Scout

Digital or Real?

Well good luck to your brother and his new station! I can't believe it's two weeks in, so thank you SO MUCH for being so patient with me. Today is my first full day off in ages and I'm pushing as hard as I can. I did an outline for the introductory part to a paper that a partner and I are doing for PTSD for Psychology and then he'll do the History of PTSD and I'll be tackling the Treatment and then we have to make a Power Point and teach the class about it. It's crazy... Likely one of the psychological disorders I feel most strongly about. I also have an outline for a Research Paper to do today, and as for the rest of the semester there's plenty more to get done. But I have a day tomorrow where I'm only busy for two hours, so I'll have that too... I've got my little notecard with all of my self-set goals/dates for each piece of each assignment... Huff... Mentally taxing. I promise you that I'll get to posting as soon as I can! Again, tahnks so much for the patience. <3 You're the bomb.

As for your sentiments on the Whoverse... Yeah, I just watched the Master "die" (Psh, right, like how the Dalek are "dead?") so that was a really neat twist. I loved the Ninth doctor, but that may just be because he was short lived... He was edgy and intelligent, but as a leading man, I think that he didn't invoke the kind of excitement and enthusiasm for being a Time Lord like the Tenth does. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of Ten, but he did come to grow on me very much. I agree, though, because you're right. at times he lacks the serious undertones that the Doctor should hold for his self-appointed job. I haven't seen his last season yet, but I've also noticed his slow adjustment into somebody more... mature, I think. And, again, I wholly agree - Rose & Nine was such a better combination than her and Ten. I was glad when she was gone, but I do like the development that comes with Martha's departure, where she understands that the Doctor will never feel the same way. Honestly, I don't like that the Doctor even loved Rose unless they give more of a real reason - he mentions, in one episode, that he had a wife and kids and then the topic was never explored (understandably so). So, if he can't move on from Rose, why could he from the woman he loved in his own species? O.o Eh, whatever.

Is Old Who as good as the newer series? I mean, I know that "the original is always better" but still. Because at the end of May I might be moving out of my mom's house (where we have the 4G limited bandwidth crap) and in with a couple of friends, so I might actually get to watch more Who and I've been curious for a while.

The Frozen Flame: Dark Fantasy/Steampunk RP

Yay! Orion <3 How's the baby? :p

Also, your new avatar... XD Really? Just anime girls. That's deep stuff ;D

Far From Home

Here you go, not much to know about him, but Kazaro's character.

Kazaro

Display Name: Kazaro
Real Name: Undisclosed
Age: 25

Appearance:
(Click for better resolution)

Who He is: Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood, directly beneath Heathcliffe. He’s a strong leader and a forgiving soul. In fact, he’s quite kind, it’s what garners him so much respect. However, he’s also prideful, so if you’ve offended him with purpose, he will hold onto it until a proper, sincere apology has been issued.

SAO Build: One of few Katana users in the world, medium-weight metal armour. DPS.

The Frozen Flame: Dark Fantasy/Steampunk RP

Ah, but I quite enjoyed XIII. I didn't get to beat it, but that wasn't because I lost interest. XV Looks excellent.

Christ, Avery. XD You are awesome. And Kassandra's race is in her background. Of course, La Nostran. :3 Gaaah! I can't wait to get back to her and Dara. XD

Far From Home

At the campfire before the big fight, Nero listened intently to Jason's botched stories. The translation system was faulty, at best, and his slang didn't translate. So every few moments, he would repeat a word with a heavy Japanese accent under his breath, furrowing his brow in concentration. The tension was a bit thick, but the group's ability to relax was a bit unexpected. Then again, some time had certainly passed... As long as they remained steadfast, Nero knew this group could make it to the end. They had to. He was the first to turn in that night, his back to the others as he slipped into his sleeping bag. He'd paid Sasayuka a lot of money to hide the fact that his group had long-since entered the caverns, meaning it would be a while before anybody would come scrambling after them. In the dark, damp air of the cave, the material hunter knew that Yuna would be back at his house, waiting for a message when they finished, but he couldn't send one from inside the dangerous zone.

----- After the fight -----

Nero stared in horror at the place where Kenshin had vanished as Alphard broke down. Not again... Not another one so soon... His fist visibly shook at his side and he shut his eyes tightly, the world spinning around him. This was no boss fight... It couldn't have simply happened to anybody - he chose to bring these people with him and he knew it was dangerous. Yet, instead of inviting more of his contacts, he brought only them to prevent splitting the loot more ways than necessary. He was so sure they could handle it, but without Yari to keep them rallied or the extra shielding from Fitch, they had lost somebody. He watched Jason darkly as the others all had their own reactions to the event before them. His blade slashed an infinity symbol into the air before smoothly slinking back into the sheath at his hip. He placed his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose and let out a long, ragged breath. How could he let it happen? The game hadn't shown such an unfair glitch before... Unless it wasn't a glitch and it was some sort of finishing move, but that kind of algorithm would be extremely unfair in a game like this one.

He stoically scrolled through his list of spoils - as the head of the party, he got the parts that he wanted and everybody would be given quite a chunk of the reward. The kill would yield a large amount of experience for each of them, but it was a hollow victory. Just as with Yari, everybody would cope in their own way and Nero cleared his throat, trying to grab their attention. He opened his inventory and tossed each of them a teleport crystal - they were quite expensive, limited in the shops, and rare as monster drops as well, so typically they were used sparingly. However, Nero was amongst the players with an almost disposable number of them. He didn't mean for them all to use them right away or to go to the same place, he just thought it was his job to make sure they were all safely able to get out after the tragedy. There was little for him to say and as he moved to use his own, a voice called out from the entrance to the room.

"Stop!" It cried, striding purposely into the room. The figure was small and cloaked, a signature sign that Sasayuka, the information broker, was beneath. She was covered in midnight blue as her cloak remained firmly fastened around her, keeping her identity as one of the most sought-after secrets in her her treasure chest of knowledge. "Don't think you can escape me, Nero," She almost hissed.

The material hunter looked at her quizzically before nodding, "Oh, right... Here, the log. Here," He said, opening a menu and sifting through it expertly - the information took a rather trained hand to find, as most people didn't care to find that it existed. What was pulled forth finally was the information on the kill; once dead, a monster's information would be revealed to the killer. Everything from the drops you'd received and yielded experience to the level and total hitpoints of it. Information brokers typically joined a frontline guild to gather this in person for a small fee. Once compiled, they could release it to the public so that other players wouldn't be left behind with each advancement of the clearing group.

The girl took it and skimmed through it, "Good, if we find one of those on any of the upcoming floors, we'll have the jump on the info. You should know that there's going to be a flush of angry players who didn't get the quest quite soon. A lot of people think that you're material hunting has gotten a bit selfish, by the way; They think you aren't shar-" Her flat voice was cut off as he rose his hand.

"I know. Don't you have better things to be doing right now?" He asked with a sigh, crossing his arms as she shrugged, her face covered in the shadow of her cloak's hood. She turned and began to head for the door again as another figure was made clear in a long, black coat outlined in red. There was a rapier upon her hip as her medium-length black hair fringed over one of her eyes and she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Wait, that's Nero?" She asked, snerking slightly as she covered her mouth. "I imagined him... Erm... I don't know - seems a little more plain than everybody says."

The boy furrowed his brow and looked to the new girl, "Hey, weren't you at our inn the other day?" He asked. She nodded and shrugged her shoulders as Sasayuka cleared her throat.

"Come, Kimigami. I appreciate your escort greatly, let's get back to Tarbinol and I'll give you the second half of the payment," The information broker stated firmly. The girl nodded with a small smile, not quite assessing the mood of the room as she spotted Suto, "Congratulations on the win, guys! We're gonna need that power at the bo-" It was now that she spotted the white-haired girl sobbing over a ring. She shut her mouth and looked down, chastising herself silently as she followed after the small, cloaked person. "Sorry," She said, darkly glancing over her shoulder as they left.

Nero turned to the others as several silent moments passed. He looked apologetically to each of them in turn before landing on Alphard, "This isn't going to happen again," He promised before looking to the crystal in his hand and quietly speaking, "Tarbinol." In a flash, he was gone, and like that, the remaining members of what was among the happiest and most powerful parties of Aincrad were left in the cavern in shambles with a strange American student.

----- Several hours later... -----

Nero stared defiantly at the man before him. The hall of the building was quite magnificent, adorned in reds and whites, but Nero was no stranger to the elegance of it after having visited on invitation multiple times.. He wore a collared cloak of forest green over a black jacket and pants with a slight purple trimming. He stood at the foot of a short staircase, looking up to a red-haired man covered in red and white, much like his hall. The two were clearly locked in a battle of pride of will.

"So, do I hear you correctly, Nero? You've changed your mind?" He asked with a small laugh, his white-gloved hand dancing along the hilt of his katana as he slowly descended the stairs.

His boots made an audible tapping, their echoes filling the hall. When the distance between them was closed by the few steps, it was clear that Nero had nowhere near the height of twenty-something male.

"Why? Twice now you've been invited to join us... It was hard enough getting you to accept simply coming here for discussion, but then you would reject us with little thought anyway... So... I ask again, why?"

Nero's lip curled back slightly - it was only fair. He'd spoken condescendingly to this man twice before, rejecting the request to join the guild. Now he stood here, asking for a place among their ranks. "There was nothing to discuss before," He said, working hard to keep the malice out of his voice. "We were doing fine in our advancements, were we not? All of us worked hard and results were clearly produced. But things are... different." The boy shifted, "I'm sorry for my rude behavior before... I've more to offer the guild than I did back then, though. I don't want to be too involved, though. I just want to help; I've never disagreed with what the Knights of the Blood Oath stood for, Kazaro... I only stayed distant because I disagreed with guilds in general. That's why I think conditi-"

The man rose a hand, "Stop with your conditions. Those negotiations were taken off the table when you made yourself out to be a god. We'll see how things go and maybe later we can discuss the terms, understood? If you want to join us, you'll be listening to me for a while. It would be a waste to put you in with any of our regular parties... So you'll be under me - but don't mistake this for you having power, either. Let's see how serious you are," The man said after a bit of contemplation. "Though, at any point, if you want to leave, feel free. Just remember that you've come to me this time," He stated, pocketing his hand.

Nero let out a slow breath as he nodded. "Yes, sir." The invitation was accepted moments later and Nero resisted the urge to shudder. Yuna was proud of him, but he felt caged. However, he was relieved to have his fortune left alone until he chose to contribute or gathered while on guild business.

Letters for Tomorrow

Just good to hear from ya! ^_^ AND I KNEW IT! I found that picture you used for John Kraft - I totally knew it! That's Noctis from Final Fantasy XV! :D I can't wait for that game!

The Frozen Flame: Dark Fantasy/Steampunk RP

Oh that is so truuuue. XD I love what we have for Motya and Kass. It's just fun to play. :p

Is anybody else pumped for FFXV? XD

The Frozen Flame: Dark Fantasy/Steampunk RP

Indeed. Sounds like quite the life! Too bad for him, Kassandra would permanently avoid his sights.

The Frozen Flame: Dark Fantasy/Steampunk RP

Ahh, comrade!! It is good to see our brother Motya returned to us so punctually. How doth he bade? XD

Good to see ya, Avery! :D That hider at the top, should there be anything in it? The box will expand, but it's empty for me. O.o

Scratch that, now it works - BiB by AC/DC, nice. XD

Letters for Tomorrow

Mara gave a wistful sigh as her cloak billowed about her. She was on the rear end of their car, resting against the railing as the train flew down the rails. She had never left Dome Four before today, and it was still so surreal that she was leaving the place she had called home for so long. Her smile seemed almost permanently plastered across her face as her eyes slid smoothly over the wastelands around them. There was little to see beyond the domes, that much was clear within the first few minutes of their trip, but there was something serene about the land. It seemed to stretch on endlessly, an infinite space of rolling hills and craggy rocks. She could swear that she saw dust clouds that would intermittently appear beyond the plains, trailing after... something. She figured that perhaps it was a far-off dust storm or something even less significant; after all, there was nothing outside of the domes apart from the trains and their rails. The air was strangely refreshing... While it did feel a bit less pure than that which was inside of their massive, safe biodomes; it filled her lungs with genuine air. She wondered how long she had been out there when her watch began to beep and she looked down curiously and headed inside, where Noah was reading a message and the others were milling about. Noelle, as usual, was not paying attention.

Jacob sat stoically in one of the uncomfortable seats, acting as the simple observer he often was as his eyes moved slowly about the car, watching everybody else in turns. Mara always felt a little bit uncomfortable around him. Simultaneously, he also created a sense of safety for her - like a dutiful guard, watching over them all without faltering. As the coordinates and mapping data were sent to all of them, the red-haired rebel activated the hologram on his watch and began to study it. It was very similar to their own city and he looked for potential paths from their point of arrival to the two destinations they were given and finally to the rebels' HQ. It would be quite the run. As he observed their options, he could hear Noelle and Noah having a small argument. For the life of him, he couldn't understand it.

Mara pulled her cloak over her shoulders more tightly, taking a seat of her own as she crossed one leg over the other, her foot bouncing idly. Ten minutes from now, she would be in a whole different dome, running across buildings she had never seen before. A small sense of emptiness washed over her - what would happen if they were all separated or any of them were captured? She accepted those consequences a long time ago, but it seemed more real with each passing moment. Before they left home, she had bummed her very first cigarette from John... It didn't go over well. She bet him that she could finish hers before he did his and, it being her first smoke, she inhaled far too deeply on her first puff and began to hack endlessly. It took her minutes to get over it and by the time she tried to take a smaller second hit, her throat was already closing and John was nearly done. Luckily, they hadn't really bet anything, but she was red in the face for nearly an hour after, still coughing and tearing up from the memory of the smoke. How did he do it? She swore to never touch another one. It was a comical scene to witness, though: her confidence in her ability to be a natural at even something so trivial as smoking and losing so pitifully.

She taped idly at her knee, shaking her head of the thought, "So, who is with whom? We could easily split into girls and guys," She suggested simply, though there were likely plenty of ways for them to decide. They had quite a bit of ground to cover in a short time, but as long as they were prepared for it, they would be home with plenty of time left.

"Or... What if we did three groups of two?" She asked, scratching the back of her head, "Two of us go to HQ for the package, and the other two groups deliver the letters and we all meet back at the station? I mean, if the plan is to be in two groups, that's fine. There's power in numbers, they say, so... Staying together should be fine, we can spread out a little bit and keep an eye on each other so that we're all safe. Stick to the training right?" Mara realized that she had been talking far more than she meant to - it happened far too often. Every little comment needed an explanation and background and alternatives from her, resulting in a rather large amount of rambling.

Jacob did not speak, he just followed orders. Whatever they were there to do would get done and that was that. He closed down the interface floating above his watch and rose to his feet, stuffing his hands in his pockets while he waited for the train to finally come to a halt in the dome.