“What does it mean to live? The question is a sharp blade that pricks at my skin every day, beggin' for an acceptable answer.

The answer I arrived at is that to live is to suffer. It’s undeniable. The sooner you come to accept this fact with a genuine smile on your face, the sooner you’ll take full responsibility of your own life and that of others.

Then, from there, you’ll find meanin', purpose, and maybe happiness.

Obstacles and walls start becoming things you look forward to. Every ounce of pain and sufferin' that life dishes at you adds to your determination and will to succeed. The difference between me and my father is that I refuse to become jaded by this pain. I refuse to become some miserable, unfeelin' knuckle head that sucked the life out of everyone around him. I’m sure you can all relate in some way. Don’t let other people’s doubts and their lack of vision and hope, push you off your path. You must stand up…step up and take control even when everyone else in your life is afraid to do so.

After all this is what it means to move forward, to create a new world, to become better than we are.

The trainin' you underwent, the hardships you’ve endured, will undoubtedly illuminate your way forward. You aren’t just a bunch of wishy washy salvagers out to find their next meal. You are the pioneers that seek out the relics of the past to pave the road to the future.

With that, I wish you the best of luck out there, Excavators.

Humanity depends on it.” –Graduation speech at the Institute of Excavation

Quote: "Don't get too close, I might burn you on accident."
Name and Epitaph: Lenier, 'The Capricious Sun'

Once upon a time there was an accident. No one was to blame it, was merely the result of natures time and the destructive forces that existed upon the surface. Part of the tunnels that humanity had used as its hiding spot collapsed, trapping some in an isolated section of the tunnels. They would have been alright, had the miasma of the Tyrants not been allowed to spread through this new opening. They forestalled their doom by drawing back as far as they could, but one by one those who had been trapped began to die, even as efforts continued to rescue them.

It was at the dawn of the third day when all seemed lost. Food was running short, even if the miasma did not kill them first. Then the miracle happened. Fire erupted, burning away the darkness and allowing what looked like a young man to step through. He eyed those grateful souls as they rushed over, before turning and gesturing to them. "Come on, I'm not coming back so don't fall behind."

Those who had made it that far were all brought back, unharmed. The one who rescued them vanished before he could be thanked or rewarded. He didn't need it, or so they said. There would only be gratitude, and thankfulness for that salvation which might never come again. A small light in the darkness, but a light nonetheless

---

Hikari Kibo

Bleeding Heart Obsidian

Once apon a time in a forest of concrete and ash there was a burrow of bunnies. This burrow held lots and lots of bunnies, as it was one of the few bunny havens in the entire forest! Now on most days the mommy and daddy bunnys were very busy! With their burrowing and carrot harvesting, it was enough to keep them going day and night! So it was big sister bunnys job to watch all the little bunnys. Even though big sister bunny was only a handful of years older than the little bunnies she did her job very well! Day in and day out big sister bunny tended to the little bunnys, playing, feeding, and cleaning up after them. They were all very happy and they loved each other very much. But big sister bunny had a dark desire in her heart. She wanted to leave the burrows and go out to the forest! This was a no, no, no! She was not supposed to ever leave, she was to keep herself and the little bunnies safe in the burrows! But how she yearned for the outside!

One day it was just too much for her little bunny heart to take. Big sister bunny cried and cried and cried some more. The little bunnys were so sad to see their big sister bunny this way so they finally asked her, "Big sister, what is it that makes you cry so?"

"Oh little bunnies," she replied, " I wish to take a stroll through the forest!"

Though the little bunnies were very scared of the forest of concrete and ash and the monsters that were said to hide in it, their love for big sister bunny was even greater! So they put on their gas masks (for the air in the forsest was not safe for bunnys) and they snuck outside, hand and hand with big sister bunny. Oh how much fun they had! They skipped and jumped and climbed, playing in the now not so scary forest!

They were having so much fun that big sister bunny forgot to watch the time! Before she realized it the red haze of the moon bathed them all in a crimson light. "Oh no!" She called to all of her little bunnies, "we all must get back into the burrows at once!" But it was too late! Out of the shadows of the forest stepped the dark figures of wolves! The wolves started scooping up her little bunnies and popping them into their mouths! Big sister bunny was so scared that she started to run, "Run! Run! Run!" She called out to all her little bunnies. But her little bunnies couldnt run as fast as her. So when big sister bunny made it to a hiding spot she was all alone! And from her dark hole she watched as every one of her little bunnies got gobbled up, listening to their little bunny screams. She stayed in that hole and cried and cried and cried some more. Eventually a scavenger bunny found big sister bunny and brought her back to the burrow, but big sister bunny would never be the same again.

Without Mask [+]

"Hmph. I'm a selfish person. Hate me all you will, but I don't do this to save people. I'm the only one that should be on top at the end of the day and if you degenerates can't cut it...well, that's not my problem."

Name and Epitaph: Cerise, The Conceited Flower

---

"I could care less for you fools, as long as I'm the one on top. Even if it means I'm the last one standing."

Cerise, by nature is a very conceited, selfish and fairly arrogant person. She wants to simply be the best at everything. Powerful, money, influence, servants - all of it. She wants all the so called 'earthly desires' and if she's really feeling arrogant 'perfection' is in her goals. She cares not who she has to step on to achieve these goals either.

The beast thrashed about on the surface - it wasn't far from them, oh no. In fact it was likely within a mile or so. The other humans powerless as they were fled in fear in the opposite direction. Most likely wouldn't blame them - they weren't daybreakers. Scavengers. She had managed to convince them to let her come with them. She wanted to see these Tyrants with her own eyes before she decided to do this.

Pitiable fools, the lot of them. To let such a creature frighten them. Oh certainly it was loud and dangerous...but that was all. They were disgusting, vile creatures that held no place in a world free of such filth. Unlike the other humans, she held her ground and didn't even flinch when the creature gazed in the direction of the fleeing humans. She simply calmly turned around and started laughing, the other humans giving her a bit of a wide berth as they ran in the direction of the safest haven.

Once relatively safe, the others were panting and making sure everyone else was okay. She, though? She simply kept walking. She didn't have time to waste on those cowardly fools. Disgusting, the lot of them. She sighed as she continued to walk back underground. One though, had the audacity to give her quite the odd look, as if questioning her laughing.

"Hm?" She chuckled with a confident smirk. "What, was I supposed to soil my pants and run and terror like the rest of you layabouts?" This earned a decidedly justifiable frown from the man. "Unlike you degenerates, I wouldn't have died even if it had caught us. If worse came to worse, I'd have just used you all as bait. So be glad that didn't happen." Needless to say, this didn't go over very well with the other scavengers but she didn't care.

Tyrants? Pfft, please. They weren't scary. And she was going to prove that, and wipe their filth off the earth.