Krauxis

Corrected & Connected

Actually yeah, those specs are pretty much the size and weight of a normal hammer that you'd use to build a deck or something o_o' You could still totally use it as a weapon, but I got the impression of a big person-sized hammer in my head.

Corrected & Connected

Just FYI, I've edited Karako's bio a bit to flesh out a couple of questions that were nagging me. Specifically "Why would the Gvn want to add a known criminal to their ranks?" is the big one that had been bugging me. Anybody concerned (GMs still reviewing, for example) may want to give the last two paragraphs of her bio a quick reread when you get the chance. I dunno if that was something that would have been bothersome at all, but it was bugging me a bit so I decided that a little expansion never hurt. Edit: Also edited her combat abilities to be a little more specific than just listing her basic weapon kit.

Essence of the World: The Mending

Ohai Mika. Also Wind, are we waiting on anything in particular for this timeskip? I'm not impatient or anything, I just didn't want to sit on my thumbs if there was something I was supposed to be doing and I just didn't catch on. I'm paranoid like that from time to time.

Corrected & Connected

Oh baby, it's time for a reverse harem party. I hope everybody likes bratwurst~

Corrected & Connected

I may have gotten a bit overexcited and had a character whipped up before this was posted... >.> Here she is, anyway, and with that, I'm off to work for the night. I'll get to any necessary changes/comments when I get back, if any crop up. Roleplayer Sheet: Age: 24 Frequency Online: Tons, unless I'm working, then usually a couple hours a day. Responsibilities Offline: I travel around a lot for work, so unfortunately this may lead to some difficulties if I'm staying at a crap hotel with bad wifi, but having recently upgraded my laptop, I don't really think this will be a problem much anymore. I don't have a job coming up for a while anyway, and I'll keep everybody posted when I do. Even if I'm in the middle of sticksville, there's always some way to get on the internet, so if I need to get a post up, I'll find a way, even if I have to type one into a PS3 browser window or something. Favorite tv show or books: Haven't watched a proper 'tv show' in several years, but my favourite anime is probably Fate/Zero, if I had to pick right now. As far as books, I recently finished Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, and it might actually top my list. I might be biased just because it was my most recent book, though. I like the Song of Ice and Fire books, though I don't watch the show. Why do you like to write/RP: I like to experiment. I like to make characters that push my brain in various ways, and to take part in plots that do the same. I'm pretty understated IRL and I wouldn't say that I have much of a personality, but I like to play characters who are full of the stuff and have fun existing in their headspace. Sorry if that sounds a bit raw, but I've just been thinking about it lately, and that's the conclusion I came to. -- Character Sheet: Name: Karasugawa Karako Alias in the DgtWld: Cypher Age: 23 Average Appearance:

Karako

Corrector Appearance:

Cypher

Weapon of Choice: Katana (Unique style mixed with Tae Kwan Do.) She is fast and light on her feet, and enjoys moving around a lot during fights. She uses kicks to soften enemies up, then her katana to finish the job. She has upgraded her abilities a bit to be able to slash quite fast with her katana. In a style based mostly around mobility and speed, she moves around a lot, and strikes when an opponent reveals their weakness. However, while she excels in mobility, she is at constant risk due to her own lack of any sort of defense. Her fighting style demands that she always be up close to an opponent, but simultaneously that she not take any hits. It's always a risky gambit, and she relies heavily on support from her other teammates, even when it looks like she is going off alone. Cell Phone:

Hider

If it's trendy enough, Karako is happy to upgrade phones frequently, but this is her current model. Personality: +Action-Oriented: If there's a task to be done, Karako wants to do it, and she wants to do it now. She has no trouble motivating herself to 'get up and go.' +Trendy: Always having an ear to the ground, Karako feels the pulse of the city, new trends, gossip and rumors. She's always interested in any hot new tech or fashion. +Devil's Advocate: Karako is able to think outside of the box and imagine scenarios from multiple perspectives. Although this makes her argumentative at times, it usually leads to new insight into a situation. +Comrade: Though it takes a long time for her to warm up to you, once she considers you a friend, you're there for life. She does not handle betrayal very well. -Cynical: Karako gets along well with individuals, but doesn't like 'society' as a whole. It's not as though she wants to pick a fight with everyone for no reason, but instead, she has the sort of mindset that makes her the first to laugh at a bad situation, or the first to get angry when things get unfair. She expects the worst, and it's hard to shock her when things turn south. But in return, she tends to complain a lot about nothing, and take a pessimistic outlook on life. -Defeatist: While she is quick to start a task, and her self-confidence is usually sky-high, if she considers a task to be too difficult for her, Karako is even quicker to give up the ghost. She tends to lose all motivation after being defeated and needs at least some time to re-ignite her spark. Background: "It's a trash name given to me by trash... but it's mine now. I'll clean up my own mess." The Karasugawa family were a lower-middle-class clan of humble day labourers who owned a construction company on the outskirts of Kyoto. Their humility was their pride, and they named their first daughter in a manner befitting their worldview. 'Karako,' the 'empty girl.' For the first several years of her life, everything was going according to plan. she was a quiet child who liked to follow her parents' directions, learning about their trade and being indoctrinated into their lifestyle. Life was smooth sailing with little complication. But the rise of the new tech, new phones, MChips, the DgtWld, meant more demand for infrastructure, and an increasing demand for the Karasugawas' work. It had always been the case that after High School, Karako would be hired into the family business, but at age 15, her parents pulled her out before graduation to start work early. Karako had other plans. Without any warning, she left home with little more than the clothes on her back and some stolen money to travel the country. She took a bus from Kyoto up to Tokyo proper, and made a small life for herself there for the next two years. She found ways of making money, whether legitimately or through criminal means, and found various places to stay. For two years she lived the life of an urban teen, both the light and dark side, and in doing so, her entire outlook on life was broadened and shifted greatly. But these things can't last forever. At age 17, she decided that enough was enough, and it was time to come back home to see her family. When she returned, her parents were initially happy to see her, though that didn't last long. The quiet girl they had known was gone, and in her place stood a wild beast. She had her own money and her own life, and 'following orders' seemed incredibly low on her list of priorities. Her parents had a phone for work reasons and because it had become absolutely necessary, but Karako was totally into the new digital culture and the DgtWld - something that her parents had declared to be morally corrupt. For three years they lived an uneasy peace, with Karako's parents trying to guilt her into becoming the girl they wanted her to be, and Karako herself refusing sharply at every turn. She may as well have been spitting fire and brimstone. On her 20th birthday, her father decided that they had suffered enough abuse from this sharp-tongued and strong-willed girl. He publically denounced and disowned her, kicking her out of the house. He declared her morally bankrupt, and empty like her name, and that he would not stand for her criminal activities. Karako merely shrugged and left, deciding to move back to Tokyo. On her way, she received the call from the Gvn. She had been recruited into the ranks of the Correctors, which she accepted happily. Her prior criminal acts were to be pardoned (and limited in the future,) and she was going to be monitored, but she would still be able to hang around her delinquent friends (a sticking point she argued heavily.) Her new job came with new money, and she was able to rent an apartment in downtown Shibuya through her old connections. It was a good location for her, because so many potential hackers or other criminals were young people searching for attention. Her hand was always on the beating heart of youth culture. After completing training she was assigned on-call to the current group of Tokyo-based Correctors. Content with her new life, she spends most of her free time wandering the city, hanging out with her friends, or training in Tae Kwan Do, which she had learned during her previous stay for self-defense. She bought herself a wooden sword (though she keeps it wrapped when she leaves the house to avoid attracting too much attention,) and most people to see her walking around might think she was the daughter of some Yakuza bigwig, but that works just fine for her. Nobody screws around with her.

Essence of the World: The Mending

Alright, posted, and wrapped my characters up. We're good to move on.

Essence of the World: The Mending

Reiko's pupils dilated visibly in her already dark eyes at the mention of playing music here in the hall. Would... would that be alright? It would be alright wouldn't it? No... Such a disruptive power would ruin the rest of the evening. We don't have to use the power. Just play the song. Obviously that wouldn't work. She wasn't adept enough to prevent or control it so reliably. It doesn't matter. Play the song. You have to play the song. Play the goddamned song. You have to play it. "I... I'm not sure that's the best idea-" Her thoughts were interrupted by Aura, who had already unsheated her crystal microphone. "Hell yeah!" she grinned, "This band sucks. Let's make a show of it! We've already got dancers, just match the tone. Give them something to dance to. If you can't do that, you can't call yourself a musician!" "I... don't think-" "Just try and stop me, Rei! Je chanterais!" The sound of the violin and vocals resounded throughout the ballroom, and everyone present would feel something strange within their mind, as though their ears were ringing, but instead of sound, there was emptiness. A sound that was not there. It was not a disturbing feeling, but it would be noticeable. This was the feeling of Aura's communication technique. It was possible to shut the feeling off if you were familiar with it, but otherwise, anyone could use it to send thoughts to each other. Reiko was familiar with this effect from having seen it once, and took it as an opportunity to make a point. She reached out to Karnage's mind as he was playing. "Do you feel it? The power of a fragment? Is this what you wanted to see?" Karnage's wicked smile grew as Aura took the initative, starting the band. Grabbing his violin he joined her on the stage and led the other violinist in her song. Normally he'd have a hard time simply starting a song he's never heard before, and yet... It came naturally to him, at least once Aura started to sing. "Syncronity." Karnage kept playing as other musicians joined in the lively song, like Karnage initally uncertain but eventually able to play in harmony. It wasn't until he started hearing thoughts that he noticed something was admiss. He heard Reiko, which was strange because currently the sound of his violin made him deaf to all but song. He quickly came to the realization that this must be some sort of telepathy spell, brought upon by Aura's Fragment. At least that's what he guessed from what little Reiko told him. "Impressive. I have felt something similar before... A long time ago. Join us Reiko. Let us hear your melodies." It's unavoidable. Play the song. Enjoy the melody, embrace the harmony. Seeing Karnage's embracing of this phenomenon, rather than being afraid or wary, broke the last of Reiko's mental walls. It was time to play her flute. "Fine, I'll show you, if you're so insistent. It's nothing that impressive anyhow." The instrument was in her hands without her even realizing it, and she lifted it up to her lips, filling it with her breath. Almost mechanically, crystalline mist began wafting out of the end of the flute, coalescing along the floor in their immediate surroundings, and eventually filling the room. It was not too thick, which Reiko considered a blessing (truth told she would rather have not produced any mist at all) but it was enchanting all the same. The effect was not lost on Aura, who began singing louder and with more passion. Apparently it was just a stage effect as far as she was concerned. Though signs of strain began invading her face, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Reiko couldn't understand that girl. As the song peaked and drew closer to its end, the mist from her flute began thickening and soon it was difficult to see her own feet. But she could not stop playing. She was already too far gone. In her mind there was no longer a crowd, she was simply playing for herself. The sound of Karnage's violin and the other musicans echoed over the thick mist. Despite it however, Karnage was not lost. Or at least, he knew where he was going. He was following the sound of the flute. Something about it drew him towards Reiko, and with any luck, he wouldn't be alone. Also at some point Karnage had managed to get a hold of a banjo like intrstument, using that instead of his violin. When the flute started to get louder Karnage started a new song. It was a song made for trouble, but specfically for Reiko. He was pratically challenging the girl to musical combat now, to have her show the full abilities of her Fragment. While Karnage goaded Reiko into unleashing her Fragment, he also sought after Lucaris. "Do not hide. Follow the music and learn the power of Fragments." Reiko barely noticed the change in tune, shifting her song slightly to keep up with Karnage, but otherwise her energy did not shift. The mist was thick, to the point where she could not see anyone around her anymore, and somewhere along the way, the vocals had stopped, and with it, the buzzing in her head. Good, it was a distraction anyway. Aura had stopped singing. The bad feeling that Reiko had previously held had made its way over to her, and she no longer liked where this was leading. She had tried to call out to the floutist in her mind, but it was futile. Reiko was so stuck in her head that she was beyond hearing. That had to be dangerous... right? Right. Karnage seemed intent on keeping them playing, but he didn't know anything about these fragments. They were dangerous. Aura didn't think that he had any malicious intent, but this had to stop. The sound of the music led her to Reiko. From her position, she could see Karnage a few feet away. Geez, he was awfully close, it seemed like he had the same idea as she did, though for different reasons. "Hey! Sonata, arrête! Stop this, Reiko!" She wasn't listening, even when Aura reached out and shook her by the shoulder. Her glassy stare continued to face forward. "Zut alors, je suis fatigue. Sorry about this, girl, you'll thank me later." Grabbing the flute in one hand, she tried pulling it away, but the dark-haired girl's grasp was firm, like rigor mortis. Using this for leverage, Aura delivered a strong knee to Reiko's gut, knocking the wind out of her, and slammed both of her arms outward against Reiko's arms, knocking the flute out of her hands as she tumbled to the floor. The music stopped abruptly, though the mist would linger until it dispelled naturally. Aura turned to Karnage, who was the closest person to the two of them. "We're departing. I no longer like this place, and I should see Reiko to the infirmary. I may have cracked a rib or two just now. If anyone wants to see us, I will be there with her until the night falls or someone else attends. You want a last piece of information about these fragments, I hope this display did not go to waste. They have a certain... influence. And it is quite strong. For those with a weak spirit, it could mean death. Perhaps I am the last person who should be saying this, but... they are not simply toys to be played with." Hoisting the unconscious girl over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes, Aura picked the flute up off of the floor and made her way outside, hopefully before anyone else questioned what was going on.

Essence of the World: The Mending

Lucius, if you have any more input into the collab (or if anybody else does) could you get it down by tomorrow evening? If nothing else is written, I'll just write some closure into it and post it, since I wanna get it up and we can move on.

Corrected & Connected [a future sci-fi cyberpunk slice of life]

Woo, looking forward to this. I'll be around with incredible frequency for the next month or so, so I can co-GM at least until my work starts up again. But that's a pretty unreliable time limit, so I'd rather sit back and let somebody else take the reins, if possible.

Essence of the World: The Mending

Sure, I'm not in any sort of rush. I'm around forever~