Piercing Light Member
...
- Last Seen: 1 yr ago
- Joined: 11 yrs ago
- Posts: 503 (0.13 / day)
- VMs: 0
-
Username history
- Piercing Light 11 yrs ago
-
Latest 10 profile visitors:
-
Most recent →
Taka,
AlteredTundra
Status
User has no status, yet
Bio
User has no bio, yet
Most Recent Posts
orrrr me and Genkai can have a reasonable debate about it, since there's still time until the RP starts. Whenever I leave something to chance I get screwed.
JDLPorsta said
Sorry!!! I can view RPguild at work, but I cannot reply at work. Crappy phone!Anyways, about the app. It looks decent and ties well into what I have planned. Essentially anything after the Pein fight can be considered useless to know so the whole Child of Prophecy thing is irrelevant. A couple questions! How do you see Naruto interacting with Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura? How well do you see him interacting with a more military styled Konoha?Also, this question applies to all, but what are some things you would all like to see occur in this RP?
I still plan to have Naruto view Sasuke as a rival, and someone that he can relate to since they both lost their family. heh, I'll still have him act like a jackass towards him, but I'd like to maintain that vibe that he really does care about him. As for Kakashi, seeing as he'll be his sensei he'll have some issues with him at first, Naruto has problems with authority after all. However, over time he'll begin to look up to him as a mentor. As for Sakura... hrmm... well, he won't have such a huge crush on her. I may have him try to show off around her to act impressive though. I want them to become close comrades.
Now about this talk of upping the ages. Honestly, it rubs me the wrong way. I believe we can rely on our suspension of disbelief and have them adjust to a more militarized Konoha, after all, we've already accepted that these kids are learning magic and how to murder people already, and I think that's the biggest hurdle right there. Also, this is a pivotal time in their lives, the age in which their ideals, morals, and personality are most subject to change. So I'd like to keep the ages where they are. (no disrespect to Genkai) x_x
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Blood Type: B
Birthday: October 10
Good Trait(s): Hard Working, Empathetic, Trustworthy, Confident.
Bad Trait(s): Stubborn, Brash, Naive, Arrogant.
Hobby(ies): Playing pranks, watering plants.
Personal Quote: "If you don't like the hand that fate's dealt you with, fight for a new one!"
History: Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze and Kurama's second jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki. During Naruto's birth, the seal restraining Kurama inside of Kushina weakened, and a mysterious masked man took advantage of this. The masked man managed to extract the nine tailed beast, and used it to attack the Leaf Village. Minato was able to repel the masked man and sever his control over the tailed beast, however, Kurama was still a threat. Minato choose to seal the Nine-tails into his newborn son, believing he would need it's power in the future to defeat the masked man.
Kurama's chakra was immense, so much so that Minato was forced to sacrifice his soul with a forbidden jutsu in order to split it's Yin and Yang chakra, taking half into himself and half into Naruto. The seal was completed, but at the cost of Minato and Kushina's lives, as they protected their child from a fatal blow from the demon fox.
Regardless of being the son of a hero, Naruto grew up never knowing who his parents were. He was given the last name of his mother to hide his relation to the Fourth Hokage, and the truth was kept hidden from him. Only the Third Hokage and a few others were able to look past their hatred of the demon inside of Naruto, most of the village did not see just a child, but the cause of the tragedy that nearly destroyed their home and took their loved ones away from them. Shunned by both adults and fellow children, Naruto developed a need to prove himself and be acknowledged by the village, even if he caused trouble in the process.
Clan Info
Clan Name: Uzumaki
Symbol:
History: "Originating from the Senju clan, what distinguished the Uzumaki from their predecessors was that members of this clan were very knowledgeable in the art of fūinjutsu, and were both respected, and feared worldwide because of their prodigious skill. Though noted to be crude in their methods, this however, eventually led to the destruction of Uzushiogakure and the rest of the Land of Whirlpools during the era of Shinobi World Wars, as other nations had begun to see the village as too great a threat to go unchecked."
Kekkei Genkai: N/A
Looks and Appearance
Ninja Information
Village: Konoha
Academy Graduation Age: 12
Rank: Genin
Chakra Element: Wind
Databook Stats:
-Ninjutsu: 2
-Taijutsu: 1.5
-Genjutsu: 1
-Intelligence: 1
- Strength: 2
-Speed: 2
-Stamina: 4
-Handseals: 1
-Total: 14.5
Jutsu's
Name: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Rank: A
Type: Ninjutsu
Effect: Similar to the basic Shadow Clone Technique, only hundreds of clones are able to be created. This is considered a forbidden jutsu do to the massive amount of chakra required to use it, utilizing this jutsu could be fatal for an average ninja.
SAMPLE POST
Inside of his home, Naruto was alone as usual. He currently had three shadow clones with him, but they obviously didn't count. A small red ball was being bounced around between them with precise kicks. Needless to say, he was bored. He'd have played cards again but he was starting to get paper cuts, and it's always awkward when an opponent poofs out of existence because of a micro-cut. "That old geezer, it's just a hat, who cares if I try it on?" Naruto grumbled to himself, recalling his visit to the Hokage's office. So what if he sneaked into the Hokage's office, so what if he broke some ugly looking vase, so what if he accidentally dropped the Third's hat into a manure pile?
Thinking about it now, it did seem rather bad, Naruto grimaced, perhaps he deserved the lump throbbing on his head. He moved a hand to the bump on his head, which was being nursed by a bag of ice. Iruka should probably let up on the disciplinary smacks, any harder and he could have forgotten the twenty minute long lecture he got about respecting the attire of the Kage. "I got it already dattebayo..." He mumbled.
"Hey watch it!" One of his shadow clones yelled. Naruto looked up, only to see the red ball flying right into his face. It smacked him right between the eyes, causing him to lurch back and make the ice to fall down his shirt, which caused him to promptly freak out and trip over his table. He fell on the floor, and his shadow clones poofed away. Slowly sitting up he noticed he had sat on his headband. He picked it up, and couldn't help but stare at it once again. He worked so hard to earn this headband, just holding it in his hands gave him a sense of pride.
"...tch, now I get it."
CHARACTER DIRECTION
There are certain aspects of Naruto that I like, and others that I don't. I actually like that he's a typical shounin hero, I believe it's a trope that doesn't have to be negative at all. Naruto is a character that's easy to relate to, and it's easy to root for him as he faces challenges that are over his head. I want to inflate this aspect of Naruto. I want him to grow stronger along with his friends, and help change people along the way as well. Basically, the Naruto that you see during his fight with Neji is the ideal Naruto to me. His stubbornness to accept how cruel the ninja world is, his disdain for organization combined with his desire to become the face of his village, I'd like more of that.
The parts of Naruto that I began to dislike where his connections to 'fate' and 'destiny.' He told Neji that no one is fated to be anything, and I believed for a long time that this was the theme of the series. Naruto wasn't fated to be a loser, Neji wasn't fated to be cursed by his own clan, Garra wasn't fated to be alone and in pain. Yet the themes of combating fate and growing along with your comrades was for the most part thrown out of the window when Naruto began to do most of everything on his own, and when it was revealed that he was the reincarnation of a demi-god. I want to keep the theme straight, and not have Naruto set out to be some messiah like figure by the end of this.
As for his abilities, I'd like to keep them relatively simple, at least when compared to the arsenal he has by the end of the series. I want to develop a few more wind based jutsu for him, and keep him as more of a scrapper on the battlefield.
DID YOU READ THE RULES?
17?
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Blood Type: B
Birthday: October 10
Good Trait(s): Hard Working, Empathetic, Trustworthy, Confident.
Bad Trait(s): Stubborn, Brash, Naive, Arrogant.
Hobby(ies): Playing pranks, watering plants.
Personal Quote: "If you don't like the hand that fate's dealt you with, fight for a new one!"
History: Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze and Kurama's second jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki. During Naruto's birth, the seal restraining Kurama inside of Kushina weakened, and a mysterious masked man took advantage of this. The masked man managed to extract the nine tailed beast, and used it to attack the Leaf Village. Minato was able to repel the masked man and sever his control over the tailed beast, however, Kurama was still a threat. Minato choose to seal the Nine-tails into his newborn son, believing he would need it's power in the future to defeat the masked man.
Kurama's chakra was immense, so much so that Minato was forced to sacrifice his soul with a forbidden jutsu in order to split it's Yin and Yang chakra, taking half into himself and half into Naruto. The seal was completed, but at the cost of Minato and Kushina's lives, as they protected their child from a fatal blow from the demon fox.
Regardless of being the son of a hero, Naruto grew up never knowing who his parents were. He was given the last name of his mother to hide his relation to the Fourth Hokage, and the truth was kept hidden from him. Only the Third Hokage and a few others were able to look past their hatred of the demon inside of Naruto, most of the village did not see just a child, but the cause of the tragedy that nearly destroyed their home and took their loved ones away from them. Shunned by both adults and fellow children, Naruto developed a need to prove himself and be acknowledged by the village, even if he caused trouble in the process.
Clan Info
Clan Name: Uzumaki
Symbol:
History: "Originating from the Senju clan, what distinguished the Uzumaki from their predecessors was that members of this clan were very knowledgeable in the art of fūinjutsu, and were both respected, and feared worldwide because of their prodigious skill. Though noted to be crude in their methods, this however, eventually led to the destruction of Uzushiogakure and the rest of the Land of Whirlpools during the era of Shinobi World Wars, as other nations had begun to see the village as too great a threat to go unchecked."
Kekkei Genkai: N/A
Looks and Appearance
Ninja Information
Village: Konoha
Academy Graduation Age: 12
Rank: Genin
Chakra Element: Wind
Databook Stats:
-Ninjutsu: 2
-Taijutsu: 1.5
-Genjutsu: 1
-Intelligence: 1
- Strength: 2
-Speed: 2
-Stamina: 4
-Handseals: 1
-Total: 14.5
Jutsu's
Name: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Rank: A
Type: Ninjutsu
Effect: Similar to the basic Shadow Clone Technique, only hundreds of clones are able to be created. This is considered a forbidden jutsu do to the massive amount of chakra required to use it, utilizing this jutsu could be fatal for an average ninja.
SAMPLE POST
Inside of his home, Naruto was alone as usual. He currently had three shadow clones with him, but they obviously didn't count. A small red ball was being bounced around between them with precise kicks. Needless to say, he was bored. He'd have played cards again but he was starting to get paper cuts, and it's always awkward when an opponent poofs out of existence because of a micro-cut. "That old geezer, it's just a hat, who cares if I try it on?" Naruto grumbled to himself, recalling his visit to the Hokage's office. So what if he sneaked into the Hokage's office, so what if he broke some ugly looking vase, so what if he accidentally dropped the Third's hat into a manure pile?
Thinking about it now, it did seem rather bad, Naruto grimaced, perhaps he deserved the lump throbbing on his head. He moved a hand to the bump on his head, which was being nursed by a bag of ice. Iruka should probably let up on the disciplinary smacks, any harder and he could have forgotten the twenty minute long lecture he got about respecting the attire of the Kage. "I got it already dattebayo..." He mumbled.
"Hey watch it!" One of his shadow clones yelled. Naruto looked up, only to see the red ball flying right into his face. It smacked him right between the eyes, causing him to lurch back and make the ice to fall down his shirt, which caused him to promptly freak out and trip over his table. He fell on the floor, and his shadow clones poofed away. Slowly sitting up he noticed he had sat on his headband. He picked it up, and couldn't help but stare at it once again. He worked so hard to earn this headband, just holding it in his hands gave him a sense of pride.
"...tch, now I get it."
CHARACTER DIRECTION
There are certain aspects of Naruto that I like, and others that I don't. I actually like that he's a typical shounin hero, I believe it's a trope that doesn't have to be negative at all. Naruto is a character that's easy to relate to, and it's easy to root for him as he faces challenges that are over his head. I want to inflate this aspect of Naruto. I want him to grow stronger along with his friends, and help change people along the way as well. Basically, the Naruto that you see during his fight with Neji is the ideal Naruto to me. His stubbornness to accept how cruel the ninja world is, his disdain for organization combined with his desire to become the face of his village, I'd like more of that.
The parts of Naruto that I began to dislike where his connections to 'fate' and 'destiny.' He told Neji that no one is fated to be anything, and I believed for a long time that this was the theme of the series. Naruto wasn't fated to be a loser, Neji wasn't fated to be cursed by his own clan, Garra wasn't fated to be alone and in pain. Yet the themes of combating fate and growing along with your comrades was for the most part thrown out of the window when Naruto began to do most of everything on his own, and when it was revealed that he was the reincarnation of a demi-god. I want to keep the theme straight, and not have Naruto set out to be some messiah like figure by the end of this.
As for his abilities, I'd like to keep them relatively simple, at least when compared to the arsenal he has by the end of the series. I want to develop a few more wind based jutsu for him, and keep him as more of a scrapper on the battlefield.
DID YOU READ THE RULES?
17?
Could you hold Naruto for me? I'll try to make a respectable template.
Edited my last post
Malz pls
A minute after the kind stranger had left to find her clothing, Asahina found herself sitting in the corner of the room once more. She wished she could say finding refuge in corners was only something she did now because of her current predicament, but that wasn't true. She had picked up the habit of sitting in corners from grade school. While other children found it easy to socialize and gain friends, she could never find the courage to face people. The fear of rejection and ridicule was a strong deterrent, not something she believed she could handle. It was the day she was assigned a seat in the corner of a class that she noticed the benefits. There were no eyes on her, and the enclosure of the walls was oddly comforting. Out of sight, out of mind, to anyone else it may seem desolate, but it eased her heart.
She looked down at the cloak the man had left her, the last time someone had been kind to her was so long ago, it was a nice feeling. She drew in a content breath, and her nose flared. The cloak carried a scent with it, one that was unfamiliar to her, yet nostalgic. It made her think of her master in the academy, one of the few people she could say she was close to. Her lips curved into a smile as if by reflex. "That's... right." She whispered to herself. It had been so long, that she had forgotten what it was like to have someone that cared for you.
A few minutes later, just as he had promised, the young man returned with clothing for her. She let out a small gasp, not sure why she was surprised, perhaps she feared that he would not return. She got to her feet and took the clothes from him. "Grateful... Very grateful." she said, bowing her head to avoid eye contact with him. She did not want him to see her face so closely, she must look frighting in her current state. She tried to hurry and put on the clothes, however, her claws made it difficult to put anything on without tearing it. While she struggled with a rather large shirt for her size, the man spoke. A shiver went down her spine, she knew it was silly, but a man was talking to her while she was changing. She really was an idiot. Curbing her embarrassment she tried to give him an answer.
"Not. Quite." She said. It was true that she had been helping the Empire, but it was not her choice to do so. "Captured. Forced into machine. Power... Factory." She gritted her teeth, the very name of that place disturbed her. "Terrible pain. In machine for... Long time. Awake." She finally slipped on the shirt, and flipped her swirling hair out of it. "Sorry..." She said, not sure of why. Apologizing when she did not know what else to say was another habit of her. She finished dressing in silence, and returned his cloak to him. "Ryoko.... Only seen once." Asahina's clenched her fists. "She captured me." She did not remember much about the woman, the only thing that stood out in her mind was her piercing blue eyes that would have likely haunted her in her dreams had she been able to sleep.
She relaxed her hands, and looked in the man's direction. Her hair moved with a mind of it's own, covering her face. "I-... What is. Your name?"
_____
Shizuka frowned upon hearing what Okal had recently been up to. She was never good at gauging what a person was capable of at a glance. Looking at Okal, the last thing she expected to hear was a nonchalant admittance that he had caused the death of someone just today. She disliked this type of business, but hated even more so the fact that she knew it was a necessity. She wished there were other ways to get results, but she had seen what became of those with a meek heart, that naivety had been torn from her long ago.
She had to stifle a giggle in the palm of her hand at Lin's comment. She thought she was joking for a moment, but thinking about it, it made sense that she didn't know the terms he was laying out in front of her. Shizuka approached Lin, and whispered in her ear. "A rat is just someone that tells secrets that they aren't supposed to." She leaned away from her ear, and wriggled her nose. "You have got to tell me what you use to wash your hair, by the way."
Meanwhile, Ace contemplated his options. "Two on the inside, huh?" He could use the shifty merchants's help, but he wasn't sure about owing him for it. He didn't know this man, and by his own word he admitted to having no qualms with having them killed if they failed to fulfill their end of the bargain.
"We'll do it, we always repay our debts!" Shizuka chimed in, causing Ace to seriously regret how long he took to speak around her.
"Dammit Shizuka, I'm too tired for this." Ace said. "We don't even know what he'll ask for."
"It's fine, we need his help if we're going to find that girl. We let her out-"
"You, forced her out. I know you feel responsible, but we can't just make rash decisions." Ace said. Shizuka huffed and turned her gaze from him.
"You're a jerk when you're tired."
"Uh huh." Ace turned back to Okal, and looked down at the man eye to eye. "We need to know what the empire knows, I'm sure you've heard of the Factories they build on each world they take over? We destroyed the one on our world, and I imagine they aren't too happy about that. They'll be on guard, but even still it'll help us to know where the Factory is on this world, as well as the location of that girl. We also need to know where their patrols will be if we want to get around. If you can help us with this, then I will personally see to it that you are repaid." Ace looked to Rika and nodded, trusting her to take care of things while he rested. Before he went to bed however, he walked over to Lin.
Lin was a brave and strong girl, but he was afraid of what would come of her getting mixed into this. She likely never had to deal with cutthroats and espionage like this. She would see blood, people killed. She would learn more than just a few unfamiliar terms if she stayed with them, this line of work hardened people, she may one day find herself to be the one taking care of 'rats.' "Lin..." He grumbled, not sure of what to say. He was worried about her, he didn't want her innocence to be taken away from her like it had his and Shizuka's, but he also knew how proud she was. "Stay strong, and don't ever change, alright? Things are gonna get rough."
_____
"Ha, ha..." Ryoko rolled her eyes at Salforge's joke. "As if my work would be this Uncultured." She said, likely the only person on the planet that knew what that was supposed to mean. She watched as Salforge used his ability to spread a barrier around the room, it's many uses still surprised her, she wondered just what he couldn't do with his blocks. He gave her a summary of what possibly happened, and from what she could see she had no reason to doubt it. She was familiar with the kind of wounds a blade could inflict, and judging by the lack of any sign of a struggle, she agreed that it was the work of a skilled assassin.
Salforge seemed to believe that they had already met the man's killer, she wasn't so sure. "A scimitar is a popular weapon of choice here, we'll need more than that to narrow this down." Ryoko stepped out of the shack and stretched her arms, she could really use hot bath right about now. "The man was a nobody, no one knew him, it's why I figured he would make a decent source. But it seems as though we're dealing with fairly competent individuals. We can't let them continue to undermine us like this, otherwise we will be looking at a repeat of what happened in Hollow Bastion."
She walked back to the streets, leaving the body behind to the buzzards. "Perhaps we should lay a trap for them, I have a feeling our search of the city won't amount to much, as they have the lay of the land and an advantage in the city. We'll need to be careful about this, something too extravagant will give us away, perhaps..." Ryoko's voice trailed off as she heard panicked screaming a block away. A small crowd of people suddenly stormed from a corner of the street, frantically entering building to escape from something. For a moment, she thought the Princess of Heart had shown herself. However, what came around the corner instead was a black monstrosity. Ryoko watched with a deadpan expression as the grotesque creature crawled by on buckling legs.
"You know what Sal, I'm going to go to an inn, and take the day off, fuck this."
She looked down at the cloak the man had left her, the last time someone had been kind to her was so long ago, it was a nice feeling. She drew in a content breath, and her nose flared. The cloak carried a scent with it, one that was unfamiliar to her, yet nostalgic. It made her think of her master in the academy, one of the few people she could say she was close to. Her lips curved into a smile as if by reflex. "That's... right." She whispered to herself. It had been so long, that she had forgotten what it was like to have someone that cared for you.
A few minutes later, just as he had promised, the young man returned with clothing for her. She let out a small gasp, not sure why she was surprised, perhaps she feared that he would not return. She got to her feet and took the clothes from him. "Grateful... Very grateful." she said, bowing her head to avoid eye contact with him. She did not want him to see her face so closely, she must look frighting in her current state. She tried to hurry and put on the clothes, however, her claws made it difficult to put anything on without tearing it. While she struggled with a rather large shirt for her size, the man spoke. A shiver went down her spine, she knew it was silly, but a man was talking to her while she was changing. She really was an idiot. Curbing her embarrassment she tried to give him an answer.
"Not. Quite." She said. It was true that she had been helping the Empire, but it was not her choice to do so. "Captured. Forced into machine. Power... Factory." She gritted her teeth, the very name of that place disturbed her. "Terrible pain. In machine for... Long time. Awake." She finally slipped on the shirt, and flipped her swirling hair out of it. "Sorry..." She said, not sure of why. Apologizing when she did not know what else to say was another habit of her. She finished dressing in silence, and returned his cloak to him. "Ryoko.... Only seen once." Asahina's clenched her fists. "She captured me." She did not remember much about the woman, the only thing that stood out in her mind was her piercing blue eyes that would have likely haunted her in her dreams had she been able to sleep.
She relaxed her hands, and looked in the man's direction. Her hair moved with a mind of it's own, covering her face. "I-... What is. Your name?"
Shizuka frowned upon hearing what Okal had recently been up to. She was never good at gauging what a person was capable of at a glance. Looking at Okal, the last thing she expected to hear was a nonchalant admittance that he had caused the death of someone just today. She disliked this type of business, but hated even more so the fact that she knew it was a necessity. She wished there were other ways to get results, but she had seen what became of those with a meek heart, that naivety had been torn from her long ago.
She had to stifle a giggle in the palm of her hand at Lin's comment. She thought she was joking for a moment, but thinking about it, it made sense that she didn't know the terms he was laying out in front of her. Shizuka approached Lin, and whispered in her ear. "A rat is just someone that tells secrets that they aren't supposed to." She leaned away from her ear, and wriggled her nose. "You have got to tell me what you use to wash your hair, by the way."
Meanwhile, Ace contemplated his options. "Two on the inside, huh?" He could use the shifty merchants's help, but he wasn't sure about owing him for it. He didn't know this man, and by his own word he admitted to having no qualms with having them killed if they failed to fulfill their end of the bargain.
"We'll do it, we always repay our debts!" Shizuka chimed in, causing Ace to seriously regret how long he took to speak around her.
"Dammit Shizuka, I'm too tired for this." Ace said. "We don't even know what he'll ask for."
"It's fine, we need his help if we're going to find that girl. We let her out-"
"You, forced her out. I know you feel responsible, but we can't just make rash decisions." Ace said. Shizuka huffed and turned her gaze from him.
"You're a jerk when you're tired."
"Uh huh." Ace turned back to Okal, and looked down at the man eye to eye. "We need to know what the empire knows, I'm sure you've heard of the Factories they build on each world they take over? We destroyed the one on our world, and I imagine they aren't too happy about that. They'll be on guard, but even still it'll help us to know where the Factory is on this world, as well as the location of that girl. We also need to know where their patrols will be if we want to get around. If you can help us with this, then I will personally see to it that you are repaid." Ace looked to Rika and nodded, trusting her to take care of things while he rested. Before he went to bed however, he walked over to Lin.
Lin was a brave and strong girl, but he was afraid of what would come of her getting mixed into this. She likely never had to deal with cutthroats and espionage like this. She would see blood, people killed. She would learn more than just a few unfamiliar terms if she stayed with them, this line of work hardened people, she may one day find herself to be the one taking care of 'rats.' "Lin..." He grumbled, not sure of what to say. He was worried about her, he didn't want her innocence to be taken away from her like it had his and Shizuka's, but he also knew how proud she was. "Stay strong, and don't ever change, alright? Things are gonna get rough."
"Ha, ha..." Ryoko rolled her eyes at Salforge's joke. "As if my work would be this Uncultured." She said, likely the only person on the planet that knew what that was supposed to mean. She watched as Salforge used his ability to spread a barrier around the room, it's many uses still surprised her, she wondered just what he couldn't do with his blocks. He gave her a summary of what possibly happened, and from what she could see she had no reason to doubt it. She was familiar with the kind of wounds a blade could inflict, and judging by the lack of any sign of a struggle, she agreed that it was the work of a skilled assassin.
Salforge seemed to believe that they had already met the man's killer, she wasn't so sure. "A scimitar is a popular weapon of choice here, we'll need more than that to narrow this down." Ryoko stepped out of the shack and stretched her arms, she could really use hot bath right about now. "The man was a nobody, no one knew him, it's why I figured he would make a decent source. But it seems as though we're dealing with fairly competent individuals. We can't let them continue to undermine us like this, otherwise we will be looking at a repeat of what happened in Hollow Bastion."
She walked back to the streets, leaving the body behind to the buzzards. "Perhaps we should lay a trap for them, I have a feeling our search of the city won't amount to much, as they have the lay of the land and an advantage in the city. We'll need to be careful about this, something too extravagant will give us away, perhaps..." Ryoko's voice trailed off as she heard panicked screaming a block away. A small crowd of people suddenly stormed from a corner of the street, frantically entering building to escape from something. For a moment, she thought the Princess of Heart had shown herself. However, what came around the corner instead was a black monstrosity. Ryoko watched with a deadpan expression as the grotesque creature crawled by on buckling legs.
"You know what Sal, I'm going to go to an inn, and take the day off, fuck this."
Ryoko watched as the man before her looked down on her from his horse. His words did not mean as much to her as he possibly believed they did. As far as she was concerned, he was only further proving her point, that he did not belong here. She may not have looked it now, but she had experienced the humiliating poverty that he was putting on a pedestal, starving for three days straight was nothing to be proud of. Even with no home, she made damn sure to never go to sleep on an empty stomach, it didn't matter if she bought it or stole it, she earned it. She got out of the slums of her world as soon as she could, under her own power. If she appeared to be an ignorant noble, then she was doing things right. She could mention this to him, but she was not here to argue petty matters, and the look in his eyes told her he would hear none of it. His eyes... While his words did little to affect her, the way he stared at her struck a nerve. He was staring right through her, as if she were refuse on the ground. She felt the urge to tear the golden orbs from his skull and stomp them into the sand. She weighed her options, finding that the consequences for doing as much felt pale in comparison to the joy it would bring her.
The sound of windows and doors opening caught her attention, civilians had noticed the conflict in the streets and poked their heads out. They reminded her of rats peeping out of holes, disgusting. She ignored them, as her focus was on someone slightly more imposing. The man on the horse was not fond of her, yet he chose to give out the information she requested. The sharp glint in Ryoko's eyes faded away, and her thoughts went to the princess of heart. If she was truly headed towards the palace then someone would have seen her already. It did not matter if he was lying, however, he had let her know that the girl was within the city. She would keep this information in mind, and plan accordingly.
The man stated that their business was done, yet he did not turn to leave. He was pushing his luck, if he was so privy to make a statement, she could cut to the chase and kill him now, while his beloved public watched. Before Ryoko could respond, Salforge spoke. Unbelievably, he gave the man encouragement. She shot a glare at the mercenary. "Really, you decided to actually open your mouth and that's what you say?" She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers. She looked back to the man on the horse one more time. "The next time I see you, I am going to stab you, understood? So try to eat something Mr. high and hungry." She said with a smile. She patted Salforge on the back, and walked away.
Their destination was not very far away, Ryoko was to meet her informant in an abandoned shack behind a defunct home. Walking past the crumbling building she spotted the shack. "That's odd." She mumbled. As the two of them could see, the door to the shack was wide open. "I told him to leave the door shut..." She grumbled, as she entered the small structure. The cause for her suspicion quickly became apparent as the smell of blood hung in the air. "Oh, he's dead." She noted, as she discovered a man in shambled clothing face down in a pool of his own blood. Ryoko nonchalantly kicked him over. "Yup... That's him." She turned back to Salforge. "Alright, new plan of action, we find out who did this. You wouldn't happen to have any tricks that could help in the matter, would you?"
____
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Osa said, noticing how Gavin's body was shivering. She glanced at the apple Lin had left for him, and gave him an assuring smile. "Looks like you've got some good potential friends now, doesn't it? Go ahead and rest, as your unofficial physician I demand it."
Ace groaned as he heard Rika requesting he wake up. At least he had gotten a good thirty seconds of sleep. After calling Lin over, Rika began an impromptu strategy meeting. Her professionalism was showing once again, as she had quickly analysed their current predicament and formulated a plan of action. Gaining an advantage over the empire would not be easy, but as Rika had mentioned, they had something of great value on their side. It wouldn't be hard getting the people on their side, the empire did little to gain the public's confidence other than promise not to murder them all. In his experience, the only people that would refuse to help them were those too afraid of retaliation from the empire. On Hollow Bastion, both he and Shizuka had seen their fair share of men, women and children that would quake at the mere mention of the imperial forces. He couldn't blame them, many people had lost loved ones, and not all of them could handle it.
Rika was cut off as an unfamiliar man's voice came from the upper floor. Ace and Shizuka looked to the staircase in confusion, though Osa came out of the med bay upon hearing her name called. The man commented on an article of clothing he had found, Shizuka had no clue what he meant, but Ace recalled that Rika had left her jacket up there, he would let that play out as it did. The man spoke again, but apparently tripped on the stairs and started to tumble down like a screaming bag of potatoes. Ace twitched in reaction to the harsh fall, as he imagined his own body falling down each and every one of the stairs. Shizuka grimaced, but counted the number of bangs on her fingers.
"Eight, that's pretty close to my record." Shizuka whistled, as humpty dumpty himself came into view. He wasn't quite what they had expected, though his short stature and bundle of goods explained how he rolled down the stairs so easily. In spite of how brutal the fall had seemed, he got up on his own and seemed fine, Osa put away a potion bottle, as is if she figured it'd need to be used. Rika swiped her jacket back, likely none to happy that the man was using it like a scratch and sniff. Not discouraged by losing the 'incredible smelling' jacket, he introduced himself when Rika asked who he was. His name was Okal and from what they could gather, he was a peddler, a slightly peddler, but some would say those are the best kind. Rika looked back to Ace and Shizuka, somehow at a loss for words. Shizuka had plenty to say, however.
"You have a camel?" She asked enthusiastically, stepping in front of the man. "Can I really ride it? The last time I was here I only got to look at one." She said, bouncing up and down on her heels. Ace planted a hand on her head to calm her down.
"Maybe later." He said.
"You're a buzzkill." Shizuka moaned.
"Actually, there is something you could help us with." Osa chimed in. "Okal, my friends here are looking for someone, someone the empire is also after. They could also use the assistance of someone such as yourself, right?" She turned to Ace, letting him take over, though at the moment he was simply wondering if Okal had any pillows for sale.
"It's a girl from our world, her skin is pitch black, and she has yellow eyes, not easy to miss..." Ace thought for a moment, wondering if he was getting ahead of himself. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the palace, would you?"
The sound of windows and doors opening caught her attention, civilians had noticed the conflict in the streets and poked their heads out. They reminded her of rats peeping out of holes, disgusting. She ignored them, as her focus was on someone slightly more imposing. The man on the horse was not fond of her, yet he chose to give out the information she requested. The sharp glint in Ryoko's eyes faded away, and her thoughts went to the princess of heart. If she was truly headed towards the palace then someone would have seen her already. It did not matter if he was lying, however, he had let her know that the girl was within the city. She would keep this information in mind, and plan accordingly.
The man stated that their business was done, yet he did not turn to leave. He was pushing his luck, if he was so privy to make a statement, she could cut to the chase and kill him now, while his beloved public watched. Before Ryoko could respond, Salforge spoke. Unbelievably, he gave the man encouragement. She shot a glare at the mercenary. "Really, you decided to actually open your mouth and that's what you say?" She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers. She looked back to the man on the horse one more time. "The next time I see you, I am going to stab you, understood? So try to eat something Mr. high and hungry." She said with a smile. She patted Salforge on the back, and walked away.
Their destination was not very far away, Ryoko was to meet her informant in an abandoned shack behind a defunct home. Walking past the crumbling building she spotted the shack. "That's odd." She mumbled. As the two of them could see, the door to the shack was wide open. "I told him to leave the door shut..." She grumbled, as she entered the small structure. The cause for her suspicion quickly became apparent as the smell of blood hung in the air. "Oh, he's dead." She noted, as she discovered a man in shambled clothing face down in a pool of his own blood. Ryoko nonchalantly kicked him over. "Yup... That's him." She turned back to Salforge. "Alright, new plan of action, we find out who did this. You wouldn't happen to have any tricks that could help in the matter, would you?"
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Osa said, noticing how Gavin's body was shivering. She glanced at the apple Lin had left for him, and gave him an assuring smile. "Looks like you've got some good potential friends now, doesn't it? Go ahead and rest, as your unofficial physician I demand it."
Ace groaned as he heard Rika requesting he wake up. At least he had gotten a good thirty seconds of sleep. After calling Lin over, Rika began an impromptu strategy meeting. Her professionalism was showing once again, as she had quickly analysed their current predicament and formulated a plan of action. Gaining an advantage over the empire would not be easy, but as Rika had mentioned, they had something of great value on their side. It wouldn't be hard getting the people on their side, the empire did little to gain the public's confidence other than promise not to murder them all. In his experience, the only people that would refuse to help them were those too afraid of retaliation from the empire. On Hollow Bastion, both he and Shizuka had seen their fair share of men, women and children that would quake at the mere mention of the imperial forces. He couldn't blame them, many people had lost loved ones, and not all of them could handle it.
Rika was cut off as an unfamiliar man's voice came from the upper floor. Ace and Shizuka looked to the staircase in confusion, though Osa came out of the med bay upon hearing her name called. The man commented on an article of clothing he had found, Shizuka had no clue what he meant, but Ace recalled that Rika had left her jacket up there, he would let that play out as it did. The man spoke again, but apparently tripped on the stairs and started to tumble down like a screaming bag of potatoes. Ace twitched in reaction to the harsh fall, as he imagined his own body falling down each and every one of the stairs. Shizuka grimaced, but counted the number of bangs on her fingers.
"Eight, that's pretty close to my record." Shizuka whistled, as humpty dumpty himself came into view. He wasn't quite what they had expected, though his short stature and bundle of goods explained how he rolled down the stairs so easily. In spite of how brutal the fall had seemed, he got up on his own and seemed fine, Osa put away a potion bottle, as is if she figured it'd need to be used. Rika swiped her jacket back, likely none to happy that the man was using it like a scratch and sniff. Not discouraged by losing the 'incredible smelling' jacket, he introduced himself when Rika asked who he was. His name was Okal and from what they could gather, he was a peddler, a slightly peddler, but some would say those are the best kind. Rika looked back to Ace and Shizuka, somehow at a loss for words. Shizuka had plenty to say, however.
"You have a camel?" She asked enthusiastically, stepping in front of the man. "Can I really ride it? The last time I was here I only got to look at one." She said, bouncing up and down on her heels. Ace planted a hand on her head to calm her down.
"Maybe later." He said.
"You're a buzzkill." Shizuka moaned.
"Actually, there is something you could help us with." Osa chimed in. "Okal, my friends here are looking for someone, someone the empire is also after. They could also use the assistance of someone such as yourself, right?" She turned to Ace, letting him take over, though at the moment he was simply wondering if Okal had any pillows for sale.
"It's a girl from our world, her skin is pitch black, and she has yellow eyes, not easy to miss..." Ace thought for a moment, wondering if he was getting ahead of himself. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the palace, would you?"
Dominic and Shinto are accepted.
Ryoko watched as a woman exited the nearby home and handed a set of clothing to the man with the horse. Not a word was exchanged between the two, the woman simply went back into her home. It was a rather inconspicuous set of actions, however, it was the man's words that shifted the tone of the conversation. Her eyes narrowed into cold azure glass, and her smile became that of a hunter about to devour it's prey. "Full, you say? I will take that as a complement." She said, walking around him, looking him up and down like a stage animal. "You are rather perceptive, and if you do not mind my saying, you are quite fit yourself." Ryoko stopped in front of him and crossed her arms. She looked left to right in a mock gesture. "That is strange however, is it not? By your own word a fit body must denote an individual that has much to be proud or thankful of, and therefore would not live in a place such as this. And yet..." She held out an open hand towards him for a moment. "This is your home."
Ryoko did not know this man, but she could tell from the moment she laid eyes on him that he possessed an indomitable will. "Do not patronize me and attempt to demean me by comparing me to the weak that live here. You may not admit it, but you know they are not simply a product of their environment. People like you and I, we make our own lot in life, others... These people, they wallow in their own failures and blame anyone but themselves for their misfortune." She let out a sigh, wondering how her mind had gotten so side tracked. She uncrossed her arms, and attempted another greeting.
"I am Ryoko, and as I am sure you have guessed I am affiliated with the Empire. I will cut to the chase and ask you this. Have you seen anything... Dangerous lately? Perhaps something one may be inclined to call, a monster?"
____
Upon hearing Lin request aid for Gavin, Shizuka stepped away from Osa and let her see the boy. "That's right, I think his arm is broken, and he might be dehydrated. Osa, can you help him?" She asked. Osa walked up to him, and took a glance at his arm.
"Come with me, there's an infirmary in the back room. The sooner we treat that the better." Osa said, leading him towards a sterile white room with smooth stone walls and flooring. Shizuka followed behind, feeling a mix of worry and curiosity for Gavin. Osa directed him to sit on a bed, and went to get the needed items from a cabinet. Shizuka sat down next to Gavin.
"Don't worry, Osa's really smart, she could become a doctor if she wanted to... uh, not to say that she doesn't know what she's doing. I mean she's so good that if she wanted to become a doctor professionally she could."
"Shizuka, off the patient's bed." Osa said in a stern voice, returning with cloth and bandages. Shizuka yelped and hopped off the bed. Osa gently took hold of Gavin's arm, examining it. "That's strange... When did you break your arm? It seems to have healed almost fully on it's own already... The most I can do to help here is give you a sling." She said, reaching for the supplies. She began to fashion a sling out of the items, making something worthy of being in hospital stock.
Feeling she would only be in the way, Shizuka exited the room and searched for Ace, she found him sitting on a bed in the resting area. "When's the last time you slept, Ace?" She asked. For the past few days she could not recall the last time she had seen him sleeping, at this point she was concerned for his health. Ace laid back onto the bed, and looked over to Shizuka.
"Three days ago, haven't had any time to rest, and now when I do I can't even fall asleep because of him." He mumbled.
"Do you mean Cori?... What do we do, he's our friend, isn't he?" Shizuka said, not very sure of her own words.
"He lied to us, and knows how we feel about anyone connected to the Empire. What do we do? I don't know, but right now, I'm strongly considering killing him." Ace closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep once more. Shizuka had nothing to say, she understood the feelings he was going through. She felt betrayed as well, but the thought of killing a friend was too painful to consider.
Ryoko did not know this man, but she could tell from the moment she laid eyes on him that he possessed an indomitable will. "Do not patronize me and attempt to demean me by comparing me to the weak that live here. You may not admit it, but you know they are not simply a product of their environment. People like you and I, we make our own lot in life, others... These people, they wallow in their own failures and blame anyone but themselves for their misfortune." She let out a sigh, wondering how her mind had gotten so side tracked. She uncrossed her arms, and attempted another greeting.
"I am Ryoko, and as I am sure you have guessed I am affiliated with the Empire. I will cut to the chase and ask you this. Have you seen anything... Dangerous lately? Perhaps something one may be inclined to call, a monster?"
Upon hearing Lin request aid for Gavin, Shizuka stepped away from Osa and let her see the boy. "That's right, I think his arm is broken, and he might be dehydrated. Osa, can you help him?" She asked. Osa walked up to him, and took a glance at his arm.
"Come with me, there's an infirmary in the back room. The sooner we treat that the better." Osa said, leading him towards a sterile white room with smooth stone walls and flooring. Shizuka followed behind, feeling a mix of worry and curiosity for Gavin. Osa directed him to sit on a bed, and went to get the needed items from a cabinet. Shizuka sat down next to Gavin.
"Don't worry, Osa's really smart, she could become a doctor if she wanted to... uh, not to say that she doesn't know what she's doing. I mean she's so good that if she wanted to become a doctor professionally she could."
"Shizuka, off the patient's bed." Osa said in a stern voice, returning with cloth and bandages. Shizuka yelped and hopped off the bed. Osa gently took hold of Gavin's arm, examining it. "That's strange... When did you break your arm? It seems to have healed almost fully on it's own already... The most I can do to help here is give you a sling." She said, reaching for the supplies. She began to fashion a sling out of the items, making something worthy of being in hospital stock.
Feeling she would only be in the way, Shizuka exited the room and searched for Ace, she found him sitting on a bed in the resting area. "When's the last time you slept, Ace?" She asked. For the past few days she could not recall the last time she had seen him sleeping, at this point she was concerned for his health. Ace laid back onto the bed, and looked over to Shizuka.
"Three days ago, haven't had any time to rest, and now when I do I can't even fall asleep because of him." He mumbled.
"Do you mean Cori?... What do we do, he's our friend, isn't he?" Shizuka said, not very sure of her own words.
"He lied to us, and knows how we feel about anyone connected to the Empire. What do we do? I don't know, but right now, I'm strongly considering killing him." Ace closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep once more. Shizuka had nothing to say, she understood the feelings he was going through. She felt betrayed as well, but the thought of killing a friend was too painful to consider.
© 2007-2024