Final Kingdom MUSH - User contributions [en]

Avira

2013-12-07T00:45:40Z

RyuuAya: /* Acquaintances */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead of Avira's on-MUSH history. Arcs to be added as they happen.

==Brave New World==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

The shards were collected-but not all of them, as Merlin revealed that there was a final shard called the Spirit Shard that had to be collected. Based on [[The Final Shard|guidance from Mama Odie]], it seemed that the spirit shard was most likely contained inside a person. Turns out that person was the Dusk Princess of Manhattan. Unfortunately, [[The Real Xanatos Gambit|Hades knew]] that person was Avira. Hades revealed this and the contract she had made with him in front of everyone working to restore the world, forcing Avira back into her mutate form. Ashamed, she promptly fled.

She was unable to run forever and was caught by none other than [[Darkest Before Dawn|Katyna herself]] and [[Into The Underworld|delivered to the Underworld]]. (Morrighan even got in on the action, further cementing her animosity of the elf.) Fortunately, her friends [[To Hell and Back|braved Hell itself]] to retrieve her with Mercade managing to break Hades's contract on the spot-with a kiss.

At the next Saturday, which was the proper time intended, Sora and those working towards Manhattan's restoration [[Restoration|braved the darkened world]]. To bring it back, they had to recreate the World Heart with a great source of light. With the keyblade, Sora unleashed the light in Avira's heart, which in turn drew light from those who were there fighting to restore the world, and was completed with light from all those that were displaced from Manhattan. The process was something Avira [[Inside the Heart|may not have survived]] had it not been for Sora pulling her body from the reconstructed World Heart and [[Isaac Hanlon]] [[Waking Up Avira|intervening]].

With much of her light gone, it's unlikely that Avira can still be considered a Dusk Princess. However, since then, setting foot in Manhattan never fails to fill her with peace.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

An additional wrench was thrown into the system when Avira, along with a number of TDA and VALKYRI members, went to stop [[Summoning of The Fiend: Earth|Morrighan from draining magic]] from the Iifa Tree. Garland himself took offense at this act, which summoned the Fiend of the Earth, Lich. Isaac Hanlon, however, stood in the way of Garland's vengence upon Morrighan and spirited her to safety. Complicit in the wizard's plans, Avira also defended the elf when the [[Elf Hunting|hunter Clayton came]] to collect on the bounty posted by Garland.

[[Displeasure|Garland was not happy.]]

As punishment, Angantyr was paid to [[Grendel Attacks|destroy the VALKYRI headquarters]] and the surrounding buildings. Though Angantyr warned Avira ahead of time and did manage to evacuate those nearby and bring a considerable force to bare, the act seemed to more or less sunder the friendship between the huntress and the mercenary.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]], [[Dark Knight]], [[Ophelia]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Valencia]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], [[Argider]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies and Friends===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"You've been through a whole lot of crap lately. I'm so worried about you."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her here."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship?||"Seems like two steps forward and one step back. What the hell just happened with Maira?!"
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"The self-flagellation is getting really tiresome!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Scoundrel!"
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"At first I thought he was just testing me. Now I just thinks he wants me devoured by the darkness. This game is no longer fun."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"A dog always returns to his master."
|-
|[[Ophelia]]|Hatred|"What a BITCH."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|[[Argider]]||Affection||"A charming sky pirate that has offered VALKYRI his services. What isn't there to love?"
|-
|[[Aerith]]||Friendship||"An ancient huh? She's nice!"
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was Hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Maidenly Misunderstanding

2013-12-07T00:43:08Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/12/06 |Location=Wutai - Pagoda |Synopsis=Old rumors resurface to produce an unconventional job offer for the ladies of VALKRI. Avira attempts ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/12/06
|Location=Wutai - Pagoda
|Synopsis=Old rumors resurface to produce an unconventional job offer for the ladies of VALKRI. Avira attempts to capitalize on Vohstra's offer to her best friend's benefit. Guest starring Shadow!
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Shadow, Queegmaa
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Having had one of his indentured servants call Valkyri for a meeting of some kind, Vohstras was serious about everything he did, and always by the book. He dealt with professionals, and whenever possible, skirted around trying to suffer amateurs who were liable to botch things up. Somehow, the call resulted in confusion, and was cut off after the samurai's subordinate had given them the rendezvous point; Wutai, at one of the smaller pagodas. Obviously, verification was given by way of a viable credit-card number, which proved that they meant business, so whomever Valkyri would send to consult with Vohstras, at least they'd have the foreknowledge that they wouldn't be falling for some manner of prank! Vohstras was seated in the traditional Seiza position with his calves pressed against his gluteus maximus, while his shins were parallel with the mat upon which he was seated. For westerners, this was an uncomfortable position to adopt, and there was in fact, a more painful version known as 'nagashi ashi', which some folks could only do for about half a minute before quitting, and rubbing their swollen lower limbs from the pain-- yet, any experienced retainer worth his salt had better be able to adopt both of these stances without complaint, or expect to be drummed out of the order. It was bad enough that Vohstras, the 'fallen samura' had surrendered and been captured during one battle, which could've tarnished his name beyond repair, if it'd been found out.... fortunately, Shadow didn't speak, Queegmaa was allied with Vohstras, and the person who'd imprisoned him was a demon answering to the name of Rohy.... one who'd been slain. Today, Vohstra(interchangeable with Vohstras) was at his 'true' home where he went on the weekends after his work-week was finished, since Vector just wasn't his style, on a personal level. Appropriately, he was dressed in a silken kimono of beautiful silver, embroidered with all manner of Japanese-type oni, dragons, and cranes, while his legs were covered by a matching hakama, and the belt was a metallic sky-blue, just to add a little variety to his ensemble. In front of him was a low-table where he expected to do his negotiating; that meant the visitor was going to have to kneel, as well, or else sit down in a fashion that was more comfortable, but suited to the less pain-tolerant western-culturally inclined(generally speaking). On the side of the table, there was a dark violet shoulder pauldron, which looked truly mephistophilian in appearance, to totally offset everything else.... but he wasn't actually wearing it, which might've led one to question why a solitary segment of armor had deliberately been left there......

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Depending on who you asked, the reputation of VALKYRI could either be very fantastic or very laughable. In spite of certain incidents having occured nearly a year ago now, one particular rumor was still very hard to eradicate. In time it had faded though not entirely disappeared. That slow deteroriation was eventually responsible for pushing it out of Avira's mind. Not long ago she received a very confusing contact from someone trying to solicit their services. Precisely for what seemed to be lost in translation but Avira had at least extracted a time, place, and credit card number of the potential client interested in what VALKYRI had to offer. Notified well enough in advance, Avira was able to easily clear a stretch of time to meet with this person-thankfully on 'neutral ground.' At least...somewhat neutral. Avira had always heard that Wutai was somehow employing Heartless for their own protection, if the wandering ronin Raiya Fujihara had anything to say about it. In truth, Wutai was not a section of the World of Ruin that Avira had much experience with previously. She travels, not alone but with a taller bangaa that, based on dress, identifies with the 'warrior' class. As was peprhaps customary for bangaa, he did look quite intimidating, making up for what Avira clearly lacked in that department due to her short stature and perhaps even her gender. The Huntress comes clothed in tight-fitting leathers meant for winter travel and light fighting. There is little fanciness ascribed to the garb, clearly meant to be more functional, whether it be in a fight or fleeing a yeti. Atop that, a cloak rests around her shoulders, the hood turned down. Her long, braided hair rests over one shoulder. Polite inquiries to the locals lead her to the pagoda that Vohstra sits within. Before approaching, she shares some words with her bangaa guard, who stops and does not follow any further as Avira appraoches. Meeting Vohstra's eyes, she nods to him before seating herself carefully on the other side of the table. Originally hailing from Brooklyn, Avira was pretty Western. Her expulsion from her world had forced her to quickly adopt to the very different culture of Rabanastre. With this flexibility at hand, she does elect to seat herself in a similar kneeling position, carefully shifting her weight so it doesn't entirely fall upon her extended ankles. It remained to be seen how long she could remain this way. "Hello. My name is Avira and I am the leader of VALKYRI." she pauses, carefully regarding Vohstra, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes betraying the fact that there was something familiar about this man. "How may I help you?"

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras was not unaccustomed to bangaa, even if he'd had very little interaction with them; on the other hand, because Captain Egress was approximately six and a half feet, besides being infused by an esper that had given him unspeakable strength, it put him on even terms with most of said lizard-kind, while also possessing magic.... battling Avira -and- a bangaa could've been a problem, alas. Fortuitously for the takeo, the dark samurai, he was in a land where he had a slight advantage, because he could draw from the wellspring of their mystical sources more easily, as opposed to places that were a bit on the alien side, where he was comparatively weaker. There was also local law enforcement that would try to split up an altercation if either Vohstra or Avira caused trouble, so presumably, both would /try/ to stay on their best behavior-- just because the Mtek had a heavy endorsement with culture of the orient, didn't mean he would receive a free ride, and get to incite mischief at his leisure. When Avira entered and assumed the same position as Vohstras, his eyes darted downwards, fixating on her legs for a moment, denoting silently that she was attempting to be diplomatic, by taking on some of the customs of the exotic, eastern land. He remembered her instantly from the moment she stepped in the door, since those scars were very characteristic, as well as her height. The yari-wielding warrior didn't have such acuity in distinguishing sounds or vibrations that her voice rung a bell immediately, but as was the case with most humans, facial recognition came to him fairly well, so there was no mistaking who this was..... unless the woman who'd infiltrated the Esper Examination Chamber had some double somewhere in the world; anything was possible, right? Mayhaps, soon Avira will recognize him as his aura creeps towards, and envelopes her senses, which embodies very intensely the elemental affiliation of water, or more specifically.... ice. Only a radiance this caliber could feasibly emanate from a being with considerable potence, and how many ice-aligned folks of this measure has she encountered before? Whatever the case, when she enters the room, and introduces herself, Vohstras bows, then waits for her to speak further. Following her initial inquiry, Vohstra attempts to direct a telepathic message to her, which would feel odd if this was the first time she's experienced such a thing-- most likely uncomfortable, like a massive morself of food wedged between one's teeth.... not painful, but certainly something that one would need to get used to, if they could ever pull it off; whatever the case, if she resists very thoroughly, she may be able to block the incoming transmission.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her selection of bringing a bodyguard today was a product of past events and assaults. In light of those events, Avira had regrettably accepted the fact that she couldn't often go travelling about the World of Ruin alone. With the thought that there may be bounty hunters interested in fulfilling Baron's request, this particular bangaa had been selected today. This does cross her mind as she observes and recognizes the samurai. Knowing that he was a soldier of Vector, she had to wonder if there was some sort of agreement between the two kingdoms. She'd yet to see such an announcement but she knew better than to assume that all stategic political ties would be made public. Indeed, it was pretty common for countries and empires to keep such affiliations quiet. In a way, that made this meeting all the more intriguing. With each passing second, she feels it. Ice. She was very accustomed to that particular element. There was no doubt in her mind this man was the same man she had saw when she sought to liberate Maira from Rakassa's clutches. Her muscles begin to tense. Was this a trap? She shifts in her position, not from discomfort, but from nervousness. Though she was skilled, getting into a direct confrontation in this city could induce problems with the locals. Granted, she had some experience with random, brutal attacks in crowded areas before they were inevitably, very messy. Struck with telepathy for the first time, Vohstras will witness Avira's eyes widening rapidly. The sensation of suddenly having a foreign thought wedged into her head was jarring and it shows in the expression on her face. Beyond the initial surprise, further surprise and perhaps dismay follows as she parses the request of her client. "House-keeping services? I..um, well, I'm afraid that there's been a bit of miscommunication based on some events that have happened in the past." she says very carefully and quite cautiously. "VALKYRI is a clan. You might even call us mercenaries. We do not provide domestic services." Inwardly, she deflates. But through the wallowing in her poor, sullied reputation, she starts to wonder. Maybe this could be an opportunity? "Not typically, at least." she eventually adds.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras remained fairly catatonic the entire time, though, if Avira was sensitive to elemental affinities, she might've felt a sort of awkward, sickening energy exuding from the strange piece of armor left on the table, something similar to shadow-magic, if not that, as a matter of fact, except.... a very corrupted version, akin to the kinds of vibrations Heartless give off-- and for such a small portion, the vigor of its emission is strong. Even so, if Avira is herself of ice element, perchance it is that the Mtek's frosty sensations counter-balance the discomfort the fragment of armor seems to generate. Nevertheless, Vohstras cannot do much about making the inner sanctum of the woman's mind at ease, as far as telepathy was concerned, she'd just have to grin and bear it, or else insist he start writing on scrolls.... but that would surely take up a lot of time, thus, she had to pick her poison.... pain, or time wasted, which would've amounted to pain, as well, since her legs and her feet were likely going to begin feeling a tired sting, if she maintained the seiza position. This is also assuming she hadn't been in the practice of doing incredibly laborious leg workouts regularly of another sort, which could've made it less of a challenge. The reality was that seiza was healthy, and improved circulation over time, while conditioning the muscles, but in the short-term, it was universally perceived as unpleasant. Avira might've also noticed that the man before her had incredibly good back posture, implying that there were many benefits to a heavily-disciplined lifestyle. Then again.... his handsome features did not compensate for the fact that he'd not flashed a single grin, to indicate he was light of heart in the slightest, which meant that he was probably not just a stick in the mud.... but a stick in sludge that had been frozen over for who-knows-how-long. Although Vohstra had no intention of bringing her solace by denoting that he was 'off the clock', and that when not on company-time, he had zero interest in what Vector did, not to spite the woman, albeit because it was tangential to the business at hand. If she has personal feelings on those matters, that was not his business, and he had no desire to bring up irrelevant topics unless their circulation was made legitimate by Avira's introduction of them. He could tell very well that she was uneasy, and had his guesses as to why, but to him, it was her own fault if she let something like fear, anger, or even positive emotions like joy bleed into her predisposition! Vohstras was not unlike a certain dark elf Avira might have fought long ago at a rather large, mist-laden tree, except that he could've been considered less condescending than that fellow, if it was true that she were to have her memory jogged, thereby helping her make the comparison. Voshtras hears out the woman, and his lips stiffen for a moment as he acknowledges that they don't do domestic services, and considers dismissing her on the spot, in spite of how much scheduling she must have put forth to travel to Wutai, until she adds the words 'not typically', which opens up a new door in the bushi's mind. Prompted by this encouraging data, the Mtek seeks to send her another message, quietly, mentally.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Seconds pass and though she does not believe that Vohstras intends to visit harm upon her this second, she does not untense. It is equally likely that this man is a distraction for additional forces that are positioning themselves right now. Every recent attack she has endured has been at the hand of multiple mercenaries, including the one where Maira was taken. Hopefully her bodyguard would be on his toes and capable of spotting any additional forces that may be sneaking in for an ambush. The stretching on her ankles begins to hurt but, perhaps fortunately, that pain seems to take a back seat to the strange sensation of receiving telepathy. As an extremely active individual, Avira certainly can be considered 'conditioned'. Physical prowess was one of the first things her teacher, Angantyr, had brutally driven into her in that month or so of training after she had begged her way into his mentorship. Survival depended upon this conditioning. Ultimately, she could survive the seiza. Mental pain in the form of psychic attack was not something she had a terribly large amount of experience with. With each word she tries not to shudder, mentally wishing the conversation along. It's perhaps a great irony that her added answer is prolonging the pain. For a moment, she lowers her eyes from him, looking at that strange, darkness-soaked piece of armor. It wasn't a part of Angantyr's garb, which she could easily recognize. Perhaps from another dark knight? The question is posed and she lifts her head once more to resume eye contact. An answer does not follow right away, the woman opting to pick her words carefully. "There are two cases in particular. Charity. We provided the service for to raise money for a good cause." The maid cafe, in particular. Avira was a little shocked just how much business that event received. "In the other case, the service was provided as payment for access to a particular artifact we were interested in." Though that wasn't quite the story. There was a bet involved too, but Voshtras didn't really need to know about the rivalry between the VALKYRI and the Shard Seekers, especially in the pursuit of the Desert Rose.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' The standard seiza was probably something Avira could indeed handle, if she'd been tutored by the likes of Angantyr, at least for a few hours, perhaps; the nagashi ashi was probably another story altogether, but that was reserved for negotiations often for rival houses, in which one could swiftly lunge forward from a semi-seated position, and draw their katana in a single stroke. Although capable of this, Vohstras carried a spear, so when he strained himself by practicing such, it was mostly for formality, and staying in proper shape.... but then, the proper condition of a samurai who did not give into things like physical or mental anguish, meant that the kind of infernal wrathful outbursts seen in Angantyr's stunts was possibly an indication that Avira, and Angantyr himself were both not ready to part from their humanity, to embrace a demeanor that 'welcomed' death, when death was inevitable. To die for the emperor was to fall like the cherry-blossom, so the old phrase went-- yet, the Mtek didn't truly see Gestahl as 'his' emperor, so it was entirely possible that he himself wasn't on par with the utterly detached individual who followed the bushido code to the letter. In her defense, on Vohstras' first encounter with telepathy, he'd likely cringed at least a little bit, since it wasn't as easy to shut-out the kind of ringing in one's ears, and head, that spawned from psychic communications..... it simply was /not/ natural. When she faintly glimpsed at the pauldron, Vohstras jealously, instinctively placed his hand very gently on the object, as if to 'protect' it from a potential theft-- evidently, there's something that causes even this man to get slightly emotional! He doesn't make any announcements, and his reach towards the thing wasn't violent, or fast.... It was calm, however, definitely not accidental. As Avira gives her first reply, Vohstra's face remains untouched by any sort of sentiment, demonstrating positive or negative; he doesn't care one way or another for 'charity', so he instantaneously labeled it as useless information, and stored it in the back of his mind for a time where it might've ever been of value-- his estimate was that such a day would never be begot. The second response from Avira illicited a quirk of the brow, and he attempted to send yet another message to her.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Though they had certainly met on opposite sides of the battlefield, Avira would not consider herself of a 'rival house' of Vohstras. Though it doesn't go unnoticed that the seiza was not the best of positions for her to spring into action. It just added an additional factor she had to be aware of in case something went horribly, horribly wrong during this meeting. Though she can tell Vohstras does have a good amount of discipline, she did not want to start making assumptions about his behavior to ascribe Eastern asthetics of honor to him just yet. If she walked away from this meeting untouched, perhaps she would consider it. Her glance to the object on the table clearly did not go unnoticed, prompting the shinobi to place his hand on top of it. A brief wry smile is produced from the huntress-her hands have yet to become visible above the table, both remaining folded upon her lap, so to see this reaction over this armor piece is strange indeed. Only when the point of the artifact is mentioned does she finally see a change in his facial expression, betraying clear interest. It's at that very moment, it hits her. A brilliant thought that she must restrain herself immediately to keep from squirming with glee. "Previously, the artifact in question was something known as the Desert Rose, a magnificent crystal flower that appears at dawn for one day in a hundred years and disappears with the setting of the sun, unless plucked. The rose flowers in the desert, as the name implies, and requires the traversal of a sandstorm and stronghold to obtain. Obviously, this is an artifact of great rarity." She pauses for a moment, never breaking her eye contact with the samurai. "A piece of jewelry of great sentimental value to Maira was taken from her in her captivity. This necklace, set with a fire-red ruby, was given to her by a phoenix." Given the reputation of Vector and their actions towards espers, Avira refrains from mentioning that it was /the/ Phoenix that gifted this necklace to her best friend. "Should you be able to retrieve this necklace, I would consider it as payment for the domestic services of a VALKYRI for an extended period of time."

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Wutai's culture leads to a great number of ninja warriors about. Some are reckless and driven by effort. Some favor discipline and guile. Most have garbs that mark them as such-- often colorful when not requiring appropriate measures for field missions. Few have stark black ninja gear-- casual to Eblonians, the fashion deviants, and... Shadow. How long has that man been there? Was his presence easily confused for the wavering of others nearby through thin walls? The stray strong gust of wind that leans against the pagodas? Did he teleport? Substitution jitsu? Transdimensional portal travel? Maybe. Or just maybe Shadow comes from a world where magic was largely rare and learned his trade with unmoving patience as a cornerstone. Timing is more important than force in his field-- be in pathfinding, sellswording, or, in this case-- delivery. Why that specific time in the conversation-- if he could emerge at anytime? Avira may know-- as Shadow already has dealings with Maira about the necklace. The devil is always in the deduction. Silent footsteps draw the dark figure from the nearby shadows and into clear view. Shadow stands not far from the entrance of the room-- but clear in view for those that wish to see him. Tradition here would dictate to go to the employer-- to kneel-- to bow low-headed-- to receive the item with both hands. However, Shadow owes allegiance to no person, no culture, and no organization. He isn't bound by etiquette-- and no one hires him thinking that he is convinced 'their cause is the right one'. Cultural etiquette is included in the 'dont follow it' clause-- he adheres to simplier codes-- simply nodding to begin the contract with Vohstras. All his moments are very calm, very calculated. They speak for him where words fail.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' When Avira smiles as he fingers his piece of armor lightly, his eyes narrow ever so weakly, as though he disapproves of the fact that she's keeping tabs on the articles in his home, and already begins to become distrustful of the woman. Morrighan was another story completely. She completely baffled him, and went beyond the norms of professionalism, and had he not been assigned to her by Rakassa herself, the samurai would've never given the woman the time of day! Avira begins to ramble on about the nature of the 'Desert Rose', and Vohstras starts to become bored when he feels he's being given some kind of lesson on ecology. Nonetheless, when he hears the second part, he rubs his chin thoughtfully, and shrugs, relaying his thoughts to the woman accordingly. Now, when Shadow made his appearance, Vohstras turned to the dark-clad ninja, bowed his head, and arose from his seated position, while offering a hand to Avira in a gesture of apology, while sending her a transmission, unless she annulled it. After this, he treaded over to a table, and grabbed a scroll, which was rolled up neatly, and around the object was a paper label that read "Olivia of the Hollow Bastion" in rather large letters. Now, if Avira hadn't been looking closely, she might have missed this little detail, even when the Mtek closed the gap between himself and Shadow, returning to the proximity of Avira, at the table where they'd been sitting together, breaking bread, so to speak. So there you had it.... Shadow dared to venture to the lair of the Shadow Lords. But it had often been rumored that Shadow was not a brave man at all, because he'd run from something, according to the gossip Queegmaa released in order to try and slander the ninja who'd upstaged him in the fight against Rohy, after Rohy himself had spoken these claims. It was maybe true that Shadow was a bit cowardly.... but then, why did he defy death so much? There was a simple answer to that. He was not brave, but crazy. He ran from his feelings, and his past, whereas his own life meant little to him-- everyone had a little bit of crazy in them, but it might've been just slightly possible that Shadow had a bit more of this than the average adult man. Fact of the matter was, Vohstra wasn't normally one to send messages in Admiral Rakassa's stead on the weekends, when he wasn't on duty, but the last few messengers the Mtek had tried to hire through a particular agency outright refused when he had told them /where/ the package was to be delivered to, and it was not until the eve of Friday that he'd gotten ahold of Shadow, who would go from whence the devil himself might've shied away; if nothing else, the ninja was punctual.... Vohstras had only sent the summons a couple hours prior! This exchange is wordless. He knows Shadow will not need any reassuring words of comfort to instill in the man a sense of hopefulness that he won't be smitten, because not only did the assassin not care, but because both had a /mild/ level of trust, and understanding, that did not require words, -OR- telepathic rhetoric. Vohstras, on the other hand, is mystified as to why he needed to send a package to the Shadow Lords, but a samurai does not question their master, of all things!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira waits, perhaps emboldened by her idea to make this particular deal work. Though truthfully, having to perform domestic duties was not exactly something she looked forward to. It could be that a different VALKYRI could be chosen if Vohstras desired someone more asthetically pleasing. But if it had to be here...well... It was for Maira. She was so upset by the whole ordeal and the theft of her necklace only served as a disappointing reminder of her painful experience. Darkness appears at the corner of her eye and immediately, Avira stands, turning towards Shadow and slipping a hand to her hip where the strange hilt of her weapon can be viewed. Now Avira had suggested that Maira try to hire Shadow to retrieve the necklace but if she had, Avira was not told about it. "What's going on?" His refusal of her deal rankles the huntress for a few moments, though her irritation is superceded by the possibility of having to fend off an attack from a ninja. Not any ninja either, but Shadow. While she had hired Shadow in the past, Avira knows that Shadow's loyalty is bought. Had Vohstras hired him or someone else hired him to aggress upon Avira, there was little she could do to stop him save for throw a greater amount of money at him. There is only a slight bit of relaxation once she receives the second telepathic transmission. It was little comfort to see these two engaging in business with each other. "It's no problem." Avira says aloud in a stiff tone. "Since I believe we have no business with each other, I will see myself out." Though she is addressing Vohstras, her eyes remain upon Shadow as she speaks. While Vohstras has professed, mentally, he did observe honor and thus most likely adhered to bushido, a ninja has no such compulsions. If she turned her back on anyone, Shadow was the most likely to put a dagger in it regardless of previous transactions. "Take care." she offers politely before sidestepping out of the pagoda.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' It might be that the assumptions about Shadow are just so black and white-- much like the way he dresses-- that makes him easy to deal with on a professional level. He is predictable in business. Do you have work? Can you pay for it? Everything else is largely irrelevant so long a the task itself isn't long-term or binding. Delivering something is hardly either. Yet rumors will persist endlessly-- that he kill his best friend for the right price. That he is a coward without loyalty or honor. It is the mere VOID of detectable personality that makes people create fiction on him. Or is it truth? Shadow looks to the scroll. The name and destination evoke no reaction where a standard courier would twinge in personal concern. He takes takes it with a smooth gesture that lacks the grace of Eastern ettiquette. No bow. Just business. The other hand is produced for the payment. The amount is also delivered between them in a simple motion and placed on his person just as secure as the scroll itself. For a moment Shadow lingers. His persona disturbs the natural flow of life in the area by not being there-- a dead spot where something should be. Maybe the Reaper is truly just a step behind him-- and this man simply stands in its Shadow until it is his time. A pale gaze meets Avira's briefly before she completely steps out-- then there is nothing but a puff of smoke where Shadow once was. His body turns to wisps of thick vapor-- coiling into tendrils into the wind's current until it fades away along with the ninja. And then... silence.

Mortal

2013-07-19T22:11:45Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/21 |Location=Atlantis |Synopsis=Following the revelations of The Sorrow of Lost and Found, a distraught Avira receives a visitor a..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/21
|Location=Atlantis
|Synopsis=Following the revelations of [[The Sorrow of Lost and Found]], a distraught Avira receives a visitor and a request.
|Cast of Characters=Avira,
}}
Gentle coolness against Avira's forehead roused her without warning from a sleep she never remembered falling into. A faint noise like a groan escaped her as she lifted a hand to touch the wet cloth placed upon her. A second later she saw the familiar white-haired hovering over her and for a few seconds, Avira believed she was still dreaming. "Mom..?" she murmured hoarsely, immediately noticing how dry her throat was. "...is that really..?"

"Yes." she said quietly, moving the damp cloth back onto her forehead. A bowl of water was offered.

Gradually, Avira managed to sit until she was upright enough to accept the bowl. As the cool water rushed down her throat, memories of hours ago come rushing back to her. Her mother was still alive. Her mother was an Atlantean. Her mother was thousands of years old and would live for thousands more. The bowl tumbled out of Avira's hands, her eyes immediately becoming damp. "I'm...you're..."

"I'm sorry." Ardivashi sighed. "I should have approached that subject more carefully. I assumed that with your gargoyle friend Zia and your werewolf friend Skoll that you would have-"

"-been okay with having such a short life compared to all of you?" Avira said with a sudden bitterness that makes her mother draw back in shock. Her look of anger fades, replaced with guilt. "I feel like I got cheated."

Wordlessly, the older woman slips down onto the mat that had been serving as Avira's bed the past day or so, pulling her daughter into her arms to hug tightly. "Avira, you have to understand, life gives you gifts. Including lifespans that feel tragically short. Living among the surface has humbled me in ways you'll never realize."

"This isn't-"

"Just listen." she interrupted sternly, that edge in her voice all too recognizable to the Rosalie Levine of the past. "You have urgency. And because of that, based on what you and your friends have told me tonight, you have accomplished in the span of months more than I've seen done in the millennia-long lives in most of the people here. Take pride in your life, Avira! Your fire burns quickly but it also burns bright."

Silence followed for a long time before Avira let out a long sigh. "That is true. I...I need to make do with what I got. Even if it is unfair. At least Mercade..." she trailed off, the gears turning in her head before she pulls back to stare at her mom. "Dad. He's going to..."

"...be just fine. When we are reunited, I have a plan to address our differences." The sternness had left Ardivashi's voice, replaced with a familiar mischievousness. "But he must be found first. Would you-"

"Yes. Of course I would. If you're alive..."Avira looked her mother in the eyes, a resolute gaze upon her face. "He might be alive too."

A Vicious Trial by Fire, Love Chaos

2013-06-16T21:03:52Z

RyuuAya:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/13
|Location=Rabanastre, Corridors of Darkness
|Synopsis=Garland decides to up the ante.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Garland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Gossip was alive and well in Rabanastre's Lowtown. Archades had fallen. Archades had fallen in the literal sense-upper Archades specifically, leaving the impressive half of the city floating in the water. This was to say nothing about the hole created in the governing bodies of the mighty country. Rumors flew fast, up to including that a certain someone was responsible for doing in Emperor Gramis himself. Could the fires of rebellion be brewing in the anexed city? Perhaps...were the main military force opposing Archades's enroachment not locked away into the darkness. Avira takes no part in spreading the rumors, despite knowing a thing or two more about what went down than the average citizen of Rabanastre. Here, she is merely a consumer of information, drawing on the atmosphere and getting a feel of the reactions. She ached to know if Rabanstre would be subsequentially destablized, or worse, next to be targeted by Alexandria. What would they gain from attacking this fair city, though? The scarred huntress pushes through the thick crowds now clogging the allies and stalls of Lowtown. Little kids squirm and push their way through, tearing off to play or run more errands for merchant contacts. Avira appears to pay them little heed.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland cannot help but appreciate his own handiwork. It's a masterpiece of Machiavellianism, a masterstroke of malevolence, a multitude of murderous machinations and malefic magnificence; the suffering of an entire city, the death of an emperor, the installation of a man far more pliable in the face of power, and the beginnings of a war that would sweep out and consume not merely this dessicated World of Ruin, this patchwork remnant of his own lands and others so very much like them, but all the worlds across all the stars in all the skies. This was merely the beginning, but even at this overture, the rapturous sounds of torture and sorrow are all around him, filling the Soul of Chaos with a dark and terrible joy. This is a satisfaction Garland cannot help but enjoy, a black, monstrous satisfaction. Here, a starving refugee, escaping from Archades in the closest city they possess to a home; there, a homeless family scraping together, as though their love would make everything alright when the Alexandrian Alliance comes to rip them to shreds. Their pain is his food; their sorrow his delight; he feeds, and feeds, and feeds, as he makes his way among them. He does not need disguises; to all and sundry he appears no more than a simple Judge, a soldier of the Archadean Empire. For a brief moment, Garland takes a grim amusement in the echoing of such motifs - the manner by which the Judges adopted their code of dress so very coincidentally close to his own, the iconography of terror and order so universal. He could take credit for it, in all likelihood; he could state that it was his ascent, and the reverberations thereof, that cast the image of terror throughout the worlds, and he might even be right. Who could say? It was not relevant. He was not here merely to admire the malevolence of his own plan, nor to feed and grow stronger amidst the misery of the dispossessed. He had a purpose here; he had reason, a monstrous and terrible reason, but reason nonetheless. That was the problem with Garland - nothing was ever random, always purposeful, always wheels turning ever onwards. Perspective was the greatest gift of age. The children suddenly part; a hush falls over Rabanastre's Low City as Garland enters the market. Several soldiers salute; Garland gestures for them to stand down. "Detain that girl," the dark god orders, gesturing at Avira. "I have need of her." Immediately, Archadean soldiers begin to close off the ranks. There's likely a brave, foolhardy child about to make a very brave, foolhardy mistake of defiance; with all the rebellion brewing, such an open act of oppression might just provoke something horrible. Is Avira willing to risk the poor, innocent children for her freedom from the dark god?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Any time. Any place. That is what the manifestation of Chaos told her months ago. She was quick to learn that the presence of other people wouldn't stop it. If anything, he seemed to take delight in having bystanders in the mix. A chill overcomes Avira before the crowd begins to quiet. The prickling feeling upon the girl's skin is immenently recognizable to her and right away, she stops, scanning the crowd around her quickly. Her left hand immediately moves down to her hip and withdraws her serrated weapon, awkwardly working it free amongst the thickly-moving bodies around her. Just this motion attracts some undue attentiont to her-and for good reason. These people are already on edge. Having someone draw a weapon nearby only heightens their restlessness. Like cockroaches fleeing from a sudden light, the children move from the predicted path of what is assumed to be a Judge Magister. Avira feels her stomach turn because she knows the convenient misunderstanding that Garland's armor creates here. She doesn't hear all of what Garland says to the Archadean soldiers nearby, but based on the way they respond, it's not hard to imagine what he's said. Cringing, Avira points the tip of the Spine to the ground. Her right hand lifts to gesture wildly, "Wait!" she calls out, "Don't listen! He's not really a Judge!" She could fight them, she realizes, but all of these people around her would get caught in the crossfire. Running could be a better option, she reasons, but that would provoke Garland to action and those around her, those she's just spent brief /seconds/ looking at, would undoubtedly suffer.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' It's not really wise of Avira to shout such things in the middle of Rabanastre. The people who believe her are not the people she needs to believe her - the people who believe her are the downtrodden, the dispossessed, all too willing to believe that Archadeans might take advantage of the situation. The soldiers, however, are well-trained to follow the orders of those in armor; they react immedately to protect Garland as the various revolutionaries and rebels, the would-be heroes, rise up against their perceived exploitation. They struggle against the heavily-armed guards, but the spark is already lit; chaos erupts through the undercity, the powderkeg erupting. Flames dance through the city like wildfire. Garland's mocking laughter rings over it all. Here are the results of your handiwork. Here are the results of resisting - others will always, always, always pay the price. Someone gets close enough to Garland to harm him; the 'Judge' simply ignores the fellow's attempts to stab and strike, allowing the misguided guards to deal with it for him. As though he were in any actual danger. "How daring," Garland declares calmly as he passes through the crowd virtually untouched, the few who dare beaten down by the guards. "To shout against authority in a city in the throes of rebellion. I see you have learned well." "Perhaps I ought to...reward you."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Damn it." Avira swears under her breath as, not only does this not seem to sway the guards, but it seems to immediately spread violence throughout Lowtown. What also does not help this situation is that Avira was not an unknown figure amongst the denizens of the sewers. Clan Dagda had made their home here for months before they moved out of Rabanastre to parts unknown. To some, this is an upstanding, normal citizen being thoroughly oppressed by the Archadeans. This is the perfect reason to take up arms. It is times like this that make Avira realize that Garland's seemingly 'random' attacks are anything but. The deck is always stacked against her. Eyes narrowed, Avira approaches Garland freely now, purpose in her walk. "I sought to deprive you of the advantage you used against me last time. It seems I've made a miscalculation." A small part of her does not feel that bad though-Dalamasca and this city were spoils of war. But at the same time, with Ivalice the way it was, the Archadeans at least protected this city when it was being assaulted by the forces of Darkness. Right this moment notwithstanding, at least. "If you want to reward me..." Avira says heatedly, "...then you can do so by taking our impending fight out of here."

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Of course the deck is stacked against her. Garland plans. Garland plots. Garland plays the field. Garland knows what he does; he's had ten thousand years to deal with these problems, ten thousand years to work on the art of forcing people to suffer. Ten thousand years is a lot longer than most people really give it credit for. By the time most of these people realize that Garland was never a Judge, or a Judge Magister, or any kind of true authority, the blood and pain will have spread like wildfire. The rebellion would be calmed, eventually, but the cost of his passing had already come. "How interesting," Garland observes with that cold, impassive, apathetic air. It's almost worse than his malice; when Garland looks upon you with malice, he hates your existence. When he looks upon you without it...it's like you aren't even there at all. "You call it 'fighting'. Is it a fight, little Light in the Darkness, when a fly attacks a man? Is it a struggle when an ant is placed below a boot? You do not fight me. You survive me. You flee me." "And if you wish so to flee, little Light In The Darkness, then I will send you somewhere you will never need fear me again." The world opens up behind Avira, a scar in reality. Darkness whirls behind her; darkness, shadow, shade, nightmare, it yawns behind her, a tear in the natural world that the light flees and rejects. Garland moves forward, as if to pin her against that darkness. His hand snaps out.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Though Avira glares up at the towering Garland, shame burns in side of her. The apathy is palpable. It's obvious to Avira that this ancient being doesn't see her as a proper opponent but an occasional diversion. An amusement. Even after all these months. "Survive or die. Those were the parameters." In spite of the soul-crushing, depressing reality of the moment, she stands her ground, moving her right hand to clasp around her weapon tightly. He was coming at her, though no weapon raised. "No, I'm asking for us to take it outside!" she calls back, a hint of panic in her voice. It's clearly the thought of being sent 'somewhere she will never need to fear him again' which she immediately equates to being dead or trapped somewhere so unpleasant that even Garland wouldn't venture there. She hears a strange noise behind her and, turning quickly, she looks to find the yawning abyss. Her eyes immediately widen and she turns back to Garland, lifting the Spine, standing her ground and jabbing it out at him. But there is little contest here. Avira is shoved backwards and disappears into the darkness.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Those are always the parameters. Those are the parameters for real life. Fight Or Die. Survive Or Perish. And right now, as the world opens up around her, as Avira plummets into the Corridors, Garland's mocking laughter follows her. When she finally lands, there he is - in the middle of the shadows, the writhing misery of the Corridors, the dark pathways. Within this twisting maze is power, yes - but it is evil, corrupting, tainting power. For those like Garland...that is meaningless. For someone like Avira... "Now, little Light In The Darkness, we will see if you truly understand what it means to survive or die."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her hand reaches up, as if to grab onto something-ANYTHING-that will keep her from falling. There is nothing, the fingerless-glove protected-hand grasping at air and darkness. She finds herself filled with anger for a fleeting moment, the thought that he finally got bored of their little game and decided to just remove her from the picture for good. It takes a moment, but Avira does realize where she is, especially upon landing on what feels like solid ground. Through Angantyr and Skoll, she's passed through corridors before and every single time, she's hated it. Every fiber of her being screamed with rejection of this space between worlds. It was straight up anethema. Within, Avira stands out a little more than usual. The silvery sheen that occasionally manifests itself in the heat of battle is everpresent upon the scarred woman. It gives off the sickening sense of not-belonging here. Avira can see this effect, should she look at her hands, but right now there are other things on her mind. This place hurt. It hurt exactly like it did when she resisted the darkness that had come with her mutate form months ago. It would tear her to pieces. Avira looks around frantically for some semblence of a way out.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' There is none. Of course there's none. As if Garland would give her an escape to this place, where his power is at its strongest. Garland doesn't even draw his blade; he simply walks, the darkness appearing beneath his feet as he strays off the paths without a second thought. "Survive. Escape, if you can." Garland's voice is rife with that dark amusement again, that cold and distant /notice/ that is neither his wrath nor his complete apathy...but is his cruelty. It is the cruelty of a child with a magnifying glass over an anthill, and it is petty and cold and all the things that cruelty always is...if a touch more...*imaginative*. "If you cannot...I suppose you shall have to wait for *rescue*. Perhaps you will go mad from the sounds, first. They gnaw at the back of your head, reminders of your sins." Garland holds up his fingers like an errant, absent-minded professor, ticking down the dangers. "Reminders of your failures. Or perhaps it will be the shadows that drive you to insanity, the flickering visions at the edge of your eye that dance harmlessly, drawing your attention and leading you onwards. Or perhaps..." "Perhaps it will be something that kills you." "Who can say?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Nothing. Avira sees nothing. There is no light here except for Avira herself-in this single moment, she is ALL the light that exists in the corridors. In this single moment it feels like the entirety of this place was out to snuff it. Avira shudders in pain, nearly dropping her weapon. Survive? No, this was a death sentence. Anger brews in the back of her mind again as 'rescue' is mentioned. It could happen. She could wait for Angantyr to use a portal and try to piggyback on him out of here. But she'd have to find him first and that would take time. "...no." she says quietly, taking a step forward, "...there's not going to be any rescue." Shaking, she lifts the Spine with both hands and stalks after Garland. "Because you're going to take me out of here." Avira must've snapped because she's actually attacking him now. She's attacking him in this place where he's clearly at his height of power and Avira is at the biggest possible disadvantage. Maybe this wouldn't be a problem for a whole Dusk Princess, but Garland's condescending nickname is pretty spot-on. Her light is small compared to before which meant she didn't have a lot of time in here. Ultimately, that didn't matter right now. Stabbing Garland in the back with the Spine was what mattered and Avira forces every fiber of her being to do just that.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland laughs. He openly, actively laughs as she tries to follow him; she'll notice in a moment that he's not standing on anything like solid ground. Here, the rules of physics apply to Garland even less than they did in the normal, real world. Garland simply walks upwards, circling her as he moves away. "Your threats are utterly meaningless to me, little one. Do you really believe you can challenge me here? I am darkness. This place is my dominion, my heart, my soul. Your light does not shine strong enough. There is only one way out of here." "In your heart, you know that. In the little black spot in your heart that all humans possess, you know the only way to escape with your mind intact. How long, I wonder? How long before desperation overwhelms your resolve? How long before you give in?" "I shall be eager to see what it takes to snuff the light in your heart."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira feels the 'ground' give way under her front foot and stumbles, turning it into a frantic leap after him instead. She manages to soar for a few moments until the oppressive darkness crashes down upon her and she falls. A startled gasp escapes her and she drops until she hits solid 'ground' again, far below where Garland is 'walking'. Shuddering, she forces herself to stand again and tightens the grip upon the Spine. If it was impossible for her to effectively fight him in the real world, what about here? There really was no chance. This really was it. With a frustrated cry, she swings her weapon upwards, summoning a cutting force of will that seems to peel itself off from the silvery light around her. "No! I'll never give in to the darkness! I'll never let it into my heart!" She lets out a long breath and chokes back a sob before forcing herself to move, staggering her way around terrain she can't even see. Maybe it was just like after Brooklyn was destroyed. She remembered stumbling through the darkness then. Maybe she could replicate that. Liking this idea, she clings to it privately, desperately, while Garland taunts her from afar.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland hovers there for a long moment, silently watching her as she stumbles off into the shadows. Eventually...her resistance might be worn down. He might return, to taunt her; he might return, to mock her. He might come back just to watch her from afar, though he hardly needed to do such with the Heretic's Mark branded upon her from their first meeting. Who knows? Garland would hang there for a few moments more, then rip the sky asunder and vanish. Enough play. He has work to do.

Avira

2013-06-16T21:02:59Z

RyuuAya: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead of Avira's on-MUSH history. Arcs to be added as they happen.

==Brave New World==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

The shards were collected-but not all of them, as Merlin revealed that there was a final shard called the Spirit Shard that had to be collected. Based on [[The Final Shard|guidance from Mama Odie]], it seemed that the spirit shard was most likely contained inside a person. Turns out that person was the Dusk Princess of Manhattan. Unfortunately, [[The Real Xanatos Gambit|Hades knew]] that person was Avira. Hades revealed this and the contract she had made with him in front of everyone working to restore the world, forcing Avira back into her mutate form. Ashamed, she promptly fled.

She was unable to run forever and was caught by none other than [[Darkest Before Dawn|Katyna herself]] and [[Into The Underworld|delivered to the Underworld]]. (Morrighan even got in on the action, further cementing her animosity of the elf.) Fortunately, her friends [[To Hell and Back|braved Hell itself]] to retrieve her with Mercade managing to break Hades's contract on the spot-with a kiss.

At the next Saturday, which was the proper time intended, Sora and those working towards Manhattan's restoration [[Restoration|braved the darkened world]]. To bring it back, they had to recreate the World Heart with a great source of light. With the keyblade, Sora unleashed the light in Avira's heart, which in turn drew light from those who were there fighting to restore the world, and was completed with light from all those that were displaced from Manhattan. The process was something Avira [[Inside the Heart|may not have survived]] had it not been for Sora pulling her body from the reconstructed World Heart and [[Isaac Hanlon]] [[Waking Up Avira|intervening]].

With much of her light gone, it's unlikely that Avira can still be considered a Dusk Princess. However, since then, setting foot in Manhattan never fails to fill her with peace.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

An additional wrench was thrown into the system when Avira, along with a number of TDA and VALKYRI members, went to stop [[Summoning of The Fiend: Earth|Morrighan from draining magic]] from the Iifa Tree. Garland himself took offense at this act, which summoned the Fiend of the Earth, Lich. Isaac Hanlon, however, stood in the way of Garland's vengence upon Morrighan and spirited her to safety. Complicit in the wizard's plans, Avira also defended the elf when the [[Elf Hunting|hunter Clayton came]] to collect on the bounty posted by Garland.

[[Displeasure|Garland was not happy.]]

As punishment, Angantyr was paid to [[Grendel Attacks|destroy the VALKYRI headquarters]] and the surrounding buildings. Though Angantyr warned Avira ahead of time and did manage to evacuate those nearby and bring a considerable force to bare, the act seemed to more or less sunder the friendship between the huntress and the mercenary.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]], [[Dark Knight]], [[Ophelia]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Valencia]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], [[Argider]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies and Friends===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"You've been through a whole lot of crap lately. I'm so worried about you."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her here."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship?||"Seems like two steps forward and one step back. What the hell just happened with Maira?!"
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"The self-flagellation is getting really tiresome!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Scoundrel!"
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"At first I thought he was just testing me. Now I just thinks he wants me devoured by the darkness. This game is no longer fun."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"A dog always returns to his master."
|-
|[[Ophelia]]|Hatred|"What a BITCH."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|[[Argider]]||Affection||"A charming sky pirate that has offered VALKYRI his services. What isn't there to love?"
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was Hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

A Vicious Trial by Fire, Love Chaos

2013-06-16T20:54:55Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/09 |Location=Rabanastre, Corridors of Darkness |Synopsis=Garland decides to up the ante. |Cast of Characters=Avira, Garland |pretty=yes }..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/09
|Location=Rabanastre, Corridors of Darkness
|Synopsis=Garland decides to up the ante.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Garland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Gossip was alive and well in Rabanastre's Lowtown. Archades had fallen. Archades had fallen in the literal sense-upper Archades specifically, leaving the impressive half of the city floating in the water. This was to say nothing about the hole created in the governing bodies of the mighty country. Rumors flew fast, up to including that a certain someone was responsible for doing in Emperor Gramis himself. Could the fires of rebellion be brewing in the anexed city? Perhaps...were the main military force opposing Archades's enroachment not locked away into the darkness. Avira takes no part in spreading the rumors, despite knowing a thing or two more about what went down than the average citizen of Rabanastre. Here, she is merely a consumer of information, drawing on the atmosphere and getting a feel of the reactions. She ached to know if Rabanstre would be subsequentially destablized, or worse, next to be targeted by Alexandria. What would they gain from attacking this fair city, though? The scarred huntress pushes through the thick crowds now clogging the allies and stalls of Lowtown. Little kids squirm and push their way through, tearing off to play or run more errands for merchant contacts. Avira appears to pay them little heed.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland cannot help but appreciate his own handiwork. It's a masterpiece of Machiavellianism, a masterstroke of malevolence, a multitude of murderous machinations and malefic magnificence; the suffering of an entire city, the death of an emperor, the installation of a man far more pliable in the face of power, and the beginnings of a war that would sweep out and consume not merely this dessicated World of Ruin, this patchwork remnant of his own lands and others so very much like them, but all the worlds across all the stars in all the skies. This was merely the beginning, but even at this overture, the rapturous sounds of torture and sorrow are all around him, filling the Soul of Chaos with a dark and terrible joy. This is a satisfaction Garland cannot help but enjoy, a black, monstrous satisfaction. Here, a starving refugee, escaping from Archades in the closest city they possess to a home; there, a homeless family scraping together, as though their love would make everything alright when the Alexandrian Alliance comes to rip them to shreds. Their pain is his food; their sorrow his delight; he feeds, and feeds, and feeds, as he makes his way among them. He does not need disguises; to all and sundry he appears no more than a simple Judge, a soldier of the Archadean Empire. For a brief moment, Garland takes a grim amusement in the echoing of such motifs - the manner by which the Judges adopted their code of dress so very coincidentally close to his own, the iconography of terror and order so universal. He could take credit for it, in all likelihood; he could state that it was his ascent, and the reverberations thereof, that cast the image of terror throughout the worlds, and he might even be right. Who could say? It was not relevant. He was not here merely to admire the malevolence of his own plan, nor to feed and grow stronger amidst the misery of the dispossessed. He had a purpose here; he had reason, a monstrous and terrible reason, but reason nonetheless. That was the problem with Garland - nothing was ever random, always purposeful, always wheels turning ever onwards. Perspective was the greatest gift of age. The children suddenly part; a hush falls over Rabanastre's Low City as Garland enters the market. Several soldiers salute; Garland gestures for them to stand down. "Detain that girl," the dark god orders, gesturing at Avira. "I have need of her." Immediately, Archadean soldiers begin to close off the ranks. There's likely a brave, foolhardy child about to make a very brave, foolhardy mistake of defiance; with all the rebellion brewing, such an open act of oppression might just provoke something horrible. Is Avira willing to risk the poor, innocent children for her freedom from the dark god?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Any time. Any place. That is what the manifestation of Chaos told her months ago. She was quick to learn that the presence of other people wouldn't stop it. If anything, he seemed to take delight in having bystanders in the mix. A chill overcomes Avira before the crowd begins to quiet. The prickling feeling upon the girl's skin is immenently recognizable to her and right away, she stops, scanning the crowd around her quickly. Her left hand immediately moves down to her hip and withdraws her serrated weapon, awkwardly working it free amongst the thickly-moving bodies around her. Just this motion attracts some undue attentiont to her-and for good reason. These people are already on edge. Having someone draw a weapon nearby only heightens their restlessness. Like cockroaches fleeing from a sudden light, the children move from the predicted path of what is assumed to be a Judge Magister. Avira feels her stomach turn because she knows the convenient misunderstanding that Garland's armor creates here. She doesn't hear all of what Garland says to the Archadean soldiers nearby, but based on the way they respond, it's not hard to imagine what he's said. Cringing, Avira points the tip of the Spine to the ground. Her right hand lifts to gesture wildly, "Wait!" she calls out, "Don't listen! He's not really a Judge!" She could fight them, she realizes, but all of these people around her would get caught in the crossfire. Running could be a better option, she reasons, but that would provoke Garland to action and those around her, those she's just spent brief /seconds/ looking at, would undoubtedly suffer.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' It's not really wise of Avira to shout such things in the middle of Rabanastre. The people who believe her are not the people she needs to believe her - the people who believe her are the downtrodden, the dispossessed, all too willing to believe that Archadeans might take advantage of the situation. The soldiers, however, are well-trained to follow the orders of those in armor; they react immedately to protect Garland as the various revolutionaries and rebels, the would-be heroes, rise up against their perceived exploitation. They struggle against the heavily-armed guards, but the spark is already lit; chaos erupts through the undercity, the powderkeg erupting. Flames dance through the city like wildfire. Garland's mocking laughter rings over it all. Here are the results of your handiwork. Here are the results of resisting - others will always, always, always pay the price. Someone gets close enough to Garland to harm him; the 'Judge' simply ignores the fellow's attempts to stab and strike, allowing the misguided guards to deal with it for him. As though he were in any actual danger. "How daring," Garland declares calmly as he passes through the crowd virtually untouched, the few who dare beaten down by the guards. "To shout against authority in a city in the throes of rebellion. I see you have learned well." "Perhaps I ought to...reward you."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Damn it." Avira swears under her breath as, not only does this not seem to sway the guards, but it seems to immediately spread violence throughout Lowtown. What also does not help this situation is that Avira was not an unknown figure amongst the denizens of the sewers. Clan Dagda had made their home here for months before they moved out of Rabanastre to parts unknown. To some, this is an upstanding, normal citizen being thoroughly oppressed by the Archadeans. This is the perfect reason to take up arms. It is times like this that make Avira realize that Garland's seemingly 'random' attacks are anything but. The deck is always stacked against her. Eyes narrowed, Avira approaches Garland freely now, purpose in her walk. "I sought to deprive you of the advantage you used against me last time. It seems I've made a miscalculation." A small part of her does not feel that bad though-Dalamasca and this city were spoils of war. But at the same time, with Ivalice the way it was, the Archadeans at least protected this city when it was being assaulted by the forces of Darkness. Right this moment notwithstanding, at least. "If you want to reward me..." Avira says heatedly, "...then you can do so by taking our impending fight out of here."

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Of course the deck is stacked against her. Garland plans. Garland plots. Garland plays the field. Garland knows what he does; he's had ten thousand years to deal with these problems, ten thousand years to work on the art of forcing people to suffer. Ten thousand years is a lot longer than most people really give it credit for. By the time most of these people realize that Garland was never a Judge, or a Judge Magister, or any kind of true authority, the blood and pain will have spread like wildfire. The rebellion would be calmed, eventually, but the cost of his passing had already come. "How interesting," Garland observes with that cold, impassive, apathetic air. It's almost worse than his malice; when Garland looks upon you with malice, he hates your existence. When he looks upon you without it...it's like you aren't even there at all. "You call it 'fighting'. Is it a fight, little Light in the Darkness, when a fly attacks a man? Is it a struggle when an ant is placed below a boot? You do not fight me. You survive me. You flee me." "And if you wish so to flee, little Light In The Darkness, then I will send you somewhere you will never need fear me again." The world opens up behind Avira, a scar in reality. Darkness whirls behind her; darkness, shadow, shade, nightmare, it yawns behind her, a tear in the natural world that the light flees and rejects. Garland moves forward, as if to pin her against that darkness. His hand snaps out.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Though Avira glares up at the towering Garland, shame burns in side of her. The apathy is palpable. It's obvious to Avira that this ancient being doesn't see her as a proper opponent but an occasional diversion. An amusement. Even after all these months. "Survive or die. Those were the parameters." In spite of the soul-crushing, depressing reality of the moment, she stands her ground, moving her right hand to clasp around her weapon tightly. He was coming at her, though no weapon raised. "No, I'm asking for us to take it outside!" she calls back, a hint of panic in her voice. It's clearly the thought of being sent 'somewhere she will never need to fear him again' which she immediately equates to being dead or trapped somewhere so unpleasant that even Garland wouldn't venture there. She hears a strange noise behind her and, turning quickly, she looks to find the yawning abyss. Her eyes immediately widen and she turns back to Garland, lifting the Spine, standing her ground and jabbing it out at him. But there is little contest here. Avira is shoved backwards and disappears into the darkness.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Those are always the parameters. Those are the parameters for real life. Fight Or Die. Survive Or Perish. And right now, as the world opens up around her, as Avira plummets into the Corridors, Garland's mocking laughter follows her. When she finally lands, there he is - in the middle of the shadows, the writhing misery of the Corridors, the dark pathways. Within this twisting maze is power, yes - but it is evil, corrupting, tainting power. For those like Garland...that is meaningless. For someone like Avira... "Now, little Light In The Darkness, we will see if you truly understand what it means to survive or die."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her hand reaches up, as if to grab onto something-ANYTHING-that will keep her from falling. There is nothing, the fingerless-glove protected-hand grasping at air and darkness. She finds herself filled with anger for a fleeting moment, the thought that he finally got bored of their little game and decided to just remove her from the picture for good. It takes a moment, but Avira does realize where she is, especially upon landing on what feels like solid ground. Through Angantyr and Skoll, she's passed through corridors before and every single time, she's hated it. Every fiber of her being screamed with rejection of this space between worlds. It was straight up anethema. Within, Avira stands out a little more than usual. The silvery sheen that occasionally manifests itself in the heat of battle is everpresent upon the scarred woman. It gives off the sickening sense of not-belonging here. Avira can see this effect, should she look at her hands, but right now there are other things on her mind. This place hurt. It hurt exactly like it did when she resisted the darkness that had come with her mutate form months ago. It would tear her to pieces. Avira looks around frantically for some semblence of a way out.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' There is none. Of course there's none. As if Garland would give her an escape to this place, where his power is at its strongest. Garland doesn't even draw his blade; he simply walks, the darkness appearing beneath his feet as he strays off the paths without a second thought. "Survive. Escape, if you can." Garland's voice is rife with that dark amusement again, that cold and distant /notice/ that is neither his wrath nor his complete apathy...but is his cruelty. It is the cruelty of a child with a magnifying glass over an anthill, and it is petty and cold and all the things that cruelty always is...if a touch more...*imaginative*. "If you cannot...I suppose you shall have to wait for *rescue*. Perhaps you will go mad from the sounds, first. They gnaw at the back of your head, reminders of your sins." Garland holds up his fingers like an errant, absent-minded professor, ticking down the dangers. "Reminders of your failures. Or perhaps it will be the shadows that drive you to insanity, the flickering visions at the edge of your eye that dance harmlessly, drawing your attention and leading you onwards. Or perhaps..." "Perhaps it will be something that kills you." "Who can say?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Nothing. Avira sees nothing. There is no light here except for Avira herself-in this single moment, she is ALL the light that exists in the corridors. In this single moment it feels like the entirety of this place was out to snuff it. Avira shudders in pain, nearly dropping her weapon. Survive? No, this was a death sentence. Anger brews in the back of her mind again as 'rescue' is mentioned. It could happen. She could wait for Angantyr to use a portal and try to piggyback on him out of here. But she'd have to find him first and that would take time. "...no." she says quietly, taking a step forward, "...there's not going to be any rescue." Shaking, she lifts the Spine with both hands and stalks after Garland. "Because you're going to take me out of here." Avira must've snapped because she's actually attacking him now. She's attacking him in this place where he's clearly at his height of power and Avira is at the biggest possible disadvantage. Maybe this wouldn't be a problem for a whole Dusk Princess, but Garland's condescending nickname is pretty spot-on. Her light is small compared to before which meant she didn't have a lot of time in here. Ultimately, that didn't matter right now. Stabbing Garland in the back with the Spine was what mattered and Avira forces every fiber of her being to do just that.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland laughs. He openly, actively laughs as she tries to follow him; she'll notice in a moment that he's not standing on anything like solid ground. Here, the rules of physics apply to Garland even less than they did in the normal, real world. Garland simply walks upwards, circling her as he moves away. "Your threats are utterly meaningless to me, little one. Do you really believe you can challenge me here? I am darkness. This place is my dominion, my heart, my soul. Your light does not shine strong enough. There is only one way out of here." "In your heart, you know that. In the little black spot in your heart that all humans possess, you know the only way to escape with your mind intact. How long, I wonder? How long before desperation overwhelms your resolve? How long before you give in?" "I shall be eager to see what it takes to snuff the light in your heart."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira feels the 'ground' give way under her front foot and stumbles, turning it into a frantic leap after him instead. She manages to soar for a few moments until the oppressive darkness crashes down upon her and she falls. A startled gasp escapes her and she drops until she hits solid 'ground' again, far below where Garland is 'walking'. Shuddering, she forces herself to stand again and tightens the grip upon the Spine. If it was impossible for her to effectively fight him in the real world, what about here? There really was no chance. This really was it. With a frustrated cry, she swings her weapon upwards, summoning a cutting force of will that seems to peel itself off from the silvery light around her. "No! I'll never give in to the darkness! I'll never let it into my heart!" She lets out a long breath and chokes back a sob before forcing herself to move, staggering her way around terrain she can't even see. Maybe it was just like after Brooklyn was destroyed. She remembered stumbling through the darkness then. Maybe she could replicate that. Liking this idea, she clings to it privately, desperately, while Garland taunts her from afar.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland hovers there for a long moment, silently watching her as she stumbles off into the shadows. Eventually...her resistance might be worn down. He might return, to taunt her; he might return, to mock her. He might come back just to watch her from afar, though he hardly needed to do such with the Heretic's Mark branded upon her from their first meeting. Who knows? Garland would hang there for a few moments more, then rip the sky asunder and vanish. Enough play. He has work to do.

The Worst Kind of People

2013-06-08T13:08:20Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/19 |Location=Traverse Town |Synopsis=A few upstanding members of the Church run into some ruffians in Traverse Town! Avira is really bad at..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/19
|Location=Traverse Town
|Synopsis=A few upstanding members of the Church run into some ruffians in Traverse Town! Avira is really bad at taking advice and picks a fight almost immediately.
|Cast of Characters=Tifa Lockhart, Avira, Morrighan Alazne, Ophelia, Alma Hyral
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Twilight Town, the ever-present night. In spite of the darkness, the city never slept. Residents set their own schedules and their own hours as they saw fit-meaning good many businesses were open 24/7 with owners working in shifts. Down time could mean lost revenue, after all. However, some places with sole owners did close and of course, these were the places notable or useful enough to get away with it. Namely, people would happily wait for their services. Merlin was one of those people. Without a way to contact him, Avira was forced to make frequent visits to the wizard's house. On far too many occasions to count, he had not been present. He was a mercurial, forgetful sort that enjoyed going on vacatons and outings (something about a Wart?). Therefore it wasn't so much a surprise to Avira that he was not present when she had checked upon him today. Her plans to speak with him thwarted again, she'd quickly left. There are a handful of people on the street when Avira ascends the stairway that lead to the lower level of this district (and to the waterway where Merlin's mysterious house was). The scarred huntress pays them only passing attention. For now.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Ahhhh, such nonsense..." Morrighan grumbled to herself as she casually strolled through the streets of Traverse Town. Having just finished visiting with Rosemarie some time earlier, she had decided to step out and survey the town for a bit. Morrighan never really came out to Traverse Town that much. There never really was a reason after all. Everything she could possibly obtain from here, she could get elsewhere. At least until recently. Dressed in her usual extravagant dress, the dark elf looked a bit out of place among the more casually dressed locals. But it didn't seem to bother her any. Her red eyes slowly scanned through, observing people and places with only a passing interest as she moved. Eventually, Morrighan caught sight of a familiar figure descending some stairs nearby. "....Really?" She mumbled, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked a little closer. Was that Avira? She hadn't seen or heard about her in so long. ...Not that she cared or wondered. ...Maybe. Probably. Perhaps. ...Yeah. But really, there was no way they could possibly miss each other now. With a sigh, she gave up and moved to approach, not calling for her just yet.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Many people from the more 'normal' worlds, if one can even really pin down what normal is, are used to the typical cycles of night and day. Sunlight provides a great many benefits and visual cues that are difficult to go without: physical health in the form of certain vitamins, the emotional uplift that many undergo when the day is bright and cheery, and ofcourse the visual aid of time keeping. Without the sun to nourish them, plants are also not very common to find in Traverse save for the occasional variety of night-blooming flowers and grasses and those made out of plastic. There are, ofcourse, those who flourish in such circumstances as well. The night provides a sense of serenity and peace, almost as if the moon's pale glow carries with it a tranquilizing effect on the world below. The hot neon signs of the main shopping district of the small city attempt to battle this overcast with their own brightly energetic aura but here away from the bustle of the main thoroughfare, the moon's gentle touch holds sway. It is precisely because the sun never shines here that Ophelia has taken a keen liking to Traverse. Her rather specific 'condition' prevents her from fully enjoying the light of the daystar as she once used to but she came to terms with that fact decades ago. Adjusting to night life wasn't terribly difficult, despite her reservations, and she was surprised to find that even in her hometown back in Ordallia that there was much entertainment to be found in the dark. Traverse makes for an ample replacement to the red light district the vampire had grown so fond of, particularly because it is well beyond the prying eyes on the Glabados clergy. The young woman makes her way along one of the back roads, taking her time as she strolls through the less illuminated section of town. A young woman hangs off her arm, her face marked by a docile smile as she treads alongside Ophelia. Though not much can be gleaned about her from here appearance alone the girl is extremely pretty and clearly dressed to draw attention to herself and the vampire does little to hide her knowing smile whenever someone's head turns to follow them. Eventually the pair make their way down the street and turn the corner, only to come upon the slowly approaching women. Caught square in the middle, Ophelia pauses, her companion obediently coming to a halt at her side without being told, and peers back and forth between them curiously. One she recognizes immediately and a warm smile turns the corner of her lips up. "Oh, Morrighan!" She waves at the elf with her free hand, flagging her down. "How nice to see you again."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira seems lost in her own thoughts as she walks along. Whatever appears to be on her mind is quite consuming-but not so much that she doesn't pay attention to her surroundings. Her various teachers had drilled that particular lesson into her quite brutally! Brown eyes fall upon the familiar dark elf, though she doesn't recognize her quite at first. It's moreso the luxurious dress Morrighan wears that catches Avira's eye-a lone member of royalty maybe? But no, Avira looks a little harder and recognizes Morrighan's face. Her gait slows as the elf seems to be approaching her, realizing the last they had met, Avira was a mutate and Morrighan was helping Seith take her to hell. "Morrighan." she says in a guarded tone, "What brings you here? Isn't it a little bit...dangerous?" Somebody calls out to Morrighan by name, which immediately draws Avira's attention. Very carefully, she sizes up the-well, it's definitely a woman with a woman on her arm. Not something Avira was unfamiliar with, though it wasn't what really caught her attention. The dark-haired woman had weapons on her. "Well...maybe not so dangerous if you have protection."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' There's always lots of people in this area of town, but most of them are just keeping busy with their own things, the 'faceless NPC' syndrome. You know, they inhabit towns, they are only there when you need them to populate the crowd scenes, the rest of the time they are all work-eat-sleep in some non-descript home and with an unknown family, somehow turning the gears of this world's economy. Well, yeah, lots of those here. But out of those, there's a girl sitting there. She must be important to the story, she has a unique character model and all, sticking out from the crowd. Actually its only Tifa, for those that know her. She was sitting down by the fountain, a book in hand, leafing through it at random, while munching on an apple. The hand holding the apple is flipping the pages with a finger whenever she can. She has a bag of those books next to her too. Apparently found a few things of interest. But when she hears talking nearby, she raises her head. Well, there's Avira, but she doesn't remember the other two. They might have crossed somewhere... She's met lots of people since she got here, and with her lot of regular customers and frequent adventuring companions, there was alot to remember by. She hmms, tapping her chin a bit, and observing for now. No need to get mingled in discussions that she has nothing to talk about after all. If it comes to troubles or heartless though, she's totally in.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan slowed her approach, tilting her head at Avira's greeting. "Avira." She greeted back, her tone much less guarded. It didn't seem like she was up to anything sinister today. Just taking a walk. Yep. "Dangerous? How so? Unless you mean all these filthy peasants assaulting my senses at every turn?" Following that came the signature hand to the side of the face and the haughty laugh! "Ohohoho~" Ah, how long had it been since she last did that? But before she could continue on with the usual routine, someone called out to her. A familiar voice in fact. Morrighan hadn't forgotten. Turning to face the source, the dark elf smiled at the sight of Ophelia...with some woman hanging off of her arm. "Aha, Ophelia. We meet again." Pause as she stared, sizing up the other woman with her eyes. "...Come to have yourself some fun away from...prying eyes, I see." There was hardly any reason to bother asking why she was here now. It all made sense just by looking.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia casually ignores the stares of the other woman as she turns to converse with Morrighan. Her grin only spreads at her recent acquantaince's quick uptake of the situation though, as always, she makes sure her lips never part far enough to show her teeth. The effect gives her a somewhat awkward smile which is out of place with her otherwise composed and elegant demeanor but she doesn't seem particularly self-conscious about it. "Ofcourse. Those damned monks wouldn't know how to properly enjoy themselves if their lives depended on it," she states matter-of-factly. "Just because I have to work for them doesn't mean I have to obey their silly rules on my own time." Ophelia tilts her head to peer at Avira, sizing her up for a moment and quickly adopting an equally snobbish smirk before turning back to the elf. "So what brings you here, my dear? I do hope it's not to dally about with such unsavory sorts."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Being around Morrighan long enough has given Avira an almost Pavlovian response to that haughty laughter of hers. Even though it isn't directed at her, Avira grimaces at it either way. "Dangerous because that bounty is still a thing, you know. And..." she trails off. Sure, Avira could tell about the fallout from defying Garland. That this city was going to be subject to his anger because the TDA stopped him from taking out his rage upon the dark elf. Why, she could even imply that it was all Morrighan's fault. Avira shuts her mouth and does not, realizing how little that would accomplish here. "...anyway you've been pretty quiet lately, is all I'm saying. Though you might be, well, hiding." That being said, she looks over to Ophelia again, noting Morrighan's reaction to her with some curiosity. A brief flicker of discomfort follows-or...jealousy maybe?-as the dark elf greets the dark-haired woman in a friendly fashion. For now, Avira chooses to believe that 'such unsavory sorts' doesn't refer to her-even though that look on Ophelia's face pretty much said it did. The only real reaction to this is that she slowly folds her arms across her chest.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart takes another bite of her apple. Doesn't seem like Avira is too comfortable around that laughing girl. Oh, yeah, that laugh. It doesn't make her too comfortable either. So much of that upppity manner in it too. She stands up, picking her book, moving a bit closer, if only to even the odds a bit "Hey Avira. Some of your friends?" She turns those red eyes to the two other girls. Red, but that sweetness and softness in them that you wouldn't think her capable of any violence in normal circunstances. But heartless changed the 'normalcy' of things around here, even the kind ones need a way to defend themselves at the very least. And heartless don't really count anyway. She holds her bacg of book under one arm, tossing her finished apple up, and kicking it haki-style into a gargabe bina s she walks past one.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Hmm?" Oh, right. Bounty. Garland. Of course. She hadn't forgotten of course, but well...Really, what point was there in worrying? If Garland was going to do something, he'd do it. Morrighan just shrugged at Avira after and replied. "Well, I am not exactly worrying. There is nowhere for someone to run if he really wanted to do something about it." Ophelia's comment about 'unsavory sorts' drew an amused giggle from the elf who took a moment to glance away, covering her mouth to try and stifle it. To no avail of course. "Oh Ophelia...you may be right. Uncouth, ill mannered, barbarians such as these..." Apparently the just arriving Tifa was included in that as well if the glance briefly thrown her way was any indication. "...But nevertheless, despite her scarred exterior, she can still be rather appealing if you take a second look~" Avira is given an amused smile before Morrighan added. "Especially in proper dress. Say...a maid's uniform?" No, that was never going to die. Ever. ...Which caused her to remember that Ivo still had her memory sphere!

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "Hmm..." Ophelia turns about and stares directly at Avira, her hand resting on her chin as she looks her over once more in a manner similar to that of a jeweler inspecting a rough stone. Her head tilts to the side as she mentally overlays several different outfits on the woman's body, making absolutely zero attempt to hide her intent and after a few moments she turns back to Morrighan with another smirk. "I suppose she does have a certain... rugged charm. I could indeed see her being suitable as a servant. Does this insight come from prior experience perhaps? Come now, if you have pictures, do not hold back." Even though the vampire hasn't the slightly clue about Avira's aversion to maid uniforms the subtle mocking tone in her co-conspirator's voice is hard to miss and she attempts to play along. Tifa gets a passing glance but is dismissed for the moment.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "No." Avira reflects, "From him, there really isn't. He expects other people to do his dirty work..and it seems like nobody's biting." Oddly enough, Avira sounded pretty pleased by that. Almost cheerful! Avira herself seems to realize this and she immediately stops sounding cheerful about it at all. It helps that Morrighan immediately gives her something to not be so cheerful about. The giggling over peasants and barbarians earns an eyeroll from Avira. "Oh please." she mutters, lifting a hand to give a wave to Tifa. "They're more like...acquaintances." Then Morrighan goes -there-. Tifa, or even Morrighan and Ophelia, might notice Avira's entire body shudder and her muscles tense. In that moment, she is expending a sort of herculean effort to not haul off and deck Morrighan in the face. Speaking of faces, Avira's turns a bright red. "I respectfully disagree." she says, her voice tight. "That particular job is a waste of my talents." In regards to the photographic evidence of that moment, Avira's pretty aware that Morrighan no longer had possession of it! Unfortunately, Ivo went about spreading it in his own way. Avira is quick to meet Ophelia's evaluating gaze, if only to show that she is completely undaunted by the mental dress-up. "But really." Avira says, looking back to Morrighan as she frantically tries to change the subject, "What /have/ you been up to?"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart was there as a maid too. Well, at the maid's event that happened... how long ago already? She had to chide Faruja, which honestly was even more of an oddity to see dressed as a maid that Avira would be. Unless, of course, they are talking about something else entirely that she could have missed. She ignores the condescending remarks thrown her way. She's a barmaid, she's heard worse, she learned to ignore those, especially with this one literally thrown at large. You can bundle her up in any group you want, doesn't make it true. "Is there something particularly degrading about serving people and making them happy?" She asks the two, that seems ready to poke at Avira for no apparenty reason like that. "Or are you those people that only feel better by stepping down on others, giving yourself a false sense of superiority?" She doesn't like it when people make fun of her friends, that's for sure. She's pretty protective.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Blink. Perhaps she was hearing things in her not!old age. But it almost seemed as if Avira was happy that Morrighan was not captured and split asunder but Garland already. Curious. That all quickly is dashed away though as the maid subject came back up. "Oh yes, indeed. I do have prior experience. But alas a certain blue caped buffon has run off with my evidence. I have yet to locate him. Truly a shame." With a wistful sigh, Morrighan brought a hand to her cheek, smiling as she looked back on the incident. Good times. ...Well, right up until Angantyr decided ANG SMASH everything. Brainless fool. Dismissing the subject at that, Morrighan let her arms fall, idly keeping one over the other in front of her as she addressed Avira, smiling in amusement at her barely contained annoyance. "Me? ...Nothing of real interest. Working on the church when needed, doing my own research when not. I suppose you will be happy to know that I have not been stealing things from angry embodiments of darkness since last time." Apparently the elf must have been in a good mood today. She smiled and leaned forward towards Avira, poking her cheek with a finger. "And what of you? Earning more scars to add to your already large collection, hmm~?" Pause as she considered her own words, and then added. "Ah, but then, I suppose they do suit you now! Ohohohoho~" Cue haughty laugh routine once again as she leaned back and did so. Tifa's interjection is heard last and she glances over at the barmaid, raising an eyebrow. ...Who was this again? "Oh no, no. I simply adore those who serve others. There is just a certain...charm to be held in people who do such things, no?" Her eyes moved to glance over at Ophelia upon asking that question.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Opehlia steps back for a moment to let the exchange between the elf and the mercenary play out, smiling faintly to herself in amusement. Her hand rests on those of the young woman still latched firmly to her arm and the contact seems to breath a hint of life into her finally. She looks up at at the vampire with a half-vacant stare and Ophelia gives her a quick smile and a pat on the back of her hand which causes her companion to sigh in an almost eerily dreamlike manner. However, when Ophelia turns her attention back to the conversation, the girl resumes her silent vigil, staring off into the distance. "A shame that," she interjects upon hearing of the loss of evidence, since Avira seems quite reluctant to broach the subject. It seems unlikely she's going to be offering to model for her convenience though if she /really/ wanted there are ways of making that happen. Nah, too much trouble. And she's not particularly interested in Avira. Her eyes shift to Tifa as she also speaks up and the barmaid gets a once over by the vampire's roaming gaze as well. "Hmm. Now here's an interesting specimen." She nods to Morrighan with a smirk. "Indeed, there is great beauty to be found in the acceptance of one's place in society. Hmmhmmhmm."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Falling silent, Avira's attention is drawn by the interaction between Ophelia and the girl on her arm. Strange-the girl seemed almost drugged in a way-spaced out. On pause? Morrighan is clearly hearing things. Yes. Avira couldn't /possibly/ be happy that Morrighan was not being subjugated by Garland right now. ...right? She continues to smoulder angrily as Morrighan mentions 'prior experience'. Tifa quickly interjects with some heated words on her behalf and Avira reddens again. "It wasn't the Maid Cafe, Tifa, it was something else." she quickly murmurs to the barmaid, hoping that the other two remained unaware of the maid cafe-she'd rather not Morrighan know that she actually put that outfit on willingly at one point. Fortunately, Morrighan, invited to talk about herself, happily does so. There's a bit of surprise from Avira, "You're working with the Church now? Well, yes, I am happy to know /that/-" She is poked in the cheek, which Avira puffs, then moves to shoo Morrighan's finger away. "Well yeah. Business has been good." Morrighan's response to Tifa gives her pause though. Adored...did that mean that Morrighan really-nah, that couldn't be the case. The haughtiness between this pair was really starting to grate upon her and she twitches again.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has heard stories about that Garland, she hasn't had the displeasure of meeting him, but with the story of his warrant going around town, it reached the bar's rumormill. Still, she frowns as the two give her answers in that way. Looks like some people can't be exactly reasonned with, or just like to push others around like that. Well, she tried to help Avira, she hopes that the meaning got through at least, but opts for a subject change before she actually makes it worse instead. "What about that Garland? I didn't get the full story about what he did, or what's going to happen if you find him. But if you need some extra hands to hold him down, you can always call me up, Avira." She shows her support to the cause in whatever way she can. She doesn't think she'll be friends with either of the other twos...

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Oh yes, you /would/ be happy to know that, would you not?" Morrighan scoffed then and crossed her arms in a huff. "Truly, the church is an irritating organization. But nevertheless, they will do for now. Their facilities and resources are...convenient." Which is to say striking out alone isn't quite feasible yet. ...Yet. But maybe some day she wouldn't need to work for some organization and just do whatever she wanted. Her smile returned afterward, deciding to dispel bad or annoying thoughts. Now was not the time for them. "Oh, but would you look at the time? I seem to have gotten rather side tracked." Glancing at a watching that seemed to have been constructed on the spot. Ah, time magic. But still, she seemed to have realized that she was in a hurry. And so she turned away from the others and stepped away. "Well then, I suppose I must bid you all adieu." Glancing back, she gave Ophelia a smile, not midning the vacant woman on her arm. Far be it for her to question what others did for enjoyment now. "We will meet soon I am sure, Ophelia." And then to Avira and Tifa. "And I will no doubt run into you barbarians some time eventually again. Excuse me~" And with that, Morrighan strode off, leaving the three to converse amongst themselves.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia looks a little surprised as her friendly conversation partner decides to make a quick exit but she doesn't take offense, assuming she either had a prior engagement or simply got tired of being around such low-born commoners. She nods and waves demurely as the elf heads out, confirming the desire to meet with Morrighan again in the future before turning her attention back to the others. The vampire chuckles at the parting joke and with the other woman gone, she gives an almost predatory smirk to Avira and Tifa. "Well, then. It would seem introductions are in order. I~," she places her hand on her chest in a dramatic fashion, "am Ophelia Rosai Lovett. Since I am feeling generous today you may call me Ophelia. Though, should your desire to serve overwhelm you, Lady Lovett will do just fine, ohoho." Her hand goes up to halfway cover her mouth as she laughs in an almost exact mimicry of Morrighan's snobbish fashion. Yep, there's two of them.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A groan escapes Avira. "Can we talk about Garland...not now? I've had to explain that so many times lately." But hey, at least there was a lot of support. Goes to show what happens when a whole city is threatened. "I don't want to spend any more energy thinking about that guy than I need to or else the whole damn thing will drive me crazy." There's a thoughtful look on her face as Morrighan speaks about her connection with the church-namely the 'facilities and resources'. "Hm, do they happen to have a library...?" she ventures, only to have the dark elf flounce off to parts unknown shortly afterwards. "/Barbarians/? Hey!" The huntress promptly looks disgruntled again. Since Morrighan has departed and she, in fact, was the one Avira actually wanted to check up on (not because she cares or anything of course she's just curious!!), Avira's about to leave. But politeness would dictate that if introductions are in order, she would introduce herself and do everything to dispell this silly notion that she was some kind of barbarian peasant. "My name is Avira." she offers, unwinding her arms to gesture to herself. "Avira of Ivalice." Dryly, and perhaps with the intention of lightly mocking Ophelia's introduction, she adds, "Just Avira is fine." Already, she's shuddering at Ophelia's haughty laughter. It sounds the exact same! Noooo! One was enough!!

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' So Alma had intended to wake up earlier today to follow Avira around town... get used to her routine. Maybe even encounter.. /You Know Who/. /FOUR HOURS AGO/ Alma wakes up in VALKYRI HQ, only to find that not only had Sanel climbed into her bed, but that Sanel is little more cuddly than is seemly in his sleep. She tries to extricate herself, only to find that he's holding onto her even tighter. /OHSWEETCOSMAWHYISHEDOINGTHAT?/ were her only thoughts as she whimpered, trying to get out of this extremely awkward position. /ONE HOUR AGO/ She finally manages to get out of bed, without waking up Sanel. Cleans herself up, changes, and is out the door. Breathing a sigh of relief that Helena or Annia hadn't been there to see any of that. /NOW/ Alma Hyral was in her typical dowdy white mage robes, having shouldered a backpack and a leather satchel, it took some time roaming around town before she spotted Avira, catching sight of her and the two other women in one of the lower districts of the town. She'd approach which an affable smile which would... slowly fade as she got closer. Ever get the feeling that something just walked over your grave? As she looked at Ophelia, she had that feeling.. which quickly faded away. It was gone, just as soon as she felt it. And for some reason, that made her fearful of her. She would just sort of mumble, "H-Hello Avira." In a meek tone of voice, while nodding to each of the two women with her. She just kind of... stood in a way that had Avira interposed between herself and Ophelia. It looked sort of absurd, since Avira was actually slightly shorter than the girl who was ten years younger than her, but she more than made up for that in ferocity. "My n-name is A-Alma, A-Alma H-Hyral, nice to m-meet you both."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart poinst at herself, holding her bag of books under her arm still "And I'm Tifa Lockhart. I manage the Cloud Nine and Seventh Heaven bars." She's a barmaid, and has no complex about it either. She lets the 'barbarian' comment slide, since that girl clearly doesn't know any other fancy words to describe them right now. Not everyone can be gifted with a good vocabulary, instead she covers it with obnoxious laughter. She knows that type. And now there's another too. She loosk over to Alma stumbling over... She smiles kindly, and offers her hand "Hi Alma, nice to meet you." At least one girl that is kind, she wants people to be comfortable around her. Poor girl seems nervous.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' If Ophelia has something of a disturbing glint in her eyes before, she's practically predatory now that Alma has arrived. The meekness practically wafts off the small girl in waves and to someone like her she looks just like a little snack waiting to be gobbled up. "Ivalice." Despite the tempting morsel before her, the mention of that name causes the woman's nose to wrinkle up as if she has been subjected to some awful stench. She stands up a little straighter giving Avira a haughty expression. "I should have known. You practically reek of barns and inbreeding." Ophelia turns to the side, pulling her pretty female companion on the opposite side of her body from the mercenary as if to shield her from being contaminated. "So... how does someone such as /you/ become acquainted with a woman like Morrighan? Oh yes, she did mention how you look rather fetching as a servant, though..." She pauses and looks down her nose at the much smaller woman for a moment. "I still have my doubts. Perhaps you were one of her maids, non?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Alma. You followed me?" Seems Avira is half surprised by this. Less so when the younger girl slips behind her, clearly for protection. It wasn't unknown that a healer ought to be protected because, all too often, they would be the first to be targeted in a fight. Once Alma's behind her, she seems to stand up just a little bit straighter. "/Excuse me/?" Now Avira cannot contain her displeasure at the woman's comments. A barbarian could be a respectable title in some circles! An inbred hick, on the other hand, cannot. "Now where do you get off making such assumptions about heritage and breeding? There are many respectable cities in Ivalice-though perhaps you've never been there if you're going to talk about it so ignorantly." Quite calmly, Avira rests her left hand on the hilt of the Spine. "Morrighan and I met on the battlefield, long ago, when she /served/-" Quite a bit of emphasis on that word, "-the kingdom of Baron." Mentally, she debates telling this woman her version of events before Morrighan gets the chance to fill her in on the whole story...and decides against it. No need to describe that embarassing incident in full in front of Tifa and Alma. Just having Ophelia refer to it already has Avira flushing in embarassment.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma would smile briefly to Tifa, before responding, "The C-Cloud Nine? It's a w-wonderful e-establishment. I c-cooked t-there for a few days after I l-lost a bet to M-Mister S-Sherman." And then Ophelia spoke as some sort of elitist, insulting Avira's life. There were few times in Alma's life when she wasn't timid, or meek. She rather liked Avira, and she wasn't going to let anyone speak badly of her. She would at least refute the point.. but she still couldn't muster enough confidence to get past her anxiety the.. bad feeling about this woman had left her when she spoke up, "It's a-alright A-Avira. F-From the way she s-speaks she's p-probably just an O-Ordallian who is b-bitter about nearly l-losing their C-Capital in the F-Fifty Years W-War. T-They k-kind of lash out at e-everyone, or so I'm t-told, have to p-prove their s-superiority and get past their f-feelings of i-inadequacy." What, you didn't think she wasn't reading up on history too while she was doing all that research on the Ivalician Zodiac?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles at Alma "Oh, really? You must be the cook that Mercade talked about then? The food was very delicious those few days you know, the customers mentionned it quite often. You're welcomed to come cook for us more often if you want to." She offers the girl some work good naturedly, without any pressure. She looks over to the bickering starting between Avira and Ophelia (so many names in -a here today). "I think that was rather unfounded either. There's different kinds of people in every world, and there's some very classy ones even in Ivalice. And what you said doesn't even get close to describing Avira either."

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "Hmph. Pardon me if I do not take the word of peasants as suitable evidence to the contrary." Ophelia waves a dismissive hand at Tifa and Avira before letting it rest on her hip, jostling the ridiculously ornate scabbard hanging about her waist. Infact, everything about her seems to scream 'money' from the intricate designs that are interwoven into every single scrap of silk on her body to the golden gildwork that is infused into her armor and weapons. She smirks back at the mercenary woman, hardly put off by the united front being established against her. "I assume because it is safe to do so. Ivalice is full of nothing but uncouth mongrels who think rattling a few swords makes them impressive. Though from the looks of you, you never even learned which end to rattle." Her gaze shifts to Alma who has drawn aggro by attempting to wave history around like a weapon against her beloved homeland. "And you, rodent, should learn some respect when speaking of your betters. Not to mention, proper history. Ivalice's horde of barbarians never even broached the borders of our land, much less threatened the capitol. Too busy stabbing each other in the back to lead a proper force, hmph."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Then if you will not take my word...." Avira is quick to answer, her gaze hardening and her grip firming up on her unusual-looking weapon. "...perhaps you will take my sword instead." She doesn't draw her weapon here, though, forcing herself to remaing calm before the haughty woman. Inwardly, she is thankful of both Tifa and Alma for their words of support, even if they did little to phase this lady's attitude against them. "A duel." she specifies. "Unless that saber at your hips is purely for show." Given the fancy design of Ophelia's armor, Avira sort of assumed it was /all/ for show. As someone who went through gear herself pretty frequently, she knew better than to ride into battle with stuff that fancy. "A duel with stakes." she clarifies. "Since I'm sure neither of us want to waste our time in meaningless combat."

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' "My b-betters?" She sounds extremely amused by that, despite her meekness. After all, on her world her family would be considered the closest equivalent to nobility that any world would have, and she'd just give the woman a small smile. "O-Oh I beg to differ. B-Barbaneth B-Beoulve, M-Messam Elmdor, and Cidolfus O-Orlandeau nearly took Viura. It was a v-very fortunate turn of events that a-allowed you to s-stave them off. As it h-happened, your P-Prince Lennard came b-begging to B-Barbaneth Beoulve for a treaty in the end. N-Now if you'd like to a-act the r-revisionist and say o-otherwise, I can hardly b-blame you. I-I'd want to conceal that s-shame too." She'd whisper into Avira's ear, "I f-followed you, yes.. but A-Avira.. don't d-duel her. I h-have a really bad f-feeling about her." She'd glance sidelong, suspiciously at Ophelia. And then she'd glance to Tifa, flushing with pleasure, "W-Well I might c-consider it, whenever I'm in t-town.. I a-actually rather liked it."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles, patting Alma's shoulder as she reassures the meek girl of her good intentions. But she blinks at Avira and Ophelia. Looks like its getting mroe bitter now. A duel too? Well, she can mediate the two from the sidelines. She doesn't know that Alma is a healer either. "A duel might be a good way to break an argument, as long as it doesn't get too bloody..." She says to herself as much as to Alma, as it looks like Avira is raring to go at least. She looks at Ophelia, to see what's her answer to that. She looks like she has a sharper toungue than sword though, but she's not going to say that outloud.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia tilts her head back and laughs outright, a truly amused sound pouring out of her instead of the haughty chuckle that she had displayed before. "You rattle off names like you were there. Foolish child. No doubt your sources were scrawled by some Ivalician dog seeking to cast their nation of curs in a favorable light. You've hardly room to speak to me of 'revisionist history' when you quote blindly from musty books." Her glare shifts back to Avira, the expression of amusement shifting back into her predatory smirk. "As for you... do you make a habit of bad life decisions? Perhaps your warped barbarian mind merely believes that those scars are somehow marks of growth? Hmph. No matter." The vampire tilts her head to the side, appraising her would-be opponent once more. "While I highly doubt that you have anything of actual worth to put forth as collateral, I shant turn down a chance to add another mark to that peasant face of yours. Name your terms."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Bad life decisions?" Avira smirks back, "Or exciting ones? Surely even a stuffy ~lady~" the word is spoken as if it were an insult, "-would know a thing or two about excitement." She whispers to Alma. "I doubt she'll actually accept. She doesn't look like she does any actual fighting." However, Avira isn't the spectacular judge of character that, say, Max is, apparently. It is a bit of a surprise to hear her actually accept the challenge. Carefully, she manages to mask her surprise and continues with hardly a beat missed. "Oh? I disagree. My terms are this...should you /happen/ to win, then I will acquiesce to showing you that awful outfit that Morrighan had me in. The very one she was referring to earlier. However, if I win, then I will see you in Dalamascan clothing. The clothing of my countrymen that you continue to slander with your ignorance." Not that they're /actually/ Avira's 'countrymen', but Ivalice has certainly grown on her and she would readily accept it as a second world, issues and all.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' "O-Oh. Y-You think so? M-Maybe I'll have to s-show you t-those musty old b-books one day. So y-you can refute the O-Ordallian historians." She says this in an idle tone, clearly no longer interested in bandying words with the pompous woman. She whispers back to Avira, "N-No.. I think she's d-dangerous..be c-careful." And then a glance back to Tifa, "W-Well.. I-I'm a healer. If A-Avira w-wins too h-handily I can a-always put the other l-lady back together."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart nods to Alma, patting her again "I'll treat you to a drink after this then, just make sure they don't kill each other hm?" She's going to do the same, but not with healing. She takes a step back though, not wanting to get in the way of the two. "Avira's strong, I'm not too worried, but I have no idea what that girl can do..."

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia ignores the mage completely now, having decided that such childish arguing with someone who is clearly out to show her up is pointless. Instead she focuses on the duel that is being laid out. The vampire looks thoughtful for a few moments, weighing the amount of effort it would take to actually show up to the duel over the enterainment she would get from rubbing this uppity woman's face in the dirt. It's a pretty easy decision because the thought that she might lose doesn't even touch her mind. "Very well, your terms are acceptable. I do hope you look as appealing in them as Morrighan claims, I would hate to waste my time for nothing." Her hand goes up to run through her hair flippantly, showing no signs of trepidation or worry. "Unfortunately, I cannot grace you with a proper beating right at this moment. My schedule is rather occupied." She turns and runs her fingers along the cheeks of the woman attached to her arm as if to emphasize her point. "Tomorrow. When the clock strikes twelve. Meet me on the beach. If I must dirty my hands, I atleast would prefer someplace comfortable."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Oh, not right now? What a /shame/." Avira says icly. "Well, I suppose if you want to come up with an excuse between now and then to back out, I will allow for that." she taps a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Though it would reflect so poorly on your reputation." Losing really doesn't enter Avira's mind either, which is why she had wagered such a humiliating outcome on her part. That and offering such would make actually attending the duel more tempting since she had noticed this woman had an inordinate amount of interest in that past event when Morrighan brought it up. "Then it is settled. Tomorrow at twelve on the beach. And /do/ be ready to provide your clothing sizes." Avira smiles in a far too cheerful manner, standing her ground, continuing to keep herself between Alma and Ophelia.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma would have found that ironic given all the pompous insults that the woman had been throwing around earlier. But she's kind of glad it was done with. She didn't /like/ to show that side of herself. She portrayed herself as far stupider than she actually was in general because she was so socially awkward that she'd just run her mouth off all the time, say the wrong thing, and just draw even more bullying and hatred her way. She wasn't strong enough to take the /extra aggro/ so to speak. Acting as non-threatening as possible allowed her to not provoke fights that have others test her.. especially since as a pacifist, she wouldn't fight back in general. That's why she didn't like to do this.. something about Ophelia just.. rubbed her the wrong way, and she wasn't going to take her insults against Avira laying down. "A-Alright. I-I'll be there too. J-Just in c-case one of you n-needs p-patching up." She'd look sidelong to Tifa, and nod, "A-Alright, I w-will. I p-promise."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart tugs Alma back toward the fountain to sit down... hopefully out of range. The citizens also learned not to get in the way of those, and the plaza gets strangely empty, pretty fast! Actually many of them are some lenght away, watching, creating a circle of curious people around the two.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "I don't expect peasants to understand the perks that money can bring. But by all means, bring all the people you like. They'll just be there to witness your defeat, ohohoho!" Ophelia casually brushes off barbed words with another wave of her hand and turns to leave. Her silent companion instantly becomes animated again, quickly moving to keep up, and within a few moments the pair disappear into the small crowd that has formed.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira rolls her eyes SO HARD as she watches the haughty woman leave. "Good Faram." she mutters, turning around to face Tifa and Alma, ignoring the small crowd they've drawn with their heated exchanges. "Good then...so you know healing magic, is it? And you've picked up Ivalician history pretty well for not being a native. You must love to read." Avira nods appreciatively.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' "O-Oh yes. I k-know healing magic." She decides to leave it at that on her magic, "And I'm a r-researcher. In a-astronomy in p-particular. I-Ivalice's Z-Zodiac is intimately t-tied into its h-history and r-religious history, so I had to read up on it quite a bit." She'd just smile a bit. "I d-do love to r-read. On e-everything. T-Though some s-subjects interest me m-more than others."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles to Alma "I don't now any magic. I have some materias that allow me to boost up my speed and strength, but that's it. I thought about maybe training to learn magic too." She ponders about it too, putting her bag of books beside herself. She blinks as Ophelia just ups an eleaves though. The crowd murmurs and dissipates rapidly. "Looks like she didn't want to get the attention huh? You know her weak point now." She kids.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira starts to walk in the direction OPPOSITE of where Ophelia left. "It /is/. Fascinating, isn't it? I know how it is though...reading a lot in order to catch up." She stops herself at that point, deciding not to clarify any further. After that performance, she didn't want to spill to these two that she lied and wasn't really from Ivalice. "Well, we'll see if she shows up tomorrow. Anyway, no need to be standing around here anymore."

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma would follow Avira from the fountain like a puppy, "W-Well, I h-have had a lot of f-free time. I-It's not like m-much is e-expected of me.." She'd look between the two women and just say, "W-Well.. what about we go h-have an early d-dinner? I c-could w-whip you up s-something fast."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles at Alma, nodding "Well found sounds good right now. Especially with your cooking Alma." She nods to Avira "I'm still not sure what her deal was... I mean, why throw insults at random like that..." She sighs. She'll never understand those kinds of people.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Sold. I am all for dinner." Avira grins, changing direction to what is no doubt the path to the VALKYRI headquarters. "Her deal? Well, she simply thought she was better than us and saw it fit to remind us of that constantly. Tomorrow, however, I will prove this to not be the case when I best her in combat."

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' She remains quiet for a few more steps as she listens and follows before saying, "A-Avira.. I s-still have a r-really bad f-feeling about her..I w-wish you w-wouldn't fight her." She'd continue to walk with them, all the way back to the headquarters.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart follows suit, not turning down the offer for food. Plus that Alma girl seems pretty nice too. Making new friends is always nice. "Yeah, she seems to look down at everyone without exception. That's what I tried to bring out when I interrupted you at first, but obviously she doesn't care about that. Its not 'accidental', its purely willing there." She sighs.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Bad feeling exactly?" She doesn't sound disbelieving of Alma, just curious. Maybe she had some kind of magic sense that elluded Avira. It wouldn't be the first person that did! "But I can't back down now. Don't worry, nothing too bad will happen if you are around." Well, except for losing. That would be pretty humiliating. "Maybe she'll change her tune with a bit of...fisticuffs." Avira's eyes gleam.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' "I d-don't know. I g-get it s-sometimes..and s-some people.." The girl kind of looks down at her feet, "T-They get it a-about me.."

Battle Without Honor or Humanity!

2013-06-08T13:04:48Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/21 |Location=Bodhum Beach |Synopsis=For the honor of insulted Ivaliceans everywhere, Avira has a duel with Ophelia! Things end poorly, as e..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/21
|Location=Bodhum Beach
|Synopsis=For the honor of insulted Ivaliceans everywhere, Avira has a duel with Ophelia! Things end poorly, as expected.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Morrighan Alazne, Ophelia
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' The wide gentle crescent of sand that forms the Bodhum beach is a popular place for tourists and residents alike despite the lack of sunlight that typically draws crowds. The darkly tanned skin of surfers and sunbathers is noticably absent among the people that gather here though that doesn't stop the bolder beach-goers from dressing in skimpy swimsuits. Other attractions are available besides the golden glow of daylight: fireworks are a common occurance for the elaborate resort and several cozy wooden shacks provide ample amounts of alcohol to take the edge off a hard day. Today, a different sort of attraction has drawn the sizable crowds. Word of the heated face-off between the Valkyrie's popular commander and the unknown but exotic woman culminating in their mutually agreed upon duel has spread among the small town like wildfire. Though the community here is fairly small and tight-knit, the speed at which this has happened may have been due to a little outside assistance. Afterall, what's the point of rubbing someone's face in the mud if you don't have witnesses to see it? Ophelia waits at the center of a large patch of sandy beach away from the docks and the main buildings. The crowds have formed in a cirlce around her, a thick buzzing din of conversation providing a steady background radiation as she waits for the arrival of her opponent. Despite clearly looking forward to this event, the young woman looks rather perturbed about something. That something happens to be named Alexander. Standing at her shoulder with a scowl that could curdle milk, an old man in a worn-out duster jacket glares at her pointedly with his arms crossed. The wide-brimmed hat on his head obscures his hawkish eyes in shadow but the piercing stare of his beady black eyes is almost palpable on her back. She does her best to ignore him, casually filing her nails with what looks like a popcicle stick with a rough pattern engraved into one side but the rather commonplace utensil is clearly made out of some sort of crystal and decorated with golden trim.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Word travels fast in Traverse Town, especially if it's one concerning someone indirectly responsible for a good deal of collateral damage within the city. It was probably some consolation that this duel would be occuring in a place free of buildings and fountains to crash into. Only the bystanders would need to concern themselves with getting too close to the action. The short, scarred woman arrives promptly though one could hardly tell since the woman she has challenged is already there waiting. It actually comes as to a bit of a surprise to Avira since she'd honestly expected the woman to blow off a "peasant" like her. But, she had also gambled on the chance that someone so haughty would enjoy the opportunity to publically humiliate someone. That is, assuming that Ophelia managed to best her in this duel. She hardly arrives alone, Alma trailing and quailing far behind her with the intention of remaining beneath Ophelia's notice. She is here, of course, to provide healing afterwards but will certainly not interfere. "So you are here." Avira greets evenly as she strides into the circle of onlookers to meet her opponent. "Good. I doubt either of us need a reminder of the stakes?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Considering that she was currently staying in Traverse Town for a much needed break, it was no long before Morrighan had heard of this particular face off to be. Naturally, she could be found amongst the crowd of onlookers, having told Rosemarie that she was going to be attending something...entertaining. Whether or not Avira or Ophelia won, it was sure to be wildly entertaining, thus, Morrighan held absolutely no intentions to cheer. She would just...watch. And see just where this was headed. There were no words to be given to either contestant either. Playing favorites was baaaad. ...Not that Avira was a favorite. Of course not! Never! It's not like Morrighan cared about her at all! ...Or even a little. ...Yeah!

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia casts a lazy glance sideways as the crowd parts to make way for the other contestant. She does not answer immediately, returning to the obviously far more important task of ensuring that her painted nails are neat and even, filing away for several seconds before she gets to her feet. The old man behind her grunts before she can get the first words out of her mouth, which immediately twists them into a scowl to match his own. The woman turns and glances back at him and the stranger steps foward to stand beside her. "This is my mentor," she says without enthusiasm. "Alexander Cromwell." The man inclines his head to Avira before Ophelia can comment further, extending a hand her way. "I hear my apprentice has gone and shot her mouth off again. I've come along to observe and make sure she doesn't do anything... foolish." The samurai lets out a derisive 'hmph!' but doesn't attempt to say anything back. Instead, she turns and waves an arm at the crowd, giving them the order to step back and make room for their bout with a wordless gesture.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' At the clearly preplanned rudeness, Avira rolls her eyes and inwardly reflects that she seems to be rolling her eyes a lot around this particular woman. In fact, she does it nearly as much as when Morrighan is about-oh, well what do you know. She IS about. Brown eyes flash in her direction, assuming her presence is due to some poorly understood friendship with Ophelia. "Your mentor?" she says in a guarded tone as she looks to the older man. She clearly expects double the condensation now that this haughty woman's superior was here. Instead, she receives a polite greeting. Naturally, she responds in kind, meeting his hand with her own in a handshake. "Avira." she introduces, not really trusting Ophelia to have shared her name with this man. "Her sharp tongue not only lashed out at me, but several friends and my countrymen." Avira releases his hand and takes a step back herself. With her right hand, she smoothly withdraws the Spine, that "terrible" weapon that Morrighan will no doubt recognize. "Contrary to your beliefs, I am not a barbarian, so we shall fight to the submission."

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Alexander's hands are rough and cracked like well-worn leather but his grip is extremely firm despite clearly pushing the end of his lifespan. Stark white hair streams out from under his hat, pulled back in a loose ponytail. Like Avira, his face is a network of old scars, though the wrinkles of age and a hard life are present as well. "Let me guess," he says with a gruff chuckle. "Ivalician?" He nods to himself without waiting for her reply. "Some rather bad blood between her land and yours. Well, worry not, she'll fight you fair and square. I've made sure of that." Alexander tips his hat to the mercenary and then moves to join the crowds. Ophelia sneers at her as the old man takes his leave. "Ofcourse. How am I to properly humiliate you went you are naught but a pile of bloody meat?" She circles around to the opposite side, taking her place in the impromptu dueling ring. A carefully manicured hand rests on the ornate hilt of her sword, each long finger wrapping about it one by one. "And contrary to your claims, only a barbarian would wield something as unsightly as...whatever that is."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Silently, Avira nods in affirmation that, yes, she was from Ivalice. Alexander strikes her as interesting since he's obviously quite aged and quite touched with 'experience' (in the same way Avira's face clearly had 'experience'). "Thank you." She says, sounding genuine for the notion that Ophelia will be kept in line. Of course, she assumes this is just referring to Ophelia's attitude. Apparently not, "You are just dead set on insulting -everything- about me, aren't you?" Avira sounds exaspirated. "Well. Go on. Draw."

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "You seem 'dead' set on being completely insultable." That terminology seems to amuse her more than it should and Ophelia gives her opponent a wry smirk. She takes her time getting prepared. Joints on her ornate armor are flexed and worked to ensure maximum operational freedom. She draws the katana at her side and flourishes, slicing elegantly at the air before her a few times before sliding it smoothly back into the scabbard, all in the span of a single second. Apparently satisified, she flicks a thumb at the corner of her bangs, sending them fluttering in the soft ocean breeze for a moment. "Very well. It seems you are in a hurry to face your defeat. Perhaps once you have been forced back into that servant's dress there might be atleast a single redeeming feature to praise, ohohoho!" Ophelia covers her mouth as she laughs. When her hand come down it alights on the hilt of her sword, fingers once more delicately wrapping about the soft woven cover. When the last finger has closed tightly down, she moves. Ophelia launches herself forward in a burst of intense speed. The armor on her body seems not to hinder her movement in the least and she closes the gap between them in a flash. The katana is drawn out but oddly she waits until they are much too close for it to be properly wielded. The purpose behind this becomes clear a moment later when the hard metal knob of the hilt comes crashing in towards her gut. The samurai immeidately takes a step backwards, drawing her blade properly and cutting a shimming arc through the air in a single motion. The katana returns to its sheath just as quickly, attacking and then disappearing with serpent-strike swiftness.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira rolls her eyes again, looking mightily nonplussed. While it is mighty irritating to watch Ophelia preen like a peacock before their fight, this is not time spent wasted for Avira. She carefully watches her opponent-to-be, noting the flexing of her armor and the movement of her sword. The style strikes her as slightly familiar though she cannot place where exactly she's seen it before. It could be that the sword itself reminds her of something. "No. I am in a hurry to defend those you have callously insulted!" she shoots back with ease, assuming a two-handed grip upon her weapon. The sudden shift in speed was entirely unexpected. That armor had looked heavy and though she tries to get out of the way, Avira fails to do so entirely and the pommel of the sword digs into her gut. Yet, despite her size, she doesn't seem all that effected by it. Indeed, Ophelia would quickly note that Avira has been conditioned to take blows to the gut and does not double over. Metal on metal rings through the air loudly as Avira steps forward, one of the serrated edges of the Spine fending off the follow-up strike with a diagonal upward slash. Avira continues moving forward, pivoting as she suddenly slams into Ophelia, leading with the double-handed grip on her weapon. She doesn't actually strike with the blade as much smash into the haughty woman with the extremely heavy hilt.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia looks unperterbed that her surprise attack wasn't as effective as she wanted. Clearly this brutish dwarf was relying on her muscle to protect her. No matter, superior skill honed through decades of practice would win in the end. Even without her supernatural powers and speed, she had been trained by two of the best figthers in the world. The samurai's ornate sheathe comes up to intercept the counter strike, easily knocking her aim off-center with a well-timed tap. Reaching up over her shoulder, Ophelia draws another of the many blades strapped to her back even as the one at her hip lashes out to strike at her again. Dark mist flows from this new weapon, black fog attempting to seep into Avira's body and drag her down with cloying weight. Ophelia makes a final strike with both blades, carving down and then up with her twin weapons held at the ready to deflect any attempt to strike back. Despite her usual haughty backtalk, she seems to be all business in combat, flowing between movements with the grace of a dancer.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' For Avira, she had less of what would qualify as "training" and more of what fell under the realm of "repeated trial by fire." Though Ophelia had already surmised that earlier by looking at her face. She was not one of the lucky ones with teachers and years to work. Rather than remain in this close quarters with the woman, Avira takes a step backwards and circles around to Ophelia's flank. A shiver is suppressed when the second blade is drawn as she can feel the strange darkness seeping from the blade-though it is a lot weaker compared to what she's been forced against in the past. Its effects are resisted. With ease she deflects the first strike. Suddenly beset with two blades, she shifts her weapon to a one handed grip, twisting the Spine with a well-practiced windmill-like motion that slaps both blades just out of the way enough for Avira to sidestep. The other, currently free hand, swings around and slaps a low-level ice projectile upon Ophelia. Her opponent isn't talking much now and Avira is alright with that. The insults were distracting and the scarred woman was clearly concentrating as her other hand rejoins the first in gripping the Spine. With it, she brings some residual ice magic that is all too quickly creeping along the blade. With two upward strokes, the ice magic seems to follow along with each slash, discharging the magic with contact. The more dangerous strike comes last as Avira hops backwards, clearly out of physical range. She slams the Spine down in an overhead swing and the rest of the ice is expelled, weaving itself into a temporary wolflike beast constructed of the bright blue magic.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' The arrow of frigid magic strikes Ophelia clean in the chest. She grunts, staggering a little from the impact but the sturdy layer of lamellar armor seems to absorb the worst of it. The samurai frowns at this, clearly not expecting magic from her scar-riddled opponent but the distraction is only momentary. Her blades recoil fluidly from the deflected attacks and she takes a few steps away to get her bearings which seems to be the same thing Avira is thinking. The first wave of ice is neatly sliced in half with a swift horizontal cut, scattering the magic into harmless crystals and bits of glittering dust. The second meets a similar fate from the other sword though she quickly sheathes it and draws forth a different blade to accomodate her off-hand, it's polished length glowing with a sickly purple light. "Legendary sword that kills freely! Ashura!" Ophela holds the katana before her, wielding it like a talisman as she calls upon the spirit residing in the blade. There is a ghostly wail as she cuts through the air and a dozen ethereal slashes suddenly bisect the frozen wolf, shredding it apart with incredible ease. "Hmph. Your barbarian magic cannot hold a candle to the skills handed down by my anscestors!" More blade switching. She seems to have quite a few of these. Another sword is held up and brilliant green light spirals outwards in waves of soothing color. The light infuses itself with Ophelia and seems to leave shimmering sparkles of power lingering about the edges of her silhouette though they are hard to see if focused upon.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Shortly after the final strike, Avira circles off, which puts her easily out of the way of the additional etheral blades that, no doubt, travel past the limits of the ice magic. She frowns in disappointment, realizing she's going to have to get a little more creative with her ice magic if she wants it to be effective today. "It's ice magic. How ridiculous do you need to be to wage class warfare on elemental magic?" Putting the exaspirating woman out of her mind, Avira concentrates on a different sort of magic she'd been working on the past month or so. A brief cantrip is murmured under her breath, ending in the word "Haste." In response, a red glow overcomes the girl.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "Clearly, someone as common as you cannot grasp the intricacies of more advanced magical theory. It's a wonder that you even managed to wield such a simple element." Ophelia resumes talking during the short lull in combat, resuming her attempts to belittle the other woman. By now the crowd is getting really into the fight. The short exchange between the two of them, blades and magic flying, is met with cheers and hoots. Alexander looks as grumpy as ever. Sheathing her protective blade, the vampire decides to stop toying around and get to work on properly humiliating her victim. Wielding only her primary blade, Ophelia once more lunges to the attack. The sand under her feet hardly shifts as she runs, almost as if the woman is weightless and indeed she practically seems to fly across the beach. Once more her blade snaps out of the sheathe in a flash of quicksilver. It rises and falls, carving a deadly V into the air, a manuever designed to both push aside any attempt to block and then strike on the rebound. Ophelia follows this with a blinding series of strikes lashing out so quickly that the air seems to blur with the lashes of her katana.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "You make snobbish assumptions about everything, don't you." Avira says, forcing herself to be calm about these infuriating words. Maybe Ophelia will go back to not saying anything, Avira would like that. It's hard enough as it is to fight and talk at the same time because she needed every breath of air and every moment of action. Mentally, she shuts out the noises of the crowd around her and focuses on Ophelia, taking in each feature and aspect of the oncoming attack. This time, Avira doesn't try to dodge out of the way or really parry-she DOES send what seems to be a wave of force or gust of air out ahead of her that really doesn't do much besides kick up sand beneath Ophelia's feet. She meets the strikes head on, taking each one, armor mitigating some of them, but skin being sliced open on many, many more. To Avira's credit, she doesn't as much cry out from this assault as much grunt and cringe from the pain. "...is that it?" she asks before she suddenly rams the Spine at Ophelia's gut with an aggressive lunge, fresh ice magic filling the length of the blade. Following that, she unleashes her own flurry of fast strikes, a slight silvery aura building around her as she does so, which gives off the faintest feeling of light magic. With an upward stroke, she finishes the fast assault, then leaps backwards. The Spine is inverted and jammed down into the sand and Avira adjusts her grip again so both hands remain clasped around the hilt. Without warning, spires of ice emerge from the sand and curl inwards like claws, converging upon the haughty woman.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia laughs as she carves away at the exposed flesh of the diminuative woman. "Here, let me add a few more scars to your collection! Ahahaha!" The unexpected durability displayed by Avira forces her to withdraw quickly, however, unable to press her advantage without taking a hit in return. She leaps to the side as the initial lunge drives the spine-blade into her stomach and only her swift reflexes keep it from biting deeply into the armor. Instead it deflects sidways off the ornate plating, leaving a streak of blue-white ice marring the surface. The subsequent flurry of attacks is met each time by an equally quick stroke of the katana. Sparks fly between them as metal clashes. The crowd's enthusiasm begins to peak in the tense moment as they wait to see who will come out on top. In the end, neither of them manage to land a solid blow. Their blades cross a final time, each leaping away from the other. Avira's icy claws tear up the sand but Ophelia leaps over them with an acrobatic display, landing in a graceful threepoint crouch a few feet infront of the mercenary. "Hmph. It seems you hardly even know how to wield that eyesore. Come then, I shall make it fair. Let us see how skilled you are with your body! Ohohoho!" True to her word, Ophelia sheathes her sword and rushes in to take a swing at Avira. But it's a feint! She stops short, kicking sand at her face while continuing to laugh in her annoying fashion. She's clearly stopped taking this duel very seriously.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The joke is on Ophelia! Thanks to the nearby Alma, none of these wounds from the fight would scar. In fact, none of the marks on Avira's body are very recent at all, most from a time before she had access to white magic. In her wake, Avira leaves behind a strange distortion in the air that looks like it would belong to something off of a heated object. Sweat breaks out on Avira's forehead as she pushes herself to try and wound the vampire, but even with ehanced speed and her determination, she just can't seem to land a blow. Inwardly, she starts to blame that sacrifice again. She hadn't been as strong since Manhattan came back. She shrugs off the insult, not saying anything as she catches her breath and cracks her shoulders. Dull pain throbbed throughout her body, but like the crowd and this woman's prodding, she was ignoring it. Normally, she would be insulted that this woman is handicapping herself, but hey if she wanted to be arrogant like that, it was fine. She could lure her into a false sense of- Arghsandintheface. Avira sputters for a few seconds, shaking the sand off her face and shifting the Spine to one hand. Then, as her opponent laughs away, she lunges in with the Spine raised-only that's a feint too. Her real attack comes in what looks like is going to be a punch until a sharpened katar-like blade of ice forms over her wrist. Then it becomes more of a stab.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia continues to laugh until almost the last moment. She isn't terribly surprised to see Avira still using her sword, after all, she clearly needs the handicap. The vampire gives her an amused smirk as the distance between them closes rapidly, intending to strike her when she gets close but her precognition sears the image of the ice katar into her mind. Narrowing her eyes, the samurai woman leans to the side, once again barely avoiding getting skewered as she grabs Avira's wrist and deftly twists it away. The frozen blade scores a grazing blow across her shoulder, marring the pristine surface and spreading its cold touch through her flesh but she hardly feels it. "And now you resort to trickery. Pathetic." Ophelia leans in, locking her knee underneath the shorter woman's leg and using the leverage to pull their bodies together. She smiles, almost sweetly and leans in close. "You know, you could spare yourself the humiliation by surrendingering to me right now. I won't even make you wear that dress in public. We could have a private little show in my room, non?" Her eyes flash a little. Or was that just a trick of the light? Either way her offer seems /extremely/ compelling for some reason. Wouldn't it be nice to just stop fighting and go have fun instead?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Like hell she would just toss the sword away for 'fairness'! Though in this moment, it was just a ruse and meant to cover for her real attack-yet even that was anticipated, the blade dragged across armor and not hitting anything. A frustrated noise escapes her as Ophelia seizes her wrist. Dragged in close, Ophelia can practically feel the anger radiating off her as heat, even though her face hardly shows it right now until she glares up at the taller woman. Baring her teeth, she hisses at her, "There was never anything mentioned about wearing it in public." There is a long pause, though, after Ophelia's eyes flash and the anger seems to drain away from the mercenary. Could it be that she really was compelled by this offer to spare her further humiliation? Avira lowers her gaze and her head in what looks like definite submission- -only she jolts upwards and smashes the crown of her head onto Ophelia's face. While the vampire (might) be stunned, Avira suddenly presses forward, trying to knock her over onto her back and fall on top of her. Once there, she simply starts wailing down on Ophelia with her fists.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' That anger only serves to spur her on. Breaking the will of difficult opponents is always one of the sweeter thing she enjoys in her unlife. She allows just a little of her vampiric power to bleed out, channeling her domineering spirit through the short moment of eye contact. Avira's reaction puzzles her, however. Usually it took a little longer than that. Her brows furrow for a moment but then an idea comes to her that makes her grin. "Ooooh? Perhaps the little girl wanted to play with me all along? How--nrghk!" Ophelia is cut off midsentence as the thick wall of Avira's forehead smashes into her nose. The impact snaps her head backwards, blood spewing from her nostrils and the momentum pulls the both of them over into the sand. Completely shocked by the retalitory strike, the vampire can do little as her unprotected face is pounded upon like a batch of uncooked dough. Avira gets in several solid hits, futher bloodying her opponent. But when Ophelia recovers her own rage bubbles to the surface. "YOU BITCH." She reaches up and grabs for Avira's hair, yanking hard to the side even as she squirms out from under her wailing fists. The Ordallian's other hand comes around in a wide swing for the unprotected flank of the other woman, aiming a viscious punch to her side designed to inflict pain rather than damage. Bolstered by a suprising surge of strength for one so slender, Ophelia reverses their positions, pushing herself on top and attempting to get a strangle hold on Avira. The crowds go wild at this. This is the kind of stuff that they wanted to see. Now if only we could get some shirt ripping in here.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' If Ophelia knew Avira a little more, she would have caught onto that trick much faster too. That comment the vampire starts to make only urges Avira to headbutt her way out of this contact even HARDER. The bleeding seems to spur her on as she slams her fists into Ophelia's face repeatedly. "That's not ladylike at a-OWWWW!!" She yelps as Ophelia grabs a big chunk of her long brown hair and drags her down, leaving her open for a vicious punch to the liver, which Avira can even feel through her armor. She falls sideways and her opponent climbs on top of her, trying to get an arm around her throat. But unexpectedly, Avira bucks her hips, destablizing Ophelia and enabling Avira to roll over and regain the top position. Her hands grasp for the vampire's neck, squeeze, lift, then slam. ...this might be a little more effective if it wasn't against /sand/ though.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' Ophelia shrieks as she is once again put on the defensive. Her head lifts and slams into the ground several times but the soft sand does little more than get her hair dirty. Fortunately for the vampire, her need to breathe died along with her many decades ago. The pressure on her neck isn't terribly painful or damaging and it gives her a moment to think. She reaches upwards, feigning weakness but her fingers scoop up a large wad of beach and fling it into her face. "Hmmhmmhmm. I know I am irresistable, my dear, but do CONTROL YOURSELF." Ophelia squirms a bit, twisting her legs and reaching them up from behind to wrap them about Avira's neck. Once she gets a full grip, she yanks her down facefirst into the sand and starts to squeeze.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' If only Avira actually knew about that whole 'no need to breath' thing! She might have gone for some eye gouging instead of a choke. If anything, she is a demonstrably vicious fighter when on the ground. She recoils suddenly when sand is flung into her face. Ophelia takes advantage of this moment to pull her legs around to wrap around her neck. Her head is shoved downward and pressed against the sand-right away, she begins to squirm and wiggle. She tries to roll Ophelia off, but can't seem to go anywhere. Seconds pass. "MMMPH! MMMPHH MMMPH!" she vocalizes as her struggles grow weaker. Seems she's trying to say something.

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "What's that, dear? I can't seem to make that out." Ophelia smirks evilly and drives the small woman's face deeper into the sand. The crowd continues to hoot and cheer, though as the struggles of Avira grow weaker it turns into some murmured hints of concern. The vampire seems oblivious to this, merely content to continue humilating her opponent. It is not until a looming shadow appears overhead that she snaps out of it. Alexander glowers down at her, looking particularly unhappy. "You plan on letting the girl breathe?" Ophelia begrudingly loosens her grip and kicks Avira over onto her back, sliding her legs out from around her neck as she sits up. She runs a hand through her hair, brushing it casually back into place as she peers over at the mercenary.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' While Avira might not be squirming as much, she's still trying to shout something. It's probably was something along the lines of 'I can't breath!' or 'Enough, enough!' But since Ophelia won't let her head up, she'll never know. Fortunately, it's Alexander that comes to her aid in this case. Once she feels the grip loosen, her head pops up and she immediately sucks in a breath of air. Uncerimoniously, Avira is kicked onto her back, but she hardly seems to register this as she continues to gasp for air. Several long seconds pass as Avira gets her lungs filled with air again. Alma manages to intervene at this point, providing Avira with some much-needed healing. All the little cuts from Ophelia's katana seal up, leaving no scars behind. "Alright." Avira grumbles, "You win."

:'''[[Ophelia]] has posed:''' "Hmph. Naturally." Ophelia continues to brush sand from her hair. She looks quite pleased with herself if the smile on her face is any indication. There are a few groans and cheers in the background as wagers are won and lost but the crowd quickly begins to break up now that the show is over. The samurai gets to her feet and dusts herself off. Ugh, there's sand in places she doesn't even want to think about right now. But she's not going to let that dampen her mood. Ophelia glances over her shoulder, peering down her bloody nose at the two girls. "Now then. I shall be waiting for you at the hotel. Do be sure to look your best, non?" The is no attempt to hide the sarcasm in her voice. Alexander grunts but doesn't intervene, turning to march off into the city proper with his apprentice in tow.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Ugh." Avira scowls at Ophelia for a moment before looking away, "Sure, whatever." She remains sitting on the sand, ignoring the crowd and their reactions as they leave. Rather than getting up she remains sitting there, seemingly spaced out. When enough of the people have left, she angrily punches the sand at her side. "Damn it! I should have crushed that pompous bitch! What the hell is wrong with me..." Reaching over, she grasps the Spine and drags it back into its sheath before flopping over onto her back.

Avira

2013-05-13T01:45:05Z

RyuuAya: /* The Story Thus Far */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead of Avira's on-MUSH history. Arcs to be added as they happen.

==Brave New World==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

The shards were collected-but not all of them, as Merlin revealed that there was a final shard called the Spirit Shard that had to be collected. Based on [[The Final Shard|guidance from Mama Odie]], it seemed that the spirit shard was most likely contained inside a person. Turns out that person was the Dusk Princess of Manhattan. Unfortunately, [[The Real Xanatos Gambit|Hades knew]] that person was Avira. Hades revealed this and the contract she had made with him in front of everyone working to restore the world, forcing Avira back into her mutate form. Ashamed, she promptly fled.

She was unable to run forever and was caught by none other than [[Darkest Before Dawn|Katyna herself]] and [[Into The Underworld|delivered to the Underworld]]. (Morrighan even got in on the action, further cementing her animosity of the elf.) Fortunately, her friends [[To Hell and Back|braved Hell itself]] to retrieve her with Mercade managing to break Hades's contract on the spot-with a kiss.

At the next Saturday, which was the proper time intended, Sora and those working towards Manhattan's restoration [[Restoration|braved the darkened world]]. To bring it back, they had to recreate the World Heart with a great source of light. With the keyblade, Sora unleashed the light in Avira's heart, which in turn drew light from those who were there fighting to restore the world, and was completed with light from all those that were displaced from Manhattan. The process was something Avira [[Inside the Heart|may not have survived]] had it not been for Sora pulling her body from the reconstructed World Heart and [[Isaac Hanlon]] [[Waking Up Avira|intervening]].

With much of her light gone, it's unlikely that Avira can still be considered a Dusk Princess. However, since then, setting foot in Manhattan never fails to fill her with peace.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

An additional wrench was thrown into the system when Avira, along with a number of TDA and VALKYRI members, went to stop [[Summoning of The Fiend: Earth|Morrighan from draining magic]] from the Iifa Tree. Garland himself took offense at this act, which summoned the Fiend of the Earth, Lich. Isaac Hanlon, however, stood in the way of Garland's vengence upon Morrighan and spirited her to safety. Complicit in the wizard's plans, Avira also defended the elf when the [[Elf Hunting|hunter Clayton came]] to collect on the bounty posted by Garland.

[[Displeasure|Garland was not happy.]]

As punishment, Angantyr was paid to [[Grendel Attacks|destroy the VALKYRI headquarters]] and the surrounding buildings. Though Angantyr warned Avira ahead of time and did manage to evacuate those nearby and bring a considerable force to bare, the act seemed to more or less sunder the friendship between the huntress and the mercenary.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was Hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

The Beast of Halloween Town

2013-05-13T01:36:48Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/03/10 |Location=Halloween Town |Synopsis=Ashamed and horrified, the mutate Avira fled into the night-but rumors of her hiding in Halloween Tow..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/10
|Location=Halloween Town
|Synopsis=Ashamed and horrified, the mutate Avira fled into the night-but rumors of her hiding in Halloween Town spread fast. Friend, foe, and unexpected ally alike cross paths with the distraught woman.
|Cast of Characters=Faruja Senra, Riku, Avira, Maira
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Rumors spread staggeringly fast. In today's case, there was a new monster in town as of last night and thanks to her fearsome countenance, she's attracted quite a bit of interest from the locals. In Halloween Town, the terrifying was celebrated but as uplifing as this could be to a mutate... ...circumstances had made it that Avira was much less than interested in conversing with even appreciative civillians. A large part of this included the fact that she knew she was marked. She was being followed and with her enhanced senses, she could practically smell the darkness that searched for her. Not long after her arrival, Heartless began to appear, lurking in the shadows and occasionally soaring through the air. Given the environs, the most common type that had appeared was the Search Ghost. To a visitor, they mostly blended in with the populace, at least until their emblems were noticed. The locals could not be fooled. Being a Heartless magnet lead to more isolation, driving the distraught Dusk Princess to the large pumpkin patch/graveyard surrounding the iconic spiralling hill outside of town. She sits with her back to the hill, knees pulled to her chest, arms and wings wrapped around her. The brown fur of her face is damp with tears she's been shedding all night.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Duty calls. With the recent rumors, Faruja is forced from Hati's side quite reluctantly. Leaving it to Skoll, and a few very discrete Squire friends, the Templar has left to carry out his orders: investigate the rumors in Halloween Town. Only knowing of the place vaguely, the little post script about 'Do not cause undue harm to residents, or attempt to burn down the town' had seemed a bit odd. Until Faruja actually arrived. Several town-goers get to listen to an earful of religious ranting, at least until one rather patient and silver-tongued goblin explained that 'No, we're not all products of evil spells or witchcraft' and 'Yes, we want these heartless bastards dead too'. A pat on the back, some Goblin Ale down the hatch, and Faruja's at least managed to stick to the 'don't purge the town' bit. The rat's mood hasn't been brightened either by his new outfit. Faruja, in the darkness, sticks out like a sore thumb thanks to the changes the Portal made. Rather than some zombie or somesuch, the short rat has sprouted long, bird-like wings with golden edges. Gone are his armor and usual silver spear, replaced with a white toga-like shirt emblazened with the symbol of Ajora, as well as a long golden spear ending in an almost axe-like radial pattern of crescent shaped blades where the three points don't stick out. His features overall have taken a slightly avian bent, fur in places looking distinctly feather-like, while his wings ominously drip blood, staining white. Above his head shines a golden halo. Despite the trying times, that has gotten a few laughs out of the locals. A few residents even sport sunglasses while around the constantly shining Templar. How does the rat find Avira? After asking around a bit, he simply followed rumors of high concentrations of Heartless. Dispatching a few along the way like a good Church warrior, the Burmecian finds himself walking through a pumpkin patch towards the graveyard. Seems he hasn't sighted Avira just yet!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Poor, poor Faruja. Surrounded by unclean spirits! Stuck searching a town where the residents make sport of harassing and frightening silly mortals! There is no St. Ajora here-citizens of Halloween Town swear allegiance to their "Pumpkin King." Religious ranting and suggestions to pass on into the light are met with snickering and giggling. Pass on? Now why would ANYONE here want to do that?! How boring! But they did have standards. There was a line and Heartless crossed it. The spirits of Halloween Town love to torment and tease but they had no desire to actually hurt anyone. Heartless, while scary, would actually hurt people and that's no good. It might be discomforting for Faruja to be welcomed by the citizens for his Heartless-vaniquishing ways, though. The Burmecian will notice that as he makes his way to the graveyard, the Heartless do become less numerous. But at the same time, they seem to be following him. A low sniffle escapes Avira's muzzle. As she breathes back in, her head suddenly unwinds from her chest and she looks upwards. That doggy nose sniffs at the air again and her fur stands up on the back of her neck. She knew that scent. Faruja. Shifting, she rolls over and flattens herself against the curve of the hill, one hand digging its claws into the ground, the other retrieving her sheathed weapon from her back. Her voice rings out, gruff and gravelly. "Why have you come here, templar."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' By the end of all of this, Faruja is going to need a large punching bag to take out his frustrations. It takes all of his self control to not try to strangle these people. Really, it's like being around a bunch of Hati's and Evja's, only without the endearing qualities. At least they all agree on one point, and the rather peaceful (if irritating) citizen's lives being disrupted only fuels the rat's anger at the Heartless. As uncomfortable as it is, the rat finds himself feeling (begrudgingly) sorry for the locals. Time to clean house. As the large mutate makes herself known, Faruja slams the butt of his spear to the ground. Peering over as best a five foot Templar can ever intimidate anyone, he replies with all of the authority he can muster. "My name is Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados. I come to investigate and purge this place of its infestation of Heartless abomination. The locals tell me of a new guest in their lands. Mayhap I have found them? Fain forgive my lack of manners, but be ye friend or foe? Time is short, for the Heartless ever gather as we speak."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Alas, poor tiny Faruja! In her mutation, Avira has gained at least a foot in height and thus a foot of advantage over the templar. Her increased muscle mass is also a cause for concern, no doubt, especially her now impressive back musculature built to handle her large feathered wings. "...Faruja..." Avira rumbles from her spot, not in surprise, but in resignation. Of course her nose had told her the truth. But why had he come? Did he learn of her contact with Hades, a "god" that was an affront to the Church of Glabados? No, it sounded as if the increased Heartless presence had brought him. "You are correct." She moves, standing atop the curling hill now, her wings spread out behind her, casting an impressive profile against the moon behind her. "These Heartless are here because of me. Friend or foe..." her head lowers, "I don't know anymore, Faruja. I have sinnned. I have betrayed my friends, my world, those who would stand against the Shadow Lords. Though it sounds like news of this hasn't reached the Holy Church yet." As she talks, more Heartless start to appear, rising from the graves and shambling towards the gates of the small wall that surrounds the hill and graveyard.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja squints up at the large furred being. One that talks as though she knows him! His previous authoritative bluster falters somewhat as he tries to place just who he's talking to. A minute of awkward silence passes from the Templar, and then... His eye goes wide, tail flicking straight behind him. Very nearly too does he drop his weapon! "/AVIRA/!?" The rat stares, any and all antagonism dropped as he rushes over to stand properly beside her. "What in the Lord's name do you speak of? Come now, out with it. There was the attack upon Traverse, but our agents in the town are minimal at best. Am I assume /this/ is more than mere effects of the Portal?" At least she has a proper tail now is the first calm thought Faruja has. "Friend, Avira, for always have you been such. What circumstances have you thinking yourself a traitor?" Snort. The rat shakes his head, not at all believing the woman's capable of such! As for the Heartless? One ear flicks. "How rude. Seems we shan't be left alone."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It was a little bit funny-Avira couldn't remember if Faruja had seen her like this or not. She did know he was quite concerned for her well-being after the fall of Manhattan and fortunately received the news that she had survived. In this form it wasn't completely unknown that she was Avira. There were clues-her eyes, her voice, her scars were all still there. Those that knew the human could easily pick out the resemblence, just as Faruja does. Much to Faruja's dismay, he will find Avira recoiling from him a little as he nears. Her eyes drop to the ground and her hands fall to her sides. The Spine is held limply in one large clawed hand. "Yes, it is me, Ser Faruja." Her eyes close, "What you're seeing of me now is not a trick of this world, but my true form. When I had defended Manhattan, I crossed paths with a scientist that injected me with a mutating agent that turned me into this. I made a deal with Hades to regain my human form...at the expense of working for him when he needed me." She finally looks up at him, shame in her eyes, "Yesterday's attack is partially my fault." As the Heartless start to approach and surround the pair, Avira's grip once more tightens on the Spine. Her tail flicks. "Tell me, how far have the rumors of me being here spread?" Between that and the Heartless, it seems she'll have to move sooner than she thinks. Unfortunate since this place was the only place she could really blend in with in this form.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruj stops as Avira seems to recoil from him. At first, shock, followed by confusion. Listening quietly, he stands guard, frowning and clenching his jaw with increased irritation as Avira tells her tale. A hand rubs across his face, the rat pacing as his Temper bubbles up and then over. "You...you made a pact with that...that /devil/!? Avira, what were you /thinking!? Damnit Avira! Had you not thought to inquire as to the assistance of thy companions? Hmm!? That wretch is as untrustworthy as they come, and a Witch to boot!" Rants the ratling, glaring over at the mutate. "How so?" Quickly asks the ratling, claws raking the dirt as his single eye bores into Avira's own. "To Mullonde itself, at the least. I know naught whether Valkyri or the rest of the Shard Seekers are aware...what of Maira and the rest? Ser Ulfang?" He can only rant for so long, however, as the Heartless get closer. Leveling his spear, he casts a glance back to the mutate Valkyri. "...Truly, what /are/ we going to do with you Avira? There must be a way to remove this 'curse' from you without that wretch's help."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' And thus the reason for recoiling is revealed. Faruja's reaction is expected to be this severe since Avira has fully witnessed the extent of his zeal before. To make an unholy pact with a death god for reasons of vanity? "It's even worse than that, Faruja. This Hades is one of the Shadow Lords too." She can't look him in the eye. She cant bare that heated look of his. "There had been a cure but it had only half worked. I was desperate. I wanted to be human again and he came to me with that deal..." Her ears fold down like a scolded dog. No doubt Faruja has seen Skoll do this before. When she next speaks, her voice sounds tight, as if she's struggling to hold back tears. "Skoll knows what I did...I don't know if the rest of VALKYRI have heard yet. I..." the disappointed words of Skoll come back to haunt her, "...I cut them off...I cut the frequencies off..." She starts mumbling about tracking. What do they do, though? Avira gives Faruja a helpless look before she finds herself fending off a Search Ghost that flings its chains at her. Another strikes at her and she barely deflects it away from her. Having fought alongside Avira many times before, Faruja will notice she definitely is not fighting as normal. It's as if the fire that fuels her has been put out. Faruja himself will also find himself under assault, but on his case, they don't hold back. The first search ghost swings in, leading with his lantern, regardless of the pointed spear.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A ghostly lamp swings. Faruja's light blazes, running all the hotter thanks to the pure rage flowing in his veins. Stabbing through, he quite neatly bisects the creature, running it through until it dissappears with a less than satisfying scatter of darkness. "A Shad..." Faruja starts, finding himself unable to continue. All he can do is rage against the enemies before him, moving to try to stab into the Search Ghost threatening Avira. The tiny little Templar attempting to tank for a massive, muscled, fur-covered mutate. What a strange sight! "Did you not desire to see the ones whom stole your world thrown down!? Damn it all! No. NO! This shall not stand! Lady Avira. Whatever you may be, never would I think thee a /coward/ nor a traitor that to all you hold dear for mere /vanity/." Snarl! The rat's tail lashes about, the Burmecian as angry and wrathful as Avira's ever seen, if not moreso. "Turn that damnable thing on right this instant. /Tell/ them Avira. They are your friends. A coward whom flees from a chance at setting all to rights deserves all that they receive. Show to me, Avira, that you are truly whom I believe you are. Let us /fix/ this before 'tis too late." His voice is almost pleading. The thought of having to come after Avira has him shivering despite his anger.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I did!" Avira cries out, stepping backwards as Faruja steps in before her, destroying the Heartless that had been harassing her. Just as she steps backwards further, she is struck from behind and yelps. In short order she whirls and is suddenly back to back with the angry Burmecian. Although she cannot see his face, she hears the anger in his voice and she can feel him trembling with fury. Each word feels like a dagger. "I swore VALKYRI to thwarting them. I hadn't known he was one..." her head droops, but only for a moment before Avira is forced to push off another Heartless, "We need to move." she says quickly. For a few seconds, her hand strays to her linkpearl. She looks conflicted-she was already filled with shame for what she did.She didn't want to tell Maira but she would find out eventually. She'd find out that she kept things from the fire mage. What kind of best friend was she?! "They won't be friends for long." she murmurs sadly, tapping the linkpearl. She speaks into it, actually recording a message. As the Heartless close in, fleeing up actually seems like the best option. It still seems like Faruja is the one carrying the fight right now.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' For a brief moment, the rat seems to deflate from all of that anger. Relief is in his voice, though it may seem odd at first. At least with this, he can make a case before his own superiors for the woman! "Then, 'twas naught but trickery of a desperate woman. Thank the Lord, you spoke as though 'twas done willfully! Sins enough as it stands!" It all rushes back quickly at the mention of fleeing. "...Retreat? RETREAT!? I shall have you know, that until each and every one of these VILE ABOMINATIONS are..." He begins, the rat's tirade cut short as his more rational senses kick in. Perhaps the pair could fight off a number of them, if Avira were fighting in her usual high-spirited way. But this? Faruja can't help but snort at the yelping mutate. This was pathetic. A thrust of his spear, the rat vents his rage in a column of descending holy light upon one of the Heartless. "...Seen raw recruits fight better than this." Mutters the rat in a low voice, before he raises. "I shan't see you die today. Come, let us draw these devils away. 'Tis as if they are a hunter stalking prey." A whistle, and a form looms! Landing hard enough to crunch one of the Heartless beneath her, the form of Arista has changed quite a bit! Now mostly white bone with skin and scales rotting off, she looks like some form of dracoliche! And an angry one at that. Faruja hopes on her back. "Come, Avira!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I still should have known better than to trust a Lord of the Dead." Avira says bitterly, "I'm supposed to be smarter than that. I should have just accepted this form!" Though she still sounds upset at the thought of looking as she does forever. He's ranting. Avira's happy to let him as she focuses on trying to fend off the attacking Heartless that were formerly at her back. She seems to be doing a passable job at it, but the spirit just isn't there, which is a shame since these types of Heartless wouldn't normally prove to be formidable foes. Though familiar with Faruja's wyvern, it's nonetheless surprising to see her in her ZOMBIE form. How does she even continue to fly like that? A mystery, really. She grabs on, but she doesn't mount as Faruja does, apparently using her to get a boost upwards so she may soon take flight with her own wings. The ghostlike Heartless start to follow, blinking in and out of existance as they get closer. Mysteriously, there seems to be a maximum height they can attain. Avira doesn't put her weapon away and she retains her dejected look. "What of Maira..." she says quietly. "Oh Faruja. Promise you'll keep an eye on her, please? I want to say she'd forgive me for this but...I don't know. I don't know anymore."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Keep it in mind when next such beings come bearing gifts. A person's worth is in action, not in the manner of flesh and fur." When they're finally into the air, Faruja sighs lightly. The battle barely counted for anything. The emotional toll? To know that a woman he felt so highly of would sink so low over mere /looks/? He hasn't been this tired in a long time. "Of course, Avira, of course. I shall protect her as I can, for she is a precious and innocent soul. Hardly can I say. However...mayhap if you work towards making all of this right, and continuing your mission despite, then mayhap she shall. Prove to her that you are worthy of her friendship. 'Tis difficult to mend once burnt, the bridge of friendship. Many a splinter shall draw blood in its remaking." A pause, and he glances to Avira. Cursing under his breath, he shakes his head. More than anything else, he looks dissappointed in the girl.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira would know all about emotional exhaustion right now. "Yes that...that I shall. Maybe one day I'll accept looking like this, but I miss the mettle of my human form. Sure, I was weaker then, but all the strength I had was strength I earned." Her wings only flap occasionally now and instead are used to ride and glide upon air currents. It's a lot less tiring. Her ears fold down. "Precious and innocent...she is an amazing friend. A wretch like me hardly deserves someone so kind...but I will do what I can because I love her." At that pause, she looks back to Faruja and sees that look of disappointment. Her stomach twists and she looks away. Another second later, she suddenly veers from flying beside him into flying away.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja vaguely ponders making a speech about hope and giving up, but now isn't the time. Instead, he simply lets her speak. In some way, she deserves it in the rat's estimation, but neither is her cruel. "Mayhap you shall. However, so 'tis possible that you shall find a true cure. Whatever the case, when next we meet, I do believe I shall be giving you an arse beating for this." Snort. He can't help but vent a little. Faruja snarls lightly. "Self reproachment shall avail you of nothing, Avira. Move forward, and repent thy sins! For the Lord is forgiving to one whom truly seeks penance." "She is stronger than she seems, Avira. Never underestimate the woman's strength. Yes. I think that would be best, do any and all that she would ask of you. 'Tis /Maira/ after all." "Avira?" Calls out the rat as she starts to fly away. Kicking the draconic zombie beneath him, she steadfastly refuses to follow. "Damn you Arista..." He mutters.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Angry parting words from Faruja were to be expected. Were Avira in better spirits, she might even express glee at Faruja's 'promised arse beating.' This translates to 'duel' in Avira's head, honestly. It hurts, nonetheless, to hear the stinging remarks from the zealot. His call as she flies from him remains unanswered. She doesn't look back again, afraid to see that piercing look of disappointment upon the respected templar's face once more. He was right on all accounts and she knew what she had to do...but right now, she just wanted to curl up and cry and avoid the Heartless searching for her. As she soars overhead, she spies an elaborate mansion with plenty of spires and peaks. Her course changes once again, gliding down to this structure so she can alight upon the roof. With a shakey motion, she returns her weapon to the sheath upon her back. Crouching, she huddles on the rooftop and pulls her wings in tight around her. For now, there are no Heartless here... ...but how long would it be before the ones lurking around the spiral hill found her?

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku didn't know how to approach this situation when he heard about it. Traverse Town was attacked by waves of darkness and he had yet to return to the devastation and he couldn't say it wasn't because he was afraid to be blamed somehow. He heard only bits and pieces and would try to put them in order a little later. However, he had been making a point to keep looking for rumors and surges of the heartless after the attacks. He left Archades every other day or so to track where the heartless were going. One of the very few times he was thankful for being able to hear the things in his head was knowing what they were up to. And sometimes...it did actually pay out. Riku hadn't visited Halloween Town for a long time and so he was unaccustomed to the transformed nature of the portal magic here. So he has a few minutes in which he attempts to stumble around until a helpful spooky tree steadies him long enough for him to get his feet (whatever he was using as feet) under him. "Thanks." he tells the tree, and a little bit of his chagrin at trees in general flakes away as he makes his way around. He drifts through the graveyard, following the track of the heartless towards the manor. The heartless eye him with their hungry stares for a moment and then ignore him as he circles the manor slowly. He hasn't seen Avira yet or maybe he's just absorbed in his own thoughts.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira wasn't sure how long it would take for the Heartless to catch up. If her previous experiences with Jasmine, another individual afflicted with directed Heartless for quite some time, it wouldn't take very long. Already she is thinking out ahead, assuming that soon enough she would need to leave Halloween Town completely. Ultimately, she was less worried about Heartless finding her... ...and more worried about other people doing so instead. Though it was all too easy to fall into the morass of her own negative thoughts right now, a part of her doesn't allow herself to completely give in to the guilt and shame she was feeling right now. Survival instinct could be to blame, which keeps her ears turned outwards and her keen nose at the ready. Riku's scent was familiar, but not enough so that she could actually put his name to it. After all, the boy had avoided her for quite some time following the fall of Manhattan. The important thing was there was someone else here. Unfolding herself, she creeps along the rooftop, manuvering herself into a position where she can peer over the edge. It takes a few tries, but eventually she spies the silver-haired teenager lurking around the mansion. A startled gasp escapes her and she clamps a hand over her muzzle. She knew what Will had said about Riku after both had returned, but she barely knew the boy herself. She didn't spend three months on a boat in the middle of nowhere with him so she couldn't be truly sure that he was no longer a party to the Shadow Lords. From her vantage point, she could tell he still had his control over the Heartless as they clearly were leaving him be. Quietly, she edges back onto the roof.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku rubbed the back of his neck and pauses, leaning up against a rusted grate with one clawed hand. He closes his eyes and very slowly sweeps his head from side to side and up and down. The heartless had become aimless again. They were searching but they didn't really know what they were searching for or where it was. Someone had told them to go, and they had went, and they were chasing after the faint echoes of... something. He hadn't felt this for a long time. It was hard to get a bead on exactly what they were looking for, and whatever happened he didn't want the heartless getting in the way of whatever was here. " /BEAT IT/" he growls at one of the search ghosts that hold up their lantern inquistively towards him, as if wondering if he would be good to eat. It vanishes in a puff of dark vapor, small portals appear as the heartless flee before the unspoken command that swept in the wake of Riku's grumbled words. "Hello?" he calls out after they had gone. He opens his eyes again, blinking several times as he continues to circle the manor. He considers asking one of the trees whether they had seen anybody passing through here but the rooting around heartless, and has to stop for amoment to reacclimatize himself to the idea that he is thinking about asking a tree for directions. "..Boy my life gets strange sometimes." he mumbles to himself as he looks towards the manor. Well, if anything he could try climbing up to the top of that house. See if he could get a better perspective on just what he was looking at. Riku approaches the west side of the manor, looking up at it speculatively as he tries to figure where to land so he didn't slide off the roof and break his neck.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' From where she sits, Avira hears Riku shouting at the Heartless. At that point, she can't help but peek over the edge again, watching as he drives the beasts away for now. It was some small comfort to see them go, but the giant unknown presented by Riku himself still made her nervous. Listening, he calls out his greeting. Although Avira is silent, it's actually a moment of contemplation as to whether or not she'll answer him. Her ears flick as she hears the crunch of his foosteps around the manor and his occasional...muttering to himself. She follows. On the west side, she heads to the edge of the house, perching there like the gargoyles of legend from her own world. Avira is undeniably visible now as she peers down at the thorny-looking Riku. "....hello Riku." she says uneasily. "What brings you out here?"

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "..Avira. ..Why?" Riku blinks slowly as he looks up at the manor, tilting his head slightly and raising his eyebrows slightly. He raises a thorn hand and stops before he tries to pull it through his hair and do something undignified like getting it stuck. "You were the one they were following." he frowns slightly, thinking that over. "I came out here because usually large concentrations of heartless usually mean bad things are happening." he looks slightly frustrated with himself. "Except I seem to always be one step behind the curve these days. " He shifts his stance. "..Why aren't you with your friends? What happened?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' That he hadn't heard what happened is a cold comfort to Avira. It meant that he probably wasn't in league with Hades and their ilk anymore. Relief is briefly seen upon the mutate's face-but only briefly before it returns to that solem resignation. "Thanks for getting rid of them." she says up front, remaining where she is upon the roof. "Unfortunately. I am the bad thing that's happening. I messed up...did you hear about what happened to Traverse Town? Well that's a result of us trying to restore Manhattan." She shakes her head, brows furrowing. "I had made a deal with Hades a few months ago to get rid of this mutate form in exchange for working for him. The working for him thing turned out to entail leaving with him. I refused, he told me to kill my friends and take the shards instead and turned me into this. I resisted as long as I could, but I hurt them." Her shoulders slump. "...finally, to make things worse, according to Hades, I'm the Princess of Heart for my original world. I don't really think it's true but it would explain these Heartless."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku stays silent for the entire explaination. He looks up at Avira for a long time, crossing his arms so that the tendrils interlock with eachother. The portal malformed teenager stays quiet for a long time before taking a seat up against the rusted fence, slowly making his way down to sit with his knees up against his chest and his hunched back somewhat uncomfortably against the fence. "They'll stay away. At least for awhile." He doesn't ask any other question but one. He doesn't believe or disbelieve. He doesn't judge. Riku knows perhaps a little bit about what it is to be on the other end of this particular stick and so he doesn't push. He just looks up at Avira with something like understanding. "So what are you going to go now?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Quietly, she waits, watching him as he gauges his reaction to this whole mess. She expected....something at least, but it could be anything. Just watching him reminded her how little she really knew about this boy that Mercade and the other TDA members came to know. As the silence stretches on a very faint involuntary whine escapes Avira. He needed to say something! Yelling. Disbelief. Snark. She'll accept snark! Anything but silent judgement or another disappointed look. 'They'll stay away. At least for a while.' "...thanks..." she repeats, tipping her head upward for a few seconds to stare out on the horizon. When she looks down, she spots that expression on her face. "I don't know. ...the only thing I can do right now is keep running."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku continues to stare at Avira. Not judging. Not.. anything really. He just looks thoughtful, as if he's trying to figure out just want words to say. "Okay." he says to Avira after a long silence. "But perhaps for a few minutes I can keep them off you so you can rest. You look like you need it and.. It's the least I can do for someone who was kind to me when I needed directions." He chuckles very softly. "When I was lost, and running myself."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Rumors, rumors...Maira is actually adept at finding them, as you imagine someone with a ghost she can communicate with would be. So when she heard the message Avira had left for VALKYRI, Maira had immediately sent Uist searching for information while she tried to deal with her feelings. First there was shock. Of course. Avira had made a deal with Hades!? The 'cure' they'd gotten hadn't actually cured her. She'd /lied/. Why would she lie? Did she not trust her? Maira would have helped. She didn't have to make that deal. They would have found a way! Then, there is guilt. Maira hadn't been there. She should have been there, helping Traverse town, helping Avira, being by her side! Why wasn't she there? Maira isn't even entirely sure. Sometimes, she sleep walks. She woke up somewhere in the dark and had to find her way home. Kinda suspicious. Had someone lead her away? After the guilt comes, of all things, jealousy. Avira was a princess. Her best friend is better than her at just about everything. Stronger, faster, smarter, more popular. Now she was a princess too. Bitterly, she wonders if she would always be in her shadow. Anger... Maira had pushed that aside. Avira hadn't asked for this. She made a mistake. She was insecure just like Maira and it had lead her toward making a bad choice...and she probably needed her best friend. Uist returned with word and they departed, not looking back. Upon arrival in Traverse Town, Maira was in for quite a surprise. First, a costume change! She's dressed in a knee length black dress with a but of artfully torn ruffles, pink and black striped socks, black boots, lace gloves, and of course, the traditional conical witch hat. Her skin is paler, her eye makeup darker. Standard goth transformation. What is FAR more shocking though is that Uist is visible. Uist, being fairly scary as it is, didn't have much of a transformation. He was already the ghost of a huge warrior with great wings. Not so unlike Avira. "I'll find her," Uist tells Maira, leaving her to wander the town a little while he flies off to locate the mutate form of Avira. While he is still ghostly, he is visible to her and Riku as he lands before Avira, his handsome features stern. Well, Maira might not be pissed at Avira, but Uist doesn't share those feelings. "So there you are," he says.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' As she sits there in silence, watching the boy, her muscles start to relax. Oh sure, she could be paranoid about this too-that he was just trying to lure her into a false sense of security and he'd turn on her when her back was turned. But why would he go through all that again? When he did the same with the TDA and look where it got him. "I'd...." she says quietly, surprised to find him simply acknowledging her plans rather than questioning her no doubt misguided judgement. "I'd like that. I haven't slept." Slowly the gears turn in her head, his words striking her as unusual, so naturally she must question them. "Kind to you, Riku? I am confused. The last time I saw you was after Will returned. I was anything but kind to you then. The rest of the TDA had to hold me back...prevent me from doing something regrettable." Her ears flick again. It's likely pretty funny to watch them swivel and turn at each sound. "Someone's coming. I hear wings." Avira announces, looking to the sky. A moment later she stands, rearing up to her full six feet on the edge of the rooftop. Recognition comes quickly to Avira since she has had the opportunity to see this ghost before. "Uist!" she says with uneasy surprise.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku doesn't move from his position but his entire body tenses for a moment as he regards the winged warrior with some mild resentment and chagrin. "What do you want?" he asks the figure in a flat voice that echoes and reverberates with that echoing overtone that has been added to his speech by the portal magic. He looks up at Avira, then back at Uist. The tendrils of his mane and body seem to twitch with uneasy irritation and his boots dig lightly into the earth.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Uist stands well over six feet, unnaturally large for a man, on the bigger side for a gargoyle, though he appears to be human in appearance beside the wings. He wears his hair long, flame red, and tied with a cord. He crosses his arms and looks between Avira and Riku, eyes settling first on Riku. "Tch, settle down. I'm not here to attack anyone. Was simply looking for Avira," he says, turning to Avira then, frowning with disapproval. "Maira was worried," he tells her, that one sentence informing her how very irate that makes Uist and how much he disapproves. I'll fetch her," he says, turning then to fly back toward where he left Maira. Maira meanwhile is sitting by the fountain talking to some zombie children, getting information about this place. A place where everyone could see Uist! How wondrous! She doesn't even care that everyone is spooky! This is great! A few moments later, Uist appears with Maira in tow, who takes one look at Avira and flies forward to embrace her. "WHY! You didn't need to--you shouldn't have--I was--you--you--" Maira gives up and just cries.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' This kindness that Riku was hinting at will have to wait for a little later. Uist was here and fully visible-no doubt an effect of this particular world, where visible spirits roamed freely. In this form, Avira can meet Uist's eyes without inclining her head too much. She only manages this for a few seconds before she lowers them in shame. "She must be." she says quietly, not stopping him as he flies off. Avira finally comes down from the roof of the mansion, alighting on the ground nearby Riku. "...I left the VALKYRI a voice mail earlier." she says, "To explain what happened...to come clean. Faruja demanded I do as much and he was right. It's better that they heard from me-" Suddenly, MAIRA MISSILE. Her best friend clings to her, shouting and crying. Avira tries to say something to her but words fail her, leaving only tears from the mutate.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku slowly gets onto his feet, looking from the weeping Maira to Avira and looking distinctly uncomfortable by this sudden turn of events. This is the part of the movie in which Riku fades back into the background and sneaks off into the night. The teenager reaches up to a place on his chest, putting the hand flat as he looks off to the side and frowns. Instead of slinking away like he would have done before, he says quietly to Uist. "Is she always a guided missile?" with a faint trace of humor as he, for once, just rolls his eyes and stays where he is.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Uist will likely return to being silent, though he is unable not to glare at Riku. He's aware of what Riku did. He's on the <goosehonk> list. Then again, Uist is generally a gigantic grump so that's a pretty darn long list. Topped by Ivo Galvan. As Riku speaks, Uist growls out an answer. "A guided missile for trouble. Yes." Maira hugs Avira tightly, not put off by her mutate form. She's seen it before, grew used to it. Had fun flying with her, etc. But that really isn't the issue here, is it? Maira eventually lets go, wiping at her cheeks as she tries to pull herself together. "W-well? Aren't you going to say anything?" she asks Avira. A voice message was one thing....she's hear now, and she thinks she probably deserves an explanation. Also she waves to Riku, because it would be impolite not to say hello even if she is /quite/ angry with him!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It was definitely time for THAT part of the movie, wasn't it? Before Avira allows her eyes to close, she does glance at Riku through the tears for a brief second, as if that would somehow convey that she really does hope he follows up on his offer. Guided trouble missiles. It was like a hidden component to being a VALKYRI and one of the many things that had forged that near-supernatural bond between Maira and Avira. Maira speaks again and Avira's eyes open once more, peering down at the fire mage. "...I hid it from you...I hid it from everyone. I'm sorry, Maira..." A dejected whine escapes her. "Everything's <GOOSEHONK> and it's my fault."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku takes this with an almost gaelic lack of concern despite having never been on a world where the word or concept was used. He also, is painfully aware of the things he has done and so anger and disfavor and hate and so forth are things he understands. He knows how to deal with them. It's friendship he doesn't know how to deal with and right now, he has the feeling of having been transmuted, quite neatly by Maira's appearance into somewhat of a squeaky fifth wheel. (Despite there only being 4 people). So Riku nods to Avira silently, finding someplace nearby where he can lean up against a sleeping tree and be out of the way, sitting at the gnarled base of the roots and lacing his thorned fingers together in order to listen.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe...I can't believe you didn't tell me. Why Avira? You...I thought you trusted me. You could have told me. I wouldn't have judged you...I would have helped you--I WILL help you Everything is not <GOOSEHONK>. We're going to fix it, okay?" she says, taking Avira by the hand. "I-I-....there's something I need to tell you too, but first...tell me what happened, okay? What do we do now?" Uist looks over toward Riku, frowning still. Uist is also a weird wheel here. "Hey. Want to spar?" he says to Riku then. People can actually see him here and what does he want to do? Fight.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The rest of the TDA could easily go on and on about how Riku had Trouble With Friendship, couldn't they? Alas, they aren't here right now. A little earlier Avira had been wondering when the last time Mercade saw Riku was. The same time that Avira did in Traverse Town maybe during the reunion? "Shame." Avira mutters, turning her head to the side as Maira unwinds from her and takes one of her furred, almost paw-like hands. "I don't know how, Maira. I just know they can't let them take me..." she trails off and she finally brings herself to look at Maira. For the third time today, she explains what happened yesterday. That they were going to Merlin's house with the scroll from Mama Odie. That they thought that when she read it at midnight on Saturday they'd get an answer. That the Shadow Lords came en masse, including Hades, who had the contract upon her. THAT was Avira's mutate cure. It was rescinded. Evja also had a similar deal and betrayed everyone and attacked. Avira hurt her friends (again! Maira would know this hasn't been the first time she's turned on people as she was unfortunate enough to get it from her in Baron.) at Hades's command and she left. Of course, Avira's pretty upset as she delivers this. "Maira, I can't be around Traverse Town..you...you have to lead VALKYRI when I can't be there."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku sighs with relief. "Please." he actually grins at Uist, which feels very weird because it takes up a lot of his entire face to grin like that, the jagged line almost reaching his ears. "ack." he says softly, rubbing his cheek with two gnarled protrusions. "..I'm never going to get used to this place." he chuckles softly to himself as he slowly gets back to his feet. He scans around at the terrain, warily sizing up Uist and then the surroundings for a few moments. He frowns just slightly in suspicion.. and then lets it go with a faint shrug, moving over to a place not entirely cluttered by hidden roots. He listens but he pretends not to be listening. He leaves Avira and Maira to continue their conversation as he summons a black staff into his hand, leaning against it idly. "I need more practice with this anyways."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira didn't have the full story, so as Avira tells it, Maira takes a seat. She's pretty shocked. Evja had a deal with Hades too? Betrayal? Could no one be trusted? No, no. She could trust. She /would/ trust. She couldn't let herself go down that kind of path. Maira looks down, taking a deep breath. It is difficult. She doesn't know what to do. Especially when Avira says she must lead VALKYRI. Maira shakes her head emphatically. "No no no...I can't lead anybody! I can't even take care of myself! Avira, you have to come back. You can't just run away. You....you're the princess, right? So that means you are the key to bringing back Manhattan...we just have to figure out...how to do this. Which we will. Together." Uist also grins, for while he doesn't exactly like Riku, the kid may grow on him by letting him hit him with a stick. This is how warriors bond. "Nice choice," he says, indicating the staff as he summons one to hand himself. "This will suit me fine," he continues, then motions for Riku to approach as he slides one foot back and adopts a strong fighting stance.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Ultimately, Avira doesn't mind if Riku listens in on this. She hasn't said anything that she wouldn't say to Riku. Right now, Avira felt like total crap and was not inclined to hiding things. Avira puts her other hand on top of Maira's and squeezes a little. "Don't say that, Maira. You've grown, I've seen it." But at the mention of the whole 'princess' thing, Avira grimaces. "...I don't know if I can come back." Her hands go slack. "The Heartless will come again. Hades will come again." She shakes a little at the thought.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku braces himself and then throws himself forwards a little faster than he intended, almost unbalancing as he then crouches and swings the staff upwards towards Uist's chin as he leaps onto his feet, putting all of his body weight behind the strike but pulling it just slightly because he had no actual intent to harm. He follows up with a quick strike towards the ribs before sliding backwards, catching his foot on a gnarled root and ending in a loose backwards roll that ends up with him crouching in the dirt, slightly disoriented. "This place sucks for footwork." he chuckles and the smile becomes slightly sad as the complaint triggers off a memory and somewhere in his mind his dad chimes him for blaming poor tools of the failure of a craftsmen. "..or maybe I'm just not used to things here." he says in soft correction.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Grown or not, Maira doesn't think she's a leader. Maira's self-esteem still needs a good bit of work. "Avira...we'll fight them! Come on, we've fought plenty of Heartless! You can't just run forever...what do we do? How do we get the spirit shard out of you? How do we use it to restore Manhattan? Just tell me and I'll help you do it. I can't just...not do anything..." she says, reaching to hug Avira again. "I know you are really angry with yourself right now. But everyone will understand. Everyone makes mistakes...you can't give up. Remember what Mama Odie said? About things getting harder? Well, here it is. You have to dig deeper, she said. You've got to do this for everyone from Manhattan...and for all of us who's world's are gone and won't even come back. Just....just tell me what to do," she pleads, looking up to meet her best friend's eye. No matter what Avira has done, Avira was kind to Maira when she was lost. She was her first (living) friend. Avira had better just deal. She's stuck with Maira. Uist's mouth curves slightly in what could be the beginning of a smile as he watches Riku approach, noting his speed. Of course, Riku looked like the type to be quick. Still, Uist is well practiced and not slow despite his size, he brings his staff up and whacks Riku's to the side with a good bit of force. Uist is a big man, and not exactly use to holding back. It had been a long time since he was solid long enough for a spar. Uist steps forward, staff in both hands, his grip wide as he turns, jabbing with one end, spinning then jabbing with the other, delivering strikes in rapid procession. Quick, but also powerful. "How old are you?" Uist asks casually.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I..I don't want to run forever." Avira says quietly right now. "But I..." Faruja's words come back to haunt her. She was being a coward-but she had reason to, didn't she?! "But I don't know...I don't know what to do. Hades's contract needs to be removed." There was that escape clause, sure, but activating it seemed like an insurmountable barrier right now. Avira's pulled into a hug again, Maira getting the sensation of hugging a big furry dog. Avira's fur is pretty thick, just like her hair in human form was. "I didn't think those words were meant for /me/." Avira mumbles and then stands there awkardly, trying to think. "Hades needs to be kept away from me. He can't know where I am." Maira's looking for a solution but Avira feels herself at a loss.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku is pummeled quite effectively with the staff and grumbles. "THIS." /WHACK/ a small sound of pain. "This is why I hate staves." He manages to parry the next two thrusts, lashing out a leg to try and unbalance Uist as he then strikes out with the edge of the staff trying to hit them in the shoulder. He only manages to fend off the later assault a few times and takes a few hard whacks for his troubles. His approach only shifts to being more defensive. He isn't able to manuever well in this portal form and so he simply braces himself, feet digging into the soil as he sweeps the staff around in a short circle over his head and brings it down at Uist's right collarbone. "..Fifteen." he makes a small sound of uneasy uncertainty. "The late part of that at least.. it's complicated." he shrugs. He looks occasionally over at Avira and a few times it looks like he is going to say something, but then looks away and continues to focus on what he was doing.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira sighs quietly. She doesn't mind fuzzy Avira. Maira likes animals...not that Avira was an animal! She's just...not put off? She knows it won't be forever. They are going to figure this out. Maira takes a deep breath then. "Alright. We'll keep Hades away from you. We'll figure out what to do. I'm not going to give up, and neither are you. We've just got to think. I'll find the others. Angantyr, Mercade, Skoll....Tron and Katyna, the rest of VALKYRI. We'll figure this out. Don't lose hope okay?" she says, flashing Avira her most encouraging smile. Uist nods, but doesn't go any easier on Riku. "Fifteen is old enough to be a man. It is older thanI was when I started fighting," he replies. At the potential emergence of a clear memory, Uist winces, something inwardly triggering to make him push it back. The distraction lets Riku get through his defenses and land a solid hit on his collarbone. Uist looks quite surprised. "Been a good long time since someone has /hit/ me," he remarks, a grin then forming. Uist brings his staff up to give Riku a not so gentle smack in the ribs if Riku isn't quick enough to guard. Then, he executes an unexpected and smooth spinning inside crescent kick aimed for Riku's head.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira tries to manage a weak smile in this form. It looks like more grimacing or even snarling with her current facial structure. "I'm counting on all of you." she says quietly, gradually feeling a little better. She might be too distraught to think straight about this-but Maira, the rest of VALKYRI, and the TDA could instead. At least they'll do it provided they don't HATE HER FOREVER for what she's done. Part of her fear about returning is this thought itself. What if they really didn't forgive her at all for the selfish deal she's made? Avira squeezes Maira's hands. "I trust them too...can you tell them that, Maira?"

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku is not quick enough to guard against the smack to the ribs, having already having a full complement of bruises in that area from the last assault and not wanting to add to his collection. However, sometimes life, and painful bruises, just have to be borne. He smirks at Uist, nodding to them and rocking back on his heels(?) "..Where are you from?" he grins offhandly and winces again at the strangeness of it although slowly he is starting to acclimate a little. "I say that only because I'm going to knock you all the way back there, if not into next week." This arrogance is stilted, as if he has left it alone for so long the tendancy to make remarks like that has started to rust. He hurt all over from being whacked, but it was a clean and uncomplicated ache and he missed it. Riku found himself missing a lot of things lately. One thing he is more than grateful to miss however is Uist's strike up alongside his head. He collapses like a withering flower onto his back, springing up in a spring kick that launches him straight into Uist's face again as he lashes out with both feet (tightly wound up into knobbly blunted claws) to kick the warrior straight in the abdomen, flipping back off them into another rolling crouch.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira's smile grows as she nods. "Of course I will. We'll figure this out together. Until then...stay where I can find you, or at least try, okay? She can't help be notice how exhausted Avira looks. She probably hasn't slept at all. "You should rest Avira. I'll look after you while you sleep, don't worry," she said, patting her arm gently and encouraging her to get comfortable--somehow. Maira looks then to watch Uist and Riku sparring. Uist is really enjoying himself, she doesn't even need to see him to know that. Uist is indeed enjoying himself, letting out a low laugh at Riku's playful threat. The question though, he has no answer for. Uist doesn't know. Uist smiles as Riku bends beneath his kick, surprised with his flexibility. Someone had trained him well at least. The counter is expected, and Uist brings his staff down to block the kick, his resistance oaken. He'll let Riku get back to his feet again, grinning with what would appear to be approval. "Who is your teacher?" he asks then, sweeping his staff low in a quick feint for the knees then jerking the end up quickly toward Riku's chin, stepping into the strike then shifting his weight back onto his back foot so Riku couldn't easily knock him off balance by kicking out the front leg.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I will try to...at least stay in reach. I think I may need to revisit someone shortly for some answers." Avira says, hinting at her upcoming journey to the Bayou. She didn't want to outright say it because then word will spread and the Shadow Lords would hear and... ...and then there would be more heartbreaking encounters with her friends like this. "I haven't slept." she tells Maira, pulling away then moving to lean against the wall. Her back sinks down against it. Though the sparring between Riku and Uist is no doubt interesting to watch, she quickly falls asleep. Time passes-hours-and Avira does not stir for a while, the mental and physical exhaustion she had accumulated commanding that she sleep for quite some time. Eventually she does stir, her furry head lifting blearily. With each passing second, she grows more active. Maira is gone, clearly off to bring news to the rest of VALKYRI and the TDA.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku is not too far away, nursing some more bruises but otherwise looking reasonably alright. He is sitting and leaning up against a rusted gate, looking up at the night sky absently. He looks down when Avira starts to wake up, silently giving a small wave in acknowledgement without saying anything.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Movement! Avira starts to tense but when she looks in it's direction, she sees Riku in all his thorny glory sitting there. The tenseness disappears and Avira takes her time in rousing and getting up. She's still here, Riku was keeping the Heartless away, clearly she had nothing to worry about. Pulling her mutated body up to her taloned feet, she takes a moment to stretch. Her arms spread out, followed by her wings-she'd certainly fit in with a flock of gargoyles at this point. "Hello Riku." she says awkwardly, rubbing her arm. "Um...thanks. I really needed that."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Believe me, I have.. an impression of the value of undisturbed sleep." he smiles somehwhat sadly at this, the cant of the ragged line of teeth that cuts across his cheek making the expression markedly sinister. "If any shadow lords had noticed I was sending their minions on a wild goose chase, I would have woken you up. Still... it won't last forever." he looks somewhat distant for a moment and then shakes his head. "You won't have to keep running forever." Again, he doesn't judge or try to talk her out of it. He simply tries to reassure her although he looks somewhat awkward about the attempt. He curls up a thorned fist and gently whacks the other into it with a hollow noise as he looks up at the stars again.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A sympathetic smile forms along the jaws of the mutate, joining Riku's 'terrifying-looking grin' club for a few brief moments. Though the expression disappears seconds afterwards, the sympathy remains buried inside her. "It won't." she agrees, stepping towards him. "Though part of me vainly hoped it would. Part of me hoped I could take you with me but that wouldn't be fair to you since there's clearly somewhere you've been yourself." An eyebrow lifts. Though she fully expected that she couldn't run from these problems forever, his particular choice of wording, "'won't'?", clearly gets her attention. "You may be the first and only person that's going to accept that I will be running. Though...I think I might know why." She stops approaching, keeping a few feet from out of respect for personal space. "I won't pry for that...but I do want to know one thing. I can understand possible sympathy but I am at a loss about that kindness you mentioned."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku looks up at her and snorts faintly. He slowly gathers himself up, the hunched and distorted teen slowly raising up from where he was sitting. He groans faintly, grumbling under his breath about his back still aching in sympathy to having someone fall on it before he straightens up and shakes his head. "Well. Some people take to running to the hills.." and shrugs one shoulder, looking at Avira for a long time and then letting out a growling sigh. "..and some people run away from who they were. It's sort of difficult to explain here." he chuckles faintly. "I doubt you would even remember, but you tried to help a young adventurer be included. There was even eggnog involved at one point, but as I understand that is sort of a seasonal thing. I've had a difficult time placing it after that." He looks like he is fully expecting something like a punch in the nose from the expression of chagrin on his face.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' 'It's difficult to explain.' usually means 'I don't want to talk about it' in teenager language. "...I'll take your word for it." she says after looking at him for a long while. Riku references her helping a young adventurer and while she no doubt has helped a number of people in her time, one did stand out to her. A young man she assumed came from her own world and was displaced after the Light of Manhattan faded. Whom she confided that she found quite a bit of herself in his situation. A kid she gave a sample of her fully-spirited eggnog around Christmas time. "THAT WAS YOU?!" she blurts out, whirling to stare at him. After a second she storms over, grasps him by the shoulders, and shakes. "You sneaky little brat!!"

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Or shaking. Yep. Shaking also works. He laughs quietly with even more chagrin. "aggh! Sorry. Sorry!" he continues to be shaken back and forth and appears to be allowing himself to be done so as penance. Eventually he tries to disengage from the shaking if only so that the world will stop spinning for a little bit. He chuckles, putting up his claws to fend off the mutate VALKYRI. "I.. need some time to get my head on straight. Faruja. and.. half the population of the universe wanted my head on a plate just around that time, and.." he pauses and then sighs. "..and the less time I spend at 'home'... the better it was for me."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' In this form, Avira has some pretty serious strength! Riku will get the feeling that she's definitely not going all out. There could have been worse things he could have done to her in that disguise besides catching her being /nice/ to people, after all. This does explain Sable's avoidance of clans though. "Why though? Stealth way to get advice?" she finally lets go, but remains looking huffy at being deceived for so long. It was a shame too, she was really rooting for that kid! Then he explains that everyone wanted to kill him and...eventually, she nods. "Well that makes a painful amount of sense." Home. She could only assume that meant wherever the Shadow Lords hung out. "So you've cut yourself off from them." It's not even a question, spoken as an observation. She doesn't ask why, she doesn't go into any lecturing over guilt. If Riku's made it to this point, he probably already made that trip...furthermore... Avira was in no place to be giving -anyone- a high and mighty lecture right now. "In whatever you do from now, Riku, I wish you luck."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku raises his eyebrows slightly and then chuckles faintly. "..I preferred the shaking." he waives that off with a gesture. He takes another step away from her, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say more and then he shakes his head very minutely. He frowns slightly and then turns away from Avira. "They'll still be wary for a bit after I leave, but you should probably get going. Goodbye, Avira." without another word he takes two steps and vanishes, a smear of darkness sealing up behind him.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "...should have known you wouldn't answer that..." Avira says quietly as he waves her question off-though for that brief moment, it does look like he's going to say something. Alas, that moment passes and he turns away. "...I should. I'll be taking advantage of that head start." she's quiet as she too turns away from him. "Goodbye Riku." There's a stretch of silence that follows and he vanishes in that time. When she speaks up again, she hasn't quite realized that he's just left. "...thanks." When she peeks over her shoulder, she notices that he's gone. Without another moment's hesitation, she spreads her wings and takes off to continue her fleeing.

Grendel Attacks

2013-05-13T01:31:49Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/04/23 |Location=VALKYRI HQ |Synopsis=VALKYRI's carefully planned party is rudely interrupted by an attacking monster. |Cast of Characters=Faru..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/04/23
|Location=VALKYRI HQ
|Synopsis=VALKYRI's carefully planned party is rudely interrupted by an attacking monster.
|Cast of Characters=Faruja Senra, Tifa Lockhart, Katyna, Sarafina Carenze, Avira, Maira, Vespa, Minerva, Angantyr Vespar, Garland, TRON, Isaac Hanlon, Carnus Sirin, Ulharisk, The Cloud King
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It was evening, or at least temporally so! The invites have gone out and the warnings have been sskip town for the evening. Why a party though? No reason was given. Nothing exciting in particular had happened lately that was really worth celebrating. When pressed, Avira would claim that this party was 'because she felt like it.' The inside of the VALKYRI headquarters has been decluttered significantly in preparation for the guests, extra stuff and personal items stowed in the basement below. A spread of finger foods has been arrayed out on the long table in the center of the guild hall and several coolers supporting drinks line the walls. There's even alcohol here for those who prefer more adult beverages. Music was apparently on short order and provided by nothing more than the local radio. The only thing that seems to be at all off about this picture is Avira herself, who is still sporting her usual adventuring clothes. Her weapon, that odd-looking serrated sword called the Spine, remains sheathed at her back. Despite this, she floats around, greeting people as they come in and making small talk.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Traverse Town. The eternal twilight of Traverse Town is a beautiful metaphor for the human soul. Lingering light and continual shadow, never truly reaching either, never truly changing. No heart is without light and shadow, so long as it is the heart of a human being - human hearts are not such simple things. No matter how much one strives, a human cannot be truly light; no matter how vile one becomes, a human cannot be truly dark. That is what humanity is, what it must be. To lack one of those qualities is to be less than human. Or perhaps more than human. The shadows of Twilight Town shudder as he appears. It is a subtle shudder, as if a breeze had blown across the candle that is the everpresent orange sky, sending ripples throughout the darkness. That shudder is the only thing subtle about him, though, for the world itself is rent in his passing, shadows manifesting and splitting down the center where there were none before. A massive iron foot lands against the ground, utterly, unnaturally silent as it steps forth from the Corridor; a second joins it, followed by great and terrible clawed gauntlets. Soon come the horns, the shoulderpads, the faceplate; finally comes the cape, as the Corridors of Darkness close behind him, and the shadows give a final shake and lie still in the presence of their king. IRONCLAD NIGHTMARE G-A-R-L-A-N-D He moves, purposeful and silent, through the deserted streets of Traverse Town. Though he notices their emptiness, their silence, he cares not, for soon they will be filled with blood and shadow. Like some terrible Pied Piper, the Ironclad Nightmare's footsteps bring with them a miserable parade. t From the shadows of his cape they grow, one by one - Heartless, formless and dark, springing up where he walks. At first, it is few; then, it is many; then, it is multitude. Soon, the Heartless fill the empty streets of Traverse Town, dancing a mocking dance in praise of the dark god with whom they walk. They are the only noise in the streets; they are the only noise at all. Finally, he rounds a corner; the Champion of Chaos stands before VALKYRI headquarters, oozing shadow from his body, the Mad Parade behind him. He looks over the building calmly as the Heartless begin to fill the alleyways, block off the streets, moving into position on his command. The dark god folds his hands behind his back and waits for the fireworks to begin.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr didn't approach VALKYRI HQ through a portal, by dropping in on it. He didn't do anything fancy, he just walked from the street, walking towards the HQ. He takes a breath, he knows why he is here...some selfish, some not selfish. Not that it matters after this...after this he will have burned his last bridge to people who actually cared about him. Angantyr truly through he was doing this to protect them, even then...only one among them would know about this, only one knows why, and only one has used the time he had given them to clear out the surrounding area. His contract was specific... Destroy VALKYRI HQ, and the surrounding buildings. Crush anyone who stands in his path. Angantyr opens his eyes, it is a carefully measured stare before he draws the mace, smashing it into the ground and drawing the darkness from himself, and weaving it around him. The Aegis of darkness is formed, a dark armor, powerful and looming like stands before VALKYRI HQ. Darkness burns off of him like a heat haze, and his eyes focus on those who come out to defend their homes...and the homes of others. He doesn't say anything. MISSION START! Victory Conditions: Defend VALKYRI HQ from Angantyr's attack! Defend the Surrounding buildings from Angantyr's attack! K.O. Angantyr! Failure Conditions: All Party Members are KOed. VALKYRI HQ is destroyed. More than three surrounding buildings are destroyed! Battle Mastery Condition: All buildings are left in tact...

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' 'No music on short order.' Who the hell do you think we are? VALKYRI HQ gets a visitor on short (read: no) notice, with an old-school boombox slung over one shoulder and a hastily-scrawled invitation in one hand. He presents it to Avira as he sweeps past with a sly grin and a quick salute, coat billowing as he strides across the long room with a tune on his lips and a purposeful stride. He snags a finger sandwich on the way past, pops it in his mouth, and goes out a window on the far side of the building as if it was a back door anyone can use. The boom box gets dropped on the roof. Pale blue light rises up from it and gathers around it, coalescing into an array of sound equipment. The man in the patchwork coat stands behind it, waits for the mic to pop up, and snags it as Angantyr approaches and Garland waits in the wings. He nods a little, the darkness oddly reflected in his goggles, as if that was the cue he was looking for. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to THE ZERO HOUR! Broadcasting /live/ from VALKYRI Headquarters in Traverse Town, I'm your host, DJ ZERO, here to provide you with your evening's musical entertainment and local defense on a tight budget!" The boombox roars. The streets suddenly get loud as the music starts. BGM CHANGE: http://youtu.be/svTuSRiFPoc

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' At one of the tables there lays a variety of foods and alcoholic beverages set before one man in particular. Carnus, the always chuffed spellsword. He's dressed as he always is. Fully outfitted in his battle armor and with the ornate heavy sword of his noble house hung at his waist next to a thick red book kept under lock. "Hahaha! What a great plan, Avira!" he calls out, clearly enjoying his drink and food. One would wonder if he's not forgotten why they're here, but the fact he watches the door carefully each time someone new enters would signify otherwise. However, until the time came, he planned on enjoying himself, especially knowing that at any minute it would all end with the outbreak of violence. After a time, he notes and end to those showing up and starts to get a bit antsy. He'd been idle too long and was ready to get involved in some action. Wandering was lovely and all, but battle had a spark to it he found irresistable. And boy was he ready for it's call to lure him onto the battlefield. He moves from his seat to check outside after he's sure he heard something outside before Isaac started playng his loud clanging that passes for music here and opens the door, smiling deeply as he stares out into the streets. "Looks like things are about to start getting fun." he calls back over his shoulder. "The guests of honor have arrived."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart is here to party! n/ >_< Okay, well maybe not that hardcore, but at least she's not dressed as a giant banana this time, so she can relax. Having a bar in Traverse Town means she's close to most of the big events, and that's a good thing for her. She likes being social after all, and checking on her friends. Since they don't come that often to check on her at the bar. At least, not as much as she'd like. Sigh. Anyway, all's forgotten right now, as she steps into the Valkyri HQ, looking around. She's sporting her usual wear, which might be a little hot for dancing, but there's a layer she can take off. And who wouldn't want to look at a girl dancing in a learther shorts anyway? Looking around there's a few familiar faces of course, being Valkiry's place, but some others she's not entire sure of. Oh well, if they got invitations, its likely that they are good people, after all. She walks over to Isaac's booth, smirking as she leans over the side of it "Better give me the good songs tonight, so I'm never hireing you for my place."

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "Looks like everything is set up here Avira.", Vepsa says looking over the table of finger foods. she grabs herself a beer opening it up and taking a drink from the bottle. She dressed in her usual attire, her maid outfit. "Ahh that what I needed. I think I'm going to be needing this tonight.", she says looking at the berr bottle. She looks at Caruns, hearing what he said "Guest of honor? More like party crashers!", she tosses him a beer, hoping he can catch it. She not surpised by this turn of events at all.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna was quite surprised by the 'invitation' she had received..Although it wasn't so much a friendly invitation to a 'party' so much as a mysterious challenge of sorts, to prove that she indeed had chosen the path of light over darkness. Was it a trap? Had the Shadow Lords sent her a fake invitation to lure her out into the open, to punish her for daring to betray them? Or, was it just her over active imagination working in overdrive, again? Whatever the case, she could not take the chance that it was a real threat..And more than that, Katyna was determined to prove to Avira that she was sincere in wanting to protect her and the rest of VALKYRI...If only to make up for her past crimes against her former friends.. When she arrives on the street, she is probably one of the last to approach VALKYRI hq, and she hesitates a long moment before stepping up to the door. Yegads, is she doing the right thing? She knows there are still lots of people who had not forgiven her. Perhaps she should leave...Kat flushes and backs away from the door, uncertain of what to do. Skoll's previous words still echo in her memory, encouraging her to return to Traverse and visit Avira with a box of chocolates as a kind of peace offering perhaps. She had laughed at the idea, but now it sounds like a pretty darn good idea! "Oh darn it! Just get it over with, Kityana!" She openly berates herself as she reaches the doorbell and rings it once, hesitantly..It's around that time that she is suddenly aware of the immense warp of darkness in the area, shadowy heartless crawling out of the darkenned alleys..And a far bigger enemy on the horizon.. "What the...? No! I've gotta warn the others! Avira!!" She starts ringing like crazy on the doorbell now..

:'''[[The Cloud King]] has posed:''' A new face to these parts had shown up earlier in the evening. A tall, thin male in a fanciful white suit had arived and seemingly come with the intent of partying. Though his manner of 'partying' seemed to extend to bringing various supplies like those little hats and noisemakers and, of all things, his own teacup. As to why he would ever need his own teacup one must be left to their own thoughts, for all he ever gave in response to that was 'For tea, what else?' And that, as they say, was that. The fellow with the pink hair and wings was currently sitting in the back corner of the room in a chair with one leg crossed pleasantly over t'other, eyes roaming those who were here with a bit of an amused sparkle. There was a faint curiosity about him as if he was trying to understand why it was they were acting how they were, and in the meanwhile, he had filled his cup with tea and some kind of alcohol. The beverage had for some reason swirled with blue and pink before he began to sip at it. Isaacs entrance and sudden depreciation of the radio with his own music caused the Cloud Kings nose to crinkle slightly as he appeared quite simply on the other side of Isaac as if he had been there all along. "I say... this noise, hardly music for the soul. As screechy as it sounds, it'd deafen a mole! Please something more fitting for a party rather than a hatters soire." Little chance after that, though, did he have to speak as suddenly others started speaking of a Guest of Honor, or more than one! "Oh my indeed, though I would have to wonder why in the world you are throwing a party for those nasty little things? I can't say as to your world but at least for mine they came and gobbled it right up!" And gobble they had indeed as he walks over to the snack table and quickly proliferates a few sandwiches before they can gobble that too. Damn their hunger, he'll have his own finger sandwiches!

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva had been aware of what was coming sure. Just not at the full on nature of what comein she's wondering just what's coming here she seems to be bit put off and normally she's not seemingly put off by anything. She seems to be bolsterd a bit as DJ Zero pops in and plays some strange music likely from Manhattan but she can agree at least the bards singing it can be understood. Ya there's a pile of heartless, no not a pile, not even a fearsom buck O heartless this is a damn full army. "Tis going to be a very bad night..."

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' 'District 3... Valkyrie HQ..' Those words stayed in Ulharisk's mind since he met Maira and the others on the beach. When they showed him kindness and even gave him something to eat-- and including that really good bread meal. Whatever it was called. It was good! He had been trying to get use to the strange culture, but so far nothing really made sense to him. He had no one really able to explain to him things, so he didn't know about the warning or what was going to happen. He just knew Maira was very kind and she told him that she would be at this building; So that is where he has gone. The strange humanoid looked almost humanoid, with elfish like ears, yet his light brown tan skin had the looks of almost like scales in some places finds himself taking refuge on the couch. His clawed toed feet kicked out and his clawed fingers clasps resting on his lap. He is mostly just watching everyone. Feeling still very much out of place and at times glances at the radio. He really wants to go over there to poke it. Shake it. See if any little people fall out from it. Yet it is not his to touch. He is really here just to see Maira... Somewhere he even closes his eyes and seems to just content to act like he is 'snoozing'. Yet when something dark makes itself known. His violet eyes snap open and he glances around. His sixth scent tingling a bit, yet he was not sure why. For the moment he just goes back to closing his eyes and trying to ignore the odd sensation. Unaware of what was about to happen, until probably noise was made which caused him to snap his eyes open once more. Including even slowly stand up. His eyes peering around. He really was unsure of what was happening. He couldn't see outside. Probably a good thing. He would go charging out. Probably was as he started to take a closer work he saw those gold eyes. He /knew/ those gold eyes. His eyes narrowed sharply as he growled lowly. "..Monsters of Whe'ir.." He then makes a quick gesture of his hand. White flames following his gesture with his hand, before they glow bright blue. Then suddenly from those flames a blue rod starts to form, which he takes a hold of as the blazing light travels through the air to create the Glaive and the red runes flash brightly. "You wont take this world Either!!!" He roars out. Probably before anyone can tell him /don't/, the young Draconian is already on the move. Heartless took his world. /They/ took his family. /THEY / had taken it all. He wanted it back and he will get it back even if it means by force! Though darkness was beyond the door and the armored figure of great terror stood their with his massive mace. Any sensible person would /not/ go charging at someone like this. Any sensible person may realize there is trouble. Ulharisk, may realize this and do a quickly one eighty mid air turn if he was being sensible -- but he wasn't. He was angry because of what he saw. He still felt the pain of not so long ago. So out came the Draconian, the Guardian Knight. His Glaive held in his hands as he leaps in the air with a battle cry of a yell as he went to strike the Glaive down at the armored figure with the mace. Slashing the Glaive one way then the other, while yelling, "You wont have it!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira isn't ready for this. There isn't anything that could prepare her for this. That said, she's is at least dressed for the occasion. Maira has got to be the only person in the world perhaps whose battle gear involves a short pink skirt with ruffles and knee high boots that match. Alas, but these are the only clothes she has that are sure not to burn up when she wields her magic. Maira sits inside HQ on a chair, completely stiff, her spine straight as a bored, wringing her hands in her lap. She is terrified, barely repressing it. They had done all they could, hadn't they? The townspeople should be safe...yes, that would be good. They would be safe. She might die today. Someone she cares about might die today. Maira closes her eyes, reaching down inside herself, trying to find courage--to grasp her light and hold on tight. When Garland moves into the area she /feels/ it like and echo in her bones. The music starts to play and Maira 'EEP's with fright, jumping to her feet. Then...another presence? Was that....? Maira blinks, then begins moving toward the door, stepping outside to to confirm what she felt. Then, she smiles. Like an idiot, she smiles. "Angantyr! You came!"

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON has not truly understood the concept of 'social gatherings'. Celebrations after a victory, certainly! But inviting people over 'because I could' is a little harder to process. But he is here, keeping the lightshow to a minimum by being in his black suit with the circuitry lines offline, not really mingling much. Then, there is the unholy sound of incoming partying Heartless. Realization manifests as a tremor down the spine, a clench of the core, a chill that lances through you. But the Security Program isn't frozen, turning his head to acknowledge the sound as his gloved hands flex. "It is time." His voice murmurs distractedly, not seeming to realize he had even spoken, and he removes his Discs from the spindle on his back. DJ Zero's music drowns out the Heartless' noise somewhat and he walks calmly towards the doors as his helmet hides his face and his Discs activate with a sharp whirring sound. Circuitry dots and dashes appear with bright bluish-white flashes across his form as the black visor reflects Angantyr's form and Garland's shadowed visage like a mirror. "Well then," he comments over to Carnus as he passes by, "it would be rude to keep them waiting." He lightly nudges Katyna into VALKYRI HQ as he suddenly spins over the stairs to the sidewalk, both Discs flying right towards Angantyr. One arcs upwards at the last moment to attempt knocking him off his feet, the other makes a sudden trajectory shift as if to blindside the Dark Knight. Both then cross over each other then swoop in as one on the return trajectory for a double strike.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Food, alcohol, and the lovely ladies and gents of VALKYRI. After the rather sound tail-kicking provided by a certain group of Heretics, and the events in Alexandria, this is exactly what Faruja has needed. A nice, relaxing night to kick back, soak in booze, companionship, and music. And most /definitely/ not any more fighting of wanted men. For the occasion, Faruja decided upon whipping out the old dress uniform from his days in the Burmecian army. A long coat, slacks, and tan, button-up shirt adorned with several medals on the breast round out the outfit. Someone clearly /isn't/ in on the plan. No, Faruja simply came to party; nursing a glass of some local spirit. That's not to say he hasn't greeted those he knows! "Lady Avira! My, my, my, 'tis just what was needed my dear! Ahh, playing up the 'adventurer' bit, hmm? Ser Hanlon, was it not? I pray thy magical studies favors thee! Ahh, Lady Tifa! My deepest apologies, I do believe I still owe a visit to thy lovely establishment! Lady Minerva, 'tis been some time, looking in good health my dear! Ahh, Maira! Good 'eve, good eve my friend! Is something wrong? You seem a touch out of sorts." Those whom he doesn't know will get general smiles, bows, and greetings from the rat should they approach him. The unknown spellsword, however, is the one that alerts Faruja to the sudden appearance of Heartless (along with a good sense of /wrongness/)...and something far worse. Mid-slamming of his drink down his gullet, the rat's single eye peers at the man, before looking outside. The Templar very nearly drops his drink. Sigh. There goes his wonderful party. One incantation later, and the rat clenches his spear, summoned from wherever he keeps the thing. Dutifully, he follows Maira outside with nary a word. Any other time, and Faruja's first comments would go to Angantyr, particularly as Maira calls him out. Instead, looking upon the great Iron-Clad Abomination known as Garland, his gaze holds many things; fear, hate, anger. "...Think thee to take this place, Abomination? It shan't happen while the lot of us live." Stepping between Maira and Angantyr, Faruja's muzzle tugs down in a scowl. Katyna's presence as he exits the door barely phases him, other than a nod. No matter what happened between them earlier, at least he knows she's no lover of such things as Garland! "Angantyr Vespar. The lives of Templar not enough for thee? Be gone from here and trouble these people naught." Then, he glances back to Maira, even as he begins casting. "Stay behind me, Maira. This shan't end easily if I am any judge."

:'''[[The Cloud King]] has posed:''' And suddenly the man in the white suit chokes on his drink, coughing softly and looking towards Faruja, "What? Do not wrap me up in your need to perish! I just came for the cake!" While he lives indeed, he shant be anything short of that!

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina is sittoung around nearby, she is--effectively--not anticipating trouble from Angantyr. Considering how often he's HELPED VALKYRI and Avira, well, it would seem out of character for him to suddenly start summoning Aegis's of darkness, glowing powerfully and smashing his mace about. For a moment, Sarafina even just assumes Angantyr is just being a sourpuss because, really, sometimes Angantyr is a sourpuss. For some reason, nobody really felt Sarafina needed a warning. She looks into Angantyr's eyes, and that explains to her just as well as to what's going on as anything else. She stands up suddenly and turns to run off--which is about when Maira opens the door. Oh god, she thinks. "Maira!" She shouts. "Be careful! Something's wrong!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Yeah...plan." Avira looks a bit distant. Weary. At the sinking feeling in her stomach, she knew the Heartless were gathering. She knew Angantyr was coming. Even for someone like her, who wasn't so sensitive to the amounts of light and darkness in the hearts of people, could feel the large darkness gathering outside. For reasons only her own, her own heart feels heavy. There's a small smirk on her face when she takes Isaac's fauxvintation and the wizard sweeps his way past them all. She's not entirely sure what he's up to at first-until she hears DJ Zero's voice calling out, followed by the sweet, sweet sounds of the Beastie Boys. One of their newer guests, spoken about her briefly-Ulharisk-immediately wigs out and charges outside, howling and screaming at the Heartless beyond. She knew that feeling-the rage of those who had freshly lost their world to the Heartless. The heroism that swelled inside when those creatures reared their heads again, threatening to destroy another world. That zeal was useful right now. Every bit of zeal and revenge and bravery and heroism was useful right now. They'd need it all. Avira murmurs a few things to herself, looking over to Maira with a sad look upon her face. With each passing second, though, that sadness starts to fade, replaced with raw rage. Maira was upset. Maira was /very/ upset. This in itself felt worse than the betrayal Angantyr's act had inflicted upon her. The huntress rushes out of the VALKYRI headquarters, ice magic shooting down the length of the Spine clutched in her gloved hand. With no words offered to the advancing Dark Knight, Avira meets him head on. The narrowed, flashing eyes and tight-lined lips upon her face are all she needs to convey just how seriously she's taking this attack.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland surveys the forces arrayed against Angantyr for a long, silent moment. He casts a silent gaze at DJ Zero, without a single motion, lingering there for a long moment. Then he surveys each of them in turn, carefully looking over the various defenders of VALKYRI who have trotted themselves out tonight. It is a long, silent, appraising gaze, as he considers their strength against his soldier's. He carves their faces into his eternal memory, each who stands against him carefully memorized, carefully observed, carefully scratched into the endless tablet of time. The heartless chitter eagerly at the promise of violence and destructon, ready to eat their fill of broken hearts in the wake of their master's passing. The dark god strides over to his apprentice and lays a hand on Angantyr's shoulder, his rumbling voice breaking through even Isaac's musical interlude. "Kill them all." Then he laughs. He laughs, long and hard, at heroic declarations and daring (if foolish) strikes. He laughs, and laughs, and laughs, the dark and horrible echo of his mockery shaking through the streets. There would be no misunderstanding, no failure of the implication made - Angantyr is his soldier. Whatever their friendships, whatever they may have felt for him, Garland is currently the one pulling his strings into this attack. And Garland intends to hurt VALKYRI more through that than any amount of blood ever could.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr stands there, of course Garland was here. He would be here to watch, and his heartless were here to intimidate. He knows how the man of chaos works. He almost feels proud of Avira that so many people have come to defend her. These are the bonds of friendship she has formed... He hates himself probably more than Garland for standing here right now. He doesn't let himself be vocal, but as people charge him, he moves, not agile, but brutally. The mace swings, darkness pouring from it as it smacks into the draconian, even as his spear hits his armor piercing it, but in the scheme of things only glancing the important parts. The Disk smashes into The armor of the Dark knight, he turns, and swings the mace back in reaction, a dark storm of darkness cracks the earth to throw TRON away, his eyes blazing. Faruja makes his stand, protecting Maira...and he only nods once. His words, however, get a grunt, "Those Templars were harrasing a child. I am attacking warriors. Do not compare yourself and your pathetic church to me. You are scum." "The lowest scum. Scum that abuses it's prestige and power to hurt the weak and helpless. When faced with a superior force they try and use the power of their faith to rally the weak and stupid to their cause. You are a puppet, the lowest form of a puppet...you've let your hatred of Alexandria blind you to it, you ignore the atrocities they perform, and you kill anything that says differently." "You are a pathetic piece of garbage. Your death will not be mourned." Angantyr looks at Maira, and he lowers his head. He takes a breath, and the Avira attacks. The ice blade cuts through the armor, even managing the throw him back a bit. He falls to the ground in an explosion of darkness to try and smack Avira back. "Good! I didn't train a weakling!" he shouts. "Figh-" And then Garland hits him with CLASS CHANGE. Angantyr shouts in surprise...the darkness pours out from him even more, and he is caught in a cocoon of darkness. It shatters, revealing a even LARGER armor...spiky, bulky, but powerful. It is...so similar to Garland's. Too similar. A long cape flows behind him, literally made from the darkness between the stars...both flowing and substantial, but also...other worldly. BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1M8ddkiplg Angantyr roars, his mace lifting up and swinging. He dives at Avira first, before swinging wildly in the group. He doesn't care WHO he hits...he just swings. The mace moves to tear at the bodies of who he fights, aiming to rip flesh or armor away with each swing. And then he stops, swinging one of his arms around, throwing pure darkness around him in an wave, before stomping the ground in a massive bursts, causing an explosion of the same energy to tear out all around him...including the HQ.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' "What's going on?" Katyna stands bewildered on the front steps to the hq, moments before the heartless swarm the area. She's about to turn and fight them, when the door opens, and out pops some strange guy she's never seen before (Ulharisk), and then the familiar form of Maira. "Maira..!" she murmurs, turning around to deliberately place herself between Maira and the heartless..Annd....Angantyr? "Tch, figures..Knew you couldn't trust that guy." Still, her gaze softens upon Maira, seeing the hurt in her eyes..And Avira too, as she steps up to face Angantyr. Others begin to join, fighting back the heartless...Faruja is there and as he weaves a protection spell on her, Kat smiles faintly, getting nudged back by TRON, presumably to safety in hq, although she shakes her head, stepping forward. "I'll fight too!" Kat flinches however, as Ang attacks first, and she stumbles back, gritting her teeth before stepping towards him. She points her sword at Angantyr. "I dunno what game you're playing this time, but I wont let you hurt my friends!" and she sharges into the fray, unleashing blasts of fire from her sword as she swings it at the heartless..And Ang..

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' "You... You're the one that people here thought they could trust? Believed you to be a friend." Carnus calls out toward Angantyr. He draws his blade, holding it before him in both hands as it bursts to life with fire swirling all around the now glowing red blade. "I don't like it when those I call friend are betrayed. Be it intentional or not. You and your parade of darkness won't be doing whatever you wish any further." His eyes flash to Garland and he grimaces, his hands tightening on his blade. So he was the one pulling the strings and causing all this hardship. Then it was him that really needed destroying, not the one that could still be redeemed and thus cause less hurt to Maira and the other VALKYRI's he'd joined. He gives a small nod to TRON as the program begins it's attack, his demeanor changing greatly from how it usually is. His smile receded into a look of concentration as he focuses on his magic and swordwork at the same time. He eyes up Angantyr before his eyes slide to Garland who's stood behind his army of Heartless. He was the one who REALLY needed taking down, and it seemed as if Carnus was about to rush in and do something VERY foolish by trying to cut his way through to the knight of darkness. However, the sudden appearance change of Angantyr changes his mind, and he realises he can't leave the others to face that alone. So, his tactics change and he charges blade first toward Angantyr, a light trail of fire being left in his wake.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' The Draconian attempts to avoid the first blow, but its enough to knock him back. Then when the mace swings madly it slams into him and causes him to crash into a building across the way. He comes down hard onto the ground. He coughs gently as he forces himself to stand up. "...bloody hell.." He murmurs softly, before nearly going down on his knee. "..right.. right. Calm your mind." He mumurs to himself as he stands up and swings his Glaive around in a ready position. He then charges at Dark armored mace wielder of darkness yet again. This time he spins the Glaive around to try and out move him. Moving with quick slashes and fast foot work to move around, before swinging the Glaive around for a quick slash, and then twirling it around to bring it down in a hard cleaving motion. Then Ulharisk attempts to flip back with the impact. Trying to make himself some room before the Mace can get him. Most likely then not, he will get smacked into a building...

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' "....No...no no no....that can't be right, can't be...." she whispers to herself, her eyes wide and quickly becoming shiny with unshed tears over the information she's heard over the radio. Her expression is pure horror, the color completely drained from her face as she begins to shake like a leaf caught in a tempest. People are talking to her, but she is barely even aware of them. Faruja is there, he's in front of her. Sarafina is somewhere, yelling for her about....something....The newcomer, Ulharisk, has entered the battle, not knowing anything but that Heartless took his world and he is angry, so angry. Avira, fighting against the man who taught her, a man she might have loved. It's too much. Too much. Maira feels only despair. Through her bond to Uist however, she feels his broiling anger, more fury than she has even felt from him before. "You have to get a hold of yourself Maira...or I will. I won't let you die here," Uist tells her, his cold hand on her shoulder. The most comforting of hands is already dead. It wouldn't be so bad, would it? To join him? Garland's laugh shakes her at the very foundation. Angantyr speaks...Angantyr changes. Then, he attacks. "Kill Them All," she whispers...then, she starts to scream. She brings her hands to her ears, clenches her eyes shut and SCREAMS. The light within her, the fire of her, reacts when she will not. Light will always appear to oppose the overwhelming night, and Maira light up like the sun, her entire form bursting into white-hot flame that pulses with the beating of her heart. Maira steps forward, even though several of her friends are trying to protect her. They can't be in the way. Maira wields the fire with the ease of breathing, her hands thrusting outward to send the flames in ribbons forward toward Angantry, trying to wrap him and burn the darkness that shrouds him.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Most of it was indeed the bonds of friendship. A small part of it was also 'poor random people that actually thought this was a real party'. Well, it is a party, in a sense. It's an Angantyr-beating party. It's a 'Show Garland VALKYRI won't stand for this crap' party. It's a 'give Katyna a chance' party. It's a 'show her mentor how much she's grown' party. Parties all around! The considerably shorter woman is driven backwards by the lick of darkness that follows up after her fierce flurry of strikes. A hiss escapes her, as if she's about to say something, only for her to step backwards when Garland really starts 'pulling his strings.' A defiant look is thrown in the embodiment of Chaos's direction. It is not lost on her how similar Angantyr looks like to Garland right now. Similar to Garland or... "Did he just turn you into a /Judge/?" she asks incredulously, lifting her small shield in one hand, drawing back her weapon in the other. When they collide, Avira goes flying but not without leaving her own sheathing crescent of silvery energy in her wake. The second explosion of Angantyr's impact not only blows out the windows in the surrounding area, but sends Avira smashing against the wall of the VALKYRI headquarters. She drops down, crouched, and presses a clenched hand to her chest and directs some helpful time magic into her to speed the healing of her wounds.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa holds her ground against Angantryr display of force thought, she still felt it feeling a little sore. She stats to make her way to the door, or what's left of it, her massive axe appears in her hand as she steps outside. She points her Angantyr and the horde of heartless. "What makes you think you can come here and trample over everything again?",she pauses taking another drink of her beer."...But I'm not all upset about that, building can be fixed, repaired. But what really has gotten me upset is you made Maria cry!!!!!", she charges rushing into the thick of the battle.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva says "Seems your cut from the same cloth as Gafgarian. Should have known." She realises they are in a lot of trouble at this point a whole lot of trouble. She takes a deep breath at the levage of carnage that is already coming lose and about to contiune. There's no stopping this, she know sthis its' fight or die so far as she can tell. She does not know what's going on behind the the scenes she does not know what's going on for Ang, his termoriol or what he's thinking. She only sees a betryal and she's going to fight. Still his comment to Maira is strange and makes some part of hee wonder but the darkness comes it comes for her and she shifts into another stanc she foces for a moment takes hold of it and deflects it away but it's clear it was quite strain her fists freeze over as she launches herself at Ang and launches into a array of assaults upon him she also shift the ice fanishing and a howling wind picks up as she attempts to keep him off balance.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina doesn't have any issue with Ang's 'betrayal' because for starters, Ang had always been on Garland's side. It's surprising, but not exactly strange that he would do as he asked. A soldier doesn't let their feelings get in the way of their work anyway. Not typically. Hurting Maira is unforgivable but maybe Maira will learn and grow stronger for this. She shouldn't get pissy over the matter. No, in a situation like this, she more than ever must keep her cool.%r Angantyr swings wildly at the group. Sarafina punches the mace away from her body in a single gesture but fails to connect in her folllow through. She breathes out. "Angantyr. What are you gaining from this?" She swings her knuckles in a pair of strike for Angantyr's body before igniting her jetpack... ..and attempting to headbutt Angantyr across the chin and into the air, trying to keep him away from VALKYRI HQ--or at least on uncertain grounding!

:'''[[The Cloud King]] has posed:''' And suddenly things were simply... chaotic. The Cloud King shook his head a little as he stood there, seeming quite annoyed with the entire situation. Those horrible little creatures had already come and are now attempting to blot out the pretty world he was created in! Oh, that couldn't do at all. But, he was no fighter, and he knew this. He wasn't foolish, nor brave. He wasn't a man of the weapon, he wasn't even a person. He simply was. Which is why the man casually stepped forward to the table and slipped a hand beneath the closest cake, a large Strawberry Cheesecake. One that looked quite fancy and pretty. Someone must have brought it at some point. But who? No matter that. Just as soon as he picked up the cake the Cloud King began to wander forwards towards the door over the roar of the chaos and once he stepped outside one hand slipped down into his pocket, the free hand, and his wings spread and carried him into the air. But what could this man possibly be doing with a cake? A whole Strawberry Cheesecake? Well... if one followed where he was moving... he had slipped through the air to float casually in front of where Garland was, ignoring the man who was raging with a weapon, ignoring the ravenous heart-eating beasts, ignoring everything... but the man in the back. "You seem a tad grumpy. Are you hungry? You can have the whole cake if you wish, but please do tell those ugly little things to return from whence they came." Yes. Yes he did. He just offered Garland cake to leave. And... he was being sincere about it. Though the entire area around him did seem to smell faintly of flowers. Just a flowery breeze, a nice-smelling scent that one might find if they smelled the wind near a flower field.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' And this is where the party crashes. That certainly didn't take long! Didn't even have time to ask for a song that already a wave fo darkness sends her sprawling on the dance floor, except not on her feet. That's certainly not a nice way to ask a lady to dance, second to dragging her by the hair. Its just as painful though. She bounecs back to her feet though, growling "Okay, can't I can ONE SINGLE NIGHT without one of your freaks coming to try to destroy everything!?!" >_<# Okay, maybe it wasn't the best of days for Tifa. Or its that time of the month. Either way, those bad guys are in for it now. Armor or not, Ang finds the barmaid's legs coming straight for his neck, flipping him over and sending him crashing down into the floor, in a modified Meteodrive, instead using the power of her legs rather than her arms to send him hurtling. And that gives her enough bounce to go straight down on him with her fists, looking to thread her punches through the armor.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON only met Angantyr once in passing at a prior VALKYRI party/meeting, thus he has no opinion of him one way or another. He does not even form an opinion now, solely focusing on stopping him as quickly as possible-- The ground crumbles upwards under his feet, staggering him for just a moment as his balance is thrown off. The massive burst of darkness as Garland bestows his 'gift' on Angantyr stuns him long enough for Ang's brutal counterattack. He is knocked aside by the mace swings, flipping in mid-air to land at a staggered three-point stance, only to get bowled over entirely by the nasty burst of darkness and ground tremors that follow. Garland's 'laugh', if one could call such a sound void of anything besides mocking scorn at their defiance, is not helping. He doesn't hold onto his Discs as they return to him one at a time, almost seeming to breakdance as he at once flips back to his feet and sends the weapons flying once more. The Discs arc and swoop at Angantyr like birds of prey, making multiple passes while seeking places to sever armor from the Dark Knight beneath.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "In that case, Ser, then I suggest hiding or fighting for thy life! It shall be all the same in the end." Comes the Templar's response to the white-suited, cake-eating gentleman. Really, if he has his way, he'll live too. But a good bit of Templar bluster always helps with morale. In this case, his own. Darkness seeks out his flesh, and Faruja stands resolutely against it. His glowing spear elegantly deflects the bit aimed for him, the ratling making darn sure it doesn't touch the woman behind him. The Dark Knight's words leave him seething. The white fury of his soul is stoaked, made to burn higher. He opens his muzzle, retorts and condemnations on the tip of his tongue. Maira screams, and glorious fire erupts. It's a moment the Templar would take with him to his grave, to see a woman of such innocence burn so brilliantly. A moment he would see in nightmares. Any words he'd had die on his muzzle. Stepping aside, he dares not stop Maira. He knows a woman, nay, an angel when he sees one. And this one is on the warpath. The look he fixes Angantyr is of utter hatred, beyond even that mere words or the deaths of Templar could bring. The man had burned a woman of pure innocence. A swirl of white light as Fire, and the attacks of his companions are laid upon the newly armored Angantyr. Warp'd into existance high above the corrupted Dark Knight, gone is that silvery spear, replaced by a weapon. Nominally a Halberd, it's true use is for hewing things like airship masts, mounted riders, and hard-shelled monsters. An unwieldy weapon that Faruja rarely uses, prefering more streamlined ones. But in his anger and righteous fury, there's not a thought to capturing the man with subtle stabs and wearing-down attacks. There is only rage and the desire for the man's life as he falls, shining blade scything downwards; aimed for the man's head.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' DJ Zero is on the roof. He is difficult to address unless you're acrobatic, flight-capable, or shouting. He's wearing big ol' headphones, bobbing his head to the music as it plays on, and only pauses in his reverie to mutter, "Everyone's a critic," off-mic. Then, Garland looks at him, his heavy gaze resting on him for a few long moments. DJ Zero stares back, his eyes concealed behind dark goggles but the focus all the same. The shockwave rocks the building. Zero lifts an arm and casts most of the energy aside with a quarter-dome of pale light, the darkness breaking over it like a wave on the shore. He feels unnaturally cold from it, but doesn't do more than wince. He mutters a few words and puts out a pulse-pounding beat, setting the sound equipment up to continue the broadcast. He mutters into the mic, "Please stand by. We're experiencing some technical difficulties that I'm gonna go hammer out. Chill, radio land." There's a pause as the battle breaks out in earnest, and then the rooftop Dee-Jay abandons ship. He takes a running jump off the roof, his coat billowing out behind him as he drifts forward, over the fighting and all the way out behind the deadly Angantyr. Combat boots touch down in the street, and Zero reaches up and brushes dust off a picture of a big-nosed face peeking over a wall stitched into one shoulder of the patchwork coat. He starts walking, hands in his pockets, apparently totally at ease. DJ Zero stops. He is several long strides from Garland. He looks up at the Ironclad Nightmare, expression unreadable from behind his goggles. He's tense, though. He knows he's basically standing next to a primed nuclear bomb. To anyone who isn't an immortal lord of darkness, he probably looks pretty calm. "Evening," he says. "I have this feeling like maybe we should have some... words."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr slowly rises, people already are moving on him, trying to tear into him. Blows come from in response to his, he doesn't care. Katyna dives at him, her sword piercing his armor, and he swings back at her, which misses because of her agility. He grunts, but then she talks. "Oh that's great. A verbal thrashing from YOU about trust! The Shadow Lord who gave the leader of VALKYRI to Hades, who nearly destroyed Manhattan, and who /constantly/ tries to call me out on my stance." "That's so funny. I mean, /really/ funny. It's like...you seriously try and get the moral high ground on me, constantly, like you are trying to be better than someone. No, Ember, you aren't better than anyone. You are possibly more pathetic than the rat. At least he /stands/ for something...even if it's revenge and a corrupt child killing group. You? You just do whatever strikes your fancy." "/I/ have goals, /I/ have a plan. You just are too stupid to see it. No...maybe not stupid, blinded by your own desire to be right. How /dare/ the great Ember be wrong. She has to be right at all costs! Or else your little world shatters." Carnus speaks, and Angantyr moves on instinct at him. His mace moves, blocking his attack. The mace moves, trying to lock with his attack, before he swings upwards, aiming to send the mace, with a storm of darkness to try and swallow him up. "Tough words. Back them up, fetching, or get out of my way." Angantyr coldly calls to him, "Die or run, there are no other choices." And then Angantyr swings his mace right towards the Draconian. The two weapons collide, each one trying to struggle for dominance. A moment later, the force of each attack sends the other back, with nobody in a weaker position... "Tch. Not bad." he says, "But it's not good enoug-Gah!" And then Maira's flames coat the dark knight. The Light and fire burn at him, eating away at the darkness, but it reinserts itself. He blows it back, but he does not swing at her...even now, he can not swing at her. He just ignores her, powering through her attack. "No." Angantyr says, "It calls upon who you are. This is closer to me...the real me, or perhaps, the idealized version of myself." Angantyr shrugs. "YOU DID NOT PUSH YOUR ATTACK!" he shouts at her, "You are not going to achieve victory this day! This is not a joke nor a game! FIGHT!" he demands. Vespa charges Angantyr, demanding retribution for Maira's feelings. Angantyr doesn't respond, only swinging the mace for her, as she leaps over him kicking him flat onto the ground. Rolling to his feet, Minerva comes at him, punching repeatedly at him. He can't block the force, the armor shattering under the force of her blows... but his eyes narrow at her. His fist rises, aiming to grab her throat, choking her as he brings her nice and close. "Shut your mouth, you have no idea what I do, or why I do it. That man cares only for money, I have a real goal. If there isn't anything more, try and shut your mouth." he says, and throws her down back into the ground with a loud thud. Sarafina swings for him, he blocks with the mace, and when she moves to headbutt him...he counters with his own skull. The two collide, throwing Angantyr up, but it seems that armored foreheads win over not armored foreheads. "A logical question. I am being paid for my services, and given the chance to strike at my enemies." and he whispers something to her. And then he drops down like a stone, darkness streaming from his blade as he comes for Tifa, the two collide, and Ang's armor looks worse for it. "...You are apparently very bad at reading the signs." Angantyr grunts. TRON's disk hits, and he is thrown back from the attack. He grunts, dragging through the earth as he swings a hand towards TRON...but just out of reach. Faruja takes advantage of this, leaping into the air and then bringing down the spear down on him. The armor shatters in places, darkness rushing to reform it. Angantyr swings for the Rat's face, aiming to drag him down towards the earth with him. Aiming to literally drag him through the earth. Isaac flies over his head, and the Ice ki-Cloud King, is also messing with Garland. Angantyr is a mean mother-<GOOSEHONK> but...even he has limits. Those men are dead. Lest not make it any more suffering than it was already going to be. Angantyr laughs... "Impressive! Such strength brought to bear! You want to stop me! Good! Now lets TEST the limits of your resolve..." he says, and the darkness becomes a overwhelming spring. It flows in all directions, as he swings the mace upwards. Darkness churns, as his eyes glow crimson. And then, he swings the mace in a single swipe, as a large beam of darkness tears out. The darkness expands out, farther and farther...until it aims to consume all! Do you try to evade...leaving the building you are defending to be consumed...or do you challenge the darkness? BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-obYm3ScLg

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' The Cloud King is afforded exactly one glance before Garland turns away from him. Ignorance is, perhaps, the only true mercy Garland understands; someone foolish enough to walk up to the dark god among his own kind and actually mock him to his face wasn't going to last long anyway. Garland doesn't even speak to him; he's far more interested in, well, the other person entering his zone of absolute control. "Yes," Garland's dark voice echoes through the field; it is cold, and bleak, and filled with a rage barely concealed - or perhaps rather barely restrained, as though his rage were a physical entity that needed to be forcibly chained up in the dark recesses of his soul and unleashed when Garland felt it necessry. It is not controlled; it is not suppressed; it is bound and gagged and chained, like a prisoner in a great asylum. Garland's head tilts to the side, finally acknowledging the Cloud King. "Leave. I give you this single chance." Then he lowers his head back to stare at Isaac. Garland, again mercifully, does not force Isaac to see what is behind the helmet; he does not offer to Isaac the nightmare that is truly clad in iron. Instead, he simply nods, slowly. "Speak your piece, boy. And quickly...before the reserves of your courage fail you."

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' Carnus Sirin charge was, after all, very reckless. And as such, he's caught unprepared as the mace collides knocking him and his missed attacks backwards. The wave of darkness that crashes into him after that nearly takes him with it, but he perseveres and decides it's best to just rush this thing with all he's got. A perfect plan, if he didn't need time to charge up his abilities. He grits his teeth and decides that just in case, he should focus on personal wards and protections before making another rush. He jumps a few feet backwards and away from Angantyr as he prepares himself. Besides, Maira has gone supernova. It's best he put his flame wards up now. Before she burns everything to a cinder and it's too late.

:'''[[The Cloud King]] has posed:''' "..." Silence. It wasn't exactly a lack of fear or perhaps abundance of bravery, or suicidal feelings that keeps the Cloud King standing there. It was the cake he was holding in his hand, outstretched like a waiter at a fancy restaurant. His free hand tucked into his left pocket all the same he looks towards Isaac as if considering then nods towards him. Bad taste in music, but at least this man had some sense. It was so rare to find people willing to talk about things like proper gents instead of slugging it out or shouting. Cue the Cloud King looking over his shoulder at all the flurry of fists and weapons slugging it out and cracking over one another. As he turned to look at them the white-suited man seemed to pivot in the air with his right hand staying perfectly still, cake not moving an inch even as he turned to look them over. And just as casually he waves towards the group and gives a little, "Yes, you go, um... fight the fight." he wasn't too good at cheering. Or knowing exactly how to handle the convenetion of these people outside Wonderland. Always so shouty and angry and fightey. A good match for the world-gobbling creatures. But back towards Garland the Cloud King was left to look at as if considering. The Darkness was obvious, yes, but something like Garland was foreign enough to him that he couldn't simply grasp the concept of 'You smell like a Heartless, but look and speak like a person!', which is why he pulled his hand back from the cake and for the time being it continued to float there in front of Garland. A careful eye would see a flower petal sitting perfectly beneath it, resting at the direct center of the dish the cake was on and floating in mid-air. That would require someone looking closely, however, and caring enough to inspect the floating cake. Honestly, who would care that much. "Thank you so very much for the chance to leave. However, I must insist you take these creatures and depart. Would you like a plate of sandwiches as well to go with the cake? I could fetch them for you." Yes, try to placate the demon. Try to offer finger foods and cake. Why, he'd even give him a cup of tea! Eventually even this fellow had to come around and join the party. And after that, perhaps the shouty fellow could be placated with something. But what... The Cloud King stands there idly a moment and stares up at the sky, thougtfully, one finger tapping his chin in thought.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna stares long and hard at Angantyr as he changes form, although she's not entirely surprised. She's seen the darkness do some pretty remarkable things to people, twisting and warping them into true monsters. She narrows her eyes however, peering into the darkness beyond Angantyr's fearsome form, then back to the others. "Judge, huh?" she smirks and shrugs at Sarafina's comment. "He's really just Garland's puppet. Always has been.." Hmph. Idiot. Not like she gives a damn if he lives or dies..Except that he made Maira cry..No, scream, and that makes her mad. She too, is familiar with the sudden burst of heat radiating from Maira and she steps back as the other fiery girl comes at Angantyr. Katyna has some measure of resistance against flames, but she can still feel the intense, burning rage from Maira's spell. "Guh..Maira, be careful.." Angantyr strikes back again, accompanied by another mouthful of <GOOSEHONK> Towards her and the others and she flinches as she staggers out of the way, blood dripping from cracks in her armour. She grits her teeth, pulling out a couple of hipotions to heal herself with before glaring back at the monstrosity that Angantyr is, and always has been in her eyes. "Heh, funny coming from you, the guy who pretended to care about Maira and Avira one moment, then quickly runs off to his master, a Shadow Lord no less, in the next moment, so he can be his weak little puppet over and over again. Well you've gone too far this time, Angantyr! At least I owned up to my mistakes and am trying to redeem myself, You however, I see no conviction in your actions!" Climbing unsteadily to her feet, she rushes at Angantyr again, swinging out her sword as flames wrap around its glowing red blade, then lash out like a flaming hand at Angantyr, attempting to wrap around him and absorb some of his life force.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart hmphs "I didn't see ANY signs, you should put them up clearly when you got something to-WOAH!" as the wave of darkness washes over her again. This one seems to get into the deepest of her soul too. For a moment, all of Tifa's mind is just darkness. Darkness and pain. There's no way to desribe it. Its like one of those infinite rooms, you can walk into any direction forever, and you'd never find your way. She could have stayed in that darkness forever. But despite her own inner demons, there's always a ray of light hiding somewhere, even in the deepest darkness, a bit of light exists. And moving toward that light, she finally embraces, returning to the world of 'living' once again, looking pained as as she slumps to her knees, gasping for breath. Looks like she wasn't ready for the darkness to take her just yet. She raises to her feet a bit shakingly, staring at Ang "Nice try... but I'm still alive." Even if by a thread, from the looks of it. And that light she holds, its never been a light only for herself, its one she shares with many. She summons the power contained in her materias, spreading beneficial magic to her teammates. Even if she's going down on the next turn, what she leaves behind will outlast her.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja, missing his plate mail today, is far squishier than normal. Not to mention lighter. Thus, between that ever-churning darkness than radiates outward in a beam, and his face-grab-dredging through the earth courtesy of Angantyr, the ratling gets to take a nice trip to the world of pain. Sent careening, there's a rat-shaped rut left in the road. Luckily, he's not /too/ banged up by the initial attack. Then the beam arrives. Dodging is out of the question. To do so would put homes, and more importantly, lives at stake. The quick Protect spell Faruja flashes onto himself shatters like glass, hardy taking the edge off as what feels like years of pain enters his bones. Falling to his knees, for a moment, he passes out. Only to stand a moment later, coughing up blood and bits of finger food. A cure spell has him standing, before he begins to tends to his allies. Then there's the horde. Even more than Angantyr, that's what worries him. "Do not forget the Heartless! No matter how strong, 'tis but one man, corrupt and ensorcelled or not! Stand firm, for the fate of this town and the people within rests upon our shoulders!" His magic would then enter his allies, speech perhaps inspiring them to greater acts of strength and courage!

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "All you can seen to do is ta..erk!", is all Vespa can get out as Angantyr attack hits, she might have heard a rib crack, she coughs up a bit of blood as well. She's not sure she could remaind standing if he does another attack like that. Time to go all out "Okay if that you want to play FINE!", she grips her axe tightly with both hands, letting out a primal rage and swinging her axe twice at Angatyr!

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' "The fate of this town?" Garland inquires, breaking his attention away from Isaac for all of an instant in favor of Faruja. "Did you really think evacuating them would take them from my reach? This is nothing but a play for my amusement." "As usual, Apprentice...your friends are nothing if not.../adorable/."

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina gets an answer. She imagines there is more to it than the answer she received, but her thoughts are interrupted by Ang's forehead colliding into hers, sending her flying around and to the ground. She hits the floor roughly, but his ultimate magic of ultimate pain, doom, and death--largely just glances off the armor she is wearing, burnining her arms--but the damage is ultimately fairly negligible. Moms, it has been prophecized, are tough. The expanding darkness outward is more worrisome since it can't be avoided. She thinks about Ang's answer. And then she understands. She flits forward back towards Angantyr, intending to close in as quickly as possible. She swings her chainsaw back and whispers back to Angantyr. Or actually, it's more like a shout--but the chainsaw is so LOUD, VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMING and drowning out most noise, she has to shout for Ang to have any chance of hearing her. She swings the chainsaw out quickly, intending to plow it into Angantyr repeatedly--each blow is powerful should they connect, but as ever--the chainsaw is made for airships, not Angantyrs. Her eyes are focused, her lips pressed together in determination. She isn't frightened, but she is taking this very seriously. Angantyr has her full focus.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Don't you lecture me on that now." Avira hisses at Angantyr, pulling herself to her feet, minor wounds upon her closing up. She pushes away from the wall, rushing past everyone. A few words are muttered into her linkpearl, wishing Isaac luck to the no doubt stupid thing he's about to do. Maybe doubly stupid since the very reason for all this violence rested on both her and Isaac's shoulders. Undaunted by Angantyr's rising darkness, Avira leaps willingly into the abyss. She's felt this before. She's felt his darkness literally rip her apart, just as it threatens to do so right now. Before she had a far greater reserve of light to fight back. Now...not so much. And yet... Avira holds, her bleeding form smashing through the abyss that Angantyr has created, a silvery sheen surrounding her battered form. Her eyes remain focused and resolute as she drops down on Angantyr from high, Spine lifted. A howl of exertion escapes her as she brings her weapon down in a magnificent cleave, the blow extending beyond the physical existance of the Spine. When she lands, she takes one step backwards, then swings upwards. A blast of ice magic follows that temporarily weaves itself into the enormous head of a snarling beast. The darkness beyond Angantyr as it blows through the surrounding warriors tears up the streets and, as it expands, starts to eat away at the face of the VALKYRI Headquarters and the surrounding buildings. Debris floats into the air as it crumbles under the pressure of the darkness.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is actuyally being pushed hard she sees the attack she's not in any condtion dodge and there's thingd about them. She's going to let out a yell and charge the attack head on. Prehaps this is a mistake but she's caught int he darkness she's not consumed but the pain and her clothing's pretty ragged after this. She's hurt very badly from the looks of her yet she's still standing he was going to attack but she was pressered so hard she's grimaces as sher's forced to fall back for a moment.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Test. Test. TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST! Maira screams again. She is so VERY tired of being TESTED. She screams again, a primal sound right from the core of her. The fire is so bright and so hot it would force people away from her. Faruja and Katyna, though they want to guard her, had better move or they may be burned themselves. It lucky she has wandered away from the building, for the structure is in danger of being set on flame by Maira, in her fury and her pain. Screams fill the air, metal crashing against metal, flesh sburning...burning burning burning... The darkness lashes out from Angantyr's attack and many, many are hurt. It does not completely escape her attention that Angantyr is /not/ hitting her. The darkness though, the darkness moves in only to be scorched as the white hot flames flare and snake out to burn away the darkness, leaving tiny motes of light--like the spots of a bright light burned into your retina from a sudden flash of lightning. From where she stands, the darkness does not penetrate. The building is PROBABLY on fire though. Uist is screaming, frothing for her to lash out again, but Maira refuses. People are hurting, badly. They will not be able to keep fighting. Maira takes a deep breath, and like or or not Uist moves out to carry her healing energy to some of her friends. It isn't much, but its all she can do right now. Maira walks toward Angantyr, her screams finally given way to thought, thought giving way to speech. Her voice is hoarse, but clear as she shouts, "How could you do this! I trusted you! I /cared/ about you! I defended you every--single--time someone insulted you! Tried to tell me you were a bad person, that you were nothing but a bloodthirsty monster! I DEFENDED YOU. I BELIEVED IN YOU!" Her tears can be heard in the shaking of her voice, but not seen. They burn up before they can even fully form.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' Ulharisk finds his glaive caught in struggle with the far larger opponent. His bare feet slide across the ground as he growls at Angantyr. Each strike and re-strike causes the sparks to fly to the ground. When he is shoved back he slides a bit across the ground. Crouching down almost as his cape bellows out from the sheer force. His eyes look at the dark knight before his brows narrow. There is more going on here. Something is amiss. Think Ulharisk. Think. He watches as Maira attempts to stop Angantyr, then how he doesn't attack her. He ignores her. His eyes slowly cast back to Angantyr as he deals with the others. He glances between the two again. Trying to make sense of what is going on, but there is no time. Suddenly a massive wave of darkness rushes for the HQ and Ulharisk decides to meet it headlong instead of running. His Glaive glows brightly as he roars into the darkness. Embracing for the sudden massive impact. The sheer power of the darkness slams into his unarmored form, tearing at his body ripping into him. He grits his teeth, baring those sharp canine fangs, before it at last knocks him right over and he he slams hard into the ground. Rolling a bit before his body comes to a halt near the entrance of the HQ. He groans softly before he rises to his feet, using his Glaive to help him up. He almost falls back down to his knee. "..Why?" Ulharisk says softly, before those violet eyes goes to seek Angantyr's own. "Why does someone with such strength work for a force that just wishes to destroy?!" He then tries to ready himself. "What purpose does any of this serve?! Just to watch lives suffer? Is that all?!!" Ulharisk almost goes back down again, coughing gently. His claw hands holding tight onto the Glaive. "..I do not know this world.. but I know this is not right... the one you are working for.. they don't care about worlds.. they don't care about people.. but you do.." He looks at him, "..Don't you?" His violet eyes looking over at Maira for only a moment, before he closes his eyes and then stands up. Trying to find renew strength as he sudden places out his Glaive in front of him. His body seems to glow gently as it almost takes a slight ghostly look for a moment. He does find his focus lacking for perhaps what he hopes, but he seems to be drawing from the magic around him, pulling it to himself. Yet he does not attack. Not yet...

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' DJ Zero glances back at the Cloud King and nods fractionally in return. He can at least be polite to the crazy person trying to buy off Garland with cake and finger sandwiches. It may be the last thing said crazy person ever tries to do. He turns back to Garland. He's still got his hands in his pockets, still his reserve of stoicism and aura of calm. His lips quirk into a small smile. "I've had a lot of chances to make the well from which I draw that much deeper," he remarks. It's a fancy way to say, 'I have seen some /crazy/ shit' without sounding like he's talking smack to a Lord of Chaos. "Courage is a muscle strengthened by use." He glances back at the battle, inhaling slowly as he feels himself speed up and get a touch stronger. He feels overcaffeinated, like he has to /move/. Suddenly, he turns right back to the Cloud King. "He's not really a fan of cake or sandwiches; seems more of nearly-eternal-torment and, I think, destruction-for-destruction kind of guy. I think that you might have better luck with him," he adds, nodding at the besieged Angantyr, "or trying to salvage the party back there," he finishes, looking towards the building. He looks back up at the Cloud King for a second. It will be somehow eminently clear to the somewhat touched man that Zero is trying to give him an exit before Garland does something awful to him. DJ Zero turns back to the Ironclad Nightmare. He doesn't think about what dwells beneath his helm. He has a lot of practice not thinking about things. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I'd also like to apologize for forcing you to replace some of your intelligence assets." There's a bit of a chill in his voice when he says that. You can be sure the cold would reach his eyes if they weren't concealed. "We got off on the wrong foot. I don't really like having to look over my shoulder more than I already do." "So, I'll ask you right out." Zero looks at Garland straight on. "What could I do for you to get you and yours to leave this place, and all the people in it, in peace?"

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON catches his Discs and recombines them into one even as Angantyr swings his mace and sends a blast of darkness outwards. He stands his ground, programmed instinct holding his Disc in front of him as if such a small object could bare the full brunt of the darkness. Obviously, it doesn't work. The Darkness slams home, piercing data through and through and sending spiderwebbing fragmentation lines throughout the Program's form. He skids back from the force, feet digging in against it, and somehow manages to weather the dark typhoon--but it was costly. Voxels drip from his form like water, black fragmenting into a sickly bluish semi-transparent and the clean slashes and dots falling apart like holes in deteriorating armor. He sags for a moment in the calm that follows, standing haphazardly like an awkwardly-hung marionette, then he whirls in newfound motion. A single Disc arcs, driving towards Angantyr and striking once before splitting apart into two. They return, striking one after the other before returning to the Program's grasp.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' The Cloud King rejects Garland's kindness; Garland's apathy for the creature is immense. The power of darkness pouring off of Garland is immense, enough to draw all these Heartless to him like flies to a porchlight; they stir around him, hungry, eager to feed, and the Cloud King hangs above them, dangling itself as food for them all. If not for Garland's fearsome mental command that the Heartless leave this to the boy - for what would be the point of Garland striking down VALKYRI? It would be meaningless, a waste of resources. But Angantyr striking down VALKYRI....that was pain. Physical pain, yes, but emotional pain, too - the pain of seeing a friend turn upon friends, the pain of the heart. This is not simple violence - this is art, cruel and vicious art. It was a lesson to them all, that friends would eventually betray you, that the world is dark and full of cruelty, and that cruelty is the only true strength. So despite the foolish creature dangling itself above the Heartless, the sheer presence of Garland and his mental command is more overwhelming than even the hunger. For the dark god he is a speck, a flea, a fine cover of dust to be wiped aside at Garland's leisure. He does not speak again; his attention is focused wholly on Isaac, insofar as Garland's whole focus is ever on anything. Not that Garland needs to be focused to fight. Garland is not the sort to become enraged over intelligence assets. He isn't the sort to become enraged over petty things that happen in the line of battle; the Samsara of Battle, the endless cycle of war and despair, was his to call his own. He was Chaos; Chaos was him. But it is the question that Isaac asks that truly piques Garland's attention. He starts to laugh again. This time, the Heartless laugh with him; the effect is maddening. A hundred, two hundred, perhaps three hundred chittering creatures joining in, their laughter mingling with the impossible void of mockery that is Garland's voice in a great and grand crescendo; their laughter fills the streets and the alleys of Traverse Town. Then it stops, as abruptly as it begun, and all the terrible little yelllow eyes focus on Isaac as Garland does the same. If courage is Isaac's muscle... The implications are not pleasant. "You are a bold one, I shall grant you thus, to stride into my army and offer me a deal. Or you are a mad one, like the pathetic creature that floats here, as if its petty taunts are enough to dissuade my wrath." Garland taps his finger against his wrist. Then he says something; the words shake the air, unintelligible but filled with terrible and blasphemous power. Only Isaac can understand them, for they are meant only for Isaac; Angantyr might, perhaps, if he is paying close attention...but such is unlikely. "You heaped the sins of the thief upon yourself and those you love, and you come before me to beg forgiveness for their lives. The mercy of Garland does not come cheap, boy; the mercy of Garland does not come kind. But if you are so interested in my mercy...then you will offer to me something of value equal to that which was ripped from my grasp." Garland leans down to Isaac and murmurs something into his ear.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr rights himself from his attack. Many people threw themselves in the way of his strike, even he could not pierce them all...even as the damage starts to build up, they fight and fight. Angantyr is impressed at the strength they managed to assemble here. They'll need it. Perhaps, after all, it was better this way. To attack at them, to force them to be stronger. Maybe he could not be the hero, but he could be the thing that forces them to be the hero. There is some solace in this, something that makes it all worth it. Even if his path against Arcadia comes to naught but devastation...something good could come from it all. Carnus and the rat go on the defensive. People start pulling things out that they need to survive another onslaught. Angantyr can feel the darkness rising again...he knows he could unleash another wave...but he does not. Not yet. Tifa too, joins in aiding her friends...tactically, he thinks this is dumb, but at the same time...to make sure your friends fight harder, even after one's passing touches a nerve. He respects that. Vespa dives at him once more, simple but effective. The axe hits, and Angantyr braces, defending instead of attacking. Sarafina joins in the bloodshed, and she too dives with the chainsaw. Her words heard, and he only nods as he attempts to defend...but the chainsaw that cleaves anything cleaves darkness...because it's a thing. Angantyr feels it, and it hurts. He can only defend when Avira comes to try and take advantage. Once more, defending instead of attacking...once more, he grunts in pain, forcing himself to not scream as the darkness struggles to reform the armor, keeping it's master whole. Maira's words cause Angantyr to wince. He does not answer her, he only accepts the words as truth. He steels himself, this is how things have to be. The draconian's words on the end of this cause him to stare at him for a moment. He grunts, "Shut up and fight. If you think as you do, then back up your words with your sword!" Tron's disks beat into Angantyr's armor. Angnatyr swings at them aiming to smack one back at Tron, while the other digs into his armor. He staggers, grunting, and looks at the Program. He gives him a rude gesture. Then Katyna screams at him, he hears her words, and moves to smash her into the ground as she thrusts at him. The two attacks collide and move to their individual targets. His eyes narrow as he moves closer into her attack range... "You just really don't know when to quit? You have to be right about every little thing. That you have to constantly have the high ground." "Very well, lets make you a martyr then." Angantyr's mace rises up... And then he brings it down at her, trying to catch her in the wave of the attack. Swinging at her brutally, each swing trying to break through her, her armor, her weapons...everything she has. And then his hand shifts, his form becoming demon-like as he reaches into the darkness even more. The mace swings forward...before shifting into just a massive arm of darkness. Aiming to literally shatter her being, aiming to have pure darkness CONSUME her. "There, you win. You are right. Take that as your prize in your next life." Angantyr swings, again, the mace smashing into the ground, and leaving a burst of darkness that aims to swallow up the area, many claws tear up, aiming to dig into the flesh of those all around him. Aiming to tear into the buildings and devour them, as an afterthought. "I am not even a little sorry about that." he says towards...someone, referring to Katyna. "NOW LET US FINISH IT! THIS IS THE PATH OF YOUR CHOOSING!" BGM change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns8sjLttxCc

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' Another swing of the mace brings another flurry of claws and darkness screaming toward the spellsword. However, his armor proves enough to not allow anything other than glancing hits. Enough was enough though. Carnus had developed a soft spot for Maira in particular. She was young, and his favorite type of person. An orphan. He'd spent countless hours playing with the orphans and giving them treats whenever he had visited a new town. Maira was as special to him as each and every one of those children. And this... thing... whatever he used to be he was corrupted by Darkness into something completely different, he comes along and causes Maira such distress? Well, this simply won't do. "That's enough. I'm done watching people get hurt just because you have a burning desire for destruction and am ambition that requires others to fall before you." He moves slowly to his feet, clutching his blade tightly in his hands. "I'll rid the worlds of all of this darkness once and for all!" Perhaps it was just seeing Maira launch feel such distress. Or perhaps it's Garland and his army of laughing heartless. More than likely, it has a little to do with Angantyr's brutal assault on Katyna as he tries to swallow her into darkness. But Carnus has had enough, he points his blade at Angantyr. "You'll answer for every tear, Angantyr! I, Carnus Sirin of House Sirin will see to that on this day!" And in a flash he's shot forward again, trying to skewer Angantyr on his inferno that he calls a blade.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' The Draconian narrows his eyes. His hands tightening on his Glaive, before he inhales deeply. He doesn't reply to Angantyr instead he suddenly bolts, even though it is Maira's healing magic that protects him from the first wave of darkness, the second wave tears into his clothing and skin. Blood rushes out from the wounds, but he continues to run. He lets out a loud battle cry, before he leaps into the air and slams down his Glaive for Angantyr's armor. Those violet eyes going to meet Angantyr with defiance. With pride. With Strength. He knew now words were wasted. They would be wasted. So he would have to try and fight this through now-- or be knocked away. As for the burning building -- Anyone got any water magic on hand?!! The Draconian suddenly comes at Angantyr with several more blows. Each swing a cleaving motion with all the power he could muster behind his strikes. Each Cleaving blow in all directions he could swing the Glaive. His teeth snarling. Ignoring the pain. Ignoring the drips of blood coursing down his body.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Someone was late to the party, or at least the plan. The odd emptiness of the place certainly had been noticed by Faruja, but it's Garland's words that bring it all together. "I shan't waste my words upon daemons!" Retorts the Burmecian, rather lamely. Between Angantyr, the horde of Heartless, and Maira's pain the rat doesn't have enough concentration for decent comebacks. He saves it all for the man that's hurt a dear friend. One who screams out her betrayals, each piercing the rat's heart. The thought that someone could betray such a pure and innocent woman for an act such as /this/ gives his attacks all the more of a keen bite. Faruja has always fought at his best when it became personal. Rather than dodge, the Templar bodily absorbs many of those dark, clawing hands. Like a true knight, even as he bleeds and has flesh and armor torn away, he bites his cheek to prevent a horrid squeak of agony. The rat thrusts his blade. "Armor won't help the Heart stay sharp. Particularly such a rotten, blackened one as thy own. FARAM TAKE THEE, HERETIC VESPAR! SHELLBURST STAB!" Purple crescents of holy fury scythe down from above, attempting to cleave through unholy armor and into the man beneath, the rat's rage and righteous anger striking down with the holy technique.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' They are wearing him down Vespa thinks. They have to be! She coughs spitting up some more blood, she hasn't felt this bad in a long time.. She gathers herself up using her axe to steady herself, then gripping her axe she lets out another flurry of attacks.

:'''[[The Cloud King]] has posed:''' Garland monologues further and Isaac responds with a decent idea. This fellow was beyond reasoning, apparently. Or... perhaps the other man simply wanted to reason with him instead. The Cloud King looked between the two as if trying to figure something out and eventually shrugged before a knife appears and slices the cake, a piece being sliced and floated towards each before he turns to walk off through the air until he was closer to Angantyr. From above, he watches. Blood, carnage, chaos. Anger, betrayal, misery. Sadness. The Cloud Kings eyes wander towards Maira, the flaming woman, then towards Katyna, Carnus, Faruja... various people in the crowd seem to stick out as targets of anger or the bearers of such. A damned pity that this party was ruined. A true pity. It was actually quite the nice party until these world-gobblers showed up, world-gobblers and scaliwags and hooligans alike. Why, the Queen of Hearts would look like a saint in comparison! "Hah, Saint Queen of Hearts indeed." The King of the Clouds mumbles to himself before raising a hand slowly into the air. That heavy flowery smell begins to be prevelant on the air again over the chaos and din and scent of blood and sweat and misery, of fear, of hope. Just a soothing scent. The ground outside the area began to shine a soft pink until the Cloud King descended and upon touching his foot to it, the entire area seemed to burst into a field of petals and flowers shimmering in the air. Illusions and trickery to be sure, given there was no actual flowers here. The petals were solid enough to touch, however, even as he said, "Let this nonsense come to an end. We should all be feasting, teaing, nibbling and merrymaking, not wallowing around. After all, did we not come for a party?" The Cloud King sighed dramatically before flicking his hand up and snapping once. A giant flower burst forth from the ground, a flower of Gigant proportions. It shot up well over the heads of even the tallest before suddenly blooming. Giant Pistils arose out of it, the Stamens atop glowing brightly, sickeningly, like it was suddenly charging up. Charging, but for what? "Why do you not enjoy the Have some cake." And in a brilliant display of 'Wait, what?', the charging Pistils suddenly blast down towards where Angantyr is, trying to knock him down and flatten the man, all the while /yet another/ piece of cake floats over from nowhere towards where Angantyr is, floating there for him. Waiting, as if offering it to him even though he just tried to knock the man onto his back and side to disrupt this foolishness. But what was this fellows real plan? To join the fray? Or simply trying to draw attention towards himself so perhaps the others can get away? Or is it something else entirely? Who knows but the Cloud King. And he isn't telling.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna glances around, watching as Avira gets wasted by Angantyr, and that just makes her angrier. "Avira..." It seems Maira already has a healing spell on her lips to help her, however. Kat focuses on her own wounds, but she's not the only one stumbling here. How long can they hang in there? "Hang in there! We can beat him, I know we can!" She flinches at Maira's words, knowing how she did similar things to her dear friend, betraying her..And she frowns, glaring back at Angantyr. "Y'know, I dont even like you, never have..And I sure as heck never trusted you! But if you still care at all about Maira at all, then quit this <GOOSEHONK>! I've already seen her cry way too much. Dont you see what you're doing to her? Doesn't it matter at all to you?! Quit being Garland's puppet! Stop this madness!!" And then he blurts out words that seem more appropriate for his own actions and words then hers. She screams then, as he tears violently into her, tossing her around like a rag doll. The pain's enough that she almost feels numb by it, and she falls to the ground, broken and bloody, barely able to stand even. "Heh...." She closes her eyes, clutching her bloody wounds. "You just dont get it, do you...It's not about winning or losing, or having the last word. It's about doing the right thing, being true to yourself and others. But I guess you're either too blind or too stupid to practice what you preach.." she smirks, coughing up blood and wincing at the numerous wounds. Tears stream down her eyes as she tries to fight the pain. "Maybe I'll die here today, but at least I wont die as a monster!"

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' The Disc that Angantyr smacks back towards TRON is the chakram Disc, sending the ring-like weapon bouncing along the ground with a few scratches from the mace's spikes. The Security Program emits a screech akin to audio feedback as he suddenly falls to one knee, clutching at his chest as if stabbed right through the proverbial heart, but he has no idea why. Something CHIEF once told him plays back in his memories, a possibility he is not ready to accept, and certainly not willing to entertain under the circumstances. That is a much bigger '<GOOSEHONK>-You' than any rude gesture Ang could make. The waves of Darkness that follow, the claws that tear, shatter more of his form and bluish liquid seeps from between cracks as he staggers. He honestly looks like he is about to fall apart into a pile of voxels any moment now, but he regathers his wits and restabilizes his stance. His eyes blaze solid white as he picks up his Discs, his form tensing as energy is routed to the circular weapons. Then, in a blur of movement above human limits, TRON charges in and aims a punch right for Angantyr's chest, the black Disc acting akin to brass knuckles, then he throws both Discs to converge with the Dark Knight in between. And upon impact, they expend all their stored energy in a burst of light.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The VALKYRI Headquarters is most definitely ON FIRE right now. The front has crumbled away, the oft-kicked-in door no longer existant. Now in close quarters with Angantyr, she quickly circles around him after her wolf-shaped ice magic is unleashed. The amount of attention he could give her was limited and she was happy to take advantage of that-though at the same time, she knew his darkness could come from any angle and at any direction. She was prepared. His darkness lashes out around her, the soul-crushing feeling a familiar one. The rage-she is no stranger. She's felt this all many times before and even that tiny flicker of light left deep inside her can withstand it. Experience wins this battle. As she circles and looks for an opening, the dark echo of her tormenter suddenly rings in her head. A shiver overcomes her form and yet, she forces herself to concentrate on the belamb. She doesn't let his words of despair stay her hand nor encourage it further. From the start of this event, she knew what she was to do-and it was a decision she made. Not Angantyr. Not Garland. "I wish it didn't have to be this way." Avira admits quietly. "But your master is intent on teaching a lesson." With a mighty flourish of her blade, she spirals upwards, striking with a one handed blow, then using the momentum of her spin to follow up with a kick to the Dark Knight. She murmurs something under her breath, then straightens, eyes narrowed. "But thank you." she slams into him from behind with all her might, "For all you've done and shown me."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart isn't feeling too well. Thankfully, Faruja's healing is there to pep her up some, but all of this darkness is getting to her. She feels queasy. Those repeated attacks are hurting her morale more than her body at this point. But would she give up? No, not that easily. Not while she can fight and others depend on her. She's given her magic to her teammates, now she can use what power she has left to strike back, before she hurls it all out. Someone always gets sick at one of these parties, don't they? She moves in a prone position, a hand touching the ground, before disapearing, moving it to kick the armored Ang upward with a strong kick under the chin. As he's lifted up, she throws an open hand toward the ground, yet nothing happens there. She simply jumps upward, grabbing his head with two hands, to THROW him back down at the ground is pointed at. Before he can even touch the ground, it explodes underneath him, where she released her ki, another version of her Final Heaven as she uses the explosive ki to bounce him back around instead. He doesn't get to hit the ground. Instead he's bounced back by an explosion. Its you to judge which hurts most.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' People can say what they want when they fight, Sarafina reminds herself. It doesn't have to be accurate or bright or anything, people say these things because fighting is dangerous and scary. Make your opponent seem inhuman so that it's easier to hurt them. Infantilize their behavior so you don't have to fear them. In a fight, you do what you have to to survive. That's all you need to do. Darkness rips across her body, shredding armor and skin, blood bursts free from her body, spraying thickly. She hisses and stumbles before collapsing into a crouch, panting heavily. She really went all out there, she's seen this guy plant a dark knight into sand so hard he became a cactus, after all. She stumbles into a standing position before saying, "Maira..." to her, intending to rest a hand on her shoulder, slick with her own blood. "...Calm down--" MAira's flame ripples across Sarafina's arm, burning at her body, but she doesn't cry out or scream. "You have to control your fire, Maira." She says quietly before cringing in pain suddenly and stepping back, because she really has to. "We'll make everything better." And she darts forward, tripping over her own feet halfway to Ang, but she shakes her head, pausing to reorient herself. "Ngh..." "Steel yourself, Ang!" She shouts, jetting forward once more, slamming her fist up and--then flits into the air, only to come down, Chainsaw first, for Ang's body!

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is pushed very hard she's already chruching through her own energies to keep in this fight and Ang just keeps coming like the engine of destruction he is.. She does however pauses for a moment at Tron's action and Ang's response, then Kat well shat has got to hurt and she knows that she's got no time left. She lets out a cry and then charges at Ang her hand bursting into holy flames, the incoming strike is deflected barely even though she's physically unahrmed it's taken out a lot of her and she then leaps for him and starts punchign intending to end it by trying to grab a point on his body and unleashing a holy explosion.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' It is exceedingly difficult to concentrate. The screaming...she hears her name what seems like a dozen times. Tears? What tears? Maira cries FIRE! As Seraphina reaches to try to touch her, the flames will indeed burn her, getting Maira's attention. She turns toward her, eyes wide (thought it could be hard to tell, so bright is she). With some effort she tries to draw her flames away from Sarafina, but there is too much going on. There is too much pain, too much /darkness/ and the fire in her is reacting. It is like a thing alive. Everyone is fighting so hard. Angantyr is strong, one of the strongest she can even imagine, but surely he will fall against this. He's hurt, he bleeds, and damn it but it still hurts her to see it. Her heart, stubborn and stupid, still hurts to see him bleed. The flames will not still, but she knows she had to get in control! She just....she tries to pull it in but they just will not budge. Thus, Maira walks, trying to put distance between herself and the others, though she is still moving toward Angantyr. There are words still to be said. "Why....? You don't do things without a reason. What could be worth this!? What about your dream!? You said you heard me! Stop this, PLEASE," she cries. But its probably too late. It seems like its always too late. Maira looks toward Garland and his army of Heartless, Isaac trying to...talk him down? She doesn't know. All she knows is that this all needs to end. Maira closes her eyes for a moment, then stretches outward toward Angantyr, the light on Holy in her hands.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The BGM refuses to change. The clawing darkness around Angantyr strikes out as Carnus makes his proclamation and stab. The powerful strikes and darkness collide...but Angantyr is not ending up on the successful side of that attack. Angantyr is bleeding, he is hurting, and he grunts under the strain of pushing himself against a army. "Words, good words, but back them up with actions...or be silent." he says, harshly. The Draconian and Ang collide, the two clash. Windows shatter, as the force of the two come to bare. Angantyr, however, is thrown back. Even as claws swipe at the draconian, the spear takes another chunk of the darkness away. He growls...but it isn't enough to take him down, but it was close. The spear from Faruja stabs, and Angantyr counters with his own mace personally. The two collide, the spear shattering his defenses, but his mace making him pay for every blow. "Good! I am sick of hearing your voice. The next sound I want to hear from you is your gurgling screams!" Angantyr harshly responds. Vespa takes advantage of this, her axe tearing into his side. He tries to defend, but the warrior was fierce. He swings to try and get her to back away, and the claws dig into her flesh...and let her drop like a rock. Katyna dives at him too, making a last stand. The sword and mace collide, flames licking Angantyr's body, but he swings his arm down, aiming to punch her into the ground into some awaiting claws...but she does not DIE. However...words she says, cause him to wince. 'At least I won't die a monster..' "Some of us can only walk the path of the demon." Angantyr responds, "My path was preordained from birth. Yours is not. Remember your words, and live each day with them in your heart...or die." TRON is back on his feet, Disk fired, and blocked by the mace...but it still digs through...and the armor is shattered. Angantyr's body is revealed. He's hurt, bloodied, and barely standing. The armor was just hiding the truth. He was taking these attacks...the armor was just keeping the fatal blows from being...well fatal. The Spine comes down, ice charged to try and pierce the dark Knight. However, he swings the mace, catching the weapon and aiming to grab Avira, and drag her into the ground. He nods once to her, but he doesn't say anything more. She knows why...and how this has to be. The Final heaven and Chainsaw X slash right for Angantyr. Darkness tries to dig at them both, but it was too late. Both end up on either side of him, and Angantyr is already falling. Angantyr's taken too many shots, he can't concentrate on the darkness. Minerva dives through the darkness, and uses holy to pierce through Angantyr's darkness. The darkness is finally completely disbursed, but Angantyr is no more weak to holy than anything else. However, he has a hand in his chest, and he staggers back, even as he swings wildly, possibly in death throws towards her with his mace. He is determined to die fighting, if nothing else. And then Maira's overflowing love could not be stopped. Angantyr's body is seared by the light. Once more, the light rejects his very presence in this world. People shout at him to give up something that is his very nature...the light spurns him because it is his presence that brings more darkness...but it is the light's very nature that causes him to be the bearer in the first place. Angantyr just falls, first to his knees and then falling back. For him it takes forever, he just see's the spinning world around him. He coughs up blood, but there isn't anything more he can do. He hits the ground, unable to hear the words for Maira, too hurt to say anything else.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Garland says something to Isaac that makes the eyes and ears of good men everywhere bleed from the sheer wrongness it imparts on the world when spoken. Perhaps because of his proximity and his purpose, or perhaps because he was intended to be the recipient, Isaac is unmoved. He rocks back on his heels for a second, pulled as his coat is blasted backwards from the air itself recoiling in terror from the Ironclad Nightmare. The mage settles on his feet. He's looking down, standing in the shadow of Garland and surrounded by innumerable Heartless. No one would envy his position. It's astounding he made it this far. His shoulders shake, shivering as if from a sudden chill. He -- -- is laughing. Isaac Hanlon, DJ Zero, takes a step back, putting a hand to his chest as he laughs. The sound is quiet but definitely present, a sharp counterpoint to the blasphemous words that mere seconds ago echoed in the streets of Traverse Town. He lifts his other hand, pushing his hair off his goggles and throwing his head back. He looks back up at Garland, spreading his hands as he stops snorting and snickering. "I'm sorry -- you said something particularly poignant and it -- it just --" He suppresses a snicker, barely, by clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. I think we've hit a snag somewhere along the line. You're misunderstanding me. I'm not /begging/ you for anything. I'm certainly not asking you to 'forgive my sins.' And I'm certainly not dumb enough to take /that/ at face value." DJ Zero turns on his heel and stalks a couple steps away, circling somewhat within the gap in the army of Heartless. "Let me tell you something about me, so we understand each other better." "I've been living with the 'sins of the thief' for far, far longer than you think. I've been called a thief of words and magic both. Hell, I've been called a thief of hearts by some of my more petty detractors," he adds almost offhandedly, with a casual shrug. He looks sharply back at Garland, now several steps away. "But there are some things in this world that I /didn't/ take, by force or cunning. That I /didn't/ trick out of someone, or swipe while they weren't looking. And they're far more valuable than what /you've/ lost." Isaac rounds on Garland, planting his feet firmly on the road. He reaches up and pulls his goggles down, letting them dangle around his neck. He stares at Garland with eyes full of power and resolve. He isn't going to use the darkened things like a shield. Garland can hide behind his own armor -- Isaac needs none. "My soul is my own, Garland. I have given of it only once, to try and save the life of one I loved with all my heart, something you couldn't /possibly/ comprehend. She gave it back to me with her last breath and a wish to live on." Isaac narrows his eyes. He clenches his hands into fists. "I'm not going to sully her memory by handing a fragment over to /you/." There is a pause. Isaac smiles, very slightly. "So let me make you a counter-offer, since now you've got a better idea of where you're standing." The tops of the buildings all around the street suddenly come alive. Figures rise up all along them. Men and women dressed outlandishly, garbed equally like strange street punks and regular people from Manhattan, stand along the edges. Some of them stand together in groups, wielding medieval weapons of obvious power; others hold modern firearms and instruments of exorcism and divine might, all thrumming with energy. The air seems to fill with a static charge from the sheer number of them, all ready to bear down on the Heartless. There must be dozens, all standing still as statues, eyes downcast, focused on the scene. Isaac stares at Garland, wreathed in cold, pale blue light. He radiates magical power like it was mist coming off a geyser, gathering it in his hand. His eyes alight with the same luminescence, and his expression is one of grim, barely-restrained fury. "Your apprentice is down. Your Heartless are outnumbered and, frankly, outgunned. You've got nothing, /old man/," he says, spitting the words in a nearly-snarling response to constantly being called 'boy' by the Ironclad Nightmare. "This isn't your domain, and this isn't a fight you can win. Take your student, take your boogeymen, and get the /hell/ out of our town." Isaac stares at the holes in Garland's helmet that pass for eyes. He barely restrains himself from physically spitting in his eye. "You get one chance. I /won't/ say it again."

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' Ulharisk is knocked back by the claws and lands down hard onto the ground, rolling a bit. Before he just lays there for a bit. His body not wanting to get back up. The darkness like venom in his blood trying to drain his strength away. He uses his Glaive once more to help him at least kneel up. His breathing heavy, tired from the exhaustion of the hard battle. His eyes focus over as Maira's bright light causes him to quickly look away from how brilliant it is. He doesn't see what happens, but he can hear it. The loud 'clunk' of the armor. His eyes gently shift over. Careful on how he tries to look. His eyes scan over everyone. The odd man with the blue blood; if it could even be called that. The man of some strange sub-spices of human with a long tail and rounded ears. The different humans gathered. Yet his eyes try to scan now for the those dark monsters and the one who controls them. Though he could not fight him; not like this; Maybe not for several years, but he wanted to see the man. He wanted to see if /he/ was the one who brought the monsters out of the portal to consume his world not so long ago. Only a few days ago, or so it felt. Yet no. No. He wasn't right. Close. But not right. Ulharisk for now stayed quiet, glancing over at the now burning building and tsking softly. If he-- just had better control of mana weaving. He growled in some frustration as he tried to stand, but found his body just wanting kneel back down once more. Yet his eyes slowly looked back at Garland once more and his heartless. Just what was this really about? %tHe does listen to the words spoken by Isaac, listening and watching. It was a curious thing about this place. A place of no sun or moon. Void of anything beyond the stars of constant twilight. Curious place with curious people. Yet somewhere in the distance, far behind the battle, mostly out of mind. Up high on the roof tops, a lone figure stands. The inside of the red cape moving only slightly in the high wind. Cast in the shadows of where light does not touch so high up. How long they have been there is unknown, perhaps from the start, perhaps only at the middle. But there interest has seem to stayed unit the very end. Once the battle ends, the figure turns and seems to vanish in a poof of smoke vapors. Perhaps just in time it would seem. Right before the people came from all shapes and sizes. From those of the people of Traverse Town, to the programs that have come to call this place home, and who knows what else.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The samsara of battle. Avira understands it. In practice, here tonight, she sees it demonstrated. She has felt the strength that can only be attained by continuous trial by fire-not by the amount of light within a heart or by friendship or love or anything like that. While it brought her survival today and perhaps even victory- -the VALKYRI headquarters burns- -for certain definitions of victory, there was one thing she noticed that it did not bring. Happiness. Nor did it really bring what she desired. "If I do not love or trust...if I live in fear of hurt and betrayal...then I would be no better than that miserable dark elf that tried to steal the fiend. I understand this philosophy but I also reject it." Her weapon locks with Angantyr's mace. One of his clawed hands reaches out to grab her and she jerks backwards, out of his grasp. Remaining there, she dances around him, distracting and evading the attacks of her fellow fighters. The holy is blinding, but a familiar sight to Avira. She's seen this before from Maira, unleashed upon the Dark Knight when he came knocking. Once it fades, Avira's actually a little surprised to see Angantyr in his current state. Then again, Maira's raw magical power was kind of amazing. Avira hovers over Angantyr, her weapon at the ready, and slowly turns to look in Garland and Isaac's direction. Despite her position, she makes no move to actually try to kill him. Angantyr would know why.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Isaac's voice is strong. It is defiant. It is fierce and full of spirit; it is filled with the will Garland cannot help but admire, the will to bend reality with a mere brush of his hand. You cannot be a sorceror without being willful; that is the truth. Even doddering old Merlin is filled with a fire that cannot be denied, a heart that will not be silenced by threats, intimidation or anything else. The sorcerous are those that Garland respects, for they are those who earned their power. They do not back down. Isaac is no different. The rooftops come alive with alien figures, dressed in anachronism and ready for assault. Isaac, too, comes alive; magic explodes off of him, powerful enough to attract Garland's attention. For a moment, Garland hesitates - an infinitesimal moment, where aeons of experience and ages of understanding come together as his tie to the cycle of war and destruction, the so-called Samsara of Battle, is pulled. The odds are enormously against him. Though not one weapon among them could truly do him lasting harm, though he could fight to the last, die, and simply stand and walk away in a new and youthful form, the old man is not a foolish warrior. He cannot help but pause and consider his position. But... But Isaac has miscalculated about one, single thing. It's understandable. Isaac doesn't know Garland. Isaac doesn't know Garland's psychology, doesn't understand Garland. Isaac sees Garland as a human being - one subject to mortal terror, to self-preservation, to the psychologies of the human mind. But Garland has not been such a thing for a long time. Only in the face of a threat to his own life - one that can /threaten/ his eternal existence, one that might *disrupt* his unending samsara - does Garland truly lash out on his own. That is why he trains his children, why he wields them like weapons, why he breaks their souls and makes them into creatures of darkness - that he might have weapons to avoid risking his own life. It is not cowardice, exactly; it is simply...tactics. But now, one of his weapons as been knocked out. Now, Garland stands face to face with one who has the will to kill him, if not the means. Now, Garland stands toe to toe with one who is bringing forth sorcerous power, with his heart full of fire and pride. Now, Garland stands face to face with one who reminds him of someone /from his past/. Worse, Isaac speaks to him of love. He speaks to him of something he thinks that Garland cannot possibly understand, and as the words reach Garland, link by link, the chain becomes undone. Garland's mighty metal fists tighten as Isaac lectures, as Isaac speaks, as Isaac dares to tell Garland to leave, as Isaac dares to give Garland a /chance/. There are no words. There is no reply, no mocking laughter, no cacophanous rage. The only hint Isaac gets of what is about to happen is the sudden vanishing of the Heartless, as if, as one, they understood what was about to happen. As if, as one, they realized what was about to occur. As if, as one, they had to get the heck out of there. Then, there is a sound. It is a sound made by no creature on Earth, by no creature that has ever been or ever existed. It is as if it is the opposite of a roar, the noiseless sound of entropy itself, the void in the silence of space, the dull ringing in the ears of all when absolute silence falls. All other noises die in its presence, subsumed, consumed; words, screams, anger, vanish. Then the lights die. The eternal twilight of Traverse Town dies instantly, the sun vanishing into a terrible blackness. The candles, the torches, the flashlights, the lightbulbs, they all die as one with the sun, leaving Traverse Town wreathed in a terrible, cold darkness, the sort of darkness you lie awake at night in, where even the smallest noise is imagined to be a monster, a burglar, a disaster waiting to happen. Silence and darkness. Fear. Then it ends, mercifully, and Garland has turned away from Isaac, and the lights and the sun and the noise come rushing back as Garland very very calmly walks away, the words echoing in his head even as he wrestles with his own endless rage.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart phews as Ang goes down. "What was the point of such an attack... why disturb the peace and celebration by this pointlessness." She''d like to know why they just keep comming for them constantly. She just doesn't understand what drives people to do this. She rests against the wall, catching her breath... when she hears more fighting "Looks like its not quite done over there..." She lifts herself up, and goes to give a hand to Isaac, not knowing if he needs one or not. She'll know when she gets there. She lets the other handle the armored menace.

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' His charge having proven successful, Carnus jumps back to allow the other strikes to hit. He's caught completely off guard and has to shield his eyes from the Holy that Maira produces and yet continues to try to watch it in awe. She was something. And with that, Angantyr and his dark form fall. It is only now that Carnus stops to take note of his injuries. He's bleeding from the head, and the rest is all hidden under his tattered red clothing and scratched chestplate. "Ugh, another trip to the blacksmith to get this thing repaired." He says moving to his feet, suddenly unsteady now that he has let go of his adrenaline. He looks around at the army of heartless and Garland who stands among them. "You!" he calls out, pushing himself forward by sheer will at this point. "You caused all this. This doesn't stop until you're gone does it?" he shouts out toward the chaos-bringer. "Putting you down will be a step in the direction of ending all this chaos." He's not seriously trying to head toward Garland is he? Oh Gods, he really is. Someone should probably stop him. With all the blood and the amount of power he's expelled already, it'd not be wise for him to try and start slashing through heartless. He can't stop himself. This was the one who caused everything here tonight, from what he could tell. And had been the bane of his newfound allies in the past. His own sense of morality wouldn't let him just sit around and let the man walk away to cause pain to others or his friends. As the lights fade away into darkness he doesn't pause, he knows the direction he's headed and continues. When the light comes back he's still trundling along, driven by sheer willpower and not any semblance of intelligence at this point. If he stops, chances are he'll fall unconscious from his injuries.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira watches, the world slowing around her, as Angantyr falls, his armor shattered, the darkness burned away, his blood flowing like a river from his body. Maira chokes on a sob, dropping forward onto her knees as she watches Angantyr bleed. Heal him...heal him...don't let him die...he saved your life, once. Heal him. Everyone will know you are crazy, but heal him. Maira exhales and a cure spell would wash over Angantyr, enough to keep him from just bleeding out, from dying. Not that it was likely Garland would let that happen. "You protected me....but I don't know how I can possibly protect you. But I'll try," she says quietly. Maira, still burning like a torch, turns and heals Katyna and TRON. "Please, hang in there...." she says to them, turning her attention toward Garland, sensing.....No way would she be quick enough. The darkness falls, darker than any night. Even Maira's light suffers, like flame deprived of oxygen. Carnus passes by her, she grabs him. No going for Garland, no...no. Bad plan. Bad plan she was considering moments before.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' When the unnatural darkness falls, Avira wants to scream out. She wants to ask Isaac what the HELL he just said to Garland. No sounds come out and that terrifies her even further. What is it that Isaac did beyond just threatening the embodiment of chaos with the bluffed forces atop every rooftop anyway? In her heart, Avira did know that on some rooftops there really were people waiting there. DPS agents, mostly. But the darkness does bring one small advantage and that is when the light is snuffed, the fire upon the VALKYRI headquarters is as well. "Maira." Avira says as the mage actually heals Angantyr, "Find Vespa, she needs some care as well."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna stares up at Angantyr, struggling to climb to her feet, but she doesn't have much life left in her battered body either. Still, she braces for another attack that never comes...And then, *finally* he says something worth listenning to. Katyna crawls a little nearer to him, trying to catch his last words as he seems about to utter his last dying breath, and she nods with a slight frown. "I think I understand now..I'll remember. I wont let myself founder again, I promise..." Finally, Maira too, joins the battle, and Katyna watches as he coughs up blood, saying little more after her powerful holy attack hits. "Is he...?" She swallows, not wanting him dead, knowing how much that would hurt Maira and Avira too, perhaps, but... She squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head. "I...Cant believe his destiny was preordained from the start! People choose what future they want..Dont they?" She stares back at Garland however, her gaze empty and hollow. She knows that Ang believed Garland was helping him control the darkness within. And she remembers him speaking of being born with the darkness, having no choice in the matter. Was it all for nothing? If he's still alive however, Katyna makes no move to try and finish him off either, smiling faintly at Maira as she heals her. But what about Ang..."What do we do now?"

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa shoudn't be too hard to find she stands out in her maid outfit blooded and torn as it is. Her massive axe will close to her.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "The feeling is mutual, Heretic." Faruja mutters as the man falls, the Templar scraping his body up from the ground. Knowing a stalemate when he sees one, and given quite a bit to contemplate upon the exchange between Garland and the odd DJ, the Paladin-Rat chooses to focus on his allies while the stalemate goes on. The first being, of course, Vespa. With how had she got hit, the poor maid of the axe needs judicious healing! Faruja is quick to apply it, hopefully getting her onto her feet. Or at the very least, stable. Then on to those worse wounded, such as Katyna and Ulharisk. The rat doesn't bother healing himself Once done, Faruja will stand, striding over to Angantyr as Avira guards him. There's no death blow from the rat, tempting though it may be. He wants the man alive for the Inquisition after all. Night seeks to destroy Isaac. Unnatural, unholy might summoned from the might of an Abomination that Faruja can barely fathom. Normally, he would rage against such power. Yet the fight took far too much out of the rat. His soul can only smolder, particularly with what Angantyr's actions have done to Maira. Concern for his friends and a cold sense of duty are left as well as a feeling of helplessness. For all that he's a healer, the Templar isn't sure he has the skill to fix what may have been done to innocent, pure Maira. All he can do is pray, and help pick up the pieces of this horrid night. Then she heals him. Indeed, Faruja stares at Maira as though she had lost her mind. The pure compassion the woman shows, even to someone so seemingly corrupt and /evil/, astounds the Burmecian. Someone so zealous and focused on vengeance such as him couldn't understand. Yet so too does it touch his heart, hope filling it despite all that he's seen tonight. It's almost enough to make him consider leaving Angantyr to those around him. But the rat has a duty to several dead men of his Order. "He is a wanted man." Faruja replies simply to Katyna, quietly. Between Archadia, the Church, and no doubt now Datapoint Security, the fight for the fallen man before them will be a fierce one indeed if the rat's any judge; one fought with pens and words rather than blades.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is wounded but alive most if not all of Valkyrie is alive she'll call that a win as much s possible. She's just going to try to recover as best she can. She looks to Avira for a moment she looks to her allies she looks to maira and breathsd ragglely before saying. "We live....good..." Whatever Ang's fate it's Avira's call in the end. She's too weak to want to fight but if she mush she will but she knows she'll fall.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina breathes out and looks at her horribly burnt hand. She shakes it out a bit but really that was a bad idea, now it just hurts more. "You did well, Maira." She tells her, giving her a smile and then-- --well Isaac happens. There is a 99 percent chance she gapes for a while at that.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON backs off as Angantyr falls, his opaque helm cracked but still holding together just enough to shield his face from view. He redocks his black chakram Disc to the spindle on his upper back, flinching and twitching as damaged code speaks with damaged code. He will have to fully evaluate the damage done to his Disc later, as well as determine why it had that kind of effect on /himself/. Maira's light helps in the recovery, as it has always done, and the destabilized voxeled appearance of his black form re-coalesce and smooth to appear to be leather once more--save the actual damage sustained in battle: the slashes, spiderwebbing, and blunt force trauma in particular. Then darkness falls, enveloping everything around them, swallowing light and sound alike. Deep, soul-crushing cold clamps around his core like an ever tightening vice, and even his hearing inverts in the absolute silence. He stands, barely able to do much else, and endures what is most likely the void itself. As soon as it ends and Garland begins walking away, TRON snaps up one arm--still holding his silver Disc--to block Carnus' path before more Garland aggro is incurred. He says nothing, but slowly shakes his head from side to side at the newest VALKYRI member, the movement jerky and canting the helm slightly in the process. It's an odd sight, just this side of the uncanny valley. Compared to what Garland just did, though, it's downright normal.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr's body is inert. Even the healing is only enough to keep him stable. He isn't bleeding out anymore, but he is extremely brutalize. His unconcious figure doesn't rouse, even to sass Faruja. Then the darkness washes over the area, putting out all light. A corridor appears under Ang, slowly, he starts falling in, the darkness creeping over his form. When the lights come back on, all you can see is Ang's hand, before he falls through. %

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Angantyr's body slips away, and Faruja stares. Somewhere, a Disney censor faints from the resulting words out of the Templar's mouth.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' Ulharisk nods to Faruja when he tries to heal him and cleanse him with light. Which was very interesting weave of magics really. Yet Ulharisk still didn't feel all to well. He stays quiet until Garland is gone. His eyes focused in that direction. His voice was quiet and his brows furrowed. "Who.." He says softly, "..Who was that..?" He then looks over to some here, then over to Maira as she tries to save the man who was trying to kill them. Compassion. Such a strong emotion. He knows it well. He sighs softly and just sits down now, letting the glaive vanish in flicker of blue light until it is gone in wisps of light. "..why would they ever do this.. torment worlds.. lives.." He lowers his head gently closing his eyes. However when he opens them the dark knight was sinking into a pool of darkness. The draconian blinked his eyes a few times, "..what the?!" He just stared, dumb founded by what he is seeing.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Dumbly, Maira nods to Avira as she tells her about Vespa. She has to pick up the pieces...she has to heal them, has to.... "You knew, didn't you," she says to Avira. "You knew and you didn't tell me and I...I was just too stupid to figure it out, wasn't I?" she asks. Maira is still burning, but the flames calm significantly as Garland begins to walk away and Angantyr drifts into a portal to disappear. She looks around, spotting Vespa. "Uist..." she breaths, and the ghost carries her healing energy to her fellow VALKYRI--then to Isaac. He most certainly needs it. Once done, Maira's fire is snuffed like a candle and she falls to her knees. Tears flow freely now, but they steam as they touch her cheeks. She curls up on herself and just sobs. She doesn't care.

:'''[[Carnus Sirin]] has posed:''' Carnus Sirin stops in his tracks as both Maira and TRON halt his progress. He looks down at Maira and his eyes soften almost instantly. "Just focus on healing that man. If there's any light left in him, I'm sure you can find it." He gives her a soft smile and moves to continue as TRON's arm darts in front of him, truly impeding his weary movements toward the now tactically retreating Garland. "Fine..." is all he says before suddenly collapsing backwards onto the cold hard ground, spreading himself out. "I... I'll just take a quick nap. Then I'll go get him." The spellsword's words barely make it out before he begins to drift off to sleep. He really can sleep anywhere, can't he? Sadly, the sleep looks less like a casual snooze and more like someone dying. As a pool of blood is beginning to form around the already red-clad man.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa mutters and grips her axe pulling herself up into a sitting postion.. She looks around.. "dammit.... dammit.. dammit..", she no going to try been enough of that today...

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira immediately draws close to Maira and sweeps her up into a tight hug. Quietly and quickly she murmurs something into her ear. Her voice sounds weary and apologetic, from those bystandards that try to listen in, but little more can be heard.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Garland has a problem that Isaac didn't account for. Isaac assumed that Garland was one of the primal evils that he'd heard about, the people with nothing that passes for a heart and nothing that can possibly feel love or hope or anything of the sort. He assumed that Garland was simply incapable of it. You know what they say about assumptions. Isaac makes a small miscalculation. He pays for it. The silence falls, and darkness follows. The towering font of mana turns to a mere sliver of light in the all-consuming darkness, stubbornly resisting the utter nightfall. It vanishes all the same, one of the last sources of brightness to be snuffed out by the unholy power of Chaos. The sorcerer at the middle of it all stands firm, ready to fight even what he cannot see. He'll find a way to do it. He's always got a way. He tries to call light, to see through the pitch darkness. He immediately wishes he hadn't. ELSEWHERE...? He isn't in the street anymore. The chamber is vast and infinitely high, with walls that stretch to heights that defy imagination. The darkness is all-consuming, filling it at a vast and alarming rate. Isaac looks back, suddenly knowing what he'll find. He sees the body of a man, sprawled out on the stair within the infinitely high tower, holding a bloodied revolver in his dead hands and staring in glassy-eyed in terror back at him. He turns back, disbelieving, but suddenly pulled upwards by hands he didn't see before. A kid, a teenager. Big hat, a strange look. The kid pushes past him, shoving him up the stairs and thrusting his hands downward at the hordes of yellow-eyed monsters that ascend. "Get moving! I'll hold them off!" he yells, moving his fingers like tugging on invisible strings. Isaac's mouth moves, but nothing comes out. He squeezes his eyes shut. When he opens them again, the sight of spectral wolves tearing at the tide of darkness and falling beneath them is what he sees. "No," Isaac whispers. He takes a step back, up the stair. "This can't be real. This can't --" He's jarred. He turns around, ready to attack, near a panic from the sights and sounds and smells and /everything/. He sees a young woman, moving unsteadily, shrouded in the same darkness with eyes the color of blood. She pulls on him, saying words he doesn't hear. All he hears is his heart pounding in his chest. She pulls him further up the stairs and then stop him, throwing the darkness around her into the Heartless that swarm down from above. It only spurs them on. The world starts to vanish around him. Everything closes in. He sees everyone falling, one by one, disappearing or torn apart, turning into the /things/ that come from every which way. He turns back to the girl, reaching his hand out desperately. His voice is totally panicked, and he feels a wrenching in his chest, a coldness spreading as she's pulled away. The tide of darkness overtakes her, a pleading look on her face. Asking him for help. Only him. "No! Not again! Not again!! I'm not letting it happen again!" Isaac thrusts his arm forward, into the darkness. He pits arcane might against endless, unfathomable, ravenous shadows, desperately putting everything he has and is into saving just her. He takes hold of a hand, trying to draw it from the horde with a wordless cry. She comes back, yellow-eyed, her body wholly comprised of the same darkness. The blackness spreads up his arm as she draws herself to him, fingers like claws reaching for his face. He screams, in terror and despair. REALITY The darkness fades away. The figures on the rooftops are gone when the lights come back on. Vague, white outlines of them remain for a few seconds, and then vanish along with them. The illusions fade, and the haze of magic disappears, subsumed in the reality that is the power of a soul that has wholly embraced Chaos. Isaac lies in the street, face-down, partially on his side. He looks like he's reaching out with one hand for someone who isn't there, lying in a pool of bright blood. The source of it is clear: the hand he's reaching out with is missing. All that's left is a ragged wound near his shoulder, with a dark shadow of ash burned into the ground where the limb should be. The spot reeks of darkness, of Chaos, even from a distance. Despite it, he writhes, still blindly reaching, voice a rasp. "N... ot... aga... in..." He stops moving.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' With Maira being handled by Avira, Faruja is quick to come to Isaac's side. Chugging down an Ether, he gets to work, pulling out a healer's kit even as he lays on curative spells. "No mortal man should survive such a thing. 'Tis by the Lord's own hand that you remain. You shan't slip away." Mutters the rat as he works, desperately trying to heal the man before he bleeds out.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira can't even respond to Avira, she can't form the words between her sobs. She just nods a little, which may not even be seen with her shaking as she is. She leans into the embrace, just complete inconsolable.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' Ulharisk watches as the darkness suddenly comes and is then gone just as quick. Only a man remaining, broken who is being healed. Maira in tears. The only one he knows here being cuddled by her friend. He slowly forces himself to stand up. He glances around, unsure of what to do. How to help. He frowns, before he grits his teeth. He carefully walks over to Avira. Looking down at her with his violet eyes. "..Do you.. would you like me to go to the inn and see about rooms for everyone?" He asks softly. "..or seek out other weavers of light that could be here?" His eyes do slowly roam over to Isaac is at. Where Faruja is tending to him. He frowns even deeper and lowers his head slightly. This wasn't at all a victory. It was a defeat. A damn, bloody, defeat.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON only nods once to Carnus as the spellsword relents, though flinches as the man instead collapses to the ground under the premise of taking a nap. But blood does not flow from mere exhaustion, and the Program immediately kneels at Carnus' side to try to give some first aid. Find what is causing so much bleeding and trying to stop it until the more medically minded can reach them. His visor cants towards where Avira and Maira are kneeling on the ground, a call for help dying in his apparently-damaged vocalizer before it could be voiced. He barely even lets himself think about their victory, pyhrric or otherwise, focusing now on helping those wounded far worse than himself. Angantyr was stopped, Traverse Town is safe for now. It is enough.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Please." Avira says quietly to Ulharisk. The VALKYRI building, the half-burned, half-collapsed shell that it was, was certainly too unsafe to house people right now. It'd have to be rebuilt. Someday. If they every got a reprieve. She continues to hug Maira, letting her cry into her chest, gently brushing her best friend's hair. Over Maira's shoulder, she stares in horror at Isaac-a man she had relied upon so much, saw as so powerful and so cocky. Now he was lying there, missing an arm, gibbering about something upsetting that Avira couldn't divine right now. Who knows what Garland showed him in the darkness. A lump forms in her throat.

:'''[[Ulharisk]] has posed:''' Ulharisk gives a nod to Maira, before he looks over to Faruja, then to others who may be able. "Once you are done tending to the wounded. Bring them to the hotel not far from here. I will see too the rooms be prepared." He then looks away. Walking in the direction of the hotel. Though in a great deal of pain, though wounds healed thanks to Faruja earlier, his body was still complaining at him. Yet focus was what was driving him. There was wounded to be taken care of and beds that needed to be made. The people always came first. His own needs were second. That is what his father taught him.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' A linkpearl in her ear. A voice suddenly. She'd forgotten that was there....he was here. Maira cries harder if that is at all possible. "It didn't do any good! It didn't help! It didn't stop ANYTHING," she cries into her linkpearl.

VALKYRI

2013-05-11T18:15:18Z

RyuuAya:

{{Group
|leader=Avira
|role=Oppose the [[Shadow Lords]]
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|appable=Yes
|groupimage=VALKYRI.png
|description=VALKYRI stands for Very Adventurous Ladies Keeping everybodY Really Interconnected. They are a fellowship of warriors, mercenaries, and general ass-kickers united in the pursuit of quests, marks, and ruined Shadow Lord schemes. Though not specifically aimed at restoring worlds, VALKYRI often butts heads with the [[Shard Seekers]].
}}

Members are expected to follow three important guidelines:

# Be good to each other. Friendship is magic. We are all friends here and all work to help each other grow more awesome.
# Be willing to travel. Our adventures take us all throughout the world so being excessively tied to one place won't work.
# Be capable of defending yourself! At least one magic or weapon proficiency is required.

==Official Members==

Fearless Leader [[Avira]] 
Mage On Fire [[Maira]] 
Maid Of The Axe [[Vespa]] 
Fist Of The Cold Star [[Minerva]] 
Air Commander [[Navya]] 
c-c-c-combo computer breaker [[TRON]] 
Companion Cube Mimir 
The Dragon [[Carnus Sirin]] 
Guardian [[Percival]] 

Honorary members:
Wolfie [[Skoll Ulfang]] 
The only Dennou with a name that ends in A [[Emi Dennou|Shida]]

ON NOTICE:
Ember Knight [[Katyna Redsvaren]] 

Inactive members:
Raging Typhoon [[Lenna Tycoon]] 
Mistress of SCIENCE! [[Valencia]] 
Badass Space Marine [[Lavi]] 

==History==

Sure, the group's start wasn't terribly magical. [[Avira]] simply took notice of how often she seemed to cross paths with certain other wanderers of the shattered worlds, and started to reach out with the intention of working together and having others to rely on. [[Maira]] and [[Vespa]], along with Avira, formed the initial team. Following a mission involving [[Snow Demon|investigating rumors of a snow demon]], the displaced monk [[Minerva]], the aforementioned "snow demon," joined up.

Avira met [[Lenna Tycoon]] on a chance [[Manhattan Morning|visit to Manhattan]] and thanks to previously dispersed flyers, the Princess of Tycoon elected to participate in VALKYRI. Though at the same time Avira had agreed to support Lenna's ambitious goal of driving the darkness back completely.

It was perhaps another stroke of fate that, while trying to claim a building in Traverse Town as a base that VALKYRI came across the recently displaced [[Valencia]] and the secret Shadow Lord [[Katyna]]. Valencia was also seeking a place of her own to serve as a laboratory and sought the same abandoned building. With a bit of negotiation, they reached the agreement to share the space, though they had to [[House of a Thousand Monkeys|evict the Heartless infestation first.]]

At the behest of Avira, VALKYRI had a hand in defending the city of Manhattan when it was [[In A New York Minute|targeted by a Shadow Lord campaign to destroy it]]. Ultimately, the overall effort was unsuccessful and the world fell to the darkness. As it turned out that it was really Avira's world that had fallen, she declared a [[Gathering the VALKYRI|new prime directive]] for the group: wherever they go, they would oppose the schemes of the Shadow Lords.

==Mimir==

VALKYRI possess a strange little artifact [[One Night In VALKYRI|by the name of Mimir]]. He is a dynamic data archive from a long-lost ancient civilization that runs with an artificial intelligence. Mimir is a plot device used to map and find things/ADVENTURE!

==Misc==
In spite of the name, the group is not strictly women only, even though people in Traverse Town tends to refer to VALKYRI as "that group with all the scary warrior women." (Or even "that group full of women that are all secretly French maids", no thanks to Ivo.) For joining, get in touch with [[Avira]]. It is preferred for interested members to RP their way in versus apping into the group.

The radio frequency for VALKYRI is 7668. ICly it is maintained by Linkpearls but it can also be accessed with a Ma Belle. Members are usually given a tuned Linkpearl to serve as an emergency backup in case of stolen/missing phone.

VALKYRI

2013-05-11T18:10:41Z

RyuuAya: /* Official Members */

{{Group
|leader=Avira
|role=Oppose the [[Shadow Lords]]
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|appable=Yes
|groupimage=VALKYRI.png
|description=VALKYRI stands for Very Adventurous Ladies Keeping everybodY Really Interconnected. They are a fellowship of warriors, mercenaries, and general ass-kickers united in the pursuit of quests, marks, and ruined Shadow Lord schemes. Though not specifically aimed at restoring worlds, VALKYRI often butts heads with the [[Shard Seekers]].
}}

Members are expected to follow three important guidelines:

# Be good to each other. Friendship is magic. We are all friends here and all work to help each other grow more awesome.
# Be willing to travel. Our adventures take us all throughout the world so being excessively tied to one place won't work.
# Be capable of defending yourself! At least one magic or weapon proficiency is required.

==Official Members==

Fearless Leader [[Avira]] 
Mage On Fire [[Maira]] 
Maid Of The Axe [[Vespa]] 
Fist Of The Cold Star [[Minerva]] 
Air Commander [[Navya]] 
c-c-c-combo computer breaker [[TRON]] 
The Dragon [[Carnus Sirin]] 
Guardian [[Percival]] 

ON NOTICE:

Ember Knight [[Katyna Redsvaren]] 

Inactive members:

Raging Typhoon [[Lenna Tycoon]] 
Mistress of SCIENCE! [[Valencia]] 
Badass Space Marine [[Lavi]] 

==History==

Sure, the group's start wasn't terribly magical. [[Avira]] simply took notice of how often she seemed to cross paths with certain other wanderers of the shattered worlds, and started to reach out with the intention of working together and having others to rely on. [[Maira]] and [[Vespa]], along with Avira, formed the initial team. Following a mission involving [[Snow Demon|investigating rumors of a snow demon]], the displaced monk [[Minerva]], the aforementioned "snow demon," joined up.

Avira met [[Lenna Tycoon]] on a chance [[Manhattan Morning|visit to Manhattan]] and thanks to previously dispersed flyers, the Princess of Tycoon elected to participate in VALKYRI. Though at the same time Avira had agreed to support Lenna's ambitious goal of driving the darkness back completely.

It was perhaps another stroke of fate that, while trying to claim a building in Traverse Town as a base that VALKYRI came across the recently displaced [[Valencia]] and the secret Shadow Lord [[Katyna]]. Valencia was also seeking a place of her own to serve as a laboratory and sought the same abandoned building. With a bit of negotiation, they reached the agreement to share the space, though they had to [[House of a Thousand Monkeys|evict the Heartless infestation first.]]

At the behest of Avira, VALKYRI had a hand in defending the city of Manhattan when it was [[In A New York Minute|targeted by a Shadow Lord campaign to destroy it]]. Ultimately, the overall effort was unsuccessful and the world fell to the darkness. As it turned out that it was really Avira's world that had fallen, she declared a [[Gathering the VALKYRI|new prime directive]] for the group: wherever they go, they would oppose the schemes of the Shadow Lords.

==Misc==
In spite of the name, the group is not strictly women only, even though people in Traverse Town tends to refer to VALKYRI as "that group with all the scary warrior women." (Or even "that group full of women that are all secretly French maids", no thanks to Ivo.) For joining, get in touch with [[Avira]]. It is preferred for interested members to RP their way in versus apping into the group.

The radio frequency for VALKYRI is 7668. ICly it is maintained by Linkpearls but it can also be accessed with a Ma Belle. Members are usually given a tuned Linkpearl to serve as an emergency backup in case of stolen/missing phone.

Kyra Hyral

2013-05-11T17:55:17Z

RyuuAya: /* Friends */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Kyra
|lastname=Hyral
|age=17
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'4"
|weight=We'll get back to you on that
|series=OC
|styles=Mogstep
|hometown=Ramuha
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Alexander Academy
|occupation=White Mage
|quote="Some side effects may occur! Nothing too damaging, I promise! Now go ahead and drink up."
|footer=Arrived in Corneria after her world was destroyed.
}}
= Profile =
Kyra Hyral is the third youngest child of the sprawling Hyral family, a name well known in the highest levels of the Cosma Naturalis Church. Upon meeting her, though, it's impossible to tell that this white mage was born of that Church at all. Every bit the teenage rebel, she has turned completely on her ultra-conservative family and now behaves like a terrible tradition-eschewing punk! Though her control over her mystical power may be suffering due to her lack of faith, she at least has her considerable skill in biology and alchemy to fall back on, firmly remaining at the top of her class in both subjects. When shes not busy mixing things in a lab or the kitchen, she can be found mixing sound on her computer and creating her own horrible dubstep monstrosities (or "Mogstep" as she likes to call it).

= Skills =
Science Genius Girl, Deadly Cooking, What Do You Mean E Coli Is Not a Flavoring, Yandere Caretaker, Drop the Kupo, It Is Too Music!, Rebel Without A Cause, I Can Fix It!

= Abilities=

= Relationships =

===Friends===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Kamon Lionward]]|| H..he's really sweet...and reliable. I feel so much safer around him.
|-
|[[Soan Sagittarius]]|| We're pretty close. So close that I know his secret identity! Which I shall keep secret, of course.
|-
|[[Rena Laradyne]]|| Talented and pretty level headed. She's been really quiet lately though.
|-
|[[Niklas Dragonius]]|| Sure, he hits on anything female and can't remember a girl's name, but he's a really great guy. His free-spiritedness is inspiring.
|-
|[[Jidro Gerrison]]|| Certainly not the Chaos-worshipping demon-spawn my parents insisted his family was. Dude could use a bit of backbone though!
|-
|[[Seloria Delacreaux]]|| She's like a Helena that uses her powers for good and not evil.
|-
|[[Myla Mason]]|| Engineering is pretty awesome.
|}

===Family===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Alma Hyral]]|| I worry about her ability to survive out here. I...worry about her in general. Quite more devious than anyone gives her credit for.
|-
|Father Hyral|| Stay gone.
|-
|Anastasia Hyral|| You especially stay gone, mother.
|-
|Ramza Hyral|| I'm pretty sure you were spying on me in school! Well now you can't spy on me any more. (5th oldest of the Hyral children)
|-
|Tira Hyral|| You were taken far too soon. (Deceased.)
|-
|Older Siblings 5 through 8|| Dutifully, you ran off to create your families and spread Naturalis. I will not follow in your footsteps. (Genders and names currently undecided)
|-
|Ridiculously large number of aunts, uncles, and cousins|| Good riddance.
|}

===Rivals!===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Souji Murasame]]|| You should have been able to protect Tira! Though useful in the way of connections, he's brilliant and a threat to me academically.
|-
|[[Helena Celba]]|| Dangerous. I went too far with her-but it at least leaves me in a good place to shield Alma from her.
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]|| A scientist, in a way, though I do not approve of his unethical methods. Surely you can study the light in other's hearts without causing so much wanton destruction!
|-
|[[Annia Leradine]]|| An awful and unpleasant bully. Cid is unfortunately betrothed to her but does that even count anymore now that our world is gone?
|}

===Peeps I sorta know===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Zia]]|| A beautiful member of a species called Gargoyle. She appears well-versed in the ways of adventuring!
|-
|[[Minette Odam]]|| One of Murasame's employees. Bit of a klutz.
|-
|[[Artyom W. Valodjn]]|| Another one of Murasame's employees. He seems to be keeping a kind eye out for Alma, which I am appreciative of.
|-
|[[Thirza Ingersleben]]|| Another employee of Murasame with a VERY adventurous appetite. I wonder if she'd sample my cooking for me...nobody else seems to want to.
|-
|[[Legion]]|| Fascinating! A Hume network. They're all so adorable. <3
|-
|[[Caran Steel]]|| Dork.
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Kyra Hyral

2013-05-11T17:50:00Z

RyuuAya: /* Friends */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Kyra
|lastname=Hyral
|age=17
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'4"
|weight=We'll get back to you on that
|series=OC
|styles=Mogstep
|hometown=Ramuha
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Alexander Academy
|occupation=White Mage
|quote="Some side effects may occur! Nothing too damaging, I promise! Now go ahead and drink up."
|footer=Arrived in Corneria after her world was destroyed.
}}
= Profile =
Kyra Hyral is the third youngest child of the sprawling Hyral family, a name well known in the highest levels of the Cosma Naturalis Church. Upon meeting her, though, it's impossible to tell that this white mage was born of that Church at all. Every bit the teenage rebel, she has turned completely on her ultra-conservative family and now behaves like a terrible tradition-eschewing punk! Though her control over her mystical power may be suffering due to her lack of faith, she at least has her considerable skill in biology and alchemy to fall back on, firmly remaining at the top of her class in both subjects. When shes not busy mixing things in a lab or the kitchen, she can be found mixing sound on her computer and creating her own horrible dubstep monstrosities (or "Mogstep" as she likes to call it).

= Skills =
Science Genius Girl, Deadly Cooking, What Do You Mean E Coli Is Not a Flavoring, Yandere Caretaker, Drop the Kupo, It Is Too Music!, Rebel Without A Cause, I Can Fix It!

= Abilities=

= Relationships =

===Friends===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Kamon Lionward]]|| H..he's really sweet...and reliable. I feel so much safer around him.
|-
|[[Soan Sagittarius]]|| We're pretty close. So close that I know his secret identity! Which I shall keep secret, of course.
|-
|[[Rena Leradyne]]|| Talented and pretty level headed. She's been really quiet lately though.
|-
|[[Niklas Dragonius]]|| Sure, he hits on anything female and can't remember a girl's name, but he's a really great guy. His free-spiritedness is inspiring.
|-
|[[Jidro Gerrison]]|| Certainly not the Chaos-worshipping demon-spawn my parents insisted his family was. Dude could use a bit of backbone though!
|-
|[[Seloria Delacreaux]]|| She's like a Helena that uses her powers for good and not evil.
|-
|[[Myla Mason]]|| Engineering is pretty awesome.
|}

===Family===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Alma Hyral]]|| I worry about her ability to survive out here. I...worry about her in general. Quite more devious than anyone gives her credit for.
|-
|Father Hyral|| Stay gone.
|-
|Anastasia Hyral|| You especially stay gone, mother.
|-
|Ramza Hyral|| I'm pretty sure you were spying on me in school! Well now you can't spy on me any more. (5th oldest of the Hyral children)
|-
|Tira Hyral|| You were taken far too soon. (Deceased.)
|-
|Older Siblings 5 through 8|| Dutifully, you ran off to create your families and spread Naturalis. I will not follow in your footsteps. (Genders and names currently undecided)
|-
|Ridiculously large number of aunts, uncles, and cousins|| Good riddance.
|}

===Rivals!===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Souji Murasame]]|| You should have been able to protect Tira! Though useful in the way of connections, he's brilliant and a threat to me academically.
|-
|[[Helena Celba]]|| Dangerous. I went too far with her-but it at least leaves me in a good place to shield Alma from her.
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]|| A scientist, in a way, though I do not approve of his unethical methods. Surely you can study the light in other's hearts without causing so much wanton destruction!
|-
|[[Annia Leradine]]|| An awful and unpleasant bully. Cid is unfortunately betrothed to her but does that even count anymore now that our world is gone?
|}

===Peeps I sorta know===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Zia]]|| A beautiful member of a species called Gargoyle. She appears well-versed in the ways of adventuring!
|-
|[[Minette Odam]]|| One of Murasame's employees. Bit of a klutz.
|-
|[[Artyom W. Valodjn]]|| Another one of Murasame's employees. He seems to be keeping a kind eye out for Alma, which I am appreciative of.
|-
|[[Thirza Ingersleben]]|| Another employee of Murasame with a VERY adventurous appetite. I wonder if she'd sample my cooking for me...nobody else seems to want to.
|-
|[[Legion]]|| Fascinating! A Hume network. They're all so adorable. <3
|-
|[[Caran Steel]]|| Dork.
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Kyra Hyral

2013-05-11T17:49:27Z

RyuuAya: All those people!

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Kyra
|lastname=Hyral
|age=17
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'4"
|weight=We'll get back to you on that
|series=OC
|styles=Mogstep
|hometown=Ramuha
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Alexander Academy
|occupation=White Mage
|quote="Some side effects may occur! Nothing too damaging, I promise! Now go ahead and drink up."
|footer=Arrived in Corneria after her world was destroyed.
}}
= Profile =
Kyra Hyral is the third youngest child of the sprawling Hyral family, a name well known in the highest levels of the Cosma Naturalis Church. Upon meeting her, though, it's impossible to tell that this white mage was born of that Church at all. Every bit the teenage rebel, she has turned completely on her ultra-conservative family and now behaves like a terrible tradition-eschewing punk! Though her control over her mystical power may be suffering due to her lack of faith, she at least has her considerable skill in biology and alchemy to fall back on, firmly remaining at the top of her class in both subjects. When shes not busy mixing things in a lab or the kitchen, she can be found mixing sound on her computer and creating her own horrible dubstep monstrosities (or "Mogstep" as she likes to call it).

= Skills =
Science Genius Girl, Deadly Cooking, What Do You Mean E Coli Is Not a Flavoring, Yandere Caretaker, Drop the Kupo, It Is Too Music!, Rebel Without A Cause, I Can Fix It!

= Abilities=

= Relationships =

===Friends===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Kamon Lionward]]|| H..he's really sweet...and reliable. I feel so much safer around him.
|-
|[[Soan Sagittarius|| We're pretty close. So close that I know his secret identity! Which I shall keep secret, of course.
|-
|[[Rena Leradyne]]|| Talented and pretty level headed. She's been really quiet lately though.
|-
|[[Niklas Dragonius]]|| Sure, he hits on anything female and can't remember a girl's name, but he's a really great guy. His free-spiritedness is inspiring.
|-
|[[Jidro Gerrison]]|| Certainly not the Chaos-worshipping demon-spawn my parents insisted his family was. Dude could use a bit of backbone though!
|-
|[[Seloria Delacreaux]]|| She's like a Helena that uses her powers for good and not evil.
|-
|[[Myla Mason]]|| Engineering is pretty awesome.
|}

===Family===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Alma Hyral]]|| I worry about her ability to survive out here. I...worry about her in general. Quite more devious than anyone gives her credit for.
|-
|Father Hyral|| Stay gone.
|-
|Anastasia Hyral|| You especially stay gone, mother.
|-
|Ramza Hyral|| I'm pretty sure you were spying on me in school! Well now you can't spy on me any more. (5th oldest of the Hyral children)
|-
|Tira Hyral|| You were taken far too soon. (Deceased.)
|-
|Older Siblings 5 through 8|| Dutifully, you ran off to create your families and spread Naturalis. I will not follow in your footsteps. (Genders and names currently undecided)
|-
|Ridiculously large number of aunts, uncles, and cousins|| Good riddance.
|}

===Rivals!===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Souji Murasame]]|| You should have been able to protect Tira! Though useful in the way of connections, he's brilliant and a threat to me academically.
|-
|[[Helena Celba]]|| Dangerous. I went too far with her-but it at least leaves me in a good place to shield Alma from her.
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]|| A scientist, in a way, though I do not approve of his unethical methods. Surely you can study the light in other's hearts without causing so much wanton destruction!
|-
|[[Annia Leradine]]|| An awful and unpleasant bully. Cid is unfortunately betrothed to her but does that even count anymore now that our world is gone?
|}

===Peeps I sorta know===
{| class="CTable StatTable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! scope="col" width="120" | Name
! scope="col" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Zia]]|| A beautiful member of a species called Gargoyle. She appears well-versed in the ways of adventuring!
|-
|[[Minette Odam]]|| One of Murasame's employees. Bit of a klutz.
|-
|[[Artyom W. Valodjn]]|| Another one of Murasame's employees. He seems to be keeping a kind eye out for Alma, which I am appreciative of.
|-
|[[Thirza Ingersleben]]|| Another employee of Murasame with a VERY adventurous appetite. I wonder if she'd sample my cooking for me...nobody else seems to want to.
|-
|[[Legion]]|| Fascinating! A Hume network. They're all so adorable. <3
|-
|[[Caran Steel]]|| Dork.
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T17:00:13Z

RyuuAya: /* Random Facts */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==Brave New World==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was Hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:58:28Z

RyuuAya: /* The Buildup */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==Brave New World==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.
- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:57:20Z

RyuuAya:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Forces of Restoration
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==The Buildup==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.
- Avira is of mixed ethnicity. Her mother was hispanic while her father was the first American-born child of two Russian Jewish immigrants.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:49:37Z

RyuuAya: /* The Manhattan Project */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==The Buildup==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:48:15Z

RyuuAya: /* The Maid Incident */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==The Buildup==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who [[Raid on Balamb Garden|took refuge in Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure|]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:46:04Z

RyuuAya: /* The Story Thus Far */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

Warning, large amounts of text ahead.

==The Buildup==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape The Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone purportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers And Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she traveled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or [[Complaints Department|any time]].

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who took refuge in [[Raid on Balamb Garden|Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alazne]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alazne was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure|]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-05-05T16:37:03Z

RyuuAya: Now here is the story all about how my life got flip turned upside down. I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there...

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=25
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, World Refugee, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Hidden Mutate, Level 2, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, I Left My Heart In Manhattan, Kickassian Apprentice, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?, Final Kingdom IS My Tragic Past!, Tsundere Love Song, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Former Dusk Princess?

= The Story Thus Far =

==The Buildup==

There is nothing really worth noting about Rosalie Levine before Earth was destroyed. She hailed from Brooklyn and was the assistant of a chiropractor.

When Earth fell to darkness, she found herself waking up upon the Giza Plains of Ivalice, which had yet to undergo the transformation into the World of Ruin. Wandering alone, she was forced to contend with wild monsters and Heartless alike. Fighting for survival, she eventually collapsed to her extensive wounds. Fortunately, she was discovered by a small Rabanastre-based clan named Clan Dagda. They took her in and nursed her back to health.

Believing that Earth had been destroyed, she adopted a new name-Avira-and vowed to remake herself into a somebody. She swore fealty to the clan and sought the help of their mercenary ally, [[Angantyr Vespar]], eager to learn how to fight and hunt.

However it wasn't long before Avira ventured out into the shattered worlds, looking for answers like so many others about the Heartless plague. Through her wanderings she discovered that a piece of her true world did still exist in the form of the Island of Manhattan. She met other survivors, such as [[Mercade Alexander]], but elected to conceal her origins. Eventually, she would ally herself with the [[Twilight Detective Agency]]. Of course, against a detective as sharp as him, he [[To Escape the Past|eventually noticed]] that several of her mannerisms were out of place for someone puportedly from Ivalice!

In her travels she also met a werewolf named [[Skoll Ulfang]]. Having seen he was a proficient fighter and hunter, she wheedled him into taking her as a student. Unknown to her, Skoll was a pawn of the Gaudium Lords, his memories manipulated into thinking that the [[Kaze|Red-haired man]] had destroyed his world. This lead to an [[Kaze! Misunderstanding the Red-Haired Ma|unfortunate incident]] where Avira confronted the Red-haired man alone and was nearly killed in the process due to his overwhelming power. A distraught Skoll subjected her to more intense training in result, [[A Hasty Trip|abandoning her]] in a wolf-filled forest. This training exercise was [[Burgers and Pi|complicated further]] by the Reaper [[Sho Minamimoto]], who placed dangerous Taboo Noise in the forest. In the process, Avira discovered the power of the Beastmaster Voice but was ultimately rescued when Skoll posted a note asking for the help of "Players."

While encountering many wild and dangerous Heartless wherever she travelled, Avira took notice of other women similar in goal to her-none standing out more than the fire mage [[Maira]]. She and Maira became fast friends and, along with the axe-wielding battle maid [[Vespa]], formed the mercenary group [[VALKYRI]]. Though one of their prime directives was to travel a lot, they established a guild hall in Traverse Town to serve as a base of operations and temporary place to stay.

Through Angantyr, Avira was unfortunate enough to catch the attention of his mentor, [[Garland]]. Recognizing Avira's desire to grow stronger and push beyond her limits, he decided to [[A Delightful Chat|take her as a "student."]]. This, unfortunately, amounted to not only being spied on constantly by Garland and his minions but included the stipulation that the embodiment of Chaos could [[The Garland Games|attack her]] at any place or any time.

==The Maid Incident==

Set in motion by the constant fleeing of the Princess of Heart [[Jasmine]], who took refuge in [[Raid on Balamb Garden|Balamb Garden]], Avira's encounter with [[Morrighan Alanze]] could have amounted to any encounter on a battlefield. Morrighan was a white mage assisting Baigan at the time, so naturally Avira employed the most reliable strategy for disrupting healing support: punching the mage in the face.

Unfortunately, Morrighan Alanze was the type to hold a grudge.

Some time later, she ordered then Baron-allied dark knight [[Kaydin]] to arrest Avira and bring her to Baron. Much to Morrighan's surprise, Kaydin [[Long Arm of the Harpy|actually succeeded]] in apprehending the huntress after a fierce fight in the desert. Avira's abduction had, fortunately, not gone unnoticed.

Morrighan decided Avira would do well as her own [[A Captive of Baron|personal servant]] and forced her into a maid dress-that is after she laid an enchantment around Avira's throat that she could use to disable her, if needed, screwing up plans of escape. Thankfully, a curiously large group of people from Maira, to an annoyed Angantyr, to the Princess Jasmine, to Garland himself, to Mercade who by sheer coincidence was exploring the Baron sewers with [[King Mickey]] and [[Sarafina Carenze]]'s husband converged upon the castle and enabled her escape.

Prior to the rescue, a memory sphere containing recorded images of Avira in the dress had been made by Morrighan. This sphere, unfortunately, later [[Fortune Favors the Bold|fell]] into the hands of [[Ivo Galvan]]. Right away, he used the footage to slander the Shard Seeker rivals. Rumors of the VALKYRI having side-jobs of maids persist to this day. Thus started her current enduring rivalry with Morrighan.

==The Manhattan Project==

Spearheaded by LEXUS, the Shadow Lords began a [[In A New York Minute|widespread campaign against Manhattan]], the remnants of Earth. This first came to Avira's attention when [[David Xanatos]] posted advertisements for mercenaries to protect the city against increased Heartless aggressions. It was the perfect opportunity for VALKYRI to establish themselves though Avira secretly promoted the job since it was the world she originated from.

Investigation into the Heartless surge lead Avira down into the Labyrinth to where gargoyle-like creatures known as Mutates resided. One of the mutates, Fang, turned out to have betrayed the others to work with Dr. Anton Sevarius. Further investigation into the Labyrinth lead to a secret lab where Sevarius was engaging in dangerous experiments with Heartless and Darkness, testing on a number of captured homeless people and aid workers. While fighting off the dangerous experiments and crazed Fang [[In A New York Minute: Labyrinth Runners|within the lab]], Avira managed to swipe a copy of Sevarius's research-but at a price. While her back was turned, Sevarius injected her with an unknown substance.

Afterwards, Avira and [[Will Sherman]] engaged in a small [[Shadow Chasers|rescue mission]]. Unknowingly, this mission actually brought them in the vicinity of Manhattan's World Heart. A pair of lost paranormal reporters were rescued but the others that had escaped into the depths of the Labyrinth were lost.

When the lab was destroyed, a massive amount of captive Heartless were unleashed upon the city. The Shadow Lords began their invasion. Though many heroes fought valliantly that day, they were overwhelmed. A [[Last Light of Manhattan|final rush]] to the World Heart began and Avira was amongst those who went to defend it. During this battle, she was struck down by Loki, a malevolent fae that had been contained within Will's body, released by Riku's efforts to destroy him. [[LEXUS]]'s Darkness rushed into her, triggering the substance Sevarius had put into her days before. As Manhattan's heart was devoured by Heartless, Avira changed into a darkness-imbued [[Price of Knowledge|mutate]]. As the world fell to darkness, Skoll pulled her away to safety.

Distraught, Avira [[Creatures of Darkness|snapped at Angantyr]] upon seeing him again, angry that he had taken jobs to help the Shadow Lord's operation. Filled with guilt, he [[Desperate|approached LEXUS]], eager to make some sort of bargain, admitting his love for Avira before the shadow lord. LEXUS took full advantage of the situation, giving a cure for Avira's condition in exchange for Angantyr becoming mutated himself. He accepted, but the produced cure, of which there was only one, was given to Garland to distribute.

Her mutated form attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention, from a [[An Offer Refused|Gaudium Lord]] trying to forcefully recruit her to the Shadow Lord Ember trying to get her to fall to her darkness by [[Kidnapped!|kidnapping Maira.]]

After [[For the Cure|retrieving the cure|]] from Garland, Avira brought it to Merlin for duplication, incurring the debt of a favor to be repaid later in the process. [[Cure for the Mutated|The cure]], while it removed the extra darkness infesting Avira and Angantyr, it did not appear to undo the animal mutations caused by Sevarius's serum in Avira.

Though she held on to the hope that the mutations were just slow to fade, eventually she became distraught that they wouldn't and that the three potential loves in her life-Mercade, Skoll, and Angantyr, wouldn't love her if she looked like a monster. She never really considered that they would accept her that way. Sensing her despair, [[Hades]] appeared and offered her [[Let's Make A Deal|a deal]], restoring her human form in exchange for working for him in her mutate form when needed. There was even an escape clause built in to this contract: Avira would become permanently human if she received true love's kiss while a mutate. Foolishly, she accepted.

News of a way to [[Manhattan Restoration|restore Manhattan]] was eventually made available by Merlin. They would need to retrieve several elemental shards from the world and unlock them with the power of a keyblade! Happily, Avira participated in many of the missions-but for the purpose of the Wind Shard, which was in the hands of Hades, Avira didn't have a choice. She was ordered to participate in the tournament.

Fortunately, their team won! Quite curiously, Hades handed over the Wind Shard with little issue-well, except for having the winning team [[To the Victor...|sign a marketing contract]].

More to be added later.

== Samsara of Battle ==

Here's where all the stuff about increased Garland aggressions will be written up. Laters.

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], [[Lavi]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"You are the light my life needs right now."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. We'll take on the darkness together!"
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"How interesting! The maid outfit is not a curse. I'm happy to have her hear."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Friendship||"I'm happy we were able to move forward...but I am sad that I am not your Golden Wolf. I hope you find her one day."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||????||"...who knows what the future holds. I hope she can climb to the path of light."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Wary Friendship||"W..well I'm glad we've made up, though the Garland thing is going to continue to be a problem, I see. But...I forgive you, for what may come, Angantyr."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart was not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training. Now he is punishing me for helping Morrighan. He wants me to walk his path to strength."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Friendship||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. It looks like he's doing a lot better and has found a place in Archadia. I feel...happy for him."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|[[Dark Knight]]||Anger||"I will not let you corrupt Maira. Furthermore, you are a man, I made you bleed, you are not darkness."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Friendship||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa Lockhart]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Regret||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Random Facts =
- Avira's birthday is on the 14th of March, making her a Pisces.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Inside the Heart

2013-05-05T16:17:05Z

RyuuAya:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/17
|Location=Unknown
|Synopsis=Manhattan's Heart was restored. Avira pays the price. Spot the cameos!
|Cast of Characters=Avira,
|Tinyplot=Manhattan Restoration
}}
In an instant, the doubt was washed away. This was the way. The pain was overwhelming as the light poured out of her. Had anyone been able to spot Avira through the blinding corona around her, they'd see her grimacing for a few moments before becoming slack.

In her next moment of awareness, there was a massive archway before her, flanked by ornate double doors. The doors were parted open and beyond that, light. Beautiful blinding light.

Drawn towards it, she stepped forward. "...this is it..." she heard the voice, it was her own, though it hadn't felt like the words came from her lips. Her movement forward hadn't actually felt like a true step. "...I am spent...I can return."

"Anyway, look at you now. You're strong. Strong and beautiful. Nothing more charmin' than someone that can stand on their own two feet."

She stopped. That voice...

"You'd be surprised how far a loyal wolf will go."

A different voice, but Avira recognized it too.

"You're still you. That's what it is. No matter what's happened, you're still you."

She wanted to cry. "I encourage you to believe in them, as I am certain they believe in you."

Avira stopped her slow ascent to the doors. "...I can't..." she whispered.

"She always told us to chase with our hearts, not our feet."

"I can't go. I can't leave them." Avira sighed.

""That won't happen to you Avira. You won't be a Heartless. There is darkness, yes...but your light is stronger. You have to have hope."

As if responding to that admission, the doors slowly closed, shutting out the beautiful light beyond. The doors lingered for a few seconds before vanishing completely, leaving her in darkness. Avira tried to look at her hands, but there was nothing there and as seconds passed, she realized she couldn't feel anything at all. Terror quickly began to settle in.

"So what I need to know from you is one thing. Are you and yours ready to face the Darkness, no matter what happens?"

The voices. The memories...

"I cannot imagine that birds and beasts have anything particularly interesting to say, mademoiselle...but if you feel it is so useful, I can only imagine what you might find."

The memories had direction-her heart sensed this easily, and Avira followed. No matter how long it would take, she would find them again.

Inside the Heart

2013-05-05T16:15:42Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/03/17 |Location=Unknown |Synopsis=Manhattan's Heart was restored. Avira pays the price. Spot the cameos! |Cast of Characters=Avira, |Tin..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/17
|Location=Unknown
|Synopsis=Manhattan's Heart was restored. Avira pays the price. Spot the cameos!
|Cast of Characters=Avira,
|Tinyplot=Manhattan Restoration
}}
In an instant, the doubt was washed away. This was the way. The pain was overwhelming as the light poured out of her. Had anyone been able to spot Avira through the blinding corona around her, they'd see her grimacing for a few moments before becoming slack.

In her next moment of awareness, there was a massive archway before her, flanked by ornate double doors. The doors were parted open and beyond that, light. Beautiful blinding light.

Drawn towards it, she stepped forward. "...this is it..." she heard the voice, it was her own, though it hadn't felt like the words came from her lips. Her movement forward hadn't actually felt like a true step. "...I am spent...I can return."

"Anyway, look at you now. You're strong. Strong and beautiful. Nothing more charmin' than someone that can stand on their own two feet."

She stopped. That voice...

"You'd be surprised how far a loyal wolf will go."

A different voice, but Avira recognized it too.

"You're still you. That's what it is. No matter what's happened, you're still you."

She wanted to cry. "I encourage you to believe in them, as I am certain they believe in you."

Avira stopped her slow ascent to the doors. "...I can't..." she whispered. %R%R"She always told us to chase with our hearts, not our feet." %R %R"I can't go. I can't leave them." Avira sighed.

""That won't happen to you Avira. You won't be a Heartless. There is darkness, yes...but your light is stronger. You have to have hope."

As if responding to that admission, the doors slowly closed, shutting out the beautiful light beyond. The doors lingered for a few seconds before vanishing completely, leaving her in darkness. Avira tried to look at her hands, but there was nothing there and as seconds passed, she realized she couldn't feel anything at all. Terror quickly began to settle in.

"So what I need to know from you is one thing. Are you and yours ready to face the Darkness, no matter what happens?"

The voices. The memories...

"I cannot imagine that birds and beasts have anything particularly interesting to say, mademoiselle...but if you feel it is so useful, I can only imagine what you might find."

The memories had direction-her heart sensed this easily, and Avira followed. No matter how long it would take, she would find them again.

Avira

2013-04-14T13:19:25Z

RyuuAya: /* Relationships */

Avira

2013-04-14T13:08:50Z

RyuuAya: /* Allies */

Avira

2013-04-14T13:03:06Z

RyuuAya: /* Skills */

Displeasure

2013-04-14T12:59:03Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/04/13 |Location= Bevelle - Upper City |Synopsis=Garland is not happy and nor does he forget. |Cast of Characters=Mercade Alexander, Avira, Ga..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/04/13
|Location= Bevelle - Upper City
|Synopsis=Garland is not happy and nor does he forget.
|Cast of Characters=Mercade Alexander, Avira, Garland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Bevelle, though hardly untouched by the darkness, certainly does not seem like a world under seige today. The weather is pleasantly warm though that warmth is stolen by a strong breeze very easily felt by those congregating in the upper levels of the city. Around here, business is brisk as usual as the beautiful Bevelle enjoys quite a bit of off-world traffic thanks to its lovely layout. It wasn't unusual to see Avira out and about alone, even in the wake of the Manhattan incident. Sure, she had been hunted for a week but now no longer held a large amount of light inside of her. Heartless no longer followed her and the Shadow Lords had not sought her out for any reason. In her heart-what remained of it-she knew the reason very well. Her role must have ended that day. Maybe she wasn't even supposed to survive in the first place. The incident weighs heavily upon her mind right now as she walks across one of the sky bridges, enjoying the sun on her skin and the breeze through her hair. In a way, it was nice to be free of that responsibility. Stopping in the middle of the bridge, she leans against the railing, looking to the sky. Flying, she realizes as she looks out over the city. She really missed flying. "...maybe that eventual airship will satisfy the need."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' A shadow looms behind Avira, a dark presence that slinks from hiding place to hiding place. Avira is distracted, consumed with her considerations of her situation. The time is ripe. With a sudden motion, the dark figure STRIKES! And suddenly Avira is hugged from behind, a bouquet of flowers brought into her view. "Hello Avira!" Mercade says, grinning like an idiot as he spins around, leaning back against the railing as he holds out the flowers for her. "You look like you're having some trouble, Avira. I figure more beautiful things together would help." He tips his hat slightly as he arches an eyebrow.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' There is nowhere that is safe from Garland. The Champion of Chaos has no barriers. The Champion of Chaos has no borders, no limitations; nowhere is off-limits to him, if he so chooses to make an entry. Not the strongest walls of Archades, not the fiercest fortresses of the World of Ruin, and certainly not an utterly unguarded bridge in Bevelle. A moment ago, there were no shadows; the sunlight in Bevelle banished them, leaving a heated, but beautiful experience. A moment ago, the sea had been calm, unbothered; a moment ago, Bevelle had been welcoming, and Mercade had been giving her flowers like a romantic fairy tale prince. Now, the fairy tale is being ripped open, and so is the world. Like a fragile book, reality is torn asunder by the dark claws of the Champion of Chaos; shadows emerge where none were, the light quailing in terror as the portal opens. From within it, silent despite all reason stating that a figure so large and so armored cannot conceivably be so quiet, Garland steps, his massive iron boots landing on the stone bridge of Bevelle. The rip in time, space, and sanity seals behind him as his cape follows him through. Someone screams. People begin to flee. They are the wise ones. Garland does not speak, not for a very long moment. The silence, Garland knows well, is more terrifying; the silence of the massive man in his massive armor, his face concealed by the terrifying mask, even his eyes shrouded in the darkness he calls his servant. Words are confirmations; they remove the fragile tremors the imagination can set forth and bring a person's fears back down to earth. Better to let his victims' minds spin out in terror and despair, imagining the torments the dark champion could inflict upon them within the Samsara of Battle; better to let their thoughts turn to thumbscrews and blades than speak. Finally, Garland's head inclines, a tiny, nigh-imperceptible fraction. He regards Mercade Alexander curiously - of course he remembers the man, and of course he knows far more of the man that the detective knows of him - far, far more. Then his head returns to level, staring calmly into Avira's eyes. "How delightfully saccharine," Garland's cold, dark, echoing voice notes, in the tone of a man who just stepped into something unpleasant and now has every intention of wiping it off his shoes and not thinking about it again for the rest of the day.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Truth be told, Avira is not an easy person to pass a stealth check around. Awareness of her surroundings in multiple environments was something she's dedicated plenty of time to practicing. As a hunter of beasts, it was a skill in high demand, especially if she chose to hunt alone. Or go anywhere alone. Someone is following her. Avira knows that much, but so far, she tolerates it knowing that in a public place like this, whoever it was was unlikely to inflict violence upon her-unless they are just damn brazen and powerful. Brazen and powerful like GARLAND, but his appearance had yet to be addressed in this moment as Mercade sweeps her hands around her from behind. The scarred woman lets out a small squeak of surprise. "Mercade~!" she exclaims, not turning around. Flowers aside, she knew it was him-she actually recognize his smell once he started hugging her. "Oh...just with those dreams and all there's a lot on my mind." she says, taking the offered flowers. "Thank you-" The moment is coldly interrupted by a shriek of terror, drawing Avira out of her happiness. The shadows have lengthened and the sunlight seems to flee from the point where the portal, which is clearly no mere corridor of darkness, opens. A huge figure emerges, one which is instantly recognized by Avira. Two things happen for her: the bottom drops out of her stomach and her free hand immediately draws the Spine. She makes eye contact (or at least the equivalent of eye contact since she cannot see his face) and her throat grows dry.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade is about to compliment her again and maybe give her some more presents (his coat has a high storage capacity, after all) when all hell breaks loose. Mercade is a simpler man than many. He doesn't hold many pretenses. When Garland himself appears, the Detective's teeth clench and he tightens up, immediately drawing his revolver. The silence draws out, the sheer /presence/ of the being of Chaos pressing down upon him. Beads of sweat roll down his brow as he exerts a force of will to not just crumple before it. It seems to go on forever... But Mercade's simplicity seems to keep him from just breaking down for the moment. Garland finally speaks, the terrible moment broken. He could ask many things. He doesn't bother, most of the answers and responses are self-evident. He does, however, comment. "Don't get a lot of this where you're from, then." There's no point in running. Anywhere they go would just potentially draw people into collateral damage events.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' "Stow your blade, girl; it shall avail you not, not this day." Garland's voice is low and menacing; every word he speaks drips with malice and loathing, every sentence packed full to bursting with hatred. Garland begins to pace, as he ever does - the great apex predator, observing his prey. He is like a monstrous cat toying with a pair of cornered mice - at any moment he might strike, at any moment shifting from the passive stance into an aggressive and murderous one without sacrificing even a tiny bit of power. Slowly, slowly, and silently, silently, he moves back and forth along the escape avenues of the bridge. His motions make it tremendously clear - there is to be no escape from him. This audience will end when *Garland* is ready, and not until then. Nor does he comment, or even /acknowledge/ Mercade's statement; it is as if Garland's world, and their world, are two completely different things. Perhaps they are. There's a slashing motion; for a brief moment, if they're paying careful attention, they will see Garland's terrible and monstrous blade appear, and then vanish. Then he moves to the other side of the bridge, calmly. The side of he bridge he just slashed explodes. Chunks of rock go flying everywhere, the clean cut either mistakenly slashed, or (far more likely) intentionally cut. It's as if someone just reached down and ripped the area apart; the bridge wobbles, suddenly unbalanced. Then comes the flames - a wall of flames leaps forth from the divide, black and terrible flames that do not illuminate or warm. Quite the contrary; they are cold, sapping the heat and the light from the area. The black flames do not move, nor burn anything else; they simply crackle and hiss, an ominous backdrop to the dark champion. Garland stops on the other side of the bridge. He does not face the lovers; he simply stands, still once more, his iron claws clenched into fists. "This is *not* a social call. I am not here to test you. You will stand, and you will listen, and when I /ask/ for your opinion, or your /explanation/, or your wretched /excuses/, you will /speak/. Know that you have earned the wrath of Garland, and that it is a testament to my *unending and merciful kindness* that I *permit* you to speak in your defense at all." Garland whirls on them suddenly, his blazing red eyes suddenly visible for an instant as shadows coil about his form. "You defended the thieving elf-child from my justice, little girl. You and your nauseatingly saccharine and idealistic companion defended her from my /anger/, and thus, that anger has been /transposed/ to those who now *share* that sin." "I am." "Not." "/Happy/." By Garland's voice, the very concept of /happiness/ has long since escaped him. "Now. You will tell me *why*." "I advise that you speak...swiftly."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Typically during the "lessons," Garland did not say anything before attacking. He just attacked, expecting her to respond accordingly and not die. It is this reason that Avira isn't questioning his presence to begin with, assuming that he is here to initiate another trial by fire. If only. She's able to pick up on the difference pretty quickly, even before he tells her to not bother with her weapon. Though he says so, she doesn't lower the Spine, keeping her grip firmly around the weapon. Should Garland decide to end her life, she didn't want to go down fighting. With his words, Avira edges just a little bit closer to Mercade. Their way is barred and they remain trapped between cold flames and the embodiment of Chaos with his back so callously turned to them. Why. Avira swallows again-so this was about that Tree incident with the horrific-looking Lich that Morrighan managed to summon. The incident that she was hardly punished for and not stopped. She takes a deep breath, spending this second to collect her thoughts, before she speaks. 'It wasn't MY idea.' she wanted to say, but would that have even mattered? Just by association she was guilty and she could have very well protested against Isaac's decision to take Morrighan away and place her under the TDA's protection. "Because I had held onto the hope that, given the right circumstances, Morrighan would /change/ and ally herself with groups much more constructive than the Shadow Lords." Avira cannot really help herself-there is no small amount of bitterness in her voice. "I met her once after Manhattan had fallen and she all but begged me to take her life because of what she did to help. I decided not to kill her-" What a moment that had been too, resisting the darkness that was tearing her apart inside, "-and took her with me so she could pay us all back for what she did. I /knew/ she could feel regret." She looks up at Garland. "There would have been little room for her to change constructively if she was dead or in your clutches." Frankly, she didn't want to imagine what Garland would have done to Morrighan. Avira steps backwards, looking to the barrier of fire on the bridge. She seems a little angry now.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade isn't sure whether to be insulted or pants-wettingly terrified. For a moment, he considers trying to /make/ Garland pay attention to him, but then he realizes that's a /god damned stupid idea/. The partial destriction of the bridge causes him to hunch down, getting his balance as he frowns. This is getting even more dangerous. Garland lays down his rules. Fine. Mercade can deal. He waits for Garland to demand answers. Mercade lets Avira answer, and Mercade folds his arms. Maybe Garland will acknowledge his words this time. "Giving Morrighan to you would be little better than to consigning her to eternal torment. Punishment she might deserve, but not from you, Garland. Giving her to you has no justice, no redemption, no forgiveness."

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Avira makes her declarations; Mercade backs her up. For a moment, Garland considers simply unleashing his nuclear annihlation upon the both of them here and now. He considers ripping them apart with mystical atomic fire, obliterating this bridge, the lovers, and a good portion of the surroundings, and vanishing back to the nightmares from whence he came. It would satisfy his rage - rage that dearly needs to be satisfied at the moment, based on the shaking of his hands, the barely-contained malice simply pouring off the Ironclad Nightmare like water. The monstrous demigod simply *exudes* the stuff; it's less like he's a person and more like he's a pot containing pure hatred, about to bubble forth and spill over from the lid. "Allow me to ascertain the situation." Garland's voice, despite his shaking fists, is perfectly and menacingly steady. "/In its entirety/." "You protected a pitiful, broken, miserable excuse for a woman, a traitor who conjured forth one of /my servants/ in the hope that she might /steal/ power she has not rightfully earned, a /backstabbing whelp of a girl/ whose greatest virtue is her limitless ambition and whose greatest failing is her *sheer and unbridled incompetence*, thus *denying* me vengeance for her stunningly bold and stunningly stupid betrayal in the vague and distant belief that by showing her some tiny shred of /kindness/," Garland practically spits the word, "That she will *change*, and become a /productive/ member of your little Detective Agency, or your insignificant, mewling valkyrie whelps?" "And you saw fit to stand between my vengeance and its target, knowing full well the fate of all miserable little quislings, in favor of an enemy that /I aided in rescuing you from/?" The flames suddenly leap, the black shadows crackling as if to respond to Garland's sheer, unbridled fury. His eyes blaze, that dark and terrible blood-red glow illuminating exactly nothing within his helmet, as if two pinprick stars of blood were shining from within a great void. "I see." Garland turns away from them both, staring out at Bevelle. "Then the failure is, of course, my own." Garland is silent for a long, long moment. Raise their hopes, of course; let them believe that Garland may yet show mercy. Then... "The failure of the student is always the fault of the teacher. I have evidently not made it *clear* to you, what these lessons are truly about. I have evidently failed to show you that the path to strength is not compassion, but rage. I apologize." ..drop the hammer. "A mistake I shall not make again." His voice becomes as sharp as a blade as Garland's single visible red eye tilts backwards through the slits of his helmet to land on Mercade and Avira. "Your loved ones will suffer. Your friends will suffer. Your family, should you find one, will suffer. I will set aflame all that you call home. I will burn the lives of those who have even tangentially touched your own to the ground. Then, when you finally see that there is no /kindness/ in this world, when you watch the truly innocent stained red with blood for the crime of *knowing your name*, when you embrace the hatred and strength that I have sought to stamp into your very being, then and only then shall I be satisfied." "And I expect that /next/ time you see fit to impede me, you take this into account - do so with malice in your heart, or you shall not survive for long. Garland never forgives twice, mortals. Remembe that." "Are we...*understood*?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira doesn't have to look at him to know what exactly he's considering right now. That malice is /palpable/ to Avira. She hadn't fully comprehended why Garland was so angry about what Morrighan did, but did it really matter when it made him tremble with apocalyptic rage? Couched in his own terms, he explains what she did, though expanding the magnitude so now she does understand exactly what had transpired there. Her eyes do narrow ever so slightly when he declares her own band of VALKYRI as insignificant. "Yes." she says as the flames suddenly roar larger behind her, making her raise her voice in order to be heard. Why deny it? "That's exactly what I did." But it was a mistake. That woman would not change. Her trip into the Underworld had shown her just that. Not all the kindness in the world would reach that damnable dark elf. In a way, it was tremendously unfair. Morrighan should be suffering right now, not her and her friends. Life wasn't fair, though, was it? Then Garland says the failure his his. Wariness is upon her face. She is not foolish enough to think that he would just leave it at that since Garland had proven to be full of trickery in the past. When he continues, her face grows white. It'd be a lie to say she hadn't hoped that this irritation of his would result in him dropping his "instruction," perhaps writing her off as unworthy. Not...this. "If this is your 'forgiveness', I don't want to see what happens when you don't." Avira says angrily, "Yes, I get it."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Life isn't fair. People make it fair. You want fairness? You want justice? People have to choose to make it. Sometimes this means not doing the most efficient thing to deal with a situation. Sometimes this means trusting someone who can hurt you again. Sometimes this means giving people chances. Garland unleashes his words of malice and spite. The one-two punch almost sends Mercade's balance reeling. The Detective's fists clench, his teeth grind. That look Garland loves so much begins to show on his face... And then it vanishes, the rage draining out of him like water. That's what Garland wants. He wants them to face him with rage in their hearts. Mercade steps forward, inclining his head as he stares into the Darkness of Garland's visage. "The Darkness came for my world once. My loved ones suffered. My friends suffered. Everything I loved and cared about was destroyed. I know what it means, Garland. I know how it feels. You believe there is no kindness in this world. You will seek to show us it does not exist with your murder and carnage." Mercade shakes his head, and turns away. "You will do no such thing. Because no matter how much you kill, no matter how much you destroy, you will never extinguish our belief in the good in people, in the hope for a better world and a better tomorrow. Rage and hatred are not the only source of strength," He looks over his shoulder, back at Garland. "You will come for those we care about, and we will be standing there to stop you. IF you strike at those we love, again, you will see us there. Attack where we are not and you will find others prepared to stand in our place. Because our light and hope have touched others, allowing us to work together to protect what matters in these worlds. And when you come for us, and we have stopped you, we will come for you, and we will cast you down. Not with anger in our hearts, but with a desire for peace and a love of that which you seek to destroy." He smiles, tipping the brim of his hat. "So I am sorry to say, I do not want or need your forgiveness, because you are not offering it. You are just offering threats and pain. How long has it been since you've forgotten what it was?"

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland is about to say something to Avira when Mercade speaks. Garland had mostly been ignoring him up until now - he knew the Detective, but he had had very little actual opportunity to speak with the man or get to know the measure of him. Now, however, Garland is given the measure of Mercade Alexander in one fell swoop - the moment the words spill out of his mouth, he knows Mercade Alexander inside and out. Oh, not personally - certainly not *personally*. Mercade Alexander is one more tiny speck of life infesting the great dome of the world; Garland has no interest in knowing the man personally. No, it is the.../words/ that he speaks, the nauseatingly just and kind words that Mercade spills out, that gives Garland the measure of the man. He talks of hope, of peace, of justice, of love. He talks of defying Garland to the end, of light and hope and standing together. And Garland /laughs/. It has been some time since the world last heard Garland laugh. That echoing darkness reverberates through his helmet, filling the air even over the sound of the crackling black fire. That laugh is filled with shadows; it is malicious, cold, cruel, and low, a mockery of all that Mercade has ever held dear. There is no amusement in that laugh, no joy, no light; it is not the laugh of a man who even conceives of such concepts any longer. It is the laugh of a man so foul, so black-hearted, that the concept of a /heart/ may not even apply to him anymore. He laughs, and laughs, and laughs, his helmet shaking with dark and cruel mirth. And then he stops, and holds up a single, long, iron claw. "I see. Allow me, if you will. You will stand with your friends and your allies, your loved ones, the people you have defended and touched. No matter how many I, the great monster, hurt, you will never be demoralized. Your hearts will stand together as one, and eventually your love and light will beat back my darkness, for I stand alone and you stand together. My threats are meaningless against the power of your love, because a million hearts together are stronger than one alone, and the light from your hearts will banish my shadows forever. One day, you will even manage to defeat me." "And, of course, I shall do no such thing, for it does not matter how much I hurt you, there will always be someone else to rise against me. Evil never prospers, for it is self-destructive and limited; in the end, goodness always triumphs." Garland folds his hands back behind his back and laughs again, that terrible laugh. "Yes. I am certain that you even believe that." The dark mirth vanishes from his voice as immediately as it came. "I have heard your words a hundred million times over the aeons of my life, Mercade Alexander. I have heard just these words - just these same statements, repeated to me ad infinitum by those who believed the same, by those who believed that *love* and *kindness* are the paths to power." "Did your *kindness* give you anything but a betrayal? Of course it didn't. But you will insist that the self-sacrifice was worth it, because you could not stand idly by and let a monster like me exact my tortures on anyone, even one of your worst enemies. You will insist that it is better that you suffer than any innocents; you will insist that it is better that you suffer than your friends. Your friends will insist the same, and you will all suffer together, a great net of suffering to catch my hatred and diffuse it." Garland moves directly into Mercade's face. Literally, right up next to the man. He towers, a colossal, wide armored figure in front of a much skinnier detective. Then he leans down, so that Mercade gets a good glimpse of the same horrible darkness that drove Faruja near to madness, the horrible, self-reflective nightmare in iron. "That is why the people I will kill are not your friends, nor your allies, nor those who can defend themselves. I will butcher the innocent, torture the harmless, and ensure that all who know your name associate it with misery and despair. This is not a threat, Mercade Alexander - Garland does not make threats. Garland simply /does/." "And you know, in your heart, that there is nothing you can do to stop me. For all your bravado, for all your bluster, you know that alone, you are powerless. You know that you could not possibly cover the whole of /Traverse Town/, that you could not possibly watch ever single building next to your precious little Cloud Nine Hotel, that you could not begin to survey every single home. You know that." Garland rises, then turns. "I give you credit, Mercade Alexander, solely that you have the sheer brazen courage to defy me to my face. But I also know that your words are not meant for me. They are meant for her." Garland taps his long claw against his gauntlet. "They are meant to reassure her. To remind her that there is another way. That there is another, kinder method to power, or so you believe. They are meant to stop her from falling under the spell of my words, from trembling in mortal fear at the promises I have made." "I consider this...a most /intriuging/ challenge. So I shall partake of your game, Mercade Alexander. I will inflict this suffering in this little war of the souls. Let us see if your love can overcome when I know everything that she does, every grocer she meets, every child she greets, every harmless innocent who passes her on the street and stops to say hello. Let us see if your /love/ and /kindness/ prevail as I turn Traverse Town to a hell of your own making." "I /accept/ your challenge. Be honored; Garland has not seen fit to accept a challenge for aeons."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' That random people that barely even know her would be the ones to truly suffer over this is devistating. Avira's facade starts to crack beneath this thought, deep sadness brought into her mind. How could she stop it? There's a bitter look that follows at the realization that this would just be giving in to Garland's demands, in some way, seeking to appease him. Did she really WANT to appease him? Would doing so actually stop his planned massacre? She didn't want to regret doing the 'right thing' and giving Morrighan a second chance, but in the face of this, it was hard not to. Mercade speaks up and suddenly all of her thoughts stop. Sure, he had warned her that he was going to do something stupid, which amounted to defying Garland, and slowly she turns to stare at the detective. It's pretty noticable in the way she watches him as he speaks and the admiration she is no doubt feeling for his words. Garland begins to speak again and the admiration high ends, replaced with fear. The outcome of Garland simply killing Mercade on the spot was a definite possibility-but that would be too simple, wouldn't it? As he demonstrates again, Garland was anything but simple. Something in his words makes her wonder, though, and the rational part of her brain wrenches its way through the dread and despair she's no doubt experiencing right now. How does he /know/? How can he know everyone she meets? How is he capable of finding her wherever she goes? Reaching out, she grasps Mercades arm and moves closer, standing beside him even as Garland puts himself right up in Mercade's face.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' For a moment, Mercade thought he could get one over on Garland. That he could cause that infinite self-assurance to crack ever so slightly. That defiance that he could bring to bear, possibly get the man to shift his bearing... But he forgets what it means to be /immortal/. And as Garland leans down to let Mercade take a good look at what he just spouted his defiance at, Mercade learns in an instant a tiny fragment of what he's up against. The Detective goes white, his face flushing as his gaze is locked there. There are precious few in the infinite worlds that can look into the Abyss as it gazes back, He begins to tremble, incoherent syllables spilling from his lips as he struggles to remain standing against the mind-shattering truths being laid bare before him. And as Garlans pronounces the future, Mercade collapses to one knee, shaking and staring at the ground. Avira rushes to his side, holding his arm, and it is that support that keeps him from falling over, that brings a sense of focus back to his eyes. "You are a coward, a liar, and a manipulator." Mercade rasps, hoarsely. "Don't put your murder spree on her. You are responsible and you alone. You are trying to use her guilt and empathy against her, you sadist."

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland, on the other hand, is enjoying himself immensely. He laughs his mocking laugh again as Mercade spits out his defiance, continuing in his willful arrogance despite gazing into the Eye of Garland and gaining some tiny glimpse of the Champion's true nature, the ancient and ageless shadows from which he drew his strength. "Of course I am a liar and a manipulator, you ignorant child playing Hero. I am Garland. You think to insult me with these words? I could play your part like a puppet, little one - your words are the echoes of a million would-be heroes who stood against me and found that time ends all vendettas." "But Garland...ah," Garland raises his claw again, tracing it in front of Mercade's face carefully, as though he were imagining sheering Mercade's face off with the sharp point of his finger. "Garland is eternal. Garland is /patient/." "And Garland is no fool, Mercade Alexander. Your words are a bravado dug forth from the depths of your soul to fight what it is you see when you gaze into my depths. Your prattling nonsense is not meant for me, Mercade Alexander - it is meant for you, as you try to deny the inevitable. As you attempt to futilely convince yourself that what you see is nothing but a trick of the light and shadow, as you feebly justify your own words even as you know the truth is so much more, so much greater, so much more impossible than that." Garland straightens again, casting a meaningful look over at Avira. He lets out a bleak chuckle, then turns away from them both, mercifully breaking his line of sight entirely. "Repeat whatever false platitudes you require, Mercade Alexander. If you wish to believe me a coward, so be it. If you wish to pretend as though you did not know there would be consequences - as though you were *ignorant* of what would happen when you covered for that impudent little witch - then so be it. Of course I am responsible, Mercade Alexander - it will be my hand that executes, that torments, that burns my mark nto the foreheads of the dead and dying and suffering so that all may know it was *my* wrath. But do not pretend that you thought you would escape without consequence. Do not pretend that you thought that rebuffing the Hunter would not come back to you. I pay what I owe, and you have gained a very large debt from me indeed." Garland paces for a few moments more, as if he's considering something, his back turned to both of them. Then he stops, his head dipping down a bit. "Of course I will wield her guilt and empathy against her. They are *weaknesses*, Detective. You are...familiar, I hope, with the concept of /exploiting weaknesses/? It is a simple concept. You attack your enemy not where they are strong, but where they are weak." He's mocking Mercade, now. Openly, abjectly mocking the man. The lecture is cold and detached, like a teacher delivering a monologue to a student who just didn't /get/ it; Garland's cynical, black sarcasm is thick in every word. "You see," Garland spreads his arms, "I have taken an *interest* in the girl. I have every intention to see what I have invested in her *pay off*. So I am teaching her, Detective, the ways of strength. And when she truly knows the Samsara of Battle - when she truly feels the strength that comes from the endless cycle of war - I will be satisfied. Until then..." Garland rips open a hole in space and time with a very visceral slashing motion, his claws dragging through the air, followed by shadows. He steps in, one foot, and looks over his shoulder. "Another time, my dear. Another time, detective. I shall give you one week. In one week's time, when the bells of Traverse Town toll the funeral dirge, you will know that our game has begun." And then, mercifully, the suffocating presence, the nightmarish shadows, the burning black flame...they vanish with him, and the door closes behind him in an instant, leaving the two of them alone on a lopsided bridge, the sunlight beating down on them as though it had never left. In the distance, guards arrive - guards who will never know how lucky they are to be so late.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her grip upon her arm isn't entirely free. That bouquet of flowers he had brought her is pinned within that grasp. Avira still has not put away her weapon, fearful that he could attack at any moment. His meeting could end at any time and it could just as easily become another one of those fights for survival she finds herself engaged with at his whims. As Mercade starts to falter, her grip becomes tighter upon him and he moves closer. With each word the detective says, her heart aches a little as she holds him, nearly clinging to him, each other serving as the others anchor to sanity in the face of Garland's abyss. She forces herself to look at him as he speaks and mocks Mercade's bravery. With each word, she holds him tighter, her voice caught in her throat, rough as she speaks. "They aren't false. Mercade means every bit of it, Garland. That you've heard it so many times before from countless other heroes doesn't change that." she confirms firmly. But she cringes. Of course her weaknesses were being exploited. This was punishment for defiance-so she thought, but with mounting dread she realizes it's even more than that. She doesn't say anything else, relieved to find him gone, though his parting words fill her with guilt-as expected. "One week..." she mutters blearily, her hand finally releasing her grip upon her weapon, allowing it to clatter to the ground. Turning, she buries her face in Mercade's chest.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade wanted to strike. But that gun he has... It's just a regular gun. Even backed with a strong will, Garland is no mere Heartless. He can't hurt Garland significantly with such a thing. He holsters the weapon, and stands, slowly, his body still shaking from the exposure to that infinite Darkness. This is not something he wants to get used to. Garland leaves, and Mercade looks up into the air, inhaling the sea air. "One week..." He looks back down, and hugs Avira as she buries her face in his chest. "We'll figure something out, Avira. We can do it."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her back trembles after not very long and wetness starts to soak Mercade's coat near his throat. "We have to..." she says, her voice choked up, "We have to...I can't let innocent people suffer for what I've done. Not when they have no chance...they can't even fight back..." She couldn't even fight back. She wasn't strong enough to fight back against Garland. Fight to survive, maybe. The mocking words of Lavi from months past come back to her, disparaging her strength and resolve. She could barely stand up to him now, as afraid as she was. Pulling away, her eyes are red and full of regret. "L..let's get back to town." she murmurs, bending down to pick up the Spine and put it away.

Avira

2013-03-20T23:29:33Z

RyuuAya:

Avira

2013-03-20T23:13:24Z

RyuuAya:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=It's a whole new world we live in. o/`
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Former Mutate: Avira was a mutate with the appearance of a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers. (This is here as a historical note.)

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"So the feelings ARE mutual!"
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. I'm sorry...I should have told you the cure didn't work."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Regret||"...I'm sorry...that tone in your voice, that look on your face."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Anger||"YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE WORDS."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Regret||"You did teach me better...but I was hoping, out of all the people I hid my deal from, that you wouldn't learn after what you sacrificed for me to bring me the cure in the first place. I feel like I've let you down the most. We really need to talk."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart is not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened. She too was a Shadow Lord but I couldn't tell. Was she trying to spy on me too? Or was she trying to escape?"
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. Nearly getting me arrested by the Archadians...not so awesome."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Worry||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done. I am worried for him after I felt his state during Manhattan's restoration."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"He's nice. Without him, we would have never restored Manhattan."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"I wonder what she's been up to lately."
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Respect||"Congrats on making the Shard Seekers an official clan. We're still technically rivals though."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Wariness||"Mysterious and charming, though mostly a ruse. He's manipulative and likes to psychoanalyze people."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Anger!!!||"RIKU YOU SNEAKY BRAT!!!"
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"...words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done and shared with me. Your story will remain in my heart, always."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Waking Up Avira

2013-03-20T22:52:03Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/03/18 |Location=Cloud Nine - Third Floor - Guest Room |Synopsis=In the house of the Twilight Detective Agency, Avira waits dreaming. |Cast of ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/18
|Location=Cloud Nine - Third Floor - Guest Room
|Synopsis=In the house of the Twilight Detective Agency, Avira waits dreaming.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Isaac Hanlon
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Manhattan was RESTORED. Hooray! There had been celebrations and even a bank robbery shortly after the world was brought back from the darkness. Spirits were high! People were happy! Though there was one, small tiny problem still persisting, if it could be considered that. Over a day later, Avira still hadn't woken up. Shortly after Sora had pulled her from the newly recreated World Heart of Manhattan, she had become limp and nonresponsive in his arms. For now, she has been placed in a room in Cloud Nine with people to watch over her. She doesn't respond to any attempts to rouse her. A medical examination revealed that her body was still in a perfectly functional condition. Will took a look at her and found that all of her strings of fate were still there, but that overwhelming light that made "people like her" hard to look at... ...was gone. It's easy to start to suspect that this was more than just mere exhaustion. Something was missing.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac has had his hands full since Manhattan was restored. Just before it, he had a bunch of things to do to make sure that all the simulacrum spells laid on the volunteers running around during the final confrontations were stable and long-lasting (or, in plainer terms, he was properly outfitting the Clonevira Squad). This alone was exhausting. When it came back together and everything was finally returned to normal, he disappeared into the city, reestablishing wards he'd been quietly putting down and checking on contacts to see who he lost and who he hadn't. He earned a lot of extra favors that way, making sure everyone who survived was alright. It'll pay off in the future. Now, though... the Avira thing. If Will says he doesn't see the bright light, then it probably isn't a thing revolving around her fate. He isn't sure if she lost it, or if she's got some fairy tale curse that'll keep her asleep till Mercade comes down here. Except that already happened once, and redundancy is not something that he thinks the supernatural powers of these worlds appreciates. So, Isaac has a few /other/ ideas. Isaac comes up to where Avira's been laid out and quietly sets up some equipment. He does it more out of respect than worry that he'll wake her -- that's kind of the idea, after all. A couple minutes later, he's got a flood lamp duct taped to a geiger counter in-hand, hooked up to a few pieces of computing equipment he has on a desk nearby. He picks up a round piece of what seems to be flawed glass, and mutters a few things. Then, he turns the lamp on and points it at Avira. Ideally, it'll make her aura visible, which should tell him if there's anything wonky with it. Like, say, a possession, or a malignant spell. Or if, say, her soul fell out. It would not be the first time.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Clonevira had been properly successful too. Or at least that's what everyone surmised when they didn't get rushed by gobs of Shadow Lords at each step in their journey towards restoration. Surely this support would not be forgotten (but it might get abused later by people playing Avira-based pranks). But as for Avira, the "smooching" solution had already been attempted. It didn't work. This clearly wasn't a god-bound contract with true love as its only weakness. No, this was something else entirely keeping the scarred woman from rousing. Such a dilemma would require the curious to unravel. Her breathing is steady and her eyes remain shut all throughout the duration of Isaac setting up his gear. There isn't a twitch or sneeze from the girl. She doesn't snore in the first place so there's none of that to indicate if this was just sleep or a flat-out coma. The lamp shines upon Avira and right away her aura, which has a strange silvery color and makes the air around her thick like heavy heat would, is visible. This should actually be a familiar sight to Isaac since the same effects would occasionally happen around Avira while in combat. Of course, at those points the signs are much, much stronger than now. In fact, right now it seems pretty weak. There is also a giant gaping hole in it, dead center at her chest. The aura almost seems to be leaking around that hole, drifting off to somewhere else in a long, thin wisp. There are no malignant spells upon her. She definitely is not possessed. This is 100 percent pure Avira before him, though decidedly /less/ than before.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac basically gave Avira the once-over with his basic first aid knowledge when he came in, and then decided she wasn't in a mundane sort of coma. Not that he'd know, really; he doesn't like to admit it, but human biology is not one of his strong suits. It's the main reason he can't do any healing magic, despite the abundance of it in the World of Ruin. The color around her is, Isaac assumes, something like her own brand of gathered mana. It looks light-aspected, something he doesn't see terribly often but is positive that he's seen a bunch of times, well, /before/. He can't put his finger on it. Maybe it's something else, but whatever it is, it's incomplete, and that's... "Not good," Isaac mutters. He starts to lower the lamp, and then spots the trailing bit. He slightly lifts it, watching the 'leak' go off somewhere else. He blinks a couple of times. "Did -- augh, not another one." Isaac looks around. He grabs a chair, and pulls it up between Avira's bed and the table he's covered with equipment. He starts to page through his own documented rituals and spells. He adapted one from the clairvoyance one he packs all the time for something like this -- he's used it to track the currents of magic back to their sources, though he got a killer headache when he cut the wrong wire on the bomb, so to speak. Isaac sighs a little. He sits back, murmuring the repetitive incantation and letting himself fall into something like a trance. He's prepared for the discomfiting out-of-body experience, but he doesn't know where it'll go. He gradually eases his consciousness towards the hole and the leak of whatever the light is, and reaches out -- Basically he grabs onto the back of the train speeding down the tracks. At the very least, it should show him where she went in his mind's eye. If it's more serious than his best possible guess -- which is pretty much definitely is -- he'll probably get to play MAGE GHOST for a little while instead. At least he'll be Christmas Present.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Vitals check out fine. Fortunately for Isaac, someone probably called in Celina or an expert in to do a physical examination of Avira. Medically speaking, she was fine. Her physical state suggested she was sleeping, brainwaves, should they have checked, hovering in the REM stages of sleep. That aura, mana-it could be mist, specifically, if Isaac knew anything about Ivalician magic. Mist was the vehicle that magic worked through in that particular corner of the World of Ruin and thus the brand that Avira was able to master through study. But even then, it wasn't precisely the origin of this aura. The leak twists upwards like smoke and disappears into the ceiling. There are no marks on the ceiling where it touches. As Isaac's consciousness moves towards the hole, right away he is hit with an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. It is crushing-depressing, even. There is the distinct notion that something was lost. Edges of the hole seem to be doing the leaking, forming the stream drifting off into space. It seems like a slowly bleeding wound that, like most wounds, does show signs of slowing and healing. But healing with this big hole left behind...? Isaac's consciousness zips along the drifting aura. Right away he finds himself exiting this plane completely. He can notice this because everything suddenly just stops existing around him-that is, everything except for the aura trail laid out before him. It is ridiculously easy to follow the trail. At the end of it, he'll see a faintly flickering, tiny ball of white light. "It ne'er surprises me wha darkness humans can create te hurt one another. Ah'm sorry te see such a thing happen te ye." The voice decidedly does not belong to Avira, but the tiny ball of light appears to move towards it.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac didn't think about the mist thing. It'll come to him on the way down the line, but a bit too late to really test it. Functionally, he thinks they're all the same thing -- he's been working on and off on a Grand Unified Magical Theory, it's all in there -- but... well, another time Sorta-Ghost-Isaac rushes down the line. The crushing despair hits him like a sack full of hammers. He hardly slows, barely hesitates. The feeling is uncomfortably familiar, a kind of state of mind that he is all too accustomed to, and one that he is equally accustomed to ignoring until there's a proper time for it. He is not a man whom sadness has left untouched. It's a hint, though. Something happened that locked her into this state, and it isn't a spell, or a curse. He has to get to the heart of the matter, as bad as it sounds, and has to do it as fast as possible. Something is yanking her along this path. He passes into the next plane, his mind automatically filling in the nothingness as featureless blackness. He's trained it well. That voice. Nobody he knows, and definitely not Avira's. Is it a memory? Is it a third party, drawing her away in a moment of weakness? He begins to gather his will, turning thought into words. He tries to reach out for the ball of light, to put his hand on its metaphysical shoulder. A gesture of comfort. A reassurance that it is not alone. "Who are you," the mage demands, voice echoing as if in a cavernous space rather than the space between space, "and what are you doing to Avira?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira DID promise Isaac to show her the Ivalician ice magic she knew at one point, didn't she? Maybe if this whole venture actually works out, Isaac could have that demonstration soon enough. It's unfortunate that nobody has made a full report of Manhattan's restoration to the rest of the TDA yet. No doubt that could also provide some hints as to what happened that left Avira in this particular state. The message seems to be loud and clear though: something dear was missing and that hole in Avira's aura definitely isn't metaphorical. The trail left behind by the light is not unlike the slime left by a slug as it passes through. In this void of nothingness, it winds through space and seems to be the only thing that gives it direction. The distal end of the trail, where Isaac came from, is faded and apparently decomposing into the void. That voice right there had a very thick scottish accent. It was also very female, so MacBeth is ruled out. "But...you know. I don't regret it...you know, knowing people. There is sadness when the time ends, but...through everything the time I spend with people always gives me such good memories. I have met so many people in my life...and I have made that time apart of me. I know...weird huh?" Isaac knows that one. It's definitely Will. The tiny ball of light stops moving when Isaac reaches out and 'touches' it. There is the distinct sense of being startled, followed by words. It's Avira's voice now, "Isaac...?" she seems confused. She didn't remember him saying that.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Elemental magic, also a weakness he doesn't like to admit to aloud. Avira can help him fix that one once she's up and at 'em. Isaac mentally checks someone off the list of suspects. He listens, frowning slightly. Will's voice. Is she drifting in memories? Is this what that is? Maybe they aren't actually anywhere particularly crazy -- maybe she /is/ asleep, deeply asleep, and this is something closer to the dreams keeping her mind anchored while her spirit wanders. If Isaac had an actual body, he would shiver. He just got a chill, and a little sense of deja vu. This seems familiar to him, somehow. "Yeah. It's me. Are you alright? I think something's really wrong, and I think you might be... dreaming, or something." He does not have a lot to go on. He has an idea, but maybe she'll pick up on it immediately instead of going for the lines of thought that he assumes she will: either one of crushing despair, or immediate dismissal.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira will be absolutely -floored- when she learns that Isaac doesn't know anything about elemental magic. She swore she saw him cast fira once! (Though she hadn't been paying enough attention to notice that it totally was not a fira spell at all.) The featureless void of nothingness provides zero clues as to the location, aside from the nothingness itself. There were some places in the World of Ruin that spoke of a dimension where nothing existed called Mu-but clearly that was just an old legend, right? "I'm lost..." Avira's voice sounds sad. Emotional. "Am I dreaming? Is that what this is? I have no body so I thought I might be dead." A stretch of time passes before she emotes, "I don't want to be dead."

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' She can't even tell. She's sad, and can't even tell where she is or how to get back. There's these voices, but... nothing else. It's -- annoying, if anything. The thing about featureless voids is that they tend to represent both nothingness and possibility at the same time. Some say that the Conceptual, the result of the collective consciousness of mankind that Isaac taps to create his own spells and rituals, is just the same. That human will is all that fills it, and fill it it does, with Heaven and Hell, with idealized men and women from myth and legend, with monsters and magic and anything you -- or anyone else -- can imagine. All it takes to change it is knowing how, and exercising a properly-trained will. Featureless voids are lame, Isaac suddenly decides. The nothingness is replaced by walls. Walls, floor, ceiling, doors. It's a tastefully-decorated entry hall, with red carpets edged with green plants set in the ground in the middle of little stone-lined pools. The carpet leads down to two restrooms on either side, and to a row of elevators in the wall. The opposite direction leads to front doors with fogged glass. There are little letters on them, backwards but legible, if one took the time to look. On either side of the carpeted entry hall are double doors. On the left from the doors outside, the doors are open, revealing what looks like a conference room-slash-office with brightly-colored couches and chairs around a big table. A secretary's desk is tucked in the corner, and bookshelves line the far wall, apparently in a minor state of disarray. There's a pillow on top of the shelf, inexplicably. The other double doors are, however, closed tightly. Isaac asserts himself in this space and takes a breath. It smells of fresh coffee with a whiff of spring. The rug feels almost springy under his feet. Senses are important, he reminds himself. He takes hold of the ball of light, and he works his will again, a silent assumption of shape laid upon it. It's the same spell he made to cloak other people in Avira's appearance, but... repurposed, slightly, to give her something besides a ball of light to experience things through. "I'm not going to let you die," Isaac says, speaking slowly and deliberately. "I'm here to help."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The state of this particular plane is clearly the source of Avira's anxieties right now. There'd been a good deal of panicking before when she realized she had no body. Only the sounds of her memories had calmed her and gave her something to focus to. If she just followed the voices, then she'd find her way out, right? But where was out? Isaac will find himself exerting quite a bit of that properly-trained will to pull things from nothingness. It almost seems impossible, but once he's got his four walls up, containing that space, everything seems to follow much faster and much easier. Plants and carpet? No problem. Smells? Definitely want that. Touch? Also very important. Isaac adds a simulacrum of himself in this shaped space. Without the backdrop of infinite nothingness around it, the tiny ball of light that is that missing piece of Avira is a lot harder to see. She's like a dimly-glowing firefly here. The silvery aura is still there, matching perfectly the one Isaac observed earlier when he shined the light upon Avira. This ball seemed much smaller than the hole currently existing upon her in the real world. With some effort, the light is overlaid with the false Avira shape. For a few moments, it looks blankly ahead, unmoving, until Isaac speaks. Slowly, she turns to look at him, then she looks around at the newly created space in wonder. "You're going to take me home then, right?" she says, her voice still filled with emotion. "I want to go back. That place, whatever it is, is lonely." shakily, like a puppet run by an inexperienced puppeteer, she reaches out to grasp onto him, "You're not a memory, you came here. How?"

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' The hardest part is creating a bounded space in a space that knows no bounds. You have to either rewrite the nature of wherever you are or tell it to shut up and sit down. Isaac did the latter. There are few contests of will he can say he has ever lost, and none of them were with anything within several magnitudes of power of him. Garland would be hard-pressed to beat him out in sheer willpower. Of course, the fact that the universe acknowledges him as a Sorcerer of clear and growing power, and thus gives him the ability to quite literally change reality at his whim, probably has something to do with /this/ part at least. Not that /he/ knows it. Isaac steps forward. He takes her by the hands. He's solid, at least to her. They're not, not really, but here, all you have to do is believe it to experience it. Even still, he's a metaphysical anchor, giving her context to hold onto while he works his magic to build up a way to take them home. "I don't know what this place is, so I replaced it with a place I remember. I'd've picked a place we're both familiar with, but it was kind of spur of the moment -- sorry," he says, sounding honestly apologetic. Avira can see everything perfectly clearly all around her. She sees it as he remembers it. There's a picture on the desk of a brown-haired young man wearing goggles on his forehead and a confident smile, with his arm around a light-haired woman wearing dark-rimmed glasses. There's a coffee-stained mug with the words 'RINGSIDE ARRANGEMENTS' stamped on the side lying empty on the conference table, holding down a pile of what looks like English homework. Next to that is a set of headphones, high-quality, with the number '0' on the back of the left earpiece. The letters on the smoked glass, backwards though they are, are even easy to read when you actually try and look. 'TWILIGHT DETECTIVE AGENCY' kind of stands out if you've seen it before, after all. "I did some magic. We were worried about you, and I was afraid something was seriously wrong. I checked your aura, and I found a hole filled with despair, and a trail leading here, to you." He looks down at her, frowning. "I'm working on taking us back, now, but... is something wrong? I don't know what happened, not really."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Isaac will quickly learn that in this dimension he'll have to keep that willpower of his going. He can feel the weight of the place immediatly pressing down on him, as if the dimension was offended that there was something existing so vibrantly in this space. If he starts to lose that willpower battle, he'll find this wonderfully reconstructed TDA office starting to dissolve. Speaking of the office-Avira recognizes it. She's visited the Manhattan version of the TDA office before. The paraphenila contained within was familiar. As she looks around, she starts to wonder if her memories were becoming stronger now or if Isaac really was here doing this. She can feel him though. She hasn't felt anything in a while now. "I'm not sure what it is either. Maybe purgatory?" she seems to be thinking now, or trying to reason through what was going on. Isaac mentions the hole. "That..." she looks immensely sad, "We restored Manhattan's heart...but it needed a lot of light to be rebooted. We started it with the light from my heart...the world's heart is there but my light was taken. I don't think there's anything left."

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Holding it up is a constant pressure. It is not unlike trying to concentrate on keeping his spells real, except it's like doing a dozen of them at a time. He can average three or four, sure, but a dozen is a stretch at the best of times. It's a gnawing sensation, gradually building, a silent, insistent pressure at the back of his head. Right now, he's shaking it off, but in a few minutes more... "Purgatory wouldn't be here -- I don't think this is the..." He trails off, shaking his head. "Nevermind. It's some other dimension, maybe the place between the seperate worlds. There isn't much of anything, so I put some things in." He just hopes it's helping. They did it, she says. They restored the heart, but at the cost of hers. Is that really right? Could that really be the cost of bringing a world back to life? The sacrifice of an innocent's light? The death of one, in the name of the many? Intellectually speaking, Isaac understands that. There's always a cost to do something so monumental. People die so that others may live. It's the way of the world. But he's never let that stop him. "Avira," he says. His voice is hushed and gentle, as if speaking to a child while you were putting them to bed. "I'm going to tell you a story. You have to listen very carefully. It's something I've never told anyone else, but I want you to know that not a word of it is falsely said. This is not a tale that your memories are fabricating to fill in the gaps, and not a fever-dream while you lie suffering in bed. Okay?" He waits only a second, and then begins. "Once upon a time," he says, beginning a story as all should begin, "there was a man named Jack Crow." "Jack was from a world much like the Manhattan you know, full of wonders of science made by the hands of men. He lived in a city at the center of it all, where everything strange seemed to go. He was no different. He was a wonder-worker of a special sort, a man born with a heart full of light and the power to do great things in this world full of secrets and shadows. He found himself drawn to others with powers born and learned, great and small -- another wonder-worker, a man with the heart of beasts, an unknowning angel, a vessel of ignorance and infinity, and a magus who knew too much." "They did many great things," he says, "and changed the lives of many people. Violence was last thought on their minds despite the powers they could wield and the allies they could call to bear. They saved innumerable innocents, and, in time, drew others to their cause -- for theirs was the greatest of all, a fight against the end of all things. They stood together at the end, in the face of oblivion, and their light burned away the darkness as it closed in upon them." "And, one by one," Isaac whispers, "they fell. Except for Jack." "Jack clung to the darkness. He let it into his heart, willingly snuffing out the light he held within him and embracing the crushing despair and the unstoppable urge to cling to life. He shattered the world as he knew it and sent himself through the darkness, only to arrive at the beginning. It was like the clock had turned back, back before he met his closest friends, before he saw them fall one by one into the blackness. He knew what was coming, and ran to them, finding them as he did before. He waited for some time, and then told them what he knew, and what had happened to them." "They were not deterred. They spoke out against this ending, and though frightened, knew they could not surrender to inevitability. The magus declared that it would all change, that they would be ready this time. Jack believed. He lived his life once more, seeing things change ever so slightly, familiar and yet strange all the same. And then, together, more resolute than they ever had been, they faced the end once again... and once again, they fell, one by one." "Jack awoke in a cold place in this city at the center of it all. It felt like a nightmare. He knew what was happening, and he knew he had to stop it -- but he gave in to despair, to the darkness that now festered in his heart, and all he could do was suffer. He decided that he could not stop the end, but knew that things would change if he kept going, so he set himself to do the unthinkable: he would save his closest friends the grief and the suffering he knew they would feel by delivering their ends with his own hands, far before the curtains closed on this world, his home." "But..." Isaac tilts his head slightly. It's an expression practically screaming, 'I know a secret and I've been waiting to tell you.' "...there was yet another wonder-worker amongst them, with light still dancing in her heart. She saw what Jack had done to himself, what he had done to pervert his own light to save himself, and she felt nothing but sorrow in his place. She knew she had to do something -- not to save their lives, but to save him from himself, before he walked down a path from which he could not return." "The other wonder-worker looked, and looked, and looked. Her companion, the vessel no longer ignorant, knew what to do. He told her of a man who could help, though she did not say for what she needed aid. She went to this man, a man wearing a brilliant smile and holding nothing but love for all of humankind in his heart. He wore the face of a man, though, he said, he was not counted among them. He could change everything, could change anything, but not without consummate cost. Without hesitation or fear, she agreed." "Jack Crow awoke the next day as he was at the beginning. None knew of the darkness he had held in his heart; to them, he was always this way. He lived and loved and laughed with the men and women he had always fought alongside, a wonder-worker once more, no longer a servant to darkness and oblivion. But the girl, the other wonder-worker, had changed. She held his darkness now, a gnawing, all-consuming thing that threatened to destroy her and all she knew. She heard the siren's song of power, the power to hold the world in her hands and change what she saw fit, if only she were to take that emptiness and hold it tight --!!" He stops. He looks down, hanging his head. A moment later, he looks back up, eyes shining. "...but she never gave in. She never gave up. Her light, though muted, though merely a candle to the sun that she once held, never left her. Not truly. She traded power for another's life, not for her own, and never, ever gave in. There was barely a spark of what let her live left inside her, and she clung to it, nurturing it, not once allowing the despair and the darkness that whispered in her ears to sway her." "And Jack Crow lived on because of her, a man with a life renewed, all because of her sacrifice -- but never because of her sorrow." Isaac looks right at Avira. He looks her in the eyes, at the flickering orb that is what's left of her, holding on desperately here. He holds her hands tightly. "Avira, every word I have told you is absolute truth. I am Isaac Hanlon, called the Unfettered by the Magi and the ghosts of His greatest archangels, called Zero by the voices who cry out in the night for a scrap of knowledge or an ounce of hope. I swear it on my name and my power. If you hold onto anything I have said, anything at all, let it be this:" "You hold in you a great, shining beacon of light, and nothing you do to share that light -- nothing so selfless as risking your own life and light to save the life of one man, or the lives of many more -- can ever, /ever/ take that away from you. So long as you hold hope in your heart and truly believe, /nothing/ can darken that brilliance." "So believe."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' There was one small concession to the struggle Isaac was currently undergoing to maintain these shapes in this void. The pressure was constant. The feeling of the void trying to devour the magic and in turn, Isaac himself, was even and did not increase with passing time. Even then-a person could only hold his hand up in the air for so long before growing tired. How much longer could the magus keep this complex and detailed existence up? "You don't think this is the what?" she presses, sounding urgent. "Oh. I see. That's...amazing. This place is hard to be. It's hard to stay...conscious." Or stay a conscious, one of the two-or maybe even BOTH. When she speaks of her repurposed light, though she sounds tremendously sad, she sounds very sure of herself either. There was no regret over what she had done, if her tone was anything to go by. Can there be sadness without regret to begin with? "I don't know if there was another way, but I know we succeeded." Isaac calls her by name and she falls silent, looking up at him with those distant brown eyes of hers. A story, he promises. The provided vessel falls still, not even daring to blink, and for a few moments it is like staring at a doll. Only Isaac can easily see beyond the shell to the tiny light lurking within. As he weaves the tale of Jack Crow, Isaac can easily feel the interest radiating off the essence of Avira. Her proxy body follows suit, showing curiosity, then sadness as he confides in her that, one by one, the friends that Jack Crow held so dear died. Isaac will feel despair following when he describes the second cycle that, despite their preparation and desire to change things for the better, they still failed to save themselves. Despair turns to sorrow as she tries to comprehend a man so far steeped in despair darkness that he would turn to killing his closest friends to "spare them the pain." It's almost unfathomable to Avira, who has never killed before, and never hopes to despite what Angantyr says. Then, the girl. Her sacrifice is illustrated, but her sorrow remains. The shell of Avira looks to Isaac with a grimace on her face: 'There was barely a spark of what let her live left inside her, and she clung to it...' About to lower her head, Isaac makes eye contact with her and once again, he can see through the shell to the tiny flickering light within. He speaks directly to her now-to that tiny light, the remnants of her heart lost drifting in her void, surviving by the chains of memories alone. The Avira shell begins to tear up. "I...Isaac.." she sniffles, her hands squeezing his. He'll see that small light inside her grow just a little bit brighter, the words taken to heart. Literally, taken to the heart. Avira looks up at him, an almost fierce look on her face now, "Take me back."

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Avira presses for more. Where /aren't/ they? He doesn't want to say. He's already saying too much. Isaac is letting himself open up, even a little, to someone else. It's a hard thing to do, for him -- part of him wants to curl up and cry, but he knows he can't. People are counting on him. Avira is counting on him. If he failed, and if she stayed here, fading away, would Mercade ever forgive him? Would he ever forgive himself? She looks like a puppet, he thinks, his voice keeping this place full of sound. He tells a story and she seems to only stare at first, vacant and vulnerable. The sight fills him with a quietly-building dread, the depression and sorrow he felt entering this void threatening to build up. He keeps up a brave front, speaking steadily and strongly. He doesn't let his cadence falter or stumble or stutter. He's telling a story, and this one has to be told perfectly, or else... ...he won't worry about that. Isaac banishes the fears and the apprehension, locking them behind a wall of will like unbending iron. He tells her what he has to tell her, speaking honestly and earnestly, almost pleading for her to understand and cling to that little bit that's left. Kindle the light, he's saying, let it grow, don't give in! The feel of her hands tightening, the tears, and the fierce look on Avira's face banishes his gnawing terrors. He smiles very slightly, a calm and assured sort of smile, and nods, but once. He holds her hand and turns to the front door, walking her towards the smoked glass. The sounds of the sleeping city are replaced by their muffled footfalls. He reaches out with one hand, throwing open the doors. On the other side, a path. A trail through the darkness, but the dark of night, with stars glimmering overhead like points of light. At the end, a light, the point he came from. He knows how to take her from here. He feels it in his bones, in his soul. Isaac steps through, drawing the light that is Avira's heart with him. They've spent enough time in this place. Home awaits.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The pressure of the void continues and Isaac can easily feel it eating away at the room and illusion around them. There is a minute at most of this remaining-it may be better to cut and run soon or getting back out may become a serious problem. Her questions convey a strong sense of curiosity, clearly something tied closely to this woman's heart. But in the face of the sorrow that follows, it seems to disappear or hide from him. It's depressing storytime! It is fortunate he doesn't give in to the sorrow. His steady conviction and cadence as he speaks holds her attention entirely, but given the nature of the tale itself its inevitable that she becomes sad. But it is a story of sacrifice and hope, and perhaps the exact story she needs to hear right now. Her grip upon his hand is tight and when he smiles, she smiles back at him in spite of her tears. His sheer calmness comforts her-an important thing at this point as the void threatens to close in around them. Soon it becomes difficult to keep the shell of Avira around the glimmer of light. Even if the shell disappears, he'll easily sense her with him. She was not going to stay here and wallow in sorrow with only the ghosts of memories to accompany her. The trail leads back to the physical plane-or realm of light as some would call it. Breaking out is far easier than anticipated for Isaac. Of course there is the trail to follow, but at the same time he might get the sense of being ejected like a splinter. It's almost as if he managed to offend the whole plane, but surely that is silly. A void of nothingness has no feelings at all. Back in the room in the Traverse Town office of the Twilight Detective Agency, Avira begins to stir on her bed. As Isaac returns to his body and rouses, he'll notice that there are fresh tears on Avira's face. Those definitely weren't there before. Slowly, she sits up and rubs her eyes.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac has spit in the face of gods and angels, monsters and men, the inevitable and the ineffable. Offending a whole plane of reality, though... that's a new high point for him. The feeling of being ejected is strong. He lets their illusory shells fade, and gradually watches the Twilight Detective Agency he remembers fade away. Lights dim, shutting down in sequence, from the furthest ones near the elevators up to the front door. Everything disappears into darkness as the illusion gradually fades away. He feels a dull sense of sorrow as he watches it go. Isaac pulls Avira along with him. He holds onto that orb of light, staying true to the path and letting this place cast the two of them back into the twilight realm that holds Traverse Town. They go from the middle of the void back to their own reality in the span of too-long seconds, catapulted out faster than he ever approached. Everything gets blindingly bright, and there's a ringing in his ears as everything fades to brightness -- Isaac sits up from his chair next to Avira's bed with a start. He sucks in a breath, a gasping, desperate thing, like a drowning man coming up for air. He jerks forward, hands clutching the arms of the chair in a white-knuckled grip. He sees Avira stir. He blinks, and feels spits of wetness fall on his face. Startled, he lifts an arm and wipes his sleeve across his eyes, clearing his throat quietly and composing himself. The last thing she probably wants to see when she comes to is a broken-up wizard. He should've kept a tighter rein on his own reactions to that... but then, the body does as the body does. "Hey," Isaac says, smiling from her bedside. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Isaac can feel free to add 'offended a plane' to the ol' magus resume. "Isaac...?" she says softly, not yet having made eye contact with the TDA's resident wizard. In fact, she spoke his name before he even made his little welcome. Clearly she already knows that he's there. Her hands fall away from her face to rest in her lap and she turns to face the man, covers and legs shifting with her. That same smile is on her face that he saw moments ago. Moments maybe, but in reality, since he made that journey into the other plane, it appears hours have passed-maybe even a whole day. Though she does see him rubbing his sleeve across his eyes, she pretends she didn't. She waits a few moments before moving towards him to hug him. "...thanks." she murmurs, burying her face in his shoulder.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' It's funny. You start to think you're running out of things to add to the list... Isaac feels the fatigue of keeping everything up that long slowly catching up to him. He doesn't know what time it is. Was it daylight when he started this? Is it even daylight /now/? Her saying something before he can is a good sign, he thinks; means that she's not a vegetable, or some hostile thing borrowing a body. He has to clear his throat again. He's pretty sure that she saw him tearing up. He doesn't say a word about it, and is glad that she doesn't either. His pride is intact. Maybe one more of his innumerable secrets remains safe. Avira moves to hug him. He embraces her without a single word for a long moment. He just holds her, improbably relieved by the solidity of it, the warmth of another person. After spending what felt like minutes in that other place, the presence of another is an immense comfort. "...any time," he finally says. "Are you okay?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira's more recent experiences have taught her a thing or two about preserving pride. This is probably why she, politely, does not comment on Isaac's man tears. After all, she senses that he shared something very close to her back in that void. Every word he had told her would not be soon forgotten. Isaac will find the shoulder of his shirt growing slightly damp beneath Avira's face. Her back doesn't heave and tremble like someone engaging in full-out sobbing would. The tears sort of just happen and not even Avira sees fit to question why. "Yes." she says after a long stretch of silence, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "I mean...well, I feel kind of..." she waggles her hand, "...weak..ish. But I'm alive and in one piece. That's all the start I need."

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' MAN TEARS are serious business; just ask Tom! (Slightly more seriously, Isaac does kind of have a problem with showing that kind of vulnerability. It damages one's reputation as the magical toolbox of solutions and general amazement.) He doesn't ask. He thinks he knows why. He just lets her take her own time. The entire time, he fights to maintain his own composure, against the dull throb of a headache that arises and against the surge of emotion from revisiting something so painful in a place where all you have to rely on is your own will and memory. Finally, she pulls away. He looks down, bright eyes on hers. He looks haggard, and relieved. "You've been out cold for a few days. That's only natural." His smile widens a fraction. "We should probably get some food in you. And you might want to let everyone know you're all right -- Will's been torn up ever since you passed out." There's a brief pause. "Mercade knew you'd come around," he adds, apparently offhandedly. "I just thought I'd, you know... make sure."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The scarred woman looks up at Isaac, managing to appear nearly as vulnerable as she did not too long ago when he told her the story of Jack Crow. It is as he says, she's been out for days with nothing to eat or drink. It's fair to assume she was in a weakened state right now and that is to say nothing about what's become of her heart. There's a small look of guilt on her face when she hears about, "-Will? Really? Here I thought Mercade would be the one worrying. Well..." She squirms and starts to push herself out of bed, "Better tell them. I-" she pauses, then turns to look Isaac in the eye. There's a haunted look on her face for a few seconds. "I'm glad you did." she says very quietly.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac was in that void for what might've been a span of hours. Avira was there for what could have been days. With the maddening blankness and the crushing despair he felt merely going in... well, he doesn't want to think about how bad it could have been. He's just going to accept that she's back, and she'll be okay. "Yeah, I think after he heard about the Boss..." His expression shifts minutely. There's a little bit of anger there, for just a second. It's hard to notice. "...he was pretty vulnerable. He figured he was dead, but we talked him down. I think he just needs some time to adjust to everything and realize it isn't all bad anymore." Isaac pauses. He looks back at Avira for a moment. Then, he nods his head fractionally. He'd do it again, that's clear enough. Isaac stands up. "I should get out of your hair for a while. Stretch your legs, get some food in you. You'll be right as rain in no time."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "The Boss...?" Avira murmurs, mostly to herself. She didn't have the pleasure of encountering this gentleman in the underworld like the others did. She was kind of a prisoner back then! She dangles her feet off the side of her bed. "Alrighty then, Isaac, I'll do just that." She still manages to sound tired somehow, but after seeing where she had been, can Isaac really blame her?

Avira

2013-03-14T21:05:26Z

RyuuAya: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human?
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=A mutate once more...
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Mutate?: Avira is, actually, still a mutate though the expression of this is at the control of Hades. She appears as a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers.

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]], [[The Network]], [[Percival]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]], [[Hades]], [[Seith]], [[Royce]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], [[Isaac Hanlon]], [[CHIEF]], [[Margaux Fleury]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Sorrow||"I owe them my life. But I let them down and nearly got them in trouble with the Judges. I haven't spoken to them in some time."
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Regret||"How you can even talk to me like you do is a wonder. I don't deserve a man like you."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"My best friend and first friend. I'm sorry...I should have told you the cure didn't work."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Regret||"...I'm sorry..."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Friendship||"It's good to hear that your Paladin friend has found peace-but I feel for you, losing all your friends to the Heartless must've been difficult. I hope we can make you feel at home in VALKYRI."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Regret||"You did teach me better...but I was hoping, out of all the people I hid my deal from, that you wouldn't learn after what you sacrificed for me to bring me the cure in the first place. I feel like I've let you down the most."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"So this is what it's like to be in her position. Except I'm nothing like her. My heart is not that pure."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"Looks like my respect to her was one sided."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I promised I would stand against the darkness with you. In spite of everything...in spite of all that I've done, I intend to keep that promise."
|-
|[[The Network]]||Friendship||"They're adorable and friendly. I'm glad they're in a better place with the TDA. I kind of wish Shida would join VALKYRI though, I get the feeling she'd be perfect in it."
|-
|[[Percival]]||Friendship||"Poor guy, he's so hard on himself lately. I know what he did but he severely underestimates his own kindness."
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Hmph||"Still a jerk. Still jerking around poor Maira."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened."
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||Disappointment||"I'll never get through to her. She just thinks I'm some kind of inferior being. Still...I can't help but feel pity for her. It must be hard and lonely going through life thinking that everyone out there has the worst intentions."
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. Nearly getting me arrested by the Archadians...not so awesome."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Confusion||"Maybe he is sorry. He certainly isn't helping the Shadow Lords and he definitely didn't...lecture me for what I've done."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|[[Hades]]||Hatred||"Never should have made that contract with that jerk-and I wouldn't have if I knew he was a freaking Shadow Lord."
|-
|[[Seith]]||Dislike||"Damn nosy elf. I'll learn your name one day."
|-
|[[Royce]]||Fear||"This woman is terrifying. I wish I never looked into that eye of hers."
|-
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"Sweet kid. He actually restored a world piece. That Keyblade of his is amazing! I wonder how you get one..."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"Creepy, especially those eyeball wings. But she seems to care a lot about Maira which I guess...makes her...okay?"
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Frustration||"It's like the universe has a soft spot for idiot antics that permits this kid to stay alive."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Regret||"I do not blame you for reacting as you've done to my choice."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||O la la||"T-that awful, seductive tease!!"
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Interest||"Kid from Manhattan, trying to make something of himself in the wake of the world falling. He's got the determination and guts to do it and he's not some hairbrained moron. If he keeps it up, he'll go far."
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|[[Isaac Hanlon]]||Respect||"Wizard with some pretty awesome tricks! Kind of snarky though."
|-
|[[CHIEF]]||Wariness||"This homicidal program seems to be turning over a new leaf and reaching out to users. He's pretty decent when he's not trying to kill everyone."
|-
|[[Margaux Fleury]]||Curiosity||"Well-spoken lady of old Ivalice and member of the Death Corps. We are allied now against the Heartless. I'm curious to see her in combat."
|-
|[[Tifa]]||Respect||"Having personally fought her, I can attest that her hand to hand combat skills are amazing. I'm happy to fight alongside her."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-03-14T20:41:00Z

RyuuAya:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human?
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=A mutate once more...
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Mutate?: Avira is, actually, still a mutate though the expression of this is at the control of Hades. She appears as a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers.

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Lenna Tycoon]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Respect||"I owe them my life. Long live Clan Dagda!"
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"I can't explain it, but I feel closer to you lately. I must be missing something."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"I love her enthusiasm and she's so good at magic! We're going to be great friends. She's very naive...don't worry, Maira, I will protect you from the predation of scoundrels. You are the best friend I have ever had...and I hope one day you will find a guy that respects you."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Worry||"How dare those Gaea Sisters do that to you!"
|-
|[[Lenna Tycoon]]||Friendship||"So happy to have you on board. Whoever insinuated that royalty was all stuffy is completely missing the mark, you're extremely nice and have big goals."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Interest||"It's good to hear that your Paladin friend has found peace-but I feel for you, losing all your friends to the Heartless must've been difficult. I hope we can make you feel at home in VALKYRI."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Affection||"In spite of our feelings for each other, things are thankfully not as complicated as I expected. Honesty is the best policy. Now here's to hoping he doesn't get himself caught by the Archadians!"
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"Now THAT is a pure heart. I can't believe she came to rescue me from Baron. I hope one day she doesn't have to run anymore...that's no way for someone to live."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"A giantess from a fallen world...and pretty hardcore. I could learn a lot from this one...and plan to once this mutation is gone. I don't think she'll be really at ease with me until it is since vicious mutants were common on her world."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I am so ready. Let's stand against the darkness together!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Interest||"That jerk...hitting on my friends, trying to take advantage of Maira! This guy pushes all the wrong buttons! RRGH."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened."
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||DEAR GOD||"SHE CAN USE THOSE CORRIDORS NOW?!"
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. Nearly getting me arrested by the Archadians...not so awesome."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Anger||"I don't know what to do about this kid. He's not sorry for what he did."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"Sweet kid. He actually restored a world piece. That Keyblade of his is amazing! I wonder how you get one..."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"Creepy, especially those eyeball wings. But she seems to care a lot about Maira which I guess...makes her...okay?"
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Frustration||"It's like the universe has a soft spot for idiot antics that permits this kid to stay alive."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Awe||"Thank you for your help in defending my world. I worry, though, with all the things I have been hearing about the tensions with the Burmecians lately."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||O la la||"T-that awful, seductive tease!!"
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Interest||"Kid from Manhattan, trying to make something of himself in the wake of the world falling. He's got the determination and guts to do it and he's not some hairbrained moron. If he keeps it up, he'll go far."
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Darkest Before Dawn

2013-03-14T20:38:38Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/03/12 |Location=Traverse Town - Outskirts |Synopsis=It can always get worse. |Cast of Characters=Mercade Alexander, Ember, Avira, Maira, Angan..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/12
|Location=Traverse Town - Outskirts
|Synopsis=It can always get worse.
|Cast of Characters=Mercade Alexander, Ember, Avira, Maira, Angantyr Vespar, Seith, Emi Dennou, Percival, Evja, Myla Mason, Kamon Lionward, Soan Sagittarius
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The rumors had been true. The wayward VALKYRI had been a reluctant companion of Mercade as he fled the New Orleans bayou ahead of an incoming wyvern swarm. They had been fortunate enough to escape both that and the mysterious necromancer that had arrived. There were some close calls, especially in the case of Will Sherman. Thankfully, his incredible luck and the heroics of the young gria Navya had brought this member of the TDA back safely, if harmed. Avira has been extremely uneasy in Traverse Town today, not only because of the inherant danger she had encountered the last time she was here. Being here again and around the TDA made her guilt fester strongly. She had become very withdrawn and nervous. Every time she passed one of those posters that Hades had put up, she cringed. She wanted to get away but it was unlikely that such an option would be offered. For now, she settled for taking a walk outside of Traverse Town with Mercade as an escort.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade isn't letting Avira go. He's been paying very close attention to her and her surroundings. If anyone is going to get to her, they have to go through him first. Never mind that Avira is probably a better fighter than Mercade is. Nevertheless, he has tried to be consoling to her, for various reasons. Mercade's been tearing those posters down when he sees them. "We're not going to give up, Avira. I don't care what happens, I'm not letting Hades take you."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' 'It's ironic.' Avira had commented on those fliers, 'Under any other circumstance I might be proud to actually score a wanted poster. But not a lost dog poster.' The mutate pauses to look to him as he makes his promise, an unreadable expression on her face. It's hard to tell whether or not Avira actually believes that he can. There's no doubt in Avira's mind that he will try though. The gears turn in her head. "If he does, at least it will be out here. At least the town won't suffer again." A thought suddenly hits her. "...Mercade." she says slowly, "You remember the day that we went to Merlin to get the duplicated mutate cure, right? And all that...awkward stuff that happened afterwards, right?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade was thinking much the same thing. They lose the defenses of the town... But they won't hurt anyone else if they're out here. Mercade grimaces to himself. It's like when Jasmine was running. Is that going to be her fate? Mercade's hands clench for a moment. He's not going to let that happen. He looks to Avira, his expression curious. "Yeah. I remember. What about it?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Right now, Avira's thoughts are aligned pretty closely with Mercade's. She too crossed paths with Jasmine and even guarded her for some time. At one point, they almost lost her to the Heartless. It was an exhausting task that she knew she couldn't keep up as a bodyguard. But the idea of running still didn't feel so wrong to her. Not after the shallow deal she made with Hades. It was shocking that people could find it in themselves to forgive the choice she made. Avira turns to face Mercade. "You made me an offer and a promise that day..." she says slowly, carefully pronouncing each word, as if she dreadfully fears she wouldn't be able to even say these things. "Do you remember that?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Well, Maira had no luck finding Skoll, but she /did/ find Angantyr, who was comfortingly determined to drag Avira back where she belonged. She really couldn't run forever. Even Maira knows that strategy couldn't work. Now, Avira may feel a familiar chilling presence pass her by then rapidly disappear. Uist, watching for her. The spirit moves in a blink back to where Maira is trying to keep everything at VALKYRI under control. She leaps up when Uist arrives to tell her where Avira is. Turning, she looks to Angantyr. "Found her! She's....on the outskirts of Traverse Town. Well, alright. I guess we won't have to go far then! Lets go!" A little while later, Maira is running toward Avira and Mercade, already looking out of breath and ready to fall over. Assuming Avira and Mercade stop at the sound of her footfalls and heavy breathing, Maira reaches them and slumps over some. "Av....ira....there you...are," she says, then just sort of flails an arm in Angantyr's direction to tell her she found him, while she catches her breath.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr runs at a slower pace than Maira. However, he's armored, but also not out of breath when he gets here. He pauses, looking at the Mutate for a long LONG moment. Then back at Mercade...huh. He rubs the side of his head and turns around. It's not important to say anything right now...this is already pretty ackward. "You're in the open." he says to them both, "Unless you're looking for a fight with the heartless and The Shadow lords." He finally manages to get out. He says focused on the area.

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason had been just going about her business really, not worrying about too much today but then she sees in the distance, it's Dragoon Man? Wait what's going on here this gets the pirate spawn's attention. She stops from her wandiner go go see hust what is going on here. She'd be an unknown to everyone but the Dragoon man, but she doesn't look too hostile from the looks of her? "Dragoon Man?!" Then there were more people coming in just who were they?

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade nods to her. "Sure. I remember. Why do you ask?" He blinks. "Wait, you mean..." And suddenly he is interrupted by Maira. Mercade looks back over to her... And Angantyr. "What? You..." Angantyr brings up the problem of being in the open." He shakes his head. "How do you expect us to hide from Hades? The only thing we can do is stay mobile until Isaac figures out until we have a way to shut him down and restore Manhattan." Just then, DRAGOON MAN appears. "Huh? Evja has...!"

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' "Mercades Alexander!" Intones a voice from above. Thanksfully in the outskirt, that is not going to be too much noticed. That voice is followed by a thud, landing over one of the hills, higher than the two are wandering by. Dragoon Man stands there, arms crossed. "I bring forth bad news! There was a burst of darkness, and I am told that Evja has escap--" Dragoon Man stops, noticing that the two figures running that were coming up this way, from up there, are indeed people he recognised. If not as Dragoon Man. Dragoon Man gives Agantyr and Maira a stare. Ang in particular.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Soan Sagittarius has an 'information network' that says something bad and messy is going to go down in Traverse Town. Since Kamon is already in town, he volunteered to come check it out, because clearly nothing will /actually/ happen and it's all just a misunderstanding. Right? ...right? Kamon wanders down the streets, scouting the outskirts by just walking and looking. He got told where things are, of course, but he didn't want to bee-line towards it. He hustles as he gets closer, a bad feeling building in his gut. Soan said that there's Darkness coming for them. He has to do /something/...! Kamon rounds a corner ahead of Avira and Mercade, stumbling to a halt. He blinks a couple of times at the two of them, and then the other people gathering up with them, the odd partly-metal young man peering at them. He lowers his phone from his ear, looking up and around. He spots Dragoon Man, but keeps looking as if he didn't. Okay. That's the information. Kamon raises a hand. "Hey! Uh... I... heard there was trouble?"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Having been spirited away from the TDA lockup by Hades and spat out shortly thereafter in Traverse with his belongings, Evja barely had a chance to fight the order of 'You never finished your task, now go kill him' before Evja was able to actually orient himself to yet another blast of darkness causing him to, well, feel rather enraged even more at Hades, then feel a bit helpless at it all. Yet, he had no choice. The oaths set on him when he first joined the Judges Office forced him to honor his word, not to mention Hades' contract. It only took him a few minutes to replace his armor back on before the Viera was off, leaping across rooftops in the vague direction of 'high enough to look down'. Eventually he spotted the group and landed quietly on the nearest rooftop to watch. But what surprises him are those that seem to surround Avira and Mercade. That damned Dark Knight and... another Dragoon? That isn't good. No matter, he /had/ to do this. And if they posed a problem, no matter how much he hated it... Evja would have to go /through/ them. Before Mercade and the others really have a chance to react, however, Evja had vanished from atop the roofs and in a few steps around the perimeter had appeared right behind where Mercade was, fully armored and weapons in hand. "I am sorry." SLAM, both spears in Evja's hands slam forward towards Mercade's back the second before he actually speaks, quite literally attempting to run him through with two spears then jump up and slam him down into the ground, his spears meant to act as something to keep the man pinned or immobilized in some fashion. Who knows how well that would work.

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' Oh, there is trouble alright. Whilst Evja approaches from the rooftops, there is a massively armored man cutting them off at the front. He just walks out in front of them from a small alley and then turns around towards them. He just stands there for a moment, staring at them all; Mercade and Avira in particular. "Ah..." The man's voice booms. "It would seem I've found the 'dog'!" He pulls out a large paper scroll and turns aside, and then draws up the crude drawing of Avira's mutate form. It even has burning horns and drooling teeth. Wait, is that picture moving? The man gazes upon Avira, and then looks back to the poster once more. "A perfect match indeed." The man then throws the poster away and it immediately incinerates in a burst of black fire. The man's gaze then tilts up a little, and stares at Evja attacking Mercade from behind in an attempt to slam him to the ground. And from the looks of it it would appear the man succeeds rather... critically at this. "Hey! Hey now!" Seith suddenly shouts, pointing at Evja. "You are interupting my monologue! Get back on the roof, you jumped him too early!" The man then throws a hand outwards t'wards Mercade, darkness streaming towards him. "Now let's do that over, so I can properly slaughter the bunch of them, okay?" The man then brings his hand to his mouth and makes a loud rasping sound in his throat. "Now where was I... Oh yes!" The poster re-appears in his hand. "A perfect match!"

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' It seems that Katyna is unable to escape her destiny. Things had gone too far, and she had done exactly what she swore she would never do: She had come to respect and admire the very person she had been ordered to betray, by the god of the dead no less. She had been afraid, afraid like she was back then when those she loved had fallen one by one before her.. But now..Now, she realized she was still weak, and perhaps Riku was right. She was a pawn. She was their pawn and there was no turning back now. No where to go but forwards. Would she ever forgive herself? Did her own life mean more to hers than an entire world? For now at least, it did. She appears in a corridor of darkness, her black flaming sword at her side as she steps towards the group of gathered heroes. "Sorry, but, orders are orders. Keep out of this, and we can avoid this little bloodfest!" She exclaims in her deeper, Dark Knight voice, pointing her sword towards Maira and Angantyr as they approach. Ang, she didnt mind hurting but..She *really* didnt want to hurt Maira.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Yes...!" she says quickly to Mercade, nodding suddenly. She tries to elaborate but...this time the words don't come out. That damn contract. She should have guessed that it would prevent her from just outright admitting the escape clause. But maybe with the right cues. She starts to lean in towards Mercade when... Avira's already stopped so it isn't hard for the breathless Maira to catch up with the pair. At the sound of rapid footsteps, she turns to see Maira's approach. A hybrid cringe/smile appears on her lupine face that quickly disappears when she sees Angantyr following along behind her best friend. She stares at Angantyr in silence, slowly growing distraught. The sacrifice the dark knight made for her months ago was not forgotten. To see that, ultimately, his efforts were only able to eliminate the darkness but not the mutation... Slowly, she lowers her head, "..." she should say something to her teacher and clanmate...but what? Maira probably filled her in on how her mutation had really 'disappeared.' She sees something out of the corner of her eye. The scent of carrots follows. Avira quickly whirls and sees Evja behind Mercade. "NO!! MERCADE! LOOK OUT!" She doesn't even draw her weapon, she just hurls herself bodily upon the Judge. In that instant, her anger slowly begins to build. Only after she lunges does she realizes a pair of Shadow Lords have arrived. One is intensely familiar as the firey knight that kidnapped Maira months ago. The other...she cannot place him, but he's waving one of Hades's posters around which is exceptionally bad news.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira's eyes widen and she stumbles back, AS A MAN FALLS OUT OF THE SKY. Stylishly. Right. Dragoons. While Faruja has done crazy jumps like that a few times, it is still plenty unnerving! Maira recovers from her surprise to wave and flash the man a disarming smile. "H-hello! Nice jump! I wish I could do that," she remarks. Of course, then he informs them that a darkness is coming for them. Oh, wonderful! Maira bites her lip and prepares to fight. "I'm here this time Avira...I'm sorry I wasn't before," she says, only hoping she'll somehow make a difference. When Kamon appears, she waves to him, friendly always. "Trouble, yes! Thanks for coming to help!" she says, then looks back to Avira and Mercade just in time to see Evja appear and impale Mercade upon his spears. Maira screams. She looks to Evja, her amber eyes wide as her face goes pale. She'd heard Evja had 'betrayed' them, but this...this...She'd thought maybe...how could she have been so wrong? Uist warns her of another presence incoming and she turns to see Seith, holding the poster of Avira in hand--but quickly her eyes pass over him. Mercade...Mercade! Another. Uist growls fiercely as Ember appears. They were surrounded. "NO!" Maira yells to Ember, her form bursting into flame as her anger rises to choke out her fear. "We will not!" Maira turns then and reaches toward Mercade, casting a Cure spell, the glittering energy descending in an ephemeral cloud that winks out upon contact with his body, the warm energy seeping into Mercade's body.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The russet skinned Gargoyle was gliding along the area, patrolling the lonely skies. He was playing the role of silent guardian today following his earlier conversation with the Network. His spirits certainly felt uplifted by the experience. He considered himself back on duty, and right now that was protecting Avira first, and everyone else, second. The quiet was broken by the attacks of the three villains. The Judge he knew all too well, the woman not at all. It was the armored elf in particular that caught his attention. That he had a penchant for monologuing just raised his ire even more. "/YOU/!" He would descend rapidly, coming to a landing half a step in front of him. At first he reached towards an ornate rapier in its scabbard, but then thought better of it and pulled a darkened steel runeblade instead, covered in runes. "Is it not enough that you play games with my life, but now you must test my friends as well?" He would stand there for a time, staring daggers at him, before whanging him with his shield in one quick motion. The act was not meant to do any lasting harm, merely to throw him off balance.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr turns viciously towards Mercade, "Alright. I'll accept that." he says, sounding like he was going to yell...but he controls himself...personal feelings asside. He doesn't say anything towards Avira...it was complicated, and not the time....but. Then Dragoon man, the two stare at each other for a moment...but he doesn't say anything, for now. That was...he felt something. Was he his enemy? "Stop running away. I didn't teach you to run away, to hide behind your weakness. I taught you to master i-.." And then /everything/ goes to hell. Angantyr roars as the Bunny is back, "YOU! YOU TRIED TO KILL THE KID! And steal the keyblade!" he accuses, "Damn it...I should have finished you when I had the chance.." cursing his kindness. And then Ember... "YOU! Apparently my attack wasn't enough to finish it!" And then there was Seith.. "Seriously?! What the <GOOSEHONK>?!" The mace comes from his hand as he sucks in darkness from inside...the armor shifts, clading his body in that dark armor, the cape seemingly made out of darkness itself flows behind him as he stands infront of Maira. "It is time I rectify a few mistakes I made..." he says pointing the mace at Ember, "Starting with you."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou has come down shortly after Percival, only to find out that Evja--had been missing! Did he escape? Is he going to go after Mercade again?! Emi rushes down after him--figuring that she'll be going after Mercade, she rushes towards the last known location of him. She stops nearby, ducking behind some rocks as she takes a moment to catch her breath and get an understanding of the situation. Evja has to be taken down hard and quick, and she needs to be able to breathe before she can do that. Pain ripples through her body from where she was stabbed before.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' "No! I'm too late!" Dragoon Man intones, prying his eyes away from Angantyr, as his senses just blares out at the whole swarm of darkness that comes in. The Shadow Lords that get in are plainfully obvious to him -- and almost painfully so. The /smell/ is almost overwhelming for the Dragoon, the smell of darkness. From the corner of his vision, he sees Kamon arriving. Good, he's here. They're going to need it all the help the can get. Out of the ethers, Dragoon Man summon forth his ornated spear, spinning it toward the judge. Angantyr loses Dragoon Man's stare. He seems to be on their side, for the best or the worse for now. Best to focus on the others that are actively trying to destroy people. In particular, that cowardly ...bunny... eared individual. He seems to use a spear. Is he... a dragoon? With jumps like that, he /must/ be. "You!" Dragoon Man shouts as he leaps toward Evja, his spear spinning wildly as he tries to get between Mercades to give some cover. "That is not how a Dragoon should behave! Fight the Darkness, we are stronger than this!" He immediatedly leaps up, launching himself in the air out of view, before landing immediatedly in Evja's direction with his glowing spear, a stream of fire following his wake.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Everything moves so fast. Mercade is just processing the escape of Evja, when he hears behind him. He's sorry. A moment later, lances erupt from Mercade's chest. His eyes go unfocused from sheer pain, and he falls to his knees, bleeding from savage wounds. Seith's dark power, as well as Maira's healing spell, surges through Mercade. He looks up, his eyes focusing as the worst of his wounds close. He staggers back to his feet, and he grits his teeth against the pain. He draws a gun, the pearl-handled revolved gleaming in the faraway sunset of Traverse Town's outskirts. "Do you know what sorrow is?" Mercade asks. "Or are you simply trying to justify your actions? What purpose do your oaths serve, Judge? WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?" He turns his gaze between the trio of opposition. Ember, he's heard about, Evja... And this mysterious man, menacing them with a poster. "I'm not going to let you take her." Mercade simply says, as he flips off the safety on his gun. "I'm going to fight for her... And for Manhattan. No matter whether you're a demon or a god!" Mercade begins charging, taking a wide flanking maneuver as he takes a wide tack around the sudden battleground as he prepares to strafe the hell out of them.

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' Eyes burn dark, blood red as Ember focuses her searing glare upon Ang. Seeing him again, feeling his hatred towards her was enough to convince her that this was the only way for her. There was no going back, no reason to hold back on him. Now was her chance to get even with him after the last time they'd met..And she'd nearly died at his hands. "You....<GOOSEHONK>! You'll be sorry you ever messed with me! This time, you're going down!" Then Maira is fleeing towards Mercades. Well, she didn't want more blood on her hands, but it doesnt mean she cant stop her, slow her down at the very least. Pointing her sword to the sky, Ember traces a rune of flames with her sword, then shoots out tendrils of dark energy towards Ang and Maira, attempting to drain them of magic.

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason then comes another she looks over at Kamon "Looks like it if Dragoon Man is here." She doens't pull a weapon not yet but then comes a Judge not that she knows it's just got series now as the armored being heads for Mercade and his friends. "Monologging are you some sort of ...." The Levitani does not seme happy and she's rapidly starting see which side is which. She pulls both her pistols and looks over them as Dragoon man leaps in and that's enough for her. "Any who aid the darkness are going to have a problem with one of the last children of Levithian." She levels her Pistols at Seith and sometyhing mounted under the barrels fire and will explode, just what will it do not even Myla knows.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "No! I do not want to succeed! Nothing would make me happier than failing right now, but I am forced to fight! So if you want to protect your friend, you will stop me! I MUST KILL HIM!" That's all Evja could shout in response when he had barely just jumped backwards from the attacks that came his way, primarily from Avira(whom he managed to dodge out of the way of) and the mysterious dragoon who seemed to have some amount of faith in fighting the darkness, whom impacted him mid-jump just as he charged the Dragoon to try and bowl him over. And of course Angantyr was there being an idiot as he had the last time, twisting 'You tried to murder Sora' and 'Steal the keyblade' out of sparring with him and grabbing Sora's hand and the blade together to whack Sora in the head with his own weapon. "You are a !@#$/^& idiot, Dark Knight! I was practicing with the boy with the blunt of my spear to see if he could defend himself against the Darkness! But fine, fight me, kill me, protect these here as if I am some evil creature! PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR WORLD FROM ME!" And ~fwip~ Evja vanished from sight and began to appear around the battlefield with a large translucent crystally sword in hand. It was swung many times, through people, at people, about people, but the primary thing was this sword did no damage. It would simply fly through whoever it touched, unable to harm them, but making it feel like they were exposed. However... Evja does not attack Avira, or Maira, and in fact seems to be trying to avoid the two. Even if Avira was throwing herself in the way, Evja wasn't going to hurt the girl, /no matter what/. One he could logic as 'I can still kill him with her in the way', but if Maira truly stepped in the way, she would be with the others in 'I have to go through them. Once his rounds with the sword are made Evja pulls out a spear and begins to bounce around the field in streaks of darkness like a giant armored flea.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon looks a little bit relieved that Dragoon Man is here and taking an active role in things. He looks equally relieved that someone actually seems glad for him to be here besides the super hero he definitely does not know. He smiles a little awkwardly in Maira's direction, starting down the road -- Evja comes out of nowhere and hammers spears into a detective's back. Kamon's eyes widen, staring in horror at the sudden descent by what /looks/ like a Dragoon, if a strange one, doing something so diabolical. Dragoon Man seems to be /not/ okay with this, so neither is Kamon. He runs straight ahead, heavy footsteps carrying him to the edge of the surrounded group. Kamon swings his sheathed katana off his shoulder. He holds the plain scabbard in his left hand, letting both arms remain at his sides, looking up as Ember and Seith show up and a fight starts up in earnest. One of them is obviously terrible, and the others... he's not sure about the others. Kamon turns to face Ember and Seith, a pleading expression on his face. "Stop! Don't make this any worse than it already is! What are you even fighting for?! You don't have to do this! Any of this! Stop fighting and /talk/!" Kamon doesn't look like he's ready for a fight. He looks totally out of place, compared to the grim-faced combatants all around him. He looks nervous, frightened even, begging for them to quit before it gets any more horrible. He doesn't think they will.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The balde hits the dark knight... Draining at his energy. This causes his eyes to raise... Angantyr dives right for her, his right hand aiming to grab her, aiming to lift her from the ground and aim to CRUSH. Darkness aims to burn, aiming to sear her body, and errupt when she's hit by any darkness attack, aiming to add injury to injury. Ang quickly follows through, aiming to send the mace towards her chest, before grabbing the mace again, in both hands... And swings the mace down with both hands, aiming to drive the powerful mace down, aiming to litterally smash the weapon into her body. The mace itself followed with a large amount of darkness, aiming to equally crush her body with it's powerful wave. "Die!"

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' This is... annoying! Seith is standing there, twitching. Evja clearly stole the spotlight, and now all the attention is on him! The man lets out a desperate sigh. He's being ignored! How dare they all ignore him! Sparks of purple lightning leap between his fingers as that annoyance becomes dark power. He takes a step towards them, but halts the moment that the Gargoyle suddenly lands before him after calling out 'You!'. Finally! Someone! The man tilts his head up and then follows Percival that last bit as the Gargoyle takes his place on the ground. Such close range. He reaches towards that Rapier, and Seith's gaze darkens... but then he hesitates and instead draws a different weapon. Percival smashes that shield at him, and Seith simply /blocks/ it with one hand, stopping it right in place. And then, that purple spark of darkness suddenly lifts Percival up into the air, and the pulse quickly spreads out as Myla decides to 'not ignore him'. "Ember! Curb your energy a little - you will never defeat him if you let his emotions run away with you." He quickly shouts out to the girl, then turns to Myla, the purple antigravity pulse extending towards them and attempting to lift them into the air as well. The man holds his attack, when Evja suddenly tries to make a stab at him. In that moment where Evja gets close enough and his spear stabs through the left arm's armor, carving a massive dent through Seith, the man suddenly grabs at Evja's throat in an attempt to grab him, and then slams a massive dark spell of gravity onto him with the intent of smashing him into the floor. "YOU DARE BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU, RODENT!?" Seith shouts in anger. He then sweeps his hand away in an attempt to send Evja flying into a wall with a pulse of telekinesis before walking slowly towards a position beneath and between Myla and Perci. "Now then - you two would attempt to battle me? How cute. A angry gargoyle and... what are you my girl? Do you come from the World of Ruin?" He asks. "It matters not." He concludes. He then slams his hands together, trying to send the gravity-magic he controls towards the two and slam them into eachother! "Go plunge your sword into her, Gargoyle!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is relieved to see Mercade get to his feet and start to fight. Her healing must have made a difference! Which is fortunate, as she is not likely to have the opportunity to do it again. Maira's mouth opens in a gasp of pain and anger as Ember's attack drains her mana. The fire she'd surrounded her form with grows fainter, but doesn't quite extinguish. It is obvious that the attack was very successful. Maira feel so very tired without her magic coursing through her, a bright stream she could always count on...now it was barely a trickle she grasps for, snatching it and clinging as she tries to cast a protective aura of flame around herself and Angantyr, who is trying, quite obviously, to take Ember not only out of the fight but out of /life/. Maira's eyes move to look for Avira. They were here for her...many would protect her. Many better than Maira. Still, she would be watching her best friend. She wouldn't let her be taken while she still breathed! Evja's words are heard and filed away, curious to her. Maybe she wasn't...completely wrong? What was going /on/? All is chaos. She needs to focus. Maira shouts to Ember, if she can even respond. "Why are you doing this! I don't understand!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Angantyr's words sting, but Avira could do little to refute them. He taught her to be better than this, it was fully true. She WAS better than this. "...I..." Avira stumbles past Evja, failing to grab onto him. Her clawed feet scrabble awkwardly against the ground and she manages to turn herself back around to face the wayward judge. Knowing the complications that came with being contracted to Hades, there is actually a scant amount of sympathy in her heart for the viera. Persisting in hurting Mercade like this made it hard to touch upon them. "...I will not let you!" she cries out, a clawed hand reaching behind her to tug the Spine free of its holder. Evja may be avoiding her completely, but Avira will not allow it. Spreading her wings, she takes flight after the leaping judge, using her enhanced senses to sniff and hear the changes in the air as he pings around the battlefield erratically. At just the right moment, she lunges, ice magic encasing her unique weapon, driving forwards in several fierce flourishes. Shards of ice splatter across the battlefield with each strike, embedding into the ground. In this moment, she actually seems to be fighting like...herself, as if the spirit had finally returned.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi listens to the composure and justice of a judge, as well as his desires, and she supposes that in some senses, she can be accomodating. She does not sense the metapose, but she does not think of Evja as evil. After all, what is evil really? She doesn't make judgement calls like that. But Evja is certainly threatening to kill someone she cares a lot about AND doesn't actually want to do it, apparently, but because she's a 'judge' she has no choice but to go with the word. THat's fine. She understands. Emi steps out from behind her cover and raises up her hands. "No reason to be cautious any longer." She elects to say, unleashing a wave of electricity, intending to pour a hefty burst of electricity into the Bunny Judge's body. "This time we will be employing a slightly different strategy." She tells him.

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason looks at Seith for a moment before she says, "No, I am one of the last of Levithan's children. You failed to consume us all." She's caught by the attack but she's not hurt too badly by it she's caughty by the sopell and she's slammed into the other she's not sure what to make of PErcy but he's clearly here to help. "The name's Myla...i'll try to cover you." Myla shifts and recofer opening fire with her pistols and one of the shots actually will explod prehaps blowing Seith off her feet. "I don't have time for the likes of you out of my way."

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' No, Dragoon Man is Not Ok with it. Not even remotely. Soan is regreting of having dragged Kamon into this. His friend does not enjoy fights. Not that he, himself, does, but he is more set in the reality of what being a warrior means, being in conflict. Kamon just takes another path, a path that Soan rather admires, really. "Then if it is not so, then /fight whatever controls/ you, Dragoon!" The Armoured Superhero intones out, leaping up in the air to meet the other jumper, failing to deflect his attack with his own momentum, falling harshly into the ground. Alright, he thinks, Plan B. Rogue Dragoons were rare, but they happened. Very rarely. Every young Apprentice are told of how to deal with them -- with an outstreched hand on one side, and with extreme prejudice if the first one fails. Above all: never stop attacking. "You are a Dragoon! Retake yourself! Remember what you are! Remember why the Dragons has chosen you! We are to fight Chaos, not be servants to it!" Dragoon Man leaps back up, taking in a dramaticaly heavy deep breath, before breathing out a large spread of various lights, flames and electricity spreading outward, then refocusing toward the judge.

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' Ember glowers at Ang. "You really enjoy that, dont you. Killing, maiming, hurting. What kind of hero are you? You're no better than the Shadow Lords." She steps back, teeth gritted against the expected pain as Ang slams into her, burning her with dark magic then slamming his mace into her armour. He flinches a bit, but doesnt cry, doesnt run away. This is what she asked for afterall, wasn't it? If she won this battle, perhaps they might finally take her seriously. Perhaps Seith might eventually teach her those secrets... She's about to let out a fearsome battle cry..When Seith admonishes her, and she pauses. Right, focus, Kat! "R-right!" She climbs to her feet, stepping towards Maira, trying to step in between the girl and her allies to prevent her from coming to the aid of the other good guys, moments after she chants a protective spell around Ang. "I told you to stay out of this..You wouldn't understand but..This has to be done.." She points her sword at the girl, but doesn't attack her oddly enough. Instead, she focuses upon Ang, black sword flashing briefly in blinding white energy as she slams her sword to the ground, unleashing a blast of blinding white flames towards Ang, then rushes at him, stabbing with her sword as a mysterious rune appears before her flaming weapon. Pulling her sword back, she finishes with a wide-arching slash, tracing a trail of black exploding flames at him.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Raised unbidden into the air, the Gargoyle would struggle against the force that held him. And then he found himself flung towards Myla. You've gotta hand it to Seith though, for he gave the Gargoyle just enough warning on his intent for the Gargoyle to tuck into a ball, preventing himself from skewering the woman. The impact was still jarring, but it didn't take much for a Gargoyle to right himself. "Apologies, M'lady!" He began a sweeping glide around the area, grinning to himself as he had an idea that he'd never before tried. Resheathing his blade, and adjusting his shield, he would pick up speed and aim right at Seith's back. "Ser, I would suggest..." Barreling into him, he would immediately grab his legs, and begin to spin the armored elf around rapidly in circles, before releasing him in the direction of the nearest building. "....you learn better manners...." Charging forward, he would rapidly climb said building at the quickest speed he could manage, before kicking off of it. Immediately he would unsheath his sword, aiming for a gap he saw in the Elf's armor, thrusting it as deeply as he could. He'd follow up by yet another shield slam in his face before gliding away. "...there are ladies present after all. And I know that your mother taught you better than that. What would she think if she could see her boy right now?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Let's solve one problem at a time. "I'm not going to make it wasy on you, Judge." Mercade says. "Be as tormented as you want about it... But at least do yourself the honor of believing in yourself. This really just makes you look bad and damages your credibility even further." He gestures to Seith. "Look at him. Look at that face. That guy is /loving it/." Mercade pauses. "On second thought, maybe that's a little too much for you." The strange, partially metallid man causes him to pauses. He is the voice of reason here, but... "As much as I wish that could be the case, man." He calls to Kamon, "These guys are trying to take my friend to the Netherworld. And one of them is apparently honorbound to try to murder me." Evja punctuates it with an attempt to punch through him, and Mercade speed-dodges out of the way, abusing invincibility frames like a bastard. He doesn't wear armor for a reason. Backup arrives in the form of Emi, and Mercade looks to the Dennou. "All right, let's get this done." He says. They both have something to say to the terrifying Judge. He levels his gun and begins firing, working on disrupting the Judge's aim.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr's body is enveloped in light, protected from physical harm as he stares down Ember. "I never claimed to be a hero. I have always fought for the people I believe in, and I never hesitate." he says, in response to Ember. Even as his body errupts into flames, he weathers the attack, drawling her close to him, as he SMASHES down with the mace across he legs. He goes to break bones, tear flesh away from her soft parts. "If you're in my way, you either get out...or else!" he shouts, and then runs forward, once more aiming to close the gap between them swinging the massive mace in a upwards arch, aiming to try and smash her back, before aiming to grab her by the back of the head, and smash her viciously into the ground. "Hero is something you used for me...I am not Kaydin, I know what I am. I don't try to be anything else, I am from the darkness, I was born this way. The darkness is not my master, nor am I scornfull of the light." "Besides...you're the last one to be challenging another's philosphy...do you even have one of your own? You seem pretty good at sprouting Seiths, but you're nothing without someone else to prop you up. Pathetic."

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Okay. That isn't working. Nobody wants to listen to reason. Kamon's shoulders sag. "Alright... if you won't listen to anything but fighting --" He lifts his left hand, sliding his feet apart and bringing his right arm slowly around to his left side. Still, he hesitates. He glances up and over at Mercade, his expression of gnawing worry gradually changing into one of disappointment, and then resolve. He nods. "Okay then." Kamon lays his hand on the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, he's in the air. There is a cloud of dust in the street from where he moved and a cracked window behind where he was, legs extended like he half-dashed and half-leapt. He blurs through the sky, bee-lining at Evja first, inhaling deeply and then exhaling a shout. "Skies of the Ramuha! /HAAAAAAAAAAAH!!/" Kamon's sword flashes out of the sheathe with a peal of thunder. The air ripples with the shockwave, the edgeless katana slicing through the turbulent airs with a clarion cry and the ring of clear steel. He tries to catch the Dragoon on the way up with his lightning-bladed sword, then drag him to the ground along the path of lightning. He twists in mid-drop, aiming to plant a foot on him and propel himself onward -- -- at Seith, a second thunderclap accompanying his approach. He falls like a stone towards the earth, blade held one-handed and swiped across the elf's forehead, fully intending to knock him for a loop and send him to join the Judge's descent. Kamon keeps going, landing in the street and skidding as he comes down, turning on the balls of his feet as he comes to a halt, ready for another attack. "Will you stop /now/?" he asks, desperately.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Suddenly Evja is beset by many things, some he manages to mostly dance his way of, others he simply tanks and rushes through. Ultimately, though, it's when the Judge connected with Seith and was blasted backwards and to the ground after trying to jump that something happens. A spray of darkness leaves the Viera on impact and fragments of their armor flies off, primarily the helm and the armor on his left arm. Something from the attacks must have futzed with however he kept it on. When he rolled to a stand, however, Evja realized that there was some kind of magical fire on him that was burning, causing her to try several times to escape it and fail only to cringe at the pain of it. Not to mention he was still twitching from the surge of electricity from Emi. "I hope you are strong enough to stay standing!" Evja's voice, once the helm came off, was actually quite feminine! "Because I hold nothing back!" 'Wings' of Darkness sprout out from the Viera as he vanishes and leaps high into the air, darkness aiding him into heights that normally he couldn't manage. The entire field goes dark from all the light being sucked into the Viera, Darkness following soon. A single giant blue-golden spear wrapped in darkness begins to form in the Viera's hand as 'she' floats in the sky, long silver hair flowing in the air behind her. "NIEB..." actually, that's the wrong game! "SPEAR OF THE JUDGE!" The giant spear is launched down at the central group of Mercade, focused primarily on him, before Evja vanishes from sight and reappears on the ground with two spears of the same size in his hands. In a flurry of movements the silver-haired Viera dances in and out of sight, stabbing, piercing, exploding and quite literally trying to raze the entire field. And given how strong the Viera was... 'She' very well might.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' So much is happening. Maira wants to look after everyone at once, but she knows she can't. That is a terrible feeling. Maira looks toward Ember, frowning deeply as she shouts unkind things at Angantyr. "He is no Shadow Lord!" she cries, lot of good it would do her. It was simply the strong impulse to defend a friend. Ember aims her sword at Maira then, and she is sure she is about to be attacked. Why does it not come? Words, only words. This makes no sense to her. She is perfectly open. Uist is likewise puzzled and extremely suspicious. Was Ember so focused on Angantyr? Did she not know Maira would heal him? That it would be easy to take her out of the equation? "I wouldn't understand!? I'm not stupid! Try me! Saying I wouldn't understand is just--its just an excuse! An excuse to justify what you know is wrong!" she shouts, her passions rising, the heat and brightness of her flame increasing as she finds her magic once more runs strong in her. She begins to cast, the wind in the area picking up rapidly, a gale that whips around Ember, dragging up clods of dirt and debris to batter her, followed by the purging power of fire. "Leave...my friends....ALONE!"

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' "I didn't try any of the sort. But had I done so, I assure you, there would have been none of you left. Wherever you are from - pitiful child." The man remains standing right where he is, raising a fist and pulling the very pavement up to the air in an attempt to block some of the bullets fired. Others pelt off of his armor. But it's obvious by the strain his his gaze that they are hurting him! And then there comes Percival! The armored elf doesn't even turn around to look at where he is coming from. No, he's far more interested in the other warrior that comes his way! Seith suddenly grabs at his back and brings forth a massive black staff he places above him, holding it between his both hands. The man is /forced/ towards the ground, the pavement breaking beneath him as Kamon's force is sent through Seith... And then Percival arrives, smashing into the back of the Elf's head, sending him skittering a few steps forwards before he turns around in anger... and then... starts laughing. "THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" He calls out, his voice becoming more and more boisterous and amused. "But to answer your question, no! I shall not stop! After all, we've only just begun!" The man then brings his both hands outwards along the staff, and both ends suddenly spew forth massive scythe blades of sheer darkness. And then Maira goes and says something funny; "You think he's not a Shadow Lord?! You DO know who this PET's MASTER is, right!?" Seith then starts to laugh even more boisterously. "Ah, how cute! The so called 'heroes' have a plague rat in their midsts, and they don't even realize it is rabid!" The man then sweeps his spear sideways and brings his hand up. "SUFFER!" Suddenly, gravity starts acting up once again. A massive purple pulse spreads out from Seith, targetting specific people. The ground shatters suddenly, and massive platforms suddenly come up from the ground, forming a second arena in the air as they try to knock Avira up into the air, right along with Percival and Myla! The man is specifically trying to cut the first off from the rest in fact! "Ah, girl! Why would you ever want to turn back! This form is far more powerful than the 'PITIFUL' one you pride yourself on." Then suddenly, a massive black hole forms in the air, and the specified platforms rapidly rise up in the air whilst new ones form as they rise from the ground. "SUFFER!" He then suddenly shouts, as he turns around, sweeping his scythe at the air and faces /AWAY/ from the three heroes specifically. "AND BEGONE!" And that's when the Black Hole explodes in an explosion of... well... darkness! And Seith stands there, with his back facing the explosion.

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' Ember smirks. "Right right, then I guess you just work for a Shadow Lord while defending his enemies. Like that makes any sense." She continues to advance upon Angantyr, bringing up her sword to defend his vicious attacks, staggering back under the trememdous force of each strike. It's funny, his words make a twisted kind of sense, but her hatred towards him is enough to blind her to his reasoning. "I'm NO One's lap dog! I follow my own path, fight my own battles!" Still, she's realizing that that's not true at all. She was just another pawn of the Shadow Lords..And she was hurting her friends. She glances briefly towards Maira and Avira..And even Evja, who seems to have his hands full fighting all those damned heroes. Who seems to fight against his will.. Why were they fighting so hard? What had they done to Evja? She grits her teeth, were they using him too, like they were using her? Was she no better than Kaydin? Then Maira talks and she glances briefly at her. "You're right. I'm an evil person..But it doesn't matter any more! They promised me power..Power to protect myself..I wont be weak again, I wont run away and watch them die..That's why I'll fight all of you if I have to, for my own sake!" Again she ignores Maira, even as she attacks her this time, forcing her to stagger back under the weight of powerful winds and draining flames. She grits her teeth, again focusing all her might and fury solely upon Ang.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "That's right." Emi tells Mercade. "We won't--let him hurt you any further... The Network clarifies that this is stated chiefly for dramatic effect and that ultimately chances of him being able to inflict pain on you are actually quite considerable but we will try to minimize it, to be more technically accurate about it." Evja stabs at her with giant spears, but as they close in on her--they are repelled from her body electromagnetically. She pushes them back and away from her body, smiling faintly, gripping the spears. "Is that all you can do? Unleash everything you have with every strike? You do realize how quickly that would tire anyone out, all bite--no tactics, The Network explains." She breathes out after saying that long phrasing-- Before intending to channel electricity through the spears and into Evja directly, trying to force her into dropping them so she can't fight as effectively--before attempting to fling Evja away from her electromagnetically!

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man indeed, remains standing. The gender of the bunny-eared thing matters very little to him. In fact, it may become later a source of confusion as of why this may seem to be a surprise to anybody later. For now, however, he is far more worried about the power of darkness that is manifested. A woman being a dragoon matters very little to him. The Dragons are not very discriminatory in this regard, after all. It's not even a /factor/ as for which monkey-shaped humans they chose. The spread of Chaos just happening near-by menaces to overwhelm his senses, but that is a thing that he'll have to pay attention /later/. On Darkness-using threat at a time. Besides, the other one is being handled by a good acquintance and... someone else. Dragoon Man remains standing, taking his breath back form his onslaught of elemental breath, his glowing eyes narrowing at the incoming gigantic blue spear. It comes, his focus narrowing upon it, his martial power edging up to a crawl. Slowly, as time crawls in his perception, the Dragoon lift his spectral spear, giving it a quick spin and wit for the right moment. He swings it with all his might, unloading his martial focus into it, contributing to a large part of deflecting the entire thing away from himself. "The Darkness makes you weak." Dragoon Man intones. slamming the butt of his spear into the ground, glaring upward. "Do you not see? Dragoons do not belong in the Darkness! That is not what the First Daughters and Sons intended for us! Come back, abandon your pride! Before it consumes you!" As he speak, an bright aura gathers around Dragoon Man, a faint aura that gives a scaled look, as his wounds begins to sew itself back together.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' The Detective moves to attempt to give himself some room from Evja as she works to annihilate him. He knows he's Evja's main target. "I almost feel sorry for you." Mercade says. "Do you even understand? Hades used you as a fire and forget weapon. He doesn't even care if you succeed or not. I'm not valuable to Hades at all." The massive spear comes down, and Mercade looks up, wondering if he is going to develop a post-traumatic stress disorder related to needles and other sharp objects after this is over. Mercade gets impaled again, driving him back into the ground as he is stuck there like an insect. The exploding lance doesn't help, either. Mercade is launched into the air, flying and tumbling away as he bleeds. He lies there for several moments... And then he hears Seith's words. "No..." He rasps. He looks up, blood running down his face as he looks up under the brim of his hat, eyes gleaming. "It's not like that. She's stronger than you think... And she has people who care about her. Even if we make mistakes..." He pulls himself up, refusing to fall despite his wounds. "Even if we're weak... We still have each other. You want to see strength? Don't look at her body. LOOK AT HER HEART!" Mercade yells. Platforms rise around the area, and Mercade is launches upwards on one of them, spinning and launching from platform to platform as he rapidly closes with Evja. "You want justice, Evja... You want to know where honor is? It's not in what armor you wear... It's inside you." Mercade then punctuates this with a fusillade of bullets as he falls from above, spinning with bullets raining down upon the Viera Judge... And he hits the ground, holding a familiar implement. KA-CHAK. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Mercade's shotgun resounds out as he unleashes quite real bullets this time at the Viera.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr once more takes the attack from Ember, the blade cutting into his armor, the pain comes...but he uses it to fuel his power. His eyes blaze, "You missunderstand, the relationship is that of master and student. I do not follow his order, he pays me as a mercinary. I learn from him.." he says, grinning as he pushes himself forward on her blade, and decks her something fierce. It was goofy time. However, someone invokes Chaos. Something in Angantyr tears at him, looking at the endangered Avira. A coordidor of darkness appears, taking him away from Maira, and right infront of Avira. The darkness washes over him, aiming to kick Avira out of the way. Raw chaos rushes over him, aiming to call out to him... And he breaks through it...he stands, but just barely. His body singed and hurt...he is barely standing...but he laughs weakly. "Your misconceptions of darkness are both wrong. Darkness is neither good nor evil...it just is." he says, barely above a whisper. And then he roars... Darkness surrounds him bursting from his VERY SOUL...he is drawing it not from everywhere...but frim himself. He rears the mace back...and unleashes a single line of pure and raw darkness at Seith and then Ember. "DIE!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Damn that viera! When Avira fought her in the tournament, she wasn't nearly this strong! Clearly this was more meddling on the part of Hades. Avira growls in frustration as she twists and wheels through the air, trying to catch the viera with her serrated blade. It's even more frustrating to remain untouched by these miscreants. They're off to take out her friends first and that's completely unacceptable. Tilting her head back, her jaws part and she howls. It's a terrifying and ominous sound that brings with it that strange high heat-like distortion around Avira. Experience in fighting alongside her meant that this was a familiar sight. "Mercade!" she calls out, ready to chase after him and dive into the way-though it's far too late for that. "Maira!" She knows she's fighting with Ember alongside Angantyr, "...be careful! Please!" Seith goes on a tirade besmirching Angantyr's name (though given his circumstances, it doesn't take much). She literally bristles, growling an "I already know." under her breath. Her ears fold down, "I didn't earn the power of this form! All my strength as a human, I worked towards it!" That sudden platform rises from underneath her and for a few seconds it looks like it will smash into her-until the air splits beneath her in a corridor of darkness, Angantyr emerging forth. Angantyr kicks herself out of the way and she tumbles in mid-air before recovering, remaing a flying target as she dodges Seith's rapidly rising platforms. It slows her progress as she seems to be trying to get to where Mercade and Evja are currently locked in combat. She knows what Angantyr is about to pull, no less, and wants to be out of dodge of that.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle snarls as scythe blades of darkness rake against him. He raises his shield, but it still takes a good chunk of flesh from his body, leaving wisps of darkness in his passing. A black hole forms in the sky, and he finds himself clinging to one of the rocks in the sky that Seith's magic has torn asunder from the earth. And then he would be blasted by Seith's magic, as the implosion of a black hole became an explosion of coruscating energy. Righting himself in mid air, he would consider the situation, sheathing away the first blade, and trading it for an ornate rapier. He took a few calming breaths as he did so to make certain his anger wouldn't bring forth what dwelled within. Gliding low, he would land beside Seith, aiming the hilt of his blade at his left temple. "Just what happened to make you as you are? What loss did you suffer? Do you truly think this conflict will make anyone stronger?" He would systematically begin to try and beat the armored elf back towards a wall with a fluorish of the rapier and shield strikes. Once against the wall, he would continue to batter him, before thrusting the rapier into a gap in his armor.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks upward towar Seith, her eyes wide as he just /laughs/ at her. They think she doesn't know that Angantyr has darkness in him? Do they think she doesn't know that Garland is his teacher? Garland is /very/ troubling, a force not to be trifled with. Maira thought that Angantyr would eventually leave. He would learn what he needed to know, and then he would leave Garland. There was Light in his heart too. He showed it each time he stood up to protect his friends, choosing more often than not to fight against the darkness. Maira looks up at Seith, her expression defiant. No matter what she's been told, when she looks back to see that Angantyr is in trouble, she is already running toward him, summoning Uist to help him. The platforms heave upward, the earth shaking, knocking her from her feet. Maira screams in frustration, scrambling upward to continue running toward Angan. Then her target disappears through a corridor of darkness, appearing above just in time to protect Avira. Maira screams again, tears streaming down her cheeks. Luckily, Uist is not hampered much, and reaches Angantyr, touching him with the healing energy he carries from Maira, which should surge through him like a current of life itself. 'Uist...oh Uist, what would I ever do without you?' she thinks, calling him back to her side. No time...no time! Maira's heart races as she lets Uist merge with her, the flame surging and growing into large wings upon her back. Her eyes glow with the magic that rages away inside of her. Maira takes flight, bursting upward to join them on the platform, landing in front of Angantyr, her burning gaze turning toward Seith and likely Ember. She says nothing. She doesn't think she has to. She's going to protect Angantyr, before he falls.

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' Ember smirks. "Right, call it what you like, you're still in cahoots with a Shadow Lord..Talk about playing both sides. Who're you foolin'?" Then he teleports in next to Avira and Ember frowns. She didnt want to harm Avira, but she did have her orders. She'd rather not get wasted by Hades, so... She brings up her sword, flaring to life as Angan strikes out with a powerful wave of darkness. Gritting her teeth, she brings up the sword to block her attack. "I will be strong...I wont fall to you again!" A brief glance is tossed in Avira's direction and she frowns. "Keep fighting and you'll get killed. If you just surrender, it'll be easier on all of us!" And then, focusing back on Ang, the Ember Knight snarls as she calls upon the darkness within her own heart, and leaps to the sky with a vicious cry, drawing orbs of darkness into her sword, then spinning it around and around, unleashing waves of her own flaming darkness, mixed with the bite of steel upon Angan and anyone else who happens to be nearby - in this case, Emi. "Farewell!!" It's only afterwards, when she sees Maira's tears that she pulls back, if only a little. "Sorry, Maira.." She murmurs softly, perhaps only enough for Maira to pick up. "I wont kill him, but...I will stop him!"

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason looks at Seith and seems amused at him. "If he's a shadow lord then he's going to face us." She seems to be hit hard by the strange attack she seems to be suriving them however for the most part as she's airborn for a moment before she manages to land but what the heck was that there comes the explosion and she's forced to wearhter it surpisingly she does so quite well. She brings up her pistols and opens fire sending out a number of elementally charged shots before shifting the shot type and firey burst followed by another shot of the strange underslug device on onr of her pistols.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' "This is /funny/ to you? People are getting hurt, and you think it's /funny/?!" Kamon sounds incredulous. He can't believe what he's hearing. Is this the kind of people he's going to have to deal with in this world of ruin? He doesn't have time to stand around. He has troubles almost as soon as he touches down, a purple-colored pulse shooting outward from the mage he attacked. He recognizes it immediately from his Paramagical Studies class; Gravity magic has a very distinct feel and hue. He also knows that he does not want to get touched by it. Kamon takes three steps and jumps, landing atop a covered cart and cracking the roof's supports as soon as he touches down. He uses it to fling himself higher, planting his feet on the side of a building and holding on until the ground settles again. Platforms rise up, but they don't come near him. He drops down from the building, onto the still-stable stones of the street. The dark Dragoon rises up, the light above him guttering out. Kamon feels the hairs stand on the back of his neck. His rust-colored eyes scan the battlefield, looking for the next avenue of attack before anything else happens. The giant spear descends, but not to him, so how is it he feels like he's about to get -- Speed. The strange inhuman Dragoon has speed, and lots of it. He follows his gut and turns to the left, raising his blunt sword and intercepting the edge of the first huge spear before he even realizes it's there. He turns, blade dancing behind him, turning aside a second thrust, and dancing around a third. Kamon ducks, letting a sweep of the weapon go over his head, and then knocking a fourth aside before it can be properly lined up. He doesn't waste an ounce of motion or momentum, redirecting force without fighting it more than he has to. Has the Judge finally found a match for 'her' strength? Kamon counterattacks without thinking about it. He slashes at the Viera's leg while the spear-wielder is still within reach to draw her attention away from other places, then steps around and moves to slam his pommel into the rabbit's forehead. He turns his katana again and furrows his brows in concentration, a quick slice across 'her' midsection with an edge gleaming in absent sunlight slicing through spells of protection and power. Then, without further pause, he runs straight at Seith and repeats the process in a less subtle, elegant way: he moves to barrel right into the elf with his three-hundred-pound, largely iron weight, releasing the last of his dispelling strike amidst the charge, and then promptly punches the mage directly in the head to break his concentration. "Cut it out!!"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' And through it all, once again, Evja winds up targeted by a lot. Soan manages to catch Evja's leg, though the attempt at slashing through his midsection doesn't do much given how tough the armor is. But... then there is more than he planned for. Mercade's gunning at him flattened the Viera, though this would be why Emi's attempt at electrocuting him didn't work at all. Blown backwards by the force of the attack and landing in a heap, the words sting Evja. Badly. Not only was he likely going to die in this fight... they wouldn't even give him the mercy of killing him with his pride intact, by dying with his spear in hand... they had to slander him, belittle him. The shame began to tear away at the Viera as he went to stand and slumped a bit. Watching the chaos briefly swirling around and trying to compose himself for an attack, he suddenly finds himself wanting to take on Seith, to end this all here and now and protect the others. To at least protect the other world from /the shadow lords/ as best he can before he's forced to be done in at the hands of the one he was sent to kill. That's when Evja realizes it. 'Your contract ends when Mercade is dead' 'Murder is illegal. Killing is not. I'm a god, lol' If Hades can screw him over on technicality that it technically isn't illegal, then he can return the favor by simply carrying it out another time! Or trying to, anyways! Hades never said /when/ he had to kill him. "I AM THROUGH WITH THE DARKNESS! MY CONTRACT ENDS WHEN MERCADE IS DEAD, SO I SHALL LIVE FOREVER IN DEBT! I WILL NOT KILL A MAN IN COLD BLOOD!" With that shout, Evja jumps high into the air and begins to bounce off the raised platforms, making his way high enough that he can once again summon his lances. However, this time, when he charges up, the darkness seems to dissipate. Evja was fighting the darkness, forcing it out of himself, the entire area beginning to feel permeated with how much was thrown at the Viera. Evja began to glow faint, then more and more before finally both of his spears were basked in Golden Light. Time to finish the elf, or die trying. "SPEAR OF THE JUDGE!" And there is suddenly a holy-charged flying Viera bulleting towards Seith with two giant spears that would explode upon impact.

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' "Taking orders from the Devil, wether you are paid or not, doesn't take away away the fact that you follow THE DEVIL'S ORDERS! YOU FOOOOOL!" Seith turns his head towards Angantyr as he rears his mace back and unleashes his darkness at him. "But one thing you are right in!" The man holds the scythe as well as he can, and then begins to spin it like mad around its center axis! And in this massive spin, he begins to deflect the darkness, forming waves of dark whips from the very essence that Angantyr throws at him and creating a massive backlash of dark energy. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The man calls out a monsterous battlecry, focussing his energy, before Angantyr's attack finally breaks through the man's defenses and washes over him! The platform he once stood on is entirely disintegrated and he's thrown to the ground, where he parks his boots into the ground and is forced back even further - digging massive grooves into the ground until finally, Seith throws one hand sideways and 'throws' the remainder of the pure darkness aside! "You are right! Darkness is not good nor evil! DARKNESS IS POWER!" "BUT!" The man turns his gaze t'wards Avira. "Who cares if you earned it or not? POWER IS POWER! All you need... IS THE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO USE IT! If you do not! You will simply FALL PRAY AND BE DESTROYED!" The man turns to Percival then as he comes down with the Rapier, and brings his double-ended scythe to bear once again. "It matters not what loss I suffered!" Inadvertantly admitting that it was indeed loss that made him who he is today. "But yes! Yes I do! This conflict will make everyone stronger here! And if they fail, then another weakling has been removed!" The man brings his weapon down up and slashes at the air, creating a tear in the fabric of gravity, and momentarily brings Percival into the grasps of that gravity anomaly. But yet, the gargoyle tears at him with that dark Rapier that calls out for blood! Yet to try and destroy darkness - to focus that force at Seith. Such are good intentions! The intentions to protect! The intentions to do away with darkness. And as such, the rapier pierces his defenses, striking through his armor and drawing blood not once, but thrice! The man stumbles back grabbing for his wounds, gazing defiantly at Percival, as well as the woman he can see standing behind the Gargoyle; Maira. "Not yet! You will need more! MORE POWER!"

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' The man rights himself, and a gravity field pushes Percival away finally, right along with some of Myla's bullets. Yet, he can only do so much! Some of the bullets contact eachother, and finally, one of the Flare spells within burst open and explode, shattering part of the man's dark armor! Pieces of sharp metal go flying, revealing the 'fragile' elf beneath as the chestpiece falls. This is followed by Kamon, the Light Dragoon, who barrels into him and breaks the back of his armor, causing the massive construct to finally fall until there is only his greaves and arm-guards remain. The onslaught of attacks truly having caused some serious damage on him. All that remains is the tattered mantle on one shoulder, wavering within the winds. Then finally, the helm splits, and the horned 'king' shows to be just a regular elf... An old looking elf. His eyes tired, his hair gray and white. A trickle of blood running from his forehead, down along the bridge of his nose. Yet he looks no less powerful. "Do you really think..." There's that suddenly pulse of purple energy once again, but this time, it extends throughout the entire district like a massive sphere. The ground cracks, the platforms in the air becoming more numerous as Gravity takes a tumble. "YOU CAN WITHSTAND MY POWER!?" << BGM CHANGE :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=wIkJ7FL4JkU >> The man's scythe too has broken. In each hand he now holds one part of it like two massive sickles. Slowly, little pebbles rise around him, and then he himself rises upon a small stone slab. Stones form in on him, and he slowly 'sits' down as the stones form a massive throne of stone beneath him. "No, Dragoon. THIS isn't funny! You are all powerful, but what I do find amusing is that you're not putting your all into this! Come on! SHOW ME YOUR POWER! SHOW IT ALL TO ME!" His gaze cants up when Evja suddenly breaks through with those golden lances! "YOU DARE!? YOU THINK YOU WILL EVER BE FORGIVEN!?" The man throws both halves of the scythe towards Evja, intent on slicing into his shoulders just as those lances shatter onto his last remaining armor, pinning him to his throne. "NOW! BEHOLD! YOUR PUNISHMENT!" A massive black hole begins to form in the air, far stronger than the one before. The platforms begin to rise into the air even further, and shatter upon touching it. Spells of darkness proliferate throughout the area, massive orbs of darkness shattering every which way. Telekinesis grabs Avira's body suddenly, ramming her down towards the ground before he sends a massive spear of Stone towards her with the full intent of spearing her... The entire place breaks out into Chaos, as the Black Hole descends, pulsating with massive powre... and then the ground tears up and /explodes/ from the sheer strain of the spell of his absolute gravity field... And things just... EXPLODE!

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks toward Avira, her eyes still filled with hope and determination. She intends to fight by her side, just like everyone else. Ember is there, as expected. Maira turns her gaze toward her, listening to her words, her hatred for Angantyr, her......apology.... The world stops for Maira. Epiphany hits her like a falling anvil. How did she not see it before? How did she not put the pieces together? Shaken to her core, Maira stares, wide-eyed and horrified, at Ember. For a few moments--an eternity in battle--Maira is frozen. She mouths one word in disbelief. Those moments cost so much. While she feels a warmth in her upon hearing Evja's proclamation in the background, Seith is attacking. The darkness, the gravity....she can't even register what is happening. Avira is falling, and Maira doesn't even have the time to call out for her before a large form is moving quickly between her an the oncoming onslaught....

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason stands firm she stands fall. "Forgiven? We do not seek the forgiven of the servants of Chaos." she brings up a barrier of some sort as the powerful gravity magic slams into her and pulls her down the terrible force of the blast is just something to behold and the barrier sharters she lets out a cry of pain as the darkness seems to consume her in the explosion and she does not reappear for a moment after the blast fades, but she's still standing. "It is not enough and there's a little thing you seem to not understand. Water, it's every where in the air, in me, in you, and it will answer my call." She starts drawing upon the wate rin the local enviorment channeling forcing seeming calling it from everywhere she's not drawing from anyone leiving but water levels in the local water system for the town might be suddebly vanishing as the child of the first flood calls upon it. The forces of the magic she's challening flars up as she corss her arms over her chest still holding her pistols. Then the watter all conversged upon Seith fully forced to drown and crush him before it's cut free of Myla's hold.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' In a sudden turnabout, the Dark Dragoon turn around, ignoring her... his orders, whatever, he don't even freaking care anymore. What he do care about, is that either through his words or events... or perhaps that crazy mofo that just /unleashed a piece of Chaos into the world to smite them/. There is very few things that makes Soan Sagittarius, AKA Dragoon Man angry. Darkness, he can support the smell, the stench that it creates. It's simply not one that he supports, or likes. Darkness is one thing. It's /something/, not a thing that he likes. As a Dragoon of his order, Black Magic is a thing they can do, in some strange shape. It's not a problem. Chaos, on other hand, is one of the few things that makes the young man angry, with every senses yelling at him, /screaming/ into his mind that something has gone horribly wrong in the world, a sledge hammer attacking his perceptions. In Dragoon Man's case, his sense of smell. For a brief moment, Dragoon Man staggers, staring at the darkness, holding a hand to his mouth, glaring upward at the maddening black hole that threatens to eat them all. "YOU FOOL!" Dragoon Man retches, forcing himself to regain his composure, his bright scale halo reinforcing itself. He wasn't the direct target of this madness, but it's still a problem to deal with. "YOU FULLY REALISE WITH WHAT YOU ARE PLAYING WITH, YOU MAD MAN!?" Dragoon Man shouts as he leaps up, his glowing spear piercing through the darkness as he makes an aerial beeline toward Seith. His entire form becomes a humanoid arrow of pure bright light, a searing energy that burns the eyes of the wicked, banish away the chaos devil back into the dark corner they hide. "FOR UNLEASHING CHAOS, IN THE NAME OF THE FIRST ONES AND THE SKIES ABOVE THE SKY," The armoured leaping man shouts, his spear, his body now a complete instrument dedicated at eradicating the traces of Chaos in this world, direct itself at Seith. Even if he don't hit him, he's happy: his mere presence should make things less terrible. "I SMITE YOU, CHAOS SPAWN, BY THEIR POWERS!" Normally, spears don't explodes. This one does.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr barely manages to stay up after the darkness wave...he's taking too many attacks, trying to keep both of his dearest friends safe. Ember draws on the darkness of her heart, and throws it at Angantyr...and he stands up, shimmering with his own darkness. "NOT ENOUGH!" he shouts out, defying her darkness with his own power. He breaks the stream like a boulder in a stream, taking the full force of the attack...even with Maira's help. He stands...smoking whispy strands from the attack, but he still stands... "I am on my side." he says, "You don't have the strength or the conviction to stand for yourself...puppet." he mocks. Even as bloodied as he was, he takes great strides in mocking Ember...a small pleasure. Angantyr stands tall, starting to walk towards her...readying another strike... And the the darkness from Seith radiates. "Damn!" he truns, right towards Maira. "NO!" he says, dropping his weapon, and lifting his arms to wrap Maira up, shielding her with his body. The darkness like gravity eats at him, breaking him down, and then spitting him back out. His body is destroyed, his armor litterally broken, and his own control slipping... He see's Garland for a moment, "You're a softhearted fool, boy. You have always been." he remembers him telling him... "I guess you're right.." he barely whispers, and falls to his knees, and then forward. His own blood washing with the ground and the darkness stops seeping from him.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' This time, Percival clings to the side of a building, as it seemed better footing than pieces of debris within the air. Exploding outward, he'd knock his head against the building, and skip along its stonework the whole way down. Just before he hits the ground, which surely would have knocked him unconscious; he reaches out with a single taloned hand. The talons would rake the stonework, breaking his fall. Snorting, he would climb up rapidly, to the top of the building, before leaping at the piece of stonework that Seith is sitting upon. Grasping onto it with his claws, he would climb to stand beside him, looking at the Elf with a mixture of disgust and pity. Casting aside the rapier, he would try to lift the wizened Elf by the neck off the platform with a single hand, snarling in his face. "For my friends? I would withstand the fires of perdition itself. YOUR POWER IS MEANINGLESS!" He would then aim to slam him down like a rag doll, before retracting his leg, and kicking him in the chest to knock him off his own platform

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi pauses a moment as Evja learns a valuable lesson--weaseling out of contracts through technical loopholes! Actually she doesn't know if that's an actual functional loophole regarding this, or how Hades will use such a clear and obvious abuse, but it's at least the attempt and that's a clear and important step towards understanding Judging. Maybe. She blinks for a long, languid moment-- She sighs deeply. "Not really what we were going for, but it'll do for now, The Network supposes."She spins around and looks towards Kamon. "Kamon! The Network--" ULTIMATE DARKNESS AHHHH!! The Ultimate Darkness crashes into Emi, sending her flying off her feet, burning her arms and legs with ... DARKNESS. If only she knew magic missile. Oh wait, she kind of does know magic missile. And by Magic Missile we mean Kamon Missile. "Kamon!" She shouts again, hissing as she pulls back up to her feet, her body shaking as she struggles to stand even as the dark flames ripple around her body. She breathes out slowly and snaps out both hands. "Get over here!" She unleashes special ability: ELECTROMAGNETIC PULL, literally tugging Kamon rapidly through space and into her hands, where he sticks. Magnetically. "Apologies for the small amount of forewarning." Emi says. "But this is as good time as any. Let's do this..." She raises up her arms, aiming... Kamon. Perhaps even Kaimon. She doesn't say much. But she does yell, "GO! KAMON RIDER!!" as she suddenly propels Kamon for Ember at supersonic speeds, while enshrouding him in a magnetic field to protect him from the effects! Of course, Ember won't be so lucky.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "/I/ care!" Avira calls out. There's an awkward pause, as if she wants to elaborate her position to Seith. But she doesn't continue, she just leaves it at that, feeling that it sums up more than just her thoughts on power. LEXUS had pointed it out at the fight for the Light of Manhattan. She did care-an awful lot. "And furthermore.." She turns to look down at Ember, "I own't just surrender. I won't give up on my world like that!" They sound like bold and impressive words, though a second after she says them, she's seized in mid-air by Seith's magic. The telekinetic grip smashes her face-first into the ground. She lands hard enough that the Spine comes flying out of Avira's grip, spinning end over end to stick into the ground well out of her reach. Magic swirls around her as the spear of stone smashes down upon her, ice magic used to prevent the spell from completely annihiliating her. Over top her, it slows as its met with sheets of ice that creep upwards, then shatter, raining down huge chunks of rock and even more ice. On one hand, she is not impaled, but on the other, she's half-buried. Growling, she digs and claws her way out. "Mercade...Angantyr...Maira..everyone...everyone will be okay..." she mumbles.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Evja turns away from him. Mercade looks at the Judge, considering their words... And he turns away, shouldering his shotgun. "If that's your choice." The battleground explodes in a paroxysm of annihilating force. Mercade finds himself left mostly intact as he is left on the edge of it... And he watches in horror as he everyone basically explodes. Mercade lunges into the smoking and collapsed remains, looking for everyone, but expecially for Avira. "AVIRA!" Mercade yells. "WHERE ARE YOU?" He says, trying to find her amidst the rubble. Where did she go... Who was that dangerous man who spoke of power? The stakes are getting higher.

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' Ember glances around in alarm now as she recognizes the realization in Maira's eyes. No..."Get out of here.." She says between clenched teeth. She didnt want this, not at all..She didnt want to make Maira cry. She didnt want to hurt Avira, and.."Seith! nooo!!" He falls moments after knocking out Ang. She's got to do something. There's too many... "Ugh!" she opens a portal behind Seith when he falls so that he will fall into the portal. Then, glancing towards those who fight around Avira, she unleashes a powerful blinding flash of fire to distract the others before grabbing Avira, leaping skywards and attempting to drag her into the portal too.. Time to end this... "I dont have time for this, Farewell!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira gasps as Angantyr enfolds her, shielding her from Seith's onslaught of darkness. 'No....no he's too hurt....' she thinks, cringing as the world goes dark around them, a maelstrom of chaos and darkness ripping the armor, the life, from Angantyr. When he falls to his knees, Maira goes down too, trying to support him, but her efforts are in vain. Angantyr is a big guy, she can't hold him up. It is all she can do not to be crushed beneath him. She pulls back from him, looking him over, her breathing rapid and panicked. He's hurt so badly. She isn't sure he is even alive. Maira reaches up to check his pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief when she finds it. He's alive. She can heal him. He'll recover. Not soon....but he'd recover. "Why did you do that...why...you idiot..." she says, tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked. She heals him again, though it won't bring him back into fighting shape. That would take days, weeks maybe. Avira! Maira's head snaps around, scanning for her best friend. There! Ember is grabbing her, moving toward a portal. She can't possibly attack without risking hitting Avira! Maira cries out in frustration and pure despair. "NO! DON'T DO THIS!" she screams after Ember, any composure she had completely unraveling. She is at wits end.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Technically, Kamon isn't a Dragoon, he's a Parivir. He just got jumping lessons from one. Kamon tries to get off the ground when magic rips space a new one. It doesn't take. He gets yanked towards the epicenter of the black hole, hauled in despite digging his heels in and tearing up the ground in the process. His sword is ripped out of his grip, and he only manages to fling it with the pull of the hole, slingshotting it back at Seith. Then, everything /explodes/, and he flies into left field, crashing through the cart he landed on before and smashing it to splinters. And then he gets up. Kamon doesn't look nearly as hurt as he should have, given the power of that magic. The trick, of course, is that he's awful at magic, and in fact is highly resistant to it. The impact hurt more than the gravitic pulse. "He's the Dragoon," he coughs out, jerking his head at Soan. "He is. I'm a Pari --" He's yanked off his feet again. "-- viiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrr...!" BAP. Kamon ends up in Emi's possession. He blinks at her a couple of times. He opens his mouth to ask a question -- Then, he's airborne. Kamon hurtles towards Ember like a meteor, tumbling through the air at speeds an Odynar was not meant to travel. He screams in a mix of terror and excitement as he does, flipping end over end until he finally straightens himself out. He manages to straighten himself, flying feet-first at one of the three minions of darkness trying to destroy them. Kamon feels a powerful urge well up in his chest, and it isn't just the magnetism pulling at his /metal spine/. "KAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON --" He sticks out a foot. Kanji might spontaneously appear freeze-framed near him as he flies. "-- KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!"

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' "I am no servant of Chaos!" Seith calls out. "I serve something far greater! Something far more important than such a thing! I SERVE THE FUTURE!" The brings the throne to slowly move forwards into the direction of the fallen Avira. "And even water is not everywhere! YOUR WORLD FELL! No longer is there water! There is only darkness! Because none were strong enough! None were strong enough to stand up against the darkness! And neither will you! Even if you win today! DARKNESS ARE FOREVER!" (( Hate it when the dubbing goes wrong )) The man's approach continues, until Kamon's forces of magic splash against him! The water forces Seith down towards the ground, shattering the massive throne - but Seith rolls out of the way and continues that slow villain-walk towards Avira. It's like a Tonberry, only without the knife, or the DOINK. Then Dragoon Man falls down towards him! The man brings up both hands and forms a massive shield of energy, and then recalls his broken scythe's sickles, bringing them up before himself and crossing them before him. Soan's spear rushes in for the kill, but Seith blocks it! The massive speer rattles against Seith's defenses, first that shield, then his weapons! Sparks fly, flaying the ground and his body. Singing his hair. Seith stares up at Soan. "DARKNESS IS POWER! THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS!" Then spear erupts into a massive explosion, shattering its light and metal across his body. One massive piece stabs into his abdomen, causing the wound to trickle blood down along his waist and down to his leg. "YOU WILL NOT HAVE ME!" He pushes back, still standing, dark power lashing out from his body. Then Percival sweeps in, grabbing him by the neck and bringing him up into the air. Seith spares no moment to bring his hand right up to Percival's chest and sending a shockwave of corrosive darkness into his chest in order to inflict severe pain, before being forced into the ground by the Gargoyle. He lets out a gasp for air, coughing up blood from the impact - his hair laying wide along his body... his gaze up to the air.... For a moment it looks like he'll remain down... But then there's a second cough, and he slowly begins to get up once more. His body trembling, bleeding, holding one hand at his abdomen. "Hehehe..." He grins at Mercade. "YOU ARE TOO LATE BOOOOOOOYYYYY!" He calls out to him. And then he looks towards Angantyr. "Tssk... pitiful one! Don't you know?" He doubts Angantyr will hear him. "LOVING THOSE AROUND YOU WILL ONLY BRING YOU PAIN!" The man then touches his hand back towards the Portal that Ember had created for him. "MARK MY WORDS, girl!" He looks pointedly at Maira. "He will only hurt you! It is inevitable!" And that is when he finally steps through and lets it close behind him... But not before letting his gravimetric hold go of those remaining platforms in the air. LOOK OUT BELOW!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr moves...seemingly responding to something... His hand moves towards Seith... It makes a very rude and CENSORED gesture, before he passes out.

:'''[[Seith]] has posed:''' Elsewhere: Seith slowly stumbles into the library, trailing a path of blood behind him. His eyes look grayer than normally, and there's blue underneath them. He almost falls, grabbing onto a library's bookshelf. "Grah!" The thing cannot support the weight, and he ends up falling over, bleeding on the valuable books. Yet still he slowly reaches to his chest, pulling out a locket... and clicks it open. There, within, is a picture of his late wife and daughter. "This is... what must be done. They will grow stronger now. So that they may never..." He pauses, coughing loudly, cringing in pain, unable to move. "... feel my sorrow. For the future." And so he kisses the picture-face of his locket, and closes it before losing consciousness.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' She can hear Maira crying. Avira's efforts to push rocks and ice off of her redouble. Half-dug out, she reaches her hand up. "Maira!" Her head pokes out and rocks roll off her back. "Maira! I'm coming!" She feels someone take her outstretched hand. For a few seconds, she assumes it's one of her friends Mercade, most likely, because he's still standing and Angantyr is not. Or it could also be the DRAGOON MAN, who has heroically been fighting against Evja. But it's neither. It's Ember holding her hand. Avira's lips pull back into a snarl as she's yanked away. "You're making a big mistake." she growls. The last thing everyone will see of her before she disappears into that portal appears to be a headbutt. The Spine remains embedded in the ground, miraculously untouched by falling platforms.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Seith's words do not even penetrate Maira's distraught mind. She doesn't know where Ember is going, but if she manages to take Avira away....she'll find her. There is nothing that would stop her. There is nowhere she would not go to get her friend back. Nowhere.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' When the scythes hit the Vieran Judge, his armor shatters off and he's pinned atop one one platform that was flying up straight towards the black hole. "...so this is it." came a resigned laughing statement before impacting against the darkness and being exploded backwards like a smoking hunk of rabbit meat from a rabbit shot with a cannon. Evja skidded across the ground with the scythes thankfully no longer pinning him down and somehow manages to stay conscious despite the heavy magic blow. Glancing across to where his armor fell, Evja could see it wasn't broken, the straps were simply cut. Which was a good thing, because suddenly a giant platform was falling! Summoning a spear to his hands, Evja reached out from where he was to try and pull the chest plate to him only to curl up and try to weather the hunks of rock that were falling by holding it over his head. Not much protection, but it did the job well enough that he didn't get bonked on the head by a bigass rock. After such he stood and propped himself up with the spear, wandering towards the closest people to say, "Will... will everyone live?"

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason sees Seith is handled and Ember us fleeing but still things have been not doing so well for everyone as she looks at the locals. "So are your lives always like this?" She pauses at the Dark Knight a bit supriseed "We should get him some help." She pauses for a moment sees Avira is gone but the one behind it is still here she puts her fingers to her mouth and whistles at a high ptich. "SWIMMER! SICK EM!" The mechanical magitech dog comes bounding out of an ally way from where it may have been fighting the hidden war against an evil cat master mind. It bounds along at high speed snawling leaping at Ember intend to open it's jaw and take bite her maybe even taking a chunck out of her.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man lands on his feet, taking in a deep breath after the great amount of energy he just unloaded just a few moments ago. He can feel it's wasn't a one-way exchange of blows, he can feel some of the dark magic affecting him. Seith's word barely touches his mind. He has heard the rantings of a many Chaos worshippers, more than he wished he would have. These words are meaningless for him, at least right now. What is less meaningless, however, is that blast that was directly aimed at this Mercade fellow. It may have not been the most strategic move, but it was, to his heart, the most valliant one to do. "Look out!" Dragoon Man shouts, leaping in the way of the flurry of fireballs, each impacting loudly against his armoured chestplate. It's certainly blackened, sure, but he seems barely hurt by the endavour. Unfortunately, that distracted him enough that he has no chance to get that strange mutant girl out of the portal! "NO!" He shouts, pausing to watch Kamon be launched out of ... the Dennou's arms. Huh. That can't have been pleasant for his half-metal friend, there. That battle cry, however, he'll have to remember. Hmmmmmm! "Come back here! Bring her back!" Dragoon Man shouts, leaping after Ember, manifesting a few more spears, tossing them after her like javelins. Evja will get his attention afterwards.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi blushes faintly and looks away from Ember, deftly sidestepping the doom fire though it may be incidental because she's got feelings okay? Wait did he just call himself a Paravir? "Oh my, THe Network knows two paravirs*." *Emi is incorrect here, she actually only knows two paravirs and is incorrect about Navya being a paravir and, quite frankly, is still not entirely sure what a paravir is. Of course, it seems the KAMON RIDER KICK came a bit too late. What was hoped to be avoided has come to pass?! It's been a rough week. Emi jogs wherever Kamon ends up to check up on him. u.u

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade searches out for Avira, and sees a glimpse of her, moments before the blastwave hits. He gasps, trying to raise his guard... But it never hits. He looks up, to see DRAGOON MAN standing in the path of the blast. "You..." He says for a moment, shocked... "Thank you." He says to DRAGOON MAN (official spelling dammit), and he leaps over the valiant mystery man in order to try to reach Avira. However, even as he reaches out, Avira is sent through the portal, and Ember makes her very, very painful escape. Mercade yells. "AVIRA! NOOOOO!" The words of Seith echo in his ears as he stands there amongst the burning and shattered ground, and he looks over to the Spine, stuck upright in the ground like a grave marker. "Dammit..." He says... And then he whispers something to himself as he walks over to the mithril-coated weapon and he looks down at it, deep in thought as emotions churn within him.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is still pouring cure magic into Angantyr. She does so until she has nothing left to give and is slumping over herself. As he is unconscious, she tries to easy him over, but ugh is he heavy! Well, he's laying down now, but it was less than graceful and causes Maira to wince. She looks up toward Myla, shaking her head. "N-no...no its not," she answers, then looks toward Evja. It is quiet likely that everyone here is still really, really angry with the viera. Maira is a forgiving type. She will wait to hear the reasons before she condemns Evja. Really, she probably doesn't have condemnation in her at all. "Will you help me with him? I need to get him back to HQ," she asks Evja, her eyes moving to include any others nearby who might be willing to help carry a giant unconscious dark knight. Maira takes a deep breath, looking upward toward where the portal had been. Ember had taken Avira. Ember... "We'll go after her. We'll rest...then we'll go after her...." Maira says, her voice growing stronger as her resolve hardens. "We WILL go after her. Mercade, come with me. You need to be healed too. Then...then we'll find her."

:'''[[Ember]] has posed:''' People start yelling behind Ember even as she ensures that Seith is safely on the other side before someone can deliver the killing blow. She screams out as various people she doesnt know blast into her with an assortment of deadly attacks, staggering forward with each progressive deadly strike that chips away at her armour and forces her to choke out blood. If she felt anything she didnt show it, not in front of these people. Instead, she focuses on pushing Avira all the way in before her, snapping the portal shut behind her.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "..." Evja stares towards Maira, then Angantyr before sighing and looking rather upset by things. What was he supposed to do. Slowly making his way over towards Angantyr, Evja looks directly at Maira as 'she' speaks, "If I am not mistaken, he is wanted in Archades for attacking an Archadian Judge. ...not to mention attacking me and trying to kill me in Fluorgis after I had a practice match with someone. By all accounts I should summon Archadian Judges and have him arrested, as I promised only a week ago to Judge Magister Gabranth I would be doing just that." Then the Viera falls silent, waiting for some kind of reply from the woman. Especially considering Evja was in no shape to really do anything.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks up at Evja, disappointed, angry, but still....she holds. She stares Evja down. "But you won't arrest him. You won't call. You'll have to go through me," she responds, stubborn. It is clear she will /not/ budge. Indeed, she will fight if she has to.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon isn't even sure where Kamon ends up. He's pretty sure he's still on this block somewhere. Eventually, he wanders back towards Emi, walking a little wobbly. He walks right past her, in fact, swirly-eyed and going, "W-wheeeeeee..." in a shaky voice. Kamon then (dizzily) bee-lines to the weird platforms, or where they were. He stumbles a bit, and looks around on the ground, expression a mix between worry and confusion. He eventually finds what he's looking for, picking up his sword. It is basically twisted into a pretzel. He frowns at it, and then absent-mindedly reaches out and plucks the Spine from its spot sticking up from the ground apparently effortlessly. He doesn't even hold it awkwardly, but looks at it as if surprised to find it in his grip. "Oh. Is this, uh --?" He looks to Mercade.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man exhales. Damnit. So much for keeping that poor girl in safe hands. Again, he fails to save somebody, much like that Will fellow yesterday. The armoured man lower his spectral spears, turning his head toward Mercades. If he had any expressions on that helmet, he's be sadly smiling. "Do not lose hope." He instructs, firmly, making his way to the man and placing a gauntleted hand on his shoulder, as he grieves. "I am certain there are ways to get her back. There is always /a/ way." Evja's comments makes him remind of the Veira's existance. After giving Kamon a look to make sure that the half-metal friend is still in good shape, the Dragoon makes his way over, sternly looking over at him. His gaze moves to Maira, then back at the Judge. "I am certain your superiors did not ask you to get in the employ of Darkness, either, Brother." Dragoon Man says, carefully. "It would be best if you left for now. There is no need to add further bloodshed today." Plus what the hell is wrong with your head, why do you have rabbit ears, Soan internally monologues.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi watches as Ember receives so much damage, that she /barely reacts/. It must be like one of those old games where you go so far to the right of the screen you end up on the other side. She nods, probably for the best. Kids might be reading this scene. Emi brings her hands behind her back carefully. "Kamon?" She asks. "Are you okay?, The Network inquires as to whether you need assistance standing." She looks towads the pretzel blade, and then towards Mercade. She kicks the ground awkwardly.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr is not bleeding out, thanks to Maira. He doesn't wake up at sounds of the Judge's threats. Though he'd have his own words to say on the matter.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Well, Maira begins dragging Angan by and ankle...he doesn't even budge. Damn heavy dark knight!

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle had been beaten within an inch of his life by Seith's magic. Large gouges of flesh were missing from his side, with wispy black smoke still rising from the searing darkness. Already, more flesh was bubbling away from the elf's final riposte. Several bones within one of his wings had been broken from his tumble down the side of the building, and it hurt to breathe. He was sure he'd cracked a few ribs, and he wouldn't be flying again until dawn. And so, he could only watch as Avira was spirited away by Ember. Limping in the direction of the others, he would say nothing to them. What could he say? They'd lost the battle. None of them were happy thoughts. They ranged anywhere from derision, to pity. Then he put that all aside, as the Elf did not matter compared to what they had lost. Walking over to Maira, he would offer to her in a ragged voice. "Do you need help with him, Lady Maira?" He knew that Angantyr wouldn't appreciate that, so he thought it best to omit this part in the future.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon wobbles a little bit. "Uh... I think... I just need a second." He stops and blinks a whole bunch of times, taking a few breaths and apparently centering himself. Or something like that. He shoots a quick glance to Evja and then at Soan, a slight raise of the eyebrow that is part 'is she clear' and part 'what the hell is that'. "Okay. Okay. Wow. Uh." He looks around, and doesn't see anyone dead, but does see one person flat on their back and a girl trying to drag him around unsuccessfully. "Hey, uh. I can probably move that guy. Just... just give me a second. I need to catch my breath."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Evja sighs as Soan approaches and Maira gets in the way. "So be it. However, Maira... know that if he attacks another Judge in any way unwarranted, I will hold you personally responsible for not letting him be taken in. His charge is a death sentence in Archades, and I have nothing to do with that." Soan gets a strange look before the Viera shakes her head a bit and looks up at the sky, "Do not be so hasty to step into matters like that, though... thank you for standing against me. At heart I do not wish to be the death of anyone, but in the case of this man... he is blind to his anger and will attack anyone in my line of work, or so I understand."

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' "Didn't you just get your fuzzy ass kicked up between your freaky bunny ears?" Kamon asks irritably. "Can you talk a /little/ bit less like someone who thinks they're the most important person on the block and a little /more/ like someone who's going to help clean up the mess they made? Don't go talking about holding people responsible right after you just tried to kill a bunch of people." Kamon is way less meek when he's full of fight-adrenaline. He'll feel bad about it later.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "It was hers." Mercade says quietly to Kamon. He looks up from under the brim of his hat. "Can you use it?" He looks to Maira, and the staredown between Evja and the healer woman. He doesn't get involved in the conversation between them all at the moment, adjusting his hat and considering his next move.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man gives Kamon back a look. It's still the same helmet, but he probably know by the way he tilted his head, how his shoulders lifted slightly at his look, that his answers is likely 'Heck if I know' to both account. He was about to add something, rebuke to Evja's argument, before Kamon bursts in with his irritation. It's rather amusing, really, seeing the Superhero lifting a finger, about to say something, to be interrupted. His head tilts toward Kamon, then back at the Viera. Internally, Soan claps for Kamon.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks toward Percival. Oh goodness, she'd not even remembered he was here. Everything had been so chaotic...but she smiles, warm and appreciative. At least until she sees how wounded he is. "I would love your help Percival...but you have to let me tend your wounds after," she tells him in a healers tone, leaving no room to argue. Maira looks to Evja, nodding, grateful. She is too understanding for her own good. "I understand....and he is not blind to his anger. Did you not see? He protected me...he has a complicated...thing...with Judges, is all," she replies, though she knows the defense isn't exactly strong. But he did protect her. Maira looks to Mercade then. She narrows her eyes slightly at his use of past tense. "It IS hers, and we are going to give it back to her when we find her," she says, standing then, finally. "Now everyone who needs to be healed follow me to VALKYRI HQ, we're preparing to take the wounded. I'll do all I can--then we find Avira. Got it?" Um, forceful Maira! Twilight zone!?

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason lookss everything has calmed sown a bit and she goes to check up on Kamon for a moment then to mercade "Kamon you all right and we're sorry about your friend." She pauses looking at Evja she shrugs at them for a moment. She shaeks her at them. "Dragoon Man good to see your alive." She looks over to some of the others nd the Gargyole gets looked over. "I owe you one name's Myla, Myla Mason."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi says, "You aren't an Archades Judge or anybody with any authority from The Network's understanding. I'm unsure how you could hold Maira responsible for anything, The Network remarks as they are impressed with the speed one goes from somewhat penitent to arrogant." She probably won't feel bad about this later, thus proving that she is not an innocent naif, though she'll probably still be treated like one after despite saying this, but this is the second time Evja tried to murder her boss. It's a great mystery. But of course internally she is probably claping for Kamon too. She can't pat him on the back because she'd probably sproing up into the air though, so she just hides a small smile with her hand, bashfully.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade turns to Myla, and looks her over for a moment. Hmm. "Hey there. I'm glad you guys showed up when you did, it was looking... unpleasant for a minute. I appreciate it." He tips his hat politely. He looks to Maira then as she TAKES CHARGE. "All right." He says, and moves to Ang's side. "Come on. I'll help get him to the HQ." Mercade moves to pick up Ang from one side, so someone can get the other.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle would hold up a single finger to Evja. "One time. Just one time, I would like to hear even a single word of contrition from your lips that I thought you meant. Every time I hear you speak, you are shifting responsibility onto something else. The law. Honor. Your word. And now upon a good woman that is only trying to help a friend. This man did far more for the cause of rescuing Lady Avira than you ever did." And then he would pick up Ang from his other side, while Mercade got the other. He would nod to Maira. "I promise that I shall, Lady Maira. But you truly don't have to worry about me."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "No, I did not just try to kill a bunch of people. I tried to kill one person... the rest of you I was trying to injure enough so you did not get in the way. Not that it makes me feel any better about not seeing the way to avoid fulfilling my contract until I did. All the same... thank you for protecting Mercade. But..." The Viera turns and pulls a cloak out of the air, Item Management working in favor of the Judge. Hey, Judges had to deal with lots of 'loot' for the clans. They're good at storing stuff in places. Putting it on, she adds, "...I shall have to earnestly try and fulfill it another day. I truly am sorry about it. I am bound by magics to stand up to my oaths, I cannot break them." And then she begins to walk away.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Evja also, at some point in this since Seith left, wandered here and there and got the few pieces of armor that had fallen off. Totally.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "YOU TRIED TO KILL A GOOD MAN! YOU <GOOSEHONK>ING FOOL! AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS JUSTIFY JUSTIFY JUSTIFY! Why even bother speaking the rest? Just apologize for trying to Mercade, and GET OUT, if you are going to make excuses!" And then he'd nearly double over from the effort of yelling at the Viera. God, the Judge really made his head hurt.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi learns that attempting to stab people with darkness spears does not qualify as life threatening activity, today. She stares at Evja.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon just kind of stares at Evja. He shakes his head. "That doesn't make it okay. You should be apologizing and then trying to make up for it, or finding a state-certified White Mage to break the compulsion. Just --!" He stops talking, shaking his head again and turning away. He turns and watches the other exchanges, then looks down to the Spine. He turns it over in his hand, and then holds it at arm's length, taking its measure. He swings it through the air a couple of times, muttering to himself about it all the while. "Yeah, I can use it," he says, with some surety. "I'll just... tell me where you want it, I'll bring it along." He favors his right leg a little when he walks. Apparently he's in for the healing part.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man frowns, not that it's especially visible but by how his head tilt and how he crossed his arm, you can just FEEL the dissapointment in the masked hero's posture. He gives a look toward the others helping the wounded, before turning that gaze toward Percival. "Calm, friend, calm." He says, twisting his gaze toward Evja. "The Dragons says that there is always a choice. We blind ourselves to the hard one, fooling ourselves into thinking that there is only one." He pauses. "I do not know how Dragoons are in this world do it, but this is part of our way. You have a long path to walk back. Now, go." Then, he begin to walk to the others.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Fine." Mercade looks over to Kamon and gestures, giving him a moment to pick up Ang as he slips out from under the man's arm. He walks up to Evja, his weapons put away and body bloodied. "You're backsliding." Mercade says. He looks over the wounded Judge, and spreads his hands. "Make a decision and stick to it. Are you going to follow your oath or not? Are you going to kill me or not? Make up your mind. You want my life? Take it." He pauses. "It doesn't get any easier than this. Striking down an unarmed man. Just remember... Whatever you choose, it's your choice. And it's your responsibility to live with the consequences. Are you going to serve the law, or are you going to serve justice? The choice is yours."

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon takes the other side of Ang, one-armed. He takes most of the weight off Percival's hands. He's clearly way less injured than most of the other people involved in this brawl, and apparently pretty strong, too.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr is now stuck to Kamon. Magnets. How do they work? SERIOUSLY?!

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon goes :|. He does not turn his head like a creepy doll and stare at Emi accusingly. He wonders if he can stub his toe and de-magnetize himself.

:'''[[Myla Mason]] has posed:''' Myla Mason looks at Evja and she is the daughter of a ship captain she walks up to Evja for a moment she stares at them for a moment she thinks about it but prehaps this one isn't the one for such a thing. She stares at the bunny person? She looks over to Percy "Come on lets give you a hand shall we?"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Nothing said truly seems to bother the Viera until Mercade walks up in front of her and spreads his arms, leaving himself wide open and seemingly able to be killed. It's when he gets that close that Mercade can probably see the stains of tears on the Viera's cheeks, if the light is right enough. Evja's hands shook a little beneath the cloak before the tremor went up to the Viera's shoulders, head looking down slowly towards the ground before she collapses to her knees, hands on her head, "I do not wish to kill you!" comes the rather exasperated sound, even though a spear did appear in one hand as she brought one down to the ground in front of her, "Please walk away. Please..."

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man also nods at Myla. "Of course I'm alive! I'm also quite glad to see some of our world has made it through! Take care of yourselves, would you?" He says, smiling, staying back to make sure Evja moves away from Mercades. He's watching the conversation, for now. It best not go where he think.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou turns her attention to Kamon and Angantyr. "...Oh, The Network apologizes. There seems to be residual effects." She pauses. "...But still, a bit handy for this circumstance."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "It's not a question of wishing. You put so much effort into your oaths. You proclaim so much about the law and judge everyone." Mercade's eyes are piercing. "Could it be that the Judge is afraid of being Judged themselves?" He steps forward. "It's so easy, Evja. Make a decision. Kill me and be free and know you kept your oath. You served your Law." He pauses. "But you know that it's not actually just, is it. You're going to murder a man for no reason other than it makes Avira's life more miserable because we care about each other." He takes another step. "But now you know. So do it. Kill me and be free. Do it, Judge! Kill me! Grow a spine when you have to make the /HARD/ choices in life, or are you a COWARD who hides behing the LAW as an excuse to BULLY PEOPLE?" Mercade's voice becomes angrier by the moment. "SO DO IT! KILL ME, JUDGE!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou meanwhile, hopes Mercade has a backup plan in case Evja goes 'ok *stab' because she considers those even odds.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Backup plan? Uh.... Mercade will get back to you on that one.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' BACKUP PLAN! Percival would gesture with his chin at Angantyr's body, then towards Evja. And then his eyes would literally begin glowing white with anger. The Gargoyle would rip Angantyr's body off of Kamon's armor, and the two at once would lift him over their heads. Barreling forward, the two would swing him both at the same time as a hammer at Evja. Bludgeoning him repeatedly with his unconscious body. Yes that just happened. Percival would only hope that the man's anger would be offset by the fact that he was being used to try and beat the Viera Judge silly. And then he just gave Kamon an awkward look afterwards. Ho boy.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Okay, this is getting ridiculous. The talk of death is very... grim. He's not fond of it. Kamon turns slightly, partially magnetized to Angantyr's chainmail. He carefully puts down the Spine, and then steps forward, taking the warrior by the ankle and around the thigh. He lifts him up, letting him loll backwards a little, apparently adjusting how he's carrying him. Maybe he's planning to grab his legs and let Percival take him by the arms. No, actually, he's not. With uncanny stealth and speed, Kamon steps up behind Evja and swings Angantyr's unconscious body down at the back of the Judge's head like a big ol' humanoid sap. Kamon briefly wonders why he's so light. Wasn't he heavier? The angle should make it way harder to swing him, too... Kamon glances over at Percival, blinking awkwardly.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man remains tense, gripping his spear as Mercades says his piece. What the hell is that man thinking? If he keeps doing that, that unstable... whatever that is is surely just going to /snap/. He was about to strike, himself. Percival and Kamon, in their own brilliance, were far faster than he was. The superhero is /stunned/, the bright eyes bursting wide for a moment at what he saw. He makes a few noises, opening his mouth and closing it, trying to figure out the best words. "Nice shots." Dragoon Man settles on.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "No... you fool." Evja whispered softly, hand gripping the spear so tightly that her long fingers and, thus, nails, dig into the palm of her hand. "This magic was forced upon me when I became a Judge... I had no choice. And now..." The hand shakes again as Evja goes to stand slowly, spear raising even as tears run down her cheeks and stain her veil, "And now that I got myself into this situation by being a fool, because of them, I will be forced to kill a man in cold blood!" Her spear was raised and just as she was about to plunge it through Mercade... WHACK Body Slam ~.~ The Viera crumples like a wet noodle and collapses to the ground with the spear clattering beside her.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' "Well... that worked out," Kamon says awkwardly. He peers at Percival and gently lowers Ang's body, freeing a hand to give him a hesitant thumbs-up. Then, he picks up the Spine again. He'd probably loot the spear except that his hands are full, and he left his equipment black hole back home. "Maybe we should go before bunny-guy," Bunny-girl? Bunny-person? Whatever, "wakes up and tries to kill you again."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi idly kicks the spear out of the way shortly after. She looks down at her for several moments, then up at Percival and Kamon, then down at Evja, then towards Kamon himself. <3 <3 <3 "Are you alright, Mercade?, The Network inquires.", though otherwise she nods and agrees with Kamon's prognosis here.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade was about to get murderized. Mercade breathes, turning away as Evja hits the ground, unconscious. He looks back over his shoulder at the insensate bunny, and thinks for a moment before looking away. He says nothing. There is no judgement from him. Nothing in his eyes. Nothing in his speech. "I'll be fine, Emi. Thank you guys for your help." He says the last to Kamon and Percival. "Let's go. There's nothing left to do here." He simply walks away, and turns to head into town, making his way towards VALKYRI HQ to get healed by Maira (he's had enough Ultra Potion for one year) and prepare his inevitable trip into Tartarus to face down a god.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' And then once the Adrenaline rush wore off, and he'd finished looking awkwardly at Kamon, he'd literally crumple onto his knees, coughing and sputtering. Seith's final /gift/ was still burning away at his innards, and it really, really hurt. Why did the good ideas always hurt so much? After a while, he'd hesitantly give Kamon a thumbs up, while still coughing. Now that was smooth.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr makes an effective weapon. Angantyr is also seriously injured, and was kept stable by someone pouring white magic into him, He is now bleeding all over Evja, because he was left there.

:'''[[Kamon Lionward]] has posed:''' Kamon totally kept holding you up after all that. He doesn't know jack about white magic though.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' After a while, the Gargoyle would shakily stand back up, then put an arm back under Angantyr. The two would then very slowly make their way to VALKYRI HQ, with his unconscious body. He'd have to have Emi calculate the odds of Angantyr shattering him in his sleep for that later.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' For no apparent reason, the spear is gone. It went... somewhere. Somehow. It likely rolled off a cliff. Yeah.

Bayou Brawl

2013-03-14T20:35:13Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/03/11 |Location=New Orleans - Bayou |Synopsis=Following the Avira sightings leads the heroes and a certain necromancer to the bayou. All hell ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/03/11
|Location=New Orleans - Bayou
|Synopsis=Following the Avira sightings leads the heroes and a certain necromancer to the bayou. All hell breaks loose.
|Thanks=Royce! For being awesome.
|Cast of Characters=Will Sherman, Mercade Alexander, Avira, Minerva, Navya, Emi Dennou, Percival, Royce, Soan Sagittarius
|Tinyplot=Manhattan Restoration
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Anger at Viera judge had spurred him to leave the Cloud Nine early, even though he was under threat of being mommed to death by Celina if he weren't medically cleared first. He wasn't worried about that. Nearly all wounds vanished with the coming dawn. And so he'd left on a search for Avira. The New Orleans Bayou was one of the first places he thought to look. It made sense after all, having been one of the stops on their quest to restore Manhattan. Gliding silently over the mire, he would land upon a tree branch when he saw a cloud of fireflies. They would swarm about in puzzlement for a time before taking the shape of a question mark. He would state one word. "Avira." There is some hesitation given that the last time they saw her, she was in human form but it hesitantly take the shape of an arrow. It would then immediately change into a circle with a line through it, indicating caution, and then the shape would become a broken heart. The Bronze-Skinned Gargoyle would spread his wings once more, before continuing to glide in that direction. Eventually he would come to see dark shapes in the trees, glowing eyes in the quagmire. Heartless were lurking, but they did not approach him. Perhaps it was that he had just enough darkness in his heart that they didn't care to attack him. Or maybe it was more that they just had other priorities. The soft susurrus of the wind under his wings was the only sound of his passing as he continued to follow the trail of Heartless deeper into the bayou.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' The reason they were distracted... Will appears on the map. Heartless also appear, SRT style. Will fires a single LUCK LASOR, which blows through the first and closest heartless, which immediately outright kills it. "Tch...more heartless. And swampy too...I hate swamps, they're like oceans, but DEADLIER. And also smell like four trash cans." he mutters. More heartless come... "Always another heartless.." he says, firing another beam, and rushing for the other ones. One cutscene later... "Now maybe I can search for Avira without anything deadly coming to attack me for a damn change.."

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya has been looking for Avira ever since she heard about what happened (well, minus when she had to crash for the night). She is pretty sure she doesn't have the whole story, although that revelation didn't come to her immediately; as she often does, Navya ran off half-cocked, without really planning ahead of time. She got to Halloween Town far too late. But today she's much closer on the trail. She just isn't enjoying the trail very much. Navya has her boots on, same as last time she went into the swamps. She only wishes she had a boat; this time she's on foot, walking with occasional short flights from drier spot to drier spot. She has also figured out about the bugs and is wearing about two people's worth of bug repellant, though it still hasn't occured to her to put on a long-sleeved shirt, or in fact even cover her stomach. She also makes enough noise for two people, because Heartless definitely don't avoid her. Navya's hammer is good at clearing them out, but it also makes rather loud noises whenever her backswing hits a tree or a log (which is regularly). Also, she's yelling occasionally. "Hellooo?" she calls. She isn't sure if she's looking for Avira, or 'anyone else in the swamp'. It may explain why she gets so many Heartless, though.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Today would mark the first instance of Avira not randomly fleeing somewhere. There was a purpose beyond mere avoidance to coming to this particular world and it all lay in the presence of a certain Voodoo Priestess living deep in the bayou of New Orleans. Mama Odie. That scroll she received? THERE WAS NOTHING ON IT. Avira wanted answers. She tried, really hard, to stay out of sight on her travels, but despite her best efforts and likely due to the sudden proliferation of "Lost Dog" posters (thanks Hades), even here she cannot stay hidden for long. She had yet to relocate the home of Mama Odie. While she would normally be consulting the fireflies again, they had hidden themselves from her. Why, it was as if she was /specifically/ being thwarted from visiting this narcoleptic old woman again. Or it could be that they didn't want her to lead the Heartless parade following after her. Frustrated, Avira curls up in an ancient tree covered with spanish moss. The long, drooping plants conceal her form pretty well. Camoflage would only last for so long though. There are markedly more Heartless in the Bayou today, including a few of the crocodile-shaped ones that were previously only present in Manhattan. There's an odd odor in the air as well and the local wildlife is still and silent.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade is present with the TDA contingent. Celina could only keep him cooped up for so long, and now he's here. WITH A VENGEANCE. Mercade looks intently along the shoreline under the brim of his well-worn fedora as he works his way across the watery area. "Stop complaining, Will. This isn't going to be easy as it is." He pushes the boat forward, letting Will LAZOR Heartless as they appear. Those who get close enough receive SHOTGUN.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva had caught word thanks to Maira that Avira might be out this way, she'd been a bit suprised at how her clothing had changed and yet some of it had not rither way she looke da bit rag tag for the 20s but it didn't bother her much if at all as she's got a friend to find, the question is, where has she got herself too? She knows it's a bad situation but she's falling in with the TDA team. "You worry too much Will, but your right, there are many of the creatures lose we'll have to ... deal with them and I could use to relase some pent up agression."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi and Umi are also with the TDA contingent. Emi insisted, despite still recovering, and Umi was the only assault member who was still in good form right now and also available--Ami and Omi are busy taking care of birds, apparently. Yeah it's pretty weird. For the moment the two are conserving their strength. Emi watches after Mercade as they move through the yuckspace. Umi, of course, tags along with Will and as always is happy to do so. "Man we met the real Macbeth, for real, The Network is so enthused by this strange facet in our new lives."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Swamps are treacherous things. The dank and dreary atmosphere hides many dangers beneath the layers of slime and fetid water that cover the land in murky patches. Mud made of the peat of what little odious plant life is able to survive in the looming shadows of the twisted trees waits at the bottom of these insidious natural traps, sucking in anything foolish enough to step into their quicksand-like pits. Bugs of various shapes and sizes flit about with angry buzzing hums providing a steady background radiation to the noisy sloshing of travelers passing through, most of them either poisonous or biting and completely unafraid of the larger forms of humans. And ofcourse one cannot forget the crocodiles and snakes. Lurking beneath the waters and among the mossy branches these predators rule their natural habitat through cunning and camouflage. Every step taken here could be right into the waiting grasp of some toothy maw or viperous strike. Places like this had claimed many lives in the past and provided an excellent draw to those who specialized in the necromantic arts. The sheer number of foul components to be harvested here was equalled by few locales but it is not these deadly plants that draw the dark presence that steps through the rippling shadow portal here today. Royce's armored boots sink deeply into the murk and grime as she sets foot for the first time into this veritable wonderland of alchemical components. Her face is impassive as always, a blank mask that no poker player could ever hope to match, but the burning ember of her lone red eye is ablaze with the delight. She will have have to remember this place for later. As for now the reason behind her arrival in this dismal swamp is no where to be found as she scans the treeline for signs of anything out of place. Dark magic lingered here but the overwhelming putrid nature of the place made it difficult to pick it out. Chains clatter as the massive cannon on the girl's back lowers into the water. She reaches around and draws the weapon before her, planting it barrel-first into the muck until the great tome of magical power affixed to its stock is level with her eyes. A wave of her hand sends the binding chains falling away with a splash and she mentally commands the proper text to appear before her, sending the pages fluttering madly of their own volition. Royce's clawed hand raises up into the air as profane power flows through her body, dark tendrils of wispy magic swirling about her body as she intones ancient words. The ground rumbles at her call, sending tremors throughout the entire swamp as the bodies of those claimed by the savage gloom begin to rise up.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival would continue to glide along the familiar path until he spotted Avira's mutate form curled up in an ancient tree. Her camouflage almost made him mistake her for one of the heartless, but he still manages to pick her out of the dark in just the nick of time. He would glide to rest upon the tree limb beside him. "Lady Avira. We've all been worried sick." The Gargoyle's expression was pained as he puts up a hand, palm up. "Please don't leave. Give me a chance, just a few minutes of your time. Mercade wants to speak to you honestly about his feelings for you, and you shouldn't believe for even a second that your appearance, your mistake matters to him. It doesn't matter to any of us. You are a beautiful person, and a hero. You represent the best of us." At that point, he stops speaking along those lines, for she is like to have heard all of that already. A sorrowful expression now lines his features. "I know I am often thought the fool, and that all of my words will seem like trite platitudes given how you feel. But I know what you are going through. I have been there, mired in grief over a sin so vile that I can think of myself as nothing but a monster. I try to tell myself otherwise. I am told otherwise by all who know me, but deep down I know it is so. What you have done though is not monstrous. You are not a monster, and you shouldn't ever think of yourself as one." Again, he stops speaking. Perhaps he realized that he was rambling, that he hadn't given her a chance to talk, but he was so very afraid that she'd run away before he could get any of it out. Realizing that the Heartless are like to attack soon, he withdraws a runed blade of dark metal. The rapier lay dormant at his side, for fear that it might lead more of them to him.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "You know, Percival, maybe you should let /me/ talk to Avira instead of having you just blare it out like that. Seriously, does anyone around here let people handle their relationships themselves?" The Detective grouses. He nods to Emi as she wows over her recent meeting. "He's nothing like I read, certainly. What's even up with that? I mean, he just showed up out of /nowhere/... And he's a professor? Seriously?" He shakes his head. "Manhattan is weird." The back of Mercade's neck prickles, however, as dark magics begin to be used in the area. He looks up, blinking, as undead begin to rise. "Uhhhh... those aren't Heartless." Mercade points out. "Okay. Percival! Deidra! Go aerial and clear the way. Will, Emi, let's prepare for ugliness!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Umi is doing the wowing! Emi is too worried to wow over anybody. Well they're basically the same people, so she's probably just outsourcing her wowing to Umi right now. Manhattan IS weird. This may be related to why Emi is so interested in seeing it for herself. The swamp tremorizes. Emi gets guck on her legs. Her mood drops by about half a level. Umi, by this point, is already wrestling a crocodile heartless in the Bayou. She has a big smile on her face. This is wonderful. "Say Uncle!" She is saying. "Say Uncle, The Network demands impetuously! :D"

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' "Nope!" Will answers Mercade, "But we believe in you." he says, pushing Mercade forward. Will thinks about the old guy they met, "The veil has been lifted from your eyes Mercade...or perhaps, it was never there. You're not like most people, you look deeper, want to know the truth, and not just what appearances on the surface are." Will shrugs, "It's a special quality, one that the last boss had. It makes sense that you're he-..." he pauses, something... Something was wrong...something was /WRONG/. It chilled him to his very core, the anchient magics, something that tore through reality, and made it dance for whose who could make it dance...but it was different, not the same as Isaac. Will's eyes looked...strands of glysomer everywhere...seeping through teh ground itself, whispy dark strands attached to the magical strings, causing Will to shuder uncontrollably. Mercade feels it too, and the undead rising confirms it, Will narrows his eyes. The fates are...weak, almost not existing, but even these things can be messed with, and disrupted. "This is not good.."

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya hears voices, even if nobody responds to her call directly. Navya lifts off, wings beating strongly as she leaps into the air; she gets up about twenty feet and tries to fly towards it, though the level of the plants around here makes it hard for her to actually fly in a straight line for any length of time. She would probably be just as fast walking. It does let her take a shortcut over a deeper patch of water, though, and Navya thumps back down on a small hillock. It puts her close enough to see Mercade, Percival, Emi, and his crew; she starts waving as hard as she can, picking her way closer. "Hey! Heeey!" This redoubles when she sees that they're talking to someone else. Avira? She can hope. Unfortunately, Navya doesn't identify the feel of dark magic, and was in the air for the brief rumble. She is somewhat surprised by the presence of undead. Where did /they/ come from?

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva does not like this place these places tend to be full of the undead and monsters in her home world. Serioulsy they are often the dead of previous wars. She has no idea that soon there shall be problems here much like home. She does keep up with the TDA and almost cringes a bit she knows the winged demi human means well, but Mercade may be the best person to talk to her. She does not know of MacBeth but a history professor is that some sort of scholar? Likely is and she does her best to prepare. "I dont' like the feel of this, something is happening." With what skill with the darkness she has she can sense something is coming but she knows not what it is yet, ther eis the rumble though, then comes the undead. "...This tis like the swamps of my world, the vengful dead infest most of them!"

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "And if I'd known that you were here, Mercade, I might have done just that. But as far as I'm concerned, propriety and your privacy is out the window until she's safe. Now get in there and sweep her off her God<GOOSEHONK> feet before I shake sense into you, literally." Percival snaps right back at him. He was in a foul mood, and as far as he was concerned, Mercade's reluctance to express his true feelings for her was a contributing factor. He mused over the fact that he was perhaps living vicariously through the man, and not with Avira, but someone from his past. Percival would climb higher in the ancient tree, trying to get a bird's eye view of their surroundings, but he didn't actually take to the skies yet.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will lightly punches Perci on the arm. Litterally, lightly. No fate magic or anything. "Hey. Chill." Will comments.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival would look straight at Will. Then he'd look away from him, surveying the bayou. And then he'd punch Will's arm sideways. It had no real force to it either.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Normally Avira would have warning of being approached here-better warning, at least, besides the sound of wind against wings as Percival glides in. The odor of the swamp hamstrung her ability to catch scents on the wind. By the time she's noticed Percival as Percival, it's a little too late, but she already starts to unwind herself from the tree. Her wings fall away from the trunk and her tail uncurls from the branch that had been supporting her weight. Percival's concerns are not unfounded. She's clearly about to bolt. There's a guilty look upon her and she cannot bring herself to look the gargoyle in the eye. "Worried? Why would you...I hurt you all." She falls silent and, fortunately, doesn't run. Eventually, she brings herself to look at him, a confused and pained expression on her face. "As much as I want to believe all that to be true, Percival, what I've done stands in stark contrast to those things." She stands, carefully balancing on the branch. "Just what sin do you hide, Percival, that can equate to what I've done to you and our world?" The ground shakes and even Avira can feel it up in the tree she and Percival perch upon. A few hundred feet away, a flock of pink-hued spoonbills flee into the air, shrieking in alarm. She spies Mercade, Will and Emi down below and the guilt returns in full force. Her wings spread out awkwardly, pushing aside the long draped 'leaves' of Spanish moss as she does so. Overwhelmed, she almost seems like she'll be taking off any second now. "...wait, Navya..?" she pauses, spying the gria rushing in to join, followed quickly by Minerva. The rest of VALKYRI...so maybe Maira did mobilize them? "G-guys, knock it off-" Avira mutters, wringing her hands as Mercade and Percival start snarking at each other. Because of the thick trees, a birds eye view provides very limited visibility. One thing is clear though. There are a lot of Heartless out in the bayou now, slowly converging upon their position. There's even a Large Body or two lumbering out there, though ultimately they would not be that much of a cause for concern. Skyward, however... There are multiple dark shapes over the horizon. They look to be far larger than mere birds.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival would remain clinging to the tree. All the anger floods out of him at her question. And then in a voice steeped in regret he would say. "I crushed a fourteen year old boy's skull, then mauled his body beyond all recognition. I don't remember any of it, but that does not acquit me of responsibility. You haven't doomed our world, Avira. You are the /hope/ of our world." And then his attention would be entirely focused on the dark shapes upon the horizon.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The summoning ritual takes several minutes to complete and Royce's alto voice drifts on the currents of magic throughout the entirity of the swamp in a Gregorian-like chant of words that few living souls know the meaning of. However, even without a direct translation the intended purpose of the intonation is abudantly clear. Water-logged bodies slowly begin to surface in the muck, boney hands punching through layers of mud and moss until they find purchase on the soil and drag themselves out of the ground. The state of decay among the dozens of corpses varies from those completely stripped by time and bacteria down to skeletons to nearly perfectly preserved bodies drug up from the cloying peat. Despite the lack of functioning lungs, all of the moan and grunt in protest to their forced awakenings. Once clear of the swampy slop the undead creatures begin to shamble about as if in search of something. Those near the assembled search party draw close and stare at them with tiny red points of light in their empty eyes. However, none of them make any overly aggressive actions, merely content to watch and linger at the edge of the trees. "Seek." That lone command goes out throughout the witch's network of freshly risen servants. She need not elaborate what they wish to find for her will is embedded into the dark magics that bind them to life. The source of the dark energy here - she will find it and make it her own. As usual when her internal musings rub it the wrong way, the rumbling voice of her symbiotic guardian scrapes at the edges of her mind. /Ours/, my girl. This magic shall be ours. Do not forget who it was that saved you from your fate and granted you this wonderful power that you command. "So you say," she responds in a soft whisper. Her memories of the event that saw her bound to this presence were long since lost, more than five hundred years ago. While she could not dispute that it has done much to keep her safe from witch hunters and rival wizards, the belevolence of its actions were questionable considering the methods she was forced to employ through its power. Royce takes a step forward to begin searching herself but the grasping mud clings tightly to her metal greaves. It takes several tries to move even a single foot. Too long. Narrowing her eye, the girl snaps her fingers and the water about her begins to churn and bubble. After a moment she rises up out of the murky pool and strides forward confidently, seemingly walking across the fetid water's surface. However as she passes the gurgling moans of undead rise up out of the water. Zombies shuffle about to form a bridge with their backs as they rise up, providing a clear and easy passage for their mistress to the nearest solid ground.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi doesn't jump in to 'help'. She had her own idea of how to go about things, but right now there's zombies and heartless and bugs oh my! She doesn't realize Navya is present until she starts a-waving. SHe looks over her way and smiles at her, faintly. "Hello Navya. We're glad you came, too." She is a bit distracted, of course, thanks to all the kerfuffle going on. It seems the Heartless didn't know it was Avira until Hades told her? ... No, maybe it's more that Hades was holding the Heartless back until his plan went through, and now they are chasing her as a result. Tch, she should have thought about something like that. "Seems like there will be trouble. Are paravirs equipped to handle this sort of situation, The Network inquires while not knowing what a paravir is?" They might say more but just then Percival just flat out says he crushed a fourteen year old boy's skull and then mauled his body beyond all recognition. "...Percival," She says. "What?" Oh right you never told her!! Because you were worried about what she might think!! Well now she knows buddy, hope you're prepared for ... well confusion mostly at the moment, that kinda came out of nowhere so she's not entirely sure she heard that right and it's hard to think of Percival crushing someone's skull all like that evne if Percival has kind of given off warning signs like that. Of course as child clone soldiers The Network might have unusual views once their surprise wears off. Or maybe they've had enough experience in natural settings to understand the implications. In either event, Umi says, "Let's stop feeling bad about all these things and punch some zombies! This swamp runs on happy faces!" "The Network informs Umi that this swamp runs mostly on filth and disease." Emi says.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade mentally puts 100 Munny on Umi. That crocodile is hosed. Umi's going to hugwrestle it until it explodes. He sighs to Will, and shakes his head in amused resignation. "Look, you still don't need to spend time telling I'm awesome and special. I'm a detective. This is what detectives are supposed to do. We're seekers of truth." Navya shows up, and Mercade waves to her. "Hey! Havya!" He remembers her from a while back. Seventh Heaven, he's sure. "Quick, link up with us over here!" If they're all together this will be easier. HE nods to Minerva, looking over the undead. "Well, then you should be used to this, right Minerva? Show 'em how it's done!" Mercade simply frowns at Percival. "Are you... all right?" He asks. Something seems off about the guy, but he can't put his finger on it. However, Avira is present, and he shakes his head at the pair. "This isn't the time to be measuring who's a worse person." Mercade says, standing up in the boat as it lands nearby. Mercade has a certain look of determination that he hasn't possessed before. He's also wearing his hat. This probably isn't related at all. The Detective steps forward, lookin up at Avira. "No! Don't run, Avira! I don't care that you made a deal with Hades! We survived. You had to have felt terrible, all right, but I know you're stronger than this. You've always been there for me, Avira. And now I'm going to be here for you. You're not going to get away from me that easily." He flicks the rim of his hat as he speaks. "Now quick, come with us, it's getting dangerous he..." Mercade pauses, looking over to Percival... And he just shakes his head. "Either way..." Mercade says, turning to the undead and Heartless horde. "We don't have time to argue. Come on, let's work together and punch through this!"

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva stares at the winged Demi-human err Gargyole for a moment he did what? She's not even sure what to think, she knew some worlds they did not consider people adult till a much later age than her's still this is something that just is shocking given what she's seen of him. She looks at her friend even as the undead come. "Avira, he took advantage of you, you have made a mistake and realised it is not too late to make ammends for what has been done! All of VALKYRI is concerned for you as well. It was Maira who informed me of where you might be!" She looks over to Mercade and grins "Indeed but I do not have enough phoenix downs for this many of the beasts...we shall have to do it the normal way."

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "Of course I came!" Navya seems almost offended that Avira assumes she wouldn't. Maira didn't even send her; Navya sent herself. "I had stuff to tell you. And I still do! You shouldn't keep running away like that. You don't /need/ to keep running away like that." She definitely has more to say, but she can't really do it with Heartless, undead, and flying Heartless all coming more or less at the same time. "Uh, hi," she says to Emi and Mercade, before: "Of course I'll help! And a paravir is a great bodyguard!" Too bad she's not actually one. And with Percival, who Navya looks at in something very close to horror. She hefts the gigantic maul she carries, unshouldering it from her back, and it is /not/ aimed at the Heartless; she tries to stay between Avira and him, in fact, her wings spread slightly in agitation. That, or she's about to take off again.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will moves into a defensive stance... "A Great Body Guard right? Well guess what, you've just been deputized!" Will says to Navya, flashing her a thumbs up. However, he's back into that stance...and then... Something CLICKS. Something /powerful/ comes to the front of the Hobo's aura...everyone can feel it, but those tied to fate can feel it MUCH more clearly. Something POWERFUL raises in the boy's aura, his hands glow red, and the red aura starts spreading as those normally calm eyes gain a sharper edge to them. "Alright." Will's voice modulates, between his own and something else deep in there. Both seem to be equally strong, but it's defintely Will talking, "We don't have to kill them all, we just have to break THROUGH them." he comments, "Everyone comes home!" he says, looking to Avira. "Also, Mercade, come on. Everyone deserves a compliment. I might have also stole your wallet when you were rolling your eyes at the compliment." Will says, with a grin...which is odd hearing out of someone who's voice is constantly modulating.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "W-wh-" Shock is clear on Avira's face as Percival delivers his answer. Immediately afterwards she seems regretful for her own reaction. "You.../you/ took a life?" She whispers, though through her current facial anatomy, it sounds more like a hiss. In fact, if Percival looked closely enough he might notice that Avira actually has a forked tongue in this form. She seems reluctant to respond to the rest of his statement, though, "I can't be unless Hades can somehow be fended off. That contract..." Her voice grows tight and she sounds to be on a verge of a breakdown again. In her eyes, they can practically see her mentally flogging herself over her vain and desperate decision. It's a relief to see Mercade no longer verbally sparring with Percival though. The mutate freezes and stares at the detective. "...I should be stronger...I know but..." Her ears droop down. "Mercade I'm so sorry..." she takes a step backwards, then looks away. She...actually seems to be smiling a little, easily the first time she's done so since this whole ordeal started. "Navya! ...Navya I do. I'm...I'm not running just because I feel like <GOOSEHONK>, Hades is looking for me!" So it really was Maira. In spite of the situation, she can't help but feel proud for her friend. The dark shapes in the sky are nearly upon them. Heartless wyverns, directed by the will of the Shadow Lords, descend upon the bayou. Avira slips down to a lower branch, away from the flying Heartless she's actually never had the 'pleasure' of fighting before. "This is the first time I've seen zombies come too. This is bad."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Muck and slime drips from the trees above as Royce makes her way through the winding passages of solid earth that meader among the thick gnarled trunks and bogs. The stench here is absolutely foul. It smells of death and decay, the heavy odour of dead decomposing plants mixed with the sickly-sweet aroma of rotting meat, likely the remnants of some crocodile's meal. It is a perfume that she knows well. The undead continue to stare at the heroes with baleful eyes as they loudly announce their plans to push through the ranks of fallen soldiers. This overt threat causes a change in demeanor among the creatures. The wet crack of bone and the pop of tendons fills the air as the bodies surrounding them begin to shift and reform. Ribcages burst into deadly spears of ossein matter that drip darkly with disease, gaping wide like the nightmarish teeth of some demonic maw that has taken the place of their chest cavity. Others reach into their own flesh and yank free jagged fragments of bone or, in some cases, simply pull an entire limb from its socket to wield as some ghastly club or putrid sword. The reeking stench intensifies as the ancient decayed matter contained inside muscles and organs spills into the air for the first time in decades or even centuries making it difficult to breath without gagging on the rancid air. More and more of the zombies begin to fill the gaps among the trees, others even wading through the water to encircle them and the chance of a clear escape dwindles by the moment. Some distance away the dark mistress of these abominations draws steadily closer. She can sense the presence she felt more clearly now and she adjusts her course accordingly, using the undead like a sonar to feel out the source of her attraction. Their aggitation upon being threatened is also transmitted to her and the fact that these two occurances are in the same place is not lost on her. "Do not let them escape." Royce's voice lacks any emotion as she speaks into the wind. It is not a condemnation to death on whoever might have been foolish enough to menace her servants but any attempts to flee will be met... harshly. The arrival of the Heartless was a different matter. That they were interested in her prize only makes her all the more curious. Realizing that time is no longer on her side, the witch takes off at a dead run through the bog. Her speed is impressive considering the armored weights about her legs and arms and the gargantuan ordinance hooked to her back but it is not as fast as she'd like.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will's power expands... So this was it, it was time to FIGHT. Will's hands move, aiming to work that defensive stance, but he doesn't immeidately strike...the undead's aura was...familar somehow. He shakes the thought away, it could be any magic he's seen before, don't think about it too much, but as he looks up he sees the Heartless Wyverns start to come down, it causes him to shift his stance, those things need to hit the ground and STAY there, but right now, he's not in a position to change that location. "Alright guys!"

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "No. Its not a competition. Because I /know/ what I am Mercade. And I /know/ what she is. She's a hero and the hope of our world. I'm naught but a fool and a murderer." And then he would take wing, leaving Avira's question, and the circumstances of what happened unanswered. His feelings, his past, his current struggles with his inner demons; none of it mattered to him at the moment except in relation to how his experiences might at least make her feel slightly better about herself. And now, with Mercade here, it was not his place any longer. Gliding through the air, he'd bank around the Wyverns, attempting to just harry them without actually attacking them, and then he would move past them to the column of shuffling, putrefied zombies. The witch directing them was visible enough, and the Gargoyle would land upon a branch of a nearby tree. He'd have his the runed sword of darkened metal out at a low guard, shield at the ready. "Pray forgive my ignorance since we haven't yet been acquainted, but I'm going to presume that you're a Necromancer, yes? Well, today isn't a good time for us. We're double booked, and can't possibly fit you in. Could we persuade you to come back in a few weeks?"

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "Let him look," Navya says, dismissively. "We'll help you, too! And you're right. You should be strong. You're a hero! You should act like one, right? I know you can." If Avira didn't have her weapon, this is when Navya would toss her the maul - which would probably be a mistake, given it's far heavier than the Spine is. Since she does, Navya keeps it, resting it on her shoulder for the moment and rolling her opposite shoulder a couple times to warm it up. Yeah, she's ready. Apparently ready to fight both gross zombies and Heartless. Assuming most of her allies cannot fly (which is actually less true than it normally is), Navya throws herself into the air, wings beating hard to actually lift her. "It's bad, but we can handle it together," Navya says, perching on a tree branch momentarily. It bends downward, creaking under her weight. And then she doesn't just take off but /throws/ herself into the air, rocketing toward the Heartless wyverns! Navya cannot fly forever, but she can stay up long enough to deliver a massive downward strike to one of them, sending it in a ballistic arc toward the ground! Hopefully, anyway.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva looks at Avira and she says "We'll find out how to break it there has to be some sort of clause for it's end or is it enternal?" She doesn't know much abotu contracts and even then she's from a world where the lawyers are much lower level than say in Manhattan or vs Hades. She does however start to focus preparing herself for the incminng undead dead and then she leaps upon then nearest one her fists covered in ice as she goes.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "We'll figure out a way. Isaac's awesome, we can work this out, Avira. It doesn't matter if he's a God. What's important is that we stick together stay strong." Mercade responds to Avira. "There's nothing to be sorry for. We're here. Let's kick some ass." The Darkness comes. Mercade turns, moving with definitive actions as he pulls his revolver. "Okay, undead horde..." He stops, gagging at the smell of the undead. He pauses, pulling out a cloth and soaking it with a splash of something from a canteen before he ties it around his face. Filters!? "Okay, this is just a pain in the ass." He looks back up. Hmmmmm... "Rock and a hard place." He looks to the others. "Quick, try to burn down the Heartless so we don't get shredded while we're dealing with the Undead!" He moves, working to take cover and move quickly to avoid the incoming undead horde.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi frowns severely at Percival. Puzzle pieces start snapping into place. She doesn't comment on it further, though. "Umi." She says. "Drop the alligator." Umi drops the alligator. "You will be acting as frontal assault. But for now I want to set up defenses. Stay close." Emi does not open up assaultingly. Instead she fans out her arms and unleashes an electrical shield, enveloping the Legions, Mercade, and Will Sherman! This might just be part one of her giving everybody shields like this. Of course, it might not be the ideal method but Emi is trying to plan ahead here--and play cautiously. She looks up once more towards Avira. She nods slowly. She says nothing, for now. Not really the time for dramatic speechus, she figures.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "...oh Mercade..." Avira murmurs, "I hope you're right." Though there was also the escape clause, she realizes, "Mercade! You n-" Her tongue seizes up on her suddenly. "What the-! You n-ffhhfewfgehrrr." The words literally will not come out. "I..." Even before this whole mess started, Avira didn't precisely think her to be a hero. Not yet at least-sure, it was an eventual goal but she assumed that she would need to grow much, much stronger than she was now. Slightly...misguided, perhaps. There is an undeniable look of concern leveled towards Percy. His own issues with himself at the least took her mind off of her own failures for a few moments. More importantly, she was still pretty concerned for someone who was a good ally and friend. "...Navya I..." There's no reluctance in Avira's need to fight right now and she clearly draws her own weapon. She is fortunate that she's retained her weapon while fleeing. Watching Navya launch herself into the sky, Avira follows, climbing skywards. Right away, a wyvern descends to meet her and its grasping claws are met with repeated stabs from her weapon. Navya, on the other hand, much more impressively spikes a wyvern down into the swamp, sending waves of water splashing upwards. The creature struggles and flails, unable to get itself back into the air due to the muck and vines of the swamp. Unfortunately for those on the ground, it proves just as dangerous. Where these Heartless seek to contain Avira, for the others, they have no reservations against taking their hearts. One on the ground is dangerous, as Minerva will discover when her chosen prey snaps back at her. "Who is THAT?" Avira astutely points out in the midst of the chaos, noting Royce. "Anyone recognize her? I don't!!"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The wide hood covering Royce's head leaves the majority of her features cast into shadow as she skids to a halt, peering up at the hulking figure perched on the branches above. The rugged skin colored russet like dry stone and the massive bat-like wings were all she needed to place his origins. Another gargoyle. Through the darkness that masks her face the witch's lone eye burns a brilliant neon red like the undying ember of some tiny piece of Hell as she stares back at Percival without a shred of emotion evident, merely studying him like a museum piece or an interesting lizard she found crawling under a rock. However, ancient creatures from her own world are not what she is interested in. We have no time for fools, girl. Press on. We will deal with this cretin when the time comes. "I am aware of that." Royce speaks out loud to seemingly no one in particular and turns away, taking off at a run towards the gathering of heroes yet again. She's still a fair distance away but at her present speed it will not take long before she works her way through the trees and arrives at the battle. Things are probably going to get really ugly then. As the entrapped party prepares for battle the undead shuffle and groan, remaining on the outer edge of the small dry patch of land. Their garish twisted bodies ooze and drip with all manners of puss and disease as if trying to ward off any attempts to break through their lines with sheer revulsion factor. As no one has tried to assault them or make a break for it, they remain stoic sentinels of this putrid corral for the time being.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "What is it with you defilers of the natural order and your general lack of manners? Is a brief reprieve and an appointment too much to ask for?" He clucks his tongue. "Entitlement, its the rot of modern society. You could take a lesson in patience from your shambling minions." He'd look back at the main group of the TDA and their attack upon the Heartless Wyverns. "Be back soon to smite your frigid arse." He'd jump off the branch then, soaring towards the Undead Wyverns. From his current position, he tried to take one from below by moving beneath it and climbing abruptly with his shield arm outstretched to knock it off balance. He'd then level himself off and immediately try to rake the edge of the blade against the underside of its belly while he flew in the opposite direction.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' "BY THE SKIES ABOVE THE SKY!" It's a shout, thundering through the air that could be easily mishread by all the chaos that's been installed around the area, with all the Heartless, the Undead, the living fighting for their lives or others. It strikes from the skies, followed whistling sound of something falling at incredible speeds... One of the tall trees near-by suddenly explodes in splinters from the top of it as a heavily armoured man in stylized armor powers through the poor tree, brandishing a glowing spear with all the wrath of the gods above. He homes into the ground like a cannonball, shaking the earth from the impact -- and hopefully flatten a few of the Heartless mobs that he just dropped himself into. DRAGOON MAN have arrived. The warrior quickly follows up on his entry with a spin of his spear around him, taking in a deep breath, then spits out a large stream of bright flames around him. "I THOUGHT I SMELLED THE TAINT OF DARKNESS HERE!" He intones, loudly, mostly to himself and to others that are capable of rational thought in the environs. "FEAR NOT! I AM HERE TO ASSIST!"

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' The heartless manage to narrowly catch Will in their swipe, Will is sent upwards and then back down, but as the attack flies...he punches, causing the Heartless and Will to.. CROSS COUNTA Then suddenly DRAGOON MAN! "Oh hey, that guy again.." he says, now looking a bit different than his fight against Clayton, it is the hair and the sharp eyes and the GLOWING RED MIST radiating from his hands. However, Will doesn't stare to admire the hero...he dives forward, and leaps up... "NOPE!" he shouts to the Wyvern, aiming to kick one right at the next, aiming to drag it down to the ground where the others can proceed to treat it like that scene from Rejected. The Silly hat scene. Will lands ontop of one of the Wyverns, aimnig to repeatedly punch it in the face...

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "I mean it!" Navya sounds like she's working hard - which is accurate, since gria wings may be strong but they're not really big enough to keep them up forever. Navya has a tendency to drop slightly after every downbeat. "Everything you've done, and try to do - you're more of one than /I/ am yet, even I know that! You're trying to fix a whole world! Even if you haven't managed it yet, and no matter what you look like! Not looking like other people doesn't mean anything. I don't!" Navya spikes a wyvern. She then manages to avoid the return assault via the unorthodox and probably accidental method of falling; the rest of the wyverns stay in the sky, but Navya doesn't, landing on a hillock with a squelch. "Ugh, gross," Navya mutters to herself. She looks up - only to see that, where she fell, she's surrounded by the undead. "Ugh, gross!" she repeats, except at about three times the volume. Raising the gigantic maul, Navya doesn't really try to destroy a zombie so much as throw it several hundred feet by creative application of force, a hooking arc aimed at a distant pool of deep water that she almost fell in once before.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Huh?" Mercade says, looking over his shoulder to the suddenly tongue-tied Avira. She's trying to say something... but what? Unfortunately, he has no time to ask, because HEARTLESS. The wyvern descends, sending Mercade flying as he yells. "WAAGH!" He arcs through the air, leveling his gun and using it to blast a couple of the Heartless fliers as they attempt to catch up to him. He causes it to reel, but how much did he really do? He's not sure, as he falls to the ground, catching on a tree limb with unexpected agility. "HAH!" He yells as he lands... And then he looks up at the cry. "Wha-" DRAGOON MAN Mercade blinks at the entrance. "Holy hell, iut's that Dragoon guy again! Good timing, man, we could use the backup!" He turns, leveling his guns to fire on the undead as well. There's enough for everyone!

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva comes under assault from the heartless and while she's trying to get an better idea of the other presnce she's sure is crawling around the swarmp she's assuaulted pretty heavily she's forced back even with her abilities she's getting the stuffing knocked out of her pretty earily on on by the heartless. She hears Avira call out that there's another being there confirming her hunch she looks in that direction. "I shall take care of it!" She leaps on top of one of the undead not harming it but using it as a spring board to get out of the buck and she's launchign herself across teh swarmp right for Royce. That is when from the skies above comes The Dragoon Man, she'd not heard of him but he seems to here to help and she's thankful for it. "Any air is welcome Ser!" As for Royce she's got Minerva barreling at her and her fists are once again covered in ice, even her upper arms, she'll try to get in close and start assuling her prehaps even freeging her somewhart with her strikes.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' There's something familiar about that Dragoon Man, but Emi /just can't put her finger on it/. Maybe it's ...... Faruja? Emi doesn't get time to prepare as much as she'd like. Soon, HEARTLESS ATTACKU. "Not really," Emi says even as Umi yelps, readily caught by the wyverns, she's sliced up across her chest but upon hissing with her teeth, she jogs forward and aims to latch onto one and place her hands on it, unleashing a huge swath of electricity into its body, drawing some of the current back into herself! "Jiminey Crickets!" Umi says. "The Heartless alone will be hard to deal with, but with the Undead here we're in serious trouble!" This is so awesome, Umi thinks. "Emi, just let this one handle it, heh heh! It'll be no problem ouch ooch hurts hurts hurts okay I'm good now I'm good."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Over the horizon, there are more dark shapes hovering in the distance, gradually growing closer. Avira doesn't see these, but, experience has taught her a thing or two about swarms like this. "WE HAVE TO MOVE!" she cries out, "If we stay in one spot, they'll only accumulate!" The likes of Mercade and Percival could easily recall the swarm that corralled them all this past Saturday. Would such a thing really be repeated? Avira's sensitive hearing alerts her to Soan's arrival and yelping, she suddenly veers from the sky, away from the Heartless she was all but wrestling with. Soan's descent is so fierce that he actually destroys a wyvern in one shot before he lands upon a muddy spot in the bayou. Notable since, as those here are quickly noticing, the draconic heartless are not the type that are easily dispatched with one swing of the sword. It takes sustained and fiercely concentrated damage to render it into darkness and an escaping heart. Case in point, as Will hijacks a wyvern, face-punching is quite easy to do from his vantage point, until the heartless starts whipping its head back and forth savagely. Another wheels past Will, chasing after Mercade, snapping at him as he flies through the air, only to be deterred by Mercade's shotgun blasts. It reels, screeching, and peels away from the detective before trying to come back for him seconds later once he has stood upon the tree limb. He does have some advantage in that the larger heartless needs to pick through the branches to get at him. The grounded Heartless is busily trying to make a meal out of the delicious little Dennous. Emi is snapped at before she bravely lays electrified hands upon the creature. It seizes up for a few seconds, stunned and perfectly vulnerable for a TEAM ATTACK from the Dennous, if Umi gets herself together! The wyvern that Avira had been fighting turns to resume pursuit of her-until Percival intercepts it, cleaving its underbelly with his blade. Being a Heartless, however, it does not bleed, but does suddenly become extremely interested in the gargoyle. Its huge talons reach out to grasp the wings of Percival and slowly pull. Avira, meanwhile, sweeps in low and slams herself into the containment line of undead surrounding them. "If you were sent by Hades, lady, the answer is no!"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' A dozen or so undead warriors stare at the strange creature that plops heavily into their midst. Subtle moans turn into wet gurgles in the ruined water-filled bodies as they turn to face Navya but it is not until she swings her massive maul that they menace her in any way. The spinning strike lands solidly in the body of the nearest zombie and the force lifts it up on the flat end of the hammer. However, before she can send it sailing away into the murk several more of the slime-coated creatures lurch forward and latch onto their imperiled companion and the combined strength and weight quickly overpowers the centrifugal force of the gria's attack. This action sparks a flurry of activity from the entire undead horde. Several of the zombies begin to shamble steadily forward to close ranks with the heroes though their slow pace makes it easy to see them coming and react accordingly. Those with the nasty rib spears instead turn to face the center of the island and with sharp hisses of releasing gas their deadly bone-blades are ejected like missiles into the enemy ranks. Mercade's hail of lead or whatever he uses for bullets tears into the wall of putrid flesh without much effort as there's so many of them that it's practically impossible to miss. The hammering impacts of his munitions lift a few of the creatures off their feet as their heads or chests explode into a wet mist and yet others are floored as their legs disappear to well placed shots. It seems that being soaked completely through has made these corpses less than ideal for combat but their sheer numbers are going to be a problem either way. Royce breaks through the edge of the treeline into view and Avira is quick to point her out to the others. The witch leaps to meet the rushing assault of the flying monk and her hand waves in the air, bringing a crashing wave of force down to meet Minerva. The magical cantrip is not quite fast enough, however, and the frost-covered fist slams square into her chest, arresting her forward momentum and carrying the slender woman back to the ground along with it. Royce hits the wet earth on her side and a sickening crack sounds through the air like a gunshot. The witch rolls with the impact and bounces several times before landing in a messy heap a dozen feet away. Casually she pushes back to her feet and turns to face her aggressor with the same blank expression she gave Percival. Her left arm hangs loosely and bent in the wrong direction but there is no blood or bone protruding from the wound. Reaching across her chest, Royce snaps the arm back into place with an equally disturbing pop. "You are in my way." That simple admonishment is the only warning Minerva receives. The chains binding the cannon to the ancient necromancer's back unfurl and drops the weapon into her outstretched hand. It swings around with surprising speed despite its size and the fact that she holds it with only one hand as if it were light as a feather. Brilliant scarlet light builds in the gaping maw of the unusually ornate gun and within the span of a heartbeat it erupts in a spray of screaming hellfire and blazing brimstone. Like the breath of an angry dragon the flames billow out in a pyroclastic cloud that seeks to engulf the pugilistic warrior. Whether or not this is successful the fire rages on into the island and envelopes several of the zombies, turning them into burning pyres of-- Friendship! They just want a hug!

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will kicks off of one Wyvern, hitting the ground and... Suddenly he is grabbed from behind by a Zombie that is on fire. "NOT COOL! NOT COOOOOO-" EXPLOSION! Will is sent immediately flying into the air...once more aiming to smash into a Wyvern who he just departed from... "...Okay, you know what... Moments later, he punches the Wyvern in the face, aiming to try and drop it with excessive force... Right onto Royce. "LOOK OUT BELOW!" he shouts, actually hoping to land on her.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' As the Heartless Wyvern attempts to get a grip on his wing, he did a literal barrel roll to wrench himself away before it could clamp down. With his shield extended, it deflected away its claws, preventing any lasting damage. He would then immediately pull up, loop upside down, before allowing himself to fall upon the Wyvern's back. Once he was standing on it, he would begin to just slash and stab its wings repeatedly, while slamming his shield into the joints. Turnabout was fair play as far as wings were concerned.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya is very strong, and actually picking up a zombie is no challenge at all, but when enough of them start trying to drag the hammer around, even she has to obey physics. She might sort of lurchingly throw it a few feet. It doesn't help that Navya really doesn't want to touch them. They're gross! Navya yanks her maul back from them, shaking it free but leaving the zombies more or less unharmed. She brings it back, cocking for another swing, but before she gets a chance zombies start spraying bones and crap at her. Navya leaps - but doesn't actually get away because there is a zombie hanging on her foot. She kicks a couple times to try to dislodge it - and then much harder once it becomes a /flaming/ zombie on her foot, driving her opposite heel into it repeatedly to try to get it to let go. It doesn't, or at least immediately, which is why Navya looks like a shooting star when she dives again, impacting near to Avira with enough force to send a shockwave through the ground and muck, a rippling wave. It may also crush the flaming zombie clinging to her. "Avira! Let's work together!"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "WYVERNS! Why did it have to be wyverns?" Mercade yells, even as the Heartless descends, crashing into the tree and carving into the Detective. To his benefit, his sudden impact with the ground prevents the cannon from exploding and annihilating him. He hits the squishy mud with a "GURK!" and he looks around, nodding to Avira. "She's right. Quick, let's get moving! We need to keep them following us!" With a lack of a better plan, Mercade begins leading the way based on what he remembers, running along the more solid ground as he unleashes a tumbles from tree to tree, unleashing bursts of gunfire when he sees an opening. The wyverns, being more mobile, are the greater threat in his opinion.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Of course, after dynamic entries, there is the inevitable counter-attack after the enemy has gathered their wits! The roaring flames washes over Dragoon Man as it leaps from one wyvern to the other, which spells a rather painful series of events for the armoured warrior. The flames, themselves aren't too nice, but the sharpnels and the counter attack from the Wyverns clawing at him adds to the many chips on the Dragoon's armor. Still, he looks in relatively good shape, despite everything, smacking away Royce's attempt to knock him down to the ground, instead remaining free to take to the air... where he vanishes from sight. For like, three seconds, as the Dragoon comes back launching himself like a cannon ball toward Royce. "I HAVE NO CLAIMS AGAINS YOU, LADY! But if you persists to work for Chaos and the Heartless, I have little choices left!" There is multiple threats coming from Dragoon Man. There is his mass, accelerated by his fall, of course. There is as well that strange, bright, pure glow that is born out of the tip of his spear, a light so bright that sears the vision of the wicked. Last, but not all of least, Dragoon man breaths out a stream of flowing lights, shaped beautifully like the sea, flooding in her general area.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva says "Wyerns are amost akin to vermin upon my world! You should be thankful they are rare elsewhere!" As for Royce she's got her coming in pretty darn hard and hitting her she counter stikes s the attack comes in. Her first bursts into flames as she strikes but she's not so well off in the eschange as the pure hellfire and brime stones comes at her. She stares in horror at such a foul thing and there's something about her even as she focuses to purge her self of the imptending crouption. "What manner of woman are you!?" She's burnt pretty bad but she's alive, she's angry but she's clearly still reeling from that last hit.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Umi is snapped at by Heartless, she even gets carved up, pretty solidly. Normally she'd be having an easier time of this, Umi reflects, but The Network is all discombulated lately. Their coordination is off. She stumbles away from it, jogging on over towards Emi to try and do a 'back to back team' thing, Emi nods towards her and the two press their backs against each other, just as anticipated! "Awesome!" Umi says. "... ... Now what?" 'Now what' is inded a good question. There's undead on one side, and heartless on the other. Emi bites at her lip and draws a small coin into her hands. "We do both." She says. "Pressure them both. That's the best we can hope for. Understood?" "Heh...okay!" The two draw out a coin each into their hands, flip into the air--and then propel it out with a supersonic burst of electromagnetic force. It's not QUITE as impressive as normal, but it should be enough to clear away some undead and Heartless, hopefully opening up a hole in the swarms to get to better ground!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Those that look Avira's way might notice something as she fights: she doesn't seem to be as 'into' it as she typically is. Navya might notice it since they have fought alongside each other before. Mercade would definitely notice, as would Will. "Wha-right! We need to punch through-" Avira says to Navya, struggling to dislodge the firey zombie clinging to her. It's the shockwave from the gria that finally makes it disintegrate. "Right! I'll be right behind you!" Mercade has the right idea about fleeing though, "Wait-head into the trees, that rotting woman's zombies can't get us up there!" Avira leaps for the nearest tree, clawing her way up while holding her weapon between her teeth. Percival handily outmanuvers his Heartless opponent, claws meeting nothing but air. The soaring wyvern reacts poorly as it is mounted and in turn tries to barrel roll Percival off of it. The attempt becomes aborted as the gargoyle viciously hacks into the creature's wings, tearing them away in mid-flight. The Heartless immediately begins to fall, shadows streaming out of the 'wounds' where the removed wings had been. The Dennous move together and initiate... TEAM ATTACK CUT-IN! Picture a slow motion FMV here, rotating around the back-to-back Emi and Umi, lovingly featuring them unleashing enormous blasts of electricity upon the Heartless and undead alike. In the case of the Heartless, that grounded wyvern who had nearly had a Dennou snack seconds ago rumbles, twitches, and evaporates into a billowing cloud of darkness as the electricity permeates its form. A single, brightly colored pink heart drifts into the air, then vanishes. Shadows appear in the skies now. Percival, being aloft, will be the first to see the second wave of wyverns that starts to descend. There are markedly more of them than before.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Avira's wanton lunge into the undead ranks sees several of the creatures go down into wet heaps of ruined flesh and bone. Her efforts clears a small wedge in the encircling line but it quickly tightens as fresh bodies surge to fill in the gap, their dirty fingernails and makeshift weapons swinging wildly at the mutate. Navya's flaming zombie issue is solved in the incredible shockwave created by her thunderous landing. The offending monster is shaken free in the blast and sails off into the swamp to land with large splash that douses its hellish flames. Other nearby zombies are scattered as well and their ponderous movements require several moments to see them back on their feet giving the small group a short reprieve. Royce stares down the barrel of her titanic weapon as she unleashes hell on the monk but even as she bursts into flames, Minerva surges forward to throw some of that flame back into the witch with a solid punch to her torso that staggers her backwards. Will's kamikaze wyvern surfing attack comes crashing down from above moments later and she has only enough time to spit a single ancient word at him, warping magics that attempt to bend the young boy's body into that of a tiny newt. The Heartless slams into her body nevertheless and she finds herself flattened into the soft muck like a bug. Despite her supernatural durability, Royce is not particularly strong so heaving the massive creature off herself takes a great deal of effort. Dragoon Man's bold charge is lead by his brave words but they also give her warning of his impending strike. The young woman sits up and pushes with all her strength, her expression as empty and deadpan as ever as the barely living body of the wyvern Heartless is placed between herself and the deadly spear. The blade still punches cleanly through the shadowy form, blasting the creature into motes of wispy black smoke and impaling the witch through the shoulder but she manages to twist the strike away from anything vital. Blazing crimson light erupts from the wound and geysers into the air with unnerving fury, scattering sparks of pure magic in a fountain for a few moments before Royce plants her foot on the armored warrior's chest and kicks herself away. The wound seals over almost immediately as necromantic magics the likes of which even the fae would be envious of go to work and the witch brings her cannon back up even as she sails through the air. Crimson fire gathers in its depths once more but this time it bleches forth as a blazing ball of demonic fire. The evil magic streaks through the air like a meteor and plows into the ground at Dragoon Man and Minerva's feet with a cacophanous explosion that is followed quickly by several others as Royce unleashes a hailstorm of deadly power. The undead ranks begin to thin. The twin sisters' electromagnetic coin devastates the zombies that it passes through, cavitating their wet bodies with sucking wounds that practically core them completely in a messy spray of viscera and gore. However with their line spread so thin it doesn't take down nearly as many as they would have liked and the circle simply grows even tighter in response. A few of the injured undead stir back to motion after collapsing, minus a limb or three, but as long as they have even a single arm or leg they kick and struggle their way towards the heroes with unwavering devotion to their task. Further waves of flying deadly bone spears and hurdled limbs assail the party amdist the firey rain of doom. Royce lands hard on her back and continues to fire but after several seconds of demon fire she switches tactics and begins to pick out individual targets on the battlefield. Shimmering holy light gathers in her weapon now, defying the logic that all evil is weak to or incapable of handling divine power, and razor thin rays of shearing white heat erupt like lasers to score precision holes into the weak points of armor or exposed joints of those not wearing any.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The sound of beating wings spurred the Gargoyle to look up. It was a good thing too, as the dark swarm that was descending was about to take his head off. Kicking off his Wyvern's back, he folded his wings upward, and plummeted into an immediate dive towards the ground. It was not so much gliding at this point, but skydiving. Once he had reached the point where the impact was like to kill him if he waited any longer, he opened his wings out to catch. He hit the Bayou near Emi and Umi, but there was nothing graceful in it, as he crashed into the water while skipping and tumbling head over heels to land smack dab in front of the pair. With the wind knocked out of him, he couldn't effectively fight back, but there appeared to be no serious damage. And then he a rain of bone spears coming right towards the girls. "OH GOD<GOOSEHONK> GET DOWN GET DOWN!" Stumbling over to them, he'd turn his back to the assault raised his shield high, and covered them with his wings. Fragments of sharpened bone clattered against the shield. He dared to turn around, only to find a rays of searing divine wrath coming straight at him. With a deer in the headlights look he stared, mouthing the words of a prayer. They didn't miss, they just changed trajectory when they struck him. His look was one of bewilderment before he got his senses back and turned to the forces on the ground. "Another wave of Wyverns is coming. Mercade, Emi, Umi, Will, all of you. You need to get Avira out of here! This won't end, they'll win by /attrition/. And then we'll lose everything!"

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya can sort of tell, with Avira... but it might be inexperience with that form, which Navya can't fault her for. It has to be bizarre to have one's body changed like that. She's kind of glad she never has, no matter what she told Avira. Both can be true, after all. Watching Royce fight is kind of unpleasant, but watching her zombies is even worse. "What - the trees? But I can't hit them from the trees!" is Navya's objection. She plows through one when it comes for her (which ends up being a mistake, judging by the bone spear that scrapes across her hip); it slows her down enough in a stagger that her ascent is sluggish. And worse, when she's about ten feet into the air, Royce's surprising light magic drills a thin hole right through one of her wings. Navya yells. Such a wound is fixable with magic, but it /hurts/ all out of proportion to its size, and it does mean she can't really fly in the meantime. Navya drops back down, wind whistling through the clean hole in her wing, and ascends the tree by the most direct of routes: she climbs it. It's not Avira's tree. She was hoping it was. Navya makes a leap towards one she thinks might be. "Wait, we have to /run/?" she yells back at Percival. "I - a parivir doesn't run! The rest of you, go, and I'll distract them!" This may explain why Navya climbs all the way to the top of the tree - and starts beating her wings. The one hurts like anything to do it with, but the other is fine; she beats so hard and strong that a literal tornado starts to form, whirling in an attempt to throw the wyverns across the sky!

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Even as the fires on Will's body BURN... He is found trapped in a spell. The spell tries to change his form, break it down into something less fightening. However, the magic works...but then DOESN'T. The effects of her spell linger, that's for sure...but it's mucking with his form shatters, breaking the attempt to chain his fate to her whims as is if it never tried. He narrows his gaze... he eye. The eye was the reverse of him, he was fortune...it was missfortune. The burning gaze of unluck burning through even the eyepatch to Will. The book...the book too, radiating evil black lines, whispy dark strands that seem to be choking the woman's own strings. Her fate...tied to something not unlike what Coyote looked like...like Puck...and tied to himself. Oh god... He looks in utter shock at what he sees for a moment, taking a step back, even as another Zombie comes for him, but he moves, smacking it away and soaring down...No... Will had to act, he was going to save his friend, no matter the cost. Will's hand comes up, grabbing at the strings all around him, one shooting at the Heartless...the other towards Royce. The string, solid blue, aims to try and connect to their fate lines, making them visible to him and her for just a brief moment. Those around can see faint lines, but they fade in and out. And then something aims to SEAL them in place. BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpzwIslkPok Will soars upwards, "LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" he bellows, soaring like a comment down, aiming to drive his fist through the heartless, aiming to tear at their inverted strings...and down, right towards Royce. He grits his teeth, aiming to drive the first through her, tearing at her fate as he lands passed her...his hand gripping at her fate with a terrible iron grip...and CRUSHING it, trying to weaken her fate from the world around her.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is getting the hell beat out of her from the strange woman's assault she' shurt she's burnt and she's not looking too well but given she's got an idea of the sort of power she challens she can put this to her own use. She's however not on the best grounding given the swamp but does seem to be making a move for the strange woman as she slams her fists into the ground sending a shockwave so powerful it's causing the swarmp itself to be dirupted as she closes her right hand glows with a bright holy energy, followed by her right glowing black she lunges in the first stri will be to attempt to grab Royce with her hand that's covered with the darknes and it explodes violently and it's not done even as the blast fade the other hand attemps to grab Royce and this time it's a burst of holy much like a White Mage's spell. "I shall drive you back from whence you came!"

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Royce's accelerated regeneration does not go unnoticed. Dragoon Man, if he had anything to express himself with with his face, would be rather focusing that attention on that. What in the blazes...? She kicks back off his chest, sending the armoured hero back, where he stumbles against a tree, hitting his head. He holds it, grunting out, then getting a good look at what's coming his way. The light that serves for Dragoon man's eyes widens, glowing brighter. "The Darkness has a strong hold over you, witch." Dragoon Man intones, bringing up his spear in defense. he smack away one of the fireballs aimed his way, leaping over the explosion of one. It singes him a little, but the created force catapults him upward -- and being in the air is where he is the more comfortable with. "What has happened to you?" The news of more Heartless from above snatches his attention away, Dragoon Man letting himself land on the top of a tree. That strange dragon-looking lady also climbs up, echoing his thoughts. He's not fully aware of the situation, but the monstruous girl seems to be rather central to it all. Still, good sense are on his mind. "Do not throw away your live, lady." Dragoon Man asides toward Navya, his glance toward the incoming wave. "The Dragons teaches that True Courage is to face what you do not like and fear, but also live to face them. That woman seems important to them. If we can all go, we all go." He looks back down at Royce. Except that woman who seems taken by the forces of darkness. Little choices right now, no time to get at the bottom of things. He takes a deep breath, then lets himself fall, homing against Royce, branchesbreaking through his passage in the air.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Avira!" Mercade yells. "Come on! What's wrong? Are you all right, you're not fighting like you usually are! We need to step it up if we're going to punch through!" He reaches out, offering his hand to her. "Come on, we still have time to escape!" Just then, he is blasted to one side from the intense force of the Wyvern assault. He tumbles, falling into the deep water and sinking for a moment, insensate from the wounds inflicted... But a hand erupts from the water, and Mercade pulls himself out, dragging himself back out. "I'm... not... dead... yet!" He hisses, yelling as he levels his gun, plugging two deadly shots for the remaining wyverns in this flight using the pearl-handled revolver. "Come on, Avira! We have to go!" He calls.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi might have just gotten BONESTORMED to death were it not due to some timely intervention of Percival. Though, of course, the way he panics is in its own way offputting. Concern is nice, but The Network likes to think itself capable. She steps back a bit, trying to consider her own method of dealing with it--but Percival manages to get in there and just smack the spears away from her body. She lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "--Eh?" She asks as a heart pops out of the Heartless body. But she shakes her head, no time to worry about that! There's still undead to worry about! She is going to focus on them rather than the Necromancer, it seems. She takes in a low breath and plows a few quick shots for the zombies, she's a little low on battery power, HO HO HO GET IT? She's not the Emigizer Bunny! "Thank you, Percival." Emi says carefully.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira is oddly silent on the subject of her current fighting prowess. Right away Avira realizes she severely dislikes grabby undead. Her fighting turns to frantic flailing as she beats the zombies away from her before she can break free and climb to higher ground. Even then, she did not account for the projectile bone spears or a focused fire laser drilling through the hamstring of her left leg. She sags suddenly. Her free hand had been reaching out for Mercade's. Between her suddenly dropping back and him being hurled into the water of the swamp, those hands never make contact. A wvyern dives into the ground after Mercade, jaws opened wide. But before it can gnaw the heart from the detective's body, a duo of shots end its existance. Heartless dive at the shouting Will, if only because he's there and not because they can understand his defiance. Their fate is rended away and after a second, each Heartless disappears into a cloud of black mist. Percival's warning should certainly be heeded. Great wings beat against the trees of the bayou and branches begin to snap underneath the weights of the vicious heartless. "You heard him, Navya! More are coming! Don't....don't leave yourself behind!" she pleads. But the stalling does seem to work as Navya summons up a tornado to keep the approaching wyverns from coming any closer. Avira, for the first time in days, summons up her magic as she makes the motions of actually fleeing now. Copious amounts of ice that manage to vaguely shape themselves into gusts that slightly resemble beasts like herself are thrown forward into the undead ranks that dare to continue blocking their way.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The zombies are not deterred by the efforts to escape their reach into the trees. A near continuous hail of bone spears and even rocks assail the climbers from below and the trees are swiftly turned into pincushions that ironically provide fairly steady supports on which to climb if they dare to touch the pestilence and wet flesh that dangles messily from them. Emi's weak bursts of electricity manage to stagger some of the undead, making them dance about comically as their muscles spasm uncontrollably but only one or two actually go down from the attack. Avira has far better luck with her strange ice beasts and their frigid bites petrify several of the zombies in thick coats of frost that see them easily shattered by their attempt to move regardless. Royce continues to fire away with emotionless abandon, her shots each aimed with a swift movement of her arm and a burst of magical energy from the ancient artifact in her hand. However, the swamp suddenly surges to life at her feet, exploding with the energetic strike as Minerva unleashes her chi into the wet ground. The witch throws herself backwards but the blast still manages to send her tumbling away where she lands in a roll, popping back to her feet in a three-point crouch with her weapon held at the ready. But Minerva is faster. The monk's darkness empowered fist latches into the half-jacket that only barely covers the young woman's torso and explodes in a furious wave of darkness that rips the hood away from her face. Long hair as pure as freshly fallen snow billows out from the cowl in a massive wave of shimmering white that drapes about her body like a cape, easily reaching down to her waist. Royce has a moment to tilt her head up and affix her burning stare at the spirit warrior, her other eye's absence suddenly explained by the revelation of the thick black cloth tied firmly over it like an eyepatch. Minerva's threat goes unanswered and her fist plows squarely into the witch's jaw with another explosion of brilliant white light that blinds all sight for a handful of moments. Royce sails backwards out of the blast and ragdolls across the terrain. Soan's powerful spear thrust catches her in mid flight and rips deeply into her unprotected side, resulting into another violent spurt of neon crimson light that stains the muddy moss carpet of the swamp like blood. It is not until Will falls upon her with the full fury of his unnatural powers that she shows the first hints of fear or discomfort. The lines that flash to life before her eye causes it to widen a little and she sucks in a breath as a wave of pure unholy outrage echoes through her mind from the dark presence that lurks within. The hobo king's fist passes through her body like a ghost, snatching up the lines of fate that bind them together directly for some inexplicable reason and as he crushes them ruthlessly she grimaces and lets out a soft cry of pain. Royce's head tilts back as she screams, allowing her hair to fall away from her face and it only now becomes apparent that something terrible has happened, though no one here is likely to be aware of the implications of just what that is - yet. Where once the elaborate cloth covered her eye, wrapping it with mystical sigils and wards, there is nothing. Minerva's strike to the face has torn it away leaving one of the most terrible objects in existance exposed for all to see. Where Royce's eye should be a multifaceted gem sparkles brightly in the grungy light. It takes her a moment to realise what has occured but as soon as she does her hand flies up to cover the gem as if protecting a terrible wound. "You... fools..." The look on her face has transformed from one of emptiness to that of utter horror. "Your grandchildren shall awaken screaming in memory of what you see today."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Her hand falls away as if in slow motion, no longer able to contain the seething energies that rage against her attempts to hold them back. Power spills forth, raw madness given corporeal form. It erupts from the Eye in a tidal wave of shimmering distortion that engulfs the entire swamp in a moment. Those who peer directly into the terrible artifact suffer the worst for they look into the abyss of which Nietzsche spoke when he warned humanit the perils of facing monsters. To someone like Will who is capable of seeing Fate itself a different picture is painted. A geyser of pure black misfortune pours from the girl's eye, rending and shredding everything in its path as it twists luck to the worst possible extremes. The earth shatters and rises up beneath the feet of everyone present, tearing ancient trees from their roots and creating deadly sinkholes into which the swamp begins to drain. The sky darkens immediately as billowing storm clouds roll into existence from nothingness. Within moments thunder hammers them with ear-shattering booms and spears of lightning drop heavenly wrath on everything in sight in an constant staccato rythm of explosions, striking far more than twice in the same place all around the swamp. Rising from the surge of dark clouds the wind begins to churn as well, swirling in a frenzied rage that sweeps up the loose detrius, rubble, and scattered corpses that litter the ground. A whirlwind of raw elemental power bursts to life in a sudden surge as the cyclone hits critical mass and a funnel of death begins to sweep chaotically back and forth across the battlefield with no regard for friend or foe.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' He gives Emi and Umi an apologetic look. "And I'm sorry Emi. Apologize to the network for me. And please, get Avira and Mercade out of here." He didn't say what he was apologizing for. And then he was caught in the eye an explosive magical storm. And it was all he could do to hold on, as he gripped his talons into the ground. Steeling himself, he would barrel forward through the column of Zombies regardless of the magical storm. He cared not about the consequences of running straight into such a mob of the walking dead in the midst of a raging cyclone. Some he would just trample over in his relentless push, others he would bat aside with shield, fist, pommel, or the flat of his blade. The charge would not end until he'd reached the witch. The Gargoyle dropped down low in an attempt to preemptively mitigate or evade any attacks she had in mind. "As I recall..." He would then pirouette in an upward motion, the sword arcing in a slashing movement towards her chest wall before the momentum carried him around into a thrust aimed towards her abdomen. "...I made a promise to smite your frigid arse."

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will is caught in the elemental rage and power of the attack...he is almost blinded by the pure blackness errupting from the eye. He can't avoid this, it is too much, too sudden...he feels like he's almost floating... But his fate is hard to alter, even this isn't enough. Will's eyes flare, his whole body glows again, as he punches forward, even as the elemental force batters his body, he steps forward... And rushes her again. His hand burning brilliant as he dives right for her, aiming to kick down..aiming to try and drive her into the dirt. "NO!" he shouts, once more sending out the blue strand, aiming to freeze her in the seal of his fate, trying to batter down the eyes' fate, and the books control... And then he rushes forward, his hand burning red to counter his blue seal. This time, it's focused only on her, aiming to drive through the seal aiming to shatter the bonds of the book... He lands, aiming on the opposite side of her, hand outstretched with, hopefully, the book's threads...and tears then with a single motion.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "There is nothing to apologize for. It was simply a matter of pride." Emi says. She feels bad for making Percival feel bad for lending a hand?! She already knew the guy was emotional, even--oh wait, he crushed a 14 year old's head in his claws. Emi takes in a low breath. Not now, later. "Let's fall back." Emi says, unleashing another electrical wave as she makes her way towards Mercade and Avira--this one coalesces in shields to help keep out ZA DARKNESS on Percival, Navya and-- --Royce? MAybe she thinks it'll make her power harder to use or something.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade staggers forward, dancing among the undead, ducking, and weaving. "YOINK!" He yells, moments before he reaches the others again. "COME ON!" He calls, and grabs for Avira again. "Let's get out of here, Avira! I'm not letting you go!" Mercade doesn't attack, waiting for an opportunity, but he hopes to use the shambling nature of the undead to get the hell out of there.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man can sense the darkness welling into that witch, as he flips away from his strikes, spinning his spear defiantly in the face of the threat. His immobile face, eternal, grits behind the protection it's offered by it's helmet. The lights that serves for eyes brighten in the face of what comes ahead. Darkness. Not just mere darkness he felt, but necromancy most foul is beholding upon this woman. Dragoon Man does the opposite that is expected out of any sensible human being. He stands up straight, slamming his spear into the ground, staring wide at the terrible things that washes over him. It hurts, the attack darkness blows into him, flaying his flesh and his magical energies, he can sense it. Lightning is added into the mixt, striking the metal, hammering his spear for a direct hit. "FOOL!" Dragoon Man lies standing in the wake of the onslaught, still straight, if an arm seemingly bending in one wrong way, his armor smoking. "Do you not realise what you are facing, Witch?" He intones, a soft light birthed from his chest, spreading through his body. The scorched apperance slowly fades away, his broken arm is mending itself, as the rest of his body slowly begins to regenerate. Dragoon Man's fate seems to be hard, as if he has protection from an higher level. "You face warriors with a just cause! Your greed, or whatever your /vile/ masters wishes you to do will not succeed today! They will prevail against your dark magic to continue their purpose! I, Dragoon Man, Chosen of the Sacred Children of the First Skies, shall see to it!" His glowing eyes narrows as his lights amplifies. "Be gone from my sight with your petty magic, witch, or face, through me, their wrath, Chaos Spawn!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Listen to the Dragoon Man, Navya!" Avira calls over the howling whirlwind created by the gria, "Don't linger behind here! You'll-" She stops to stare at that crazy witch woman that has come to harass them all for what Avira still thinks is on behalf of Hades. Since she has commans over the undead and Hades is the lord of the dead, it seems to fit. She stares into the abyss of Royce's eye... In an instant, all of her guilt, shame, and despair comes flooding back. The bitter sting of failure and the disappointment of betrayal return as well. Doubts over whether or not she was actually forgiven by the TDA. Doubt of the strength of her heart. Avira grabs her head and tears her gaze away. "No!" The world itself starts to rebel around all of them, calamity rising from the earth and descending from the heavens. Heartless are caught up in this catastrophe, but remain undeterred from their goal. Ironically, this wild magic further stalls the approaching wyvern armada. She runs. Her wings lift, though the lightning makes her wonder if flying would be a terrible idea-but then she finds herself tethered. Mercade is pulling her back down, dragging her along. "M..mercade.." The guilt returns.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "I'm okay!" Navya says. "I can fly, I can swim, I can get away! I /got/ here, didn't I?" This is true, but she probably cannot actually keep it up forever no matter how much she claims she can. Navya is starting to tire, and she's hurt more than she will admit. Sweat beads on her face as her wings slow and finally stop; she breathes hard, trying to catch her breath. "You go!" she yells back at Avira. "Run! If you're - what he says, you're important! Go be a hero, go with the rest of them!" Navya vanishes in the cloud of magic. She manages to hang onto the tree even as it shreds around her - even as the spells shred into /her/. She uses her hammer to cover her face, and the maul starts falling apart too, shards of metal flaking off the head and falling down in tiny glittering chips. She is actually on the swamp's ground when it ends. Navya wheezes, barely upright, maul falling apart. But she straightens up. "A paravir - a real paravir - doesn't surrender! As long as I can fight, and protect the others - I'm happy! Hrr - aaaaugh!" Navya charges... forward, not back. She makes a gesture at the wyverns, a come-get-it type of motion, but more of her direct approach is toward Royce. Navya raises the battered and broken maul, clearly intending to use it one last time; she rears back, winding up - and then applies a single huge, gigantic, /colossal/ blow directly against Royce, to prevent her from chasing the others.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is still caught in the fighting she's not even sure abotu the magic that Royce is throwing against her but it hut she's caught in the force of it. She's battered by elemental forces and just pumnbled she's still very munch off balance here as she tries to keep her focus on Rouyce abnd again she slams her fists togehter causing anotehr large shockwave that rips across the swamp towards Royce.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "I told you." Mercade says. He pauses, to look directly in those inhuman eyes. "I'm not letting you go. You're too important to me to let that happen." A moment passes, and then he looks away. "We're going!" He pulls Avira along, getting to one of the boats and quickly rowing away as fast as possible.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The collected horrors of mankind are gathered into a single spot and unleashed on the assembled heroes in battering waves of madness power. Misfortune rends the land asunder as thunder and lightning falls like spears in a constant deadly hail. The fury of the raging twister abates almost as suddenly as it appeared and the collected detrius is left to freefall back to the swamp adding more flying threats for them to watch out for. The undead are all but scattered by this unfocused elemental frenzy. Most of the bodies lie motionless or pinned upon the jagged ruins of the uprooted trees and freshly shattered boulders. They pose no more threat to anyone. Their mistress, however, seems to be a great deal harder to kill. Royce braces herself against the overwhelming surge of power flowing freely from the unmasked Eye, leaning heavily on her weapon for support as the angry voice of her parasitic symbiote vents his wordless rage direclty into her mind. The Eye wasn't meant to be used like this. It required careful control, magical wards, rituals to prepare for its release. Emi's surge of magical power into her body is utterly inconsequential against the torrent of energy that rages freely. As Dragoon Man, hero of JUSTICE, laughs in the face of her darkness, Navya's massive hammer comes down to strike a telling blow against the nearly helpless girl. Alas, a little lack of teamwork foils this strike as the swamp explodes in a wave of muck and grime to carry the witch away and the maul does little but graze the armored surface of her legs as she vanishes in the mud. Percival's stoic rush through the chaos finds him a clear path to enact his promise upon the necromancer and his blade carves deep gouges into her flesh that send fernfrond patterns of neon light spattering from each swing. The final thrust buries the weapon deeply into her gut and she once again musters unimaginable willpower, pushing herself free with a solid application of her foot to his chest. The final blow to this staggering combo attack comes from Will. His hands erupt into unrecognizable energy, polar opposites of blue and red battering through the torrent of negative fate to strike out at the source. However, something happens that has likely never happened before. When he pulls on the cords that bind the girl and the book together, nothing happens. Royce lets out another muffled cry of pain and rounds on Will her body dancing to the machinations of a force greater than both of them. The wicked talons of metal that cover her hands are more decorative than practical but blades are blades and she presses her fingers together into a knife-like shape, driving it at the young boy's back. Flames erupt from her very touch, surging into the strike to immolate the target of her rage, the person who would dare attempt to pull the strings of fate as if they were his to manipulate. The arrogance! Another bolt of lightning falls from the sky, dropping directly down upon the pair as nature bends to the whims of an ancient evil. "Fool! You dare?!"

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Staggered by her kick. The Gargoyle's eyes would glow an eerie white out of pure unadultered rage, as he advanced menacingly upon Royce. He saw that she had targetted just Will, and thought that he meant to kill him. He started by aiming a pommel strike of the sword at her solar plexus. "Perdition awaits you.." He would aim a shield slam uppercut at her chin. "..and I will meet you there soon." A two handed overhead strike fell, aimed at her neck. And then he hesitated, stopping the blow short. He had been fully prepared to try and kill her. But he just couldn't do it.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man's warnings were ignored. Still, she purses her dark magic, this time on another one that is part of this group, doing grievous damage. The hero's voice grows colder, as his head lowers itself, giving a determined look at the witch. The only thing to do now is avenge him, retribution for this foul act. "You have chosen to ignore my warnings. So be it, then." The Heartless are coming. This detail is not very important to Dragoon Man right this moment. He crouches down, dust and the earth itself around him growing still as he launches himself into the air, the sound of him piercing through it following after him a moment afterwards. At that speed he is going, he's already a bright light in the sky, plummeting back downward at Royce. A scream echoes through the air, a sound familiar as his previous entry. "BY THE SKIES ABOVE THE SKY!" It's another jumping attack, but there's something more to it: the same burning light completely surrounds him and he does not seem to directly aim at Royce, instead of his general direction. This... may not be a direct attack, or an attack that need to be precise. "BY THEIR NAMES, I ABJURE THEE, CHAOS, TO BE JUDGED BY THE FIRST SONS AND DAUGHTERS!" Whenever Dragoon Man impacts directly Royce or not is irrevelent. The explosive damage of pure light, the shockwave caused by his impact are likely more than enough to uproot a few trees in close vincinity.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will moves, but only turning around to see the claws dig into his side. Will's eyes look mildly surprised by this...he was pretty sure the lines told him to move... Oh right, bad luck. <GOOSEHONK> YOU PERCI. This is compounded by then being set on fire, and then being THUNDAGAED. Will falls to his knees, loosing the focus and cohesion to keep the fae driven power focused... Will starts bleeding, alot, as he finally hits the mud of the swamp.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is just too hurt at this point to keep fighting for the moment, she seems to be hanging back even as her allies start to move in on Royce she falls back in the muck a ways knowing she can't do very much to bring them down so she tries to focus on recoverging herself and preparing for another strike.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya looks like she's about to fall over, to be honest. She is about two seconds from falling on her face. Will does it first. Navya doesn't know Will, but she lurches over toward him, picking him up - with one hand no less - and simply picks him straight up. She slings him over her shoulder, trying not to aggravate his wounds any more than they already are. She has already lost track of Avira, Mercade, and them. But she can make her own way out... once she's sure Royce isn't going to kill Soan. This may be why what remains of her broken maul gets thrown, hammer-style, directly at Royce.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Umi is slower to retreat, but that's when she hearst he sound of Will being buried in mud and gore. She spins around and gasps out. "Will!!" She rushes over to him, intending to help pull him out of the swamp and onto her back, hoping to help extract him rather than just leave him in mud. Because honestly, the guy doesn't take baths so he's gonna REALLY stink if he stays in there too long.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Umi is slower to retreat, but that's when she hearst he sound of Will being buried in mud and gore. She spins around and gasps out. "Will!!" She rushes over to him, intending to help pull him out of the swamp and onto her back, hoping to help extract him rather than just leave him in mud. Because honestly, the guy doesn't take baths so he's gonna REALLY stink if he stays in there too long. Fortunately she's halfway there before Navya actually helps Will out herself. "I'll help you too!" She declares and tries to lift her and Will out but-- --she doesn't really have the upper body strength. "Shoot! We better just run!" Run.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch's unholy claws part the flesh of Will's body with incredible ease. Hot wet blood gushes from the wound to stain her terrible gauntlet as the fingers dig deeper and deeper into soft tissue and visceral organs until they are buried up to the final knuckle in his torso. The flames come next, surging directly into the empty cavity of his chest to scorch him from the inside out even as the lightning hammers into him from above, drawn to the fresh metal in his body like a beacon. Royce wastes no time gloating or checking to make sure he is dead; that sort of assault would lay anyone low. Her new concern is the threat posed by those who remain. In particular one man has seen fit to make himself her primary focus: Dragoon Man. The armored knight falls from the sky in an envelope of golden light and the girl's eyes narrow aggressively on the tip of his deadly spear as he plummets. She spins around to face the holy meteor and her fist balls up slowly and carefully, the barely contained aggression bubbling beneath the surface of her dark expression. With a primal scream of defiance the girl's mailed fist swings upwards to meet the jutting tip of the holy explosion, dark magic erupting from her body to counter the divine energies. Both dragoon and witch vanish in a cataclysmic detonation that sends a shockwave surging out in all directions. Galeforce winds hammer those who remain behind to watch for several seconds as the magics clash and vie for supremacy, but in the end neither one can gain the upperhand and the two opposing forces eventually expend themselves. When the light and smoke clears the both of them are still standing. For her part in that exchange, Royce now seems to be down an arm. The ragged stump of her shoulder spurts the crimson light that is her lifeblood but by sacrificing the arm she remains otherwise unscathed. The look on her face says she isn't particularly pleased with the exchange rate. Twin chains erupt from her back, snaking out like living things to wave menacingly in the air for a few moments. However, instead of attacking, the chains shoot out under some supernatural force and sink into one of the nearby fallen zombies like whaling spears. The corpse is retracted in short order and Royce tears the right arm free of its torso with a wet pop. The not-so-fresh replacement limb is held up to the bloody socket and within moments begins to adhere itself in place, shifting and altering its shape to a more healthy looking white from the rotten green and grey it once was. Navya's hammer comes sailing in at this point and crashes heavily into her back. Ribs crack and she staggers but almost immediately whirls and flicks her wrist, sending the massive weapon hurdling back in a telekinetic wave of force. "Flee while you can, fool, or shall add your corpse to my legion!" Rounding on Dragoon Man once more, wherever he has gotten off to in the meanwhile, Royce gestures and begins to utter profane magical words. Fire erupts into her hands and she sends several wads of flame sailing into the dirt at his feet, saturating the area with explosions meant to end his nuisance for good.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "GOD<GOOSEHONK> YOU!" He aimed a kick right at her chest, and then would pull his arm back to literally aim a slap with it across her face. And then he wouldn't follow up yet again. He was already afraid that any given strike might kill her at this point, so he was pulling all of his punches. It disturbed him, she may have killed some of his friends. She may have killed many more. Surely /she/ deserved death. And yet he just couldn't bring himself to finish the job.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya's hammer hits Navya - and the head breaks off from the haft. Navya doesn't see where either half went because she just got hit in the head. (Fortunately, it glanced off her horn first. She's dazed, not unconcious.) Shaking her head and clearing it when Umi tries to pick her up, Navya lets out a little groan. "We can't just - let him get beaten! HEY!" Navya yells at Dragoon Man. "JUMP AWAY! I can't help anymore...!" Carrying Will, because she wants to make absolutely sure he doesn't die if she can manage it, and tugging Umi along with her, Navya half-runs, half-staggers away from Royce and the battlefield.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is not done yet, she's totally not done yet as she's managed to recover enough and she sees what happens to Will she lets out a cry of rage and her poer sueges up it flares out sending the swamp water and such everywhere away from her it keeps flaring out. "SUFRFER NOT THE WITCH TO TO LIVE!" Minerva then unlahes as much power as she can muster into her hand and then unleashes it all forcused at Royce. She's not a happy lady, not a happy lady at all.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will would thank Navya. Were he not bleeding, have enough third degree burns to kill someone, and also not completely filled of electrity. Will's not going to be thanking anyone anytime soon...but he SOMEHOW is alive... Emi can feel the faint bio energy still there...his heart still beats, and he is breathing, shallow, but it is there.

:'''[[Soan Sagittarius]] has posed:''' Dragoon Man face the gruesome display that the necromancer do to save herself from his wrath. He, himself, is not completly unscathed from it all, this was a rather tiring thing to do. Still, slowly, he stands, rear of his spear into the ground as he stares defiantly at Royce as she comes upon him with all the unholy fury that she is capable off. There are often where Soan thought he would die in middle of battles like this. It's a fact he's accepted over the years he's done as Dragoon Man. It's not something that bothers him. Death is a thing that happen in the pursuit of eradicating Chaos. Still, he stands and suffers her heretical magics, making him stagger not one feet, but make him wince, grit. He hopes these people are running away. He can finish this. Fates has it that he didn't need to lift a finger, instead getting the ire of the witch on him so that the strange gargoyle creature could unleash his fury upon her. Dragoon Man, burning from the profane magic flames, give a long stare down at Royce as Percival plows into her. He raises his spear, walking foward to follow up on Percival's motions, to deal a killing blow. The shrieks from above of the incoming wyverns, however, stops him, as he looks up at the growing shadows. He wont have time to purify the place, he muses, gritting his teeth. Damnit! "Percival, was it?" Dragoon Man says, eyeing the Gargoyle. "It's time for us to go. Let us leave this sad soul behind as an example to the others. Come! Go!" Then, without a word, Dragoon Man leaps up, quickly reaching the skies. He's not seen again immediatedly.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle would stand in the way of Minerva's attack, raising his shield to intercept the strike "No. We are better than that. Even if she is not."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The rage that pours force from Royce is not her own. Her mind is caged, pushed aside by the overwhelming presence that surges through every inch of her body, bending her flesh to its will without even the slightest effort. Why could she not fight back? She had no interest in staying here any longer; her goal of investigating the source of the dark magic for study was a failure and the only thing to be gained by pushing her body beyond its already impressive limits was death. Silently she rattles the bars of the cage within her own mind, forced to be little more than a passenger in her body. The demonic fires that rain upon Dragoon Man are fierce but the effort of the battle thus far has nearly exhausted the magic flowing through the mortal vessel. Even as great as the power behind the puppeteer is, it cannot draw from an empty well and that realization only makes it angrier. The unholy fury is cut short, however, by the timely intervention of the muscle-bound gargoyle. Though he has chosen to spare her life, unwitting to the true threat the lurks beneath the surface of her pretty face, her continued resistance brings forth a surge of his own anger. The massive foot crashes into her chest with incredible force, sending the slender woman's body doubling over as all air escapes from her lungs. The back of his palm smashes into her cheek and sends Royce crumpling to the ground in a heap. For several seconds she coughs up blood and magical sparks, gasping for the breath to spit curses up at them all but the presence in her mind begins to fade and the witch regains some measure of control; just enough to rip open a portal in the dirt below her. Sinking into the bubbling shadows like quicksand, Royce drops out of sight and the vortex winks shut just as swiftly, cutting off all hope of chasing her down or finishing her off. The day was won but both sides leave this field of battle with blood spilled.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle would nod in a sort of vague acquiescence to DRAGOON MAN. He would have liked to ask his name. But all inquiries into his secret identity were evaded as the man launched himself into the sky. Doubtless he was already on his way to right more wrongs. He would watch Royce sink into the darkness with a sort of quiet acquiescence. He'd accepted already that the consequences of his actions might be her escape. Those that she would later kill or defile would just be something else to weigh upon his conscience. He'd gave Minerva a stoic look, as he didn't know how she'd react to his intervention. "Do you need help departing from this wretched place?"

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is phurt prety badly and she looks at at Percival there's nothing to do abotu the witch she'll have to hunt her later she's still not sure what to think but if anything. Prehaps Percy has saved another from acting out in a rage like he does so something good may have come of it. It's time to go Avira is gone, Will needs help and the witch has fled. She won't forget them though. "Aye....I do."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' "Wrap your arms around my neck." While he was wounded, none of his wounds were actually serious. He often used to tell others that there must be a higher, because how else would fate have a sense of humor? That he came out of this relatively unscathed seemed proof ot that. Once she does. He would climb a nearby tree, and once he stood high enough on a branch, he would pull her off his back and into his arms to begin gliding, just above the treeline. Most of the heartless left them alone at this point, with Avira gone, but he still didn't want to push his luck. He'd drop her off once they reached the outer edge of New Orleans' city limits, before parting ways.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva does so as she moves to wrap her quams about it as she wraps he arms about Percy and hangs on she'll just hang on and think it's been a long day. At least Avira's alive right that counts for something. She needs to get somewhere clean up and sleep.

Kyra Hyral

2013-02-19T22:22:44Z

RyuuAya: /* Profile */

Kyra Hyral

2013-02-19T22:22:26Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Character Infobox |firstname=Kyra |lastname=Hyral |age=17 |species=Human |sex=Female |height=5'4" |weight=We'll get back to you on that |series=OC |styles=Mogstep |hometown=..."

Mirage

2013-02-19T22:09:14Z

RyuuAya: /* Logs */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Mirage
|age=First of nine lives
|species=EVIL INCARNATE
|sex=Female
|height=Tall enough
|weight=Whatever she wants
|series=Aladdin
|styles=Evil Incarnate
|hometown=Unknown,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shadow Lords
|occupation=Dark Lord
|quote=Scratch a hero deep enough and you'll find the coward inside!
|footer=Mysterious evil things.
}}
= Profile =

Known as "evil incarnate" to a select few from Agrabah, Mirage is a catlike sorceress that lived in a dimension parallel to Agrabah known as Morbia. Only the cryptic Phasir seems to really know who Mirage was and where she really came from. What is clear is that she's an insanely cruel woman that seems to take sadistic delight in the suffering of others. Since the arrival of the Heartless shattered Agrabah and swallowed her own dimension, Mirage has happily fallen in with the Shadow Lords and eagerly spreads the darkness throughout the remaining world pieces. Her favorite prey is that of the noble hero, making a sport of causing them despair and suffering with her extensive mastery over illusions and nightmares.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}

= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Mirage

2013-02-19T22:07:55Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Character Infobox |firstname=Mirage |age=First of nine lives |species=EVIL INCARNATE |sex=Female |height=Tall enough |weight=Whatever she wants |series=Aladdin |styles=Evil ..."

1001 Arabian Nights

2013-02-19T22:04:37Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/18 |Location=Arabian Nights - The Western Desert |Synopsis=The hunt for the Fire Shard of Manhattan leads a group of heroes to an excitable..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/18
|Location=Arabian Nights - The Western Desert
|Synopsis=The hunt for the Fire Shard of Manhattan leads a group of heroes to an excitable bunch of Heffalumps and Woozles with an interesting hobby.
|Thanks=To the players, for entertaining the GM so much. :D
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Will Sherman, Katyna, Sarafina Carenze, Deelel, Aerith, Mirage, Evja
|Tinyplot=Manhattan Restoration
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' The last time the Shard Seeker device triggered, following it, an incidentally the map of the Desert Rose, had lead them to a set of ruins protected by a dangerous sandstorm. What, notably, had not been found while on this mission? A shard. This could very well be another such wild goose chase. Following the device does lead to the discovery of something interesting. For about two weeks now, there had been rumors of a magnificent palace out in the desert where they had previously been none. Such an unusual thing had been written off as a mirage at first, but eventually other accounts started to trickle in. This Palace was real. This Palace was real and inhabited by horrible creatures. This Palace was real and inhabited by horrible creatures that FEASTED ON THE FLESH OF MAN and I'm THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THESE TERRIBLE BEASTS. BEWARE!! BEWARE!! The device, in this case, leads right to this mysterious desert Palace. As they approach it, they'll discover that it is indeed real...and it doesn't seem to be guarded in any way.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' This time, the Shard Seeker device leads them to this place. Where is it? Who knows. Nevertheless, this time, the Shard Seeker should work. Why? Guess who is leading the fray this time. Reize, the Boy Who Has a Knack For Directions. ... Okay, you guys are screwed. Nevertheless, the Shard Seeker device is pinging. Reize looks up from the device and out to the desert. Upon arriving at the desert palace? "Ooooh.... we made it!" He beams, "See? No one should doubt my directions!"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna had been curious about the Shard Seeking device, wondering if it might lead them to another world shard. Whatever her personal reasons for coming along, the mystic knight was here, outwardly representing VALKYRIE although she may yet have ulterior motives. Who knows? Whatever the case, here she is, following along after Reize and hoping he doesn't get them lost as he is apt to do..When they arrive at the desert palace, she stares up at the palace in awe. "Wow, this palace?" Ooh, must be full of pretty shinies! What fun! "Heh, should be a piece of cake.." Greedily, she rubs her hands together, thinking of all the treasures that must be inside that palace. "Alright, lead on!"

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will has a blank expression on his face as he looks at Reize. He doesn't break it to him that he basicly has been repeatedly bending luck so that the once in a million chance of Reize setting out to a place and arriving there without getting lost despite having directions/something showing you the way happened. Will isn't even sure if it worked, he sure hopes they found the right mysterious ruins. He looks at Katyna, and gives her a sideways glance... "Riiiight." he sighs, this was going to be a long day. He walks forward, towards the ruins, his eyes, the eyes that see fate looking around for anything out of the ordinary. However, he just goes the only way he knows...forward. "Place gives me the heebee jeebees."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is following after Reize and seems to wonder where the shard seeking device is taking them. "Hopefully this is it." She's not that confident given Reize's habit of getting lost but she doesn't vocalize it. The Basic is looking about nervously hopping things don't go south. Then Will voices somethign else she's feeling "It's in quite the state of disrepair I really don't like it...either Will."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Likewise, Evja was here as well, following up behind mostly for the sake of assisting if needed. That, and he'd been attempting to help out the Shard Seekers anyways until they decide if they want him as their Clan Judge, did they become a Clan, or not. At the moment the Viera was atop his Chocobo, a large white cloak wrapped all the way around with his head wrapped in something of a white Assassins turban as was traditional with a lot of Jylland Viera, as well as a Veil, keeping himself covered save hands and around the eyes. Nothing to say at the moment, though, simply following along.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina is a bit slow in her arrival, this is because walking in her huge armor is not exactly ideal, especially in a desert. She huffs and puffs, and seems kind of grumpy just to be here, but if there really is a Shard here, she's gotta make sure this goes off. Of course it's also possible that there isn't anything here, but at least she can keep an eye on Will. "Mm." She says, looking over the Palace. She doesn't like the looks of this. "Lets be cautious." She says after a moment--and despite saying this starts forth, intending to walk through the front entrance.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' The doors are not locked and open quite easily to moderate pressure. Immediately inside there is a long, tall hallway with massive marble pillars lining each sides. Ribbons and banners of many colors, plaid especially, are strung up around and between the pillars almost haphazardly. Indeed, with closer inspection, they seem to have been placed about without any rhyme or reason. The length of the hall bares a bright red and yellow plaid carpet. Following the carpet leads to a well-lit room beyond. The room the hallway opens out into is immense and obviously set up to be a throne room. Along the far wall is what passes as a throne, though it is built out of massive couch pillows sewn out of the finest gold and silver threads. Luxurious silken pillows are strewn all throughout the room, absolutely coating the floor except for a tiny path leading up to the base of the pillow thrown. The pillows look very inviting and bouncy. On either side of the room, which turns out to be oval in shape, are staircases that follow the curve of the walls to a balcony/room built into the wall that wraps behind the throne. The walls have been carved out into railings and arching "windows" and pillars. At the very center, resting high above the throne but apparently within the balcony is a shining jewel that floats in the air. It turns whichever color is most pleasing to the viewer and burns with a small firey aura of flames matching that color. More importantly, the intrepid adventurers are not alone in this room. There are creatures throughout of all shapes, sizes, and colors that resemble either elephants...or weasels. A distressing number of them have skin that is clearly some form of plaid. Every single one of them looks towards the 'adventurers' as they enter, curious faces slowly pulled into Chesire grins. Upon the pillow throne sits a massive Heffalump with a striped turban wrapped around his head. Clapping his front legs together, he stands up before his fluffy seat. "FANTASTIC! More entertainment has come! Please, please come forth! We have been waiting far too long!"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna's eyes widen as they step into the desert palace, staring at this and that..Definitely lots of pretty shinies here, but none quite as spectacular as that floating gem up ahead! She's about to run towards it, when she realizes they are certainly not alone here! "Erp! What's this?" She sweatdrops, grimacing a bit as if caught red-handed. "Ooh...Err...Hey there! Dont mind us! We just...Err..Got lost!" twitch twitch. Still..They dont seem unfriendly, and so she takes a cautious step towards the creature on the pillow throne. "Err, who are you guys?"

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will's eyes spot the shard, it doesn't take long for him to find the golden string...the one connected to his own fate. There is...a soft smile, despite himself in the weird place. The place just...feels odd, but at the same time that sort of chaotic that....he just can't ignore. But what can you do...trickster gods live inside of yo-no wait, that's just him. Damn it! His eyes come along the...what the <GOOSEHONK> are these things? He just tilts his head to the side and blinks for a moment... "Lost? No we're in the right place!" he says, holding a hand up...Will has a hunch. "Game? Well we can't play the game if we don't know the rules, don't just...hide it all to yourself! Tell tell!" he says, grinning, and walking forward, "I hope it's fun, because I don't like boring games..." he pauses, pointing at the shard, "Hey that's pretty, where did you find that?"

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Being on a chocobo in the middle of the desert provided some unique memories for Aerith the last time she'd been in a scenario like this. Of course they'd almost been eaten then, but they got out all right. She was almost certain they'd come through yet again, and the fact that it was for one of the lost shards was even better. Unfortunately, palace out in the middle of nowhere posed a bit of a problem... how did it get here in the first place? She felt a wave of trepidation as she approached with the others, attempting to figure out who or what brought this here...

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina peers about as she steps inside. It's easy so far. TOO EASY IN FACT. She doesn't draw her weapon, however, taking her time. There is no notable need to hurry. But it's when she finally catches sight of ... those things ... that she is given pause. She looks towards the Heffalump with a turban over his head. She looks at him for several moments. And then she looks to Will, brow furrowing in concentration. She listens to him and then says, "Mm.... If that's how it's going to be played... But even so, I'm not sure I like this..." She crosses her arms lightly. "Very well, what are the rules here..?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is keeping on her guard int his place the plaid colour set up there. It's almost painful to her when she states at them for too long. She keeps moving chekcing about the other things that make up the place and she raises an euebrow at just what's going on here. "SO much Plaid. How could someone..." Even with her lack of human fashion sense she realises that set up is a diaster.. Then someone appear and she takes a step bck from the man. "Hello there and you have?" She tries to back peddal in terms from her world. "Game? But what sort of game." This does get her intrest but also she's a bit uneasy given her ... well origins.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' A game. And there was the shard right there. Regardless of the rules, the fact that they'd been expecting someone to come find it made it suspect from the get-go. Aerith got herself ready to call up her staff, just in case. If something bad went down, and she was almost certain it would, it was good to be able to have it on hand. Still, she listened for what this game entailed. Then again, surely it couldn't be anything bad... right?

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF!" The Head Heffalump trumpets, "I am the Great Sultan Pachidermus and this is our spectacular Palace of Flames!" At "flames," fire suddenly shoots up from around the pillars in the halls, which immediately incinerates the ribbons and banners that had been left there to decorate the place. Rather than turning to ashes, the banners turn into bits of confetti that blow into the main atrium and fall all over the subjects, pillows, and intrepid adventurers. "Since building our kingdom, we have met many travellers and they have all been very entertaining. But sadly, not entertaining enough." Sultan Pachidermus sits himself back down upon his pillow fort throne and strokes his goatee, which he certainly didn't have -two seconds ago-. "All we seek is stories! Magnificent stories to thrill and tantalize us. I have considered even offering a reward for such a story, but none has moved out hearts enough." He laments. All the while he speaks, the other elephanty and weazely creatures creep closer, eyes filled with curiosity. The astute might notice that, for now, the heffalumps and woozles are quite focused on THEM. They might also notice that they don't seem to be posting guards around the shard. "Oh, our magnficent treasure? It is the most amazing thing, is it not? One night, I had wished upon a star that I would like a star all to myself! And what would you know, this star fell from the sky just for me! It is my most precious treasure. Do you like it?" The Heffalump smiles. "But enough about my story. What we want...are /your/ stories." They all lean forward. A Woozle of purple and pink stripes chirps. "Go on! Let's hear it!"

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "...A story..." Sarafina says. The Head Heffalump might as well have said 'go and kill your family', that's how disinclined Sarafina is to storytelling. She couldn't even tell stories to her kids. Let alone to a turbaned elephant, that's just really out there. Will offers to go first, and Sarafina lets out a relieved breath, trying to sneak to the rear of the group.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Well darn! How will she ever steal that pretty shiny jewel now? Darnit! But..Maybe she can distract them with stories! Still, does she know any that could possibly make these people fall asleep? Well, let's hope so! "Ooh, so basically we gotta entertain y'all with interesting stories? And what happens if our stories are not entertaining enough?" Wait, does she even want to know what happens? Darnit! Still, it seems others might wish to begin the story first and so she waits for someone else to start..

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Oh... oh, this is going to be interesting. Aerith sits back and waits for someone else to start. She'd have to have a bit of prep time for this one, and depending on how they did it, she'd have to listen closely to how the flow of the story went. Still, a smile graced her features. If it was a story they wanted, they certainly would get one...

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Having been staying towards the back, Evja had long since stepped off his Chocobo, now walking beside it as he listened, eventually moving to the side to watch the others discussing it. Well, it seemed simple enough. "So these are the rules - I am quite pleased with such a thing. Rarely have I seen things outside of Jylland make sense and have order."

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will pauses... "Alright! I can do that.." he says, and grins... "In the land of Midgard..." he says, waving his hands up, "Midgard, you see is the land where I come from, above it is a place called Valhallah. Valhallah is a brilliant place, golden and bright, close to the sun, but not hot. It rest atop a giant mountain, but this is not where our stroy is about...but rather a starting point!" Will says, looking at each of the weird things. He grins, pointing at one... "Here, the great king of the hall, of light and warriors who have claimed the right to walk the hallowed halls in Midgard sit and drink and feast for the day that their skill will be needed..." Will wiggles his fingers, "But the great king, Odin, sat on his throne and looked down at Midguard. He was alone, you see...for all of the power and wonder at his command, he did not have one thing...the one thing that everyone needs. The one thing that binds us to each other...love. He did not have a love, and he looked down on Midguard, he looked down on the mortal land..." "And he saw something. Something so beautiful and perfect to him, that it easily outstripped the gold and brightness of his home..." he says, waving his hands to essentuaite the point. "The woman, was not exactly mortal herself, but a creature under Lord Odin's service herself. You see, a Valkyrie is a brilliant creature, who chooses which warriors go to Valhallah to sit at Odin's side...the world is so large that not even he knows the name or even the face of the people that work for him...but this beauty..." "She was a warrior, a maiden of not just great beauty, but of great skill. She was not easily impressed, and because of her skill and beauty, she was picky with who would take her as her husband." "But surly Odin qualified? Right? However, taken by her beauty...captivated by her grace and skill...he decided that it was not enough to show himself as Odin. No no...he had to win her heart, the mortal way. He had to show her what was inside his own heart, and that she could only choose him based on that alone..." "Oh...but see, this is where the story gets...trecherous. A figure, a creature that covited Odin's throne by the name of Surt saw this...and when Odin transformed himself into a human...he took advantage of the weakened Odin, striking him with a magic spell, sealing him in his new form!" Will's voice takes on a evil overtone, "Ahhhhahahahaha! Look at you pitiful mortal! I will take your place on the seat of Valhallah, while you are cast down to the mortals...but I am not UNFAIR...surly you can win the heart of the maiden you coveted more than even your own throne, if you should win her heart by the week's end...my spell will end!" "So Odin, cast down from the glory of the heavens, walked in the forest of Midguard...but Surt was not content in this...you see, he sent a dragon after Odin..." and then he backs up...

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "Correct, young lady!" An oversized, stuff-looking Woozle in a safari hat says, peering at Katyna through a monacle. "If your stories are not up to our standards..." he leans in even closer, practically ON TOP of the Ember Knight. "...then we will have to..." he smiles widely, showing off his rather large and rather sharp-looking (?!) teeth. "...remove you." A pink heffalump with a delicate and dainty trunk leans on Kat's back suddenly. "That would be, like, -so- sad! Just like the last twelve visitors we've had!" Will is the first to step up and start up what would no doubt be an epic tale. Right away, he has the full attention of every Heffalump and Woozle in the room, especially of the Sultan himself. The Sultan wiggles in his seat and as time passes, his appearance starts to change. He grows a full white bushy beard and one of his eyes suddenly fades away into an empty socket. This should look familiar to Will. Evja would notice one of the Woozles standing up-this in particular has odd-looking ears that, rather than pointed, are wide and fan-like. With each passing second they seem to become larger and larger until they are enormous wings. This Woozle poses salaciously, then turns her (her?) nose up at the "Sultan." A rakish-looking Woozle rears up on the other side of the room amongst the crowd. His fur is bright red and orange and notably not plaid. He taps his clawed paws together and smirks. Then several things happen at once. The "Sultan" descends from his throne, shifting in shape as he walks until he actually does look like a real human. He seems to be walking to the female Woozle, only to be intercepted by the flame-furred Woozle and knocked over. The flame-furred Woozle then lets out a cackle and wiggles his way over to the pillow fort throne, which he claims. Wait, they're...acting it out? Sure seems that way, as the biggest Heffalump in the room sits next to the throne and slowly shapeshifts into a Heffadragon. "Wait, wait!!" A bookish-looking Woozle suddenly shouts out, "Surt has no love interest. SURT NEEDS A LOVE INTEREST!!!" Others start to chime in in agreement with this. The others better step in with the rest of the story...pronto!

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina will let EVja go next. She is hoping, really, that the others will figure out a good story and that will satisfy before she has to go. What is she supposed to even do to make a good story for Woozles and shit? SHE DOESN'T KNOW. And she doesn't want to know. But Sarafina, she thinks, MAnhattan! You have to help them! Even if it means telling a story! Well okay maybe, but not if she can help it. Maybe she can sneak out the back? Right? Ugghh... "Is this story ficitonal, Will...or did this actually happen?" She can't help but ask.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel listens as strange being introduces themselves she listens s they tell about their kingom and they wante to be enterained? All right she takes a moment to think about this. It's a fair offer it seems right? Then she hears them talk about it and her eyes go a bit wide, wait could they be talking about what she thinks they are? This has the basic's full attention now. "A story hummmm." A lot of people have interesting stories but her own might not be understandable to many. Still she'll do her best to ad lib it along as best she can, right? She knows of the legend of the Valkyrie she'd looked it up online after meeting Avira and some of her frends she was curious as the tale that's being told but it's not her turn yet.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' "Purely fictional." Will says, and becoming very quiet as he backs up, slowly walking with his back to the wall...he was not going to be surprised. Will watches, not the shard...that was never going to move, unless they grabbed it...and if everyone here did their parts, then they'd probably wouldn't do that. Will waits...he is patient, he waits to see how enthralled they were, and then he would start moving towards along the wall towards the Shard. Will is patient...just one shot, and then nothing was going to save their home if they failed here...

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Eventually, while listening, Evja did notice these things. It surprised the Viera actually. Not that there were strange looking creatures, with tall ears, or that they changed shapes. No, what was surprising was when he slowly came to realize they were acting it out. Huh, well, what do you know. Listening in on the story did make him wonder a few things that he eventually puzzled out himself. What was a Valkyrie? Someone who goes to pick Warriors, likely the best. And these warriors, who had gained the right, waited... for what? It hadn't been said yet, but it had to be important. Odin wasn't a mortal, and neither was the Valkyrie. In most tales, these beings lived forever or close to it... so he came to believe that unless this task lasted forever, gathering warriors that soon aged past their prime out of battle, there had to be something that made them a candidate. It's here that Evja recalled Leida, that young girl who valued a heroic death thanks to her culture. Stepping forward, Evja spoke up, voice sounding quite feminine. He was a practiced crossdresser after all, he wasn't about to let his voice be the thing that gave him away. "Oh, indeed, Surt had a love interest. However, his love was actually quite different. For you see, Surt, as one who coveted Odin's throne, only wanted those who could aid him in getting such. His story was many years ago, though, and this is the story of Odin and his Valkyrie Love. You see, the dragon Surt sent after him? It was once upon a time a woman he cared for. But Odin, the pig, was not one to settle for anything less than perfect. You see, this is how Surt came to covet Odin's throne. This woman was the only thing Surt had ever cared for and Odin espied her one day, approaching her and seducing her. When Surt found out, enraged, he cast a spell upon this woman, turning her into a fearsome, horrible dragon, just like he had used his trickery to seal Odin into a mortals body." Evja wasn't the same level of storyteller Will is, but she tried, turning and fanning a hand out to say, "The woman..." the Viera pointed towards the fan-eared Woozle, "Felt the shame of betraying Surt and wanted a chance to make ammends for it, having been once upon a time cast aside by Odin after the happening because she was not good enough for him once he had her. Surt said unto her, "Go, and kill Odin. Not only do I now have his throne, but what shame it would bring to him knowing he was killed by the very woman he sought to steal from /me/." urning towards 'Odin', Evja bowed and offered his hand, "And Odin went, looking for a way to get the attention of the Valkyrie. Knowing what it was a Valkyrie did, he had to prove himself first worthy to be chosen by her to sit in the hallowed halls of Valhallah. And what better way to do that than to go to the war that was going on, stand between both sides and declare his MIGHT!" It was here Evja raised his voice and pulled out a spear, tossing it shaft towards 'Odin'. "He stood in the middle of all of the warring peoples and shouted, "Valkyrie! Hear me now! This world is not worth me, for my skills as a warrior are too great! I shall slay every last warrior here and by doing so, you will know of my worth! The worthiness to return to Valhallah, chosen by you!" Stepping back, back towards his traveling group, Evja raised one hand towards the groups on the right side, the groups of Woozles and other creatures, then his left towards the other side. "And so they warred, fighting each other, and Odin, stripped Lord of Valhallah, fighting them!"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "Hearing this challenge, the Valkyrie, high above the fields, looked upon the warring nations with Odin in the middle. She looked and snorted, 'Fool mortal, you shall meet your death. However, I shall give you a chance. If you fell even half of these men before you perish, I shall even give you a kiss upon choosing you.' For you see, even though she was no mortal, she had a sense of humor, and betting this man something she knew he would never win? Why, it was entertaining! Thus she sat back, with the warriors she had with her and had yet to take to Valhallah, to watch the fight." Turning, Evja takes the part of the Valkyrie, "Warriors, make sure not to get in the way! This fool battle is for Odin and those two nations! I will not have you dying again before I can take you to Valhallah!" Thus the warriors were named of the group Evja came with, both hands reaching up to 'shoo' them back. Might as well cover his ass, try to keep the enactment from dragging /them/ into it.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' Much to Will's horror, everyone is looking at him expectantly. Is he stuck telling the story? tNO! Evja to the rescue! The Viera speaks up and immediately everyone turns to watch him. The bookish-looking Woozle immediately brightens when she is informed that, yes, Surt did have a love interest. A very special love interest. That particular Woozle suddenly springs up and rushes over to the dragony-looking Heffalump next to the pillow fort throne. With extremely little effort on her part, she shoves the Heffalump over and takes her place, promptly transforming into a dragon. This dragon nuzzles the flame-furred Woozle on the throne. The flame-furred Woozle cackles again and points a clawed hand at the Odin-Sultan-uncanny human standing amongst the brightly colored Heffalumps and Woozles. The Human Heffalump stands firm, suddenly lifting a spear he certainly didn't have two seconds ago. Suddenly the other Heffalumps are also decked out in full armor and holding weapons. They're actually very REAL looking weapons. In an instant, the woozles have done the same and now it seems like there's about to be a Heffalump-versus-Woozle fight. The wing-eared Heffalump flies up into the air overhead and the two sides suddenly slam into each other, chaos erupting all around the party. It's surprisingly brutal. Those weapons ARE real. Rather than flesh and blood, though, cotton and feathers start to fly as cloth and canvas is ripped open. The winged Heffalump is joined by a dozen others. More 'Valkyries' maybe? They all seem pretty darn enthralled, especially as they "fight" each other. None of them seem in pain though-in fact, it looks like they were having fun. A hand suddenly reaches out to grab Evja's leg. The hand belongs to a woozle that has been sliced clean in half, but like a zombie, he still persists. "But which side /won/?" he whines, "I must know! Tell us!" The way is open. They are distracted. Will would have to move fast...and the others will clearly have to keep distracting them.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith took in a breath and stepped forward. Now. This was it. Things were getting interesting, more so per the minute, and she'd caught the wave. "Mortal though he was, trapped as he might have been, mighty Odin was still the god of WAR!" Her voice echoed off the walls on the last word! "No mere creature of Midgard had the cunning, the skill, the ages of battle! Fierce was the battle, and he reveled in it, laughing as his blade tore through armor and flesh!" She swept her gaze across the room, observing the creatures as they acted out. She grinned as she watched the play unfold, even as she added to the tale! "Soon, both sides began to converge on Odin, their quarrel of the years forgotten in the face of his battle-fury. So great was the clash of ten thousand against one that even Sutr above could hear! Thus did he become concerned that his ploy may fail, and called for the one creature that may end this farce..." Her expression darkened. "The dragon."

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina nods slowly to Will, turning her attention back to the story. She's going to have to keep her thoughts on this story if she ends up having to pick it up. Maybe she'll get lucky and they'll end it first. Even so, it's hard to listen to the story when all the Heffalumps are out and fighting one another. Her eyes widen as they literally tear each other apart. The fact that this doesn't seem to seriously injure them only makes it more horrifying. She's really starting to regret coming. Why couldn't it be sandworms? She was expecting sandworms! That would have been wonderful. "...The dragon..." That sounds like a climax coming up.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Slowly, Will nods back to Sarafina... Will makes it towards the treasure, while the things are distracted by the story...and he tries not to facepalm at Aerith...whatever, they just need to look at her a bit longer... And then Will moves to grab the Shard, aiming to lift it up with a very intense STRING...if he grabs it, he drops to the ground and...ponders where to actually HIDE it... Will puts it in his hat a second later.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna sweatdrops. She's not a terribly good storyteller herself, but she's experienced enough crazy dreams lately to weave her own crazy stories..Well it's worth a try, hopefully they'll get something good in the end! She clears her throat, stepping forwards. "So, the dragon emerged upon the bloody battlefield, hungry with rage for Odin's blood! Odin continued to defeat many warriors on both sides, staining the earth red with blood. But!Although Odin fought long and hard and with great bravery against overwhelming odds, he was already outnumbered. Finally, only a few warriors remained. But when the remaining warriors saw the dragon, they realized they were outmatched! "An ear-splitting roar rent the air as the dragon sent half of the armies flying with but a flick of its tail! Her breath set fire to men as if they were kindling, and she laughed as they fled before her. "Yes, run! Run, puny mortals! I have not come for you..." She turned her gaze toward Odin. "...but you." At this point, Katyna lets out a ferocious roar, taking on the part of the dragon as it creeps ever forward. "By this time Odin was exhausted from the battle, sporting many wounds as he stared up bravely at the approaching dragon. He, the god of war, scarred and wounded by many weapons, was not about to back off. Instead, he merely stared defiantly up at the mighty beast. "Here me, dragon! I will NOT back down, I will not cower in fear! Mortal I may be, but I will still take you down. Even in death, I shall still be victorious!" The Valkyrie also watched intently, even as her warriors flew to earth to gather the many fallen warriors. But she turned up her nose at those cowards who turned and fled in fear. "Odin..Show me your bravery! Defeat this dragon and you will have your reward!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is good at adding visual effects, music, but not really the art of User Story telling stuill she's taking time to listen and learn for herself prehaps even just for fun. She does howwever listen to the story and is finging herself interested in the tale. But if she's called on she'll do her best to provide more stry to this evening still for all teh chaos that spawned the users it does seem to leave them able to think up tales like this and that impresses her.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' The shapeshifting creatures are very thoroughly distracted. Will goes completely unnoticed as he creeps up one of the staircases wrapping around the room and onto the balcony. It's a good thing too since there are virtually no places to take cover on this walkway. Who won indeed...it seems like it might not get answered right away, not when the spotlight has returned to the human-shaped Heffalump himself, who poses dramatically and fights with the style and grace of a Spartan warrior. Strangely enough, in his vicinity, everything seems to go slow-mo every now and then in an entirely theatrical manner. Upon closer inspection this seems to be by mutual agreement for the heffalumps and woozles involved in the fight, for dramatic purposes. The Sutr-Woozle slams his hands on the arms of the pillow throne and stands up. With a dramatic gesture, he points forward at the God-turned-human and the Woozle-dragon-love-interest at his side springs into action. Somehow, the dragon becomes even LARGER when she steps out onto the field, managing to look even more fearsome and imposing. Will slips into the wall section, slightly behind the pillow throne, and mere feet away from the World Shard. Meanwhile, the tide of battle starts to turn against Heffa-Odin. Other Heffalumps are cut down by the Woozles into miserable heaps of stuffing and feathers strewn throughout the colorful pillows. A few brave Heffalump warriors stand at his side, fighting to the bitter end, until the Woozledragon storms forth, slapping half of them away with her tail. The rest are...set on fire. Well, sort of fire. It seems to be a magical kind of fire that isn't actually hot and doesn't actually destroy. Woozle and Heffalump special effects are pretty amazing. Will takes hold of his STRING and the world shard is drawn to him. There is a faint chiming sound as it moves, but the 'audience' doesn't seem to notice thanks to the story. Heffa-Odin collapses to one knee, but stares up at the dragon defiantly, shaking his spear at her. The Valkyries swoop and dive down, picking up pieces of stuffing and tossing it everywhere, perhaps to represent themselves guiding souls to Valhallah? They all seem to be having so much FUN. "So tell me!" The flame-furred woozle calls out, "Did Odin pay? Did he fall in battle that day?" In an eerie moment, all of them suddenly chimed in together, a chorus singing out in demand: "We must know! Do say!"

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina nods to Will and then--Did Odin pay? She is very bad at stories, but it seems like she's the only one left. She clucks her tongue faintly and then steps forward, eyeing all the shapeshifters with an eye. She squints after a moment and then says, "And then seeing the valor of the one who would love her, the woman--whatshername--promptly recognizes his valor...and knew his identity for what it was! She punched the dragon in the snout and said, 'Cut it out already, I know who you are, lets go settle down in a nice cottage somewhere!" "And then... Surt was so angry... so enraged upon seeing his spell fail, based on conditions he himself set... His anger was so much..." She looks up sharply. "His head exploded!" Her eyes widen sharply. And then she pauses for a moment and then nods. "Then they lived happily ever after and started a family and they had to deal with all sorts of kid problems and they grew old but never got to have grandchildren."

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will takes hold of the shard. YES! He resists the urge to touchdown it, but instead he puts it in his hat, and then places the hat on his head...and then SMASH IT WITH A-no wait, wrong script. GET OUT OF HERE YZMA! YOU ARE DRUNK! Will does hide, or attempt to hide the shard under his hat, as he walks back down the balcony and around the room once more towards the people he came in with. He is less quite...infact, he might be running now that he has the shard. He lands, by Sarafina...and nods to her once...and then breaks for the door to leave.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' The head Valkyri Heffalump puts a hand to her mouth, then flutters down to stand beside the Heffa-Odin, helping him up. The Valkyrie then leans forward and punches Love Interest Dragon in the nose. A finger is shook at the dragon, who growl-whines. Then Woozle Sutr pauses, "Wait, what?" Then his head explodes into a pile of fluff. Every heffalump and woozle in the room turns to stare at this and, in looking towards the throne, notice a very important thing. The shard is missing. Heffa-Odin promptly breaks character. "Our treasure!" he cries out. He looks around frantically, then spots Will descending from the balcony and then /running/. "That is cheating!!!" "It's not even part of the story!" the dragon-woozle complains, rearing up on her hind legs.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' "I will inform you about something." "I am Loki." he says, "I get to cheat!" FLEE!

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel pauses at Will's action as he makes his satement about being Loki? Wait what the basic doesn't care right now she turns about and starts to run. She doesn't feel useless she's gained some insight into a way of thinking that was alien to her. Prehaps now she'll actually be able to have some idea how to tell a story. Either way? the Yoink has happened and even programs know the rules of the yoink. Time to run, and away she goes!

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "STOP!" There came a shout from Evja quite loudly when chaos broke out and it came to be realized just who had done what. Of course, given Serafina just kind of had a bout of 'Wait, wha?' disorder, Evja actually looked a bit angry about this. Not at Serafina. Some people simply couldn't tell stories and it seems like she tried to rush finish it to a 'satifsactory' ending out of nowhere. Hey, people jump the gun. It was that boy, the human boy, who went to steal the shard and break the rules. The laws of the game. :| Judge is NOT happy. "Loki, thief, return the Shard to Odin this instant! Without it, Midguard and Valhallah both will fall! You know very well what the muses have written fate to be!" Standing upright and attempting to sound demanding, Evja held out her hand towards Sherman, palm up. "That is what the second in command to Odin proclaimed to the thief when he was discovered. The Lady Valkyrie was actually on her way back with Odin at the moment. You see, what was thought to be a real ending turned out to be fate destroyed when Loki stole the World Shard from Valhallah! He had disturbed the balance and what was meant to be was rewritten!" Seems Evja was running with this and attempting to keep up the rules. He... kind of had to, it was part of the whole Judge thing. "BUT! All was not lost! For if Loki returned it, the Shard could be put back in the proper place, and things could go back to how they were meant to be! Odin was to pay the reaper at the fangs of the Dragon, but not before slaying the Dragon as well. The Lady Valkyrie, impressed by Odin's bravery and skill, delivered upon her promise and to him gave a single kiss before whisking him, and the slain dragons human spirit away to the halls of Valhalla. And just as Surt, angered by the betrayal of Loki, came to Odin's lieutenant. "Loki, you are be--HURK!" When from behind Surt Odin appeared, thrusting his spear through him and ending the usurper to the Throne of Valhallah. 'Return the Shard to me, Loki!' spake Odin, 'Before I kill you! I have returned with my lady love the Valkyrie and nothing shall stand between the two most important things to me - her, and the World Shard!'" Turning to walk towards the 'Valkyrie' woozle, Evja pointed, "And do you know what she did? She laughed, 'What?! Me?! The Valkyrie love some pathetic mortal? Even if you were Odin, you are no love of mine!'. Yes, she had cast him aside. But Odin - he wasn't going to give up, no! He had an idea! He wanted the Valkyrie more than even his sacred treasure! Ordering Loki surrounded, Odin snatched it from his hand and cried out to the Muses who write fate itself, 'MUSE! HEAR ME, I AM ODIN, LORD OF VALHALLAH! I SHALL GIVE YOU MY GREATEST TREASURE TO REWRITE FATE! MAKE THIS VALKYRIE MINE! OR SMITE HER SO TO NONE SHALL SHE BELONG!'" And there Evja waited, hand outstretched, playing the part of the Muse, speaking directly to HefalOdin. She was waiting for the shard, to see if he would actually give her the shard, for the chance of Fate to be rewritten and his lady love his.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will looks at Evja for a brief second. Will immediately replaced by a dotted outline of the Hobo-lad, as the Real Hobo-Lad /runs/ like hell away from the Shapeshifting piles of fluff. Nobody in this world has the authority to demand his /home/ from his hands. The look that Evja is shot speaks volumes before he was simply running for it.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' There is a collective gasp from the colorful shapeshifters. "You were part of this story the whole time?!" one says and they all look towards each other, seemingly thoughtful and confused at the same time. "Well why didn't you say so!!" Then they all collectively gasp again and look to Evja as she too reveals herself to also be part of the story, resulting in another brief bit of confusion, especially as they try to follow his bit about fate and endings that tied into the stealing of the world shard. This turns to collective head-scratching. Except for the Dragon-Woozle. "Okay! I've got this! RARRRR!" she suddenly pounces down upon Heffa-Odin and a fight breaks out where the dragon and Odin apparently slay each other. Chaos erupts again and the headless Sutr-Woozle stumbles forward for Evja. The winged Valkyrie Heffalumps fly down to the remains of the dragon and Odin, the lead one gathering Odin into her arms. Meanwhile, the rest of the Heffalumps and Woozles-at least the ones that weren't 'slain' by the battle, start rushing after Will/Loki, trying to reclaim their world shard. The Odin-Heffalump rises to 'life' again and joins them. "Noooo! Waaaaait!" he wails, "I need that to win my Valkyrie's looooove!!!" The Valkyrie Heffalump looks up, confused and slightly forlorn-not to mention disturbed by the thought of being smited. "WAIT, NO!!" she suddenly seems to come to a realization, her eyes growing...watery? "The Valkyrie was so moved by the plea to the MUSE, that he would sacrifice his greatest treasure to her, that she fell for the mighty Odin!" The remaining shapeshifters pause and all turn to stare at this one lone Heffalump. She gets huffy and puts her hands on her hips, "Well if they can tell the story AND be in it, so can we, right?" They all look to each other as if slowly struck with realization, "You mean...we can make the story?" "And participate?" "But that's..." The Valkyrie Heffalump gets up and walks over to the Odin-Heffalump, embracing him. "And they lived together, happily ever after." This oddly poetic and oddly meta conclusion, fortunately, does give ample opportunity to, say, escape.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith tried her best not to facepalm as everything fell apart and began to back away, slowly. She glanced toward Katyna with a shrug and motioned to get moving. Quickly. They had what they came for, more or less, so it was time for an exit while they were still debating the particulars of that mishap. She glanced toward Serafina again and hid her grin behind one one hand before making her way toward the exit. Stage right, of course.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will is already running, while being chased! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHmskwqCCQ It's exactly like this, "TIGGER WARNED ME ABOUT THESE THINGS! HE TOLD ME DAWG!"

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "And then a homeless man stole the treasure!" Sarafina shouts as she turns and starts running after Will. Once she gets near, she sets off her jetpack, aiming to blast off again. She'll pick up Will if she has to. Sorry horribly terrifying creatures!! She's going to have nightmares about this. She doesn't pause much at Evja's contribution, she assumes this is actually just part of the plan to stall for it. After all, he's a judge, surely he wouldn't condemn a world just to play out a story. She jets. Literally.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Seeing everyone start to get the hell out, Evja sighs and looks at his Chocobo as if considering it before shaking his head. The game wasn't over, and even if running away was a valid option... it just didn't feel right with him. Even if these creatures are whimsical sprites, they were still shafted, and hadn't actually declared them winners yet. But, he wasn't going to try and stop them either. Evja turns and looks towards the group. "Yes, actually... you did not know that, did you? That you could both tell a story, and play it too, hm? I have an idea, if you are willing to hear it, and the lot of you may be quite happy." Slowly the Viera shifts and sits on the ground, looking towards OdinLump and ValkyWoozle.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's chocobo, fortunately, has more clout than to just run away at scary fluffy animals with sharp things. It does look unnerved and jittery though, and as soon as Aerith gets on, it bolts without her urging. "Hey, slow down!" She takes hold of the reins for dear life, wondering why it all went wrong... then she turns her head to see Evja just sitting there. That... was strange. They'd succeeded, why stay around for the finale? No time to figure that one out. She'd ask later if they met again. And with a world like this, they probably would. After all, it was difficult not to spot a Viera.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "Absolutely not." HeffaOdin starts to shapeshift again until he's once again resembling the Sultan from earlier. That other Heffalump chooses to keep her form. "It was always on our guests to be the ones to tell the stories. That's what we were told, you see, by that lady that created this lovely palace for us out here." "-but do go on." The Valkyrie Heffalump speaks up. Evja would also notice that the battle-beaten Heffalumps and Wooozles are slowly regenerating themselves. Right before his eyes, they're being sewn back together.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "I see. Well, what a nice lady it was who made this place for you." Even though the veil was over his face, Evja smiled. Perhaps it was seen in his eyes? Despite it all, he was enjoying himself. It was a change not to actually be in a fight. "I had an idea that could help us both out, but first..." Evja paused, then reached into his robe and pulled out something, a small charred crystal-like ring that was transparent. "You had something of yours stolen by people I came here with. And even though we all had fun... some cheated. So I wanted to offer you this as an apology, and also I had an idea that might allow you all to still have fun without having to wait on people to come here - and without hurting anyone either. This... is my treasure. A good friend of mine, an old man who was pretty much a father to me, died protecting me. This was his... so, here."

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "Yes, it is a nice place. Well...except for the teeny part where we cannot leave it." The Sultan shrugs, "But if we're all happy here, then that's not a problem, no?" The Valkyrie Heffalump starts to giggle at Evja. "An apology?" The Sultan actually hesitates to take the gem. "But we had a great time. The greatest time we've had in a while." The girl Heffalump swipes the gem from the Sultan, looking at it. "What's this idea of yours?"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' It was actually a ring, a translucent ring that looks to have been half melted and deformed, like it was caught in a superhot fire. "So you cannot leave, then? Damn. That was actually my idea. The world outside is like a giant collection of stories. The treasure you had? It is known as a World Shard. It was part of the heart of a world that was consumed by horrible monsters. See, the reason we came here is because we figured out part of a world was here, and we had to obtain it so we could make a bunch of people happy, and continue our own story. And theirs. Think of them... as missing chapters of stories." Relaxing a bit, Evja looked up at the ceiling and said, "My own world, too, was consumed by darkness. And somewhere out there are shards of my own world. I had hoped you lot, as silly and fun as you are, might be able to travel the outside worlds and tell your own stories, or read others and act them out and make other people laugh and have fun. You still might, actually. See... there is something in the outside world called a television. I only recently learned of them. I could bring you something called a camera, powered by magic, and people all across all of the worlds can watch you tell stories forever, and act them out, as long as that camera works. And they could even come here sometime to watch you play and have fun, if you promise not to hurt anyone who isn't that good of a storyteller." "Hm?" Evja really was trying to make it work for all parties.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "We are stuck here." The female Heffalump confirms. "We can't leave this Palace. It's...eh, don't worry about it. We are happy here." The pair look at each other when they are explained what a World Shard is, "Something that wanted..." their eyes become sparkly, "...we really should have held onto that!!" Because if World Shards are what you covet... ...you'll find that they love it. Because they guzzle up the thing you prize. "Oh would you bring us that? Please? Or...at least send more travellers our way." There is a gleam in the Sultan's eye, "We promise not to hurt them if they play along with us." They seem satisfied with this for now, though one had to wonder. Just what WAS keeping them here in that Palace now?

One Night In VALKYRI

2013-02-09T01:18:58Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/05 |Location=Traverse Town - VALKYRI HQ |Synopsis=Just another normal night in VALKYRI. Minus the strange new friends and visitors at least..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/05
|Location=Traverse Town - VALKYRI HQ
|Synopsis=Just another normal night in VALKYRI. Minus the strange new friends and visitors at least!
|Thanks=Emi Dennou for debuting VALKYRI's new "friend," Mimir.
|Cast of Characters=Katyna, Avira, Maira, Minerva, Angantyr Vespar, Emi Dennou, Makenshi
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It's a Tuesday night! Though there doesn't seem to be anything particularily special about tonight. No big marks satisfied today, no birthdays, to any knowledge-heck, there hasn't even been a Hades Cup match yet to gush over. It seems like a regular night. It...seems. Nothing's ever that easy in VALKYRI or Traverse Town at that. Avira got 'home' hours ago and has been busily at work trying to prepare dinner. Her skills at cooking can be considered basic at best since in her previous life, easy-to-prepare convienience foods were the norm. Compare this to other worlds out there, which mostly relied on preparing things from scratch. (Unless you were in Deep Space, in which food consisted of adding water to pills.) For tonight, Avira has tried to stick to the basics. She's boiling pasta in a pot and cooking up a simple red sauce in the other. One of the chairs that usually surrounds the large rectangular table in the center of the room has been dragged over so she can sit on it. As she waits for pasta to soften in the massive pot she has boiling on the stove, she fusses with an object in her hands. Those of VALKYRI (and those that live here) would recognize the cube-shaped thing that Avira purchased from a market a few weeks ago as what was allegedly some kind of ancient puzzle but is more likely a fancy-looking paperweight. This hasn't prevented Avira from trying to "solve" it in her off time.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Upon finding that Avira is making dinner, Maira would offer to help. Of course, after the food she made for the party Avira is likely to have turned down that offer and sent Maira to do something that didn't involve burning things. Burning things she is good at, but cooking? The idea is to /not/ burn them generally. Maybe she'd be good on a grill? Anyway, Maira is sitting on one of the chairs doing some mending. She is currently stitching up the holes in a pair of striped socks she was particularly fond of, her brow furrowed in concentration. Maira is also mid-story, telling Avira about the trip to Luca and what happened with Shinra. "So then a cricket pushed a button or something and all the ships defenses went off! There were drones everyone and guns going off...Angan smashed his way through them to get to the controls. Luckily, Tifa showed up with a boat and we hopped on there--" she sighs, shaking her head. "I wonder...what that ship was doing in Luca though. The locals were none too pleased to see helicopters and what not. They think machines are evil or something--ouch!" she exclaims then, quickly bringing her finger to her mouth. Well, that will teach her to talk and sew at the same time.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Well...Kat's even less of a cook than Avira, and so she flits about impatiently in the kitchen, hoping the VALKYRIE leader will make enough for all of them, cuz she's doggone hungry! Every so often she pipes up with a 'Heey! is it done yet? Can I taste it?' or something of similar effect as she goes to check on the food hungrily. The rubix cube like thingy is also noted and Kat peers curiously at that as well, almost tempted to reach out and snatch it from Avira's hands as she works quite slowly (in Kat's opinion) at the puzzle. Would solving it involve anything to do with treasure or pretty shinies? Kat's dying to find out! When Maira chirps in every so often, she nods in agreement. "It's all that durned cricket's fault! But, I didnt really see anything useful on that ship. Just weapons, and medical supplies n' stuff" Unfortunately, none of the crates that she had openned contained any pretty shinies. *sigh*

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr entered the hall at the end of Maira's story. "It's was a supply thing. Apparently it went missing, or that's what I got from the commander of the opp. They wanted to recover it, because lets be fair, they probably can't afford to lose anything." Angantyr says, "Of course, they paid me in gear for getting the job done, so that's a good thing." Angantyr's been making some progress in getting gear...luckily what he got, the Materia, and a few shipments of weapons and armor is stashed. "Likely, they just wanted to get it out, before someone in Luca salvaged it. Or destroyed it...the people there are pretty heavily against technology." Angantyr shrugs. Angantyr sniffs the air, and looks at Avira, "Cooking? I take it you're makin' us something from your home?" The Mercinary was fairly interested to try things that she cooked, but only recently been able to sample them...of course, before then there was just 'Desert delicacies' which is as unappatizing as you think it is. He sits down, setting the mace on the ground, and placing the shaft against the table. "Well, at least things will be quiet tonight.."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira has never burned water or pasta before...and frankly, she was wary to let Maira try out of fear of finding out that you really could! Both of them could use some cooking lessons from Maximillien, STAT. "A...cricket? Really?" Avira looks up at Maira, giving her a look of disbelief. Her hands are still fiddling with the cube, even without her watching. The huntress always seemed to fidgit a lot when sitting. "Good question. Maybe they were exploring. Or looking for more subjects. You said there was this creepy scientist lady with them, right?" Then Angantyr enters and provides a bit more clarification about the incident. "Ahhh, yeah, that makes sense. I've always been wondering about that...with most of the parts of the worlds disappeared, resources are going to be kind of constrained, aren't they? Oh...yeah, uh, nothing too advanced." Avira stands, leaving the cube on the chair as she turns to check on the noodles. "Just spaghetti with sauce. No meatballs unfortunately, I've, uh, never actually made ones that weren't frozen and already formed." Gingerly, Avira withdraws a single noodle from the big pot, pinching it between two fingers. Turning, she suddenly tosses it at Katyna! "If it sticks that means it should be done!" she says, by way of explanation. She's actually really doing it because Kat's been pestering her while she was cooking. Revenge! Muahaha.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira puts down her sewing, laying it carefully aside. She looks up when Angan enters and smiles brightly to him. "Hey Angan! Heh...I still can't believe you snuck us in, then managed to get them to PAY you," she laughs, clearly amused and impressed. "Still...it may not seem like it, but Shinra is bad news. I think...well, I was going to ask...if maybe we could go to Goug. That's where Shinra is. I'd like to see what they are up to. I'm...concerned," she explains with a gentle frown. Of course, it would be crazy to go alone--but she's crazy and she will go alone if no one will go with her! To hungry and impatient Katyna she smiles. She sympathizes. Maira is pretty much always hungry! She cannot help a small shudder as Angantyr mentions it being a quiet night. Aaah bad luck! Last time she thought she was in for a peaceful meal she ended up wielding bacon at Makenshi then almost having a roof dropped on her head in an explosion from a laser dragon. This is something Maira does NOT want to repeat.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi is fond of Maira and Avira and is happy to eat their food since, well, that means they don't have to get food for themselves. Or at least, lest food for themselves as it's just Emi who actually came today. Perhaps because, well... she went on a recent adventure with Maira and is curious to hear more about Shinra. She is sitting down, holding a plastic knife and fork in her hands. She stares blankly ahead, except for one notion: Hunger. Emi glances towards the cube curiously but does not comment on it. Well okay actually she does. "Was that given to you by an Egyptian Pharaoh?, The Network inquires after having watched too much television."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna nods. "Yeah, a little talking cricket! I guess pretty much anything goes in this crazy old world!" She makes a face. "Heh, more subjects? why would anyone wanna work for a company that drains the life out of the planet? They're nearly as bad as the heartless.." Of course, she supposes one could acquire a lot of power that way..But these days, Kat was starting to think that all forms of power had some sort of consequence. that wasn't a price she was willing to pay. "Maira, you're from their world too, aren't you? I cant believe someone can treat their world so badly." She arches a brow as she mentions going to Goug. "So what's in Goug? That's their headquarters too, right? Do they have a mako reactor there too? I'd like to see it in action. I wonder, if the power they generate is really worth the consequences?" Then Angan enters and she tenses slightly as always, laughing a bit nervously. "Heh, guess that's what you call good business. I've done mercenary work before, but not quite that successful. I guess they were really desperate for help. But that scientist lady was really creepy too!" Then a noodle goes flying at her, sticking to her hair, startling Kat, as she cant figure out where it went. "Waah! Getitoffgetitoff!" she starts flailing.

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' Outside the large building, the town carries on as usual. The streets are filled with people, some milling about in the various popular gathering places while others stream in and out of the clusters of tall stone shops and houses to go about their daily business. From above it looks similar to an ant farm. Crux pauses in her flight to peer down at the small settlement for a few moments. Her bird's eye view gives her a good picture of the entire area, a great boon for a spy such as herself, as it allows her to take in the potential threats from a safe distance. Today it seems the Heartless are quiet as the adventurers and guards are either at their posts or tucked away in their homes. This was a good thing as it would make it easier for her to slip in and out undetected with her 'package'. The fairy glances down at the large bundle in her hands. A burlap sack easily as large as the doll herself bulges from within, filled with something or something's very large or bulky. She has little trouble with the weight of the parcel though its size will make her attempt at stealth a little harder. Still, this is something she needs to do. Steeling herself, Crux drops out of the cover of the clouds and glides gently down towards the city. She sticks to the outskirts at first until the tops of the tall chimneys and pointed roofs rise up to meet her, providing ample places to use for cover from being spotted. Slowly and carefully she works her way between buildings and dark alleys heading for one place in particular. The little doll is quite surprised upon arrival to see that the damage inflicted by her master has already been completely repaired. These people were certainly industrious, she gave them that. Lurking silently in an alcove until the coast is clear, she darts out of hiding and over to the front doorstep to drop off her bundle, constantly glancing about in an almost paranoid manner. She didn't want to be seen.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr laughs a little at Kat's and Avira's playing. "I think it's done, it's pretty stuck to her head." Angantyr jokes. He can see her...tensing, her unease around him...but he ignores it. A lot of people are, he's not a presense for the faint of heart. He gives that feeling to many people...it's a drawback to the power he was grated at birth. "She was annoying, and close to getting maced." Angantyr says, "Freekin' unhinged and completely unable to get the hint of don't screw with people above your weight class." Angantyr shrugs, and looks back to Kat and Maira, "I've been in the buisness for a long time. You gota know when to be opertunistic as hell. You don't make friends being a mercinary, you make buisness associates and contacts. It's not fun work, and just because you're good with a blade doesn't mean you'll be good as a freelance merc." Angantyr considers, "Though I guess it's about time I stop being freelance...I was thinkin' about getting a guild together. There's a lot of money in that, and I've been lucky lately." He looks towards Avira, "Yeah...Resources are going to be strained now between all of these empires, eventually someone is going to make a move on someone else...it seems that it's going to be Alexandria on Cleryia...and I wonder if someone isn't going to take advantage of that.." To Maira he raises an eyebrow, "Seems a bit farfetched, I mean...draining the energy of the planet? Hm...well, it's not like they can really do that here.." Angantyr shrugs, "Infiltraiting them, Maira is...not a good idea. I mean, they got a PMC, and a elite force under them, and are fairly advanced tech wise...and Goug itself is sitting on lost tech. Anyway, they don't seem to be doing anything. Hell, if I were them I'd just focus on making weapons and such and selling. I'd be the best thing for them."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Is that really what they're doing, Maira?" Avira asks when Katyna mentions that Shinra's draining the life of the planet they're from. "I don't really know all that much about Shinra, to be honest." She looks thoughtful as Maira suggests that they do some investigating around Goug to figure out what they're up to. "Sounds kind of fun, I'd be up for it." She knows that tone of Maira. Avira had better go with her or Maira will go alone and Avira will WORRY. "...oh don't get me started on that cube, Emi." Avira grumbles, "Some fox guy sold it to me in a market, said it was some awesome archive of knowledge left behind from a doomed world. I think it's just a tarted-up rubix cube." Her noodle salvo is met with success and Avira cackles as Kat starts flailing around at the noodle now nestled in her hair. "Yup! It's done!" Avira laughs, switching off the burner to the big pot of noodles. "Hey could someone hold the strainer over the sink for me, this pot's gonna need two hands." Avira grasps the pots handles and lifts. As she turns, she peers towards the door. "A guild, Angantyr? Heh, I could see it with you. Maybe you can make the rest of Clan Dagda a part of it." Avira winks, though the playfulness fades when the brewing trouble between Alexandria and Cleryia is mentioned. "Yeah, that doesn't look good. Faruja must be pretty upset about that too. -right, moving towards the sink now." Hopefully someone's going to get that strainer in place before she dumps the water. QUICKTIME EVENT. PRESS THE TRIANGLE BUTTON!!!

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira tilts her head, listening as Angantyr explains what it is like (in part) to be a mercenary. Of course, at his insistence that they don't make friends, Maira smiles knowingly. "Well /that/ isn't true, you've made plenty of friends!" she informs him, squaring her shoulders proudly. Yes, she is one of those, and won't back down if he tries to tell her otherwise! The young mage looks down then, her brow drawing together thoughtfully. "Infiltrate? No no, I wasn't thinking that...just...I want to see how the place is doing. How the people are doing. Not only did they drain the life from the planet, but they also used Heartless....their use of the Heartless was partly what destroyed my world," she explains. "I just...wouldn't want to see it happen again." When Avira needs help, Maira pops up and scurries over to hold the strainer over the sink. "You know, I have an easier way to do that," she informs her, but she'll just let Avira do it her way. Maira supposes one doesn't need to use magic for everything! "Poor Faruja...I hope he'll come visit again. He's a really good friend--great dancer too," she adds with a nod. A wide smile appears as it registers that Avira will go with her to Goug, just to check things out. She gives her friend an appreciative look as she shakes some of the water from the pasta.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' So where is Minerva? She's been either working on helping to repair the damage to the base or has been training otherwise. She seems o have been skulking baout at this point and is just ther ebehind Maira all of a sudden seemingly grinning. "So I hear, you got up to some gun while I was busy. SO just what were you up to Maira."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "It is how they are," Emi tells Ang. "Mad scientists. That's what they're like. It's not about what's logical, neccessarily speaking." She rubs the back of her neck lightly. She turns to Avira as she explains... THE CUBE. THE CUBE--is a super rubix cube? "That is neat. Sounds like a good deal." She pauses for a moment and then admits, "But admittedly does not seem like an archive of ancient knowledge." She glances at it a couple more times, tapping her cheek lightly with an index finger. "We like you, The Network informs Angantyr." And she seems to be content at leaving at that, rather than going into FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC territory. This time she remains oblivious to Crux due to all her attention being on FOOD. She tries not to be too obvious about it.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna makes a face as she finally fishes out the noodle, tossing it a way. "Heh, let's hope you're better at cookin than I am!" She nods to Angan in agreement about the Asian woman. "Hmm, I'll have to keep that in mind.." But hey, she was pretty oportunistic..Still, her style was a bit different from Angan's. "I guess being a freelance gives you a bit of freedom, but connections are good too.." When he talks about a guild, she is reminded of the thieves' guild that she was once a part of, and that makes her sad to know it no longer exists. However..This talk of Alexandria and Cleyria does cause her to frown a bit. "Ooh, why are people fighting when they have the heartless to worry about? how silly..So, if Faru from Cleyra then? Are they all Rat people over there?" As for Shinra, it has her thinking again, "Oh yeah, what WERE those shiny orb things in those crates? Were they magical? I think someone called 'em 'material' or something..." She arches a brow at Emi and Maira as they talk about liking Angan. She just falls silent on the subject, trying not to think of her ever-growing list of people-who-want-to-kill her. Instead, Kat just hungrily sniffs the air, popping over to the sink. "Anything I can help with? I'm not so good with cooking, but I can do other stuff with food.."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Uhh let's do it this way for now." Avira says gently, actually more worried that Maira's method would involved food getting burned. One should learn /normal/ cooking techniques before trying to get fancy with the magical cooking techniques. Though Avira's actually glad Maira's there to hold it since the hot water being drained off won't make her too uncomfortable if it splashes. "Actually, yes Kat, could you go taste the sauce? If it's good and warm, turn off the burner. Everything should be just about ready."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' It falls to Ang to press triangle. He just seems to appear at the sink with the strainer, and looking mildly annoyed at his player. His player shrugs, Nobody else did it man. "Materia. I haven't gotten the hang of it yet, but apparently they let you cast magic." he says, with a shrug. Avira gets a nod, "Of course. There might be a bigger idea for the guild though, but that can come later..." he says, and Avira knows that look. It was likely to eventually be used against Arcadia. The bone that he has with the nation was...epic to say the least. He turns to Emi and looks at her for a moment, "Well...I like you too? You're a good kid...kids. Yeah." he says, with a small smile. "Though I can't say that my handsome and rogueish features are good for something." he kids back towards Emi. "They used the heartless huh..." he considers. "I dunno, none of them seemed to be able to use the heartless, are you sure it was them? Well...we also seen devices used to control the heartless, maybe it was like that?" He says, nodding to Avira, she'd remember it. Then talk about Faruja, "Ugh...stinkin' rat. I can tolerate him, but that's about it."

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' Crux arrives on the front doorstep of the Valkyri HQ and sets her package down as gently as possible. The soft clink of glass can be heard as it touches the stones but it is mostly muffled by the sack and the other contents to which the small fairy gives a silent sigh of relief. Mission accomplished. Just as she is about to leave, however, the sound of gruff voices erupts from the shadows nearby. Several men emerge through the dark gaps between the buildings bearing flashlights and weapons, clearly guards or adventerers from the looks of them. "Yeah, it was over here. I swear I saw some dark little shadow in the alley." "Hmm might be a Heartless, let's have a look." Uh oh, busted! Crux snatches up the bundle again, making a fair bit of racket in the process but not wanting to chance some random person stumbling across it. She immediately turns to take to the air but upon looking up finds that the roofs have sprouted the silhouettes of armed figures as well. Apparently the lack of Heartless activity has freed up half the town's defenders to respond to the potential threat. Darting into a nearby alley, the small fairy searches for a clear escape route only to be cut off in this direction as well. She retreats back to the edge of the street, only now realizing she's completely trapped. Frantically looking around the doll finally locates a window on the wall next to her and glides up into it, vanishing through the opening moments before the bright shine of a flashlight highlights the empty valley. Safe! Again the tiny spy exhales, this time giving voice to her relief. "Kukuruyu..." Now to find out where she ended -- Turning about, Crux's normally emotionless expression tenses up in a clear look of shock as her eyes come to alight on the occupants of the room, hovering mere inches away from the trio at the sink. Going to be hard to ninja out of this one.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks, well, a bit insulted and hurt. "Yes, of course I know it was Shinra! Do you think I would forget who was partly responsible for the destruction of my world? I...I know I'm not smart, but surely you don't think I'm that dumb. And Faruja has been a good friend to me, you shouldn't talk about him like that," she replies, flushing red as she realizing, with embarrassment, that she'd just gotten all defensive. A poker face, Maira has not. Luckily, a fairy appears suddenly, in through the window. Maira blinks, her eyes widening as she takes in the small pink form with her little package. Then, she smiles. "Hello...can I help you?"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' "Magic, huh.." She scratches her head. "And can anyone use these...Materia?" Ooh, they're they're not that bad afterall. she can imagine how useful it would be to use magic. Afterall, Kat's only magic was from her flaming sword. Without it she had no power on her own really.. She frowns a bit though, pondering their ties with the heartless. "Oh, I thought the heartless were allied with their enemies, in Wutai. I think that's what some Wutaian girl said once.." As for Faru, Kat frowns a bit, just shaking her head slowly. She kinda liked Faruja, at least he didnt try to kill her like some people! Kat glances to Maira and nods however. "But you're right, we should see what they're up to. I'm sure Goug is safe enough for civilians as long as we're not gonna break into some government facility or major military operation again, y'know?" Then Avira asks her to taste the sauce and she beams! "Woo, easiest job ever!" And she proceeds to taste the sauce...Wait, was that a fairy in the window? "Woah! What was that!?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi's attention is drawn to the window by Maira. It is... a fairy! A very cute fairy. Emi remembers the fairy and she's about to say she's pretty sure it's a spy when-- --she looks towards those big fairy eyes. Or technically speaking tiny fairy eyes. But they are big relatively speaking to other fairy eyes. She tsks lightly, crossing her arms. No, she must resist. She must resist the Kukuruyu...!!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It's scheming Angantyr time. Avira knows his motivation well. She knows that whatever mercenary guild he makes will eventually become that army he wants so badly to crush Archadia with. "You'll have to watch where you operate though since whoever associates with you might catch heat from the Judges. Though I think their priorities are elsewhere lately." Onto a different subject though. "You're right, Angantyr, there are. Some even created by that former buddy of yours, LEXUS. Some people seem to be in tune with the darkness enough that they can control them." she pauses, giving Angantyr a meaningful look, remembering that they've talked about this very subject before. "If they wanted to." The noodles are dumped into a waiting bowl next to the sink. Just as Avira turns around she finds herself face to face with a floating fairy. At first she's obviously startled because, boom. FAIRY. But then her anxiety grows as she finds this creature familiar somehow. "How'd you get in here...?" she says warily, edging around so she can put the bowl on the table. Avira retrieves the previously moved chair and picks up the cube puzzle off the seat. "You here for the food? Hey Kat, dump the sauce on the noodles. Then we should be good."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "I told you, not able to do so." Angantyr comments about the heartless, "That's a power that is a crapshoot. Minions, that will eventually devour you. No one, in my opinion is strong enough to keep them away forever." Then suddenly this serious conversation is interupted by fairy. Angantyr stares at the Fairy that is apparently trapped in here with them. He looks towards Emi, Maira and Avira...perhaps even Kat, and shakes his head. He goes to sit down, wondering if food will ever be given out now...the girls have spotted something cute... He feels sorry for the fairy.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' SUDDENLY, AS AVIRA PICKS UP THE CUBE PUZZLE BOX ORB A thin blue glow ripples between the various pieces of the puzzle box. IT SEEMS INTENT ON RAISING HELL, or--perhaps--HELLRAISING. The cube spins itself around a few times before the blue ripples coalesce into the center of the box, forming a pair of swirly eyes--yes, they look like @'s, and a big O mouth. The puzzle box continues to spin around on its own, this time just in a circular motion without changing the components of its 'puzzle' and says, in a faint British accent, "Oi? Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?" "Hello?" The glowy eyes look towards Ang and says, "YAGGH!! Look at that, scary...so scary... By which I mean, what a trustworthy looking guy, not scary at all, sorry these things slip out from time to time. Hello there. Hello. DO YOU SPEAK...ALIEN? Well, I suppose you don't speak alien. I am autotranslating as we speak, don't worry, everything...and I mean everything is under control. Yes I am speaking English but it's just because I am drawing the information directly from your brains, don't worry. Perfectly safe. Except for the brain damage. Perfectly safe brain damage." Emi looks towards the magical apparently AI equipped cube and then back towards the food. She's already linked up to a crazy AI once this week. You're gonna figure this one out on your own. "Boy...oh...boy... is this what I've got to deal with after super countless years of infinite silence of which I was totally aware that would drive any lesser mind mad? WEll I'm not mad, I'm happy! Happy I get to meet such a swell bunch of smelly humans and assorted like you. Sorry, smelly? I meant lovely. Still working on that autotranslation!"

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' Crux stares wide-eyed at the assorted reactions for several seconds, not quite sure what to do in this situation. She's never actually been caught like this before. However, despite their equal surprise at seeing her as she is at having managed to pick the one window leading directly into the living room of the people she's been trying to avoid, none of them seemed overtly hostile to her presence. It seemed likely they didn't know for she was an expert of remaining unseen when she wished to be. Well, until now. Regaining her wits, the doll figures it might be best to play it straight. She cannot communicate with them directly but maybe they will understand her intent. Floating slowly over towards Maira, who was the only one present when her master's visit when unfortunately awry thanks to a tempermental lizard, she sets the large sack down on the table before the mage. Her expression reverts to one mostly free of emotion but a slight hint of concern can be seen in her big expressive eyes as she looks over the injuries that were present when last she saw her. Crux motions at the bag, indicating that she wants Maira to open it. "Kukuruyu!" However, her attempts at interaction are vehemently interrutped by the activation of the magical cube. The swirly eyed alien face is not nearly as cute as she is but probably far more distracting! The fairy floats over to peer at the spinning box, tilting her head curiously at its strange behavior. "Kukuruyu?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "AHH!! MOSQUITO!" The cube screams in total terror, trying to wiggle free despite the lack of any movement actuators.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira has her priorities in order. Sure, Crux is adorable, but there is FOOD and if she doesn't it surely someone else will and then there will not be any left for her! Orphan thinking. Thus, Maira sits down and begins piling spagetti and sauce onto her plate, wondering if there is cheese by any chance. To backtrack... "Materia lets you use magic, yes. Its sort of...hard to explain though. It comes from the Lifestream. That's what Aerith told me anyway. She knows a lot about it," she comments, in between unceremoniously stuffing her gob. Maira reaches for a napkin and daps at her lips when the little fairy settles her package down in front of Maira. "Huh? for me?" she asks, then carefully begins to open the package. Distraction alert! Distraction alert! Maira looks up to find Avira's mysterious cube talking and blinks several times. "Oh. Hey. Is that one of Tron's things?" she asks before looking back down to the package in order to see what it contains. Puzzles, Maira lifts up a couple of potions and some bandages. With just a glance she knows the potions are for healing. She makes these all the time. Puzzled, Maira looks up to Crux. "What are these for? Well I mean, I know what they are for, but why did you bring them to me? Oh! Does someone need help!?" she asks, beginning to stand.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Aerith? YOu mean the friend of that barmaid? The girl that seems to have little but air between her ears?" Angantyr says. Yeah, she obviously knows what she's talkin' about. The life stream makes magic, what's next? He'll join a hippie commune? HA! Angantyr rolls his eyes, until the thing Avira bought started become Wheately. He turns towards it and stares at it for a long long moment. "I thought you said it was an anchient civilization's intellgience? I don't see much intellient here." he quips. Oh Ang, still snarky as hell. He piles some of the strange dish onto his plate and takes a bite. "Needs meat." he comments. "The sause tastes like it should go with meat. The noodles are just fine." He comments.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira didn't recall Crux being hostile. That white-haired White Cloud jerk that seemed to pop up around Crux on the other hand...well... Avira's got Murdock's number now for a reason. Though unless Makenshi does actually show, she's not going to dial it. "She's kind of cu-" Blue light from nowhere catches the corner of her eye but it isn't until the cube starts to actually move in her hand does she finally look at it, yelp, and promptly drop the errant purchase onto the table. The cube lands precariously close to the big bowl of spaghetti. "What the hell! It-" It won't stop talking! "No, it's not TRON's, it-" IT'S STILL TALKING. She looks over to Emi as if she, who she just saw interface with a crazy dangerous alien AI the other day, is supposed to make sense of this. She also looks to Crux, as if some kind of mysterious fairy magic could have activated this thing she's been poking at for weeks. Reaching out, Avira puts a hand over it, "The guy that sold me this never said anything about it talking! Though I guess it might not be broken after all." With a grumble she adds, "That's no mosquito, that's a fairy by the way." Avira sits down in her seat, but she doesn't start eating yet, releasing her hold on the cube. "Usually there are meatballs in this dish. I'll try to get some for it next time, Ang. Okay you...chatty thing, what exactly are you? I was told archive of an ancient civilization."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna had quietly poured the sauce on the noodles...Before totally vanishing for several minutes! The sound of a toilet flushing in the distance can be heard, before Kat reappears, looking refreshed! "Aah, what did I miss?" She scratches her head as she sees the rubix cube glowing and...Talking? What the heck? Then the fairy flits around saying nonsense words...What the heck? And then she sees a strange package on the floor. "Ooh, what's that? Treasure?" But Emi beats her to it..Darn!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "I hope you paid a lot because I'm literally priceless." Pause. "As if I'm literally without price? Or was it worthless? Don't look at me, it's your language." The cube looks like it's about to say more when suddenly a hand is placed over its head. "Oi hey, wait, hey, stop, hey--stop that, that's very improper that's---oohh...yeah, yeah, that's nice, that's definitely nice. Ignore me--this is nice. Mmhmm. Oh, but don't ignore that. No. Well pleasure to meet you all, I'd give you a hand but I'm unarmed, hey? Hey? Wokka wokka?" "No?" "Well anyway, my name is RT-C4B3E2P1-00314MP. I know, I know, I always wanted a longer name, it's a bit too brief? Takes a full picosecond to think. A full picosecond! Where do you want a map to? And please don't say 'Adventure'. Adventure is apparently a very loose term in Map Language. Very loose. Still can't get the images out of my head." He shakes about a bit. "Metaphorically speaking. I guess I'm a bit of a square." "Wokka wokka? No?" Sigh. "humans." Emi says, "This one is not interfacing with this one, at least not until after dinner." She pours some spaghetti onto her plate and then looks towards Crux. Those eyes. So...adorable. She seperates some of her spaghetti from one another and slides the plate partially towards Crux. "..." She looks pretty tsundere about htis.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses... "You make maps? Well, make yourself useful and list a map for...I don't know, anchient alien weapons or something. Or treasure. Something useful so that I am not tempted to put you in my ...dish." he pauses, "What do you even call this?" He asks Avira. Angantyr is not very interested in the fairy, he didn't spot it when her master came destroying things, though if he did...there'd be a glass turned over her right now. "Freekin' christ Avira, where do you get these things?"

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' The fairy blinks as she is yelled at, looking slightly perturbed. She is not a mosquito! "Kukuruyu!" Turning her nose up at the cube, Crux goes back over to where the contents of her package have been revealed. The bag contains several bottles of blue liquid which are obviously potions as well as a giant heap of bandages of various sorts. There is also a few medical implements mixed in. All in all it looks like she just went to a hospital and emptied out a cabinet of supplies into it. When Maira gets all flustered the little doll looks confused, shaking her head at the misconstrued meaning behind the gift. She floats over before the fiery mage and pokes her finger into her forehead then picks up one of the bottles with both hands and offers it to her. "Kukuruyu." However, her attention turns to Emi as the plate comes scooting her way, peering down at the contents then over at the girl, unsure what she's supposed to do with this. She glances over at the others who are eating then floats down to the plate and mimicks them, grabbing one of the noodles by its end and sticking it into her mouth, nibbling at it experimentally.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Arrrgh Crux...adorable tiny fairy eating comparatively large noodle. SO CUTE. "This is ridiculous." Avira just resorts to talking over the AI since it's not offering an awful lot of pauses to speak during! "You are ridiculous! Can't I just sit you down next to a dictionary to scan or something? Something that doesn't involve scanning brains?" Okay, she's not entirely sure that's exactly what this thing is doing but part of her doesn't want to take chances. "...that name is ridiculous too!" Avira cannot hold off any more. She swipes herself a plate of food, but remains hunched over as she eats it, staring at the strange puzzle cube. "You need something even shorter. Let's say...hm. Mimir." Maybe it's wishful thinking that she's naming it after a Norse mythological figure known for knowledge and wisdom. Avira looks to Angantyr, "Ancient alien weapons? That's the first thing that comes to your mind?" She pauses, "I really shouldn't be surprised. I told you earlier, some fox guy sold it to me the day I had to flee from Rabanastre!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Hey you can't just change my name!" RT-C4B3E2P1-00314MP protests. "My creators named me RT-C4B3E2P1-00314MP." Pause. "Well, by named I more mean memetically assigned during the production process, if you want to get technical but--wait what's this? Oh! My programming has just told me that yes, you can change my name. Mimir it is then. A pity, I was getting rather attached to RT-C4B3E2P1-00314MP. Rolls right off the tongue. Mimir's alright, I guess." Ang then asks for him to make a map. "woah...woah...." The blue lines start glowing ever brighter. "Er...don't be alarmed. This is...probably most definitely what I'm supposed to be doing. Maybe." And then the lines burst forward, drawing in real time a map towards either 'treasure' or 'alien weapons' or '???'. It even provides a handy dandy googlemap style YOU ARE HERE now though it doesn't produce a handy dandy list of directions like 'turn left on Traverse Lane'. Ancient technology, how inconvenient. "Haha, kind of tickles. You should try it if you're ever put into a cube." Emi looks at Crux. Emi looks at Crux be intensely adorable. Emi raises an index finger cautiously while she's nibbling (adorably) on a noodle and attempts to...yes!...finger tap her head lightly a couple times, smiling in a fond way despite herself. B-but it's not cause she likes you or anything!! She just likes watching noodles get eaten, that's it!

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Somehow, as if she isn't even doing it consciously, one hand is still grasping her fork and bringing food to her mouth. Maira blinks, looking between Avira and the cube as the thing chats away incessantly. "It isn't Tron's? ....Oh dear. Maybe we should ask him to have a look at it..." she suggest warily. Maira looks to Ang then, frowning a little. "There's no need to be so...grumpy..." she says, wondering why he seems to intent on insulting her friends tonight. "Will you go with us to Goug then?" she asks him, eyebrows rising. Right. Fairy. Talking cube. Still eating spagetti. Watciong Crux pantomime, Maira begins to understand. "Oh, for me? Why..thank you...but why? I'm alright now...where you there when I got hurt then?" she asks.

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' Crux turns back to nod at the question, noodle still held in her mouth and hands like a piece of doughy licorice. She peers with her big innocent eyes at Maira, not quite sure how to take the news that she has already healed after that savage beating. Maybe it looked worse than it was. Only her master ever seemed to recover that quickly from massive injuries though he very rarely ever got hurt in the first place. Only that man with the golden device on his arm had left lasting damage. Next she glances at the glowing map, her natural spy instincts kicking in as she memorizes the various lines and markers it displays. She should show this information to her master. Her train of thought is derailed when the gentle tapping against her wide pink helmet draws her attention. Crux tilts her head to blink at Emi in confusion, her gaze seeming to voice the question that she cannot, though she still gives a muffled, "Kuhuruhu?" around the noodle still in her mouth.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I am definitely going to have TRON look at him." The AI seemed glitchy, which, come to think of it, could be bad for Emi if she or any of the Dennous tried to interface with him directly. She's not going to forget that request to 'do her in' anytime soon. "Mimir's a fine and noble name! Perfect for our organization!" Avira declares with no small amount of pride. Much to her surprise, Mimir actually manages to project a map, proving he isn't entirely broken. "Ahhh, we're actually getting somewhere!" Avira leans back in her chair so she can study this thing. She can't kick the nagging feeling that they might want to be a LITTLE more specific with what they ask him to find though. But it's not like being vague can BACKFIRE HORRIBLY, right? ...right?

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Hm. That's...interesting." Angantyr says. "That'll do. Well, have your friend look at him, and then we can at least go check this out. Who knows what will lay in store..unless it's really broken." he looks at Mimir. As if to say, 'don't be, or else.' He looks back at Maira, "What?" he asks, not understanding what she's getting defensive about. He calls it how he sees it. He's not going to hold anything back, it's not like he called her actual bad names or anything. He just doesn't believe that she is an expert in anything, besides looking derpy and flowers. Looking at the fairy and Emi, though gets a small smile. It is possibly the cutest thing ever, and he can't deny it. He'd say it's almost like she was normal...but...well, that'd actually be pretty mean.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi does not give any clear indication to Crux about why she pertapped her upside the head. The answer is probably obvious to anybody who has an understanding of 'cuteness' but she just pulls back her hand, gives her another smile (despite herself). Emi gives the map a view of some suspicion but isn't about to tell a mapputer how to do its job. She is probably having the same feeling as Avira here. Still, even broken maps are...still maps, sort of, right? Maybe? "Have as much as you'd like." She tells Crux, ultimately--she's relaxing a bit since it's obvious that Crux is not like Will and as such cannot eat more than her mass. She puts some into her own mouth, chewing slowly--as if she wanted to maximize hte amount of time she got to have with the food. Mimir doesn't seem to notice or care if the map is 'spied on' and 'copied'. He seems as surprised as anybody else that he's actually spitting a map out. "Well gosh." He says. "This is so embarrassing, doing this in front of everyone. Can you all just look away a bit?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Is making of light of her injuries because she doesn't want anyone to fuss. Plus, she does brew her own potions and have her own healing magic, which she has used a great deal! Now that she has a full belly, Maira is looking quite sleepy. She reaches up to cover a yawn, then leans on over to whoever is sitting beside her to rest her head on their shoulder. "Thanks little fairy...you're very sweet," she mumbles, then she's off to sleepy land.

:'''[[Makenshi]] has posed:''' Being a magically animated doll, Crux doesn't actually need to eat. Infact, she wasn't quite sure she could until just a few moments ago but it seems like her strange physiology is capable of enjoying it. The fairy smiles back at Maira's praise and then closes her eyes in acceptance of Emi's offer, her round face scruntching up with a happy expression as she attacks the noodles with renewed vigor. Now that she knows how it's done, Crux begins to slurp the slender piece of pasta inward, pausing to chew every couple of inches until she runs out and nabs a new one. The sauce gets all over her face and hands in the process, making her look much like a child with messy food. However, after a few noodles disappear in rapid succession this way, the fairy peers up and listening in on the conversations passing back and forth. So the map was broken? Hmm, perhaps she should linger here to collect more information before reporting back. This perculiar method of 'accidentally break into the house you're spying on' seemed to be working unusually well. Plus, free food!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' When Angantyr actually agrees to following up that lead, Avira gets a little excited. "Alright, alright. So we can follow up on this lead a little later. Until then..hmmm...how do you make it..." Mimir asks that they all /turn away/ and Avira laughs, putting a hand on the cube again. "Then don't. Put it away. Anyway.." Avira goes through the trouble of introducing herself...which is no doubt useful to Crux as well as she listens in and spies.

Avira

2013-01-26T17:59:01Z

RyuuAya: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human?
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=Working to track down the shards of Manhattan and restore the world!
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Mutate?: Avira is, actually, still a mutate though the expression of this is at the control of Hades. She appears as a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers.

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Lenna Tycoon]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]], [[Gabranth]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Respect||"I owe them my life. Long live Clan Dagda!"
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"I can't explain it, but I feel closer to you lately. I must be missing something."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"I love her enthusiasm and she's so good at magic! We're going to be great friends. She's very naive...don't worry, Maira, I will protect you from the predation of scoundrels. You are the best friend I have ever had...and I hope one day you will find a guy that respects you."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board! You've been awful quiet lately...I wonder if something is wrong."
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Worry||"How dare those Gaea Sisters do that to you!"
|-
|[[Lenna Tycoon]]||Friendship||"So happy to have you on board. Whoever insinuated that royalty was all stuffy is completely missing the mark, you're extremely nice and have big goals."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Interest||"It's good to hear that your Paladin friend has found peace-but I feel for you, losing all your friends to the Heartless must've been difficult. I hope we can make you feel at home in VALKYRI."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Affection||"In spite of our feelings for each other, things are thankfully not as complicated as I expected. Honesty is the best policy. Now here's to hoping he doesn't get himself caught by the Archadians!"
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"Now THAT is a pure heart. I can't believe she came to rescue me from Baron. I hope one day she doesn't have to run anymore...that's no way for someone to live."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"A giantess from a fallen world...and pretty hardcore. I could learn a lot from this one...and plan to once this mutation is gone. I don't think she'll be really at ease with me until it is since vicious mutants were common on her world."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I am so ready. Let's stand against the darkness together!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Interest||"That jerk...hitting on my friends, trying to take advantage of Maira! This guy pushes all the wrong buttons! RRGH."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"I understand now the anger she seems to carry with her everywhere and why she always fights so hard to prove herself. Being named an omega for being small and weak and nearly killed by her father. All the while her brother didn't know a thing. Even by wolf standards, it's a horrible thing to have happened."
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||DEAR GOD||"SHE CAN USE THOSE CORRIDORS NOW?!"
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. Nearly getting me arrested by the Archadians...not so awesome."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Anger||"I don't know what to do about this kid. He's not sorry for what he did."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance. YOU GIVE SCIENCE A BAD NAME, GOOD SIR."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|-
|[[Gabranth]]||Wariness||"Well, I know he means no harm to me, but this is the man that caused all of Angantyr's suffering and conquered his country. He also wouldn't negotiate with me over Angantyr's sentence so needless to say, I'm not thrilled by him."
|-
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"Sweet kid. He actually restored a world piece. That Keyblade of his is amazing! I wonder how you get one..."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"Creepy, especially those eyeball wings. But she seems to care a lot about Maira which I guess...makes her...okay?"
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Frustration||"It's like the universe has a soft spot for idiot antics that permits this kid to stay alive."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Awe||"Thank you for your help in defending my world. I worry, though, with all the things I have been hearing about the tensions with the Burmecians lately."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||O la la||"T-that awful, seductive tease!!"
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Interest||"Kid from Manhattan, trying to make something of himself in the wake of the world falling. He's got the determination and guts to do it and he's not some hairbrained moron. If he keeps it up, he'll go far."
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Catching Up

2013-01-26T17:41:05Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/22 |Location=Traverse Town - VALKYRI HQ |Synopsis=Angantyr and Avira do some much needed catching up in light of a plethora of recent event..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/22
|Location=Traverse Town - VALKYRI HQ
|Synopsis=Angantyr and Avira do some much needed catching up in light of a plethora of recent events.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Angantyr Vespar
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Angantyr's new home...it looks homier every day and it does have the benefit of not being inside a damn sewer. The VALKYRI headquarters was never really intended as a place to spend more than one night or a few moments holding a meeting. It mostly reflects that, lacking a proper kitchen or even proper rooms to sleep in. Over the past few weeks that has changed. A damn nice bathroom was the first order of business. Then beds and the like. It'd been pretty simple so far since, filled with girls, there wasn't really any need for segregation. TRON...well, TRON was different. Did he even need to sleep? Angantyr... Angantyr meant that Avira had to set up a room for him, even though she strongly suspects he WOULD NOT MIND sharing a bed. In one corner, there is a room constructed of portable walls, meant to house a stack of matresses and blankets that would serve as his bed. It's effectively a man cave amongst the VALKYRI. Agitated by the premiere for the Hades Cup she witnessed last night, Avira paces back and forth in the main hall. One of her hands holds a strange cube, arcane markings scrawled across it, which she tosses up and down in her hand.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The doors of VALKYRI HQ open, revealing the warn Dark Knight, as he steps through and pulls off his helmet. He puts the helmet over one hand as he walks through the building to the main meeting room. His body was not only covered by the armor, but a cloak recently, screaming of desert travel, as opposed to normal ware. He pauses, looking towards Avira for a moment, frowning, before placing the helmet down on a nearby table and walks towards her. "Something wrong?" he asks, suddenly, "There is a lot going on lately, don't tell me something else came up that is going to screw everything up?" Angantyr shakes his head as he rumbles the words out. "I would have liked to stay here more, but it seems I am getting quite a bit of money in Flurogis right now...honestly, I am not sure what is going on there. First the heartless...and now monsters, normal monsters, are flooding in. Hell. INTELLIGENT monsters at that...well as intelligent as they get." Angantyr says. He pauses, looking at his Ma Belle, "Or is this about what happened last night? I caught most of it on my Ma Belle."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Angantyr!" Avira exclaims, nonetheless a little relieved to see the dark knight. They both really had been so busy lately thanks to the sheer amounts of TROUBLE each other managed to get in. The huntress tosses her puzzle-looking cube thing onto one of the beds lining the walls and walks to him, meeting him halfway. "That tournament mostly. The prize is a piece of Manhattan so it's..." she hesitates a little, "...important that we can win it. I've heard about Fluorgis too..made some pretty good money dealing with an infestation at their water plant." She wrinkles her nose, "...at the expense of being turned into a frog. It's an easily curable affliction, it turns out, with the right people. Bet you can guess what~" She turns away from him and looks to the 'room' for Angantyr in the corner. "I think I might save some of the money to hire some contractors, give this place a kitchen. ....oh..." Avira wraps her arms around herself, sounding a little...haunted? "I met with a Judge Magister...hoped to somehow negotiate your sentance away."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr laughs a little at the frog comment. "Well, did you get your princess or prince to kiss you? Or did someone actually have a Maiden's Kiss on hand?" Angantyr was smart enough to have the license for that. For a moment he considers this, "Well, the frog condition sucks a bit, but it's not the worst thing that can happen. Try being petrified sometime." he shudders. Avira might gather why he hates Basalisks so much. "So that's what it was...I see. A piece of Manhattan, I am not sure how useful it will be given it's state, but at least it'll keep the Shadow Lords from it...I still can not see the logic in their actions." he shakes his head as he sucks in a breath at the Magister comment. "There was no need to do it...not only did it put you at risk, should they decide to use you as bait for me...but they wouldn't change their mind. Honestly, this was only a matter of time...and better to do it on my terms than theirs..." he pauses.. "Did something happen, Avira? You look like you seen a ghost." he says, moving to put a hand on her shoulder.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Well, rather, we had some maidens to do some kissing. Fortunately, that was good enough to work since we didn't have any royalty on hand." Makes her wonder about curing Prince Naveen! Maybe that little item from the World of Ruin could solve the curse easily? Likely not. Voodoo magic was complex! "Ohhhh...petrification is something I hope to never experience." Avira shares the shudder. "-yeah, that, though I'm a little annoyed that it's being used to sell a new television network." Man, television. That was something Avira thought she'd end up missing terribly when the world was destroyed...and wound up not missing it at all. Avira turns around to face Angantyr, a fierce look in her eyes. "No. I had to try. I don't want you living the life of a hunted man." She rests her hands on her hips and looks him in the eye, "And we both know that they would have to subdue me first to be bait! But you are right about one thing." She looks sad, "They won't change their mind. If they catch you, they will put you to death." After saying that, Avira's actually quiet for a long moment, "The Judge Magister that came to meet me...he was the same one that conquered your nation."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr nods slowly, turning away from her for a moment. "Gabranth." He rumbles a bit, "If he had wanted to capture you, then Avira, he would have little trouble. Gabranth is a dark knight that is powerful, it is hard to say which one of us is powerful..." he shrugs. "But he is a cold man, ruthless and uncaring. He only exists to be the dog of the empire." Angantyr turns back towards Avira, is face a mask of calm, "Of course they won't change their mind. They were waiting for this, they know and I know that I would eventually strike at them. Gabranth isn't just my enemy...the whole goddamn nation is. Every single one of them. Blindly following orders without thought to what it means to those conqured...they say they bring culture, but they do nothing but stomp out the pride traditions already there." It burns in Angantyr, he turns...clutching his hands, "More then that...my MEN died as nothing more than a sacrfice on the alter to Arcadia. An example..." "I want nothing more than remove Arcadia completely."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira continues to look up at him. Up, since Angantyr is quite tall compared to her! Funny how she was always surrounded by such tall guys. "He didn't do anything untoward to me, Angantyr nor do I think he has any desire to capture me. The Judge Magister is not unaware of our connection either." A small laugh escapes her and she reaches up, trying to turn his head back to her with a hand, "Funny, he even called himself a hound of the Empire." Though he has a mask of calm now, Avira can see it slowly slipping away as he rails against the empire that destroyed his home. "Angantyr..." she says, sounding slightly nervous, but refusing to shrink away from him. She's nothing to fear from the Dark Knight. In a way, this reminded her of Gabranth and how, despite her pleading, he was intent on carrying out the enforcement of the law and making Angantyr answer for his crime. Unstoppable force, meet unmovable object. It's actually quite unsurprising. She told the judge as much-that Angantyr would not negotiate his sentence away. "Then you must be careful to not get caught. I do not know if Archadia's arm can reach this far into Traverse Town, but I'd be cautious still."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "It is unlikely that they'd bother to come after me at this point. While the list of people who have gotten away with assaulting a Judge Magister is small, they no doubt have more important things to deal with right now," Angantyr tries to reassure Avira, even as he's forced to look back at her. He releases a sigh, "I'm fine...it's fine." he says to her. It DOES bother him...a lot of things weigh down on him, but he lets it go after a moment. "Something else you should know." He pauses, "I about had Gabranth. Really...really had him. A boy named Riku stepped in on his behalf." he pauses, "A boy who I fear did not do so out of the kindness of his heart. I don't know who's pulling his strings, but I can take a few guesses...given how strong his darkness is." He thinks. "You'd be best be careful if you get involved with getting the shard back. I fear things are going to get complicated very fast as these empires and alliances start springing up."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "You better be right, Angantyr." Avira gives him an arch look, holding his gaze now that she's turned his face back to look at her. "Because if they do capture you, mind you, I will not hesitate to break you out of their dungeons before your sentence is fulfilled." Just by looking at him, she can easily tell that it's not fine. That's actually good, for if he really felt nothing about all of this, he'd be quite the psychopath. Surprise, follows, though, at the mention of Riku. "He's one of the Shadow Lords. He has his own agenda." Though perhaps it was better that Angantyr did not get the chance to actually kill the Judge Magister. Then they would likely try to kill her Dark Knight on sight. Avira laughs nervously and lets her hand fall away from Angantyr. If only he knew just how complicated this already was for her. "Of course, Angantyr! Don't worry, I won't be doing this alone. In fact, if you had the time, I wouldn't mind your help too."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "I'd love to...but. Well, think about this. This stuff is broadcast to the worlds as they are.." he lets it hang there, he was sure she was smart enough to pick up on what he ment. "Wait...he's a shadowlord?" Angantyr pauses...he turns and looks to sit down on something, in his own thoughts for a moment. "Then.." he pauses and trying to wrap his head around this... "Either Garland sent him, trying to earn a favor from the Arcadian, another Shadow Lord wants the favor...or..." he frowns again, "Gabrant Might already be one. None of these things boad well for anyone...anyway, things are getting complicated already." he considers these things. "Also, I'm sure you'd try." he smiles at her, "Maybe you'll suceed. Though to be honest, without someone great at subterfuge and master of disguise, I feel it'd be a fools errand for you to do it yourself. I'd doubt MY chances at brute forcing it.."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "...oh, yeah, that's right." Avira sighs, "Damn, it would be perfect to have you with me. We work so well together. And you're really strong. I guess it's up to me to be the famous one." Unfortunately, exposed to the world, the Archadians would know exactly where to find him. Avira slowly nods. Angantyr will have his pick of cots and beds to sit down on-the closest, if he so desires, being the bed that Avira had tossed the puzzle cube onto. "Or he could be acting on his own too." Or whatever...strange thing inside of him that influenced the events at Manhattan. "Gabranth? A Shadow Lord? He...hardly seemed like the type that would align with them, based on my meeting, to be honest. Maybe Archadia has yet to fall in with them?" Avira's clearly a lot more optimistic about alliances than he is. The smiling and the reference to 'trying' earns him a pout. "'Maybe'? Hmph! Well fortunately for you, I /do/ know a few such individuals." Slipping over to him, she playfully shoves his big armored chest...likely to no effect. It's like shoving a wall. "Do have a little more faith in me!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Well, if you DO get a team together, I can at least help you train. I think that'd give you good odds on winning." Angantyr smirks. Angantyr is pragmatic, and smarter than he looks, you have to wonder sometimes if not for the baggage he carries, how great of a tactician he'd be. And how much of that is natural talent, and how much is...Garland. "It's possible, but I've learned to look at alliances where people don't see them. It's possible...he's impulsive...but still.." Angantyr sighs, "He's so young...too young to get caught up in this <GOOSEHONK>. It's almost like a mirror, except that I was a lot older when I got brought into all of this..." Angantyr doesn't move at her push, smirking as she dishes out her foux anger, he moves a arm around her shoulders and leans in, "Oh you do huh? Well, maybe I'll think about having a bit more faith...maybe." he smirks. "Besides, what makes you think I'd stay in prison?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "I have some ideas. We need to qualify first." Though Avira suspects that she herself doesn't have to qualify. Hades could pull some strings and get her in automatically. At the same time, though, she kind of wanted to prove herself to Phil. Cheating her way into qualifying felt...unnecessary. "But I would love to have your help." Avira looks down, "It's kind of unfair that young people have to deal with all of this. It forces them to grow up all at once. At least us adults have our childhood behind us. I'm not sure how I would have turned out if I had endured this during it instead." Though as she speaks, Avira realizes that Angantyr didn't exactly have the best of childhoods. Now Avira leans in at him to the point where their foreheads are almost touching, which makes it really easy for him to get that arm around her shoulders. "Yeah!" she huffs, "Yeah I do!" Oooh that teasing! Though a part of her really does hope that she'd be able to do /something/ for him one day. "You said it yourself, brute forcing your way out of Archadian prison might not cut it~"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "There is one thing I can do that You can't." he says, looking right into her eyes, "One thing that you'll never be able to do...and probably are better for it." he says simply. "Qualify huh...sounds like an ordeal." he considers, and sighs a bit. "Yeah...even as rough as mine was, I did have some bright spots...I did love my home, I just didn't have fond memories of my family." Angantyr says with a small smile. It's not something he does often on reflection of the past. He brushes some of the hair out of her face, "Heh...your beautiful when you're determined." he pauses, and frowns despite himself. "...So...I think maybe this bridge needs to be crossed."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Ah, right. His portals. "...very true." Avira murmurs, "I will never be able to do that and I honestly don't feel so bad about it." Those portals hurt. The less time she spent in them, the better. The smile doesn't go unnoticed and it strikes her as downright unusual. She's never heard him reflect upon his past fondly. "You must." she says softly, perhaps coming to this realization at this very second, "If you want to avenge it so badly." If their exchange could be likened to a flowing piece of music, the final subject that is stumbled upon brings it to a screeching halt for Avira. "Yes. Yes it should." Avira straightens a little but doesn't pull away, leaving her brown hair resting in his fingers. "You feel pretty strongly about me and I really should have figured it out sooner."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "You're pretty dense on these matters, I'm afraid." Angantyr teases, "I've thought I'd been clear, buuuuut perhaps it's a culture clash....not being from my world and all." Angantyr is surprisingly understanding when he wants to be. He's a man of many contridictions, but these ones are the least of his problems. "What about you? What do you feel about all of this, because ultimately that is what it comes down to." "And before you make a choice, know that whatever...whoever you chose, it won't change our relationship." He takes a moment to pause... "I'm not the jealous type, I'm not going to hound you down with my feelings. Ultimately, I'd rather see you free, to make your own choices. To try and control that would remove the very part of you I love the most." He smiles, "Freedom is one of the most important things to me."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Hey, I did get it! Eventually. When you propositioned me." Avira goes bright red at the memory...which was pretty much how she reacted once she figured out the offer to join him in bed. "I mean, there were signs before but I'm...rather wary of reading into things too much and getting the wrong impressions." The blush doesn't fade. "That's the hard part, Angantyr. I'm very fond of you too but...I feel this for two other guys also." That blush turns into a look of shame. "So I'm still trying to decide. It's unfair for all of you and I'm afraid I-" 'Whoever you choose, it won't change our relationship.' 'I'm not the jealous type.' Both bring surprise to Avira's face. "Really? Though I did suspect the latter when I caught the tail end of your conversation with Mercade." Avira moves forward and she puts her arms around his neck, hugging him. "You're important to me, Angantyr. It's your strength and drive I've aspired to since coming to Ivalice."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr gives her a firm hug back. "Heh, you're important to me too. Rather it's love or deep friendship...you've reminded me a great deal of what's important. For a long time I thought the light turned it's gaze from me...but it's not the case at all. I turned my gaze from it, and it took some good friends to remind me about all of this." "Well, as with your..." he pauses, "Three? Me, that guy from Merlin's tower...and..." he pauses, "Oh no. Not...the guy mixed in with the Gaudy Lords?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira...doesn't choose to pull away for a few seconds, just remaining in that hug. Maybe she's testing something. She still had to decide, after all, and in spite of Angantyr's words that was still not something she personally looked forward to. "There's still light inside you, Angantyr. You might be a fount of darkness, but even that can't drown it out. I see it every day, still there and waiting." The shame doesn't leave though. Three! She should have decided, right? "Skoll. His name is Skoll. Though I am reminded...he is here, healing, so we need to keep an eye out for those other two monsters I warned you about earlier." There's a pause before she continues, "That one sister you killed believed you were my boyfriend."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Interesting." Angantyr says, to what Avira says. "Alright, though his affairs are only my affairs if the sisters decide they want revenge...and they always do." Angantyr says with a smirk, "Reguardless...a complication I wasn't expecting, but one I won't back down from. I don't care much for those who toy with life as friviously as they do." He comments with a slow tone. "Yes yes, I am constantly reminded about this, Avira. You, Maira, Jasmine, and now apparently these little girls...Emi and Imi apparently claim that I am 'not so bad'. Ugh, I swear, with you people I'm never going to be able to keep my reputation as a bad <GOOSEHONK>." He doesn't pull appart from the embrace either, letting it linger for a moment. "I'll stick around for the moment then, until he is healed, unless of course an emergancy happens in the desert town." He says, "And stop feeling bad, matters of the heart are never easy. Though in hinesight they are easier than you think. That is the trick about it..." he laughs a little. He pulls her chin into his hand and looks into her eyes, "What matters is how you feel, right now."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "If they do come..." Avira says quietly in a rare show of vulnerability. "...I hope you're there to fight them. As I am right now, I'm not strong enough to fend one off on my own." Indeed, Avira actually seems a little afraid, which was rare for someone who had endeavored to charge headfirst into danger repeatedly. She laughs. "Oh, the Dennous. Don't worry, Angantyr, I don't think your reputation as a badass is going to diminish anytime soon. Especially if you keep picking fights with the likes of, say, Judge Magisters." She looks relieved when he says he'd stick around (unless something pops up in Fluorgis, which it likely will) to fend off whatever 'Gaudy Lords' may come. "W-well, I-!" The shame begins to leave, leaving Avira in the typical flustered state Angantyr has previously agreed upon being 'cute'. He takes her chin and Avira looks him in the eyes, falling silent. Amongs the conflict, there is desire to be found in those eyes of hers.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr looks at her for a long moment, a moment that seems to last forever for both of them. Angantyr handle these matters much like he handles most matters in his life, being direct. Less brutal in this case, he doubts that she'd enjoy THAT much. Without another word he leands forward, aiming to draw her into a perfect disney moment, because the camera obviously pans away, unless she does something to stop the moment.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Due to previous mind games of a past soured relationship, direct honestly was met with refreshing welcome. Avira sees the moment coming. She does absolutely nothing to stop it.

Smells like Chocobo?

2013-01-26T17:34:37Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/21 |Location=Chocobo Plains |Synopsis=Avira finds something that is not a chocobo at all. |Cast of Characters=Avira, Maximilien |pretty=ye..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/21
|Location=Chocobo Plains
|Synopsis=Avira finds something that is not a chocobo at all.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Maximilien
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Chocobos are everywhere! Unsurprising, given the name of this place. They gather in huge flocks, pecking away at the greens and shoots these grasslands were rich in. Most are of the usual garden 'yellow' variety but mixed in there were a few with red plumage. The red was a warning sign for these particular birds were dangerous. These particular birds were proficient in the dread 'chocobo meteor.' With her belly pressed against the ground and her face smudged with dirt, Avira waits, watching the flock as they peck their way through a tough bit of grass. The girl has been out here for hours, stalking and watching these creatures, studying their behavior and movements. She'd yet to try approaching them. It's quite possible that she was here to tame one of the beasts, though it stood to reason-wouldn't she have done so by now?

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "They will not trust you if you do not trust them, you know." The heavy French accent, like the Frenchman himself, just sort of comes out of thin air; before Avira likely knows what's going on, he's just sort of standing behind her, hand in his coat pocket, cane tucked under his arm, looking past her at the chocobos. He's quite a tall man, too; the last time they met was under duress, so Avira probably didn't quite realize exactly how tall he is. Maximilien glances down. "I admit that your good looks are hardly marred by a little dirt, but I think, madamoiselle, you would do far better standing...there are much easier ways to catch a chocobo, you know, and far less dirty to boot."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' This focused, this intent on paying attention to her surroundings, Avira surely should have heard the approach of the Phantom Thief. And yet, as her mind reviews that last few seconds prior to him speaking to her, she cannot recall a single sign or warning that Maximilien had arrived. Nevertheless, her initial reaction is to immediately flip herself onto her back and curl up her legs, as if she's going to kick them out at anyone who advances on her grounded form. Next to Max, Avira is downright tiny-dwarf-sized even! "M-Max! Don't startle me like that." she says, breathing out as she pulls herself up into a sitting position. Looking embarassed, she glances over her shoulder, "I'm not trying to catch one, just...watching them. Trying to 'learn' them, I guess you can say? In the same manner I did those wolves." Max would definitely remember those wolves that had appeared during their little picnic and gathered around her. It was certainly not an effect of her mutated form back then. "...though maybe I should catch one, I suspect it's getting late. What brings you all the way out here?" Her mind goes through possible targets that may have caught Max's eye, but none come to mind as something worthy enough for the Frenchman.

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "Severe boredom, combined with impressively ferociously aggressive wanderlust, whimsy, and random happenstance." Max waves his gloved hand gently before it settles back onto the cane. "As it so happened, I was simply out for a walk and wound up walking here." Max taps his finger against his cane lightly; he spins it out into his palm, pointing it at the chocobos. "I wonder why you have chosen such an animal. Is it influence from that wolf of yours? I should think there are many better animals to learn from in this world...in this world especially. So many strange and fanciful beasts here, non? Marlboros, Dragons...so why the chocobo?" His cane stabs down into the ground, and he leans on it, putting all his weight on it to lean forward and smile at Avira. Even cutting his own height by a good bit, he's still ludicrously tall...and really, really thin.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Then it's fate that we met~" Avira teases, picking herself up off the ground. She drops her head down and brushes dirt off of her pants and hip armor pieces. "I certainly don't have a problem with this." She smiles at him, then lifts one of her hands to rub a fingerless-gloved palm against a smudge of dirt on her neck. "That wolf? You mean Skoll? No, this is my choosing. And, well...this is a skill I'm still very new at. Going after dragons or-" she shudders, "...marlboros is going to end badly for me! I have a hard enough time just fighting one of those in a group. Besides..." Avira turns around to squint at the grazing chocobo flock. After a moment of looking, she points off in the distance to a red-feathered chocobo. "Those ones right there are pretty dangerous. They know magic." She turns back to him to find him leaning forward at her. Her eyes meet his and she goes still, "...my, I never noticed how tall you are."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "I suppose it is," Max agrees, taking her hand in his own and bringing it up to his lips briefly. He releases it a moment later, his usual smirk plastered across his face; he glances over at the chocobos, but they're spared little thought, a brief and passing notice. "C'est la vie, madamoiselle, c'est la vie. It works in mysterious ways." "Do you believe in fate?" He asks after a moment, his eyes still on hers as he asks; as she reaches up to rub the smudge of dirt, he tsks, drawing a handkerchief out of his pocket. Notably, it is not his, unless his initials changed very drastically in the last ten minutes. He reaches out with the white thing, brushing it along her neck gently; then he tucks it back into his tuxedo jacket. "I never have, myself. Too much like letting other people take responsibility for what I do. I may be in a profession full of avoiding responsibility, but at least I believe in dealing with my own consequences, oui? Even if dealing generally means avoiding." Max's lips quirk upwards in a wry grin. "Or perhaps you are simply tiny. I understand that men prefer women shorter than they; I certainly have yet to find many taller than me, so I will assume that that is true, lacking in any other experience with which to weigh it against." "So are you simply hoping to learn their magic, or are you looking for some inspiration, some...spark to further your own ideas?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Perhaps to Max's disappointment, Avira doesn't get terribly flustered when he goes to the motions of kissing her hand. Indeed, this was actually expected behavior from Max. That roguish smirk, on the other hand, does earn himself a brief flustered look. Ugh what is wrong with her, did she really like scoundrels? "I don't know anymore." Avira admits, a troubled look on her face. "For a long time I didn't. That everything in my life was my fau-er, doing. But out here and having met the likes of Will Sherman, I really think there might be." Her eyes fall upon the handkerchief which, Avira astutely notes, possesses monogrammed initials that do not belong to him. Now which rich sap was that snatched from? Now while she restrained reaction to the original kiss to her hand, this, she cannot help but redden ever so slightly over. It's gone soon enough. "I too like to think that I am the master of my own future." she smirks, "I don't like...limiting myself." A laugh escapes her and she turns her head slightly to the side to eye Max. "Well, yesssss, I do think that's part of it. Me being tiny that is. Well, is it true? Do you prefer women to be shorter than you?" She gestures at the chocobos again, "I want to learn their language. I want to learn the language of the beasts, Max, and compel them to fight with me like those wolves will. It's an interesting skill I've heard about in these parts of the world."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' He's not really disappointed, at least not visibly. The man's closed up tighter than Fort Knox and harder to read than Sumerian dialect; the only thing on his face is that half-cocked, self-assured, unmoving but /movingly/ smug grin. It's the sort of grin normal people (and Cirra) want to slap in the face, the sort of smug smirk that makes people wonder if he's really that arrogant or actually that good. Coupled with that neutral, open stance, it's easy to see why people might, on their first reaction, think he is a GIGANTIC JERK. "I think that you should not confuse the unique magic of a homeless man for a universal truth," Max points out cheerfully, tucking his cane back under his shoulder; it pokes out from underneath the opera cape in the back, brushing aside the black-and-gold fabric gently. "But if you truly believe in fate, it would be nice for me to be in yours, mmm~?" Max's smirk turns into a full-fledged grin a moment later. "I would say that, oui, madamoiselle, I do indeed like women who are shorter than I am. Much shorter, preferably...mmm...six inches or more? There is something...advantageous...about a woman being so easy to hold." He steps forward, leveraging that whole...ridiculously tall thing to his advantage. "A small woman is easier to hold in your arms...easier to carry...easier to dance with. Though I admit there are certain advantages to a taller woman, I feel the advantages of the tiny outweigh those of the tall." He takes her hand, moving to spin her around against him, so she can look at the chocobos and lean on his stomach. "I cannot imagine that birds and beasts have anything particularly interesting to say, madamoiselle...but if you feel it is so useful, I can only imagine what you might find." "So...what are they saying~?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' To add to this unfortunate-ness of that smirk...it actually reminds Avira a little bit of her ex-boyfriend. This goes completely uncommented upon, of course. No need to dig out THAT skeleton on the closet and Avira does a spectacular job of not really letting on that there might be an ulterior motive to her reaction to that. A faint "Tsk." is heard from the huntress as the tall man chides her for putting so much stock in Will Sherman. "You would say that, wouldn't you? The two of you are like opposite sides of a coin. Listening to you two exchange barbs always brings a bit of happiness to my day." Her eyes fall to that cane, a confused look upon her face. For show, maybe? She's seen this man move, he can easily walk on his own. There's a demure smile upon her face as Max waxes poetic about the benefits of smaller women. "Very true, we are a good deal more portable. You're fortunate, then, to be THAT tall." There's no resistance from the huntress when he takes her hand to spin her. There's a moment of confusion before she realizes what must be done, having seen this motion only in television shows, and she twirls in a circle before he pulls her against his body. Avira leans against him and Max can feel her heart pounding rapidly, suggesting he's undeniably having an effect on her despite her attempts to keep her cool around this ridiculously charming man. Though her explanation of the beastmaster class doesn't seem to be getting through, unless he's clearly teasing her for her extracirricular activities. "Oh, it is a useful skill. When you speak their language you can tame them." Avira pipes up, sounding a teeny bit defensive now. "They...uh..." The huntress leans forward just a little towards the herd, which has migrated away from both humans. "They're saying..." she smirks. "...nom nom nom nom."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' It is probably a good idea to keep that particular bit of information to Avira's self, because the man really doesn't need another stroke of his ego. If he's even half as good as he apparently /thinks/ he is, he's probably damn near unstoppable. Then again, if he's half as good as he apparently thinks he is, he'd probably still have the Dusk Shard, and wouldn't've given it back just because he was asked nicely by a pretty lady in a slinky dress. "Let us just say that I do not particularly think that an ancient homeless man is the arbitrator of my fate, and that I do not put all /that/ much stock into anything outside my own control, mmm?" He tucks her hand against her stomach, laying his own hand over hers and tapping it gently. He spins his cane out, setting it down in front of her and getting his other arm around her as well; this close, she'd be able to see that the cane has a number of little hidden buttons, switches, things that could easily be passed over as details if one didn't know his real job. It's also carved down with strange symbols; again, if one didn't know, they'd assume it just decoration, but Avira's been around the block long enough to know that they're magic symbols. "Ah, je m'excuse...but you seem quite nervous, madamoiselle. Your heart is pounding through my tuxedo...do the chocobos make you so worried~?" Yeah, he's just messing with her, that's for sure. "I admit...you certainly do strike me as more of the /tamer/ than the /tamee/, mmm? I suppose it is tremendously appropriate for you to...gather yourself a herd~." Max leans down - way down, he's pretty flexible! - and mumbles near her head. "It is unfortunate...I have, after all, always seen /myself/ as the tamer..." "Nom~. Nom~. Nom~." Then he straightens back up. "So are you terribly close to learning to speak chocobo?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well...that guy is an /ex/-boyfriend for a reason. "Though I am a friend of Will Sherman, this is something I can agree with. I do not like the idea of he being in control of my fate...fortunately, I don't think he actually can do that. He can pluck strings and see threads, but does he really have sway over anything else?" Avira inclines her head downward when she sees him moving her hands and placing his arms around her-oh, oh dear. Quite a few things suddenly spring to mind, amongst the observations she makes of his cane. Because he is a super suave Phantom Thief, she does pay special attention to these oddities. The weird symbols hold her attention for a little bit longer though. "Runes?" she ventures, reminded of her earlier discussion with him about her dreams. "So you know some mystic arts? They seem familiar to me, I swear I've seen them on weapons." Avira glances to the leather pouches upon her belts at her waist while she's looking. Part of her is wondering if this closeness is more than just teasing. He might be looking to plunder something from her! Sadly for him, it's filled with potions and munny. No monogrammed handkerchiefs here. "Ah..." Avira clears her throat and tries to command herself to calm. It doesn't work, especially not with his arms around her like that. "No...just..thinking of someone, is all." In that moment, she tries to scramble to their other thread of conversation, but it seems to offer no solace, though it starts innocently enough. "Well of course! That is the point of being a beastmaster!" Then he leans down and murmurs in her ear. She shivers and tries to nudge him away, "Maximilien! Stop that, you're...distracting me." Flustered now, she mentally flails for a moment before hitting uCome here!" Every chocobo on the plains suddenly lifts their head and turns to stare in Max and Avira's direction. They get about one second of delay before every single one of them takes off, running at them both. Incoming chocobo stampede! Avira's eyes widen. "Guess so."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' So he is. "I honestly have never believed that anyone but me has control over my luck or my fate. He might influence the...the die rolls, so to speak, but..." Max waves his cane a bit, pointing it forward. The jewel on the end might be materia! "I have and will always be a man who makes my own luck...and stacks the deck in my favor, of course. Fortune favors the bold /and/ the prepared, and Lady Luck is a harsh mistress. For example..." He flips the cane horizontally so she can look at the runes better. Yes, they are indeed runes, from all over the place - magical inscriptions from nearly every place in the World of Ruin that had them. "My delightful little walking stick. Oui, madamoiselle; I have always found it prudent to have as many tricks as I possibly can, and I am a frightfully fast learner in this sort of thing. You would be surprised what you can pick up with a few questions and a good disguise, and the right, absent-minded teachers. So many...useful little tricks." His hands haven't left her hand since he placed it on her stomach; nothing's missing, and she's not going to walk out with her pocket picked! He's above that sort of thing. Not above messing with her head, but above petty pickpocketing of people he actually likes. "Thinking of someone? Should I be jealous~? Perhaps I will have to pluck a kiss from your lips to keep your attention, mmm?" Then she speaks Chocobo, and every single chocobo in the field looks up. Max tries very hard not to laugh. "We ought to run, madamoiselle; find a small cliff and lay in it, and they will run right over us!" He takes off, grabbing her hand in his, his cane tight in his other hand, laughing all the way.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Her eyes track the cane as he waves it for now that she's seen it up close, she's become terribly interested in it. Clearly recalling Max referring to himself as a pacifist previously, this tool is obviously meant to make up for such a choice. "Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. A fair fight is very hard to win, after all. Fair fights don't really apply in our lines of work, do they?" Her brown eyes roam over the inscriptions, recognizing some from various regions she's visited in the World of Ruin. Still more are alien to her. "How clever of you...is that a float rune? And that gem on the tip...the mist flows oddly around it, but it's not magicite-oh, materia, I see it now." Max continues to be a tease and to his next threat, Avira responds a bit more vocally, "That's right, and he would certainly not approve!" Though maybe the other guys could get some tips from the Frenchman so they would hold her like this. Terribly unfair! Timely chocobo intervention seems to be averting this issue for now. "Running is highly recommended! Have you been kicked by a chocobo before, Max? I have and it /hurts/!" she yelps, tugged along only for a few steps before she too is running. Despite having a distinct disadvantage in short little midget legs, compared to Max's no doubt far longer strides, she's easily able to keep up with him. Good thing, that, because the chocobos can run very fast and are very soon crowding and running past them. There are several small cliffs up ahead-the kind that would inexplicably block an adventuring party from collecting a piece of loot atop of below them. "There!" Avira points ahead, "Or there!" With her free hand, Avira also points at a large oak tree up ahead, perfect for climbing to escape.

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' Max, is, indeed, quite fast. Very *very* fast. So he's kind of impressed by Avira being able to keep up with him; his laughter echoes through the plains as he and Avira run, his hand tight in hers. If they get separated, they're dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead. The chocobos would just swarm and crush them. So he keeps his hold on her tight, as they round over the hill. "I will defer to your expertise, madamoiselle~!" Max shouts merrily as the chocobos begin to pass them by. "But when it comes to hiding, I think mine is superior...so, allons-y!" His cane snaps outwards, runes glowing blue along the side as Mist slips into them; a moment later, FLOAT surrounds Avira, and he somewhat unceremoniously tosses her over the little ridge - the FLOAT spell apparently being necessary to lift her, because Max is not the sort of muscleman one might associate with tossing people. Then he follows her down, laying out on top of her as the chocobos go thundering over, and he laughs again, hooking his arms around her neck. "We really must keep meeting like this, madamoiselle. I think you look your loveliest in the dirt...you were made for the wild, and it for you." The laws of physics mean the chocobos will pass overhead...but how long will they be stuck like this before the chocobos are all gone?!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Chocobo feet are serious business. Registered lethal weapons in some cities, no less. (Fortunately, chocobo are exempt from the licensing rules.) She was off to a good start, though with each passing second it becomes more difficult to keep up with Maximilien. The exertion is pretty obvious on her face and Avira quickly starts to sweat. For the sake of not getting trampled, though, she keeps running. Seeing the birds catching up only makes her run a little faster. Suddenly, her feet are no longer touching the ground and it actually takes her a second to realize he's placed the FLOAT spell on her. So this is how the 'harmless yet in the way ridge' problem is solved! Avira is flung, though it actually doesn't take that much effort. She's tiny and, of course, very portable. With all her gear on she does weigh quite a bit more, especially with that "sword" of hers. "Eek!" As if that wasn't jarring enough, Max drops down on top of her. He's definitely not as heavy as she was expecting, now that she thinks about it. Wiggling, she scoots upwards so she can peek her head out around his and watch the chocobo leaping overhead. Dirt and grass go flying as they do and Avira must squint her eyes shut at a few points to protect them. This isn't so bad, actually-at least until Max wraps his arms around her and resumes teasing. Now she is bright red and struggling to make words. "W-well you're certainly not made for the wild-" she tries to counter, "-a fancy person like you is definitely out of place here." Well...there could be worse positions and worse people to be stuck with.

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "Oh, I do not know about that. It is so very hard to find a person in a city, but not impossible; faces get picked up every day, and even a master disguise artist can slip. But out in the wild...no one knows where you are. No one knows where to find you. The world belongs to you alone...and whoever you are sharing it with, of course." Max's lips quirk upwards, and he gets /very/ close to her own lips - not quite touching, but close enough. His eyes are a very bright color, too. Very...very bright. The thunderous noise of the chocobos racing over them is meaningless; time might as well have stopped around them, these two unimportant little humans doing unimportant little human things. In the grand scheme of things, the world would forget they were even there. "I did not know that a sneak-thief was your type, madamoiselle...I figured you for someone more...above the board. You have that rough-hewn honesty about you...the look of a woman whose beauty shines through her scars, through the hardships of life...not a woman who sneaks about and hides and lives the life I live." Then again, the current (major) object of his affection lived her life much the same, and was a hell of a lot more /violent/ than Avira was. "You live an honest life...perhaps some dishonesty here and there, but you have earned your way, earned your strength, the way a woman with your eyes should. They are lovely eyes, Avira. I hope very much you keep them; not enough people in this world are still honest." Is that hypocrisy, a meaningless compliment, or something else? Max reaches up, briefly brushing her hair back, and tucks them a bit closer to the ridge as the chocobos start landing a little closer to his legs. The downside of being so tall!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Were there not the threat of chocobos baring down and crushing bones literally hanging above them, there might be a good deal more squirming on Avira's part right now. The teasing gives way to somehing a bit more...unexpected. For a few seconds, she actually thinks he's going to steal a kiss. Won't Mercade be mad! She actually hesitates to say anything right now to prevent just that. At this close, she can easily look into those bright eyes of his...unnaturally bright, even. Like a moth drawn to the light, she seems unable to look away, giving Max the opportunity to look into her own. Hers are downright normal. Or...honest, as Max astutely puts it. "It isn't my type." she says firmly, managing to get ahold of herself for those few moments. "I'm also not accustomed to having attractive French men teasing me, Maximilien, Phantom Thief or not. ...are you suggesting that you sneak and hide from the hardships of your own life?" She's clearly quite flattered, however, by his comments. There were few people that recognized her struggle and since she didn't exactly advertise her own growth, it took someone very observant to pick up on these things. "People don't usually notice." she says quietly, "You are fantastic at studying people. No wonder you push my buttons so well..." His own eyes, juxtaposed with the comment of her eyes, does make her wonder. One of her arms snakes free and, perhaps for the first time, she actually returns that contact, with a thumb upon his cheekbone. "What does that make your eyes, Max? All I see is brightness."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' Max doesn't comment on her inquiry about hiding from his own life. He was fiercely, fiercely private; the person who knew the most about him in the world was /Cirra/, and she knew more than he intended because of a slip of the tongue. He wasn't about to make the same mistake here, not when he'd already done so with a far more (directly) (personally) dangerous woman. Avira was fierce, but she wasn't actively interested in his harm, after all. Clearly, or he wouldn't even be in this sort of position with her. His smirk grows a bit wider as she mentions that he's good at studying people. "People usually don't notice," he parrots good-naturedly, "They are so busy wanting to know about me, they rarely realize that I am picking them apart...piece...by...piece. Deception is so much more than lying...lying is easy. People fall into lies so easily because they are easy to rely on. Misdirection...sleight-of-hand...the little tricks of deception are so much harder. No one wants things to be difficult in this world." Max leans down, pressing his lips to her ear. "I only want things to be difficult. I suspect you feel the same...that hunger for something more than the world you came from...the desire to see how far you can go before you can go no more in a dangerous, fearsome profession..." He straightens, just a bit, so that he's back looking into her eyes. "What does it make my eyes, Avira~? Perhaps you should tell me...what do you think my eyes are?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A lack of acknowledgement for her comment could easily be taken as admission. Avira's inclined to believe so since it is rather interesting that the bold and forward Maximilien will not respond to such an observation. Not even to note that it was rude! The thought actually brings a small smirk to her face. "Flattery will get you everywhere, won't it?" She interjects neutrally as he waxes poetic about his own methods, "So this is your reason for wanting to meet in person, is it? To pick me apart?" Given how talkative she was over the TDA frequency, this was likely more of a confirmation than anything. Like a scientist, gathering data to analyze, poking at things to see how they react. Poking at /her/. The whispered words earn a shiver, not just because the closeness of his contact, but with how impressively spot-on they are. "Yes." she admits with a whisper, "That is exactly where I want to take myself." Thankfully, he moves away so she can look him in the eyes again. By now, the stampede has started to die down, but Avira doesn't even notice it. All she sees, right now, is those eyes and the longer she looks... "...I think they're a lure. They're so beautiful, so striking, who can resist looking into them? And if they're looking at your eyes, then they aren't looking at your hands or anything else..." Avira's eyes shift to where he holds his cane, "...you may have on you."

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "Partially," Max murmurs. "I enjoy it. Picking, poking, prodding at the world...in another life, perhaps I was a scientist, or a magus, or a detective." He laughs. "Perhaps I used my gifts for justice, for the betterment of all mankind. Perhaps I was clever enough to truly make a difference in the world, one of the greats...or perhaps I languished in madness and obscurity, never recognized, never understanding my gifts." He purses his lips, again coming very very close to hers; his eyes never waver, never move, two bright lights in the shadow of the few remaining stampeding chocobos. "But that is not the only reason I wanted to meet you in person." "I told you before that women are art, that a woman's beauty is like a painting, to be appreciated and enjoyed. Do you think that I am the sort of man who can appreciate art simply by looking at it? Or that beauty is only skin-deep?" He chuckles, a quiet, dignified laugh. Everything about him is dignified, except when it isn't; everything about him is controlled, except when he slips. How much of him is even real is hard to say...except for the name MARS. That was unmistakably his; that identity, if nothing else, belonged to him, was part of him. Even if everything else about him could change on a whim, that much was his and his alone. "That is a more interesting theory than some have told me...it is not accurate, but it is...interesting." His lip quirks, a grin spreading across his face. "I rather like that. I think I may use it." "But non, madamoiselle...my eyes are not magic, they are not a lure. My eyes..." "My eyes are the eyes of a man who knows exactly what he wants. And right now, I want to make at least two other men very, very jealous." And then he leans down and presses his lips against hers, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, as the last of the chocobo stampede finishes crossing over them.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Uh oh. "Another life? You seem to make yourself a good scientist or detective in this life. Why does a thief hang around with a bunch of detectives?" The question may as well be rhetorical because Avira is certainly not expecting Max to actually shed light on this mystery. Just as he has remained very tight lipped about himself. From her background, it makes his behavior even more maddening with how he continues to skillfully dance around who he is. But from her time spent here, she can at least conclude, with a held breath as he leans in so close again, that he's definitely deriving quite a bit of enjoyment in poking and teasing. She doesn't want to admit she's enjoying it too. Imagine the smug look on his face then! That smirk from earlier would -never leave- around her! "It's...not?" her voice is filled with curiosity. Good-natured laughter escapes her. Unlike the controlled chuckle of the Phantom Thief, Avira's seems very genuine. Honest. "If I'm to believe anything you've said to me today, you certainly don't believe that beauty is only skin deep. No, you're clearly very interested in getting under my skin." Or under several people's skin right now! "If they aren't enchanted, then why's it so hard to look away?" Avira muses, managing to break gaze with him for a moment. Her eyes look upwards, perhaps noting the reduced number of chocobo vaulting over their position. Her eyes slip to the side to see what little she can of the migrated herd...which actually is not very much since her back is pressed against the ground. She looks back to Max, perhaps at just the right time to catch the spreading grin. Then, within a few seconds, he's stealing himself a kiss. A muffled, perhaps indignant squeak escapes her during it. It's some consolation that this is not her first kiss -ever- being stolen, but that this hadn't gone to one of the three men she held in her confused heart right now was still pretty awful. "You-!" The huntress is clearly quite flushed in the wake of that kiss. "Mercade will have your hide!" she blurts out, now trying to squirm free of his arms.

:'''[[Maximilien]] has posed:''' "Why indeed," Max replies mysteriously as he pulls his lips away from hers. He doesn't stand up, not quite yet; the amusement in his eyes is clear as she declares Mercade's anger, and he holds up a finger to her lips. "Ah.../monsieur Alexander/ will have my hide? Well, now...that *is* telling, isn't it?" He laughs and stands, offering her his free hand as he leans against his cane. "I believe the stampede is over; that was quite an experience, I think! I admit that I have never been in a stampede of giant yellow birds, and I do not think I wish to again." Once she's up, he releases her hand, sliding his own back into his tuxedo pocket and looking off at the sky. "Do not worry, madamoiselle. I have no interest in pursuing you and adding to your confusion. I simply wished to appreciate fine art, oui? Forgive me if I have offended." He tucks his hand over his stomach and bows low, a polite, gentlemanly bow, then straightens. "In any case, I will leave you to your birdcalls, mmm? I believe this was a /most/ enjoyable outing nonetheless...but I should head back, oui? I imagine you need your concentration." And then, of course, there's the whole conversation on the radio, and Max bursts into a long, long fit of laughter before he just sort of disappears the moment her back is turned.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' There's a good question to be posed as to 'why Mercade' at this moment. Maybe because Angantyr wouldn't settle on hides. Maybe because Skoll currently had a far more dire problem to deal with than who he's going to date at the moment. There could be any number of reasons and Avira isn't inclined to explain any of them. Not that he'd let her if he wanted to, putting a finger to her lips before she can even say anything. All kinds of guilt fills her when she hears that radio conversation come up and her face remains flush with embarassment. The free hand is actually spurned and Avira rises on her own power, dusting off her butt, which is caked in dirt and grass. "Appreciate fine art indeed..." she mutters, unwilling to admit if she had enjoyed any of that. Reaching over, she pokes him in the chest. "Y-yeah, well, I needed experience in dealing with people like you anyway!" she rationalizes. The radio conversation worsens and a thin layer of anger is piled upon her already very ripe embarassment. It's hard to tell who exactly she's angry with! "You! Stop that! Stop that laughing-!" Avira whirls upon him, only to find that Max... ...is gone. "How does he DO that?"

Court of Appeals

2013-01-21T23:08:05Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/21 |Location=Costa Del Sol |Synopsis=Avira requests the presence of a judge magister in order to negotiate. She winds up with none other th..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/21
|Location=Costa Del Sol
|Synopsis=Avira requests the presence of a judge magister in order to negotiate. She winds up with none other than Gabranth himself.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Gabranth
|pretty=yes
}}

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Something unusual had happened roughly a week or so ago. A letter, delivered by way of regular judge, had requested the audience of a Judge Magister. This particular letter came from whom had become a rather infamous individual at this point: Avira, of Clan Dagda. The perpetrator in the recent disturbance in Rabanastre who had allegedly attacked a judge. Of course, it turns out her assailant was not a judge and had taken advantage of his similar appearance to order the city guard into trying to apprehend her. Fortunately for Avira, she managed to escape the city. Unfortunately, the rest of Clan Dagda and Angantyr had been dragged into the mess. The rest was history. Aside from that particular incident, Avira did have a small claim to fame to her for being involved in defending Rabanastre from the attack of a nasty large Heartless. Judge Zargabaath had also encountered her in Traverse Town, leading to a brief tense interaction and Cirra mostly knew her as a law-abiding citizen with the Twilight Detective Agency. For the most part she had avoided the judges, Judge Magisters especially, so requesting an audience with one was very unusual. The place of meeting was set to a territory Archades had no control over: Costa Del Sol. While this town was hardly violence-free, the environment itself was conductive against it. Avira was, honestly, unsure if this venture would bare fruit. It was also a possibility that they could arrive and take her to task to the damage her fight had done in the marketplace, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Nervously, she awaits on the large bridge over the main street, eyes turned to the skies, watching for the presence of the huge airships that Archades was so well-known for.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth does not come by mighty airship, nor does he bring a more attention to his arrival, beyond the fact of his own presence would allude too. No the attention he brings is as his armored boots clank gently across the wooden board-walk and the clatter of the two hilts on his belt tap gently against metal on metal. The cap barely moving in the ocean breeze as the dark figure makes his way for the place mentioned in the letter to meet with Avira. The first warning she would get is people whispers around her as the armor clad figure moves in closer to her direction with easy, commanding steps. Those steps in near perfect rhythm. Then soon a shadow would be over her, before the echoing voice speaks out from the helm. "You requested my presence, ma'am regarding the activities that took place?" His voice was calm and respectful with a slight British hint to it. Avira would also find that the Judge Magister was indeed alone as well. No guards, no other soldiers. Just him-- -- and her.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Funny, she was expecting an airship. Zargabaath had an entourage of other guards with him the first time she met him as well. Her vigil of the skies ends, however, when she hears the telltale clink of metal against metal approaching. The noise had become synonomous with an approaching guard and one that Avira had taken to listening for carefully during her time in Rabanastre. Pushing away from the railing she had been leaning against, she turns to the direction of the noises she hears and freezes. Just the sight of Gabranth makes her heart stop, not just because he's a Judge Magister, but his armor reminded her terribly much of Garland. In fact, her hand is already moving to the hilt of the strange-looking weapon she carries before rationality takes over. Gabranth is not tall enough to be Garland. Still, standing in his shadow makes her recoil just a little. Judge Magisters were intimidating-looking figures to say the least. "Your Honor." she greets politely with a nod of the head, "Y..yes, I was hoping to speak about that. Namely...less the incident itself and...uh..." She starts to fidget nervously, "I understand that Angantyr Vespar made a bit of a scene afterwards and is now a wanted man. I would like to know if there was anything I could do to perhaps...exonerate him of his crimes." He being alone does put her slightly more at ease, but not much.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Judge Magister's eyes look into her own. Those ice blue eyes examining the woman before him, though sadly she will not see those eyes as the helm does a wonderful job at masking his entire face or any visuals of it. "He was uncooperative when I requested him to stand aside in the investigation regarding your charges that I was conducting on my own accord. I also offered him the chance to help us clear your name, as all information I had begun to gather was pointing to your innocence already." The Judge Magister shifts his weight, his hand idly coming to rest on the hilt on the Highway Star out of nothing more then habit. "He wanted a fight and he wanted my blood, even if I was to clear his charges, he would only strike again until he rid of me my life, ma'am." Gabranth then gently shook his head. "Though I am glad that you had the courage to summon my presence, as I also wish to apologize to you for the short inconvenience of the false charges."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Unknowingly, Avira meets his gaze. Perhaps by the cant of his helm, she can tell that he's looking at her. Even with this slightly unsettling thought, she does not look away or cower. That fear she holds for the Archadian lawgivers is buried deep inside. At the sense she's being looked through, she will suck in a breath and draw herself up a little. Her hands remain resting behind her, though also close to the Spine's hilt upon the small of her back. "He wasn't thinking, no doubt. He tends to react irrationally when I or our clan is involved..." Avira's lips press together. "I cannot say I'm surprised by this behavior, just disappointed." He didn't even need to go rushing off like that! What a waste! In spite of what Angantyr might have said about 'feeling nothing' afterwards, Avira thinks otherwise. "The only reason he had perpetuated the fight was because of his past. Archades harmed his family in their conquest of his city. Those wounds have never healed. Any that pursue him to make him stand for his crimes will..." She trails off, eyes widening with surprise. "Wait. So it was YOU he fought?" Avira shifts to the side awkwardly. "Well, it's been cleared up, so no harm done. The Rabanastre city guard is very...erm...relentless. Are you sure there is nothing I can do?"

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth listens to her. There was no real change in his posture, even when her nervous fidgets that he can mildly pick up; something he had grown use to when he wore the armor. When she goes through the 'history', it only brings a frown to him behind that helm. His thoughts echoing back for a moment as he closes his eyes, his hand clenching the hilt tightly for a moment, before he relaxes just as quick. Perhaps only the sound of the leather of his glove being compressed may be the only 'warning' Aviria would have gotten that she may have hit something regarding the Judge of Ambition. Gabranth then speaks up when she is done. "I fear not. His anger is his guide and his need for blood will not end until he avenges those who were lost. That is the nature that he has decided to follow and even if you were to plead to him, I doubt he would change his mind." The Judge Magister lowers his head for a moment, once more shifting his weight and listening to the ocean for a moment. His free hand flexing out a little, before it comes to a relax position once more. "Though if you do attempt to protect him from us, you may also be charged in aiding a criminal. Perhaps if he was to come in on his own accord, I may be able to see about shortening his time in prison, but that is the best I can do." The Judge Magister then rests his free hand on the belt along his hip before he studies her once more. "He is though, fortunate, to have someone who cares about his well being."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The creak of leather finally tears Avira's gaze away from the Judge Magister's helm, her brown eyes settling upon the hand gripping the hilt of the Highway Star. A stab of fear surges through her belly and, likewise, her right hand settles upon the Spine. Her thoughts race quickly-hand the mention of Angantyr being from an Archadia-conquered nation earned this man's ire? One could never be to sure what would earn the ire of a judge, after all. "I have, in the past, tried to persuade him to not act so...rashly when it comes to you and your countrymen." Persuading him from seeking revenge? No, not at all. Avira knows that's a battle she'll never win with him. "But you're right, I cannot change his mind...which is why I've come to you. Short of serving his sentence in his place, there must be /something/..." He falls silent and she watches him, still tensed, until he relaxes and Avira is mostly certain that he will not draw his sword upon her. "Unfortunately, I doubt Angantyr will ever willingly turn himself over to you." she says, swiftly avoiding the subject of trying to protect him. In a way she already was by giving Angantyr a place to stay in Traverse Town. "He will go down fighting and it will be messy." For the first time in this encounter, Gabranth's words manage to bring a small smile to Avira's face. "His own family has forsaken him for Archadia. Clan Dagda is all he has now. Regardless, it's unfortunate that things have turned out this way." Though, perhaps, inevitable that they did.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' "Unfortunate indeed." Gabranth simply remarks, before he moves his free hand out to the side as he states his next part. "But sadly, there is nothing you can do, ma'am, short of just helping us with this process of turning him in." Something he knew she would never do. "Also begging to take his stead would be foolish, as you would find yourself sentenced to death." The Judge Magister rumbles out with a heavy sigh emitted from the helm. "Is there anything further you wish to discuss or is this all?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Turning Angantyr in herself is NOT an option. Avira doesn't like the Empire all that much to begin with and was not terribly inclined to sell her friend out to them. "W..what? Death? But you said earlier that there was a prison sentence involved. Is he going to be put to death for his crimes if he is caught?" Avira seems downright terrified by this idea. That definitely took the option off the table-nothing would incense Angantyr to the highest level than dying at the hands of Archades. "Just a reassurance, Your Honor, that I will not be charged for the other bits of damage that happened when I fought Garland in the marketplace." she says with a bow of the head.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' "If he comes in himself, turning himself in, then I could work the charges from death to time in prison. Perhaps even shorten the length." Gabranth re-explains, perhaps he should have been more clear regarding just what danger it was when you attacked a Judge Magister; if not almost out right kill one yourself. "As for the destruction in the market, it was filed that such actions from you were in self-defense and thus no charges are placed against you, Avira." He says her name at last with some hint of soft reassurance behind those words. "You have not done anything wrong." The Judge Magister then lowers his hand off the hilt before he nods his head to her. "I am sorry that your friend's actions have placed himself and yourself in this situation, but all actions of consequences. Even we Judge Magisters are not excluded from such teachings of life." Though Gabranth tilts his head as a thought now comes to mind, "Though do humor me, ma'am. If you knew the Judge Magister who was responsible for Archades taking hold of your friend's home city, what actions would you take and would you be so willing to even speak with them?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A look of despair briefly touches on the scarred huntress's face. Angantyr would never turn himself in and would never resign himself to sitting in prison to avert his own death. "Oh, I understand." Indeed, this was the sort of thing she had hoped to avert, but there was no bargaining to be had here. The news of her lack of charges for the marketplace incident, thus, make her doubly angry. If Angantyr hadn't run off like a moron and just /waited/...! "That is good to hear." Catching her own name in there seems to put her further at ease. Solemly, she nods as he confirms that there was no escaping the fruit of Angantyr's action. "You aren't the one who must apologize for this mess, Angantyr is." His question to her brings obvious surprise to Avira's face. "If I knew who he or she was? I..." she hesitates, clearly thinking quite hard about this dilemma. Or whether or not she should respond to the question to begin with. "I'd likely help Angantyr act against them, if only to prevent him from going too far with his revenge. Angantyr would kill them, given the chance." she says, clearly very uneasily. "We are close, so I hope he would at least listen to me...as for the second question..." She shrugs, "I don't know. It depends on the type of person they are. I have heard...things about the Judge Magisters while living in Rabanastre, not all very flattering."

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' "People do not think highly of those who are 'hounds' of the Empire, as many would call us." Gabranth says calmly to her reply. "Though I suppose we are Hounds. We do as the Empire requires of us to do, but we do so also for the people. Though they may think some of us to be cruel tyrants, there are some of us who are also givers." The Judge Magister then turns away from Avira, "This means though when the Empire demands it, we also strike out by the call of his Majesty. Your friend is fortunate, which he forgets, that though his city was conquered by Archades, they were also given the chance to live. They could have found the fate of complete death." His head then lowers as there is a long pause. His blue eyes narrowing softly, almost becoming amber from his own memories, before they return blue once more. "But I suppose some countrymen would rather die then become a part of another nation." Then Gabranth starts to actually walk away from her before he pauses in his step, then turns to face her once more, "..and to further add to whom was the one that was sent to conquer that nation of your friend. Is the Judge Magister who breaths in front of you." Then The Judge Magister turns away once again. "Good Afternoon, Avira." Before he starts to walk away from her.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well, at least he's being reasonable about this, Avira considers. She could only imagine Angantyr going up against this even tempered man, poking and poking, until he himself got frustrated and attacked the Judge Magister. Sure, some of that anger against the Empire was warranted based on what happened, but in this incident the Clan had not been in any danger! She is silent, albiet growing a little nonplussed when Gabranth reflects that Angantyr is lucky that he wasn't annihilated when his city was conquered. "That was the case for many of his countryman, I understand. Death." Until his family switched loyalty. "Living as the people of a conquered nation is not a fate everyone can handle." Indeed, living in Rabanastre presented this first to Avira. She doesn't call out to him any further, now mentally berating herself for answering his odd question as she did. Avira snaps out of her thoughts, quite suddenly, when Gabranth admits that HE was the Judge Magister that conquered Angantyr's nation. "W..what?" she recoils, back slipping against the railing of the bridge. Suddenly that turned back made a tempting target. He wouldn't expect it if she-no! "It was YOU? No wonder...no wonder he wouldn't stop..." Avira looks away, remaining still as he leaves, "Farewell, Your Honor."

A Court of Bombs

2013-01-20T23:36:15Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/20 |Location=Fluorgis - Airship Port |Synopsis=Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb... |Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Priel Aylin..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/20
|Location=Fluorgis - Airship Port
|Synopsis=Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb...
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Priel Aylin, Tifa Lockhart, Shiki Misaki, Katyna, Angantyr Vespar, Mirage, Emi Dennou, Gesandte
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' Mist, missing persons, Heartless assaults. Fluorgis has had absolutely no peace during these recent times. Even with the timely intervention of the Shard Seekers and many others that had ridden to the rescue of the fire crystal-baring city, the unease of the whole drama had driven many people to their wits end. Quite recently, airships heading out of Fluorgis have been packed with people fleeing or planning to take long vacations. Delays were inevitable and there was even talk of altering the great airship timetable to accomodate the increased demand. Perhaps this outcome was inevitable. Early morning, the grand airship Cocoon was supposed to depart for Costa Del Sol. This being a super popular tourist destination, ever single seat and hold was packed to the gills with people. Only the airship hadn't left. Minutes after it was supposed to leave, travelers burst from the airship port, screaming in terror about a bomb on the airship. No, several bombs on the airship! All flights were halted and further entrance to the airship port was strictly forbidden. The Cocoon remains grounded, its great doors shut. Through the windows, terrified people peer outwards, unsure of their fate. Within the airship terminal themselves, the halls are abandoned and quiet. What few people that hadn't fled were cowering behind counters and chairs. From somewhere in the facility came the ominous smell of...something burning.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr has been staying around the city more as of late. Part of the reason is because... Cut back to a week ago, Angantyr running from a litteral army of Arcadian troops. Yeah...maybe picking that fight with Gabranth then and there wasn't the /smart/ thing to do. OH WELL! That smug <GOOSEHONK> judge had it coming. However, as it is now, with everything going on in this city, Angantyr has been making a /killing/ in the mercinary market lately. Litterally, every day something seemed to be happening, and he's been getting some good money from the marks, helping the city defenses, and all that jazz. The only draw back was... BOMBS! "Wait what?" he looks up, as people run from the ports screaming about bombs. "Well that's not good." Angantyr says, and starts fighting traffic, aiming to push TOWARDS the danger. "Freekin' Bomb cores! Those go for some GREAT money right now...and probably get paid for the marks too! That's like getting paid twice!"

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' And where there's burning, you know there has to be fiendish fire! Lamp oil? Rope? Bombs? You want it? Well, even if you don't, it's yours, my friend. Those dangerous dirigibles are here today, in all shapes and sizes. And as any adventurer knows, when you get Bombs in different sizes, that's a baaaad sign! Thing is, though, these Bombs seem to be a little more... organized than usual? And why could that be? Well, you've heard of octopus royalty, haven't you? Today, you're in the presence of explosive royalty! And an honor guard! One of the biggest and baddest Bombs here today is a metallic polyhedron, made of multiple triangular faces. Parts of his body are metal, others fire-yellow, with one eye staring out at the front. His mouth underneath looks stitched up, and on the 'top' of his head there's a crest, like... well, a knight. It's the Knight... of Bomb!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart just wanted to leave this city to get back home -.- There must be something about this city that attracts troubles. It wasn't the first time she came here, and here she was again to try to help out the TDA and Shard Seekers and VALKIRI whenever they needed a hand with something. Last time it was frogs. Turning everyone into frogs and having to kiss to cure them. She spent at least an hour in the shower to try to remove the smily feeling of having being turned into one as well. And then kissing them for cures. And now, airship's on fire. What else could go wrong, really? Probably lots of things, but one thing at a time, please! ~_~ "Why aren't went moving yet?" She smelled the fire... but that could just be the engines, right? Well, she still went to check, only to find... terrified people. "... it can never be something as simple as 'the pilot overslept', can it?" She sighs a bit. Well, let's see what's going on... Aaaand that's when people are screaming about bombs. She slides a hand through her hair, shaking her head, and then tightens her gloves. No way around it. When it comes to monsters... no talking your way out. Especially not bombs, which answers just about everything with 'boom'.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The news reaching the Shard Seekers have been inevitable. At the time of the panic, someone had gotten word out and told the Shard Seekers and the other adventurers of the impending danger. The leader of the Shard Seekers, Reize, was ready to respond. Although his time as a frog was an enlightneing experience, he knows that he the city needs their help. Reize is running towards the path of the ship. However, the Cacoon is grounded and the doors are shut. Reize can see the alls are abandoned and quiet. "This is gettin ridiculous?!" Reize snaps out. And then, he sniffs the air. "...Uhh..." He sucks in a breath, withdrawing both of his boomerangs. His eyes drift over towards Tifa and Angantyr, "Ooooii! Tifa! --uhh.. guy in dark armor!" 

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Well the Giant was now in the city, having heard far and wide about bad things that had been going on in the city. So for a few days he used his magical moving powers to get here in untraditional ways.. ok he ran, but he's good at that and can get across large areas quickly if need be, but as to why he ran such a great distance well thats clearely his own secret. He was out enjoying the day, trying to learn about the city and the troubles it had been having, and perhaps what it may have or any other such fun things. But then he gets distracted by screaming and other such things from people running from the ship area, he began heading his way there to find out what was going on. Luckily for him the surge and crowd of people wasn't that bad he could easily over step them to get closer to danger zone. But upon seeing that large ship, he was amazed perhaps because he just was, but hearing that people are strill trapped inside along with bombs, make him remember why he was coming over here in the first place to rescue those people and if need be, offer up prayers for their souls as they move on to the next life.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' At this time, Priel was arriving at the city of Fluorgis herself, wings flapping as she sailed through the skies. It didn't take her any time at all to notice the commotion going on at the airship port below. "Oh? Now that's curious. I wonder why the port's on fire? They must be having one hell of a party down there~" Of course that was not true at all. At least, judging from the flow of panicking people rushing back into the city. She only grinned in amusement at the situation below, looking to be totally uncaring of the people's plight. But nevertheless, maybe a front row seat would prove to be...entertaining. "Let's have ourselves a little look then~" That said, Priel lurched downwards, cutting through the air as she aimed to land nearby. Her wings retracted into her back once they were no longer needed. "Wow. It's even more impressive up close." She mumbled to herself, smiling gleefully at the smell of smoke and fire. Her eyes eventually spot Tifa, Reize, and Angantyr and she casually turned, making her way over with her arms crossed. "Well! I see you guys are still doing a /wonderful/ job of keeping this city safe! How does it feel, being big heroes~?" Of course, that snide comment was directed mostly at Reize. Never mind the fact that she was also a part of that group of 'big damn heroes'. ...Even if she was never there when it counted.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Shut up, Priel!" Reize snaps towards her, already seething. And she hasn't been around during the mess. What's next, her roasting marshmellows on him when he is on fire?! 

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Angantyr." The dark Knight helps Reize, and looks towards Priel, "It looks like I am going to get paid, and collect the bomb cores for extra money. So, if you kindly stand asside and let the real mercinaries do their job, little lady. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "You oughtta try it yourself some time! Maybe you'd be surprised!" Shiki is of course there by Reize's side, although she's still kind of sore from the incident with the mirrors. Also, she's not going to mock Gilgamesh ever, ever again. Someone has to watch the kid's back when Priel's around, though, and so long as she has someone to watch HER back when Priel's around, she can do that. And if she can't, Mr. Mew can! "Now would be a great time to start..."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna had lingered in Fluorgis a little while longer after recovering from her wounds back in Shard Seekers HQ. She had to leave sooner or later however, and so she'd headed to the nearby airship station..However, she wasn't really expecting..Mass panic! People running around like crazy, and a bomb on the ship! Well darnit, she'll never get home at this rate, but maybe with some luck she'll find some munny if she beats those bombs. "Alright!" She grins as she moves towards the airship..Then shrinks back a bit as she spies Angantyr nearby..Erk...This is gonna get akward..Better keep a low profile. Good thing she's not here as Ember. Reize is also spotted amid the chaos and she smiles a little, relaxing. Maybe it wont be a total waste.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Priel just shrugged at Angantyr's comment. "Oh yes, by all means, go charging in! Saves everyone else the trouble of being blown up." Her reply was accompanied by a wry smile. If she was supposed to be insulted, then it didn't work. At all. In fact, she only looked entertained really. Priel then glanced towards Shiki, eyes narrowing and her smile widening into a grin. "Ah? But being a 'hero' sounds like such a waste of effort. It's not profitable at all, you know~?" A clawed finger is brought to her lips as she made a point of looking Shiki up and down. "Mhmhmhm, well it's good that you're keeping in shape. I'd hate to lose my food so soon, you know?" And then she laughs, eyes flashing dangerously. "But then, if you do plan on charging in with Mr. Idiot Hero here, I guess I can look forward to some grilled meat after all! Ahahahaha~!"

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Oh, Ivo's totally on the level, you said!" Shiki grumps at Reize. "Let's give him and Priel a chance, you said!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' What is Reize's response to the words being thrown back at him? Reize's response: T_T

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart pats Reize's head c.c; "Don't be too hard to Reize Shiki, you know he's doing his best.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Like I told you. If she's a threat, I can take care of her. Lightweights like here won't cost you much." Angantyr says.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges spots Reize and moves towards him, shacking the ground as he comes, not really knowing the rest of the people around him, "Mr. Reize, so good to see you again and safe, for the most part." he comes up behind the man and stops, looking over the other individuals there, also noting Miss Tifa is there as well. Well, he wasn't about to question things, stuff just happens as it does. but he goes back to scaning around, ensureing things are atleast being evacuated and done right.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Weeeeeeell, in any case..." Priel intones lightly, ignoring the discussion from this point on. "...I guess this would be the point where moronic heroes and genius mercenaries frothing at the mouth for a bit of coin go running headfirst into the fray, yes?" She then waved her hands ahead of herself, making shooing motions to the others. "Go on then! Save this city! Save the world! Save the universe~! Ahahahaha!" The way she said that implied that no, she was not going in there herself. Par for the course with Priel really.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' The interior of the port does seem "empty" at first. But once the heroes enter, shortly after smelling that firey smell... ...bombs just come floating out of the woodwork! Cackling and giggling as they pop up from behind chairs and poke their way out of luggage. They're all rather tiny, but they're still bombs, which were notorious for one certain attack, whispered about amongst adventurers and hunters alike. Self destruct. Even though they may be tiny, if enough of these got together and exploded, the results could be catastrophic for the airship port. Let's not think about what may happen to the poor people hiding and cowering from the monsters. "HAVE YOU FOUND HIM YET?" A loud voice bombs from across the hall. It is a voice that the Knight of Bombs would know all too well. From dock one's terminal to the airship departing platforms floats out the largest bomb ever encountered in person. He is magnificent in stature with striking red and orange 'plumage' (that's really just FIRE, let's face it) and floating around his head like a halo is a spectacular crown of green and blue flames. "WHERE IS THAT COWARDLY AIRSHIP CAPTAIN? 'FELL' INTO AN ESCAPE POD MY RIGHT ANTENNA! THIS DELAY IS LARGELY UNACCEPTABLE! I SHOULD BE IN COSTA DEL SOL RIGHT NOW, SOAKING UP RAYS OF THE GLORIOUS UNCONQUERABLE SUN!" The King Bomb spins around in anger. "YOU THERE! YOU PEASANTS! BE THERE AN AIRSHIP CAPTAIN AMONGST YOU? ANSWER NOW OR FACE MY CONFLAGURATORY WRATH!" BATTLE MASTERY CONDITIONS: Kill King Bomb. King Bomb self-destructs at under 20% HP!

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Shiki digs her hands into her pockets and stomps off in the direction of the trouble. Rassen frassen stupid Priel. The Knight of Bomb is a-searchin'! He's only got one eye, your majesty, go easy on him! "MINE APOLOGIES YOUR MAJESTY!" shouts the Knight, because all Bombs are very loud, don't you know. "I'VE TRIED TO ASK SOME HUMANS FOR GREN-AID, BUT THEY ARE RUNNING AND SCREAMING! I WILL TRY TO SMOKE HIM OUT?!" Sadly, this one doesn't have arms, or even a crank. That crest looks valuable, though, if you're so inclined. Unfortunately, getting it might be difficult! The Knight of Bomb is going to try and breeze (or is that blast?) past the defenders so that it can rise into the sky, and set all of Fluorgis on fire!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr walks into the deck of the ship, for his large size, large armor, and MASSIVE weapon, he's fairly fast on his feet. The giant man finally looks up, spotting the Bomb King... "An intelligent Bomb? ...Seriously? Whoever made these things seriously...very seriously, needs help." Angantyr mutters, The massive mace comes to bare, as he throws off the desert cloak so that he can fight unrestricted. The mace being held with a single hand...a mace as large as most people, held in one hand. "Hey! Someone get on that other Bomb. I'll take care of this one!" he says, and starts to approach the king... Approach is the wrong word, run RIGHT at is a better word. His hand reaches out as he rushes, as darkness flies from his palm, aiming to try and grip the Bomb king, aiming to drag it down to the ground, while at the same time coating it with dark flame. The dark flames burn when he strikes, adding insult to injury...before... Angantyr swings the mace down, aiming to tear away whatever defenses he has, repeatedly swinging the massive weapon into the monster. "Uh yeah, I know a airship captain. His name is PAIN. Let me introduce you."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Oh wow, Lily can fly!" Reize cannot help but see the young girl take flight, even if she is completely angry. As the tiny bombs manifest out of every single corner, Reizes body tenses. "What?!" The boy turns his head over, looking out to see every single bomb about. He is ready to deal with them all. However, things grow worse as the biggest bomb emerges into their sight. And then the one-eyed bomb. A frown is given, then he runs towards the King, glancing back to the group, "Guys! I'll join Angantyr with the king! Guys keep the knight off!" Maybe he can talk to the king. "Oooi! Your highness! I am afraid that we will have to ask you to lea----..." And Angantyr begins the charge. Welp. Reize shifts into his fighting stance, already moving into the charge with the launching of his hookshot. Should the hookshot make contact, Reize is going to coil closer to the Bomb King with a flying kick from the other side of Anantyr. Oh, and something is flying from Reize's bag of tricks to the bomb's eyes. 

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna sweatdrops as the bombs start talking, asking about an airship captain. "Wuht? they can talk?" She grins, "Cool! But..Sorry, I cant fly a ship. Of course I'd love to give it a try..After I kick yer butt!" And with that, Kat charges towards the other group of bombs on the other side, swinging her flaming sword at them with a war cry. "Yaaah!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Honestly... talking frogs and not bombs. Why ist here so many talking monsters around recently? She might prefer the heartless at this rate, at least they don't try to be witty with her ~_~ She turns toward the clumb of smaller bombs "Leave those to me, take care of the big one." She can handle the small fry. Better take out the bigger one before it explodes. That would be very messy. She charges up, first raised, bringing it down on the smaller bombs, sending them flying into each other before they can explode on her. If she can wipe many of them at the same time, would probably be helpful.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Priel poked her head in, watching the others. She still wasn't going to help, but then, something glinting in the light caught her attention. It was coming from that other talking bomb! And it looked valuable. "Ohoooo~" Welp, it looked like she found something worth fighting for. Without further ado, she stepped in fully, a red blade manifesting into her hand. "I see something valuable~" She spoke in a singsong tone, casually taking several steps before charging at the knight. She girl leapt into the air after, aiming an uppercut slash at it, followed by a downwards strike that released a flaming projectile. She followed it up by thrusting her other hand outwards. A red aura surrounded the knightly bomb, attempting to cause some sort of debilitating effect.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Well Ges is as giant as well, and just as fast. upon seeing the bomb knight moving he targets him and charges him, "I am afraid I cannot allow you to leave this area if you intend ill will against the people of this city, for doing suuch would be a sin." he jumps straight at the Bomb Knight, his left feet shooting out and the same time his left fist arches out and begins energizing the air flowing around it wiggling as it charges up. His attack goes through, and surely he's already thinking of a great speech to deliver to the monster as soon as he has time from this attack to do such. One that will surely make the monster rethink it's evil plans and beg forgivness of its sins.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Oooiii! Lily! Use ice magic!" Reize calls out towards his resident blazingly angry magic-user. 

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' A flaming sword plus a Bomb?! Are you sure that's such a good idea?! Thankfully, it works for now! Katyna and Tifa take their swings at the smaller Bombs, scattering them around the airport where they bounce into one another, popping and going off like fireworks. The Knight of Bomb takes a surprised look at his comrades exploding so suddenly-- And Gesandte and Priel launch themselves at him! The former throws his foot and fist right in the Knight's face, and the latter drives it down onto the ground with a clang. The Knight bounces away! "SHELL I NEVER! WHAT A RUDE BUNCH!" it shouts, wobbling back upwards as smaller Bombs cluster around it. "IF YOU THINK YOU'RE ALL SUCH HOT STUFF, WHY NOT LOOK THE PART?" Cannon ports begin to pop out of the mechanical hide of the Knight in all directions, launching mortars and explosives, which go randomly in arcs, straight, and even roll around on the ground! Various unpleasant effects could result from this, from a terrible burning sensation to being shocked by brain-bursting noise, or just being blown across the room! Meanwhile, Shiki has got Reize and Lily's back. "Ice, huh? Well, I can help with that. Reize, if you would?" she asks, holding up her Player Pin. Once that's done, she's got her Frostbite pin to start putting the chill on these Bombs and their King so that Mr. Mew can wallop 'em!

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna grins and nods. "Of course! Fight fire with fire! What better way than that?" They aren't normal bombs at any rate. Even so, she'd better be careful. Flaming swords arent unique, but she still doesn't want Angan to suspect too much. The bombs explode in her face and she darts back, getting hurled and bruised a bit by their attack. "Ow..Guess i'm no immune to fire, but.." Gritting her teeth she launches forward, attempting to siphon some energy out of them. "Take this!" Another might swing or two of her flaming sword as tendrils of dark energy shoot out from the blade, attempting to draw energy from the bombs.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "YES SMOKE HIM OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! THIS DELAY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, MY KNIGHT!" The King calls out to his faithful Knight. "PEASANT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING PEASANT." The King booms as Angantyr approaches him. Sure, Angantyr isn't really a peasant but the King hardly knows any better. He couldn't tell one human between the other anyway, those blasted hairless monkeys all looked the same to him. "YOU KNOW ONE? THAT IS FANTASTIC WHAT IS IS-" The mace tears THROUGH the monster, its skin stirring and bubbling as if the weapon had passed through a cloth woven of fire itself. "WHO IS THIS PAIN YOU SPEAK OF?" There is a pause, "OH THAT WAS A REFERENCE TO THE PAIN YOU INFLICTED UPON ME! QUITE CLEVER, HUMAN, BUT I AM NOT FOOLED BY YOUR WORDPLAY! YOU HAVE NO ACCESS TO AN AIRSHIP CAPTAIN, DO YOU?! I WILL UNLEASH MY DISPLEASURE UPON YOU NOW!" Reize hookshots the bomb...and thus goes clear through him. Believe it or not, the bomb is actually quite solid and feels like a rock when colided with. How such a thing manages to actually float is a mystery of the ages. Something flies out of Reize's bag of tricks at the King Bomb's face! It's... ...a giant pair of sunglasses that seem to fit perfectly on the monster's face. Deal with it. "THIS IS A FANTASTIC TRIBUTE, YOUNG PAUPER, FOR MY UPCOMING VACATION! IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT MY EYESIGHT FROM HARMFUL UV RAYS." Suddenly...the bomb's worst nightmare. ICE MAGIC. "EGADS! MY KNIGHT, SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SNUFF MY FIRE! AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT MOST FOUL! I CANNOT STAND FOR THIS! MY SUBJECTS!" All the little bombs that had been bouncing around and cackling suddenly turn and look inward all at once. Silence hangs in the air as they await orders from their king. "ATTACK!!!!" All the lesser bombs HURL themselves at those that have dared to raise their hand against the mighty King Bomb!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart blinks as the ice rains from above. Well its good to know there's someone watching over them right now, ballistic weaponry against bombs is always a good idea. ... In fact, what is she doing punching those things? o_O Oh well, she doesn't have any alternate ways to attack either way, she doesn't have the materias for magic attacks. "I rather not be hot stuff, but we can be cool as can be." She jumps up, reaching for the first bomb she can grab and tossing it into the rest like a bowling alley. Its always fun to shoot monsters with their own kin. The commotion it creates is a good distraction. ... No, she's not that sadistics, but small pleasures when you're fighting monsters that want to eat you alive T_T

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' SUDDENLY...BACKUP? Emi and Imi are too Toaded out to lend a hand to another fight. What's next? Enemies that turn them into bombs? Yeah they're taking a breather for today. However, Emi still wants money from jobs and as such has sent Shida and Umi along to lend a hand to this particular trouble. They weren't especially close, hench the delay, and also why Shida is out of breath by hte time they actually make it there. Umi is never out of breath, however, so she keeps on running forward. "ARRR Y'WANNA CAPTAIN? THEN FACE CAPTAIN UMI! CAPTAIN OF THE S A S S WHUPPASS!" She shakes her fists into the air. "A--ahh Umi, be careful, they're bombs. Bombs explode, Shida of the Network reminds." Shida laughs nervously maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. "I know bombs explode! But.... cool people don't look at explosions." She pauses, thinking this over as she lowers her rifle. "Mm...but...Mm...Hmm. Maybe I can wait until they explode, and then...then turn around?" She taps her foot with a bit of frustration and then says, "aw screw it!" She drops down in a crouch and aims up her rifle, intending to pop down the smaller bombs with her super secret 'gun' technique as Shida sends small electric sparks that don't hurt them persay, but may help them be finished off before they explode by people with more firepower. MAYBE. "I wonder if I can say hello to Lily later...Shida of the Network wonders aloud..." Maybe that'll be dependent on if the airport explodes.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr hated bombs. He loved their loot, but he /ABSOLUTELY HATED/ Bombs. Explosions consume the area the Dark Knight was at, and for a moment only smoke rises from the spot he was at, before a mace tears through the Bombs all around him, aiming to try and either hit or drive them back. The armor was already smoking, shattered in places and bleeding in others. Angantyr looks pretty worn, but he advances. He dives right back towards the bomb king, mace held high as he tries to drag the mace through it, trying to try and grip it with the very wicked looking spikes, before trying to SLAM it right into the ground, viciously. Then, without warning, he swings the mace down again a trail of darkness wafting off the mace as he litterally tries to smash the head of the Bomb king in. "YEAH OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT! SCREW IT! DIE DIE DIE DIE!"

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The Giant makes his attack, showing that bomb one for! He does a kind of akward flip around and lands on his feet. But apperntly not fast enough to defend against the bombs attack and takes some blastys to the chest and face, while not hurting him much he coughs and doesn't feel so hot anymore oh great indeed. He drops to one knee, coughing and looks up at the knight, ugg. He reaches up for the book and opens it. "Thou shalt not bring harm and destruction amongst those that seek no ill against you. You are to leave those that wish no violence against you alone and fight only those that wish to fight, those that wish to bring violence shall thou fight against." The bomb may have sickened him, but he is still more then capable of preaching at him. Perhaps if he is truly sentient, he will refrain from his actions and leave the city be.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize cannot help but toss a grin at Shiki as she comes for the assist. The Bomb King has a pair of sunglasses. Reize looks at his bag of tricks for just one moment, and then he scratches his head, "... So /that/ is where it was." He frowns. Ah well, they did not serve him well when he was at the Mythril Mines. The boy does, however, squint. "Wait... so you're just trying to take a vacation?" And then, all of the bombs come. As all of the lesser bombs are hurling towards the boy....? *KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!**** The explosion of the lesser bombs leave Reize stumbling in pain. He lands against a railing, falling pretty hard. "Nngghghhh.." Ow. Ow. Ow. However, Lily's magic of the wind and the water flow around him, giving him that refreshing an focused look. A glance is given towards Lily, "Thanks!" However, he grips onto his boomerangs, stepping into an aggressive stance, and then he begins the charge. As he springs forth, he launches out a swing of the boomerangs at the Bomb King from the back, striking out with a foot before he spins around for a hook kick. Then, he springs off of the ground, releasing multiple spinnning kicks at the King. "Sparrondo!!!"

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' The bomb's response her attack is met with a swift leap to the side followed by a hand thrust out, aiming several fireballs at it. "Nice try~" She says, mocking the knightly bomb in a singsong tone yet again. It was like this was a game to her. Landing back to the ground, there was a ringing sound as phone clearly went off. "Hm?" Apparently it was coming from Priel, she took it out of her pack, casually answering it right there, as if there wasn't all this trouble happening. "Yeah? ...Wait, what? Are you sure? Seriously?" Her grin widened at whatever was being said on the other side. "Inteeeeeeeeeresting. Alright then, leave it to me! I'll be there before you can blink!" With that, the phone was flipped shut and she tucked it away. The others, who were struggling valiantly against the bombs threatening to destroy the city. "Sorry guys, but something more...profitable just came up! Bye~" And with the flutter of her hand, she simply turned tail. Literally. And walked out. Truly an inspiring example of heroism and bravery.

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Keep it cool, boy, real cool. Got a rocket in your pocket? Keep cooly cool, boy. Shiki, all of a sudden, feels like she's sipping from the iced latte of sheer hipsterness, you could just put a scarf on her and call her fashionable. Things are exploding left, right and centre, but she's cool, dancing through life. In fact, she's practically waltzing, tiptoeing light as a dancer through the explosions, everything feeling like it's moving in slow motion. So whimsical. So serene. So very, very determined to destroy anything that would hurt Reize. Shiki whips a binding cord around, summoning ribbons and thread to surround the King of Bombs, with a needle-sharp lance in her hand. She combines that lunging charge with a massive ice spear, rushing at the King! As for the Knight... and his Bombs... there's plenty of them, which is good, because the heroes seem to be targetting them instead of him. It's mayhem out there, and there's so many bombs that no matter how much care and precision the Network girls use, they can't seem to draw a bead on them, their shots bouncing here and there off terrain features. Getting up close and personal works much better, as Katyna and Tifa slash and punch the smaller ones, and Gestande... denounces the Knight? He harrumphs! "I FIGHT FOR MY KING, STRANGER! A KNIGHT WILL NOT WITHDRAW, SO COWER OR YOU'LL BE POTATO MASHED!" Priel probably got away at the best time. See, when there's a lot of Bombs around, well, sometimes something unfortunate tends to happen if one of them explodes, say, from being hit too hard by someone's fist or sword. Bombs explode, and if a dying Bomb hits another dying Bomb, it might hit another, and another, and if there happens to be a lot of fire being spread around as it is by an angry Knight spewing flames from its crest, as the Knight of Bomb is doing, well, it's called a... Chain Reaction. The airport may well be engulfed in a sea of flames before long...

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' "Ooh!" Kat tumbles back as the bombs explode into each other, spewing flames everywhere and blasting her into a nearby wall. Ugh. She's really wishing she'd saved some of Maira's potion about now. She could really use it. Twitching slightly from the scathing burns and bruises that cover her body, Kat just grins, climbing shakily to her feet. "Heh, it'll take a bit more than that to do me in!" She launches herself at the heartless again, attempting to drain more energy from it as dark tendrils extend from her flaming sword with each slash.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Potato mash? Tifa feels hungry suddenly :/ But no time for that right now, not with the looming danger of exploding bombs that could turn them into crispy treats instead. The flames that were sent her way were dangerous, but a quick reflex had her grab the nearest bomb to use as a shield... Which sounds like a terrible idea at first, but as soon as the bomb was set on fire, she kicked it back at the offending flamethrowers, the explosion pushing the flames back and shielding her. Quite lucky, really! If she was Xanatos, she'd sai 'all according to plan', but really she hadn't planned that far either. Honest! What she did plan on though was the charge up of her chi through her hand, her right fist glowing as it readies up. But that's desert, first she opens with a kick, sending a bomb flying upward. She jumps up to it before it can regain control of its flight, and punches it with the glowing fist. A delayed attack there, as her left hand grabs the bomb and tosses back down, aiming for a clump of them, crashing down into the ground with her Meteor Strike attack. And as it touches down, the released energy from her Final Heaven detonates, spreading to all of the nearby bombs into a chain reaction. While she's staying quite a bit away, safely out of range of the explosions. Or so she hopes. She's not good at that Xanatos Gambit either way.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "YOUR LOSS IS NOT IN VAIN, MY SUBJECTS! YOU WILL LIVE ON IN MY MEMORIES!" The King Bomb sheds a single blue fire tear from behind his awesome shades. A big blue fire tear of manliness. At least as manly as one who throws babies can really get! His sorrow turns to shock as Angantyr advances on him, smoking and furious. "WHAT! HOW CAN YOU STILL BE STANDING! IMPOSSIBLE!" The mace swings downward and, while it passes through the crown of fire undeterred, the mace slaps down onto the rocky shell of the King Bomb. There is a loud, unpleasant cracking noise and through the meteor-like shell, Angantyr can see the oozing of what looks like magma. Or, technically, lava now that it's escaping the bomb's crust. The King Bomb howls in dismay and floats backwards to escape the reach of Angantyr and his terrifying hungry mace. "IT'S A FUNNY THING! I WAS COMPELLED, YOU SEE, TO COME AND SET THIS PLACE ABLAZE! BUT UPON HEARING THAT THIS AIRSHIP WAS BOUND FOR COSTA DEL SOL, I HAD ALTERED MY PLANS FOR I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE BEACH MYSELF! HOWEVER APPARENTLY BOMBS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON AIRSHIPS!" A huff of anger and gas-smelling breath escapes the king. "FOR THIS BLATANT RACISM, YOU SHALL ALL PAY! I WILL BURN THIS MISERABLE PLACE TO THE GROUND!!!" With each kick that Reize executes, the monster spins around, sending sparks and chips flying everywhere. Fortunately, none are large enough to start even more fires. The spinning stops, suddenly, as an ice spear slams up beneath the king and he actually ceases floating for a moment, dropping to the ground. Rather than resume floating, he roals backwards, trying to put space between himself and these fierce and brutal warriors! His rolling is halted for a few seconds by a giant shattering iceberg that earns a wail of pain from the Bomb Royalty. Small bursts of flames are exhaled from its mouth as he tries to keep the attackers at a distance! The bomb also seems slightly larger. Angantyr, due to his experience with fighting bombs as marks would know that this means its approximately half dead. As a bomb nears death, it grows larger and larger and, if not put down fast enough, it will self destruct!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr does not brace himself against the flames. Angantyr's defense, is SWINGING HARDER! Litterally, Angantyr does not EAT NACHOS! Somewhere, in time, Angantyr is eating a plate of nachos. POSSIBLY WITH AVIRA. Wait what just happened? Oh wait, that was probably blood loss from the earlier explosion. "Wait racism? Seriously? You're a monster. Your soul PURPOSE is to get big and explode!" he looks just...absolutely flaborgasted that he heard this! And then he is covered in flame. Angantyr swings the mace again, aiming to smack the Bomb back to the ground before he decides that he has had enough of this /bull<GOOSEHONK>/. Darkness tears out of his body, like liquid shadow, and wraps around his body. Armor takes shape around him, encapsulating his body completely. Dark chain, with whips of shadow rising off of it like a heat haze form completely around the dark knight, before the helmet snaps on. A crimson glow is the only thing visible behind the visor, where presumably his eyes are as he considers the bomb. "Well, I can't be racist against a race about to /not exist/," the distorted dark voice says.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Through the denouncing and preaching to the Bomb Knight, Ges doesn't move as the attack from the knigh engulfs him. He seems more energetic then anything, as he folds the book and lets it drop back to his chest then looks up at the Knight with his grin. "You have proven, to be quite a fighter, but it takes more then that to drop a messenger of the gods. I have been sent to stop you, and ensure the peacefullness of this city." He takes a deep breath, then growls out at the sky. His whole body shimmering and shaking, then he bolts for the Knight, his right hand coming up and it begins to explode out with a holy light air traveling behind it cinging the air, rippling and swirling around it as the fist flies along with its owner, "But thy time is ended, for thou has come before thy messenger, for now thou shalt FEEL THE GIGAS FIST!" and he lunges straight for the knight with all his righteous fury.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' BOOM. FIRE! KABLOOIES! Umi being up front tends to take the brunt of the fire. She is flung back and crashes against the ground somewhere behind Shida. She has to roll against the ground in an attempt to snuff out the flames around her, electricity crackling around her body in an attempt to snuff out the oxygen around the flame via ionization. Shida looks over her shoulder at Umi and observes this process. She bites at her lip. Hmm... Could it be? Could she... try something like that? She turns towards the bombs and hrms to herself, considering. "Ah!" She says. punching her fist into her palm. "Maybe...we can try something like that! Be careful everyone, Shida of the Network warns!" She jogs forward, leaving Umi to be in horrible pain as electricity crackles across her body. She fans out her hands and sends electricity crackling all around the bombs! But the purpose isn't really to strike them directly, though this does happen, so much as it's intending to ionize the oxygen around them, give them less to work with so that if they DO explode they'll have less materials with which t o spread their flames. They're not sure if Bomb fire works the same as fire fire, but it's worth a shot.

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Oh, spare me," Shiki snaps. This is bad, she thinks, trying to block out the sound of her friends and allies screaming. Mr. Mew is slightly less composed, and runs around in a panic, covering his ears, with his tail on fire. Thankfully, he's doused in slush by Lily. She takes a breath, popping open a glass bottle from her tote bag to swig a Hi-Ether. It helps her! It makes her full of ideas. Gotta have imagination to execute those funky pin attacks. Like this one! Another pin. Shiki swings both of her arms way way up, generating a pair of piercing pillars to pin the powerful projectile, and then once each of them rise up they'll pin him in an X formation! As shrapnel, Bombs and more go raining and flying through the air, Tifa is more than happy to add to the aerial mayhem. She knocks a Puroboros into the sky, pummeling it on the way up and down to add to the chain reaction and kill off as many Bombs as possible. Meanwhile, Gestande punches the Knight of Bomb in the face. I mean he REALLY punches him in the face. That's some punch! Stitches and metal triangles fly everywhere and the Knight's entire body distorts like a beach ball. It bounces and skitters across the floor, its crest wobbling and almost broken off. "HARRUMPH... A KNIGHT'S HONOR WILL NOT BE TARNISHED, EVEN IF HE HAS TO GO OUT WITH A BANG!" All of the remaining panels on the Knight of Bomb's body open, and nasty orange spikes begin to bristle all over its body! It begins to glow and swell--! And then Shida comes in with a last second save! Killing the oxygen around the Knight and the remaining Bombs, it makes an unpleasant BLAT sound and rather than a horrible flesh-searing explosion, it simply bursts like a water balloon! And that delightful Knight's Crest goes to Shida.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "W--wait! Your majesty!" Reize calls out as he lands on the groud. The small burst of flames exhale from the Bomb King. When the plumes spray towards the boy, Reize is springing up into the air. And then, his yes drift over to see that the Bomb Royalty is growing bigger. His eyes widen completely as it is going to explode. "WAIT! YOUR MAJESTY! YOU CAN'T WE CAN---" There is no talking now. No. This guy is approaching the all or nothing point. Not quite yet.... but he can at least try to reason with the king. "Your highness! We can try to talk this over!" Not good! Not good! "....EVERYONE! THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BLOW IF WE DO NOT STOP HIM!" He shifts his haed to the monster, then he sucks in a breath. He takes out a couple of things from his bag of tricks. Oh, lei! Reize tosses that from the bag over to the king! And of course, Reize has a lasso in hand. He winds it over his head to wrap around the King. "YOUR MAJESTY!" The boy calls out, "If you can calm down, we can escort you to Costa Del Sol ourselves! With refreshments! ...Anything!" Just don't blow up!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' A knight's crest flies into Shida's face and she falls over. KNIGHT CREST: GET! She plucks the crest off her face and looks at it for a few moments. Four more of these, and she could become a true knight! That's right Shida, you can be a knight if you collect five of these things! And to help get you started, here's some knight's vows we'd like you to memorize! 1)Always help a person in need! 2) Let's all work together for a peaceful world! Shida nods to herself. So far these seem pretty good and--and wait, while she was distracted somehow the vows got to #32?!?!?! 32) Cross even a stone bridge after you've tested it. 49) Sharpen your mind just as you would sharpen your sword! Wait a minute, Shida thinks. She looks back. Wasn't there a vow that said...ahh there it is! 19) Not all right choices are the smart one. 20) Sometimes, the right choice is what hurts you the most. Shida rubs at her forehead. Ughh this is getting complicated. 43) Never forget the basics. 47) Mistrust breeds nothing good. 50) One bad egg can spoil the batch. Shida looks down at the crest in her hands. Maybe... Maybe she should just give this to Reize.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' "THIS RACISM FROM YOU IS LIMITLESS, DARK KNIGHT! AS LIMITLESS AS THE DARKNESS I SEE IN YOUR SOUL!" The King Bomb suddenly tilts his head downwards so he can peer over his sunglasses with slitted eyes, "WHY IS IT THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU FIGHTS FOR THIS DOOMED CITY?" The King Bomb vibrates in anger, "I DO NOT UNDERSTAAAAAAND!" Alas his MIGHTY KNIGHT has fallen in battle, "MY CHAMPION! OH I MOURN YOU SO, ESPECIALLY TO DIE SUCH AN IGNOBLE AND NON-EXPLOSIVE DEATH!" Lily and Shiki's ice magic slam into it, tossing the bomb upwards, though this time he does not fall back to the ground, and chooses to hover. Now the bomb has grown to over twice his size, surely he will explode soon! "YOUNG PAUPER-" Reize lassos the growing bomb, "IT IS TOO LATE! THE GRIEF IN MY HEART IS OVERWHELMING ME! I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF ANY LONGER..." His size increases even further! The heat coming off of the monster starts to melt things in its immediate vinicity. SURELY THIS IS IT! SURELY THE AIRSHIP PORT WILL BE LEVELED!!! His mouth opens and... Great big bomb tears of blue fire come from his eyes, the King moved to tears by the sacrifice of his people today. "FAREWELL MY COUNTRYMEN! I SHALL BE JOINING YOU TOO IN THE GREAT SHRAPNEL HEAP ON THE GLORIUS SUN!" He hasn't exploded....yet.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart helped finish off the bomb knight... that's when she notices the king. O_O How big can that thing become anyway? "Why do you need an airship when you could just float over there, and this big you could have just taken all of the smaller bombs with you too!" Silly monsters ~_~ Well, a bit too late for that now... let's see what punching and kicking will do to it before it explodes :/

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "YOU'RE NOT EXPLODED YET!" Angantyr shouts, as he brings his mace down, and grins... The darkness that wraps around him also seems to grin, in a melevolant light as he takes a massive step towards the beast... "You want to see just how deep the darkness goes, monster?" he continues to advance, before... The shadow armor changes again...something...feral and beast long swims beneath the surface. It is horrible to look directly upon. Pure entropy is released all around the dark knight, dark flames burning where he once stood... Before the mace swings, aiming to try and shatter the face of the bomb, before again and again, it swings, and swings. The mace is held upwards, attempting to suck the life out of the bomb, draining it into the Dark Knight, using it to not only fuel his attack, but to heal his own injuries. Then the mace dives forward, in one massive swing, aiming to litterally impale the bomb. "Pop goes the bomb." he mutters, aiming to drive that pure entropy into the bomb, aiming to consume it from the inside out in one fell swoop...aiming to consume the monster from the inside out.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges is a bit worn out from that massive blow, plus all the damage from that thing. Other then that large king bomb most of it seems to be taken care of. He turns to face the others and then sits down, crosses his legs and just goes into a peacefull siting mood, breathing and meditating to help him get back some energy and power incase it's needed, ya never know those heroes up there might to a good job and win the day, yay!

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Well, nothing for it," Shiki says. "...if this doesn't work, then thanks, guys," she says to Reize and Lily. "For everything." The white fusion pin gleams... And Shiki's eyes shine just as brightly. Mr. Mew joins by her side, and she synchronises her spirit with the young knight, aligning their spirit and imaginations as one... Cue the gigantic plush cat. Mr Mew, jumbo sized! The mighty cat aims to do nothing less than smash this gigantic Bomb out into the bare deserts surrounding Fluorgis! MAYBE IF WE'RE LUCKY, IT'LL HIT THE WILD SAURIAN.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' This is time to end it. ...Reize knows that the fight is going to get messy from here. Reize is looking towards Shiki, "Oooiiii! Shiki! Let's do this!" It's time for a Fusion Attack. The boy springs over towards Shiki's path, already moving on to join with the Player. As Shiki activates the Fusion Pin.... Reize is leaping onto Mr. Mew. "Gooooooooo!!!" And as the Fusion Attack activates, Reize is riding on Mr. Mew. ...Until he disappears. The boy comes from one side with a boomerang strike rfom behind. This is in conjunction of Angantyr's first mace strike. Then, the boy starts to disappear once more, striking from the other direction. As Angantyr continues to swing at the crueature, Reize keeps appearing and reappearing to strike from each side. ----Only to disappear and reappear on Mr. Mew by the time he arrives. He cheers on Mr. Mew's back. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Shida takes a moment to check up on Umi who is solidly burnt, but not in immediate danger. She says, "I'm sorry, are you alright?" Sadly using electricity healing on explosion burns is probably not the best methodology here so she just drags Umi off to the side a bit and then says, "I'll be right back. I wish to check up on Lily, Shida of the Network says." She dusts herself off and jogs off in her direction. Will she be overly affectionate?? OR WORSE?? Or maybe she just wants to say hi as a non spooky ghost person.

:'''[[Mirage]] has posed:''' Bravely, Tifa leaps up and punches and kicks the King Bomb, engaging it dangerously in close combat! Were there any witnesses left (as they all had fled at the frist chance many rounds ago), they would find this bravery commendable. But it doesn't seem like it's enough! The bomb's size increases, the heat becoming sweltering and unbarable! The floor begins to ignite and smoke! WILL ANYONE STOP THIS MADNESS?! The beastly-looking Agantyr leaps upward and brandishes the life-draining mace. Fire is sucked away and the bomb actually begins to shrink in size. "WHAT'S THIS? MY POWER...IT'S-" The mace finally slams through the creature, leaving a perfectly formed hole through it. The king floats there in shock, the sunglasses sliding off his face and shattering on the floor. "I...IMPOSSIBLE...I LOST TO...INFERIOR...BEINGS?!" Mr. Mew crashes into the remains of the creature, with Reize riding atop of it, and the King Bomb crumbles into a dozen pieces of hot and blackened bombshell. In fact, the floor is absolutely littered with bombshells, with the falling of the Bomb Kingdom. BATTLE MASTERY ACHIEVED

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' What /is/ a battle mastery, anyway? Is it like erasing a blue noise? Do I get a secret report now?! WILL MR. H BE MAD AT ME IF I READ ANYTHING?! Shiki Misaki doesn't think any of these things. She's just too busy hugging Reize, after their giant magic catpet ride comes to a conclusion. n.n

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr turns, the armor shattering as the darkness fades from him. He takes a long deep breath... And starts collecting bomb cores... "Hey is this a Bomb Crown? SCORE!" though he'd kill for those awesome BOMB SHADES.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' See, the giant knew they could beat up the monster no problem, he has trust in people to get things done. None the less he keeps watching to make sure nothing suddenly bad happens, as that just wouldn't be very nice or fun in all their current situations. 5tHe groans from his injuries and slowly stands back up and begins moving towards the other heroes, to make sure they're ok and not in need of any right of passages that he would be honor bound to perform for them. Cause that's just how he is, a nice guy.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "WAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!" Reize thrusts a hand into the air. The boy waves his hand around before he lands. The young adventurer brightens to a smile. The Bomb King crumble into those dozen of pieces of the bombshell. Bombshells are all about. A breath is sucked in after the landing, then he smiles, patting Shiki while giving her a hug. He looks over towards Lily, extending his arm out. However, things are not over yet. "Everyone, we need to start letting the people know that things are alright so that they can fly again." A glance is given towards the mercenary who assisted him. "Ooiii!" A hand waves towards Angantyr, "Thanks... we appreciate the help." And then, the giant does not escape his attention, "Ooooiiiiii!!! I remember you! You helped out at the Phantom Train! Thanks---" His eyes then directs to Tifa and Emi. "Let's make sure everyone is safe." ...Deep down, Reize is growing more and more worried. These are constant cases going on. ...Who is behind this? ...Could Emi be right about the Fire Crystal being the target?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart phews, taking a deep breath. She managed to get through without getting too hurt. And no turning into frogs either. And no getting exploded at point blank range. Yup, things are looking good. She turns around to look toward the others, noone seems to be too seriously hurt either, so its all good. She walks closer to the group "So, can we get back to Costa now?" She shakes her head. "No more bombs, I hope."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Yeah, sure whatever...I can't go back to Costa Del Sol anyway." Angantyr says. He has a sack full of bomb, a hand full of crown, and a head full of money. Today was a good day!

The Garland Games

2013-01-14T23:31:52Z

RyuuAya: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/13 |Location=Rabanastre |Synopsis=Garland makes good on his promises and ambushes Avira in the streets of Rabanastre. |Cast of Characters=A..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/13
|Location=Rabanastre
|Synopsis=Garland makes good on his promises and ambushes Avira in the streets of Rabanastre.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Garland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It's a new day in Rabanastre, the rising sun just cresting the high walls of the desert city. Roughly an hour ago, a fresh set of guards had cycled through their posts, replacing the sleepy men with those of sharp mind and rested body. Though it had been quite some time since the city faced an attack of any sort, Heartless or not, they remained ever vigilant as they could hardly forget the incident from a month ago where a Shadow Lord brazenly invaded a charitable event from the Galbados Church. Some good men lost their jobs that day and who knows what explanations were demanded behind the scenes for this interference. Even this early, the streets of the marketplace were quite crowded already as merchants race to set up their stalls, eager to attract the business of travellers and locals alike. The local tavern had long since opened though with few here interested in mere drinking. Clients this early in the morning aspired to visit one thing: the mark listing. Competition was the way of clan life and securing a job before another could make all the difference in the world. Today, it is Avira's turn to scour the job board for missions easy enough for the still-small Clan Dagda to complete. It was important to bring back something good since Avira's absence and involvement in VALKYRI had lead Mabo to start doubting her commitment to the clan. She never had told him or the other non-Angantyr members about her time spent mutated, trying to spare them the complication of that matter. The presence of VALKYRI really was starting to become a problem since splitting her time was beginning to become difficult. Ideally, she could easily solve the problem by quitting Dagda, but she owed the clan her life. Cutting ties so dishonorably did not sit well with Avira. At this point in the morning, Avira is alert. She had to be if she wanted to avoid unpleasant interactions with the local guard. There had been rumors recently that one of the more fearsome Judge Magisters had returned from whereever mysterious place he had been. Avira figures he was lost, wandering in the darkness as many others had. Pushing through the crowd, Avira squeezes her way between a pair of Seeq, then swiftly ducks around a pair of conversing guards.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' 'Safe' is an outmoded word. It has no meaning among the worlds, not really. Wherever there are shadows, wherever the light is swallowed up by darkness, there are the Heartless. Wherever human hearts gather, the Heartless are not too far behind, the inscrutable nightmares that come from beyond the worlds for no purpose but consumption, no reason but destruction. There is no 'safe' anymore, not in a world where Heartless exist; even in these massive cities, with guards and soldiers of both magical and physical inclination, the Heartless could swarm over the populace in a matter of hours with a concerted reason to do so. 'Safe' is an even more outmoded word in a world where Garland exists. It does not matter to him that this is Rabanastre, one of the most highly-defended and powerful cities in the Word of Ruin. It does not matter that this is a large and impressive population center, full of people who want nothing more than to go about their lives in peace. It does not matter that these people are going to suffer from his mere presence, are going to bleed because he chose to set foot in this place; they are so much chattle, so much kine, cows for the slaughter to prove his point. What is his point? That 'safe' is an outmoded word. He steps out of the shadows, and people scream. He draws his blade, the air coiling into darkness around his palm, the massively unwieldy weapon falling into his iron-clawed hand, and people run. He advances on Avira, silent, but no less fearsome in his visage, his cape flowing behind him. Later, many people would claim that he must have been a Judge arresting a criminal. They would claim that they did not know which Judge it was, but that he had the armor of a Judge, and in Archadia, that meant he was a Judge. The lies people comfort themselves with are most amusing.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Judges were iconic figures long since burned into the collective psyche of Rabanastre. Symbols of the law and oppression brought on by years of their country's occupation, reaction to their presence always fell towards horror. Garland was no judge magister but he certainly looked exactly like one and his current marriage to the abyss only intensified any reaction to his appearance. Even those normally dull to the fabric of magic woven into their very existances here can feel what's inside of the imposing man. Any bystander would readily leap to accept that he was just a judge magister, rather than continue to consider the terrifying truth that, for a few seconds, they stared into the void themselves. Avira feels his presence before he sees him and even before the screams start up around her. There's zero doubt in her mind as to Garland's identity and zero doubt over the reason he has appeared. The advance of Garland immediately drives people from his intended path, citizens of Rabanastre running and tripping over themselves to flee. There is one exception, however, that is being the pair of city guards nearby Avira. They stand their ground, their heavily armored appearances concealing their confusion and fear. "Oi! You there!" his voice is unsure, "Sheath your weapon! Fighting is forbidden here!" The huntress turns, witnessing Garland's advance. Just that very image of him brings fear to her heart as well, but she doesn't run. She doesn't scream out 'why?!' Why here, around so many bystanders?! No, she knows why. Garland had explained this little game quite thoroughly in the jungle months ago. With no hesitation, she draws her weapon, but she doesn't advance. For a few seconds, she seems to be content to wait for him to come to her. After a moment of consideration, she too advances and the grip on the Spine switches from one-handed to two-handed. All the better, as one of the guards reaches out to pull Avira back, as if that was going to stop the impending battle. His own cowardice that prevents him from advancing means his reach for Avira's bare upper arm fails. Cheekily, Avira seems to be trying to get the first strike in as her advance quickly turns into a burst and she swings the Spine in a low to upward stroke at him.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland feeds off of fear. He loves fear, inasmuch as the Ironclad Nightmare can enjoy anything; though the part of his heart that once loved and cared for things, that once felt the emotions born of light, has long since been smothered by the endless darkness from which he draws his might. He is the Void, the Abyss, the Shadows That Stretch Longer Than The Night; he is its Champion, its once-and-future incarnation, the soon-to-be-again god of destruction and devastation. Even without knowing his true name, the name mumbled on the lips of madmen and crazed prophets, even the most magically dull person knew it, felt it, touched it in their soul. The shuddering these people felt, the primal terror in their heart of hearts, the revulsion and despair that echoed through them as he walked, silently, predatorially, was Garland's sweetest pleasure, in a world that no longer held such things for him. Terror is the only spice of his life; violence and bloodshed and battle the only joy. What must it be like in that iron shell, to have such rage, such fury, such all-consuming hatred wrapped all about where his heart of hearts should be? What must it be like, drenched in the blood of countless innocents for nothing less than the goal of divinity itself? What must it be like to be Garland? Only one man can answer that, and he's not speaking. As Avira advances and switches to a two-handed stance, Garland takes it in. She is adapting, learning; she is wielding her weapon for attack, not defense, well aware that there is no defense against his massive blade. She swings in, hard, stabbing up; Garland meets it with his shoulderpad, the Spine smashing against his inner elbow. Garland's sword vanishes. Too large for the position he's found himself in. It disappears, vanishing like a morning mist, as his massive iron fist comes swinging around for her stomach. Not for her face, but her stomach - the head was too easy to miss, too small, with too many joints to make dodging easier. That massive iron gauntlet comes swinging in, as his terrible, black voice echoes from within the confines of that monstrous suit. "You have been practicing."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The guards remain still, paralyzed with fear as they watch on, trapped between self-preservation and duty. One leans to the other, murmuring in his ear that this could very well be a judge magister here to do his job, which means they would not have to interfere with the fight. On the other hand, as representatives of the law they still had a role to play and could not flee as the current peasantry is doing. Speaking of said peasantry, the immediate area has somewhat cleared out, leaving injured trampled people crumpled on the ground. Even they are still trying to weakly drag themselves to safety as the rest of the fearful populace, Archadian guards included, does little to help them. Despair and confusion hangs thickly in the air, no doubt intensifying the moment for the Iron-clad embodiment of Chaos. Avira seems aware that there are still others in the area, the guard included, but does little about them. Splitting her attention right now would prove to be deadly. She had to get in close, she knew, because close enough would make it difficult for Garland to swing his massive weapon effectively. It's obvious he quickly realizes this too as the giant weapon disappears and it's disquieting how quickly he eliminates this particular advantage in Avira's favor. Shortly after the upwards blow, Avira completely changes the grip upon the hilt of the Spine. Though it remains two-handed, the way she holds it becomes reversed, so once her strike has reached its apex, she can drag it back down, as an animal would rake something with its claws. Getting in this close also had distinct disadvantages made apparent once his weapon disappears. In fact, this had been a near repeat of their previous encounter in the jungle where he had also inflicted this painful blow upon her. It is for that reason Avira seems far more prepared to deal with this possibility so when Garland swings in, Avira twists her body sideways. He still strikes, but the hit is not the direct, debilitating, vomit-inducing stike as earlier. The noise of the impact sounds like a car crash, the gaunlet ripping the breastplate that protects Avira's torso asunder. The momentum makes Avira spin with little control to Garland's flank and she loses her balance, stumbling to the ground and landing on her side. His remark is uncommented upon at first as getting to her feet becomes the priority. Avira rolls sideways, as if anticipating Garland trying to stomp her with a foot while down. Pulling up into a crouched position, she brings her sword up, held lance-like, and jabs out for his knee, searching for weak spots in the heavy armor. "I am always practicing." she says, her voice low and breathless. "There's so much to catch up to."

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland knows of the Judge Magisters. It was one of the reasons he had even picked this place to once more intervene in Avira's life: he knew what he was capable of doing in this place under the blanket of the Judges and their Magister leaders, what he was capable of performing in a single burst of sudden and brutal violence so long as it looked like a criminal's arrest. He could do so many things...but only once. He had chosen this for a reason. What was that reason, though? What was the purpose of choosing to wield his power so visibly, like this? That was undoubtedly left to Avira to decide. Garland cannot help but note the subtlety with which she evades the blow; she knew he was faster than she was, knew he was strong enough to smash through her armor with ease, but still predicted his strike well enough to partially evade. The breastplate goes flying, smashing into the wall near the two guards. Garland doesn't bother drawing his sword at the moment; he simply turns, raising one arm as a shield like a boxer, the other low at his side. It minimized the weak points on his armor, minimized the chance of her finding a repeatable strategy to deal with the Ironclad Nightmare; the raking of her Spine across the innards of his arm is still quite visible, the damage done quite obvious, if not quite enough to cut through the armor itself. What was that armor made of, to resist her weapon? As Avira jabs Garland at his knee, he twists, just enough, to get out of the way; the Spine strikes him on the back of the knee, the screech of metal ringing through the square. Garland...stumbles? And falls to one knee, his fist smashing against the ground? Did...she manage to injure him so critically? Did Garland possess such an Achilles Heel? "What are you waiting for, you fools?!" Garland's voice rings out at the various soldiers of Archadia gathered around the square, "Arrest her!" Ah. Even the innocent are weapons in his hands.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' In Avira's mind, she doesn't spend a lot of time thinking "why here," especially since Garland claimed he could strike anywhere. Doing so in a crowded market like this would add the dimension of innocent bystanders getting caught up in the fight, which would add amusement to her attacker's time here, right? She never considered that Garland would want to maintain a certain image here or even alliance with the Archadians. That their fight here could be interpreted as...something else. ANot until Garland's next "attack" comes at her in a very unexpected way. The back of her mind notes the destruction of her armoring with irritation. She'd have to purchase a new one later, though it wouldn't be the first time. Avira goes through a staggering amount of gear, her inexperience being particularly rough upon her equipment. It's a bit of a wonder that her Spine has remained in one piece-though there might be much more than just physical integrity keeping that weapon together. Her inability to penetrate Garland's armor does not come to much of a surprise to Avira. In fact, she had been suspecting to face such a problem, which is why she tries to strike at joints in the first place. There had to be a way to get through it besides flailing and striking the thickest parts! Sparks fly as armor and Spine interact. A small swear escapes her as the Spine fails to hit its real target, though the results of her blow are a lot more surprising than she expected. Was that really a weakpoint in his armor? She would have to exploit it later. Avira quickly stands, lifting her weapon to hover it over her shoulder, pointing the tip at Garland's armored head. She's poised such that it seems, like with one quick stab, she could drive the Spine into her opponent's ear. For a single moment, it actually looks like she has the upper hand. Then Garland calls out to the other guards. Avira's eyes widen. "What-!" Her focus zooms out to their crowd of spectators, now primarily the city guard, blocking both sides of the market street. "No! He's not a judge!!!" she calls out. The guard does hesitate for a second, but as far as appearances go, they really are far more inclined to believe Garland. Lowering their polearms and halbreds, they quickly start to close in. Panicing, Avira looks both ways, then around her, scooting backwards at a ninety degree angle, slipping between two of the market stalls lining the street, glancing over her shoulder as she does. Behind her remains another storefront, filled with cowering merchants. A halbred is thrust between the stalls and Avira lets out a swear as she parries it away. Wood shatters as guards simply elect to break /through/ the stalls to get at her. Rather than get cornered, Avira turns and throws herself through one of the storefront windows, incurring the cuts from shattered glass. Scrambling, she shoves her way through the shop-a weapons shop as it would happen to be-and immediately scrambles for the second floor. Her entry has caused a bottleneck at the storefront, buying her some time to flee upwards.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland is a relentless foe. He stands - making it clear to Avira, if she is wise enough to notice - that in no way is that simple strike enough to break through the armor he has clad himself in. That armor has been forged over ten thousand years of his life, once made by one of the finest of smiths, then transformed by his hand, added to, improved upon. Every advancement of magic and technology, every forging technique the Terrans had ever learned - and the Gaians, by extension - had been incorporated into that armor. Every touch of Spine against iron rings out with secret magics, enchantments, junctioned spells and other, more arcane tricks that Avira can likely only guess at at the moment. Perhaps she can see the weave of arcane energies, if she is tremendously sensitive...but then, if she is too sensitive, could she even stand in his presence without pain? Likely not. Garland strides silently behind the guards, his cape brushing against the ground, his hands clenched tight as a tyrant's fist. He watches the guards smash through the stalls, pursuing Avira carefully; perhaps inside his terrible armor, he is smiling, congratulating his own cruel cleverness, his own baleful brilliance. None in this world will ever know. None in this world could ever know, could ever know the inner workings of this monstrous mind. As Avira throws herself through the storefront, Garland holds out his hand. "She will go upwards; cut off the nearby buildings, establish a perimeter around the street," he commands, his voice radiantly black with power and authority. Even if he is not a Judge, he has the air of one, the appearance of one, and now the voice of one; who are they to take the chance? Then Garland simply leaps, one of his massive, inhuman leaps, unslowed by armor or burdens mortal or supernatural. He goes up, up, up, then comes down, down, down, crashing into the roof of the shop Avira scrabbles towards. The ceiling caves in under his weight, and he falls, landing on the second floor even as she makes her way up it; immediately, his blade is in his hand. He does not roar; he makes no noise, as the blade splits in half down the middle, becoming a pair of elegant (if bulky) longswords. He comes at her, a whirlwind of violence and destruction in an environment of weapons and shields. What will she choose to counter him? How will she continue to play the game?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It's the consequences, not any result of extraordinary magic sensitivty, that clue Avira in on the fact that the effects of the blow were feigned. Now the local guard was convinced that she was a dangerous criminal with enough power to match a Judge. The long-term consequences of this encounter hang in the back of Avira's head with dread. There'd be time to reflect on this much later since not only was she actively fighting for survival against Garland, but her own potential freedom should he be apprehended. She wanted to call out her innocence, but it would waste precious breath. Though Garland may not be recognized as any known judge, he carries himself with such authority and presence that the guard does not hesitate to obey. It seems like a much wiser choice than to force everyone to pile ineffectively into the cramped space of the shop. They spread out, surrounding the buildings and lining the streets. Within the store, Avira is not alone. One guard has followed her and remains hot on her heels as she scales the stairs to the second floor. Not unaware of this, Avira actually whirls on him unexpectedly, striking with a double-handed blow as she brings the pelvis-shaped hilt against the soldier's armored head. He reels, and Avira presses her advantage, slamming into him bodily and sending him tumbling backwards, back down the stairs he came. His falling armored form takes out a second guard that had not yet caught up in his pursuit. As he suspected, Avira continues to look for ways to go up, likely seeking the rooftops so she can flee. Before she can cross the floor to what looks like a door to an outside balcony, the ceiling caves inward as Garland drops down upon it. Immediately, she halts, leaping backwards and hitting her back against the wall as Garland appears in the space she was just about to occupy, armed. Reaching out with one hand, she grasps a rack of polearms leaned against the wall and yanks it down in front of her, buying her seconds as Garland's longswords cleave and spin into them. His strikes quickly reduce the rack and weapons contained to small chunks of wood and iron that scatter violently, embedded into the floor and walls. A hand slaps downward and an ice spell is loosed, a sheet of such coating the floor beneath her and Garland. Inverting the Spine again, Avira suddenly drops down and lunges, not to attack him, but to slide underneath him, perhaps even through his legs if his stance allows it. This takes her through the shattering polearms and through his dangerously whirling blades-indeed, Garland can feel her slipping along the length of one of the longswords, leaving a fresh coat of blood upon it. Not that she hadn't already been bleeding from throwing herself through the window. This, however, is blood that Garland earned. Should she make it through, Avira will actually attempt to strike him from behind as she backs away to that balcony.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Avira is a cunning and brave woman. She is willing to take truly insane risks to win - truly insane risks being the only thing that possibly CAN win against Garland, given the sheer level of combat prescience he seems to possess. She throws the rack before him; he shreds his way through it effortlessly, his blades preternaturally sharp and supernaturally fierce, wood chips splintering across the room. They crash against the walls, against the floor, as those swords reduce finely-crafted spears to so much kindling and dust. As he draws blood, there is a primal thrill, a simple joy of the cycle of battle that runs through him; her blood along his blades, the scars she would develop if she survived, were enough for his satisfaction. The ice upon the flor distracts him briefly, for all of a split second; he spins around, but it's too late. Her blade crashes against his shoulder, knocking the iron man back; he stumbles on the ice, slipping and falling to the ground, slamming into it with his full weight. The ground begins to crack, under his massive weight and the weakness forced upon it by the ice. He falls; the floor falls with him, giving way. For the moment, Avira is given pause to reach the balcony - though that will do her little good, for outside are the countless soldiers of Archadia, waiting to arrest her. Inside the building, Garland's dark laughter echoes. That tells her two things: that he is no more disabled by that attack than he was by her strike in the square, and that she has temporarily passed his test, earning herself a brief reprieve. All she needs to do now is escape. ...easier said than done, though.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Indeed, faced with a whirling blender of death as Garland presents himself with right now. A more cautious individual would try to flee back down the stairs, it being the only obvious way 'out.' Going through him takes guts-guts that could easily end up on the floor after doing such. Avira comes dangerously close to this happening too, the strike Garlan made having raked itself just above Avira's right hip, cutting through skin and flesh alike. She quickly finds that wound aching much more than it had any right to. Ice combined with the environment, Avira notes, seems to be far more effective than the spell she had attempted to direct upon Garland the last time they met. Perhaps that was the key, Avira's own magical skill too elementary to possibly overcome Garland's magical defenses. There would have to be more of this...creativity in the future, should she plan on continuing to survive Garland's tests. Able to witness Garland falling down to the first floor of the weapon's shop, Avira regards this as a momentary victory at best. Clamping a hand to the wound he left upon her, Avira channels some good ol' Ivalician healing into her body. One foot lifts, kicking out the door to the balcony, allowing her to stumble forth. Just as she steps out into the light and beholds the entirety of the Rabanastre guard gathered in the streets below, Garland's laughter echos behind her. While it was true that she survived his assault, in Avira's mind, she'd hardly consider this a victory. The Spine is slipped away and Avira quickly jumps to the balcony railing. Just as Garland predicted, she goes up, frantically scrambling to the rooftop of the building. What follows is, perhaps, an equally impressive chase over the rooftops that eventually moves down into Lowtown. It is only through there that Avira manages to escape the city completely, provided an exit through the sewers instead of the heavily guarded city gates.

Avira

2013-01-09T22:09:01Z

RyuuAya: /* Adversaries */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human?
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=Working to track down the shards of Manhattan and restore the world!
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Mutate?: Avira is, actually, still a mutate though the expression of this is at the control of Hades. She appears as a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers.

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Lenna Tycoon]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Respect||"I owe them my life. Long live Clan Dagda!"
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"I can't explain it, but I feel closer to you lately. I must be missing something."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"I love her enthusiasm and she's so good at magic! We're going to be great friends. She's very naive...don't worry, Maira, I will protect you from the predation of scoundrels. Even in light of the way I look, you are still here for me. You are the best friend I have ever had."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board!"
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Affection||"Strange, you seem so ill at ease around my other friends. Maybe he doesn't like big groups of humans? I'm glad I've warned him and it seems I've convinced him that I'm ready to accept whatever dangers are involved with associating with him."
|-
|[[Lenna Tycoon]]||Friendship||"So happy to have you on board. Whoever insinuated that royalty was all stuffy is completely missing the mark, you're extremely nice and have big goals."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Interest||"Very impressive fighter. I hope she doesn't think less of me when she realizes I'm a bit of a novice. Something about those skills of hers, though..."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Hope||"My friend from Clan Dagda, taught me how to handle a weapon. He can be a little TOO business-oriented sometimes and in spite of the whole dark knight thing, he's actually really nice. We're going to deal with this mutation together! Though afterwards, I'm not sure...I can see it now though, he's definitely in love."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"Now THAT is a pure heart. I can't believe she came to rescue me from Baron. I hope one day she doesn't have to run anymore...that's no way for someone to live."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"A giantess from a fallen world...and pretty hardcore. I could learn a lot from this one...and plan to once this mutation is gone. I don't think she'll be really at ease with me until it is since vicious mutants were common on her world."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I am so ready. Let's stand against the darkness together!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Interest||"That jerk...hitting on my friends, trying to take advantage of Maira! It's...it's not fair..."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "...I'd rather have him fight the White Cloud instead of me. I'm unsure he can actually destroy a world at this point. Says his own world was destroyed."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"She didn't seem as thrilled about Skoll as I had expected. I understand now...she doesn't really think like humans do. No wonder she has trouble getting along with them."
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||...||*shudder*
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. It appears the lessons he's teaching aren't just of the physical variety...interesting."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Anger||"I don't know what to do about this kid. He's not sorry for what he did."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"Sweet kid. He actually restored a world piece. That Keyblade of his is amazing! I wonder how you get one..."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"Creepy, especially those eyeball wings. But she seems to care a lot about Maira which I guess...makes her...okay?"
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Frustration||"It's like the universe has a soft spot for idiot antics that permits this kid to stay alive."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Awe||"Thank you for your help in defending my world. I hope you made it out of there alive."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Oh la la||"Charming, French, knowledgeable, a gentleman. Little does he know I'm not repelled by the thought of his profession. He can be quite the high and mighty jerk, though, and I really don't like him doing that little matchmaking thing in public."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Interest||"Kid from Manhattan, trying to make something of himself in the wake of the world falling. He's got the determination and guts to do it and he's not some hairbrained moron. If he keeps it up, he'll go far."
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Avira

2013-01-09T22:07:50Z

RyuuAya:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Avira
|age=24
|image=NewAvira.png
|species=Human?
|sex=Female
|height=5'0''
|weight=None of your business!
|series=Final Fantasy 12, Gargoyles
|styles=Hunter
|hometown=Brooklyn
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=VALKYRI, Twilight Detective Agency
|occupation=VALKYRI Leader
|themesong=Seether - Fake It
|quote="...you'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you want to survive."
|footer=Working to track down the shards of Manhattan and restore the world!
}}
= Profile =
Avira, novice member of the small Clan Dagda of Rabanastre, leader of the mark-hunting trans-world group VALKRYI, has completely abandoned her past life. Originally from Brooklyn, she found herself pulled through the darkness when her part of the world fell and was displaced into Ivalice. After a harrowing experience spent fleeing the wild animals and Heartless of the Giza Plains, she adopted the name Avira and feigned amnesia to the clan that had saved her life. Pushing herself to the limit, she managed to train herself up to combat competence, making use of the Spine, an odd serrated sword crafted from the last object she grabbed before she was swallowed by the darkness. Eager to attain the respect of her peers and become a famous Sky Pirate, she searches the shattered worlds for answers, skills, and allies to drive the darkness back.

= Skills =
Got Spine?, PTSD, Tabula Rasa, World Refugee, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Go Big or Go Home, Proud Human, Level 1, Seeking Truth, Oddly Competent With Technology, Scarred, Bringer Of Slurpees, Fake It Until You Make It, Reading a Distressing Amount of Books, Kickassian in Training, Step 1: Become Awesome, Step 2: Acquire Airship, Step 3: Become Sky Pirate, Step 4: ??????, Step 5: Profit!, Of Two Worlds, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Ride of the VALKRYI, Wolf Affinity, Ritz?

= Combat Skills =

Although inexperienced in the ways of actually fighting (reflected in a lower than average CST in the combat system for now), Avira does have a few advantages to her so far that put her above the average NPC.

The Spine: Avira possesses an odd mythril weapon known as "The Spine," which is a heavy serrated sword that looks like a straightened spinal column with the tailbone and pelvis forming the hilt. Aside from being extremely nimble with adjusting the grip to hit effectively, from two handed to one handed as needed, something about it is disquieting to those aligning with the darkness. Avira claims that the core of the weapon is made from something from the piece of her world that "doesn't exist anymore" and essentially gives her the willpower to beat Heartless to oblivion with it.

Ice Magic: Though she could take the time to study the different elements of black magic, Avira has chosen to specialize in ice magic. Completely unaccustomed to exerting magical skill, so far she's only learned low level ice magic. To compensate for the lack of power, she has focused on refinement and control and can apply the magic in strategic and unusual ways, such as applying it to the Spine or the ground beneath an enemy. One of her favorite outside of combat uses for this skill is to make frozen drinks. Achieving mastery over higher power spells will take time and practice, but will happen eventually.

First Aid: Yes, she has the license for that.

From the Heart: So how does someone whose adventuring experience measure in mere months manage to competently keep up with the rest of a dangerous world? By fighting with her whole heart. Occasionally this manifests as a faint silvery glow but is mostly noticeable in just how much effort she seems to physically expend to pull anything off. This is pretty much the given explanation for anything ridiculous that happens via csys.

!Control: As fallout from continuing training with Skoll, Avira discovered how to use the "Beastmaster Voice," which is basically the !Control skill from Final Fantasy 5. Her abilities with this are very weak and in dire need of practice, though appear to be the most successful with wolves and wolf-like creatures. In scenes, this skill is usually indicated by words in yellow text.

Mutate?: Avira is, actually, still a mutate though the expression of this is at the control of Hades. She appears as a hideous brown-furred raven/wolf/snake chimera-type creature. Unlike the mutates of the Gargoyles world, she has no electro-powers.

= Relationships =

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 745px; height: 194px;"
! scope="col" width="80" |
|-
|Allies
|Clan Dagda, [[Mercade Alexander]], [[Maira]], [[Vespa]], [[Minerva]],[[Skoll Ulfang]], [[Lenna Tycoon]], [[Valencia]], [[Katyna]], [[Angantyr Vespar]], [[Jasmine]], [[King Mickey]], [[Lavi]], [[TRON]]
|-
|Adversaries
|[[Ivo Galvan]], [[Kaze]], [[LEXUS]], [[Sho Minamimoto]], [[Hati]], [[Morrighan Alazne‎]], [[Baigan]], [[Kaydin]], [[Garland]], [[Riku]], [[Loki]], [[Dr. Anton Sevarius]], [[Makenshi]]
|-
|Acquaintances
|[[Pixi]], [[Sora]], [[Sarafina Carenze]], [[Lily]], [[Gilgamesh]], [[Reize Seatlan]], [[Faruja Senra]], [[Shiki Misaki]], [[Will Sherman]], [[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]], [[Riku|Sable]], [[Raiya Fujihara]], Valeth Wodanaz
|-
|}

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|Clan Dagda||Respect||"I owe them my life. Long live Clan Dagda!"
|-
|[[Mercade Alexander]]||Affection||"I can't explain it, but I feel closer to you lately. I must be missing something."
|-
|[[Maira]]||BFF-ness||"I love her enthusiasm and she's so good at magic! We're going to be great friends. She's very naive...don't worry, Maira, I will protect you from the predation of scoundrels. Even in light of the way I look, you are still here for me. You are the best friend I have ever had."
|-
|[[Vespa]]||Friendship||"A fellow VALKYRI with an awesome axe. One day I'll figure out how to break that embarrassing curse of hers."
|-
|[[Minerva]]||Friendship||"She's pretty awesome. I'm glad to have her on board!"
|-
|[[Skoll Ulfang]]||Affection||"Strange, you seem so ill at ease around my other friends. Maybe he doesn't like big groups of humans? I'm glad I've warned him and it seems I've convinced him that I'm ready to accept whatever dangers are involved with associating with him."
|-
|[[Lenna Tycoon]]||Friendship||"So happy to have you on board. Whoever insinuated that royalty was all stuffy is completely missing the mark, you're extremely nice and have big goals."
|-
|[[Valencia]]||Curiosity||"Magical science, eh? Now that sounds interesting."
|-
|[[Katyna]]||Interest||"Very impressive fighter. I hope she doesn't think less of me when she realizes I'm a bit of a novice. Something about those skills of hers, though..."
|-
|[[Angantyr Vespar]]||Hope||"My friend from Clan Dagda, taught me how to handle a weapon. He can be a little TOO business-oriented sometimes and in spite of the whole dark knight thing, he's actually really nice. We're going to deal with this mutation together! Though afterwards, I'm not sure...I can see it now though, he's definitely in love."
|-
|[[Jasmine]]||Awe||"Now THAT is a pure heart. I can't believe she came to rescue me from Baron. I hope one day she doesn't have to run anymore...that's no way for someone to live."
|-
|[[King Mickey]]||Respect||"Thrice you've helped me now. I am happy to call you friend, Mickey."
|-
|[[Lavi]]||Awe||"A giantess from a fallen world...and pretty hardcore. I could learn a lot from this one...and plan to once this mutation is gone. I don't think she'll be really at ease with me until it is since vicious mutants were common on her world."
|-
|[[TRON]]||Respect||"I am so ready. Let's stand against the darkness together!"
|-
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Ivo Galvan]]||Interest||"That jerk...hitting on my friends, trying to take advantage of Maira! It's...it's not fair..."
|-
|[[Kaze]]||Sheer Unbridled Terror|| "Skoll was right...he must've destroyed that world in a rage at White Cloud."
|-
|[[LEXUS]]||Frustration|| "Why is it this blasted program seems to be behind everything wrong in my life lately? If there was only some way to make him pay, I would do it, but WHAT?"
|-
|[[Sho Minamimoto]]||DO NOT WANT||"Scary and strong with scary and strong minions. Reapers are serious business."
|-
|[[Hati]]||Curiosity||"She didn't seem as thrilled about Skoll as I had expected. I understand now...she doesn't really think like humans do. No wonder she has trouble getting along with them."
|-
|[[Morrighan Alazne‎]]||...||*shudder*
|-
|[[Baigan]]||Anger||"Still hate him."
|-
|[[Kaydin]]||Wariness||"Now I know where your loyalties lie. I'll think twice about trusting you in the future. I also want a rematch."
|-
|[[Garland]]||Fear||"Angantyr's mentor. That this man has elected to attack me at any time for the purposes of training is terrifying. B...but kind of awesome too. It appears the lessons he's teaching aren't just of the physical variety...interesting."
|-
|[[Riku]]||Anger||"I don't know what to do about this kid. He's not sorry for what he did."
|-
|[[Loki]]||Hatred||"Go back to hell!"
|-
|[[Dr. Anton Sevarius]]||Anger||"I really should have killed him when I had the chance."
|-
|[[Makenshi]]||Fear||"..."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Status
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Pixi]]||Awe||"Mouthing off to the Archadian guards like that...that viera is cra-zy."
|-
|[[Sora]]||Awe||"Sweet kid. He actually restored a world piece. That Keyblade of his is amazing! I wonder how you get one..."
|-
|[[Sarafina Carenze]]||Wariness||"Creepy, especially those eyeball wings. But she seems to care a lot about Maira which I guess...makes her...okay?"
|-
|[[Lily]]||Wonder||"She's nice, but holy cow, that magic. I wish I had that kind of power."
|-
|[[Gilgamesh]]||Amusement||"Hilarious loudmouth. I think his dog is smarter than he is. Knows how to have a good time, though!"
|-
|[[Reize Seatlan]]||Frustration||"It's like the universe has a soft spot for idiot antics that permits this kid to stay alive."
|-
|[[Faruja Senra]]||Awe||"Thank you for your help in defending my world. I hope you made it out of there alive."
|-
|[[Shiki Misaki]]||Curiosity||"The Game Master sure didn't like you. This pact thing you have going on is pretty interesting too."
|-
|[[Will Sherman]]||Wariness||"Seems like there's a whole lot more to you than I thought. It's impressive how well he deals with the perils of living forever."
|-
|[[Maximilien Amadeus Renaud-Sylvianne]]||Oh la la||"Charming, French, knowledgeable, a gentleman. Little does he know I'm not repelled by the thought of his profession. He can be quite the high and mighty jerk, though, and I really don't like him doing that little matchmaking thing in public."
|-
|[[Riku|Sable]]||Interest||"Kid from Manhattan, trying to make something of himself in the wake of the world falling. He's got the determination and guts to do it and he's not some hairbrained moron. If he keeps it up, he'll go far."
|-
|[[Raiya Fujihara]]||Grudging Respect||"We don't really see eye to eye. Her skill is admirable, though. Fate conspires to have me indebted to her it seems."
|-
|Valeth Wodanaz||Disappointment||"The sooner I forget you, the better. [[Upon the Meadows of Past|I did not need that reminder...]]"
|-
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}