Red Hood

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

MMO 101 was never to let your back line come to the front, but Esther felt confident with her choice. She had seen how well Liu had been protected by the barrier, and felt it would be better if the lot of them worked together to take down the ambush as fast as possible. Hesitation during an ambush would only make things harder on the others.

What Esther felt less confident in was how well she could support a serpentine dragon on her shoulder.

"Oh my!"

While Esther had been treating the dragon as some great warrior, it was something else to see “little Griselda” laying waste to their enemies. She could feel the heat on the side of her face as her shoulder mounted dragon continued their sweeping attack. She stood as still as she could, as it would be unfortunate if their poor mute companion lost her head here.

Not that they were very poor, as they were ultimately the one to cave in the stalker’s head. And while she couldn’t see it directly, she could see the golden light from Vetreus’s attack, and hear everything from the warcry to the creature falling to pieces.

"That's two down."

And then, more magical projectiles. Severin certainly was handy with that staff. He didn’t even leave the corpses alone, as they were blown to bits by a hail of magic.

All that was left was the last stalker, the one that Liu was holding in place. While it would have been possible to blast it from a distance with a stronger spell, she saw little reason to against a single enemy. Better to hold off until something more worthwhile came along. But it was difficult to run with the extra weight on her shoulder.

"Would you mind walking, dear? I’m not as strong as Vetreus is." In fact moving was such an ordeal that when (if) she got close enough to the other stalker, she was only able to snap once out of the effort she exerted approaching the creature. Hopefully she could pull it off balance and give her skeletal companion the edge he needed to finish it off.

Actions

Actions:
Move 10 ft (Encumbered)
Move 10 ft (Encumbered)
Snap

Snap: Magic F, Flexible Affinity F (Indirect approach), Focus F (no penalty for moving) - With a snap of the fingers, a distorted ribbon of sheet music flies from Esther’s finger tips and strikes a target within 5 feet. It's something. - Grade F - 0 post cooldown - Ability F (1) + Catalyst E (2) + Intelligence D (3) = 6 base effectiveness

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Now things were really happening.

Spells were being flung, blades thrusted, and analysis conducted left and right. Unfortunately, Ester’s magical studies had hardly begun, and she wasn’t able to make much use of the information being thrown her way. Radiant magic? Fire magic? She was just barely able to make her magic take form, let alone simulate other forces. The protective barrier was welcome, however. She had an idea someone would need it.

But with the counter attack underway, Ester needed to decide how to best help everyone. Liu had been attacked, but his barrier was holding. Vitreous looked like he was triumphing over his foe, and likely didn’t need any help. But “Crumbs” looked like she was faltering. The creature managed to trip her up before she could do anything.

The giant fairy hurried up to Penny, keeping the girl between herself and the stalker. While Esther had no problem placing herself in harm’s way, especially since a barrier had been placed over her, she figured Penny was better equipped to deal with an attack if she had tried to grab a hold of whatever this was.

She snapped her fingers, and a weaker, shorter range version of her last spell took shape, she snapped again and a second ribbon flew out from her fingers. The creature was already down, so now Esther was just aiming to damage and distract it so that Penny could get a hit in. The ribbons wrapped around its neck and leg, and Esther tugged until her spell snapped and burst into magical flames.

Snap Combo

Snap: Magic F, Flexible Affinity F, Energized F - With a snap of the fingers, a distorted ribbon of sheet music flies from Esther’s finger tips and strikes a target within 5 feet. It's something. - Grade F - 0 post cooldown - Ability F (1) + Catalyst F (1) + Intelligence D (3) + Combo (1) = 6 base effectiveness

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Esther rolled her eyes when the draconic man inquired about her potential fear of the surrounding forestry. She placed a hand on her hip. "Do not confuse caution with fear. These are not the woods of the Fae See. I brought this up because you seemed like the macho type that would try to climb around those vines. I’m cautioning you that should you try that, you might wind up paralyzed." With a sigh, she smiled. "But it is comforting that you’d like to protect me. Yet with Griselda among us, I see no reason for any of us to be afraid."

Esther and Griselda’s information did not paint a pleasant image of what was happening inside. The giant Fairy steeled her gaze. "If someone’s being ripped apart, I hope we’re not too late to save them." She resumed her march after the others.

But while Griselda and Esther were able to uncover some clues before setting foot in the corrupt forest, Liu had upstaged them. That wasn’t entirely true, but having a map with clearly marked out paths and points of interest were, of course, extremely valuable. They wouldn’t need to worry about running into a dead end, right? "Why Liu! You’re a Cartographer? I’d have never guessed." Additionally, he had marked out the location of hostile creatures, so there was no chance they’d get surrounded.

Until they did.

"How did this happen?!"

At least they weren’t totally unaware when it happened.

It didn’t look like they were here for a peaceful negotiation, so it was time to fight. Esther pointed her harp towards the canopy and strummed a note. Her harp lit up with green and red light as ribbons of music soared over her companion’s heads. They coiled around a front leg of each stalker and, with a twist of her harp, pulled taught on their front most leg. Then the ribbons seemed to catch fire, and burned their way up to the reanimated creatures.

If it stopped them from charging for a few seconds, or ideally, knocked one of them prone, maybe someone else could finish one of them off.

Diminuendo

Magic E, Range F, Targets F, Flexible Affinity F - Ribbons of magical sheet music coil around a limb or weapon of up to 5 targets within 30 feet. Then with a tug, the targets are potentially knocked prone or disarmed before the ribbons detonate in a cacophony of harsh sounds. - Grade E - 1 post cooldown

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

The trip in the carriage had been mostly quiet, but there had been some talking.

As polite as Liu was, he was not the most trusting sort. Esther had not realized that the fae of this world were like the ones from old myths. In truth she’d have been happy with a general overview of how familiars worked, but it seemed it was much more personal than she had realized. Even though they were all working together, they were all still strangers. But it was interesting. Esther had thought Liu was a soulless construct that a powerful necromancer could build easily. But if Iberis Odhir created him with that level of self preservation, he must have been difficult to make. That, or Liu simply had a mind like any human and was more than a mere construct. Either way, it wasn’t something he was going to share. No point prodding him further, less she become an irritation.

Another surprise, Vetreus was much more talkative than she thought he’d be. Of course she expected him to talk, but that he was so much more forthcoming than Liu was a surprise. It was just a surprise that Liu had been the one the encourage withholding information for safety and here Vetreus was talking about what felt like some personal family drama. It sounded like he was a bastard, which meant her earlier remark had been much ruder than she had intended. But it was hard to be sorry. Vetreus understood the risks of acting like legitimate nobility, and the Jester’s earlier retort was a consequence of that. This was something he seemed to understand too.

She had hoped that the little dragon would answer her question, but it seemed that Vetreus had a handle on how much talking the little one could do and gave a quick response in her stead. Just as well, probably.

And the newly arrived continued to say nothing. Were they really going to have to call her Crumbs now? It wasn’t a horrible name, and it did fit the girl that was falling apart at the seams. But still…

Griselda inquired about how Esther was sitting. "Hmmm?" She looked at her back. "Ahh! No, little one. There is plenty of room in this carriage to accommodate my wings. I just haven’t done a lot of sitting is all." Having something pressed against her back was not a feeling she was accustomed to yet. She typically slept on her side, and miraculously was still the entire night.

But that was in the carriage, and now they were officially working.

Severin was, predictably, just as confident outside the meeting room as he was in whatever this was. He was still going on about cults, and talking like they were the only possible explanation for this. Though the way he spoke made it seem like it was the only natural conclusion. "We’ll find out soon enough, I suppose."

With Severin and Liu confidently taking the lead, Esther fell back to Vetreus. "Everything seems a lot more dangerous than it looks." She said, realizing how dangerous it already looked. "Those vines have a paralyzing agent in them, but the entire forest seems like it wants to eat us alive. Those mushrooms release hallucinogenic spores, too." Esther really wanted to pick one of those glowing mad caps and stick it inside Liu’s skull, but it was a rudeness he didn’t deserve and far too risky given the circumstances. "And this is just a hunch, but there are necrotic and chaotic life energies in the soil. I would not be surprised if the forest animates its former victims to defend itself." Ester started to walk after the others. "But be cautious around the vines. I don’t like the way they move as we approach."

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

"Ooh!"

Esther held down her skirt as Liu tore past everyone. Though the wind kicked up in his wake wasn’t a risk of revealing anything. While Esther couldn’t fly (yet) her black under dress hid anything that might get exposed while flying overhead. Regardless, the large skeleton was faster than he looked. Logically, his long stride meant that he could cover a lot of ground with less effort. But the most Esther had seen giant skeletons do in the past is move very slowly in front of people’s porches on halloween.

She hadn’t quite entered the carriage when Vetreus’s words reached her. A smart mouth? She looked back at him with a smile. "I do not go out of my way to insult others. But if you make me your jester, I am going to exercise that right. Though I’m a woman, too. We get away with saying all kinds of things to men. Isn’t that right, Griselda?" She gave Liu a nod of appreciation before entering the carriage.

It was much more spacious than Esther had anticipated, but that hadn’t stopped the late arrival from shoving herself into the corner. Suddenly, her wingspan didn’t seem like an issue. Even with her wings spread out there was plenty of room for everyone.

The newly arrived was debriefed by Severin, and Esther didn’t see the need to bombard her with questions while she gained her bearings. Instead she turned to Liu. "How does being a familiar work? Did this Iberis Odhir call you from a different world? Did they make you? How does that work?" Fortunately for Esther, fae had a reputation for being curious despite their long lives. It hardly seemed out of place for her to ask so many questions.

Once she heard Liu’s answers (if he provided anything) she turned to the dragon and his charge, Vetreus. "You said I was bold for gambling my family’s freedom, but you don’t sound too attached to yours." She allowed him a moment to respond before addressing Griselda. "Why is such a strong dragon accompanying us? Surely she has better things to do than involve herself with us."

There was plenty of time to look out the window and the wild and exotic things in the Grand Duchy. It amused her how both the Duchy and the See were known for their magic, but they focused on entirely different aspects of it. Before she could jump into a philosophical conversation with herself about it the entire scene changed. First a magical city, then a blur, and soon their destination.

Technology sure was impressive.

And before long they were at their destination. Once everyone piled out, Esther took a look at their surroundings. It was dark, and a bit more foreboding than the quiet corner of the See she typically inhabited. The darkness with the light emitting fungi made for an almost psychedelic light show. The Verdant Heart, true to its name, pulsed like its namesake would suggest. But while that was its most exotic feature, it was the smell of decay that had Esther the most concerned. Something, or some things, had died here. And whatever did it hadn’t even finished eating the corpse yet. As disturbing as nature could be, one thing it wasn’t was wasteful.

Severin’s words pulled Esther out of her thoughts. "A glyph?" She didn’t understand what he meant initially, then her eyebrows raised. "Ah! I think I have just what you want!" Her harp’s shape was similar to that of a bow. She held it like one, pointing the harp at some unseen target before placing her fingers on the strings. Then with a strum, visible music flew from the harp. It was as if the measures on a page of sheet music had come alive and leapt into the air. Five multicolored ribbons of music homed in on their targets. A large tree, a thorny vine, a mushroom, the grass under their feet, and another tree on the other side of the way in.

This was Esther’s first attempt to use her magic this way, but the intent was to create a rune on the surface she marked. She did not bring rope or a soap stone, so such a thing would be useful for marking out a path and not getting lost. Additionally, she hoped that her spell might reveal something about any of the targeted plants. Something was killing something in there, and she’d just as soon learn what she could about the local plant life before walking into the thick of it.

Familiar Tune

Magic E, Range F, Targets F, Flexible Affinity F, Artisan Artificer E, Appraisal F - Ribbons of magical sheet music reach out to up to 5 targets within 30 feet. Targets are marked with a rune and then appraised. - Grade E - 1 post cooldown

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Liu’s comment about jesters had caught Esther off guard. It was interesting to know that jesters tended to play the same role in this world as her old one, and that Liu wasn’t afraid to comment when he desired. Truthfully though, she felt like she could hold her own against Vetreus, and didn’t know if he’d get defensive if everyone ganged up on him. Not that anyone wouldn’t be justified. If you wanted to dish it out, you needed to be able to take it.

While the banter may have continued for longer, the air in the room changed with a late arrival. Valeriana interjected before the newly arrived could say anything. The Proctor reminded Esther of a German woman: Focused and direct, without an ounce of room for smalltalk.

So interference from the West Empire and the Church was a possibility, and one they would try to avoid. She certainly didn’t have faith in her ability to debate her way out of a fight with anyone, or even be diplomatic when she barely understood the land’s politics.

And it seemed “within the hour” had suddenly become “ASAP.” Not that Esther minded. The anticipation was making her nervous, or maybe it was that aura.

“Of course, thank you.” She bid Valeriana just as she left.

As to be expected, Severin took the lead and expected everyone else to follow him. There was no reason not to, but Esther couldn’t help but feel like the man acted a bit like a politician. She only spent a moment looking back at the other before walking after Severin. Esther considered walking directly beside him, but made sure to stay a few steps back so that her wings didn’t collide with him. They hadn’t been out of the room for more than a few seconds before he asked a question. Esther felt nervous about answering it, but there was no reason to lie here.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been in dangerous territory.” She answered truthfully. At least, truthfully for this world. “Though some would say the forests in the See can be dangerous.”

The fact that some of the students and even animals were afraid of the man didn’t surprise her. In fact, Esther felt good that she was able to hold up as well as she was.

“Cults, hmmm.” Maybe it was the optimistic part of Esther thinking, but part of her wanted to think that there really was a wounded entity, and all it needed was to be healed somehow. It was unfortunate that she didn’t know any healing magic, or much of anything. She had been in this world for a month tops and everything she learned was from a retired dwarf artificer. And frankly, she was quite glad she found him. But it still wasn’t clear why he suggested she come here.

It wasn’t until she got to the carriage that she sighed. She was going to have to sit near the doctor and his menacing presence, wasn’t she? At least he seemed to be polite thus far, and the others seemed like good people, even if Vetreus seemed a bit combative. She hadn’t decided if he was genuinely mean spirited or just liked to joke around. You couldn’t be all bad if you were carrying around a pet that cute though. It was a pet right? He had scales, so it could have been his baby. But why take a baby on a dangerous mission with you.

Given her wingspan, it would probably be best to find a place to sit down before everyone piled in. So when Severin stopped outside the carriage Esther stepped inside. “Thank you.” she bid the doctor before disappearing inside.

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Naturally, the second son of a noble family wasn’t going to take a slight like that sitting down. He was almost compelled to speak up. If it was anything like in her world, the first born was likely entitled to many things because he had a head start. Esther found this to be the case in normal families too, and second born often felt like they had something to prove. But wit was a battlefield where Esther was in her element.

Esther allowed his first quip about being a necromancer’s familiar pass by. A much better opportunity to counter attack would reveal itself in time. And the time came when Vetreus saw fit to bestow her a title. "Jester? Of your brother’s court? I suppose I can be his consoler if you need a break."

She was half serious too. A court jester might have been the lowest rank in the royal court, but they were still part of the court. There were numerous jesters from her world that became powerful and influential figures. That, and they were often immune to punishment for mocking nobility. Some even did become trusted consolers of nobles and even kings. If Vetreus had meant to humiliate Esther, it had backfired spectacularly. Regardless of intentions, she was having a lot of fun. Even if the creepy aura had her feeling a little nervous.

But there would be more time for them to mess with each other later. The Proctor answered her questions and even seemed a little impressed. Esther had assumed she would try to be secretive about why the runes were there, as needing to be discreet with their mission seemed like an important detail to mention. But she was just thankful to be of any assistance at all. After all, she was sharing a table with someone who had a PHD in magic, the construct of a powerful necromancer, and a noble. What even was Esther doing at this table? Faking it ‘till she made it, she reminded herself. There were a lot of powerful connections to be made here, and any one of them could help forward her learning. The old smith was wise to recommend she come to the Duchy.

Oh, and there was a cute little dragon that liked her music. She decided to refrain from speaking to her(?) at this moment. Too many other things going on.

She returned Severin’s polite comment with a polite nod, but couldn’t help but feel he was being insincere. His remarks to both of the other individuals at the table seemed to make them uneasy, and then there was his oppressive aura. Part of her wanted to ask if he could turn it off, but she refrained from doing so. Sometimes, faking it meant enduring uncomfortable challenges.

But Vetreus was an artisan? Interesting.

It was a shame Liu had decided to remain so quiet. She had hoped he would have at least given her a nod or some form of affirmation. But it was almost like he hadn’t even heard her. Oh well. She’d have plenty of chances to get his attention later.

With all the scrying orbs distributed but her own, she stood up and stopped her playing. Esther wasn’t short, but she did have to reach pretty far to poke the black orb. Severin had (rather rudely) pulled the box closer to himself without bothering to put it back in the middle of the table where everyone could get to it. It seemed like everything that man did was a subtle power play. She tapped the black orb with her finger and it sprung to life.

"Oh!"

Esther stood up, and the orb hovered in place. She was ready to go.

"Pertinent questions…" Esther thought. "If the West Empire has shown interest in the region, then is there a chance we may encounter them or a direct member of the church?"

She had decided not to honor Vetreus's joke about Liu with a response, even if it was a good pun.

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Fake it ‘till you make it.

Those words had been repeated to and passed on by Esther throughout her old life. While that life had ended, she found the advice was just as useful then as it was now. Life really was a confidence game and you got what you wanted by believing in yourself. Good things don’t come to people who underestimate themselves and evaluate themselves on their present limits.

Esther could use herself as an example. On the outside she looked like a fae. Her large insect wings and pointed ears hinted at such. Who knew how many centuries of knowledge was packed between her ears? Her harp was not merely a magical catalyst, but a tool for spellcasting that she had made herself. While hardly revolutionary, it did demonstrate her understanding of runes and how they operated on a fundamental level. She could also play her instrument rather well, which might have been enough to charm someone who was looking for Esther’s particular set of skills. Why wouldn’t you hire a woodland artificer to investigate a mystical anomaly in a rainforest?

But Esther wasn’t a fae. Certainly not one that had lived centuries. Everything she knew about runes or otherwise she had been told by a fae artificer. The harp had even been built in the artificer’s workshop with his supervision. Her harp playing could impress individuals or small gatherings, but captivating large audiences was not a skill she presently held. But here she was, faking it, with presumably more talented individuals than she. Perhaps they were faking it too.

Though some of them looked a little too intimidating to be faking it. She could swear Severin Vaust’s very presence was putting her on edge. He clearly wasn’t normal, something that even a novice like Esther could pick up. Yet the skeleton didn’t seem as intimidating as the doctor did. But maybe that was because Fei Liu reminded her of a character on the Nintendo that the kids were talking about.

She attempted to calm her nerves by playing on her harp. It was something to focus her fingers on anyway. Since she was in the presence of a few Nintendo characters (That guy with the horns almost looked like Zelda) maybe she’d play a song from that game where he defended the weak with his word. That always made the kids happy.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like much of anyone was too happy. Though the Zelda look-alike seemed especially dower. He wasted no time tearing down the "pawn" that was going to be working with them. This would not do.

"Oh, I don’t think it represents Iberis poorly at all. They’re clearly a busy sort, and managing their manpower as best they can. Besides, Fei Liu sounds like he’s here purely for our benefit." She looked directly at Vetreus. "...And has better manners than some of the other people at this table." She didn’t miss a single pluck of her harp while she spoke. Her lips and hands moved independently of one another.

"They call me Esther. No titles, but you can add one if you feel like it." She still wasn’t sure if her old name was a great elf name, but it wasn’t like she could start calling herself Zelda. "I hope you’ll stand between the rest of us and danger too, young man." She told the skeleton, unsure how old he was, but feeling it was younger than what she was supposed to be. "I’ll be sure to do my part and keep you safe as well."

That seemed to do for introductions. Now to address the task at hand. Esther looked at the fancy box the woman set down on the table. "Now dear, I don’t think you mentioned what was in that box. I have a feeling it’s some sort of apparatus to collect data, but I’d like to confirm. Speaking of collecting, what’s with the walls?" She looked to the walls, or more specifically, the runes on them. "That seems like some strong warding to discuss a simple data retrieval job."

It might not have been apparent to the others, but as an artificer, she could tell exactly what the runes were supposed to do. Her harp had several runes etched into it to enhance the sound, and spotting ones that were designed to deaden it were easy to spot. That, and she had accidentally carved the wrong rune on her prototype harp prior and it couldn't play music.

Gacha Asian Techno-Arcane Urban Female Utopia

Did you hear about that new gacha game? You know, the one with all the stylish *anime characters that reside in a technological yet also magical city? And the girls are really cute? If that sounds like almost every gacha game you’ve ever played, that’s kind of the idea behind this interest check. I’m looking for something that catches the same vibes as those games without turning into a money sink.

*_{Anime face claims (or any face claims) are not mandatory for this RP, but most gacha tends to be anime.}

Other than that I’m open to just about everything. We can go on a lighthearted adventure, a dark and moody tale, edgy teenage drama, a silly romcom, you name it. I’m open to just about anything. Otherwise, I consider myself pretty easygoing and open to a lot of things. Here’s a list of details about me to make it easy.

Fast posting speed, long posts, quality writing. Pick any two.

PM Preferred.

Active in OOC, primarily discussing possible avenues for the RP, delays, etc. We can chat if you'd like, but it's not mandatory.

MxF or FxF for romance. I can play multiple characters and enjoy GMing, but am fine splitting responsibilities.

Prefers partners who take an active role in shaping the RP.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk plot. I just have one CYOA style plot at the moment, so just scroll down, select your favorite options, and send me a PM with what you think would be fun to play. You can also roll a D6 for each option and let me know what fate decided for us. The guild's dice system is great for this.

The CYOA

Our story takes place in…

#1) A sprawling city based on modern life
#2) A dystopian wasteland that was once a great nation
#3) A beautiful fantasy world inspired by European folklore or eastern mythology
#4) A futuristic megacity
#5) Space!
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

Where magic is…

#1) Actually just advanced technology few understand
#2) Tied to critters that people carry around like familiars
#3) An innate power you need to be born with
#4) Only usable by those with special training
#5) usable by those who have artifacts made in a past age
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

And technology is powered primarily by...

#1) Electricity
#2) Fuel
#3) Steam
#4) Aether or other mysterious substance
#5) …Nothing?
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

But oh no! We have a central conflict, and it’s being caused by...

#1) Planer entities from another reality!
#2) Robots from space!
#3) Proffit crazy corporations!
#4) Rebels!
#5) An angry god/emperor!
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

Who’s primary goal is to...

#1) Take over!
#2) Steal an artifact!
#3) Harvest the population like a crop!
#4) Eradicate life!
#5) Take a leader out of power!
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

Standing in their way is our hero, who happens to be...

#1) Someone who got Isakai’d
#2) A soldier or commander
#3) An adventurer/wanderer
#4) A local who’s done sitting on their hands
#5) An, amnesiac
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

But our hero won’t battle this threat alone. They’ll have the help of…

#1) A militia or military group
#2) Other adventurer/wanderers
#3) Androids or cyborgs built to specs
#4) Revenge thirsty survivors
#5) The friends they make along the way
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

Which consists primarily or entirely of…

#1) Beautiful woman (Please don’t turn this into a harem plot)
#2) Kemono
#3) Folk creatures
#4) Angsty teenagers (PLEASE don’t turn this into a harem plot!)
#5) Everyday people who decided to do something extraordinary
#6) Wildcard! Think something up!

Fandoms

Maybe the CYOA isn't your style? My preference is to create original worlds, but I don't mind taking inspiration from existing media.

Played It:

_{Below is a list of Gacha games that I have personally played. I may have stopped playing them years ago, but you can at least expect me to be familiar with some of the mechanics and plot.}

Arknights
Azur Lane
Goddess of Victory: Nikke
Granblue Fantasy
Honkai Impact 3rd
Wuthering Waves

Looks Interesting:

_{The rest of this list is of Gacha I am less familiar with. It's here because I like the art, am familiar with what the Gacha was based off of, or played it a VERY long time ago. You may need to explain the setting a bit if we end up using these.}

Brave Frontier
Blue Archive
Fate/Grand Order
Fire Emblem Heroes
Genshin Impact
Girls' Frontline
Honkai: Star Rail
Limbus Company
Magia Record
Puzzle & Dragons
RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!
Sword Art Online: Integral Factor
Touhou LostWord
Tower of Saviors
Vindictus
Zenless Zone Zero

PM me if you are interested. I’d rather not bump this thread unless I’m looking.

Fire and Fire {P, Red Hood}

Preacher

Villains sure like to dress up, don’t they?

I know I’m one to talk. A preacher with a black leather jacket is sure to get anyone’s attention. Moreso if he has a revolver and a stiletto tipped cross in either hand. But it’s all functional. The jacket has kevlar woven into it to slow down bullets. I look somewhat normal from behind, and all that black makes me hard to spot at night. But these guys? It feels like they have a new costume for every day of the week. I swear Black Jack adds more spikes to his outfit every day, and Siren is trying to see how much she can show off before someone dresses her properly. But today is a special day and everyone is trying to dress to the nines. Yet I just see ones and twos wherever I look.

The Sect Squad was having a meeting. All of Lord Darknesses disciples were gathered together in the shadow temple’s auditorium. It was formerly a giant cave, but you wouldn’t know that looking at it today. It had been transformed into something more resembling an underground church, if not a castle. Onyx stonework hid anything that resembled a cave, while tapestries and paintings of the squad’s most notable villains lined the main hall. The auditorium, where everyone was now, was at maximum capacity. Hundreds of villains surrounded Lord Darkness as he droned on about the importance of things to come. Everyone was aware of the upcoming test, and everyone wanted the honor of representing Sect Squad.

Except for Preacher.

He continued to write in his journal, even as his lord and teacher addressed everyone.

They say that assassins tend to do well at such events, but is that a surprise? An assassin is someone who can make the most out of having initiative. It’s all rather silly, isn’t it? I would think anyone could make use of such a powerful advantage, but I was wrong. Turns out, people with my level of skill in such matters are hard to come by. But that’s why I keep my head down. I never liked to stick out very much. If someone notices me before I notice them, well, I know what I would do in their position. Villains aren’t known for being honorable. Perhaps that’s why this all seems like a waste of time to me. I don’t care to flaunt my skills and threaten my competition. Let them think I’m meek.

Eyes were upon him. Preacher slammed his journal before shooting Black Jack a glare, only to realize he was looking at the man’s back. That really was too many spikes.