Kitty

[size=1][indent][center]Shortly after the trials, Infirmary[/center] Ayame?s sobbing had eventually slowed to small sniffs and the occasional tear, but she was far from calm. Though the image of [i]her[/i] warhammer in [i]his[/i] head was all she could see, she could not wrap her head around it. She never would hurt Kyosuke, or any of her friends for that matter, let alone kill them. Yet she had done it, flinching for only a second. But Ayame?s memories had once again disappeared. Something inside her refused to let her remember the things that would hurt her, including the fire from her childhood, and everything about the snake from her trial. She had no idea that she had summoned the creature. Her memory of the trial was fuzzy, at best, and there seemed to be nothing between the door closing on Daiya, ?killing? Kyosuke, and finally waking up in the arms of Professor Iraki as he was carrying her towards the infirmary. It was as if, had she been forced to remember them now, she would fall apart, and that something knew this, and went to great lengths to prevent it. She stood up from her bed, Daiya curled up in her arms still asleep. Had Nurse Mallon been there, she would have suggested she remain in bed, but not because she was that hurt. Ayame had been placed in a separate room, away from the rest of the beds and people put in the infirmary, that was usually reserved for extreme cases in need of silence or quarantine. She approached her door and noticed it was slightly open. She moved to open it further, but heard voices, and hesitated. [b]"Why did you tell her she passed, Solomon?"[/b] came the angry tone of an instructor that Ayame did not recognize. [b]"I was trying to comfort her. She?s been through a lot, and she?s been crying ever since she woke up. Besides, we can?t fail her. She beat the shape shifter, so she should pass,"[/b] Iraki protested. [b]"Yes, but she brought down an entire trial room. You know how gigantic those things are. Imagine the damage she can do if she graduates!"[/b] argued a third voice. By now, Ayame was peeking through the small gap between the door and the wall, and could see several adults standing in the hallway. She recognized a few of the men and women as Instructors Iraki, Uzume, Cavalier, and Reyes. The others? faces were obscured from her view, but she figured she probably didn?t know them anyway. [b]"Enough."[/b] Ayame was startled by this voice, it having not come from any of the instructors out in the hallway. She saw them turn around to face a figure she could not, but she recognized the voice. It was the Headmaster. [b]"Headmaster!"[/b] several of them gasped quietly, but they all became quiet quickly. [b]"Miss Ayame has passed her trial, [i]despite[/i] the damage,?[/b] he added, seeing the reaction of a few faces. [b]"We were unaware that the shape shifter would trigger the reaction that it did, but Nurse Mallon confirms that whatever she remembered has been forgotten, along with most of the events of her trial. All she seems to be able to remember is her defeat of the shape shifter in the form of Kyosuke Orias. Though she may be dangerous, we have little to fear. We are now prepared to take care of her if events like today repeat themselves."[/b] Ayame, and the instructors in the hallway, were silent. She was confused more than anything, but she understood that she had passed, and that the Kyosuke she killed was a fake. She sighed in relief, and hugged the sleeping Daiya tight. Her tears finally stopped flowing as she pulled open the door, much to the surprise of those in the hallway. They were silent as they glanced around, not knowing what to say, and wondering how much of their conversation she had heard. But she ignored them and turned towards the Headmaster and bowed. He nodded, and she asked him if she could see Kyosuke. [b]"Surely. This way, Miss Ayame,"[/b] he smiled, placing a hand on her back as he walked her towards the larger part of the infirmary. She felt very small as she walked beside him. Not just short, as she was shorter than just about everyone in the academy already, but young and weak. She did not like that particular feeling, but he also reminded her of Kyosuke, so she felt very safe around him. Finally, the two walked through a door into a room much lighter than the hallway, and she saw two unconscious bodies, one she immediately recognized as Kyosuke. She rushed over to the side of his bed and stared at him, still in disbelief that he was alive. Of course, he wasn?t particularly healthy looking, but he wasn?t dead, and that?s what counted. She stared in silence, not noticing the Headmaster leaving or Sakura slowly sitting up on the bed behind her. She placed Daiya, who was still resting, on her shoulder, knowing he would stay there. Suddenly, Kyosuke?s eyes blinked open, and he glanced up at Ayame before smiling. He sat up slowly, and brushed away one of her tears. [b]"I?m glad? you?re all right? Kyo,"[/b] she smiled, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, before she hugged him tightly around the stomach. He was startled, and it hurt him a bit, but he appreciated the feel of the real Ayame, having practically died trying to save a fake one. [b]"You?ve never called me Kyo before,"[/b] he chuckled. She looked up at him, blushing slightly. Suddenly, Sakura jumped up, having realized who it was hugging Kyosuke. [b]"Get away from him!"[/b] Sakura shouted, pushing her away. Ayame, extremely startled, tried to ask her what it was she had done, but the words refused to form. She was too confused to even try and respond. [b]"I won?t let you hurt him!"[/b] [b]"But I didn?t hurt him! It was a shape shifter!"[/b] she answered finally, completely unaware that Sakura was referring to what she had experienced in her own trial. [b]"I would never hurt him! I just couldn?t? You believe me, right?"[/b] Both girls looked to him, and he sat in surprised silence.[/indent] OOC: Sorry, BKStyles. xD It?s up to you to solve this one. :P And I know the teams have already been announced. I?m just? slow. >.

[SIZE=1]Mesa calls the next spot! x3 *suddenly got inspired* My piece will probably be put up sometime in the middle of the night. :P EDIT: I blame White for this being so late. D: [url=http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/6300/wormentry3kk8.png][b]Here[/b][/url] it is, Reno in all his glory. xD And yes, I know it's pink. I didn't know what other color would go with purple. -3-;[/SIZE]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Daiyu [she has had a few surnames, but all have since been legally removed] [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Age:[/b] 59, appears to be in her late teens to early twenties [b]Race:[/b] Half-Breed [b]Alliance:[/b] GSD [b]Physical Description:[/b] Despite her age, [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/RandomPicchus/002.jpg][b]Daiyu[/b][/url] appears to others as several decades younger than she actually is. The only physical trait she has of her biological father is a pair of platinum gray eyes. Daiyu stands at merely five feet six inches tall, and is slim and lightweight. On her right shoulder she bears a brand mark, signifying that she is half-human, half-vampire, which she received from the VVRO. Her back and neck are covered in scars she received from her time in the Relief House. She wears a grayish-purple qípáo that reaches just past her knees, with the sleeves cutting off slightly above her elbows and the collar standing several centimeters high, resting around her jaw. Though not traditionally worn with one, around her waist she wears a black metal belt to which her holsters attach. She also wears black shoes with a single strap on them. Her long, dark brown hair is usually pulled back in a single or two braids, very rarely being worn down. [b]Weapons:[/b] Daiyu carries two [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%26W_Model_500][b]Model 500 Revolvers[/b][/url] with her at all times, despite how heavy these guns are. She wears them in two black, custom-made holsters that attach to the belt over her waist. [b]Abilities:[/b] Being part vampire, Daiyu is granted a longer life span than the average human, a slower aging appearance, and extremely enhanced strength. Because of this, she could be extremely good at hand-to-hand combat, but she prefers to use her twin Model 500 Revolvers. While a normal human would have difficulty carrying only one of these large handguns, Daiyu easily wields both simultaneously. Also, easily apparent by her size, Daiyu is very agile. She is not always smooth on her feet, though, and can be considered clumsy. [b]Personality:[/b] Daiyu suffers from Catatonic Depression, a sub-type of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), a condition she developed when she was about six. Her disorder forces her to suffer from constant Major Depressive episodes, where she will experience a range of manifestations during said episodes. Temporary lack of all motor activity, or the opposite, akathisia, where she cannot sit still; mutism, where she will not or cannot speak; inopportune periods of pessimism, and echolalia, or the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person, are the most common symptoms of her illness that she is forced to live with. Even when she is not experiencing symptoms of her depression, Daiyu is still very reserved and shy. She has several insecurities, also associated with her youth, that make her almost completely unable to trust others, and very wary of them otherwise. Because of this, she almost always works alone. She is often viewed as a hindrance when partnered or grouped with others because, even though many are aware of her depression, they feel no sympathy for a half-breed. This does not help her near complete inability to cooperate with others. Despite her ever-growing detachment from humans and vampires alike, she has a strong, but unvoiced, desire for a companion that will accept her for who she is. However, her shyness and trust issues have thus far made finding such a person, or creature, very difficult. [b]Biography:[/b] Daiyu?s mother was cornered and raped by a vampire when she was only eighteen years old. Because she was attacked in a dark alley in Hong Kong, she did not know that the culprit wasn?t human. After telling her parents, they kept it secret and sped up the date for her wedding, as she was in an arranged marriage to a Chinese businessman about ten years older than she was. Seven months after her wedding, she gave birth to Daiyu. Even though she was born a little over nine months after being conceived, she appeared premature, and that is what she told her husband to keep him from being suspicious. Despite her appearance, she was quite healthy and taken back home. Her peculiar eye color baffled both her parents ? her mother still unaware that her child?s father was actually a vampire ? but they passed it off as genetics at work. Other than that, Daiyu seemed like a normal, human baby. Her vampire traits did not surface until she was four, demonstrated by her lifting up a car about to run over a dog that she had been chasing. The incident was not seen by many people other than the driver of the car and her mother, so any stories that had been shared did not get much press. However, her mother became concerned regarding the truth about Daiyu?s father, having learned that a large number of vampires was recently subdued by the GSD. The vampires were said to have been terrorizing Hong Kong and other parts of China for over a decade, making it possible that her assailant that night four years ago was actually a vampire. Daiyu?s mother?s worries were supported further when she found her daughter drinking up her own blood after getting a cut. She decided she should come clean with her husband and tell him that Daiyu was not his daughter. Her husband, upon hearing the news, grew angry, and tried to force her to abandon Daiyu, but she would not. A little before this time, a small group of people surfaced, calling themselves the Vampire Victim Relief Organization, or VVRO. It had been revealed that several of the vampires caught had not only killed people during their terrorizing of China, but had raped several women, too. The VVRO said they would take the children these victims?s bore if they were difficult to care for or if they couldn?t handle raising a child and knew that the father was a vampire. When he discovered the VVRO, he contacted them immediately, and they came one night and took the five year old Daiyu away. She never saw her mother again. The VVRO housed Daiyu and the other children in a large building they called the Relief House where they were branded on their right shoulder with a crucifix-shaped mark above the word ?half? upon their arrival. Only about sixty children, ranging from the ages of one to fourteen years old, were given to the VVRO. Most looked nothing like a vampire, aside from minor physical features, while others had pasty white skin and large, sharp teeth. Very few actually desired blood, though all of them could admit to liking the taste of it. The VVRO was run by religious extremists that wanted to rid the world of vampires that did such despicable things to humans, and planned to turn the children into weapons. The group lasted only five years, despite their much larger plans, and all efforts for expansion out of China had failed as well. It was the GSD that discovered them, and they immediately shut them down. Despite how short the organization lasted, the children suffered from painful physical and emotional scars. It was during Daiyu?s stay with in the Relief House that she developed her Catatonic Depression. While the VVRO and the Relief House were shutting down, almost all of the older children were convinced that life would always be horrible for them, not being fully human or vampire, and took their own lives. Most of the remaining children, for one reason or another, decided to flee the scene before the GSD members could catch them. Daiyu was one of the few that did not leave the building, not knowing where else to go. An older man found her lying motionless in a heap near her old sleeping quarters, and at first thought she was dead. But upon discovering that she was still alive, he picked her up and brought her with him back to London. The man?s name was Dr. Benjamin Lloyd, a member of the GSD, whose only daughter had Just recently passed away from cancer. He adopted Daiyu as his own, raised her, and also tried to get her out of her constant depression. But the damage that had been done was irreversible, and she simply could not be relieved of her ailment. But while she lived with him, her symptoms were not as severe as they later would become, and she would talk and associate with people he introduced her to. After her eighteenth birthday, she was invited to join the GSD. She accepted the invitation, but only after receiving a bit of encouragement from her adopted father. When she turned twenty-five, Lloyd passed away. Daiyu had grown quite attached to him, despite how emotionless she always seemed around him. She had decided for a while that she would leave the organization, no longer having any connection with them. But she was convinced that she should take a break instead. When she returned to the GSD after her year-long leave, she seemed to have lost all motivation to interact with the others. Before Lloyd?s death, it was known that she was a half-breed, but it was not seen as an issue. But afterwards, many felt that she was Just a pity case, being allowed into the GSD only because those in charge felt sorry for her, making them spiteful and angry towards her. Daiyu?s self image and feelings have been badly hurt by all the rumors about her over her almost four decades with the GSD, but she has stayed to honor Lloyd?s wishes. She has since become one of a few half-breeds that work at the GSD, but she is still the most disliked. --- OOC: Hope I?m not too late. ^_^ I?ve been wanting to get my sign up posted for the past couple days, but I had no inspiration. But here it is [and it?s all up at once! Amazing, lol]. And I hope you don?t mind my creation of the short-lived VVRO. It made things a lot more convenient for the other aspects of my character. But if you want me to change it [or anything else], feel free to PM me.[/size]

[size=1][indent][b]"Excuse me. You are the Jounin in charge of this exam, correct?"[/b] [b]"Hmm?"[/b] the jounin in charge wondered aloud, turning towards the source of the voice. He was greeted by a tall man with spiky black hair standing behind three young teenagers, each with varying appearances. Two were female, one with a large smile on her face while the other had a very vacant expression, as if she was lost in thought. The third was a boy with an angry scowl that didn't seem like it was soon to change. [b]"We are from Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village. I am Takuya, the Jounin assigned to this team, and we have come so they can participate in the Chuunin exam,"[/b] the spiky-haired man, known as Takuya, continued. He seemed like a very peaceful man, but he also carried a foreboding aura with him. [b]"The other teams have already entered the Forest of Death..."[/b] [b]"But you have another heaven scroll left, isn't that right?"[/b] His smile was unnerving, but the other jounin checked and sure enough, he was right. One heaven scroll remained. He handed it over to the taller girl with mostly black hair, with a sprinkling of white in her bangs. She giggled at how uncomfortable and worried he looked. [b]"I guess there's no reason they can't enter late... I wonder if this is against the rules?"[/b] [b]"It shouldn't be. Okay you three. I already explained the rules to you, so good luck. I expect you to make it,"[/b] Takuya chuckled. [b]"Of course!"[/b] the girl with the scroll giggled, winking at him. He winked back, patting her head gently. The other two merely nodded to signal that they understood. With that, the three disappeared in a flash, only a few leaves floating around where they had just been standing. [center]---[/center] Within the forest, the three students from the Village Hidden in the Sand reappeared on a group of branches high up in a tree. [b]"Dakishime, you really need to stop giggling. This is a serious matter,"[/b] the boy complained, rolling his eyes at the girl's positive attitude. As she sat on the branch, rocking her legs back and forth, she looked up at him. [b]"You need to lighten up, Ro-kun."[/b] [b]"I told you not to call me that!"[/b] he growled angrily, making a fist at her. But the third team member placed her hands on his fist, making him calm down a bit. She smiled weakly, tilting her head to the side slightly. [b]"Don't fight with your teammates, Keitaro. Save your strength for getting the other scroll."[/b] Keitaro blushed lightly, pulling his hand away. The girl blinked, wondering why he so suddenly pulled away. Panda rocked her legs back and forth faster, giggling to herself. The three were silent for a moment before Panda pointed below. [b]"Look at those two. They have an Earth scroll."[/b] [b]"Feh. They seem a little [i]old[/i] to be only genin, don't you think?"[/b] Keitaro interjected. [b]"I don't think they are genin..."[/b] [b]"Whaddya mean, Miki-chan?"[/b] Panda asked her, arching her back to face her. But the blue haired girl sunk back into silence, her dazed expression returning. Panda frowned, but nodded all the same. [b]"I'll see how powerful they are first. Take care of Miki-chan for me, Ro-kun!"[/b] she giggled. [b]"Hey! Dakishi-- ... Stupid girl, always making me the babysitter..."[/b] he sighed, glancing at his inattentive teammate.[/indent] --- OOC: It may have taken forever, but I'm finally posting. -o-; Never got around to editing her bio in the sign up, so I'll just leave it a mystery [as are all the backgrounds of the Sunagakure genin]. Hope you don't mind, valinus, but there's one very perky genin heading your way.[/size]

[size=1][indent][center]The Trials: Rescue and Forget[/center] Instructors Iraki and Gillium struggled to stand, battered and bruised, before a large, black snake that took up most of the trial room, Ayame now sitting silently on top of its head. Iraki had grabbed her warhammer before she had reclaimed it, but it did him little good. Gillium tried summoning several different spirits, but none could match the power of the snake. [b]"What the fuck are we supposed to do?"[/b] she cursed in frustration. Iraki?s skills with water hadn?t done much to help either, but he had managed to hit the snake?s cheek with a water whip. After that, no other attack got close to it. Suddenly, the spirit?s tail struck the right wall, sending cracks throughout it until it collapsed. Part of the ceiling came down with it, but the other three walls kept most of it up. The two Instructors watched helplessly as it lifted its tail to bring down the other wall, thus crushing everyone in the room, aside from itself and Ayame, whom it would protect, and allowing it room so it could escape. [b]"What do we do Solomon?"[/b] Gillium cried. His head whipped around frantically, searching for [i]something[/i] that could stop the snake and save their lives. Seeing nothing, he dropped to his knees and sighed, watching the black tail sharpen as it shot towards the opposite wall. But when it did not get impaled, and the ceiling did not crumble and fall on top of him, he looked around, wondering what had happened. [i]"Save Ayame!"[/i] came the shriek in his head. A small cat floated in front of the two Instructors in a strange stance, its paws held out like a human using magi. The Instructors recognized the animal as the, surprisingly, powerful summon Ayame seemed to have around her at all times. The beast?s body shook as it was forced to stay in place, held back by Daiya?s invisible restraint. Iraki lifted himself up on a small fountain of water to be on the same level as the snake?s eyes. It was a truly frightening sight to behold, and he gulped aloud before jumping onto the beast?s head. He picked up Ayame who was, by this point, only the motionless connection of the snake to the physical world. He held her tightly as his fountain brought them back down to the floor. But their telepathic link still remained, and the beast was slowly regaining its ability to move. The Instructors ran out of the room through the large hole that used to be the right wall, carrying the semi-conscious Ayame with them. [b]"Wait! What about the cat?"[/b] Iraki shouted, watching as the small spirit slowly floated towards the floor. [i]"I?ll be fine,"[/i] came Daiya?s seemingly omnipresent voice. The Instructors nodded, watching as the two-tailed cat?s powers wore off and the snake sent its tail straight through the wall, as it had originally intended. As they had predicted, the wall cracked from the point of impact until it crumbled, bringing the ceiling and the rest of the walls down with it. A few moments later, the snake rose from the remains, dust covered and even angrier than before. It wanted Ayame back, and it was going to get her. As it charged, mouth open, ready to erase the people around her, a cloaked figure jumped in front of the creature?s targets and held out a hand. The snake did not stop, obviously not intimidated by simply another feeble human. The black beam that it had erased the flames with before once again shot out of its mouth, wide enough to engulf all of them. But it suddenly contorted and shrunk, being pulled into the shadowed person?s outstretched hand. A gust of wind followed, blowing his hood down and whipping his long hair around behind him. His face remained hidden from the three behind him, though Ayame would not be able to see it anyway. The serpent still did not hesitate, and slithered full-force towards the boy like a scaly locomotive. But when it reached him, it too was twisted until it was small enough to be absorbed into his hand. In moments, there was nothing of the black serpent left, and the boy replaced his hood on his head. Turning around, he snapped his fingers and Ayame blinked several times, the pupil and color of her eyes returning before they shut tightly as she fell asleep from exhaustion. They heard a small rustling of rocks and saw Daiya push a few rocks off of himself before falling flat on his back. Iraki and Gillium looked at each other and grinned before turning to thank the boy they had recognized as Lazarus McCloud by his hair and height, but realized he had disappeared. It was just as well, they figured, knowing full well that he must have passed his trial, and that he might not care too much for being treated like a savior. He most likely came only to aid himself, rather than rescue the others. Gillium raced over to pick up the small cat and Iraki carried Ayame towards the infirmary. [center]---[/center] [i]Dream, Ayame. Dream of things that make you happy. Make you calm. Leave the bad memories behind. They will be hidden for you. Just forget.[/i] [b]"I won?t be scared? Let them stay. I want to remember."[/b] [i]You aren?t ready, Ayame. That was proved today. You can?t handle remembering it all yet. Forget.[/i] [b]"Then leave just a little?"[/b] [i]None of it is pleasant. Please do not try Ayame. Forget.[/i] [b]"When was Kyosuke in the Trial Room?"[/b] [i]No, Ayame. Not that memory. That is a bad one. Let it go. Forget.[/i] [b]"I hurt him, didn?t I?"[/b] [i]No, you didn?t. The Beast did. And that is not the real Kyosuke. Forget, Ayame. Forget.[/i] [b]"I hurt him bad. And Professor Iraki, too. And Daiya? Daiya. I hurt him the worst, didn?t I?"[/b] [i]You should have forgotten it all Ayame. But you have attached yourself to those images. The rest shall be Forgotten for now.[/i] All was black. Ayame floated helplessly in the sea of darkness, the images that had recently resurfaced suddenly sinking beneath her. Soon, only a few faces remained. And then, a voice. She cried out, asking for them to help her. Help her remember. [b]"? and I think she?s waking up now."[/b] Ayame blinked her eyes open a few times. She had been dreaming. She tried to remember it, but her memory was vague and spotty. She shook her head of the thought, too impatient to try and remember the dream that had so quickly escaped her. Her vision sharpened as she awoke, and she realized a concerned Nurse Mallon and Instructor Iraki were hovering above her. [b]"D? Daiya,"[/b] she whispered in a raspy voice. She must have been yelling really loud, she thought, but she had no idea why. Nurse Mallon scurried over to a small basket and pulled out the curled up spirit, proceeding to bring him back over to her and resting him next to her. [b]"You passed, Ayame. You did it. The ordeal is over now,"[/b] Iraki smiled. But Ayame only nodded with a blank face before breaking down into tears. The two adults tried to console her but it was no use. She dug her face into Daiya?s warm, furry back, crying loudly as she remembered what she did to who she thought was Kyosuke. She mumbled an apology over and over again, despite the fact that no one could understand what she was saying through all her sobs.[/indent] --- OOC: Done, [i]finally[/i]. xD[/size]

[size=1][indent][center]The Trials: Ayame?s Rage[/center] Ayame?s face was still quite red and her heart was pounding fast after her temporary good-bye with Kyosuke. Now her mind was as far from the trials as it could have wandered, leaving her absent-mindedly walking into the viewing area for another trial. When her sighs and giggles couldn?t stop her from running into something, she blinked back into reality, a very confused look on her face. Daiya made a small joke, but she shooed him off her shoulder. He decided to float outside and wait for her, telling her not to take very long. Ayame glanced around the small area before realizing she had bumped into a large window. Looking through it, she wondered what it was doing there before looking down and seeing Alex. [b]"Alex!"[/b] she shouted, waving from behind the thin glass. He must have heard her yell, or bump into the glass, as he looked up to see her. He sighed, still feeling that he?d rather have his trial witnessed. But Ayame continued to wave and smile like she always did. Before she could watch him anymore, she heard a shout. [b]"Hey you!"[/b] [b]"Ah!"[/b] she cried quietly, seeing the figure jogging towards her. She recognized the man?s peculiar clothing as that of a seeker, characters that brought, generally, only bad news. But she couldn?t get away, and felt the cold, firm grip of the man?s hand on her shoulder. [b]"This trial can not be viewed by any students,"[/b] the man said in a low whisper. His voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she suddenly found herself wishing that Kyosuke was there. Without warning, Daiya flew in from outside and bit the man ferociously on the hand. He recoiled, and Ayame could?ve sworn she heard him snarl. But Daiya quickly latched onto her shoulder and instructed her to stay quiet, but Ayame wouldn?t listen. [b]"I was told viewing other trials was an option, since there is time before we have to start our own,"[/b] she explained to the man. [b]"This is a special case. Now leave. Report to your own room now."[/b] He stepped forward to push her out the door, but Daiya arched his back and hissed, stopping him and reminding him of his bloody right hand. [i]"I?ll take her,"[/i] he told the man. The next instant, they were gone. [center]---[/center] The two reappeared in front of a large door, similar to the ones the others had walked through. Ayame gulped, looking around her to see if there was anyone remaining. Since she didn?t see anyone, she reluctantly grabbed the handle and pushed it open. Inside it was dark, except for a small flame at the other end of the room. A few steps inside, she noticed that Daiya had not followed her. [b]"Aren?t you coming?"[/b] she asked him. He shrugged, and attempted to float in after her, but was thrown back, followed by the doors closing swiftly behind him. [b]"Daiya!"[/b] she shouted, running back towards the door. She banged several times, pulling as hard as she could, but it refused to budge. Behind her, she felt a wave of hot air flare up in the room. Turning around, she saw the flame had engulfed half the room. Her eyes grew wide as she fell slowly against the door. [b]"? Mother? Father?"[/b] she muttered, the flames slowly reawakening buried memories. Images she had not seen since she was four flooded her. Friends, homes? family. As she sat in a collapsed heap against the locked door, the fire was quickly approaching her. The heat made it harder and harder for her to stay conscious, even though she was off in another world anyway. The memory of the day of the fire that burned down and killed her entire home village snapped her out of it. Getting onto her feet in a flash, her eyes full of rage, she pulled her warhammer off of her back and slammed it against the ground as hard as she could, creating a large crack in the floor. Despite the obstacle that was opening slowly, the flames continued to crawl around it and towards her. [b]"Serpent, awaken!"[/b] she shouted angrily. Suddenly, the room shook violently, creating several more cracks throughout the floor and walls. The crack she had created broke apart until a large circular hole rested in the center of the large room. The flames fell into it as it grew until they stopped advancing, though they still remained. Out of the hole emerged a giant, jet black snake. Its belly was decorated in symbols that showed it was bestowed with black magic. This would normally surprise her, since she could never summon anything with powers other than the basic four elements, but her rage had engulfed her and she thought nothing of it. Ayame jumped skillfully onto the creature?s back as it continued pulling its lengthy body out of the hole. When it was completely out of the crevice, it took up half the room, even though it had curled itself several times, and its head nearly reached the high ceiling above. Grabbing Ayame with its tail and placing her on its head, the snake?s eyes suddenly changed from calm to angry, using her emotions as a source of power and determination. To match the ferocity and size of Ayame?s summon, the flames suddenly shot up four times its previous height, and the fire spread to wherever the snake?s mass did not reach. But neither the angry girl nor her summoned spirit were fazed by this sudden menace. Ayame waved her extended right arm, her warhammer gripped firmly in her fist. The snake beneath her opened its large mouth, revealing oozing fangs and a black tongue. Following a frightening hiss, a black beam suddenly shot out of the beast, erasing whatever it hit. Soon there was only one spot of fire that refused to be extinguished. Before Ayame could instruct the serpent to erase it, too, it suddenly transformed itself in a burst of mist into a small lizard-shaped monster. [b]"Shape shifter,"[/b] she muttered upon seeing this form, though her eyes were still full of anger and hate. With a thought, Ayame instructed the snake to pick her up and place her on the ground. She walked towards the mist as it shifted through forms of the people and creatures she loved and cared for. It tried desperately to falter her so it could escape, but she continued her advance. She did not pause when it turned into her friends, Daiya, or even her recently remembered parents. Only did it temporarily change into Kyosuke did she pause, or maybe it was because she was standing right in front of it. She looked up at the fake Kyosuke?s face and smiled. The creature was about to jump away when it stopped after a sickening crack filled the room. Her warhammer was firmly set in its head, Ayame?s hands still attached to the handle. The disguise faded away, and her warhammer floated towards the ground to reveal it had crushed the skull of the creature. Blood began to pool around her feet as she dropped the handle of her weapon. Part of the back wall of the room suddenly opened and Instructors Iraki and Gillium rushed into the room. [b]"Ayame! Your trial is over! Send the beast back and come with us,"[/b] Iraki said calmly. Both Instructors warily eyed the giant black snake behind her. When she was placed on its head, it made a telepathic-connection with her. Though she was mostly in control, it was influencing her into a more violent state of mind. But it couldn?t remain in the physical world if she didn?t want it to, and the longer she stayed off of his head, the easier it would be to break the connection. Before either could reach her, the snake grabbed her and replaced her on its head, both of their eyes glowing for a moment. [b]"Jane, what do we do?"[/b] Iraki asked in an anxious tone. [b]"If we don?t do something, that thing will make her destroy the entire academy!"[/b] [b]"Solomon?I just want you to keep her distracted for a little bit,"[/b] Gillium replied. The water expert was reluctant to attack one of his students, especially one that was normally so gentle and kind, but he nodded solemnly. [/indent] --- OOC: Gah. This thing ended up being really long [and boring]. =3=;; Sorry if it?s too much to read. D: My next post will finish up the current problem. If others finish their trials before I post, feel free to have your characters see Ayame if you want to. And way to go Acheron. Stealing my first idea for Ayame?s trial. xP[/size]

[size=1][indent][b]Name:[/b] Elizabeth 'Liz' Anderson [b]Age:[/b] 28 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Ethnicity:[/b] Caucasian [b]Appearance:[/b] Despite being almost thirty, Liz can still pass for being barely twenty. She's petite, standing at only 5'4" and weighing around 120 lbs. She frequents the gym, so she's in shape and eating healthy. Her wavy black hair reaches down to her elbows, but she almost never wears it down, keeping it up in buns or ponytails. To work, she wears dark blazers over white dress shirts and skirts in a variety of styles, complimented by her large shoe closet which generates lots of teasing. Outside of the office, she sticks to sweatpants, jeans, and baggy cargo shorts. She dislikes skirts that go above the knee, especially mini skirts, but will occasionally wear shorter skirts out of the house for dates. Her tops vary from tank tops to long sleeves, depending on the weather and what shoes she's wearing. [b]Personality:[/b] Liz is extremely reserved in the office. While her desk is fairly clean, she's not a neat-freak, though she can become a perfectionist when it comes to some jobs. She doesn't talk to anyone unless she knows them, they talk to her first, or they're working on a project together. She can start off quite shy, but when her shell is cracked, she unleashes a giggly, chatty, somewhat oblivious, shop-aholic. Her shoe closet is immense, which is a bit surprising when the price is compared to how much money she actually earns. Many suppose she takes her boyfriends to the mall and comes home with a dozen new pairs. She also makes a habit out of critiquing others on their choice of dates, as well as other things. When it comes to boyfriends and dates, Liz is extremely picky. There are many things she can't stand in men, and refuses to take on the task of trying to rid them of these habits/characteristics, and will simply lose interest in them. She enjoys dating guys that have a sense of adventure and would rather go to places they haven?t been to before than fall into the habit of doing only the same routine over and over again. She dates guys for the long-term, but has a habit of getting tired of them quickly and moving on. She does not see other men during her relationships, as she advocates the ideal, 'treat others the way you would like to be treated'. She is an avid flirter when single, though. [b]Family:[/b] Liz has a very strained relationship with her mother who was always very controlling in her life. She doesn't approve of her position in life, and doesn't seem to change her mind no matter what Liz does, but Liz has grown accustomed to it. She still detests talking to her, in person or over the phone. Since her parents divorced when she was very young, she talks and visits her father separately, and enjoys her time with him much more. He lives in Manhattan, so she goes to see him more often than he comes to see her. She has a half-brother that also lives in New York City, but they rarely see each other and communicate mostly by e-mail. Currently, Liz is not seeing anyone. [b]Information:[/b] Liz lives in a roomy apartment on the top floor of a six-floor apartment building deep in the city. She has had several boyfriends move in and out, with a designated room for them which she goes through and redecorates after each one leaves. The largest part of her apartment would have to be her closet, and the largest section of that, her shoes, as stated several times before. She has rich parents, and will often get money for gifts around Christmas or her birthday, which she quickly puts to use, though many assume it is her boyfriends that pay for her things (which isn't true, because she seems to always snag the cheap/poor ones that move in with her).[/indent] --- OOC: Sorry for not finishing the last bit. I?m being kicked off the computer. >.< And I went a little overboard with everything, too. xD Will hopefully finish sometime tomorrow night. This looks very interesting DW, by the way. ^_~[/size]

[size=1][indent][center]One Month prior to Finals - 9:31 AM, Ayame's Dorm Room[/center] Ayame woke up with a start, glaring at her alarm clock. The alarm had been turned off, and now she was late. Before she could move an inch, as she was about to pick up and fling the tiny thing against the wall, Daiya floated up in front of her. [i]"Don't you go punishing it, Ayame. You slammed it hard enough earlier."[/i] [b]"Huh?"[/b] she blinked for a moment, and recalled that she had, indeed, already abused her alarm clock this morning. But that didn't change the fact that she was late. [b]"Aaaaaah!"[/b] Her whine awoke her roommate who, as it turned out, was Ayumi. Ayame, who had missed the entire incident between her and Rinoa, and for some reason has yet to hear about it, thought the girl's drastic change in temperment was attributed to her constant giggling and being nice to her when the two were both in the room. [b]"What are you doing?"[/b] she yawned. [b]"There are no classes today... It's a [i]Sunday[/i]."[/b] [b]"I'm going to meet a group of my friends today. Besides, it's my birthday!"[/b] she giggled, practically jumping out of her pajamas. Ayumi laughed, wished her a happy birthday, and rolled back over to try and get more sleep in. Ayame was careful to get dressed and brush her hair and everything as quietly as she could. Ayumi was forgiving at first, but she knew two strikes was all it took to get her angry like she used to be, and an angry Ayumi frightened her a bit. Ten minutes passed before she finally made it out of her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Bursting out into a skip-run kind of thing, she held on to her bag's strap to make sure she didn't drop it or leave behind as she headed towards the cafe to get some quick breakfast. When she turned the corner, she saw a large group of people in front of the cafe which was very unusual for this time on a Sunday. It took a moment to register before she tried desperately to slow down but instead ran into and fell down with one of them. [b]"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"[/b] she chanted, rubbing her head. [b]"Ayame? What are you doing [i]here[/i]? You were supposed to go the library first."[/b] [b]"Yeah, but I woke up late, so... Wait a second. Sakura?!"[/b] Ayame blurted out. Looking up, she recognized the others standing around. Carrot, Lazarus and a few others were missing, but most of the group was there. Between the day of the announcement and today, Aaron had introduced everyone to Stephen, a very handsome boy that Ayame had developed a school girl crush on. Stephen moved to help her up, but Kyosuke 'accidentally' brushed past him and held out his hands, helping both girls up. [b]"Guess I should go get Rinoa,"[/b] Sakura sighed. [b]"Wait, what's going on?"[/b] Ayame asked, still completely unaware of what was going on. Daiya popped out of her bag, willing to explain, but seeing the looks from everyone else, immediately shut up. [b]"I don't get it!"[/b] Ayame whined, upset that she didn't understand when everyone else was in on it. --- It was eventually revealed that they had all planned a small party for her, and out in the courtyard, she recieved a few gifts and chatted up a storm. Havok was, as always, practically stalking Rinoa as he followed her around the entire time she wasn't concentrating on him. When Alex had to leave, she had to practically tackle him to get a hug, which was a very amusing scene for everyone else. Ayame would talk to anyone and everyone that passed by, even if they were just stopping by to wish her a happy birthday. When it was all over, only Sakura, Kyosuke and Stephen had stayed in the courtyard with Ayame the longest. When she yawned, they figured it was over. Stephen offered to help her carry a few of her larger gifts up to the room. Sakura had to practically drag Kyosuke away, as he wanted to help too, even though both Ayame and Stephen assured him they could manage fine without him. [b]"See you tomorrow, Kyosuke!"[/b] Ayame waved. Though the two had gotten close, she still didn't feel like she was important enough to him to call him by his less formal nickname. [b]"Okay, Ayame. Lets go,"[/b] Stephen encouraged. When the two arrived at her room, Ayumi was sitting outside smoking a cigarrette. [b]"Why aren't you inside?"[/b] Ayame wondered. [b]"Take a look yourself,"[/b] she chuckled. Eyeing her curiously, Ayame opened the door anyway and was instantly flooded with gifts. Stephen was taken aback, almost dropping the gifts he was carrying on his own foot. Carefully setting them aside, he helped her out of the mass of presents. [b]"Wow.. I had no idea you were this popular,"[/b] he laughed. Ayame smiled, her face a bit pink. [b]"I just talk to a lot of people, and I guess I let it slip it was my birthday,"[/b] she shrugged. Though it was true she didn't ask for people to give her gifts, 'letting it slip' was a bit of an understatement. For the past month and a half, it was all she talked about. People she had never seen before, from the new six year olds to fellow seniors, she made sure knew her birthday was coming up. Most of the students who gave her gifts would probably say they were offerings to make her stop talking. [b]"But the problems now are... Where are we going to put them, and how am I supposed to get enough cards to write thank you cards back to them all?"[/b] Stephen and Ayumi cracked up, and Ayame looked back at them in surprise. Her cheeks were pink, embarrassed that she might have said something stupid. [b]"Who writes thank you cards?"[/b] they both spat out between laughs, almost crying they were laughing so hard. Ayame wondered why it was so funny, but shrugged and started wading through the gifts to find an empty closet to shove them into for now.[/indent] --- OOC: Nobody writes thank you cards except old people. D: Sorry, random post. Just wanted to post once more in the prologue. xD Hope you don't mind, White.[/size]

[SIZE=1]Pssh. Kitty doesn't spam. She [i]demands[/i]. Get it straight, DH. ^_~ And the link isn't working for me, by the way. But I saw it before, and it was looking pretty good. The thought of a dance gets me all kinds of excited, but only 'cause I such a dork like that. xD KW, White and BKStyles know what I'm talking about, lol. [C'mere KyoPuppykun~! ;D] I'm really pumped for these exams. I'm really curious about how they're going to be played out, since you previously mentioned splitting us into groups. So... Make it happen. D:< *impatient*[/demand] [b]edit[/b] :: Link works now. And how is supporting you to do something awesome and creative spam? D;[/SIZE]

[size=1]OOC: No worries, Acheron. Pink is very much Ayame's color. xD Not much happens in this post, so don't get too excited. *points at KW* >.>;; --- [indent][center]Day 2 - 10:35 AM, Infirmary[/center] Ayame smiled wide as she held out her hand for Aaron. He paused before chuckling and gently grabbing it with his own. [b]"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aaron."[/b] [b]"Same here."[/b] The uneasy silence refilled the room until Carrot and the rest of the group returned with defeated looks on their faces. [b]"We couldn't get into the base-- YOU TWO!"[/b] Carrot shouted upon looking up and seeing the two she had been looking for standing right in front of her. Ayame, who was standing next to Kyosuke, took a step backwards, almost as if to hide behind him. [b]"Heh. Heard you came looking for us,"[/b] Kyosuke laughed. While Carrot began grinding her teeth in fury, Sakura ran up from behind her and pushed a menacing finger up against his nose. [b]"You are in no condition to leave this room, Kyosuke."[/b] Ayame and the others could tell she was mad, as Sakura almost never referred to him by his full name. [b]"I don't know how you got out of here and back without us seeing you, but I suggest you don't do it again unless you want worse injuries, courtesy of yours truly."[/b] [b]"Alright, alright.. I had just dropped something and Ayame helped me get it back,"[/b] he tried to explain. He tried to sound apologetic, but had little practice at it, and came off sounding somewhat smug. She eyed him angrily, only just glancing back at Ayame for a second. Over towards the door, the steaming red head paused for a moment, her face turning bright red. [b]"What's wrong?"[/b] Rinoa asked, being the first to notice. The others turned to look at her, and she waved her hands frantically in front of her face. [b]"N-Nothing! It's nothing! But really. You shouldn't have left, Orias. You're barely standing where you are right now,"[/b] she spat, trying to get the attention off her. [b]"It's my fault,"[/b] Ayame suddenly spoke up. [b]"I should have gone to find it on my own, rather than drag him with me. I'm sorry for any distress I may have caused you all."[/b] Her apology was rather formal, especially for her, and was even accompanied with a bow. [b]"A-Ayame, really--"[/b] Kyosuke mumbled, but Ayame smiled up at him. [b]"All I have is a minor headache, so I'll be going now. Studying for the finals, y'know? Bye everyone,"[/b] she waved, walking past everyone and out the door. She sighed as she shut it behind her, and started off with a brisk pace, wanting desperately to get out of there. [i]"Smoochy, smoochy!"[/i] came Daiya's teasing tone. Ayame's face turned bright pink as she clamped her hands over Daiya's face and pulled him off her head and tucked into her stomach in one swift, rapid movement. [b]"[i]Shhh[/i]!"[/b] she exclaimed, her head whipping around to see if there was anybody nearby. [b]"Keep your big, telepathic mouth shut!"[/b] [i]"Okay, okay!"[/i] he cried, struggling to get out of her arms. When she finally released him, he floated safely a few feet ahead of her. [i]"Party pooper."[/i] She eyed him warily, but he merely shrugged and turned around, floating in the direction of the library. [i]"Clear your head and meet me at the library later."[/i] Ayame blinked before grinning. Daiya could be a pain, but he understood her better than almost anyone that came to mind. That brought up the image of Kyosuke smiling. Her already red face seemed to turn several shades darker, and she desperately brought her overly-large sleeves in front of her face, bringing to her attention that if she was going to return to class, she'd have to get into her uniform. [b]"Crap,"[/b] she sighed, breaking out into a run towards her room.[/indent][/size]

[SIZE=1]Class schedules are a good idea. :3 [indent]Class 1: Summoning with Instructor Uzume [in the RP it was said Ayame has this class with Kyosuke and Sakura] Class 2: Weapons Training with Instructor Cavalier [same as above ^^;] Class 3: Collective Elemental Magic with Instructor Shandala [not sure about this instructor since this class wouldn't involve support magic] Class 4: Water-Specific Magic with Instructor Iraki[/indent] And there's lunch in between the second and third class.[/SIZE]

[size=1][indent][center]Day 2 - 9:30 AM, Infirmary[/center] Ayame was stuck in a bad dream with no way out. Her brief semi-consciousness gave her momentary refuge from the barrage of bad memories, but she was quickly dropped back into them. Things she would rather not remember at all flooded her, leaving her miserable and lost. She tried to ask where she was, but no sound came out. And then, memories of the events of last night took over her thoughts. Though she was knocked out for a large portion of the fight with Mox, she still felt Aggaememmnon's presence. When he arrived, she felt as if she was melting, and after he left, she felt frozen solid. And though she was unconscious, the sound Mox being bitten in half echoed through her ears. She thought of the others getting hurt, and that she couldn't do anything to help out. Kyosuke, Alex, and even Lazarus did something. All she did was get tossed around like a useless rag doll. [i]Do I really deserve to wake up? What's the point if I'm just going to end up being a burden for people?[/i] Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a somewhat blurry yellow room full of people. [b]"She looks confused,"[/b] one voice muttered. [b]"I would be, too,"[/b] another replied. She recognized this voice. [b]"Alex, is that you?"[/b] she asked, rubbing her eyes as she sat up slowly. Her vision cleared, and she saw him nod. She blinked and glanced around the room. She recognized most of them, but was surprised that so many had heard they were there already. Sakura had just gone to see Kyosuke behind his curtain, and Havok was convincing Rinoa that it would be best to let Sakura go in first. Alex, Carrot and another boy she didn't know too well were talking, though she didn't appear to be too happy with the boy. And then Ayame remembered her dream. She had the intense urge to curl up in a ball and die right there just thinking about it, but she was tackled by Daiya. [i]"Ayame!"[/i] he giggled as she attempted to detach him from her face. [b]"Hey Daiya,"[/b] she mumbled. [i]"I brought you some ice cream from the cafe."[/i] he smiled, pulling the dessert out of thin air. [i]"It's your favorite!"[/i] [b]"Thanks."[/b] She pulled the wrapping off and took a small bite out of it. The furry spirit raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She was unusually calm and quiet, even though she was generally like this after waking up. He shook of the odd feeling he got, passing it off as over worrying. [b]"My, my. He just won't wake up,"[/b] Nurse Mallon muttered to herself as she walked out into the room. She was surprised at the large number of students there, but smiled. [b]"Whoever wants to visit Mister McCloud may do so now,"[/b] she smiled as she walked away. Nobody made any movement to do so, except for Ayame who handed her ice cream to Daiya to finish. Rinoa and Alex were the only ones that noticed, but only glanced at each other. She pulled the curtains aside and entered the small section to see a sleeping Lazarus. He looked peaceful, but she wondered if he was having a similar nightmare experience like she had. She walked over to the side of the bed and stood in silence for a moment before smiling. [b]"Thank you. I thought you were a mean guy, but I'm glad I was wrong. Wake up soon, okay?"[/b] And with that, she got up and walked out. She asked the others if it was okay to visit Kyosuke, and the general response was 'only if you want to'. Sakura had an obviously upset expression on her face, and Ayame wondered what could have happened between them, but entered his room anyway. [b]"Hey Kyosuke,"[/b] she said quietly. [b]"Ayame! Are you sure you should be--"[/b] he began, but was silenced when she waved a hand. [b]"I'm fine. I just got tossed around a little, that's all. How about you? How is your shoulder?"[/b] she asked. [b]"It's been better."[/b] She jumped up and sat on the bed beside him, though the two remained quiet. After a while he spoke up. [b]"You sure you're okay? I've never seen you this quiet."[/b] [b]"Hmm? Oh... I was just thinking about some things,"[/b] she replied, avoiding his eyes. [b]"Can I ask you a favor?"[/b] he asked. She looked up at him and nodded. [b]"Can you help me look for my cross? It's probably down in the basement, but I don't think I can move too well on my own."[/b] [b]"No problem,"[/b] she smiled meekly before calling for Daiya. [b]"Take us down to the basement."[/b] [i]"The basement? But... I thought you couldn't stand it down there?"[/i] he replied. She glared at him, making him float backwards a bit. [i]"Okay, okay. You're scary when you wake up, you know that? Sheesh."[/i] He flew up, landed on Ayame's shoulder and wrapped his tails around Kyosuke's arm. A moment later, the three were gone.[/indent] --- OOC: The clock makes things much easier. xD Sorry if it's long. Got inspiration half way through. >.>;[/size]

[SIZE=1]I'll join you Sakura, even though we're opposite elements. xD I was worried about the same thing. By my count, the four in the infirmary are there sometime between midnight and one/one-thirty in the morning. Most everyone else [with a few exceptions, like White] are wrapping up there day from evening to late night. When I post next, I plan to start using the clock. ^_^[/SIZE]

[size=1][indent]The boy named Ferin jumped wildly at the creature, but was thrown back easily. Vivi threw a couple fireballs which didn't do considerable damage, but managed to make contact with the beast. Red, otherwise known as Nanaki, charged towards the large heartless before jumping into the air, curling into a ball, and colliding with it. Red was sent flying back towards Kairi, while the creature merely stumbled backwards a bit. Ferin, who had tried several times to get close to the creature with little success, noticed Kairi standing still. [b]"Girl-- er, Kairi! What are you doing?"[/b] he shouted, jumping to the side as the beast smashed its fist where he had been standing. She blinked for a moment upon hearing her name, then realized she was spacing out. [b]"Sorry!"[/b] she called back. Gripping her Intertwining Destiny keyblade tightly, she glanced around the large section of the street and chose to run around behind the beast while Ferin kept it busy with advances from the front. [b]"Hey Vivi,"[/b] Kairi whispered to the short mage beside her. [b]"Hmm?"[/b] [b]"Keep his attention in that direction,"[/b] she pointed. He paused for a moment before nodding and running to a better spot. Kairi burst out into a run, trying her best not to be seen by the heartless. But before she could get to the favorable position, she heard a shout of pain coming from Ferin. He had been hit rather hard by the creature's large shield and was about to get stomped on. Kairi knew she had to heal him, but it would risk her being spotted. But her stopping to think made her too late as the creature's foot contacted with ground. She flinched, and was about to cry out his name when she saw he had disappeared as the heartless lifted its large foot. [b]"Phew,"[/b] she sighed, though she wondered where he had gone. Figuring Red had snatched him, she continued on her way.[/indent] --- OOC: Sorry, it's a short post. Doublehex asked me to, so blame him. :P And there was no Cheshire Cat this time(?). ;3[/size]

[size=1][indent]Alex helped Lazarus up off the floor, but tension once again flared up between the two. Ayame had fallen to her knees a few feet away, breathing quietly. [b]"When do you plan on calling him?"[/b] Alex asked. [b]"When the time is right."[/b] [b]"You'll let us in on it, won't you?"[/b] [b]"I don't need help, if that's what you're asking,"[/b] Lazarus replied blatantly. He was referring to the actual process of calling the demon, but Alex thought he was belittling him again. He glared back at Lazarus, but before he could say another word, Ayame stood in between the two. [b]"Don't. I want to get out of here,"[/b] she said in an unusually chilling tone. The two boys noticed, and Alex let out a sigh, though his eyes did not waver from Lazarus. [b]"Fine,"[/b] he said, ruffling his hair. But before either could move, the sound of footsteps made all three students freeze. [b]"Mox!"[/b] Alex whispered anxiously. Lazarus motioned to a spot where anyone entering would not be able to see unless they turned around and looked to the right. Alex and Ayame rushed over and pulled themselves as close to the wall as possible. Ayame was still shaken by the sight of the demon, and was close to panicking. If she didn't get some fresh air soon, she was going to pass out. [b]"What is it Professor?"[/b] Lazarus began, though the source of the footsteps was still in shadow. [b]"Professor? I know I'm smart, but I don't think I have the patience to teach brats,"[/b] the figure replied. [b]"Kyosuke?"[/b] Ayame muttered, recognizing the voice, but Alex did not and proceeded to clamp a hand over her mouth, putting a finger over his own. [b]"Is that you Ayame? Where are you?"[/b] Lazarus groaned when Kyosuke came into the light, receiving a not-so-friendly look in return. But he was not interested in Lazarus and looked around the large room instead. When he finally spotted Alex and Ayame against the wall, he walked over calmly. [i]"Ayame! Are you alright?"[/i] Daiya asked, leaping out of Kyosuke's arms and onto her shoulder, a worried expression on his face. He was too worried to bother preventing the others from hearing him, leaving a confused Lazarus to wonder who had spoken. [b]"Who was that?"[/b] he wondered aloud, but nobody said anything. After a few moments of silence, he shouted angrily. [b]"Would [i]somebody[/i] answer me?"[/b] Both Alex and Kyosuke turned away from the quivering Ayame to face him, neither one with a pleasant expression. While the three concentrated on one another, Ayame leapt up and rushed out towards the door, no longer able to stand the environment. Kyosuke called for her to wait before they all heard her scream. Suddenly, she was thrown forward, landing at Alex's feet. She got up on her knees, rubbing her bruised shoulder. [b]"Now what have we here?"[/b] Mox laughed, walking closer.[/indent] --- OOC: Hope you don't mind guys. :3 PM/IM me if anything needs changing.[/size]

[size=1][indent][color=#830093]The Cheshire Cat grinned from a distance, watching the three battle the large monster. He had predicted the arrival of the third fighter, having felt his presence for quite a while. He wagged his tail as he wondered whether or not joining would be fun when he noticed a young girl approaching. [b]"Right on time,"[/b] he giggled, fading away like he always did.[/color] Kairi wandered around Twilight Town, wondering whether or not the others had found anything yet in the other directions. She glanced around and noticed that there were several different places to go, and some of them even seemed familiar, but she shook away the feeling. [b]"This place is so strange. And it's been dusk for a long time,"[/b] she thought aloud, noting the perpetual sunset. Suddenly, her version of a keyblade appeared in her palm, and she gripped it tightly. It pulsed and the glow around it grew brighter as she turned towards the street on her right. As she turned and started walking that way, she heard shouts and grunts. [b]"A battle?"[/b] she whispered. She started off in a run to get a closer look at the source of the noises. As she had thought, it was a fight. A boy, a mage, and a... tiger? She wasn't sure what the red beast was exactly, but all three of them were fighting a large monster with a shield. [b]"Heartless."[/b] [b]"Indeed,"[/b] came a whisper in her ear. Startled, Kairi stumbled back a few steps, her head snapping around to find who had spoken. [b]"Up here, my dear."[/b] Looking up, she saw a plump cat with odd colored fur floating around. [b]"Who are you?"[/b] she asked calmly. The cat merely chuckled before pulling off his head and dropping it into her arms. She gasped, but did not drop it. Her keyblade began glowing even more. [b]"What is it?"[/b] [b]"If you look closely, low and behold..."[/b] the head trailed off. Kairi, carefully holding the cat's head under her left arm, extended her right, keyblade in hand, and pointed it towards the creature. The glow concentrated at the tip of the keyblade, rapidly extending until it reached the beast. Its movement and reaction time slowed down until it was completely still, and the three that had been fighting it looked over to see her. [b]"Quickly!"[/b] Kairi shouted, realizing that her keyblade had just cast Stopra, though she didn't call for it. [b]"A mind and a glow of its own. This blade stems from the heart, do not forget,"[/b] said the Cheshire Cat before his head faded away, leaving a slightly confused Kairi behind.[/indent] --- OOC: The spell lasts for a little over a minute, so feel free to use or waste the time (whether you want the battle to get over soon or not). Hope you don't mind me including Kairi in the fight. ^_^[/size]

[SIZE=1]OOC: We're moving fast, aren't we? xD I'm not used to posting this much in the same thread in only two days, lol. Also, I've noticed some of us are posting about different times. Hopefully we can tie that up soon. >.>;; --- [indent]Ayame reemerged from her room, clad in her favorite orange hat and shirt, and brown shorts. Daiya was resting on her shoulder when Alex asked if he was coming along. [i]"It's potentially dangerous. Of course I'm coming,"[/i] Daiya spoke up. Alex was startled, having not heard Daiya speak before. [b]"He can talk?"[/b] Alex blinked. [b]"In a sense,"[/b] Ayame replied, [b]"But that's not important. So how do you plan on getting Mox to explain everything to us? A truth spell or something? Not sure one of those exists, but..."[/b] Alex rolled his eyes as she trailed off into thought. It was typical of her to continue talking about something when she had made her point or asked her question already. [b]"We aren't going to make him tell us anything,"[/b] he interrupted her ramblings. [b]"What?! That makes no sense!"[/b] she cried, not understanding it at all. [b]"I'll explain on the way. C'mon. We've got to find Lazarus before he heads down to the basement."[/b] [b]"But I thought we were trying to get the info out of Mox, Alex. ... Alex?"[/b] While she had been shutting her dorm room door behind her and asking the question, Alex had already started walking and turned a corner. She called for him to wait up, getting a bit flustered at the lack of explanations coming from him. [center][Courtyard - Midnight][/center] [b]"We've been here for almost an hour, Alex. How much longer do we have to hide back here and wait?"[/b] Ayame whispered impatiently, stroking Daiya who was napping quietly in her lap. Alex, as he had said, explained to her what the plan was on their way to find Lazarus. But what Ayame didn't get was why they didn't just use the magi now. As she stared out from behind the foliage to the other side of the courtyard, he tried to explain. [b]"We don't know how much time we'll need, so it's best to save them for when Mox shows up."[/b] [b]"Then it's time to use them now, 'cause here he is,"[/b] Ayame pointed. And sure enough, there he was, talking with Lazarus. When the two had gotten up, Alex grabbed Ayame's wrist and dragged her after them. [b]"Uh... B-But..."[/b] Ayame stuttered upon seeing the open door to the basement. [b]"What? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts [i]now[/i],"[/b] Alex sighed. [b]"N-no, it's just... corpses are really creepy... But! I've gotta do this!"[/b] she began saying to herself. Alex stared at her as she seemed to be boosting her own spirits; a new and strange sight to see. A moment or two later, she was back to her perky, silly self. [b]"Thanks Daiya,"[/b] she added. Alex was about to ask who she was talking to when he remembered her cat was still with them. Then the last few moments made more sense to him. [b]"Alright, you ready? Remember. So long as you stay still, you?re invisible."[/b] [b]"Got it,"[/b] she nodded.[/indent][/SIZE]

[size=1][indent]Ayame worried that her leaving the library to find Alex would give the others, including Kyosuke, the impression that she liked him. While she thought, her ever-present smile faded slightly as Lazarus entered her thoughts. She often seemed angry about what he did, especially his latest episode with Alex, but she was actually afraid of him more than any student on campus. Not because he was studying black magic or because he seemed so downright mean towards everyone, but because for a couple years, she had a large crush on him. She didn't know why herself, as he had been blatently rude towards her on several occassions when she had just run into him, but it didn't stop her. It was only at the beginning of this year did her attention shift onto anyone else, but she still felt extremely embarrassed that she had liked him for so long. She also thought he had indirectly shot down her advances, though in truth, she hadn't advanced towards him at all and he barely said anything to her about that kind of thing. [b]"Now where did Alex run off to?"[/b] Ayame sighed, not wanting to dwell on the thought any longer. Out of nowhere, Daiya floated into her at a rather high speed, knocking her over and sending her books all over the hallway. [b]"Daiya?! Where have you been?"[/b] [i]"At the cafe,"[/i] he explained, licking his lips. [i]"Do you know how good their ice cream is?"[/i] He floated dazily into her arms, obviously exhausted after treating himself to the food in the cafe's freezer. And then, she remembered that she had promised Alex some ice cream. [b]"Daiya, head back to the dorm. I'll meet up with you tonight, 'kay?"[/b] She watched as her furry friend floated away before kneeling down to pick up her things. Gathering all her things back into her bag, she got up to head towards the cafe, but instead ran into somebody. [b]"Oh, sorry! I was just picking some things up and-- Alex!"[/b] She interrupted her own ramblings when she saw who it was she had bumped into. He didn't say anything, and turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the cafe. He wasn't sure where they were going, but he didn't mind that she was paying attention to him. [b]"One mint chocolate chip for me and a, um..."[/b] she paused, glancing over at Alex. He shrugged and mumbled 'peanut butter'. [b]"And a peanut butter for him."[/b] The woman handed over two cones and Ayame quickly took a bite out of hers, holding out the other for him. He accepted it and took a small bite, but remained silent. [b]"C'mon. Lets go to the gardens,"[/b] Ayame smiled, looping her arm with his and walking off. When they arrived in the garden, the two had almost finished their cones. They had walked in silence, aside from Ayame's giggles when he took small bites of his ice cream. She gave him back his arm and sat on the bench, patting the spot beside her, but he chose to lean against the stone fence. [b]"You know... You shouldn't pay any mind to what guys like Lazarus say,"[/b] Ayame began. He must have expected a talk, but he refused to look at her. [b]"Lazarus is just... just... Gah, just ignore him. He just wants to psyche you out and make you worry!"[/b] [b]"Yeah, but... He's right--"[/b] [b]"No, he isn't! You can't believe what he says or else you [i]will[/i] get killed during the last exams. Besides, one person's opinion does not define who you are."[/b] [b]"But it's not just one persons opinion!"[/b] Alex protested. [b]"Everyone at the school must think that of me.."[/b] [b]"Well, I don't. And I bet you Kyosuke and the others don't think that either. You aren't a coward, Alex. You're just shy, and there's nothing wrong with that,"[/b] she smiled. He was finally looking at her, but he stayed quiet. Ayame, who had finished her ice cream, got off the bench and gave him a hug, something that caught him off guard. [b]"You're my friend Alex. Don't forget that, okay?"[/b] [b]"Um.. Ayame?"[/b] he asked, his face rather pink out of embarrassment. [b]"Yeah?"[/b] she asked, finally letting go. [b]"... Thanks."[/b] [b]"No problem! So... [i]Now[/i] can I get a ride?"[/b] she giggled, pulling him away from the stone fence and jumping on his back like she had earlier. [b]"C'mon! Move! We aren't going to get anywhere if you just stand there,"[/b] she teased. [b]"You want me to move? Alright. But I'd hold on if I were you,"[/b] he added with a grin. Finishing his ice cream in two big bites, he burst out into a sprint. He was running extremely fast for someone carrying another person. One arm around his neck and the other up in the air, Ayame cheered loudly as the two crossed the large garden.[/indent] --- OOC: Hope this was okay. Wow, Ayame's a big flirt, huh? xD I don't know if the school has a garden or not, but I thought it made a nice setting. I'm assuming its huge, though, based on the size of the academy, lol. EDIT: I wanna make it clear that Ayame doesn't like Alex. Does [i]not[/i], despite the impression some of my posts may give. Just pointing it out. ^_^;[/size]

[SIZE=1]Gah. So many good RPs this summer. o: I missed this one the first time around, but I'd love to participate this time. ^_^ And KW stole my character preference essentially. xD I had to change her race and military standing, but not much else [thank goodness *too lazy to start over*]. Sorry it's not all done. Just don't want my character having to go through another makeover. x3 EDIT: Got the excerpt done [finally]. :P --- [B]Name:[/B] Ahndra Vreey [Pronounced: Aa-n-dra Vu-ree] [B]Age:[/B] 27 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [B]Race:[/B] Hanka [B]Occupation:[/B] Breeder [B]Position:[/B] N/A [B]Weapon:[/B] N/A [B]Appearance:[/B] [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/RandomPicchus/012.jpg]Ahndra[/url] [B]Personality:[/B] Ahndra is a very shy girl, having had little contact with other people other than customers coming to her parents' ranch to buy or sell things or animals like Arma Birds. She tries to be as helpful as she can be, but has a tendency to overreact about things she makes minor mistakes about. Despite her shyness, she is very confident when it comes to her riding abilities. Being raised around multitudes of critters since she was a baby, she has easily adapted to riding, communicating and controlling animals. She has no favorites, and often dislikes picking one animal over another, though she knows how to tell subtle differences quite well. Her oldest animal companion is a Chai with blue feathers that she calls "Blue" [creative, no?] Ahndra learned most of what she knows now from spending lots of time in her father's study where he kept lots of history and story books. From all her reading, Ahndra is aware of all the events between the clashing races, especially since the books are from a third-person, non-bias race. However, despite all her reading and the influence of her anti-war parents, Ahndra is tired of living the quiet life, and wants to join or at least help the soldiers end the war as much as she can. She sides with Malroy because a few Meram killed an entire field full of Arma Birds without taking the remains as they passed through. Such senseless violence, especially towards animals, disturbs her greatly. [B]Excerpt of Character:[/B] Ahndra blinked her eyes several times, trying to get them to focus. She sat up slowly, realizing she was in her bed, though she didn't remember falling asleep there. Glancing over at the window, she spotted her calendar. Today's date was circled several times over in red and black. She thought for a moment before leaping out of bed, still dressed in yesterday's clothes. [b]"Father!"[/b] she cried as she came to the bottom of the stairs. [b]"Hmm?"[/b] he wondered, raising his head. The older man was dressed in a very casual suit and sitting at a small table in what looked like their kitchen, though the counters were full of mess rather than cook ware. He grabbed his bowl and stood up, smiling calmly. [b]"You?d best get dressed, Feathers,"[/b] he laughed. Feathers was a nickname she developed from constantly coming back home at the end of the day covered in feathers. [b]"We don?t want to be late."[/b] She nodded solemnly, though he chuckled as he spoke. She rushed back upstairs and practically broke her closet door as she pulled it open, revealing a flowing black dress that rested on a hangar all by itself. Her hand was practically shaking as she took it out and held it up to her. She sighed as she admitted to herself how pretty it was. A few minutes later, she walked down the stairs in the dress, blushing quite red. She had never been one to enjoy wearing such things, but this was a special occasion. [b]"You look beautiful in her dress,"[/b] her father grinned. Ahndra said nothing, turning her head to hide her smile. [b]"We should go,"[/b] she mumbled, rubbing her cheeks gently to make the pink color go away. The two walked out the back door and headed towards the woods in the backyard. After several minutes of walking through the foliage by a small stone path, they came upon a clearing. Birds fluttered around at their presence, filling the air with the sound of flapping wings and squawks. In the ground a few feet away rested a sole marker made out of a black stone with some carvings in it. [b]"I wore the dress, Mama. Just like you said you always wanted to see."[/b] [b]"She looks as beautiful in it as you did, dear."[/b] Ahndra gently placed a small blue flower on the marker while her father placed a large pink one with a small Chai feather attached. [b]"Happy birthday,"[/b] they both smiled, turning around and heading back towards the house. Today was going to be a busy day, in honor of all the work her mother did around the house. Ahndra whipped a small tear from her eye, and her father rubbed her shoulder gently. [b]"It?ll be alright dear. It?ll be alright."[/b][/SIZE]

[size=1][indent][b]"I didn't mean to do it, honest,"[/b] Ayame insisted again as she helped Alex up the stairs. [b]"Really, really, it's okay. I'm glad you went all-out. It lets me know you don't think I'm a wimp,"[/b] he laughed nervously. He winced when they shifted from walking up stairs to a flat walkway, but was otherwise fine. Or as fine as you can be after getting bludgeoned with a warhammer. Ayame, deciding that getting Alex?s mind off of the pain was the best thing to do for now, began asking him about his experience with sparring. Most of his answers were vague or flat-out 'I don?t know''s or 'I guess''s. But when he did talk about practices, he would sometimes smile. Ayame made a mental note to try and get Alex to smile more; he was much cuter when he was happy. [b]"Oh, what happened to you?"[/b] Nurse Mallon gasped, having opened the door just to see Alex spit up some blood as he had his arms wrapped around his stomach. [b]"Um? It's kind of my fault? Well, no, it [i]is[/i] my fault. We were sparring and-"[/b] Ayame began, but was cut off when the nurse held up a hand with an understanding look on her face. [b]"Say no more, Miss Ayame. Sparring usually sends me more than this by now,"[/b] she chuckled. She ushered the two in and helped Ayame sit Alex down. As the nurse examined him, Ayame sat quietly and waited, hoping he wouldn?t be too hurt. After a moment or two, she sneezed, startling the other two. Nurse Mallon noted that the tissues were in the supply room out the door and down the hall on the right. She politely bowed and rushed out, not wanting to be seen with snot dripping down her face (though really, she had just made a noise, but she had wanted to do something rather than let the guilt build up on her in there). Once she opened the door to the room she noticed it was quite large? and dark. She was not good at casting fire spells, even minor ones, and decided to stumble her way to the tissues rather than risk setting the place on fire. [b]"Lessee, tissues? tissues?"[/b] she mumbled absent-mindedly, as was her habit, not letting the room intimidate her. During her search, the thought of doing irreversible damage to Alex attacked her imagination, giving her images of being hated by Alex, feared by everyone else, and expelled for attacking a fellow student while being unprovoked. Though none of those were possible, anything happened in Ayame?s imagination. When she found the tissues she grabbed a box and rushed back to the room to start apologizing again. [b]"Oh, Alex! Are you alright? Honestly, I didn't mean to hurt you!"[/b] she cried, slamming the door open. She rushed to his side, almost on the verge of tears. [b]"It's okay, Ayame, Nurse Mel... Mallon has treated me with her best abilities,"[/b] he insisted. As he continued to try and calm her down, she noticed his eyes wandering quite a bit. She glanced around and noticed a familiar face. It was Carrot Burnheart, a fellow senior, though that was about all the two had in common. She never did understand why Carrot disliked her so, but she got the message every time their eyes met, whether it was during lunch or walking by her in a corridor. Before she could say anything, Nurse Mallon spoke up. [b]"Pana-what, dear?"[/b] [b]"Uh, panacean... Oh, forget it, I'll come back another time when it's less [i]dense[/i] in here,"[/b] Carrot spat, saying the last few words rather loudly. With that, she stormed out, leaving a helpless Ayame to stare at the door. [b]"I interrupted something, didn't I?"[/b] Ayame thought aloud. [b]"Well, you stopped her from asking me a question, but other than that, all you interrupted was some awkward silence and tension,"[/b] Nurse Mallon chuckled, putting away some instruments. [b]"You can go back to class whenever you feel like, Mr. Glesen. Have a nice day, you two."[/b] With that, she pushed a large box of supplies into another room of the infirmary, leaving the two alone again. Ayame paused for a moment to think about the whole incident, and almost immediately, a devious grin spread across her face. Alex blinked a few times before catching on, his cheeks starting to turn rather pink. [b]"You like Carrot, don't you!"[/b] Ayame whispered. She would?ve normally shouted, as is her way, but she knew that even the walls had ears here at the Academy, and she wasn?t one that favored gossip, which would surprise quite a few people. [b]"Since when? Did you just notice how cute she was in here, like I noticed how sweet your smile is on the way here, or has this been going on for a while? Oh! I wonder if she thinks you're cute, too!"[/b] Ayame rambled happily, giggling in between each embarrassing possibility. Alex, rather than even try to protest against the flood of ideas coming from the air-head of a girl, stood up and walked towards the door. Placing his hand on the knob, he held up a hand to silence her. The color in his cheeks had returned to normal, and his regular intense grimace was back on his face. [b]"Not a word leaves this room. If it does, you?ll get payback for today?s hits during sparring,"[/b] he said sternly. Ayame was silent before standing up, dusting her skirt off. [b]"Well, of course. Not a word to anyone other than who was in this room. So if you don't want me to tell [i]Carrot[/i]?"[/b] She paused to gauge his reaction to the possibility, which was, as she had hoped, a rush of blood to his cheeks again, [b]"? you have to smile for me. And mean it!"[/b] Alex blinked, startled by such a simple request, but obliged. As he smiled, he spoke in a kind voice. [b]"If you keep your mouth shut, I'll look like this a lot more often."[/b] [b]"? You?re so cute when you smile!"[/b] Ayame cheered, jumping on his back. [b]"Ack! Get off!"[/b] he cried, stumbling out the door with her arms still around his neck asking for a ride. [b]"But I had to haul you all the way up the stairs,"[/b] she mumbled, a small pout decorating her face, [b]"Shouldn?t you carry me back down?"[/b] [b]"We came up here because you smashed me in the stomach with a [i]hammer[/i]!"[/b] he protested, exasperated already. As Ayame chased the bruised Alex down the corridors, she giggled at how fast he had cheered up from the morning. As ditzy as she was, and as 'unconventional' as her displays of friendship were, she at least tried her hardest. [b]"I want a ride!"[/b] she insisted again, grabbing a hold of his arm. [b]"We're almost there already! Do I have to?"[/b] he panted, having just ran almost all the way back to the courtyard. Ayame giggled, but said nothing more. She climbed up onto the ledge and leaned against a column. [b]"What's your next class?"[/b] she asked him. [b]"Um... I have a free, but I'm going to the library. Why?"[/b] [b]"Aw. We can't have class together again!"[/b] she moaned. Alex was staring at her in confusion and even slight awe before his thoughts enveloped him. She waved a hand in front of his face, but he did nothing. [b]"Hey! I'm gonna go grab my bag and head off to my class on Water Magic with Instructor Iraki, 'kay? Don't get into too much trouble without me!"[/b] she giggled before hopping down and leaving him to his thoughts. When she returned to the courtyard, it was empty aside from her and Alex's things. She picked up her bag and shuffled through it to make sure everything was there and started pulling it over her shoulder before ripping it back and flipping through it again. [b]"Oh no... Where's Daiya? Where's my book?!"[/b] she cried, panic quickly setting in. [b]"I am soooo screwed. So much for this day getting better,"[/b] she grumbled. She headed off towards the library, hoping that Daiya might have left it there by accident this morning.[/indent] --- OOC: To anyone who has a friend like Ayame, I sympathize. One of my friends is my inspiration for her. xD Constantly hyper, amazingly annoying, prone to overreact/worry, and very giggly? Gah, she?s insane, lol. Hope this was alright Doublehex and Sandy. ^_^ And I'm leaving the rest up to you BKStyles. My post is too long already. >_>;;[/size]

[size=1][indent][b]?That?s a morbid philosophy.?[/b] [b]?Huh??[/b] Alex looked up, slightly startled. [b]?Oh. It?s [i]you[/i],?[/b] he grimaced, tucking his chin back into his chest. If there was anyone he hated dealing with, it was Ms. Perky herself. Ayame put on a pouty face when he said ?you? with such disdain, but she sat down beside him anyway. [b]?Why are you out here, anyway? I thought you spent the last half of the year in the library studying,?[/b] Alex asked casually. Ayame often sat with him and talked about what she had been doing. She would routinely ask for him to contribute, but he would always clamp his mouth shut. Despite all his rude remarks and jokes about her while she told him about her day, she was used to it by now, and paid it little mind. [b]?I had to get out of there. I fell asleep and lost three hours of study time, not to mention I made an idiot out of myself-?[/b] [b]?That?s not hard to do,?[/b] he snickered. She stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled her bag off her shoulders. Daiya?s head popped out of the top as she laid it on the ground beside her, sniffing the fresh air. [b]?Yeah, but it was pretty bad today. Apparently, this guy has known who I am for a while, and I didn?t even notice him! I feel like a total jerk, not to mention an ignorant goofball,?[/b] she sighed. Alex only grunted in reply, but Ayame smiled. [b]?Despite your lack of charm, talking to you makes me feel better.?[/b] [b]?Why? Compared to my problems, yours are [i]so[/i] much easier? Does talking to me let you see how much better your life is than mine??[/b] he asked in an accusing tone, glaring at her. She shook her head no, opening her mouth to explain, but he didn?t seem to notice. [b]?I don?t need your pity, and I?m sick and tired of hearing your stupid social problems! They don?t matter, okay? Get over it!?[/b] he yelled. By now, he was on his feet and staring intensely down at her, his fists balled tightly and practically shaking. Had there been more people around, he might have created a scene. Ayame looked helplessly up at him, wondering if he actually meant this or if it was just another outburst. She had been the unfortunate target of his anger before, but she had known the cause of it. This time, she could only think of her conversation the thing that had bothered him. [b]?I-I didn?t mean??[/b] [b]?Just leave me alone!?[/b] [b]?? Alright.?[/b] Ayame?s voice was barely audible as she grabbed her bag and stood up. Daiya mewed as he jumped back in, having left it to roll in the grass while the two were ?talking?. She looked him in the eyes briefly before gluing her eyes to her feet. [b]?I?m sorry if what I said offended you. I meant nothing by it,?[/b] she apologized, turning around and walking off. Knowing class was bound to start soon, she headed towards the classrooms. She sniffled a little bit and wiped her nose before chuckling. [b]?Based on this morning, today isn?t looking like it?s going to be one of my good days, huh Daiya??[/b] Ayame mumbled. Her friend once again popped his head out of her bag, a look of exasperation on his small, furry face. He was often the one to console her when she felt bad like this. [i]?What are you talking about? That boy in the library was merely caught off guard, and Mr. Explode-At-The-Only-Person-That-Actually-Talks-To-Me-For-No-Reason back there was probably having an off-day, too. Don?t mope around during class, or else everyone will wonder if something?s wrong and you?ll have to explain, and then they?ll think you?re a baby for being so worked up about something so simple.?[/i] [b]?Thank you, Daiya. I feel loads better,?[/b] she laughed sarcastically. --- OOC: The prologue's about character interaction, so here's some more of it. ^_^ Hope I portrayed Alex right, Doublehex. PM/IM if there are any problems.[/indent][/size]

[size=1][indent][i]"Ayame! Wake up!"[/i] [b]"Hmm..?"[/b] the girl mumbled, lifting her face off the table. A few pages of notes stuck to her face as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She let out a yawn before asking what time it was. [i]"Only five, but still. You didn't finish the assignment 'cause you fell asleep around two,"[/i] the voice continued to nag. Ayame playfully swatted at the source, giggling as she pulled the papers off her face. One of two tails held out her hat which she accepted with a thank you and put on, adjusting her bangs so they were out of her eyes. [b]"I got enough of it done... I hope. I'm going to put this book back. Daiya, can you put this stuff in my bag?"[/b] she asked her friend. The spirit creature sat silently in front of her before sighing and nodding. She got up and wandered off into the sea of bookshelves knowing that she would never be able to remember where she got the book from. [b]"Ummm? S, S, S?."[/b] she repeated, dragging her finger along the tags on the books with the author?s name starting with S. Without warning, she felt herself collide with something. Looking up, she saw the back of a boy?s uniform and immediately she began to roll apologies off her tongue, one after another, without taking a breath in between. [b]"I-It?s alright, really,"[/b] the boy insisted after turning around. He had a small pile of books in hand, short grayish blue hair and glasses, and was quite a bit taller than she was. [b]"Still, it was my fault. I just can?t remember where this book goes?"[/b] Ayame mumbled, scratching her head. She developed the habit of scratching the back of her head or her arm when she was slightly embarrassed a little while after arriving at the Academy, and has yet to be able to break it. [b]"Oh. ?Water Creatures: An Encyclopedia?, huh? This particular author?s books go in the reference section rather than with the regular books,"[/b] he explained. She thanked him and turned to leave before realizing that she hadn?t introduced herself. [b]"By the way, I?m-"[/b] [b]"Ayame. Yeah, I know. We have a few classes together."[/b] [b]"Really? I?m usually very good with faces? I guess I?ve been paying even less attention in class than I thought this year,"[/b] she giggled. [b]"So what?s your name?"[/b] [b]"? Orias. Kyosuke Orias."[/b] [b]"Nice to finally meet you,"[/b] Ayame smiled, holding out her hand. [b]"I notice you the teachers call you ?Miss Ayame?. Why don?t they refer to you by your last name?"[/b] he asked out of curiosity while the two shook hands. Her bright expression faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly. [b]"I can?t remember it."[/b] He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing further. He pushed his glasses further up on his nose and turned to excuse himself, but Ayame walked around to face him again. [b]"Um? Yes?"[/b] he asked hesitantly. [b]"Come with me!"[/b] [b]"Come with you? W-Where?"[/b] [b]"To the reference section, silly,"[/b] she giggled, beaming up at him. Looping her arm with his, she turned him around and the two walked towards the other end of the library. Along with way, Daiya floated onto her shoulder having finished packing her supplies back into her bag. [b]"Kyosuke!"[/b] came the call from the library doorway. The three looked over, to see a familiar face. Kyosuke hoped desperately that the someone would help pry this strange girl off his arm and let him get back to his usual activities without being as rude as he would be if he attempted the deed himself. [b]"Sakura!"[/b] Ayame and Kyosuke replied simultaneously. [b]"You know her?"[/b] Kyosuke asked in a slightly defeated tone. Ayame gave him a look, as if asking ?Why wouldn?t I?? before smiling and pushing his glasses up on his nose for him. [b]"I?ve gotta go put this book away. Tell her I?ll see her in class today, ?kay? And make sure to say hello to me during class so I see you! Bye Kyosuke!"[/b] Ayame giggled, taking her arm back and rushing off, Daiya clinging to her shoulder. [i]"And what was that about?"[/i] Daiya yawned. [b]"I?m a klutz,"[/b] Ayame giggled, sticking her tongue out as she finally put her book back where it came from.[/indent] --- [b]OOC:[/b] Hope this is okay, BKStyles. Sorry I didn?t get to do much with your character Sakura. ^_^; By the way, Daiya communicates telepathically. In case anyone wondered why his lines are in italics.[/size]

[INDENT][SIZE=1][B]Name[/B] - Ayame [B]Age[/B] - 17 [18 in two months] [B]Student Template[/B] - The Cheerful Naïve [B]Weapon[/B] - Warhammer [B]School of magic[/B] - Summoning [B]Minored school of magic[/B] - Elemental [Water] [B]Abilities/Spells[/B] - [list][*][I]Serpent[/I]: Capable of being cast in any environment, Ayame summons a large serpent for transportation, or offensive and defensive action on the battlefield. Depending on where the summon takes place, the specific elemental traits differ. [*][I]Ocean Aid[/i]: Ayame can only cast this near a very large body of water. This summons anything from sharks to mermaids in large parties ranging from six to twenty. Used generally for getting to or away from someplace rather than attacking, depending on the creatures that come and whether or not the battlefield is mostly water.[/list] [B]Personality[/B] - Ayame is cheerful, optimistic, and extremely dense. She likes to see everyone else happy, and will do almost anything to keep her friends smiling. She wants to be friends with everyone and anyone, despite the protests some of them may have themselves. Sometimes her constant upbeat attitude can get on the others? nerves, resulting in her getting yelled at for being obnoxious. It is only when she feels that her friends are mad at her that her seemingly permanent smile disappears. Though Ayame will happily strike up conversation with practically anyone, human or not, there are a few people she is afraid of or too shy to talk to. She is also especially quiet around teachers. She becomes tense and silent when someone she really likes is around, so she makes sure to avoid them in places where there are few people around. Despite how talkative Ayame is, she has managed to keep her romantic interests to herself, leaving several to wonder who it is that makes her clam up. [B]Appearance[/B] - [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/RandomPicchus/OrangeOutfit.jpg]Ayame out of Uniform[/url] [without the ears and the tail] [B]Biography[/B] - Ayame was born to a lower class couple living in one of the most unknown villages in Madaral?sol. Both parents were skilled summoners, having gone to two of the smaller magic academies, but Ayame showed promising signs when she was just a year old. Her first accidental summon at the age of three was of a blue nekomata [ooc: two-tailed cat; seen in appearance pic] with a diamond on his forehead that had psychic powers. She named him Daiya, at the time not being able to fully pronounce diamond, and ever since, he has constantly been in her presence helping her with chores and protecting her from bullies. It is partly because of Daiya always being around her that she pays no attention to her surroundings, having never been in danger. Two months before her fifth birthday, a large fire mysteriously engulfed her village. Daiya was able to teleport Ayame to safety, but her parents and several friends were not so lucky. However, the memory has long been suppressed, leaving the only other survivor (Daiya) the knowledge of the event. It is most likely this event that subconsciously persuaded her to learn water magic. Daiya had taken her to one of the larger villages where several people wondered she had come from. When she explained that she didn?t know much other than her parents had gone missing, the leader of the village opted to take her in. However, he was out of the house most of the time, leaving her with his much less hospitable wife who also served as her tutor. It is because of that woman that Ayame is very hushed around teachers and other adults. She did open up to the other children, and even developed When she turned six, she was one of two children from that particular village to ever be chosen to go to the Argo Arx Arcanum Academy. Ever since her arrival, the other child was very resentful of her, but she was always nice around him. Even at the academy, he is extremely rude around her, though she always greets him with the same giggles and smiles as always.[/INDENT] OOC: Like the others, just wanted to reserve my spot. ^_~ I'm getting kicked off the internet right now, so I won't be able to finish this for a while. Sorry. D: [Looks great, tho'. ;3] EDIT: Only could come up with one spell, so I?ll add another one later. The rest is finished, though. The bio leaves it so that if anyone wants to have a history with my character, they can work it in. If not, he can just be a random NPC. :3 Hope I get in. ^o^ EDIT 2: Added another spell and made her a bit older. ;3[/size]

[size=1][indent][color=#830093][b]"So dark is this place, so I'll brighten things up!"[/b] he grinned. With a snap of his 'fingers', a large flame engulfed the approaching white creatures. They squirmed for a moment before disappearing in a white mist, leaving the Cheshire Cat floating as he always did in front of the bewildered boy. [b]"W-Who... Who are you? ... Where did you come from? How'd you do that? And what [i]were[/i] those things, anyway?"[/b] the boy asked, taking a deep breath after spitting out all his questions. [b]"Remarkable, remarkable,"[/b] the cat muttered, spinning around the boy. He held onto his bleeding arm, wondering why the cat was ignoring him... and why it was such a strange color. [b]"Though similar... You aren't him, I'm afraid."[/b] [b]"Who is he?"[/b] [b]"Not you."[/b] [b]"I know, you already said that,"[/b] the boy spat, [b]"But who is it I'm not? ... Wait. I'm confused."[/b] The cat giggled as his tail started to fade away. The boy, though he knew little about this strange cat, understood that he was leaving him. But he had many questions that needed answers, and also a wound that needed aid. [b]"Wait a second!"[/b] [b]"Hmm?"[/b] that cat asked as he paused his departure. [b]"But go I must! You see, he isn't here, so he must be there, so I must find where this there is."[/b] [b]"You're a weird cat, you know that? But..."[/b] He paused, gritting his teeth. [b]"Can you help me?"[/b] [b]"I s'pose. Even with a small detour, I won't be late,"[/b] he trailed off, though he continued to fade. The boy was about to protest when he noticed a sudden weight on his head. Looking up, he saw the cat's tail. He was handstanding on his head. [b]"Oh, what a mess, what a mess. Best clean it up before something stains."[/b] [b]"What mess? What are you talking about?"[/b] A wag of his pink and purple striped tail and the boy felt the pain in his arm subside and he looked to see it was perfectly fine. [b]"How did you...?"[/b] [b]"A true wizard,"[/b] the cat hummed. [b]"Well, at least tell me who you are if you're going to be hitching a ride on my head,"[/b] he sighed as he started walking towards the alleyway's exit. [b]"The Cheshire Cat needs no introduction, my dear Ferin."[/b] [b]"I'll just call you 'Cat', then... Hold up, I never told you my name! How-"[/b] he began. But he stopped himself, realizing that this mysterious cat probably knew more about him than he did himself. All his riddles and talk of this 'him' and 'being late' were confusing, but he had saved him from the creatures and healed up his arm, so he was greatful. He silently walked down the street, watching the cat float around him while muttering about how many questions he had been asking. [b]"So curious, aren't you? There is a time for answers,"[/b] he grinned widely. [b]"All in good time, then."[/b][/color] [b]"Riku! Wake up, Riku... Sora, he's not waking up!"[/b] Kairi cried, still desperately clinging to her friend's unconscious body. As she wiped away some more of the tears falling down his checks, Sora clenched his teeth in frustration before whipping his head back around. [b]"What did you do to him, Xemnas?!"[/b] Sora shouted angrily. [b]"The boy is simply enjoying memories past,"[/b] he chuckled, glancing over at the dreaming teen. [b]"We won't let you take him!"[/b] Kairi growled. Kairi's keyblade materialized in her hand as she clenched her fist, but she threw it aside. She wanted to fight, but she knew if she left Riku's side, he'd be taken easily. [b]"Please Riku... Snap out of it."[/b][/indent][/size]

[SIZE=1]The OtakuDestined are slowly being split up one by one! Is this coincidence or is it more sinister than that...? Mwahaha. I should [i]totally[/i] be the narrator for this. xD Y'know, the guy at the end of the episodes that always asks questions about what's going to happen next? Yeah, I'd pwn at that job. Anyway, still loving the awesomeness. :'D But nobody cares for poor Kitty. ;-; 'Cept Stephen apparently. xD[/SIZE]