STATUS:
Graduation has happened - I am no longer a teacher. Won't have to work 12 hour days + weekends anymore, so maybe I'll actually have enough time for hobbies.
4 mos ago
Current
Graduation has happened - I am no longer a teacher. Won't have to work 12 hour days + weekends anymore, so maybe I'll actually have enough time for hobbies.
10
likes
6 mos ago
I sound like a broken record, but only 2 months left till I'm done teaching. Not sure what's next, but it feels like anything would pay more and be less stressful lol
5
likes
9 mos ago
Only 6 more months till the school years over. If I renew my contract, someone kill me lmao.
3
likes
2 yrs ago
Teacher update: I feel like a villain from a cartoon. The laughter of teenagers gives me migraines, and I no longer feel guilt when giving bad grades to kids that sleep through my lessons.
10
likes
2 yrs ago
First day as a Biology Teacher tomorrow - hopefully the kids will be able to read my handwriting.
HP: 389/500 MP: 180 -Strength: 20, Rank: I -Endurance: 25, Rank: I -Dexterity: 10, Rank: I -Agility: 15, Rank: I -Magic: 20, Rank: I
The Guild Hall was filled with far more adventurers than May had initially expected - she knew it was a place that was constantly brimming with activity, but not to the point where people would be flooding it this late in the day. Dozens of Guild advisors littered the hall, and most of the adventurers were either talking among each other, with their guild advisors, or exchanging stones. May quickly followed suit, making her way to the nearest teller, a younger elf boy. He quickly weighed the stones, examining several before putting the stones away and handing May the appropriate amount of Valis - a staggering quantity, more than she had ever held in her life at one time.
May only needed 300 for her and her families food, every day, leaving a large chunk of savings - which she was already thinking of ways to hide with no one getting to it. The bag was held in an iron tight grip, and May resigned to head straight home and then to her familia to update her stats. The thought of mentioning the skeleton to one of the guild advisors crossed May's mind, but there was no point in doing so - it had done no real harm, and she was alright in the end.
The trip home was uneventful - her mother and father were asleep, seemingly gone to bed without eating. May dropped off the Valis, and then left just as quickly and quietly, promising to make them a larger than normal breakfast in the morning. She made her way to her familia, eager to update her stats and see the progress she made today - perhaps she even might see Klou on the way there!
Justin and his entourage took up several seats of the area surrounding the lecturer, roughly 4 to 5 rows behind the front row. He was currently accompanied by the Xaphan, the Tarrare and all three of his Albion units, while the pixies remained inside of the device on his back. All of the Albion Units were relatively unequipped, with all of them wielding oversized maces or hammers. Justin's eyes darted around constantly, his disposition clearly paranoid and nervous - he rarely came to the lectures in person, usually sending his pixies to several at a time and reviewing the data they collect later. He only bothered coming this time because it was the end of the midterm - a time for him to see what this horrid place actually offered for reprieve, especially after they had promised the students a field trip.
Pandora was tasked with both recording the speech take place, as well as recognizing any students, and compiling them into a list of those who had passed and failed their midterms. Justin planned to confront one of the professors about what would become of those who had failed, but that would have to be saved for later.
Justin had seen the Headmaster when he had first entered the academy, as well as once of twice on the rare trips he made out of his dorm, and every time he saw her was just as puzzling as the last. He had never seen her not being followed by the massive demon at her side, and she looked roughly around his age - of course, with the supernatural activities underway here, he had no doubt that she had somehow altered her aging process.
The woman proceeded to speak to the students in the same tone of voice he was so familiar with after coming to this academy - lathered in false pleasantries, ranging from a slight to blatant condescending inflection, and doing their best to show off their abilities and talents to a group of impressionable youths. The cackling laughter at the
"Recording paused - Synopsis has been completed. Headmaster, true name unknown. Possesses magical capabilities, seemingly assisted by a spellbook. Effects of spellbook on casting unknown. Accompanied by a large demon, strength and abilities are mostly unknown."
"Thank you, Pandora. Resume recording." Justin muttered, hiding his mouth with his hand.
He wanted to appear like the cool kind of crazy, the mad scientist kind where you lacked morals and lived risky - not the kind where you talk to yourself. The Headmaster quickly adopted a pose, something that the Justin a year ago would have found tacky and pathetic. The Justin now, embarrassed heavily, had done similar poses a number of times before.
"Note: Portal creation has been added under the file titled 'Headmaster.'"
Justin rose, the cold electronic buzzing of Pandora's voice echoing in his ear piece. Even with the Albion's poor AI, they remembered to follow Justin wherever he went, awaiting further orders. All of the robots surrounding Justin quickly followed, forming a tight circle around the boy and mirroring his movements. A small number of students avoided him because of this, but this was less from fear and more from not wanting to be ran into by one of the metallic creatures. Justin ignored them - most of them would end up monsters like the professors at this school, so there was little incentive for Justin to be buddy-buddy with them. Justin's labcoat, the primary aesthetic aspect of his person that denoted his status as a mad scientist, fluttered behind him as he walked at a brisk pace.
A small wire extended from Pandora's box, connecting to one Albion Units neck. the wire fell limp, no longer controlled autonomously - Pandora shifted herself into the Albion unit, and would keep the others from falling apart mentally once they crossed the portal. Justin hadn't designed them to act in foreign environments with no supervision, and he didn't want there to cause a fight. Finally, they were at the portal, and the group walked in, Justin slightly more paranoid now that he didn't have Pandora analyzing everything going on around him at all times. Especially with dozens of villains surrounding him.
Passive Abilities: Inspiring Presence: Whenever user takes damage, they have a small chance to either recover 100HP or have target nearby friendly gain 50HP. Vengeful Smite: User has a low chance to deal magic damage to target that has managed to deal melee damage against user. Fortress of Wood: User gains a small, permanent, irremovable damage reduction. Works for all kinds of damages.
Solace Medallion (Equipped) Shield [Round] (Equipped) Full Plate Armor (Equipped) Solace Blade (Equipped) Rosary of Courage (Equipped)
Interactions: None Location: Inn
It was a very strange phenomena - almost every time Theo heard about the death of one of his guild mates, the whole world seemed to stand still - unmoving, frozen in time, and stagnant. A disgusting, foreign feeling arose in his stomach, a feeling that he quickly realized was despair. Every time he realized the death of a guild member, he always vomited, his body seemingly trying to rid itself of the emotion.
Not this time.
Maybe it was because he was consciously resisting it - he couldn't' vomit in front of Hans and Julia for no reason, especially after portraying such a positive self-image to them. Maybe it was all his acting skill, or maybe the rosary was playing a bigger part than he initially expected - he wasn't wearing it when he learned of Kajin's or Paralyze's death, and he had gotten sick. In the end, it really didn't matter. Karma was dead - not from an accident or an enemy, but a player.
It was much easier to ignore the feeling that was building up, the nausea. His hands weren't even shaking, like they had done so often before. He would feel terrible for hiding his emotions once he took off the rosary in his room - but he'd have time to mourn later.
The festival passed with similar fun activities that the trio had experienced before the news arrived - trying different foods, playing the occasional game set up in a stall, or sometimes simply sitting and watching the crowds of people and NPCs go about their business.
Eventually, the sky grew dark, and the trio made their way to the gardens, where a small crowd had gathered to watch the fireworks go off in relative secludedness. The town square by this point was packed to the brim, and there was little space to walk, let alone sit down - Theo found a space for the group to sit down, and they simply watched the fireworks explode in the sky, lighting up the city like the sun had only a few hours earlier. Hans was drinking from a large mug, and was more than a little inebriated. The lines on his face seemed not as deep, and he was smiling and laughing, his face red from the alcohol. Every hair on his head were perfectly life-like, to the point where Theo couldn't imagine the work that the game had taken to develop.
Julia had not drank much by comparison, simply staring at the fireworks, which exploded into hundreds of colors and in detailed patterns that would almost be impossible for the real world. The night air was warm against Theo's skin, and upon closing his eyes, Karma's death, and the deaths of hundreds seemed to slip Theo's mind.
He was wrong.
This wasn't just a bunch of ones and zeroes. No way in hell. The grass gently rubbing his feet, the crisp sound of the fireworks exploding, Han's laughter, Julia's soft hand covered by his own, the warm night air - it was real. They were people, real people he could understand and be himself with, who wouldn't mock him for the way he dressed or acted, or the places he had lived. They could be friends, like Joe and Vinny were his only friends in the real world.
Theo couldn't tell if he was deluding himself or not, but he didn't care. He simply enjoyed the moment.
Hans needed help getting back to the inn, and once Theo and Julia made sure he was safe, Theo went to his room. It was already 12 PM, and just like he expected, removing the rosary caused the disgust to well up once again. It took a great deal of willpower not to get sick - Theo simply laid down, turned off the light, and focused on the fun he had.
He only thought of performing Karma's and Paralyze's funerals when he was close to unconsciousness, and resigned himself to do so once he had received some money from tomorrows dungeon run.
Name: Justin Case Title: Dr. Minaccia Species: Human Abilities: Enhanced Intellect: Justin Case is one of the smartest people in the entire world, and when it comes to robotics and artificial intelligence, he may very well be the brightest. He had a brief period of fame upon developing a particularly intelligent AI for use in surgeries, but since his brother was accepted into one of the primary hero teams, he has since faded into anonymity. His intelligence allows him to develop technologies far more advanced than what is currently available, especially where his specialization is concerned.
Tinkering: Justin Case is a natural born inventor, capable of creating amazing works of technology in relatively poor conditions and with cheap materials. This extends to nearly all fields of study, but he is by far most effective when it comes to robotics and the creation of AI. Combined with his intellect, it allows him to be a true mad scientist.
Skills: Analysis, Repairs/Tinkering, Monologuing
Inventory: Pandora's Box: A small backpack on Justin's back, the device has numerous uses, as well as a massive battery life. It is capable of acting as a jet pack, an air tank, can sense the surroundings in 360 degrees, can form into numerous tendrils for movement or manipulation of the environment, as well as transform into and tool he owns or store object that can fit into the moderate space left over. Houses the AI known as Pandora. It is the only invention of his that lacks a major weakness.
Pandora: An Artificial intelligence housed in the aptly named "Pandora's Box." It is capable of managing complex systems, analyzing the environment and informing Justin of optimal choices, as well as controlling any of Justin's robots as well as Pandora's Box, usually in the event that he is rendered unconscious. Despite a very high degree of intelligence, it lacks a true personality, and it's creativity is limited to what Justin has programmed it to think. It's weakness is situations with no clear solution, where Justin is also not capable of giving instructions.
Armilius Mk II: The strongest and largest robot in Justin's repertoire, this hulking 20 foot monstrosity of steel and weaponry is designed to be lethal. It is equipped with dozens of missile launchers, machine guns, a force field that can protect against small firearms almost entirely, and armor that rivals heavy tanks in durability. In direct combat, it is very difficult to stop. Luckily for most, it has several weaknesses: A pitiful speed, an exhaust port that acts as a weak point, an inability to swim or jump, and a battery life of only 5 minutes, as well as limited ammo. Due to it's high lethality and how difficult it would be to repair or rebuild, the Armilius is only called upon for the greatest of emergencies.
Tarrare Beta: Roughly 8 feet in length, Tarrare Beta is the newest of Justin's robots, having been completed a few weeks before the midterms. It is far weaker than the Armilius, and possesses far fewer weapons, the only armaments being incredibly sharp claws and "teeth," the ability to generate immense amounts of heat, and a great degree of strength (Nothing compared to the Armilius, but enough to make even an ogre stagger). It's true power is it's regeneration - on contact with any metal, the Tarrare will immediately begin to absorb and heat the metal to very high temperatures, bonding with it and repairing any damage it suffers. This effect persists until the core is destroyed, or the battery runs out (which would take over 2 days of constant activity). The way to defeat the Tarrare reliably is to throw it into water, or take it somewhere it cannot come into contact with metal, where it is reduced to merely being a stronger Albion Unit.
Xaphan V: The Xaphan V is a flier type, capable of flying up to 50 mph, and standing roughly 5 feet in height. It is roughly twice a strong as the average man, but it's real power is it's projectiles. Xaphan V carries large quantities of containment foam (A thick liquid requiring a great deal of strength to break out of, while remaining porous enough to allow breathing), Tranquilizers, small firearms, and nets. These projectiles can be replenished similar to the Tarrare Beta - Xaphan is able to absorb raw materials into it's body, allowing it to create more of its ammunitions. It's weakness is a relative fragility compared to other robots, and being especially vulnerable to EMPs and electrical attacks - even more so than other of Justin's robots. Thanks to it's non-lethal nature and versatility, Xaphan V is the primary robot mostly relied on for typical encounters.
Pixies: Small drones that are almost exclusively used for Recon. They are perfectly expendable, can see in 360 degrees, and possess several cameras and microphones, recording in infrared and night vision modes as well as normal. They possess no combat application, other than possibly smacking into small enemies. Justin has 5, but can produce more at a rate of 1 a day, with his current production capabilities.
Albion Units: The most typical robots seen in Justin's entourage. They stand at 6 feet tall, and are about twice as strong as the normal man. They can be equipped with countless different armaments, from small firearms to sharp blades, and are mostly used as cannon fodder. Their weakness is a relatively simple AI, making them only capable of carrying out simple commands unless remotely controlled. They were initially created to do manual labor, but are now planned to serve as a cheap alternative to henchman for bolstering a villain's army. Justin currently has 3, but can produce more at a rate of 1 per week, with his current production capabilities.
"You really couldn't think of anything better, professor?"
The test was complex in it's simplicity. Justin nearly dropped his Evil Persona in surprise when he realized the lack of challenge, for what supposedly was a test to weed out the weak. The room was a perfect dome, the walls lacking any sort of foothold or crack, and there were two doors on either side - one where he had just come through, and another on the other side, locked with an almost ridiculous amount of plating. With the raw amount of armor on the door, he doubted even the Armilius could bust through in the 3 minutes given to accomplish the test.
"It is by no means a simple test, Mr. Case. Many have failed it before, trust me."
Looking up, he saw his objective - roughly 100 feet in the air, there was a small lever connected to the ceiling, which he had been told would open up the locked door if pulled in the next 3 minutes. If not opened by then, the door he walked through would close, trapping him inside. Justin turned to his side, staring into the large and exaggerated mouth of the Tarrare Beta. He had been allowed to bring in one of his robots, along with any device he wished. Tarrare Beta had been the newest addition to his army - one that he had been working on since h came to school. The school had refused to grant him access to a laboratory, and he had to make do with any tools he could create on his own from scrap or stolen materials. Still, even with the slow progress and countless sleepless nights, the Tarrare Beta was a work of art that Justin was proud of. A shame that it's first debut was in this environment - he had no doubt that it could simply walk through the metal plated door, absorbing it as it went.
But where was the fun in that?
"2 Minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Mr. Case."
"Of course, of course - Dr. Minaccia shall decimate this poor attempt at a test in a matter of seconds."
Unlike other times he played as 'Dr. Minaccia,' Justin felt that he meant what he said that time. The device connected to his back immediately shifted growing two large protrusions similar to wings, and a gentle hum indicated that they were active. Pandora took care of the movements, moving him slowly upwards while two small wires extended 10 feet ahead, moving to sense any traps.
By the time the professor called out the 2 remaining minutes, the lever was pulled, and the large metal door opened, no trick to be found on the way up. The test was laughably easy. On the way down, Justin was sure to pause mid walk, standing between the professor and one skeleton among hundreds of bones that lined the outskirts of the dome. Pandora gathered a sample, and Justin continued to walk. An emotionless, cold voice echoed in his ear.
"Human DNA - Male, 15 years old, deceased for roughly 1 year."
It was a message. The test wasn't easy on accident - it was one that had killed dozens of students who were unable to fly or otherwise reach the lever in time, not escaping through the door they came through. The school was showing him how dangerous it was - perhaps trying to weed out the psychologically weak, the fearful. It was showing him that there were tests with dire consequences, and he may not be so well equipped for the next one.
Justin managed to see the Professor smirk at Justin, before the door closed behind Tarrare Beta, dutifully following it's creator. As soon as the door closed, Justin vomited onto the floor, bile quickly pooling on the ground at his feet. He stepped away, and Tarrare quickly moved onto the liquid, evaporating the fluid so as to hide Justin's weakness from the school.
What the hell is wrong with this place.
Other: Justin was once Atheist, but since being exposed to the supernatural, has adopted Judaism as a temporary belief while he searches for the 'correct' one.
Justin compulsively adds weak points to every one of his inventions, even if it does not need them to function - it is merely to keep in line with his "Evil inventor" persona, yet he has found it nearly impossible to break the habit.
Name: Justin Case Title: Dr. Minaccia Species: Human Abilities: Enhanced Intellect: Justin Case is one of the smartest people in the entire world, and when it comes to robotics and artificial intelligence, he may very well be the brightest. He had a brief period of fame upon developing a particularly intelligent AI for use in surgeries, but since his brother was accepted into one of the primary hero teams, he has since faded into anonymity. His intelligence allows him to develop technologies far more advanced than what is currently available, especially where his specialization is concerned.
Tinkering: Justin Case is a natural born inventor, capable of creating amazing works of technology in relatively poor conditions and with cheap materials. This extends to nearly all fields of study, but he is by far most effective when it comes to robotics and the creation of AI. Combined with his intellect, it allows him to be a true mad scientist.
Skills: Analysis, Repairs/Tinkering, Monologuing
Inventory: Pandora's Box: A small backpack on Justin's back, the device has numerous uses, as well as a massive battery life. It is capable of acting as a jet pack, an air tank, can sense the surroundings in 360 degrees, can form into numerous tendrils for movement or manipulation of the environment, as well as transform into and tool he owns or store object that can fit into the moderate space left over. Houses the AI known as Pandora. It is the only invention of his that lacks a major weakness.
Pandora: An Artificial intelligence housed in the aptly named "Pandora's Box." It is capable of managing complex systems, analyzing the environment and informing Justin of optimal choices, as well as controlling any of Justin's robots as well as Pandora's Box, usually in the event that he is rendered unconscious. Despite a very high degree of intelligence, it lacks a true personality, and it's creativity is limited to what Justin has programmed it to think. It's weakness is situations with no clear solution, where Justin is also not capable of giving instructions.
Armilius Mk II: The strongest and largest robot in Justin's repertoire, this hulking 20 foot monstrosity of steel and weaponry is designed to be lethal. It is equipped with dozens of missile launchers, machine guns, a force field that can protect against small firearms almost entirely, and armor that rivals heavy tanks in durability. In direct combat, it is very difficult to stop. Luckily for most, it has several weaknesses: A pitiful speed, an exhaust port that acts as a weak point, an inability to swim or jump, and a battery life of only 5 minutes, as well as limited ammo. Due to it's high lethality and how difficult it would be to repair or rebuild, the Armilius is only called upon for the greatest of emergencies.
Tarrare Beta: Roughly 8 feet in length, Tarrare Beta is the newest of Justin's robots, having been completed a few weeks before the midterms. It is far weaker than the Armilius, and possesses far fewer weapons, the only armaments being incredibly sharp claws and "teeth," the ability to generate immense amounts of heat, and a great degree of strength (Nothing compared to the Armilius, but enough to make even an ogre stagger). It's true power is it's regeneration - on contact with any metal, the Tarrare will immediately begin to absorb and heat the metal to very high temperatures, bonding with it and repairing any damage it suffers. This effect persists until the core is destroyed, or the battery runs out (which would take over 2 days of constant activity). The way to defeat the Tarrare reliably is to throw it into water, or take it somewhere it cannot come into contact with metal, where it is reduced to merely being a stronger Albion Unit.
Xaphan V: The Xaphan V is a flier type, capable of flying up to 50 mph, and standing roughly 5 feet in height. It is roughly twice a strong as the average man, but it's real power is it's projectiles. Xaphan V carries large quantities of containment foam (A thick liquid requiring a great deal of strength to break out of, while remaining porous enough to allow breathing), Tranquilizers, small firearms, and nets. These projectiles can be replenished similar to the Tarrare Beta - Xaphan is able to absorb raw materials into it's body, allowing it to create more of its ammunitions. It's weakness is a relative fragility compared to other robots, and being especially vulnerable to EMPs and electrical attacks - even more so than other of Justin's robots. Thanks to it's non-lethal nature and versatility, Xaphan V is the primary robot mostly relied on for typical encounters.
Pixies: Small drones that are almost exclusively used for Recon. They are perfectly expendable, can see in 360 degrees, and possess several cameras and microphones, recording in infrared and night vision modes as well as normal. They possess no combat application, other than possibly smacking into small enemies. Justin has 5, but can produce more at a rate of 1 a day, with his current production capabilities.
Albion Units: The most typical robots seen in Justin's entourage. They stand at 6 feet tall, and are about twice as strong as the normal man. They can be equipped with countless different armaments, from small firearms to sharp blades, and are mostly used as cannon fodder. Their weakness is a relatively simple AI, making them only capable of carrying out simple commands unless remotely controlled. They were initially created to do manual labor, but are now planned to serve as a cheap alternative to henchman for bolstering a villain's army. Justin currently has 3, but can produce more at a rate of 1 per week, with his current production capabilities.
"You really couldn't think of anything better, professor?"
The test was complex in it's simplicity. Justin nearly dropped his Evil Persona in surprise when he realized the lack of challenge, for what supposedly was a test to weed out the weak. The room was a perfect dome, the walls lacking any sort of foothold or crack, and there were two doors on either side - one where he had just come through, and another on the other side, locked with an almost ridiculous amount of plating. With the raw amount of armor on the door, he doubted even the Armilius could bust through in the 3 minutes given to accomplish the test.
"It is by no means a simple test, Mr. Case. Many have failed it before, trust me."
Looking up, he saw his objective - roughly 100 feet in the air, there was a small lever connected to the ceiling, which he had been told would open up the locked door if pulled in the next 3 minutes. If not opened by then, the door he walked through would close, trapping him inside. Justin turned to his side, staring into the large and exaggerated mouth of the Tarrare Beta. He had been allowed to bring in one of his robots, along with any device he wished. Tarrare Beta had been the newest addition to his army - one that he had been working on since h came to school. The school had refused to grant him access to a laboratory, and he had to make do with any tools he could create on his own from scrap or stolen materials. Still, even with the slow progress and countless sleepless nights, the Tarrare Beta was a work of art that Justin was proud of. A shame that it's first debut was in this environment - he had no doubt that it could simply walk through the metal plated door, absorbing it as it went.
But where was the fun in that?
"2 Minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Mr. Case."
"Of course, of course - Dr. Minaccia shall decimate this poor attempt at a test in a matter of seconds."
Unlike other times he played as 'Dr. Minaccia,' Justin felt that he meant what he said that time. The device connected to his back immediately shifted growing two large protrusions similar to wings, and a gentle hum indicated that they were active. Pandora took care of the movements, moving him slowly upwards while two small wires extended 10 feet ahead, moving to sense any traps.
By the time the professor called out the 2 remaining minutes, the lever was pulled, and the large metal door opened, no trick to be found on the way up. The test was laughably easy. On the way down, Justin was sure to pause mid walk, standing between the professor and one skeleton among hundreds of bones that lined the outskirts of the dome. Pandora gathered a sample, and Justin continued to walk. An emotionless, cold voice echoed in his ear.
"Human DNA - Male, 15 years old, deceased for roughly 1 year."
It was a message. The test wasn't easy on accident - it was one that had killed dozens of students who were unable to fly or otherwise reach the lever in time, not escaping through the door they came through. The school was showing him how dangerous it was - perhaps trying to weed out the psychologically weak, the fearful. It was showing him that there were tests with dire consequences, and he may not be so well equipped for the next one.
Justin managed to see the Professor smirk at Justin, before the door closed behind Tarrare Beta, dutifully following it's creator. As soon as the door closed, Justin vomited onto the floor, bile quickly pooling on the ground at his feet. He stepped away, and Tarrare quickly moved onto the liquid, evaporating the fluid so as to hide Justin's weakness from the school.
What the hell is wrong with this place.
Other: Justin was once Atheist, but since being exposed to the supernatural, has adopted Judaism as a temporary belief while he searches for the 'correct' one.
Justin compulsively adds weak points to every one of his inventions, even if it does not need them to function - it is merely to keep in line with his "Evil inventor" persona, yet he has found it nearly impossible to break the habit.
Passive Abilities: Inspiring Presence: Whenever user takes damage, they have a small chance to either recover 100HP or have target nearby friendly gain 50HP. Vengeful Smite: User has a low chance to deal magic damage to target that has managed to deal melee damage against user. Fortress of Wood: User gains a small, permanent, irremovable damage reduction. Works for all kinds of damages.
Solace Medallion (Equipped) Shield [Round] (Equipped) Full Plate Armor (Equipped) Solace Blade (Equipped) Rosary of Courage (Equipped)
Interactions: None Location: Harbor (District C)
Theo was having arguably the most fun he ever had since he had first come into the game - The guild never really "hung out" as a group, and this was the first real time that Theo had the chance to simply relax and act like a normal kid his age. A large number of the stores in the city were closed for the day, just as the Inn wasn't offering food during the festival. It didn't make much of a difference, considering that there were countless stalls littering the city, mostly offering free goods like food and drink or small toys. Some stalls were selling weapons, from what Theo was able to see - he even saw one of his guild mates, Shiba, selling daggers to a few NPC women. Choosing to not distract his friend, Theo moved to a further location, closer to the harbor, buying the Solace Blade on the way.
The next few hours were spent with very little in the way of conflict - Hans seemed almost ready to get into a fight with one of the stall vendors who gave him a partly rotten caramel apple, but was calmed down when he was reminded that the food was free and there was no real harm done. The trio were sitting on a bench, which faced towards one of the fountains that were scattered throughout the city. They were eating kebabs with various roasted meats on them, which Theo had "Offered to pay for" - that joke had been a lot funnier in his head, and barely elicited a smirk from the pair. Still, Theo was happy to try something besides the Shepard Pie he was used to - he didn't get sick of the same food, but this was a special occasion, and it didn't hurt to change things up every now and then.
Or, at the very least, he'd have something to bring up whenever Julia complained about him only eating one thing.
The sun shown with a calm intensity, radiating the same heat and comfort of the sun beams that cats are so fond of sleeping in. It was almost easy for Theo to distract himself from his situation, and the hundreds of players who had already lost their lives in the game. The area they were sitting in was nearly devoid of players, mostly composed of NPCs - lines of code, that Theo could hardly believe weren't real. They were intelligent, or at least intelligent enough to hold opinions and articulate responses to specific questions. How did the programmers of Talrae get the processing power to create so many NPCs, all of whom possess this sentience?
Theo quickly shook his head. He needed to stop focusing on that - he simply needed to ignore his situation for once, and relax. This was what he had initially wanted when he started playing. A truly immersive experience, where he could be anyone except himself.
This thought was immediately eradicated as Theo read the guild message that Reylan had sent out.
"Legion of the Wolf. It pains me to say this but...Karma was murdered. I am not sure when, but this bastard named Valentine is responsible. His name tag is red, possibly black now, and if you see it anywhere...bring him in. We will find him and he WILL answer for his crime."
Theo felt cold - the same overwhelming pressure that had come over him when he realized the deaths of his other friends... Was friends to powerful of a word? Even though most of his guild mates were relative strangers, Theo couldn't help but feel an oppressive darkness surround the corners of his vision, and his stomach immediately begin to clench up.
The kebab, once emitting a delicious and succulent aroma, now was making Theo close to throwing up.
"H-hey, Theo, are you okay?"
Theo quickly snapped back to his senses, turning to see both Julia and Hans staring at him in a mix of concern and curiosity. It took Theo several seconds to respond.
"Of course I'm fine! This damn kebab is way too spicy - makes me feel like a damn dragon!"
Theo comically stuck out his tongue, fanning it in an over dramatic way, eliciting a laugh from Julia and a roll of the eyes from Hans.
"Told you to get mild, boy - It's better to have too few spices than to make your food inedible."
Theo laughed, scratching his head in an apologetic fashion as he did so.
Internally, it was a crushing blow. Karma was very close to Theo - they were the tank and the healer, the backbone of a successful raiding party. More than that, Karma was an acquaintance - a confidant in the incredible burden and responsibility that weighed on Theo's consciousness. He understood the weight of a human life - he had been responsible for saving at least one. And... other than Theo, he was the only one who came to Kajin's funeral.
Theo didn't let Hans or Julia know. Theo wouldn't be able to enjoy the festival in the slightest, but he would not ruin it for them, especially after dragging them out to celebrate. This was why he had done it, after all - he poured so many points into acting in order to act a certain way believably. The words of the GM quickly echoed in Theo's mind, and he was now unable to ignore them as well as he once could.
A double mask... very funny. Remove the masks and will you finally show your true face? Make your decision quickly, for in Talrae, you may find yourself being melded into your mask... permanently.
Theo would have grimaced, but he was unable to - his acting skill stopped him from revealing the discomfort he found in his companion's death. It served it's purpose - it was a mask, one that was far more appealing than the liar that hid behind it.
"Known throughout the Five Shinobi Nations, the reputation of a mighty hero echoes far and wide! When they speak of her impossible taijutsu skill and raw physical might, they're talking about me - The Incredible Soul Lee!"
Character Fields
Name|Aliases Lee Soul
Age|Gender 13/Female
Clan|Rank Lee/Student
Affiliations Konohagakure Physical Description Standing at 140 centimeters tall and weighing 42 kilograms, Soul is easily on the smaller side of the spectrum in terms of size - however, this is not indicative of her personality in the slightest. Whether because she was born as a girl into the Lee clan, or she was simply lucky, she lacks the thick eyebrows and dark hair that are characteristic of her clan. Her hair is cider brown, and kept short due to how longer hair is easier to grab in close quarters. Fitting for her small stature, Soul's voice is high-pitched, yet she can easily talk over most people in a room and grab attention quickly.
She wore the signature green jumpsuit of the Guy and Lee clans when she was beginning her training, but once her favorite training spot was taken by Kaminarimon Corporation's rapid expansion and construction, she adopted an orange mechanic's jumpsuit to protect against the large amount of soot and grime. Ever since then, she rarely wears anything other than the jumpsuit, only wearing formal clothes in the most necessary of cases. She wears very thick steel-toed boots, due to a time when she stepped on a nail in the Freight yard, forcing her to rest for weeks without training. When performing her "Hero Work," Soul wears a black Fukumen and Zukin on her head in order to "Hide her secret identity." In reality, it is to pay homage to the ninja that saved her life as a child.
Characterization & Prestige Soul is hot-headed, extremely stubborn, thickheaded, and is overall a very dramatic person. She rarely uses an inside voice, and seems to do her best to appear larger than life, despite her very small size. One of her most obvious traits is that she gives herself grandiose titles, typically lying blatantly about her achievements, or embellishing and exaggerating them to ridiculous proportions. She is addicted to the idea of being a "Hero," doing her best to help as many people in the village as possible, even at the expense of her own free time and her grades - to the point where she would commit incredible sacrifices for the most petty and insignificant of reasons if it meant someone else was less inconvenienced. Soul sticks extremely close to a set of morals and rules, which she follows with ironclad focus and usually murmurs to herself when a situation related to them comes up - the very first of which being that she does not use genjutsu or ninjutsu, as Taijutsu is, in her eyes, the most "Pure and Heroic" of the standard Ninja arts (As well as the fact that it costs a large amount of money to learn techniques in the modern day...). Due to her intense following of the rules, her absolute devotion to her training and volunteerism, and the eagerness she reports violations to the Konoha police force, Soul has made very few friends of her age, leaving her almost a social pariah among her peer group.
Most of the children her age view Soul as a goody-two shoes and a snitch, but most adults, especially the ones that work in the freight yard where she trains and the police force, see her as an incredibly hard worker and someone who does her best to help others.
Origin Story Soul was born as a member of the Lee clan, and the single child to her mother and father. Soul spent the earliest parts of her childhood with very little struggle or want for anything, even though her clan wasn't known for their fabulous wealth. She had little plans for her adult life, mostly enjoying the here and the now. She occasionally got into trouble because of her short temper and hotheadedness, but she never seriously tried to hurt anyone and usually was the one to end up worse off after starting a fight. She was a far cry from her current self, which didn't begin to arise until she was eight.
At the age of eight, Soul became lost while playing in the woods - she never discovered how far she had gotten away from Konoha, but she didn't return to the village until nearly two days had passed. After collapsing from exhaustion and nearly blacking out, a ninja from Otogakure discovered her - after feeding and giving her water, he had explained that he was a chuunin on a (D-ranked) mission to gather supplies from Konoha and to return back to his village. He had quickly returned Soul to Konoha, despite the fact that he had already gathered the supplies needed to complete his mission. The ninja left without asking for any reward, before Soul could even ask his name. His kindness had left a massive impact on Soul's life and development, sparking her burning passion for becoming a hero and ninja.
From then on, she trained nearly every day, doing her best to replicate the ninja that had saved her life. Due to the Lee clan having a lack of funds compared to many other clans in Konoha (a large chunk of which were being spent simply to send Soul to the academy), Soul was forced to rely on the taijutsu her family was known for in order to accoplish her goals. She entered the academty as soon as possible, and even with intense practice in taijutsu and her physical training, she refused to learn any form of ninjutsu or genjutsu - combined with her poor academics, this quickly gave her some of the lowest grades in her class. She is still seen as one of the worse in her class, both due to her self-imposed restrictions and her unwillingness to use techniques outside of her limited specialization (AKA, literally anything besides Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu)
Character Development & Conceptualization OOC: I'd love to see the massive differences between the Taijutsu of old and the rapid development of technology in the modern age. Even more than this, I'd like to see how an extremly stubborn and rigid character like Soul would interact with other ninja her own age - especially if they went against her moral compass. Or if She was ever put in a position where she was forced to go against her own self-imposed rules in order to save people.
IC: Soul wants to help as many people as humanly possible, viewing her life as a gift from the ninja that saved her life - she could care less about ninja ranks, and only pursues higher ranks in order to take higher ranking missions, that could help more people. She wishes to eventually help all the people of Konoha accomplish their dreams, but even more than this, she wishes to find and thank the ninja that had saved her life and led her down the path to being a true hero.
Conceptualization: While initially starting off very similar to both Rock Lee and Might Guy, I tried to differentiate her heavily by making her motivations far more different. Rather than trying to be a "ninja that only uses taijutsu," I attempted to use the lack of prevalence that the Lee clan holds to excuse the lack of focus on other jutsu - in the modern day, learning many jutsu is very expensive due to commercialization, and some people simply can't afford that. This is exemplified in the fact that Soul's skill in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu is never mentioned - she simply does not care if she is skilled in their use, as she cannot afford to learn any even if she was. While both her and Rock Lee have strong moral compasses, they differentiate heavily in personality - Rock Lee is polite, refuses to give up, and is not above using dangerous taijutsu on his opponents (seriously, the front and reverse lotus are ridiculously deadly). Soul, meanwhile, is brash, quick to anger and steadfast in her morals, her strict training caused more by her extremely potent discipline and adherence to her self-imposed rules, rather than Rock Lee's motivation and perseverance to be a ninja.
Triple T's
Talents
Mechanics Perhaps "Repairs" would be a better descriptor, but Soul's skill in fixing and operating machinery far exceeds her skill in fixing most other things. Due to her devoting all time not used for training to help out the people of Konoha, Soul has a large degree of experience with repairing things that most villagers were too lazy or confused to fix themselves - usually things such as doors or creaky doorsteps. Her real experience comes from the Freight Yard she trains in - the employees there have used her as cheap labor as she would work for a simple "Thanks" - as a result, she has become very intimate with complex machinery, which is jarring considering she is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Taijutsu It is no surprise that a member of the Lee clan is skilled in Taijutsu - compared to most members of her clan, Soul is not especially unique in her taijutsu skill or physical traits. Despite this, compared to the average ninja, she is a taijutsu specialist of extreme prowess, if only due to the fact that most ninja don't focus on taijutsu as heavily as their ninjutsu. She refuses to learn fatal techniques, as killing is against her moral code.
Physical Fitness Soul is incredibly devoted to her physical training, and is supported entirely in this effort by her Clan members. She had been training ever since she was saved by a ninja from Otogakure at the age of 8, and has trained 5-6 days a week ever since, usually for 6 hours or more. At her current level of physique, she puts the vast majority of ninja to shame physically - her large degree of strength and moderate skill in shurikenjutsu has allowed her access to a very unique fighting style. She is incredibly fast, to the point where few can match her speed - and her large amount of stamina makes those that can keep up with her unlikely to do so for long.
Pain tolerance/Durability Even with her Physical Fitness being ridiculous for someone her age, Soul is exemplary when it comes to the amount of pain and damage she can take without falling unconscious. She had been especially focused this trait during her training, upon realizing the danger being a shinobi presented. While she rarely uses the Eight Gates outside of her training, this Pain Tolerance has allowed her to fight far longer than most people should, and minor injuries are sometimes completely ignored - The fact that she cannot feel paper cuts anymore was a source of great amusement to younger children in the village. This freakish resilience to pain has made her a natural Eight Gates user.
Shurikenjutsu The only form of Ranged combat that Soul is willing to use, she is fairly average when it comes to normal shurikenjutsu - her real talent comes when she uses heavier ranged weapons. Due to her intense training, she is physically strong enough to throw far heavier objects than others would be able to, with similar speed and accuracy to those using lighter weapons. This has resulted in her using ridiculously sized objects that she finds mid battle as ranged weapons.
Tools Weights Weights, one of the cornerstones in tools for the Lee clan. They are worn around the ankles, and weigh enough where Soul only moves slightly faster than other students her age. When doing upper body exercises and practicing her punching, she wears the weights on her arms instead. In serious situations, Soul will use her Shurikenjutsu skills to throw the weights at opponents, usually when they are too far away to hit with taijutsu. Her weights are only removed in the event of a serious fight that has very high stakes or results in the suffering of other people.
Senbon Senbon are metal needles, pointed at both ends. While mostly seeing use in medical ninjutsu and assassination, Soul uses them as a ranged weapon when no improvised weapons are found. She carries dozens, if not hundreds on her person at all times.
Eight Gates (Soul is barely able to open the 3rd gate during her training, and she is unable to use the 3rd gate in combat at all due to the stress on her body.) Strong Fist
Miscs
Soul's strict adherence to her self-imposed restrictions and her refusal to use ninjutsu or genjutsu has caused her to be one of the weaker members of her class, despite her incredibly powerful taijutsu and physical form.
Soul refuses to use the Eight Gates unless people's lives are at stake.
Member
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Noctis
