Quartz

U.S.S.A United Species Space Academy Interest Check

Here's some advice, since you seem to be new to this. You're really lacking an actual pitch for your roleplay. You've given some broad surface-level lore, but like... what is this roleplay going to be about? What role are you going to play? What is expected from the other players? That's the kind of questions you should answer in an interest check.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Natsumi Fujikawa

"Yeah, yeah, thanks, Shiro," Natsumi mumbled as she scrambled stiffly to her feet. It seemed a bit early to be clapping, because while the multipronged attack had annihilated the demon, Andrea's beams had also unleashed hell on the surrounding walls and ceilings. She could already hear the concrete groaning as it threatened to swallow them all. At a glance, Kaida, Andrea, and the new recruit were in the bowels of the building with her, while the others were closer to the exit. Kaida was agile enough to escape the collapse and Andrea would survive it, but for Nakanishi, she had no idea. From what little she had seen, he seemed speedy but not very coordinated. Afraid to waste time, she made the snap decision to act.

"I'll get the boy!" she called to Kaida as she launched forward with her flame jets. With no more time for a warning, she flew past Andrea and collided with Nakanishi, wrapping her arms around his waist so that she lifted him up over her shoulder and along with her movement. She had practiced this move as a way to get civilians out of danger, but hadn't yet used it in practice, since Kaida was better suited to that task. She wasn’t strong enough to carry a person for long, and she had little ability to steer with her arms occupied, so she was really just relying on the momentum for a quick relocation. The two of them zipped through the big hallway and out the exit, at which point Natsumi slowed down, weakening her jets while angling her feet further down, so they would remain aloft even while losing momentum. If done right, she could have come to a smooth landing like this, but that didn't pan out. Instead, the two of them took a gentle but clumsy tumble, with Nakanishi falling on his back in the dirt and Natsumi landing on top, cushioning the impact of her face onto the soft pillow of Nakanishi's breasts.

Wait, what? She rose onto all fours and looked down at the cat-eared girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" she stammered. "I thought you were, uhm…" Saying I thought you were a boy seemed way too rude, so she stopped herself. Still, she was a boy before, wasn't she? Natsumi had specifically taken note of that. Her formerly flat chest was the main thing that had tipped her off. "Never mind." Feeling her cheeks heat up, she scrambled to her feet and turned away, looking around to make sure that everyone else would make it out.

_{@Rune_Alchemist}

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Natsumi Fujikawa

Oh crap. Natsumi could do all the tactical analysis and cleverly-planned attacks she wanted, but somehow she was never quite prepared for a punch being thrown her way. Could she dodge that fireball? Possibly, but in that brief moment she wasn't quite sure of Kaida's location or the integrity of the wall behind her. If it missed her, it might just hit Kaida or bring the building down. So instead, she stood her ground and frantically raised her arms to shield her face. The fireball came in lower than that and hit her in the chest, exploding into a much bigger and stronger burst of flame than before. The fire itself was like scalding water to her, jarring but not immediately harmful. But the force of the explosion knocked the air out of her lungs and swept her off her feet to land on the concrete floor, half propped up against the wall. "Ow," she groaned as an inelegant way to let Kaida know that she was still alive.

Questioning the GM Format

This is definitely something people do, it’s not an outlandish concept. But it comes with major downsides.

The flipside of the single point of failure is that a GM-based game needs only one competent and dedicated person to keep the roleplay functioning. If all the other players are flaky and passive-reactive, it might not be a great roleplay, but it can continue to function on the shoulders of the GM. Whereas a game with shared control needs multiple competent and dedicated players to work, because one person isn’t going to do the heavy lifting in a story they don’t have any reliable authority over. So you need at least two people who individually would have been competent enough to be GM, or really three to avoid the risk of it devolving into a one-on-one.

On the other hand, with shared control, it only takes one player without a good grasp on plot coherence or setting integrity to ruin it for everyone else. You could democratically veto someone’s contribution, but the effort to do that is so much higher than when you have one person with the authority to just say no. I’ve been on this site much longer than my account indicates and I’ve seen it plenty of times.
_{(This doesn’t apply to anyone I'm playing with at the time of writing, don't worry.)}

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. In fact, I think this is the most fun way to play if you can assemble a group of competent and proactive players. But GM-based games are more resilient to the environment we realistically live in, where the majority of players have good material to contribute but lack the competence, proactivity, or time to actively prop up a plot and setting.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Natsumi Fujikawa

Natsumi sighed in relief as Kaida dispatched the attacking Beast. Moments like those were why she wasn’t confident in taking point. Still, Kaida’s protection didn’t give her a lot of respite before the Monster made its move, carpet bombing everything in sight. Fireballs probably wouldn’t harm her, but it didn’t hurt to be sure. With a flick of her head, she elongated her fiery hair and swung it around herself like a burning spiral. The swirl of hot air deflected a few of the bombs away from hitting her directly, to crash into the wall behind her instead. The ensuing bursts of flame still partially engulfed her, but they weren’t hot enough to overcome her heat resistance. The forceful explosions and the abundant amount of fire didn’t seem good for the concrete, however.

“This is so not going to hold,” she commented half to herself and half to Kaida. Since the Monster wielded fire, she didn’t know if her own would work against it. But since it was surrounded, any attack of hers might distract it enough for her allies to get a hit in. Taking a step forward, she thrust out one hand and shot a narrow jet of fire directly at the demon’s head. The Monster was taller than any of her allies, so if the attack was dodged, it would hit the ceiling with little risk of collateral damage.

We have to save the world again? I thought we were done with this crap!

Our collab is finally up as well!

@Imbion is indeed unfortunately missing. I guess we could assume that Alice sticks to working behind the scenes, so they can potentially come back later. That seems in-character anyways.

We have to save the world again? I thought we were done with this crap!

Yadira Bladesinger & Shiri Yuyakori

The woman’s eyes widened in recognition. “Bladesinger, yes, of course! My sister has told me about you. Oh, I’m sorry.” She folded her arms into the loose sleeves of her dress and bowed politely, as was common in Nagahoro. “My name is Yuyakori Jun. My sister is Yuyakori Shiri. You two were friends, yes? She lives in this village too, in case you want to see her.”

"You're Shiri's sister? Well I'll be hanged, she told us she still had family, I never imagined I'd run into you on the street, let alone in your home town." She placed her hands on her hips as she eyed the young woman up and down. She was the spitting image of her sister. "Oh, come on now, no need for the formalities." Taking notice of the woman's greeting and apology meant for someone who was offended, she waved her hand and waved off the gesture. "And of course! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't drop in and say hello. Gods, how long has it been, what's she up to these days? Fighting bandits, training disciples, and what have you?"

“Well, uhm…” The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with nervous fingers. “She has been struggling. The time she spent fighting the cult was very hard on her. But I shouldn’t talk behind her back. Our house is on the edge of the village, not far from here. I’ll show you the way.”

With Yadira’s approval, Jun led the way down the winding street that passed between the squat wooden houses. The nearby villagers threw some curious looks at the tall foreign woman, but otherwise went about their own business. Yadira followed the woman through the streets ignoring the looks she got from the people and keeping close on her tail. It was not the first she had been passed a glance. Her choice of attire and the paint on her face was enough to make anyone stare.

Soon they arrived at the outskirts of the town, where Jun gestured at a house much like the others. “My family lives here, but Shiri has been staying as a guest. We will see if she’s home.”

Before Jun could open the door, Shiri opened it from the other side, striding out in a hurry but stopping abruptly to avoid a collision. “Oh, sorry,” she reflexively said in Nagahoric at the sight of her sister. When her eyes landed on the warrior right behind, her mind ground to a halt for a moment. “Ya- Yadira?”

"Shiri! Gods above! It's good to see you!" The woman crossed the threshold of the house and clasped her friend's shoulders with a grin on her face big enough to rival a child in a sweets shop. "You look well. Your sister tells me you've been struggling?" She had seemed well enough, well at least as well as she remembered. "I can't imagine anything bothering you that much, but what do I know?" She patted Shiri's shoulder as she let out a slight chuckle.

Shiri blinked at her old friend. Her sober mind was too sluggish to be dealing with unexpected developments like this. "Oh, uhm, hey. You look good as well," she stammered. That part was true; there was something comforting about seeing Yadira looking as lively as always. She looked to Jun, wondering how much she had mentioned, but her sister's polite smile didn't betray much, as usual. "I… my situation is a bit complicated. But you, how did you get here? Did you get the letter too?"

"Well I had been seeking work among other things when I ran into your sister." Yadira had been on the road for months taking on odd jobs, almost like a mercenary. The difference between her and a mercenary was that with renowned status, she didn't have to revert to the criminal life she escaped from. The downside of always being mobile was being the last one to hear of anything. "I just so happened to be here by chance and, wait what letter?" She trailed off in thought about catching up her former comrade of her whereabouts and deeds, but the mention of a letter brought her to a halt. "I've not received anything, what's it about?"

“Ah, I should have figured.” The knowledge that Yadira had been out and about doing her usual heroics made Shiri feel self-conscious about her own lack of productivity, but it was also comforting to know that the rest of the world hadn’t collapsed along with her. “Thing is, I got a letter from Gideon. I’m sure he sent you one as well, but I guess you’re hard to find.” She fished the envelope from the inner pocket of her jacket and held it out. “I suggest you have a look for yourself.”

"Gideon?" She took the paper from Shiri and read it over. "Ha! Is that what he's worried over? Some imposters claiming to be our old enemy?" Of course her little conversation with the person she was all too convinced was an imposter. There was not even a chance she would consider the cult they had worked tirelessly to defeat would be back. "Gideon can't be serious, and even if, wait." She read the note again and stopped at something that struck her interest. "It says he had a run in with one who exploded in his face."

There was no way he could have had the same encounter, let alone the same event happen. "Shiri, did someone visit you and ask you about yourself?" She wasn't entirely sold on the notion that their old enemy had returned, but if her theory was correct, then everyone of her former comrades could have had the same experience. She would admit that something was not right, but for them to return, it was unthinkable.

Yadira’s question gave Shiri a sinking feeling. “Yes, and he also exploded, just like Gideon says. You’ve had the same experience then?” It was easy to speculate that it must have happened to more than just the two of them, and Yadira’s reaction seemed to confirm that. “I don’t know if our true enemy has returned, but this is definitely something we shouldn’t take lightly. I was just planning to travel to Bradena in search of the others.”

"Even you? How is this possible?" Yadira's look of disbelief said it all. Confusion, shock, frustration, anger. Yadira felt it all. If all of this was true then that would mean they found some way to break the seal. "But Eskel made sure they wouldn't come back." She was hoping to put her weapon down for good, she was hoping to find a new purpose in life. It looked like that would have to wait, yet for all of her zeal to combat an old enemy, she truly wished she would have been done. Calling it quits now would be to spit in her fallen comrade's face and forsake everything they fought for. She would be damned if the world ended because she chose to do nothing. "Let's go."

“Wait, hold on,” Jun interjected in Nagahoric, stepping in and grabbing Shiri’s sleeve. “You’re going out to fight, in your current state?”

Shiri sighed as she eyed her poor sister. She had already been preparing for this conversation. “Yes. I don’t like it but I have to do something about this,” she answered in the same language.

“But, Shiri…” Her voice cracked a little. “You’re going to come back even worse. If you come back at all."

Shiri gently pulled her sleeve from Jun's grasp. “I know. But our family won’t be safe if the cult is back. I'll shoulder this burden so the rest of you don't have to. That's always been my fate.”

Jun took a step back, looking dejected. She knew what it looked like when Shiri had made up her mind, so thankfully she didn’t seem inclined to arguing. “Fine, I understand.”

On a whim, Shiri stepped in and embraced her sister. It wasn’t a conventional thing to do in Nagahoro, but the Casperian culture had rubbed off on her. "Don't worry about me," she said softly. "Yadira will have my back."

Jun froze at first, then hesitantly embraced her sister in return. "I'll try not to worry. But I'll still pray for you."

The two of them shared a quiet moment before parting. Then Shiri stepped out the door with a determined sigh. “Yes, let’s go.”

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Natsumi Fujikawa

"All the more reason not to bunch up in that hallway," Natsumi responded. Using small jets of flame to fly in a precise manner, she zipped several storeys down into the building with Kaida on her tail, passing through empty gaps in the floors where stairs would eventually be constructed. Between the concrete walls and the metal scaffolding, there wasn't a lot of wood here, so she probably wouldn't demolish anything, but the same might not apply to the demons. If it did go south, she just hoped that Akira wouldn't get separated. The rest would probably be alright.

Once close to the ground floor, she could clearly hear the sound of battle, even through the concrete. If her spatial understanding was correct, the next gap down would put them on the far side of where the demons emerged. Perfect. As she stepped up to the edge, she could feel Suzaku's enthusiasm and fighting spirit, but her own knees felt shaky. She didn't like taking point, but she was the one with the higher stopping power. Don't overthink it, it's probably just beasts down there. "Cover me," she said to Kaida before jumping down.

Using her flames to slow her fall just enough to spare her ankles, she landed on the ground floor. Behind her was a wall, ahead of her were several demons, all currently faced away and in the process of either charging towards her allies further ahead or preparing to charge. Taking things one step at a time, Natsumi set her sight on the two nearest beasts. These demons were bulky and fire doesn't exactly penetrate a fleshy target, so she had to hit them hard to ensure an immediate takedown. Bracing her feet on the ground, she thrust out her hands and conjured a large and blinding jet of red fire that engulfed both of the unsuspecting demons, launching them back against the nearby wall as their flesh was rapidly incinerated.

After sustaining the jet for a moment, she ceased it as suddenly as it started, leaving smouldering remains that were substantially reduced in size. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt Suzaku's satisfaction. She had no time to dwell on it though, because the next nearest beast spun around immediately and lunged at her with feral recklessness. She wasn't prepared for that, so all she could do was conjure a small blast of fire from her hands to launch herself back, causing the demon's jaws to miss her as she stumbled back against the concrete wall.

_{@LuckyBlackCat}

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

@VizRiel He also seems quite powerful in that he has a lot of abilities (albeit cool and distinctive ones, I'll give you that) that seem like they add up to A-rank, while also having really useful skills. Whereas the other characters are mostly balanced around a trade-off between those two things. In fact, he kind of has a summon contract and possession contract in one, both of which I'd estimate to be B-rank on their own.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP Interest Check

@VitaVitaAR Can I post OC here or is there another thread for me to post it?

@VizRiel

It's over here.

You should post the character you want to use in the OOC tab of that thread and get approval from VitaVitaAR before proceeding.