King Cosmos

Fate/Dark Heritage

Berserker

It was a particular talent of arrogant nobles to demand something they wanted and make it sound like they were offering you something out of their own generosity; they all spoke that way, like you should be continually grateful in their presence. Berserker did not want a bout; his Master had already said they were leaving and he had no interest in fighting for sport or for this man’s entertainment. Hang Jebat also did not miss the insinuation that Saber would win and would graciously let them leave with something that was not his to give or to take away, that their lives were not their own and would remain their own.

What right did Saber have to grant him anything? What right did he have to allow them passage or to leave? What right did he have to claim this temple as his territory to begin with? Conquest? Birthright? Did those under his rule choose his protection? Did they accept it? Were they even aware it existed? Was this anything more than a man grabbing at power and land and forcing his will onto others?

Was Saber a tyrant after all? It was hard to say. Perhaps he had the makings of one. He was a man whose first act back from the dead was the claim land and people as his own. He was a man who made demands and claims like he was owed. He was a man who would brandish a katana boldly in the face of those he said were not his enemies.

A fair king is a king saluted, a tyrant king is a king disputed. Saber was not a man Hang Jebat felt much like saluting.

Lashing out with the hand not on the hilt of his weapon, Berserker made to grab the blade of the katana being pointed at him; if it was just a mundane weapon and not a Noble Phantasm then the properties of the Taming Sari would prevent it from cutting him. With his other hand he drew the kris from its sheathe, bringing the blade up and swinging it across Saber’s stomach in a reverse grip in an attempt to disembowel the Rogue Servant.

@Randomguy@Iamme

Fate/Dark Heritage

Berserker

As it turned out, Berserker’s assumption was wrong. There was someone at the temple; they were just slow in making themselves known. He stepped into front of his Master as the other Servant appeared, not blocking Shou’s line of sight of the newcomer but placing their body between the mage and the potential threat.

The temple’s occupant was a swordsman, a samurai specifically, by appearances; the robes and lack of armour made him look more like a noble or a bureaucrat than a warrior in Hang’s opinion, but the air of confidence and competence he carried himself with and the ease with which the sword sat at his side ensured he would not underestimate this opponent. Should it come to a fight.

They were a Rogue Servant though. Supposedly not after the Grail and looking only to protect the temple and their territory; Saber claimed not to be their enemy, unless they made one of themselves first. Berserker’s fist clenched around the hilt of his blade when the katana was drawn, though the lack of reaction from the Noble Phantasm itself let him know that this was a not a real threat, just a bit of theatrics. Nonetheless, Berserker almost drew his blade in turn; all this talk of territory and taking heads was starting to make the red creep in at the edges of his vision. Saber was not a tyrant, he was not a king or even a leader, though he may be some kind of noble based on the way his Master mentioned a clan name; but the high handedness with which they were handling this situation…

Hang Jebat relaxed his grip but did not let go of his weapon’s hilt. “As you say, Master.”

@Randomguy@Iamme

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Akeno

Sleeping on solid rock with nothing but the vest on her back to protect her from the elements was not a pleasant experience, especially not when her muscles were burning with the after-effects of as much exercise as Akeno could force out of this pint-sized body. Even so, when morning came around she didn’t feel nearly as sore or as tired as she thought she would.

Orc’s were hardy things from the feel of it. They’d have to be to be able to survive the way they did.

Following the directions of the head warrior, Akeno made her way to the training circle and lined up with the rest. She recognised a few of the faces from the day before, including a handful that she knew to be like her, but there were just as many that she didn’t recognise. The head warrior’s bellowing brought to mind the kind of stereotypical drill sergeants she’d seen in movies and the threats of nonsensical violence would have fit in any one of them; as would the intensive, even excessive amount of physical exercise that followed.

Akeno was starting to regret the sit-ups and push-ups she’d forced herself to do before falling asleep last night. Even if she wasn’t feeling as sore as she’d expected, that didn’t mean her muscles weren’t complaining by the end of the squats, then screaming in protest by the time they were done with the rocks, then outright calling for mercy by the time the branches came out.

When they got to the wrestling it was actually something of a relief to Akeno. Grappling on the ground was not something she had any real experience with but the same could also be said of pretty much everyone else present here as well; even as she watched some of the other matches take place, all it really amounted to was a bunch of Orcs trying to trip each other up and push each other over, then overpower them or use their weight to pin them do. There were no arm bars, no triangle holds, no escape attempts that weren’t just trying to brute force throw their opponent away.

A few strangulation attempts though. She was pretty sure at least one Orc was foaming at the mouth by the end of things.

Grappling experience or not, Akeno definitely had an advantage when it came to takedowns, and when it came time for her own fight it was a fairly simple matter to duck under the other Orc’s grasping arms, wrap her right arm around the back of one knee and the other arm around their waist, lift one leg off the ground and spin them around so that they lost balance and fell to the ground. Akeno fell on top of them before they could get their bearings or try to get back up, but past this point she had no idea how to pin them down or keep them from bucking her off; somehow though, in the process of pinning them down her elbow found itself connecting with the side of their jaw and left them dazed enough to make pinning them easier.

Totally by accident.

The guy counting didn’t seem to care anyway.

After that they were led back to the weapon racks and she was told to pick a weapon to use. At first her eyes were drawn to the knuckle dusters and then to the leather wraps when she wasn’t sure if the former would disqualify her from her skills bonuses. Looking at her options though, she eventually decided on a small shield and a one-handed club. She could already fight unarmed so this was a chance to learn something new and even though she had no idea how to swing a sword properly, a club should be fairly simple to figure out. And she could just drop it if it didn’t work out.

She stepped into the circle against her opponent and when it was clear that he wouldn’t make the first move, began to walk forward with her shield raised and angled towards them until she was in range of their sword.

@Zeroth

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

Hoga Nao

Yamazaki High School - South Team

There might have been some kind of karma involved, to ensure that the first Grudge hunt Nao went on was at a high school. As punishment for skipping out on class for so long, she now had to save a different school from the manifestation of all the negative bullshit that made her stop going in the first place. Surely being saddled with these strange abilities that she couldn’t even have any fun with because she’d have to pay double for it was bad enough, but she guessed that tricky fox and the universe had different ideas.

Or maybe Grudges appeared at schools all of the time because they were such terrible places to be and it had nothing to do with karma at all. That did make a lot of sense. Damn, that probably meant they’d be sending her to a lot of schools then.

At least this time she likely wouldn’t have to deal with the Grudge directly. She was paired up with the fancy scion of some big shot family and a girl so eager to fight that she was already letting off little bursts of lightning; careful there, you’ll be paying for that later, literally. Nao could just sit back and let them deal with things; save herself having to spend any money at that damn shrine this week.

The lightning girl asked something about what do to if the students got caught up in things and Nao gave a bored answer for her spot squatting beside her, face resting in her palms with her elbows on her knees. “I don’t know, zap them?” That would be fun to see, less so to explain later. “Or let them get eaten? It’s their own fault if they get caught; who would even be at school this late anyway?”

Someone with no life. Were there any clubs that even ran this late? She wouldn’t know, having never been part of one. Nao could just hope that everyone had already left for the day, because if they did run in to anyone it would probably be up to her to distract them or hide them from the Grudge and then she’d probably have to pick up more shifts or find a second part-time job to make up for it.

Stupid fox.

Karaoke sounded fun though.

“Only if you’re paying.”

Fate/Dark Heritage

Berserker

The forest was as empty as Shou had predicated, at least as far as their cursory investigation could tell. Hang stayed close to his Masters side as they travelled, remaining visible and tangible so as to provide a target for anyone they stumbled across and to better protect Shou should another Servant appear.

From the sounds of it, they did not have much in the way of resources with; a phone, which his knowledge of the modern era gave him some understanding off but his own lack of experience meant he was missing some context, some money and clothing but little else. Had his Master really entered into this war so ill prepared? Was it confidence, naivety or desperation? He mentioned a brother he wanted to save, so perhaps the latter.

In terms of skills at least he seemed better equipped. Berserker still didn’t have much confidence in the martial ability of modern mages, but Shou’s skillset at least seemed suited towards combat. Even so… “Wherever possible, leave the fighting to me. It’s a Servant’s duty to fight for their Master and the longer we can keep your abilities hidden the better. Act only in self-defence if you can or in secret if you can get away with it.”

They arrived in front of a temple. “If someone were here, I suspect they would have made themselves known by now. Let’s take a look for ourselves.”

@Iamme@Randomguy

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Just let me know if there's something specific you need and I can tell you so you can include it in your next posts.

@Zeroth

Is there anything I need to include in my next post based on the actions I mentioned in my post above?

Fate/Dark Heritage

Berserker

Berserker gave his master a considering look as he spoke. Planning their route so as to avoid bringing civilians into their conflict spoke well of him, morally, but to do so at the cost of sending them to scout a location unlikely to result in anything further added to his concern that Shou was someone not used to war. That they had not established or found a location for a base of operations before summoning him was another sign of that. “The forest it is then.”

They had delayed here long enough. Hang Jebat broke eye contact with his master and turned to walk away, keeping his pace slow enough that he was inviting Shou to walk with him, rather than leaving him behind. “I was not aware we didn’t yet have a base of operations; in that case we should hope not to encounter anyone and instead make that our priority.”

The forest would work for now, since as Shou said it was unlikely anyone would be there, but at some point Berserker would like to take a closer look at this town that his master mentioned. If possible he would prefer setting up base closer to or even in an urban area rather than somewhere isolated since while that isolation would hide them, it would also make them stand out more while in transit to and from their base.

”While we travel, could you inform me as to the resources we have available and what you are capable of, Master?”

@Iamme

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

Hoga Nao - She kinda deserved to be cursed

Hoga Nao

• Name: Hoga Nao
• Age: 16
• Gender: Female
• Appearance: At around 5’ 6” Nao is taller than average and has a slim build. Her black hair is cut into a messy bob that stops just below her ears, which is dyed with purple highlights at the tips. Black and purple are her dominant colour scheme in fact, the shade of her hair matched by the black and purple jacket she wears; the dark colours only broken up by its white stripes. The rest of her clothing varies, but is usually similarly dark.
• Personality: Nao carries herself with a self-assured cockiness mostly seen in people who have yet to be taught that they are not as good as they think they are; the arrogance of someone who has not been proven wrong. Her attitude towards others is combative and challenging, quick to put others down and push them to do something.
  
  However, this confident attitude is quick to turn into indignation and outrage when it is turned back on herself and Nao has a quick temper that can flare up suddenly at any perceived slight. Furthermore, Nao is a person who holds long grudges and isn’t shy to seek vengeance.
• Backstory: Originally from Osaka, and still carrying a strong Osaka-ben accent, Nao moved to Tokyo in the final year of middle school. Showing up halfway through the year, lacking in confident and being kind of loud and abrasive compared to her classmates, Nao had a hard time fitting in and didn’t make any friends by the end of the year. The following year she attended a high school nearby, as did a number of her middle school classmates, and things were not much better; in fact, they were considerably worse as rather than just being a loner, Nao’s attitude led to her getting involved in a lot of fights (with her classmates) and arguments (with her teachers) and soon found herself with a reputation as the “loud mouthed trouble maker” of her school.
  
  It didn’t take her long to get fed up with this and it was near the end of her first year that she began to skip school entirely, instead spending her days wandering Tokyo by herself. Her parents were aware of this and tried to confront Nao, but this just led arguments at home instead and only served to further push her away. It was out of boredom, more than anything else, that led her to shoplift the first time; stealing some junk food from a konbini because she was too lazy to pay for it. When nothing bad happened she did it again, finding that the thrill of maybe getting caught at least alleviated her tedium a little, until it became a regular habit.
  
  One day she bumped into someone on the street, or maybe they intentionally bumped into her, and found herself confronted by an angry young man who demanded an apology and payment for a feigned injury; a shakedown via intimidation. Nao gave him neither, instead kicking him somewhere painful and running off with his full wallet which he had foolishly been waving around. Once safely away she laughed herself hoarse as her heart beat wildly and the next day she escalated from shoplifting to pick pocketing for the first time. This did not go nearly as well and more often than not she had to run from her targets; she got quite good at sprinting through busy street and cramped alleyways as a result, as well as quickly learning how to climb her way out of dead ends. With enough practice, Nao found herself running away less and less.
  
  The money she acquired this way went mostly unspent; aside from occasionally spending it on food and entertainment during the day most of what she took was hoarded away, stolen just for the sake of stealing it. After a couple months Nao even began to teach herself how to pick locks, though never found the nerve to do anything with her new skill.
  
  It was during the break between her first and second year of high school that Nao saw possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Why she was the most beautiful, why she caught the eye as much as she did, Nao couldn’t exactly explain; she just kind of had the feeling that this woman was the most attractive person alive. Regardless, the woman’s appearance didn’t capture Nao’s attention quite as much as the large jewel she was carrying did. It looked like an oversized pearl, glittering white and almost glowing with some kind of inner light.
  
  The jewel must have been far more valuable than the wallets she normally pickpocketed, valuable enough that taking it could get her into a lot more trouble than she knew how to deal with, but as the woman walked towards her Nao couldn’t stop herself from reaching out a deft hand to swipe the jewel from the woman’s hands before taking off down the street at a sprint.
  
  Minutes later, when the sounds of the woman’s anger had faded and her blood was pumping loud enough in her ears to deafen her, Nao stopped to examine what she had taken. It was unlike anything she had seen and for a moment Nao wondered if it was even a jewel at all; it seemed too large, too unreal, to be genuine. Maybe she’d stolen some worthless trinket instead of anything valuable?
  
  “Give that back!” The sudden shout almost had her dropping the ball in shock, but Nao managed to recover and grip it tight to her chest as she turned to find the woman, out of breath and furious, behind her.
  
  Moving the ball behind her back as if it would hide the fact she had taken it, Nao smirked at the woman’s desperation, now half convinced that the ball was junk but willing to have some fun with it. “Eh, give what back?”
  
  “The ball! Give me back my ball!” The woman’s shoulders were hunched up to her ears in rage, face contorted into something decidedly less beautiful than it had been before.
  
  “Ah, this?” The ball reappeared in front of Nao and though the woman clearly wanted to leap for it, something held her back. “How do I know this is yours? Things like this are a dime a dozen aren’t they? I can’t just give this back without proof.”
  
  “It’s useless to you! Even if you take it, you don't know how to keep it. It’s worth far more to me, so give it back if you don’t me to be your enemy forever!”
  
  Nao’s smirk turned more mocking. “It’s worth a lot huh?” She began to pass the ball between her hands, throwing it back and forth and ignoring the growing sound in the back of the woman’s throat as she did so. It sounded a lot like an animal’s growl. “Want to put a number on that?”
  
  The growling seemed to continue even as the woman next spoke, as if her mouth was making two sounds as once, but if there was anything unusual about this Nao didn’t notice it. She did notice when the growling suddenly stopped and the woman’s mouth lifted into a smirk of her own. “Oh, I see. You want to make a deal? Fine, it is very valuable to me after all. Let’s make a deal.”
  
  Nao smiled like someone who had no idea they were about to lose.
• Skills: Pickpocketing, lock picking, free climbing, running
• Spiritual Energy Grade: A
  
  
  • Contracted Being: Kitsune – The many tailed fox
  • Contract Rank: B
  • Contract Abilities: Kitsune’s are known primarily for one thing; trickery. They can change their shape, often taking the guise of beautiful women and can create illusory sights and sounds to vex people. They are thieves and pranksters and Nao’s contract with one allows her many of the same traits.
    
    Having made a contract with the Kitsune after stealing its Hoshi no Tama, the magic of the Kitsune allows her to create visual and auditory illusions; creating phantom sights and sounds that are visible or audible to as many or as few people as she wants. The form of the illusion, the shape of it or the way it sounds, will be exactly as Nao imagines it to be, meaning it will take constant concentration and imagination to maintain an illusion and will contain any flaws she includes or blank spots she forgets.
    
    It also allows her to take on different forms, shape shifting in other people or even the form of animals or other yōkai. There is a limit to how much she can change her size however; she can become slightly bigger or slightly larger but cannot take on the form of a giant or a bird for example. The transformation also does not include any knowledge on how to move in her new form, should the form be drastically different from her own.
  • Cost: As payment for using the contracted power, Nao must make regular offerings of some kind to Inari shrines. The offerings should be proportional to how much she has drawn on the contract and cannot be stolen, or even given to her, and must be her own.

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

@VitaVitaAR Okay, let's give this another shot.

Hoga Nao - She still deserved to be cursed

Hoga Nao

• Name: Hoga Nao
• Age: 16
• Gender: Female
• Appearance: At around 5’ 6” Nao is taller than average and has a slim build. Her black hair is cut into a messy bob that stops just below her ears, which is dyed with purple highlights at the tips. Black and purple are her dominant colour scheme in fact, the shade of her hair matched by the black and purple jacket she wears; the dark colours only broken up by its white stripes. The rest of her clothing varies, but is usually similarly dark.
• Personality: Nao carries herself with a self-assured cockiness mostly seen in people who have yet to be taught that they are not as good as they think they are; the arrogance of someone who has not been proven wrong. Her attitude towards others is combative and challenging, quick to put others down and push them to do something.
  
  However, this confident attitude is quick to turn into indignation and outrage when it is turned back on herself and Nao has a quick temper that can flare up suddenly at any perceived slight. Furthermore, Nao is a person who holds long grudges and isn’t shy to seek vengeance.
• Backstory: Originally from Osaka, and still carrying a strong Osaka-ben accent, Nao moved to Tokyo in the final year of middle school. Showing up halfway through the year, lacking in confident and being kind of loud and abrasive compared to her classmates, Nao had a hard time fitting in and didn’t make any friends by the end of the year. The following year she attended a high school nearby, as did a number of her middle school classmates, and things were not much better; in fact, they were considerably worse as rather than just being a loner, Nao’s attitude led to her getting involved in a lot of fights (with her classmates) and arguments (with her teachers) and soon found herself with a reputation as the “loud mouthed trouble maker” of her school.
  
  It didn’t take her long to get fed up with this and it was near the end of her first year that she began to skip school entirely, instead spending her days wandering Tokyo by herself. Her parents were aware of this and tried to confront Nao, but this just led arguments at home instead and only served to further push her away. It was out of boredom, more than anything else, that led her to shoplift the first time; stealing some junk food from a konbini because she was too lazy to pay for it. When nothing bad happened she did it again, finding that the thrill of maybe getting caught at least alleviated her tedium a little, until it became a regular habit.
  
  One day she bumped into someone on the street, or maybe they intentionally bumped into her, and found herself confronted by an angry young man who demanded an apology and payment for a feigned injury; a shakedown via intimidation. Nao gave him neither, instead kicking him somewhere painful and running off with his full wallet which he had foolishly been waving around. Once safely away she laughed herself hoarse as her heart beat wildly and the next day she escalated from shoplifting to pick pocketing for the first time. This did not go nearly as well and more often than not she had to run from her targets; she got quite good at sprinting through busy street and cramped alleyways as a result, as well as quickly learning how to climb her way out of dead ends. With enough practice, Nao found herself running away less and less.
  
  The money she acquired this way went mostly unspent; aside from occasionally spending it on food and entertainment during the day most of what she took was hoarded away, stolen just for the sake of stealing it. After a couple months Nao even began to teach herself how to pick locks, though never found the nerve to do anything with her new skill.
  
  It was during the break between her first and second year of high school that Nao saw possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Why she was the most beautiful, why she caught the eye as much as she did, Nao couldn’t exactly explain; she just kind of had the feeling that this woman was the most attractive person alive. Regardless, the woman’s appearance didn’t capture Nao’s attention quite as much as the large jewel she was carrying did. It looked like an oversized pearl, glittering white and almost glowing with some kind of inner light.
  
  The jewel must have been far more valuable than the wallets she normally pickpocketed, valuable enough that taking it could get her into a lot more trouble than she knew how to deal with, but as the woman walked towards her Nao couldn’t stop herself from reaching out a deft hand to swipe the jewel from the woman’s hands before taking off down the street at a sprint.
  
  Minutes later, when the sounds of the woman’s anger had faded and her blood was pumping loud enough in her ears to deafen her, Nao stopped to examine what she had taken. It was unlike anything she had seen and for a moment Nao wondered if it was even a jewel at all; it seemed too large, too unreal, to be genuine. Maybe she’d stolen some worthless trinket instead of anything valuable?
  
  “Give that back!” The sudden shout almost had her dropping the ball in shock, but Nao managed to recover and grip it tight to her chest as she turned to find the woman, out of breath and furious, behind her.
  
  Moving the ball behind her back as if it would hide the fact she had taken it, Nao smirked at the woman’s desperation, now half convinced that the ball was junk but willing to have some fun with it. “Eh, give what back?”
  
  “The ball! Give me back my ball!” The woman’s shoulders were hunched up to her ears in rage, face contorted into something decidedly less beautiful than it had been before.
  
  “Ah, this?” The ball reappeared in front of Nao and though the woman clearly wanted to leap for it, something held her back. “How do I know this is yours? Things like this are a dime a dozen aren’t they? I can’t just give this back without proof.”
  
  “It’s useless to you! Even if you take it, you don't know how to keep it. It’s worth far more to me, so give it back if you don’t me to be your enemy forever!”
  
  Nao’s smirk turned more mocking. “It’s worth a lot huh?” She began to pass the ball between her hands, throwing it back and forth and ignoring the growing sound in the back of the woman’s throat as she did so. It sounded a lot like an animal’s growl. “Want to put a number on that?”
  
  The growling seemed to continue even as the woman next spoke, as if her mouth was making two sounds as once, but if there was anything unusual about this Nao didn’t notice it. She did notice when the growling suddenly stopped and the woman’s mouth lifted into a smirk of her own. “Oh, I see. You want to make a deal? Fine, it is very valuable to me after all. Let’s make a deal.”
  
  Nao smiled like someone who had no idea they were about to lose.
• Skills: Pickpocketing, lock picking, free climbing, running
• Spiritual Energy Grade: A
  
  
  • Contracted Being: Kitsune – The many tailed fox
  • Contract Rank: B
  • Contract Abilities: Kitsune’s are known primarily for one thing; trickery. They can change their shape, often taking the guise of beautiful women and can create illusory sights and sounds to vex people. They are thieves and pranksters and Nao’s contract with one allows her many of the same traits.
    
    Having made a contract with the Kitsune after stealing its Hoshi no Tama, the magic of the Kitsune allows her to create visual and auditory illusions; creating phantom sights and sounds that are visible or audible to as many or as few people as she wants. The form of the illusion, the shape of it or the way it sounds, will be exactly as Nao imagines it to be, meaning it will take constant concentration and imagination to maintain an illusion and will contain any flaws she includes or blank spots she forgets.
    
    It also allows her to take on different forms, shape shifting in other people or even the form of animals or other yōkai. There is a limit to how much she can change her size however; she can become slightly bigger or slightly larger but cannot take on the form of a giant or a bird for example. The transformation also does not include any knowledge on how to move in her new form, should the form be drastically different from her own.
  • Cost: As payment for using the contracted power, Nao must make regular offerings of some kind to Inari shrines. The offerings should be proportional to how much she has drawn on the contract and cannot be stolen, or even given to her, and must be her own.

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

I did like the Dodomeki angle, but are you alright playing a more support-based character?

@VitaVitaAR

Support-based characters are fine, I've got no problem with that. Though, in this case I guess it will just amount to standing there and looking at enemies all the time. Which doesn't exactly make for the most dynamic posts.

I'll give it some thought, but I'm leaning more towards the Kitsune for now.