Talon

[center][color=crimson][i][u][b]There is always a hero to save the day. But who will save us when the one we need to be saved from... Is our hero?[/color][/center][/i][/u][/b] [color=teal][i]Link ran. He ran from the pain, from the agony. He collapsed to his knees, his palms slapping the wet grass. Tears of anger and betrayal crawled down his face. How? How could Zelda marry that...that...that FREAK prince from Calatia? How could she do this to him? Him, the one who regained the Triforce from Ganon? What did that Prince Aluran ever do to save his country? Nothing! Link had scars from the many monsters he'd defeated in his quest to defeat Ganon. The Helmasaur King, Arrghus, Vitreous, Twinmold, Moldorm, even a scar from the Armos Knights! What did Aluran have? A purple cloak and rupees up the yin-yang! Link beat his chest in agony even as a voice penetrated the fog of hatred he'd enshrouded himself in.[/i] [b]???:[/b] Their betrayal hurts, doesn't it? Even after your journey through unknown lands, to a lost land of dreams, and the defeat of numerous monsters, they still only consider you a country boy. [i]Link looked around in shock, his tears still mixing with the rain falling from the heavens. He shook his head to clear it, even as he answered the voice.[/i] [b]???:[/b]What do you mean, they're just people?! They should worship you for the hero you are! You, who felled Ganon with the legendary Master Sword! You, who defeated Nightmares that haunted the dreams of a mystical fish! [i]Link looked up in shock, beginning to shake uncontrollably from fear. Questioning the voice, Link looked around for the source of his new troubles.[/i] [b]???:[/b]Of course I know about your journey to Koholint, Link! I was there, watching as you battled numerous monsters in a world you thought was a dream. I have always been there, watching over you! You are this world's greatest hero, and yet the pay you no tribute, pay you no respect! [i]Link shuddered and sighed, looking around. As he turned, he noticed his house just up ahead. Entering his home, Link threw off his equipment and looked straight ahead, his eyes strangely drawn to a mask that rested upon the wall. Decorated with war paint, in the firelight it seemed almost...alive.[/i] [b]???:[/b]I am alive, Link. And, just like your ancestor, the Hero of Time, you can gain power from me! All you need is to put me on, and together, we shall right the wrongs against you! [i]Link hesitated, then shook his head slightly, as if he didn't know what to do.[/i] [b]Mask:[/b]The people may not have done anything wrong against you, but what of the princess? [i]Link's eyes took on a hard light even as he grabbed the mask without hesitation. Holding it before his face, he asked one final question.[/i] [b]???:[/b]Yes, Link, I can help you. My name is Aurin, and I was once a god. I am even represented in the Triforce. Have you never wondered why there was an empty black space in the center? I am that center, the Black God of Chaos. Put me on, you haven't a moment to lose! [i]Link did so, and his resounding screams of pain were drowned out by the peals of thunder that echoed in the stormy land outside. The rain poured down ever harder, as if the goddesses themselves were crying....[/i] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [i]Hyrule Castle was in uproar. A new threat, a powerful warrior dressed in a white tunic calling himself Aurin, had issued a challenge to the armies of Hyrule. The king had answered this threat by summoning for Link, the Hero who had bested Ganon in the recent struggle for the Triforce, but the guard's report was less than encouraging. A note had been left on Link's bed, explaining that it was Link himself standing atop the Tower of Hera, awaiting a challenge from the armies of Hyrule. Hearing this news, the guards searched Link's home for the legendary mask that had defeated the Hero of Time had used to defeat agreat evil in another land long ago, and found it missing. Hearing this news, the king himself ordered the guards to post signs asking for heroes to aid Hyrule in the destruction of this latest threat. At the docks south of what was once a bustling port outside of Kakariko Village, a young blonde boy picked up a poster depicting the name and appearance of the new threat. Tucking the poster into his belt, he sighed, hitched up his cloak so that the hood covered his head, leaving a longing whisper in the air.[/i] [b]Boy:[/b] Father....[/color] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=royalblue]You are on of the heroes that have answered the call to arms. Each of you has a special, unique ability that sets you apart from the people. Are you a powerful mage with mastery over fire? Or are you a swordsman that can strike like lightning? The choice is yours, hero.[/color] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=darkslategray][b]Name:[/b] What do you go by? [b]Age:[/b] Your approximate age. [b]Favored Goddess:[/b] Does your character favor Din, Farore, Nayru, or balance all three? [b]Weapon:[/b] What weapon/s does your character carry? [b]Skills:[/b] What is your character's special abilities? [b]Appearance:[/b] Picture or description, please. [b]Personality:[/b] What is your character like? [b]Biography:[/b] At least two good paragraphs on your character's life.[/color] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=teal][b]Name:[/b] Chain [b]Age:[/b] 16 [b]Favored Goddess:[/b] Farore [b]Weapon:[/b] Chain carries an heirloom sword with the faded inscription "Link" near the hilt. Aside from that, he wields a foreign sword with only one sharp edge (katana). [b]Skills:[/b] Due to Chain's odd heritage, he has the ability to phase out of reality and reappear in another location within twenty feet. He can play an ocarina like no other person can, and his swordsmanship is unrivaled by any. He has little to no magical skill outside of using magical items. [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment. [b]Personality:[/b] Lethally serious during most events, Chain has a soft spot for cute girls and children. He can be quite happy-go-lucky on certain occasions, and looks to live up to his father's legend. He also has a great love for nature and an inner kindness he seems to hide, even though his mother encouraged him to let it out. [b]Biography:[/b] Born to the islander maiden Marin on the island of dreams, Koholint Island, a land created within the subconscious of the great Wind Fish, it was dubious that Chain, the son of Link, who had found his way into the dream via a bolt of lightning shattering his ship, would ever exist outside of the dream realm. While in this dream, time passed at a faster rate than within the waking world, and the child, in his training to become a better swordsman than his heroic father, challenging adventurers that the Wind Fish dreamed up to help the lad. Upon reaching his sixteenth birthday, though in the real world only ten years had passed, Marin and Tarin, Chain's grandfather, gave to Chain his father's old sword, which had been left behind when Link had found his way out of the dream. Upon Chain taking hold of the sword, the Wind Fish, at the behest of the goddess Farore, using the sword anchor to the real world, pulled Chain out of the dream with Marin and Tarin. Finding themselves in a strange new land, the trio set out to find what had happened. In this strange land, a battle had broken out. Deciding which side was battling for good, Chain and Marin quickly joined up, Marin as a nurse and morale-booster and Chain as a warrior. Learning to wield his katana effectively, Chain quickly became the right-hand man in his master's forces. When the battle died down, with Chain's master victorious, Chain and his guardians were granted permission to leave. Hearing about a problem within the country of Hyrule far beyond Calatia, Chain became eager to find his father. Strapping on his armor and picking up his leathers and cloak, he settled his mother on the river border of Calatia and Hyrule, setting out aboard a ship to the land where his father was from....[/color]

[color=darkslategray][b]Name:[/b] Duo Maxwell [b]Age:[/b] 18 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Appearance:[/b] Duo's grown taller in the last two years, standing now at an even six feet tall, though his braid is as long as ever. His wardrobe has changed just slightly, to include a leather jacket on rainy days. He wears his embroidered priest's shirt more often, but all in all, he's just the same old Duo Maxwell! [b]Mech:[/b] A modified Taurus Duo calls a "Phalanx", Duo has scrapped the machine gun in favor of a small beam knife, like those often used by construction mechs, because of Duo's inability to battle at long range. He has a beam saber, but prefers not to use it, being unfamiliar with the use of it. The suit also carries a large kite shield, made from the scrapped parts of Wing Zero's old one, though it has been repainted black. The Verneae booster system has remained intact, though Duo has scrapped a lot of armor in order to make the Phalanx a lot faster, lowering the endurance quotient exponentially in effect. [b]Country:[/b] United States. [b]Personality:[/b] Duo is a laid-back, relaxed individual. Because of his easy-going, congenial nature, he seems rather dimwitted, but that's hardly the case. He acts that way so that he's underestimated by those who don't know him. He's often sarcastic, but he never means anything very harmful. Fiercely loyal and honest, Duo is a worthy pilot and an asset to all of his friends. [b]Biography:[/b] After the events in which the Gundams were recalled and then destroyed for good, Duo started a scrapyard business, and became quite the successful businessman with his partner, Hilde Schbeiker. Duo began to work on mobile suits in his spare time, putting his skills as a junker to good use to help many construction companies. The results of this are that many colonies, and even Earth cities and towns, have been rebuilt or are currently in a state of rebuilding, making Duo a highly popular person. Despite Hilde's many attempts to woo Duo, the braided former God of Death has retained his innocence and celibacy, often telliing Hilde that she had "better prospects than me in Hell!". Duo often turns young women down because he does not want anyone to be with a "murderer" like himself. Duo kept his mind off of his past and off of his marital status by focusing on his new Phalanx model mobile suit, though Duo believed it would never oversee combat, just construction. When Duo saw the news report about the bombing, however, he quickly began requisitioning a shuttle for the Phalanx's trip to Earth, fearing Shinigami would soon be needed again....[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=teal]How's that, Imi?[/color]

[color=crimson][font=microsoft sans serif]All I have to call my own Are these fallen bloody tears, This pain that won't let me alone, And memories of these evil years. A requiem for deadly dances, A song of long-lost loves and fears, And shed tears of forgotten chances. All I have are these bloody tears. The night air's nocturne of agony, The whisper of promises long past, Lost in a sea of dark ebony. These crimson tears are sure to last. A low dirge sung by midnight crows, The organ preludes the coming plight. Sad wind through the cemetery blows, As ruby drops fall into my sight. All I have to call my own Are these echoing garnet fears. The abyss of being all alone Has torn from me my bloody tears.[/color][/font]

[color=teal][i]She didn't care where she ran, she didn't care how far. All she cared about was running from the pain, from the words Imric had said. She ran from the way they echoed, the way they hurt her. She ran from her tears, a martial artist never cried. But how do you keep from crying when the one you love admits that he isn't in love with the one he's sleeping with?[/i] "We're lovers, not in love." [i]A fresh gout of pain erupted in Midori's chest as she ran, from exhertion or heartache she didn't know and she didn't care. All she cared about was running from those words, running from that admission. Running from her feelings, from what her heart was telling her.[/i] "We're lovers, not in love." [i]How could you not be in love with your lover? Midori's heart asked her that question even as it told her that she still had a chance. If he wasn't in love with Kento, couldn't that mean he might be able to fall in love with her?[/i] "We're lovers, not in love." [i]Midori slowed down and began to walk slowly to Kento's apartment, finding that she'd been running blindly in an alley. Sighing with shame, Midori made her way out of the alley and found herself across from Mrs. Kobayashi's store, where Kento was arguing with the old lady.[/i] [b]Kento:[/b]Aw, c'mon! Midori said she needs these leaves! [b]Kobayashi:[/b]Why would that angel need the leaves, eh? What's she done to hurt anybody?! Who's hurt that sweet little girl, eh? And why would she send a punk like YOU to get the leaves, eh? [i]Almost giggling, though her heartache kept her in check, Midori walked up to help the distraught boy.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]It's alright, Mrs. Kobayashi. I needed the leaves for a patient and didn't have time to get them myself. I came to see what was taking so long. [i]With profuse apologies, Mrs. Kobayashi gave Midori some eucalyptus leaves and a handful of stress beads. When Midori lifted her head, the old lady wiped away one of the tears that were still flowing down Midori's cheeks. Blushing in embarassment and shame, Midori turned and walked with Kento back to the apartment. As they reached Kento's door, they were surprised to meet three irate young women at the door. All of whom saw the tears that refused to stop staining Midori's face. And all of whom got even madder.[/color][/i]

[b]Poem:[/b][color=royalblue][FONT=Palatino Linotype]My hearts yearns for gentle speech, For talents far beyond my reach. Through my spirit's joyous calls, Hope fades not in forlorn thralls.[/font][/color] [b]Word:[/b][color=royalblue]Calling.[/color]

[color=royalblue][b] Character's Name:[/b] Ryuu Yuramaki [b]Code Name:[/b] Dragon [b]Appearance:[/b] Dragon is built to be fast and flexible, yet tough. His physical stature is some six feet, three inches in height, and his body's muscular frame seems to be more agile and limber, yet his appearance belies his incredibly dense muscle mass. Before the Project, Ryuu had gentle, sky-blue eyes and light brown hair. Now, Dragon has crimson, glowing eyes, midnight black hair with glowing crimson streaks, and an affinity for leather and jeans that match his hair. His eyes became slitted after the experiment, much like the eyes of the mythical beast he was named after, and like many other subjects of Project Mynd, his canine teeth have elongated, though only slightly. [b]Abilities:[/b] [u][i]Pyrokinesis:[/u][/i] The ability to control, create, and resist fire. Limited by the amount of concentration and type of gases in an area, and by the sheer force of will required to use, pyrokinesis is not all it's cracked up to be, especially considering that the Masamune Corporation deemed "Subject Dragon" of Project Mynd a failure due to the extreme affection and enjoyment the subject showed to water, especially rain and sea water. [u][i]Enhanced Speed:[/i][/u] Subject Dragon was gifted with superior speed, approximately two and a half times that of the fastest Olympic sprinter, and a nearly inexhaustible running endurance. Though this speed is not really much, considering the speeds that other subjects under Project Mynd's influence can achieve, it is still formidable against normal human beings. [u][i]Enhanced Durability:[/i][/u] Due to certain questions being raised about the formerly frail subject's ability to take damage, especially in along, drawn out battles, Subject Dragon's stamina and durability were increased to a level of capability in which Subject Dragon can have boulders thrown at him and withstand the impact with minor bruising. Explosive rounds proved less effective because of subject's elemental nature. The one flaw in subject's durability is his inability to withstand damage from a mako cannon, often causing a feedback effect which renders the subject unconscious. [u][i]Martial Arts:[/u][/i] Specifically programmed with knowledge of kendo, kempo, Tai Chi Chuan, and various Ninjutsu forms, Subject Dragon is a formidable fighter. As a result of the tuning given the subject's body in order to allow for flawless execution of the martial arts techniques, the subject's strength was increased nearly tenfold his original, albeit rather unimpressive, strength. Current strength estimate: subject can punch with roughly 150 pounds of force and can benchpress nearly twice that. Given subject's original strength, this growth level is quite impressive. [b]Personality:[/b] Ryuu Yuramaki, a shy, introverted boy of seventeen, was always the last to speak up, if he ever did. He seemed merely to allow the world to slip past him. Now, after Project Mynd, Dragon is a whirling inferno of emotions. Unafraid and reckless, Dragon will rush headlong into any situation so long as the odds seem in his favor. Honorable to a fault, he would stay and fight to his utmost even if the odds turned against him. Restless and eager, Dragon's temper begins to boil when he has nothing to do for any length of time. His longest recorded "quiet time" during the Project was barely forty-five minutes, after which he exploded violently into a kata decorated by flames. Dragon takes insults against himself in stride, but has shown a fierce loyalty to his few friends. Insulting them is little short of a deathwish. Oddly for a pyrokinetic, Ryuu has retained his love for rain and the ocean instead of shunning the bane of his elemental prowess. [b]Biography:[/b] Ryuu Yuramaki, born in December of 2182, was a shy, introverted child, though exceptionally smart. Showing a rare talent for tactics and academics, Ryuu managed to solve the many financial problems his family had at the age of thirteen. This skill in business attracted the eyes of many corporations, and as Ryuu grew older, he became an even more shy teenager as he realized that people who could bankrupt his family easily, no matter how much effort he put out, were watching him. Taking to nature for comfort, the boy grew to love the outdoors and especially the sea and the frequent rainstorms along the coast of Honshu. As he grew to the age of seventeen, he failed to get the nutritional aid that was required for a child, having given up his supplements so that his family could sustain itself without relying on loans and banks. As a result of this and his tactical abilities, he became the target for many cybernetically enhanced bullies and other unsavory characters, often ending up limping home with many bruises hidden underneath his many-times-too-large sweatshirt. As a result, he let all of his potential out in his school work, often quoting Sun Tzu's Art of War in his work. This potential captured the attention of the Masamune Corporation, who, in the dead of night, sent a group of their best soldiers after the poor, weak boy while he was asleep in bed, dreading the next day with a passion.[/color]

[i][color=teal]Midori hung up the phone and sped off into the clinic part of her uncle's home. As she began gathering bandages, ointments, and herbal remedies, she looked at the clock and began to swear inwardly to herself. Why was Uncle Tofuu in Nerima with that Kasumi woman?! Midori sighed, grateful at least for the fact that her uncle had taught her what he knew about shiatsu and herbal medicine. Gathering up all of her meager supplies, she almost made it to the door before she had to stop and grab her bracers. Imric was hurt, and if Midori had anything to say about, the person that hurt him was going to find out why Midori was Ranma Saotome's favorite student. As she ran down the street to Kento's apartment, she caught a glimpse of Ashley's brother, Adam, and his two goons laughing at something or other. As she ran past them, Adam grabbed her arm forcefully.[/i] [b]Adam:[/b]Well, hello there, Midi-chan. Been a while. Where ya goin' with those supplies? [i]Midori, ignoring the grip on her arm, calmly bit out her answer, anxious to get to Imric before he got worse.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]DON'T call me "Midi-chan", Adam. And if you must know, the new guy at school's been injured, and I'm on my way to help him. [i]At this, Adam and his goons began guffawing, Adam tightening his grip on Midori's arm.[/i] [b]Adam:[/b]Imric? I handed that pathetic faggot hi- GURK!!!! [i]The two goons quickly stopped laughing as Adam stumbled, Midori's left hand drawing back from the knife-hand chop to his throat. Without even dropping the medical bag, she twisted at the waist, pivoted on her right leg, and brought her left foot crashing against Adam's temple, knocking him to the ground, dazed. Seeing Adam go down, the two goons tried to gang-rush Midori, but stopped cold when she jumped over their heads and kicked each in the knob just at the back of the neck, knocking them out. As she landed, she grabbed Adam by the collar and hoisted him up without any trouble at all.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Don't you DARE hurt anybody EVER again, Adam. How would you like the whole school to know that a "weak and pathetic girl" kicked your tail?! [i]Midori gave a brief growl, her temper getting away with her, as Adam fainted. Dropping the sorry boy in a heap, she sighed and dashed off to Kento's apartment, almost knocking the door down as she banged on it. When Kento opened the door, he almost yanked the poor girl inside.[/i] [b]Kento:[/b]What took you so long?! [b]Midori:[/b]I'm sorry, I ran into Adam and he wouldn't let me go until I told him I had to help Imric.... [i]Kento almost stumbled when he heard that, but Midori rapped him upside the head. At that, Kento took Midori into his room, where Imric was laying, his eyes half open and a trail of blood seeping from his mouth. With a small "Eep!", midori bent down and took out her supplies. Looking up at Kento, she gulped audibly. She really didn't like this part. Well, she did, but it made her really nervous.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Umm....Kento....um...could you....um...take off....Imirc's..shirt....I...need... [i]With a wave of his hand, Kento silenced the poor girl and, as gently as he could manage with his hands shaking so bad, lifted Imric's upper body with one arm and removed his shirt with the other, wiping the blood off of his chin. Midori gasped at the sight of all of the bruises. Taking a deep breath and schooling her face into a look of concentration and determination, Midori tapped a few shiatsu points to lessen the pain Imric was in, then pushed one more to regulate his breathing. With that, Imric's eyes opened completely, the pain gone. As he tried to get up, Midori pushed him back down gently. Silencing him with a finger to his lips and tapping a shiatsu point that left him peacefully restful for a while, Midori bit her own and grabbed a mixing cup and a couple of herbs. After using her pestle to mix them into a more or less powdery form, she grabbed a kettle of hot water that Kento had nearby and poured some into the cup. She handed the cup to Kento, who looked at her quizically.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Drink it. It'll calm your nerves. You look like you're about to have a breakdown. [b]Kento:[/b]O-ok. Umm...how..how is he? [b]Midori:[/b]It's not as bad as it looks. He has a couple of cracked ribs, but that's the worst of it. The blood in his lungs will clear up after he drinks some eucalyptus tea. The bruises, though, aren't going to go away for a little while, and I think Imric has a concussion. [i]That being said, Midori grabbed an herbal paste and began applying it gently to Imric's bruises, massaging it into the skin. After she'd covered each bruise, she wrapped his chest in bandages, making certain that they weren't tight enough to restrict his breathing, but not loose enough to aggravate the bruises, either. As she finished that, she looked into her bag and cursed.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Kento, I'm out of eucalyptus leaves. I need you to run to this address and tell the old lady, Ms. Kobayashi, that Midori needs eucalyptus leaves. Go, quickly! [i]With a quikc nod of his head, Kento dashed out of the apartment. Midori sat at Imric's side, massaging his muscles out of the tense knots they were in. As her medical attitude drained away, what she was doing caught up to her, and quickly. An atomic blush on her cheeks, she gently ran a finger along Imric's frame, marvelling at how good it felt to be this close to a boy. Sighing, she lost herself in the moment, whispering almost imperceptibly as she bent down near Imric's face.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b] (How...how does he make me feel this way? And why does it feel so....nice?) [i]Midori's mind finally caught up to her when, almost ten seconds after her lips had met Imric's, his lips responded to hers. Her eyes opening wide with shock, she almost fell off of the bed. Instead she settled for slamming back and curling up in the corner, an atomic blush on her face. As her memory caught up to her and she remembered what she'd done, tears began spilling from her eyes. Burying her face in her knees, she mumbled apology after apology as Imric lay on the bed, wide-eyed and deep in thought.[/i][/color]

[center][u][color=royalblue][font=palatino linotype]Though darkness may overwhelm you, there is always hope. When all is clouded, look to the cleansing rain....[/color][/center][/u][/font] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]The Story[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=teal][i]Eons ago in Asgard, before the War of Chaos, a rain god, well beloved by all of Asgard, became engaged to a goddess of the Hunt. Bella, the goddess, was soon forced to watch her fiance march to a battle that Asgard had little hope of winning. Against the laws of both worlds, two demon brothers, the storm demons of Wind and Ice, had assaulted Asgard, and none of the gods who had challenged them survived. Soon, only one was left, and that one was the rain god. Summoning all of his strength, a fierce battle ensued, but the odds were against him. Beaten down into the still-new soil of the earth-realm Midgard repeatedly, he refused to die like his fellow gods. Broken, bleeding, and battered, he continued the battle, and for fifty years he refused to die. At the waning of the fiftieth year, he was finally dealt a critical blow, one that destroyed his right eye, leaving it with a sightless gash sweeping through his face. In one final, herculean effort, he slashed the wind demon with his blade, leaving a token gash in the demon's left side. Impressed by the feats of sheer will, the two brothers offered their hands to the god, declaring him their brother if he would become a demon. Dizzy with pain and desperation, he swore he would only become their brother if they became gods. They accepted. After they shared blood, each becoming a mixture of half-god, half-demon, the three retreated to Asgard, the two former demons holding up their wounded brother. As they entered Asgard, many of the gods could be seen to bow to the rain god, in acknowledgement of his victory and sacrifice, for through his demonhood, he lost the only chance he ever had of regaining his right eye. As the god entered what was once his home, he found Bella, his beloved, with all of the rain gods effects. Kicking him out of her life, for she did not want her family tainted by demonic blood, she left him in a state more miserable than death. Over the millenia, the god developed a hatred for women in general and goddesses in specific. Spending all the time with his mischievous brothers, he caused storms, hurricanes, and chaotic natural disasters with the help of his brothers. As time wore on, two love goddesses came to look at this god as the forbidden fruit, an impossible to claim to stake. They made a bet over who would earn his bed and began a battle of sorts with each other, neither giving ground, but neither gaining either. When the god found he was being toyed with, he became so enraged that he unleashed all of his fury upon the wo goddesses, confessing the darkest secrets of his nature with an awesome show of power. As he felt his power leaving his body, he fell from Asgard into the arms of a demoness of Thunder, a woman who sensed his demonic heritage and came to the same conclusion as the love goddesses. As she nursed him back to health, the two love goddesses found their wager and included the demoness in it. Time passed, and each of the three continued to spend time with the god. As he spent more and more time with the demoness, he found himself falling in love with her. But when he confessed his feelings to her, she turned and shook him off, demanding her payment from the other two goddesses. Shaking with rage and pain, the god petitioned his lord for death, explaining the demoness' treachery. To his own chagrin, he and the demoness were made soulmates, and as such were married. Though they were married, they spent eons apart, neither acknowledging the other, though deep inside they knew they were beginning to fall in love. And once again, the rain god was called to battle with the rest of the war gods. The great demon Torrasque had been waging war on Asgard and Nifleheim for a millenium when the rain god was summoned. Throwing her pride aside, the Thunder demoness rushed to his side and begged him not to go, confessing her feelings for him. The rain god simply smiled and told her that he'd known all along, and promised her that he would tell her the first thing when he returned from the battle. It was hopeless. Of all the two-hundred gods that entered the battle, in the end only three were left, the three Storm brothers of Ice, Wind, and Rain. Summoning all of their strength, they weakened Torrasque, but it was useless. However, the rain god was not known for giving up. Hurling himself into his foe's mouth, he summoned all of the energy flows within his realm of influence and destroyed himself in a magnificent shower of light and rain, weakening Torrasque enough for the great Kami-sama to seal him into the ninth level of Hell. Aware of the rain god's sacrifice, Kami-sama took the soul and placed it well into the future, where it would be reborn under the watchful eyes of his brothers, in a time where he would be needed. Finding her love's remains on the battlefield, the demoness retreated into herself, crying herself into a near-eternal slumber, unaware of Kami-sama's promise to the now-infant soul. Now, eons after the War of Chaos, Torrasque is stirring once again, and it is time for the demoness and the rain god to reawaken...[/color][/i] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]The Plot[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=teal][i]The rain god has been reborn in the land of Jaden, a medieval realm where werecreatures, dragons, elves, and dwarves are abundant. I need two people to play the Storm brothers and one to play the demoness. Aside from that, you can make an original hero, be they human, rakshasa, elf, dwarf, werecreature, or half-dragon, though they must have some relationship with the reborn god if you pick one of the three demons.[/color][/i] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]The Requirements[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=crimson][b]Name:[/b] Naturally. [b]Apparent Age:[/b] What age your character APPEARS to be in this life. If you are an original hero along for the ride, this is your ACTUAL age. [b]Eyes:[/b] Of course. [b]Hair:[/b] Color and style, please. [b]Sex:[/b] Which gender do you encompass? Rakshasa are NEITHER, but they do have a preferred gender (which is how they reproduce). [b]Elemental Affinity:[/b] Rain, wind, lightning, thunder, fire, earth, light, or darkness. [b]Race:[/b] Pick one I mentioned upwards of here. [b]Class:[/b] What kind of warrior class are you? Cleric, paladin, knight, monk, lich, sorceror etc., etc. [b]Primary Weapon:[/b] If any, normally magically enhanced with your affinity. [b]Secondary Weapons:[/b] If any, your pick. Keep it within reason, though. [b]Spells:[/b] Three max that MATCH your affinity PLUS two max that don't. [b]Appearance:[/b] A picture of description, please. [b]Personality:[/b] What's your character like? [b]Apparent Biography:[/b]What has your character done in the recent years on Jade while waiting for the rain god's awakening? Have you taken an apprenticeship under Julia Diggers, the Armsmaster? Or have you attempted to battle the Ten Weaponsmasters? Or have you just kept an eye on the poor guy while he was growing up, acting as one of his own instructors?[/color] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]The Rain God (Me)[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=royalblue][b]Name:[/b] Koryu (Kit) Kurohyou [b]Apparent Age:[/b] 17 [b]Eyes:[/b] Stormy gray-blue. The right one is still sightless, though physically perfect. [b]Hair:[/b] Black with red streaks in it. Hangs in spikes, a mark of a werepanther. [b]Sex:[/b] Male. [b]Elemental Affinity:[/b] Rain. [b]Race:[/b] Werepanther. [b]Class:[/b] Martial artist, Storm class. [b]Primary Weapon:[/b] Katana empowered with rain, named "Arashi". [b]Secondary Weapons:[/b] A pair of sai, kept hidden in his sleeves, and a bo staff. [b]Spells:[/b] [u][i](Rain) Liquid Edge:[/i][/u] A quick slash that can cut through even the most durable of alloys. [u][i](Rain) Summon/Banish Rain:[/i][/u] An unlimited summoning or banishing of a light, medium, or heavy shower from the heavens. [u][i](Rain) Blessed Air:[/i][/u] Koryu can breathe underwater for an unlimited amount of time. [u][i](Wind) Wing Slash:[/i][/u] A pair of powerful black wings unfurl from Koryu's shoulder blades and manipulate the air into vacuum blades powerful enough to shred armor. [u][i](Lightning) Dejin Hadou Ken:[/i][/u] A powerful bolt of lightning strikes the target. [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment for human form. Werepanther form is typical panther hybrid form, half-panther, half-human, with the spiky hair swept back behind the feline ears. [b]Personality:[/b] Somewhat reserved, Koryu is nevertheless outspoken when it matters. Raised as a martial artist, his temperament is calm and controlled, though his wrath can be like an unleashed storm, much like the skies above. [b]Apparent Biography:[/b] Born to a werepanther mage and his wife, Koryu was raised as a martial artist of the Storm class, a school emphasizing adaptability and flexibility. As he grew, he found that he was skilled with rain magic and sought out a water spirit, Undine, for more tutelage. As he grew in skill, his trials became more pronounced and harder to overcome, and still he managed. Though he is as pale as a white cloud, his natural charm has attracted many young women, though for some reason, deep within his soul, he has maintained celebacy. Each time a young woman would come close to him, they would find a reason to push him away, or he would close up and ask them to enjoy a life without him. Still, he has many friends amongst the villagers of Seer's Hamlet, his home village, and he aspires to join the Edge Guard of the Retreat when it is time. However, something deep within him tells him that he has met many of his friends before, and that he will soon be needed, though he doesn't know why. He has spent some time developing a fighting style in Seer's Desert that is not detrimented by his sightless eye and benefits from the full use of his magical channeling.[/color]

[color=teal][i]Midori Yamada slowly walked down the street, sighing heavily. She'd heard all about the new student, Imric, from the girls in the locker room. She didn't like girls like that, it was just...she sighed, remembering her uncle's shopping needed doing. Sometimes, her days were just too slow for her NOT to look forward to the mundane things. As she walked down the street, her attention was caught by a small flower shop. The window display, full of roses and magnolias, caught Midori's breath. As she bent down to retrieve the bookbag she'd dropped, her eyes still on the display, she never noticed the two young men bumping into her from behind. Almost jumping in surprise, Midori turned and caught her breath. Standing before her was the most handsome man she'd ever seen, moreso even than Ranma (though she'd never admit to having a crush on that girl magnet!), and he'd bumped right into her![/i] [b]Imric:[/b]Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't see you, there. [i]Midori shook her head, clearing the spiderwebs that had accumulated between her ears, and looked up at the young man before her.[/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Anou, it's alright. I was blocking the path, so you really shouldn't apologize.... [i]Kento, recognizing the girl from school (the uniform had nothing to do with it!) and recognizing the plight og your average school girl, decided to help her out.[/i] [b]Kento:[/b]Hey, Imric, why don't we introduce ourselves, eh? [b]Imric:[/b]Ah, gomen. My name's Imric Kagushi, and this is my friend, Kento Ishuka. [i]Midori sketched a quick, polite bow to the new boys. She recognized Kento fairly well, but she didn't expect him to recognize her after seven months of seperate classes. As it was, being near this boy who'd introduced himself as Imric was getting very hard. Midori's breathing was constricting, her eyes were becoming unfocused. She had to get out of there![/i] [b]Midori:[/b]Anou....my...my name's Midori Yamada. It...um...it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry, I have to get over to my uncle's clinic, and soon... [b]Imric:[/b]Oh, your uncle owns a clinic? [b]Midori:[/b]Anou...yes, my uncle is Dr. Tofuu Ono, the local chiropractor and herbalist. He...he's very well known in Nerima.... [i]And, let there be light!, Kento recognized her. Finally.[/i] [b]Kento:[/b]Oh, wait! I recognize you now! You used to be in my class a while ago! [b]Midori:[/b]H..hai. I'm sorry, I have to be going. [b]Kento:[/b]Wait, we can't let you walk there all by yourself, it would be impolite. [i]Kento spared Imric a quick glance, and all he got was a shrug. As it was, Midori was getting almost completely flustered at ebing near the tall boy next to her. As they walked her to her uncle's office, she couldn't help but steal glances at Imric every now and then.[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope that's acceptable for an opening post. PM me if you need anything edited.

[color=teal]Could someone perhaps do a Mara (Oh My Goddess) and Ranma Saotome (Ranma 1/2) pairing banner? The only specific I require is that it have Ranma in male form only and the text phrase "Even Hell and cold water couldn't hold you back if you put your heart into it..." or a variation of it the artist thinks might fit. Thanks, in advance![/color]

[color=royalblue][b]Name:[/b] Midori Yamada [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Age:[/b]16 [b]Appearance:[/b] Midori has lovely waist-length hair often tied back with a green bow. With eyes of almost pure amber, Midori's face is the perfect picture of innocence. While still in the "cute" phase, she's got a kind of radiance to her that many can't help but find attractive. Standing at only 5'4", she's very self-conscious about her height and so clams up whenever somebody makes a snide comment about her shortness. When not in school, she often wears a green silk blouse and an ankle-length skirt or a pair of jeans and a white formal button-up. [b]Personality:[/b] Midori is very friendly, when you get to know her. Though she is incredibly shy when it comes to meeting people, she has many friends whom she cares about very, very deeply. Though her parents brought her up to be demure and obedient, she is anything but, and she took up martial arts as a way to get back at her parents for engaging her against her will. Through all this, she is extremely emotional, and cries quite easily, though on occasion she has been known to clam up and become very unresponsive, which is highly unusual for the emotional young woman. She is very open-minded, and shows attraction to both ends of the sexual spectrum. [b]Bio:[/b] At first a demure, shy girl, Midori was raised in an enclosed environment in Juuban ward of Tokyo. However, one day, on a visit to a certain doctor, her uncle Tofuu Ono, in Nerima ward, she met a pigtailed martial artist leading a sheltered, though hectic, life himself. After making her first friend, though it apparently got him in trouble with his arranged fiance, Midori spent the day with him at the doctor's clinic. The day's events taught her how fun life could be, and she began spending as much time as possible away from home. As her outings increased in number, her personality, likes, and dislikes all made a drastic change as she experienced what the world was really like. She's had a hard time breaking with her shyness, however, and though she has made many friends, it is only because her friends make friends for her. She has kept them all, and loves every one of them dearly. Midori's parents, however, grew miffed that their daughter had begun to live life for herself. To them, it was proof that their heir had gone renegade and they had failed to raise a "proper Japanese daughter" who would only do as her parents and husband said. As such, they decided to engage her quickly, while she was still only twelve years of age, so that the situation might be salvaged. However, before a date for the wedding could be arranged, Midori's fiancee had vanished. Her parents decided it was because their daughter was too rebellious for him and decided to foist her off into her uncle's care until her estranged husband-to-be could be found, though they still tried to control her. Against her parents' express wishes, Midori began to take martial arts lessons in jeet kune do from her uncle, and in various forms of kendo from the local rich boy for some time. To top it off, she took lessons from her first friend, Ranma, and exceeded even his expectations of her by mastering all of the kempo and jeet kune do forms he'd taught her over the course of four years. Though she is a very good martial artist by practice, she is hesistant to use her skills and would rather flee from a confrontation unless absolutely necessary. Her uncle, in an effort to clear his mind of a rather embarrassing malady involving the woman he loves, moved to the district they currently live in and signed Midori up for school as Ryuize High School. For a year, she has been attending and has made quite a few friends through her work as a waitress in a local cafe, called Aria Caratrere, on weekdays after school, and as an assistant to her uncle in the weekends, though she often takes trips to Nerima to keep an eye on her first and best friend. [b]Occupation:[/b] Student, waitress [b]Skills:[/b] Midori is an exceptional violin player, and she is very skilled in jeet kune do and kendo, ranking a third dan in each. She is also quite skilled at kempo, though she isn't quite as good as she is at jeet kune do, holding only a first dan.[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope this is ok, Crucifix.

[color=teal][i]Reth stared at the temporal rift from atop the inn's roof. He sighed as he resheathed Rubius on his back.[/i] [b]Reth:[/b]How am I gonna crack you? I've still gotta find those old ateliers. I'll get you Valen. Dad asked me to pay you back for Uncle Ruecian. [i]He jumped down, knowing Minthe was probably going to insist he have an honor guard as the child of the man who sealed Valen with her mother. He shook his head and dashed into the forest, hoping Rena was still there. He needed her help, and he hated admitting it.[/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]Rini:[/b]Daddy, Reth's run off to Carona Forest again. [i]Rue stopped sharpening the Arc Edge and stared off into the distance. His eyes became wistful as he remembered his adventuring days with Mint and Prima Doll.[/i] [b]Rue:[/b]He'll be fine, he's your brother. [i]Rini giggled as she remembered the time her brother had first met that Amazon, Amara. He'd come home from that encounter in a sling on her back, his "wounds" a result of an attempt to eat some Amazon "cooking".[/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [i]Reth stood on top of the hill next to the magician's atelier. Rena had taken up residence in it for obvious reasons: its ties to magic.[/i] [b]Reth:[/b]Rena, I need your help! [i]A catlike girl exited the building, a feral grin on her face.[/i] [b]Rena:[/b]So the proud treasure hunter finally asks for help? [b]Reth:[/b]Oh, Rena, you know you're the only person I'll EVER ask help from. [b]Rena:[/b]I know. That's why I commented on it....[/color]

[color=teal]I'm starting the RPG in a very short amount of time. Namely, as soon as I can get to another computer for at least an hour. The members of this RPG so far are: [b]Cyriel The Harlequin Raiha doukeshi03 Shanghai Nefertimon And myself.[/b] I'll PM you as soon as the RPG is up and running.[/color]

[color=teal][i]Alastor sighed as he pulled out his longsword, aimed, and threw. It pierced the man through his vocal cords, preventing any scream from alerting anyone else.[/i] [b]Ingrid:[/b]Now, answer me. When did you change? [b]Alastor:[/b]Ingrid....I.....I changed when I thought I might become unfaithful to Shizu's memory. When the Cleric tok me in and taught me what I needed to know. [i]Ingrid had barely listened after the unfaithful part.[/i] [b]Ingrid:[/b]Before the Cleric. After Shizu. JUST WHO WERE YOU PLANNING ON LOVING AFTER OUR SISTER, AFTER YOUR OWN GODDAMN WIFE DIED!!!!!?????? [i]Alastor sighed, slashing his own wrist and licking the blood. He was thirsty and hated the taste of ale.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]I was in love with no-one else. I AM in love with no other. it was and is a fear I still hold deep in my heart. It has forced me to become a freakish, tainted beast with only one purpose: vengeance. [b]Ingrid:[/b]Where are you, Alastor Silvermoon? Where is that handsome, courageous brother who would galdly have given up an entire week's worth of red meat so that the youngest, scrawniest cub in the pack could be fed? [i]Alastor sighed, looking out at the sea of hard, lifeless ground. He stared hard at the castle, not so far away, at the end of the main street of the city.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]He's still chained to a wall in that castle, screaming for the woman he loves to be freed and his own life taken. Howling for his daughter and his youngest sister to be happy. [b]Ingrid:[/b]What did they do to you? [i]Alastor looked up, wondering where that statement had come from. He then realized his jacket was open, his large, angry red scar splashed contrastingly against his pale, musculat chest.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]I can't remember. Nor do I want to.......[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=crimson][i]Yuto sighed, his headache growing worse.[/i] [b]Yuto:[/b]Shizen, please don't scare the poor girl like that again. And you, Arden....CALM THE HELL DOWN!!!!! We need this lab for our studies, we can't have you destroy it in one night......AGAIN!!! And now, Satsuki-dono, please allow me to escort you to your rooms. [i]Shizen was up in a flash, chewing on his lip and shouting at Yuto in a sever mental barrage.[/i] [b]Shizen:[/b](Nuh-uh! Not you! I wanna walk her upstairs! You saw her earlier! Besides, Arden woke me up barely ten minutes ago! I need a break!) [b]Yuto:[/b]Fine, Shizen. Whatever you say. [i]Satsuki simply stared.[/i] [b]Satsuki:[/b]But he didn't SAY anything. Did he? [b]Shizen:[/b](I'm a telepath, just like Yuto is. We can speak with our minds. Can't read 'em, though. Just basic motivations. Like hunger, anger, sex drive....) [i]Arden was on the gound giggling at this. Shizen was sparing no expense as he took Satsuki upstairs. God, it was going to be a long night. Yuto popped a pair of pills, then grabbed Arden and dragged him away. Until Arden broke Yuto's grasp and bounded after Shizen.[/i] [b]Arden:[/b]WAIT!!! I wanna hear about your first conquest, Shizen! YOU PROMISED!!!!!!!!!![/color]

[center]I'll give credit where it's due. This is a Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic. It entails what happens many, many years after the death of Shadow the Hedgehog. Therefore, credit goes to Sonic Team, the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sega. Also, credit goes to the author of "Shadow's Rebirth", the fanfic that gave me this particular idea.[/center] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=crimson][i]The weapon's barrel aimed at the black figure. As the weapon fired, a single, defiant cry echoed. But the bullet entered his body nonetheless, and darkness engulfed the red and black personage as he fell into the black abyss of the ocean....[/i][/color] ------------------- [color=slategray][i]Archer Lang awakened in a sweat, his body forcing the remains of his dinner last night into a bucket at the side of his bed. He looked up into the mirror at the opposite wall, seeing his black hair hanging limply behind him. He'd had that same dream for five years, wondering what it meant. But this was the first time the bullet had hit him before he woke up.[/i] [b]???:[/b]Boy, get back to bed. It's only four in the morn-*mumblemumble* [i]Archer stared at his sleeping father, Grayson Lang, and nearly retched again. Archer, a fine, upstanding young man, had been forced into a motherless existence because his father had decided to drag him to Japan so that he could master a specialized martial arts. The sixteen-year-old nearly retched at the thought that he had left his mother behind twelve years ago. He sighed and cleaned himself up in the furo, then headed to the dojo for his morning kata. As Archer stared at his target, he focused his ki energy, making certain his physical energy would not be drained by what he was about to do. At some invisible, indiscernible signal within him, he moved his hands as fast as he could, reducing the dummy to splinters in a matter of milliseconds. Archer's face barely showed any sign of exhertion, not even a sweat. His hair, however, had dried out at last from the cold sweat of his nightmare and the hot steam from the furo. He tugged at the leather thong holding it in a ponytail and shook his head, the streaks of red finally showing under the bright lights of the dojo. His hair settled naturally into a spiked pattern, and he went downstairs to help his sister, Alison Lang, fix breakfast.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b]Hey, Ali, what's up? [b]Alison:[/b]You, apparently. Hey, bro. [i]Archer hugged his sister, who had only just joined Grayson and his son in their home at the foot of Mt. Fuji from her mother's elsewhere in Japan. She grinned at pointed at the water clock.[/i] [b]Alison:[/b]Bro, you might want to leave for school, now. Otherwise, Kyoko will find you and then..... [i]Archer grabbed his bookbag, his bento, and rushed off with no need for further explanation. Kyoko was a girl who fancied herself his girlfriend, his lover, and worse....his fiancee. The martial artist rushed into the gates, preparing for the onslaught of boys wanting to date the kawaii young woman by beating the crap out of Archer, in hopes that Kyoko would see how "weak" the black-haired teenager really was. And they failed. Miserably, judging from the craters their bodies left in the street within ten seconds of the battle beginning. Archer grinned and started to walk into the building when he saw the race track. He grinned, deciding to skip school just once. He needed a break anyway, seeing as how he was forced to beg the teachers not to reveal his true grades to the class. he should have been in college with the courses he was taking. He set himself up on the track, starting his stopwatch as he began the five-hundred meter dash. He finished in five seconds. And he felt it wasn't fast enough. So he tried again. Three seconds. Then two and a half. Then two flat. But it STILL WASN'T FAST ENOUGH. He sighed, leaning against a tree in the yard, and began humming to himself. he didn't know the tune, but he felt he should. He fell sleep, thankfully, too tired to have any nightmares...... He woke up suddenly, his shoulder weighted down by something. He turned to check, and found a lovely, pink-haired girl sitting next to him, sleeping as well. Archer stared at her lovely face, her soft skin, the way her hair hung lightly and shimmered slightly in the damp mist that drizzled the school. That was what had awakened him. The change in the weather. He smiled at the girl, instantly recognizing something in his heart. He was falling in love, and he didn't even know her name. She woke up, smiling.[/i] [b]Girl:[/b]Oh, good, you're awake. I saw you running. No matter how fast you ran, and you were fast, it wasn't fast enough, was it? [i]Archer only shook his head, wondering how she knew what he felt.[/i] [b]Girl:[/b]It's because you NOW you can go faster. You NEED to go faster, in your heart. Now, what's my name? [i]He said the first thing that came to his mind.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b]Amy Rose. [i]He stared at himself, wondering where that response had come from, yet knowing it was true. Briefly, he caught a glimpse of a pink humanoid hedgehog running away from a large, green robot. She had in her hands a large, red mallet. Then Archer awakened, smiling gently.[/i] [b]Amy:[/b]Good. You remember me. [b]Archer:[/b]REMEMBER YOU?!?!?! How could I?! I've never met.....you..... [i]His dream came back to him. And he knew that it was an old life. And he must have known Amy long ago. His own name hovered near the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite grasp it.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b]I died, didn't I? [i]Amy nodded sadly, then stood up and walked away. Of course, Kyoko happened to see the whole incident. From when Archer went to sleep to when he woke up and spoke to her. And she was pissed.[/i] [b]Kyoko:[/b]ARCHER!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE MINE!!! MINEMINEMINEMINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOBODY ELSE'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [i]She ran outside, and Archer immediately stood up and prepared to give her a shiatsu attack when, suddenly, a huge hammer hit her to the ground.[/i] [b]Amy:[/b]I HATE people who act like they own others. [b]Kyoko:[/b]But.....how....could....you....cheat on me....with.....this.....whore? [i]Kyoko collapsed, Amy placed her hammer back into the ever-useful anime Hammerspace, and Archer simply walked home. He needed rest. He never noticed the boots on his feet had become black with red trim. He also didn't notice they were now made of a light metal that he could move much faster and easier in. He returned home and fell asleep almost immediately, not even removing his favorite red and black jacket.....[/i] -------------------[/color] [i][color=crimson]The bullet pierced his chest, his cries of "Chaos Control" having no effect on it. He realized at the last instant, the instant that he fell into the ocean and his breath was forced from his body, that Eggman had perfected the resistance to time stopping thanks to his Metal ------.....[/i][/color][color=slategray] ------------------- [i]Archer awakened, this time alone. He smiled thankfully, realizing he'd slept a little late. He didn't even get dressed, realizing he was already in his day outfit or a red T-shirt, black jeans, and his red and black windbreaker. He leapt out of his window, rushing for school as quickly as he could. Which was fast. He just made it inside as the bell rang. He sighed with relief and headed for homeroom, ignoring his pull to the track. Once in homeroom, he settled back in his chair and grinned when he heard the teacher announce five new students.[/i] [b]Sakura-sensei:[/b]Class, please meet our new students. they're from all over the world, so please don't mind their habits. First, from our own Japan, a Saori Yuka. [i]Yuka walked into the room, but Archer damn near choked when he saw it was Amy, the pink-haired girl form yesterday.[/i] [b]Sakura-sensei:[/b]From Australia, Lee Shatter. [i]A boy about Archer's age entered the room, an arrogant grin on his face. He was muscular, very much so, but most notable about him was his crimson hairstyle, folded into dreadlocks that formed spikes. He stood next to Amy, leaning against the board and grinning at each gilr in the class.[/i] [b]Sakura:[/b]From England, Elizabeth Jameson. [i]From the way her name sounded, you couldn't have gotten farther from what she was really like. Her pale white skin, the purple hairstyle that fell down to her waist in a braid, and the violet-painted fingernails. Not to mention that she wasn't even wearing a school uniform, or even a variation of it, like Amy and Lee were. She was in a pair of skintight jeans and a tanktop that revealed her stomach. She didn't HAVE to look sexy for the guys in class, with Archer's exception, to start drooling. He preferred Amy, hands down.[/i] [b]Sakura:[/b]From Scotland, Miles Glenn. [i]In walked a young boy, about fourteen, Archer guessed, with orange hair done up in two ponytails. He wore a white lab coat over his uniform, but he had no glasses. He grinned brightly as he stood at the board next to Elizabeth.[/i] [b]Sakura:[/b]Finally, from America, Artemis Blueblood. [i]No other words for it, the teenager that entered the room was arrogance incarnate. His blue hair, done back in spikes that lined three rows down his back, was impressive, to say the least. He grinned, a walkman playing what Archer could hear was video game tunes.[/i] [b]Sakura:[/b]Students, please say a little about yourselves. [b]Miles:[/b]Miles Glenn. I'm fourteen, and I enjoy mechanics and engineering. [b]Elizabeth:[/b]I'm sixteen, I like night clubs, raves, and my guy, Lee! [i]The girls and guys all groaned at the couple's kiss before Amy spoke up.[/i] [b]Amy:[/b]I'm called Yuka, I enjoy sports, martial arts, and the hot guy in the fourth row! [i]Archer perked up, being the only guy in the fourth row. Amy, not hesitating, took the empty seat right behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder as the rest of the guys, and not just a few girls, bemoaned what looked like another couple. Of course, Kyoko somehow had a mallet in her hands that was immediately confiscated by Sakura-sensei.[/i] [b]Lee:[/b]Name's Lee. I go by a nickname that only my group knows. And Elizabeth is MINE. [i]More groans.[/i] [b]Artemis:[/b]Hey, ladies, this guy's free. So long as you don't mind me bein' the best and the coolest, saddle up. [i]Lee, Miles, Artemis, and Elizabeth all took up seats near Amy and Archer. Archer found a note on his desk, slipped there speedily by Amy, who was behind him.[/i] [b]Amy:[/b][Sit at my table at lunch today?] [i]Archer replied, moving his hand so fast, it was a blur.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b][Sure, why not? I normally sit next to Kyoko, anyway.] [i]Amy grinned, but then looked up as Sakura-sensei saw the note.[/i] [b]Sakura:[/b]Hana-san, Lang-san, please wait outside the classroom! [i]Archer winked at the teacher, then picked up his buckets ofwater and was soon followed by Amy into the hall.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b]I thought your name was Amy..... [b]Amy:[/b]It WAS. I prefer it a lot over my new name, Yuka. God, that's awful. [b]Archer:[/b]I agree. I prefer Amy. Not so sure I prefer Artemis to Sonic, though. Was he always that arroga-what?!?! Do I have a mole or something on my face? [b]Amy:[/b]You called Artemis "Sonic". [b]Archer:[/b]I....I...wha..... -------------------[/color] [i][color=navy]A blue blur dashed next to a black one. Another humanoid hedgehog, the blue blur, tried to keep up with the black hedgehog.[/i] [b]Sonic:[/b]You'll never catch me, ------! [b]------:[/b]Then why am I ahead of you?[/color][color=slategray] ------------------- [b]Archer:[/b]...He and I raced a lot, didn't we? [i]Amy simply nodded. Then she popped up really close to Archer.[/i] [b]Amy:[/b]Your boots changed. They're metal, like Sonic's. Same with your gloves. [b]Archer:[/b]Gloves? [i]He looked at his hands, seeing a pair of gloves, made of the same lightweight, indestructible metal as his boots. They were black, but the joints were red. He grinned, flexing his hands in them. Amy took his hand and grinned. She was wearing the same gloves, only pure white, and he could feel her touch through them. He smiled as the bell rang and the class poured out.[/i] [b]Archer:[/b]YO, SONIC!!!! [i]The four members of the group froze, staring at the black-and-red-haired martial artist. Artemis grinned.[/i] [b]Sonic:[/b]You remember. [i]It wasn't a question.[/i] [b]Sonic:[/b]Race? [b]Archer:[/b]Race![/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Chaotic Return: Chapter One complete. Tell me what you think. I'm open to suggestions and I might use some in the next chapter. Note that Archer will NOT remember his real name, and that the other characters can't say it to his face until he does.

[color=crimson][i]Yuto grinned and walked from his rooms into the main hall, moving into step with Shizen.[/i] [b]Shizen:[/b](So he summoned you, to, eh? Just perfect.) [b]Yuto:[/b](You aren't the only telepathic in this house, as you well know. Just be glad Wakusei can't hear anything aside from a direct thought.) [i]This familiar conversation ended as they entered Wakusei's room, which was more like an elaborate egyptian tomb with modern touches here and there. Wakusei sat upon his high-backed chair, looking down on Shizen.[/i] [b]Wakusei:[/b]Shizen, the girl has arrived. Yuto and you shall be her assistants. We must find the cure to our curse against the daylight. Do NOT fail me! And Yuto! [b]Yuto:[/b]Yes, sire? [b]Wakusei:[/b]Use your potions or incantations or whatever and find me the werewolf that took your hand. In his blood lies the secret to resisting wood, and to tripling our already formidable strength. [i]Yuto his his surprise at this thought. He looked up, bowed, and left the room with Shizen.[/i] [b]Shizen:[/b](If his blood holds the key, then why don't you hand over that wolf-girl you have in that secret room of yours?) [b]Yuto:[/b](Yuki needs her father. Besides, I'm not about to stand aside and let Wakusei make us into something the Gods didn't. It's...against their laws.) [i]Both of the vampires proceeded to the labs, hoping against hope something would take Wakusei out. Or at least cripple him beyond recovery.[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=teal][b]Alastor:[/b]Sunuvamutherfokkin'...... [i]Ingrid grinned as she looked out at the landscape below her. A bright light from the town below attracted her attention. Beside her, Alastor grinned.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]They're hunting.....so am I! [i]In the blink of an eye, Alastor stood a full foot taller, his calws extended. He loped down to the city, breaking into the wall of the tavern. A single human was backed into the wall, four vampires turning to face the werewolf that just interrupted their feast. In an instant, one vampire became dust as Alastor emptied one of the stakeholders in his bandolier. With a swipe of his claws, another vampire had an unbleeding wound opened in his jaws. But Alastor no longer had the element of surprise. Instead, he had three angry vampires ready to drink HIS blood.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]Oh, perfect. Just what I need. This'll go on all night![/color]

[color=red][b]Name:[/b]Ranma Saotome [b]Age:[/b]18 [b]Description:[/b]The (self-proclaimed) best martial artist in the world, Ranma is one hell of a wild card in the game of life. He's arrogant, EXTREMELY proud, and willing to do ANYTHING to be the best. Of course, as a result of this as well as quite a few bashes to the head, he's not all that smart. Ranma also has a bit of a quirk....when he's splashed with cold water, HE becomes a SHE. Because of a curse inflicted upon him at the infamous Jusenkyou Springs, he's stuck with a gender-shifting curse. Of course, its not like he hasn't made any FRIENDS. He has four fiancess.....and he likes only one of them. But he's WAY too damned honorable to let the other three down. What's a half-girl, half-guy gonna do? Move away! [b]Life Story:[/b]Naturally, none of this would make sense without a bio. Genma Saotome, master of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, dragged his son, Ranma (who was already engaged to the three Tendo sisters thorugh an agreement by his father), away from his mother at the age of six, signing an agreement that if Genma did not return when and only when Ranma was the manliest man in the world, both father and son would commit seppuku. Of course, the ten-year trip was a hell of a ride. Alog the way, Ranma befriended a young girl, whom he thought was a GUY, named Ukyou Kuonji. Genma decided to promise Ranma's hand in marriage to Ukyou in return for the Kuonji Okonomiyaki cart. Genma ran off with the cart, leaving an enraged Ukyou behind. Genma enlisted Ranma in an all-boys school, where a war broke out for the last piece of bread every day. Ryoga, who had to be helped to school every day by Ranma due to his EXTREME lack of ANY sense of direction, never got the bread. Ranma always did, and he also shared it with Ryoga. Who, in turn, took it as a slight and challenged Ranma. Ryoga was, as usual, four days late for the challenge. It so happened that on the fourth day, Genma dragged Ranma to China. Ryoga fumed about yet another imagined slight when it was he who was at fault. In any case, genma dragged his son all over CHina to different training grounds, eventually reaching Jusenkyo. Ranma thwacked Genma into a spring, and out came a panda. Ranma, wondering at this, ended up thwacked into a spring by his father, hwo was holding a sign that said something about never being distracted in a fight. Ranma came out a girl. Later on, hthey found a village called Joketsuzoku, where they interrupted a duel for food. Ranma, in girl form, defeated the Amazon girl Xian Pu (Ranma can't pronounce it any way other than "Shampoo") and ended up with the kiss of death. Which later turned into the kiss of marriage! Of course, this didn't sit too well with Soun Tendo (or Ranma for that matter), the father of the girls whom Ranma would have to choose from as a fiancee. Upon realizing their fiancee was a cursed individual, they forced Akane, the youngest, into the engagement. Ranma, though sorely tempted to thousands of times from beatings and whatnot, never gave in. He eventually fell in love with Akane, who also loved him back. But Ranma has vowed not to allow Akane to marry a ronin, and so, after two years, has begun studying for college. He has taken up residence at Maison Otaku in hopes that he could study without the pressures of his four fiancees Akane, Shampoo, Ukyou (yeah, yeah, she came back and fell in love with him), and Kodachi Kuno (****, Ranma's in trouble here.....). Howev- [b]Genma:[/b]BOY!!!!! ARE YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF AGAIN?!?!?!? [b]Ranma:[/b]CAN IT OLD MAN!!!! CAN'T A GUY EVER TELL HIS LIFE STORY IN PEACE?!?!?! [b]Genma:[/b]BOY!!! I'LL SHOW YOU RESPECT!!!! *throws a kitten into the room* [b]Kitten-Shampoo:[/b]Meow! *latches onto Ranma's face* [b]Ranma:[/b]C-c-c-c-c-c-c-cAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!! *faints* [b]Akane:[/b]RANMA NO BAKA!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Uhh.......yeah. Let's leave it there for now......needless to say, his old life moved with him.....[/color]

[color=teal][i]Thousands of years ago, there was a mystical race called "Aeons", the most powerful beings in existence.These magic-infused creatures, while extraordinarily powerful, were not immortal. They left a legacy in items called "relics", items that contained the power, and often the very spirit, of the Aeons that forged them, before they died out. One such Aeon, the most powerful of them all, was Valen. He forged the most powerful relic ever known, the mighty DewPrism. This item contained the essence of the universe. It held the powers of time, space, matter, and energy. It could bend anything to its holder's will. But the power was too great for even Valen himself. The other Aeons, growing envious and fearful of Valen, sought to destroy him. They attacked, but only managed to succeed in destroying his body. Valen sealed his own spirit in the DewPrism, but not before insuring his spirit's rebirth through the creation of "puppets". These puppets had a shard of the DewPrism, called a Lifestone, embeded in their foreheads and, under the right conditions, would awaken to serve their duty to their master..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ But their master's plan was foiled. One individual puppet, named Ruecian, awakened and began to search for one of his brothers, the puppet with the largest Lifestone, and awaken him so that Ruecian's own lost power would be restored. However, it took him ninety-five years to find his brother and set him free. But somehow, Ruecian's brother was memoryless. Ruecian, in a rage, stormed away from his brother's resting place and found some more powerful followers, ModeMaster, PsychoMaster, and TrapMaster. But he could not find his brother again. His powers would not allow it. But then one day, two years later, he discovered his brother in the home of a young woman somewhere in the snowy northlands called Gradia. Rue, Ruecian's brother, rushed out to investigate the source of the noise the farm animals were causing and found Ruecian. Not knowing what else to do, Rue defended himself against Ruecian's attacks....until Claire hit Ruecian in the back with a hoe. Ruecian carelessly backhanded Claire with his overlarge Right Arm of Death, killing her. Rue, in a rage, unwittingly unleashed his great powers and defeated Ruecian. Ruecian fled as Rue mourned his so-called "sister" and learned of his newfound power to transform his body into that of any other creature. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rue set out to revive Claire through an item he knew only as "the relic". Over three years, he found no leads. One day, on an island known as Carona, Rue found a man named Klaus, who knew how to find the "relic". With a young woman named Mint, whose sister was the Princess of East Heaven, Rue travelled the island, searching for the components to the "Prima Doll", a puppet with the capability to unseal the barrier that held Valen and his DewPrism in an impregnable dimension. Mint, whose sights were no less than World Domination, was eventually disappointed in her goal, but she managed to live with it. Rue, however, revived Claire after Valen murdered Ruecian. Rue, having just acknowledged Ruecian as his brother, fell into another rage and nearly destroyed Valen. However, Valen's new god-like powers allowed him to seal himself and his DewPrism into the dimension again to wait for another servant to awaken him. Years passed. Mint assumed the throne of East Heaven with her sister, Maya, as joint queens. Rue and Claire were married soon after leaving Carona. It seemed the realm was at peace, for once in thousands of years. But something Valen didn't expect occured. The Book of Genesis, a powerful relic once held by the warrior tribe known as the Amazons of Iglesi, was destroyed near the island of Carona in a violent explosion some time after Valen resealed himself. The Book's explosion tore a rift into Valen's dimension, and all of his living puppets now know where their master is. Some are trying to revive him once and for all, others shall attempt to steal his power....... Still other nations, East Heaven and the Amazons in particular, are hiring mercenaries and spies to send to safeguard the tomb, to make certain that Valen never again rises from his dimension.......[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=navy][i]Reth stood outside the cabin, staring at the stars. The small, red gem in his forehead once again began to sting as he looked towards the south.[/i] [b]Reth:[/b]Argh! Father, my head! It burns again..... [b]Rue:[/b]I know, Gareth. Mine, too. [i]Reth blanched at the mention of his real name and sighed. He pulled the Arc Edge out of the tree and tossed it back to his father.[/i] [b]Reth:[/b]Dad, you gotta be more careful with the Edge when you chop wood. You're gonna make it go dull. [b]Claire:[/b]Rue, Reth, dinner's ready! [b]Rue and Reth:[/b]Alright! Deer stew!!!! [i]All thoughts of burning gems faded as the two men rushed to the cabin. Rini, Reth's sister, grinned as she saw her brother grab a large bowl of stew and downed it in a single gulp.[/i] [b]Rue:[/b]Damn, boy, you eat like that all the time and we're not gonna have any deer in these woods anymore! [i]Rini giggled as her brother jumped up and bowed, apologizing, then helping himself to a second bowl. Then she saw something strange.[/i] [b]Rini:[/b]Daddy, what's that? [i]Rue and Claire turned to see what looked like a kitten's head with bat wings hovering over the floor. Rue gasped and turned around.[/i] [b]Mel:[/b]Nice to see you again, Rue. [b]Claire:[/b]Fancy Mel!? What's happened?! [i]The magician sighed and sat down between the two warrior children and told the story.....[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]Necessary Junk[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=crimson][b]Name:[/b]Of course. [b]Age:[/b]Make it waking age. That is, how long you've been "alive", so to speak. (Such as a puppet could look sixteen and only have been awake for two years) [b]Hair:[/b]Hair color and style. All puppets' hair is white, however. [b]Eyes:[/b]Duh. Puppets eyes tnd towards the lighter and sometimes more exotic colors. [b]Race:[/b]Puppet, Elven, Amazon, Human, Dwarf, Half-blood (Half-animal) Unknown. There are only two Half-Puppets, Reth and Rini, who are twins. [b]Job:[/b]Battle focus, such as fighter, paladin, cleric, etc. [b]Occupation:[/b]Civilian job, such as alchemist, shopkeeper, etc. [b]Weapon:[/b]A main weapon and sub-weapon(s). [b]Abilities:[/b]Physical skills or magical capabilties. [b]Appearance:[/b]What does your character wear? [b]Personality:[/b]What's your character like? [b]Biography:[/b]A little bit about your character's life up to this point. If you're playing a puppet, however, please state where you awakened. Not all puppets have awakened at the same time. Also, include why you're fighting Valen's resurrection.[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [b]My Useless Junk[/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=teal][b]Name:[/b]Gareth Aeonesse (Called Reth) [b]Age:[/b]Seventeen [b]Hair:[/b]Light white-gray [b]Eyes:[/b]Amber [b]Race:[/b]Half-Puppet [b]Job:[/b]Thief/Fighter [b]Occupation:[/b]None, but aspires to own a tavern. [b]Weapon:[/b] [i]Rubius:[/i]A longsword with an unusually sharp edge and extremely thin blade, it has a magical ability to block any attack when Gareth assumes his true form. [i]Stilettos:[/i]Thin knives that are strapped in any number of places on Reth's body, he uses them for knife fights and quick hits. They were specially made by Rod never to break. [b]Abilities:[/b] [i]Shadowalk:[/i]As a skilled thief, Reth can move undetected in the shadows. [i]Transform:[/i]Inherited from their father, Rini and Reth can both transform into any creature or person they've seen with their own eyes. [i]Berserker:[/i]Reth alone inherited his father's incredible strength in rage. Nearly invincible in this mode, nature made up for this by making Reth naturally calm.When in this form, he becomes capapble of cleaving through anything, even the densest metals, as well as becoming able to lift up to forty times his weight and hurling it at least a mile away. Unfortunately, he inherited a calm nature. An EXTREMELY calm nature. As in only seeing somebody injured for no reason sparks a MINOR level of Berserker. [b]Appearance:[/b]See attachment. [b]Personality:[/b]Reth is a calm, good-natured person who took up thievery so that he could travel through ruins and expertly avoid traps. He has a natural propensity for agility and speed. He has vowed never to use his skills on the just. He is a gentle soul. [b]Biography:[/b]Born two years after the DewPrism incident resurrected his mother, Claire, Reth was brought into the world a mere three seconds before his sister, Rini. He grew up admiring his father and took up swordsmanship. As he journeyed from boy to man, he eventually began to wear a bandanna around his head to hide his red Lifestone, which was, in Reth's opinion, keeping him from getting dates. Along the way, he met a virtuous thief and assassin named Nobuna. With Nobuna as a mentor, Reth left home for five years, returning when he was fifteen. When he had left, he had vowed to become a treasure hunter that would make his parents proud. When he returned, his mother had started an inn and his father was a peacekeeper for their new village. Rini was a serving girl at the inn and thanked her brother countless times for saving her from the lecherous hands of drunken men. He had become a skilled thief, and often went to ruins to recover some treasure or artifact for the village museum. It was a well-paying job, but Reth's desires were to have adventure. An opportunity for such struck when Mel arrived, telling the story of the book's explosion and its results to Rue and Claire. The family packed up, closed the inn, and set out for Carona to keep an eye on Valen's Tomb.....[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join up and have fun!!

[color=crimson][i]Yuto cocked an ear. In his quarters, he could hear the whole incident. He grinned. Wakusei must really want Shizen if he sent Arden to wake him up. Briefly, Yuto wondered what it would be like if Arden were to wake Yuto up. Yuto shuddered involuntarily.....[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=teal][i]Alastor crept thorugh the woods, heading for the town in the near distance. He could smell his hunters. Hell, he could practically taste their lifeless flesh as he maneuvered one of his hands to his bandolier. He squeezed one of his stakes when he tasted a new scent. He eyes darted backwards, the scent of the decayed flesh disappearing. There was one strong scent now. And it was too familiar.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]****. Not- [b]Ingrid:[/b]Hello, brother. Where have you been? [b]Alastor:[/b]I was taken by the Cleric. I.....learned much about the Aylward coven. [b]Ingrid:[/b]Well...that does not mean you had to leave with no warning. As well as the pack! You were our Alpha. We need you. Everything is falling apart! [i]Ingrid almost smirked at that outright lie. If anything, the clan had grown in the last century. Not because of Alastor's absence, but because of the vampires hunt for the humans who hunted werewolves. Ingrid noticed the sword and bandolier on his back.[/i] [b]Ingrid:[/b]You damned fool. You are going in there, probably by yourself, in order to avenge Shizu and Yuki?!?! [b]Alastor:[/b]Shizu, yes. Yuki....you cannot avange what isn't dead. [i]Ingrid's eyes opened wide with shock.[/i] [b]Ingrid:[/b]She.....she can't be! When you came out....you were barely alive, your wounds were so terrible! [b]Alastor:[/b]Yes, sister. My daughter.....your niece......is still alive. The Cleric told me she would be.....and.....I can feel it. I must go. [i]It took ten seconds for Ingrid to realize he was walking away from her.[/i] [b]Ingrid:[/b]OH, NO YOU DON'T!!!![/color]

[color=crimson][i]Yuto grinned. She was here at last. His thoughts returned to the time he heard Wakusei's decision. Oh, how he wished, just once, that his left hand had not been severed. Wakusei would have been as handicapped as his own clansmen, the young Shizen. Wakusei had said he would send Satsuki's partner the next day. Yuto decided he wouldn't wait that long to be introduced to her. After all, he was the Noble. Pleasantries WERE his area of expertise. He entered the lab, where Satsuki was busy trying to identify a few of the more....sanguine instruments.[/i] [b]Yuto:[/b]That would be an electron microscope, Yukimori-san. [b]Satsuki:[/b]Oh! Um...sorry. [b]Yuto:[/b]No, I must apologize. I failed to introduce myself. I am Aylward Yuto, of Japanese heritage. And no, I am NOT the Aylward that employed you. [b]Satsuki:[/b]Then...why....? [b]Yuto:[/b]In this castle, we take the clan name. It is a pleasure to meet you, Satsuki-san. [b]Satsuki:[/b]The same to you. But....your hand..... [i]Yuto looked regretfully at his left wrist, where no hand was attached.[/i] [b]Yuto:[/b]A mark of distinction I recieved for fighting a....wild beast away from the Master Aylward. [i]With that, he left. He headed into a passage unknown to any but himself and Wakusei, though the Master had not been down here for centuries. He stopped when he found the cryo-tank he'd been keeping the young girl in. He reached up and looked at her.[/i] [b]Yuto:[/b]Poor Yuki.....I promise you, I will find your father. Everyone needs a parent.... [i]The infant just slept on, perhaps dreaming about her murdered mother. What was her name? Shizu? Yuto made up his mind as he went to his bed from the chamber. He would send a party to seacrh for the Alpha of the Crimson Crescents at the next new moon....[/i][/color]

This is on Starlight's permission. We're doing this for plot, I needed a challenge, and this character is tied to my original, Alastor. And Cyriel, I'm glad you decided to make a family member of his. ^_- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [color=crimson][b]Played By:[/b]Legacy [b]Surname:[/b]Aylward [b]First Name:[/b]Yuto [b]Species:[/b]Vampire [b]Status in Coven:[/b]Noble, Wakusei's right-hand man. [b]Age:[/b]498 [b]Appearance:[/b]Outift changes irregularly, but Yuto's complexion is clean and handsome. He has pale skin, and retractable claws are evident on his right hand. [b]Hair:[/b]Spiky, alabaster white. Sometimes done up in a short braid or ponytail when Wakusei is not near. [b]Eyes:[/b]Silvery blue, almost like the surface of a misted lake. [b]Height:[/b]5'9" [b]Choice of Clothing:[/b]Follows the Japanese tradition. Normally sports a white vest, laced along the left side of the chest, and black gi-style pants made of silk. He wears black form-fitting shoes made of a temperature-friendly cotton. Not that it matters to him. He always wears a pair of black wristbands and keeps his spiky hair in a short ponytail or braid when Wakusei is not around. His arms are always bare. Even in his rather form-fitting "allure", as he calls it. Though he rarely wears this light red and purple outfit, it has never failed to attract a "feast's" attention. [b]Weapons:[/b] [i]Mjolnir:[/i]A large warhammer empowered with lightning. [i]Claws:[/i]The retractable claws of his right hand are extremely sharp. he has no claws on his left hand due to an incident involving the Alpha male of the Crimson Crescent werewolves one-hundred years ago, right around the time the former Master Aylward "retired" prematurely. [i]Longspear:[/i]A spear embossed with the crest of fire, it is capapble of a reddish glow that lights up the surrounding area with a burning, nonlethal light. This is for the benefit of non-darkvision-gifted Vampires. It also makes for a good human law-enforcer barbecue..... [b]Abilities:[/b] [i]Telepathy:[/i]Communication via a temporary mind link with one or multiple subjects, this is a one-way thought transferrence. [i]Darkvision:[/i]Like a werewolf's natural eyesight, Yuto can see quite clearly in the dark. In fact, he is the only vampire with such excellent darkvision that he can discern colors, textures, and individual shapes in a pitchblack room as if it were the middle of day. [i]Concentration:[/i]An inhuman effort of will keeps pain and distraction from turning Yuto from any goal. Even fatigue is faded against this skill. [b]Personality:[/b]Yuto is wiser in his actions than his Master. He calculates a situation carefully before initiating a plan. Slow to anger but quick to anger others, Yuto is very hard to figure out. He comes off as cold, and that he is. He disallows any to get near and if they do, he is quick to betray them. Hates Wakusei's plan and believes it will put the entire coven in jeopardy. This is the reason he saved that little girl from certain death a century ago, even though the former Master was murdering the child's mother and taunting the woman's husband. [b]Difficulty:[/b]Hard [b]A portrait of Aylward Yuto dressed in a purple outfit is included. It follows his tradition of baring st least one of his arms.[/b][/color] ~File On Subject [b]Yuto Grisholm Aylward[/b] Compiled by Researcher First Class Datae Kuonji, Fall of 3044 AC.

[color=teal][i][u]Alastor hung painfully against the wall, his shoulder ripped open. The vampire who'd done this to him would pay. Of course, all of the vampires would pay. it was only a matter of time before the almighty werewolf, Alastor Fala Silvermoon escaped. Then he heard the screams. He looked up and saw the silver liquid pouring into her.[/i] [b]Alastor:[/b]NO!!! SHIZU! SHIZU! SHIZUUUUU!!!! [b]Vampire:[/b]Give it up, Alpha! Your daughter shall share her fate! It is your price to pay for denying us blood-to-blood powers! [i]Shizu's body began to mutate and liquify. Her skin, for lack of a better description, melted. Alastor cried as he stared at his sister's dead body. She, the most beautiful creature in the world, murdered because she refused the vampire's offer to give both races immortality through an unholy union of marriage between them. Oh, yes....the vampire's would pay. Especially since Alastor's guard was relaxed....he changed. His anger, his blood, gave him the will-change. It was a mark of honor. he didn't care.....he wanted his sister back. He wanted Shizu back. He wanted their child back.....[/i][/u] [i]Alastor awakened for the third time that month with blood and sweat seeping from his eyes. He buried his head in his shirt, crying for her and their daughter. It was well-known that Alastor had chosen her for his mate. It was almost a law for his family. But that didn't prevent him from loving her. He stared into the distance. the cleric had magicked him from the vampire fortress a century ago. Alastor now knew spells that any vampire would blanche at. The cleric had taught him well before leaving him. Alastor was now ready. He picked up his silver longsword, Alaris, and slowly began the journey to the more civilized city of Nosgoth. Certainly somebody there knew there way to the Vampire Fortress. the land had changed so much in a century.....[/i] [b]Played By:[/b]Legacy [b]Surname:[/b]Silvermoon [b]First Name:[/b]Alastor (Dire or Dagger to his friends) [b]Species:[/b]Elven Werewolf (Dark-elf) [b]Status In Pack:[/b]No pack. Former Alpha for the Crimson Crescent Pack. Return to duty doubtful. [b]Age:[/b]189 [b]Appearance:[/b]6'2", chiseled, yet muscular. Very handsome, yet dark despite his pale skin. [b]Hair:[/b]The blackest black. [b]Eyes:[/b]Emerald [b]Choice of Clothing:[/b]Normally just a pair of black jeans and leather boots, but sometimes wears his favorite white t-shirt and a blue jean jacket. Always has leather gauntlets on. [b]Weaponry:[/b] [i]Alaris:[/i]Silver longsword gifted to him by the cleric upon his mastery of the clerical arts. [i]Claws:[/i]Every werewolf has this natural weapon. Aggravated damage done to vampires. [i]Twin Daggers:[/i]Foot-long blades crafted by Alastor many years ago. They were meant to protect Yuki and Shizu. [i]Wooden Stakes:[/i]Kept on a bandolier, these weapons are effective against vampires. [b]Abilities:[/b] [i]Ferocity:[/i]An inhuman rage oversomes him, allowing him to fight with little impunity. He pays no attention to damage or attacks, attacking viciously until his rage subsides. [i]Regenerate:[/i]His natural ability to heal is tripled. Even broken bones reset themselves quickly. This does not prevent death. [i]Clerical Clarity:[/i]He can detect lies or sense motives for a certain person's actions. He can also determine if a person is a vampire or not. [i]Awareness:[/i]His connection to his surrounding is heightened, meaning he could tell whether or not a hand on a table leaves a heat residue or whether or not the vampire at the end of the bar has had a taste of any of that soda in front of him. [i]Unknown Ability:[/i]Believed to involve silver sword, Alaris. Details unknown. [b]Personality:[/b]Very dark and reserved ever since his sister, named for a Japanese priestess from long ago, was murdered brutally in the only way werewolves could die: silver. He's been a kind person to those that deserve it, but desires no company. He is vicious in battle, especially when fighting vampires. He has sworn to hate all vampires and kill the one who murdered his sister and lover, as well as their child, Yuki. To this end, he uses his silver longsword, Alaris, his claws, and a pair of lethal daggers made of steel. He also carries a set of wooden stakes on a bandolier. He knows many tricks of a clerical kind. It is also suspected his sword can call forth a deadly spell. It is, however, unknown. He was formerly the Alpha of the deadliest wolf pack known, but resigned upon the death of his sister. Rumors circulate that he will again take up that particular mantle as warrior-chief of the Crimson Crescents at the behst of his second sister, Ingrid, but it is doubtful. [b]Difficulty:[/b] Medium~~>Hard. Under [i]Ferocity[/i], Hard~~>Lethally Dangerous. [b]A picture of Alastor and Shizu Silvermoon as well as a picture of Alastor's wolf form is included. Age of Pictures:[/b] Approximately 127 years old.[b] 27 years prior to Shizu's unfortunate death.[/b] Wherabouts of Yuki Silvermoon are currently unknown. She is believed to be deceased.[/color] ~File On Subject [b]Alastor Fala Silvermoon[/b] Compiled by Researcher First Class Datae Kuonji, Winter of 3045 AC.

[color=teal][i]Blaze steeled himself. It wasn't time. He looked up at Loren and sighed, moving to a sitting position.[/i] [b]Loren;[/b]How about a thank you? [i]She leaned in and kissed him, he kissed back. Mechanically. Loren noticed.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Something wrong? [b]Blaze:[/b]Thank you....but....I'm sorry. I can't do this. Not now. Wish I could.....if anybody, it would be you. But...I...I [i]Blaze was about to cry. He would, actually, but his various training had given him the ability to trap his emotions before they escaped. Of course, sometimes this kicked in without his willingness or knowledge. It seemed to permanently affect his ability to love. He couldn't bring himself to break down the barrier that formed between him and Loren. It was the most potent obstacle he'd ever faced. He knew he'd have to tear it down someday..... Loren simply nodded, understanding. He was a very focused person. Godo had said he'd be a hard catch to hold on to, especially because of his SOLDIER training. But he'd never mentioned it would be harder to snare him than hold on to him.[/i] [b]Roland:[/b]Keep your gun in its holster, Kitsune. We've got a problem now. [b]Blaze:[/b]I know. We failed. The torp's gone and we ended up tooled by the Turks. Boss-man probably already knows, so we're gonna sleep through the night and report in the morning. [i]Que pasa[/i]? [i]Roland simply sighed and turned on his heel.[/i] [b]Roland:[/b]That Wutai training of yours sure as Hell didn't teach you any respect. [b]Blaze:[/b]It taught me to respect my superiors. [i]Roland bristled at the insult, but he continued strolling away. As a door slammed, Blaze turned to Loren.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Respect your superiors, evaluate your equals. Those not superior are valued as equals. There is no criticism of lower rank. [i]Loren smiled and nodded, the same morals having been drilled into her since birth. She wondered about Blaze. Wondered and worried.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Leviathan, my guns and my jacket are my best friends, though I believe Loren can be rising the ladder swiftly. We have nothing to guard here, now. You'll meet my boss tomorrow. Then we'll probably be reassigned. In any case, we have no reason to stay here with the exception of sleep. [i]Loren looked on in confusion. He wasn't talking to her. Then she noticed the way he held onto a certain materia, a large red one. His Leviathan. He was talking to his materia. It often happened to SOLDIERs who had summon materia. Their bottled-up emotions spilled into their materia. The effect, not wholly beneficial in some cases, was that the materia appeared to have a consciousness of its own to the wielder. In a few cases, the summon actually DID develop a personality. She doubted this last one. Besides, Blaze never used it. She stopped her thoughts when she saw him sit straight up and empty his guns. He left all of his equipment, save for the Twins and materia, in the makeshift armory of the warehouse.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]You're sleeping with me. Only one mattress, but I guess it'll do for you. I could sleep on the floor, I won't mind. [i]Loren shook her head as Blaze removes his shirt and Loren settled herself for bed. Leaving her equipment within arm's reach, she pulled the sheets over herself.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Where'd you get the mattresses if this was just a temporary assignment? [b]Blaze:[/b]We get basic equipment such as ammunition and radios, but I had a friend here in Midgar who gave us a hand with luxuries. [b]Loren:[/b]Like your cigarettes? [i]Blaze was lighting one as Loren spoke.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Couldn't live without 'em. But now Mona and her father are dead. Mean's I'll have to find a new dealer somewhere, or else pay extra to get them shipped to my location within hours. But I love my Wutai-mades. [i]Blaze offered Loren a smoke, but she declined. He shrugged and finished his cigarette. Somehow, Wutai-mades never contained carcinogens, never made you ill, but they were horribly addicting. Blaze smiled. He hadn't been addicted, never would be. He just loved the cigarettes. They reminded him of a life he wanted desperately to lead.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Wutai.....I'd love to make it back there and raise a family. My life won't let me, though.....*sigh* I wish I could drop this vendetta against my uncle. I oughta thank him, really. Heh. he made up my mind for me, in a way, to go to Wutai. That's my home..... [i]Blaze fell asleep on the mattress, forgetting in his musings to sleep on the floor. He probably hadn't even known Loren was awake. Blaze had a poblem with thinking aloud. Loren moved to the other side of the mattress and fell asleep with no trouble. For a smoker, Blaze was surprisingly silent in his sleep. She wasn't awake long enough to hear when his nightmares began.....[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Better, Zidargh? PM me with criticisms.

[color=teal][b]Blaze:[/b]Earn your hire however you like. I only know a woman like you shouldn't have to do anything dishonorable. [b]Loren:[/b]What about you, huh? How about your family? You never spoke about them except that they were dead. [b]Blaze:[/b]...........I have one uncle that lives. [b]Loren:[/b]Huh? [b]Blaze:[/b]He...he gave me this..... [i]Blaze produced a single bullet, a large, red capsule embedded in the tip.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Oh, Christ, you, too? [b]Blaze:[/b]A Destroyer. My uncle stole it. He had it sent to me when i was only eight, unable to understand such things. [b]Loren:[/b]You found out about the dishonor he'd done to the family when you were in Wutai, didn't you? [b]Blaze:[/b]I found out when Cid gave me the ride back. And I swore that when I find my uncle, this bullet goes into him. [b]Loren:[/b]Why? [b]Blaze:[/b]He.....stole it....from my brother's dead body. After he killed him. My brother made these bullets.....he was taught by the weapon smith on the Eastern Continent. [i]Loren just looked at Blaze with sympathy in her eyes.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]What about your dad? [b]Blaze:[/b]Wasn't too bad. He worked on the shuttle for a while, kept things going. Eventually, he took to monster hunting and began taking me with him. Worst thing we ever bagged was a Red Dragon. That wasn't too tough, but it wasn't a picnic. On that trip, Dad told me about materia and about mako....we were close. My mom.....she was the most beautiful woman Dad would ever swear to seeing, though I've seen one that can compete. She taught me to cook, to sew, to do most of the mundane household things. Dad taught me the beginnings of sword combat. He'd been in SOLDIER before he met Mom..... [b]Loren:[/b]They died....... [b]Blaze:[/b]Yeah, they died. My uncle fed Shinra information that my dad was resisiting them. It was my uncle's attempt to get the bullet back. It had first served as a warning to my father.....it saved my life. Reno wouldn't touch me while I had it around my neck. [b]Loren:[/b]Blaze....who's the girl that could compete with your mom? [b]Blaze:[/b]I'd rather not say. [b]Loren:[/b]Is it Aris? [b]Blaze:[/b]Hell no. Too damn......subordinate. [i]Loren smirked briefly, knowing the feeling.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Wait.....hush...... [i]Blaze trained his senses onto the door, as if trying to see through it.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Loren, get down. I HATE this goddamn group..... [i]Blaze raised his pistols, setting them to semi-automatic fire and lifting the door about halfway. In front of him stood a group of maniacal-looking fanatics. Loren recognized a few.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Come to finish what you started with Mona, eh?! [i]Blaze lit one of his cigarettes, grinning. He twirled his guns as the gangbangers in the group pulled out shotguns and magnums.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Feh. [b]Gangbanger One:[/b]Take the bastard out and get the piece of *** behind him!!!! [i]The thought of some action aside from killing drove the bangers into a frenzy. Unfortunately for them, Blaze chose just then to cast Fire.....on a gunpowedr barrel. Chaos reigned as he fired his pistols in three-shot bursts, casting Lightning, Ice, and Fire at random intervals. Then, an unusually smart banger pointed at him just as Blaze shot him through the chest. A large, green light hit Blaze squarley into the warehouse, Loren slamming the door down. The bangers retreated, their leader dead.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Blaze, what was it!?!? What happened?! [b]Blaze:[/b]Ultima......*cough* It hurts....a lot...... [i]Blaze was bleeding profusely from many wounds. This wouldn't scar, ultima never left scars. This was worse than Yuffie's ninja star. Blaze's eyes wouldn't focus, his breathing grew ragged.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Feh. It ain't so bad.....guess I'll just have to get Life'd later on....if I can't get Aris down here soon. [b]Loren:[/b]You idiot. Ever the courageous "I have to do it because nobody else will" type.... [b]Blaze:[/b]Hehe. Guess so. That girl, Loren.....was you. The one more beautiful than Mom.....at least......to.....*cough cough* me.......[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sue me, I like drama!!!!

[color=teal][i]Blaze revealed his own summon, leviathan as well, but he never used it. For one, he didn't have the space in his guns, for another, it sapped his strength too damn much. He lowered his guns, noticing Loren's dropped straps. He didn't, couldn't, reveal it stirred something inside him from long, long ago. He'd admired Loren when he was in Wutai. He just couldn't show it.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Alright, I'll trust you. [b]Loren:[/b]Hah! Godo said trust was firmly embedded in your nature. It's a shame you had to leave the Pagoda. You were Godo's best student. [b]Blaze:[/b]What about his daughter? [b]Loren:[/b]Yuffie rebelled a WHILE ago. Remember, she was part of Cloud's team? [b]Blaze:[/b]Oh, yeah. I could have sworn she was intent on learning his Art. I mean, she was when I was there, at least. [b]Loren:[/b]In case you hadn't noticed, she was intent on learning an "art" or two from YOU. [b]Blaze:[/b]Huh? [b]Loren:[/b]She was obsessed with that SOLDIER sword you carried, the thing that seemed like a copy of Cloud's Buster Sword, but smaller. She wanted to learn swordsmanship. [b]Blaze:[/b]Ah. Always wondered why Godo had me use my Lock spells.....thirty times in a row. [i]Loren laughed gently as Blaze removed his jean jacket, then his shirt, to inspect the not-fully-healed wound in the upper-left hollow of his chest. His Fire had done a good job of cauterizing the wound, but he was still bleeding slightly. He sighed, and went to bandaging his wound as Aris crept up behind him. Big mistake. The lightning-charged bullet, the last in Blaze's clip, hit the wall next to Aris' head.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Yowch. Never sneak up on a SOLDIER/Wutai trained gunman.... [i]Blaze smirked briefly.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Aris, no more healing. I'm gonna live with this small injury. Yuffie gave me worse.... [i]Aris nodded her head quickly, seeing the scar on Blaze's back that looked like it had been caused by a large, thrown blade of some sort. She turned and followed Roland and Sofia to get cleaned up and go to bed.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]Damnit, guard duty again. [b]Loren:[/b]Need some company? Looks like your superiors are going to turn in, so I have to stay the night. [i]Blaze simply nodded curtly as he raided the crates near the door for fourteen clips for his guns, sliding twelve into his special clip-pockets in his jacket's inner lining, the other two going into his guns. He sat down.[/i] [b]Blaze:[/b]You wanna talk? I gotta give my Twin Snakes a cleaning, so I guess I'll be free to talk for a little while. [b]Loren:[/b]You've changed. A lot. [b]Blaze:[/b]I grew up. [b]Loren:[/b]Growing up won't make a man so scarred, his chest is unrecognizable. And it won't make said chest as muscular as it has. [b]Blaze:[/b]I thought you meant emotionally. Muscles are from working out nonstop for four years. As for the scars.... I was on Junon's gun when WEAPON attacked. [b]Loren:[/b]How'd you survive? [b]Blaze:[/b]Godo's ki-to-blade absorption. Broke the sword. I woke up after gettin' beaned by a low-level Shinra guy, and there was pollution and mako residue everywhere. It made me sick, so I quit SOLDIER. [b]Loren:[/b]What about your parents? [b]Blaze:[/b]Their death was the reason I went to Wutai. [i]Loren just stared as Blaze tossed that off casually, as if it was just another thing that happened in life. It was, she knew, but people just didn;t cope with it that quickly. Blaze was hiding something.[/i] [b]Loren:[/b]Something wrong? You're not the same Fox that I knew in Wutai. [b]Blaze:[/b]I can't believe you remember that name. God, that was a long time ago.... [i]Blaze and Loren lapsed into a conversation, the main door shut and only one light on. Nobody without fifty kilos of plastique qas getting through that door, so Blaze relaxed. Visibly. Something he didn't do.[/color][/i]