added the 'just us' part. Violet finally stepped away from the wall of the building crossing her arms.**"Well that is just lovely that you made up with the mutt that caused my death and all, Devin. But may I remind that Cadence will kill you this time as she warned. So we have no home, no watchers, and oh yeah no clan!"**She said her voice gravely, eyes black because what he had said about her. Devin frowned looking back at her.**"You want to go back, you can. Though that was never my clan, my clan is dead, and Cadence will kill you."**He said his tone almost cocky again, watching her drop her arms to the side again letting out a hiss, before turned back to Avina again. **"Remember I told you I stayed hidden when I broke our laws? I…I may have a safe place…with a watcher. Though there is one thing."**He said before looking at the other two pointedly.**"He is off limits. You can't turn him, nor your cla….pack. If you come with me you must swear he will stay human."** It would take a few hours to get to the house, it was a town away, though that sadly wasn't far enough Devin feared. The house was rather small from the outside though the inside was much bigger than it looked. Quickly he knocked on the door, and waited as there was movement inside, a curtain pulled back before loud cussing could be heard inside. The sound from about twenty locks clicking, and then the door opened. Standing in front of Devin was Logan, he stood about the same height as Devin, greenish grey eyes, and blond hair.**"Who did you p*ss off this time?"**He asked then looking at the group quickly before moving aside, when Devin stood still looking at him Logan sighed.**"Well please do come in lads and lasses."**He added letting Devin enter the house.</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Devin Devin had tried hard not to show emotion when he looked at Violet, though there was a tiny flicker, and Avina must have caught it. Because her tone softened and turn comforting for a moment, Devin simply nodded to her apology looking away from her again. She knew that he hated to attack women, so had his Elder, which was why she had made him turn the changeling. He didn't notice Violet crying across from him, he was too focused on Avina and the pack behind her to care about the woman across from him. Devin looked past her at the female behind her, though the male stopped her and so he brought his attention back to Avina. Violet noticed the girl moving as well, turning her head to look at her frowning sad light brown eyes looking the two werewolves over with a worried look, before turning her head back to look at her Elder. Violet didn't even know how to fight, she had never even learned as a human, her family had refused to let her learn to defend herself. He stopped her before she got back to her pack, ignoring the male taking a step forward. Other than if they were actually fighting, Devin would never hurt Avina, when they were fighting though she had hurt him as well and so they were even. She closed her eyes leaning into his touch, and he smiled softly at her. Her skin was so warm, the heat from face spread from his hand down his arm, slowly heating up his body slightly. Though he heard the anger and frustration in her voice, he didn't move away from her, because he wasn't able to pull himself away. Not until he informed her that they would have to fight. He still liked having his own bubble, he was used to it being that way, it was comfortable to him. When Avina grabbed the front of his shirt and closed the gap between them, he couldn't help the gut reaction of tensing up. Her words though made the cocky smirk he had fought earlier spread across face, and when she brought up how their fight ended last night, his smirk spread into a wide grin looking back at her. Avina was leaning up to kiss him again, when Violet spoke behind him, and he addressed her, before shaking his head at Avina.**"Even if I want to leave her side, I already have touched you and you have touched my clothes. I smell like you."**He answered, though in truth it wouldn't matter to him, he was planning on leaving already. Watching the reaction of the male to his request, he frowned from behind Avina, as the answer was even clear. The mutt started to call him a dirty blood sucker, and Avina took offense, he didn't take offense to the words though, Violet seemed to as she hissed at Brice. However Devin didn't he was used to being called such things. Blood sucker was actually one of the nicer things he had been called. The look of pure hatred made him tilt his head, before smirking at him, eyes darkening slightly. He didn't care if the man hated him, one less person to have to be niceish to. As Avina looked back at him, his eyes lightened, and Violet pushed off the wall following. Staying so close when they were expected to run further was a logical move in his mind, in a few days they slowly they could move during the night to next town and so on until they were out of state. Then they would go somewhere out of the states, it had been his plan all along, Logan had homes all over the state and out of state, that Devin found ways to pay for. Logan wasn't the must happy to see Devin of course; it had been years since the last time they talked. He moved aside inviting them in and Devin was the first one in the house, quickly moving around the house looking around, opening doors to make sure it was safe. **"Oh yes please look around Devin, not like I'm the one that lives here."**Logan said sarcastically greenish-grey eyes following the sound of doors opening and closing, before looking at Avina as she touched his arm. He like Devin thought that she was beautiful, and when she touched his arm, he thought it was flirting because that was a way of flirting among humans. Giving her a smirk, that might seem familiar to her Logan nodded.**"No problem lass, make yourself at home."**He answered checking her out in just the shirt she was wearing before turning and locking the door. The twelve locks on the door were sliver, and so Devin would have to fix it later. The living room was very large with pictures of family members, on the walls and plenty of places to sit. Once him turned around Devin was back in the room leaning in door frame to the basement, he was actually relaxed for the much part. After all even if he didn't live here it was his house, Logan frowned rolling his eyes as he matched Devin's, leaning against the front door. Though it was mostly to stay away from the group, his eyes looking into all four of the people he didn't know to make sure he didn't have to worry about being drained, before glaring at Devin.**"So, are you going to tell me what is going on?"** Devin looked away from him, his body tensing up slightly.**"It really is better to keep you in the dark for most part, all you have to worry about is watching during the day. Where is your sister?"**Devin asked before his eyes looked at Avina for a moment, he would rather keep from answer his question. It was to keep him safe, though it just made Logan narrow his eyes at Devin. **"She left the states and went home. What is going now?"**He asked again, and when Devin opened his mouth to say something about keeping him safe, as he always had seemed to with Logan's family, he pushed away from the door.**"I could reseed my invite and throw you, and the other vampires out. So drop the protective grandfather sh*t!"**He said loudly, smirking as those words made Devin tense up, eyes slowly turning black, but unlike Logan he had control over his anger.**"I am keeping my wolf safe. This is logical place to stop first, they wouldn't expect us to stay so close."**Devin explained annoyed before holding out his hand, as Logan looked at the three women trying to figure out who he was talking about.**"Now! Give me the basement key Logan!"**Devin demanded.</s> <|message|>Avina The house was a decent size, but one three werewolves, two vampires, and a human all crammed into the hallway, it did not feel as big. Avina managed to work her way through the crowd to stand beside Brice and Jessie. It was strange to not be running. When Avina pictured finding Devin again, she imagined them running for their lives not going to the next town over. However, she trusted Devin and if he felt safe here then she would stay. She settled herself against the wall while Devin continued to search the house. If this was supposed to be safe, then why was he being paranoid? Jessie same and settled herself in front of Avina, using her legs as a pillow. While there were plenty of places to sit, Avina did not take one of them. There was too much going on around her for her to relax enough to sit. So instead she stood there and watched the bantering back and forth between Logan and Devin. It was obvious that they knew each other fairly well. Logan, within his right, was questioning what they were all doing there. Avina couldn't blame the human because if she was right about what this place was then Devin would only come here if something was wrong. Logan was in the middle of telling Devin to quit being a Grandfather when Brice grabbed ahold of her hand. "We need to talk." He whispered in her ear as he dragged her away from everyone else and into the kitchen. Jessie fell a little bit when Avina moved but just scooted back to lean against the wall. Avina followed Brice into the kitchen without a sound but as soon as he shut the door the turned towards him and crossed her arms. "What the heck?" she growled. Brice gestured to the kitchen. "This place! What are we doing here, Avina? Staying here is a death sentence! Its like a deathtrap for us. We willingly walked into our own prison!" Brice growled. Avina looked around, not fully understanding. "You are being paranoid because you don't trust Devin!" Avina growled. Brice stormed past her towards the back door. "We can't touch any of the locks." He informed her as he grabbed the first lock Instantly, Avina's nose was filled with the smell of burning flesh and she could hear his skin sizzling. "Brice!" She took a step towards him just as he let go of the lock and cursed. "This is my point!" He held out his hand to her, all the skin had been melted away. "Look around you, Avina." She did as she was told, and started to notice all of the iron around the house. The locks on the door, the bars on the window. There was no way to get out. By the time she looked back at Brice he was within inches of her, "Knowing that there is no way out, do you still have complete trust in someone you only meet three nights ago?" He spat. Avina stared up at him but no words would come. Her wolf stirred inside of her, not liking the feeling of being trapped. Even after a few deep, calming breaths, the wolf still stirred uneasily. "We can't stay here." Brice said. Avina closed her eyes and blocked him out.*Think of something positive*she told herself. "If we can't get out, the Marrok cannot get in." She opened her eyes with a smile. Brice rolled his eyes. "We are safe from our own kind. But not from vampires." He moved past her to rejoin the group. Avina stood there trying to take some deep breaths to calm herself down. While Avina was gone, Jessie continued to watch the interaction between Logan and Devin with a small smile. "I get it! You had a family when you were human, and Logan is your decent. Is that why you are being so protective?" She held up a finger "Wait…. If he is your descendant then won't your pack come after him first to find you?" She asked "What happened?!" Jessie jumped up and walked up to Brice as he joined them in the hallway and livingroom. "Iron." Brice said in a toneless voice. "My hand will heal at a human rate." Jessie looked horrified. "Why did you touch iron?" she asked. "To prove a point." Brice growled, his yellow eyes flashing towards Devin. "You have trapped us." He growled taking a step towards him.</s>

<|message|>Devin Devin was too distracted by Logan to notice that Avina had left the room, he was basically fighting in a human way with his grandson. When the wolf changeling spoke, Devin looked over at her, and realized that she had left. He looked around for a moment before looking back at the girl and nodding that it was the reason he was so protective over Logan. Logan and his sister were the last two humans left in his family, therefore he had to protect the bloodline.**"I can be sure because my Elder does not know that he is alive. She believes my creator killed all of my family."**Devin answered her, his voice was soft as Logan took the key from around his neck and put it in Devin's hand. Around the time Logan started to step away, Avina and her male pack member returned to the living room hallway. Smelling the burnt flesh Devin's turned to look at the two confused, pressing his back against the wall so no one could get behind him. The changeling jumped up going over to the male and asking what happened to him. When he said something about iron Devin rolled his eyes sighing. **"What does iron have to do with anything? Vampires aren't harmed by iron."**Logan said completely confused by what was going on, he knew all of the things that harmed vampires, such was his job as watcher. Iron wasn't one of them. Devin looked at him and shook his head.**"They aren't vam…"**He started to explain before he was cut off by being excused of trapping the werewolves there. Opening his mouth to respond to being excused, he saw the step took towards him then the yellow eyes. Quickly he pushed away from the wall, eyes turning black and taking a step towards Brice himself. Even if this wolf was with Avina, Devin sure wouldn't allow him to attack without putting a fight, he was second in command, he was used to changelings and others fighting for that place.**"I am not trapping you here. The iron is for Logan's safety from your kind. There are even wood ashes in the window frames to keep out vampires other than me."**He responded, voice going gravely and dripping with hatred. He pointed above each the windows that had an eye craved into the wood, to keep out witches. Devin had built this house and all of the others to keep his family safe, not for werewolves to stay in. He wouldn't even be staying in the top half himself.**"You will excuse me if I didn't plan on you touching the iron. Moron!"** Logan frowned watching the fight that seemed like it was about to happen before sighing and going into the room across from Devin, making sure to keep his arms to the side and move slowly so he didn't seem a threat. Quickly he looked through the drawers looking for a first-aid kit that he kept around here somewhere, not that he was the neatest person. Meanwhile Devin kept his stance firmly, pushed away from the wall slightly crouching ready to defend himself, and his back towards the direction that Logan was in the room behind him. He looked over at Avina slightly hurt that she would think he wished to trap her or her pack here. After all she wasn't the only person he worked strongly to protect.**"Our way out of the house is through the hidden doors in the basement, to the fields behind. Avina if your……*pack member* doesn't like being in the houses I built. He can sleep outside in the woods with the other animals for all I care."**He said angrily, before his glare returned to Brice. The other reason Devin brought them here with him in the first place was because Avina had wanted him, he didn't care in the lest for her male member, though he wouldn't throw out the female. And though his words were harsh, it was only out of the anger he felt. Around then was when Logan returned a large first-aid under his one arm, an ice pack and bottle of alcohol in his other hand. Dropping them loudly on the coffee table in front of him, and turning to the people he had invited into his home with crossed arms.**"Once you two lads are done fighting in My home. Which is *sooo* kind of you by the way! Here's something to clean yourselves up with."**He said loudly before flopping down on his couch with Violet who was watching quietly with a soft smile because she knew that wasn't needed, if she was than her Elder would clearly tell her.</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Devin As Devin yelled angry at Avina, upset about she had done, and frighten that she was actually able to make him submit, his eyes watched Avina put her head between her paws. As she whined, he let his hand rub down his face gaining control of himself again. Even though she didn't know what she had done, it didn't simply change the fact of what she had done. To vampires submission was a form of actual punishment. Gaining control again, his guard going back up as well. He told her that he was going to working on blocking their sent. Devin heard her taken steps towards him and held out his hand to tell her to stay before disappearing. He didn't miss the loud whine she let out after him, but it didn't make him come back. Going through the trap door to the basement, he grabbed ahold of some garlic and headed back towards town. He just needed a moment to himself, a moment to clear his mind which she had clouded. He had been aware that Avina was a elder to her kind. That she had the ability to make others submit, it still didn't make sense to him, Devin wasn't her kind. He could hold his against her, how had she done it. More importantly, why. Why did it have to be Avina that made him submit for the first time?! What happened wasn't solely her fault, Devin had been the one to that insisted on the fight. The one that acted stupidly and got hurt. He knew this, but still, why did it have the woman he actually cared for? Getting to town was much quicker for just him, without having to worry about Violet, or making sure the slow werewolves were keeping up with him it only took about twenty minutes. Even if he wasn't as good at digging as the wolves were, he dug deeply placing the garlic bulbs in the wholes before burring them and moving on. Though he almost missed the other sense, farther in the woods beside them, if it hadn't been for the fact he was trying to keep the bulbs from being a straight path, he would have. It was the sent of another wolf, one he didn't know, it must have been following them. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have noticed it before! Without any thought about why this wolf was following or who he was, Devin turned and headed back to the house. "Avina, open your eyes to what is around you! Devin could never love you." The male clearly hadn't seen him in the mouth of the clearly by the house yet. Devin didn't know who the man was, or where he had gotten the idea that he didn't love Avina from. It simply wasn't the truth though! He left his clan on a whim for her. He brought her and part of her pack to one of the few places he felt safest. They were clearly together and Devin did...love Avina. Something he truly hadn't realized until it was put into question and he could tell Avina was about to cry from the thought he didn't care for her. It wasn't until the man leaded down to kiss Avina that he made his presence known. When she pushed Kiel away crying, he wouldn't have time to react before Devin got ahold of him, not enough stopping from his run before throwing Kiel against the tree he had been leaning against. Avina was his wolf, he would not just let someone come and kiss the woman that was his! To try feeding her lies and steal her away from him! Despite how fast he had been when fighting Avina, in truth he was faster, only having been giving her a chance to catch him. As soon as the males body hit the tree truck Devin had grabbed a hold of him again, before there was time for the echo to fill the field, Devin threw him across the field against the side of the cabin. Instead of picking the werewolf from the wall and throwing him again, Devin's fist smashed into his face a couple of times, the vampire sunk his fangs deep into Kiel's skin of his arms as he tried to protect himself. Finally Devin stopped punching the man only to lift him by the throat, his grip tight. "I don't know who the hell you are! But Avina is my wolf!" He yelled loudly not even caring if Avina was this mans alpha. His grip continued to only tighten as he held the man in the air, he fully intended to kill his man. After all if he was a vampire as well it would be expected. The other thing that stopped him was Avina, making him stop. His glaze went to Avina, if she had thought he was upset before. Devin's glaze never left her face as he slowly, for him anyway, loosened his hold on Kiel. He moved quickly were he was right in front her. "Avina, who is this? Why did he follow us here?!" Devin said gesturing to Kiel. "More importantly why is the son of a bitch kissing you?! Are you two together? Because if that's what's going on here, then Lass clearly I'm mistaken on what we..." His hands quickly gestured between himself and Avina. "Are even doing here!" He finished off quietly although he started off yelling at her, his tone more jealous than it was angry by this point. Though of course he had a reason to be jealous, Avina was beautiful, smart, and actually interesting, it had been years since he had found someone like that.</s> <|message|>Avina Avina's heart was breaking. She had never felt this kind of pain since Keil had first left her to become a werewolf. Had she really allowed someone to touch her heart in a way she had sworn she would never allow again? Even worse, she had thought that he had returned the feelings. But, maybe Keil was right, maybe Devin did not feel that way. There was look of triumph in Keil's eyes as Avina pushed him away, he had won he had pushed Avina away from Devin. Before he could hit the ground, he disappeared. Every alarm sounded in Avina's body as her head snapped up only to see Devin grab Keil and throw him against another tree. The sound of Keil hitting the tree reached her ears only after he hit the second tree. She had never seen anyone move so fast. She could not even see Devin as he moved through the clearing, and that terrified her more than she cared to admit. Truly Avina barley kept up with what was happening until Devin came to a stop, holding Keil by the throat. Keil had both of his hands wrapped around Devin's arm trying to pull himself up to relive the pressure on his throat as well as trying to pull away. His eyes glowed a sick yellow and his jaw was starting to pop out of place. A small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth when Devin called her his wolf. Maybe there was hope, even just a little. "Stop, Keil" Avina ordered, her voice deeper than normal, as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Keith growled at her as he continued to shift. Avina gently put her hand on Devin's upper arm, making sure to look him in the eye the whole time she was getting close to touch him. As soon as her hand came to rest, her other shot out and grabbed the back of Keil's neck, her fully extended claws dug into his skin. "Keil." She whispered. Yellow eyes darted to hers in fright. "Stop changing, stop fighting. Give up." She told him in the same whisper. Keil stared at her for a long moment before he just went limp and his eyes dull. Avina looked down at the ground as she removed her hand from both Devin and Keil. She did not demand that Devin let Keil go, she knew better than to ask him to do such a thing that at the moment. "Devin…" She started as she ran her hand over her face. She refused to allow any more tears to fall from her eyes. She had no idea where to start, so she turned her back and started to walk away slowly. A few feet away she turned back towards him even though she refused to look him in the eyes. There was so much to say, and so many feelings were stirring in her heart. From the pain of him walking away and the accusations that Keil had thrown around to the hope sparking deep down at the sound of jealousy in his words. "His name is Keil… but you know that by now." She groaned and ran her hands through her hair as she leaned back against a tree so that she was only half facing Devin. "He was my fiancé when I was human. He left me to become a werewolf." "I was hoping you would follow me, Avina!" Keil cut her off. Avina's head snapped to the side as she glared at Keil. "So that is the reason you left me a note to just forget about you? And when I walked for days through ice and snow for you, you told me to leave that you did not want me! That is why when you bit me, you expected me to die because women do not survive the change! And when all was said and done, you stood by as the pack rapped me! Hell, you even joined in sometimes! I am so positive that you loved me." Avina yelled at him and by the time she was done, she was standing inches away from him. "Give me one reason. Just one reason I should not kill you." Keil kept a steady eye contact with his alpha, clearly trying to be brave despite his whole body shaking. "Be-be-because… You still need a pack, and you know you can control me. You left your pack, and even an Alpha needs a pack and the more members in your pack the stronger you are." Keil's voice got stronger as he talked and he ended with a smirk because he knew he was right. Another tear slid down her cheek but she angrily wiped away the drop of water that portrayed her feelings. Finally she turned to Devin and truly looked him in the eyes. "We have not been together since I was a human." She said in a soft voice. She was trying to hide her heart breaking as took a deep breath and a step back. Every inch of her wanted to reach up and touch his cold skin, to feel the heat escape her skin as she ran her hand over the skin of his cheek. But she didn't. It was clear by now that he had overheard what Keil had told her, or at least most of it, and he had clearly seen Keil's attempt to kiss her. "What we are doing here, Devin, is up to you. I left my pack. I gave up most of my power as an alpha. I came to you because I could not stand the idea of never being able see you again. I have felt this intense connection with you that scares the hell out of me, and what scares me more is that you might not feel the same way! So many times now, you have walked away from me and I do not even understand why." Avina's voice was defeated and her words came out hardly above a whisper. She wiped another tear away. "So tell me, Devin. What are we doing here?"</s>

<|message|>Devin Even as the mans arms went around his arm, Devin didn't loosen his grip, only squeezing the mans throat. The fact he started to turn into a wolf didn't frighten Devin, clearly this man was a weakling and Devin had no doubt that he could take him as a wolf all the same. If anything it just pissed him off a little more as he yelled that Avina was his wolf. Beside him, Avina ordered this Kiel to stop and the man growled at Avina, Devin let out a hiss pulling Kiel away from the wall before slamming his body back into it. Devin watched Avina closely as she came close to him, placing her hand on his arm. The heat from her touch seeping through the sleeve of his shirt warming his cold arm. His attention was more on her now than on Kiel, as made him stop fighting, Kiel going limp in his hold. Devin didn't let go right away when Avina walked away, and if this had been years ago, he wouldn't have at all. He would have squeezed Kiel's neck until his weak little head popped off. Despite Devin's want to do so, he let the wolf drop to the ground as Avina walked away from him. The fact that Avina had had a fiancé was news to him, even if they hadn't known each other long, it was annoying him to find out this way. Avina already knowing about Devin's wife and what had happened. Although she had told him about her first pack, the things she had left out. The rape and the fact it had been her fiancé that had caused her so much pain. It bothered him worse then the first bit of the story she had told, and he stood quickly watching the exchange between the two of them. He let out a groan of disgust at the answer that Kiel gave. He couldn't believe Avina was believing this shit, he should have popped Kiel's head when he had the chance. There was a sigh of relief when she said they had not been together since she was human. Not that it would have mattered were they still together, because in the long it probably wouldn't have. No matter what Devin would have fought for her, and clearly he would win if he had to. When Avina took a step back from him after and started talking though, he couldn't help the look of pain that slipped through. It was painful to know that Avina actually believed he didn't care for her. She might have been forced to leave and came to him, but he had chosen to follow. When it came his time he was quiet for a moment. Sharing how he felt was uncomfortable for him, it made him seem weak and even showing how he felt was hard when it was just him and Avina. It was not making it easier that Kiel was there either. "Avina, I choose to follow you, I had nothing forcing me to do so. I put my life on the line just for the fear of losing you. The fact that you might not be an elder? That truly means less to me than you seem to think, it is just a title to me. I don't know what makes you feel that I don't feel the same connection with you take I have since you grabbed my hand and placed it on your heart, so I could see you had only one heartbeat. I do care deeply for you, which honestly scares the shit out of me that you would even think for a moment that I don't."He said his eyes fading to their normal soft gray color as he reached up, his finger wiping another tear from her cheek without really even thinking about it before removing his hand. "I am not sure how many times you see me as simply walking away from you. I honestly do that to people without even thinking about it. If you are talking about before, I needed to gain control again, submission is a form of punishment to my kind, one I had never felt before." He admitted closing his eyes for a moment his pride hurting a bit more at even the subject being brought up again. "If you are talking about something else, tell me I assure you that I have a reason for doing it. Because I would never be able to walk away from your warmth if there no reason for it." He finished moving forward the step she had moved from him as he did.</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Devin Devin could hear her heartbeat faster though for once such a sound didn't make him hungry. Instead it made him open up more and forget for a moment that Kiel was around them as well. He saw the smile on her face as he brought up when he first felt their connection. A soft smile spread on his lips as Avina took a hold of his hand and placed it on her chest again. The beat of her heart even with it beating faster due to what he said, was smoothing chancing him to calm despite the feeling of anger and hurt he still felt slightly. Though was anger had never been towards Avina in the first place. It was at himself for being weak and not having the control not to have walk away, at the little weakling trying to steal Avina away from him, and at the fact they were here because he got hungry and drank from her. But not at Avina. When she told him that her heartbeat was only for him, Devin smiled his other hand going to her face and wiping away tear that ran down her cheek. Devin sighed slightly looking away a bit, it was a sensitive subject, being dominated. Not just to him but to his race as well. "I know that you didn't know what you were going Avina. I'm not hurt or angry at you. I am angry at myself for letting it happen. It is a way to prove strength and dominance, but not a good one." He said before looking back at her before taking a step closer. Devin thought a moment when she brought up him walking away last night. Honestly he had forgotten about chasing Rachel, it was not as important as the other things in his mind. "That wasn't as much about your pack..." He started before she cut him off as she leaned against him warming his body with her embrace his arms wrapping around her and stealing what of her warmth he could. "I know lass, I never might to hurt you by walking away." He said leaning down a bit to reach her lips before Jessie's screaming interrupted them. Devin's eyes looked up in time to see the fact that not only was the sun raising but the white wolf that stood not far from the house watching them. Devin's body tensed eyes turning black as he watched the wolf. He heard Brice's voice but in truth it was faded and blurred over the calm that took over his mind. The only thing that caught his attention was Avian pushing him telling him to go. Violet stood inside holding the back door open to make sure Devin was still able to come in. She hissed a little at Kiel her eyes black and bloodshot as he ran to the door hearing what was said about Devin. "I guess you are hiding with us monsters then? How funny mutt." She said moving out of the way so he could get inside. Devin quickly got inside and Violet moved away from the door as Avina came inside. While Avina was looking out of the door Devin's hand took ahold of Violet's arm and she followed him out of the room. "What are we doing? Why are we taking in a new mutt?" She asked as she followed him through the house and down to the hidden cellar. "We are making sure that they can not get in through here. And that has yet to be talked about." Devin answered handing her a heavy iron sheet before taking another himself quickly the two bolted the sheets to the door some the wolves couldn't get in through. "You know we could have walked away from this, this wasn't your problem." She said as they headed back upstairs getting a glare from Devin. "Where is Logan?" He asked changing the subject before Violet caused him to hurt her. "He said he was going to the safe room?" She said in a confused tone. Devin nodded breathing a sign of relief, the safe room was created by Logan's grandfather to keep anything even other humans out until the person inside came out. As Violet started up the stairs to join the others Devin stopped in his tracks his eyes darkening as he stood in front of the door. The strong smell of garlic catching his attention. He had been the one to plant garlic at the edge of the woods, but clearly it didn't have the same effect of werewolves as his kind. Something Avina mustn't have thought to tell him. Panic finally started to hit him, he was supposed to be protecting Avina! Instead of doing that he might have lead the person she was running right them. He had failed, he had failed, the words repeated over and over again in his mind as Violet slowly walked back down the stairs. "Devin?" She said slowly her voice picking not only the panic from herself but from her elder. Taking a rough hurtful breathe Violet moved to the couch her breathes shallow and wheezy her head in her hands.</s> <|message|>Jessie "Better be stuck with the likes of you than out there with him." Keil said as he pushed his way through the door. Avina heard the concern and anger in Violets tone, but her eyes remained on the wolf in the clearing until the door was shut. By the time she had turned around, Violet and Devin had gone down stairs and she did not have time to respond. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Keil take a seat on the couch, but she really did not give him the time of day as she moved towards the door to look at what made Jessie scream in a panic. On the ground bulbs of garlic were lined up in an unfamiliar pattern that she could not make sense of. Why would the Marrok bother with creating a symbol in front of the door? His presence was warning enough. It took her a moment to regain control of herself and the panic that was fighting its way into her system. She did not want to face the Marrok, no one wanted to face the Marrok, and she was positive that he was going to want her to kill Devin. Avina took a deep breath and pushed the panic attack down, this was not the time to deal with it. The sound of Violet's panicked voice calling out Devin's name made her turn her head away from the door. She pushed past Brian and ran to the stairs only to see Devin with a look of panic in his eyes. Quickly she made her way down the steps until she was standing in front of him. "Look at me." She whispered as she cupped his face in her hands. "We are safe in here. Devin, we are safe. It is okay." She leaned up and pressed her lips against his in a light kiss. "Really though, you are not." Jessie said from where she was standing still facing the door. Brian, who was standing at the top of the stairs turned to look at Jessie. He took a step forward, getting ready to calm her down as well only to see her running a finger over the door leaving a blood trail. "What are you doing Jessie?" Brian asked in a reserved tone as if he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Avina gave Devin a look of confusion then made her way back upstairs to stand beside Brian. Even Keil was standing up and backing away. "A spell." Jessie said simply though her voice was off in a way that Avina could not quite put her finger on. "What spell?" Keil managed to ask in a shaky voice. "One that shows my true form." Jessie turned around and smiled at them. "It is time you know who I am." Behind her the symbol she had drawn in her blood was the same one that the garlics had been placed in. "Are you working with the Marrok?" Avina asked taking a step forward. How the hell didn't she know that Jessie was working with the Marrok? A strong and sickly sweet smell pierced her nose making her shake her head. "That smell, my dearest Avina, is my magic. You will get used to it, I promise." Jessie said with a sweet smile. "I am so surprised none of you figured out who I am yet. Especially you Avina, I would think you had put the pieces together by now." Jessie turned back around and put her hand on the symbol only to look back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Devin, do not beat yourself up over the garlic. The Marrok would have found us regardless, he could find me anywhere. But I do have to thank you, you gave me the earth element I needed for this spell." Jessie turned back to the door and began chanting in a language Avina did not know. Avina looked over at Devin and grabbed his hand tightly. She had no idea what the hell was going on. Jessie's head flew back so roughly that Avina though she had broken her neck but then she was engulfed in a bright light that made Avina turn her head away. Shen she looked back, it was no longer Jessie standing at the door rather it was a red-headed woman. The woman that took Jessie's place turned around as she ran her fingers through her hair as she turned around. "Much better!" "You are the Marrok's mate!" Brian said in disbelief.</s>

<|message|>Devin He had failed, he had failed to keep his wife alive, he had failed at having control as a youngling, he had filed to keep away from Avina which could have kept her from having to leave her pack. And now once he had failed, failed to keep the woman he had a connection with after so long safe. He barely heard Violet say his name as she walked down the stairs, he looked over at her from the corner of his eye as she struggled to breathe, yet another thing he had failed at, being a sire. These were the words that played over and over again in his panicked head as the garlic from outside blocked all of his sense of smell to the point he had to stop breathing. I failed, I failed. This was the reason Devin was the reason he was never meant to be a leader. When truly panicked he could only think of himself as foolish, and weak, and a failure even if the problem was not his doing. He didn't hear Avina come down the stairs over his own thoughts nor even notice her coming up to him, until she moved to stand between him and the door. His face had been blank and guarded, though of course she had been about to see the panic in his eyes through the mask. He started to flinch away slightly as she lifted her arms, only to stop himself, so she could cup his face in her hands. Right they were safe in here, they were safe. There was iron on the doors to keep the wolves out. There was ash at the windows, and under the carpet, on the step to keep vampires out. The eyes craved above the doors and windows would keep hags or witches from forcing their way in. And Logan was locked away safe. They were safe! He let his eyes close taking a deep breath before returning the kiss which Avina was placing on his lips. Violet stopping her painful breathing behind him, as he opened his eyes to once more looking at Avina his eyes no longer black but staying a dark gray. Devin was actually starting to calm down and think straight again before Jessie spoke from upstairs. At first he didn't move from where he stood by the door to go upstairs, it wasn't until he heard the word spell his eyes darkened. Moving to the bottom of the stairs he let out a loud hiss which reached the top at the time he did standing next to Avina. He had missed the smell of blood until he moved away from the door. Now he could see it and smell it, not that he knew the symbol was outside made with garlic. When Avina took a step forward as the smell of her magic hit him, it was almost as sickly sweet as the other vampires smelt to him only ten times stronger. His hand reached out to take ahold of Avina's arm pulling her back towards him as Jessie spoke of her magic. "Be careful Avina." He said darkly his black eyes not leaving Jessie, or whoever was standing in front of them. Did these wolves not know anything?! No Avina seemed almost as confused as the others were, did they not know about hags? He had thought werewolves were around before the witches made vampires, why it the world would they not know about witches? Jessie saying his name made Devin look back over at the witch frowning. That hadn't been the reason he had planted the garlic to help her, and her thanks didn't make him feel any better! Instead it made him feel worse. "Shut up, hag. That was not my intent." He hissed at her angrily, for the first time there was a woman in front of him that he would have be willing to kill. As Avina grabbed his hand he looked back down at her frowning, a clearly angry look still on his face. How could she not know what was going on? She was older than him. His hand returned the grip of hers before pulling her behind him. He knew a lot about witches, he hated them, but knew a lot about them and the farther he could get Avina from her the better. His eyes ran over the red head now in front of them for a moment, before she turned around. Devin looked over at Brice as he talked about the woman being the Marrok's mate, a look of confusion flashed on his face, why would a witch being mating with wolves. "How the hell did you get in my home filthy hag?! The eyes should have kept you and your witchcraft out."</s>

<|description|>Devin MAIN CHARACTER Tattoo Age: 448 Species: Vampire ---</s> <|message|>Devin He had failed, he had failed to keep his wife alive, he had failed at having control as a youngling, he had filed to keep away from Avina which could have kept her from having to leave her pack. And now once he had failed, failed to keep the woman he had a connection with after so long safe. He barely heard Violet say his name as she walked down the stairs, he looked over at her from the corner of his eye as she struggled to breathe, yet another thing he had failed at, being a sire. These were the words that played over and over again in his panicked head as the garlic from outside blocked all of his sense of smell to the point he had to stop breathing. I failed, I failed. This was the reason Devin was the reason he was never meant to be a leader. When truly panicked he could only think of himself as foolish, and weak, and a failure even if the problem was not his doing. He didn't hear Avina come down the stairs over his own thoughts nor even notice her coming up to him, until she moved to stand between him and the door. His face had been blank and guarded, though of course she had been about to see the panic in his eyes through the mask. He started to flinch away slightly as she lifted her arms, only to stop himself, so she could cup his face in her hands. Right they were safe in here, they were safe. There was iron on the doors to keep the wolves out. There was ash at the windows, and under the carpet, on the step to keep vampires out. The eyes craved above the doors and windows would keep hags or witches from forcing their way in. And Logan was locked away safe. They were safe! He let his eyes close taking a deep breath before returning the kiss which Avina was placing on his lips. Violet stopping her painful breathing behind him, as he opened his eyes to once more looking at Avina his eyes no longer black but staying a dark gray. Devin was actually starting to calm down and think straight again before Jessie spoke from upstairs. At first he didn't move from where he stood by the door to go upstairs, it wasn't until he heard the word spell his eyes darkened. Moving to the bottom of the stairs he let out a loud hiss which reached the top at the time he did standing next to Avina. He had missed the smell of blood until he moved away from the door. Now he could see it and smell it, not that he knew the symbol was outside made with garlic. When Avina took a step forward as the smell of her magic hit him, it was almost as sickly sweet as the other vampires smelt to him only ten times stronger. His hand reached out to take ahold of Avina's arm pulling her back towards him as Jessie spoke of her magic. "Be careful Avina." He said darkly his black eyes not leaving Jessie, or whoever was standing in front of them. Did these wolves not know anything?! No Avina seemed almost as confused as the others were, did they not know about hags? He had thought werewolves were around before the witches made vampires, why it the world would they not know about witches? Jessie saying his name made Devin look back over at the witch frowning. That hadn't been the reason he had planted the garlic to help her, and her thanks didn't make him feel any better! Instead it made him feel worse. "Shut up, hag. That was not my intent." He hissed at her angrily, for the first time there was a woman in front of him that he would have be willing to kill. As Avina grabbed his hand he looked back down at her frowning, a clearly angry look still on his face. How could she not know what was going on? She was older than him. His hand returned the grip of hers before pulling her behind him. He knew a lot about witches, he hated them, but knew a lot about them and the farther he could get Avina from her the better. His eyes ran over the red head now in front of them for a moment, before she turned around. Devin looked over at Brice as he talked about the woman being the Marrok's mate, a look of confusion flashed on his face, why would a witch being mating with wolves. "How the hell did you get in my home filthy hag?! The eyes should have kept you and your witchcraft out."</s> <|message|>Avina Avina allowed herself to be pulled behind Devin since he seemed to have encountered witches before. Though she took a small step to the side so that she could still see what was going on. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Brian grabbing Violet by the arm and pushing her up the stairs while the witch still had her back turned. Unashamedly terrified, Keil followed the little vampire up the stairs in order to hide as well. Brian then stood at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed. Avina looked back at the red-haired woman just as she turned around and Brian claimed that she was the Marrok's mate. Since when did the Marrok have a mate? And why didn't all wolves know that their ultimate leader was mated to a witch? Jessie gestured to the windows and the eyes carved into them. "These things? I have been around longer than they have." She ran her thumb over one of the eyes and left a bright red burn mark appeared across the symbol. "They do not affect me. It was a nice try though." Jessie turned around and laughed at the two less bodies in the room. "Trying to protect your own?" She asked with a shake of her head. "Not to worry, I am only here for Avina and Devin. You can go hide too, Brian." Brian growled at her as his eyes started to shift colors. "Don't Brian." Avina warned, she wasn't sure what they were up against and out right attacking was not going to help. "Yes, Brian, don't. I could snap your neck before you made two steps." Jessie looked back at Avina and Devin and smiled. "Awe! Look, Romeo is trying to protect his little Juliet." She pointed her finger at Devin and he instantly lifted into the air only to land roughly against the wall only to be pinned there. "Devin!" Avina started to run towards him but Brian grabbed her arm to stop her. "Devin!" She called again even though she didn't try to pull away. "Let him go!" "I will, in a minute but first I have to tell him a secret." Jessie leaned into whisper in Devin's ear even though she knew Avina could hear her clearly. "Let me let you in on a little secret, Romeo. In the end, you die." She said with a laugh. "And you do not need to protect Avina. A mother would never hurt her only daughter." "What are you talking about?" Avina cried. "I buried my mother before I turned into a werewolf!" Avina looked over at Brian who was looking between the witch and Avina. "Did your mother have your bright red hair, Avina? Or did you get it from your father?" Jessie asked. "Neither, but.." Avina looked down at her hair then back at Jessie. "That's right, you come from a long line of powerful witches. If only you had allowed your body to naturally change into a wolf, my darling." Avina could feel herself sliding across the floor with no control of her own movement. "If that fiancé of yours had never bite you, you would have been a fantastic off breed! A witch naturally turned into a werewolf, you would have been the best of both of us!" Avina tried to pull her head away from the woman's hand that was resting on her cheek but she found that she couldn't move. "How could I have been a natural wolf? All of us are bitten that is the only way!" She said with little conviction. She had a feeling she knew who Jessie thought her father was. "Put it together little one. How could you be a natural born wolf?" Avina looked over at Devin who was still being held against the wall with magic. She couldn't say it out loud. It was impossible. There was no way this crazy woman in front of her was her mother! And there was no way that the…. She stopped herself before she could finish that thought. "Avina, think about it. You were one of the only women who ever survived the change! That is because you were born to be who you are. And why do you think you were able to work your way through your pack? What woman do you know that has as much dominance in her blood as you do? You inherited your strength and will from your father, and you fierce personality from me. The perfect offspring!" Avina screamed and pushed herself out of the other red-headed woman's magic. She stumbled back breathing hard. "Let him go!" She growled as she pointed at Devin. He fell to the floor with a flick of the witch's hand. Avina ran over to him and kneeled down beside him. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.</s>

<|message|>Devin Devin cursed himself in his head as Jessie rubbed her thumb over the symbol leaving a red burn over it. He had never thought of the idea that a witches age would throw off the effect. Still he stood in front of Avina trying to protect her, the best he could. He knew there wasn't much he could do without getting close to Jessie and Devin knew that as soon as he moved she would know what he was doing and attack before she could get to her. So instead he stood in front of her, hoping that if the witch did attack, he would take most of the pain. Devin's eyes looked towards the stairs as she mentioned protecting the others. Despite the fact that he and Brice didn't get off on a good start, he was happy that Avina stopped him from attacking. He had seen what witches could do, but clearly Avina hadn't. He truly didn't want her to see it first hand, he wished the eye would have worked so she wouldn't have to see it either. Devin didn't have time to react before Jessie pointed a finger at him, before he was picked up into the air and thrown roughly against the wall. The magic that pinned him there felt like a ton of bricks sitting on his chest holding him in place, the pain making him have to stop breathing to ease it. Although it wasn't the first time he had been pinned to the wall by a witch, the feeling wasn't something one could get used too. His eyes looked from Avina who had been screaming his name afraid, to Jessie as she leaned up to whisper in his ear loudly, her words would have made him shiver down his spine. His eyes looked at Avina again for a moment, because actually in the end both Romeo and Juliet die. "Why don't you let me go lass, and we'll see what is faster. Me or your magic." He whispered softly back in her ear, eyes turning red and voice gravely trying to charm his way loose. Before she said something about Avina being her daughter, even he hadn't been expecting her to say something like that, the look of shock appearing on his face before he could even hide it. If it had been anyone else she was talking about he likely would have made some kind of sarcastic comment, but at the moment unlike Avina he was actually speechless. Devin watched quietly to the conversion between the two red heads frowning. Because now that he was looking for it they did look like they could be mother and daughter. Which meant that Avina could have been a witch, and for a moment Devin couldn't help but feel discussed by the idea that he had drank hag blood. Until he reminded himself that it was Avina, and in that case it wouldn't have mattered to him. He let out a hiss as Jessie pulled Avina over to her, struggling against the magic that held him to the wall. It didn't matter to him that Jessie might have been Avina's mother, or that she seemed almost happy maybe proud way she was talking to her. The witch was still using her magic against his wolf, he needed to be able to protect her! If he could just get away from this wall! His closed tightly using all of his strength trying to break the hold. So while he was listening to the conversion between the two of them, and actually glad to hear that Avina wasn't a hag because she had been bitten, he hadn't seen her looking over to him. Her scream was so loud that it likely could be heard from the outside, if he wasn't held still Devin would have likely even flinched at the sound, his eyes shoot open to see her stumble back, a look of panic in his eyes. What had the witch done? Did she do something to hurt Avina? Cast a spell on her? It didn't even enter his mind that she pulled out of Jessie's magic, it wasn't something he had seen done before. His body hit the wooden floor roughly as the witch flicked her wrist letting him go as Avina had growled for her to, making him groan a bit, breath coming out quickly even enough he didn't need it. Not only from the impact of the floor but the pressure disappearing from the magic, even his arms and legs felt a bit weaker from struggling uselessly against the magic. He couldn't help flinch a bit as he heard Avina run up to him, Devin's eyes looking up at her as she knelt beside him asking if he was okay. Oh sure he had only just been pinned against the wall by some crazy hag that was her mother, he was just wonderful! His eyes softened a bit as he nodded looking back down at the floor. "I'm fine, that isn't the first time." Devin answered softly as he started to pull himself slowly off of the floor. His eyes looking up as Jessie left, good he didn't want that discussing witch in his house! The smell of her magic smelling up his home! Once the witch had left and he had pushed himself up off the ground, his eyes looked up the stairs Brice was still standing at the bottom of before muttering thanks. Even if he didn't like Brice, he had protected his youngling by forcing her upstairs. His eyes then went to Avina, his hand going to her face where Jessie had hold Avina with her magic, his fingers over her cheek softly as if afraid that even her touch had hurt her. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?' He asked before removing his hand when she said she wasn't, seeing Violet come down the stairs and stand behind Brice wanting to come back down. " What are we going to do Avina?" He whispered softly so that only she would be able to hear the panic in his voice, because for the first time, he had no idea what they were going to do.</s>

<|description|>Avina MAIN CHARACTER Age: 467 Species: Werewolf Status: Alpha --- --- --- SIDE CHARACTERS</s> <|message|>Avina This was awful. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She had allowed herself to get distracted by a vampire so that one of its friends could kill her wolf! Avina ran a frustrated hand through her hair. The half full moon shone through the trees and landed on her upturned face. Inside of her, her wolf stirred howling for the moon and the right to run. As if running would solve all of her problems. Thought, it sure couldn't hurt…. Avina pulled off her clothes quickly and knelt on the ground. Bones cracked, her skin stretched painfully, and fur began to cover her body. About ten minutes later she stood up on all fours and shook from head to tail, getting rid of the last few pains of the change. Her wolf tilted its head back and howled at the moon. Neither Avina nor her wolf was settled, so they ran. The forest flew by in a blur. Small game ran out of their way, attempting to avoid their predator. Still they ran. For the first time in a very long time, Avina allowed her mind to melt into her wolf's mind. To become one with her wolf meant giving up her control, her human reasoning, and to rely fully on instinct. Yet, it also allowed her to leave behind her guilt. Sorrow, pain, and instinct were all that was left. A small rabbit hopped across their path and they couldn't resist the chase, not that it last long. Soon, the brown rabbit was between their muzzle, its blood dripping from their fangs. Happily, they trotted into a clearing where the moon's beans could highlight their red fur. With a twist of their neck, they took the first bite, enjoying the taste of raw meat in their mouth. The night was quiet, it was peaceful, it was everything that they were not. The wolf wanted to hunt down the vampires, rip their heads off, revenge the baby pack member. With Avina's mind so molded into the wolf's, she had no full control. Honestly, she didn't want to care. They stood up and started to walk towards town, leaving their half-eaten rabbit for some other creature's dinner. Before too long, the four legs started running. The idea of revenge was driving them to go faster. Then it hit them, the smell of rotting flesh. They slowed to a stop and peered between the trees, watching the vampire walk willingly into their territory. Both Avina and her wolf recognized him, even from a distance. He was the one who did this. With a burst of speed, they ran after him. It only took two seconds to reach him. Back legs sprang them forward, and their front paws landed on the vampire's chest. The force of the jump caused the vampire to fall backwards, just as they planned. Avina and her wolf stood on him, front paws on his chest and back ways on his thighs, with their head hanging over his. Their lips pulled back in a snarl, showing their fangs just inches from his face. A growl rose up in their throat and their jaw opened up, preparing to take a bit out of his neck.</s> <|message|>Devin Devin hadn't planned on actually fighting would he entered the woods, let alone fighting the red head. He had nothing at all to do with what happened to the werewolf last night, in fact before then he thought werewolves were mostly just a joke. The stories he had heard clearly weren't true. He hadn't even known what had happened, nor the reason for the whole reason the mutt had been killed. If he had wanted to be the death of someone, he would have just drained her when he had the chance. The woods were quite peaceful and quiet, it was strange in comparison to the loud overcrowded city that he and his kind were used to. Instead of people there were animals running through the woods, in the long run this was no place for vampires. If they were to live here, it would probably be the death of them. The lack of food would cause them to be weak, and unable to defend themselves. Devin didn't even notice the smell of wet mutt that was close to him, when the smell hit him it did so literarily. Just as he caught the smell the large red wolf jumped on top of him, and he was unable to more out of the way in time. It landing with its front paws on his chest and back ones on his thighs, Devin should have been scared to be trapped on the ground under this large animal. However he wasn't, in fact he was more surprised and annoyed than anything else, and wasn't the first time a woman had been him on the ground. The wolf was after all clearly a female, which was even more annoying, he very much preferred to fight males rather than females. Though he had no clue that who he actually had on top of him was the person he was looking for. Has the wolf snarled Devin clutched his teeth letting out a sigh, his own fangs starting to grow against his lips. He really, really didn't want to fight this she wolf. It wasn't until the wolf went for his throat that he was forced to react, more for the ability to live than an actually want. His take out a loud hiss, showing his own teeth as his hand went to the fur on the back of the wolf's throat. Vampires might not be the powerhouses that wolves clearly were, but they had the speed that made their attacks seem stronger. Quickly he threw the wolf off of his body aiming its body at a tree a few feet away. Quickly he stood up dusting himself off, and looked back at the wolf, with pitch black eyes. He knew that the lack of food the last two days would make him weaker. It seemed smarter to protect himself until the she wolf was wore down. Then…..if it was really needed….he would have to force himself to kill it for attacking him.**"I had nothing to do with what happened."**He said loudly with an emotionless and gravely tone, as he waited for the she wolf to come close enough to attack her or protect himself.</s> <|message|>Avina Pain ripped through her body, starting and finishing on her middle back, as it slammed against the tree. Avina laid on the ground small whimpers rolling through her throat. Needless to say, it had been a while since she had been thrown into a solid tree. Being tossed around, bitten, and starched were all pains that were familiar as well as welcomed. However, the feel of her vertebras cracking was far from the pain scale she was used to. Although she knew he was speaking, it took a moment for her brain to make sense of the words. Both the pain in her body and the wolf being in control slowed down her human side to make sense of the language. Why was he lying? She knew he had to have something to do with it. He had to have helped. The concept of vampires working alone was hard for her to wrap her mind around. All she could remember was working with a pack. Nothing is ever done alone. Avina stood up slowly, stretching her back as she did. The bones were already almost healed, and her anger was growing at his denial. She turned to face him, pulled back her lips, and snarled at him as if to reject his notion. Every good feeling she might have developed for him twenty four hours ago were buried deep behind the animal instincts and pain of losing a pack member to one of his kind. Avina retreated back behind her wolf once more, allowing her innate animal to fully take over once more. The last of her broken bones melded together, and she started to walk in a circle around him as she would her prey. Her wolf thought about calling the pack. She could probably handle and eventually destroy one vampire, but one lone vampire was no match for forty-three werewolves. Something inside of her would not allow for the wolf to call for its. Some part of her, deeply hidden in pain and animalistic thoughts and actions, still found him fascinating and wanted to know him. That part of her was rationed out by her wolf; she could kill the vampire on her own, just not with the packs help. All the while, Avina continued to circle him looking for an opening to attack. There had to be a weakness in him somewhere. At some point he was going to have to put down his defenses. While she waited for her opportunity, she continued to circle him, staying on high alert.</s> <|message|>Devin Devin listened to the whimpers of the wolf as she lay of the ground, poor mutt, it really shouldn't have attacked him in the first place. His mind was in a state of pure calm, while his body was only really to protect himself. The wolf stood and snarled at him clearly not believing him, sighing he watched the wolf circle around him. This was ridiculous! Why would he want to kill some silly mutt? What was there to gain from killing it? They smelt nasty, and much likely tasted nasty as well. He really wasn't that hungry to drink something that tasted like mutt, very much anymore.**"Besides I was talking to someone when it happened"**He said loudly, still he deeply wanted to reason with this wolf. Devin wasn't even lying; he was too busy talking to the red headed woman that he had wanted to see, to go killing the wolf last night. If he had killed the wolf, there wouldn't be one left alive. His eyes and body followed the wolf as it circled around him, making start not to turn a back on her and give her a place to attack.**"I would really prefer not to have to fight with you lass."**He added in a hiss, as his eyes lightened for a moment before going back to black. Just because it wasn't preferred, didn't mean that it wouldn't happen. He moved sideways slightly and slowly for him smirking, eyes watching closely to gauge the quickness for her reactions. If there was one weakness which was must apparent would likely be the fact that he was rather cocky, it made him more likely to make tiny mistakes that could be used against him. After a few moments of watching her circle him, Devin started to realize she was waiting for him to be weak. Frowning he quickly moved closer to her, going to throw her into another tree. After all it seemed to work very well. If he could get her down, he could end this quickly.</s>

<|message|>Avina He had to have had something to do with it. He was the one that distracted her from being available to help and save her youngest packmate. Being alpha comes with many responsibilities, but the most important responsibility is keeping her pack safe. She had failed that job all because she was so fascinated by a vampire? Could it be possible that it was purely her fault that her pack member had died? Avina took a second to think about the question that popped into her mind. He didn't come looking her her, she interrupted his meal. He had not kept her from leaving, she choose to stay. He was like a shiny new toy, and she had allowed herself to lose all focus. It was her fault... Avina sensed more than saw the vampire move towards her. With less than a second to decided what to do, she let the wolf's instinct guide her actions. She crouched down, waited for him to get close, then lunged for his feet as he reached for her. Her plan was to grab his pant leg as he passed over her and knock him off his feet. Using the momentum from her lunge, she continued to run to the other side of the clearing before she slid to a stop while turning back to him. The wolf growled at him again, but it was not as aggressive as before. Could it be that he truly had nothing to do with her lost pack member. For someone who did not want to fight her, he was sure doing a good job! Avina closed her eyes for a moment. It was only fair for him to know who he was fighting. When she opened her eyes, they were no longer yellow but rather a soft baby blue. It was clear by his actions, and words, that he did not know who he was talking to. If he did, she had a feeling he would have more to say. It is my fault…. the accusing thought ran again and again in her head. Her eyes slowly turned back to yellow and she sat down with a huff. The realization that it was her fault left her with no willingness to fight anymore. If it was truly her fault, then she deserved to be killed. Over four hundred years of taking care of her pack, she had never let her guard down so much that she allowed one of them to be killed. A whine escaped her muzzle and she bowed her large head as if to give him permission to kill her. If she died, then she would be unable to let down her pack anymore. Her eyes shifted back to blue as she took back over her wolf. Just do it, she attempted to communicate to him through locking her eyes with his.</s>

<|description|>Avina MAIN CHARACTER Age: 467 Species: Werewolf Status: Alpha --- --- --- SIDE CHARACTERS</s> <|message|>Avina A smile spread across her face and her eyes dropped to the ground. Changed alphas? No, she killed her original alpha. Just like it was yesterday, she could remember that battle, how it felt like it last for years. Until finally she stood victorious. She shook her head and looked back at him. "No, I did not change alphas. I took over the pack." Memories came flooding back to her mind of her earlier years of being a werewolf, when she was just a changeling. "I was told, as I lay dealing with the pain of changing, that I was not gonna make it…" Her eyes grew distant as she fell back into her oldest memories. "I was a female, thought to be too weak to survive such a rough, unexpected, unprepared change. I proved them all wrong. I survived the change. I stood up for the first time after a week of withering in the snow. I had never felt so … alive! Every one of my senses was enhanced, I was seeing the world for the first time. My alpha had laughed at me as I stood up from the snow. Told his pack that he may have been wrong, but now they had a submissive wolf that could take pain. Buying into his lie, I allowed them to use me for years. Until one night, my wolf truly to took a change, took over me for the first time. She showed me who I truly was. Where I truly belonged. That night I killed my alpha and everyone loyal to him. It was a night that turned the forest red…" Her eyes refocused on him. "Sorry, I got got caught up in memory. That was years and years ago." She smiled at him again. She accepted his shirt and slipped it over her shoulders and buttoned it all the way down. Even with his shirt, her body was barely covered. The sleeves went past her fingertips, and the hem of the shirt stopped just short the middle of her thighs. Sitting down, however, she managed to make it cover everything it needed to. Once covered up, she reached out and put a light hand on his knee telling him he could open his eyes. She accepted his shirt and slipped it over her shoulders and buttoned it all the way down. A laugh escaped her lips as she buttoned the shirt. "I do not care if you look. As a werewolf I have become desensitized to males looking at my body. Most of the time I got without clothing anyway. I am doing this for your comfort. I could see the discomfort in your body language and your eyes. You were trying not to look." Even with his shirt, her body was barely covered. The sleeves went past her fingertips, and the hem of the shirt stopped just short the middle of her thighs. Sitting down, however, she managed to make it cover everything it needed to. Once covered up, she reached out and put a light hand on his knee telling him he could open his eyes. "Though I have to wonder if you like what you saw." A blush colored her cheeks at her own boldness. Pulling her hand back to her own lap, she averted her eyes to a tree off to his left. Where in thee world did that comment come from? She had long since decided she did not care about what males thought when they saw her body. She decided to ignore what she said and went back to what he had been talking about before he gave her his shirt. "It was not just anger. Anger, pain, regret, grief, sadness, lose…. Everything wrapped inside of me. It was a lot to handle, so I let my wolf take over. I gave over complete control. So when she smelled you…" She pointed to her chest, her eyes still focused on the tree. "When my wolf smelled you, she channeled all of our emotions into rage. All she knew was a vampire killed her youngest pup, therefore she attacked." A half smile broke out on her face. "You asked me if it was an honor or an annoyance to fight me. Which do you think it was?" The embarrassment of her bold comment slowly started to fade from her mind and her body. Blue eyes roamed back to him and the ink on his skin caught her attention. "Wow!" Avina got on her knees and moved closer to him, stopping just as her knees lightly touched his legs. Personal bubbles was not something that existed in her pack, and as her attention got distracted by his tattoo she forgot that it was not something he was used too. However, they had invaded each other space before, so it shouldn't matter. Her attention was focused on his tattoo, her slender fingers reached out and touched the dark ink on his skin. Her skin slid against his, and her breath landed on his cheek and neck as she leaned in to look at the design. Gently, her fingers trailed over the pattern on his skin. "This is amazing." She pulled her face away just enough to look into his eyes. "Does it have a significant meaning?" Her fingers still rested on the front of his shoulder, her palm resting on his chest.</s> <|message|>Devin Devin was surprised that Avina was an elder? When she started to tell about her change and how she became the leader of her pack. Even though he didn't know her well, she clearly wasn't the submissive sort though. The fact her alpha and pack members used her for pain, made him oddly upset. Why would they use her pain? When she started talking about killing the alpha and his followers, he found himself fighting a very unnecessary smile that she was an alpha now. When she apologized he blinked, before returning her smile. She was much more interesting than he had first thought. **"Well I am used to dealing with humans, who keep themselves very covered. For the most part that is."**He answered smiling with his eyes still closed, as he waited for her to tell him to open his eyes. Though as he did his guard was up, it would be foolish to close his eyes and relax in a place he didn't know not all. Feeling her hand touch his knee, he opened his eyes and looked over her body in his shirt. It was clearly slightly oversized for her thin body, but it didn't look that bad on her. Hearing her question and seeing her blush, made a wide smile spread across his face, though she was looking at the tree to the left of him.**"I can honestly say that I did, that was the reason I had trouble not looking."**It wasn't very often he was actually asked that kind of question, and he probably shouldn't have answered truthfully, but did it really matter if he did like it? He was happy that the subject was charged as she went back to what she had said before. The fact that she talked about her wolf form as if it was someone else, was odd to him. How could it be someone else if it shared the same mind, the same emotions? It didn't seem to make sense to him, when he fought, sure he was calm and his body worked on its own. However his actions were still his. Maybe if he knew more about werewolves it would logical to him, but for now it was strange.**"It was a bit of both really. I prefer not to fight women, I was raised…as a human not to. But you would be an h*ll of a fight. Of course you are an elder and I am an second so…"**He answered her smiling, not even most vampires would get up so quickly after being thrown into a tree. When she closed the gap between the two of them, Devin's eyes widened and his body tensed up to being stone still. He was used to having his own bubble, to others not getting very close to him; the only one who did get in his bubble was the one in control and it was never a good thing. After she had just talked about her wolf wanting to kill him, the closeness was much tenser than last night. As many years as he had the tattoo, he had forgotten about it really. Until he felt her warm fingers tracing the pattern of the ink, her warm breath on his neck, he wanted to move away from her, yet the thought of away was pushed mind at her question.**"It was might to have significant meaning."**He said frowning deeply at her. **"My wife drew it a long time ago, it was one of her favorites, she was an artist. I had gotten it for a surprise for her on our first anniversary. But I was attacked and turned on the way home, because it was new, it healed when I changed and it became permanent. Sadly I got her killed by the elder that changed me. He wasn't strong enough to control me, when I found out killed her after I visited my home, I killed him for what he did and fled here to the states."**He told her before closing his eyes and shaking his head, if she was able to tell one of her stories to him than he could only do the same for her. **"I was able to stay hidden for about fifty years, before the others found me and brought me to his elder. In our laws she should have just killed me for killing her changeling, but instead I am forced to take his place."**He answered her before opening his eyes he let out a soft laugh, giving her a fake smile.**"Though you didn't ask that…yes it used to mean something, now it's a wasted memory."**He continued before taking a deep breath, Avina still had blood on her hand, it was on his shirt on as well. More importantly under the palm on his chest, the blood was on his skin under his noise. He hadn't noticed it was still on her hand until he started breathing again, eyes quickly looking down, and his hand quickly moved to her waist pulling it away from him. It might have been a bit rough when he pushed it away, but he couldn't help it. She was very lucky that he didn't bite into it at this point, because it took every bit of control not to.**"Avina…I haven't feed fully in two nights, I'm hungry. You need keep your bloody hand away from me or clean it, before I lose control and bite you. I don't want to bite you but once you've offered it only makes it harder for me."**He warned her, voice already going gravely. She had offered for him to drain her, to kill her, it made things that much harder. It was like being offered to come in someone's home, once to was out there, his thirst for her blood didn't care what he wanted even more so when hungry.</s>

<|message|>Avina A blush formed once more at his bold statement about enjoying what he saw. This reaction she was having to his comment, the chills going down her spine, the way her stomach felt like it was fluttering, was not something she could put a name to. Even when she was human, she could not remember feeling this type of reaction. "I am glad you like." She said shyly, her eyes only meeting his for a brief moment. Soon she was changing the subject, back to a safe topic of talking about their species and fighting. It was normal for supernatural creatures to hold onto the costumes they were taught as human, even if the world around them constantly changed. "I was always taught not to fight. However, I had to learn to break that mentality. If I tried to live by what I was taught, I would not have survived. When I was born, women were to be ladies. We were to be ruled by our husbands, keep our mouths shut, rise the children, take what we were given, and behave. If I tried that in the pack as an alpha, I would be killed." She laughed and looked down at the ground. "That is probably why the men in my pack used to think I would not survive. Women were never seen as strong." She shrugged and raised her head again. Over the years, Avina had developed a view of herself that was defined as being an alpha rather than being a woman. "Just because you are second does not mean you are weak." she told him in all seriousness. "You have to learn that it is not a position or others that define our strength. Our own beliefs in ourselves is what makes us stronger or weaker." She put her hand on her heart. "It is right here that defines our strength; once you believe you are stronger than what others think, then you will become stronger." she dropped her hand and smiled. Avina sat back on her feet to look at his face as he talked about his wife. She still knelt in front of him, her hand on his shoulder and her face was within inches of his still as he talked about his wife. The gesture of the tattoo was sweet, almost sickening sweet. It reminded her of something she would have done as a human, if she had ever been able to make it to marriage. After his story, her eyes roamed back to where her hand rested on his shoulder. "You should not let it be a faded memory." her tone was a soft whisper, and her softened eyes traveled back to his. "You should let it empower you. Let it serve as a reminder of how strong you truly are. Only someone who has a strong will can go against their creator as a changeling. This tattoo should be a daily reminder that you are stronger than you think." She smiled a soft, almost sad smile. "I bet your current Elder is not strong enough to hold you either." She knew she was going out on a limb but she saw in him a spirit that looked just like she did years ago. She had believed herself to be a second in command, a weak worthless monster. It was that thought of defeat that had allowed her pack members to control her for so long. "I bet you have the strength to not be held down by anyone, Elder or not." She would not let him doubt himself, even if she had to believe in him for him for a while. About that time he yanked her hand away from his chest. Her eyes flickered to her hand that was covered in almost dry blood then back to his that were starting to turn darker. It never occurred to her that her blood would have bothered him so much. Gently, she pulled her hand away from his grip and pulled it to her chest, making sure not to smear it on his shirt. "I'm sorry. I did not know it was bothering you…" A crazy idea came to her mind. "Don't kill me, but you can have some of my blood. It probably will not taste good to you, and it won't be a full meal, but it might be able to help keep you from going crazy." As a werewolf, she understood hunger. Maybe not for blood, but for raw meat. Werewolves were always hungry and craving for meat, and if they go too long without it they can get aggressive which often turns to violence. Avina did not feel like battling a hungry vampire. "Here." She held at her hand, wrist up, and still covered in blood. Every muscle in her body was tense, waiting for him to grab her wrist, sink in his teeth, and for the pain to take over. It was all she could do not to squeeze her eyes shut.</s>

<|description|>Avina MAIN CHARACTER Age: 467 Species: Werewolf Status: Alpha --- --- --- SIDE CHARACTERS</s> <|message|>Avina As Avina let go of Devin's arm, she knew she had really hurt him, she could see the pain written all over his face. While shad had heard him calling her name and begging her to stop, She Wolf would not have been satisfied until she was positive they had won. Yet, Avina knew she could not blame her wolf completely because the wolf was the one in charge when she had him pinned on the ground. Even then, he asked her stop but she didn't not until his eyes turned white and he gave up completely. Once his eyes turned white she let him up and took a few steps back. As soon as she stepped away he started asking her what she had done. His voice was so calm, she could practically feel the venom dripping from his words. Then he was up and moving away from her, still clearly upset and…. Hurt. Avina laid down and put her head between her paws and wined. She did not mean to hurt him! Devin turned to leave causing Avina to stand up quickly and take a few steps towards him only to watch him disappear. She whimpered again loudly trying to get him to come back. For a few minutes she just stood there, waiting for him to come back but he didn't. Avina's legs all popped out of place, each joint pulled away from each other, and her bones, muscles, and skin began to stretch and grow. The pain of the change was worse than normal since her body was still getting over being thrown into trees. But she hardly noticed it, her mind preoccupied by what had gone wrong. When she finished changing, she just sat there in the middle of the field with her head in hands. What had she done wrong? She had thrown him against the tree, twice and shook him. Though to be fair, he had chunked her at a tree three times now. No, it couldn't be the fight itself. Avina growled, grabbed a small rock and chucked it at the house with all the strength she had. Kiel caught the rock then let his drop just as quickly. "Ouch." He mumbled, shaking his hand. Avina glared at him as he moved closer to her. "I come in peace." He said softly as he knelt in front of her. "I brought you clothing. Vampires are not comfortable with us running around in our natural bodies." He said handing her a pile of clothing. Avina took it without a word and quickly dressed herself. "What do you want, Keil?" She asked in an annoyed tone. Keil stood up and crossed his arms. "I wanted to see if you were okay. We all felt the pull of the magic." His voice was too gentle and caring. "I am fine." Avina turned her back to him only to feel his hand on her arm pulling her around to face him. For a moment she looked up at him before he pulled her into a hug. Even though she did not return the hug, Keil held her tightly and stroked her hair placing a few kisses on the top of her head. Eventually he pushed her away by the shoulders to look directly in her eyes. "Tell me what happened." Avina looked to the ground for a moment then pulled away from Keil's hands to pace. While she was telling him what happened it felt as if she was reliving every moment of the fight. She combed over every detail she could remember as she walked back and forth, her mind fully in the fight once again. She stopped when she got to the end. "I made him submit." She said in a whisper. "Vampires are not like us." Keil pushed off the tree he had been leaning against and walked up to his Alpha. He took her face in his hand and ran his thumbs across her cheeks. "He will never be like you. He will never understand you. Devin is independent, cocky, and only cares about himself. Avina, open your eyes to what is around you! Devin could never love you." Keil leaned down with the intent to kiss Avina. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was fooling herself with her feeling towards Devin. What if she was the only one who truly felt their connection? Keil broke her out of her thoughts when he went to kiss her. "No!" She yelled at him. Her hands landed on his chest as she shoved him away from her. "Even if Devin does not care for me. I will never see you that way!" Avina told him as a tear slid down her cheek.</s> <|message|>Devin As Devin yelled angry at Avina, upset about she had done, and frighten that she was actually able to make him submit, his eyes watched Avina put her head between her paws. As she whined, he let his hand rub down his face gaining control of himself again. Even though she didn't know what she had done, it didn't simply change the fact of what she had done. To vampires submission was a form of actual punishment. Gaining control again, his guard going back up as well. He told her that he was going to working on blocking their sent. Devin heard her taken steps towards him and held out his hand to tell her to stay before disappearing. He didn't miss the loud whine she let out after him, but it didn't make him come back. Going through the trap door to the basement, he grabbed ahold of some garlic and headed back towards town. He just needed a moment to himself, a moment to clear his mind which she had clouded. He had been aware that Avina was a elder to her kind. That she had the ability to make others submit, it still didn't make sense to him, Devin wasn't her kind. He could hold his against her, how had she done it. More importantly, why. Why did it have to be Avina that made him submit for the first time?! What happened wasn't solely her fault, Devin had been the one to that insisted on the fight. The one that acted stupidly and got hurt. He knew this, but still, why did it have the woman he actually cared for? Getting to town was much quicker for just him, without having to worry about Violet, or making sure the slow werewolves were keeping up with him it only took about twenty minutes. Even if he wasn't as good at digging as the wolves were, he dug deeply placing the garlic bulbs in the wholes before burring them and moving on. Though he almost missed the other sense, farther in the woods beside them, if it hadn't been for the fact he was trying to keep the bulbs from being a straight path, he would have. It was the sent of another wolf, one he didn't know, it must have been following them. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have noticed it before! Without any thought about why this wolf was following or who he was, Devin turned and headed back to the house. "Avina, open your eyes to what is around you! Devin could never love you." The male clearly hadn't seen him in the mouth of the clearly by the house yet. Devin didn't know who the man was, or where he had gotten the idea that he didn't love Avina from. It simply wasn't the truth though! He left his clan on a whim for her. He brought her and part of her pack to one of the few places he felt safest. They were clearly together and Devin did...love Avina. Something he truly hadn't realized until it was put into question and he could tell Avina was about to cry from the thought he didn't care for her. It wasn't until the man leaded down to kiss Avina that he made his presence known. When she pushed Kiel away crying, he wouldn't have time to react before Devin got ahold of him, not enough stopping from his run before throwing Kiel against the tree he had been leaning against. Avina was his wolf, he would not just let someone come and kiss the woman that was his! To try feeding her lies and steal her away from him! Despite how fast he had been when fighting Avina, in truth he was faster, only having been giving her a chance to catch him. As soon as the males body hit the tree truck Devin had grabbed a hold of him again, before there was time for the echo to fill the field, Devin threw him across the field against the side of the cabin. Instead of picking the werewolf from the wall and throwing him again, Devin's fist smashed into his face a couple of times, the vampire sunk his fangs deep into Kiel's skin of his arms as he tried to protect himself. Finally Devin stopped punching the man only to lift him by the throat, his grip tight. "I don't know who the hell you are! But Avina is my wolf!" He yelled loudly not even caring if Avina was this mans alpha. His grip continued to only tighten as he held the man in the air, he fully intended to kill his man. After all if he was a vampire as well it would be expected. The other thing that stopped him was Avina, making him stop. His glaze went to Avina, if she had thought he was upset before. Devin's glaze never left her face as he slowly, for him anyway, loosened his hold on Kiel. He moved quickly were he was right in front her. "Avina, who is this? Why did he follow us here?!" Devin said gesturing to Kiel. "More importantly why is the son of a bitch kissing you?! Are you two together? Because if that's what's going on here, then Lass clearly I'm mistaken on what we..." His hands quickly gestured between himself and Avina. "Are even doing here!" He finished off quietly although he started off yelling at her, his tone more jealous than it was angry by this point. Though of course he had a reason to be jealous, Avina was beautiful, smart, and actually interesting, it had been years since he had found someone like that.</s>

<|message|>Avina Avina's heart was breaking. She had never felt this kind of pain since Keil had first left her to become a werewolf. Had she really allowed someone to touch her heart in a way she had sworn she would never allow again? Even worse, she had thought that he had returned the feelings. But, maybe Keil was right, maybe Devin did not feel that way. There was look of triumph in Keil's eyes as Avina pushed him away, he had won he had pushed Avina away from Devin. Before he could hit the ground, he disappeared. Every alarm sounded in Avina's body as her head snapped up only to see Devin grab Keil and throw him against another tree. The sound of Keil hitting the tree reached her ears only after he hit the second tree. She had never seen anyone move so fast. She could not even see Devin as he moved through the clearing, and that terrified her more than she cared to admit. Truly Avina barley kept up with what was happening until Devin came to a stop, holding Keil by the throat. Keil had both of his hands wrapped around Devin's arm trying to pull himself up to relive the pressure on his throat as well as trying to pull away. His eyes glowed a sick yellow and his jaw was starting to pop out of place. A small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth when Devin called her his wolf. Maybe there was hope, even just a little. "Stop, Keil" Avina ordered, her voice deeper than normal, as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Keith growled at her as he continued to shift. Avina gently put her hand on Devin's upper arm, making sure to look him in the eye the whole time she was getting close to touch him. As soon as her hand came to rest, her other shot out and grabbed the back of Keil's neck, her fully extended claws dug into his skin. "Keil." She whispered. Yellow eyes darted to hers in fright. "Stop changing, stop fighting. Give up." She told him in the same whisper. Keil stared at her for a long moment before he just went limp and his eyes dull. Avina looked down at the ground as she removed her hand from both Devin and Keil. She did not demand that Devin let Keil go, she knew better than to ask him to do such a thing that at the moment. "Devin…" She started as she ran her hand over her face. She refused to allow any more tears to fall from her eyes. She had no idea where to start, so she turned her back and started to walk away slowly. A few feet away she turned back towards him even though she refused to look him in the eyes. There was so much to say, and so many feelings were stirring in her heart. From the pain of him walking away and the accusations that Keil had thrown around to the hope sparking deep down at the sound of jealousy in his words. "His name is Keil… but you know that by now." She groaned and ran her hands through her hair as she leaned back against a tree so that she was only half facing Devin. "He was my fiancé when I was human. He left me to become a werewolf." "I was hoping you would follow me, Avina!" Keil cut her off. Avina's head snapped to the side as she glared at Keil. "So that is the reason you left me a note to just forget about you? And when I walked for days through ice and snow for you, you told me to leave that you did not want me! That is why when you bit me, you expected me to die because women do not survive the change! And when all was said and done, you stood by as the pack rapped me! Hell, you even joined in sometimes! I am so positive that you loved me." Avina yelled at him and by the time she was done, she was standing inches away from him. "Give me one reason. Just one reason I should not kill you." Keil kept a steady eye contact with his alpha, clearly trying to be brave despite his whole body shaking. "Be-be-because… You still need a pack, and you know you can control me. You left your pack, and even an Alpha needs a pack and the more members in your pack the stronger you are." Keil's voice got stronger as he talked and he ended with a smirk because he knew he was right. Another tear slid down her cheek but she angrily wiped away the drop of water that portrayed her feelings. Finally she turned to Devin and truly looked him in the eyes. "We have not been together since I was a human." She said in a soft voice. She was trying to hide her heart breaking as took a deep breath and a step back. Every inch of her wanted to reach up and touch his cold skin, to feel the heat escape her skin as she ran her hand over the skin of his cheek. But she didn't. It was clear by now that he had overheard what Keil had told her, or at least most of it, and he had clearly seen Keil's attempt to kiss her. "What we are doing here, Devin, is up to you. I left my pack. I gave up most of my power as an alpha. I came to you because I could not stand the idea of never being able see you again. I have felt this intense connection with you that scares the hell out of me, and what scares me more is that you might not feel the same way! So many times now, you have walked away from me and I do not even understand why." Avina's voice was defeated and her words came out hardly above a whisper. She wiped another tear away. "So tell me, Devin. What are we doing here?"</s>

<|description|>Dane Abraven Age: 22 Species: Desert Fox Appearance: Dane is is a overall average figure in both build and height with the color tan being the dominating color to his fur. He also carries a scar on his forehead but hides it with a patrol BDU cap most of the time which is probably one of the few things unique to him aside from the crimson red eyes he had inherited from his father. What he wears varies depending on the situation, but when deployed he either wears the airman's jumpsuit or the LDF BDU but will always make sure he has his plate carrier when he is flying which is one significant thing that sets him apart from Kensington compared to the senior airman's assault vest. Oh and he loves aviators... A lot. Personality: Dane is an overall timid and quiet individual with a variety of exceptions. In some circumstances where there is a more laid back surrounding or the higher ranks aren't present he might open up, and when he needs to talk he isn't hesitant in doing so. He usually carries that professional image though with a lot of respect for his superiors like any other soldier. On top of that he carries that brotherhood mindset with those he works with, working for their well being in his heart despite any decision he makes being bad or good. When it comes to decision making he 'usually follows orders' but always has that gut feeling deep inside with the warrior's influence being the primary factor that guides him. Personal History: Dane was a more urban person during his childhood, experiencing the technology, the fun, and the media that surrounded him during that time. With urban society though comes it's flaws and bad parts of town which he had been exposed to for a good portion of his life. Despite having no father and a mother that was buried with her job he was always that 'good guy' on the block; fighting for the younger folks and being respectful to those who weren't total douchebags on the streets. It got him into a lot of trouble, with disciplinary referrals to even a moment where he was almost hauled off to jail and put on the books as a criminal. To society he was one of those troubled kids; a lost cause to the 'hood environment' that surrounded him. With such a bad label and a bad neighborhood, the desert fox was dead set on proving everyone around him wrong. With his brother's words and a daily news broadcast that showed the world outside his street he soon found a drive to leave the struggle around him and become something that was more significant than some warehouse worker or some store assistant. That answer came to him in his PADD as he checked for messages. When he looked in one day he noticed an advertisement about the LDF and after weeks of contemplating he embraced the idea of being a military man but more or so the idea of being a pilot like in a movie called 'fly dogs' he had watched prior to signing up. During training he proved to be a great fly boy and a great soldier overall, but in some cases he was cited for deviating from his orders and even defying them despite the specific action he took. With that weighing him down he was probably never going to see a decent fight in his life, that was until a request for a co-pilot came in, and supervisors with a lack of faith in the division it came from decided to just throw someone who they deemed dispensable their way. He knew it, but kept quiet about it, dead set on taking this opportunity to prove those damned supervisors wrong. Weapons and Equipment: The co pilot carries the same pistol as Kensington with three spare clips resting in their pouches on his utility belt. Depending on the situation his equipment can vary, but if the odds are in favor and he manages to get his pack he has a smoke grenade, three flares, a minor disruption device (So to help him avoid any hostile search parties), a distress beacon, three packets of field dressing along with a morphine and epipherine autoin-jector, and food and drink to help him survive. ROUNDED UP INTO LIST[Survival Pack]: 1x Smoke Grenade 3x Signal Flares 1x Minor Disruption Device (To aid in avoiding being detected by hostile search parties) 1x Distress Beacon 3x Field Dressing 1x Epipherine Auto-injector 1x Morphine Auto-injector Food and drink If odds aren't in his favor he will be reduced to his handgun, his plate carrier, and his headset along with an extra pair of aviator glasses (cus you gotta look good even if you die) ROUNDED INTO LIST[Carried regularly]: 3x T20 Handgun Clips 1x T20 Handgun (Refer to Kensington's CS) 1x Plate Carrier (Protects from handgun caliber rounds) 1x Headset 1x Extra Glasses. Personal Theeme</s> <|message|>Aidan Sykes The dog listened to Ken's lament and lowered his head, trying to veer his eyes off the pilot in case he got too nervous to unleash his inner torment. Like he expected, the airman had quite a load to take off his heart and no doubt it took effort to pull out his fears and thoughts out to the light. Hearing him sob pulled Aidan's gaze back up and drew a sigh from his chest; he refrained from trying to comfort him with a friendly pat on the shoulder or any word at all, he first had to put everything out so that there was nothing left but enough space for more positive thoughts. By the time he was finished and ended in a tough self-criticism, Aidan tisked and shook his head in disapproval, a sort of smile taking over his snout and eyes. "You know what would have made you pathetic, Kensington?" He said in a low tone, expecting no answer from the pilot. "If you didn't have these feelings and thoughts you told me. It would have worried me to know you're completely unfazed by such a tragedy; don't let the illusion that everyone else copes better with death fool you, everyone suffers in their own way. And you hold no responsibility, and hear me out on this." Aidan cleared his throat, stood up and took a seat beside the pilot, at enough distance to be heard but not close enough to violate personal space. "Arcade died because I chose to make it my responsibility. I didn't want to pass a dying corpse to the medical team on board the cruiser. To me, it felt like I was trying to rid myself of responsibility and shove the problem off my shoulders and dump it in someone else's lap. They would have reached the same conclusion: he is a dying man, he needs to rest. And if you really want to throw a blame, put it on me. I was the one who decided to let Arcade die sooner, but not because I've gotten tired from keeping him alive; can you call it pride, though? Maybe. His life was in my hands from the beginning of the op and I wanted it to end by my hands." "But you did nothing wrong. You've did your job exquisitely and you've even stepped beyond your boundaries, got out of the chopper's safety and helped me with Aihara; there's really nothing to reproach about your performance, Ken, I mean it! It's okay that you feel sorrow for losing one of our guys, even if we just met him, but just because it was your chopper that hauled him back to base doesn't tag you as guilty for anything. Even if it were somebody else's helicopter, or what other evac vehicle you can think of, Arcade was still a frying hunk of meat that would die sooner or later. In retrospect, maybe it would have been better to leave him there, in his GEAR. I'm not trying to be cruel or cold here, Ken, but what I am trying to do is to show you that no matter how hard you try to blame yourself for any of this, you're wasting your breath and thinking power: you've done a superb job and I can swear here, and in front of other people, that you just have to be the best medevac pilot I've had the chance to work with. I haven't met a medevac pilot that would willingly take the risk of stepping out of their comfortable seat and even glance at the wounded, let alone throw in a helping hand." "So, tonight, I will toast for our fallen pilots, Myrina and Arcade, and to my new favorite medevac pilot, Kensington Maxwell. And if I promised you a six pack, you'll get it. Come on, champ-" he threw a healthy pat on the wolf's back to put him into motion "-get handsome and let's commemorate our guys, drown that sadness and when the time comes again, we'll burn and wreck whoever brought this sadness unto us. Return the favor. You agree, pilot?" There was a certain heaviness in the air during the ceremony, Aidan could feel it with his fingertips; he wasn't too sure if people were indeed feeling bad for losing two GEAR pilots, though. It could be they were fearing what would come of the cruiser during the next mission, a much more daunting and delicate task that could mean the beginning of a war. The medic kept silent throughout the whole speech, but later, he raised his glass high and let his chest roar with the name of his unit "RUOGHRIDERS!"; he lowered his glass down for a little while, turned towards Ken and raised it again while he bowed his head down to him. The contents of the glass had a nice taste, a good sting to keep his throat warm, but an after-taste he wasn't sure if he wanted to let it linger for too long, so he quickly took another sip almost reflexively. It would be the only few milliliters of alcohol he would allow himself to drink, he didn't want to get too drowsy for tonight's special watch, but, he still had to fulfill his promise to Ken, so while most of the Riders were chattering, Aidan slipped unnoticed to the bar and paid for six bottles of cold beer, which he skilfully carried back to the group and placed them in front of Kensington. "A promise is a promise." He stated with a tired smile. "I toast for our dear Kensington Maxwell for being THE best chopper pilot I had the honor to work with. I'd also like to toast for Captain Sprinsteam, a woman who saved my life and just nearly lost hers in the effort, to Adrian here for being a good sport, Michael Nawlin for keeping our backs safe throughout. Kuraiko Aihara, I'm almost out of energy, but I swore that I would murder you if you got killed while I was away, so expect a punch tomorrow at 0850 hours. To Naida, Ed and Nathan for their bravery and dedication. Finally, to Silverwind Blade, for whom I cannot find words to describe his... awesomeoness? That sounds bad. What I can say, though, he is an inspiration for this unit, a good leader and a good friend. Times will get harder, but together, we will harden and pull through. May the stars have mercy on our enemies, for we shall not. Roughriders." He couldn't pull himself to yell again as his voice slowly failed him, exhaustion taking a toll on his body; he instead raised his hand and bowed his head solemnly.</s> <|message|>Esailia Sprinsteam The Firesquad spent their time before the funeral taking turns keeping an eye on Esailia while the others dressed for the gathering, keeping nurses from looking too closely at Esailia's light coughs or keeping the reddened paper towels from being seen. With her squad dressed, the trio came back with Esailia's uniform, and giving her privacy to get dressed herself. Esailia walked with a firm posture down the hallways towards the funeral, her squad behind her single file. They entered into the room and quickly took their place near the back of the formation. Each one listened intently, and saluted upon command. It was their first mission with the Rough Riders, and the outfit already lost two of their own..."If I had known...I would have urged for Edward and Nathanial to back up the GEARs...the vulcan would have prevented these deaths..." Was all Esailia was thinking, closing her eyes to honor the fallen. It was a little later, after the funeral and after others already arrived in the Mess, when the Firesquad entered, Esailia leading the way. She had convinced a nurse to let her have this time, and promised not to drink anything alcoholic. At the door, Captain Sprinstream nodded once, letting Nathanial and Naida go their own ways, while Edward remained at her side voluntarily. The tiger went straight for the bar with Naida, where both got some heavy drinks and started into them with vigor, while Esailia and Edward approached Silver. "Sir." She saluted, with Edward mirroring his captain behind her. "I feel for the loss to the Riders. I also know the weight that sits upon your shoulders." She sat down beside Silver, and glanced at Edward "I am fine for now, private. Go, drink." Edward looked a bit lost for a moment, but nodded "Yes, ma'am." Before headed for his sister and Nathanial. The Captain looked back at Silver "I have had thoughts of how I could have affected that mission countless times since waking up in the infirmary. I should have kept Nathanial in the ATCV, gunning the vulcan to give the GEARs extra covering fire. I should have expected an ambush inside before going into the Crawler. So many more 'I should have's. I'm not here to tell you what you did was right or wrong. No one can predict every outcome of a mission. Be it training or a blind date with Death. I'm here to tell you that you are not the only one with command responsibility who is second guessing themselves." Esailia leaned back in her seat, and waved to the bartender "Soy milk, touch of vanilla bean." she called before she looked back at Silver "Now, let's drink to the impending deaths of the bastards that did this."</s>

<|message|>Dane Abraven Kensington listened to his comrade's words as if they were the light in his time of darkness. He wanted to object some of what the man said, but he really wasn't in the position to do so, after all he was the pilot not the doctor. He kept his head down throughout the whole thing until he felt a hand on his back, Aidan's hand. His pat got the pilot onto his feet, and a rejuvenated sense of confidence in his stance. Before they parted to changr uniforms the airman reached out and grabbed Aiden by the sleeve and cleared his throat. "Aidan..." He said, his voice soft and quiet, "We can do better next time, right? We can save the next person if we have the opportunity to do so, right?" He didn't expect an immediate answer, but he nodded and walked past the doctor to get his uniform changed out. It was obvious he wasn't going to mentally recover with just the words of a friend, but that is where time will play a crucial part. The ceremony was one the airman had wished to transition quickly. To him it was not only a time to respect their death, it was also a painful reminder that these were the faces he wont physically be able to see again. Just that thought messed with the pilot and his troubles were easy to detect despite how respectful the wolf presented himself. Over time the ceremony went through with Silver's speech and the mixture of emotions drifting around. Like all things though the ceremony came to an end, and Kensington did not hesitate to take up the invitation for what kind of teammate would he be if he stayed isolated from his group? Despite the announcements and commendations Ken found it hard to transition, his left hand in a jacket pocket while his right hand held his drink. Unlike most of the roughriders the airman had a secret: he had never really touched alcohol before. There were reasons, but the main one was the fact he flew airborne vehicles, but all that was about to change when Aidan offered a six pack and gave praise to him. He was caught off guard when the imaginary spotlight was set on him and all he could do was nod with a smile before downing the rest of his drink and setting the cup aside to take a can. "Aidan this is kinda... A first for me. How strong is this?" The pilot said, a bit hesitant about this idea. What would a drunk Kensington look like? Could he keep himself in check? He was about to find out.</s>

<|description|>Eralion Strongwill Ok so... making a new guy for this: Species: Pangoro Gender: Male Moves: Counter (learned from many hours of training) Bullet Punch Brick Break Crunch Bio: Where to begin with the story of Eralion. It would take a lot to actually say every bit of details from his life until now, but we shall go with the important parts. Eralion was born from a Mawile father and a mother Pangoro in a forest far from Allure town. We could say it was an awkward family, but both of Eralion's parents loved each other. They worked long hours in the forest to defend the smaller creatures that would be too weak to fight, protected them from harm. Eralion look up at them, proud of having parents like these, though that was before he started to hear about guild's from some passer by. Those people talked to his parents quite some times, asking for directions to a mystery dungeon that was a bit farther north from their forest. Though a lot of times it was starting to get night and his parents usually invited them to stay for the night. Because of this, Eralion heard lots of stories of guilds, people helping out others, working side by side. When the guest left, Eralion asked lots of times to his parents about if he could go to Allure town to join a guild, though because of how far away it was, they said no, because it was too risky to move. Eralion though didn't give up. Instead of asking more and more, he started to train, fighting and punching, also learning from the old Wobbufett in the forest who gave advices to travellers. Both Eralion and the old Wobbufett got along quite fine, and it was also that way he learned to use counter, a move that normal Pancham could not learn. After quite some training, Eralion asked his parents again if he could go to the guild now, being stronger than before. His parents said no again, though Eralion didn't give up. One day during his parents usual patrol, he followed them in secret. It was then that he saw a primeape going to hit a zigzagoon with a karate chop. His parents were about to go and help, though Eralion moved quicker. He moved in front of the zigzagoon and used counter. When the strike hit, Eralion's parents were horrified, only to have Eralion strike back the primeape full force, actually damaging him so much that he almost fainted, with Eralion holding on, giving a bit of breathing from the hit. He then quickly rushed and used Karate Chop also, finishing off the ape. His parents were surprised by this, but also mad for him to go into so much risk there. Eralion looked at them, before giving a smile, telling them he was alright. Sure he took some damage there, but he still felt like he could continue fighting. His parents looked at each other concerned. That night his parents told him he could go to the guild after all, though that he should be careful. Eralion nodded, saying that he would. Finally he was going to have some adventure. The next morning he packed up everything that he needed, and gave his last goodbye's to his parents. He then left his home. He wanted to return one day when he would have become much stronger and able to protect the forest, but for now the prospect of a new adventure loomed overhead. Though his travels weren't as fun and games as he thought it would be. One of those days he was passing in large mountain territory where many old ruined buildings were. As he passed by, he heard screaming, creatures going and running away. What he saw was a granbull, attacking nearby dragon types, laughing at them. This made Eralion's blood boil. The granbull was already damaged a bit, but not enough to actually be defeated by any creatures around. Eralion rushed forth and used karate chop on the thing, only to have it turn around and then headbutt him right in the arm. This hurted Eralion a lot. The granbull moved closer and closer to Eralion. "Well well… a little hero want to stop me… how cute…. Now where was I… oh right…." The granbull says before going to use headbutt again, though Erion resisted and used counter, striking the thing back full force, weakening him more. "Why you little… able to use counter eh… you won't resist long though." He says. He was right. Eralion could not resist another hit. He started to run full force, going to get away from the thing. The thing started to chase after him, though weakened cause of the damage Eralion caused to him. Eralion had to find somewhere to hide… something to help him… something…. It was then that something in him just slightly broke as he heard the footsteps moving closer and closer to him. He looked to the direction of the granbull, slight energy being felt from the ground of the ruins, "There you are… well… time to fi…" he start to say before Eralion got up, his eyes in a new rage. "Still have so..." was the last thing before Eralion, who in a last attempt, rushed and striked the granbull right in the face, faster than anything he ever did before. He had just used bullet punch! The granbull falled on the ground, KO now. It was then that multiple dragon types walked by, looked at Eralion who was breathing deeply. He lost consciousness then. When he got back to himself, he was in a large cave with a couple of dratini's playing in the corner. His wounds were patched with bandages. As he look up, he saw a Dragonite pass near him. "Ah… Finally awake… Here…" she says before giving him a plate of berries. "You should be hungry…. Eat up." She says. Eralion smiled and ate up, hungry like heck at the moment. He looked at his arm that he used bullet punch with. He saw a slight silver lining under his fur, but not much else. How did he even use that move anyway. He wasen't a steel type, and pancham could not learn such move. But also they could not learn counter. He knew he was different, but that different and able to use that attack? After eating, he thanked the Dragonite family before going and leaving, going back on his way to Allure town. He still had a lot of road to do, and he knew his adventure wasen't over yet. Appearance: He looks like a normal pancham, though under his fur of his left and right arm, theres is a slight silver coloring. Differences: He trained many hours with a Wobbufett to be able to learn counter. He will also be able to learn steel type move cause of his strange genetics, though he will retain his normal typing.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint "Josh, wake up!" Josh opened his eyes upon hearing Matt's voice. With all of the thoughts going through his head that night, he didn't get much sleep. He yawned as Matt put him in the bucket and drained the water out of the tub. "Here." Matt said, handing him a pastry. "You eat it, Matt. I'm not hungry." Josh said, pushing it away. "I know you're a little stressed about what happened yesterday, but you need to eat something." He split the pastry in half. "At least eat this. You need your energy today." Josh reluctantly took the pastry, and took a bite out of it as they headed down the stairs. They waited in the lobby for Hex and Anthony, hoping they'd wake up soon.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] The noibat gets the first attack on me, however, he wastes it on using screech... yeah, it hurt my ears, but I was otherwise okay.*What the heck is he planning with that?*I ask myself as I lash out at the thing with Void whip, obviously surprising the noibat, who, despite flinching from my attack, continued his own attack by tackling me, sending me to the back wall of the dojo. "Ugh..." I end up saying as I slide down the wall. I get back up, however, not to be defeated so easily, and leer at the noibat, as well as secretly prepare for another tackle attack... which comes shortly after. This time, I was prepared enough to dodge the attack, and counter with another Void whip. The thing was nearly beaten, and I was ready to finish him off when he shouts "ENOUGH!" He then retreats, and Gabe tosses me an oran berry to heal up the wounds that I have taken. I quickly eat the thing, and my next opponent, the dratini, slithers forwards, while the noibat quickly eats his own oran berry. "Alright, let's make this quick," the dratini says to me before Gabe says "Fight two... begin!" I manage to attack with Void Whip before the dratini could do anything, which the thing wasn't expecting one bit. He tried to counter with the move wrap, however, I was able to dodge the move, and continue on, this time with leer... a move that I feel as though I should replace ASAP. Another wrap, but, this time, I wasn't so lucky.... this... wasn't the best thing in the world, and I was trying to break free attacking with Void whip after Void whip, but this thing was durable, and persistent. As soon as I was freed from wrap, I managed a powerful, well-aimed void whip right to the thing's face, knocking him out. As soon as he woke back up, he said "E-enough... ow..." and slithered back to his position. My next opponent would be the axew, and I knew I had to come prepared. --- [Bonnie] I finally found a mission that didn't look too difficult or nightmare-inducing. Apparently, some mother Pyroar lost her son in sunnyside plains, which meant that I got to head back to that place, and perhaps even meet my friends again... of course, I would be helping out a cat... I'd just have to try my hardest not to run away this time, as it could have led to someone's death last time I did that.*I'll just have to be braver... and this is the best mission on here... the only one for us, at least.*I think as I take the mission off of the board and look around for my teammates. I heard both William and Samuel here earlier when I was trying to pick out a mission, but I was a little too focused to respond... thankfully, it seemed as though William was still here, and I quickly showed him the mission, and asked "Hey, do you know where Samuel went? We should try to find him before we head off," that voice almost didn't seem like my own... after such a nice rest, I didn't sound as though I was constantly fighting back tears and pain... I almost sounded normal, for some reason, and that much was apparent to a nearby bellsprout who was carrying some odd, unidentifiable item. "Hm? You sound different today, Bonnie," he responded... though, why or how he knew me by name was beyond me, given that I have never met a bellsprout before. He then continued with "...uh, Bonnie? Why are you giving me that confused look?" After a bit of thinking, he simply continued on with "Oh, right, the name part... I kinda overheard you introducing yourself to your team. Congrats on joining, by the way," I then turn my attention back towards William, though, I was slightly annoyed with that bellsprout for eavesdropping on me.</s> <|message|>Chip -William- I yawn a bit, and grab the slip of paper. "Hm... I guess... ugh..." I say. I say "I think we should get a little more rest, I'm not awake at all yet..." and I suddenly hear some weird chanting down-ladder. I jump at the sudden, random loudness, and hear "ONE! DON'T SHIRK WORK!" and I rub my eyes as I go invisible for a second to see what was happening. "TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY!" I hear, and the sheer loudness makes me fall. It kicks up some dust, and I lie still, and there's silence. Everyone seemed confused, since they couldn't see a thing, but something made the dirt and rock shift. After about a minute of random chatting, Chatot says "Well, then, back to the morning chant!" and I hear "THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!" and then the group is released. "I wonder where that new team went... I was going to introduce them," Chatot grumbles. I climb up the ladder as fast as possible and go back to normal. "Ow... my ears hurt after that..." I whine, rubbing my head. "I don't know where Sam went, I think he's in Treasure Town somewhere." I climb up the ladder and walk down the hill, and hear a scrafty yelling something, and I walk in that direction. He seemed to be far away, but he was loud. -Samuel- I slouch as I walk back to the guild, after scaring off a pretty lady. I made sure my dimples showed and everything! Ugh. I hear some stomps behind me, and I look back and see a Scrafty, and that same Kirlia. The scrafty walk over to me, pulling up his pants every two steps. He growls at me, and says "You hit on my girl, and then you make her cry, bro!" and he pushes me. I begin sweating and he pushes me again. I say "Stop! I didn't mean to," and he pushes me a third time. His pants almost fall from him not pulling them up, again. "You might want to get smaller pants," I say and he glares at me. He pushes me to the ground and spits on me. The acid lands right on my stomach, and I squeal like a wild spoink as it begins burning me. He then picks me up and throws me to the ground and when I get up, he continues shoving me. Bloody tears were flowing down my face and I begin to feel dizzy. The Kirlia runs up and says "Stop! Stop, I think he knows! Please, stop..." and the Scrafty continues beating me up and taunting me. I had a sense that he was holding back on beating down on me because of my small size, but that thought was diminished after he picks me up and slams me against a wall, really hard. "I-I'm--" I say before he stops me and says "YOU'RE WHAT, HUH? WELL SAY IT, SHRIMP!"</s>

<|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Shadowlight looked at her wounds, she though a bit. She had been training quite a lot lately with this whole superhero role thing. It felt good to let out some anger on those criminals. At least she was doing something good. She waited on a building near the dojo, waiting for Spruce, hiding, observing. Might as well rest up a bit before continuing. It will probably take time before Spruce is finish with the dojo anyway. Well, best to just wait. She breath in deeply, and observed the place around. People were walking around, talking, some talking about weather, some about the whole fact that she was beating down criminals around town. At least this would make the crime rate drop a bit. Though it mght make the guild have less work. Bah... With the usual number of missions, it would probably not bother that much. So she waited. When will Spruce go and beat those criminals down?</s>

<|description|>Eralion Strongwill Ok so... making a new guy for this: Species: Pangoro Gender: Male Moves: Counter (learned from many hours of training) Bullet Punch Brick Break Crunch Bio: Where to begin with the story of Eralion. It would take a lot to actually say every bit of details from his life until now, but we shall go with the important parts. Eralion was born from a Mawile father and a mother Pangoro in a forest far from Allure town. We could say it was an awkward family, but both of Eralion's parents loved each other. They worked long hours in the forest to defend the smaller creatures that would be too weak to fight, protected them from harm. Eralion look up at them, proud of having parents like these, though that was before he started to hear about guild's from some passer by. Those people talked to his parents quite some times, asking for directions to a mystery dungeon that was a bit farther north from their forest. Though a lot of times it was starting to get night and his parents usually invited them to stay for the night. Because of this, Eralion heard lots of stories of guilds, people helping out others, working side by side. When the guest left, Eralion asked lots of times to his parents about if he could go to Allure town to join a guild, though because of how far away it was, they said no, because it was too risky to move. Eralion though didn't give up. Instead of asking more and more, he started to train, fighting and punching, also learning from the old Wobbufett in the forest who gave advices to travellers. Both Eralion and the old Wobbufett got along quite fine, and it was also that way he learned to use counter, a move that normal Pancham could not learn. After quite some training, Eralion asked his parents again if he could go to the guild now, being stronger than before. His parents said no again, though Eralion didn't give up. One day during his parents usual patrol, he followed them in secret. It was then that he saw a primeape going to hit a zigzagoon with a karate chop. His parents were about to go and help, though Eralion moved quicker. He moved in front of the zigzagoon and used counter. When the strike hit, Eralion's parents were horrified, only to have Eralion strike back the primeape full force, actually damaging him so much that he almost fainted, with Eralion holding on, giving a bit of breathing from the hit. He then quickly rushed and used Karate Chop also, finishing off the ape. His parents were surprised by this, but also mad for him to go into so much risk there. Eralion looked at them, before giving a smile, telling them he was alright. Sure he took some damage there, but he still felt like he could continue fighting. His parents looked at each other concerned. That night his parents told him he could go to the guild after all, though that he should be careful. Eralion nodded, saying that he would. Finally he was going to have some adventure. The next morning he packed up everything that he needed, and gave his last goodbye's to his parents. He then left his home. He wanted to return one day when he would have become much stronger and able to protect the forest, but for now the prospect of a new adventure loomed overhead. Though his travels weren't as fun and games as he thought it would be. One of those days he was passing in large mountain territory where many old ruined buildings were. As he passed by, he heard screaming, creatures going and running away. What he saw was a granbull, attacking nearby dragon types, laughing at them. This made Eralion's blood boil. The granbull was already damaged a bit, but not enough to actually be defeated by any creatures around. Eralion rushed forth and used karate chop on the thing, only to have it turn around and then headbutt him right in the arm. This hurted Eralion a lot. The granbull moved closer and closer to Eralion. "Well well… a little hero want to stop me… how cute…. Now where was I… oh right…." The granbull says before going to use headbutt again, though Erion resisted and used counter, striking the thing back full force, weakening him more. "Why you little… able to use counter eh… you won't resist long though." He says. He was right. Eralion could not resist another hit. He started to run full force, going to get away from the thing. The thing started to chase after him, though weakened cause of the damage Eralion caused to him. Eralion had to find somewhere to hide… something to help him… something…. It was then that something in him just slightly broke as he heard the footsteps moving closer and closer to him. He looked to the direction of the granbull, slight energy being felt from the ground of the ruins, "There you are… well… time to fi…" he start to say before Eralion got up, his eyes in a new rage. "Still have so..." was the last thing before Eralion, who in a last attempt, rushed and striked the granbull right in the face, faster than anything he ever did before. He had just used bullet punch! The granbull falled on the ground, KO now. It was then that multiple dragon types walked by, looked at Eralion who was breathing deeply. He lost consciousness then. When he got back to himself, he was in a large cave with a couple of dratini's playing in the corner. His wounds were patched with bandages. As he look up, he saw a Dragonite pass near him. "Ah… Finally awake… Here…" she says before giving him a plate of berries. "You should be hungry…. Eat up." She says. Eralion smiled and ate up, hungry like heck at the moment. He looked at his arm that he used bullet punch with. He saw a slight silver lining under his fur, but not much else. How did he even use that move anyway. He wasen't a steel type, and pancham could not learn such move. But also they could not learn counter. He knew he was different, but that different and able to use that attack? After eating, he thanked the Dragonite family before going and leaving, going back on his way to Allure town. He still had a lot of road to do, and he knew his adventure wasen't over yet. Appearance: He looks like a normal pancham, though under his fur of his left and right arm, theres is a slight silver coloring. Differences: He trained many hours with a Wobbufett to be able to learn counter. He will also be able to learn steel type move cause of his strange genetics, though he will retain his normal typing.</s> <|message|>Nina [???] "We'll..." I start to say before looking at my still fainted partner. I then correct myself, saying "Or, I guess, I'll talk," I then continue on. Whoever these pokemon were, they at least didn't seem to be against us void types, "We're trying to save the world. These void crystals are growing unstable due to Giratina's realm being torn apart. Let me explain that last part... not too long ago, a strange pokemon told Giratina that his realm would be destroyed, she went on to explain that the other world was apparently empty, ready for the taking. Unfortunately, Giratina believed her, and he used his own power to start to destabilize the void crystals which held him in place, and kept him tied to that realm. My partner and I knew that this mysterious pokemon was lying, so we followed her into this world, where we overheard her talking about how she was going to destroy all of the void crystals... we couldn't let her do that," I then take a breath, and struggle a bit against these odd, and oddly effective chains, sighing when my attempt to escape my bindings failed. I then add "Thankfully, we still managed to take one of the crystals while you and your team distracted the strange pokemon... now we just need the others, and then we can finally put an end to this. All we'd need to do after that to keep Giratina in his own realm is to put these crystals in his grave," I look around a bit... this was one of those older guilds. I guess that would explain why I kept running into these pokemon, but, if they're here, then where's that strange pokemon who convinced Giratina to try to take over this place? Where was she? My partner, Flare woke up after this, and asked "Wha...? Where am I? Ack! Why can't I move!?" Much to my embarrassment. "Right... now, would you mind untying us? We'd like to get back to our job, and hopefully save this world, as well as our own," I then ask, in high hopes that they might let us go. --- [Anthony] The elder finally finished his speech, and looked around, eventually asking "Eh? Now, what was I ranting about? Weren't there more of ya? Hm..." I didn't answer, as he just left the building, along with Terra who returned shortly after with a sort of fiery gem in hand, and a big smile on her face. "Alright, let's try this thing out," she said happily as she placed the gem next to Blaze (who was still an egg). Both the gem, and the egg glowed bright red, with the glow quickly growing in size until it looked as though we were all caught in some sort of inferno. Daniel shielded his eyes for some reason, but I didn't really find the light too bright, myself. The glow vanished, and left behind a now-permanently-hatched Blaze, who seemed dazed and a little confused for a moment before shouting out "Terra! You cured me! Thank you, big sis!" Well, he sure seemed excited about it, and, well, I guess he really should. Daniel, who just unshielded his eyes seemed pretty happy as well, even if he didn't ever really get to meet Blaze. "Well, team, I think we should call this one a win," I then announce, as Hex seemed to be a little quiet at the moment. I then head out of the village, only to see Darkrai again. "I really can't thank you enough, but I do know quite a bit about ancient things, maybe that would help, is there anything you'd like to know?" He asks me almost as soon as I see him. "Um..." I start to say before Static pokes his head out of my bag, and taps me where my shoulder would be if I had any. "Oh, right, do you know where the nearest orb of balance is, and if so, is there anything that I should watch out for?" Darkrai thinks for a moment, just as well, too, as I had to wait for the rest of my teammates to arrive. --- [Bonnie] With Tini helping me out, the thorns came out really quickly, and that's when I got an idea. I scooped some of them up formed them into a ball of spikes, and quickly used switcheroo, forcing the scrafty to hold them, while I ended up with... er... some sort of half-eaten apple? Gross. The ball of spikes seemed to be doing its trick, that is, damaging the scrafty, and being really difficult to remove, and I smiled a bit, knowing that the tables might have just been turned by that. The scrafty tries to prepare a hi-jump-kick again, but takes one look at my smiling face and seems to just stop, preferring to just stand there, with a stupid face. I tried to make it look as though I liked that, mainly because that would get him to stop attacking more often, and just stood there, waiting for the rest of my team to finish him off. "Okay, Tini, now would be a good time for that fairy wind," I say to Tini, who was still right next to me from pulling out those spikes. It probably looked like I was attracted to this scrafty, and trust me, I wasn't, but really I was just trying to keep him occupied while the rest of my team finishes him off. I then remember Samuel, and scare myself thinking that he might just burn down the forest just so he won't be lost anymore... I mean, I wouldn't put it past him after the way he basically burned down my home without any hint of hesitation. That being said, he was a decent teammate to have around, just, keep him away from sticks, or wood, or really, anything flammable.</s> <|message|>Chip -Samuel- I was practically sitting down in my little cave, screaming now. I didn't want to be lost. "WILLIAM! BONNIE! SOMEONE?!" I was screaming, my hands cupped around my mouth. I was running everywhere and yelling my lungs out. I decide to run randomly through the forest, screaming madly. I was panicked, and I had run apon a scrafty, and my team, but I was so damn panicked that I began swatting at whoever I saw first. "WILLIAM HELP I'VE BEEN AMBUSHED BY A LARGE GROUP OF WILDS!" I scream. Turns out that I was slapping William in the face the whole time for three minutes straight. -William- While resting, suddenly Samuel bursts in from nowhere, screams louder than a whismur ever could, and strikes me many, many, many times. It took a while for him to realize who was who, and then he calmed down. "Ouch! What the hell were you doing?!" I yell. "Ugh. Well, we got this guy. Just waiting for him to faint, and we'll drag him back to the guild," I say.</s>

<|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes listened to the whole story, sitting down as she listens. When she heard about the whole Giratina being trick, one name came into her mind. "Desia...." she says before untying them. She looks at them and sighed. "Do not move.... if it is really the case, I want a confirmation...." she says before looking to her right, seeing a male meowstic talking with other members of the guild. "Hey you! Mind coming here a second?" Celes then yells. The meowstic looked at her a bit confused before moving forwards. "What?" the meowstic said, a bit annoyed. "Mind checking their mind if they tell the truth about what they just said about the void crystals?" Celes then says. The meowstic looked at her confused a bit. "Wait... what?" he says. Celes sighed. "Just do it..." she says as the meowstic turns to the charmeleon and the vulpix, scanning into their mind and then stopping there, staring at them, and turning to Celes. "They... They were telling the truth but.... if thats the case... then..." the meowstic then says. Celes sighed a bit. "Mind warning the others about this please.... so we don't get any trouble with people wanting to defend the crystals from these 2?" she asks. The meowstic nods before rushing off. Celes turns to the other 2, her chains disappearing. "I am sorry.... I needed to be sure about this... but with the effects that it does around the shrines... will it restore to normal one day or is there anything we can do about it?" she asks, now wishing Spruce was there. He needed to hear about this.</s>

<|description|>Eralion Strongwill Ok so... making a new guy for this: Species: Pangoro Gender: Male Moves: Counter (learned from many hours of training) Bullet Punch Brick Break Crunch Bio: Where to begin with the story of Eralion. It would take a lot to actually say every bit of details from his life until now, but we shall go with the important parts. Eralion was born from a Mawile father and a mother Pangoro in a forest far from Allure town. We could say it was an awkward family, but both of Eralion's parents loved each other. They worked long hours in the forest to defend the smaller creatures that would be too weak to fight, protected them from harm. Eralion look up at them, proud of having parents like these, though that was before he started to hear about guild's from some passer by. Those people talked to his parents quite some times, asking for directions to a mystery dungeon that was a bit farther north from their forest. Though a lot of times it was starting to get night and his parents usually invited them to stay for the night. Because of this, Eralion heard lots of stories of guilds, people helping out others, working side by side. When the guest left, Eralion asked lots of times to his parents about if he could go to Allure town to join a guild, though because of how far away it was, they said no, because it was too risky to move. Eralion though didn't give up. Instead of asking more and more, he started to train, fighting and punching, also learning from the old Wobbufett in the forest who gave advices to travellers. Both Eralion and the old Wobbufett got along quite fine, and it was also that way he learned to use counter, a move that normal Pancham could not learn. After quite some training, Eralion asked his parents again if he could go to the guild now, being stronger than before. His parents said no again, though Eralion didn't give up. One day during his parents usual patrol, he followed them in secret. It was then that he saw a primeape going to hit a zigzagoon with a karate chop. His parents were about to go and help, though Eralion moved quicker. He moved in front of the zigzagoon and used counter. When the strike hit, Eralion's parents were horrified, only to have Eralion strike back the primeape full force, actually damaging him so much that he almost fainted, with Eralion holding on, giving a bit of breathing from the hit. He then quickly rushed and used Karate Chop also, finishing off the ape. His parents were surprised by this, but also mad for him to go into so much risk there. Eralion looked at them, before giving a smile, telling them he was alright. Sure he took some damage there, but he still felt like he could continue fighting. His parents looked at each other concerned. That night his parents told him he could go to the guild after all, though that he should be careful. Eralion nodded, saying that he would. Finally he was going to have some adventure. The next morning he packed up everything that he needed, and gave his last goodbye's to his parents. He then left his home. He wanted to return one day when he would have become much stronger and able to protect the forest, but for now the prospect of a new adventure loomed overhead. Though his travels weren't as fun and games as he thought it would be. One of those days he was passing in large mountain territory where many old ruined buildings were. As he passed by, he heard screaming, creatures going and running away. What he saw was a granbull, attacking nearby dragon types, laughing at them. This made Eralion's blood boil. The granbull was already damaged a bit, but not enough to actually be defeated by any creatures around. Eralion rushed forth and used karate chop on the thing, only to have it turn around and then headbutt him right in the arm. This hurted Eralion a lot. The granbull moved closer and closer to Eralion. "Well well… a little hero want to stop me… how cute…. Now where was I… oh right…." The granbull says before going to use headbutt again, though Erion resisted and used counter, striking the thing back full force, weakening him more. "Why you little… able to use counter eh… you won't resist long though." He says. He was right. Eralion could not resist another hit. He started to run full force, going to get away from the thing. The thing started to chase after him, though weakened cause of the damage Eralion caused to him. Eralion had to find somewhere to hide… something to help him… something…. It was then that something in him just slightly broke as he heard the footsteps moving closer and closer to him. He looked to the direction of the granbull, slight energy being felt from the ground of the ruins, "There you are… well… time to fi…" he start to say before Eralion got up, his eyes in a new rage. "Still have so..." was the last thing before Eralion, who in a last attempt, rushed and striked the granbull right in the face, faster than anything he ever did before. He had just used bullet punch! The granbull falled on the ground, KO now. It was then that multiple dragon types walked by, looked at Eralion who was breathing deeply. He lost consciousness then. When he got back to himself, he was in a large cave with a couple of dratini's playing in the corner. His wounds were patched with bandages. As he look up, he saw a Dragonite pass near him. "Ah… Finally awake… Here…" she says before giving him a plate of berries. "You should be hungry…. Eat up." She says. Eralion smiled and ate up, hungry like heck at the moment. He looked at his arm that he used bullet punch with. He saw a slight silver lining under his fur, but not much else. How did he even use that move anyway. He wasen't a steel type, and pancham could not learn such move. But also they could not learn counter. He knew he was different, but that different and able to use that attack? After eating, he thanked the Dragonite family before going and leaving, going back on his way to Allure town. He still had a lot of road to do, and he knew his adventure wasen't over yet. Appearance: He looks like a normal pancham, though under his fur of his left and right arm, theres is a slight silver coloring. Differences: He trained many hours with a Wobbufett to be able to learn counter. He will also be able to learn steel type move cause of his strange genetics, though he will retain his normal typing.</s> <|message|>Falvev Reno Falvev waits for her to descend and grins, "It might've, I'm pretty tough though. My body's weight is pretty well made for riding too, and thus I can distribute my weight pretty well for falls when I need to. By the way, I was down here to catch you you know." He turns to the large cast of pokemon in the guild and calls out, "We would like to speak to the guildmaster to start a team!" His voice, though loud, seemed to be drowned out by the other pokemon there, there were a lot of them. Though he seemed to notice that they were all staring at the Growlithe that had just sprinkled them all with rainwater. It only took a glance to tell the growlithe was a recent arrival like them, his coat was speckled with water drops still and muddied from the rain. OR he could very easily be the footprint sentries, after all they only had a grate protecting them from the rain, but that seemed a bit unlikely. Whatever the case was, Falvev didn't really appreciate everyone giving them annoyed looks like that so he clicked his teeth to signal to Thassa and headed towards Dexter, offering his leaf to the growlithe to help clean off the water. Falvev liked water anyways, win-win.</s> <|message|>Nina [Bonnie] Almost immediately after we stopped talking via badge, Tini raced down here, and somehow evolved as he did so. He slithered past Eralion and I, who were ready make the bookcases fall as per the plan. I was on the eastern wall, and as soon as Tini passed time seemed to slow down for me as I awaited my exact cue, which, in this case was simple enough, wait for my father to pass by. As soon as that happened, I pushed the bookcase, making it fall on top of him. He was immobilized. Angry, and struggling to get out from under at least one bookcase, however, he couldn't attack, he couldn't move, at least for now. "I... we... did it! I can't believe it, I thought he was invincible, and yet, here he is, my father, Artemis the murderer, trapped, and helpless," I think out loud. This moment right here has given me hope that he can, like any other pokemon, be defeated. I then hear him shout "RELEASE ME AT ONCE OR I WILL KILL YOU ALL!" as if he had some sort of power over any of us, and that was thankfully no longer true with me. I then turn towards Tini, and say "Thank you... you have no idea how much you've done for me right here, and right now," I then turn back towards my father, and say to him "And if you think you can scare me anymore, threaten ME anymore, well, who's the one who got the other stuck under a bookcase?" he, as predicted, hissed, and continued to struggle to get out of his predicament. It didn't work, and honestly, I felt relieved, as if a giant weight has been lifted. I... didn't feel quite as afraid of my father as I used to, just because of this moment, this little bit of hope, and maybe, just maybe, I can get strong enough to defeat, and arrest my father once and for all for what he's done. --- [Anthony] I simply stayed on Kamina's head, and noticed an odd marshtomp who was running towards us. "Hey, do you want to follow us?" I ask him, just sort of out of habit. I then add "As long as you're not as much of a jerk as that Spruce guy, you can come," Spruce didn't seem to like that very much, but I was just surprised he heard it at all, considering the fact that he shouldn't even have ears. The chikorita and the ekans both left after Spruce explained why Josh was bound to the bucket, leaving me to just sit on top of Kamina's head like a bump on a log. The weather changed from sunny to rainy as we stayed here, well, okay, we DID eventually start moving, but it just seems like we were coming across obstacle after obstacle stopping us in our tracks. This was going to be a long journey to the area that was described to me in the psychic message, and it wouldn't get any shorter if we kept stopping like this. "So, are we going to keep going?" I ask the group, with Spruce replying by just heading forwards, past Kamina and I for a bit, though, he looked annoyed, for some reason. --- [Nina] I continued to chase the mystery pokemon who had one of the papers, and Levita just started staring off into space for some reason. I eventually catch up to the perpetrator, and use flash tackle on him, and, with that being a light move, it lit up the area, revealing him as a nidoran... and an explorer. "GAH!" he exclaimed, later adding "Get away you wild pokemon, this paper's a part of the mission," I stammer for a moment, and eventually add "We're on the same mission, and we already have two of them, so... give us the paper," the nidoran didn't want to cooperate, and added "We have two of them, and WE need the rest, so... give us YOUR paper!" that seemed to be the rest of his team's cue, as an aron, a shroomish, and an abra then appear, and look at me angrily. I think about the situation for a bit, and, while it seemed like the opposite team was already ready to fight, I said "Wait, we don't have to fight, we're just trying to help the same guy. Can't we just help the guy?" They didn't listen to me, unfortunately, and the nidoran used a move similar to my own flash tackle, however, it was a more shadowy version, as he cloaked himself in a shadowy aura before tackling me. It didn't hurt much, but it did make me drop my 'Desia' badge, which I was trying to hold onto as a memento from the time before I became an explorer. The nidoran looked at the badge, and said "Desia...?" he then asked "What do you know about Desia!?" I shook my head, and said "Nothing, I just found that badge lying on the ground, somewhere... is she a famous explorer, or something?" the nidoran looked back at his team, and said "Obviously, she's lying, and we're dealing with another of Desia's minions. NO MERCY!" That last bit shocked me, and, just as well, I end up taking a headbutt from the aron, and a hidden power from the abra. I don't know why they were focusing on me, other than the fact that they think I work for this 'Desia' lady, who I still had no idea about.</s>

<|message|>Eralion Strongwill Eralion smiles as he looked at the persian, and looked at Bonnie, who seemed really confident right now. He smiles as he looks at Bonnie. "We best move and free that bidoof we were looking for before he gets out of those bookcases..." he says to her, confident right now, and happy for her to not feel scared of her father. That idea of the bookcases... it worked perfectly... It was surprising that it actually worked. "If only we could add some weight to this..." he then says, before looking around. They didn't really have time to add anything right now... "Lets just go!" he says, before getting ready to move quickly. Before he walked away he looked at Bonnie's father. "And your one sick freak.... doing all that to your own daughter... you should die in a pit of spikes!" he adds before moving away quickly. ------------------------------------------------------- Celina moved forwards, staying near Spruce as she breath deeply, looking at him worried a bit, as well as saddened a bit right now. "I know you don't really like him Spruce... I can see it just by how you act... I just want to know what is wrong..." she says calmly, quietly, and as sweetly as she could. She didn't want to get Spruce even more mad. The last thing she wanted was to have him against her also... She still loved him, but she hated to see him like that.... Maybe they shouldn't have went to fallow on this mission... but here they are... and it was best to try and fallow for now. Maybe they could go and find one of those void crystal on the way.</s>

<|description|>Eralion Strongwill Ok so... making a new guy for this: Species: Pangoro Gender: Male Moves: Counter (learned from many hours of training) Bullet Punch Brick Break Crunch Bio: Where to begin with the story of Eralion. It would take a lot to actually say every bit of details from his life until now, but we shall go with the important parts. Eralion was born from a Mawile father and a mother Pangoro in a forest far from Allure town. We could say it was an awkward family, but both of Eralion's parents loved each other. They worked long hours in the forest to defend the smaller creatures that would be too weak to fight, protected them from harm. Eralion look up at them, proud of having parents like these, though that was before he started to hear about guild's from some passer by. Those people talked to his parents quite some times, asking for directions to a mystery dungeon that was a bit farther north from their forest. Though a lot of times it was starting to get night and his parents usually invited them to stay for the night. Because of this, Eralion heard lots of stories of guilds, people helping out others, working side by side. When the guest left, Eralion asked lots of times to his parents about if he could go to Allure town to join a guild, though because of how far away it was, they said no, because it was too risky to move. Eralion though didn't give up. Instead of asking more and more, he started to train, fighting and punching, also learning from the old Wobbufett in the forest who gave advices to travellers. Both Eralion and the old Wobbufett got along quite fine, and it was also that way he learned to use counter, a move that normal Pancham could not learn. After quite some training, Eralion asked his parents again if he could go to the guild now, being stronger than before. His parents said no again, though Eralion didn't give up. One day during his parents usual patrol, he followed them in secret. It was then that he saw a primeape going to hit a zigzagoon with a karate chop. His parents were about to go and help, though Eralion moved quicker. He moved in front of the zigzagoon and used counter. When the strike hit, Eralion's parents were horrified, only to have Eralion strike back the primeape full force, actually damaging him so much that he almost fainted, with Eralion holding on, giving a bit of breathing from the hit. He then quickly rushed and used Karate Chop also, finishing off the ape. His parents were surprised by this, but also mad for him to go into so much risk there. Eralion looked at them, before giving a smile, telling them he was alright. Sure he took some damage there, but he still felt like he could continue fighting. His parents looked at each other concerned. That night his parents told him he could go to the guild after all, though that he should be careful. Eralion nodded, saying that he would. Finally he was going to have some adventure. The next morning he packed up everything that he needed, and gave his last goodbye's to his parents. He then left his home. He wanted to return one day when he would have become much stronger and able to protect the forest, but for now the prospect of a new adventure loomed overhead. Though his travels weren't as fun and games as he thought it would be. One of those days he was passing in large mountain territory where many old ruined buildings were. As he passed by, he heard screaming, creatures going and running away. What he saw was a granbull, attacking nearby dragon types, laughing at them. This made Eralion's blood boil. The granbull was already damaged a bit, but not enough to actually be defeated by any creatures around. Eralion rushed forth and used karate chop on the thing, only to have it turn around and then headbutt him right in the arm. This hurted Eralion a lot. The granbull moved closer and closer to Eralion. "Well well… a little hero want to stop me… how cute…. Now where was I… oh right…." The granbull says before going to use headbutt again, though Erion resisted and used counter, striking the thing back full force, weakening him more. "Why you little… able to use counter eh… you won't resist long though." He says. He was right. Eralion could not resist another hit. He started to run full force, going to get away from the thing. The thing started to chase after him, though weakened cause of the damage Eralion caused to him. Eralion had to find somewhere to hide… something to help him… something…. It was then that something in him just slightly broke as he heard the footsteps moving closer and closer to him. He looked to the direction of the granbull, slight energy being felt from the ground of the ruins, "There you are… well… time to fi…" he start to say before Eralion got up, his eyes in a new rage. "Still have so..." was the last thing before Eralion, who in a last attempt, rushed and striked the granbull right in the face, faster than anything he ever did before. He had just used bullet punch! The granbull falled on the ground, KO now. It was then that multiple dragon types walked by, looked at Eralion who was breathing deeply. He lost consciousness then. When he got back to himself, he was in a large cave with a couple of dratini's playing in the corner. His wounds were patched with bandages. As he look up, he saw a Dragonite pass near him. "Ah… Finally awake… Here…" she says before giving him a plate of berries. "You should be hungry…. Eat up." She says. Eralion smiled and ate up, hungry like heck at the moment. He looked at his arm that he used bullet punch with. He saw a slight silver lining under his fur, but not much else. How did he even use that move anyway. He wasen't a steel type, and pancham could not learn such move. But also they could not learn counter. He knew he was different, but that different and able to use that attack? After eating, he thanked the Dragonite family before going and leaving, going back on his way to Allure town. He still had a lot of road to do, and he knew his adventure wasen't over yet. Appearance: He looks like a normal pancham, though under his fur of his left and right arm, theres is a slight silver coloring. Differences: He trained many hours with a Wobbufett to be able to learn counter. He will also be able to learn steel type move cause of his strange genetics, though he will retain his normal typing.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent It took a moment for Rebecca to realize that Nina's attacks were far more illuminating than the Dragon Rush that had actually occurred. She waved hello to the Swablu and listened to her speak, eager to both potentially make a new friend as well as gather more information about their elusive enemy. "Well," Rebecca said slowly. "Would Mariah work?" She admittedly had a bit of trouble coming up with a name, but she thought it was nice. She had to wonder if this sort of thing was common among wild Pokemon, even though such thoughts struck her as somewhat depressing. "Oh, and my name's Rebecca, by the way." The Ralts added.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] As much as I wanted to agree with Celes, she was, unfortunately, outvoted. It seemed like everyone other than her and I were quick to trust these guys, and Anthony seemed slightly hesitant, as well, for some reason, but, either way, I ended up saying "Alright, sounds like a plan," to the duo, both of whom tried to pick up as many of us as possible, with the salamence picking up Celes, Matt, and I, and the charizard picking up Miles, Josh, and Anthony. Daniel simply flew with them, and Kamina... I can only assume was finding his OWN way to the top that involved bouncing, breaking things, and fire... I don't know where the fire fit in, but I'm sure he found out some way to include fire into the mix. The salamence decided to actually talk while he was flying me up, asking "So, how long have you guys been in the guild, anyways?" I tried to actually remember... it seemed like the days were stretched out for some reason, as if a few moments passed by in a week's time... was it an actual week? Were we only in the guild for a handful of days, and ALREADY we're a part of some huge quest, the success of which will determine the fate of this planet? Apparently, I spaced out for a while, as he ended up asking "Er... little dude, are you okay? You see a little out of it," that, of course, snapped me back into reality, and I answered with "Yeah, and... I think I might have been in the guild for a week, maybe?" the salamence seemed confused about this and kept questioning me with "How are you unsure if it's been a week, or not?" I shrugged, not wanting to share the strange, almost existential crisis I just had over how long time seemed to stretch for no apparent reason. --- [Anthony] Somehow, it seemed like the majority of our team wanted to take their help, and, even though I was a little hesitant about it, I tried my best to look enthusiastic... though, looking at Spruce, apparently even he can see right through my act. The two dragons, nonetheless, picked us up, with the charizard apparently picking myself, Miles, and Josh. It seemed to take a while, and the charizard was humming to himself, so, I decided to ask Miles "Hey, Miles, why are you so... I dunno, down all the time? You're usually so pessimistic, but, why? What happened to you that made you that way?" granted I had a few problems of my own, not the least of which was the fact that my mother probably depended on whatever money I could scrounge together from guild missions to live, but even I tried to see the best in any situation. I'm sure that whatever was bothering Miles that made him like this was worse than what I've been through, but, perhaps talking about it would actually prove to be helpful to him... maybe, someday, he'll see the best in pokemon, and the best in whatever situation he's thrown in next... or he could just naturally be this way, and not change due to me asking this question. I then remembered that Miles could float, and wondered why, exactly he didn't do that... of course, I only had to take a look at him, and how poorly he handled the heat, and how much effort it took for him to float over the bridge to figure out why this might be a better solution. Thankfully, since he somehow kept his magnemite form, he was actually pretty lightweight, so, the charizard had no problem holding him. --- [Bonnie] It seemed like we were getting pretty high up the mountain, as the air was getting thin, and it was getting somewhat harder to breathe, as a result. I tried to keep going, and thankfully, I managed to do so, at least until we came across a ledge with a flimsy, rotten, moldy plank of wood serving as a makeshift bridge. "Seems... like someone... was here... before..." I pointed out, my words being broken up by it being difficult to breathe right now... I probably looked like a weakling to the rest of my team, right now, especially with the fact that the nidorina seemed just fine with this, heck, she almost seemed to be enjoying it, for some reason. "Ah... so THIS is why teams like you explore places like this. I mean, I've heard of the term 'fresh mountain air', but I didn't know what it meant until now," that only served to hammer in my embarrassment even more. The CLIENT, of all pokemon, was doing better than I was in a wilderness setting... something that I'm PAID to go through on a daily basis. I'm sure if Samuel were still here, he'd just laugh at me, and use his ability to climb to cross the ledge on his own... or maybe he'd just set the entire place on fire, again. 'Hey! that was ONE TIME!' I could almost hear his voice, again... then again, this thin air was probably just getting to my brain, and I'm certain I didn't just say that he'd set the place on fire, so, why would he respond to a thought, right? "Guys... that bridge... doesn't... look safe..." I managed to say, as well, though, considering who my team consisted of, I might have been too late with that warning. --- [Nina] It seemed like Dexter didn't have any ideas later, however, Rebecca, as usual, came up with something, in this case, she came up with the idea to name her 'Mariah', to which, the newly-named swablu almost chirped out "Yay! I have a name now! Yes, that works Ms. Rebecca... it's... so nice to be around pokemon that I don't have the urge to attack... oh... sorry, I shouldn't have said that last part," that was weird, she didn't seem as young as she acted, but, either way, that prompted me to ask "So... which city do you live in? I mean, before you got controlled," Mariah shook her head, and said, almost sadly "I was actually hatched here... I never really had a home... and my parents are almost never around... the thing, the voice kept telling me to attack low-ranking city pokemon, while my parents were apparently told to attack high-level guild pokemon," that was... a bit more information than I asked for, to be honest. "So whatever this thing is actually separates high-level and low-level pokemon? Why?" I ended up saying, rather than thinking as I started heading up the mountain path. A golurk, apparently recently knocked out wakes up, and seems confused, as well. "WHERE AM I?" the giant ghost-type pokemon asked either us, or just anyone who was listening. "Er... on Mt. Dragoncoil. A mountain-based mystery dungeon," that didn't seem to do anything other than confuse the thing before, and it continued with "WHAT IS A MYSTERY DUNGEON... WHERE IS MT. DRAGONCOIL?" how old WAS this thing if a MOUNTAIN is younger than it is!?</s>

<|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes looked worried a bit. It seemed everyone wanted to have a ride here... She still didn't trust those guys.... but if something were to happen, she would tell the group that she told them so... She just hoped she would not be falling to her death cause of those guys. It was already hard enough that she didn't trust those guys... Although there was one thing: If they did try to actually throw her, she would use her ribbons to hold onto him and throw him down towards the ground, and actually use the salamance to lessen the fall for her. It would probably damage him really a lot, that is for sure. She just stayed there, waiting to be brought to the top floor, worried. --- Eralion was moving forwards then, seeing the bridge. Considering his size... The bridge was probably not the safest for him. When he heard waht Bonnie said, he looked at her and then the bridge. "Either we go around it, or we take a risk and move one person at a time over the bridge and get to the other side." he says before looking down, seeing that there was somewhat of a large hole. He frowned, thinking. "Unless we can end up like catapulting people to the other side.... That though would surprise me..." he says... then remembering Tini. He sure hope he would not take that last part seriously and try to do that...</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Chip I stand up, and open my door. It was a slightly chilly day, so I grab my jacket before I set off, due west, to get to the Foggy Plains. I get out, wave to my neighbor, and trek outside of Allure Town's limits, headed to see what was going on with some sort of relic that was apparently stolen. I start off by making sure I had at least 10 sheets of paper and two pencils, and a matchbox. I look off into the distance to see what was over yonder, and I see a storm cloud, so I wasn't going to be able to see, and I was going to be drenched. I sigh in disappointment, and continue walking westward. I stop at a berry bush, and eat some Oran Berries. Those were my favorite type of berries. I sit down at the bush and start to go over what my plan was, and also how to mark which way I went, so I didn't get lost in the fog. I then reach for another berry, but I had eaten all of them, so I started on my walk again. As the rain starts to drizzle, I get a bunch of leaves and tie them together to form a barrier large enough so that I didn't get wet, and my backpack didn't either. I stop by a lake to get a quick drink and to wash my face off, and look at my reflection. My face was blue with the Oran Berry juice. I wipe it all off, and make a quick little marker for that area, so that I knew later on I was going the right way to get back to Allure. I come across a wild Mankey. I don't think it has seen me yet, so I decide it's best to store my energy and leave the little bugger alone. I write down, as a check list; Find artifact, Find culprits, Possibly find extra treasures if I come across any, Find berries to sell and eat. I smile and say "I'll most likely eat them before I get back..." and continue meandering around the trees and shrubs to find the Foggy Plains, where my news story would begin.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint It seemed like the Tyranitar was going to win. Nobody here could do any noticeable damage to him. Just when Josh started to give up hope, something amazing happened. The Tyranitar used Stone Edge on Anthony, as he had done several times now. However, this time Anthony didn't end up having to use another reviver seed. He managed to survive the attack, and on top of that, he retaliated with an attack that seemed to actually do some decent damage. Josh had seen him use it before, back in Beach Cave, but he was still surprised. He'd almost forgot that Anthony knew Counter. Despite their small moment of success, the Tyranitar was still standing. He was about to attack Anthony, when a Mawile jumped between them. "DAD, STOP!" The fight had ceased as soon as they'd realized they were fighting a team of explorers. On top of that, the monstrous, rampaging Tyranitar seemed to be the Mawile's father. As confused as Josh was, he was glad the fight was finally over. Matt picked up the bucket, bringing Josh with him as he followed the Tyranitar. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long. Josh was drying out fast, and needed water as soon as possible.</s> <|message|>Chip I look at the mist and walk through the fog. I bump into a tree and a bush. I try to look around, but I could only see about three feet in front of me. I get out my backpack and light a match, thinking it might help. It doesn't, so I put it out and stick it in my backpack. I walk into a small Riolu and I quickly turn invisible, and stare at him, and he stares back, and then quickly uses Force Punch. I change into a Fighting Type, from my Color Change ability. I grunt and fall on my stomach and I grab his snout, and then use Feint Attack, sending him to the ground, and I take off in a sprint, running into a large tree. I go invisible again and get on my stomach, and crawl around, hiding from the Riolu. After about 15 minutes, I get up and go back to normal, and I slowly walk around, and see if I can find the supposed area of disappearance of 'The Relic' and start writing down something on the papers. *I have come across a feral Riolu. I have absolutely no idea where the 'Lost Relic' is or was. I must find out where it is, and catch those who stole the relic.* I fold up the paper and put it into my bag, then rub my side, where I was punched. It was red from the injury, and I roll down a hill that I tripped down when I walked and fell from walking on air. I stand up and cough, get up, and pass a couple trees. After a while, it got cold and dark. It didn't matter whether or not another match was used, the rain would always put it out. 'Where could the culprits be?' I ask myself as I step on nothing, but I don't fall. I look up, and there was something strange. Something very weird. Something made of stone, and surrounded by a dark, purple thing. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by this dark thing, and I go into a spin, slowly floating upwards. I grab onto the stone thing, and observe the area. I see a red-black scale and some white fur, and I think 'EVIDENCE!' as I jump up to grab the things. I float past the items, and I make my way back down and inspect them. These things would need a test to find out what they were, but I remember my training. Criminals usually commit their first crime close to their hideout, so if something goes sour, they would be able to go there and hide. I mark down the area and describe it, then illustrate it crudely on a piece of paper, and all of the sudden, I feel my leg get grabbed by something. I look back, and see a blackish purple thing. It looked almost like a pokemon... a Snivy, even! I try to float-run away, but its grip was tight. I scream as its grip tightens to a bone-crushing force, and throws me out of, what I would describe it as, the void. I land on my left leg, and *SNAP!* It was broken... I limp away from the area, and breathe scarcely, screaming and whimpering from the pain. I was confused, and terrified. I make it out of the mist and away from the void, and grab some Oran Berries from a bush. I shove them down my throat, hoping to have the pain be enlightened a little bit. I limp down, to my construct, and go invisible as I rest by it.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I end up laughing at the rest of my team's jokes, and tiredly walk past the mission boards, which were surprisingly empty, and somehow looked old and almost rotted... oh, wait, that was just some ivy that was hanging off of the corner. I smile as I head down the stairs and over to my room, passing by several oddly awake pokemon on my way there, including that bidoof, some random shinx, and strangely enough, a latios.*Nah, that couldn't be a latios, they're rare pokemon, and probably wouldn't be caught dead joining some guild.*I think as I continue my tired shuffle past the guildmaster's office, which seemed to be covered in dirty, gummy-glazed feathers for some weird reason. Archie was in there and was mumbling something about not letting the guildmaster ever cook gummis on the roof again as he continued to pluck out his own feathers... well, the ones that were covered in liquified gummis that is. The hall seemed to expand into infinity as I walked through it, yet eventually, I came to my room. Sure, something in there smelled like a wet dog, and the beds were in horrible condition from me almost never making mine, but, right now, this looked like the bed in that five-star hotel in Scale City. I coiled up in my bed, and started to drift of... though, something seemed off this time... why was there an extra blanket on my bed? --- [Anthony] I follow Hex into the next room, which seemed to be this tyranitar's home. Oddly enough, there was Team ACT memorabilia covering the walls, including a team badge, marked 'Crater'... odd... was this guy their biggest fan, or something? He then answered Carrol's question as to who they are, by saying "Name's Crater, former explorer and former member of Team ACT, and this young mawile is Terra... she's adopted if you can't already tell."*Wait... Crater? Wow... who knew we were fighting a celebrity!*I think as my eyes drift over to an odd looking egg that was in the center of the room. "Ah, I see you've found Blaze. He's a victini that I, um, found over near the beach... he has a weird issue where he keeps changing into an egg." I begin to head over towards the egg, and Terra adds "We should continue this tomorrow, it's getting late, though, this is what you might be able to help us with." the sableye then comes back into view, and Terra says "It's okay, Randy, they're here to help, well, they will be tomorrow." this area was weird, and actually somewhat large, easily fitting the giant that was Crater. I wander around the place, and notice a few extra beds that weren't in use, heck, the room was even marked as 'guest' the ACT memorabilia didn't just fill the walls of the living room, but just about everywhere... that is, save for the guest room, and apparently Terra's room. I wasn't allowed in there, as once I got close to the door, Terra would run up to it and block the way, glaring at me until I left. For a cave, this place was also very dry, though there was a pool of water next to the entrance... its purpose to the family was completely unknown to me, but that pool of water would probably help out Josh, who seemed to be having some sort of issue, or something.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint They all followed the Tyranitar, with no idea where they were going. Josh was getting worse. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open at this point, which Matt immediately noticed. "Oh, that's not good." He said, examining Josh more closely. "He's starting to lose consciousness. We don't have much time left." Just as he was about to drift off, Josh felt himself drop into cold water. Heimmediately started to feel better. Floating up to the surface, he saw what appeared to be the Tyranitar's home. Matt was floating beside the pool. "Are you all right? "I'm fine now." He let out a sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it. Water can be rather difficult to find underground." Josh took some time to look around. There were posters of a group known as Team ACT lining the walls. Josh had never heard of them, but from what he was hearing they were quite famous up on the surface. There was also an egg in the middle of the room, which Josh found odd. The Tyranitar, whose name was apparently Crater, explained that he found a Victini down by the beach, who for some reason kept turning into an egg.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Chip (I wake up from my hour-long nap, and rip off two large sticks and start to use them as crutches. I hobble back, past the lake, past the bushes, and back behind the gates of the town. I limp-walk with my crutches and try to find a place where I could get some more information, and as I do, one of the makeshift crutches starts to bend, and I release some tension on it. I couldn't afford to have these break until I found someone who could help me heal. I go to the nearest healer I knew, and ask him for help. He puts a cast on me and I am told to rest for a few days. After getting the cast, I hop to the building where they hand-wrote the news and handed them some paper and the evidence. They gave back the evidence after a quick inspection and told me that it was most likely an Absol and a Scrafty, Scraggy, or Haxorus. I nod, and take back the materials. I walk outside, and carefully make my way down the stairs, then sit down at a wall, but not for too long. I go to my house and sleep on the bed. --- After healing a bit, I take my own look at the evidence and determine it's a Haxorus scale and Absol fur.*But which ones? There are many in Allure Town already. Was there any explanation?*I think. I shake my head and get up from the bed, and exit my house.*They could have been wilds. Their fur and scales just coming off from fighting one of the monsters...*I think. I write down on a piece of paper, "If seen with these characteristics, please tell William Lennard at 233 Green Ave. Look for any Haxorus missing some scales from it's tusks, or a talon/claw. Also look out for an absol missing a few tufts of hair. These are suspects for a burglary of an artifact. Do not confront either, as they could be dangerous." I find something on the ground that was sticky, and post that note up on a wall where people could see it. I walk out of town, and get on my way back to the Foggy Plains, hopefully to find more evidence. I don't stop to rest, or even to eat a berry. I was making haste, since the possible burglars may have a chance in not being caught. As I get there, a Sawk is right in front of me. There was no running or hiding from this one, I had to fight him. I used Feint Attack and Scratch in that order, and then dodged one attack, buck get grabbed and punched, then thrown down to the ground, and hit with a Karate Chop. I push him off and grab a rock and throw it at his forehead, and it hits. I take the moment while he's stunned to bolt out and into the fog. I stumble around, tripping on a bush or two, and walking directly into a wall. I rub my face and look at the wall.*What was a wall doing here?*I ask myself as I walk around the wall. I see some papers, a few matches, and a box with the human's language on it. I look at the jumble of letters and it says "CAMEL." I put it in my backpack and grab whatever was on the table. A folder, a pencil, and a small link of round steel balls, like a chain. Maybe used to operate something. My backpack was full of books, metal objects, and something with a translucent material in the shape of a flattened rectangular prism. I zip up my bag and walk, searching for another possible hint or clue to this crime. I find the floating altar again, and make a few quick looks around, making sure there were none of the strange pokemon that had the power to break bones and throw people great distances. I closely examine the altar, and once I found nothing, I examine the ground around the area, and find some footprints when I stick my face as close to the ground as possible. Absol footprints. I follow them for a while, and then remember that these criminals could be very dangerous. I go back to Allure Town, past the lake, and past the structure that I made, with confirmation of at least one of the species of Pokemon. When I arrive, I look for anyone that could be interested in old human technologies. No one wanted any, yet. Maybe I would find someone later. I had to go confirm that it was an Absol that helped steal the relic and that I was on the brink of finding them, hopefully. I go to my house, and wait for a knock at the door, or someone bursting in saying "I saw them, I saw them! I know where they are and you can arrest them!" I chortle at the thought of someone doing that 2nd thing.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I finally wake up from my sleep, thankful that I no longer had to go through that dream. It was one where I was standing in that weird nothingness, beside Celes, fighting Giratina. The bad part came with the fact that I would always be beaten down in the dream, and then would be forced to repeat that moment until I woke up. I then open my eyes to see Celes... in my bed... and not a blanket like I though she was. I notice her blushing, and get up a little too quickly, which led to me hitting my head on the bed above mine. "Ow, um, I mean... hi? Why did you sleep in my bed, and what the heck is M talking about with 'friends with benefits'?" I ask Celes as I, more carefully, move off of my bed. This whole situation was weird, and even awkward, though... I'll admit, it was kinda nice with her in the bed... wait, what? What am I thinking? I clear my head of those thoughts, and look around my room. Kamina was going on another filibuster, and M was laughing his... er... body... maybe, off. The beds were unmade, which was normal for this time of day, and I could have sworn Celes was either a tomato berry, or a flareon with all the blushing she was doing. The curtains were pulled away from our windows, letting some light in, which felt really nice, the floor, however, didn't seem to be in the best of conditions, and felt as though it could leave me with a splinter or five.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Josh was pretty tired. It had been a long day, and now he could finally get some rest. The rest of his teammates had gone to the guest bedroom, but Josh slept in the pool of water by the entrance. *He woke up dazed and confused. There was darkness all around him. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. The only sign of life was a slightly muffled voice. "You're probably wondering why I called you all here today." It was a deep, gravelly voice, and although it sounded familiar, Josh couldn't quite tell who it was. "Three months ago, Joshua Blitz betrayed us all. We offered him our trust, and what did he do? He left the safe haven we tried to build for him, and retreated to the hazardous waters of the outside." By now, Josh had figured out who the voice belonged to. He turned around and tried to swim away, but it was no use. There was a metal cuff around his torso, connected to a chain. There was no escape. "Now, I want to make sure that never happens again." A two large stone doors opened up, letting some light into the room. After his eyes had adjusted, he saw Zane standing just outside. Most, if not all, of the Pokemon living in the reef surrounded the small building that contained him. The chain began pulling him outside, closer to Zane. He tried to resist, but there was no point. He was being pulled closer to his enemy, until they were right next to each other. The crowd was talking among themselves. "They caught him..." "What's he going to do?" "Jimmy, cover your eyes. You don't need to see this." "QUIET!" Zane's voice echoed through the crowd, and the chatter ceased immediately. "This is what happens to those who abandon us!" Zane's claw was inches away from Josh. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for what was coming. The first blast - Josh assumed it was Dragon Pulse - hit him pretty hard. He was barely conscious when the second one hit him.* Josh opened his eyes and looked around. Where was he? Why hadn't Zane killed him? It took a while for him to figure out that it was all just a dream. He let out a sigh of relief. Now he just had to wait for the others to wake up. Hopefully nobody saw him panic.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Anthony] I yawn, remembering that it's night, and say "Zane looks tough... way too tough for us to handle right now. I say we should head off to Mt. Dragoncoil after this." I then turn towards the two pokemon behind the desk, a grovyle, and a shelgon, both of whom looked as though they could use a room, as well. "Um... we're with Terra." I say to them, and they instantly seem to know what I meant by that, and hand me a room key for room number two hundred and fifty one. "Thanks." I then add as I make my way up to the second floor. The first floor, with room numbers starting with the number zero, such as 013, seemed a little... well, broken.*Thank goodness I'm not staying there.*I think as I continue towards the stairs, and up to the second floor... which, oddly enough, WASN'T the floor I was staying at. The second floor looked a lot like the first floor, but the rooms had numbers starting with 1, and for some weird reason, the staircase continued only on the other side of the floor, rather than just continuing from where I already was. I made my way to the opposite side of the hallway, which, to be honest, did look a little bit better-kept than the hallway on the ground floor. There weren't as many missing tiles, and there didn't seem to be as much mold growing in said missing tiles. The room numbers were a bit more clearly marked on the doors, and the tiles that were there seemed somewhat cleaner than their ground floor counterparts. Again, I was thankful that I wasn't staying here, and hurried to the third floor, which was where my room would be. It was as if I had stepped into another dimension compared to the lower floors. Everything was clean, all the tiles were there, it almost looked as though it was gold-plated, heck, even the torches had golden handles, and strangest of all, there were a few hotel workers, a couple bagon and a few treecko who were delivering things such as food and towels to the rooms... oh, and before I forget to note, it smelled so much better than either the outside, or the lower floors. I looked in awe as I slowly made my way to my room.*Wow... these hotel managers must really like Terra, huh?*I think as I look around the place.*I guess those lower floors are the cheap-o rooms... looks like you really get what you pay for around here.*I think as I continue to take in this sight. I eventually make it to my room, and open it up to see a table with several berries placed in a basket on it, some chairs around the table, the softest-looking bed I've ever seen, a door to some sort of patio or balcony, as well as a couple of other rooms, neither of which I was worried about at this time, as it was very late. After eating a couple oran berries, I jumped right onto the bed, and almost seemed to melt into it... well, okay, I didn't literally do that, but it might have looked that way. I then remembered that I forgot to take off my helmet, but was already too tired to get out of the bed, and take the helmet off. I stayed in the bed, looking like a puddle of goop, and fast asleep. --- [Bonnie] I stayed in that closet, not wanting to come out of it and face that vile demonic cat once more, when, out of nowhere, someone tries to open the door. I keep it closed by holding the handle myself, and thankfully, they seem to have given up... well, not all was well, unfortunately, as a few small earthquakes warned me of a conkeldurr who just decided to pay us all a visit. I could hear William from the other side of the door, shouting, however, due to me being scared out of my mind right now, I only heard a few key things... "Samuel needs help!" and "Just come out... teleport away!" I eventually gathered my strength to get out of the strange room that I was hiding in, and notice a knocked-out Samuel, a hiding William, and a rampaging conkeldurr... who noticed me almost immediately. I fumble around with my badge for a little bit, and eventually press the button, which I assumed teleported everyone away, and, thankfully, teleported away. I ended up back in that guild place, with that skitty looking right at me. "uh... look, I don't want any trouble..." I say to the thing, still scared. The thing then completely confused me by handing me some money... as well as a white-colored gummi. "Um... what just happened?" I ask everyone as soon as they materialize behind me. Looking at my teammates, I decide to hand William the white gummi, given that, for some odd reason, I never really liked that flavor of gummi as much as I should, and he was the right type of pokemon for it. As I hand William the gummi, that chatot flies up, and takes the money I just got from that skitty, and hands me the much smaller sum of 100 poke from that bag. After all of that was done, I head off towards my bed, and sure, while it wasn't as nice as the one I used to have at home, it was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in... just for the fact that, for the first time in my life, I was away from my father.</s> <|message|>Chip -William- I gasp, and then clutch my chest, breathing scarcely. "What the hell just happened?!" I yell, coughing and gasping for air. "Chatot, I think I have something EXTREMELY important to tell Wigglytuff," I say to him as I lift up Samuel and carry him on my shoulder. I carry my friend Samuel down the ladder and into the crew rooms and set him on his bed. I grasp my forehead and think about what might happen if I tell Wigglytuff about it. I've heard he's very childish, and that sometimes he can freak out... I bet the other guildmaster would handle it better, maybe. I should probably tell them both, or maybe just Wigglytuff... Agh, it was too late now. I have to get some sleep... I cough a few times before drifting off to sleep, into many nightmares. Things like my head being in that box, and just horrible things about that place, making me jump up and scream. After a while, Samuel wakes up. "Ooah... is this heaven? Where's Arceus?!" Samuel moans. I shush him and whisper "This is the guild. Arceus isn't here." I rub my forehead again and whisper "I can't sleep..." as I pop the white gummi in my mouth and chew it, eventually swallowing it. It tasted delicious, and I sigh... "I think I'm going to have nightmares for weeks, after that little trip..." I whisper, then I try to go to sleep again, this time having a nightmare about Wigglytuff. It ended as quickly as it started... all I could remember was that something bad happened at the giant house, with only him there. When I reflect on it, I think*I must tell both of them. There isn't any way I'm going to let him die, or something...*and I shake Samuel awake and tell him my dreams. "Just sleep!" Samuel groans before quickly falling back asleep. I sigh and close my eyes...</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint "We need to get out of Scale City as soon as possible." Josh said. "We don't stand a chance against Zane. If he finds me, it'll end badly for all of us." Anthony headed into the hotel, and Matt and Josh following him. They went up to the Shelgon and Grovyle behind the desk. "We're with Terra as well." Matt said. They gave him the key to room 252. "Someone might come in here tonight and ask where I am. If they do, could you not tell them I'm here?" Josh said. After a nod from the Grovyle, he smiled. "Thanks." The first floor was probably the least sanitary place Josh had seen, second only to a few places in the reef. The second floor, although not nearly as bad as the first, still had some missing tiles, and mold growing in a few places. The third floor was completely different. It was absolutely spotless, and everything from the floor tiles to the torch handles appeared to be made of gold. They walked along the hallway until they came across a door labelled "252", and went inside. Inside, there was a bed that appeared to be extremely comfortable. There was also a solid gold bathtub, which lifted Josh's spirits a little. At least he wouldn't be confined to the bucket. Matt filled it with water and put Josh in before lying down in the bed and drifting off to sleep. Josh tried to calm down and get some rest, but he couldn't get much sleep no matter how comfortable he was. Every time he managed to fall asleep, he would be awoken by nightmares similar to the one he had back in the cave. Zane was here in Scale City, and the others that escaped could be anywhere. He wished that they hadn't followed him. Now they were in just as much danger as he was. He knew he had to find out where they were hiding, because if he didn't, Zane would.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Anthony] After Matt and Josh rejoin me, Darkrai suddenly seems to have remembered something. "OH! Now I remember where that thing was. I was actually trying to visit the place myself which led me to this city. The orb's just past the city itself and better yet the guardian shouldn't be too much for you to handle. It should be just north of here on top of the nearby mountain which is populated primarily by fighting types. There aren't too many traps along the way and the guardian as I've said before isn't too much. He's just some scrafty and isn't a shadow pokemon or anything like that. In fact I think my friend might have even solved some of the puzzles on his way over to the orb. I mean assuming that he continued towards the orb even after I got caught. So north and on top of a mountain got all that?" He... unfortunately spoke a little too fast, as if he was incredibly excited about what he remembered. All I could really make out was 'north of here' and 'populated primarily by fighting types'. "Could you slow down a bit?" I ask Darkrai, not having heard much of that. He repeated what he said, but, he didn't say it any slower, unfortunately for me. "Er... could either of you understand what Darkrai just tried to say to us?" I then ask the other two. Hopefully, they each understood at least something from the two times that he went through his little spiel. Static then adds "Well... all I got was that the guardian's a scrafty... does that help?" It almost sounded as if Static's head was spinning from the speed of Darkrai's speech. I wonder if he's going to get like this every time he remembers something about the orbs of balance? That wouldn't be very helpful. --- [Bonnie] That last fairy wind from Tini was enough to knock out the scrafty, thankfully. "Alright, we won!" I say to the rest of my team, including Samuel who was, for some reason, slapping William repeatedly. I then press the button on my badge, but for some reason, it only teleports us to Treasure Town... and not even in front of the guild. Odd, was someone somehow messing with our badges? I notice a vaguely canine shaped pokemon a few feet in front of me, but, the second I spot him or her, he or she darts right into the bushes.*Who or what was that?*I ask myself as I look around for the rest of my team... whatever that was, I didn't want to face it alone. "H-hello?" I call out to the bushes, only to, obviously, get no response. As soon as the rest of my team gathers here apparently via teleportation, the thing rushes right towards William, shouting something along the lines of "You knocked out my boyfriend!" Or... something similar to that. Did that scrafty we brought in have some sort of relation with this pokemon? Was this the real reason that the mission was put up, to get revenge on someone who was apparently seeing other pokemon? If that was so, then I honestly felt pretty bad for our victim, now... and I also kinda felt bad because I took a mission that was written out of rage, rather than urgency... we're not mercenaries, we're supposed to be rescuers... as in, we help those who are actually in NEED of help, rather than just whoever WANTS help. --- [???] "The shrines should return to normal once we place all of the void crystals in their spot in Giratina's grave. I hope none of the pokemon died because of this... but, even if that's the case, then I suppose I'll have to call it their sacrifice," I say to the sylveon who somehow was capable of tying us up with these chains. I then notice the angry magnemite, who simply floated down, possibly to his own team's bed, and add "What his problem? Either way, at least I've got the name of the one who tricked Giratina... Desia... why does that name sound familiar?" Flare then finally asks "So, would you mind telling us your name, miss?" she seemed rather calm, which was weird given her fear of being unable to move. I was about to say something, but she apparently finally snapped, shouting "Get me outta here! I can't handle this anymore!" She then just went on to shouting... not really forming words, just, screaming, obviously out of fear. It took her long enough, as she usually goes right to the screaming and shouting, not even giving herself a single second to try to be calm. It can be difficult with her sometimes, especially on mornings when she wakes up and thinks that her own blankets are preventing movement somehow. "Yes, um, would you please let us go? I'd rather not have to listen to this for too long," I state, only raising my voice so that I could be heard over Flare's screams of fear. I tried to get out again, but, just like last time, there was no luck... and worse, I couldn't cover my ears as Flare's screams got louder and louder... hopefully, I'll go deaf soon enough, and wouldn't have to hear it anymore.</s> <|message|>Chip -William- After we knock the scrafty out, Bonnie teleports us back to Treasure Town. As soon as I get back with the scrafty in my hands, a Ninetails runs up to me, yelling "Scrafty! You beat up my boyfriend!" and she tackles me. She grabs the scrafty and begins dragging him off, but I hop up and run after her, grabbing her tail, when suddenly she whips around with the most menacing, blood-red eyes I've ever seen, and suddenly I'm paralyzed, with a sharp pain in my forehead as I begin having flashbacks. Painful, quick, short, and also dark flashbacks, as well. Suddenly, the quick cycling through of flashbacks stops on one where one of my co-workers, the smeargle, attempted to kill me as I was saving my old boss. I hear a blood-curdling laugh. Suddenly, I get my vision back, and she had used some move, and we were in some flame room. It felt like it was burning me, and she says "So you think it's funny to get in the way of LOVE?! Hmph! I wonder how useful you'd be if you could only ever use one move!" as I feel jolts of pain around my heart and liver. She then began forcing my muscles to tighten as she strikes with another tackle, and I was crying at this point. "I don't think that curse is quite enough, though," she says. "How about that, and I beset upon you plaguing visions, night terrors, and an unstable mind?" she growls. "Yes! I think that's fair, seeing as you fried some big pokemon's brain not too long ago!" she howls, and at that point I faint. I wake up minutes later, pretty much just the same. "Wh-what happened? Was I attacked?" I ask, grabbing my chest and standing up. I was still my old, scaly self, but my tongue seemed to sort of be hanging out of the side of my mouth. I hear a few whispers, and I see a blissey using Heal Pulse on me. Suddenly, I hear a particularly loud whisper, saying "You're just worthless, you pile of scaly JUNK!" and I look around. "Who said that?!" I ask, but I wasn't able to barely even sit up. Samuel asked "Who said what?" and I say "Someone called me junk." "No one called you anything, Will. You just sorta fainted after that ninetails engulfed you in flame... and why do you have your tongue out?" Samuel asks. I stick my tongue back in my mouth, and the blissey puts me back down, continuing to use Heal Pulse. I fall asleep, too tired to stay awake. -Samuel (While the fight was happening)- I get teleported back to Treasure Town, and suddenly someone steals the scrafty. William chases after the pokemon, and grabs her tail, and she struck him down, putting up a large wall of flame around them. I hear a lot of shrieks of pain, and when the flame dissipates, the ninetails was continuing to run away, and was being chased down by some guards, when she suddenly went up in flames, and disappeared in the smoke. I run over to Will, and a crowd gathers around, and a few minutes after the crowd gathers, a blissey pushes through saying "Oh my oh my oh my oh my! What happened?" as she begins using Heal Pulse over and over again on William.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Celes looked at M just go and leave, she let out a slight growl. Seriously... there was problems like that in the world and how did he react? He wants them to die or something. She then turns to the vulpix who was litterally screening in fear before quickly putting a paw on her mouth. "Will you stop screaming for crying out loud! Look, I understand that there is trouble, and having gotten the confirmation about you telling the truth." she says before removing the chains she had used. She then looks at the 2 pokemons and growls a bit. "Now here the thing: I know full well my group will ask what the heck was happening and why I removed those chains. So here what I want to say. Do not leave this guild until tomorrow where I can get you guys to explain the situation to Spruce, who is the leader of my group." she says before breathing deeply. She calms down. "Names Celes, and the reason why I ask this is that I know full well that if I let you go and continue the way you do that work, pokemons will get hurt. I agree we need the void crystals, but we also need to keep the people safe. Like get the pokemons of the forest to evacuate before taking the crystal, explaining the situation. This way there will be less trouble with pokemons thinking of you guys like thieves only and such. I hope you understand what I am saying." Celes then says as calm as possible to the 2 pokemons. She knew she would have to keep a eye on them. Guess she would need to take some soup.... after making a batch that is..</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Darkrai remembered where one of the orbs was, but when he tried to tell them its location, he was talking too fast for anyone to understand him. Even after Anthony asked him to repeat himself, it was still almost impossible to understand. Anthony asked the rest of the team what they could recall anything. "Uh...I heard something about a mountain that's just north of here." Josh said. "According to what I heard, Darkrai has a friend who may have started searching for the orb already." Matt said. There was probably a lot more to what Darkrai said, but what they heard was probably all they were going to get. They had enough information to know where they were going, anyway. Getting there shouldn't be a problem, but it was starting to get late. "I say we find a place to spend the night, then head up north tomorrow." Josh said. "I'm sure there's a hotel or something that we can stay at."</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Celes moved forwards, staying near Spruce, she felt that they were fallowed. She looked back, seeing the eevee from earlier, saddened, tears in it's eyes. Celes looked at it and sighed. It moved forwards. "I... I just don't know anymore... I... I am sorry. I just don't understand what is happening now..." he then says, before Celes let out a slight sight. "Just let us go on in our way and go back with your parents." she then says, before seeing the eevee cry a bit more at the mention of parents. "I... I don't have any parents... I was left alone all this time...." it then said. Celes looked at it saddened a bit. All alone.... no wonder he would be affected easily by a lie like that. She though about it more. Her parent had some explanations to give her, that she knew about the whole powers she have, but this little guy would not be able to survive if he went on for too long. She lean down next to it. "I think I could ask my parents to take care of you if you want.... if you come to my world." she then says to him. The eevee looked at her, a slight spark in his eyes. "Really?!" he says. Celes nod's. "After we get what we were going to get here, I will bring you to my parents.... I need to visit them anyway and I could try to get them to adopt you." she says. The eevee smiles and then yip a bit. "Thank you!" he says before Celes turns around, seeing Spruce had move forwards without her. Well... that was quick.... no waiting... She sighed as she sees the sneazle, the numel and the pidgeotto. She quickly rushed forwards and then used swift towards the bird, hitting him straight on. "Hey! Instead of calling him a traitor maybe you should think a bit by yourselves of the situation! Giratina was tricked, but it seemed you guys are too blind to see it!" she then says, a new anger in her eyes as she stand tall, full of energy, only wanting to strike those guys down now. She had her chains formed right now, ready to strike those that came to close.</s> <|message|>Chip -William- "Hey, good idea," I say, not paying attention to her choosing the black gummi. I run in and grab my journal and climb up the ladder, saying "You guys can stay here," as I go out into Treasure Town, and cross the limits and go into Allure Town. I walk to my parent's house, and transform into a Kecleon. I walk in, and look around. "Mum? Dad?" I ask, peeking around a corner. They were just barely about to eat lunch. My parents were old now. Near the unfortunate and unstoppable force of death. My vision goes blurry for a second as I see some black mist flood into the room, but my parent's didn't seem to notice.*Are they truly that senile?*I thought as I see the black mist engulf them. My vision goes blurry again and I sit down, taking a few breaths and looking back up. My mother stood up to get me the soup she had made, her body shaking and quivering from her old and weakened state. I stand up and say "Oh, uh, mom, I can get it, just relax and enjoy my company," as I walk in and grab a bowl and pour some of the soup into said bowl. I go back to the table and begin eating, smiling at my parents. My dad, as usual, was crotchety and grumpy. He smiled for a second before continuing to grumble about his body. "So, I have some news..." I say. "Um... I got a new job," I say, first. "Oh, how'd you get fired from your old one?" my dad asks. I cough, and say "My boss fired me for asking him not to yell at me and publicly embarrass me," and then mom says "I never liked that old zoroark. Money hog, he is..." and I say "It's at the guild. I rescue people and help them find lost things. It's great, I got this whole team of people helping me with the job and they're all friendly." As I took a few sips of the soup, my dad asks "So, have you found a girl yet?" and I shake my head. He has a mighty sigh and says "So I guess I'll die before I get to see any of my grandchildren," and I was offended by this. "There aren't that many kecleon gals out there," I say, and then he soon gets in a fight with me about children and such. I put my bowl away, and change back into a smeargle. "Imposter! You're not my son!!" my father exclaims. I toss the book towards him, and pissed off, I leave, stubbing my toe on the way out and making it worse. "Just forget them and let them die! They don't care about you, they care about themselves, the selfish arses!" a mysterious voice says. "Yeah..." I grumble, and someone bumps into me. "Watch it!" the pokemon says. "You watch where you're going!" I yell, and then the blaziken turns around. "What did you just say to me you punk?" he asks. I get up in his face and say "I said watch where you're going!" and he pushes me. I push him back and he says "I'll give you a five minute head-start, start running," and I see him make flames kick up from his arms. I realize what I had just done and bolt away, taking five minutes to get back to treasure town. In less than one he's already caught up to me and grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. I kick around and try to get him to release me. "I'm not letting you go until you say sorry," he says. I say "Sorry!" many times before he suddenly drops me, making me fall on my face. I stand up and run off again, going into the guild. I go down the ladder and sit down. "Ugh... what a day," I grumble.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Three symbols appeared in front of them - a red fist, a blue eye, and an orange flame. The symbols flew into the door, opening it. Anthony went in, and found a note, as well as a torch. "What does it say, Anthony?" Josh asked. The moment he and Matt entered the cave, the door closed behind them. It was completely dark now. Unless they could get that torch lit, there was no way they would be able to read that note. "Now, where's that torch?" Matt said. He felt along the wall for a moment. "Ah! There it is." Matt then picked up two stones, and began hitting them together, creating sparks as he did so. This went on for several minutes, but nothing was happening. "We may have to try another method." He said. "This is not a normal torch. It may be another one of the temple's puzzles. The answer might have been written on that note, but since we can't read it, we'll have to figure this one out ourselves." Matt thought about it for a moment, mumbling to himself. after several minutes, it seemed like he'd figured something out. "I think I've got it!" He said. "This may or may not work, but we might as well try. Now, Josh, I need to shoot a stream of water directly in front of you." "It won't burn if you get it wet." "Like I said, this isn't a normal torch. Just trust me." Josh did as Matt said, but ended up completely missing the torch. "A little to the left, I think." Josh adjusted his aim a little and tried again. This time, he could tell that he hit the torch.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent While I'm off daydreaming about the future, the present seems to be far more demanding of my attention, as I'm knocked to the ground by an unknown assailant! Well, maybe not an assailant, I suppose, but I'm still rendered flustered and discombobulated as a result of falling not only twice in a row, but this time in plain view of the whole town. Some of my stuff had fallen out of my admittedly worn bag, and I scramble to pick the miscellaneous utensils up and stow them back away with both my hands and telekinetic power. "Sorry, my bad," I stutter quickly as I get up off the ground and dust off my scarf, glancing back and forth between the Drifloon and the rest of the town as I feel the pressure of their words and emotions. "Really I should be watching where I'm going because I'm too used to everyone being all 'oh it's her' and making sure they're not in the way but I obviously can't expect that of everyone and that'd just be plain rude-" I stop to take a deep breath, trying to calm down. It's a really bad habit of mine to go full motormouth when I feel particularly embarrassed, which I've learned tends to just end up compounding the problem. "I… er, sorry about that, too," I say at a much more normal speed as I smile sheepishly, running a hand through my hair and flipping it weakly as I look up at the Balloon Pokemon. "I'm fine, though, thank you for asking. Are you new here, too?" Realizing I'd forgotten one of the core rules of social etiquette, I hold out my hand and offer it to the Drifloon. "My name's Rebecca, by the way." I introduce, figuring if we'd shared a mutual folly like that we might as well learn each other's names.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I was just about to say something to John when Kamina, his normal energy recovered, ran, er, no, slithered towards my fake at full speed shouting 'FLAME CHARGE!', knocking the ditto several feet away from me, and apparently somehow knocking it out in one hit. I was going to attack the grimer again, but apparently M had that covered as he caused an explosion, one that I wasn't fast enough to escape from, which seemed to finish off the grimer. "Well..." I finally manage to say, coughing afterwards. I then continue with "That was... different. When did you learn explosion, M?" Of course, given M's relative lack of damage, I had a hard time believing that he actually used explosion... but... that was kind of the only way to do something like that, right? M said something about Celes apparently attacking our client, who was now hiding behind a nearby rock, but I didn't see her do that. I then walk over to where John was hiding, and the first thing he did was scream at me, followed by a question "Is... is it safe out there?" I nod, and he shouts "You guys are CRAZY! What do you think would have happened if I didn't hide behind that rock, huh? HUH?" I only say "Well... um..." and he continues with his spiel about how we shouldn't let enemies near our clients, and how we should keep him safe while still following behind me as I continued through the swamp, the smell killing me now more than the enemies were, (un)fortunately. This jolteon either lost his ability to smell, or was too excited to care, as he was, for some reason, after his lecture (which I only paid half-attention to), whistling, as if nothing was wrong here. Of course, there were a few enemies, more specifically, a gastly, a solosis, and a shuppet nearby, and I honestly hoped they couldn't hear him. --- [Anthony] The purrloin's eyes darted between me and my teammates, as if looking for some way out, but, upon apparently not finding anything, he eventually says "He said we'd be on the top, you know... the best in the thieving business, and I was, and still am ready to believe him. He says he's never lost a victim, or a fight, so I know that if I was gonna team up with any thief, it'd be him, with his spotless record and free gummis," obviously Martin was lying again, after all, I was there when he lost that fight against myself, and my new team. "Spotless record, huh?" I mumble after I hear that, and the purrloin, with his big ears nods, and says "Yeah, spotless. You wouldn't know anything about that, right? I mean, you lost that fight against him, remember?" I had to assume that Martin told this purrloin about that fight against me, but, obviously left out some key details... such as the name of who actually won that fight. I was about to say something, but the purrloin went on "Man... Martin's my hero! He stood up to not one, but TWO rescue teams after his only teammate betrayed him. Yeah, that's right, Martin took on those punks ALONE! I just... any thief who can do that... it brings a tear to my eye," I didn't feel like saying anything, with this purrloin seemingly convinced that Martin beat me back in Beach Cave, let alone without help from the local wild populace. Strange how he always seems to get help from pokemon that are native to wherever he is at the moment... I wonder why they leave. I think as I remember that time when I was a member of his ever-changing gang. It was true even then, with me being the only member who stuck around for more than one 'mission' for whatever reason... --- [Bonnie] "Oh, welcome to the t-" I start to say to this 'Eralion' character as I hand him a badge, with my sentence getting cut off mid-teleport. Thankfully, I managed to hand the badge to Eralion before William forced us all to teleport, so, he most likely ended up back at the guild with the rest of us. A helioptile was eagerly awaiting our arrival, and she gave us our reward of a hefty 4,000 pokedollars, which I split with the rest of my team, Eralion included. I then recall that horrible dream I had, and first try to say something, but only managing an "Um..." I then finally ask what I was going to, with "Do you... think of me as a... um... friend? Would you actually help... erm... if my father suddenly appeared in front of us, and attacked me?" I sounded somewhat timid, but a dream like that has a way of sticking around with you, especially if it brings up a good point or two. I have, at one point or another, either insulted, betrayed, or otherwise harmed everyone on my team, well, everyone but Eralion, but he's a little too new for that. I honestly didn't expect Eralion to come up with an answer to my question, given that I just met him about five minutes ago, but the rest... I just hoped they could forgive me for all the harm I've caused as a supposed 'teammate' of theirs. Heck, before me, the team just consisted of Samuel and William... and I'm sure they had a better team dynamic compared to all four, er, five of us. They certainly didn't need me on that mansion mission, let alone the one involving Sunswept Plains, and in the desert? I was passed out more than half of the time.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes sighed as the fight was already over. She shook herself a bit as she looks at the jolteon who had been hiding and had after the fight yelled at Spruce and the team from now protecting him. Sure... M did tell her to be careful with the client, but with how he insulted her... Well.... she didn't hurt him that much, maybe a couple of goose bumps from the attack, but that was all. She sighed as she was going to continue forwards, before her ears heard some noise from behind. As she turned around, she saw a eevee which had a rather pur white coat with brown paws near M who had just used explosion.... or something like that. As she looked at the eevee, she was a bit confused now. "Uhm... who are you? What are you doing here?" she says before seeing Spruce going and moving forwards, not looking behind and probably not having heard the eevee. She turns to look at him. "Ugh... sorry.... we are kinda in a mission to protect a client right now... a over eccentric client. Feel free to fallow if you want safety." she then says before going and fallowing Spruce quickly, seeing the ghost types around. She could feel them... feel them like they were very close to her... So many ghost type in this swamp. It was slightly overwhelming, but she knew she had to stand on guard. Suddenly a shuppet went and tried to use night shade on her, only to have her dodge the attack quickly, having sensed the ghost. She then striked it with draining kiss, actualy hitting the thing hard. It then shook at the attack, and used night shade again, hitting Celes, only for her to take the hit. She finish it off with hidden power. She breath deeply. "Ghost types... so... many.... ghost types." she says. -------------------------------------------------------------- Eralion was about to say something when Bonnie said something about welcoming to the team when they were all teleported, him inclused, into the guild. He stood there surprised, before looking all around, surprised. He never saw anything like this before. The roof, the building, the different pokemons all around. He was use to being in the forest, in a cave when it rain, but not something like this. This was different to say the least. His parents were more attuned to the forest, so they wanted him to be too, but he wanted something different. So from a dessert village to the guild like this. He looked at the badge and smiles a bit before that bunnery came and gave him a bit of money for a supposely job that they were doing. He smiles a bit. "Thanks..." he says before that bunnery went and asked her group about something he didn't quite understand. Her father attacking her and such. He waited a bit, thinking and breath deeply. "A father attacking her own daughter... what kind of sick person would do such a thing. Look, I might just met you guys, but friend or no friend, a father attacking her own daughter is just plain wrong." he says calmly. He breath deeply, waiting for the others response. After that he opens his mouth. "Might need to introduce myself. Name is Eralion Strongwill. It would be nice to know you guys name also." he then says.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Josh sighed. It seemed like Martin recruited all of these wild Pokemon the same way he recruited Anthony - by lying through his teeth. He doubted that any of them would believe him if he told them the truth, but it was worth a shot. "That's not how it happened." Josh said. "We actually won the fight against him, believe it or not. He's been lying to you this entire time." It would probably take a lot more convincing than that. If the Purrloin saw them defeat Martin, then he might be convinced, but that wasn't happening unless they could talk him into bringing them to him. "Think about it this way." Matt said. "If Martin could defeat us so easily, then why is he sending you after us? If you bring us to him, you'll see the truth."</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Levita Levita's episode of anger was almost comical; sure, she could stare down a Bastiodon, but the balloon Pokémon was hardly intimidating, and looked like she was just inflating herself. When Reb finally calmed her, however, she deflated back to her previous state and sighed. "I guess you are right, Rebecca. I'm sorry for how I acted," she muttered, rubbing on her cloud-puff. "Just...how would the guildmaster accept an unrefined Pokémon like Mr. Freeze-Cone? He doesn't belong here, not with that attitude." But before Levita could finish her ranting, a door opened nearby her, and a big, orange head peeked out of the opening. "I...um...heard you want a room," the Scraggy interrupted, and Levita immediately leered at the shedding Pokemon before hesitating and dropping her angered demeanor. Unfortunately, the Scraggy had noticed her sudden change in emotion and went silent for a moment. "I have room for the two of you." The Drifloon went silent as well, before smiling and nodding. "Oh? T-thanks then, fellow guild member!" Levita replied, raising her arm strand to greet the Scraggy. "Well, my name is Levita, and my Ralts friend here is named Rebecca. We're the members of Team Crescendo. Perfect to the last beat!" She had just came up with the slogan after listening to Reb's speech, and the Scraggy's cheeks blushed; Levita didn't seem to notice, however. Wow...these two girls don't just look attractive, they're cool, too... he thought, widening the door for the two. "My...my name is Scraps. I've been in this guild for....three weeks now," he introduced. "Your team's kinda awesome. I can let you...sleep here for a few nights until you two get your own rooms." "Nice! You're pretty awesome too, Scraps," Levita responded, deciding it would be better to return a compliment as well. After all, he did give them a place to sleep. The Drifloon pulled on her satchel and floated her way in, but then a sudden rumble quickly startled her. "What was that?" "AERIAL ACE!" Another Pokémon shouted, his voice muffled from the wall next to them. "Alright, good job, Kinder! But you won't be able to beat my KNOCK OFF!" Shortly after, there was another loud slam against the floor. "Oh, that's Team Frontline. They usually train with each other at this time," Scraps explained. "Team Frontline is a recently registered exploration team. They're currently two weeks old, but they certainly have an endless amount of energy. Yeah, their training gets noisy at times, but at least they've agreed with the nearby neighbors to keep it down at sleep-time." Another "AERIAL ACE!" was shouted past the wall, followed by another rumble. "Wow. Looks like the team is really going all out," Levita commented with a chuckle. The guild was starting to get stranger and stranger... "Anyway, it's going to be dinnertime in a few minutes," Scraps reminded, sitting on one of the straw-piled beds while tapping against his pants-like skin idly. "You two should put down some of your stuff here, and we can go to the dining hall to get something to eat." Wait, it's that late already? Huh...we've done quite a few things that I've lost track of time. Levita thought. But yeah, dinner sounds great. I wonder what they have right now. "Yeah, sure Scraps. I just realized we haven't ate anything yet!" she answered, setting down her satchel on another bed and floating out the door. "Well, actually, I mean Rebecca...Ghosts don't need to eat anything to survive. We just do it because of the taste."</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Celes looked at the Solosis who decided it was a good idea to use recover to get back his dang health points, she pondered a bit, feeling the ghosts in the area. It was getting overwhelming for her... She didn't know how she could react and fight them, especialy gastly,. She then looked at the ghastly. If only she could hit him... but Kamina probably had it covered. She turned and looked at the solosis, before going to use swift on him. Though with all the feelings she had here, she seemed to be unable to use it... It was strange... as if she was... forgetting how to use it now. She concentrated and then attacked... only for it to be used as a Ominous Wind attack, right towards the Solosis. Another move Celes was not even suppose to be able to use. Suddenly the move hit the solosis and actually weakened him, and make Celes feel... stronger.... She regained confidence before looking back at John who actualy insulted the group. She growled. "Do you want to be left here with no one to defend you? I sudgest you stop insulting us all the time! We are doing our job, don't expect us to just beat everything here in one hit, cause I am pretty sure you can't do that." she then says annoyed at John. ------------------------------------------------- Eralion listened to everyone until Tini went and actually curled up on him, telling him that he was strong to not have gotten as many cookies and that he would try to have as many as he could, as well as something about Xerneas. He looked at him in the eyes right there. "Please... listen.... I actually do like cookies and all, but I kinda do have my own kind of sweet." he then says, giving a small smile. He then give him a hug. "So don't worry about me..." he says, letting Tini down before then opening his bag and getting.... what seemed to be a bamboo stick, that Eralion opened up. A sweet aroma could be smelled from inside. Eralion took a small sip, smiling, and closing the container. "Good old sweet berry water from back home... Lucky my mom showed me how to make it." he says, smiling at Tini. Sure, he did like cookies, but he liked his mother's personal sweet water recipe as much as cookies. Always did keep him awake and up when he needed it. He then see Bonnie come back after talking to William that seemed to rush for another mission. Well... he could not say he was not full of energy. He smiles as he hears about serving dinner. "That would be great... I didn't eat much for quite a while. Saving supplies for the journey and such." he say.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint There was a Swablu, a Hoppip, and a Starly flying around Josh and Matt. The Swablu flew towards them, only to get hit by a Thunderbolt. It wasn't knocked out yet, but it was pretty clear that it wouldn't be able to take another hit. It used Fury Attack on him, which luckily only hit twice. Josh used Thunderbolt yet again, this time knocking it out and sending it to the ground. The Hoppip whispered something to the Starly, who did a slight nod in response. They both attacked at the same time, with the Hoppip going for Matt, and the Starly going for Josh. Thankfully, the Starly wasn't anywhere near as resilient as the Swablu. One Thunderbolt was enough to knock it out, leaving only the Hoppip, who used Sleep Powder on Matt. He slowly floated down to the ground as he drifted off to sleep, dropping Josh's bucket in the process. A bunch of the water spilled out as it hit the ground, but surprisingly it was still upright when it landed. Josh had no idea if Hoppip was weak to Electric moves or not. Matt would probably know, but he was asleep. Josh decided not to risk it. He used Acid, which seemed to do quite a bit of damage. It hit Josh three times with Bullet Seed, then got knocked out by another Acid. Meanwhile, Anthony was having some trouble fighting Martin. As much as Josh wanted to help, he was too far away to hit Martin with anything, and since Matt was asleep he had no way of moving any closer. He looked around, and saw Xeno nearby. "Xeno!" Josh called out. "Anthony won't be able to beat Martin on his own. I need you to carry me over there so I can help him out."</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Oh," I say to Levita, withdrawing the Chesto Berry and holding it in my hand. "I guess I'll just eat it myself… actually, wait, no, that's a bad idea… You still didn't sleep all day, did you? Or do you not need to sleep at all? I'll just save it for later." I listen to what the Goomy has to say, wondering why I haven't heard of something so ridiculously important as I think about what to do. I notice the Nidoran emanating a really intense feeling of despair towards me, and I use Confusion to move the Pichu slightly to the right, diverting his attack from the Nidoran, and Teleport between the two of them. I noticed that Levita's Tailwind move blew my hair around in a way that I thought was pretty cool, and I think I should tell her to do that more often later. "Okay, okay," I say to the two of them, trying desperately to keep a straight face and not break out laughing as I hold up both of my arms as a way of telling them to stop. "Let me try and shed some light on the possibilities here; what we all really need to do is… lighten up..." I snicker and grin at my puns before calming down myself. that should soften them up a bit, one way or another… "All puns aside, though," I reason, "There's a lot of problems with this whole situation. First off, like Levita said, I highly doubt that this necklace is the real deal. If this Light Orb is really that important, then why would this lady here just waltz into a guild full of tough adventurers like us and just wear it around her neck like that? She's either toting a fake, or she's not very bright, and I highly doubt the latter. Also, Static, if you want to recharge these orbs or whatever, you should probably just slow down for a moment and try to reason with her instead of just trying to trap her here and take it from her. That's kind of a jerkish thing to do." I have to admit that this is still kind of confusing, though. But maybe if I manage to make everyone stop hitting each other, I can glean something more out of this...</s> <|message|>Chip -Chip- I sensed them chase each other more, and I got angry. "WHAT DID CHIP JUST SAY TO YOU? NO. CHASING," I yell at the pichu and nidoran before the pichu attacks the nidoran. Levita immediately jumps in and tries to talk some sense into them, but peace is NOT the answer! Not for these type, anyway. I jump in and use sand attack on the pichu, who was probably going to win the fight if Rebecca and I hadn't jumped in. I listen to Rebecca and her lecture, and I look at the goomy. "Is he friend of yours? He not good friend. You should not be friends with bad pichu like him," I say to it before turning back and using Harden, just in case it was going to retaliate like it did with the nidoran. -William- I noticed Bonnie begin to get nervous as we got closer to the mansion. She mentioned something about a stash of warp seeds and I look around. "Well, maybe whoever owns that mansion found your warp seeds. Besides, if you hid it and you remembered it was somewhere around here, then you should be able to remember exactly where it was. Where was the last place you put them?" I ask, beginning to look with her. I felt like either the heat was getting to her, or she had something to do with the owner of the mansion, because she looked like she was sweating bullets. I was able to find a red gummi while I was searching, though, so that was a bonus.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Josh, Matt, Celes, and Spruce all went down to the mess hall together. Once they got there, Spruce stopped for a moment, asking what happened to Anthony. For some reason, he'd assumed that he was kicked off the team. "Anthony never got kicked off the team. He just woke up before Matt and I did." Josh said. "He's probably looking for a mission for us to do or something." They appeared to be serving Chesto Berries today. Josh and Matt each took one, and sat down at one of the tables. "So, anyway, there's been a few changes to our team since the last time we ran into each other." Josh said. "Hex left the team a while back. I'm not sure where she went, though. We've also recruited a new teammate. A Sableye named Xeno."</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Anthony] It seems like everyone just decided to step in to stop this whole situation, including the newly-introduced Chip, who used sand attack on Static, who tried to retaliate by using thundershock, though, I doubt Chip even felt the attack hit him, considering his type. Static grumbles, and Chip tries to explain that I shouldn't be friends with him, and I answer with "Well... he's not so much a friend as he's important to that quest we're on. Either way, this is the first time I've ever seen him act out like this," Static listens to the others make their points, and he says "Yeah, I guess you're right, it's a fake, but, I'm certainly not opposed to a little bit of interrogation," he then turns his head towards Nina, who escaped when she got the chance. "What!? How'd she get away so quickly?" Static asks me. I give my best impression of a shrug, and he starts searching the entire floor for her, eventually giving up, and saying to Rebecca "You know, those puns are a dangerous poison. Be careful with yours, they almost killed me," Static seemed serious, but I knew he wasn't, and he returned to my bag after that, apparently defeated. "Thanks, you guys, seriously. I'm sorry I didn't help you out, or step in, but honestly I wasn't sure what to do, or who to help," I then say to the group, who again seemed to be a team. I start to leave, but instead ask "Hey, I don't think I ever got your team's name, who are you guys?" I then just await their answer as I hear someone sneak around behind me, and I could feel Static trying to jump out of my bag, however, this time, I made sure that he couldn't get out. I then turn towards Xeno, who seemed to look back for a moment, smiling, after giving his thoughts on the matter. I nod, hoping he'd understand that yes, he said the right thing, and say "No, arguments aren't always this complicated, but they're probably more complicated than you're used to," --- [Nina] Just before what I assumed would be the final onslaught by the mystery pichu, everyone else stepped in, and stopped him. Rebecca came up with some light puns, and I couldn't stop myself from chuckling a little bit... of course, she also explained that the pichu is going about this all wrong, and that a real guardian wouldn't bring such a powerful item to a guild, while Levita suggested that they interrogate me, and that the pichu should slow down. I shake my head at that, a little scared of any kind of actual interrogation, especially if Static, right, that was his name, was the one doing the interrogating. Chip yells at both of us, and uses sand attack to temporarily blind Static, which I saw as an opening, a way to escape. Anthony started talking for a moment, distracting Static even further, and allowing me to head straight upstairs to the guildmaster's office. Once inside, I was greeted with "Oh? Are you a new friend?" I give the guildmaster, an audino, a confused look, but his assistant, an archen, then asks "Would you like to join our guild as an apprentice?" I then finally say "Oh, yeah, I would. In fact, that's why I'm here," the archen then remarks "That's the only reason why someone like you WOULD be here... er, never mind that, would you like to start a new team, or join an existing one?" I think for a moment, and remember the group who helped me get here without too much harm. "I'd like to join an existing one, which team is it that has a nincada named Chip, a drifloon named Levita, a ralts named Rebecca, and a goomy named Anthony?" They both look at each other, and then started digging through the records, eventually pulling out four pieces of paper. The guildmaster's assistant then responds with "They're not all on the same team, most of them, however, are on team Crescendo, with Anthony being on team Scarab," I then give it a bit of thought, and ask "Which team is the pichu named Static on?" They take another look, and the assistant adds "He's nowhere to be found in our guild records, sorry," I then make my decision, and say "I'll join team Crescendo, then," I overhear Anthony continuing his speech, still distracting Static, and I make my way downstairs, never really passing them, considering they're on the first floor, with the mission boards, and the entrance, whereas the rooms are on the second floor. Once in my room, that is, the room that Archie, the guildmaster's assistant led me to, I notice an extra bag lying around with some stuff in it and my name on it. I pick it up, and try my hardest to put it on, only succeeding a few minutes later. --- [Spruce] After stuffing my face with a couple chesto berries and an apple, as well as listening to what Josh had to say about Anthony, I responded with "Huh, that's odd... so, you kept the ex-outlaw, and your leader left you?" I then end up asking "So, what are you guys doing? I mean, a few teams here are doing some things that aren't board missions, heck, my team and I are -" I then get cut off by Kamina saying "There you two are. I hope M and I are't interrupting anything," I stop for a moment, and say "N..no, you're not. I was just talking with Josh, he's kind of our next-door neighbor. He, and the rest of... wait, what was your team name? Er, anyways, he, and his team live in the room right next to ours. They were also helping us at the whole Beach Cave incident with Anthony and that outlaw mudkip," I then turn towards Celes, who was asking the same thing I was for some reason, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Archie leading someone to a room. A new guild member, perhaps? I basically ignored that, though, and just waited for everyone to say something. I was already finished with breakfast, but the others still seemed to be eating, and I was patient, at least today I was. M seemed oddly quiet, today, though, I guess the most I'd usually get out of him was a grumble or a mumble about something or another. He always seemed to be in a bad mood, especially ever since we headed off to Deep Ocean for some reason. I wonder what's on M's mind right now... meh, I guess I'd know if I was psychic, but I'm not, oh well. I think as I start looking around, noticing that my group seems to be the only ones in the mess hall right now, well, save for that one bidoof, who seemed to be eating half of the guild's available food. --- [Bonnie] The feeling of dread only seemed to intensify as we searched, as every minute seemed to be bringing me closer to the mansion, my father's mansion. I expected everyone to just wait there while I searched for the imaginary seeds, however, they all tried to help for some reason. I DID find A stash of seeds, but I don't think they were mine. In fact, they were in a bag with a picture of a snivy on the front. I took a look inside, and dug around, finding nothing but a stockpile of quick seeds. Everyone was going to ask about MY stash, and will probably be suspicious if I can't produce one, so I took off the picture of the snivy, and said "Uh... I found it... but it wasn't warp seeds, it was quick seeds," I almost instantly regretted saying that, as now we had no more excuses to not head into the mansion. I decide against eating any quick seeds at the moment, and continue to lag behind my team as we tried to head into the mansion again. However, the moment we got there, I could already see my father, he was across the room, and most likely heard the big, creaky door open. "I...it's him!" I shout before trying to run, eating one quick seed, and dropping the bag near my teammates as I race off, with my father chasing me. I had an idea of where that bidoof was, however, I was heading in the wrong way, I headed upstairs, a place where I've never been in all my time living here, whereas the bidoof was probably in the basement, where he used to keep me, his previous victim. Thankfully that quick seed allowed me to outrun my father, but not by much. I ended up hiding in some random closet, reminiscent of that OTHER mission involving an overly fancy mansion and a horrendous monster living in it.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes listened carefully, and breath deeply. Well... guess things did change for them. Then M and Kamina arrived, with M being rather silent compare to everyone else. Well that was strange. Usually he was the one to comment or say something or another, but not this time. She then stretched a bit, before looking at the door. "Well... it is nice to see you guys are alright... though Spruce... maybe we should start our search for you know what.... or maybe a mission on the mission board?" she says, looking back, only seeing just then what seemed to be a small white spot moving away quickly. She stares for a second, her senses kicking in again. "If you excuse me..." she says before running out of the room, fallowing her senses, going towards where she was sensing it, only to feel something else not too far from there. Another ghost? What the heck was this. -------------------- Eralion was walking forwards, listening to Bonnie before she warned the group that her father was there, before she took a quick seed and runned off, probably to find the bidoof quickly. A persian.... a big persian at that. Eralion swallowed his saliva before suddenly taking a quick seed and then rushing to the persian, using karate chop on him. What happen next was not what Eralion expected. The hit striked as if he hit a weak point, but it was so weak that Bonnie's father just scratched off the hit. "Oh dear Arceus... RUN!" Eralion says, running off to the stairs. That guy was strong... to have resisted a hit like that. This was bad. They had to get that bidoof out of there quick before something bad would happen to him, and then get out quickly. They had to be really quick. If only they had warp seeds instead. Throwing one to the persian would have forced him away and made the mission easier... but that was not the case. Maybe he could find a way to slow down her father... furniture... that what he needed to use. But he had to be sure the others could escape also.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Josh began nibbling on his Chesto berry, while Spruce asked him what his team's been up to. "Well, remember that guy we captured in Beach Cave? He somehow escaped from prison, so we had to go out and capture him again." Josh said. He then paused for a moment, wondering if he should tell them about the Orbs of Balance. He knew that he couldn't go around telling everybody about them, but he trusted them, and they might even know where one of them might be hidden. "We've also got another thing that we've been doing. It's much more important than just capturing some outlaw." He said. "We're looking for the Orbs of Balance. There's one for each sub-type - Normal, Light, Shadow, and Void. We already found the Normal one, but we don't know where the rest are." Celes then suggested that her team go find a mission to do, then ran out of the room. "Yeah, I guess it's about time we got back to our team, too." Josh said. "Before we leave, though, you don't happen to know where one of the orbs might be, do you?"</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Bonnie] The closet was cold, dark, and cramped, as for some reason, it seemed to be full. I continued to cower there, as the very thought that my father might know where I was right now practically paralyzed me. Thankfully, he seemed to at least ignore the rest of my team, as I could hear him saying things like "Come on, Bonnie... I just want to see my daughter again," what was weird was that he'd also say something like "You're a failure as a daughter, and as a member of your species, now, get out here and take your punishment for failure!" I supposed he was saying the nicer things just to lure me out, but I wasn't going to believe him, not after what I've witnessed. A few doors later, I hear him shout "Aha! I've found you! There's no escape now!" I panicked, and the moment he opened the door to this closet, I stunned him with a jump kick right to the face, and I even managed to use his face as a platform, jumping off of it, and away from him. He was stunned, but not from whatever pathetic damage I did to him, no he was just surprised to see me attack at all, let alone with a super-effective move... even if it didn't do much. I then run off, passing by Eralion, and Tini, who was wrapped around my father's tail for some reason, and gesture for Eralion to follow. "Come on, he won't stay stunned for very long," I say to Eralion as I start heading downstairs, to the ground level. Once there, I try to find another closet to hide in, but opening the first closet door I could find turned out to be a mistake. A skeleton, no, my mother's skeleton was hung up in there, facing the door... of course, the main reason I could tell that this was a Lopunny's skeleton, and thus, most likely my mother's was the fact that he kept the ears... that being said, the ears were subject to rot and probably smaller creatures feeding off of it. Obviously it didn't smell too great, either. I ended up just standing there, out in the open, my mouth agape, too scared to move. That was just about when I heard footsteps approaching me again... this might not end well. --- [Anthony] Rebecca introduced her entire team as 'Team Crescendo', with the motto 'perfect to the last beat'. I held in my laughter, and noticed that Chip didn't seem to know what they were talking about. I started thinking about how I could best explain it, but, eventually, I gave up, and eventually just left it to the rest of his team, who would probably be able to describe that better than I could. Levita floated over to the mission board, and I figured I'd follow her, though, none of the missions that weren't taken were to my liking. I then hear something, in my head, as if someone was speaking telepathically to me. ..ve us, pl..se, we n..d h.lp! Kiera is ...th us! We need help! I then get directions to where this message came from. To the north, far to the north. I felt compelled to tell Josh and Matt about this, but, since Xeno was already here, I tried my best to explain "Xeno, I think I just got someone's SOS message, erm, at least, the telepathic version of one. We're heading to the north if you want to come," I then rush upstairs to the mess hall, where I assumed Josh would be if he wasn't with us at the mission board, and, I was right. He was with that Snivy, and his team, but he was there, alright. "Josh! I just received an SOS message from somewhere kinda far away. They said they're in danger, and the name Kiera came up. I don't who that is, but it sounds like they're in serious trouble... uh... whoops, sorry if I interrupted something," I then realize that he could have, and, actually was talking with the other team, and the Snivy seemed to burst out in laughter for a little bit before saying "Well, I guess I might as well help, if anything, to prove that you've gone crazy, whoever-you-are," I mumble a bit, saying "I'm Anthony, remember?" However, as if he was ignoring me, the Snivy got up from his seat, and shouted to someone else. --- [Spruce] Josh started talking about how they were trying to find something known as the 'Orbs of Balance' or whatever, all the while I was getting my fill of the food here. He then asked if I've seen any of them, and I try to think back, though, I didn't have to think back too far, as it was yesterday, that mission with John the ungrateful jolteon. I remember seeing something vaguely orblike, and the nidoqueen who guarded the place seemed to put it at a fairly high value, calling it her 'treasure'. I then start to say "Actually, I think I-" and as if on cue, a familiar goomy barges in, and starts saying how he got some sort of telepathic SOS message from somewhere far away. I couldn't help but laugh, and say "Well, I guess I might as well help, if anything, to prove that you've gone crazy, whoever-you-are," the goomy mumbles something, and all I caught of that was "Anthony," which must have been his name. I then get up from my seat, and head to where Celes ran off to, and shout "Hey, Celes! I found something for us to do! We're helping another team with some important task, or whatever, come on!" Anthony didn't seem all too happy about this, however, and continued to mumble, though, I couldn't make out what he was saying, and something told me that he couldn't tell what he was saying either. The bidoof actually stopped eating at that point, and said "Wow... a mission with two teams helping eachother out. Can I come?" I didn't know this bidoof, but it wasn't really my decision, though, honestly, I'd rather this bidoof stay right where he was, if I remember, I outranked HIM even before I took on my first mission. --- [Nina] I waited there, in that room, ready to surprise that team with, er, myself, I guess, but they never seemed to come. I couldn't wait all day, and I didn't want to be left out of their next mission, 'cause it would be their first mission with me as a member. Tired of waiting, I jumped off of the floor, and ran towards the boards again, hoping that they didn't go too far, yet. I pass by Anthony again, and head downstairs where I meet up with Chip, Rebecca, and Levita again. "WAIT!" I shout to them before they leave, soon after adding "You're not going to leave without your newest member, are you?" I then remember that I didn't actually introduce myself, and say "Oh, er, right, I'm Nina... and yes, this isn't the real orb of light," Chip certainly seemed excited to go, running around the team a few times just to show how excited he was, though, I guess I was pretty excited, too. There was an oddly cold air around the boards, but, then again, this guild probably had some ice types in it, so that was almost to be expected, by now. I then take a look at the mission that said Taken by: Team Crescendo. Apparently someone dropped a bunch of papers in the nearby plains, and, come to think of it, I DID see some flying around when I passed by said plains to get here, I just didn't think too much of them at the time, I mean, they were just papers, why would I? Unfortunately, they were, in fact, flying around when I saw them, so they might not be as easy to locate this time around. A thought crossed my mind that I might have wanted to ask if they'd even want me on their team, first, but I'm sure if they didn't, they'd tell me now, and I'd just have to start my own team, with some other pokemon, and achieve greatness with that team, instead.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Eralion listened to what Bonnie said, before nodding and fallowing, and then seeing the inside of the closet, and staring, his stomach just wanting to barf there. He then closes the door. "Wrong door Bonnie.... I know its hard but.... we need to move!" he says, helping Bonnie move right here and now. If only... if only he had something like a focus sash right now. Or something to be able to take a hit. That way, if her father would attack, he could use counter and hit him back hard enough to probably stun him or damage him so that they could run away faster. Though even then, it probably might not do enough damage. He continued to run, actually helping Bonnie move. They had to get away from here quickly. "Guys come on!" he says. Lucky for those quick seeds... but a warp seed could have just finish the problem at the source for now. Where the heck was the hostage... ------------------------------------------ Celes didn't go back to see Spruce just yet. "One second!" she says as she continue to run, before seeing at a distance 2 silhouette, one that looked like a large round shape, and the other a fox like creature. She wanted to chase, but then she lost view of them. Celes looked down. If that was her mother... she had been chased all this time? She breath deeply. She then walked back listening to what Spruce said, and stares a bit. "So... uhm.. sorry... what is the mission... I... kinda saw something outside, but it was gone before I got a good look at it." she then says, looking down a bit. She breath deeply. One day she would go and try to see about helping her real mother.... when they can actually stand up to... whatever is chasing her.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint Just when Spruce was about to speak, Anthony came barging into the room, saying something about an SOS message he'd received telepathically. He then mentioned Kiera's name, which he wouldn't have known, since Josh never mentioned her to him. She was probably in danger at the moment, and it could end badly if they didn't get there quickly. A random Bidoof then approached them, saying he wanted to come with them. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." Josh said. He was in too much of a hurry to care if the Bidoof came with them or not. "Come on, Matt. Let's go!" Matt picked up Josh's bucket and exited the guild, waiting near the door for a while. "Some of our teammates can't move as fast as we can, Josh. Anthony in particular." Matt said. "So get him to move faster, or carry him if you have to. Wherever Kiera is, we need to get there as soon as possible." Josh said.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Chip -Chip- When I heard Rebecca say the word 'mission' at me, I jumped up and ran towards her. "What kind of mi-" I was about to say before my ear holes nearly exploded from a loudred screaming his head off. I stopped for a moment, turned towards the door, walked out and confronted the loudred, not deciding to give him my loudest lecture yet, but instead a look in his general direction that would suck the life out of anything! Except he looked at me, chuckled, and walked off. I trembled out of anger as I stomped off to the mess hall, grabbing my chesto berry and eating it, beginning to feel better. I sensed Team Awesome standing there in their pose again, and I felt a bit worried, even though they were complete and total jerks. "Team Oz-Um alright?" I asked, but they didn't give a reply. -William- I had woken up, and looked around, seeing that everything was bright and colorful, and that I was sleeping in a bed of cotton candy, seeing a giant, twisty bar of taffy slithering out of the room. I jumped out of bed and ran after it, but my attention was diverted by the peppermint door, and I tried but failed to break a chunk off the top, so I just walked out. I got to the morning chants, and saw an even bigger pile of cotton candy, and I salivated. A lemonhead, stared at me, and rolled over, and began to speak gibberish. I was confused, and soon his gibberish began to get louder and louder, and I felt like I was in trouble. It led me into a room with the big cotton candy pile and both of them began speaking complete nonsense, and I asked them to speak normally, but they turned towards eachother and then back at me. The lemonhead escorted me to the medical bay of the guild, and I sat there as more candy spoke some type of other language. I decided to lay down and take a nap, feeling tired after this weird morning so far.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] After everyone finally woke up, and Celes tried to convince me that Daniel was trustworthy while M was convincing me that he wasn't, but, rather, a spy, I finally said "Whatever the case may be, we still have to move forwards... if we have to knock out one of our teammates, I'd rather do that on the road, rather than have that keep us stationary for much longer," I was honestly leaning towards M on this, shadow pokemon have been nothing but trouble for me, Vine included, since I've figured out that they exist. Oddly Anthony seemed to be nodding, and asking Kamina to put him back on his head... that is before he started glowing for no reason, and somehow evolved right there. He was probably faster than he used to be, but somehow, I figured that I'd still be waiting for him. Anthony then started flinging his stubs of arms around as if he had fists attached to them... honestly, it was kinda funny to see him try to punch without hands, but I didn't let that stop me from continuing onward... with the temperature suddenly dropping once I continued north for a few minutes. I took a look at my map, just to try to figure out where we were, but... I couldn't figure it out for the life of me, unfortunately, so I put it away again, and simply continued towards the giant mountain looming in the distance. Unlike Mt. Dragoncoil this wasn't a part of a mountain range, just some solitary mountain that looked even taller than Mt. Dragoncoil... and it looked colder, too. --- [Nina] I saw Rebecca rouse Chip from his sleep, and saw Chip run off towards the mess hall and back after doing whatever it was he did. I then smile, and take out the chesto berry, handing it to Rebecca, saying "Here, I figured you'd need this," I then hear someone say something "...here..." I looked around the place, but I couldn't find the source of the voice. "Come here..." I hear the voice call out again, this time loudly enough for me to tell that it came from just beyond our door. I walk over to the door, and see a bronzor wearing some sort of mustache looking back at me. "Ah, there you are. Team Crescendo, correct? If so, then, I will meet you in the new cafe... we will talk there, they've all left to go do something, so we'll be the only ones there," this seemed extremely suspicious to me, and he continued "You girls DO want to figure out the mysteries of the dungeons, and want to figure out why they're appearing randomly, correct?" he still didn't seem like he was someone I could trust, but to be honest, I kind of did want to find out everything I could about mystery dungeons. Despite living in one for so long, I never learned much, if anything about them in general, heck, I just assumed some otherworldly being makes them whenever they get bored or something... okay, I didn't believe that, but it was the closest thing I had to an answer. I then notice that the bronzor left while I was deep in thought, and I turned back to Rebecca, who most likely heard the entire thing, and ask "Reb... should we follow that guy? He seems weird, and untrustworthy, but wouldn't that be amazing if we found out the secret behind the mystery dungeons?" --- [Bonnie] I nod at Eralion, and look around on the mission board for a while, that is, until I finally find the best one, well, at least the best one to me. The note read 'Help me find my child! I'm a mother at her wit's end! My child has just gone mysteriously missing last night for no explanation or reason! I've looked all over for her but I haven't found a single clue yet... Come to me in Scale City for more information. Bring this mission statement with you, so I'll know. Reward: TM ~Terra the Sceptile' What made this one stand out was the date... it was on there for months, and nobody's taken it, nor has it been taken off the board in that time. Who knows where this missing child could be or what could be happening to her right now as a result of... whatever it was that made her vanish from existence. I wasn't familiar with this 'Terra', but apparently she lived in Scale City, which I've heard was only for dragon types, yet this 'Terra' was a grass type... perhaps that's the reason why her child was abducted? I showed the mission to Eralion, and said "We should probably do this one," and then I waited for William, not actually aware of his current medical condition. --- [Anthony] Everyone was finally awake and and gathered, and as such, we were supposed to be on our way, and Spruce seemed to agree with me on that, opting to continue our exploration rather than continue bickering between his friends all of whom seemed to have a different opinion on Daniel. The magnemite was against his existence, however, Celes seemed to regard him as a teammate... Kamina was still just Kamina, and didn't really have much of an opinion at all on the matter. I slithered over to Kamina and ask him to lower his head so I can get on top of it again, however, before I do that, I suddenly get surrounded by a bright light, and start changing. Is this what evolving is like? Am I evolving right now? I think as the light finally fades, and I notice already that I'm taller, and heavier. I felt somewhat faster, but I knew that Kamina was still going to be the best bet if I didn't want others waiting on me during this exploration. I looked down, and noticed something amazing... I had limbs now! Sure, they were stubby, and flinging them around as if they were arms, and as if I was punching didn't seem like it would be too effective, but this was so much better than just relying on my mouth or stickiness to hold things, heck, I could even put the Power Bracer I've been 'holding' on one of these arms. I chose the left one, and I jumped onto Kamina's head as soon as his head was low enough for me to do that. I then looked back at my teammates, and wonder if any of them evolved, as well... Spruce seemed to be an odd case, surely he should have evolved before I did, right?</s> <|message|>accepted Presumably to avoid conflict, Spruce accepted the fact that Daniel may or may not be evil, rather telling us to move on to move onwards. Maybe he was here to cause division in our group? No, Desia wouldn't be that smart... Arceus damn it. It's only been 6 days with this group and yet we're already calling names as to who's the spy or who's the minion. Seriously, we don't know who to trust anymore. Me and Spruce don't take to Daniel too well, whereas Pokemon like Josh, Anthony and even Celes seem to be rather trusting of him. (Not sure about Kamina, he doesn't seem to have any opinions.) Argh, Desia's played us so well that we can't even tell whether or not she ISN'T playing us at other times. This says a lot for a group that has to go up against her sooner or later, as poor decision-making would be the end of us really. I didn't sneer at Daniel, but I still kept having bad thoughts involving him. Despite this, going head-to-head with him immediately probably wouldn't resolve anything - we'd have to get along with him, at least until he showed any signs of hostility against us. "Daniel, come with us. Don't want you alone with the wildlife, right?" I said to him, trying my best not to antagonise him while also making sure I could keep my single eye on him. What seemed to be a bright light flashed hit my eyes, but all I did was rub it off and assume that it was a side-effect of having these damned feathers. I grunted, realising that was Anthony evolving. I paid little attention considering I was little more concerned with myself at the moment. At that point of time anyway, not now - I had already accepted my fate here. Anyway, Spruce inspected his map for a while, as if he didn't know what directions were (per usual). Sure enough, he ended up wandering off towards that giant looming mountain in the distance; the sheer size was imposing enough, with clouds moving around the mountain like a river does with a boulder. It was certainly a sight, something we somehow missed while fighting. "Alright lads, let's move then. Don't want to spend another night here, right?" I grinned with my eye, following Spruce who didn't seem to be lost this time.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Just as they were about to leave, Anthony was surrounded in a bright light. When it subsided, Anthony was much taller, and had grown arms. He still had to catch a ride on Kamina's head, though, since he was still rather slow. Just as they were about to keep going, Josh was cloaked in a light as well. He was now much bigger, and could also probably move around on his own. The group then continued going north, and thankfully, they weren't interrupted at all this time. In the distance, there was a tall mountain capped with snow. They'd been traveling for a while now, so there was a pretty good chance that this was their destination. "Is that where we're headed, Anthony?" Josh asked. He really hoped that Anthony had some idea of where they were supposed to go. Otherwise, it would take forever to find Keira.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Huh," Rebecca says as she picked up the paper. "You know, we could have learned all of this earlier if we just read the paper the first time." She even knew a cool trick you could do if there was a lit candle handy and the papers were in an envelope with a wax seal, though it probably wouldn't come in handy in this case. Nevertheless, she held the papers close and at a proper angle to comfortably read them. She'd promised herself she'd carefully read the whole thing earlier, but now that she was actually in the moment, she found herself skimming over the parts that she had trouble understanding. Hopefully she could go back to them later. "So," The Ralts said as she carefully reorganized papers back into their original position. "This whole "Square Pokemon" deal is all a bit hard to take in, if kind of familiar in a deja vu sort of way, but what's a "void crystal" supposed to be? I guess those balance orbs have something to do with those light orbs you mentioned earlier, but this seems to be different if you ask me. Do you know anything about them?" As she spoke, Rebecca held the papers in front of her in one hand and lightly batted at them with the back of the other. It made her seem more "professional", at least in her mind.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] After both making sure that all the food was paid for, and that Daniel was finally finished with his food, I start to leave, only to hear M ask me if I had any food to spare. I honestly wondered how he ate at this point, even though he's done it before, I never paid enough attention when he did. I answer him with "Uh, sure. I actually have two to spare, but I was trying to save them for the rest of this exploration. You can have one, though," I then take out one of the plain pastries that I saved, earlier, and hand it to M. "Do you mind eating that on the way? I'd kinda like to finally get moving, again," I then ask, oddly eager to head out into the cold, unforgiving wilderness from the warmth of the bakery. My first step out, however, felt horrible just due to the difference between it and the bakery. I got used to it, and started heading towards where I assumed the forest was... of course, Daniel, of all pokemon, actually corrected me, saying "Uh, Spruce? Hate to criticize you, but that baker said north... you're heading west," I mumbled "Yeah, sure, of course you'd correct me, of course you'd know where it is..." hoping that nobody else overheard me. Anthony exited the bakery soon after that, only to go back in for some reason or another. I simply continued onward, that is, after making sure that everyone was still following me. After a bit of walking, I finally made it to the forest, and I was already hit in the face with a sense of foreboding... and fear. The sheer volume and density of the trees in this place made it completely dark, even if it was mid-day at the time... and not too long afterwards, a snowstorm starts up, reducing visibility even further. "This... isn't going to be easy, is it?" I ask my group, wondering if anyone was even here at the moment... this seemed like just the place for everyone to get lost... heck, considering the harsh winds that came with the snowstorm, they could be following some wind they think sounds like me, or something. Without knowing where I was going, I stumble around in the darkness, and the snow, only to bump right into a tree. "A...anyone? Where are you?" I ask after looking around and finding nobody near me, now, this could just be due to the extremely poor visibility, or I could have lost them... and soon after, I got a response, but not from any of my teammates, no, instead Daniel decided to respond with "I'm in the tree, right above you, and to your right. I think I might be able to help us all... if you'll let me, of course," Daniel... why did he have to be the only one to answer me? Why couldn't Celes or, heck, even Anthony have heard me? Didn't anyone actually follow me? --- [Anthony] "Right, sorry about reminding you, Josh," I say to Josh as I continue to wait for everyone to finish their food. By this point, Daniel was the only one who wasn't done, but, that's not really his fault, considering that his species wasn't really built to eat their food all too quickly, no birds really were, honestly. Spruce, somehow still ready to leave into the frozen wasteland that separated us from that village (which was probably a pretty cold place, as well), started to pace until Daniel finally finished his food, and, after that was over, he handed M a pastry for whatever reason. Maybe M didn't order anything by accident... wait... to mechanical pokemon still have to eat? That thought made me space out long enough to miss almost everyone leaving, so I tried to hurry to catch up to them... only to remember that I still wasn't all that fast. I went back into the bakery, and thankfully, Kamina was still there. "Uh... hate to ask, but would you mind lowering your head, Kamina?" I asked Kamina, waiting for him to do so. Once that was decided, I (possibly and most likely on Kamina's head) headed off towards the forest that was described by the baker, which, of course, would put us closer to Keira, and closer to saving whoever sent that SOS message, as well. The forest was pitch-black despite it being noon everywhere else... what really made this strange was the fact that only evergreen trees could actually live in this sort of weather, and they didn't usually have the type of leaves that really darken a forest. I didn't have too much time to figure out why it was so dark in here, as soon after Spruce commented on the obvious difficulty, a snowstorm started brewing, and I tried to give Kamina directions on where I think Spruce might have run off to. "Er... keep going! No, wait, take a right here... oh... no, we should have gone left, sorry!" was about the gist of what I ended up saying. I had to yell, even though Kamina wasn't too far away, at least, I hoped he wasn't, due to the snowstorm picking up in both speed and loudness. I ended up in some sort of clearing, unsure as to whether Kamina was even with me or not. --- [Bonnie] Terra gave Tini a look of confusion, and I had to add "We'll also protect her from whatever else might try to attack her... don't worry about Tini, he's just a little... off," I then head off before realizing that I completely forgot her answer to Deravan's question, so I went back into the hotel, and repeated the question, only to get what I had to assume was the same answer "Well... she was probably wearing her thick sweater, and a matching hat... oh, and her red scarf," I then start to leave, and Terra shouts "SHORTS, TOO!" before I really had a chance to get too far away from the place. I then wait for my teammates to gather, and I repeat everything "So... as for places to find her, we've got the park, the restaurant, and the clothing store... I'd probably get lost if I tried to go anywhere else, so I'll take the clothing store... um... oh, and for clothing items, we've got a thick sweater, a warm hat, and a red scarf, so look for any treecko with those items... or just those items," I then start to head off before adding "Oh, and, remember, we can use the badges to call any other teammate for help, so don't forget to use that option if you've found something," I then finally head off to the clothing store, which was mercifully close to the hotel... but... unfortunately, it was also packed with pokemon, to the point where there was a line just to get in. Even if it wasn't a very big store, it still wasn't going to be easy trying to find a specific treecko in the place, given just how packed it was... and even then I had to wait in line, in this case, behind a snorlax, who was obviously a tourist. Well, I GUESS this is better than trying to find my way to 'the center of town' or to some 'restaurant' that I didn't even know was around here... I think as I simply wait for a while. After about a half an hour, I get the idea to tell the snorlax in front of me "Uh... can I cut ahead of you, sir? I'm kind of on a mission," this only made the snorlax laugh, and say "Yeah, sure, a fashion mission. I've been fooled by that before, and I'm not letting that happen again. You'll get there when you get there, missy," A larvitar lined up behind me, and tapped me on the shoulder asking "Hey, can I cut ahead of you? I'm on a serious mission," I think for a moment, and eventually just decide to say "Sorry, but if it's a fashion mission, then I can already tell you I'm on a more important one," I then continued to stand there... and wait... well, this wasn't very exciting. --- [Nina] "Yeah, I guess so, but it wasn't really our job to read it, huh? Wow, what am I saying, I've never been one to just blindly follow rules, why the heck DIDN'T I read these during our mission?" I say in response to Rebecca, who was looking over the papers for a while before holding them in a specific way. She then asked me about the void crystals and I say "Well... yeah, I've heard of them. Apparently, they were made to keep Giratina locked in his dimension... if someone were to take even one, the void, our nickname for his dimension, would start spilling into this world. I have no idea what kind of effect that would have on the local pokemon, but it can't be positive," I actually heard about them from my mother, who heard about them once she took on the job of protecting the light orb... apparently a guardian has to know about all the weird, legendary, or powerful artifacts in the world. I wasn't surprised that something of that nature came up in the mystery dungeon report. What really got me was the 'square pokemon', which was on my mind when I said "Hey... do you think we should try to talk to one of these 'wild' pokemon? I'm sure they'd have something to say about it all, or, at least they'd have something to say about the square pokemon from those reports," I then started heading out towards Sunswept Plains, that is, after making sure that Rebecca was following me. Thankfully, it was still noon when we left, even if we seemed to spend a lot of time just getting ready this time.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Once everyone had finished eating and paid, they all headed back out into the cold. They headed north, to the village that the Pignite told them about. They had to cut through a forest to get there, though, and said forest was pitch black, even though it was the middle of the day. To make matters even worse, a snowstorm brewed as soon as they entered. As if the darkness didn't impair Josh's vision enough, now he couldn't even see his own teammates. He tried as hard as he could to find any trace of his teammates, but there was no sign of them at this point. "Anthony! Matt! Daniel! Spruce!" He called out, hoping to get an answer. "Anybody out there?" Unfortunately, his calls were met with nothing but silence. He was lost in the middle of a forest, and would probably freeze to death if he didn't find someone soon. He kept calling out the names of the other group members, hoping that someone would hear him.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Mountain climbing," Rebecca repeated, "Mountain climbing in the morning. That oughta hit that early day lethargy right in the gut." The Ralts could sense that Nina was far from eager to go out into another Mystery Dungeon, judging by the negative emotions she was giving off in droves, but given that they both knew why, and she didn't really feel like talking about it yet, she refrained from bringing it up until Dexter did. "Ok," Rebecca said, "I'm not entirely sure what the hell it was, either, but it I can say with one hundred percent absolute certainty that whatever it was was not a Rattata. Like, if Rattatas were water, that thing would be oil… or rocks… or fire, or something…" Her thoughts quickly drifted from what the "best" opposite of water would be, and went back to thinking about the mysterious creature in question. It kind of reminded her of when Ergo's computers weren't working right (which happened more often than he liked to admit, though he always knew how fix it), but she didn't think anyone would really understand what she meant if she told them that. She decided that it would be nice if they could work together and get a proper report of some sort written up. It'd be nice to have to wave around in that Bronzor's face when demanding some money, at the very least.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I eventually make it to the other side, and feel like I'm on fire. I didn't even enter the tower yet, and I felt like that. Sure, I probably wasn't, but it was still horrible feeling that way. M obviously didn't like it here, and he seemed somewhat annoyed at me bringing it up. "No, I'm sorry. That was kind of a rude thing for me to say, huh?" I then waited for the rest of them to get here, with M being the only one who followed me over. He then asked if I had any food, and I dug through my bag, which only confirmed that no, I didn't have a single thing. "Uh... oh no... now I wish I didn't eat my last bit of food when I woke up," I said to him as I put my bag back on. I continued to wait for the others while making sure that the wild pokemon inside the tower didn't see me. Whatever was in there obviously liked the heat, and that fact spelled doom for me just as much as the icy forest spelled doom to me. Daniel and the rest of the group seemed to be trying to figure something out, and then it hit me. Kamina weighed about five hundred pounds, there's no way that bridge is stable enough to take his weight. I had some idea where everyone would try to float him over here, or, at least, the ones who could levitate or pick up things, which meant Josh, Matt, Daniel, M, and I would all try to get him over here, but I left it as a thought, and a bad one at that. There's no way we'd be able to pick him up when most of the pokemon in that group weighed less than twenty pounds, and might not be able to carry much more than that. I looked up at another stream of fire being released by some fire or dragon type or another, and thought about how useless I'd probably be in this place. --- [Anthony] Spruce made it across safely and M followed him across thanks to his ability to levitate. For some reason, Daniel stayed behind for now, and asked a serious question that was probably just him parroting what a few other members were asking at the time. "How the heck are we supposed to get Kamina across?" then it hit me... we couldn't pick him up, he couldn't just walk across, and he can't fly or levitate. Daniel then jokingly asked "How about he tries to splash his way over the bridge, huh?" at first, I wanted to just dismiss that, but then I thought for a moment... what if he didn't use splash, but used bounce, instead? The bridge might be short enough for that, and it's more likely that Kamina knows Bounce than that he'd keep the move Splash around from his days as a magikarp. I then wondered what, exactly Kamina would have been like as a magikarp. It would have been hilarious to see a magikarp say the same things that Kamina says now. All of his fiery passion... and he would have been a magikarp, one of the most notoriously depressed and lazy pokemon in the world. I then finally asked it "Kamina, do you think you could Bounce over there? As in, do you know the move 'Bounce'? I think that might be one way to get you across," Daniel then landed next to Kamina, and seemed to be analyzing him. "You sure about that, Anthony? I mean, I suggested Splash as a joke, because, you know, he used to be a magikarp and everything... I'm not sure if he can actually jump to the other side, even if he uses Bounce," I then added "You try telling him that, now that we've gotten the idea in his head... shoot... what have I done?" I then tried to keep my distance, knowing that I could easily get over the bridge, myself, and Kamina might not want any extra weight on his head when he bounces... that, and I didn't want to end up in the chasm, myself. --- [Bonnie] The psychic types didn't pay any attention to my teammates' words and just picked out a mission. I figured out which mission it was, and remembered that it was the same mission I was almost planning to get, myself. Tini's hug stopped me from doing anything about it, however, and I just decided to try to pick out another, less interesting mission as a result of them taking the good one when I moved out of their way. I ended up picking a mission about a lost nidorino on Mt. Dragoncoil and showing that to my friends. "Sorry, but this is all I could really find right now... the reward is supposedly an oran berry, so that'll be nice, right?" I tried to cheer myself up a bit, and it seemed as if some of my motivation was gone just from the fact that I had to go with a more mundane mission. I can't think like that... all these other pokemon need help. If they're going to help out with the mysterious thief, then that's for the better, just so long as they can handle that guy. I just need to think about this poor nidorina who got separated from her boyfriend on some mountain somewhere. Yeah, I'll make sure he's safe and sound! I thought, finally cheering myself back up, and getting myself motivated to head out, again, this time for Mt. Dragoncoil to find a lost love interest. All I really had to do to get there, too, was get past Sunswept plains and go around Scale City. With what happened last time I tried to go through Scale City, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through the place without getting myself hopelessly lost again. Oddly enough, on the way, I passed by a group consisting of a ralts, a female nidoran, and a growlithe. They seemed to have badges on, which means that they were probably fellow explorers, but... they could be from the other guild, and I knew that if I got too close, the ralts would sense me, and probably figure out that I'm from the opposite guild. I didn't want to scare anyone, so I tried my best to stay away from that group... it didn't go very well, as the nidoran almost instantly greeted me with "Oh, hello there, are you an explorer too? Funny thing, I just saw a buneary... maybe she was your little sister, or something," --- [Nina] Dexter seemed insistent on my fear being a simple rattata, but Rebecca corrected him pretty quickly, stating that what we saw was basically the opposite of that. "Here's the best way I can describe what I just saw... imagine that someone was really mad at nature, itself... now imagine that they made this mess of an abomination as some sort of mockery and destroyer of everything nature made thus far... okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but the important thing is that it's probably not around, anymore... right?" I then continued onward, certain in the fact that the... thing will never show up again. How is that thing even alive? IS it alive? Maybe I should just stop thinking about it... I think as I look all around the place. Thankfully, I don't find any pokemon that were out of place, save for one lopunny who seemed to be avoiding our group for some reason. At first, I thought she might be an agent of whatever that was until I noticed her badge. She must have been from another guild, or something, so I ended up greeting her with "Oh, hello there, are you an explorer too? Funny thing, I just saw a buneary... maybe she was your little sister, or something," though, she simply ran off instead of providing an answer to my question. "Well, she's weird," I then commented to the rest of the group as I noticed the wild pokemon seemed to be keeping their distance from me. It was probably for the best, as I didn't want to risk... no, I shouldn't even think about it. I didn't want to have waste my time fighting them when my mission wasn't even in this area, there, that's it.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Daniel jokingly suggested that Kamina should Splash across the gap, which gave Anthony the idea of getting him to use Bounce. Josh wasn't sure whether or not Kamina would be able to clear the gap with that attack. Now that Anthony had given him that idea, though, there was no stopping him. "Well, there's a chance that he might make it." Josh said. "He's got enough jumping power. Probably." --- [Dexter] "Sounds like Tauros shit to me. I was out here looking for you two all day yesterday. Never saw anything bigger than a Furfrou." Dexter said. "I think if there was something like that out here, I would've seen it. Or at least heard of it." He wasn't going to believe their story until he saw this thing for himself. It sounded like they just made it up because they were embarrassed by what really happened. After walking through the plains for a while, they came across a Lopunny who had a badge from the other guild. Nina approached her and tried to start a conversation, but she just ran away without saying anything. Dexter didn't know why she would just run away. It probably had something to do with the rivalry between the guilds.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] Kamina almost flew up into the sky, landing right next to us, but, before that, M asked me a serious question... one I couldn't really ignore. He asked me what my life was like up until I got to where I was. "Well... to be honest... I was actually an explorer for years and years, but before that, I was just an ordinary wild snivy living in some tree house in Birchwood forest, you know, before that as a mystery dungeon... I ended up in that now-famous team, The Wildvines, heck, I was their first member besides the leader, my brother, Vine. Seems great, right? Fame, money... yeah, I never had that. Heck, my brother, with his... let's call them... differences, always got in the way of attacks, and always stopped me from attacking so he could attack, instead. To be blunt, he never let me do a single thing, so I never got any stronger... soon enough, he forgot that I even existed. He took the stronger members of that team, often forgetting that yes, I still exist. I'm still a member. An entire year passed, and I continually tried to start my own exploration team, where everyone who's a member will get to go on all the missions, no matter how strong they were. Where nobody would try to steal the spotlight, so we wouldn't have any forgotten members... we would all get stronger together, you know? It... never happened. The guild leaders always just assumed I was joking, as, in their eyes, I had it all, and wanted to get rid of it for no reason. Then came that fateful day... the day where Vine disappeared. Somehow, for some reason, they listened to me, then... they let me make my own exploration team on that day... but, then came the constant questions 'Where's Vine?' 'have you seen Vine anywhere, Vine's brother?' 'You haven't seen Vine around, have you?'... these questions kinda got to me, and I'd always answer them pretty much in the same way, honestly. I haven't seen Vine for a few years at that point, let alone lately... funny... in a way, I guess I wanted to find my big brother... of course... all of that led me to take on my first mission, to save a magikarp in birchwood forest, my old home," I then took a few steps into the boiling hot tower, but not before helping M back into the air using vine whips, and on that first step, I could feel a burn. This wasn't going to be easy. --- [Anthony] Kamina listened to me, and used Splash until it turned into the move 'Bounce', which he quickly used to get right over the bridge. Is THIS what it's like to fly!? If so, then I'm GLAD I'll never grow wings! I thought as myself, as well as Kamina, and a few others were jumping up into the sky, and then landing with a speed that I thought would kill at least someone. Spruce seemed to be talking M's non-existent ear off before helping him back into the air with his vines, and taking his first... obviously painful step into the tower. "Okay... how the heck did you get SPRUCE to not only wait for something, but also talk your ear off without yelling at you? He's NEVER this patient," I commented as I made my way into the tower. The heat... actually felt really nice considering what I've been through lately, of course, that could also just be my dragon typing coming in, as well. A vulpix stood in my path, and I used dragonbreath to hit the thing before it could hit me. Oddly, even though there wasn't much ACTUAL sunlight, the place was bright enough, and warm enough to have pretty much the same effect as, say, sunny day, or drought. I just had to wonder if this applied to only this floor, or if it actually applied to the entire tower. The reason for that thought was the fact that, on rare occasions, vulpix, as well as ninetales might actually have the ability drought... the ability to bring this heat, and light into places such as a dark cave, or the ocean floor... of course, I could only assume that the ability was easier to use while they were outdoors, but apparently it was still usable indoors, as well. --- [Bonnie] Eralion asked me if I didn't want to talk to them, and I answered with "It's not really that... it's just... I didn't want to hurt that poor ralts. You heard what those psychic types back at the board said, they couldn't bear to be near me due to some sort of corruption, or evil. She was innocent, she didn't deserve to be hurt, so I had to stay away," I then hopped along, towards Scale City, passing by several pokemon that just didn't want to bother me, at all... as well as... something disturbing. A dead buneary... what made it worse was the fact that there was some weird, unidentifiable substance that seemed to be made out of small squares kept changing colors between black, pink, red, grey, and white leaking out of it, and as if it were gas, it was leaking into the air rather than all over the ground. Sure, there was the usual blood mixed in there, as well but... what the heck could have caused that? "I think we should just keep moving on before I freak out," I announced, trying to not stay near that weird corpse for too long. Why do I get the odd feeling that if I stayed here for much longer... that could have been me? I thought as I kept moving. Whether or not my teammates were at this point wasn't much of a concern to me. I was just going to wait at Scale City, however, I didn't go too quickly, as to lose them, just enough so we'd make it there in some decent amount of time. Whatever happened to that buneary, I wanted to stay as far away from it as I could... the last thing I wanted to do was die, let alone in... whatever fashion THAT was... --- [Nina] "Well... fine, then... I guess. Right, maybe Ms. Bunny just isn't that talkative, today," I then heard my other two teammates talking about whether or not we were just ashamed of what really happened here, and I had to interject "I think that's enough for now... if you don't believe us, that's fine enough, you will eventually... it's kind of... a part of our guild work, in a way. You'll be right next to evidence of that event before you know it," I then continued onward, running into the lopunny again, though, she seemed to be running away from something that wasn't us, this time. I walked over to it... and remembered who that was... "She took a sky attack for us... but... that doesn't look like it was any ordinary move... I mean... what's this weird stuff?" I said to nobody in particular as I approached the buneary corpse that seemed to have parts from that horrible pokemon that attacked us leaking out of her body where the Sky Attack hit her. There really wasn't much blood leaking out, and whatever did during the short time it was alive during the attack already dried, but this stuff... not only did it rise up from the leaking point, as if it were gas, or some other thing less dense than air, but it didn't really look like anything from this world... well, okay, it looked like exactly ONE thing from this world... THAT thing. I decided to take another step towards the formerly alive bunery... and the thing sprung to life, its eyes weren't really visible behind what I could only describe as static, and worse, the thing decided to attack me with a weird variant of the move 'Pound', knocking me backwards a couple feet. I had no words. This was literally a pokemon come back from the dead just to attack us. I could only hope that Dexter saw all of this, and knew what was going on, 'cause if he saw this, and STILL didn't believe us, I don't know what would get him to believe.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes listened to what was being said by Spruce then, hearing his story, how he got to go and create his own team, cause his brother was taking all the fame and not letting him train. She looked down a bit. It made her think a bit about her own family when she did want to train. They were almost always the ones taking the hits, with her not being able to do much. That is why she was asked to evolve back there. So that she could be stronger, but she was not interested in those forms anyway. She breath deeply as she looks back at the tower. Everyone was in the other side now, so soon they would go in the tower to try to get to Reshiram. Seeing a legendary up close like that will be interesting. She looked at everyone. "Hope everyone is ready." she says. --- As Eralion saw the dead buneary as he fallowed Bonnie, he felt like sometihng was wrong with it. He looked towards Bonnie worried. "Wait up!" he says before running off to fallow her. He did not want to stay there. He move forwards hoping for god that whatever that weird gas thing was wasen't contagious or something. He did not want to stay there at all right now. "What the heck was that... thing spewing out of there... ugh.... I... have a very bad feeling about what that was." he says, not wanting to head back, feeling like it would be a bad idea to even head back.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Thankfully, Kamina was able to clear the gap. He also brought several of the others with him, which made things a whole lot easier since they didn't have to worry about the bridge collapsing under anyone's weight. "Well then, let's keep going, shall we?" Josh said. He honestly didn't think that would work. There were some mixed reactions as the group took their first steps into the tower. Anthony seemed unaffected by the heat, as opposed to Spruce, who looked like he was in pain. Josh assumed that it had something to do with type advantages, or more specifically, how resistant they were to fire attacks. Obviously, this was going to be a problem, but there was an easy solution. "Spruce, I'm sure Kamina wouldn't mind if you ride on his head." Josh said. "It might make things a little easier for you." --- [Dexter] They encountered the same Lopunny again, this time running away from something else. They went to have a closer look, only to see a dead Buneary lying on the ground. Apparently, she took a Sky Attack so Nina and Rebecca could escape. "What the hel-" Dexter began to say, but was cut off when the Buneary somehow rose from the dead and attacked. The undead Buneary used Pound on Nina, which knocked her back quite a bit. In response, Dexter ran forward, and blew a few Embers at the Buneary. With all three of them attacking, it was sure to go down quickly.</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent Rebecca watched as whatever was in the bushes fled into the distance. She probably could have done something about that, but she didn't get the chance to for whatever reason. It would most certainly show up later, whatever it was. She turned to face the Golett and attempted to throw it forwards with Confusion, but only ended up moving it's foot slightly, the wild Pokemon stubbing it's toe ineffectually against a rock. Thankfully, with Dexter currently biting into the Golett's shoulder, the small shift in stance thankfully managed to bring it crashing down onto it's back. "I meant to do that." Rebecca said quickly, pointing halfheartedly at the destruction.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] We simply continued on for a while, making it to the stairs before getting into any more conflict, however, just before we actually started climbing them, I heard a familiar voice... "Hey! WAIT FOR US!" I decided to turn around to try to see who it was, and the answer surprised me. It was the same charizard and salamence that we just got done beating up. [i]What in the heck? Why are they talking to us? Are they just going to try to trick us, and try to beat us up, again? Either way, they caught up with us, and the charizard continued talking with "Th...thanks. I don't know what came over us, but we were sent to explore this place years ago... is ol' Wigglytuff still around?" I answered with "Er... I think he goes by 'Wally', now..." the salamence then said "Doesn't matter, the point is, we want to repay you for making us come to our senses... hm... you seem rather light... now, were you sent here to explore, and figure out all you can about this place, or were you just sent here to get to the top?" I was amazed at this... were they really just offering to fly us to the top of this place? How would they carry Kamina, though? He weighed more than the rest of us combined. The salamence then asked "Well? Which was it?" and Anthony spoke up with "We weren't really sent by a guildmaster, but our goal is, in fact, to get to the top of this place. We need to meet with Reshiram," the charizard then asked "Well, would you like us to fly you there before we head back to our guild? It'll be free of charge," both Anthony and I looked at the rest of the group, wondering what their response might be to this. --- [Anthony] And with that, the battle was over, and we could continue on our merry way. Spruce looked like he was wilting, or something... plant pokemon were always kind of weird, they don't like the hot, they don't like the cold... I mean, at least dragon types like one of those two things, right? We made it to the next set of stairs, and before we could continue on to the next floor, no doubt filled with challenges, and other wild pokemon, a familiar voice shouted at us "Hey! WAIT FOR US!" Spruce turned around, and apparently just let them approach us, despite the fact that I already knew it was the two pokemon we just knocked out. They started asking Spruce about where we need to go, and who sent us, and I had no idea why until they said something about 'Wigglytuff'... which reminded me about the rival guild... they were run by A wigglytuff, but he went by the name 'Wally', and Spruce decided to explain that to the duo, after which I finally explained to them, thinking that it won't do any harm "We weren't really sent by a guildmaster, but our goal is, in fact, to get to the top of this place. We need to meet with Reshiram," the two smiled at that, as if it made their job that much easier, and they then asked if we wanted to be flown to the top of this place. Honestly, that would be a gift straight from Arceus at this point, but, the rest of my team, and Spruce's might not actually trust these two, after all, they DID just fight us, not too long ago. Spruce and I both turned to our teammates, as if expecting a response. --- [Bonnie] The golurk seemed to just barely hold on after those attacks, and, seemed to cloak its fist in that shadowy energy to punch Eralion, not fearing a counter-attack mainly due to the fact that it was a ghost type, and said counter-attack would just pass right through it. Eralion told Tini to guard the client, and after a salute that made me want to hug the giant snake pokemon, he did exactly that... all while trying and failing to look intimidating. Oh, if only our enemies knew... if only they knew exactly why an angry Tini SHOULD be intimidating... even if he still doesn't look it. I had some time to think, since the thing wasn't attacking me at the moment, and eventually figured out that the only move I have that can hit him is frustration, and even then, it's not typically supposed to. I wonder if this will even surprise the thing... I mean, it IS a robot, and a wild pokemon, those things typically don't have emotions, right? I thought as I decided to use frustration on the golurk, dealing enough damage to finally get it to faint... however, that doesn't mean that his attack that was aimed at Eralion didn't hit, it just meant that the golurk fainted afterwards. "Whew... that was close. Onwards?" the client said to us as soon as the giant clay and stone pokemon fell backwards from my attack. I simply nodded, and continued the mission, heading up towards the top of the mountain, all while keeping a sharp eye out for any nidorino that might be here. --- [Nina] Dexter bit the golett, and Rebecca made it trip with her psychic powers. I was just about to finish the thing off with another flash tackle, when... something else actually decided to knock it backwards with some other tackling move... more specifically, whatever it was used Dragon Rush on the golett to finish it off. Now, where have I seen that move, before? I asked myself as I looked around for who did it, only seeing a tiny, and familiar swablu. "Er... hi?" I said to her in an almost questioning tone of voice. She responded with "Hello. I... um... I'm sorry for attacking you, earlier... I wasn't really in control of my own actions, but that's no excuse, right? I... I want to help, at least for a little bit. What are you three doing here, anyways? You look like city pokemon," I looked at my team wondering if they'd answer before answering, myself with "Er... we're here, looking for someone's missing friend abra, have you seen them?" the swablu seemed to have to think about that, and she shook her head, unfortunately. "Oh... er..." I tried to change the subject, eventually asking, almost out of the blue "So, what's your name?" this caused the swablu to look down, and away from us, and said "I never had one... my momma never gave me a name after I hatched, and... I... I never gave myself one 'cause of that weird thing," I had an idea of what she meant by 'weird thing', and decided to try to change the subject, again with "Thanks for helping us back there," she smiled, and asked "Do you guys have any ideas for a name?" why she changed the subject back to that, I had no idea, but I was never that great at coming up with names... heck, when I heard that this team already had a name, I was relieved since that meant I didn't have to come up with one, myself.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes was surprised when both the charizard and the salamence got up. She though it was going to be a round 2 here, so she got into battle position, before hearing what they had to say. She calmed down, but felt... suspicious about it. She looked towards the 2, unsure right now. She shook her head a bit. "Considering I almost fell to my death cause of one of you... I am unsure about that. And bringing everyone up there might be a lot." she says as she looks at Spruce. "You sure we can trust them? I mean.. it might be a trick." she then says, unsure right now about this. "And anyway.... I don't think a charizard and a salamance can bring a gyrados up there... unless they work together for this, but even then I am unsure about it. Unless Kamina then just.... bounce and break over the ceiling and get up there." she says, the last part joking around about this. --- Eralion saw the attack coming, but instead of going to counter, he tried his best to take the hit and tank it. As the hit connected with his arms as he blocked, he was pushed back a couple of feet. He was then goign to attack again, but the fight was already over. He shook his arms around a bit. "Ouch, that kinda hurt a bit." he says before looking at the group and breathing deeply. "Now that this thing is down... I think we have the way clear to continue and search." he says calmly, looking at the client, smiling a bit. "I guess it is a good thing we are a trained team... any other small teams would have gotten difficulty in a place like this." he then says to the client as he looked at Bonnie. "Ya... let's get going." he says</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] All of the hostility that the Charizard and Salamence had toward the group seemed to instantly vanish. They had even offered to fly them all to the top of the tower. Even though Josh found this suspicious, it would allow them to finish this mission much sooner. Besides, they'd already knocked them out once. If these two tried anything, they could easily knock them out again. "It can't hurt to at least consider it." Josh said. "If their offer really is genuine, then we can get to the top and meet Reshiram right now. I'd say that's worth the risk." Of course, they still had to find a way to get Kamina up there. There was no way the dragons would be able to carry him, and there was no way for him to get up there himself. Celes suggested that he break through the ceiling to get up there, and even though it was a joke, Kamina would probably take it seriously. "Kamina, no!" Josh said. "You have Spruce on your head. You could seriously injure him if you try that." Matt, who had been silent for a while now, decided to chime in. "That won't be a problem. Spruce can simply fly up with the Charizard or Salamence." This plan was crazy, but Josh couldn't see any other way of getting him to the top. Plus, now that Kamina knew Spruce wouldn't get hurt, there was no stopping him. --- [Dexter] The Golett completely lost its balance after Rebecca's attack, and toppled over. Because of this, Dexter lost the grip he had on its shoulder, and ended up falling over with it. As he tried to regain his footing, he saw something flying towards them out of the corner of his eye. It was the Swablu from earlier. Dexter could see that it was flying right at him, so he got into a defensive stance and braced himself for the incoming attack. Apparently, though, the Swablu wasn't aiming for Dexter, and instead finished off the Golett lying beside him. The Swablu seemed like she was freed from that thing's influence, at least for now. Dexter was cautious, since they had no idea how long it would take for it to take over again. According to her, she had never been given a name or anything due to being controlled by it. Nina didn't seem to have any ideas, and Dexter didn't have any either, so he turned to Rebecca. "I got nothing. This is all you."</s>

<|description|>Dexter Flint Species: Growlithe Gender: Male Moves: -Bite -Roar -Ember -Howl Bio: Dexter was born and raised in Frigid Peak, a small town far to the north of Allure. There was snow on the ground year-round, which made it nearly impossible to grow crops. It was a fairly successful mining town, which was a good thing, since trade was very important to keep it going. Without the ability to grow their own food, they had to constantly import food from the south. Trade caravans heading along the long, winding road that lead to the town weren't an uncommon sight. Dexter was the oldest of 8 pups, and as a result, was also the biggest and strongest. He would constantly pick on his younger siblings, as well as other Pokemon that happened to be smaller than him. He had several friends that would help him bully other Pokemon. Sometimes they would do harmless things, such as exploring the town's outskirts. Most of the time, though, they were up to no good. Dexter and his gang of troublemakers soon gained a bad reputation among the townsfolk. Eventually, the townsfolk, and even Dexter's own family got tired of him and his group causing trouble. They were all cast out of Frigid Peak, and it was made very clear that they wouldn't be allowed to come back. Dexter and his group wanted to get back at the people who had banished them from their hometown, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. Just when they were ready to give up, they stumbled upon something amazing. There was an abandoned outpost not too far from Frigid Peak that had a worn-out trading caravan parked nearby. Okay, it may not have been that amazing, but it gave Dex an idea. If the residents of Frigid Peak were going to treat them like bandits, then they were going to be bandits. There were plenty of supplies left at the outpost that allowed them to fix it up. They then set off in search of one of the caravans on the road to Frigid Peak. Their first raid was easy. There was normally nothing in the area that posed a threat, so they caught the driver completely off guard. They managed to get away with all of the supplies that the townspeople were trading. It was filled with all kinds of gemstones and ores, which they managed to sell on the black market. After they'd raided several more caravans, some filled with ores from the mines, and some filled with supplies that the townspeople needed, the traders were beginning to get smart. They brought bodyguards with them to fend off the Dexter's bandits, and sometimes took a different path up the mountain. There were also guild members coming after them. This made things a lot more difficult, but they managed to avoid getting caught, and most of their raids were still successful. Everything changed, however, when a team of guild members found the outpost that Dex's group was using as their headquarters. They waited until night to attack, and ended up catching the group of bandits completely off guard. They put up a fight, but most of them ended up getting arrested that night, including Dexter. The group of bandits disbanded after that. Dexter never saw any of them again. He spent several years in prison after that. He constantly got into fights, one of which resulted in a scar on his chest. The guards were douchebags. He was confined to a cell most of the time. Needless to say, he hated it there. He was forced to sit behind the bars of his cell, waiting for freedom. After what felt like decades, he was finally released. Appearance: Dexter's fur is a lot thicker than normal due to the climate he was raised in. He also has a large scar across his chest, but it's mostly covered by his fur. Differences: He has Howl, which he inherited from his Mightyena father.</s> <|message|>Nina [Anthony] I was just about ready to get in bed when Josh suggested that we eat... I guess it wasn't QUITE time to sleep yet, and to be honest, I WAS very hungry, so I agreed with "Yeah, I guess we should get something to eat, first, and we can finally introduce ourselves to your... um... friend," I then turned around, and Kiera talked about how she didn't know anyone but Josh, and I answered with "Yeah, we're kind of... a rescue team that your friend is a part of, we're Team Scarab, and I'm their leader by default, Anthony," Just after that, Static decided to poke his head out of my bag, again, and he seemed to glare at Kiera for a moment before whispering "She knows where one is," and forcing me to introduce him as we headed to the mess hall. "The, uh, pichu isn't really a member of the team, but he's important, nonetheless... he told us about our OTHER mission, this one involving those 'orbs of balance'... his name's Static, and he says he acts like a map for them, but he hasn't... really... been doing that," I added that second part after recalling what he's been up to and how little he's actually helped us on this journey. We then finally make it to the mess hall, and it seemed like they were getting ready to close for the day, but, upon seeing us, the chef said "Oh, THERE you are! It's been AGES, Anthony, here, I'll stay open just a little bit late, I'm sure it's been AGES since you've had a proper meal," I smiled at the chef, and took a freshly-made dinner plate before heading to the closest seat, since all the seats were available at this time. --- [Nina] I flinched as the thing bit me, unfortunately missing my opportunity to attack, but it didn't seem like I changed, at all... my pendant was glowing, but that was normal... wait... maybe that's what protected me. "Well, guys, I've got some good news, and some bad news... good news, that glitch stuff doesn't seem to spread, at least, not to me, but uh... bad news, that thing can still use some of its old attacks," I said as the... sign... psyduck... statue... THING seemed to start charging something up. Whatever it was charging, that was probably not going to be good... but how were we going to stop the attack, especially with me flinching like I did back there? Dexter then ran into it with Flame Wheel, and surprisingly enough, this thing didn't seem to resist the attack, despite having once been a mudkip. Rebecca then asked if I was okay, and I answered "I... I'm fine, just a little freaked out," after that, a mug found its way onto the creatures... top part. That part might have been the head, or it might not have been, either way, the object did some extra damage to the creature as it continued charging whatever it had planned for us, next. I decided to try to search the room for anything useful, only finding weird tubes, and glass containers of the... stuff... and, for some reason, mugs, plates, and other stuff dealing with food. Usually, you wouldn't leave food in a place that has weird, probably poisonous stuff in it, but these guys apparently didn't care. --- [Spruce] "Yeah, it's a real shame... it would be so much easier to find the guy if he was his usual loud, insane self," I replied to Celes, who seemed to be a bit mad that our client was suddenly silent when we needed to find him. I then tried looking everywhere for the guy, and the few times where I thought I heard someone shout something, I later found out that it was just the wind. Worse sill was the fact that the sun seemed to be going down, which really didn't help someone like me, who hated the cold. The snow under my leafy feet grew even colder as the day became night, and it was clear that we weren't getting anywhere with this today. "Maybe we should just make a camp, and get some sleep here... it's... g-g-getting l-late a-and c-c-cold," I suggested as I used my vines to gather some relatively dry branches for a campfire. I then started just tossing the vines used in my vine whip attack on the pile, as well. It was getting late, and if I wanted to be anywhere near warm, I'd have to get this fire started, and keep it going throughout the night... in the distance, I could almost hear something approaching, but, that could be ANY pokemon, and knowing our luck, it probably wasn't our client. --- [Blaze] Gren seemed to have a few concerns, but it seemed like Gavin was on board, at least. I started to explain what little I could gather from what happened here, today, and answered with "It seems like the badge teleports us, and it probably teleports us here... so, seems like we'll at least be teleporting on our own terms, from here on out, as for the... chaotic pokemon, I feel like there's an option to not deal with pokemon like that in our missions, and this seemed like an exception, rather than the rule... erm, at least, it seemed like it was to me," after that explanation, the other aron, whose name I didn't get, started playing with the badges, pressing a button to have his voice sent to... my badge... odd. I had no idea they could do that. "I... think the badge is making that voice, um... actually, what IS your name, sir?" I told him in response, though, I also had to know... if we were going to be on a team, we might as well know each other's names... then again, I was, at this point, hiding behind a more manly name, but that was for a good reason, and I'd probably respond to "Magma" anyways. It's not like I'm a criminal for hiding behind a different name, right? I'm just using it so they don't know that I'm female... that's all... I thought as I noticed a lopunny, of all things pass by our open door... she seemed to ignore us, though, but I suppose we WERE new here, so that was probably going to be normal.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes frowned as she heard Spruce getting cold. Being a grass type, he probably was getting lot of issues with the cold here. She just moved forwards and just stayed near him, trying to go and warm him up, trying to make sure he would be ok. "I guess we could get some sleep, but please do stay very close to me. " she said before going and helping him to make the fire, using some sticks and trying to rub them quickly to start the fire. It was then that she heard something coming towards then. She raised her ears, on her guard. "We are not alone.. something coming… I am not sure what it is." She then said before looking towards the direction where the sound was coming from, making sure to stay close to Spruce as she look forwards. She was getting worried here. What was coming near them... This could be very bad considering how Spruce was feeling right now. She just hoped that she could go and deal with the thing and help Spruce here.</s>

<|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Anthony explained to Keira what their mission was well enough, but he didn't tell her what exactly the orbs of balance were, or what they did. As they all sat down to eat, Josh took it upon himself to explain. "There are four of them, and my understanding they give life force to four different kinds of Pokemon. If any of the orbs break, all Pokemon of that type will slowly wither away. That's why it's so important that we find them, so we can protect them. There's one for regular Pokemon, like you and I, which we've already found. There's also the Void, Shadow, and Light Orbs, though we haven't found the latter two yet." Keira looked down, as if lost in thought. "The Shadow Orb, huh?" "Yes... that's one of them. We haven't found the Light Orb either, though." He found it odd that she would focus only on that one. He then remembered what Static said earlier. Could it have been true? "Keira, if you know even the smallest detail of where it might-" "Zane knows where the Shadow Orb is." For a moment, everything went silent. Several seconds passed before Josh finally spoke up. "Are... are you sure about this?" Keira nodded. "I was hiding from a couple of Zane's lackeys, and overheard them talking about it. It's in a dungeon about a day's swim from the reef, but they never mentioned which direction." She looked up at the others. "I do have some good news, though. Even if he is after it, he's probably far too preoccupied with us to even consider going for it right now. Also, I don't think he knows how important it is. He sees it as just another treasure for him to throw in his vault." --- [Dexter] Flame Wheel, for some reason, did a lot more than Dexter was expecting. Whatever this thing was now, it didn't resist his fire anymore. Dexter grinned, but that grin disappeared when that thing began charging something up. It could end badly if this ended up hitting someone. There didn't seem to be anything in the room they could take cover behind, either. Thinking quickly, Dexter took a running start to build up speed before using Flame Wheel. He was going to try to knock this thing off balance and throw off its aim, even if he wasn't entirely sure that it was possible. --- [Donovan] Donovan hadn't realized until the Salandit asked for his name, but none of the people in the room had heard of him. That was to be expected. He wasn't a gladiator yet, but one of these days, people around the world would know his name! He stood up on the bed, and spoke loud enough that everyone in the room, and probably neighboring rooms as well, could hear him. "I am Donovan Steele! Remember this day. When I'm a world-renowned gladiator, you'll be telling your kids about the day you met me!"</s>

<|description|>Chip Species: Nincada Gender: Male Moves: - Scratch - Harden - Fury Swipes - Leech Life Bio: Chip was hatched in the wild just outside of Allure Town. He was part of a growing colony, with hundreds of nincada and fewer ninjasks. He technically didn't have a name at that time, because there wasn't much need for names if you looked the exact same as everyone else. As the colony got bigger, the colony spread out, parts of it even in the town itself before they were shooed out of the town. Chip was lucky enough to fine an abandoned building where he was able to stay and grow, physically and mentally. He picked up some of the social norms of the town after a year or so, and even learned part of the language there. Not enough to speak fluently, but enough to introduce himself, or saying what he wanted. He rarely left the abandoned building and was able to 'befriend' a joltik that lived in the trash can outside of the house, and the dedenne who lived in the house's left wall. City life was definitely a change for him, because his antennas picked up so much more than when he lived underground. He got the name Chip because he didn't already have a name, and he loved to munch on chips. They reminded him so much of dried up leaves, except they actually have taste. He kept hearing of a 'guild', and even though he didn't know what a 'guild' thing was, he wanted to join it. Really badly. He figured that a new place means new friends, and that joltik in the trashcan hadn't moved from his curled-in sleeping position for days. It may have taken him about four hours to find the place, but once he finally got in, he knew that it must be some type of guild place! It smelled like there was food someplace, and he eventually found the stairs and went up to the right room to join. He knew because he heard a squawking voice yell quietly at him for coming in so late. Another voice quieted the squawking one and asked why he was there, to which he used his normal introduction. "Hello. Am 'Chip'. Want to join 'Guild,'" Chip exclaimed, and the voice stayed quiet for a moment. Not even the annoying one talked. "Well, what team would you like to join, or would you like to start your own?" and Chip made his own team. Team Chip, destined to be the greatest team ever! ... Until no one else joined his team. Chip eventually went on his first expedition in one of the easiest areas to fight in, according to everyone in the guild, and he defeated a few foes and learned a new trick or two before retreating like a baby back to the guild when he heard about 20 giant footsteps coming his way at a rapid pace. To this day, that was the only 'mission' he ever took on Team Chip, mostly because he quit after the fifth day of loneliness. To be honest, he never even completed the mission, which was to defeat a Conkeldurr somewhere in the forest. Maybe those giant steps were the conkeldurr and his friends? But no matter what, Chip had heart. He wasn't good at fighting, but damn was he a nice kid. Appearance: Normal nincada. Differences: None</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] "Well, that solves that, then," I say in response to the fact that the zubat, the only one left standing surrendered. I then head over towards the hostage, a keckleon apparently named Rosebud, and untie her, as well as take out her gag. "Th...thank you," she manages to say to me before I press the button on my badge to warp all of us, including Rosebud, back to Arnold's guild. Rosebud then says "Well... um... I didn't really prepare a reward for you guys, but I think this will do," she then hands me some sort of blue TM... or, no, it was an HM, and it had the word 'Dive' written on it, as if to remind the owner what kind of move this particular HM taught. Hms were made of sturdier stuff than TMs were, and rightfully so, as they were often important, or otherwise needed to access certain parts of this world. Oddly enough, TMs are actually made with old human tech... the kind that kinda looks like a mirror. We'd send that thing over to a group of porygon who do something with the disk, and then color it to represent what type of move the TM now held. It was weird thinking about how something as thin as this could hold anything, but any porygon would assure you that it does. Interestingly, unlike TMs, HMs could be used without having anyone learn the move... this was actually a somewhat new feature with HMs, as apparently, the old way led to injury or death as soon as the pokemon who learned that move fainted in battle. I continue looking at the small, thin, doughnut-shaped thing that was the HM for Dive, only seeing a blue-tinted reflection of myself.*Maybe M knows how these things work... or how they even hold anything.*I think as I simply continue to look into the thing. Rosebud already left, and I started to think about where I might be able to use this HM... the beach near Treasure Town immediately came to mind. --- [Bonnie] "Well... the mother just sent out that mission, right? These guys aren't new, at all," I explain to William. We continue through the plains until we come across some salamence named Richard. His voice sounded oddly familiar, though. Before he had a chance to leave, I blurted out "WAIT!" Richard turned his head, and asked "Yeah? What do you want?" I then continued with "...um... do you know about a persian that lives in a mansion off to the west of here?" My voice was weak at this point, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that I've heard him before... and worse, it was from after my mother was killed. "Yeah... the guy's a complete creep. I've been trying to put that guy away for years, but I can't find any evidence that he's doing anything illegal. You weren't thinking of visiting that kook, were you?" I shake my head, and he says "Good. You should stay away from him," Richard couldn't have been more right, though, eventually, I'd have to face my father... and I'd like to have some sort of support when I do. "HEY, Bonnie! We're gonna leave you behind if you don't start running!" I hear Leo shout from somewhat far ahead. I then run as fast as I could to catch up, and Leo starts looking around for any 'newbies' as he calls them. William and Samuel were right next to me now, and Richard was probably half way to the beach. I never minded the warmth of the area, and wondered why it was such a problem for William. Leo then came up with two different litleo, both of whom were shaking, and scared... odd. "These are the only two newbies here. One of 'em's gotta be the one you're looking for," I then ask the two if their mothers might be looking for them... but... well... it turns out that they're both orphans, meaning that it couldn't possibly be them. --- [Anthony] Hex was in some sort of daze, and Terra couldn't get an answer from her, so she simply shrugged and said "Good enough, let's go," apparently, she was a little more than impatient as she started running right for the mountain. "Hey, wait up!" I shouted as I tried in vain to catch up to her. Of course, being some sort of slug thing made any kind of running difficult for me. I only had to assume that Matt and Josh were following closely behind me, and really hoped that Terra would wait for me at the foot of the mountain. I finally make it, only to see a scowling Terra who was tapping her foot impatiently. "It's not my fault I'm slow..." I say somewhat apologetically. "Fine, I'll try to slow down... it wouldn't be easy to tackle this mountain myself anyways," she says in response, making me wonder if she was even sorry for running off like that. I then looked back and noticed someone missing, or, really, two someones. "Shouldn't we at least wait for Matt and Josh?" I ask Terra, who sighs, and says "Fine, I'll wait," Blaze then shouts "Yay! We're not being jerks!" I laugh at that, and relax, tired from that attempt and failure at running. I then dig through my bag to see if I had any apples to help me get back that lost energy, and unfortunately, there really wasn't all that much in there... only a variety of status healing berries, as well as an oran... oh! There was apparently a reviver seed, and a sleep seed in there too. I could use a rest right about now, but Terra would probably kill me if I actually did that right now... that much was apparent just from the way she glared at me when I pulled the sleep seed out from my bag. I sheepishly put it back in and simply wait for the others, and Terra nods and looks over towards where the others were likely to come from.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint Terra seemed to be in a rush, since she took off before she even got an answer from Hex. Anthony seemed to be having trouble catching up, and so did Matt. It didn't take too long for Terra to disappear into the crowd, but Anthony seemed to know where he was going, so Matt followed behind him. That didn't last too long, though. A Gabite pushed his way between them, and as Matt tried to catch up, a Tyrantrum walked in front of him. Before long, Josh and Matt completely lost sight of both Anthony and Terra. "You didn't just lose them, did you?" Josh asked. He couldn't really see anything, since he was still trying to hide in his bucket. "It's not a problem. I can see the mountain from here." Matt said. "Let's hope they're waiting for us." As they left the city, Josh finally didn't feel the need to hide. He was still glancing around, though. The other search team had either gone down the mountain last night, or were coming down at this moment. He had to be cautious. Anthony and Terra were waiting for them at the base of the mountain. Terra seemed pretty impatient, as if Anthony made her wait for them. "Oh! There you are." Matt said. "Sorry we took so long. There was an awfully large crowd back there."</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Shadowlight looked as... she was teleported with the gang back at the guild, she stumbles a bit. "What in the... Oh god..." she says. "Anyway my work here is done!" she quickly says before rushing out of the door and going to hide. She needed to remove her costume quickly. Spruce would probably wonder where she was now... and this was really embarrassing. If he were to discover who she was.... she was scared of what he might actually do if he found out her secret identity. Soon after getting out and rushing from building to building, she got out of the city, and headed to the back of a tree. She looked around. No one was there. She breath deeply, before removing her costume, and thinking. Spruce would probably ask where she gone while they were away once she gets back so... She breath deeply, and puts the costume in her bag, before going to a pile of fine dirt and then spreading it on her, aiming to make her look dirty. Might as well get a excuse that she been training... She continue to put the dirt a bit, not too much to over do it. She then breath deeply and used her badge, teleporting back at the guild. She then head to where Spruce was. "Oh Spruce! Welcome back!" she then says, a bit faking her surprise right now. She needed to make it seem plausible.</s> <|message|>Uh... Ridlins is accepted. Eh. I assumed Rosebud (a name which would've fit a Pokemon such as a Roserade, which I would know since I was assaulted by one) would be able to inform others of the Pokemon in the warehouse. Something like the police and such. Otherwise, they could possibly wake up and get away, but... in the end, our mission was to secure a hostage. We weren't a police force or anything, but the fact we had to rescue people around the continent probably made the guild a 'pretty big thing.' I kept looking at the hero running off on his fours. As he disappeared out of my sight, I turned back to Spruce examining the little disc. Chances are, they're beyond repair, since they're so old. Maybe that was an excuse Davis thought of when it came to sticking that into his back, or he was pretty traumatised from the constant testing he told stories about. Apparently those humans worked on everything in disc form, just to prepare him for war. Initially, I thought he was just joking, but stories popping up of Pokemon going crazy - claiming they were stuck in a steel room or something - debunked my opinion. I feared they may have possessed the worst bits of Davis' memories... those were from the old models. Small caches of discs discovered in some ruins nearby apparently don't do that, since they're the more stable versions of TMs and HMs. As an added bonus, they also don't require you to swipe your memories for the HMs, mind you. "Spruce, I think you just apply it to someone's head to make them know that move. Well, for the older models you do. That, and the older models have a chance to make the Pokemon crazy, so..." Not dwelling of a possible theory that they may have inherited Davis' memories, suddenly Celes; she came at the nick of time. "Uh... Celes, you're really sweaty, dirty and tired. Where have you been?" Another theory: Celes is as mysterious as me now. In a good way.</s>

<|message|>Chip -William- "Oh, then who else is a... er... 'newbie?'" I ask Leo as I spit on the ground again and began wishing an ice pokemon was here. "Damn sun! It feels like it's boiling my blood!" I yell as I pull off a few flakes of dead skin, meaning I was baking, or it was moulting season again. I look at Leo and ask "How do we know that the mother wasn't looking around for days in Treasure or Allure town and then scribbled this in hopes that someone could save her kid?" I then look at Leo and say "Did you run away from your momma?" as I whip around and grab him by the cheeks. "Ow! Get off of me!" Leo yells and he paws at my hands. "Did you run away from your mother?! I'm not spending all day baking just to know which one of the handful of litleos is some damn mother's kid! I don't even think they wrote down any damn reward!" I yell, letting go of the kid and grabbing my forehead. Meanwhile, at the 'Conkeldurr Mansion'... "Yeah yeah, sniff 'em out. That one was a cutie, and I ain't letting him get away from the likes of me. I'm sure you can find him. Smell those blood trails and find that damn kecleon. Don't care what you do with his buddies, I just need him, and I need him alive!" a gallade yells at the Conkeldurr. Both of them were best friends, and Conkeldurr, albeit slightly dumb, still did whatever bidding gallade wanted him to do. Neither of them were wilds, actually, and the atmosphere saves them from being wilds, but their insanity limits them from being normal people. The conkeldurr runs into the main hall, and sticks his nose right in the semi-dried blood left from my foot and takes a whiff. He smiles as he runs through the hole in the wall he made a little bit ago, and begins trekking around in search for William.</s>

<|description|>Chip Species: Nincada Gender: Male Moves: - Scratch - Harden - Fury Swipes - Leech Life Bio: Chip was hatched in the wild just outside of Allure Town. He was part of a growing colony, with hundreds of nincada and fewer ninjasks. He technically didn't have a name at that time, because there wasn't much need for names if you looked the exact same as everyone else. As the colony got bigger, the colony spread out, parts of it even in the town itself before they were shooed out of the town. Chip was lucky enough to fine an abandoned building where he was able to stay and grow, physically and mentally. He picked up some of the social norms of the town after a year or so, and even learned part of the language there. Not enough to speak fluently, but enough to introduce himself, or saying what he wanted. He rarely left the abandoned building and was able to 'befriend' a joltik that lived in the trash can outside of the house, and the dedenne who lived in the house's left wall. City life was definitely a change for him, because his antennas picked up so much more than when he lived underground. He got the name Chip because he didn't already have a name, and he loved to munch on chips. They reminded him so much of dried up leaves, except they actually have taste. He kept hearing of a 'guild', and even though he didn't know what a 'guild' thing was, he wanted to join it. Really badly. He figured that a new place means new friends, and that joltik in the trashcan hadn't moved from his curled-in sleeping position for days. It may have taken him about four hours to find the place, but once he finally got in, he knew that it must be some type of guild place! It smelled like there was food someplace, and he eventually found the stairs and went up to the right room to join. He knew because he heard a squawking voice yell quietly at him for coming in so late. Another voice quieted the squawking one and asked why he was there, to which he used his normal introduction. "Hello. Am 'Chip'. Want to join 'Guild,'" Chip exclaimed, and the voice stayed quiet for a moment. Not even the annoying one talked. "Well, what team would you like to join, or would you like to start your own?" and Chip made his own team. Team Chip, destined to be the greatest team ever! ... Until no one else joined his team. Chip eventually went on his first expedition in one of the easiest areas to fight in, according to everyone in the guild, and he defeated a few foes and learned a new trick or two before retreating like a baby back to the guild when he heard about 20 giant footsteps coming his way at a rapid pace. To this day, that was the only 'mission' he ever took on Team Chip, mostly because he quit after the fifth day of loneliness. To be honest, he never even completed the mission, which was to defeat a Conkeldurr somewhere in the forest. Maybe those giant steps were the conkeldurr and his friends? But no matter what, Chip had heart. He wasn't good at fighting, but damn was he a nice kid. Appearance: Normal nincada. Differences: None</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes moved close to Spruce, helping him up slowly, looking at him, smiling slightly. "I guess I was able to convince him. He is lonely.... no familly... so I told him I wuld bring him to my parents." she explains to Spruce before tushing forwards and attacking the numel, using hidden power at it, taking a ember hit for the eevee. "I got him, take care that my friend dosent get hit more by ice or fire." she says. The eevee nods and rush back to help. She growls at all those void pokemons. "Normal?! Do you think I am normal!? Do you think a normal can do this!" she then says, her chains formong all around her as light filled her body. "You are the ones invading our own living place! You say we are traitors but you dont see the truth here! Giratina was lied by a absol named Desia! She tricked your master intothinking this place was dissappearing! And you want to invade our own world when we are livin beings also?! When we could have accepted you for who you are!? You have no shame!" she yells, then stiking the numel hard with her light chain' Seriously, this team was a major disadventage for Spruce. Everything could hurt him a lot.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint "Let there be light!" Matt said as the torch illuminated the cave. "That's Arceus. I was quoting Arceus." Josh looked over at Anthony. "What's the note say?" *Darkrai If you're reading this, then that means you're a bit more serious about following me into this dungeon. Now, let's get right to the point. All of these torches need to be lit in order to reveal the way further into the cave, but, each of them is different, and each one responds to a different type of move. The type it responds to can be determined from the torch's color... with the only weird one being that white torch... apparently, that one responds to water instead of normal or ice like I thought. Anyways, hope to see you soon!* Anthony lit up one of the torches - the green one - with Absorb, which left only three. Matt looked at them. "This brown one is either Rock, ground, or Fighting, the pink one's Psychic or Fairy, and this purple one is Poison, Ghost, or Dragon." He said. "Now, there's only one way to find out which type they are." He took the brown torch off the wall. "This one here may give us trouble. Anthony could probably use Counter, but if that doesn't work I don't think anything else will." He looked back at the other two torches, and placed Josh down in front of them. "Try to light those two, Josh. I'll work with Anthony to light this one here." Josh used Acid on the purple one, and Confusion on the pink one, hoping they would light. Matt turned to face Anthony. "Now, I'll have to attack you for this to work. Just try to aim for the torch instead of me." As soon as he was sure Anthony was ready, he swung the torch at him.</s>

<|message|>Chip -William- William looked at Tini, and say "No, I'm not an outlaw..." and he closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths. He stood up, and then walked back into the room to get some sleep, but he heard the Bidoof ranting and raving about how someone broke into his room and took a look in his book. He sighed, got up, and then walked into the crew rooms, and then paced around. After a few restless attempts at napping, he said "No sleep today, I guess. No sleep." He climbed the ladder to get to the Mission Boards and take a look at what he could get for a mission. There was a sketching of a sableye on the outlaw boards. Wanted for stealing items from the stalls, somehow slinking away without being caught. He had made some sort of suit that conceals the jewels on his back, and makes him hard to see in the dark, and he's suspected of stealing over 1000 pokê worth of items. He read the rest. 1000 pokê reward, minus the 'guild wages', that means 100 poke for each of us. He's apparently level 30, so the four of us could probably take him. He grabbed the mission, and walked outside in search of Samuel. Although, when William climbed the ladder to go outside, it didn't lead outside; it led to the basement of some building. The walls were stone, a fire was lit but there weren't any pokemon in sight. The floor was absolutely covered in hay, and there was an odor that was so putrid that it would make even the foulest, nastiest pokemon choke. There was a wooden door on the other side of the room, and a set of stairs. He turned back to go into the guild again, but the entryway was no longer there, so he turned back around, walking to the stairs and going up them. After he opened the door, and looked inside, he closed the door. The room it led to was the exact same basement. He went back down the stairs, and opened the wooden door. He walked in; suddenly it got loud. An intense whispering of five voices drummed in my head, getting louder and more hateful as he listened. He walked down the corridor, and turned to the right; there was no other way to go. Another hall. He went down this one, turning to the right. There was a stack of hay, with baskets of apples. He took one, and ate it, and continued walking. Another right; this led right back where he was, and he thought*"Wasn't there only one way to go when I opened the door? Wasn't it only one hall? In fact, where was the door? Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming... I can float, and see the stars! Haha! A lucid dream. How wonderful."*He began floating in the room, seeing a wide span of different stars, but then he suddenly dropped like a stone, and the stars are gone. He continued walking down the hallway...*"Hey, were the voices gone? Weren't they here a few minutes ago? I continue going along, but I see the same things. Haystacks with fruit on them in one hallway, and nothing in the others. Where am I?"*He pondered about the voices, and then thought to himself*"I've always had a voice in my head... describing every action I do, everything I say... and now it's describing me thinking about it describing my life..."*and then he realized, out of rational thinking, this couldn't be a dream. He felt the temperature, cold and damp, he felt the ground, stone cold and hard as rock. As he realized that this could not be a dream, he yelled "Hello? Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Help me, I'm lost! I don't know where I am or what's happening! My name is William and I live in Allure Town, someone help me! I'm not dreaming, this is real, this is VERY real!" beginning to run down the hallways, soon shouting "HELP, HELP! I'M REAL, I'M NOT DREAMING! SOMEONE HELP!" and he heard a voice trying to calm him, and a ghost, maybe, stops him gently, and then he began panicking, hyperventilating and soon continuing to run. There was no hope. "ANYONE, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?! BONNIE! SAMUEL! MOTHER, FATHER! ANYONE?!!" he screamed, looking all around as his vision gets blurry. He fell down again, this time unconscious. He was in a delusional fit; running around treasure town in a square for a while, then he began screaming until someone tried to help him, and he pushed past them, until he fainted of hyperventilation.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Levita Levita's episode of anger was almost comical; sure, she could stare down a Bastiodon, but the balloon Pokémon was hardly intimidating, and looked like she was just inflating herself. When Reb finally calmed her, however, she deflated back to her previous state and sighed. "I guess you are right, Rebecca. I'm sorry for how I acted," she muttered, rubbing on her cloud-puff. "Just...how would the guildmaster accept an unrefined Pokémon like Mr. Freeze-Cone? He doesn't belong here, not with that attitude." But before Levita could finish her ranting, a door opened nearby her, and a big, orange head peeked out of the opening. "I...um...heard you want a room," the Scraggy interrupted, and Levita immediately leered at the shedding Pokemon before hesitating and dropping her angered demeanor. Unfortunately, the Scraggy had noticed her sudden change in emotion and went silent for a moment. "I have room for the two of you." The Drifloon went silent as well, before smiling and nodding. "Oh? T-thanks then, fellow guild member!" Levita replied, raising her arm strand to greet the Scraggy. "Well, my name is Levita, and my Ralts friend here is named Rebecca. We're the members of Team Crescendo. Perfect to the last beat!" She had just came up with the slogan after listening to Reb's speech, and the Scraggy's cheeks blushed; Levita didn't seem to notice, however. Wow...these two girls don't just look attractive, they're cool, too... he thought, widening the door for the two. "My...my name is Scraps. I've been in this guild for....three weeks now," he introduced. "Your team's kinda awesome. I can let you...sleep here for a few nights until you two get your own rooms." "Nice! You're pretty awesome too, Scraps," Levita responded, deciding it would be better to return a compliment as well. After all, he did give them a place to sleep. The Drifloon pulled on her satchel and floated her way in, but then a sudden rumble quickly startled her. "What was that?" "AERIAL ACE!" Another Pokémon shouted, his voice muffled from the wall next to them. "Alright, good job, Kinder! But you won't be able to beat my KNOCK OFF!" Shortly after, there was another loud slam against the floor. "Oh, that's Team Frontline. They usually train with each other at this time," Scraps explained. "Team Frontline is a recently registered exploration team. They're currently two weeks old, but they certainly have an endless amount of energy. Yeah, their training gets noisy at times, but at least they've agreed with the nearby neighbors to keep it down at sleep-time." Another "AERIAL ACE!" was shouted past the wall, followed by another rumble. "Wow. Looks like the team is really going all out," Levita commented with a chuckle. The guild was starting to get stranger and stranger... "Anyway, it's going to be dinnertime in a few minutes," Scraps reminded, sitting on one of the straw-piled beds while tapping against his pants-like skin idly. "You two should put down some of your stuff here, and we can go to the dining hall to get something to eat." Wait, it's that late already? Huh...we've done quite a few things that I've lost track of time. Levita thought. But yeah, dinner sounds great. I wonder what they have right now. "Yeah, sure Scraps. I just realized we haven't ate anything yet!" she answered, setting down her satchel on another bed and floating out the door. "Well, actually, I mean Rebecca...Ghosts don't need to eat anything to survive. We just do it because of the taste."</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Celes looked at the Solosis who decided it was a good idea to use recover to get back his dang health points, she pondered a bit, feeling the ghosts in the area. It was getting overwhelming for her... She didn't know how she could react and fight them, especialy gastly,. She then looked at the ghastly. If only she could hit him... but Kamina probably had it covered. She turned and looked at the solosis, before going to use swift on him. Though with all the feelings she had here, she seemed to be unable to use it... It was strange... as if she was... forgetting how to use it now. She concentrated and then attacked... only for it to be used as a Ominous Wind attack, right towards the Solosis. Another move Celes was not even suppose to be able to use. Suddenly the move hit the solosis and actually weakened him, and make Celes feel... stronger.... She regained confidence before looking back at John who actualy insulted the group. She growled. "Do you want to be left here with no one to defend you? I sudgest you stop insulting us all the time! We are doing our job, don't expect us to just beat everything here in one hit, cause I am pretty sure you can't do that." she then says annoyed at John. ------------------------------------------------- Eralion listened to everyone until Tini went and actually curled up on him, telling him that he was strong to not have gotten as many cookies and that he would try to have as many as he could, as well as something about Xerneas. He looked at him in the eyes right there. "Please... listen.... I actually do like cookies and all, but I kinda do have my own kind of sweet." he then says, giving a small smile. He then give him a hug. "So don't worry about me..." he says, letting Tini down before then opening his bag and getting.... what seemed to be a bamboo stick, that Eralion opened up. A sweet aroma could be smelled from inside. Eralion took a small sip, smiling, and closing the container. "Good old sweet berry water from back home... Lucky my mom showed me how to make it." he says, smiling at Tini. Sure, he did like cookies, but he liked his mother's personal sweet water recipe as much as cookies. Always did keep him awake and up when he needed it. He then see Bonnie come back after talking to William that seemed to rush for another mission. Well... he could not say he was not full of energy. He smiles as he hears about serving dinner. "That would be great... I didn't eat much for quite a while. Saving supplies for the journey and such." he say.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint There was a Swablu, a Hoppip, and a Starly flying around Josh and Matt. The Swablu flew towards them, only to get hit by a Thunderbolt. It wasn't knocked out yet, but it was pretty clear that it wouldn't be able to take another hit. It used Fury Attack on him, which luckily only hit twice. Josh used Thunderbolt yet again, this time knocking it out and sending it to the ground. The Hoppip whispered something to the Starly, who did a slight nod in response. They both attacked at the same time, with the Hoppip going for Matt, and the Starly going for Josh. Thankfully, the Starly wasn't anywhere near as resilient as the Swablu. One Thunderbolt was enough to knock it out, leaving only the Hoppip, who used Sleep Powder on Matt. He slowly floated down to the ground as he drifted off to sleep, dropping Josh's bucket in the process. A bunch of the water spilled out as it hit the ground, but surprisingly it was still upright when it landed. Josh had no idea if Hoppip was weak to Electric moves or not. Matt would probably know, but he was asleep. Josh decided not to risk it. He used Acid, which seemed to do quite a bit of damage. It hit Josh three times with Bullet Seed, then got knocked out by another Acid. Meanwhile, Anthony was having some trouble fighting Martin. As much as Josh wanted to help, he was too far away to hit Martin with anything, and since Matt was asleep he had no way of moving any closer. He looked around, and saw Xeno nearby. "Xeno!" Josh called out. "Anthony won't be able to beat Martin on his own. I need you to carry me over there so I can help him out."</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Well, you don't really need to apologize or anything, but…" I start to say, before I'm interrupted again. It's just a little bit annoying that this has happened twice in a row, now, but this time it's a much more pleasant interruption, considering that this time we've found someone who actually has a place for us stay! I greet the young Scraggy with a smile and a wave. Perfect to the last beat… I think to myself. Why didn't I think of that one? I softly shrug, deciding that it's better than having to repeat my speech every time we need an introduction. 'Perfect to the last beat' would go great on a business card, actually, if those were actually used anymore. I guess they were just kind of a weird novelty even back then, but hey, it sounds kind of cool to be that one person who presents a business card and be all "I do hope you'll keep us in min"- "Oh! Yeah," I say, Scraps' compliment tearing me away from my daydreaming, "I guess we kind of exude that aura. Letting us stay at your place for a bit is pretty cool of you, too." I'm already thinking about how we could personalize the place, or our own, if we ever get one. We could have a huge banner above the entrance, and it would say "Team Crescendo", but it would be in front of a staff, and all the individual letters would be placed like musical notes. I flip my sketchbook to my notes page and write that idea down, too, so I don't have to go to the treble of remembering the idea later. "Gah!" I shout when the sudden attack calls begin to sound throughout the room. "Do-do Pokemon actually do that? Or maybe it's some sort of rehearsal? For a play or something?" You'd never get to the top by making yourself so obvious, unless it's your ultimate attack, but even then, the only thing you need to do is resist the urge to say "no one could survive that!" and shut up anyone who dares to think of doing the same. The rumbling of my stomach is enough to bring me back to more important matters; food! "That sounds like a pretty good plan, actually." I answer, putting my sketchbook and the satchels on an empty bed. After some deliberation, I decide to take my scarf off as well, not wanting to get any food on it. The food probably isn't going to be as good as anything back home, but I didn't really walk nearly as much back home, either, so I can probably make do.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I notice M following me to the room, and I look back at him, and say "Hey, great job back there, solving the problem with your words rather than by beating them to death," I then continue towards the room, already knowing that I was late for dinner, though, I was certianly hungry enough for it. There weren't too many pokemon walking down the hallway, and there was some sort of new team that I didn't have the time to greet right now, who were discussing something involving 'S-class' whatever that meant. I was too tired, both mentally and physically to deal with anyone else right now, so I just ignored the group, which included a member or two from 'team frontline' for whatever reason. I then make it back to my room, and simply collapse into my bed. Once asleep, I didn't have any kind of dream, though, maybe I was just too tired to actually think up a dream, or something, but, the bed has never felt more comfortable, even if I failed to make it, and was sleeping above the covers due to my tiredness and laziness. I never wanted to help out John the jolteon again, especially if he was going to continue to act how he did during this last mission that involved him. The weirdest thing, though, was the fact that I could smell the swamp, as in, that was the last thing I smelled before I went to sleep. Thankfully, no nightmares came from that smell, or anything. --- [Anthony] I nod to Josh, and notice Matt wake up, just to head right for bed. I, however, was much more hungry than I was sleepy, so I headed off to the mess hall, only to notice that nobody was there, and there were a few scraps here and there from a completed dinner. Dang, I missed dinner, again. I just wish I saved an apple or two from the dungeon, but, nope, I had to get rid of them because they looked dirty. I think as I, feeling left out, head right for my room. I end up stopping once I notice a group crowding the entrance to the mess hall. This group consisted of a drifloon, a ralts, and a nincada who didn't seem all to chatty. "Um, hello, new team. I'm Anthony, a member of Team Scarab, one of the, well, moderately famous teams in this guild. So, I've got some time, did you three want to talk to me about anything?" I say to the trio. The other pokemon, someone from that team of jerks 'team frontline', then just seems to walk away, saying something about not wanting to talk to a 'D-ranking scrub' such as myself before leaving. Since when did we have ranks? What's an S-rank even mean around here? Why wasn't I told any of this by Archie or Arnold? I think as I watch him leave. He didn't look too much stronger than I was, but apparently, he was among the best... to those who actually knew who they were. Honestly, though, I had to be a higher rank than D, I was on a mission to save the world for crying out loud.</s> <|message|>Levita Just as Rebecca had listened intently to her story, Levita listened to Reb's story as well, keeping her arm strands away from the tray and turning to her. The balloon realized that despite their small personality differences, their history wasn't all that different. Maybe they were going to really get along with all this exploration team issues. When Reb got up, Levita felt a bit full as well, and held up her tray to return it on top of a lone counter, where all of the used trays seemed to be stacked upon. Quickly she floated there and back, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah...we got a big day ahead of us, so rest well. Need to be ready for our first mission and all," she agreed, before realizing she had nearly forgotten someone, turning back to Scraps. Scraps...she really hadn't noticed that he was there, eating all his food and overhearing them. The Scraggy hardly showed any emotion as he poked his leftovers with his utensils, and the scene made Levita felt guilty that they had ignored him all this time. Well, he never commented when they talked, but she also remembered that he was alone this whole time. She clenched the ends of her strands and slowly floated away. I don't even have the face to apologize to him, she told herself, leaving Scraps with the Nincada...she wasn't sure if the thing came along, actually. Levita had left the cafeteria minutes after Reb, and so she was unable in see her anywhere. Probably went back to their room already. The Drifloon didn't feel like going to sleep; she wasn't tired, anyway. She was a ghost, after all, and ghosts didn't need sleep and were supposed to be more active during the night. She was intending to wander around the town for a while and just gaze at the stars. No scaring others tonight. She was too excited about tomorrow and didn't need to entertain herself. Levita quickly levitated herself upward towards the guild entrance (or exit, in this case), and moved toward the town square. Night vision kicked in for a moment, but was soon blinded out from the lights. The town certainly wasn't less busy, even in the night, with several civilians wandering around. In fact, Levita could feel the presence of fellow ghosts, and noticed one nearby on the counter as a Chandelure, and shuffled close to her before realizing the Pokémon's presence was unfamiliar to her mom's. She was a bit too close, however, as the stranger Chandelure - who Levita identified as Candace thanks to the self-explanatory sign in front of her - glared back, and she immediately moved away. Then she moved towards the Bisharp constabulary. Levita had recalled how her father mentioned that he often had to do bounty missions, and whenever there was a guild in town, bounties had to certainly be taken to the town constabulary, where they locked up the targets for whatever crime they had committed. She expected their team to be doing bounty missions fairly soon, and as the apparent leader, she needed to know how everything worked around here. Levita shuddered when she entered the constables, detecting the Bisharp officer. These officers could seriously beat me down with one hit, that's for sure, she thought, seeing the officer bring away a Mudkip outlaw. There was a group of Pokémon around her age nearby with similar guild badges, and one of them was accepting the reward money. A Reuniculus, Goomy, Skrelp, and Sableye. Certainly an exploration team. The three of them went off by themselves, leaving only the Goomy, which she promptly approached before he could go off anywhere. If they're from the same guild, but a different team...then I should get acquainted with them. One team could only do so much. If we can build some relationships with other teams, then the work would be less stressful. And it's perfect for spreading the word of Team Crescendo! she reasoned, smiling. "Hey, you're from the Allure Guild, right?" Levita asked with a friendly smile. Getting a closer look at the Goomy, she couldn't help but admit that he was a bit cute, but tried her best to appear calm and casual. She added her question with another one, hoping to start a conversation. Yes, she was going to act as the beginner (which could be half-true). "Then you might know how things work around here. Do you know where to find the bounty bulletin board? I've been searching around here, but I never found it. Sorry...I guess I'm a bit blind when it comes to finding stuff."</s> <|message|>Chip -Chip- After eating all of that delicious, scrumptious food, I felt my teammates leave one-by-one, other than the scraggy. I turned towards him as he sat there, and I said "Bye-bye. Have good night!" and I then scuttled off to my room, or my team's room, rather. I ran about for a while, eventually going outside and speeding off throughout the town, restless. Never before had I eaten that much food, other than every night for the past few weeks. I ran into the forest, immediately coming upon a snivy. Suddenly, I felt something slap against my face, like a vine. "Vine whip?" I ask, using Leech Life and having the pain slowly go away. I then use Harden after he hits me again, with vines. I used Leech Life once more, and I could feel the coward sprint from the fight once he realized that I was just going to leech life and get most of whatever he took off back. I went back to the guild, a little less restless, and I walked into the rooms and rested on the floor, slowly going to sleep.</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Thanks," I say to Levita as I leave with a cheery smile. "You too!" I manage to find our team's room relatively quickly, mostly due to experience with hallways back home, and pick up my scarf as I sit down on the lump of hay that constitutes my bed. The scarf was never really fitted to someone as small as a Ralts, so it's actually pretty big if it's not folded up so much like it usually is. It's almost big enough to be used as a blanket, but despite the fact that it isn't, it feels nice to unfold it and hug it like one anyways. Ready to go to sleep, I close my eyes, and feel like I'm ready to drift off… Drift off… DRIFT. OFF... I realize that a pile of straw isn't really the most comfortable thing in the world to sleep on. Especially with the luxurious bedding I'm used to. Or maybe I'm just really anxious about what's going to happen tomorrow. I'm known to do that quite often, actually. Like that one time when Dad said he'd be having foreign diplomats over for dinner tomorrow, and I kept bugging Leon about which way the forks were supposed to go when we were done eating, and it was all at two in the morning. Mom and Dad had a long talk with me after that happened… Yeah, I'm probably just anxious. I should probably do something more productive instead of complaining to myself about the cheap beds… I think as I get out of the bed and grab my notebook and a spare pencil. I try to think of something to draw, but there's nothing that's both interesting and wouldn't keep me up until tomorrow night trying to finish. I decide to start a little journal… diary… thing. It'll be nice to have some sort of record of day-to-day events either way, so I don't have to try and remember them myself. 'Day One' I write, deciding to start with the date of our team's formation. 'I think I just might have made the right decision: Not only did I find a home here at the guild, everyone's so nice here. You can literally bump into someone on the street and find a new friend in them. That's how I met my teammate Levita, actually. She's really calm and collected while still being compassionate, and kind of cute in a balloon-y sort of way. I guess not everyone's really nice, though, because there was this very grumpy Vanillite who claimed a whole room to himself, but even then, Scraps was willing to let us stay at his room for a while. Everything here has this weird way of balancing out' I don't have time to finish or punctuate that statement when the door opens, and I close the book and hide the pencil in my bag again almost on reflex. Thankfully, it's just that Nincada again, though he looks a little more scruffy than he did before at the cafeteria… "Oh, hi there," I say to him nervously. "Mister… Sir... Um… I don't think I ever got your name, actually." I yawn slowly, tired and not sure what to think of the little guy.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] Thankfully, I got out of the way before M used some sort of combination attack with Kamina, which doused everyone, and then shocked the living heck out of them. At first, only about half of them so much as responded, and a second afterwards, the crowd shrunk, with only five of each pokemon apparently actually existing... as well as one Zorua, who looked scared out of her mind. None of the zubats were still conscious, making the original group of thirty shrink down to a more manageable eleven. The zorua, still scared about officially being out in the open screamed, and said "NooOOO! They figured out our ruse! What should we do, Sean?" The sneasel, all five of them, argued for a moment before finally saying "Zoe, you're too inexperienced for this, you'll die horribly. Go home, we'll contact you when we need your help again," The zorua, apparently named Zoe, then ran away, tears streaming from her eyes. Wow, she's a little oversensitive, isn't she? All that happened was her illusion was broken, and all of the zubat on their team have fainted. I think as I watch her run. I decide to let her leave simply due to the fact that we really don't need to fight any more of these guys than we have to at this point. "Hey... how the heck are you guys still conscious?" I ask them. They simply shrugged, apparently not having any answers, themselves, but I did notice something... they're weak, or, rather, they're about to topple over from the pain. With this knowledge, I run up to one of the sneasel, and vine whip him, and yes, this was enough to get him to faint. I then wondered if this would even be enough to knock out the koffing on their team. I then notice Anthony use bubble on one of the sneasel, and speak in that weird, garbled confusion speech. I managed to hold in my laughter, as he was probably in a lot of pain just from M's attack. --- [Anthony] I still couldn't make heads or tails of anything, however, apparently I didn't run far enough away from the enemy to not get hurt, as the next couple of things I felt were a refreshing rain... and then a sharp, electrical jolt of pure pain. This electrical attack was apparently enough to destroy more than half of our enemies, as by the time I could even remotely find my bearings again, there were significantly fewer conscious pokemon, and some of them were just flat-out gone somehow. Yet another pokemon decided to run away, and I tried giving chase to that pokemon, only for me to run in a giant circle instead. I turn to face... something, and then use bubble on it, saying "Dark blurb forget here am is me am!?" not even I had an idea of what that was supposed to mean, but my target fell to the ground after that. Thinking I was victorious, I turn around again, and, without any idea of where I'm facing, I shout "Winner dark lightning thing turnip basket!" of course, this only got laughs from whomever I was facing at the time, making me mad at them. I then dug around in my bag, and, feeling a berry of some sort, I tossed it into my mouth. Whatever I got just seemed to make that injury from M's attack go away... maybe it was an oran berry? Either way, that allowed me to take a sludge attack from exactly the pokemon I was facing at the moment, and unfortunately, I still couldn't tell whether that was an angry teammate, or one of the enemies... given that Josh could probably learn sludge at some point, right? --- [Bonnie] Everything seemed to be going according to plan, or, at the very least, we weren't getting attacked by anything, and that gallade was still chasing around William who is still in the form of a joltick. I manage to rescue the final pokemon here, however, I notice that gallade aiming a psycho-cut right at Eralion. He didn't say a word, apparently just to make sure that nobody gets in the way, but I saw him, and I used my speed to tackle Eralion out of the way of the attack just in time... to take the attack, myself. Oddly, it didn't even hurt a bit, which was really weird, considering the source. "...huh? Hey, why didn't that hurt?" I ask Eralion and whoever else was listening. By all logic, I should be on the ground, barely alive, possibly gasping for breath, and begging Eralion and the rest of my team to go on without me, and yet, I was unharmed by the attack, somehow. This caused the gallade to take a step back... and then start running right at me, as if he was trying to use close combat on me. Thankfully, I still had a few quick seeds left, and, after taking one (as the last one ran out the moment I took the psycho-cut), I started to make a beeline right for the entrance, I suppose, acting as yet another distraction for the gallade, at least for the moment. I rushed past the dead pokemon, and right upstairs, where my father apparently found his way to a pitfall, and couldn't really move at the moment... unfortunately, Eralion's traps made this place a little difficult to traverse, and that gallade was approaching fast. I was sandwiched between my father, and the gallade... this couldn't end well. --- [Nina] As soon as Rebecca finished off the last of our rival team, Chip confiscated their papers, and I said one last thing before leaving, knowing that at least one of the two could hear me, even if just barely. "I tried to tell you not to fight us... I tried to tell you that I wasn't affiliated with Desia... I tried to tell you that I didn't even know who Desia was, and you just couldn't listen, could you?" a groan from the nidoran meant that he probably heard it, and, soon enough, Chip had us all teleport back to the guild, with all of the papers in hand. A drifblim accepted the papers, and shuffled them into what was probably the correct order. The drifblim had a few strange-looking badges covering him, as if he was in some sort of military or something. Of course, one of those hasn't existed in a long time... and that was during a time in which castles, dukes, lords, and kings existed. "Very, very good young ones, now, here's that reward that... hey, what was supposed to be the reward again?" I shrugged, not even remembering if the mission offered a reward, but he simply laughed, and handed us one hundred and fifty pokedollars each. He then said "There you go, buy some nice food or something with that... and with that, I'm off!" the drifblim then floated away... and kind of reminded me that, for some reason, Levita wasn't with us, and she didn't participate in that giant fight from earlier. "Hey, Rebecca, have you seen Levita around here, anywhere?" I ask Rebecca, wondering if she had any idea where our balloon friend could have gone.</s> <|message|>Cobalt Cobalt flinched when he saw the rain but calmed down after he realized it didn't hurt him. It was actually quite refreshing. What wasn't refreshing was the burst of electricity that came afterwards. While Cobalt had been hurt by the lightning attack he had withstood it for the most part. He felt pain in places he didn't know existed after that attack, but he could keep fighting if he really needed to. He panted slightly as he watched a Zorua flee from battle after prodding from some Sneasels. He considered chasing the Sofia but instead decided to stand guard by Anthony. He turned towards the Koffing who had used Sludge and growled. He used Bullet Punch and knocked out the last Koffing, which wasn't that impressive considering how weak it was after that attack. Cobalt floated back to Anthony and stood guard near him. "You need to snap out of it bro."</s> <|message|>Falvev Reno Falvev took a step forward and started, "Ah! Cha-" He stopped as Thassa's tail looped around him and obediantly stepped back behind her. She was the one starting the team after all. In fact, she seemed to be doing quite a good job without his help this time. He watched as chatot headed down into the guild further, mumbling something about getting them cleaned up from the rain. He had never actually been in the guild though. So although he knew of Chatot he had no idea whether to follow or not. Instead he turned to Dexter and held out a paw, "Welcome to the team then I assume! He said something about the rain? Should we follow you think?..." The crowd that had gathered to stare at Dexter dispersed when it seemed that a new team was being formed. Some even waved and greeted the three ( Dexter, Falvev and Thassa. ) Falvev decided to pretend he knew what he was doing and take the lead, leaping down the next ladder and landing as before, before taking position in case Thassa or Dexter needed help down.</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent I feel kind of bad about just taking their papers back after we beat them up, but I guess it's a form of payback. I mean, they did try to beat us up. When Chip uses the badges to teleport us home, I try and follow along and act like I totally remember that they can do that. Because I do, obviously. Yeah. I mean, who wouldn't? I laugh maybe a little too nervously as the Drifblim hands us our reward, thanking him as he left. One hundred and fifty pokedollars, times three… That would be, what, four hundred and fifty, total? "That paid pretty well, all things considered." I realize. Did he know that we were going to get in a fight like this all along? Maybe... is he actually some sort of chessmaster, orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, all for his own gain? Actually, I guess that the one most likely to be the chessmaster is the guild leader. Like, maybe the crazy guildmaster we met earlier was just a figurehead designed to fool us into thinking that he's just acting like a crazy kook and is actually super awesome, but he's actually just a crazy kook, and the real guildmaster is an AI buried underneath the guild designed to protect the last vestiges of civilization from destruction, and it's interpreting this as getting rid of anyone who gets too powerful, because last time everyone just blew each other up or something, and this Desia pokemon might just be someone who's only accidentally upset the status quo, or maybe that's what any number of the other outlaw-types are, and we're just contributing to the eternal stagnation of our own kind. And maybe WE were the true villains all al- "Hey, Rebecca, have you seen Levita around here, anywhere?" Nina asks, interrupting my train of thought. I stop, thinking for a moment. I mean, the last time I saw her was in that grassy field. Where could she have gone off to since then? "Well, I think Levita likes to take walks a lot," I muse. "She could have taken one earlier, I guess?" Or maybe she learned too much and upset the secret true guildmaster, and we're better off not knowing where she is now, which is honestly a lot more scary to me. Either way, we're hopefully going to run into her again at some point. For now, though, finding something nice to eat (to celebrate our very first job well done) actually sounds like a pretty solid idea.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "I don't know," Rebecca said to Nina as she investigated the "strange stuff," "but don't get so close to it-" She didn't get to finish telling her about how dangerous and straight up gross she thought that would be before her advice was disregarded and the body rose off the ground and started attacking her friend. Dexter saw it fit to use Ember on the abomination, and she was thankful that at least someone was sensible enough to look at that thing and immediately decide the best course of action is to kill it with fire. Again. She wasn't really sure how the terminology for this sort of thing should go, and she didn't really care at the moment. "Oh," The Ralts said indignantly, her blue eyes glowing faintly beneath her hair, "Of course it has to be zombies. And not even the dumb regular kind of zombies, it has to be the kind that's actually creepy. But you know what? It's always zombies, I'm still sick of zombies, and I am going to be a rotting corpse myself before I let one ruin my day!" She concluded her rant by using Confusion, picking up the reanimated buneary and slamming it into the ground before throwing it a short distance away from Nina. It was situations like this where Rebecca was very glad that she was a psychic.</s> <|message|>Nina [Spruce] I heard what Miles told me, first off, his name, and secondly about how, without me, he would have just been some drifter. I smiled as I recalled that fateful day. "We're going to make it through this, I promise. I won't leave you behind, Miles, we WILL make it to the top of this tower, both of us," I then heard Josh suggest something that I probably should have thought of, and I took Anthony's spot on Kamina's head. A flamethrower attack headed right for Anthony, who took it like a champion, and finished the thing who shot him off with his own breath attack, a dragon breath attack, to be more precise. I then used my vantage point to scan for any sort of food item that Miles could use, and, off to my left, I found one, an oran berry that looked a little cooked, but... he probably wasn't too picky at this point, even if he preferred the cold to the heat. "Miles, over there! An oran berry!" I pointed out to him before realizing that he might not have the strength to get there, himself. I then brought him the berry using my vine whips, even if it hurt me, a little bit, just due to the fact that they had to touch the floor. I then waited for Kamina to continue on, knowing that I'd still be able to attack from up here, if I needed to, at least. Vine whip is actually getting kinda strong... weird... isn't it usually the weakest grass type move that doesn't drain life? I thought to myself as I recalled the fact that I never forgot vine whip, how that, somehow, was one of my go-to moves for both utility and battle... it just didn't make sense, though, that a MOVE, of all things, could be trained. --- [Anthony] Spruce and M seemed to have some sort of conversation about not giving up or something while I finished off this vulpix. I then tried to run over towards an oran berry that I might need later, however, Spruce got to it first, and he gave it directly to the very beaten up looking magnemite on the team. I thought about saying something rude or snarky, but decided against it, and just continued on, with Spruce taking my place on Kamina's head, and me taking his place at the front of the team. "At this rate, Kamina, your head will never go naked again," I joked as I tried to look for the stairs, all the while, trying to make sure nobody spots me. It wasn't all that easy, however, and a dratini noticed me, and used its own dragon breath on me. Thanks to the tough helmet, I didn't take nearly as much damage as I should have, and I retaliated by using the same move against it... though, somehow, it dodged, and stuck its tongue out at me, as if mocking me for missing, or something. I had a feeling that someone else might be able to handle this fight. Someone like... a steel type, or something. Even if I had that helmet, I wasn't getting anywhere with that thing dodging my attacks somehow. If only M wasn't out of order right now, he'd be able to KO that dratini... I thought as I headed back to my team, where the dratini can't attack me, thankfully. A steam vent almost blew my helmet off, but thankfully, I managed to catch it before anything really happened with that, and I took a look at the walls, wondering just what, exactly those things that made up the wall were... M seemed to recognize him, maybe I could ask him? --- [Bonnie] Eralion and Tini thankfully had the right idea, and they both ran as far away as they could from the corpse. Tini, being Tini, wrapped himself around me and tried to comfort me. I... guess he's right... but, still... no, I should just focus on the mission, bringing that nirorina to her lost boyfriend. I thought before eventually answering with "Y...you're right, Tini, we should focus on the mission, huh?" I then gave him a possibly fake smile and just continued onward, wondering what might have become of that other team... they seemed to be heading in the same direction we were heading in, so, clearly they would have run into the corpse, as well, right? Eralion expressed that he had a bad feeling about the weird stuff coming out of the corpse, and I nodded in agreement. "Whatever that was, it sure as heck wasn't natural..." I explained as I continued on, making it all the way to Scale City without any issues, whatsoever... that is, until I remembered just how lost I can become in that place. "How about we... go around this place, huh? I'd rather not end up lost again," I asked the team, remembering what happened on our last mission, the one involving a keckleon, and some stupid gang or something, and more importantly THIS city. I then started heading around the city, itself, which was pretty much the only way I could make it past this place without getting hopelessly lost at least three times, unfortunately. I then looked up to see our goal, that mountain that looked suspiciously like a dragon's head, teeth and all, and from that, as well as from what I know of Scale City, I assumed that I would run into a wide variety of dragon types, and pretty much ONLY dragon types on this mountain. --- [Nina] Rebecca expressed her frustration with zombies, and the undead in general while Dexter decided to kill the thing with fire, which seemed thankfully effective. Rebecca also used her confusion attack to send the thing away, which seemed at least moderately effective, and, since I had no attacks that could hit from a distance, I decided to run up to the thing, and use double kick... which didn't do much at all considering the fact that this was supposedly a normal type pokemon. "What the heck...?" I asked myself before the thing ignored me to try to use Frustration on Rebecca. I tried to get in the way, but I wasn't fast enough, so, the attack was still aimed at Rebecca. Why in the world didn't Double Kick do anything? This is a NORMAL type pokemon, right? As in... fighting super-effects it, right? No, something isn't right... at all. This THING, whatever it is now, is no normal pokemon. I thought as I tried to think of another move to use. Maybe the thing could still be poisoned, despite the fact that it's technically dead? It was at least worth a try, though, right? The other team had the right idea about this thing... running as far away from it as they could, and I would have done the same by now if my team wasn't in danger. Dexter's fire was oddly effective, again, given that it's supposed to be a normal type, but, clearly, as my double kick attack showed, it wasn't just any ordinary normal type, at least, not anymore. If I thought there was even a shred of that buneary who helped us back there, I might have been more hesitant to attack, however, I knew that wasn't the case from how it moved, and how it attacked... it might very well have been just a corpse puppet rather than an actual undead pokemon.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] As soon as the Dratini appeared, Matt began putting his screens up. Anthony was up at the front of the group, but after taking an attack from the Dratini, he retreated. Josh would've tried to finish the Dratini off, but he was weak to Dragon-type moves, and didn't have any super-effective moves to fight back with. That was better off left to someone with an advantage, like Celes or M. In the corner of his eye, Josh noticed something moving. He turned around to see a Growlithe trying to sneak up behind them. Josh used Hydro Pump on it, which wasn't nearly as effective as he hoped it would be. Sure, the Growlithe took a lot of damage, but it was still standing. The heat of the tower must have weakened the attack, or something. --- [Dexter] Nina's attack seemed to do next to nothing, while Dexter's was much more effective. Dexter didn't exactly have all of the type advantages memorized, but he knew that wasn't right. It was weak to fire, though, which was good. "Alright, I got this." Dexter said. He kept using Ember, hoping that it would be enough to re-kill this thing.</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent Rebecca watched as Nina double-kicked the undead to little effect, beginning to calm down now that she'd taken her frustrations out on the target. The Buneary reared up to attack the Ralts, but with the distance she'd set between them, she had more than enough time to react by teleporting further away from it. Her knowledge of type effectiveness was shakier than it probably should have been, but she did know that the Buneary's weaknesses were as strange as the Buneary itself. This was a situation that called for playing it safe. "Hold on," Rebecca said, "I think I can help out with this." She stood in place and began to chant, saying a variety of words that would seem to be of a mystical quality to the uninitiated, but in actuality were nonsense that she was coming up with as she went. Nevertheless, just before Dexter released another fire attack, the air around Team Crescendo began to glow an incredibly faint blue under her Lucky Chant. They were now incredibly lucky, an attribute which was probably terribly undervalued.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] "Remember, Kamina, we're trying to solve this without a fight." Josh told his teammate. Unless Kyurem was completely deaf, though, he'd most likely heard Kamina's outburst. Even if he hadn't, the chances of them resolving this conflict without a fight were extremely low to begin with. Kamina had charged into the crowd of Pokemon that attacked them, but a few managed to get out of the way. Since all of their opponents were Ice-types, Josh was cautious. He tried to keep his distance from their attackers, and lobbed a few Sludge Bombs at them. He wasn't aiming for anyone in particular, but trying to at least damage a few of them. --- [Dexter] Dexter reeled back when the Hyper Voice hit. He couldn't see or hear anything, aside from the very brief flashes of light from his teammates' attacks. All he could rely on was his sense of smell. By now, he was familiar with the scents of his teammates. Even in the dark, he could very easily tell them apart from the enemies. He lunged forward into the darkness, digging his teeth into a Pokemon that seemed to be much bigger than him. As the enemy tried to shake him off, he tried desperately to keep hanging on.</s> <|message|>Gavin As a child in Scale City, I would often explore adventure through Sunswept Plains with my friends. Despite not getting very far, learning about mystery dungeons was still fun. On one such adventure, we discovered a strange place atop a hill, where a bright red and yellow carpet was laid out on the soft grass. A Kecleon sat in the middle of the carpet surrounded by various foods and items that could be useful to adventurers. "Welcome, welcome!" he said to us, "Feel free to examine my merchandise!" What followed would be remembered by all as the worst day of our lives. I'm reminded of that moment as I look over to two Kecleon standing at a stall nearby. Could this be where that Kecleon was from? I always assumed he slept on the carpet... I walk over to the short line in front of their stall. There's a Zigzagoon in front of me who keeps changing his mind about which TM to buy. I sit my bag on the ground and open the front pouch, taking out the 1000 Poké I brought for food. I've never seen how much things cost in other towns, so hopefully this should be enough. "Thank you, have a nice day!" I hear the Kecleon say as the Zigzagoon walks away with a Thunder TM. Not wanting to keep him waiting, I hurry up to the stall with my money in hand. "Hi, how are you?" I ask the green Kecleon, attempting to make small talk, "Do you sell any food here?" "Of course!" he replies cheerfully, "What do you have in mind? We've got apples and various berries in stock right now." I pause for a moment to think. "How much would three apples and an oran berry cost?" "That'll be 380 Poké." "Thanks." I reply as he turns to get the food for me. That was much easier than buying from Danny, even if I did have to walk to another town! I reach down to open my bag, but it's not hanging from my shoulder. Remembering I left it on the ground behind me, I turn around. My bag isn't there. "No... No, no, no! Where is it!?" I say to myself in disbelief that I let it out of my sight. "I- it was right there in my bag! This can't be happening right now..." I look at all the nearby Pokémon, none of whom are paying me any attention. I check the area again and my stick (and bag too, I suppose) still isn't anywhere to be seen - I don't even see any Pokémon carrying it away! "Excuse me?" The Kecleon asks from his stall, "Is everything alright?" I turn around to address him, but I'm not sure what to say. "I - uhh... It's my stick. And my bag." "Your bag?" "It was right here a moment ago. I just put it down for a second to get some money out but now it's not there and I don't know where it is..." I trail off. The Kecleon realizes what happened and looks at me with a combination of worry and disappointment. He puts away the food, knowing that I'm no longer looking to buy anything. "Now, normally I'd tell people to go to the guild in a situation like this, but I don't think you'd have any luck there." He thinks out loud, trying to figure out if there's anything he can do for me. "The guild?" I ask, "Where's that?" "It's the building shaped like a Wigglytuff on that hill. You can't miss it. Like I said, though, there's not much they can do for you. They have a bit of a situation at the moment." "Well, I'm still gonna try." I reply, disregarding his warning. "Thanks for your help!" I run off towards the guild, keeping an eye out for anyone holding a pointy stick. Hopefully this guild is as skilled as the one back in Scale City. "What was all that about?" the purple Kecleon asks after I'm out of earshot. "Oh, you know." The green one sighs, "Tourists."</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent Rebecca sighed. No explosions? Guess she'd have to make that a Plan B, though she did make a mental note of those chemicals in case they might be useful later. She made sure to stay back by the door, though. She sensed a whole swarm of aggressive emotions ahead and she didn't really feel like being near them. Just seemed like it was better to leave to the meat shields while she kept her chant up and threw out her Dazzling Gleams to thin down the herd. And she did do that. But then it turned out that one of the guildmasters was here too. And very loud, and very dangerous. Aside from a Blizzard and a minor scratch from a Dazzling Gleam of his own, she managed to avoid any damage from him. "Heyyy, um, Guildmaster?" Rebecca called out. "I was wondering if you were brainwashed or just kind of evil? Because if you could like go on a whole big spiel about your motivations and plans that would be awesome." The Kirlia struck a pose and used Dazzling Gleam again, culling the opposition as she tried to get all the distractions off the field. Though if he kept attacking so wildly, he might get that part of the job done for her. Judging by the way that he was taking attacks, though, it seemed to Rebecca that he might not even need their help in the first place. How much longer could they keep this up with him leading the charge? Perhaps it was time to consider other strategies.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill As Celes saw what was happening, she looked worried a bit, seeing how strong the guildmaster was and took those attacks easily. This was not going to be easy, that is for sure. She looked at the guildmaster, before seeing Spruce use leach seed on him. Leach seed... she understood what his plan was here. We could not just go and attack head on, so we needed to instead try to weaken him and possibly use status moves. Now here was the problem for her: Moonblast would not do much except maybe lower his special attack, Shadow Ball could not be used at all and hidden power was not going to do the trick. She though about it a bit... and decided the best course of action here was to try to possibly entangle him. How though was another issue. The only way she could see was to use her light chains.. so that was what she tried to do, trying to use them not for damage and hitting him hard, but instead wrap them around the guildmaster's hands and feet's right now and try to force them down to the ground a bit, aiming to either make him slower or even preferably flinch him, depending on if that move had anything that could be done here. --- As the hug continued a bit, Eralion felt better about this, seeing Tini and smiling at him. "Eh... miss you guys too. Anyway.. " he says before listening what Bonnie had to say. He though about it a bit. "Unless we end up with lot of rope and some kind of spear that could be used... cause I could try to throw something over the chasm..but it would be risky... and I know we can't just fly there." he says before hearing something come forwards. He looked worried right now cause Bonnie was healing. He moved forwards to get in front, counter ready right there. "Whoever you are... you best not try to attack." he then said, confident about this. If a physical hit was going to arrive, then at least he would be ready to take it on and then make that guy pay the price for his attack.. if it was not physical, then he might have a little issue.</s> <|message|>Gavin It isn't long before I come to a crossroads at what seems to be the edge of the town. A large hill stands to my left, with a giant Wigglytuff-shaped tent sitting on top. As I climb the stairs, I wonder how this place will compare to Denise's Guild. The exterior of her building was intimidating enough, in stark contrast to this giant pink tent. On the other hand, just knowing that this is a guild frightens me. What if they laugh at my request for help? It was pretty stupid of me to leave my bag there like that... I soon reach the top and stand in front of the building. Shadows from two large torches dance across the guild's eyes, giving it a menacing look. Presumably, I have to stand on the grate to be admitted entrance. I carefully shift my weight onto the sticks of bamboo, then wait for a moment. The only sound from the tunnels below is the faint dripping of water. The bottom is just barely visible, though nobody seems to be there. That's strange... I thought this would be a pretty regimented place. It is a guild, after all... Seeing as it is an emergency, I step off the sentry grate and walk through the tent opening. The floor of the first room is made of dirt, with various plants scattered around the edges of the walls. A sign stands to my left with some sort of list written on it. "One, don't shirk work. Two, run away and pay... Three, smiles go for miles..." I read out from it. "Maybe it's more of a motto than a list.." I grab onto the ladder in the center of the room, and begin climbing down. Soon, I can hear angry shouting emanating from the room below me. "HEY! That's MY apple!" one voice yells. "Why!? Just because you saw it first?" another shouts back. "By golly, guys..." a quieter third voice chimes in, "Can't we just-" "NO!" The arguing continues as I cautiously proceed down the ladder with my back turned to the room. It makes me anxious not knowing what's going on behind me, but I'd fall off if I tried to turn around while climbing. I half expect an attack to hit me from behind. Once I feel the ground beneath my feet again, I turn around to see a Bidoof flying through the air towards me. I sidestep just in time to avoid him as he hits the ladder. "Owww..." he groans, before yelping in surprise when he notices a Gible standing over him. Without a word he scrambles up the ladder to escape. On the other side of the room is a group of Pokemon in a heated argument, with a Sunflora and Loudred in the middle of it. From the room down the next ladder, I hear what sounds like more yelling and something shattering. That Kecleon really wasn't messing around when he said they have a situation here... Not wanting to get caught up in the chaos, I hastily climb back up the ladder. Clearly, this guild isn't in any position to help me find the thief.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] Right when it looked like Anthony was about to take several Ice Beams at once, a newcomer jumped in to save him. Josh had seen the Kadabra before. They had a scuffle with him on the peak of Mt. Dragoncoil, though he denied that this ever happened. As much as Josh wanted to question him, they didn't have time for that. They were in the middle of a fight, after all. They could find out who he was after they were done with Kyurem. For now, he continued to do what he'd been doing all along: lobbing Sludge Bombs into the crowd of Pokemon and staying back so he wouldn't get hit. --- [Dexter] "The fuck happened to 'don't use fire'?" Dexter growled. Unfortunately, trying to talk caused his grip on the Guildmaster to loosen, and he escaped from Dexter's jaws. As annoyed as he was, it did seem like burning the Guildmaster would be the best option. Leech Seed appeared to be doing a lot more than their regular attacks were, after all. Instead of using Ember, though, he tried something else. He charged forwards, forming a ring of fire around himself as he went. This attack seemed to have more power behind it than Ember, and it was much more satisfying to physically hit his target instead of just blowing flames at them. He slammed into the Guildmaster, hoping that his newly-aquired Flame Wheel would cause a burn.</s> <|message|>Gavin I reached the top of the ladder out of breath. Despite now being outside, the shouting inside only seemed to get louder. I wonder how it all got so out of control. Does the Exploration Team Federation know about this place? I started walking down the stairs, still thinking about the condition of that guild. On the other hand, I guess I shouldn't think too harshly of them. Something horrible must have happened to turn the guild members on one another like that... I reached the crossroads and stopped. The Bidoof from earlier was walking down the path in front of me. Considering how the other guild members were acting, it would probably be best to keep my distance from him. To my right was the town where my bag had been stolen. If the thief knew what they were doing, they would have already left the scene of the crime. My only other option was the left road, leading to the place called Allure Town. It's strange how they refer to these places as separate towns. Even so close to each other, they're still not nearly as big as Scale City. If I were the thief, I'd probably go there. It was just far enough from where my bag was stolen, but also had crowds to hide in. Maybe there's even another guild over there! As I walked into Allure Town, I noticed how similar its architecture was to Treasure Town. I might have even mistaken it for the same place if I hadn't known better! Still, what these towns lacked in size they made up for in variety. It was refreshing to see a place where no two buildings looked the same. I continued walking until I noticed a Zweilous running a store nearby. Even though I didn't know them, the sight of another dragon type was comforting somehow. "Hey!" A voice shouted from behind me. I turned around and saw a Wurmple trying to catch up to me. "Heeeeey!" He shouted again, apparently oblivious that I heard him the first time. He soon reached me out of breath and stood hunched over with his eyes closed. An explorer's bag heavy with items was draped around him, perhaps explaining his difficulty. "Are you okay?" I asked as he tried to catch his breath, "Who are you?" The second question came out a bit more defensively than I intended, but I had no reason to trust this Pokémon. "Thought I'd never catch up to ya..." He managed to say in between gasps for air. "It's nice to meet ya!... The name's Hudson!" "Nice to meet you... Is there something I can do for you?" I asked, wondering what he wanted from me. "Nope, but there is something I can do for you!" Hudson replied, gesturing with his arm for emphasis, "I heard about yer bag - them Kecleon bros told me all about it." "Oh, they did?" Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think. Wouldn't more thieves target me if everyone knew about that? "Of course, they did! Luckily for you, I just so happen to be a member of this town's guild!" "Wait, really!?" I said, shifting from cautious to excited in a heartbeat, "So you can help me get my stuff back?" "You bet yer berries I can! Missions like this are usually pretty darn expensive, but I'll cut ya a deal. Since it's yer first day in town, I'll only charge ya 1000 Poké!" "What!? 1000 Poké!?" "Ha!" he shouted, patting me on the back, "I'm just messin' with ya, don't worry. Anyways, the daylight's wasting, so let's head out. I've been tryin' a track down these pickpockets for ages. Let's go..." He paused for a moment to get his bearings. "This way!" Before I knew it, he was hobbling past an Audino-shaped building off towards the forest. "Are ya waitin' for yer bag to just walk itself back to town or what? C'mon!" He shouted back to me. Not being one to turn down a free offer for help, I ran to catch up with my new friend.</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent Rebecca snapped back when she got hit with a Hyper Voice, taking a moment to shake off that disoriented feeling. Maybe it really does hurt to try? That hurt way more than anything these goons were throwing out. At least that jerk got leech seeded for his trouble. It admittedly wasn't as horrible when it was being inflicted on someone else. It was suggested amidst the din and chaos of the fight that Dexter try to burn the guildmaster, to which he complained that he was just told not to use fire. Rebecca stopped for a moment. It was another one of her ideas. "Hey, hey!" Rebecca said over the noise. "Yeah, I know we decided on No Fire, but, um, this guy's kind of soaking up everything we can throw at him to the point where we're hoping to just sort of hold out until we wear him down with leech seeds or whatever? So I'd like to point out that setting some weird chemicals on fire and hoping they explode might be a decent strategy at this point. Maybe. Just a suggestion." it was at this point that she remembered she was supposed to be attacking, and used Confusion to toss some less volatile lab equipment against the Wigglytuff's head.</s>

<|description|>Rebecca Crescent Welp, that took me almost a week longer than I would've liked, but it felt pretty nice to put in the effort to come up with it. Tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Species: Ralts Gender: Female Moves: Confusion Teleport Disarming Voice Lucky Chant Bio: Rebecca and her brother Leon were born princess and prince into a small yet proud kingdom. It wasn't all that impressive, in retrospect, and they were always butting heads with another similar group of Gothitelle for one excuse or another, but they both had a happy family, which was really all that mattered to them. Of course, that only lasted for a good nine years before their mother started showing signs of a terminal illness, likely due to some form of poison. While Leon and their father went to search for a cure, Rebecca elected to stay by her mother's side until the end. The conversations held between the young Ralts and her mother would come to shape the life of the former, as the frail queen would make sure to stress the importance of following the heart to what she saw as a creative and passionate young mind. After a week, the queen had passed on, leaving the family to find their own ways of moving on. True to form, Rebecca later began to develop quite the enthusiasm for expression, mainly drawing and reading, while Leon became withdrawn in the pursuit of growing stronger. After she'd sketched just about everything she found worth sketching in her home, she decided to venture outside, to ruins that had long since been declared off-limits to her and most of the kingdom. All the more reason why it would be a fun little adventure, right? The dark, cold steel corridors were unlike anything Rebecca had ever seen or heard of. It's atmosphere both frightened and tantalized her, and as she traversed deeper into the derelict facility, she noticed the slightest traces of life, from lights turning on and off to the occasional voice over the loudspeakers. When she had gotten the nerve to speak to the apparition, it introduced itself as being little more than "A Ghost in the Shell." Rebecca thought that name was kind of stupid, and persuaded it to let her call it Ergo. Ergo led her through the halls, to a room he described being "like a library, but cooler." The machines in the room were run down, and though Ergo himself couldn't fix it due to being incorporeal, but he eventually managed to guide Rebecca into fixing the ones that mattered, as well as how to use them. The worlds presented beyond the screen was beyond amazing to Rebecca. Though she couldn't stay there forever, she would come back to visit the Rotom whenever she thought she could get away with it, always amazed by the stories,adventures, and emotions that would lay in store for her. Eventually, all this did was strengthen her own wanderlust, inspiring her to find something to fill the hole in her heart that had been widening since her mother's passing. Leaving a note at home that explained her true feelings, she left home with little more than some art supplies and her favorite scarf. Appearance: Nearly identical to that of a normal Ralts, with the exception of her bright blue eyes hidden behind her hair. She commonly wears a crimson scarf. A parting gift from her mother, she asserts that it has some sort of mystical effect on how cool she is, but these claims are dubious at best. Differences: Rebecca, like all female members of her line, can learn Moonlight. This version can be used on other party members in addition to herself.</s> <|message|>Eralion Strongwill Celes had been awake for a while during the night in this cold weather… She didn't want Spruce to end up having issues… She stayed close to him, before thinking a bit. Some pokemons could end up causing lot of issues to them while they sleep. She looked at the snow… before starting to work, aiming on making a couple of snow mounts around her and Spruce, using her ribbons to do this. She kept working for a while, making sure that they would be safe. She then went and stayed close to Spruce, hugging him with her ribbons after making sure that there was no more snow, making sure to keep him warm during the night… The next morning she woke up before making sure that Spruce was ok. Sometimes she felt like it would have been more bearable for him probably if she was a flareon instead… but then she remembered how this form could help a lot here. --- Eralion woke up the next morning, yawning a bit and stretching his arms. He looked around at the group, smiling a bit, remembering yesterday. That was one dang criminal taken cared of at least. Now there was Bonnie's father that the group would need to go and deal with. This… will probably not be that easy. But there was one thing that came to mind… if he was a dark type also now cause of his actions… then god knows how much pain he was going to end up with if Eralion could get a good hit on him. Especially if he kept his normal type also... but that was another thing.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] With that discussion out of the way, they all went to bed. Josh was finally able to sleep in a comfortable bed instead of out in the cold, and on top of that, Kiera was safe. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Ever since he left the reef, he'd been trying as hard as he could to stay as far away from it as possible. There was no doubt in his mind that going after this orb would lead to a confrontation with Zane. He'd certainly grown much stronger, but was he strong enough for this? The next morning, Josh woke up with these thoughts still plaguing his mind. Not wanting the others to worry, he tried his best to keep a neutral expression on his face as he went down to get breakfast. --- [Dexter] If it was up to him, Dexter would keep going. Unfortunately, his team wanted to stop for the night, and he didn't want to just go out there alone. "Fine. I'll stay up for a while. I don't want anything weird to show up and try to off us in our sleep." With that, he began keeping an eye on their surroundings, while the others slept. For the first few hours, nothing happened. Dexter was beginning to get a little tired at that point, though. He walked up to Rebecca, and shook her awake. "Hey. Mind keeping an eye on things for a little bit?" Once he was sure that Rebecca was awake, he went to sleep for the rest of the night. Thankfully, nothing had happened up until the point that he woke up. Once everyone else was awake, he spoke up. "Alright, you've gotten your beauty sleep. Let's go. I want to get the fuck out of here." --- [Donovan] Once the others decided to go to bed, Donovan did the same. Despite how energetic he was just a few minutes ago, he fell asleep almost instantly. By the time his team was called to the guildmaster's office, he was already fast asleep. "UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING! REPORT TO OUTSIDE THE GUILDMASTER'S OFFICE FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! PrrRRRRONTO!" The thundering voice woke Donovan from his slumber. So far, this was the only voice Donovan heard that was louder than him. After taking a moment to stretch a little, he was wide awake. "Are we gonna get to kick someone's ass today?" He asked his new teammates. Though this likely came as no surprise to them, he was very eager to get into a fight. Donovan headed on down to the guildmaster's office, like the announcement told him to. Once there, he saw the same Swampert and Wigglytuff that they saw yesterday, but apparently that Wigglytuff wasn't the guildmaster. The real one was invisible, as most of the people in the crowd had figured out when the Swampert leaned on him. Donovan, however, hadn't quite figured it out. "Right where? I don't see him." He whispered to his teammates."</s> <|message|>Gavin "...and then he just took it from me! I mean, oh my gosh! Can you believe the nerve of him?" Sally said. She glared at the Loudred. "Uh-huh." I said. I rubbed my eyes. It was too early for this. Everyone stood outside the guildmaster's office for morning assembly, and I hadn't even had breakfast yet. I leaned over to Sally. "Who's actually in charge here?" "Guildmaster Wally," she said. "And that's his assistant, Charlie." She pointed to a Chatot by the guildmaster's door, flapping his wings all huffed up trying to quiet everyone. "Who's Breen, then?" I asked. "Breen who?" DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNN The room went silent. Everyone looked around. And then, the guildmaster's door opened. Out strode Breen, 3-D specs sitting on his nose and a long, metal device hanging across his body by a strap around his shoulder. DUN DUN dun dunnnnnnnnn.... He raised his arms. "Goooooooooood moooorning, Wigglytuff Guild! Are you ready to ROCK!" Nobody said a word. Charlie looked as though Breen had just spat at Arceus himself. "Right! Okay! Cool! Probably too early for any of this, really..." Breen said. He launched into an explanation. Guildmaster Wally was not Guildmaster Wally - Guildmaster Wally was invisible - someone was stuck in another universe - The Oncoming Storm was actually Breen Torrents - Breen had assumed control of this guild and now needed an expedition team. Wait - what if that's why he called us to his office? I was too busy having a late dinner, and some of the others were already asleep, anyway. I just wanted to ignore it. What if he chose us because we were new and expendable? "Right where?" Donovan whispered when Breen mentioned Guildmaster Wally was here. "I don't see him." "I don't either," I said. I leaned over to see past a Chimecho blocking my view. "What's he leaning on?" "Any questions?" Breen said. I raised my hand, as did everyone else in the room.</s>

<|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Mystery Zone, huh?" Rebecca said, trying to take in all the sheer chaos around her. She wasn't sure she really liked the idea of a place that followed any rules. Sure, she didn't generally like rules, but maybe basic causality and some sort of fabric of reality were probably better rules than most. She wasn't even sure how this area could be "safe" if it could change at any moment, which was why she was all too happy to take the second shift for the "night" watch while everyone else slept. When Dexter woke up, Rebecca nodded slowly, munching on her second Chesto berry of the "day." "Yeah," she drowsily agreed. "Let's get the fuck out of here…" She drifted off. Something wasn't right, here… Oh, right. "Heck." she corrected herself quietly. "Let's get the heck out of here."</s>

<|description|>Levita Species: Drifloon Gender: Female Moves: — Gust (Flying / Special) — Astonish (Ghost / Physical) — Payback (Dark / Physical) — Tailwind (Flying / Status) Bio: To Levita, she was born into the most awesome and coolest family she had ever met. Her mother was Saniri, a Chandeleur, and her father was Sirus, a Drifblim, the latter which was a renowned explorer. She also had an older brother, Cobust, which was at first a Litwick at youth, then a Lampent when he was older. Sirus simply claimed that her brother's evolutionary line had a faster pace...though Levita saw that as only a lie to make her feel confident about herself, and she continuously envied her older brother throughout her youth, who seemed to always be one step ahead of her. Once he evolved, the Drifloon sword that she was going to work as hard as she can to surpass her brother, no matter the cost. But other than her rivalry of her elder sibling, Levita loved the fame that went along with her father. Whenever Sirus had the time, Levita would always persuade her father to do a Shadow Ball, a Stockpile and Spit Up, and occasionally his special Thunderbolt move. Every time, she would be astonished by her father's flashy moves, and often try to copy it herself with failure. At night, Saniri would tell her wonderful stories from wandering evil Pokemon having their life force sucked out of them, or of spiritual possessions and Yamask's secrets. To Levita, little went wrong with her life, and she couldn't be happier. Until she realized the harsh reality of life. Levita finally realized how intolerant and cynical Pokemon could be; there was always news of some bandit capturing this, someone stealing that. Tragedy had struck the family as well, as Levita's father Sirus, who she always idolized, had suddenly disappeared on one of his journeys, which sent Levita, Cobust, and their remaining mother into a depression; from depression came determination, however. Both Levita and Cobust had decided to continue on their father's legacy of explorers — Levita was convinced that her father was dead and wanted to gain the fame her father had wanted, while Cobust wanted to investigate on their father's disappearance by joining into a powerful guild — Levita did not know which guild it was, but it was certain they were going to be traveling down different paths. With what she could carry with her light weight, Levita went off to be an independent explorer, who generally took up jobs any time, anywhere, while remaining unaffiliated with any guild. And even after this period of time, Levita still had a long way to build up the fame her father had...but she was going to achieve that goal no matter what. With her cheery attitude and her street-smarts, Levita was going to rise. Appearance: Levite does not appear very different from other Drifloons; the only few visual differences are the ends of her strands, which appear like rounded triangles instead of hearts, and the cloud fluff on her head, which is light grey instead of white. Differences: Drifloon has inherited one of her several family's moves, Tailwind, which increases the user's speed, from some unknown line. She will evolve into a Drifblim, though it may be later than usual. (Trivia: — Levita often daydreams and sketches with her tiny notebook in her belt-satchel. — Levita can navigate in a directional fashion using her Tailwind and Gust. — Levita likes scaring other explorers on the road, which often brings her trouble.)</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Oh," I say to Levita, withdrawing the Chesto Berry and holding it in my hand. "I guess I'll just eat it myself… actually, wait, no, that's a bad idea… You still didn't sleep all day, did you? Or do you not need to sleep at all? I'll just save it for later." I listen to what the Goomy has to say, wondering why I haven't heard of something so ridiculously important as I think about what to do. I notice the Nidoran emanating a really intense feeling of despair towards me, and I use Confusion to move the Pichu slightly to the right, diverting his attack from the Nidoran, and Teleport between the two of them. I noticed that Levita's Tailwind move blew my hair around in a way that I thought was pretty cool, and I think I should tell her to do that more often later. "Okay, okay," I say to the two of them, trying desperately to keep a straight face and not break out laughing as I hold up both of my arms as a way of telling them to stop. "Let me try and shed some light on the possibilities here; what we all really need to do is… lighten up..." I snicker and grin at my puns before calming down myself. that should soften them up a bit, one way or another… "All puns aside, though," I reason, "There's a lot of problems with this whole situation. First off, like Levita said, I highly doubt that this necklace is the real deal. If this Light Orb is really that important, then why would this lady here just waltz into a guild full of tough adventurers like us and just wear it around her neck like that? She's either toting a fake, or she's not very bright, and I highly doubt the latter. Also, Static, if you want to recharge these orbs or whatever, you should probably just slow down for a moment and try to reason with her instead of just trying to trap her here and take it from her. That's kind of a jerkish thing to do." I have to admit that this is still kind of confusing, though. But maybe if I manage to make everyone stop hitting each other, I can glean something more out of this...</s> <|message|>Chip -Chip- I sensed them chase each other more, and I got angry. "WHAT DID CHIP JUST SAY TO YOU? NO. CHASING," I yell at the pichu and nidoran before the pichu attacks the nidoran. Levita immediately jumps in and tries to talk some sense into them, but peace is NOT the answer! Not for these type, anyway. I jump in and use sand attack on the pichu, who was probably going to win the fight if Rebecca and I hadn't jumped in. I listen to Rebecca and her lecture, and I look at the goomy. "Is he friend of yours? He not good friend. You should not be friends with bad pichu like him," I say to it before turning back and using Harden, just in case it was going to retaliate like it did with the nidoran. -William- I noticed Bonnie begin to get nervous as we got closer to the mansion. She mentioned something about a stash of warp seeds and I look around. "Well, maybe whoever owns that mansion found your warp seeds. Besides, if you hid it and you remembered it was somewhere around here, then you should be able to remember exactly where it was. Where was the last place you put them?" I ask, beginning to look with her. I felt like either the heat was getting to her, or she had something to do with the owner of the mansion, because she looked like she was sweating bullets. I was able to find a red gummi while I was searching, though, so that was a bonus.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint Josh, Matt, Celes, and Spruce all went down to the mess hall together. Once they got there, Spruce stopped for a moment, asking what happened to Anthony. For some reason, he'd assumed that he was kicked off the team. "Anthony never got kicked off the team. He just woke up before Matt and I did." Josh said. "He's probably looking for a mission for us to do or something." They appeared to be serving Chesto Berries today. Josh and Matt each took one, and sat down at one of the tables. "So, anyway, there's been a few changes to our team since the last time we ran into each other." Josh said. "Hex left the team a while back. I'm not sure where she went, though. We've also recruited a new teammate. A Sableye named Xeno."</s>

<|message|>Levita Levita stopped and turned back to Anthony, nearly sputtering out in shock. The Goomy could say all he wants, but the idea is still there; the orbs were basically weapons of mass destruction. It sounded insane, but she doubted that he would intentionally make up stories, otherwise Static won't be so riled up about it. As for Static and the Nidoran, she didn't feel like intervening, not when there's electricity involved. The Thundershock narrowly missed her, adding to her reluctance. "Hey, watch out there, Reb! I don't...do very well with discharges," she warned, moving away from the two. "And, you know, trying to attack a Nidoran possessing said so-called Light Orb isn't a very good idea if you're trying to preserve the balance of the world." The balloon Pokémon sighed. "It's just a big misunderstanding, all right? How about we interrogate her, without bringing the whole place down, and see what is going on here? Where are the other orbs? And are there any particular big-bad villain who wants to possess that?" she asked Anthony again...hey, if there's weapons of mass destruction involved, there definitely is someone who wants it for their own benefit.</s>

<|description|>Thassa Species: Ekans Gender: Female Ability: Shed Skin Moves: Poison Sting Bite Scary Face --------- Bio: Thassa, who ventured away from her parents nearly at birth, made it all of about two weeks on her own before she was cornered while trying to raid an unidentified burrow for eggs. There, she found herself cornered by an appropriately enraged mother Sandslash. She didn't try to act tough – she begged for mercy, without recourse after all. Lona – that was the Sandslash's name, as she would learn – spared her in the end, but didn't simply let her leave. She kept Thassa in that burrow, and she raised her out of a strange sort of pity, fed her and read to her but kept her away from her own young until they were big enough to defend themselves. Only then, after the first year, did Lona allow her quasi-prisoner to emerge from that burrow. She was allowed to play with the others – the brothers Lantenel, Yunkai, and Konten. By then she was bigger than they, stronger too, but disputes were always one-sided: Thassa was handled punitively the first time she bit one of her… for lack of a better word, brothers, and after that she never challenged them. She was always last in line, but in a way, it was better than being alone. She… learned to love them, to think of them as her family, and over time the tensions eased as even Lona ceased to think of her as a threat. For the next year, things went with relative harmony! She grew protective of her brothers, and in time she began to refer to Lona as her mother. But Thassa was growing at an alarming rate, too, and her appetite grew with it. Her diet of berries (supplemented with the occasional egg for vital protein) had become far too lean, and although her nature was no secret, Lona refused to kill for her. The incessant, gnawing hunger began to keep her awake at night, and she always looked a little too long at the smaller creatures that visited the burrow. It'd begun making folks uncomfortable… and surely, not without reason. When it finally happened, when a small pidgey landed far too close to her restive form hidden in the grass, things changed. Her family watched in horrid fascination as the thing struggled, those slender fangs buried all too deep in its breast, feathers and streaks of blood plastering Thassa's snout as her prey slowly grew still and finally slipped down her throat… None of them quite looked at her the same after that. Some of the family's smaller friends stopped coming around, too. Over the next three months she learned to hunt and to feed herself, and her family grew increasingly uncomfortable with it. She couldn't talk to them about the thrill of the hunt, as she had certainly learned to enjoy it, and that bothered them just as much as the necessity. Confident that she would finally be able to take care of herself, Thassa finally decided to leave, to strike out on her own. She left the burrow on the Sunswept Plains in good standing with her family, and was soon drawn to nearby Treasure Town to seek her fortune! …She still maintains contact with Lona and her brothers, visiting them periodically, and has presently moved into an old abandoned burrow on the outskirts of town. It's a very nice burrow. Lantenel helped her dig it a little deeper and fix it up – nothing like a sandshrew to help shore up a good solid hole in the ground. Appearance: Thassa is a little different from the average Ekans. She's a solid seven feet in length [to the average 6'07"], with the girth to match, scales that are dark like a bruise, and her eyes are pools of Merlot 'round the narrow black iris. Starting just behind the head her neck is covered with mangy tufts of black fur, reminiscent of her father's, which she typically has a hell of a time keeping clean. Differences: Her Hydreigon father's blood runs a little too strong in her veins. This is the cause of her… abnormal appearance, and gives her access to Scary Face. This does not give her access to the Dragon subtype or any associated moves.</s> <|message|>Bob. It was simple to remember, and it's a nice syllable. BIRCHWOOD FOREST One day, a Wurmple had decided to find the world of the outsiders. It wasn't a spontaneous decision; he's spent almost a year watching any and every outsider that came into the forest (that he could find anyway). He'd spent many hours learning what he could of their language and their attitudes, such that he could eventually learn to emulate them. He'd even come up with a syllable by which he would be identifies, as they often did - Bob. He'd spent months imagining what life would be like with someone watching his back - ensuring he'd have help in exchange for loyalty on his part. He spent weeks contemplating what a large group of Pokemon with such exchanges would be like. Just before leaving, he'd gathered berries and other knick-knacks that he might be able to trade for passage into whatever abode they may have. He had placed them in a net of leaves tied with string. Ten minutes ago, he finally moved in a random direction. Bob was now lost. He was not very surprised - it was a dungeon, after all. The dungeon shifts, often without its inhabitants noticing, and the only way to realize this is to notice one's nest or food cache disappear. Still, being completely and utterly lost and without any direction was rather disheartening. He could only hope that an outsider would come by, so that he might follow them back. Perhaps he could even form a bond, as he'd seen in many outsiders. He spotted a pidgey in the corner of his eye - it was watching him. It looked like he'd been targeted by a predator - a situation made even worse by the enticing net of berries on his back. If he knew any expletives, he'd doubtless be using them now. Instead, he carefully walked away, hoping that it didn't realize he'd noticed it. Or that he was mistaken.</s> <|message|>Thassa After only a few brief seconds of this, the fur on Thassa's neck was beginning to stand up on end. She couldn't swallow the opinion that fish belonged in the sea, and here stood not one - not two - but three. For a few long seconds her piercing gaze fell on Josh in his bucket; regarding him halfway between food and a piteous creature that she wasn't sure she wanted anything to do with. The real question wasn't about the bucket. The real question was why he chose the bucket over, say, the nearest river. But that saw no evident answer, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. And so, about the time Kick showed up, Thassa turned to leave. She nips very sharply on the Chikorita's shoulder and leads him away. The message, unspoken, was clear nonetheless: You're coming with me. Assuming he followed her, she would stop a few feet further down the road - and quietly, so that the others could not hear without deliberately listening in, she hissed. "We're going back to Treasure Town. You will join my team. We'll find somebody else there who isn't insane or stupid." And then she would move on, down the road to the ...east? She ignored the welted clouds looming ominously overhead; although she wasn't especially fond of the rain, she didn't like the idea of holing up in this unfamiliar town for an indeterminate span of time. She had no fur to ruin and in all honesty mud was easier to slide through, sometimes. To a degree, though, the scent of water in the air triggered a certain awareness. The snake moved with her head a little lower to the ground; her eyes were a little more focused. She would frequently pause to taste the air as they left town, her tongue flickering. When she looked back at Favlev, to see that he was following her, she held his gaze for perhaps too long... But! They were on their way and honestly she kind of liked the little guy. He was... cute. So she slowed a little bit, making sure he caught up, and spoke quietly. "...You mentioned fish..?"</s> <|message|>Falvev Reno Falvev thought perhaps the fate of the world was a bit of a tall order to get involved with as his first mission, he just wanted to join a team after all! It should be something simple like exploring a forest and saving someone in it. Or what he had thought his first job was way back then. When Kicks appeared, he stared at the Hitmonlee approaching and eventually grinned, "Umm...well you seem enthusiastic maybe-AH!" He winced a bit as Thassa's jaws closed around his shoulder and led him off. Though he was quite interested in the guild, he was aware that an Ekans could very easily be able to poison him if he upset it so he allowed Thassa to drag him off, waving nervously with his leaf to those he was leaving. Once they were on their way and Thassa released him and explained, he tilted his head, "We're not looking to save the fate of the world right off the bat are we?" He asked with a small grin before stating, "Also I know you don't really have hands, but your mouth makes me nervous...poison and all. We're heading back to Treasure Town though? Maybe you can show me that burrow you were talking about." He blinks as she looks back at him with a slightly telling glare, and backs away nervously about to suggest that maybe he should go back to Allure town and see what was going on at the guild now. He noticed she was slowing too and once he caught up with her he looked ahead, not wanting to meet her glare again, nervous as it made him. Then when she asked he turned to her, flopping his leaf to the side curiously and stating, "Uh....yeah I did. You said you liked them so I went fishing before I headed to Allure." He opened his little pouch he brought, it contained...mostly fish actually, only a few berries and a side pouch for the book. As a result the inside of the bag, and the berries, were a bit slimey.</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Dexter] The rain was showing no signs of stopping. In fact, it was starting to rain harder. Dexter ran to Treasure Town as fast as he could, hoping to get there before he got too wet. It only took him a few minutes, but he was still soaked by the time he got there. He instantly ran up a flight of stairs to one of the buildings. This one was more of a tent, but it still looked like it would provide shelter from the rain. As he went up to the guild entrance, he stepped on a grate in front of it. Almost as soon as he did so, he heard someone shouting down below. "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" "What the hell?" Dexter said. "Whose footprint? Whose footprint? The footprint is Growlithe's! The footprint is Growlithe's!" The gate then opened, allowing him to enter. He ran inside, glad to finally be out of the rain. What seemed to be a tiny little tent happened to be an underground headquarters of some sort. There was a lot of Pokemon in here. If Dexter had known it would be this crowded, he would've chosen a different building. He didn't feel like going back out into the rain, though, so he'd have to deal with it for now. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he tried to dry himself off a little by shaking some of the water out of his fur. This got water all over anyone who happened to be nearby, which earned him a few dirty looks.</s>

<|message|>Thassa Poor Favlev; Thassa wasn't fair to him. Certainly, if he hadn't brought fish, it would have been a considerable challenge to keep her eyes off the little chikorita. As it stood, she sampled the air with tongue, flickering, savoring the scent, and the taste in the air, of fish. The serpent takes her time though, and she makes him wait, sliding up around the smaller creature and pressing her nose under his neck with a sanguine hiss. Because... she appreciates the gesture, she does, that a pokèmon whom she had earlier considered a potential meal was then willing to go out and find fish just for her. Could he even eat fish? ...Her head disappears into the bag; one fish and another, she swallows whole, but her feeding is not a swift process. She can't just... grab one and take bites out of it as she goes, after all. It was during this time that the rain would have started in earnest, while she leans against her rather unlikely companion. Favlev would, likely as not, feel each of the fishes as it slid down her neck. Finally, knowing full well what an ordeal she was making of simple food, she hooked her teeth through a third fish and turned to unwind; she let Fava go and swallowed her last fish before she turned to the road ahead - and, briefly, her eyes to the sky. "...I suppose I'll keep you around after all." She says, a somewhat playful jab after their first conversation. "...Now, you know how all this works, yeah? I don't really know who to talk to or how to form a team or how to... anything... in a guild. You can help with that?" Delays aside, the trip to Treasure Town was not an excessively long one; she didn't mind the rain, and by the time they arrived she had taken herself quite happily to slipping through the mud, submersing herself in the odd roadside puddle... she'd be filthy, except it was raining, and scales don't really stain!</s>

<|description|>Gavin Species: Gible Gender: Male Moves: - Tackle - Sand Attack - - Bio: "Hiyah!" Gavin shouts, standing on a hill beside Mt. Dragoncoil and holding a pointy stick to an Axew's neck. "No, wait! That's not fair!" shouts his friend once he realizes he lost the mock-battle. Gavin lowers the stick. "What's not fair?" He asks, slightly annoyed. "Why do you get to use a pointy stick? Where's mine?" "I made this one. You don't get one because you didn't make one!" The Axew thinks about his predicament for a moment, but soon gets distracted by the activity down in Scale City. Gavin notices too and looks over in time to see two Pokemon walking into town. These aren't just any Pokemon, though... These are new ones! He's never seen these two around town before. One he recognizes as a Salamence, while the other is some sort of green lizard with leaves for a tail. "Who do you think those are?" his friend asks. Gavin realizes something. "Maybe they're adventurers!" he gasps. "Adventurers? Don't you mean explorers?" "No. Adventurers. Exploring is different from adventuring." "How?" "One's boring and the other's not." Gavin replies bluntly. "You know, that's what I want to be when I grow up. An adventurer!" --- Getting to see the Salamence and Sceptile, the first two Pokemon from other towns to visit Scale City, had changed Gavin. There were other towns out there! Other places to explore! Other people to meet! He became obsessed with where they'd travelled and the things he heard about their adventures, eventually getting to the point where he would sit in his room for hours on end writing stories about their endeavors. Soon, though, he switched to writing about what he would do if he were a member of a guild. The places he'd go... The wonders he'd see with his own eyes... He could hardly wait. Years later, Gavin was still working to become an adventurer long after his friends had lost interest in the subject. He lived in a small house far from Scale City's entrance. By now his parents (both Gabite) were well aware of his desire to move out in order to see the world. His mom, a bit overprotective at times, wasn't too keen on the idea. Meanwhile, his dad was indifferent about it (as he was about most things). To Gavin's surprise, they had finally agreed to letting him move out after years of him pestering them about it. However, his joy didn't last long once he found out that they had bought him a place just down the street instead... He decided to roll with it, though, taking what he could get. Gavin's desire to travel, see the world, and join Denise's Guild had stemmed from the day those now-famous explorers came to town. However, he's still not sure if he's up to the task and hasn't yet attempted to form a team there. He's especially worried about his lack of damaging moves, but makes up for it with a very sharp stick he's been carrying around for almost eight years now. Currently, Gavin is helping with what he can in the city, trying to make a bit of money on the side and waiting for the right time to join the guild. He's just been dragged into an argument with Danny, who he wanted to buy food from. Apparently, Danny now thinks that Gavin bought something from Bob and Ed's stall and won't sell him anything... Whoever "Bob and Ed" are... Appearance: He looks like most other Gible, but usually has a bag with him. Sticking out the side of his bag is a very pointy stick, which he always carries around. Buried deeper in the bag is a blue scarf that he hopes to be able to wear one day. Don't ask him about his lack of a neck unless you want to be on the receiving end of the stick. Picture made by Ridlins Differences: Can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes. None (If there's anything that I need to change or if this contradicts the continuity in any way, please let me know, I can edit it.) (Edit: Changed the Milotic to a Sceptile.)</s> <|message|>Dexter Flint [Josh] While the discussion of underground rivers continued, Josh noticed Anthony eyeing up the apples and berries scattered across the ground. Any food they found down there had probably been lying on the ground for a while, and would be frozen solid by this point. It had been a while since they'd had a full meal, but Anthony wasn't seriously about to eat one of them, right? "We're getting close, Anthony. Just hold out for a little while longer, okay?" He said. It was pretty odd, though. Why was there so much food this deep in the cave in the first place? At this point, Josh began to remember one of the rooms in Reshiram's tower. "Hold on... Do you guys remember that stash of food we found yesterday, in that tower?" He asked, looking around. He couldn't see anything of interest right now, but there could very well be a similar food storage further ahead. "I think think this might've come from a similar room. The Pokemon living this deep have to get food from somewhere, right?" --- [Dexter] The Pokemon in this place were weirdly obsessed with humans, including their still-unnamed client. He was so caught up in his conversation with Spruce that he didn't notice the locked door blocking their path. After Nina cleared her throat to get his attention, he used a card and some kind of strange machine to unlock the door and allow them to continue. According to him, doors like that were used by humans all the time. "I don't get it. Didn't they have keys and shit?" Dexter said. He was struggling to understand why they would use something this complicated when a key and lock would work just fine.</s> <|message|>Gavin I glare at the Dragonair, more than slightly annoyed by this point. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again." Danny repeats. "I heard from Terra, who heard from her husband, who was told by that Pokémon over there, that a Gible who looks just like you bought something from Bob and Ed's stall!" "But I've never even traveled that far! How would I have bought anything all the way from Allure Town!?" I shout back. "You tell me." Danny turns away, feeling betrayed by one of his best customers. I open my mouth to argue, but think twice. I sigh and storm out of the store. Back in Scale City's main square, I place my unspent 1000 Poké back in the bag and look around for anywhere else to buy food. Amanda is standing over at her shop discussing various fabrics with a customer, but nothing she sells is edible. Chad and Terra's hotel offers breakfast alongside one of their insanely overpriced rooms. Denise's guild only feeds its own guild members... The thought of walking into the guild, let alone asking to join, is nerve racking enough for me. It's at this moment that I realize the genius of owning the only food store in the city. Scanning the buildings in town for a solution, my eyes fall onto a signpost. A signpost pointing me to one place I've been longing to go all my life. I walk over to it. 'Now leaving Scale City', it reads. "But I can't just leave..." I wonder, before looking back towards the town's busy centre. "Can I...?" Danny probably won't sell me anything for weeks, and Arceus knows I don't want to mooch off the food at my parents' house until then. All the maps I've memorized show towns nearby; towns that undoubtedly have different stores. The only thing that's really been stopping me from leaving is my own uncertainty... I look to the sky, which is dominated by the intimidating peak of Mount Dragoncoil. A flock of Staravia glide overhead as a lone cloud slowly floats by. The sun is still just above the horizon... I think to myself. I might have just enough time to make it to another town and back before nightfall... Returning to my house to gather the necessary items for the journey, I still can't believe I'm going through with it. Seriously, I must've gone insane from rotten berries or something. The remaining food from my house is wrapped in a blue scarf and gently placed into the bottom of my bag. In the bag's side pocket lay a sharp stick; one I make sure to never leave home without. Though this isn't the first time for me, stepping out of Scale City feels different now. The familiar warm breeze wafting up from Sunswept Plains... The sounds of bird Pokémon in the distance... It all feels so much more... real. As though I'm finally experiencing the world as it really is - as it's meant to be experienced. Despite my heart racing, I tell myself that I'll return after visiting another town and buying food. I tell myself this will only be for one day. Though deep down, I know that once I gets a taste for my sense of adventure, there's no containing it.</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent "Oh yeah?" Rebecca said to Dexter with extra sass. "Will you feel better if we evolve again and get even taller?" She was beginning to think that she was getting over this whole eldritch nightmare issue. She was making good friends chasing these terrible mysteries. She nodded blankly when the Growlithe said that Celes probably roughed that dude up enough, though. As they explored further, their client informed them that his organization was obsessed with humans. Her eyes widened to the point where you could practically see the lightbulb above her head if you were looking hard enough. "Ohhhhhhhh!" Rebecca realized. "That explains so much! Yeah, humans had like these really big cities and kingdoms. It seems like the entire land from coast to coast was under one government at one point. And like, almost everyone had a proper roof over their head." She began to pay a lot more attention to the equipment around here, but it seemed to be very… charred. Bummer... Their client used some sort of keycard, prompting a discussion about why they didn't just use normal keys, and Rebecca frowned. She thought they were easier to produce somehow, or easier to carry, or you couldn't pick them, but she actually wasn't exactly sure of why they used them. She might need to ask if she ever went home.</s>

<|message|>Gavin After walking through the plains for a while, I glance back at Mount Dragoncoil for a moment and notice how small it seems from here. It's strange seeing it from this perspective, given how I've lived so close to it all this time. I decide to sit down in the grass to enjoy a quick snack before moving on. Sitting my bag next to me, I unwrap an oran berry from the blue scarf inside my bag and begin munching on it. There's a few seeds on the ground next to me that I pick up; I don't know what they do, but maybe they could be useful later on. A Caterpie, which was hiding in the grass just to my left, looks up at me. "Hi." I say to it, not sure what it wants. The Caterpie takes a step closer without breaking eye contact. I scoot myself and my bag to the right, but the Caterpie takes another step closer. It stands there like an evil, unblinking statue. "I-... Uhh..." I say, not sure how to respond to this. "Okay, well... It was nice... talking to you..." I get up and put my bag back around my shoulder. The Caterpie's eyes widen a bit, but it otherwise remains unmoving. I turn towards the south and continue on my way. A few moments later I look back to see the Caterpie in the exact same spot, still staring at me. I walk faster and try to ignore it. Curiosity gets the best of me as I glance back a few times. It's still standing over there, staring into my soul. My speed-walk soon turns into a frantic run from what I'm sure can only be a demon in disguise. Just don't look back... Don't look back... Once I'm out of breath, I stop and let out a sigh of relief now that it's nowhere to be seen. I look around for any sort of marker I can use to get a bearing on my location. Mount Dragoncoil is over on the horizon there... The sun is rising in the east, so... The town must be this way! It turns out that memorizing all those maps in my free time really paid off. Of course, I don't know what the town is called... Or what it looks like... But it'll probably be fine. Learning about that stuff beforehand would spoil the fun of discovery, anyway. The smell of grass is soon accompanied by a salty breeze as I walk, meaning the ocean must be nearby. Just as I'm about to see if it's visible from here, I stop dead in my tracks and a chill runs down my spine. There's a Caterpie - THE Caterpie, right in front of me. It stares at me, unblinking. For the first time, I hear an unholy chittering sound emanate from its mouth. Wait a second, that came from behind me... Behind me is yet another Caterpie about five metres away, staring at me with its beady eyes. I turn back to the first, but now there's two of them. There's one over to my right - no, two - no, three. Wait, now there's some on my left. Every time I look away, there's more! Oh, Arceus... I snatch the sharp stick out of my bag and get into a fighting stance, pointing it at the Caterpie surrounding me. "Stand back!" I say with a shaky voice, "I'm warning you! I've got a... a stick! And it's really pointy, too!" The Caterpie don't respond. There's a small gap between them up in front of me to the right a bit. If I'm very lucky... "Aaaaahhhhhh!" I yell while making a mad dash towards them. I hit one with a Tackle while whacking another upside the head with the pointy stick. I try to jump over a third, but instead land on my face after getting hit by a String Shot. No, this can't be happening... I haven't been gone for two hours and I'm already going to get eaten by a bunch of Caterpie... Just as I've lost all hope of survival, my new savior comes down from above! I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life! A Pidgey swoops down at a few of the ferocious bug Pokémon and uses its talons to drop them in a tree. 'Run! I'll hold off these vicious creatures!' It seems to be saying to me. Well, either that, or it's hungry. It swoops down once again and brings another to its nest in the tree. I stand up and start running just in time as the Caterpie release their secret weapon. A horrible stench emanates from their antennae - surely with the ability to kill anything that breathes it in. I continue running, silently thanking the Pidgey for its heroic actions.</s>

<|description|>Gavin Species: Gible Gender: Male Moves: - Tackle - Sand Attack - - Bio: "Hiyah!" Gavin shouts, standing on a hill beside Mt. Dragoncoil and holding a pointy stick to an Axew's neck. "No, wait! That's not fair!" shouts his friend once he realizes he lost the mock-battle. Gavin lowers the stick. "What's not fair?" He asks, slightly annoyed. "Why do you get to use a pointy stick? Where's mine?" "I made this one. You don't get one because you didn't make one!" The Axew thinks about his predicament for a moment, but soon gets distracted by the activity down in Scale City. Gavin notices too and looks over in time to see two Pokemon walking into town. These aren't just any Pokemon, though... These are new ones! He's never seen these two around town before. One he recognizes as a Salamence, while the other is some sort of green lizard with leaves for a tail. "Who do you think those are?" his friend asks. Gavin realizes something. "Maybe they're adventurers!" he gasps. "Adventurers? Don't you mean explorers?" "No. Adventurers. Exploring is different from adventuring." "How?" "One's boring and the other's not." Gavin replies bluntly. "You know, that's what I want to be when I grow up. An adventurer!" --- Getting to see the Salamence and Sceptile, the first two Pokemon from other towns to visit Scale City, had changed Gavin. There were other towns out there! Other places to explore! Other people to meet! He became obsessed with where they'd travelled and the things he heard about their adventures, eventually getting to the point where he would sit in his room for hours on end writing stories about their endeavors. Soon, though, he switched to writing about what he would do if he were a member of a guild. The places he'd go... The wonders he'd see with his own eyes... He could hardly wait. Years later, Gavin was still working to become an adventurer long after his friends had lost interest in the subject. He lived in a small house far from Scale City's entrance. By now his parents (both Gabite) were well aware of his desire to move out in order to see the world. His mom, a bit overprotective at times, wasn't too keen on the idea. Meanwhile, his dad was indifferent about it (as he was about most things). To Gavin's surprise, they had finally agreed to letting him move out after years of him pestering them about it. However, his joy didn't last long once he found out that they had bought him a place just down the street instead... He decided to roll with it, though, taking what he could get. Gavin's desire to travel, see the world, and join Denise's Guild had stemmed from the day those now-famous explorers came to town. However, he's still not sure if he's up to the task and hasn't yet attempted to form a team there. He's especially worried about his lack of damaging moves, but makes up for it with a very sharp stick he's been carrying around for almost eight years now. Currently, Gavin is helping with what he can in the city, trying to make a bit of money on the side and waiting for the right time to join the guild. He's just been dragged into an argument with Danny, who he wanted to buy food from. Apparently, Danny now thinks that Gavin bought something from Bob and Ed's stall and won't sell him anything... Whoever "Bob and Ed" are... Appearance: He looks like most other Gible, but usually has a bag with him. Sticking out the side of his bag is a very pointy stick, which he always carries around. Buried deeper in the bag is a blue scarf that he hopes to be able to wear one day. Don't ask him about his lack of a neck unless you want to be on the receiving end of the stick. Picture made by Ridlins Differences: Can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes. None (If there's anything that I need to change or if this contradicts the continuity in any way, please let me know, I can edit it.) (Edit: Changed the Milotic to a Sceptile.)</s> <|message|>Rebecca Crescent Rebecca snapped back when she got hit with a Hyper Voice, taking a moment to shake off that disoriented feeling. Maybe it really does hurt to try? That hurt way more than anything these goons were throwing out. At least that jerk got leech seeded for his trouble. It admittedly wasn't as horrible when it was being inflicted on someone else. It was suggested amidst the din and chaos of the fight that Dexter try to burn the guildmaster, to which he complained that he was just told not to use fire. Rebecca stopped for a moment. It was another one of her ideas. "Hey, hey!" Rebecca said over the noise. "Yeah, I know we decided on No Fire, but, um, this guy's kind of soaking up everything we can throw at him to the point where we're hoping to just sort of hold out until we wear him down with leech seeds or whatever? So I'd like to point out that setting some weird chemicals on fire and hoping they explode might be a decent strategy at this point. Maybe. Just a suggestion." it was at this point that she remembered she was supposed to be attacking, and used Confusion to toss some less volatile lab equipment against the Wigglytuff's head.</s> <|message|>Uh... Ridlins is accepted. Oh dear. I'm so, so very sorry. I think I drifted off mid-sentence, or something... my memory's a little more than hazy past this pain. I'm getting frightened by all this blood(?) in my eyesight. Let's get back on track. I do remember the startling suspense and tension of sifting through a curtain of darkness, not knowing what awaited you on the other side. Not that it was dark... actually it wasn't dark at all. Well, uh... hm... t-the light was in fact permeating throughout the entire cave, a-and well through a process of, well, total internal refraction which would in fact illuminate and reveal and show it to us all the enemies ahead and... Alright come on, I'm not trying to make a memoir here. I have to tell it all, and I have to do it right, even if I literally can't remember anymore. We marched on. This little ragtag gang stepping/floating/flying towards our goal. We were gonna unfreeze this little town even if it meant giving our lives. (Spoiler alert, we live. Otherwise I'd be a ghost right now.) I don't think I gave damn at the time, but looking back at it reassured me that it was worth living this wasn't just for some poor kelp's girl. We had an obligation not just as Guild members but living things in general to save others. After all, what would've Spruce done if he was here instead of me? He wouldn't have just flattened Kyreum's minions, he would've used their poor hides as spades to tunnel straight to Kyreum and give him a heart attack. So, you know what? We were gonna do just that. Maybe with a little less digging, but we sure as hell weren't gonna let some measly pack of Pokemon block our way. We were boulders to these rolling pins and had just devastated a thousand other pins. Yet we stumbled into what seemed like a trap. A featureless round room big enough to house our Guild's building. It almost got even bigger as I tilted my eyes up to see the ceiling, only to sight several Glaile and Froslass in the midst of dropping onto us. My eye got dizzy from witnessing the blur of the fall, a wave of stinging frozen air whizzing past us from their descent. A few words later and it wasn't long we were in for another fight, outnumbered and exhausted (and honestly a little unprepared). I could handle these things easily that didn't mean I wasn't taking damage. Anthony had the wind knocked out of him by a literal beam of ice, even for a dragon. As for me, despite leading the group at the time and being closest to enemy, every ice beam missed and reflected off the walls (harmlessly) like a laser show. I gathered my charge with my magnet pair, sparks of yellow flying off my poles. Kamina literally burst into flames and began to bowl his way through, myself in the meantime locking my magnets onto a sucker that sidestepped Kamina and preparing a flash cannon, the smell of ozone almost putting me off. I knew it wasn't enough however - it might've looked cool with one magnet pointed and another spinning violently offhand with a brilliant white glow, but I couldn't make out what Josh was saying over the heat of the fight. Perhaps about Anthony being massacred if we didn't stop them, yet I knew it was too late; I sure as hell felt like an idiot not trying to block all the beams like a hero, but... well, I honestly can't remember why I didn't do it. Maybe I thought it wouldn't have mattered and that I'd just share the blow, which would at least crippled or ended us both, or that I wouldn't have been able to reach in time. But you know what? Miracles happen, right as you screw up because life gives another chance. Sometimes Arceus knows to meet your prayers and will send you Saint Nicholas. Believe it or not (and you may ask the testimony of the others), a Pokemon with a spoon came in to save the day. He literally blinked in front of Anthony, and my goodness it makes this narration almost sound fictional. Whatever he did after involved a lot of headache-inducing purple, but at least Anthony wasn't a popsicle. I had no time to wait for the Kadabra's monologue, hovering myself steady as a bright shooting star twinkled and exploded over the unfortunate ice Pokemon. Ultimately I didn't really know how to react, perhaps a hesitant and confused grin on my eye as the Kadabra drew a look from me (and it wasn't because he could manhandle a bit of steel). The fight certainly wasn't over though, hovering towards Anthony and trying to cover for his slimy body. "Goodness gracious Anthony!" I don't think I cried that out loud but... let's go with it. "You alright? You seen Reshiram too?" By that point... I can't actually recall seeing Reshiram. In fact, he almost disappeared from memory until I realised I lost headcount. I was still rather frantic with Anthony first however, almost ready to grasp him with my magnets though not actually doing it, considering he got knocked the hardest out of all of us.</s>

<|message|>Gavin "So..." I began, once I caught up to the Wurmple, "Who exactly are we looking for?" Hudson stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me with fire in his eyes. "Who're we looking for!? Only the most ruthless pickpocket this town has ever seen!" Hudson yelled. With that, he turned back around and waddled into the forest's undergrowth. I stepped into the leaves to follow him. Forests like this were familiar to me, although I had never seen one this dense. We were barely five metres in and already the entrance was hard to make out. Sunbeams filtered down through the trees above and the pleasant smell of damp leaves hung in the air. "How will we know when we find them?" I called, "Do you know what they look like?" "Hmph! Of course I know what they look like!" I sighed at his response. Hudson certainly wasn't the type to give out useful information easily. Hopefully he was as experienced in taking down outlaws as he let on; otherwise we would be in for a tough time. As I moved a branch out of the way, I saw Hudson standing over a small river. "We're gonna need to find a way 'cross this." He said, walking away along the side of the river. I stood there for a moment to come up with an idea, but there wasn't any easy way across. "Hey! Over here!" Hudson shouted from upstream. I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing next to a log that had fallen over the river. "Think ya can walk across this?" He asked. The log looked stable, and was wide enough to walk on, but... "I... I think so..." I responded hesitantly, "Are you sure there's not another way? I don't know how to swim, so falling in the water..." "Oh, don't worry 'bout that. If ya fall in I'll go and rescue ya myself." Coming from a Wurmple, that wasn't a very reassuring statement. "Well... As long as you think you can." I replied. Hudson jumped up onto the log and waddled his way to the other side like it was nothing. Once he was safely on the ground, I climbed up. Suddenly, the water looked a lot farther down. Was the river moving faster now? It probably was, given my luck. I held out my arms for balance and carefully stepped forwards. "That's it, keep it up!" Hudson encouraged me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward again. The log wobbled a bit, but not enough to make me lose my balance. "Almost there!" he shouted. After a few more steps I was nearly across. Just when I thought I finally had it down, the log jolted to the right. I fell onto all fours to hold on. "Grab the log!" I shouted to Hudson, afraid it would roll me off into the river. The log rolled a bit more, and I looked up to see him holding it for me. Taking this chance, I scrambled the rest of my way across onto dry land. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath after that traumatic experience. "Ahahaha!" Hudson laughed, "The look on yer face! Priceless! Yer lucky I was there to hold the log for ya, else you'd be down the river by now!" I found his laughter less than amusing, but at least we were both okay. "Yeah, nothing to worry about... Only almost drowned, is all." I replied, sarcastically. The sarcasm flew right over his head. "Well good! Sounds like you've got the right outlook on things! Now stop yer dilly-dallying; we've got ourselves a pickpocket to catch!"</s>