Sarcelle Renard

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

<Snipped quote by Sarcelle Renard>

Holy cow, I forgot [Dazzler] was a thing! That's super creative.

@stone

Aha, thank you but I really can't take too much credit seeing as I had to hit up the wiki to make sure I was thinking of the right move.

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

Newspaper Boi

Yuuhei Seiho

Name

Yuuhei Seiho

Arcana

The Magician

Age

17

Personality Traits

While there is an entire slew of disparaging words that can be used to describe Yuuhei, most people would agree that the one that does the job best is determined. Because underneath his relentlessly upbeat spirit and love for dramatic displays is a guy that will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any interesting stories that come his way. This all naturally combines to make for a rather off putting individual for a good chunk of the academy’s respectable students, but the aura of self confidence that he gives off unabashedly carries on in stride.

And although Yuuhei may simply seem like an impulsive individual, that’s only mostly the case. Because in the end he is fully capable of meticulously weighing the pros and cons of any given decision, he just almost always chooses the option that seems more entertaining despite all of that. And to top that off, despite his affable demeanor Yuuhei is inherently free-spirited and rarely if ever looks to others for help.

Backstory

Born as the only child to two complete workaholics, Yuuhei was your typical latchkey kid growing up. That’s not to say that his parents were abusive by any stretch of the imagination, just rarely present. The upside to his living situation meant that money was rarely a concern for him growing up, even if his family could never count themselves among the upper crust of society. All in all, if you were to ask him about it he would simply shrug and say that it isn't nearly as big of a deal as it sounds.

There’s really not much to say about Yuuhei before he started high school. He was quiet and unremarkable, with shallow and low stakes friendships to match. But that of course changed after entering Kenkōichi International Academy and getting more or less coerced into joining the school’s esteemed Newspaper Club. His first year as a member saw him come out of his shell and spark his desire to chase after things he found interesting. His second solidified his love for the dramatic and was when he was handed the reins as the club’s president.

Now entering his third year at the Academy and Yuuhei has managed to cultivate quite the reputation for himself. With the old president stepping down halfway through the previous year to focus on college exams, her replacement has proven to be far more boisterous and relentless in his methods when it comes to chasing down leads. So much so that teachers are finding it harder and harder to ignore the new direction the once prestigious club seems to be heading.

Whether you love him or hate him, plenty of students have at least heard of some of Yuuhei’s more ridiculous antics. And if you are at all interesting, he has likely heard about you.

Gear

With no real physique to speak of, Yuuhei is hilariously unsuited for close-range fights. However, he is pretty handy with darts, as he somehow has managed to get away with playing with them in the clubroom without them getting confiscated. It remains to be seen if this talent extends to any other kind of thrown projectiles though.

When it comes to his day to day essentials though, you’ll never catch the boy leaving home without his pocket-sized digital camera or the little notebook into which he jots down all sorts of tidbits of info that sport varying degrees of usefulness.

Persona

The Wizard of Oz

Persona Abilities

As the greatest pretender of Oz, the demon focuses on debilitating foes with parlor tricks rather than crushing them with sheer magical might. To accomplish this, the sleazy magician employs pyrotechnics in the form of [Agi], wows them into a tizzy with [Dazzler], and prevents them from catching him during his escape with [Sukunda].

First draft completed. Lemme know if anything needs work.

So I heard some of you folks like Persona RPs?

Well you can definitely c o l o r me interested.

I even have an idea for a Magician character that I’ve been itching to play out.

A Certain Parallel Cosmos

Kazuhiko Tsuda

In transit from District 7 to 9

---

“Well, that just happened,” the frazzled looking esper with black hair grumbled. If he squinted, he was sure that he would still be able to just make out the bus he was supposed to be on fading farther into the distance. Yet his bitterness had less to do with the reality that he would now need to walk to his job and more so with the fact that he had missed out on one of the precious few chances to nap today. After all, even if he wasn’t blessed enough to get a seat, nodding off while standing was a skill Kazu had been dutifully cultivating over the past few weeks. It was only a matter of time before he mastered it and became that much closer to being able to say that he could sleep literally anywhere.

Letting out a noise that was an odd cross between a dejected sigh and exhausted yawn, he took off at a rather sluggish pace. There was plenty of time before his shift started at the noodle shop that currently had a reserve on Kazu’s free time, so there was little point in using up what little energy he had left rushing there. But even so, some of that energy was still wasted dwelling on the person that had caused him to miss his bus to begin with.

A tired hand ran down an equally tired face as Kazu recalled the phone call he had received from his dad, who somehow managed to be equal parts doting and deadbeat. And as if to illustrate that very point, his father had called to let Kazu know that he had dropped off a surprise at his son’s apartment. The sheer dread from such news had caused the young esper to turn even paler and rooted him to the spot just outside of his school for five full minutes.

As a child of the Tsuda household, Kazu had been engrained with the knowledge that his dad only bought presents in two situations: when it was somebody’s birthday or when he had really screwed up. And seeing as the teenager’s birthday was still months away, Kazu couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of mess his old man had managed to get himself into this time. “I seriously don’t feel like going home today…”

Kazu’s attention snapped back to the present, his eyes falling on a news segment being broadcast across the street while he waited for the crosswalk to turn. The picture was unbelievably grainy, as it was coming out of a relic of a model that was completely out of place in the modern world, but he was able to get the gist of it from the banner running across it. Apparently there had been a murder in the warehouse district, and a rather gruesome one at that. Everything about the incident just didn’t add up to Kazu no matter how he looked at it, from the motive behind it to the method involved.

After all, just how much sleep could that guy have gotten if he had just turned in for the night instead?

A Certain Parallel Cosmos

Kazuhiko Tsuda

“Don’t expect too much from me. Seriously. I’m running on like four hours of sleep…”

Registration Fields

---

_Names

Tsuda, Kazuhiko

_Nicknames

Laplace’s Imp
Kazu-kun
That Kid That’s Always Napping

_Gender

Male

_Nationality

Japanese

_Ability

Momentum Projection

Characterization

---

_Affiliation

• First year student at Eiri High School
• Server at a myriad of restaurants throughout the city
• Member of PROJECT, an organization that assists in the development of espers with precognitive powers

_Personality

Do you want to know what happens when you take a kid that was always a smidge too serious and responsible and rob him of a decent sleep schedule? You get Kazu, an individual that is one part old man, two parts absolute space cadet. Because even though he is generally a no-nonsense and dutiful student, his constant state of exhaustion has greatly hampered his sense of direction and at times even his ability to maintain any kind of coherent train of thought. Naturally, this has led to Kazu constantly being on the lookout for any opportunities to sneak in a few extra winks of sleep, no matter where or when they may appear.

Despite being well aware that he is unbelievably low on the grand pecking order of Academy City, Kazu remains unapologetically honest and remarkably unflappable regardless of whoever may be threatening his wellbeing at any given moment. Yet despite these apparent nerves of steel, the esper by no means goes looking for conflict, as such effort would undoubtedly be better spent catching up on some sleep. And given that it took countless hours waiting tables to pound some semblance of social skills into him, it’s easy to see that deep down he’s kind of just a shy introvert that’s too tired to give much thought to what comes out of his mouth.

_History

The eldest of four children, Kazu was blessed with front row seats to the madhouse that is the Tsuda household. While on the outside his parents seem like your typical lower middle class couple trying to make their way in Academy City, they are anything but. In reality, Mrs. Tsuda is actually the former leader of a biker gang turned bartender and Mr. Tsuda is a hopeless gambler that is in perpetual flux between hitting it big and losing it all. In fact, the relationship between the two is so dysfunctional that Kazu isn’t entirely sure how he ended up with three siblings considering how often his dad has been all too literally kicked to the curb while he was growing up. And that’s not even mentioning the hellions that call themselves his siblings, two of which are already making a name for themselves throughout the city’s middle schools as self-proclaimed heroes of justice.

But even with such a rowdy home life, Kazu turned out far more subdued and well-mannered than he honestly had any right to. But between seeing his father’s total commitment to being an irresponsible adult and the burden of responsibility that came with being the eldest sibling, the child completely pivoted away from living his life any way that would resemble his parents’ youthful days. And academically, his mother promised it would be a cold day in hell before she let him drop out like she had. So while he is by no means at the top of his class, he is consistently in good standing.

Getting involved in the Power Curriculum Program was a no brainer for Kazu, since it was no secret that the city compensated those that possessed powers deemed useful or interesting. So in order to help the meager coffers of the Tsuda household in his own way, a much younger Kazu was all too eager to apply. And thus his Momentum Projection was born, be it in a rather unimpressive state that almost wasn’t even worth mentioning. But since Academy City was always looking to develop its suite of individuals with precognition, they still decided to invest in him by assigning him to PROJECT in hopes that one of the trainers there could make something out of him

And it was by the whims of one of those trainer that Kazu now finds himself hopping from restaurant to restaurant to hone his ability. The long hours and frequent use of his power are what have made him into the sleep deprived mess that he everybody knows him to be. He’s positive that he must have had some kind of goal at the end of all this, but right now he would easily settle for an extended date with his bed.

Ability

---

_{Momentum Projection – Level 3}

While on the surface Momentum Projection looks a lot like standard precognition, it is actually better to liken the ability to an unbelievably powerful sensor that is able to track every single molecule in a designated area around him and calculate their trajectory. This results in Kazu effectively being able to perfectly predict the future within that space, although that comes with some rather hefty caveats.

To begin with, the ability has three distinct phases: detection, calculation, and resolution. Everything starts with detection, which is the process of Kazu’s AIM diffusion field radiating out from him, tagging and tracking everything within ten meters of him. From there, Kazu then calculates how everything will move based on their current momentum. And finally, the resolution occurs when he is then able to consolidate the calculations and form a mental picture of what the expected future will hold. Of course, each of these phases presents their own special kind of problems that keeps the esper from using this ability to its fullest.

Detection is typically the shortest phase of the three, but a number of things can throw it off, such as there simply being too many things for him to detect and track or the area containing unidentifiable particles that cannot effectively be tracked. And of course, one of the biggest drawbacks is that the range only takes into account things within ten meters of him, so anything that enters from outside of that has a very real potential to throw off any results from the following two phases.

The two largest issues with calculation are devastatingly simple. Processing such a vast amount of data takes an exorbitant amount of time and energy, typically limiting his projections to at most a few minutes into the future at best. These two factors also play a role in the resolution phase as well, as they effectively keep Kazu from being able to adequately use the ability in any kind of realistic combat situation.

_Equipment

Kazu keeps a rather plain inventory on his person, limited entirely to mundane necessities like his cell phone and wallet.

_{Expertise Kit}

Thanks in part to his training, Kazu is rather perceptive of both people and his surroundings and has a rather reliable gut instinct that has little to do with his power. He has also developed a rather formidable set of househusband skills over the years, being surprisingly good at most domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning.

Relationships

---

_Family

The perpetually hot and cold couple Nori and Himiko Tsuda are the ones responsible for unleashing Kazu and his three siblings upon the world. Kazu is the oldest, with the twins, Akihiko and Rumiko, two years younger than him. Then there is the baby of the family, Haruko, who is five years younger.

_{Peers and Foes}

A rather neutral entity in Academy City, Kazu is neither a staunch ally nor detested enemy of anybody in particular. Yet at the same time, he is in a somewhat unique position as one of the city’s most ubiquitous waiters and knows, or at least knows of, a great deal of people.

A Certain Parallel Cosmos

Kazuhiko Tsuda

“Don’t expect too much from me. Seriously. I’m running on like four hours of sleep…”

Registration Fields

---

_Names

Tsuda, Kazuhiko

_Nicknames

Laplace’s Imp
Kazu-kun
That Kid That’s Always Napping

_Gender

Male

_Nationality

Japanese

_Ability

Momentum Projection

Characterization

---

_Affiliation

• First year student at Eiri High School
• Server at a myriad of restaurants throughout the city
• Member of PROJECT, an organization that assists in the development of espers with precognitive powers

_Personality

Do you want to know what happens when you take a kid that was always a smidge too serious and responsible and rob him of a decent sleep schedule? You get Kazu, an individual that is one part old man, two parts absolute space cadet. Because even though he is generally a no-nonsense and dutiful student, his constant state of exhaustion has greatly hampered his sense of direction and at times even his ability to maintain any kind of coherent train of thought. Naturally, this has led to Kazu constantly being on the lookout for any opportunities to sneak in a few extra winks of sleep, no matter where or when they may appear.

Despite being well aware that he is unbelievably low on the grand pecking order of Academy City, Kazu remains unapologetically honest and remarkably unflappable regardless of whoever may be threatening his wellbeing at any given moment. Yet despite these apparent nerves of steel, the esper by no means goes looking for conflict, as such effort would undoubtedly be better spent catching up on some sleep. And given that it took countless hours waiting tables to pound some semblance of social skills into him, it’s easy to see that deep down he’s kind of just a shy introvert that’s too tired to give much thought to what comes out of his mouth.

_History

The eldest of four children, Kazu was blessed with front row seats to the madhouse that is the Tsuda household. While on the outside his parents seem like your typical lower middle class couple trying to make their way in Academy City, they are anything but. In reality, Mrs. Tsuda is actually the former leader of a biker gang turned bartender and Mr. Tsuda is a hopeless gambler that is in perpetual flux between hitting it big and losing it all. In fact, the relationship between the two is so dysfunctional that Kazu isn’t entirely sure how he ended up with three siblings considering how often his dad has been all too literally kicked to the curb while he was growing up. And that’s not even mentioning the hellions that call themselves his siblings, two of which are already making a name for themselves throughout the city’s middle schools as self-proclaimed heroes of justice.

But even with such a rowdy home life, Kazu turned out far more subdued and well-mannered than he honestly had any right to. But between seeing his father’s total commitment to being an irresponsible adult and the burden of responsibility that came with being the eldest sibling, the child completely pivoted away from living his life any way that would resemble his parents’ youthful days. And academically, his mother promised it would be a cold day in hell before she let him drop out like she had. So while he is by no means at the top of his class, he is consistently in good standing.

Getting involved in the Power Curriculum Program was a no brainer for Kazu, since it was no secret that the city compensated those that possessed powers deemed useful or interesting. So in order to help the meager coffers of the Tsuda household in his own way, a much younger Kazu was all too eager to apply. And thus his Momentum Projection was born, be it in a rather unimpressive state that almost wasn’t even worth mentioning. But since Academy City was always looking to develop its suite of individuals with precognition, they still decided to invest in him by assigning him to PROJECT in hopes that one of the trainers there could make something out of him

And it was by the whims of one of those trainer that Kazu now finds himself hopping from restaurant to restaurant to hone his ability. The long hours and frequent use of his power are what have made him into the sleep deprived mess that he everybody knows him to be. He’s positive that he must have had some kind of goal at the end of all this, but right now he would easily settle for an extended date with his bed.

Ability

---

_{Momentum Projection – Level 3}

While on the surface Momentum Projection looks a lot like standard precognition, it is actually better to liken the ability to an unbelievably powerful sensor that is able to track every single molecule in a designated area around him and calculate their trajectory. This results in Kazu effectively being able to perfectly predict the future within that space, although that comes with some rather hefty caveats.

To begin with, the ability has three distinct phases: detection, calculation, and resolution. Everything starts with detection, which is the process of Kazu’s AIM diffusion field radiating out from him, tagging and tracking everything within ten meters of him. From there, Kazu then calculates how everything will move based on their current momentum. And finally, the resolution occurs when he is then able to consolidate the calculations and form a mental picture of what the expected future will hold. Of course, each of these phases presents their own special kind of problems that keeps the esper from using this ability to its fullest.

Detection is typically the shortest phase of the three, but a number of things can throw it off, such as there simply being too many things for him to detect and track or the area containing unidentifiable particles that cannot effectively be tracked. And of course, one of the biggest drawbacks is that the range only takes into account things within ten meters of him, so anything that enters from outside of that has a very real potential to throw off any results from the following two phases.

The two largest issues with calculation are devastatingly simple. Processing such a vast amount of data takes an exorbitant amount of time and energy, typically limiting his projections to at most a few minutes into the future at best. These two factors also play a role in the resolution phase as well, as they effectively keep Kazu from being able to adequately use the ability in any kind of realistic combat situation.

_Equipment

Kazu keeps a rather plain inventory on his person, limited entirely to mundane necessities like his cell phone and wallet.

_{Expertise Kit}

Thanks in part to his training, Kazu is rather perceptive of both people and his surroundings and has a rather reliable gut instinct that has little to do with his power. He has also developed a rather formidable set of househusband skills over the years, being surprisingly good at most domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning.

Relationships

---

_Family

The perpetually hot and cold couple Nori and Himiko Tsuda are the ones responsible for unleashing Kazu and his three siblings upon the world. Kazu is the oldest, with the twins, Akihiko and Rumiko, two years younger than him. Then there is the baby of the family, Haruko, who is five years younger.

_{Peers and Foes}

A rather neutral entity in Academy City, Kazu is neither a staunch ally nor detested enemy of anybody in particular. Yet at the same time, he is in a somewhat unique position as one of the city’s most ubiquitous waiters and knows, or at least knows of, a great deal of people.

A Certain Parallel Cosmos

Well you certainly have my interest

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Oz Morioka

Oz hooked his thumbs in his pockets, his eyes focused on the fight in front of him. Both of the combatants moved with a naturalness that spoke volumes about just how familiar they were with this kind of affair. And for perhaps the first time, Oz found himself feeling like maybe he was in a bit over his head. Years of working under Raiha had made him good at slogging through cumbersome manuscripts and picking at the nuances of magic, but what little combat training she had given him clearly paled in comparison to whatever the two figures before him had gone through.

It seemed as though Oz’s question was to go unanswered, seeing as his blond haired companion had yet to say anything. Not that that he was particularly bothered by it, after all small talk wasn’t for everybody and he was hardly the pushy type. But from the corner of his eyes Oz noticed her making some kind of gesture, causing him to shift his gaze her way. His shorter companion had placed one of her hands to his throat, which was adorned with an impossible to miss scar running across it. Oz’s eyes lit up with surprise and his mouth hung slightly agape, the realization that she hadn’t answered him because she was physically unable to dawning on him all too quickly.

Yet before he could offer any kind of apology, she pointed to the Lifan woman. Oz couldn’t help but smile at her response, bowing his head guiltily. A brief moment passed as Oz composed himself before he started rustling through his satchel, the noise of which was completely lost amidst the clamor of magic getting tossed every which way. He shuffled past Raiha’s letter, the odd textbook, and even his own relic before he found the notepad he had been using to sketch out different herbs he had been studying on the train.

It only took him a moment to flip to an empty page and hastily jot something down. Satisfied with his work, he moved to pass off the notepad to his companion. On it he had scrawled out:

I have to agree with your choice. That lady is no joke.

The name’s Oz by the way.

“To be honest,” he started with a sheepish chuckle while he waited to see if the blond would read his message, “I’m not sure if this is even more obnoxious for you, so be sure to let me know if it is.”

Before he could get a response though, the voice of some lady cut through the square, informing delinquent trainers like Oz that he should show probably get a move on. “Ah!” the brown haired boy yelped, eyes quickly dropping to the watch on his wrist. “That’s my cue!” In his rush to get going, he let go of the notepad. Whether it ended up in the girl’s hands or on the street seemed entirely inconsequential to him.

But as he took off jogging towards the arena, Oz glanced back at the girl once last time and waved. “If you see me around, feel free to kick me in the shins if you want!”

---

Oz’s group certainly seemed like a rather rag tag bunch. He immediately recognized the darker skinned youth who had been dueling the Lifanite woman not too long ago, but he had no such luck with the no-nonsense looking brunette or the clumsy looking boy with white hair. The first to break the ice was the latter of which.

“Nice to meet you Xander, I’m Oz,” he replied with a smile, his hands tucked behind his head. He glanced between the other two, as if to invite them to go next.

@Shurikai @Innue @Raijinslayer @Atagait Denral

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Name:Osmeren “Oz” Morioka
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Appearance: Oz is the very picture of average and unassuming. Standing at 5’10” and a build that is neither scrawny nor particularly well built, he’s the kind of guy that is easily lost in a crowd. His skin is on the slightly paler side and extraordinarily smooth, speaking volumes of his time spent assisting his master’s research. He keeps his unruly brown hair in a short, lazy ponytail with his face framed by a set of bangs. The only feature that really makes Oz stand out would be his hazel eyes that are perpetually brimming with curiosity.
Hometown: Lifan
Personality: The very embodiment of the word affable, Oz always carries himself in an easygoing and unassuming manner. While it might be a stretch to call him charming, he is the kind of guy that can strike up a conversation with just about anyone. On top of that, he far too easily goes along with whatever flow he finds himself in and is one of the most imperturbable creatures in existence.
Relic Description: Oz’s relic takes the form of a thin, metal bookmark with one end beveled. And on that beveled end is a small hole with brightly colored threads running through it, each one storing a Natrelmon.
Starting Natrelmon: Eishund, Gen
Starting Spell Schools: Frostweaving [3], Windspeaking [3]
History: As far as Oz is concerned, life for him started when he was taken in by a certain red haired mage at the age of four. Raiha Morioka had always been an incredibly polarizing figure within the Mages Guild, as she is widely regarded for her ability as a Searsinger and herbalist, but her blunt and solitary nature makes her incredibly difficult to work with. How Oz ended up in such a person’s care is a puzzle to many, but not one that the young man himself is all that concerned about. After all, in his books she is the one that saved him and that’s all there really is to it.

And in spite of everything, growing up still proved to be a rather mundane experience for Oz. While it was far from typical, Raiha still give Oz chores of sorts, only they mostly related to assisting in her work or keeping her workshop maintained. Consequently, all of his time spent sorting her herb stock taught him a great deal about the craft, while her complete inability to make a decent meal motivated him to learn his way around the kitchen. The relationship between the two has never been quite close enough to be described as similar to the kind between a mother and son, yet at the same time not nearly clinical enough to be written off as simply one between master and her apprentice either.

Years passed by and by the time Oz turned twelve, Raiha formally started training him in magic. And to her surprise, she discovered that her charge had a greater capacity for the art than most. The fledgling mage had little interest in learning the art of Searsinging, much to his master’s chagrin, but took to the lessons like a fish to water. The comfortable and predictable routine of his daily life began to seem like it just might be able to stretch on forever. So of course he wasn’t all that surprised when on the day of his twentietha birthday his master dropped a surprise on him.

Raiha was leaving Lifan for the foreseeable future. Without him.

His master didn’t leave him any explicit instructions or advice, but she made it a point to let Oz know that he shouldn’t bother waiting around the workshop. There wasn’t anything in particular Oz desired to do, but given his skillset he figured now was as good a time as any to perform his Rites.
Professions: Mage, Herbalist
Noteworthy Skills: Remarkable memory, intuitive understanding of magic, fairly competent cook
Gifts: Magical Savant

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Oz Morioka

The sound of tumblers clicking in place rang in Oz’s ears with dispassionate finality. Strangely enough though, shuttering up the workshop that he had called home for the past fourteen years was proving to be a far more anticlimactic affair than he had expected. Sure he would almost certainly return to this out of place building on the outskirts of Lifan once he had finished his Rites, but still, he had been expecting… well, more.

Raiha’s letter had been so flippant and out of nowhere that Oz couldn’t even bring himself to be all that surprised. It was just like his master to suddenly drop everything and anyone around her in order to pursue the latest object of her interest. Although in her defense, the redheaded Searsinger had never done so on quite the same scale as this before. Her letter didn’t even say whether she would be gone for only a few months or if it would be years before she would return, only that Oz shouldn’t bother waiting around for her.

Taking one last sidelong glance at the workshop, Oz did just that and started walking towards the center of town. His recluse of a master lived as far out of the way of the city proper as possible, so the sooner he started walking the better.

---

”One way to Toran.” Oz’s voice just barely cut above the busy din of the station’s morning traffic. While he personally wasn’t a big fan of them, the only way to get from Lifan to Toran in anything resembling a reasonable amount of time was to take a train. He handed over the necessary amount to the attendant and glanced around, losing himself in the bustle of the place.

“Just a moment,” the attendant said, completely stopping in his tracks mid transaction. The older man eyed Oz up and down, as if trying to confirm something with a rather scrutinizing look. “You’re that Morioka woman’s apprentice, aren’t ya?” he asked innocently, to which Oz could only nod his head slowly in silent confirmation, his face scrunched up quizzically. Yet the attendant said nothing while he rummaged through the drawers on his side.

“Aha! There we are,” the man finally proclaimed as he held up a letter for Oz to see. “An odd one, that master of yours,” he went on to say nonchalantly as he opened it and took out the money inside. “Said her apprentice would be coming through here and that he would probably be going to Toran, so she left enough money for your ticket.” He finished his little explanation as he produced the ticket and handed both it and the money Oz had previously tried to pay with. But when his eyes fell on the aforementioned apprentice’s face, a small, unnecessarily apologetic laugh escaped him.

“Looks like you have it rough. Try to hang in there kid.”

---

By the time the train finally pulled into Toran, Oz had come dangerously close to becoming completely stir-crazy. The brown haired youth was off the train before the doors had even finished opening. He could have sworn that one of the train operators muttered something along the lines of “kids these days,” but he was already too far ahead of the words to worry about it much.

Oz didn’t have a particular destination in mind as he took off, simply enjoying being free of the oversized metal box that had been his prison for the past few hours. But even at his quick pace, he couldn’t help but marvel at how different Toran was from Lifan. While he didn’t stop at any point to truly appreciate any of the art adorning the various buildings and bridges, he couldn’t help but be impressed by their sheer ambition.

It didn’t take long for his gallivanting around town to take him to the town square, where some kind of commotion was breaking out. It didn’t take much detective work to figure out who the perpetrators were, as the crowd had been polite enough to give the two trainers duking it out plenty of room. The woman was instantly recognizable to Oz as a Lifanite, a true Lifanite unlike himself, while the dark skinned man she was trading blows with was much more difficult to place.

As his footsteps finally came to a stop, he noticed he was standing right next to a short girl with blonde hair.

“Looks like I’ve missed quite a bit,” he announced good naturedly, as if the two of them were old friends. “Who do you think is coming out on top here?”

@Atagait Denral