"I don't wield this sword because it looks intimidating, you know. These arms of mine might look slender, but I killed a bear with these once. And I thought I pissed people off on the regular..." Serena said as she pulled up a chair, before loosening her jacket to pull one of her arms out of the sleeves for a brief moment just to prove her point.
"Are you trying to make a record of people from various walks of life, or unlife, I guess, that're pissed off at you?" Serena said, returning her arm to it's sleeve before doing her jacket up again.
"Assuming those two aren't busy making final fitting adjustments to her new clothes when the time comes." Serena said, walking alongside Aria through the market.
"...I suppose I'd better ask for permission before I drag him upstairs in his sleep though. I'm kind of amazed he didn't wake up from it all." Serena said, looking somewhat bewildered.
"Found a book on Vampire Clans. Maybe we'll find something in there about your Vampire problem? Though I have absolutely no idea what the heck we're supposed to be looking for in this thing." Serena said, showing Aria the book she'd "borrowed" from Farengar as she kept pace with Aria, before scratching the back of her head.
"Well, whatever it is, we'd better get these back. Better to study these on secure turf, no?" Serena said as she tucked the book under her arm, opting to follow Aria back to the Odd Jobs.
Once the shadows before them had been either vanquished, or fled, Crobalt gazed at his Chronovoker one last time after he'd sheathed his sword and stowed his shield on his back. Listening to the ensuing exchange, Crobalt kept his silence for a time while the others spoke, just running through key fact the facts in his head.
"First, the laws of this world are radically different to ours, both in terms of combat and travel. Second, the Queen's ambition would eventually spell doom for the entire human race. Third, P3 might be within the vicinity of London for now, but who's to say it wouldn't spread to the entire world if the queen's "collection" was left unchecked?" Crobalt thought to himself, before following the others through to the domain of the Caterpillar.
Caterpillar Grotto
Landing upon his feet this time once he'd passed through the tree, Cronic began to examine his new surroundings while the Caterpillar spoke, about the Queen's forces, the defenses surrounding her palace, and how to access said palace, but also that they'd essentially be slaughtered in an instant if they were to go there as they were now. This last point prompted Cronic to pitch a question to the Caterpillar.
"If we are to grow stronger with our powers... We'd need to figure out how to bolster it, and defend ourselves doing so. The obvious answer would be to fight more of those lesser Shadows and spar with one another to figure out our strengths and weaknesses... But that alone would only do so much. So what I want to know is how do we really push this power to it's next level?" Crobalt said to the caterpillar, but before anyone else could answer, a loud "OOF!" made itself known behind everyone else after they'd arrived. Turning to look, they'd see a brown haired male in a white lab coat lying face down on the floor, cursing under his breath.
The ensuing commotion of the battle between the Lesser shadows and the newly awakened Persona users naturally caught the attention of Mark, who came to investigate... And for lack of better ideas opted to follow the group into the tree... Only to be caught off guard by the sudden transition and ended up faceplanting the floor.
Opting to think things out rather than haphazardly rush into the crafting process, Crobalt chose to take a seat by the Gildergreen and begin to ponder, taking out a blank piece of parchment and an Inkwell to begin the designing process, drawing a crude sketch of Yuki's body type before beginning to design around it.
"Hmm... The primary thing for her is to get her something that will keep her warm in these climes. She doesn't seem to use any weapons, so weapon sheaths and the like aren't neccesary... Something for holding magicka potions I wager would be more useful." Cronic thought to himself as he sketched in a potion belt, all the while working on something more mage-like in appearance, yet more in tune with Skyrim's design style.
"At the same time though, I don't want to make it too constrictive in the event she needs to evade. Or something she can't take off without risking indecent exposure if she's too hot indoors. The backlash from that one wouldn't heal overnight..." Cronic thought to himself, opting to add in a removable jacket with a few leather inserts to protect her torso with minimal weight added. This train of thought carried on for quite some time...
-------
Serena promptly began to browse for anything of interest, although she seemed a bit skeptical about Aria basically saying to commit theft while the owner was in the room. But then again, Serena herself killed Thalmor operatives by the squad on the regular, so she didn't exactly have much right to take the moral high ground. Returning to Aria's guidelines, she began looking for anything on Vampires, and spotted something pertaining to vampire clans.
Crobalt Nicholas "Cronic" Crystalis// Namimori High School Courtyard
An otherwise quiet day for a not so ordinary individual. Literally. Being a hitman, he's used to loud commotions and noise, so being somewhere so... Normal, was to him like someone mixed up his role with someone else. Course, that's what he first thought when he read the dossier... Until he noticed that the anonymous client had asked for him by name. If that didn't raise a red flag in his mind, nothing would've, but orders are orders... Not that he understood why he'd been asked to play bodyguard in the first place.
Leaning against a nearby wall, Cronic stood holding at first glance a leaflet detailing the day's festivities, having swapped his normal attire for a grey T-shirt with five figures on it, all clad in black garb of differing styles, with trace amounts of white, three of which had black hair, one white, and a brunette. Two of the black haired figures were male, as were the white one, while the remaining black haired figure and the brunette were female. Atop said T-shirt he wore a sleeveless jacket, blue jeans and black sneakers, and had allowed his normally spiky hair to cascade down his head as to avoid suspicion... It would look a tad suspicious if he just waltzed into the highschool grounds with a dark blue trenchcoat and spiky hair after all.
Course, while at first glance you'd think he was deciding where to go, he was actually reading the aforementioned Dossier, condensed down into a summarized, more easily concealed form. The briefing itself read as such; "Mr. Crystalis.
It has been requested by a prominent figure who has chosen to remain anonymous that you are to proceed to Namimori before the upcoming festival at Namimori High. There you will be given an apartment for the duration of your time there, along with an undercover operative to provide your armaments and attire to you with haste should a situation arise.
Your orders are as follows; Upon arrival, your mission will be to protect Sawada Ienari, seventh in line to the title of XIIth Vongola Boss, who has no desire to take upon that mantle, but is still a potential target for Assassination regardless. Exercise caution, for a rival faction could be looking to eliminate the list of prospective XII claimants drawn up by the XIth and claim the title for themselves.
I trust you will carry out these orders as fluidly you do your standard contracts. Consider this role indefinite until such time your protection is no longer required."
Crobalt simply let out a faint sigh as he concealed the dossier in his jacket while no-one was looking, and gazed in the direction of Ienari, who was presently conversing with... A maid?
"...I guess it was a little too soon to consider this "Normal"." Crobalt thought to himself as he surveyed the crowd, looking for anything or anyone acting a little out of the ordinary.
Crobalt kept silent during the exchange of words from the unknown shadows mocking them... And rose his arms to shield himself from the ensuing winds at the one who called for silence. Once the Dorm Mouse arrived and the rest began to move, he resumed moving after them, but not before he turned to look at the Dorm Mouse, and uttered a single sentence to them.
"Don't die." Crobalt said before turning tail and heading after the rest of the group, up until the shadowy goop blocked their path, and the weapons, courtesy of Adam's demonstration, failed to work, gritting his teeth in frustration that this would be over so soon, up until Alice, as if operating on instinct, summoned her Persona through the Chronovoker.
"This is the power they had in mind, is it? You're not all just going to stand and watch now, are you?" Cronic said to no-one in particular, setting his sword vertically into the ground beside him as he took out his own Chronovoker. Without saying another word, he clicked it open, and began to focus. Remembering the victims of P3. Remembering the one who didn't make it out of the inferno that scorched the forest. Remembering Snow, who had literally been consumed before his eyes... A resolve burned in his chest as the Chronovoker lit up, the clock manifesting on the ground... Before he spoke.
"Not. One. More. PERSONA!" Cronic shouted out as he closed his Chronovoker, flames surging around him in a spiral from the clock face, before splitting apart, condensing behind him, as he pocketed his Chronovoker and drew his sword from the ground, the flames changing into the form of a bird... A phoenix. Pointing his sword forward, the Phoenix promptly exhaled a fireball at one of the Monkey-like shadows.
"With the amount of bullets that've come my way, I'm surprised I don't have any facial scars yet."
"Yeah, shoud've known it would've happened eventually. Can't stay pristine forever."
// A G E
18
P E R S O N A L I A
"Cast out as a kid, dragged onto the battlefield at the age of nine... And made an explosive escape two years later. Spent about three years as a wandering mercenary till I ended up in the Vongola at age 14. Been at it ever since to this day. Feels a bit wierd that even after all that... I still find myself able to smile at the simple things."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Although he seems calm, kind and generous at first glance, take care not to pick a fight with him, because his mindset quickly dispenses with the kindness and takes upon the mindset of a focused, calm combatant. Where others would fall prey to provocation, he would not, choosing to fight on his own terms, and not play into those of his opponent's. Prefers to take his targets alive if the option is possible, but if that's not an option, or they'll end up suffering greatly before the end,
Getting him angry might seem like an easy way to win against this mercenary turned mafia hitman, but that one is a costly mistake, as he'll then start shooting to kill. Those who think they can push his buttons and get away with it will find themselves going home in body bags. And even then he's still not easy to fall victim to a provocation.
// B A C K G R O U N D
Formerly a world-wandering mercenary turned hitman for the Mafia, Crobalt has seen a lot of conflict over the last decade, and has been seasoned in various conflicts worldwide, earning his fair share of scars and experience along the way. Despite the fact that he basically kills people for a living, he retains a gentle mindset when not on a job.
Though he doesn't know much about how a Mafia family is run (And frankly, it's not something he's thought about having to learn), he's developed the sort of mentality to offer one hand, but keep a pistol in the other as a "just in case". Some might call it excessive to be so suspicious, but when some people are likely to stab you the second you turn your back, no caution is too much. Just ask the corpses of past clients in a ditch somewhere because they thought they could outsmart him.
While he is still young compared to more seasoned members of the Mafia, he is wiser than his age would suggest. Any failures he makes, he makes a point to learn from them later, and he's always looking to improve his skills. Self improvement could take any number of forms, afterall. And even if he can't immediately spot these differences, he's not prideful enough to not ask for pointers.
He does tend to take on advisory roles on occasion, the individuals he provides it to benefitting from his experience on and off the battlefield. He's quite content with his current "On again, off again" habit of going between hitman and advisor, since it keeps him on his toes. Course, nothing ever stays the same for long as far as the Mafia are concerned... Especially when a job from an unknown client sends him to Namimori on what would prove to be the defining moment of his entire life.
P A R A M E T E R S
"Quote"
// F L A M E
Storm
// A B I L I T I E S
Cool-headed - Able to maintain a calm outlook in almost any situation. You'd have to really go out of your way to tick him off.
Analytical - Capable of observing targets and deducing weaknesses, then exploiting said weaknesses with surgical precision.
Experienced - Has survived a few close scrapes in the past and came out wiser for it; Is willing to share his experience with others to help them avoid those same pitfalls.
Seasoned Marksman Though he probably doesn't hold a candle to the Arcobaleno Reborn in terms of his sharpshooting skills, he's still a good shot in his own right. If it shoots bullets, he can use it with precision.
Swordsman Although a bit irregular for a storm user, he took up swordplay as a contingency plan for close range battlefields where firearms would be unable to be aimed in time. In his role as a hitman, he sometimes found himself engaging in a sword duel with his intended target, and these skills proved invaluable.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Dual 9mm handguns, Suppressed - Concealed beneath his coat, hidden inside the main body of the coat. Carries the suppressors inside hidden compartments in his coat's tails.
Double-edged 1-handed Sword - Concealed beneath his coat, on his left hip, always on hand. Simple, but effective.
M4A1 Carbine - Primarily used for short to medium range combat where discretion is no-longer or never was important, with a strap to support it on his back when not in use. Owing to the weapon's size, however, he can't go wandering around in public with it, so he'll likely leave it somewhere out of sight and secure.
Within the basement of a seemingly normal house, a brown haired male in a white lab coat sat dozing at a workbench, having fallen asleep while taking apart some age-old device for study, tools and schematics of various kinds lining the wall. The man in question wouldn't stir at all, as he was completely out of it. In truth, said man was already dreaming, and had been for a time, in which he was stood within a world where everyone was free of problems, and he'd created countless devices to make everyday life easier. But for some reason, that dream felt more real than usual... Up until it faded to black and he was dragged into a mirror.
------
Butter Daisy Forest
Unlike the others who experienced this same event, this one ended up a considerable amount of distance from the rest, and ended up wandering aimlessly through the forest, unknowingly away from the sanctuary of the forest... Up until the forest itself ended up a wasteland, and he was hiding behind the remnant of a stump, trying to calm his beating heart.
"I am pretty sure I'm not dreaming anymore... That heat... I know the feeling of a naked flame in your face, and that was like several times greater... No imagination would voluntarily call something that threatening up in a dreamscape." Mark thought to himself as he calmed down.
"Would that I could have some idea where I am right now... Besides the fact that a whole forest was turned into a charred waste in an instant." Mark thought to himself, checking the coast was clear before opting to move. Staying out in the open given that something or someone just incinerated a whole forest was just asking for a death sentence.
----
Crobalt Nicholas Crystalis - The Sun
Cronic took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he began to process what had just been described to him... Unaware of the time bomb in the guise of a child he was comforting until it was too late. When the rabbit flung Crobalt to safety, away from Snow, he hit the ground back of the head first, dazing him a little, but recovered just in time to witness the shadow dissappearing through the floor, and the ensuing explanations for what had transpired, and the laws of this world... And though he didn't get like this often... He was initially taken aback, but that quickly turned to fury that this happened, and a resolve for one simple goal; Not. One. More.
"...I just witnessed a young life with a whole future ahead of him... Snuffed out in an instant." Crobalt said, gritting his teeth as his hands balled into fists. Lives were the most valuable thing a person could ever own in his eyes, and to see one ended so casually... He wasted no time in pocketing his Chronovoker in his right coat pocket and shattering the marble given to him. In one hand, a double-edged, one handed sword manifested, and in the other, a plain kite shield made itself manifest, a strap to support the shield on his back when not in use and a belt to carry the sword's scabbard materialized around his torso and waist, respectively.
"And you say there are countless more children who have met with an uncertain fate as well? ...They're gonna pay for this." Gripping the shield firmly, letting his arm get used to any weight it may have, along with adjusting his grip on the sword to find a comfortable yet secure way to hold it, Cronic began to try to find a way to hold both steady without leaving himself open. Once their basic plan, find any stragglers who'd been dragged here too and guide them to sanctuary, had been established, and Alice, Adam and Jill leapt out to begin, Cronic was mere moments behind them.
"Alrighty. I'll start gathering materials and brainstorming ideas. I might have something ready by day's end, but don't hold your breath on that one." Cronic said, rolling up the parchment he'd written Yuki's measurements down onto and tucked it away into his coat.
"In the meantime, feel free to explore a little more. Just ignore a guy named Nazeem if you come across him. Redguard citizen, has more money than sense and dresses the part. Also tends to talk down to everyone and anyone. I tend to quickly excuse myself before I feel the need to introduce my fist to his groin." Cronic said, walking over to the door.
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"Mostly just stepped out to get some air, wandering without direction, really." Serena said to Aria as the two headed towards the doors to Dragonsreach.
"Be nice to know who's in charge around here though. I tend to try and stay on the good side of local authorities, but that objective is commonly tested when the Thalmor are involved." The woman said, her right hand twitching at the mention of that hated faction.
"Doubt I'll be able to grab some reading material here, but it'd be worth a shot, at least."
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