PrankFox

Pokémon: Ascendancy

"Well I'll be a mankey's uncle," Sloan laughed from her perch in between Fiona and Vivi, "Briar got his ass here before Ryker did." That had to be something to mark down on the calendar. It wouldn't happen again for several years at this rate.

She glanced over to Beryl at the mention of a bet, "Hey Doc, you wanna get me a drink with some of that money?" She lightly waved her empty glass with a half grin on her face.

Leander's eyes shifted from Fiona to the ice-type leader as he settled into the bar. He returned the nod with one of his own. That really did make Ryker late. He looked back to Fiona, "We might need to up the timeline on that drama." Man was apparently going to wait until the party was over to actually show his face. Not that Leander particularly minded all that much. Most of them needed to loosen up a little, especially if it happened that Ryker showing up also brought the Chairman along with him. That they didn't need.

He kept checking the time as the minutes ticked by, sipping on his drink, a frown growing on his face the more time passed and the worse the weather got. "And I thought I was a workaholic," he muttered under his breath, shifting to look at the door for the millionth time.

That millionth time seemed to do the trick as the door finally swung open to reveal their Champion. An eyebrow rose slowly as the pool of water under Ryker's feet steadily grew. The rest of them had missed the storm by actually showing up on time. Not that he was looking forward to leaving in it. Maybe he'd get a taxi back home...

"Sure are Champ!" Sloan sent Ryker a grin as he settled in next to Fiona, "We were all trying to figure out which one of you would be the last. Glad you made it here in one piece judging by how hard that storm is raging out there." She looked over to the jacket that was also dripping water, "Well, mostly one piece. That jacket might be a lost cause."

Pokémon: Ascendancy

The glare Hestia sent his way was returned with an easy smile in her direction as he took his seat. What he'd ever done to the fire type leader to earn her ire he truly didn't know, other than snagging the highest rank as gym leader, but starting a fight in the middle of the bar was not how he wanted to begin the night. Leave that for the end of the night when they'd all had more than a few drinks. Niall wandering his way in left them down only two. One gym leader and the champion himself, unsurprisingly on both counts.

A bark of laughter left Sloan from where she leaned on the back of the bar chairs, "And here I was expecting another fighting tip. Get tired of trying to get those to stick?" She grinned at the older gym leader; bumping her fist against Fiona's. "You ever catch me sober at one of these get togethers I've been replaced by a Ditto or something."

"I'll keep it in mind though, so long you grab me a whiskey first." Would she really? Probably not.

Leander caught his own drink as it slid down the bar and took a sip of it. His attention turned to Fiona as she spoke to him, a grin coming to his face at the question. "Course I did. The giant lout basically flew off without me when he realized where exactly we were going and who would be here." He could almost feel Oberon's ball shudder on his belt at the insinuation that he was even slightly smaller than Felon.

He couldn't help but laugh at the idea of one of Ryker's mile long speeches being cut off in a blaze of draconic fury. "You know I'm always a fan of the dramatic. Give him thirty minutes then I'll "accidentally" hit the release for Oberon." Even thirty minutes was being generous. He liked to talk, being an actor basically required it, but even he didn't think he had the ability to keep going for that long on a single topic. Especially when that topic was how illustrious the gym challenge was and how much of an honor it was to be Champion for the millionth time.

Knowing Ryker, his tardiness could be attributed to continued rambling at the opening ceremony, or he got dragged into something with the Chairman. That was always a possibility.

Pokémon: Ascendancy

Of course it had to be Hulbury that the gym leader meet up had to happen, of course. Leander tried to avoid coming back here as much as he could get away with, even when it came to promotional tours. At the bare minimum, he would be avoiding where he and his brother used to fuck around the most, less chances of getting recognized that way. He would've been able to get here sooner if he wasn't fighting his manager the whole way to the exit.

Despite the insistence of his PR team that he head into town in a more Public fashion, Oberon would've kicked his ass to Wyndon and back if he was stuck in his Pokeball for any longer. The Salamence was a quicker trip anyway, and he figured he was already behind a number of the other gym leaders in getting there. Hestia for sure. If his clothes got a little windswept on his way to the bar then so be it. His suit was easily smoothed out anyway.

The sight of the churning waters at the edge of the docks, the rocking boats, made his stomach turn. "Not the time." If he was having to deal with the chaos that was the combined force of Fiona, Vivi, and Sloan plus Hestia, he would need to focus.

The Cliffside, mercifully, was not near his parents lab and landing in the most empty street he could find wasn't difficult. Now wasn't the time to deal with clambering fans.

"Alright then, back you go. You can fight with Felon later." he ignored the irritated grumble that Oberon gave him in response as he was returned to his ball.

The revving of an engine had him skipping back a step as a motorcycle sped past. He huffed in annoyance as it skidded back around and the grinning face of Sloan appeared in his line of sight.

"Sorry Leander, didn't see you there! Expected you would've already been inside." Her voice was chipper as she pulled her helmet free and shut off the bike. "Usually I'm the one running late."

She tucked the bike off to the side, and strode in the direction of the bar with a wave of her hand in his direction; encouraging him to follow after her.

"Sorry we're late!" Sloan hollered out into the bar as she pushed open the door, helmet under her arm. "You got any tips for me this time Charlie?" She approached the bar; leaning on the backs of Vivi and Fiona's chairs.

Now it would really start to get loud in here with those three together. Leander shook his head with an amused smile, "Evening everyone," he cut to the side to take a seat next to Luca. "Gin and tonic if you don't mind Charles."

It looked like they were just missing Niall and Briar, which honestly didn't surprise him, and Ryker too of course. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before they got there.

Pokémon: Ascendancy

Sloan Wilder

You think you can take down my fighting types? Ha! That's funny.

---

MAIN PROFILE

Name:
Sloan Wilder

Age:
26

Gender:
Female

Birthplace:
Hammerlocke

Appearance Information:
Stands about 5'7" with a constantly straight-backed, cocky stance. She usually has her hair up, and the tips dyed in some capacity. She has a number of tattoos, the two most notable on her arms and neck, but there are a few more on her legs and back.

Sloan likes to wear mostly tighter fit clothing when she's training to avoid snagging on things, or giving her opponents something to grab onto. Most of the time, if she's out and about, she wears a leather jacket, jeans, and boots since she rides her motorcycle pretty much everywhere. However, when she's spending time by herself though she prefers comfy clothes that are a number of sizes too big for her. Generally she doesn't give two shits about what she looks like.

Personality:
It is unusual to not see a smile plastered on Sloan's face. She is the kind of person that wants everyone to have a good time and will go out of her way to ensure that. She is easily excited by things that grab her interest and tends to overexaggerate most everything just for the fun of it. She is likely to make snap judgements and not fully think through what she's doing before she does it. Doesn't really matter the situation she will jump in guns blazing.

She's highly competitive, ambitious, and determined to win at almost any cost. Her usual strategy of winning a battle is to overwhelm with sheer force rather than go in depth into any tactics. She does know her type match ups though and uses that to compensate for the fact that very few of her Pokémon have anything but attack moves. This does occasionally translate out of the gym and she will throw punches at someone who pisses her off enough.

There is a more calm side that comes out on the rare occasion, mostly when she's drawing or doing more meditative training. She does pride herself in her creativity with most things though she doesn't take criticism on her work very well. Once she has made her mind up about something it isn't likely to change even if someone in a higher position than her tells her so. In fact that usually makes her stick to her stance harder than before.

Short Biography:
Originally Sloan was born in Hammerlocke and grew up alongside her brother Adam. For the first few years of life she grew up pretty textbook until her mother passed away. Since that point she was raised by her father who was busy with his work alongside an up and coming Pokémon professor. While it did make him busy she had her brother to hang out with and once she got older her father started taking the both of them with him all over Galar to watch battles.

It was that that sparked her love of battling. Even if she was too young to get her first Pokémon she begged her father to let her join a martial arts dojo. The man was more than willing to do whatever his children wanted most of the time so he easily acquiesced. She enjoyed the physical fights and grew to love the fighting type Pokémon that many of the members at the dojo had.

Once she was old enough she got her first Pokémon, a Torchic that was a gift from her father. She thought about joining the gym challenge right away, but instead she elected to join her father in his travels all over the world learning about Pokémon. She built her team as she went and by the time she made it back to Galar she was able to join the gym challenge and easily make her way through. She was upset about losing the Champion's Cup, more so than she really cared to admit, but she held her head high just the same.

She popped back into the dojo she trained in as a child for a bit, training both herself and her team. One or two more runs at the gym challenge told her she wasn't likely to ever beat the champion, but she's content to keep training and keep fighting to get there. She'd get to the top one way or another, though she still spends a great deal of her free time at the dojo training.

Likes:

• Cat-like Pokémon
• Video Games
• Martial Arts (obviously) and other physical activities
• Motorcycles
• Travel
• Drawing
• Parties
• Staying up late

Dislikes:

• People who give in easily
• Sitting still for too long
• Weakness
• Overly serious people
• Losing

Quirks:

• Wakes up at the crack of dawn to train, doesn't seem affected by lack of sleep at all
• Prefers to ride her motorcycle places instead of taking the taxis even if it makes her late
• Draws her own tattoos
• Is incredibly flexible (mostly uses it to freak people out)
• Constantly covered in bruises or scrapes from training with her team

---

LEAGUE PROFILE

Type Specialty:
Fighting

League Ranking:
Minor

League Placement:
TBD

Gym Location:
TBD

Gym Description:
Martial Arts Studio: Meet a trainer who gives the challenger a series of marital arts poses that they have to remember and copy. If they do it successfully then they can move on without a fight, if not then they have to battle the trainer to move to the next part of the gym. The sequences get more complicated as they go on until they get to Sloan.

---

POKEMON

League Team

[Heracross (Minerva)]: Being first on the league team is really the only reason that Minerva listens to anything that Sloan wants her to do. She is good on the field though which is why she hasn't been benched. Her body is a darker shade, almost navy.

[Hawlucha (Rikuo)]: Rikuo is almost just as bad as Minerva when it comes to causing problems around the gym, but he is more likely to listen. He'll knock off whatever he's doing with a stern look or threat to take him off the team. Fighting is what he loves and the risk of losing that can have him jumping through almost any hoop. Looks like a regular Hawlucha.

[Lucario (Suzuki)]: If given the opportunity Suzuki would be the first to sprint out onto the field. She doesn't think much about strategy and prefers to hit as hard as she can, much like her trainer. This has, unsurprisingly, led to a number of losses during training but it doesn't stop her. The spikes on her chest and backs of her hands are slightly longer.

[G-MAX Grapploct (Casal)]: Casal is never afraid to take any kind of hit, or afraid of anything really. He could be up against the most difficult match and he'd still puff up and give it everything he's got. He is the most level of the league team and does a great job managing everyone. Mostly since he can just grab all of them at once. Has more yellow spotting than most Grapploct.

Main Team

[Pangoro (Ossa)]: Ossa is usually the first out on the field and makes her presence known without fail. She loves the attention that the crowds give and relishes in every single bit of praise she can squeeze out of Sloan. She is stubborn as a Tauros though and refuses to back down from anything, even a bad match up. She is more gray than black.

[Mega-Blaziken (Adiva)]: The daughter of Sloan's original starter, Adiva knows she has the ability to get away with pretty much anything. She uses this fully to her advantage and causes trouble around the gym, or in public if she gets the chance. The fact that she inherited her predecessors mega stone does not help matters. A darker shade of orange than usual that creeps further down her legs, cutting off some of the yellow.

[Gallade (Rokon)]: Rokon is often the voice of reason among the team. He is constantly keeping Ossa and Adiva from causing problems, as much as he can, and is much more tactical than his trainer. Oftentimes he can make a calculated decision before Sloan even has a second to think about what that might be. Looks like a normal Gallade.

[Toxicroak (Della)]: Ossa's partner in crime most of the time. Just as stubborn and bull-headed as the Pangoro she pushes both of them to their breaking points in training. Rokon, or even Sloan, often has to force the Della to stop training and take a break before she runs herself into the ground. This does give her a stiff determination in her battles to never give up. More on the purple side color wise than blue.

[Kommo-o (Killinger)]: The other voice of reason on the team, though more on the serious side of things. Killinger is one of the older Pokémon on the team and serves as close to a team leader as they have. He doesn't take kindly to the pranks pulled by Adiva or the constant stubbornness of Ossa or Della. Thankfully most of the team respects him if he tells them to stop. Larger than usual.

[G-MAX Sirfetch'd (Greeves)]: One would think that the knightly stance of Greeves would indicate some amount of class. Unfortunately it is very much a mask and the Sirfetch'd is almost as bad as Adiva when it comes to causing trouble. Though his pranks are less harmful to their public standing and usually involve trying to trip Sloan with his leek. Looks like a normal Sirfetch'd.

Benched Pokemon

[Machamp (Hercules)]: One of the original members of Sloan's team and one of her favorites. He isn't on her main team anymore mostly due to age, but he still gets his hits in whenever he gets the chance. Hercules lives up to his name and puts on a big show whenever he is brought out onto the pitch and is the first to throw himself into a dangerous attack. Slightly darker shade of gray and absolutely massive arms.

[Breloom (Aprilla)]: Aprilla is one of the more laid back members of the team. Which is to be expected given she's a grass type. She is more than content to sit on the side and bask in the sun, but that isn't to say she doesn't like to fight. When given the opportunity she will throw herself full force into any battle she can find. The mushroom cap on her head is slightly larger than average.

Other

[Amped Toxtricity (Acabion)]: One of the old members of her original team, and one of the only ones that isn't a fighting type. She picked up a Toxel from someone she met on the road and couldn't not keep it on her team. Now Sloan just lets him hang out and she tries to beat him at video games. It doesn't usually go very well. The electric mohawk is a brighter shade of yellow.

[Torracat (Nimbus)]: Not even considered a possible fighter, Nimbus is much too lazy to want to do anything more than sleep. Sloan picked her up on a visit to Alola with her father and eventually she just kind of took over the house. She is a good companion when Sloan is home though and the just needs to unwind with a warm, furry friend. Has more black than red on her fur.

---

RELATIONS

Relations

TBD

Pokémon: Ascendancy

Leander Hawthorne

"Made it all the way to me have you? Be prepared for your most legendary battle yet!"

MAIN PROFILE

Name:
Leander Hawthorne

Age:
28

Gender:
Male

Birthplace:
Hulbury

Appearance Information:
Leander stands over six feet with a lithe build, and the fact that he always tends to stand up straight doesn't help him looming over most people he stands next to. Sporting long black hair, already streaked with silver (it adds to the mystique!) and gray eyes make him stand out slightly less than some of his counterparts within the League, but the shiny bits and pins that make their way into his hair or onto his clothes make that a moot point.

He is often concerned with his appearance when in public, and on the gym floor, as he is easily recognized by the general public for both his acting career and his time as a gym leader (not fully by choice, PR is just a nightmare). Comfortable clothes are reserved for at home, when he knows no one is coming over, and costuming is reserved for set and the gym scene much to his disappointment. Being out means neat suits and shined shoes, though his own touches do sneak in to much of his clothing.

Personality:
Confident, determined, and maybe a little bit overdramatic, Leander fits well in the limelight both as an actor in the off-season and a high ranking gym leader during the challenge season. This especially comes out during matches with a full dragon hunter character to fit his mighty team. He thrives off the attention and is usually a little too eager to chat with fans, even when he has something else important to do (so long as they're the respectful kind).

Despite many people thinking they know Leander well, and taking his open book presentation as a statement of fact, he struggles to let his full guard and mask down around anyone; hiding behind the persona of a confident, well-liked gym leader and shoving any problems deep into the background where they can't be a bother. He is quick to take on others burdens as his own, and drop whatever he's doing to offer advice or a shoulder to lean on to his fellow gym leaders or his challengers.

He often tends to take on more than he can handle, and is constantly juggling new hobbies and interests, leading to a lot of late nights and a common habit of dozing off just about anywhere when he is able to snag a moment of quiet. The only thing that rivals his love of the stage is his adoration for his dragons and he will do whatever it takes to keep things moving forward.

Short Biography:
Born in the seaside town of Hulbury to a pair of marine Pokémon researchers, along with his twin brother Julian, there was always something to do, though that usually had to do with the water. In his younger years he and his brother spent much of their time either swimming or out on a boat with their parents as they couldn't be left alone by themselves without causing some sort of trouble. He and his brother were virtually attached at the hip through most of his youth, and gained a bit of a reputation around town, and not necessarily the most flattering one.

His parents had high hopes for both their sons to follow in their footsteps and stay in Hulbury to continue their research after they decided to retire. Julian was all for it, having always had a science minded brain, but Leander was more interested in the gym challenge and the spectacle of it all. His parents reluctantly agreed, provided that he build his team with the water types from the waters around Hulbury.

Their request almost went well, until a freak storm along the coast while he was out attempting to catch new members for his team tossed him into the water and the only thing that saved his life was a Kingdra that recognized his struggle and got him back to shore.

A newfound dislike for the water, but a growing fascination for dragon types after his experience, led him to defy his parents and release his water type team. His parents, unhappy with the defiance, put all of their attention onto their other son, driving a wedge between the brothers and leaving Leander to forge his own path.

And forge his own path he did, stealing a Seadra from his parents lab and striking out on his own to attempt to find his footing in the gym challenge with a team constructed the way he wanted it to be. Despite his losses as he worked through the challenge, he found himself more and more comfortable and confident the more time he spent in the roaring crowds of the gym. The gym challenge became just as much for the showmanship as the battling for him; leading to an off season gig as an actor that blew up into a more lucrative career than Leander ever anticipated.

He took some time off from the challenge to travel and perform, building out a team of dragon types whenever he got the opportunity to track one down. Once back in Galar he threw his hat into the ring for another season in the challenge and made it closer to winning than he ever had before. Despite staggering at the finish line he made enough of an impact and impression to be tracked down when a position opened up in the league.

Likes:

• New hobbies of any kind
• Puzzles
• Socializing
• Dragons
• Fantasy/adventure books or movies
• Acting/singing
• Metalworking

Dislikes:

• Arrogance that can't be backed up
• Not having something to do
• Writing
• Researchers
• The water
• Disrespect
• Math

Quirks:

• Can fall asleep absolutely anywhere: in a chair, on the floor, on one of his dragons
• Usually has something in his hands to fidget with

---

LEAGUE PROFILE

Type Specialty:
Dragon

League Ranking:
Major

League Placement:
TBD

Gym Location:
TBD

Gym Description:
TBD

---

POKEMON

League Team

TBD

Main Team

[Dragalge (Ariel)]: The most humble of Leander's team, Ariel doesn't like the spotlight as much as her trainer does. She likes to be the first one on and off the pitch, or maybe somewhere in the middle, where she can be more easily overlooked. She's not the heaviest hitter, but her ability to take a hit is hard to beat, and she's been nothing but reliable since joining his team. Looks like a normal Dragalge

[Garchomp (Caliban)]: Caliban is one word and that is stubborn. Once his mind is set on something, whether that be what attack he wants to use next or what snack he wants, there is virtually no way to change it. He's one of the heaviest hitters on Leander's team and that keeps him on the team, but his habit of making up his own mind and not always listening leaves him on thin ice after most matches. His teeth stick out a bit and are a little more jagged.

[Salamence (Oberon)]: Quick decisions are the preferred method of fighting in Oberon's opinion, and if someone isn't moving quick enough then he'll pick up the pace himself. He doesn't like to sit still and always wants to throw himself into the deep end as quickly as possible. His rash behavior often ends up with him in sticky situations, but usually he can get himself out of it with a little bit of direction from his trainer. Is more on the blue side.

[Tyrantrum (Aragon)]: Somehow, despite his small arms, Aragon manages to cause the most problems out of anyone on the team. He usually means well, but his bulky frame and long tail means that trying to maneuver around anything can oftentimes end up with something shattering on the floor. He is a sweet boy and always feels bad when he knocks something over. Slightly darker shade of red.

[Hydregion] (Viola): Viola is an intimidating looking Pokemon, but she really is a sweetheart. At least off the battlefield. On the pitch she is a no mercy sort of fighter who will do everything in her immense power to win a fight and she is the most crushed in the event of a loss. Looks like a normal Hydreigon.

[G-MAX Dragapult (Desdemona)]: Des is a chill dragon at her core, but she is more than willing to throw herself full force into whatever battle comes her way. She is easily the strongest member of the team, and Leander's ace for a reason. She knows she's strong, and chooses not to show off, despite the fact that she easily could. More of her tail is translucent than normal which often leads to someone tripping over it.

Benched Pokemon

[Flygon (Percy)]: Percy can be a little oblivious and sometimes struggles to pay attention to what he's told. He tries his best in battle, but his frequent stumbles forced Leander to make the tough decision to put him on the bench for more training. There's the hope that with time he'll be able to pick up the slack and become a real powerhouse on the team. The lenses over his eyes are a little cloudy, but other than that he looks the same as any other Flygon.

[Noivern (Fang)]: Fang, despite her name, is actually rather cautious. She is known to hide herself up in the smallest crevices of the gym (a habit she's had since she was a Noibat) which can make it exceptionally difficult to find her. She much prefers to just hang out and watch battles than actually participate in them, but if she has to she will zip in and out with devastating speed to win a difficult fight. She is generally darker colored than most Noivern.

[Appletun (Lady)]: Lady lives up to her name, almost treating it as more of a title. She is calm and relaxed almost all of the time and very little seems to get through her defenses and rile her up. Maybe its by virtue of being a grass type, or maybe Leander just got lucky given the rest of his chaotic teammates, but she is a welcome balm after a hard day training. Has more of a green tint to her body rather than the usual teal.

[Haxorus (Caius)]: Despite how intimidating Caius looks, he is actually rather upbeat and playful. He is the spirit of the team, on and off, and is often the one that tries to boost everyone's mood in the midst of a low spot in training or a hard loss. The most common member to be on and off the main team, really just depends on how everyone is doing. Looks like a normal Haxorus

Other

[Yamper (Pistol)]: The only non-dragon that Leander has anywhere in his vicinity at any point in time. Pistol is the goodest boy and he makes his fun out of harassing the dragons on Leander's team despite the fact that he's nearly been clawed, stepped on, or eaten more than once. He's cuddly and makes for a great buddy on the couch. He's a darker shade of tan than most Yamper.

[Kingdra (Silvius)]: The evolution of the Seadra that Leander stole from his parents all those years ago. He was a constant comfort to Leander through all of his losses and his only close companion for the longest time. Chooses to sit on the sidelines now and isn't much for battling anymore after so many years doing challenges. His horns are slightly longer and have more branches, though one of them is broken.

---

RELATIONS

TBD

---

Paradise in Walson

Well well, surprise surprise. Gonna have to try and track down my character for this

Wings of Fire: Distant Storms

Friend? That was a strong word for Bluemoon to use when he had only met her that morning. Hemlock wasn't sure if he'd ever had someone that he could call a friend before. Well, he supposed Juniper was his friend now too. These Sandwings though? These Sandwings were decidedly not in any way, shape, or form friendly. He might not know a lot about interacting with other dragons, but he did have enough knowledge to know that the stinger sitting under his chin was very dangerous.

A chorus of laughter from the troupe echoed around the empty streets as Bluemoon spoke. The presumed ringleader who stood in front of Hemlock grinned viciously, "I don't think Queen Gila would mind one less freak in her city."

"Well, that's just rude," Hemlock retorted blandly. The stinger, that had drifted slightly downwards shot back up to his throat with a snarl from the Sandwing. At the same moment he heard the sound of Bluemoon hitting the ground and his eyes flicked over to her. His claws itched to do something but he was significantly smaller than all of these Sandwings. His size would give him an advantage in getting away though and he didn't waste a second when Bluemoon told him to run.

He craned his neck backwards away from the stinger, letting his body follow the movement so that he could roll to the ground and back to his feet, safely under the stinger that swung for his head. A spear thudded into the ground next to his foot as he leapt away, hooking his claws into the sandstone of a nearby building to haul himself up. The blood was pounding in his ears as he looked to the ringleader and the other, paler Sandwing that had thrown the spear at him. He knew he didn't have more than a moment before they came after him but he couldn't leave Bluemoon on the ground, pinned with claws around her throat.

A sadistic gleam entered his eyes as he pulled his bag that always hung around his neck to his front, tucking himself further back on the roof out of sight. He had plants in there sure, but insects also loved plants, and he had collected a solid number that lived in his little ecosystem contentedly. It took him only a second to stick his claw in and find the little critters he was looking for. A small troupe of ants with massive jaws. Normally harmless on dragon scales, but not everywhere was scaled.

"Can't get away that easy little insect," the pale Sandwing pulled himself up on top of the roof with a flap of his wings, spear in claw.

"Interesting choice of words," Hemlock grinned back at the Sandwing. Instead of turning to run away he leapt towards the larger dragon, a push of his wings getting him up above the Sandwing. A shake of his claws both agitated the insects there and jostled them free, directly onto the face of the Sandwing who was staring up at him, spear poised to attack. The moment the ants hit his face they made a beeline for the Sandwings nostrils and eyes, snapping down with thick jaws which had the other dragon screaming in agony, stumbling backwards off the roof.

Hemlock couldn't help but cackle as the dragon pawed at his face, writhing on the ground, as he fought to get the biting insects off. The ringleader glared up at him, in both rage and horror, as he pulled back and jumped over to the next roof, closer to Bluemoon so he could try and help her. Hopefully without getting a stinger lodged in his back.

Wings of Fire: Distant Storms

The quieter road was definitely nicer than the crowded streets. Still, Hemlock kept his wings pressed tight against his body. More out of nerves than anything else. He wasn't used to being around so many dragons, let alone so many from different tribes. He wanted to go home more than anything, back to the jungle where he and his father used to live, but he knew that he couldn't. At least not right now. Instead he focused on the curiosities of the city. He'd seen the Sandwings, but he followed Bluemoon's gaze to the bulkier dragon that was conversing with the soldiers. He had no idea what that was a didn't want to bombard her with more questions. He'd figure it out on his own he was sure.

At his question about the Queen of the Sandwings he didn't notice the warning look in his guide's eyes. The nuance of expression was often lost on him he'd come to find in speaking with Juniper and the others. He hummed in half understanding of the response. If she ruled everything then it felt weird for her to be in one city all the time and not checking in other places. If she did stay in one city he would've expected the biggest place, which he assumed was the castle.

He hurried to follow after Bluemoon as she walked into an even quieter part of the city. He shivered slightly at the cool air but didn't complain. A furrow crossed his brow as she whispered to him, "It's not like the questions are hurting anyone. She's the Queen and that's all there is to it, and I wouldn't know that without asking."

"And out Queen doesn't like you interlopers hanging around," a gravely voice echoed from the shadows between two of the buildings as a troupe of Sandwings stepped onto the more well lit path. Not guards from the looks of them, but the weapons they held in claw were just as dangerous.

The one who spoke shouldered past Bluemoon, planting himself firmly in between the Nightwing and Hemlock with a scowl. His black eyes turned to Bluemoon and he gave her a sickeningly sweet smile, "Why don't you just run along now, no need to interfere with the Queen's business."

As two other Sandwings moved down the other side of the street to pin Hemlock between them he looked between the larger dragons mildly. "I'm not bothering anyone. You all are causing more problems than me making a whole bunch of noise." He could at least tell by the sharpened weapons these dragons were not of the friendly sort, but he'd been minding his own business. His father had always told him not to let others push him around just because of who he was. Of course his father's methods had always been a bit...extreme, but if it came to it he had plenty of fun things he could use in his pouch.

A brief look of surprise crossed the biggest Sandwing's face before he barked out a laugh, "This one's got a mouth on him," his stinger swung around to poise itself under Hemlock's chin, "Think we should fix that before we finish this?" The query directed at the others standing about.

Wings of Fire: Distant Storms

So this wasn't the actual Sandwing city, but it pretty much was because of how much time the Queen spent hanging around? Seemed far more complicated than necessary in Hemlock's opinion. Did that mean that someone else was in charge of the castle while she was here, or was it just left alone until she got back? There were far too many questions swirling around in his head, and he didn't want to pester Bluemoon with them. He didn't know how long she'd been here, she wasn't a Sandwing, so maybe she didn't even know. He simply nodded his head in understanding to the explanation.

He caught the change in Bluemoon's demeanor as they slipped between the stalls, but looking around he didn't know what had caused it. Some of the merchants seemed to give them so odd looks, but he wasn't familiar enough with the area to decipher what they meant. Why did interacting with other dragons have to be so complicated?

When she asked him if he had any other questions he paused in thought. He had many other questions, but most of them weren't very relevant. Just idle curiosities of his ever active mind. There was one he felt would be useful to know though. "So if the Queen is usually in charge of everything else that's not here, but Queen Gila is here most of the time does that mean there isn't a current leader here? It's just her?" He didn't have any interest in talking to whoever was in charge, but he still wanted to know.

Honestly he didn't have much interest in being inside the city at all. Sure it was better covered, but the number of times he'd almost bumped into someone was enough to make his scales prickle. He subconsciously pressed his wings closer to his sides. With his lack of familiarity with bigger cities he couldn't tell where the discomfort was coming from. The sight of the curved stingers, so much like the odd tails of the invaders he saw, constantly brushing scales with strangers, or something else.

Yokohama Midnights | Persona

Mentions: Mori @Lord Orgasmo

It would be easy enough to look up what games were coming out online, but that required slogging through game journalists opinions on what was actually good. That would be an load of arbitrary and conflicting opinions that, quite frankly, Torio did not want to deal with. He had enough of that with his father's business partners. Besides, he knew Mori liked games, probably more than he did, and lunch was one of the few times he could actually talk to someone.

Seemed liked he'd made a good choice in who to ask as he was immediately met with a flood of information on the newest games that were coming out. He brought up a note to jot down anything his classmate mentioned that sounded even mildly interesting. He'd never been much for the Civ line of games since they took so long to play, but his attention was piqued at the mention of a new horror game. That might be one to look into.

"No shortage of new stuff that'll suck hours of my life away," he said, partially to himself, "Horror has always been my go-to so maybe I'll hold out until June before buying anything else." Not that he figured his parents would care what he bought so long as he offered to test it on his dad's new hardware.

Torio returned the shrug, "Probably some gaming convention or direct coming up. I can never keep track anymore." He snorted in half amusement and half disgust, "If I want to spend hours grinding the same looking dungeon or weird puzzle I'll just replay an Elder Scrolls game for the fifty millionth time."