Saltwater Thief

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

Yes, me. Will be doing so today.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

"Ahh. Right. 'See the wind, feel the wind, be the wind'," Alexander replied as he finished eating the apple, "Just in a much more literal sense. It'd be pretty useful to be able to do that everywhere, but that would also be kind of unfair."

He stowed the core in his jacket pocket, mostly out of habit because he used to feed them to Julie, but also because it was never really a good idea to leave the things lying around wherever. Then he took to keeping an eye on the surroundings while Astrid drew something on the ground. He had no idea what it was; magic was something entirely foreign to him. But, it was obvious she was focusing on it, and when someone was doing that during a task everyone else's job was to either watch them so they did it right or watch around them so nothing stopped them. It was just how you did things in the crew, and this was hardly any different. So, since he couldn't watch her so she did it right, he watched around them so nothing would stop her.

He did notice, however, that her necklace grew into a spear. Which seemed incredibly useful, even though his preferred weapon stowed nicely on his belt. And, thankfully, it was still there as he confirmed it by running his hand along the hilt.

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

Hider

Name: Edward James David
Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: The Maestro of Rock
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Edward is extremely laid back, often vying to take things easy and see how situations play out before him rather than directly act to force them onto a specific path. "Let the flow decide, it knows what it wants" as he often says. That is not to say he's lazy or indecisive however; he has a great deal of conviction and determination, he simply doesn't believe in forcing issues except as a last resort. Beyond that, he's a very kind hearted man who, at the end of the day, wants nothing more than to make more smiles in the world.

History: Edward comes from a world where music is life in a very literal sense. Everything runs on some form of sonic power, music is central to every aspect of culture, and those who take the time to cultivate it are able to use the power of song to influence the world around them. In this world, there exists a group of individuals who are particularly gifted with this ability in specific genres of music; these grandmaster musicians are known collectively as Maestros. And among them, Edward James David is known for being one of the youngest to ever achieve the title, taking the position in the genre of Rock & Roll. However, as he soon found out, being a Maestro was not a life of luxury and fame; for, in a world centered around sound and music, there was of course a force that sought to silence it.

That was what it was called. The Silence. A race of jet black creatures that behaved like an insect swarm and had but one desire; the extermination of all music. And it fell to the holders of the Maestro title to defend against them. And for years Edward did his part, fighting alongside the other Maestros to drive the Silence back and safeguard his world. One day, a plan was hatched; a new complex machine, designed to receive and amplify tenfold the music of Maestros, had been prototyped and was advertised as a long term solution to the Silence. If, as the inventor explained, the Maestros could attract the entity that controlled the swarm, the Silent Queen, to the machine, it would be possible to eliminate her and her whole misbegotten brood. It carried immense risk, but they all agreed that it was worth the attempt if it could lead to lasting peace.

But they underestimated their opponent. The Silent Queen proved far more powerful and cunning than anticipated, and even the might of all the Maestros in concert could barely hold her back. And while they labored to battle her, a division of the swarm attacked the machine, damaging it and rendering it unstable. The plan was in ruins, and as the Maestros fled the people watching began to despair. That is, until an all too familiar guitar riff began to resound over the battlefield. Edward alone stood his ground, a smile never leaving his face.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" he yelled to the broadcast across the world, "This is going to be the last Rock Maestro Recital for a while. But rather than cry that it's going to be over, let's smile and enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?!"

And he began to play, with heart and soul being thrown into the chords. In spite of the full might of the Silent Swarm falling down upon him again and again, Edward kept playing and kept smiling, until finally the Queen herself came forward to finish him. Just as she closed in, however, the machine spun to life with the whole of Edward's song, whirling and crackling with amplified energy even as it threatened to come apart. He looked to the cameras one last time with one last strike of the strings to play.

"We love you, people of the world! GOOD NIGHT!"

And with one last strum the machine overloaded with sonic energy and exploded, decimating the swarm and horribly injuring the Queen. She would flee before the other Maestros could finish her, but the damage done to her was severe and lasting. And though it cost him his life in the blast, Edward had given the world a concert to remember.

Magical Powers Section: N/A

Special Talents:
The Power of Rock
Edward is a Maestro, which in his world means he has the power to wield music as a powerful force of nature so long as he possesses his instrument. When he plays, Edward can choose to tune his very soul with the music and produce a number of effects, though he typically conjures barriers of sound for protection or explosive shockwaves for attack.

Range: Self, Short, Medium. Range suffers if music is difficult to hear because of the environment.

Into the Mosh
Edward is notable for being one of the few Maestros that ever elected to enter physical combat, and as such he's able to move quick, strike hard, and take his share if push comes to shove.

A Maestro's Ear
Edward's skill with music owes itself in part to exceptionally good hearing, both in terms of range and precision.

If It Has Strings...
Edward's musical talent extends to other instruments besides the guitar, and with a little time to experiment he can passably play nearly any stringed instrument that is played with the hands.

Weapons:
Luna The affectionate name Edward gave to his guitar, it's his Maestro Instrument and as such has special properties. It's capable of producing sound when played in any environment (regardless of the presence of amps, electricity, or the like), he can call it to his hand at will, and Luna in particular is forged from the sturdiest material in Edward's world, thus allowing it to maintain both shape and sound when he wields it like an axe in melee combat.

Armor/Clothing:
See above picture. Clothing has no special properties; when in battle Edward relies on his own resilience and barriers of sound for protection.

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

I'm still good.

Is the characters tab open for accepted CS's, or would you like to do some per-emptive posting in there?

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

Adjusted.

Hider

Name: Edward James David
Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: The Maestro of Rock
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Edward is extremely laid back, often vying to take things easy and see how situations play out before him rather than directly act to force them onto a specific path. "Let the flow decide, it knows what it wants" as he often says. That is not to say he's lazy or indecisive however; he has a great deal of conviction and determination, he simply doesn't believe in forcing issues except as a last resort. Beyond that, he's a very kind hearted man who, at the end of the day, wants nothing more than to make more smiles in the world.

History: Edward comes from a world where music is life in a very literal sense. Everything runs on some form of sonic power, music is central to every aspect of culture, and those who take the time to cultivate it are able to use the power of song to influence the world around them. In this world, there exists a group of individuals who are particularly gifted with this ability in specific genres of music; these grandmaster musicians are known collectively as Maestros. And among them, Edward James David is known for being one of the youngest to ever achieve the title, taking the position in the genre of Rock & Roll. However, as he soon found out, being a Maestro was not a life of luxury and fame; for, in a world centered around sound and music, there was of course a force that sought to silence it.

That was what it was called. The Silence. A race of jet black creatures that behaved like an insect swarm and had but one desire; the extermination of all music. And it fell to the holders of the Maestro title to defend against them. And for years Edward did his part, fighting alongside the other Maestros to drive the Silence back and safeguard his world. One day, a plan was hatched; a new complex machine, designed to receive and amplify tenfold the music of Maestros, had been prototyped and was advertised as a long term solution to the Silence. If, as the inventor explained, the Maestros could attract the entity that controlled the swarm, the Silent Queen, to the machine, it would be possible to eliminate her and her whole misbegotten brood. It carried immense risk, but they all agreed that it was worth the attempt if it could lead to lasting peace.

But they underestimated their opponent. The Silent Queen proved far more powerful and cunning than anticipated, and even the might of all the Maestros in concert could barely hold her back. And while they labored to battle her, a division of the swarm attacked the machine, damaging it and rendering it unstable. The plan was in ruins, and as the Maestros fled the people watching began to despair. That is, until an all too familiar guitar riff began to resound over the battlefield. Edward alone stood his ground, a smile never leaving his face.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" he yelled to the broadcast across the world, "This is going to be the last Rock Maestro Recital for a while. But rather than cry that it's going to be over, let's smile and enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?!"

And he began to play, with heart and soul being thrown into the chords. In spite of the full might of the Silent Swarm falling down upon him again and again, Edward kept playing and kept smiling, until finally the Queen herself came forward to finish him. Just as she closed in, however, the machine spun to life with the whole of Edward's song, whirling and crackling with amplified energy even as it threatened to come apart. He looked to the cameras one last time with one last strike of the strings to play.

"We love you, people of the world! GOOD NIGHT!"

And with one last strum the machine overloaded with sonic energy and exploded, decimating the swarm and horribly injuring the Queen. She would flee before the other Maestros could finish her, but the damage done to her was severe and lasting. And though it cost him his life in the blast, Edward had given the world a concert to remember.

Magical Powers Section: N/A

Special Talents:
The Power of Rock
Edward is a Maestro, which in his world means he has the power to wield music as a powerful force of nature so long as he possesses his instrument. When he plays, Edward can choose to tune his very soul with the music and produce a number of effects, though he typically conjures barriers of sound for protection or explosive shockwaves for attack.

Range: Self, Short, Medium. Range suffers if music is difficult to hear because of the environment.

Into the Mosh
Edward is notable for being one of the few Maestros that ever elected to enter physical combat, and as such he's able to move quick, strike hard, and take his share if push comes to shove.

A Maestro's Ear
Edward's skill with music owes itself in part to exceptionally good hearing, both in terms of range and precision.

If It Has Strings...
Edward's musical talent extends to other instruments besides the guitar, and with a little time to experiment he can passably play nearly any stringed instrument that is played with the hands.

Weapons:
Luna The affectionate name Edward gave to his guitar, it's his Maestro Instrument and as such has special properties. It's capable of producing sound when played in any environment (regardless of the presence of amps, electricity, or the like), he can call it to his hand at will, and Luna in particular is forged from the sturdiest material in Edward's world, thus allowing it to maintain both shape and sound when he wields it like an axe in melee combat.

Armor/Clothing:
See above picture. Clothing has no special properties; when in battle Edward relies on his own resilience and barriers of sound for protection.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

Exiting slipstreams was tricky, but once you knew the process it was pretty easy to do. The key was to disperse the momentum you'd built up without crashing into the ground, or rather the white void that acted as the ground. And as Alexander was ejected from the stream he started wheeling his legs until one of his feet struck something solid, at which point he allowed himself to tumble forward, landed on his upper arm, and rolled for a few more feet. As he got up, it struck him how utterly bizarre this place was. He didn't mind emptiness- an empty sky was an absolute joy to fly through after all, but this wasn't quite the same.

Before he could think too much about it, Kade was handing him an apple and he realized just how hungry he'd gotten. "Much obliged," he said as he took it and began to chomp into it from the side. While he was eating, Astrid approached and asked him a question.

"Honestly? The hell if I know," he said between bites of apple, "Never done anything like it in my life. I kind of just... felt the wind, and tried commanding it like a mount almost. And somehow it worked. Maybe because of whatever was in that tunnel?"

He took another large chomp. "Your guess is as good as mine."

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

Should be ready for review. Apologies it took me a while to do.

Hider

Name: Edward James David
Nicknames/Aliases/Titles: The Maestro of Rock
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Edward is extremely laid back, often vying to take things easy and see how situations play out before him rather than directly act to force them onto a specific path. "Let the flow decide, it knows what it wants" as he often says. That is not to say he's lazy or indecisive however; he has a great deal of conviction and determination, he simply doesn't believe in forcing issues except as a last resort. Beyond that, he's a very kind hearted man who, at the end of the day, wants nothing more than to make more smiles in the world.

History: Edward comes from a world where music is life in a very literal sense. Everything runs on some form of sonic power, music is central to every aspect of culture, and those who take the time to cultivate it are able to use the power of song to influence the world around them. In this world, there exists a group of individuals who are particularly gifted with this ability in specific genres of music; these grandmaster musicians are known collectively as Maestros. And among them, Edward James David is known for being one of the youngest to ever achieve the title, taking the position in the genre of Rock & Roll. However, as he soon found out, being a Maestro was not a life of luxury and fame; for, in a world centered around sound and music, there was of course a force that sought to silence it.

That was what it was called. The Silence. A race of jet black creatures that behaved like an insect swarm and had but one desire; the extermination of all music. And it fell to the holders of the Maestro title to defend against them. And for years Edward did his part, fighting alongside the other Maestros to drive the Silence back and safeguard his world. One day, a plan was hatched; a new complex machine, designed to receive and amplify tenfold the music of Maestros, had been prototyped and was advertised as a long term solution to the Silence. If, as the inventor explained, the Maestros could attract the entity that controlled the swarm, the Silent Queen, to the machine, it would be possible to eliminate her and her whole misbegotten brood. It carried immense risk, but they all agreed that it was worth the attempt if it could lead to lasting peace.

But they underestimated their opponent. The Silent Queen proved far more powerful and cunning than anticipated, and even the might of all the Maestros in concert could barely hold her back. And while they labored to battle her, a division of the swarm attacked the machine, damaging it and rendering it unstable. The plan was in ruins, and as the Maestros fled the people watching began to despair. That is, until an all too familiar guitar riff began to resound over the battlefield. Edward alone stood his ground, a smile never leaving his face.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" he yelled to the broadcast across the world, "This is going to be the last Rock Maestro Recital for a while. But rather than cry that it's going to be over, let's smile and enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?!"

And he began to play, with heart and soul being thrown into the chords. In spite of the full might of the Silent Swarm falling down upon him again and again, Edward kept playing and kept smiling, until finally the Queen herself came forward to finish him. Just as she closed in, however, the machine spun to life with the whole of Edward's song, whirling and crackling with amplified energy even as it threatened to come apart. He looked to the cameras one last time with one last strike of the strings to play.

"We love you, people of the world! GOOD NIGHT!"

And with one last strum the machine overloaded with sonic energy and exploded, decimating the swarm and horribly injuring the Queen. She would flee before the other Maestros could finish her, but the damage done to her was severe and lasting. And though it cost him his life in the blast, Edward had given the world a concert to remember.

Magical Powers Section: (If his Maestro ability should be considered a magical power with specific "spells" I'll fill this out)

Special Talents:
The Power of Rock
Edward is a Maestro, which in his world means he has the power to wield music as a powerful force of nature so long as he possesses his instrument. When he plays, Edward can choose to tune his very soul with the music and produce a number of effects, though he typically conjures barriers of sound for protection or explosive shockwaves for attack.

Into the Mosh
Edward is notable for being one of the few Maestros that ever elected to enter physical combat, and as such he's able to move quick, strike hard, and take his share if push comes to shove.

A Maestro's Ear
Edward's skill with music owes itself in part to exceptionally good hearing, both in terms of range and precision.

If It Has Strings...
Edward's musical talent extends to other instruments besides the guitar, and with a little time to experiment he can passably play nearly any stringed instrument that is played with the hands.

Weapons:
Luna The affectionate name Edward gave to his guitar, it's his Maestro Instrument and as such has special properties. It's capable of producing sound when played in any environment (regardless of the presence of amps, electricity, or the like), he can call it to his hand at will, and Luna in particular is forged from the sturdiest material in Edward's world, thus allowing it to maintain both shape and sound when he wields it like an axe in melee combat.

Armor/Clothing:
See above picture. Clothing has no special properties; when in battle Edward relies on his own resilience and barriers of sound for protection.

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

@Saltwater Thiefare you still in this?

@vancexentan

I would like to be, yes. I've been having PC troubles over the weekend that have interfered with a lot of stuff. I can work on a CS tonight and tomorrow!

What Hero Wants to Die? - An Inverted Isekai

I'm glad I saw this before I posted in your Interest Check. This sounds a bit like Drifters, I'm definitely interested if you have the space.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

"WHAT?!"

Sumi was a nonsense kid. He'd known that. She'd made it abundantly clear from her very demeanor since the day he'd met her. And nonsense kids tended to be a little... out there, in word, deed, and thought. But nowhere in Eleanor's lectures on nonsense versus logic had it been mentioned that they tended to ask someone to use abilities they did not have. He knew how to read air currents, how to fall through them and weave around them, and how to find the fastest slipstream in the immediate area, but understanding the wind and knowing how to use it and outright COMMANDING IT were very. Different. Things. Maybe in Sumi's home the wind was more affable, but in Sylvent nobody told the wind to do anything. And here she was, asking him to just do it offhand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Sumi, I can't-" he was interrupted by a snarl of wind that tried to flip him over as he fell. It took some doing, but he did right himself.. and then recognized that even if Sumi could hear him, she'd probably ignore what he was saying.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." he muttered as he closed his eyes. It was no big deal, he tried to assure himself, except he had no idea how to begin. Well, when he had learned how to fall, so to speak, one of the things that had been drilled into him was to think of the air around him as an extension of his senses. That was as good a starting place as any, even if it would be taking the lesson just a bit literally. Alright, he thought, let's see. Extend your senses, read the wind, feel it, see what's doing, but instead of playing by it's rules tell it to take us to the Index-

"WHOA" he yelled as a sudden howl shattered his thoughts as the winds flared up and roared, tossing him and everyone else out of their freefall in a violent tempest. Alexander found himself being battered about in the wall of the windstorm as he fought to keep himself aright, but it seemed that in every second he gained some balance it was immediately torn away from him again. He knew it had been a bad idea, and here was the proof. The air had bucked him off like a wild stormwing, and now it would do who knows what with them. Why had he even tried? He wasn't some master of the sky! He was just a poor, lonely, lost boy who'd been flung far from home.

CAW!

Wait, he thought as his eyes snapped open and his focus hardened instantly. He knew that noise. He'd heard it in his dreams, almost every night since he'd stepped off the ship. But this was no dream, of that he was certain. He struggled his way to a stable fall again, and immediately threw his head around in every direction. She was here. He heard her, the sound was more clarion than anything in his life, but by the clouds where?

Quietly, with an almost serene certainty, he began to feel her presence get closer. He turned his head to the side, where the outer wall of the tempest still raged, and as if it had been cued he began to see the shadowy silhouette of a great bird, wings splayed out in a grand glide come into form on the other side of the raging winds.

"Julie," he dared to breathe.

There was no mistaking it, not now that she was so close. He began to reach his hand out toward her, but he soon realized there was something in the way. Not just the howling air, but something like a veil, a shroud that came between them. Something told him it would be easy enough to breach, to rip straight through. And he so badly, so dearly wanted to do it, to reach out and touch her, to grab the feathers at the back of her neck and nestle his knees in the small of her back... but that would leave them all falling through an empty sky, and only he and one other he chose to catch would have salvation from the drop. Besides which... Sylvent was his home, but not anyone else's. They would all be stranded, unable to get back home or even to the school. To say nothing of their current task's completion. Tears welled up in his eyes only to be flicked away by the upward rush. He was so close, SHE was so close, yet still a world apart.

Caw.

Julie spoke to him again. It was no tongue known to man, but he understood her perfectly. Even through the veil, her feelings resonated in his heart. And he knew the opposite was true. He couldn't give up. Whatever was troubling him, he could handle it. And... one day they would meet again, and soar as they ever and always had. Those were Julie's feelings. Alexander closed his eyes, etching the moment into his mind and soul.

"I'm coming home," he whispered, "I promise. Just not today."

Caaaaaw!

"Thank you," He said as he opened his eyes again, a fire lit within them now. "Alright then, let's see where this goes!"

With a mustering of will he reached out to the air again. It had been his uncertainty, his fear that drove it wild before. Now, he was calm and determined. These winds WOULD listen to him, and they WOULD take them to the Line. And they would do it swiftly, gently, and without incident or loss. Those were his orders... and before his eyes the wind listened. The tempest slowed, growing tranquil by the moment, as Julie's shadow faded back into nothingness. And then they began to shift again, but this time in a structured fashion, forming a tube of winds further down that ran perpendicular to their current course.

"THERE! INTO THE SLIPSTREAM!" he yelled for the rest of the group to hear as he shifted his weight to align with it. He rolled himself to disperse the force of the direction change as he hit the streaming winds himself, and as a pack they were whisked away at incredible speed to their destination.