Shadow Daedalus

R W B Y :: G R I M M T I D I N G S [1 SPOT OPEN!]

I've got four ideas, which one sounds the most interesting? Lightning Ronin, Silent Hunter, Wolf Sniper or Atlesian Cyborg?

R W B Y :: G R I M M T I D I N G S [1 SPOT OPEN!]

I'm in, if you'll have me

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

James Cross

Name: James Aurelius Cross

Nickname/Alias: None

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Allegiance: Jaegers

Personality: James's personality was largely shaped by both his early life on the streets and his adoption by Grand General Budo. He comes across as noble and honorable, unyielding in the face of adversity and corruption, but is also cold and suspicious of those around him, even so-called allies and comrades. He shares many of the same views as his Father, especially on the Revolutionary Army and Prime Minister Honest. He sees Honest as vile sickness on the Empire, propagating corruption and rot, and intends to stand at his father's side when he purges the bloated worm from the seat of power, but believes the Revolutionary Army will only cause the Empire to collapse in on itself before they can heal it.

He is fairly charitable, giving what he can to make it easier for the people in the slums to get by, and is fair and trusted by the men under his command but is widely disliked by those outside of his command, especially those more closely aligned with Honest due to his stance on Honest's regime and the influence of his father.

Likes: Discipline, Reading, Violin

Dislikes: Corruption, Laziness, Bad Jokes

Fears: Failing to reach his father's expectations

Brief Bio: James was born to an uncaring family in the poorest district of the Imperial Capital, the youngest of 4 children and subsequently tossed out onto the street without even a name to call himself at the age of 5. He picked a name for himself out of old story books, learned quickly how to survive by stealing and joined with a band of children in similar circumstances, but broken trust and betrayals quickly tore the group apart and he learned to be wary of everyone, always looking out for someone that might stab him in the back. His life drastically changed when, aged 7, he was caught by General Budo, a field general at the time. The military man almost had him imprisoned but, in a moment of uncharacteristic behaviour, adopted him as his son.

From then on, he raised James in much the same way he had been raised himself. He slowly managed to beat a deep sense of Discipline into the boy, and James slowly began to take after Budo in his morals and values. He enlisted with the Imperial Military and quickly rose in the ranks through skill, discipline and efficiency, reaching the rank of Captain and gaining command of a small force of men by the age of 22. In an attempt to brown-nose Budo, James was gifted with Chronos by military officials and, although the Bribery failed, he took a liking to the weapon, keeping it as his weapon of choice for the next two years as he was deployed to quell various uprisings and skirmishes in and around the Empire. Recently, he was recalled to the Capital by his father to act as his liaison within a specialised group known as the Jaegars, formed to deal with the growing threat of the assassin group Night Raid.

Imperial Arms Name: Time Reaper: Chronos

Imperial Arms Description:

Chronos

Temporal Manipulation: The basis of all of Chronos's abilities stems from its ability to manipulate the flow of time around it and it's wielder.

In it's 'sealed' state, the blades are folded away somewhat like a halberd and the abilities it grants are limited: By increasing his internal time, he can think and react faster than most opponents. (OOC: For Reference, think of Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero and his Time Alter: Double Accel)

When in it's 'unsealed' or active state, the blades fold out/extend to form a scythe and the abilities can begin to affect the physical world outside of his body: In addition to further boosting his reflexes, he can use intense bursts of speed for travel extended distances or strike multiple times in less than a second and freeze incoming attacks long enough to defend against them. It also improves his healing, as he can speed up his recovery of wounds that can heal on their own, like lacerations and illnesses, and slow down the bleeding of those that require medical attention like stitching or surgery, as well as poisoning. Abilities that affect the physical world only 'bend' the flow of time and as such a small temporal recoil occurs as the time-flow corrects itself, for example James's movements are slowed for a few moments after using his high-speed 'burst' ability.

Imperial Arms Trump Card: Eternity Mode: Aeternitas - By releasing all of Chronos' limiters, James can freely manipulate the flow of time around him. He can speed up, slow down, completely freeze and even reverse the flow of time within a wide but finite area: He can reverse damage and wounds to a point when they hadn't happened, he can completely freeze an enemy's attacks and speed up time to decay their weapons and bodies to dust. He can only hold this ability for a cumulative total of 12 minutes, displayed on the clock-head on the blade of the weapon, but this time can be regained through intense meditation at the cost of his own life. To regain 1 minute of Aeternitas Mode, it takes 720 minutes/12 hours of meditation and sacrifices 1 year of his life. If the clock were to ever reach 00:00 (or use all 12 minutes), James would be assaulted by the damage he had caused the natural flow of time and his body would be torn apart. His limbs and organs would decay to dust and it would be nearly impossible to be revived. If, by no small miracle, he is revived and recovers over time (with artificial limbs and organs), he life expectancy would reduced to a decade at most and he would never be able to wield Chronos again as the weapon would no longer recognise him as part of the natural flow of time.
Extra:
Theme - Audeamus by Clocks and Clouds

@Agent 47 You don't have to accept it, I just had the idea and needed to write it down somewhere. Feedback would be appreciated though

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

Interactions: Gwyneth @Blackened World

Icarus turned his head as Gwyneth spoke, his mismatched eyes settling on her crimson ones. A small smile settled on his face as she told him of her faith in her self and in him, and he tried to make it comforting as she apologised. He wasn't too surprised that she did, it was simply how she was; underneath the calm and patience was a kind heart that was clouded slightly by a guilt he didn't pry into. It wasn't his place, after all.

"You needn't apologise... I cannot forgive myself for the things I have done, but you have a point. I am unable to see it myself, but if you believe that I still hold the potential to use the powers of the Tyrant's Heart for good, that I can save people, then I owe it to you and anyone else to try." He paused briefly to close his eyes and roll his shoulders with a small pop and a light sigh of satisfaction. A bad night's sleep, which was pretty much the norm for him, and the stress of the mission had gotten his arms and shoulders tense. His eyes slid opened again, but gone was the normal mismatched silver and pale copper colour, instead replaced by bloody red with cross-shaped pupils. To someone unfamiliar with his Imperial Arms, it might appear that the Tyrant was waking up but that wasn't the case. Instead, it was a declaration; he would fight, with Fafnir as his weapon."For the longest time, I've been fighting to kill, but never thinking beyond that. Kill the Empire, Kill those that took my family, Kill the mistakes I've made... I should have been fighting to save this country and it's people. It's about time I started, if you'll help me? If I'm ever lost, point me back to the path. If I let the Tyrant in, stop me."

He blinked and the dragon's eyes were gone again. He leant back into his chair with a sigh through his nose as his gaze softened a little."Now it's my turn to apologise. You just wanted to relax here and I come in and drop this on you..." He laughed softly, a sliver of a derisive tone weaved into it."Tell you what, when we get back from this assignment I'll treat you to a meal to make up for it. Deal?" As the last word left his mouth, he began to fear for his wallet. He wasn't exactly tight on gold, far from it in fact, but Gwyneth's appetite could still take a heafy bite out of it. Still, it only seemed fair given the mood-killer he had dropped.

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

Interactions: Gwyneth @Blackened World

Icarus was quiet for a moment as he formulated his answer, a particularly dark image settling in his mind. His eyes went to his hand, palm up on his knee, and his mind flashed back to a memory of that same hand, only beaten and blood-soaked. "It's ironic, really. The thought that lets me resist the Tyrant's Heart is the same thought that drives me to use it in the first place. I've seen despair, lost everything; my home, my family, everything and everyone I loved... and I refuse to let it happen again, to anyone. I will do whatever I can to make sure no one has to go through that again." He went quiet for a moment, one hand clenching into a fist as the other lightly brushed the scar maring his cheek. In his mind, Flashes of his past mingled with those of his new life in Night Raid, the faces of his comrades superimposed over the corpses of his family and fire consuming his new home the same way it did his old one. He let his hands relax as he adjusted himself in his seat, leaning forward his arms resting on his knees as he calmed himself with a slow exhale through his nose.

"I've lost control before, not enough to permanently fuse obviously, but it was still enough to build this fear inside me. It's why I went into hiding before I joined up with Night Raid. There was a small town not far from one of the Imperial garrisons near the northern border, I was hiding out there to recover after I was pretty badly wounded in the attack and this family took me in. I was there for maybe 3 days before soldiers came knocking at the door. Without thinking, I used Fafnir to take them out but... I didn't realise that the man was still nearby. He saw my dragon features and attacked me, but my instincts took over and I killed him. Put my claw straight through him, up to the elbow. I hear the man's wife scream, and people came running... It didn't take long for the shouting to start and suddenly they were attacking me with axes, farming tools, anything they could find in order to get rid of me.

Somewhere in the confusion, something took ahold of me and when I finally regained my senses I was surrounded by blood and destruction, starting at what was left of a little girl, maybe 9 years old. I didn't know it at the time but that was the Tyrant, it had been threatened and attacked so it slaughtered everyone it saw as a threat.". By the time he stopped to breath, Icarus's head was in his hands, fingers tight in his hair as the Tyrant stirred at his emotions. With Fafnir in it's inactive state the influence it had was minimal so there was no risk of him losing control, but that didn't stop him from feeling the slight presence even now."I killed innocent people that day; men, women, children... Everytime I use Fafnir's powers, I do it to prevent the Empire from doing the same, but the thought of repeating that terrifies me. I'm Pathetic...". He whispered the last two words, lifting his head and leaning back in his seat as he gathered his thoughts. He couldn't afford be distracted during the mission, so it was best if he gathered himself now.

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

@Blackened World Forgot to tag you in my IC

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

Interactions: Gwyneth @Blackened World

Icarus watched as the other members of Night Raid filtered out of the kitchen before pushing himself off of the counter with a sigh and did the same, grabbing another apple as he passed. Walking the halls, his hand idly went to rest over his heart, or more specifically the mark symbolising the presence of the Ultra-class Dragon feared as the Tyrant. It was always there when he used Fafnir, tugging at his mind to give in to the primal instincts and be reborn as the new Tyrant, some days whispering louder than others. It wasn't something he could really talk about with the others, something that they would fully understand. He looked at the fruit in his hand as his grip tightened slightly, pushing the thoughts away. This wasn't time to get hung up on this, just before his first real mission in over a month...

Lost in his thoughts, he drifted into the living room of the hideout but stopped just over the threshold. He looked up and spotted Gwyneth, absorbed in a book and saving her strength, as a small smile came to his face. He was glad she was able to relax somewhat, maybe it might help him do the same. He looked at the apple in his hand and shrugged before speaking up. "Hey Gwyn, Catch!" Waiting a second for her to react, he tossed the fruit to her in hopes she would catch it. She probably wouldn't turn it down, given her insane metabolic rate. Instead of walking out to train, he crossed the room and settled into one of the adjacent seats.

"How are you feeling? First mission since a month ago... Say, Gwyn, do you ever worry about what might happen when we use our Imperial Arms; you, me and Kyy?" He trailed off, uneasiness settling into his eyes. During the almost-failed mission, he'd felt the Tyrant's presence frighteningly clearly, a primal tugging to slaughter and feed, but other than that it'd had been quiet. Unusually so. He wasn't even sure why he'd stop to talk to Laevateinn's wielder over everyone else. Maybe it was because he felt she was the one that could come closest to feeling the same, given the draconic nature of her weapon. Whatever it was, Icarus felt like he needed to talk to someone about it, and she was the only one that might understand. Kyy was similar, true, but demons are pure and simple evil and, in a way, that makes it easier to deal with. But Dragons aren't evil, they're just running on instinct, and that grey area of morality is harder to push aside.

Superhero Story set in Renaissance Italy

I'm just waiting for a CS so I can start building my character

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

Icarus was laughed at the antics of his pink-haired teammate before accepting the offered plate from his tribal comrade with a raised eyebrow. "Cochise, you don't have to make me breakfast. Thanks anyway though." He shook his head with a sigh before hurriedly eating the meal and pushing the emptied plate forward. He fell quiet again as the conversation continued, mentally conceding Kylie's point that none of them could really be sure that it was, in fact, a mission assignment until the Boss confirmed it for them.

His eyes flicked over to the door as the man in question arrived, greeting him with a wordless nod and listening to the quick morning briefing until he strode out again. Icarus waited for a few seconds, going over a few things in his head before draining the last of his coffee and rising from his seat. "I'm going to get some practice with Balmung's firearm modes in the woods to the east of the hideout. Need to improve my awareness in tighter areas, and my effectiveness at longer ranges. If someone wants to come with me, they're welcome to." As it was, Kylie was Night Raid's only dedicated long-range specialist but her Inari lacked the range of the Roman Artillery, which gave the Empire a deadly advantage should they deploy it, and the weapon's basis as a bow and arrow severely limited her effectiveness at closer ranges and indoors. With enough practice and experimentation, Icarus could cover those weaknesses with Fafnir and Balmung. Finishing his words, he placed the used coffee mug in the sink and waited for a moment, just in case someone decided to tag along after all.

Akame ga Kill: A New Dawn [Always Open]

As the saying goes; Speak of the Devil, he's sure to appear. Or in this case, a certain dragon-wielding assassin. Icarus stepped into the kitchen shortly after Gwyneth mentioned his name, laughing silently at her comment about hunger. "You don't have to worry about me Gwyn, I'm not the one that needs to eat for 3." He leaned across the table to grab an apple from the bowl in the center before crossing over to the cooking tops and brewing himself some coffee. High-quality beans from the southern territories, bought cheap at a market near the border and one of the few things he's quite possessive about.

Coffee in hand, he rounded the table and took his seat. He deliberately waved it closer to Kylie as he passed her, a teasing grin on his face. As he took his seat, he nodded to the other two men of Night Raid before settling down into his seat, arms crossed with the thumb of his right hand idly stroking the red fabric around his upper left arm. It was a gift he had once given to his fiancee, now it was the only thing he had to remember her by, along with the silver ring hanging on a chain around his neck. He'd moved on, 6 years is a long time after all, but he didn't want to forget her. Shaking his head a tiny amount, he re-engaged with the conversations around him, waiting for the briefing to start. "I'm curious too. It's our first major mission in over month." After the team almost failed the mission a month ago, Icarus had devoted a lot of time into improving his skills with the Tyrant's Heart, and he was looking forward somewhat to applying that in the field, especially his improvements with Balmung's various firearms forms.