Fantasy The Exalted

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

The Exalted
Jericho Linge
Setting: Mess Hall
Interactions: Everyone

All of the chosen former civilians were to be escorted by a pair of guards from their room to the Mess Hall, where a large mahogany table would be waiting with eleven chairs made of elegant spruce wood with a hint of gold engraved into the chairs. In the chair at the farthest end of the table sat Jericho Linge, a man that wore Gothic robes and a Templar-like cross by his hip. Black smoke constantly billowed over his face, preventing anyone from seeing it. The smoke seemed to stop as soon as it reached the top of his hood, as if it obeyed what he wished it to do. He waited patiently for the others, "staring" at the double doors for the first of The Exalted to enter the room. As each of them did, he would repeat the same line:
"Please, take a seat."
He would motion to one of the empty chairs that surrounded him. Other than the grand dining setup, there was beautifully stained glass to resemble both spiritual figures and the kingdoms's royal crest. There were four beautiful wooden pillars that held up the oak roof and polished wooden floors that glistened in the glass-colored light. The grand double doors made of oak as well also had pristine steel hinges that were rather expensive, but the kingdom had seen it necessary for the protection they would be relying on. Jericho was the only person in the room, not a guard in sight. Yet, he held obvious importance and authority simply by the way he addressed everyone as they came in and the way he carried himself.​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Maya Misako
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Open​

"What do you mean 'wait'? First you tell me to slow down every five seconds, and now I'm at the door and you want me to wait? Not unless you guys are opening the doors for me like gentlemen." These words were heard from the entrance to the Mess Hall. Despite the hint of impatience, the voice was soft overall, maybe two or three octaves higher than the average female voice. Only a second passed before her vocals could be heard again. "Oh, you are going to open the doors for me. Awww, that's so sweet. Thanks, and uhh sorry for being impatient with you guys."

The doors were opened. Standing outside was a red-haired teenager with her hands on her hips. She wore a red and white dress with a cut on the side that ran from her right thigh down to the ankle. Her eyes scanned the Mess Hall from outside as she wasn't sure what to expect when she entered. After convincing herself that it was safe enough to go inside, she stepped past the guards and into the Hall. As she got a better view of the inside, she couldn't help but notice that there was just one person sitting at a fairly large table. No guards. No assistants. Nobody. Additionally, there were quite a few chairs at the aforementioned table, so Maya believes there could be others on the way here as well.

"Please, take a seat."

The statement that came from the man at the table tore Maya from her visual exploration of the room. She turns her gaze towards him and nods respectfully before making her way to the table and taking a seat three spots to the left of him. His presence gave off an aura of importance, which she respected, but did not fear. She stared down the smoky haze in front of his face and smiled as she introduced herself.

"Hello. I'm Maya Misako. Pleased to meet you."

This would be the same statement she would say to anyone that entered after her. She knew that it was risky and she may even get ignored, but she was willing to take that risk.

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

The guards came to take Teresa again. There were mixed feeling within her. It was a combination of surprise and expecting the inevitable. Surprise because it had been quite some time since guards had last come for her. Her ability had grown by an immense measure and at this feeling at its peak is when they stopped coming for her. Although, inevitable as the rasps on her door stirred her from her thoughts. Through all of this effort, these rituals, they must have wanted something from her yet. Now she had no time to ponder on what it could be; the guards came through the door.


“Get up,” one said with a curt tone. She obeyed without hesitation. While they were not the ones guilty of the pain delt to her, she had no impulse to defy them in any way. Teresa looked at the other guard who stood motionlessly just beyond the door. Something was different today. The time in which they were taking her has changed. The look on their face slightly more relaxed; the slight definition of a clenched jaw was not visible. Is this a mercy granted to her by the maker? There is an end to these rituals? She straightened her white robe as they led her out the room.


The contrast of the guards’ heavy footfalls in their thick boots compared to hers, barefoot made for a strange symphony that filled the halls. Under the balls of her feet, she could feel the smooth wooden floor. The trio walked past two other guards, and there they stood before a large door.


“Enter now,” a guard said, as the two of them pushed open the doors. As she stepped forward into the room, the first thing she noticed was the strange man whose face was covered by smoke.


“Please, take a seat,” he said. In response, she bowed her head an immediately went to do so. Her hands placed together over her sternum, and her strides graceful, she glanced from the corners of her eyes noticing the king’s crest. Even in her haste, she did take a moment to notice the fine chair she was about to sit in.


As she seated her self, she sat opposite of the red-haired girl. "Hello. I'm Maya Misako. Pleased to meet you."


She gave the billowing figure a glance before making eye contact with Maya. “It is my pleasure Maya. I am… Teresa” She will withhold from introducing herself and remain quiet unless spoken too.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Vijay Kulkarni​

Vijay was meditating in his room when the guards came to get him, his eyes shut as he focused his attention on the small green stone in his hand. The stone surfaces of his room were a bit worse for wear, having been the subject of practice as he trained to improve his control. He rose when the guards entered, fingers curling around the stone as he turned to face them with a gentle smile, following them out as they led the way to the meeting place. He chatted amicably with the guards, striking up a friendly conversation with them.

For a brief moment, it was almost as if he were just another ordinary person. The guards relaxed a bit around him until they neared the imposing doors of where the meeting was to be held, when they were suddenly reminded of the nature of who, or rather what, Vijay was. They fell silent as they drew closer, and Vijay turned his attention towards the doors.

As the doors were pushed open, Vijay stepped inside and made his way towards the table, taking a seat after being prompted to do so. He was not the first to enter the room, and his gaze traveled around the room until fixating on the apparent head of the meeting. From the look of it, this was no ordinary person. He wondered what the story was behind this man, though it was unlikely he would get an answer.

Vijay sat silently while the others arrived, rolling the stone around in his palm and focusing on making it smoother. He maintained a calm and friendly smile as he looked to the others, presumably who had experienced a similar process to him. Or, at the very least, he was likely to be involved with during whatever plan of action the kingdom had arrived upon.

 

[Gabe]

Kellan could feel it. Every single piece of metal in the room, singing a song that only he could hear. It resonated with each other, a melodious and disrupting song at the same time, talking to him. He was still unused to the feeling, and he had to physically tune it out. He followed the others, lagging behind. A slave mustn't be seen or heard, his mother always said to him.

The hall was large, that added a whole new array of notes for the everlasting song of resonance. The gold trims on the chairs were the most faint, waiting to be touched and molded. He closed his eyes, suppressing it, until he could hear no more. He looked at the other... Exalted? Was that the name that they gave him? He was an Exalted, a warrior chosen to protect the kingdom. The same kingdom that enslaved him and his mother, that separated them when he was too young to even remember her face. They said he was free, but he didn't feel less enslaved. He found a coin in his room, the face of the ruler of that nation engraved on one side. Taking it out of his pocket, he held it in his hand. It was the only thing that made him feel less nervous in this new scenario. He twirled it between his fingers, eventually making it orbit his hand, without a second thought, the symbol in his hand glowing slightly. This... power ingrained in him so hard, so fast, it felt like second nature now. A foreign second nature, but at the same time, so familiar.

He stood hear the door, looking down on the ground, an instinctive behavior. Slaves didn't sit at the table.

 

[tacere]

[div class="container"] [div class="characterImage"] [div class="characterName humanName"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterName godName" style="display: none; color: #FFFFFF;"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterTitle godTitle" style="display: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: #FFFFFF;"] HOLDER OF LIGHT [/div] [/div]

[div class="textContainer"] [div class="textChild"] [div class="text"]
Kana had been mid practice when they'd finally come for her, the room she was in seemingly dark. One would think twilight had just started to fall, as she gradually absorbed every wavelength of visible light in her vicinity. Her eyes were shut as she concentrated, feeling the cold chill that settled around her as she worked from her position, sitting with her legs crossed on the bed. The heavy sound of boots echoing on the stone tore her mind away from her practice, the light restored quickly in a bright but harmless flash that did little more than barely singe the edge of her blanket. Pale blue eyes were revealed as she looked towards the door, legs coming up to be hugged at her chest as a chin rested on her knee, waiting in anticipation. She had assumed that the awakening was over with after the first week passed by ritual free, though what came next was beyond her. Kana knew she could have asked, but she had yet to break the habit of keeping her mouth shut. It had been her method of self preservation in jail, with the guards at least.

Kana tugged the grey cloak they had allotted her more tightly around her neck as they opened up the door, beckoning her to come. The dark blue tunic and tan pants she wore beneath were revealed in brief glimpses as the cloak swung with each step she took between the two guards. The imposing door they stopped in front of did not go unnoticed, though her mind buzzed more eagerly in wonder of what lay behind it. Whatever she imagined, it wasn't what she had pictured as the doors opened in front of her.

"Go on." One of the guards prompted her, making Kana take a few steps past the grand doors so that they could shut them behind her. Kana stepped around the man standing in her way when small flash of light caught her eye as she passed him, causing her to warrant him a closer look. He seemed tense, the light she saw caused by the reflection of a coin he held in his hand.

She stood there quietly for a moment, gaze shifting from the stranger by the door to noting the grandeur of the room. She was accustomed to some level of the finer things due to her upbringing, though even she was impressed by this. Her gaze had just switched to the occupants of the table when the one at the end spoke.

"Please, take a seat." The man said, prompting Kana to next scrutinize him further as she walked towards the table. She wondered if the man obscured himself on purpose or if it was mere sorry circumstance. He was probably in charge, given the air about him. Maybe finally she would be getting the answers she had pondered over for weeks. Once she managed to tear her enraptured gaze away from the startling figure, she quickly found a seat to the left of the red haired female already at the table.

"Aren't you going to sit?" Kana found herself saying to the tense man by the door. She could understand feeling nervous, if that is what he was, and knew that standing out and garnering attention would likely only worsen such feelings.

"Hello. I'm Maya Misako. Pleased to meet you." The woman, Maya, introduced herself as Kana's attention shifted to her. A smile flashed briefly as her head tilted in a nod. She seemed sociable, a skill she supposed was nice to have in situations like these; thrust into a room of strangers.

"I'm Kana." She stated plainly as her gaze shifted to the other two. The fair haired female across from Maya seemed very poised, and her expression was not unkind. The only other male at the table seemed uncannily at ease. She thought that maybe he was aware of the purpose of all this and that was why, or perhaps it was just his nature. Either way, Kana knew she could never be so relaxed while kept in the dark as she was now. Kana nodded towards him in response to his smile, settling in to wait as her gaze drifted back to the smoke-obscured man at the head of the table.
[/div] [/div]
[/div] [/div] [class=background] width: 100%; height: 725px; padding-top: 25px; background-color: #ECEBD4; [/class] [class=container] width: 500px; height: 700px; margin: auto; display: inline [/class] [class=characterName] color: White; font-family: Syncopate, Sans-Serif; font-size: 60px; font-weight: 900; text-align: center; padding: 70px 15px 0px; 15px; [/class] [class=characterTitle] color: White; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 25px; [/class] [class=tagsContainer] width: 30%; background-color: #353530; padding: 15px; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-Serif; font-size: 10px; margin: auto; color: white; [/class] [class=characterImage] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class name=characterImage state=hover] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class=textContainer] width: 100%; height: 400px; font-family: Raleway, Sans-serif; overflow: hidden; display: inline-block; border-left: 6px solid #0B5394; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=textChild] width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow-y: scroll; padding: 0px 17px 0px 10px; display: inline-block; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=text] display: inline-block; text-align: justify; margin-right: 15px; [/class] [script class=characterImage on=mouseenter] hide humanName hide humanTitle fadeIn 500 godName fadeIn 500 godTitle fadeIn 500 tagsContainer [/script] [script class=characterImage on=mouseleave] hide godName hide godTitle hide tagsContainer fadeIn 500 humanName fadeIn 500 humanTitle [/script]​

 

[SilverFlight]

Thock, Thock, Thock.
The knitted bean sack hit the ceiling in a steady rhythm, Thali catching it and tossing it up again. Her room was dark, but clean and she lay on the bed they had given her with a bored expression. Every piece of furniture had been thoroughly bolted down (They had learned after the first week). The tiny toy was the only loose thing Thali was allowed to keep.
The door opened and two guards stood in the grey light that had let itself in behind them.
Thali turned her head slightly to look at them before turning back and tossing the bean bag again.
"Not today thanks, lovely to see you though, door's in the wall."
They didn't speak to her as they pushed her outside. She had thought about tossing one over the barracks, but decided that it really wasn't their fault. They were doing their jobs.
The pain she had experienced the night before still echoed through her limbs as she moved. It made her quieter and less defiant, and she resented that fact.
In the back of her mind the fear lurked: Today's the day, you'll fail some test or challenge or some ritual and today's the day when they're going to off you.
Thali had seen the bodies...just once. The sheer number of them, those that had been chosen and hadn't survived. The sight gave her nightmares, she would dream of being thrown into a shallow grave, of dirt flooding onto her, into her mouth and lungs. She would dream of the dead-eyed bodies grasping at her, trying to drag her down with them into the cold, damp neverwhere of death.
The guards stopped, and their hands on her shoulders stopped her too. The doors she stood before didn't look like they belonged to one of the ritual sites. What was going on?
They were pulled back and she took in the elegant room with the shadow-mist figure standing before the rows of chairs. There were several people already occupying those chairs, and out of instinct, or some small gesture of camaraderie with her fellow involuntary soldiers she decided to go to them.
@ all players

Before she did however she realized there was someone in her way. A man with head bowed, as if waiting for an alternative to the chairs that had been provided. Thali took a moment to really look at him:
His dress had likely changed from when they picked him up, as hers had, no rags or holey shoes in the barracks, but his bearing was familiar, beaten and surrendering, like his spirit had been taken from him. She'd seen slaves before, she was nearly taken as one of them.
She didn't think much before she put a hand out and brushed his arm.
"Well come on then." Her tone was missing the usual edge. "You're worth as much as any of us now. However much that is."
She took a seat beside Mara (the one she liked the look of most) and looked back, inviting Kellan to follow.
Gabe

 

[Gabe]

Kellan was almost startled, flinching when the girl touched his arm. He looked at her mouth, not her eyes, when she talked. He took a deep breath, uncomfortable by the whole situation. He felt the swords before he could see them, and nodded at the girl, reluctantly following her. His voice was quiet, but carried a bit of defiance with it, as if there was something more to him. "...Yes, I guess." He sat near the girl, looking at the coin orbiting his hand. The piece of copper flew faster and faster, increasing with Kellan's worry.

 

[Danidify]

Marigold Atwood

Location: Room -> Mess Hall | Interacting with: @ Everyone in the Mess Hall| Mentions:

Sitting quietly on the cold, hard floor, Marigold aimlessly stared at her hands as they tingled with energy. It felt weird, everything just felt weird and out of place and she did not really know how to handle it. To put it plainly, it sucked.

WIth a worn-out sigh escaping her lips, the short blonde got up just to perform a trust fall with her bed that, thankfully went well. It was good to have at least one.. thing to trust because, at the moment, she didn't really know what on earth was going on. For all she knew, they could be trying to trick her into something evil and dark. IT wouldn't be much of a surprise after all those rituals, for that experience was definitely not something holy.

And so, Mari remained doubtful and, of course, stubborn.

Marigold shot up quite quickly as she heard her door open, her blue eyes warily aimed forward until the wooden construct opened. Two guards stood on the other side of the door, one of those bright green eyes she could remember from another day when she had an.. incident with a pot plant. It wasn't just her fault that the thing accidentally grew to the size of half her room, they just shouldn't have put a darn plant in her room in the first place.

"How may I help you, gentlemen?" She spoke, her voice littered with a teasing tone. Mari was not afraid to speak up against mannerless puppets, especially after that one with the green eyes had aimed his sword at her during the pot plant incident. It was absolutely ridiculous and simultaneously idiotic thanks to the upside of the ritual. Perhaps she could've never won against even one of them before, but now that she had mostly recovered from the ritual, she was confident she could take on the both of them if they'd bring back that little pot plant.

Quickly after her question, a low voice responded. "You have to come with us, now." The green-eyed goon demanded, invasively taking a step forward. Mari remained completely unphased as she raised her eyebrows. She was feeling particularly confident at the moment.

"Make me."

It became quite apparent that her confidence had been slightly misplaced when the two much larger men both grabbed her by the arms and forcefully escorted her out of the room. Mari felt a little bit of shame for being so fragile after such a bold statement, but there was nothing else to do right now than to admit defeat.

A short time passed until Mari found herself at the entrance of the mess hall, curiously peaking around before a hand pushed her inside. She turned around to offer the guard a well-deserved glare, but he had already turned around and walked away by then. Turning back, Mari paid more attention to the odd bundle sitting at the table. What was the purpose of this?

Her inner questioning was cut off when the weird faceless man told her requested her to take a seat. Her need to fight back softened quite a bit at the sight of the others, mostly because they did not seem to be guards.

Nodding as an agreement, Mari took a seat beside another blond girl. Another nod followed as she looked to the opposite of the table, smiling lightly before feeling the need to at least say something. "Hi, everyone." is all that would come from her, for she was still unsure what to think of the seemingly friendly faces. She was slightly startled by the man with smoke all over his face, causing the blonde to stare right at him for quite some time. Whatever was going on, Mari couldn't quite wrap her finger around it.

code by Ri.a

 

[SilverFlight]

Thali smiled when she caught the hint of defiance in his tone. The fact that whoever his masters had been had not managed to break him gave her a great level of satisfaction. Let 'em rot the slave-owning bastards. She thought happily.
Gabe
The others were talking now, offering their names. She'd never made a secret of what she was, and what she'd done to survive. The word 'thief' was on many a tongue when Thalia Whiles was in their midst. Still, Thali was never one to turn away conversation:
"Call me Thali." She said in a cheery tone she didn't feel. She smiled at Maya and the others, when she got to Marigold she tilted her head, trying to recall something.
"Wait, were you the one who destroyed part of the barracks with a beanstalk?" She inquired with a hopeful expression.
"The rumours might have gotten out of hand."
@Dandify

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Seven. Not counting Jericho, seven people had entered the Mess Hall, including herself. She watched as the lady who would go on to sit to the right of her convinced the man that seemed to not deem himself worthy of sitting with everyone to actually sit with everyone. It was a nice gesture that widened Maya's smile a tad. She didn't want anyone to feel left out.

"Nice job." She said to the girl who would later reveal herself to be Thali.
SilverFlight

The most recent of entrants had been pushed into the Hall, an act that didn't sit well with Maya. As much as she wanted to get up and call out the guard, a response that extreme would result in an extreme consequence, so she pocketed the thought away. When the woman began staring at the smoke-veiled man, Maya glanced at him once more. Her suspicion and curiosity grew side by side. She looked away again and noticed that the lady to her left was also looking at him. Maya leaned over slightly to the left and spoke softly to Kana.

"Hey. Is it me or is there something about this that seems off?" She asked. "There are no guards in this room, which shows that that guy is likely skilled enough to hold his own. However, it's almost like he's hiding himself from us. Not out of fear per se, but more out of secrecy."

tacere

 

[Danidify]

Marigold Atwood

Location: Mess Hall | Interacting with: SilverFlight | Mentions:

Marigold wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to expect in this situation, her body language tensing up slightly the longer she looked at the cloud of smoke in front of the weird man's face. It freaked her out quite a bit, but another person's words quickly managed to distract her.

Even more, confusion arose as Mari properly processed the words she heard. It caught her by surprise, needless to say, but it wasn't necessarily a negative one. She actually found it quite funny to know her little accident had become a rumour apparently.

A sheepish laugh was quick to follow as Mari relaxed a little, her left hand reaching up to scratch the back of her head. She was a little ashamed for having such little control over her ability and could only hope she wasn't the only one struggling.

"Sort of." She would start, lowering her hand again. I just accidentally thrashed my own room. It was fun to see the guards freak out, though." Mari would add, her eyes aimed at the girl who just spoke to her with a gentle smile stuck to her face. "The name's Marigold by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

code by Ri.a

 

[tacere]

[div class="container"] [div class="characterImage"] [div class="characterName humanName"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterName godName" style="display: none; color: #FFFFFF;"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterTitle godTitle" style="display: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: #FFFFFF;"] HOLDER OF LIGHT [/div] [/div]

[div class="textContainer"] [div class="textChild"] [div class="text"]
Kana intently studied everyone else who entered after her, two females who shortly after introduced themselves as Marigold and Thali. She made sure to make a mental note of that in her head, as well as everyone else's names she'd learned so far. She guessed that there were precisely enough chairs for the number of people who were supposed to be present, three more then. There was no telling how long they'd have to wait here. Kana supposed she might as well engage in some small talk to pass the time, and maybe learn about these new faces in the process.

She was just about to speak up when Maya beat her to it, her gaze torn away from the smoke-obscured man to look at her fellow redhead. She found herself subtly nodding at her words, agreeing wholeheartedly. Kana leaned forward some, fingertips of her right hand drumming lightly across the table while she gathered her thoughts.

"Well clearly he has magic, and he acts important at least." Kana murmured, casting a quick glance towards him again, "Maybe he is hiding, or maybe it's just because of his magic.. Either way, he's probably here to lead us on the next step of.. whatever this is. I don't suppose you have any idea what that might be, do you?"

LumaThePhoenix
[/div] [/div]
[/div] [/div] [class=background] width: 100%; height: 725px; padding-top: 25px; background-color: #ECEBD4; [/class] [class=container] width: 500px; height: 700px; margin: auto; display: inline [/class] [class=characterName] color: White; font-family: Syncopate, Sans-Serif; font-size: 60px; font-weight: 900; text-align: center; padding: 70px 15px 0px; 15px; [/class] [class=characterTitle] color: White; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 25px; [/class] [class=tagsContainer] width: 30%; background-color: #353530; padding: 15px; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-Serif; font-size: 10px; margin: auto; color: white; [/class] [class=characterImage] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class name=characterImage state=hover] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class=textContainer] width: 100%; height: 400px; font-family: Raleway, Sans-serif; overflow: hidden; display: inline-block; border-left: 6px solid #0B5394; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=textChild] width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow-y: scroll; padding: 0px 17px 0px 10px; display: inline-block; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=text] display: inline-block; text-align: justify; margin-right: 15px; [/class] [script class=characterImage on=mouseenter] hide humanName hide humanTitle fadeIn 500 godName fadeIn 500 godTitle fadeIn 500 tagsContainer [/script] [script class=characterImage on=mouseleave] hide godName hide godTitle hide tagsContainer fadeIn 500 humanName fadeIn 500 humanTitle [/script]​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Maya Misako
​

Maya glanced at the man while listening to Kana's words. She shook her head when asked if she knew what the next step of whatever this was would be. "Sadly, I don't have a clue, but I feel like you're right about him being here as a guide. My best guess is that you, me, and the other people that have come in so far have something in common. Perhaps he knows what that something is." Maya replied. She looked around the room at the others before focusing her vision back on the red-haired lady sitting next to her. "Maybe this is some experiment dealing with communication, though I want to believe that it's something better. The way that some of these people came in saddened me a little, and I'd hate for this to be another tortuous procedure. I've had plenty, and far too many, of those already." She added. The sight of seeing friendlyconversations put her mind at ease a bit. These people didn't act like scientists or guards, so she felt a bit closer to them. "It is nice to at least see people talking to each other instead of shouting and pushing. I think it would be nice if we got to know each other better. Maybe we've been brought here to help each other." Maya pauses afterwards for a second, realizing that she has said quite a bit. "Sorry for going off on a bit of a rant there."

tacere

 

[Gabe]

Kellan nodded at the copperheaded girl. He stopped whirling the coin, grabbing it mid air and pocketing it again. He took a deep breath. You're not a slave anymore. Meet their gaze. Confront. He slowly rose his face towards the others, furrowing his brow when his gaze met the noble girl. "Kellan. I wasn't supposed to have a last name, but... it's Ithric." He looked at the man in front of everybody. He looked the most important person in that place. "So you're the one who was behind all of this. The one they call the Witch." He heard it from the people doing the experiments. "The Witch asked us to try this... The Witch ordered us to proceed..." It was a constant on the torture-like process of the Awakening. "Why are we here? Just to suffer? Just to make loyal soldiers to deal with whatever war you're fighting? Do we even have a choice?" The word was the sweetest thing he's ever tasted. Choice.

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Warsen Skiff
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Everyone

Warsen sat cross legged on his bed. He stared at his hands in... amazement. He could hardly feel them, yet his touch was so sensitive. It was like all his energy was focused on specific tasks rather than focusing on keeping his body alive. It was a trip, to say the least. He had a couple small scars already, not because he was depressed, but just curious. They told him his body could heal virtually anything, but warned him not to go wild. He was a teenager, after all. A curious one at that. He was still getting used to how unresponsive he was, though. He used to be very cocky, a comedian, really. But now he could rarely even smile without forcing himself too. But still, something he could live with. heh, live. His thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of door hinges creaking open, and two guards waited impatiently.
"Come on now, to the Mess Hall."
Warsen tilted his head, his curiosity ignited as he stood from his bed, fixing his mask and outfit. He had been grateful that they let him keep it, it was important too him. He followed the guards silently, as he found that he wasn't such a chatty person after the rituals. His mind was much more mature now. He watched as the double doors drew nearer, and helped himself to push through, making the guards stumble a bit in confusion. Simple minds, they only know how to follow the orders they're given. Warsen's eyes immediately landed on the man hidden in smoke. His state of anonymity bothered him, but he walked forward nonetheless. He took a seat opposite of the smokey man, hoping to keep an eye on as many people as possible. He nodded respectfully to anyone who spoke to him, keeping quiet until he knew who everyone was. Kind of ironic, since no one knew what was even happening.

Jericho Linge
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Everyone

Jericho waited until everyone was seated until he spoke again, sitting straight and tall.
"I will answer any appropriate questions I deem important, any others will be rejected. Understand that I am instructed to keep the conversation on the problem at hand, that being said..."
Jericho motioned his left hand around the room. In more detail, It had a spiraling staircase in the corner going to a second floor as well as a third. The second floor was The Exalted's rooms, and the third the roof to overlook the kingdom. There were two halls on opposite sides of the doors leading to a training field and a library.
"This is your new home. It will be called Salvator, and nothing else. This is where you will eat, sleep, and train for your purpose. That purpose: protecting the kingdom and annihilating the Mutated. This tower is located behind the kingdom as well as connected in order to simultaneously keep you close and keep you a secret. I'm sure you know very well that magic users are frowned upon in the kingdom. I, Jericho Linge, am your assigned teacher. During training, I will help you master the gift you have received as a result of the ritual you all have experienced. After training, you are free to roam the tower. I am here to help you, not fight. Let's make sure that is understood. Does anyone have any questions?"
Jericho looked around towards each of the individuals. His voice was deep and demanding. He made it sure that he was someone of authority, not to intimidate or be egotistical, but to let everyone know that he was the one to go to if any problems were to surface.​

 

[tacere]

[div class="container"] [div class="characterImage"] [div class="characterName humanName"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterName godName" style="display: none; color: #FFFFFF;"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterTitle godTitle" style="display: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: #FFFFFF;"] HOLDER OF LIGHT [/div] [/div]

[div class="textContainer"] [div class="textChild"] [div class="text"]
Kana pursed as she listened to Maya speak, appreciating her optimistic outlook, even if she didn't quite share it. Pale hues watched her intently until she finished, before drifting off to a random point in thought.

"I wouldn't say that our.. benefactors have given any thought as to what's best for us. This is all at their whim after all. Magic? The secrecy? We're a "necessary evil" being kept hidden until needed." She shook her head, sorry she couldn't be more, cheerful, but she didn't see much cheeriness in their circumstances. She had heard enough talk of politics from her parents to know how these sort of things went. Her mother had often talked about her social gatherings and events like one would when they strategized about chess. That's what she felt like now, a pawn, and it wasn't a particularly great feeling.

She had just gotten around to studying the newest entrant to their hall, with his mask and stoic demeanor, when the smoking man started to speak things other than his seemingly single phrase.

"Oh, look, he speaks. Maybe we'll have our answers." Kana nudged Maya gently, whispering, focus shifting to the obscure man at the end of the table.

Her brow furrowed as Jericho, as she now knew him, revealed much of what she already expected. They were to be weapons used in secrecy. It seemed they would be stuck here quite awhile. And after that? She guessed they would never truly be free in the purest sense of it. The kingdom would be in uproar should whatever this was become public knowledge, and those in charge certainly wouldn't want that. How hypocritical, to have to defend the very thing that would waste no time in lynching them in fear.

She didn't voice her doubts, knowing they likely wouldn't change anything. Still, Kana studied everyone once more, curious to see if anyone shared her thoughts via their expressions or words.

LumaThePhoenix @ everyone
[/div] [/div]
[/div] [/div] [class=background] width: 100%; height: 725px; padding-top: 25px; background-color: #ECEBD4; [/class] [class=container] width: 500px; height: 700px; margin: auto; display: inline [/class] [class=characterName] color: White; font-family: Syncopate, Sans-Serif; font-size: 60px; font-weight: 900; text-align: center; padding: 70px 15px 0px; 15px; [/class] [class=characterTitle] color: White; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 25px; [/class] [class=tagsContainer] width: 30%; background-color: #353530; padding: 15px; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-Serif; font-size: 10px; margin: auto; color: white; [/class] [class=characterImage] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class name=characterImage state=hover] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class=textContainer] width: 100%; height: 400px; font-family: Raleway, Sans-serif; overflow: hidden; display: inline-block; border-left: 6px solid #0B5394; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=textChild] width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow-y: scroll; padding: 0px 17px 0px 10px; display: inline-block; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=text] display: inline-block; text-align: justify; margin-right: 15px; [/class] [script class=characterImage on=mouseenter] hide humanName hide humanTitle fadeIn 500 godName fadeIn 500 godTitle fadeIn 500 tagsContainer [/script] [script class=characterImage on=mouseleave] hide godName hide godTitle hide tagsContainer fadeIn 500 humanName fadeIn 500 humanTitle [/script]​

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

Aloysius von Bateaux
Noble/Voice Manipulation​

"Get up."

The hands that shook him weren't rough, but they weren't exactly gentle, either.

Aloysius von Bateaux groaned as he stirred from his sleep. "Something happening?" he slurred.

He blinked sleep from his eyes and looked up. It was one of the guards, one of the two who took shifts with another pair to stand outside his room at all times. Like they were guarding some precious vase or painting.

Or keeping watch over a prisoner.

"Come with us," the guard said in a tone that made it clear this wasn't a suggestion. Aloysius stood from his chair - he couldn't remember falling asleep there - and was practically herded out the door. No time to get ready or change, then.

"Where are we going?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level, but a pinch of indignance snuck in.

"Mess Hall," the guard answered, curt. "We're already late." The other guard outside the door had joined them. One in front, one behind. Ally bristled a bit. For God's sake, he wasn't about to try to run away.

They really were late. Ally thought he was probably the last one in the Mess Hall. The others - now he knew for certain that there were others - were already inside. Some already getting to know each other.

Ally felt out of place immediately. His doublet was a deep, rich blue that was nearly indigo, woven with a delicate white leaf pattern. Done up with far too many silver buttons.

His clothing couldn't have pegged him more for a rich brat.

As his eyes wandered over the room, they staggered as they fell on the man whose face was inexplicably concealed by black smoke. Widened.

Then a resigned shrug and a look that said, Well, this isn't the strangest thing that's happened to me thus far.

"Hello. I'm Maya Misako. Pleased to meet you."

Ally looked startled. "Oh, me? Ally," he said eloquently. He gathered himself. "I mean, Aloysius von Bateaux. The pleasure's mine."

Just then, the man with shrouded face (it was apparent he was in charge here) began to speak. Without even thinking about it, Ally sat down as he was asked, in the closest empty chair.

Finally, it seemed they were going to get some answers. Waited long enough.

After the short speech, Ally felt several times worse. There was a stone in the pit of his stomach.

His voice rang out clear through the hall; he didn't even have to use magic for that.

"I have a question. When are we going to be allowed to see our families again? Or at least communicate with them?"

He set his jaw and asked what he had been suspecting. Maybe what they all had been suspecting.

"If we're captives here, why don't you tell us as much? I think we've earned the right to your honesty."

 

[SilverFlight]

"Bloody brilliant." Thali grinned. She approved of the act greatly Danidify . Maya LumaThePhoenix threw her a compliment and she winked at the girl. This crowd was turning out to be a good one.
Kellan finally meeting their eyes earned him a grin. "There, that's better, now we can actually see your pretty face!" Gabe
Thali listened to what Maya LumaThePhoenix had to say, liking the notion of being brought together to help one another.
"Well, you lot've done more to win me over in five minutes than this bunch has in weeks." Here she gestured dismissively to where the shadowy man stood.
She leaned back in the chair, listening to the theories that floated past about the mysterious figure wrapped in shadow.
"I'd always be wary of the bigwigs here though. Likely they've had the pleasure of sitting in these very seats a good while back, and all that time to hone their powers."
Kellan Gabe brought up the question of choice and Thali scoffed, "I wouldn't count on it mate."

When Jericho A Not So Wonderful Story began speaking Thali stuffed it quickly. She'd made the mistake of flouting authority once here. She wouldn't do it seriously again.
A chill ran down her spine as it was revealed what they would be expected to do. She'd not encountered the mutated closely, and was very happy never to have that experience.
The fear registered on her fine features for only a moment, before it was swallowed down by a mask of cold indifference.
"Looks like were to be dogs then ladies and gents, and that one's holding the leash." Under her breath she muttered only loud enough for the gathered teens to hear: "Better a dog's leash than a hangman's noose."
She knew how important they were. The mutated threatened to destroy everything. Thali thought of her family, and what the mutated would do to them if they ever breached the walls of the capital.
"Fine." She said loudly, pouring her fear-induced anger into the conviction in her tone. "Consider me enrolled. Just point me at whatever needs killin'."
The noble Saccharine Cyanide that had appeared not long after she did hadn't peeked her interest much...until he opened his mouth. He asked his questions and Thali's heart went out to him. He'd voiced likely what they'd all been thinking. She smiled to herself as she listened to him call out the bigwigs like he'd done.
She looked up at Jericho expectantly, waiting for him to answer the questions Ally had posed, and ready to back the outlandish youth if he wouldn't.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Maya Misako
​

Despite how ominous and pessimistic Kana's view of the situation sounded, Maya felt that Kana was right. From certain perspectives, they could easily be nothing more than puppets forced to fight for people that they can't even be themselves around. Monsters created to fight monsters. It was a depressing thought.

After hearing Thali's comment about her being won over, Maya smiled and looked at her. "Glad to hear that. Of course, those nutcases out there aren't exactly people pleasers when it comes to us." She jokingly replied.
SilverFlight

When a new, masked person entered, Maya smiled and introduced herself. She was preparing to say more, but then she heard the man who was in the Hall before her speaking. As he spoke, she felt Kana nudge her and whisper to her. "Oh, look, he speaks. Maybe we'll have our answers." This caused Maya to let out a silent giggle before she whispered back. "Maybe. I'm honestly surprised that his words don't manifest in all that smoke."
tacere

She turned her attention back to the man that called himself 'Jericho'. As he spoke, plenty of thoughts rushed through her mind. She had many questions, but they would have to wait as yet another person had arrived. Everything about him, from the appearance to the way he responded to her introduction, gave off high class. When he asked about seeing family and why the group hasn't been given more information, Maya nodded in agreement, curious to know these answers herself.

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

Teresa observed everyone, her eye’s bouncing from one group to the next. Although her observations were cut short by Jericho. Pondering, she thought of the church. She must no longer be affiliated. The secrecy must mean that she would never return. She would no longer be “sister.” Her heart began racing at the idea of fighting the mutants. Was it fear? Or was it more thrilling than anything else? To fight against those horrid creatures that she felt so powerless against. This is… This is God's work. As her heart pulsed, it pulsed with a growing fire, a zealotry that she has never felt before. The doubt’s of this organization, the secrecy, the many unknowns, did they really matter? Now she has the opportunity to turn the tide against the darkness that was beyond the walls, and do the greatest service known to all of humanity, to the maker himself!


She could not sit still, as she fidgeted under the idea of being the sword of the Almighty. Unlike the others, she did not hold any disdain for her newly found position. Where so many others died, she survived along those before her now, they were chosen to suffer this trial and bring a light unto this world. She stood to her feet, placing a hand on her chest “If I may bear the cross, I will happily cut down those who seek to destroy humanity. My only question is when do we begin?”

 

[ApfelSeine]

Vijay Kulkarni​

Vijay tilted his head slightly as he listened to the small talk which proceeded Jericho's statement. He straightened in his seat slightly, gaze traveling around the room as he took in the others' reactions to their situation. So they had all been put through those accursed trials as well... Vijay could not help but feel sympathy for them. They all appeared, as far as he could discern, to come from different walks of life. Yet they each held a painful experience in common. Perhaps that would be enough to establish camaraderie. Vijay himself had somewhat mixed feelings about that, pleased that he would not be alone while also regretful that he alone could not bear such a burden. He would if he could, but life was rarely so simple. It was only through combined strength that any real security could be achieved. That much, at least, he knew for certain.

The reactions from the others had been... mixed to say the least. Concern, disdain, resignation, determination... many different emotions were present. In Vijay's case, he continued sitting in silence, not entirely sure how to feel beyond conflicted about the methods that were being resorted to. He disliked giving up his agency, yet circumstances they would be living in were also better than he had really expected. Being captive did not particularly bother him, as he had long since gotten used to the idea. Life itself was not unlike captivity. People even placed restrictions upon themselves when there were none forced upon them. Still, it pained him to hear someone else worried for their family. He focused his gaze on the boy who had raised this concern, a city boy from the look of it. The small stone in his hand became rough to the touch as he gripped it tightly. He could not help feeling a protective urge when faced with a lonely child. That had always been the case his whole life. Though perhaps it was somewhat patronizing to think that way. They did not appear to be far off in age after all, and it was only natural to be concerned about losing contact with loved ones and letting go of control of their lives.

Perhaps, to an extent, it was for the best if they never saw their loved ones again. As painful as loss was, rejection was sometimes even more painful. Vijay had no delusions that anyone would see them the same way when magic users were so widely vilified. Living a lie had not been so bad, relatively speaking. It was a matter of perspective. His gaze shifted back to Jericho.

 

[ShiyaRose]

Kyler Ward​

Glass littered the floor of Kyler's room, the shards glinting in the sunlight like a thousand little diamonds covering nearly every surface of the room. Kyler perched on the smashed window, his chest rising and falling steadily as cold breeze whipped across his dark face. His onyx eyes were dark as they studied the view before him; familiar yet completely unfamiliar at the same time. The dead sang in this place; the souls of the tortured experiments wailing all around him. It was a haunting sound, but to Kyler it gave him a sense of comfort. It reminded him of home, the graveyard he spent many hours communing in, basking in the power of the departed souls. The Souls in his graveyard were somewhat peaceful, their echoes mostly filled with regrets from their lives and sometimes anger at their unfortunate fate. These Souls, however, were in agony. Their Echoes screamed through the walls of the building Kyler was in and shook him to the very bones. He had never heard anything so brutal yet to beautiful at the same time. He knew that these people were put through the same torture he was put through weeks prior and they did not come out of it alive. Perhaps Kyler would feel pity for them were he not so enthralled by their screams.

Kyler's plain white shirt clung to his body as a strong gust of wind pushed him back slightly, goosebumps forming on the flesh of his scarred, tanned arms as a chill run up his spine. Despite the cold, Kyler felt calm and relaxed as he continued to stare out into the distance, a few strands of his dark brown hair falling into his eyes. He felt a strange power rise around him, dancing and swirling within him, waiting for him to figure out how to use it. It was similar to what Kyler had felt in the hours he spent walking around his graveyard, yet somehow this feeling was stronger and more alien to him. Once again, Kyler wondered exactly what that ritual had done to him other than make him hear and see things.
The Ritual had been the single most painful experience in Kyler's existence. He had been beaten, cut and much, much worse by the village gang while he was growing, and yet that experience a few weeks ago had topped all of that and nobody so much as raised a knife against him. It was painful to even think about what he had gone through, but yet he was still alive. And now, he was about to find out exactly what it was all about.
Kyler knew the guards coming even before they approached his door. It was only a matter of time before he was summoned somewhere, so all he had to do was wait patiently for all his questions were to be answered in due time. The door swung open roughly, shoving aside some of the glass from the broken window, the ground crunching beneath the armoured feet of the guards that entered his room. They cursed loudly when they saw Kyler perched on the windowsill, his legs dangling precariously outside the building. A pair of rough hands grabbed Kyler's shoulders and pulled him backwards back into his room, not caring as Kyler fell onto the glass-covered floor. Kyler felt a range of sharp pains stick into his back as he landed heavily on the ground, sucking his breath in as the guard who had pulled him back retreated slightly for Kyler to get up. Kyler obeyed the Guard's silent commanding, snatching his old, brown leather jacket from his bed as the guards approached him once again, their eyes emotionless behind their helmets. They wanted to escort him somewhere; that much was obvious.
"Lead the way," Kyler said as he shoved on his jacked, ignoring the pains in his backs as the guards positioned themselves on either side of him and grabbed his elbows to drag him out of the room. They seemed nervous around him, as if he was a criminal waiting for the opportunity to escape, or attack. Perhaps not even the Guards knew what the ritual had done to him, and decided that caution would be the best way to handle him. Funny that someone who volunteered to come here were to be treated like a prisoner.
Kyler was escorted through a series of winding corridors until they reached what looked to be some kind of Mess Hall. The Guards opened the large doors and waited for Kyler to step inside, their silence slightly unsettling. Kyler shrugged at them and walked in, rubbing his elbows that were throbbing a bit from their tight grip. There was a group of people inside already, seated at a large Mahogany table with a figure sat at the head of the table, black smoke billowing out from his hood, draped in long, dark robes decorated with a Templar-like cross at his hips. Kyler's brows pulled together as he studied the other people sat at the table, hearing them chat quietly between themselves. They didn't seem to notice Kyler's presence immediately as he took the farthest seat away from them, slinking into his chair and folding his arms across his chest, careful not to rest his back against the backrest of the chair.
The room itself was the fanciest thing Kyler had ever seen; whoever owned this establishment was clearing in league with the Kingdom, for Kyler spotted the crest; a symbol that he never really paid much attention to. The mysterious robed man then began speaking, his posture straightening as he demanded the attention of everyone sat around him. A man of authority, Kyler realised, watching him closely. Kyler didn't dare make any sounds of movements to draw anyone's attention over to him as he listened in at what Jericho had to say, and what the others had to say about he just said. They seemed to have mixed feelings on what Jericho had to say, but Kyler couldn't help but feel out of place. So, he had magic now apparently. But that didn't help the fact he didn't know the first thing about combat. Protecting the Kingdom? All Kyler ever did was sit in a graveyard and chop up animals in the butcher shop. He had no place protecting the kingdom like some sort of knight.
Perhaps Kyler would find a way to escape this place, but not until he got trained so that he could find out exactly what had happened to him during the Ritual.

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Warsen Skiff
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Jericho & Kyler

Warsen would listen to Jericho, swaying lightly in his chair from side to side. He didn't even know he was doing it either. The more Jericho spoke, the more confused Warsen got. He was a good swordsman, yes, but against the Mutated? That was preposterous. Even if he had the skill, as far as Warsen knew, he could just heal shit. That doesn't exactly make you qualified to hunt beasts. Warsen immediately remembered, and spoke after the others.
"I would like my blade, please."
He seemed awfully worried about it. In fact, he got extremely fidgety as he thought about it, swaying a bit more. He still seemed physically calm though. Just anxious. Then, he suddenly snapped his attention to Kyler ShiyaRose as if he tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't know about Kyler, but he felt a barely noticeable pull between the two of them, he just wasn't sure what it was...

Jericho Linge
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Everyone

Jericho's eerie figure sat still as all the questions and requested filled his ears, as well as the notable silence of others. He would lace his gloved fingers as he leaned forward onto the table, looking around at all the seated individuals.
"It is foolish to assume that I have any more freedom than any of you. I have some pull with the king, yes, but I am afraid we are all in this together. Yes, this is against our will, but! I see no reason why we cannot cooperate with this assignment. For what were we before the experiments? Free? We were simply in a bigger box..."
He looked to Ally and sighed lightly.
"I'm... not sure. I've been told that you all shall receive more freedom as time goes on and you prove your worth, and I believe them. Back when I was in your place... well, let's just say I didn't have grand chairs and stained glass. I require no praise, but do know I worked very hard to acquire these furnishings for your comfort."
His eyes turned to Thali as she muttered.
"Oh I'm afraid there is a very tight grip on that leash. Not that you could know this, but on everyone's left shoulder blade, there is a rune placed by the witch. She put it there during the rituals, just to keep us in line. I assure you, you don't want her to use it. She uses it as a last resort."
Lastly, he looked to Teresa.
"I like your spirit. Training begins tomorrow. You will be assisted in controlling the ability you have been given as well as combat with the weapon that best suits you. Tonight is a night to relax, and get acquainted. I know many of you might be on the quiet side, but I advise everyone in this room to socialize. You look around, all of you. These are your new friends. They will fight alongside you, and you will be trusting them with your life. I would expect you to want to know who they are. There's quite a number of you here, so get mingling. Speaking of numbers... I thought I had one more of you..." Baconhands ​

 

[tacere]

[div class="container"] [div class="characterImage"] [div class="characterName humanName"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterName godName" style="display: none; color: #FFFFFF;"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterTitle godTitle" style="display: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: #FFFFFF;"] HOLDER OF LIGHT [/div] [/div]

[div class="textContainer"] [div class="textChild"] [div class="text"]
Kana frowned ever so slightly as she listened to those around her express both their concerns and eagerness. While she couldn't quite relate to Ally's familial plight she was sympathetic, and certainly agreed with his desire for transparency. They were captives, skirting around that fact was only a further disrespect. Thali's murmured comments actually earned her a snort, though an amused and agreeable one, a quirk of her lip indicating as such as she bowed her head ever so slightly towards the woman. It was curious to see how different everyone's positions on their new circumstances was, and while she envied Teresa's faith and conviction she could not bring herself to share the sentiments. The others proved to be less vocal, and as such she had no concrete indications of their stances. She was sure she'd come to know them and much more if they were really to be spending as much time together as Jericho indicated.

"I believe we'd all feel much more comfortable with our things, weapon or otherwise, returned to us." Kana spoke up, adding to the request the masked male had made, gaze shifting to study his before looking back to Jericho. It was unsettling to look at him, not knowing if he was returning the eye contact, or what was behind there at all, though it was a minor inconvenience.

"Certainly if you managed to obtain such exquisite furnishings, returning our belongings should be simple." Kana tilted her head. Maybe she was laying it on a little thick, but there was no harm in that.

Kana's wrist felt naked without the bangle she was so used to constantly turning, and her dagger, well, that was a family heirloom of sorts.

Once she'd finished her request, she looked amongst her new companions. Trust them with her life? That was easier said than done. Certainly it required more than a night's conversing, though she knew they had to start somewhere. It was best not to ostracize herself before she even had a lay of the land.

Leaning forward, pale blue hues skimmed slowly over every face, calm yet an ambivalence in her expression. "I'm Kana if you hadn't heard." She paused, thinking, "We are all here because of our... new talents, as we know. So what can you all do?"

[/div] [/div]
[/div] [/div] [class=background] width: 100%; height: 725px; padding-top: 25px; background-color: #ECEBD4; [/class] [class=container] width: 500px; height: 700px; margin: auto; display: inline [/class] [class=characterName] color: White; font-family: Syncopate, Sans-Serif; font-size: 60px; font-weight: 900; text-align: center; padding: 70px 15px 0px; 15px; [/class] [class=characterTitle] color: White; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 25px; [/class] [class=tagsContainer] width: 30%; background-color: #353530; padding: 15px; font-family: Montserrat, Sans-Serif; font-size: 10px; margin: auto; color: white; [/class] [class=characterImage] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class name=characterImage state=hover] width: 500px; height: 250px; background: url(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0f/11/e30f11cb3128e236c4e1d9697e7e07f6.jpg) no-repeat center top; display: inline-block; background-clip: border-box; [/class] [class=textContainer] width: 100%; height: 400px; font-family: Raleway, Sans-serif; overflow: hidden; display: inline-block; border-left: 6px solid #0B5394; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=textChild] width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow-y: scroll; padding: 0px 17px 0px 10px; display: inline-block; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=text] display: inline-block; text-align: justify; margin-right: 15px; [/class] [script class=characterImage on=mouseenter] hide humanName hide humanTitle fadeIn 500 godName fadeIn 500 godTitle fadeIn 500 tagsContainer [/script] [script class=characterImage on=mouseleave] hide godName hide godTitle hide tagsContainer fadeIn 500 humanName fadeIn 500 humanTitle [/script]​