Scout

Digital or Real?

Genkai? You still around? ^^ Just making sure you're still here - haven't heard from you for a while.

The Last Embers

YES! Sorry, busy weekend, Love. ^_^ Fantastic!!

Last Embers ~Reboot~

Oh, no doubt. ^^" I was just poking about to make sure we weren't losing it ;n;

The Flower, Russian and Hunter [ Cont. Em + Scout ]

Nero shouted in defiance as he was hoisted away. Why would anybody follow that fiery lunatic? Didn't they realize she was making it harder for them to escape by making them reliant on her? As they pulled him away, he shouted, "Teleport... Taft!" But it didn't work - they stepped off the platform the moment he started speaking and the action was interrupted, having absolutely no effect. He was carried out of the city, thrashing as tears streaked down his face. He was thrust to the ground, no longer surrounded by walls and buildings or on stone streets, but subject to whatever they wanted to do. He hung his head, closing his eyes... To be honest, he could die right now... If he was lucky, there would truly be nothing after death. It sounded so blissful, to be lost to the Void.

"You'll all rot in Hell for the choices you've already made - enjoy your decisions while you can," He sneered, though his breath grew ragged and nervous.

He was willing to release life, but... like this? No pride... No dignity... No, this was what he deserved, the boy was sure. He hadn't been evil, but he had been greedy, taking advantage of his abilities to make coin rather than to simply aide the players with low manufacturing skill levels. Perhaps Rose was right - he was impeding progress, rather than helping. Finally, he felt the men holding him down falter and he looked up to see one fall and shatter to pieces as Alice appeared, her blonde hair falling about her as she looked to the rest of Rose's group of followers and he stared up at her, awestruck as her once-vivid, green indicator turned a menacing blood-red. She was so relaxed, but he could tell where she had mentally been only minutes ago. Yet, the girl had overcome her emotion... Why? To help him, or to take hold of the opportunity to take down some of Rose's misguided cronies? Would he put his reputation on the line, stick his neck out so far for somebody else?

But she didn't stop - one after another, the men fell around them. Reinforcements arrived and Nero dazedly climbed to his feet and the fates of the two who held him down were placed in his hands. A need for vengeance against these two, and more specifically Rose and Nikolai, ate away at him inside. The sound of his blade drawing from his sheath sounded around as he stared at them darkly, stepping forward with it at his side. He opened his mouth, but froze as a notification appeared before him.

"An invitati-" He started before his eyes grew wide and he looked over to Alice. "O-Oh," He stammered, staring at it for several moments. A twinge tugged at his heart - guilds tended to collect its members' cash for the betterment of the guild, which was only fair. It was like paying dues for a club or fees for any other group... But it was something he had never wanted to pay. What was wrong with simple parties? However, as he met her eyes, he knew it was time to stop thinking for himself. He tapped the button to join and he felt absolutely no different when the window disappeared and it was official; Nero was in a guild. And yet, it didn't feel regrettable as he turned to the two men before him again, snarling.

"Fight each other or I'll kill you both myself," He said coldly. "Winner gets to go."

"What? No!"

"I was hoping you'd say so," Nero started, twirling his blade once, the light caughti t as it flashed.

"Wait! WAIT!" The other cried out, causing his weapon to freeze mere centimeters from his neck. It was the one who had not protested before, "We'll do it."

"What?" The other retorted angrily, looking over at him and taking a step back. The will to live was stronger than that to resist killing a comrade to them, clearly, as they drew their weapons: one in defense, the other with a burning desire to live.

Nero stood, retreating slightly to give them room as the weapons glowed all different colours, flashing and clanging loudly as they collided, fear shrouding the expression of one as the other fought to survive. It was clear from the start who would win - the one who actually tried, standing where his 'friend' once had, panting heavily. He looked to Nero, "I won... I won!" He looked like he had won the lottery, and in the next moment, he dissipated into a thousand shimmering shards. Nero stood several meters from where he had started and sheathed his blade, his lip twitching slightly as he looked to Alice. His indicator turned crimson as he joined every other player around him, making it truly official.

"Thank you, Alice," he said, shaking slightly and wiping at his face to hide his emotion. "I can't... I can't believe they're really gone..." He spoke sadly, clearing his throat and shaking his head, "Let's get out of here... In case Rose is hanging around." The boy hesitated, staring down for a moment and rubbing the back of his neck, "You want to stay at my house tonight? Save money on the inn, at least, and... We can talk about your guild," He stated, looking up. Anything... Anything to not be left reveling in his own thoughts, if only for one night.

Digital or Real?

I hope my opening post is sufficient! I sat and thought for a bit on how exactly we could get the two together - seeing as they weren't in a club yet - and I wanted to plant the seeds for the personality in young James' life. ^^ Oooooh I can't wait to get this rolling now! :D

Digital or Real?

"James, I hope you plan to finish that sandwich before it attracts any ants," Said his mother with a teasing smile as she huffed. "And would you pay attention? My goodness, mayonnaise on your shirt, really? You've not even finished half of it!" She fussed, reaching forward.

However, the boy of no more than thirteen pulled away, his eyes absolutely glued to the gaming device in his hands. "Mum! I'm... Ugh, I'm about to get my fifth badge!" He whined, not really caring about food or the mess he'd made on himself as he read the words on the screen and commanded whatever game he was playing.

"Seriously, James... are you ever going to look up and around you?" She asked, only to see him shake his head in response. Didn't he only just get that game the other day..? Then again, she never knew what he was talking about, so she only sighed and glanced about the outdoor potluck.

Families sat on blankets, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the food. Some people stood in groups and even so there were several frisbees to be thrown and footballs to be kicked back and forth. James, however, moved to lay down on his stomach, holding his videogame beneath a tree, a clear look of concentration on his face. He heard his name being called, but he was so intent on the electronic in his hand that it went into one ear and out the other, buttons being mashed.

"James! Your father is calling you, put your game down and pay attention," She scolded seriously.

The boy looked over at her, surprised - he hadn't realized he was being called. He put his game down and looked over, "Sorry, dad, what?" He called back, sitting up onto his knees.

"Get over here and kick the football around a bit," Came the reply as a ball was dropped to the ground and held under his foot.

James sighed and looked at his game, hesitating before he heard his mother, "Don't you even think about it." He groaned and climbed to his feet, at which point she reached forward with a wipe in hand and cleaned off the spot on his black sleeveless shirt.

"Walk a little slower, you pillock," Chimed in a boy of about seventeen. Matt, James' brother, had dark brown hair like their mother, unlike James, who took after their father's young white hair.

"Matt! Watch it, that's your little brother."

James stuck his tongue out teasingly, "Yeah, Matt! I'm too sensitive," He said, feigning offense as the ball was kicked off.

It was merely a game of passing it around, none of them were professional, but it got them all moving and bonding. Matt, however, was always very athletic; he was strong, fast, and rather intelligent. James, on the other hand, was absolutely in love with technology - everything from games to programs, he was glued to it. That didn't mean he detested sports or activity, though he lacked the coordination in his feet and had terrible aim with his kicks. One couldn't help but commend him for his effort and vigor in the game, even if it did make it that much harder for Matt or his father to receive the ball. Finally, as the ball came to him once more, he took a couple of steps back and then ran forward and slammed the side of his foot into it as hard as he could. It flew right past the larger boy and bounced across the small field of grass straight into the eating space of another family, where it knocked into plates and kicked up food. James stood, dumbfounded as Matt bolted after the ball.

"Oh god, sorry," He apologized, "My brother isn't very good at this sort of thing and I wasn't fast enough to catch the ball that time."

"Hey!" James yelled as he came up from behind, red in the face, "I'm not that bad - you're just too slow!" A hand was placed on his head and his hair ruffled as his brother laughed.

"He'll happily help you clean up here and get you more food if you need it," Matt said, ignoring the boy before turning around.

Finally, their father joined the mix, "Boys, stop. I swear, if you two don't stop I'm... well, I dunno, but you can bet your ass when I figure it out you'll wish you were better to each other," He threatened unconvincingly. "Oh, hey," He said, recognizing the members of hte family, "You're the Watsons, right? I think I've seen you at the school before, I think James here and your daughter are classmates, right?"

James turned a bright red and looked up, as if asking why it mattered. "Yes, dad. Sasha and I go to school together... God, why do parents think that just because people go to school together, they're friends... I don't even know her," He retorted as Matt had already opened his mouth for a teasing.

"Matt," Their father cut him off, "I'm sure your mother needs help cleaning up our area... I think you should go," He insisted before looking to the group on the blanket again. "Mind if we sit down and help with the mess that we made?" The man offered, "Oh, I'm Peter, by the way - Peter Delacourt."

Far From Home

- Several Hours Later -

It was so peaceful... Could he just choose not to wake up? Would it be that simple? Fitch had never experienced nothing before... No memory, no light, no darkness. At first, it was an amazing feeling... He reveled in it. Yet... there was something missing, wasn't there? There had to be more than emptiness, no matter how peaceful it was. There was no death notification, so he knew he wasn't dead, though he wasn't quite sure why. Light pressed through his eyelids and they slowly opened, fluttering slightly at first before suddenly widening. Fitch bolted up in the bed, looking around to see everybody standing and sitting around. He furrowed his brow and looked down... He was still in his armour, which means they managed to move him all the way to wherever 'here' was. He did a headcount... He had been wrong; not everybody was present - they were missing one. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought as he retraced his memory and stumbled upon that moment... The moment their eyes had met, that moment he bolted for her... The moment that she disintegrated before he could reach her.

Why? God, why did he wake up? He sniffled once and wiped at his face, his eyes beginning to sting as he turned and placed his feet on the ground, steadying himself by putting his hands on the edge of the bed to steady himself as he stared at the ground, a dark shadow falling over his face as his hair hung down. The tears burned as they rolled over his cheeks, disappearing the moment they left him as he fought the tremors that shook him. With a shake of his head, he pushed himself up and headed for the door. If he'd never woken up, there would still be nothingness... And already, he had begun to forget what that bliss was like. To forget, to simply not feel any of it, he already missed it and he was wondering why he woke up in the first place. Was it a feelin gof being lost? He didn't know, but he stopped asking as he reached the threshold. The others all seemed to be waiting for him to say something as he placed a hand on the doorframe and looked over his shoulder. There was an emptiness to his eyes - a void hidden behind them as he dropped his hand and moved to step again. A hand roughly grabbed his bicep and yanked him back with an absolutely astounding speed and he turned to see a white-haired boy staring at him sharply.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going?" He asked with a low growl. He was sitting in the far corner of the room only a split second before being at Fitch's arm - it was still astounding how fast he was.

Fitch instinctively yanked his arm away, held the other boy's gaze for several moments, looked up and around the room at the other faces before finally leaning in to Nero's face, their eyes inches apart. "None of your god damned business." With that, he turned and started walking away.

As Nero stepped forward after him, opening his mouth, there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find Yuna behind him, solemnly shaking her head, "Don't..." Nero seemed to deflate as the girl ushered him back into the room and he fell down into a chair.

Fitch moved down the stairs numbly, still not entirely sure where he was going as he pushed through the front door, still covered by his gear. From one of the tables on the first floor, there was a small commotion and he froze as he placed a hand on the door. "I don't need any of you anyway," Came a girl's voice; Fitch turned his head, his brow furrowing slightly as a small argument ensued.

"That's crap, you won't survive a minute without a guild, Gami." Clearly a male from the table, he had short black hair and was wearing a rather bulky set of armor.

"I said to stop calling me that! You ahve absolutely no right," She retorted venomously, leaning in near his face with a sneer, "Consider me gone."

"Fine! Leave!" The others around the table seemed uneasy as she opened a menu and selected a few options, absolving herself of what was apparently their small guild. As she stomped up the stairs with the most infuriated scowl she could muster, her small frame gave off almost no intimidation factor. Fitch hesitated, but then pushed the door and left the inn, hearing from behind him a faint question from one of the miscellaneous guild members.

"What the hell are we going to do without the damage she deals?"

"Shut up. She isn't the fastest or the strongest person in the game... Not even close, we'll get along fine."

"No, but she did start our guild and she did the most damage out of u-"

"I said shut up! It's my guild now. We'll be fine."

---

Kimigami slammed the door to her room and punched the wall. "Those jerks! It was my guild... The nerve..." She didn't cry or feel sorry for herself, just extremely pissed off. It wasn't long before she decided the atmosphere of her room was too cramped and she left, looking down the hallway and seeing an open room door. There was a little bit of murmuring inside and she approached the doorway, peeking in, "Uhm, excuse me. Your door's open - you guys know that anybody can hear you unless you close it, right?" She had medium-length, thick black hair and wore a red scarf and a white, double-breasted, knee-length coat. The hilt of her rapier could be seen at her waist, just where the jacket parted and showed the gleaming red and silver of the basic handle. She crossed her arms, having thought they were being rude before realizing the mood of the room. Idiot... They're not trying to be rude... She scolded herself, relaxing slightly in an attempt to appear less upset with them. They all seemed older than her too... She wished that she could look different - nobody took her seriously until they saw her in action the way that she was.

Last Embers ~Reboot~

Guise..?

Resounding Provocation: The Council of Shadows

Adrian looked at Abigail and nodded. "He'll be fine. Felix is fully capable of handling himself; the last I saw of him, we were in his room. There was a small disagreement, but nothing unusual... Although he's very professional, you know my brother is an avid romantic... I wouldn't be surprised if he lost track of time while out on a walk... I don't believe I'll ever understand him," He said, sighing and crossing his arms.

The two of them had always shared such a connection, naturally, as he had been the one to change her. For the life of him, she was the only one in the pack that he couldn't leave; of course, he had no reason to go and he would never abandon his brother, but he felt an irresistible need to keep watch over her. She was his responsibility, it seemed, no matter how able-bodied she was.

"Thankfully Felix is relatively new... I think I can handle it," He said confidently.

It was a full-out lie; there was one person he knew would never fall for it, but she would never make a scene of it.

Sera would not even need to hear him speak to know that something was amiss. There was no way she would simply fall for it, but the others likely would. As an imposing figure took his place in the room silently, Adrian rolled his eyes, raising his voice. "Nice of you to join us, Fenris... It's always relieving to see that you can make time for the rest of your kind," He said with more than a little bit of irritation. Why did Felix insist on inviting the wolf? He was rogue, even if he was part of his own pack, and for some reason Adrian's brother made an effort to include him at the meeting. Even more puzzling to the lycan was why Fenris would accept, but seem to care little for it. The Lycan shrugged and looked to their Alpha for a moment to see what he would have to say. He was entirely passive at this point, a hand on his chin as he mauled over how to handle the rest of the evening.

Several moments later, the last of their pack was to arrive... an absolute mess. Adrian groaned and placed a hand to his face; the girl seemed to have been wearing what was once formal attire. While Adrian himself was not dressed in the most appropriate apparel - merely wearing a black, open long-coat with a basic white shirt beneath and a pair of plain combat-style boots. He was far from looking classy, unlike his brother... In the pit of his stomach, Adrian felt something twist; where was he..? He decided to shake it away - Felix would be back, he was certain of it. What are the chances that anything happened, anyway? What could happen?

Digital or Real?

Just an update: I fully intend to stay with this. ^_^ Sorry I haven't been able to post yet - I've been working on catching up everywhere when I get the time. Don't worry! I won't have any issues keeping up here - right now, the problem lies in how my schedules with school and work leave me with REALLY awkward free time that are sporadic and at the horrible in-between point of how much can really be done during them. So, I'm going to see if I can get my work schedule juuuuust right with my school so that I have on-days and off-days for "me time" and super good big posty fun-fun time. ^_^