@mattmanganon On the bright side, at the least the Organization XIII stuff is over now... I hope. xD
Oh yeah, I'm here too, btw!
Edit: Matt to this very day I am STILL convinced that my idea for Webby's father is way better than what Ducktales 2017 ended up going with in the end! xD
Ari's shield was making a real difference, and for that she was grateful. So far her brother hadn't left yet, he continued to stand guard as if waiting for something. Perhaps he simply didn't want to leave her by herself? Or maybe he was a bit more nervous than he let on? Well whichever it was, Ari didn't have to wonder about it for long. Within moments she was flanked by protective armored vehicles and armed soldiers. It hadn't taken them long to realize where the Wall was coming from and apparently they had decided that the source of it needed to be protected.
At the same time, Ari also felt a surge of extra power in her Shield. One that subsequently strengthened the Wall. Another Arms Master had to be behind it, but she had no time to ask questions. She did, however, notice that Alain was now gone. He likely took his leave when the reinforcements arrived, and probably decided that he had waited for long enough. With a small sigh the Shield-Bearer closed her eyes and silently prayed for Alain's safety. Fight well and stay safe, Brother.
As for the Sword-Bearing Alain, he indeed took his leave when the reinforcements arrived. He was now making his way toward the fighting, having comandeered an abandoned civiilian motorbike to avoid having to walk. His hands tightly gripped the handle bars in anticipation. The practice, the exorcises, the training, even the smaller skirmishes he had previously participated in. They all felt like they had been building up to this.
He'd been riding west at first, but turned northward upon nearing the river in order to follow it. He hadn't yet seen any significant damages or casualties yet in spite of hearing reports of enemy bombardment. That just meant that Ari's shield was still holding up. But Alain knew better than anyone that she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. She'd tire out eventually, and so Alain needed to be sure of where he wanted to position himself for when the fighting started in earnest.
Over radio he was hearing some chatter about heavy fighting on the western side of the beach. Some kind of landing force from the sound of it. He was tempted to cross the river and head that way, and was even about to do just that when something further down river came into view: boats. They were small, but appeared to be Chinese and were evidently trying to sail in via the rivermouth. Alain wondered if the attack at the beach was merely a distraction. Well, whatever the Chinese had been planning, he knew he had to do something to stop it.
He brought the bike to a stop before he could get close enough for the boats to spot him. Alain then took his radio out.
Meanwhile, Ari had been tirelessly focusing her efforts on the Wall when her radio suddenly chimed in, "Ari, boats are trying to sail in through the rivermouth. The landing forces on the beach may possibly be a distraction for whatever this is."
"Alain?" Ari asked in surprise. This wasn't like him, her brother was usually radio silent most of the time. Which only meant that this was likely important, "I read you, Alain. But what should we do about it?"
Alain stared into the distance at the incoming boats and then replied to his sister, "Just tell them to keep focusing their artillery on the landing force."
"And the boats?" he heard Ari ask.
Alain just smiled a bit, "I'll deal with them."
Back in the encampent, Ari looked around her for the highest ranking officer she could find, "Focus whatever firepower you can spare on the western beaches! And let the chain of command know that they're sending boats up the rivermouth! My brother says he plans to deal with the boats but you may want to keep some eyes on the rivermouth!"
"Roger that, Ma'am." the man responded before relaying the message to the rest of the Army.
Only one who understands their power can truly decide how best to use it. ~ Dorian Justis
Lingayen Beach. In some other era, or in some other lifetime, it could very well have been a beautiful place to visit. Today that wasn't so, however. Trenches out in the empty fields leading to the beach, armored vehicles and, of course, the Chinese Navy floating offshore. No, this wasn't a vacation spot, it was a warzone. Soon to be sullied by the blood of the innocent and guilty alike. Soldiers milled about, making whatever preparations they had been ordered to make. Most of them had M16's or M4's slung over their shoulders, and naturally an assortment of other tools in their packs that were not openly visible. You could always tell who the Arms Masters were, they were commonly younger than the soldiers, dressed differently, and some carried no visible weapons. Whether this was due to arrogance or faith in the power of their Noble Arms, none could say.
To be fair, the two of them weren't exactly exceptions to the rule. The Austrian Siblings were situated in almost the dead center of the defensive points. This was per Ari's request. She knew her Noble Arm would be critical in preventing an outright slaughter, and so she had specifically requested to be positioned as close to the center of the defense as possible so that her power could protect as many as she could. That was just like her, thinking of how many within a specified area she could cover with her shield and basing her positions and movements accordingly. Her brother, Alain, was positioned nearby as well. She knew eventually he would charge off on his own, seek out those in need of saving and providing that timely rescue. It was in his nature. But he was remaining close by for the time being, both having long ago realized that they were often strongest when working together. But Alain was never one to stick around in one area for too long when battles were raging around him.
She would occasionally look to her brother for some kind of sign about what he was thinking right now. But as always, he was almost impossible to read. His stoic nature was at its strongest during the lead up to an inevitable battle, and now would be no different. Still, it worried her sometimes, that he could just put himself in a warzone like this and show little or no signs of any emotion. It was a strength sometimes, but could also become a weakness if things went a certain way. For Ari, it was the waiting that got to her the most. Waiting for the first shot to be fired, and being unable to act until it happened.
The loudest shot to be heard first was, of course, an Arms Master. A particularly powerful one who flew down toward the beaches in the most unsubtle way imaginable. They then proceeded to attack multiple ships and even crushing them with their powers. Ari decided that now needed to be the time to act. An opening attack like that would never be allowed to go unanswered. The Chinese were definitely going to try retaliating with something equal or bigger. And Ari wanted to be certain that whatever was launched back at them would collide only with her shield. She reached forth her hands, calling the red tower shield Adamantius to her hands. She closed her eyes, and spoke almost as if in prayer, "On my life and upon this Shield, I swear to protect them... WALL OF LIGHT!" the light from the shield expanded outward, rapidly increasing its size until the resulting barrier covered as much of the defense's line as Ari could muster. And then she braced herself, preparing to grit her teeth and come what may, keep that wall up.
Meanwhile, Alain glanced back his sister when he heard her voice. He watched her summon her shield and Wall of Light then turned back to face forwards again. Without words he cracked his neck and knuckles, then reached forth his own hands to summon his mighty sword, the Claimh Solais. He didn't charge yet, though, he had already decided he would guard his sister as long as he could before going his own way, and that was exactly what he would do. Even if he had to face the denizens of Hell itself, he would stand his ground and cut them down.
Name: Alain Justis, born Alain Lancaster; Ariana Justis, born Ariana Lancaster
Age: Alain-25; Ari-19
Nationality: Austria
Alain - Claimh Solais (pictured above)
Noble Arm Rank: B+
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Melee. Close/Mid Range. Light/Dark.
~Noble Arm Abilities~
Oathsworn: Gives the blade a bluish-white glow around its edge. Believed to empower the blade with holy light for the purpose of vanquishing darkness. Mainly it also gives the blade a lighter weight allowing its Master to swing it with greater ease than the sword's size would suggest, in addition to empowering the strikes with the element of Light. The sword's light also appears to gives it an edge over darkness, giving it the capability of taking or deflecting dark energy with only minimal effort.
Cleansing Light: An appropriately named ability that comes from charging the blade with more Light, followed by thrusting its tip into the ground. Upon impact, the sword's light explodes outward for a light elemental blast covering a roughly 10 meter radius around the point of impact.
Mending Light: A unique power that channels light not through the blade, but through the wielder's hands. They can use this light to heal minor wounds and injuries of any person they touch.
Oathbreaker: A dangerous power in which the Arms Master forsakes Light in order to embrace Darkness. The bluish-white glow is replaced with a deep, dark purple one. Although only temporary, this converts all previous abilities into Dark versions, capable of greater damage and destructive power. Cleansing Light becomes Veil Of Darkness and its radius is doubled, while Mending Light becomes Devouring Darkness and the hands no longer heal but instead harm those they touch with burning dark energy that can also be hurled as a projectile.
Ari - Adamantius
Noble Arm Rank: B+
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Support/Defense. Close/Mid/Wide Range. Light/Dark.
~Noble Arm Abilities~
Oathsworn: Gives the shield a bluish-white glow around its edge. Believed to empower it with holy light for the purpose of reflecting darkness. Mainly it also gives the shield a lighter weight allowing its Master to carry it with greater ease than the shield's size would suggest, in addition to empowering its ability to defend against other Noble Arms.
Wall of Light: A purely defensive wall of Light summoned by the Arms Master, creating a nearly impenetrable domed barrier around themselves. The size of the barrier is controlled by the Arms Master, and has been known to encompass vast areas, such as entire neighborhoods or small villages. The larger the barrier, the more taxing it is to maintain for long periods, and it weakens over time as the Arms Master grows tired and fatigued.
Mending Shield: The Wall of Light is given an enhanced shine, allowing those within to slowly slowly regain lost stamina and even slowly heal injuries. This does however increase the strain of maintaining the barrier.
Oathbreaker: A dangerous power in which the Arms Master forsakes Light in order to embrace Darkness. The bluish-white glow is replaced with a deep, dark purple one. Although only temporary, this converts all previous abilities into Dark versions, capable of greater damage and destructive power. Wall of Light becomes Wall Of Darkness and its protective barrier instead becomes a prison entrapping those within, while Mending Shield becomes Decaying Darkness, no longer healing but instead inducing fatigue and even rust and decay on any equipment that isn't a Noble Arm.
Misc Abilities (Alain): Has an impeccable poker face. Years of wielding Light and Darkness have made him pretty resilient to both when they are used against him. Also rather adept at fighting unarmed, seeing as how the Claimh Solais becomes impractical in close quarter settings.
Personality (Alain): Alain puts on a stoic face, usually casting himself as a straight man as a result. He also has an unyielding determination, making it rather difficult to talk him out of doing something once he's made up his mind. He does have a certain softness underneath though, particularly toward kids and pets, and he tends to be instinctively protective of them when either are around. His more stoic side didn't develop until after Dorian's death, probably as some form of coping mechanism.
*Likes (Alain): Horseback riding and falconry (probably due to his softspot for animals), dogs (or just pets in general), camping outdoors, and wood carving.
*Dislikes (Alain): Tyrants, Dictators, false kindness, liars, any meat that isn't cooked well-done.
Fears (Alain): That everything he's fought for will be for nothing. Losing Ari.
Misc Abilities (Ari): Rather good at cooking and drawing. Has a nice singing voice but is too embarrassed to ever actually sing in front of anyone. Also seems to have a knack for party games.
Personality (Ari): Ari is almost the opposite of her brother, more than happy to smile and socialize with others. She does however channel a bit of his stoicism when its time to go into battle. The nature of her Noble Arm has given her quite a maternal extinct, often resulting in her being cast as the the team mom in most scenarios. Despite being the one with a literal shield, Ari is ironically the one more willing to lower her guard around people she's close to.
*Likes (Ari): Reading, cooking, meeting and helping people.
*Dislikes (Ari): Bullies, liars, pranks, cleaning, and spicy food.
Fears (Ari): Losing friends and family.
Bio: The Lancaster siblings lost their parents at a young age to a house fire. Alain is the only one with any real memories of their parents, as Ari was too younger to remember them. The two would have simply grown up in an orphanage, but Alain refused to let anyone separate Ari from him. So much so that at ten years old he took the then-4-year-old Ari with him and ran away. He tried to resort to stealing in order to feed them, but only to mixed success. One night he attempted to sneak into a local mansion believing that they wouldn't miss any food he stole. Unfortunately he was caught by the old gentleman who lived there. But the man felt for sorry boy and rather than turn him and sister in, asked them where they were staying. When they couldn't answer he gave a gentle smile and offered them the guest rooms for the night.
The children awoke the next morning to the smell of breakfast. During the meal, they spoke to the old man a bit more. His name was Dorian Justis, he had told them, and no one else lived in this house apart from himself and a small staff of servants. He said it had been quite a while since the last time he had entertained guests, but also inquired as to why the boy was stealing. Hearing their story, he certainly sympathized, but told them that stealing like that would only get them into trouble. He told the children they were welcome to stay a while if they wished, perhaps it would do the place some good to liven up a bit. The rest is history, over time he gave them permanent residence and effectively adopted them.
When he was 12, Alain accidentally summoned his Noble Arm for the first time. The large sword was too heavy for him to even lift at the time, much less wield. Yet Dorian was not shocked, but rather intrigued. This didn't seem to be his first experience with an Arms Master, though he also didn't say why that was. He had once been a bit of a fencer a long time ago, and was able to teach the boy how to properly hold the weapon and eventually swing it. Along the way, the Noble Arm's other powers were discovered, and it was largely Dorian who helped Alain understand them. A couple more years later, Ari summoned her Noble Arm, a tower shield as large as she was tall. But like with Alain, Dorian was able to help her understand the shield's power and its potential. Eventualy Dorian revealed that he once had a son who was a Arms Master, but that he was no longer alive. Helping the siblings understand their power inspired an idea: What if they could do this for other Arms Masters as well? And so Dorian began investing in transforming his mansion into a place where Arms Masters could come and learn and have a place to call home if needed.
Dorian did indeed find other Arms Masters over the years. And just like with Alain and Ari, he offered them a home and place where they could learn to understand their power and just belong in general. This didn't last forever, though. Dorian fell ill, and having always had heart issues, died of heart failure thereafter. The Arms Masters who came to the mansion gradually left one after another, until only the siblings were left. During this time, the Big Three also rose up, only put the final nail in the coffin. In fact, the Paragons of Science were able to swoop in and claim the Arms Master training equipment for their facilities. Dorian's servants also left, as he was no longer alive to continue employing them. And eventually all that was left was a dusty mansion and the two siblings living there alone.
They didn't know what to do, and eventually even the house would get foreclosed if they didn't think of something. Dorian had left his remaining wealth to them, but that wouldn't last forever. Eventually Alain and Ari agreed that they should find some way to carry on what Dorian was doing. But since they couldn't do that with the mansion, they hit upon the idea of going out into the world and simply helping people who needed it? There was a lot of injustice out there and they could certainly use their powers to fight some of it, surely. They decided to make their way to Southeast Asia, where conflicts involving the ASEAN countries was beginning to brew. They also adopted Dorian's name as their own, out of love and respect for the man that had been their father.
*Current Goal: Helping people where they can, for now.
I think I've worked out an idea for a fresh character. It'll be a pair of characters, a brother and sister who wield a sword and shield respectively as their Noble Arms.
After much headbanging, I am... still kinda stumped. Is a complete rewrite or different character entirely in order here? Nothing else seems to come to mind.
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