Psychic Loser

Fire Emblem: Legacy of the Empyrean Throne

Alba

---

With Alba having arrived at the central market square, she began to sort through the various vendors, hoping that any of them would be willing to barter with her sack of assorted dead animals. After a few failures, she seemed to have found someone willing to purchase.

"So what ya' thinkin' big guy?" Alba asked, slamming her arm onto the merchant's counter. "How much coin we talkin' here? Forty a' piece? Fifty?" The merchant looked down at the wolf-woman's offer then looked back at her. He seemed unimpressed. "Come on. Gimme somethin'!"

"I was thinking about fifteen," the merchant answered as he stroked his beard.

"Per squirrel?" Alba shot back. A dopey smile of sharp teeth grew on her lips while her tail began to wag back and forth. "That's perfect! Now I ca-"

"You break it you buy it, you stupid dog!" The merchant pointed at Alba's tail. "Watch where you swing that thing!"

Alba turned to notice that, in her excitement, her tail had knocked a few small trinkets from the merchant's booth on the ground. Thankfully, none of them seemed to have suffered any significant damage.

Alba swatted her tail back down. "Sorry. Habit."

"As I was saying," the merchant glared as he attempted to regain some composure, "I'll charge about fifteen pieces for the whole bag."

"What?" Alba growled. "C'mon, you've gotta be kidding me. It's all perfectly good squirrel. That's good eatin'."

"It would be if they didn't all look like they were dragged out of the local pet cemetery." the merchant retorted. "What'd you use to catch these anyway? Bear traps?"

Alba averted her gaze. "Uh…no…"

The wolf-woman knew it was probably best at this point to avoid stating that she had been looking for bigger prey...because she did, in fact, use bear traps.

"Right…" the merchant said, giving Alba a skeptical look. "So are you going to accept my offer or not?"

"Fine." Alba groaned. "I'll take fifteen for it."

The merchant scooted a pouch of coins across the table.

"Pleasure doing business with you. Now, get out of my booth."

Alba left the merchant's booth with her head hung low. However, her dour mood didn't last long as she was easily distracted by a few familiar faces not too far away.

"Is that Cap'n Noriko over there?" Alba waved, shouting loudly across the market square. She cupped her hands around her mouth just to be sure Noriko heard. "Hey, Cap'n! Over here!"

---

Interacting with: @Lady Lascivious, @LetMeDoStuff, @dwyer austin

---

Fire Emblem: Legacy of the Empyrean Throne

Alba

---

To most people, the light bustle of the early morning crowds, the absent-minded people which scoured the city streets in search of mundane tasks to perform, and the animated wisps that invaded the noses of travelers -- making them nostalgic for their childhoods -- would have likely been a welcomed and pleasant experience, especially for those of weary hearts. However, such was not the case for the Wolfskin woman, the infamous Snow Devil, Alba. To her, such pleasantries were little more than an unearthly cacophony which overwhelmed her enhanced, animal-like senses. Even in her human-like form, Alba still found the ordeal to be an unending subtle annoyance, the kind which could wear down the spirit and undermine the physical body's performance. She wanted nothing more than to avoid such experiences.

As such, to completely evade the grumblings of the waking city of Drakesfoot, Alba had arisen before dawn and prepared for a morning hunt. Alba's plan had been to hunt a bit of game for the bulk of the early morning. Then she would return to the city by the time that most happenings had already come to pass and sell her haul to the local traders. Needless to say, with the winds of the forthcoming autumn season throwing off her smell, Alba hadn't managed to catch anything of merit all morning. She had no luck with her spear, meaning that her bag of catches consisted of squirrels and a few rabbits which her traps had snapped up.

Dissatisfied with her performance, Alba returned to Drakesfoot far sooner than she had intended. Her ears continuously twitched in frustration as she made her way into the city proper.

"Just my luck…" Alba groaned under her breath. "Damn this wind! Beato's gonna have my efin' head for all those traps I wasted. She's gonna be like: 'Where's my money, Fur-ball? You can't just keep wasting it.' And I'll have to say: 'I dunno! Must've run off.' Damn my luck!"

At this point, Alba's beastial growls had managed to frighten a few commoners as she passed. She lamented their reactions, but was not surprised. Alba was a Wolfskin and a brutish-looking one at that. In particular, Alba's attention had been drawn towards a mother who was doing her best to console her son after seeing the wolf-woman and her blood-soaked sack of cute and cuddly rodents. The mother in particular was glaring at her. And while it may have been Alba's paranoia speaking, she believed that she saw that same mother signal some guards her way. Alba, who was not particularly keen on finding out the truth, decided to poke her way through the tight alleyways just to be sure.

Alba sighed. "Noriko doesn't have to deal with this shit."

After making a few sharp turns, Alba had managed to find her way back onto the city's main roads with the intent of making it to the main market square.

"Let's try to get into any trouble today..."

Fire Emblem: Legacy of the Empyrean Throne

Alba

The Savage Snow Devil

Important Information

Name: Alba

Age: Unknown, Visibly around thirty years of age

Nationality: Wolfskin tribe, Permian

Class: Spear Fighter

Role: Enlisted

Appearance:

Alba - Portrait Sketch

---

Alba is a fair-skinned Wolfskin woman hailing from the region of Permia. She is of muscular build and has a fairly impressive height of 188cm (6'2"). Her unkempt locks of pale-blonde (white) hair are tied into a messy ponytail. A scar runs along her left cheek while another rests on the bridge of her nose.

As is common with most Wolfskins, Alba has red eyes that seem to glow in low light.

She wears a variety of both plate and padded armor with some modifications made for a more personal and comfortable fit.

Personality:

Alba is, to put it bluntly, an surly wisecracker who, despite wanting to seemingly know everything, is terrible at reading people. While, thankfully having enough sense and self-awareness to keep her mouth shut a majority of times, she has a tendency to annoy people who are around her too long. Perhaps due to the gaps in her memory, has both inquisitive and forgetful tendencies from which she seems to regularly alternate between.

Also quite notable are her own insecurities. She is constantly worried that she may lose control of herself should she use her shape-shifting abilities. Yet conversely, she also believes that it is her nonhuman abilities which make her valuable. As such she feels a need to overachieve what her body and mind are physically capable of.

History:

Banishment. That was the punishment given to a young Wolfskin girl after killing her own mother. Despite only being a child who barely even knew what she had done, a young Wolfskin girl was banished from her tribe after failing to control her powers. She was left in the frozen wasteland of Permia alone. She was alone and trapped in the beastial form all Wolfskins were cursed with from birth. Logic says such a creature should not have survived in such harsh lands. However, the Permian folktale of the Snow Devil says otherwise; the child lived and became a feral beasts which wandered the mountains and fed on human flesh.

The Snow Devil terrorized travelers for decades, until… One day, a mysterious hunter wandered into the mountains with the intent of slaying the beast. Perhaps he wanted the famous Snow Devil's pelt for himself. Perhaps he wanted to liberate Permia from the clutches of this vile creature. No one knows.

The two eventually found one another and had a mighty battle. It was a battle which rang throughout all of Permia for five days straight. The hunter was the victor, as he had used a stone to seal away the Snow Devil's strength.

---

How the tale ends is unknown beyond this point as it varies between the many Permian peoples. To most Permian people, the tale of the Snow Devil is little more than a story. However, it is very real.

After having sealed away the Snow Devil's monstrous powers, the hunter realized that this "monster" was, in truth, just a frightened child. The hunter took further pity on the young girl when he realized that she'd forgotten most of who she was prior. Only vague memories and a name remained.

Alba. Her name was Alba and she knew one thing for certain; she never wanted to be a monster again.

Ultimately, the hunter betrayed his initial goal of killing Alba. Instead, he took her in and raised her as his own. He taught Alba all that he knew. Both were well aware of the irony that came with teaching a beast-man to hunt other beasts in the human way.

Eventually, Alba was deemed fit enough to leave her surrogate father. Following in the hunter's footsteps, Alba began her adult journey as a hunter. She was successful at first, but her fortune dried out quickly. Desperate to make ends meet, Alba turned to mercenary work.

Skills:

Tracking - Due to her enhanced senses, Alba has a natural talent for tracing a wide variety of small and large game...even people.

Survivalist - Highly skilled in surviving in even the most extreme of locations.

Improvised Weapons - Exactly what it sounds like. Give her a pen, and she'll find a way to use it better than any sword.

Throwing - She throws things well. What more is there to say?

Beast Form - While reluctant to do so, Alba can assume her beast form for any scenario which might require it.

Trivia:

- Despite wanting to distance herself from her Wolfskin heritage, Alba has several behavioral ticks (such as growling when agitated) that she can't seem to control.

- Alba's preferred polearm of choice is a halberd.

Extra:

UNofficial Theme Music - Do You Remember (Prototype Remix)

https://youtu.be/anGDj3mW6II

Fire Emblem: Legacy of the Empyrean Throne

Alba

Name: Alba

Age: Unknown, Visibly around thirty years of age

Nationality: Wolfskin tribe, Permian

Class: Spear Fighter

Role: Enlisted

Appearance:

Alba - Portrait Sketch

---

Alba is a fair-skinned Wolfskin woman hailing from the region of Permia. She is of muscular build and has a fairly impressive height of 188cm (6'2"). Her unkempt locks of pale-blonde (white) hair are tied into a messy ponytail. A scar runs along her left cheek while another rests on the bridge of her nose.

As is common with most Wolfskins, Alba has red eyes that seem to glow in low light.

She wears a variety of both plate and padded armor with some modifications made for a more personal and comfortable fit.

Personality:

Alba is, to put it bluntly, an surly wisecracker who, despite wanting to seemingly know everything, is terrible at reading people. While, thankfully having enough sense and self-awareness to keep her mouth shut a majority of times, she has a tendency to annoy people who are around her too long. Perhaps due to the gaps in her memory, has both inquisitive and forgetful tendencies from which she seems to regularly alternate between.

Also quite notable are her own insecurities. She is constantly worried that she may lose control of herself should she use her shape-shifting abilities. Yet conversely, she also believes that it is her nonhuman abilities which make her valuable. As such she feels a need to overachieve what her body and mind are physically capable of.

History:

Banishment. That was the punishment given to a young Wolfskin girl after killing her own mother. Despite only being a child who barely even knew what she had done, a young Wolfskin girl was banished from her tribe after failing to control her powers. She was left in the frozen wasteland of Permia alone. She was alone and trapped in the beastial form all Wolfskins were cursed with from birth. Logic says such a creature should not have survived in such harsh lands. However, the Permian folktale of the Snow Devil says otherwise; the child lived and became a feral beasts which wandered the mountains and fed on human flesh.

The Snow Devil terrorized travelers for decades, until… One day, a mysterious hunter wandered into the mountains with the intent of slaying the beast. Perhaps he wanted the famous Snow Devil's pelt for himself. Perhaps he wanted to liberate Permia from the clutches of this vile creature. No one knows.

The two eventually found one another and had a mighty battle. It was a battle which rang throughout all of Permia for five days straight. The hunter was the victor, as he had used a stone to seal away the Snow Devil's strength.

---

How the tale ends is unknown beyond this point as it varies between the many Permian peoples. To most Permian people, the tale of the Snow Devil is little more than a story. However, it is very real.

After having sealed away the Snow Devil's monstrous powers, the hunter realized that this "monster" was, in truth, just a frightened child. The hunter took further pity on the young girl when he realized that she'd forgotten most of who she was prior. Only vague memories and a name remained.

Alba. Her name was Alba and she knew one thing for certain; she never wanted to be a monster again.

Ultimately, the hunter betrayed his initial goal of killing Alba. Instead, he took her in and raised her as his own. He taught Alba all that he knew. Both were well aware of the irony that came with teaching a beast-man to hunt other beasts in the human way.

Eventually, Alba was deemed fit enough to leave her surrogate father. Following in the hunter's footsteps, Alba began her adult journey as a hunter. She was successful at first, but her fortune dried out quickly. Desperate to make ends meet, Alba turned to mercenary work.

Skills:

Tracking - Due to her enhanced senses, Alba has a natural talent for tracing a wide variety of small and large game...even people.

Survivalist - Highly skilled in surviving in even the most extreme of locations.

Improvised Weapons - Exactly what it sounds like. Give her a pen, and she'll find a way to use it better than any sword.

Throwing - She throws things well. What more is there to say?

Beast Form - While reluctant to do so, Alba can assume her beast form for any scenario which might require it.

Trivia:

- Despite wanting to distance herself from her Wolfskin heritage, Alba has several behavioral ticks (such as growling when agitated) that she can't seem to control.

- Alba's preferred polearm of choice is a halberd.

-

UNofficial Theme Music

https://youtu.be/anGDj3mW6II

Fire Emblem: Sword and Sail

Everild Pasternack - A Pleasent Reminder

---

Despite the thunderous calamity on the frozen-over deck, Everild did what she could to load the cannons. Steadily she ran back and forth, ebony led cannonballs nestled tightly in her arms. The weight of her prosthetic leg caused her to jerk and bob with the ship as it braved through the chaotic ocean waves below. The slick wooden deck certainly didn't help in maintaining her balance.

The deafening howls released by the cannons had made it difficult to fully make out her Captains' orders. However, through the raucous hell of storm and cannon-fire, one call to action rang true in her ears.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

What took place after was a blur of colors lost from Everild's own memory. The details of what truly transpired could only be filled by second-hand accounts.

---

...

...

...

When Everild opened her eyes, she bore witness to a familiar scene. Rocks, sand, dirt, and wood were strewn about in an archaic mess that pinned her down. Everild gasped for breath as she began to pull herself out from under the rubble. She found that, unlike in her younger years, she could manage to pull herself out from the carnage with relative ease. Dragging herself onto the sand, she immediately began tinkering with her iron leg to make sure she could properly walk on it. Over to her left, Kazik rushed to the wreckage that Everild had pulled herself from. Everild shook her head as she looked outward at the supplies and provisions that were torn asunder.

"This certainly is not how I expected our journey to fare," Everild said as she fiddled with her leg. Upon further inspection, the weapon's firing mechanism was significantly damaged and too wet to properly fire a bullet. "Maybe I should have taken that newer model Elias had talked about." Everild chuckled to herself. "Not much I can do about it now. I just have to fix this on my own time." Everild helped herself up and took a look at the surviving crew. Looking up, she saw Charlotte addressing them all and doing her best to inspire hope.

Meanwhile, Everild shook her head in disgust with her own lack of skill in helping those who were injured.

"Does anyone require attention?" she called out. "I may not be a healer, but I am more than willing to-" She was cut off by the sound of gunshots. On quick reflex, Everild drew her pistol and took a shot at the encroaching Royal Navy. One of the sailors took the shot, causing his left leg to twist in directions not meant for the human body. Everild then turned and proceeded to snap up a piece of driftwood from the wreckage as she waited for them to draw closer.

Fire Emblem: Sword and Sail

Everild Pasternack

Portrait:

Portrait

Full Name: Everild Pasternack
Allias: Dancing-Gun

Age/DoB: February 15th, 1754 (27)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

---

Class: Brawler

Stats

Str: 15
Will: 11
Dex: 9
Spd: 14
Tough: 16
Lck: 0

Skills:

• Martial Arts/ Hand-to-hand combat
• Weapon Proficiency: Handguns
• Cartography
• Navigation

Equipment:

• Sai
• Truncheon
• Handgun
• Steel leg cannon prosthetic

---

Appearance:

Everild Pasternak

Like many Czaszkan people, Everild possesses fair skin, pale-blonde hair, and blue eyes. She styles her mid-back length hair into a low ponytail, complementing her fit physique quite well. Although easily her most defining feature is the mechanical marvel that resides just below where her right calf should be. It's a prosthetic limb; a reminder of the war from ten years ago in Czaszka.

Typically, she wears a white blouse with black shorts and covers her left leg with a pale blue skirt. Belts around her thighs secure her metal leg and left boot. In cold weather, she wears a navy blue jacket, resembling an officer's coat.

Personality: Everild, having both served the nobility of Czaszka and the militaristic White Herons, is typically quite strict. She is a diligent and dignified woman. However, she is not devoid of kindness and is especially polite to those she sees as friends or family. This behavior combined with her monastic training and adherence to routine makes her not too unlike a teacher or older sister. Due to her self training, she often attempts to see the bigger picture in a given scenario but can be blinded by her optimism.

Biography: Everild was born in the capital of Czaszka, Kolzow. She was the eldest daughter to Elias Pasternack. Their life wasn't an easy one. As peasantry, Everild's family had issues supporting themselves. So, at the age of ten, she and her family swore allegiance to a noble house and began working as servants. After a few years, Everild's younger brother, Kaspar was born. The Pasternack family was united in taking care of the young Kaspar. However, due to the rising tension in the empire, when the noble family ultimately sent off their sons to war, Everild and her mother were sent off as well to serve as nurses on the field.

She and her mother were stationed at a makeshift fort a good few hours away from the capital. It didn't take too long for the Danic army to arrive. When the siege began, the cannons ripped straight through the loose stone and wooden beams. Everild found herself and her mother buried under the rubble. There were very few survivors. Everild herself even would have died had it not been for the Danic battle reporters who dug her out. With their help, Everild managed to return to her home. This was three days after the Danes had taken Castle Zeidik.

When Everild had returned home, she watched the nobility walk out, leaving the country to the Danes. Despite how she had heard of the rebel movements but had little interest in them. Why would she help reestablish the throne when they had abandoned the throne? She didn't want to help the nobility; not anymore. She had already lived that life. She just wanted to know why. Why after all the talks of the great empire and chivalry would they abandon what they built? That was all she needed.

She did her best to help her family, but with her missing leg and newfound questions, she could no longer be her old self. She needed to find those answers, even if it cost her. Rejected by the military for her missing limb, she only had one option available to her to proceed in her selfish quest. She joined a rebel faction known as the White Herons. She hid this fact from her family under the guise of a cartographer apprenticeship. She hated it, but they provided what she needed and her new skills gained a bit of notoriety. With enough funds and a few favors, she was able to commission a new leg from her rebel allies.

With her new leg, she gained renown as the "Dancing-Gun" Everild. Then her Letter of Marque arrived...

---

Theme

https://youtu.be/a-i8tHM779w

Fire Emblem: Sword and Sail

Portrait:

Portrait

Full Name: Everild Pasternack
Allias: Dancing-Gun

Age/DoB: February 15th, 1754 (27)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

---

Class: Brawler

Stats

Str: 15
Will: 11
Dex: 9
Spd: 14
Tough: 16
Lck: 0

Skills:

• Martial Arts/ Hand-to-hand combat
• Weapon Proficiency: Handguns
• Cartography
• Navigation

Equipment:

• Sai
• Truncheon
• Handgun
• Steel leg cannon prosthetic

---

Appearance:

Everild Pasternak

Like many Czaszkan people, Everild possesses fair skin, pale-blonde hair, and blue eyes. She styles her mid-back length hair into a low ponytail, complementing her fit physique quite well. Although easily her most defining feature is the mechanical marvel that resides just below where her right calf should be. It's a prosthetic limb; a reminder of the war from ten years ago in Czaszka.

Typically, she wears a white blouse with black shorts and covers her left leg with a pale blue skirt. Belts around her thighs secure her metal leg and left boot. In cold weather, she wears a navy blue jacket, resembling an officer's coat.

Personality: Everild, having both served the nobility of Czaszka and the militaristic White Herons, is typically quite strict. She is a diligent and dignified woman. However, she is not devoid of kindness and is especially polite to those she sees as friends or family. This behavior combined with her monastic training and adherence to routine makes her not too unlike a teacher or older sister. Due to her self training, she often attempts to see the bigger picture in a given scenario but can be blinded by her optimism.

Biography: Everild was born in the capital of Czaszka, Kolzow. She was the eldest daughter to Elias Pasternack. Their life wasn't an easy one. As peasantry, Everild's family had issues supporting themselves. So, at the age of ten, she and her family swore allegiance to a noble house and began working as servants. After a few years, Everild's younger brother, Kaspar was born. The Pasternack family was united in taking care of the young Kaspar. However, due to the rising tension in the empire, when the noble family ultimately sent off their sons to war, Everild and her mother were sent off as well to serve as nurses on the field.

She and her mother were stationed at a makeshift fort a good few hours away from the capital. It didn't take too long for the Danic army to arrive. When the siege began, the cannons ripped straight through the loose stone and wooden beams. Everild found herself and her mother buried under the rubble. There were very few survivors. Everild herself even would have died had it not been for the Danic battle reporters who dug her out. With their help, Everild managed to return to her home. This was three days after the Danes had taken Castle Zeidik.

When Everild had returned home, she watched the nobility walk out, leaving the country to the Danes. Despite how she had heard of the rebel movements but had little interest in them. Why would she help reestablish the throne when they had abandoned the throne? She didn't want to help the nobility; not anymore. She had already lived that life. She just wanted to know why. Why after all the talks of the great empire and chivalry would they abandon what they built? That was all she needed.

She did her best to help her family, but with her missing leg and newfound questions, she could no longer be her old self. She needed to find those answers, even if it cost her. Rejected by the military for her missing limb, she only had one option available to her to proceed in her selfish quest. She joined a rebel faction known as the White Herons. She hid this fact from her family under the guise of a cartographer apprenticeship. She hated it, but they provided what she needed and her new skills gained a bit of notoriety. With enough funds and a few favors, she was able to commission a new leg from her rebel allies.

With her new leg, she gained renown as the "Dancing-Gun" Everild. Then her Letter of Marque arrived...

---

Theme

https://youtu.be/a-i8tHM779w

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

Anna Mustang

Terra Laedo

---

The Day Prior:

Anna grabbed Terra's hand with a bright smile.

"It's great to meet you!" Anna said with enthusiasm. "You know, you don't have to greet me so formally like that."

The former Red-Star pilot tilted her head.

"Formally? I don't understand."

This is how Terra spoke, most of the time. It was functional, but not overly-social.

Anna shook her head.

"Let me guess, you didn't talk much as a kid." Anna shook her head again. "Just talk to me like you know me. Talk to me like a friend. Is that too much to ask, Terra?"

Anna wondered how she'd react to that. She hadn't met someone so...stiff before. It was a bit unnerving, to say the least.

"Don't let all that military junk scramble your brain too much."

Here, Terra allowed herself a smile.

"I didn't have much in the way of friends. Talking to people socially is a new thing for me. I will say that I've had success, but it's still a process I have to work on. I thought I'd ask you about Denver-Vegas, since you're from there, as is a new friend of mine. Maybe there was something you wanted to know, as well, things you might have missed out on."

Anna tightened up a bit after hearing that. Anna hoped she didn't ask anything too personal. They didn't need to know the reason she actually defected from there in the first place. If people did, she probably wouldn't pilot another NC in her life. Anna was supposed to be a soldier now. They couldn't find out that she never could...

It was best if she kept the answers as brief and basic as possible. That was the only way she would be able to see combat. It was that or she could just keep Terra talking.

"Well," Anna said with a chuckle, "I didn't really pay too much attention to my briefing. Could you bring me up to speed a bit." Anna was sure that would keep herself from having to answer anything.

"There's a lot on our plate."

It wasn't that Terra had any problem talking. it was just that Commander Narra's desire to have people get to know each other had been the greater battle, in her eyes, than ones she'd actually had.

"Our basic layout is that we have the Darwin area protected by a shield wall against any heavy bombardment from ships, but that they can be passed through physically...though that can be a difficult situation for the enemy, as Haven just trains all of its guns on any craft of NC trying to step in. It is, essentially, why we get are the defenders against whatever remains, because whatever does can either take a beating or is skilled enough to survive that gauntlet. The last battle, we lost some of our people, we managed to gain more defectors, and the command structure was terrible. That's why we're organizing into small squads. A de-centralized force can't be thrown askew."

This was a fair and important sum-up of what was happening now, though it wasn't going into huge specifics because not only would that take too long, but Terra didn't know everything. Specifics were for follow-up questions, like this one.

"What sort of NC are you piloting, by the way? My squad has some long-range options, but Id, Grand Sword Star, and Sahaquiel are heavy into killing at closer ranges."

Anna blinked. That was quicker than she expected.

"I pilot the Lug. It's an armored sniper," she answered.

"Ah, then your cover fire will be exceptionally important. There are two things that I think you should know, specifically. The first is that one of our NCs was taken out by an enemy whose machine excelled in fire and close-range brutality. Hisako called it Ursa Nova. It's a huge bear mech, vicious and dangerous like Sahaquiel."

Hang on. She mentioned this NC, Sahaquiel, and that there was a Denver-Vegas pilot here already. Wasn't there such a person from the Reality Game who'd gone AWOL?

"I've heard that name before," Anna shot back. "Sahaquiel. I recognize the name from home."

Terra nodded.

"Kxeyun's NC. She was the one using the holo-link, injured in the last fight."

There was a pause from the woman, then...

"I rather like her, and I respect what she's been through, and what she had to do to get out of it. She needed a friend even more than I did."

"Wait. She's the pilot of Sahaquiel?" Anna asked. "The rogue Reality Games participant? That Sahaquiel?"

Here, Terra's eyes narrowed a bit.

"The same, but the 'forced Reality Games participant' is more accurate."

"Oh..." Anna took a sheepish step backward. "I always wanted to participate in those."

This actually...surprised the former Red-Star pilot. Kxeyun had indicated a situation that she literally couldn't walk away from alive, save for the manner in which she did it, and there was not much likelyhood of her lying about that. And yet, someone had wanted IN? Terra found this...odd, and didn't actually know what to say for a minute. She eventually settled on...

"It may not be a good idea. If you were unaware that Kxeyun was a prisoner, then perhaps they don't always tell the truth when they report things over there. I don't know. I lived in Japan-controlled Red-Star territory my entire life."

She shook her head.

"Her escape was more daring than my own. Her suffering was much greater than my own In that respect, I guess that makes me no one special, though I haven't been without..."

She stopped, just cut herself off there.

Anna didn't pry into it. Instead, she opted to go back to the next mission.

"So...you want me to do cover-fire?"

"Well, I'm not your group leader, but I assume you'll be trying to pick off as many opponents in the most efficient manner possible. There is something you can do for me, though. The second thing I mentioned before..."

Anna nodded, signaling her to continue.

Here was when Terra became serious. And if you have to ask what that sounds like, take what you thought felt formal and crank it up a bit.

"When I left Red-Star, I did so with the understanding that my parents would die because of me. In order to deny them the benefit of the capabilities they spent literal years and a number of resources creating within me, plus that of my NC, I had to be willing to do what they believed I would never do: Sacrifice my family, the people who I cared about more than anything else. This was the reason I was allowed to keep them, I believe, so I knew their demise as punishment was inevitable."

She paused, then continued a bit more humanly...

"That said...I began to wonder whether they did so or not, if they had maybe something else planned for them, something to use against me, to test my resolve, maybe. This is heartless, I know, but I had already accepted that they would pay the price for my freedom. You are a sniper, so I believe you would be able to react the fastest. If something happens and they are there, I may ask you to take the shot, to end whatever predicament they are in. It is not fair and it's not right, but it may be necessary..."

Anna gulped.

"You'd want me to do that for you?"

"Only if necessary, only if I am busy or unable to. Id has a plasma rifle, but that's limited in ways. It may fail where your weapon does not. So, if the situation is beyond Id's immediate capacity or it's an obvious trap to draw me in close, we can't risk losing people to it, anyone to it. Haven must win against Red-Star because Red-Star's methods will ruin the world we live on. If they attempt to use them against me, they must be denied, even if that is the price. I have to be willing to pay that price, and their suffering must end if there is no other solution."

"I-I think I can do it," Anna replied. "I'll do it if it comes down to that."

"Thank you, Anna. I don't want this. I just had to...accept it."

---

Haven Base Present

Anna had to think that over. Osamu had said they strapped Terra's parents to guns. Anna swallowed hard. She stood by as Mariano addressed the volunteers.

"What's the plan?" she asked.

Anna raised her hand and took a step forward. Anna bit at her lip. She needed to sound strong for everyone's sake.

"I need to take out those guns. You can't tell me no."

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

Anna Mustang

@Metatrooper

Anna smiled to herself. Things were looking good so far. Her introduction had gone without a hitch... at least so far. However, when one of her teammates came up to address her directly, some part of her knew it was some kind of red flag. She ignored her instincts, looked up at Cody, and chuckled.

"Nice outfit," she said. "As you probably got from the introduction, I'm Anna. I originally hail from Denver-Vagas and I pilot the Lug. I know that may come off as alarming, but trust me, I'm ready to shoot some baddies! The Lug has all you could ever want in an NC and I'm ready to give it a spin." Anna stood up from her own chair and held out her hand. "I know I look good, but I won't be afraid to chip a nail if need be."

Anna a paused for a moment and thought about that last sentence. Did that make her sound to vain? Judging by the crowd, it was probably alright.

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

Between @Letter Bee and @Neozeon0083

Anna Mustang

Soldier of Denver-Vegas

---

Haven Base:

The clicking of heels echoed through the Haven base's many halls. While the volunteer group met their new commanding officer, Anna Mustang wasn't far behind. Her arrival was late, but with looks and a suit like this, she was bound to leave an impression. If the crowds at home were anything to go by, people loved a dramatic entrance. It was for that reason that Anna was determined to make the most dramatic entrance she could.

Anna could already picture the scenario.

She would swoop into the briefing room and introduce herself with a curtsy.

"I'm Anna Mustang, the pilot of the Lug," she'd say. "I'm so sorry about my late arrival. I was a bit busy with some other things, but enough about that. So, how are you all doing?" She'd adjust her tie and say, "I hope you're all feeling as good as I am because I'm looking to kick some Red-Star rear. I want to send them off with their tail between their legs." Everybody in the room would then stop and give her a brief cheer.

"Nice to have you on board Anna," They would say.

Seeing a fresh face should boost the overall morale of the group. It had to be at a low considering how mixed that last conflict was. That is how it went down in her head at least. After all, military service was not supposed to be simple. Anna understood that. However, she couldn't help but imagine such a...rather cartoony outcome as she didn't understand military life. She was just here to pilot her NC and finally prove she deserved a spotlight.

"Just stick to your guns, Anna," she said aloud. "This will be simple and easy." She continued her route and after asking a few different patrols for directions, finally made it. "Remeber," she told herself as she opened the door, "Simple and easy." She took a breath and began her speech. "I am Anna Mustang, the pilot of the Lug. I'm-" She took a brief look around the briefing room and cut herself off. Realizing now probably wasn't the best time to be herself, Anna took a seat. "Don't mind me. I'm just taking a seat."

---

Julian Curtiss

A Hand Of Gears

---

Red-Star Floating Supercarrier Kuei-Ren

Julian sat in the chair of his, rather small, quarters. He watched as the gears in his cybernetic fingers twitched and turned ever-so-slightly. Sitting back here was nice but, his fingers ached to pull the trigger. Julian yawned as he heard the voice of Osamu over the intercom.

"Oh great, more alcohol," Julian said to himself, "like that will take the edge off." Julian wasn't quite sure why, but he never could bring himself to drink alcohol. There was just something in the back of his head that told him not to. It was like those dreams he was always having; there was no rhyme or reason behind it. Looking up at the intercom speaker, Julian shouted "Why don't you just wake me up when you need something shot. How does that sound?" He knew nobody could hear him, but it felt good to say nonetheless.