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Team ThunderWaves Taiga's foot tapped fiercely, her arms crossed as she watched for Scarlet to make her way. She must've missed her with all the commotion going on around them, but the girl finally made it to the platform. She waved her arm weakly through the air, smiling at Taiga. "Told... told ya... I'd make it..." She laughed. Taiga shook her head. "Slowpoke." She shot her face to the side, only to slug the Gijinka in the shoulder. The metal clang of her fist meeting armor rang through the air. Taiga winced, but wore a toothy grin. "I'm just glad ya ain't dead yet. We still got a job to do, right?" The rails on the platform began to raise, as they began to descend into the depths of the island. Taiga began to shudder. Whatever was down here was making her skin crawl to no end. "Well...the easy part's done huh?" Just as the platform stopped, they could see a single path. A door lit up with a bright light. Taiga took a deep breath. She was the first to walk up to the door, her hands tucked into the creases of her back. "Sheesh...I'll see you on the other side then, alright Chrome Dome!" Stepping through, she was met with a room with strange wooden poles sticking out of the ground. Beside her was that strange Raichu from before, and another Gijinka that resembled Isole to some degree...although this was totally a guy. No one else arrived behind them, so she assumed the worst. "They split us up huh?" She eyed her two mismatched teammates up and down, only to sigh. "Ya'll think you can keep up? I ain't got time to babysit, so I'm gonna need you to handle your business appropriately." She winked at both of them. "And don't go thinkin' my services are gonna be free either. You owe me after this one, got it!?" Walking further up, she heard a familiar voice, arguing with a smaller one. “You’re right I DON’T understand, Veronica! Why are you with them still? Can’t you see what they’re doing is bad? Betty wouldn’t want this...” “Yeah well we can’t ask her can we? They’re more dangerous than we are and if you can’t see that...” Her demeanor and stance changed once she saw the group of Gijinka before her. Her defensiveness only made Taiga smirk. “What’s...Ah!” The small girl managed to get out, before Veronica chopped her in the back of the neck. The girl fell unconscious, as she grabbed her and pulled her back before stepping towards the group. Her expression was somewhat flustered but when she spoke it was with a dismissive attitude. “So you made it here after all. It’s a shame that commoners like you ended up having to face me. You’re basically out of time already. Soon we’ll have a world free from the grip of so-called Legendaries. And I am not about to let you ruin that.” "You sure love to hear yourself talk, don'tcha?" Taiga said, pressing her fists against her hips. "You aren't gonna be able to run away this time, so you might as well give up!" At the same time, in the back of her head. Didn't they have help trying to beat down this batty bitch last time? A bead of sweat dripped down her cheek at the realization. They needed the help of a rampaging Zygarde to best her...and even then it was a stalemate. She crossed her arms defiantly. "You better give up now...your friend might get swept up in all this." "What?! Excuse you, I do not talk to myself! I was talking to you three, but I suppose that was a lost cause to begin with, especially with you here," the woman harrumphed. "And Yuffie is not my friend! I told you this before, but she's nothing more than an annoyance." A bitter expression crossed her face. "Just like you, she's a plebeian who cannot comprehend our lofty goals. We are doing this for the good of Adarid, and because of that, I will not give up!" "Well...I guess giving you an out of this situation was beyond pointless, huh? Fufu." Taiga assumed her starting position, placing both hands on the ground, one foot outstretched behind her while the other was tucked into her chest. "You sure you wanna do this? I definitely remember how strong you were...I can't forget your stupid face." Nervous sweat still dripped from her brow, but she wore a huge smile. "But..." She looked the Crobat dead in the eye, "I'm not the same as I was last time." "Of course it was pointless! You're the ones who need an out after all, not me." The woman scoffed. "I doubt you'd have grown enough that I can't handle you. You had Zygarde before, but unless these two next to you are secretly legendaries, you don't need to worry about me." She tossed her head arrogantly. "You should worry about yourselves instead! If you want to turn around now and go back home, I won't stop you. I'd rather avoid needless bloodshed, if possible." "I don't wanna have to kill you either..." Taiga mumbled. "That girl there really seems to admire you...And she wouldn't do that if there was still some good in you, right?" Taiga laughed. "I must be goin' soft...but then again..." Taiga dashed off, doing a short hop to land on a waterboard that appeared beneath her feet, "I won't be goin' easy just cause some bird brain digs ya, ya dig!? FUFUFUFU!" Taiga ollied into the sky, taking the board and throwing it at the bat with a wicked smile. "Catch!" She turned her head to the others. "Wanna join in, or you got cold feet?!"

Premise On December 31st, 1999, the night sky was lit up with the largest moon ever recorded in human history. Once the clock struck midnight, the moon instantly turned a blood red. Scientists' minds were boggled, but nobody panicked. They thought of the event nothing more than a sick way to cap off the last year of the century, and went about their partying. Little did the masses know, that something dark and terrible infested the world that night. At the turn of the millennia, monsters of the night infested our world. Where they came from, no one knows, but they spread among the populace like a plague. That same night, a once thought extinct group sensed the presence of evil. These were the remnants of the Demon Slayer Corps. Ages ago, they had rid the world of the demon menace, but they were once again flung into the dark underworld of monster slaying. The year is now 2004. You are one of these members of the Demon Slayers, whether by choice or by circumstance. Your job? Protect the innocent and ignorant, and rid the world of this rising evil!

Chris had been too focused on Sergei and Lana, he didn’t even see the kobold until Estellise speared it, a bolt of light impaling it, practically suspending it in place before it crumpled to the floor. “Thanks,” was all he could say. It was all he had time to say, really. Lana had popped back out of the tunnel (was her hand bleeding? That wasn’t good) and declared that tunnel clear, and with the group back together, it was time to move. “If I were to guess, I’d be there’s something in front of that last tunnel,” Chris said. “So stick to the left. You don’t have to be quick; you just have to be efficient. And there should be more in that first tunnel, keep an eye out for those, too.” He took the lead, practicing exactly what he’d preached. Looking back had other advantages, too, like making sure that everyone else was keeping behind, and, when he was even with the third tunnel, he could catch a glimpse of inside. What else would it be besides more kobolds? But these three had short spears instead of daggers, and they were clearly bolder than the ones that had come before. They came charging out the moment they spotted Chris, and all of a sudden they were trapped in combat again. But this time, there was no longer any element of surprise. He was ready for them. Just like with Leo, the first thing he had to do was close the distance, a feat he managed just as swiftly as he’d done then, and as he’d done with the rat two floors ago. The only difference now was making sure the kobold’s spear didn’t get anywhere near him, but a single deft step out of the way of the obvious thrust was all it took. But a moment later, he was running the kobold through with his sword. Two left. “Sergei!” Chris called out, hoping that was all it took to get his meaning across.

Juryo made his way to the back of the store, noting all the other appliances he had walked past. DVD players, toaster, microwaves....yup this definitely was an electronics store. However, the three of them seemed to be the only ones doing any shopping around here today. Looking at some small copy machines, he wondered how much merchandise that was sold here overlapped with the office supplies store. He shrugged at the thought. It didn't really matter. He didn't believe that the office store had any Microwaves just lying around. He took a look at one such Microwave. There was nothing fancy about it in the slightest, but looking towards the back he noticed that the cables seemed to be a little frayed. It wasn't plugged in, so how could it have been put through such rough use already? "Must be used...Is this a second hand electronic shop?" He looked for a price tag, noticing that there was none. "Huh." Well, he'd leave the choice of Microwave to the girls. He was already on a mission. After a while, he managed to find himself in the back of the store, with the large printers standing against a wall. He walked up to them, noticing that these didn't have a price tag either. "Geez...are they free or what?" Juryo propped himself up on a shelf, noticing that there were no employees in sight. He sighed. Luckily, next to the printers was a door that was labeled 'Employees Only'. It couldn't help to knock on the door. He did just that, putting his ear up against the door. He heard a muffled screaming, and the rummaging of metal. Instinct kicked in, Juryo's quirk activating to make the door as light as possible, and his body a little heavier. He rammed into the door, breaking it off his hinges. There, in the corner of the room, he saw a bald man with a gag in his mouth. Across from his way a boy, roughly his age, hunched over a small LED t.v., with the plug in his mouth. Juryo winced...what a pain this trip had turned into. The teen stared at him, watching Juryo struggle with a decision he couldn't make. The teen stood up, and spit the plug out of his mouth. "Yo!" He casually greeted Juryo, while he had a hostage in a corner. "I can explain this, I swear!" He smiled, placing his hands up and against his chest. "Get to it." Juryo groaned. He wasn't a licensed hero, so anything he was planning on doing would most likely be illegal. It'd land him in jail. But still...he couldn't just let this go. "You seeeee, I can't eat normal food! Only electricity, you see?! My parents kicked me out cuz I raised their bills so damn high! Ridiculous, ain't it! It ain't my fault I was born like this, right bro?!" Juryo had heard a sob story once or two in his time as a vigilante, but he could at least sympathize with someone like this. "That doesn't give you the right to do something like this. Turn yourself in...I'm sure the government can help yo-" "SCREW THAT, ALRIGHT! I AIN'T GIVIN' THEM MORE THAN WHAT THEY'VE TAKEN FROM ME!" The boy looked to his uniform, noticing a symbol. His eyes rattled, at the realization. "Hairo, huh? I got the same letter...so you just signed your life away then, huh?" The boy gripped his head. "They sent you here after me...didn't they?!" The boy's skin began to glow bright, as his entire being became that of electricity. Not a single distinguishing physical feature was left, but only that of a beam of light. It walked towards him, still able to talk. "Well...I ain't gonna let you! Bring it on, lackey!" The energy being bolted towards him, ramming into Juryo's chest and flinging him towards the front of the store. The impact shook him, but he was conscious enough of the situation to see Kiburi and Nanami. "We've got a situation..." He grumbled. “Don’t cry Miyu-san! I’m sorry you had to put yourself in danger for this!” Yu replied, fighting back his own growing despair as he bowed towards Miyu. "Danger?" Miyu cocked an eyebrow at Yu, and then looked towards the so called 'Theodore'. "I'm not particularly in fear of my life here. I can take care of myself ya know?" "It may be a chore, but it needs to be done anyway, right? If we do it well now then nobody will have to do it again. Look, if we're quick in doing this and we end up with spare time, we can hit the mall on the road back if you want, ok?" “That’s right Miyu-san, we can do the shopping quickly so you don’t need to be near me for too long! Please bear with me Miyu-san, Midome-san!” Was that a pun? Miyu pouted, turning her head to the side. "Humph! Whatever! But you two better promise to carry my bags back! And I won't take no as an answer!" The thought of whipping their bodies as they trudged back to campus sent chills of pleasure down her spine. "Let's get this over with as soon as possible then! Chop, chop!" Miyu walked into Job Hutt ahead of the others. Looking around, it was as bland as a office supply store could be. However, there was one thing that stuck out in her mind. The fact that large, proportional cutouts of scantily clad women littered the store, each holding different office supplies in their hands or between their-WHAT KIND OF ADVERTISING WAS THIS!? "This store owner needs divine punishment." Miyu growled, as she headed towards the front desk. "Can I leave the list to you boys for a bit? I have a complaint to register." Walking up to the customer service desk, Miyu noticed a businesswoman. She must've been here for the same thing as her! Miyu patiently waited behind her, happy to eavesdrop on their conversation. Throughout the grocery store, a woman's shill screaming could be heard. Everyone who looked in that direction would see an extremely large woman rummaging through a family's shopping cart. She took no time devouring all the food in large gulps and swallows. She harbored a massive pair of jaws that she hid underneath a spiked mask. However, her hunger was seemingly not quelled from all the food she just ate. "Hero! Are there any heroes here?!" An employee could be heard shouting. "Heh!" The towering girl could be heard laughing. "I've beat up most heroes who patrol around here! Don't think anyone's comin' to save your store! I'm one hungry girl, and nothin' can stop my feedin' frenzy!!!!!"

...ya know...just...man.... ....interest noted. Try to not have too many things under my belt and y'all just keep bringing me back in!!!

Same set-up, different location. I have a fully dedicated office/computer space now. EDIT: After some new arrivals, I've made quite the upgrade:

Dragonball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2 Dragonball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 3 Midnight Club II

Misawa getting buried. Ep. 56.

"Dora...?" "That's me!" Dora confirmed. "I'm Dora!" "yeah...arms." Dora turned towards the stranger girl who didn't look all that much older than her and nodded. "Arms!" “Dora? Dora! What are you doing here? You need to get back to the boat.” "Nuh uh!" Dora said, crossing her arms, and grinning widely that she was able to do that, "we're s'posed to go downstairs and I can't do that from the boat." She looked out in the direction of the boat and frowned. "Plus there's a lot of those weird ladies that way. They're not very nice." -- "You may have beaten me here but I bet I still did better than you overall!" Mac rolled her eyes. "Oh please, we were supposed to come here right? So if I got here first I did it best. But I guess I'll just have to show you I'm better by beating up the bad guys we find down there." She grinned and flexed. She noticed Kazo approaching, with his brother, off in the distance and waved at him. "You're so slow!" She called out. -- The lift was filling up with Gijinka from all over. It was possible that it could hold more, yet, they had been waiting for a while now and if they waited for much longer the Genesect would take notice of them. After that there was no telling how difficult it would be to leave. And so it was decided they’d go now. The level was pulled and, the moment it did, the railings along the side raised and a growling noise could be heard. Metal against metal. Then with a shudder the lift lowered down. At first slowly and then picking up speed faster and faster. Lights could be seen as they went down but the lift was moving too fast now and they seemed like a blur. This went on for a minute until it started to slow again. Until with another shudder and a hissing noise the lift stopped. A door slide open which revealed a cube-shaped room. It was unusually artificial. The walls looked to be made of some kind of metal plating interspersed with blue lights. An eerie noise could be heard. A sort of hum. And in the middle of the room was a circular disk of light. Presumably the teleporter that they had been told about. There was a pause as everyone took in the situation. And then Mac broke the silence. “Well, guess we might as well try it out.” And without further hesitation she dashed towards the light. When she reached it she stood straight and a bright light flashed and when it faded she had gone. The others then one after another went into the light. Where they were taken to a variety rooms. Looking around they would soon realize that they had been broken up into small groups. Group 1: Easter and Nine The room they entered seemed to stretch on for a long distance. Far off they could see what looked to be walls but it was hard to tell. They found themselves in a field. This field was entirely filled with flowers. Most of them white but here and there were a scattering of other colors as well. At first it seemed that they were alone in this field but they would soon notice someone else. Across from where they had appeared was a hill. Laying on the slope of the hill, staring up in the air, was a woman. Long, green hair, pale skin, and wearing a dress. BGM She was just laying there for a while. Until one of the others made a move. Then she let out a sigh and opened her red eyes. Slowly she stood up. Moving so fluidly it almost looked as though she was floating. And then she vanished and reappeared a dozen feet from them. She gestured with her right hand, sweeping across the field, then her left. “I usually don’t let guests into my sanctuary.” She said, her voice tired and distant. “Yet here you are. And here I am.” She let out another sigh. “My name is Ankou. My leader has tasked me with stopping those who come here. I’m very sorry but I have to destroy you now.” Group 2: Denku, Kazo, and Randy The room these three found themselves was surrounded in what looked like stadium seats. The ground was filled with sand and there were several pillars on the left and right. It resembled some sort of coliseum and, in fact, if either of them had been near the arena in Adarid City they would realize this was almost exactly a replica of it. Only without the sky above them. “Welcome ‘heroes’ to the last fight of your life.” The voice that spoke was seeped in sarcasm. It came from a tall man that was standing between the two pillars at the other end that the three had appeared. The salamence had shaggy dark hair, tanned skin, and his dark eyes flashed with anger as he took a few steps closer. Kazo would recognize them as one of the two that had attack Latias and Latios. Though he looked somewhat different. Manic, as though he hadn’t slept since. His cocky expression turned dark as he saw Kazo. “So it’s you. What a coincidence. I was told to wait here to stop anyone from interrupting but I didn’t expect to be given such a gift. I get to have my revenge on one of the ‘heroes’ who got my brother killed personally.” BGM He gave a hollow laugh. “You know, I might have mentioned this, but I used to be called a hero. The ‘hero of the arena’. Ryu the Relentless! That’s what those fair weather fans called me. I was beloved. Too beloved. The owner decided he wanted me to do more and more matches. More than I could handle. So he would send my twin out instead. Then we were found out and that rat bastard called us cheaters and cast us out. We had nothing left except each other.” Another laugh, this one more manic, and he ran a hand through his hair. Face twisted and filled with misplaced rage. “And I guess now don’t even have that. Doesn't really matter, does it? You wouldn't be here if our reasons made sense to you. Well, suppose all that’s left to do is see this through to the end...and make you pay in particular.” He growled the last part and the three felt a wave of fierce aura wash over them. He then launched a Fire Blast towards Kazo. Group 3: Brooke, Nani, and Scarlet For a moment the group would think they hadn’t went anywhere. The floor was much the same as the one they had been previously. However after a brief moment of getting their bearings they would be able to tell that they were somewhere new. Somewhere with a rather unusual architecture. The walls, metal like before, were curved. As they looked around in fact it almost looked as they were standing at the bottom of a large bowl with blue lights lining its outskirts. The area they stood was flat but that was only a small, couple dozen feet in diameter, area of floor until it started curving. In the middle of the room was a pink haired woman wearing a frilly dress. She seemed somewhat chubby but, if they were to look closer, they could see her arms and legs were muscular as well. She gave them a warm smile and put her hands together. “Oh isn’t this just lovely. I was worried that there would be children coming here. It’d be such a shame to have to fight kids again.” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “But I guess at this point it doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m supposed to ‘crush anyone who comes here’ after all. Oh, silly me, I should have introduced myself, I’m Mia!” She gave a short curtsy. Then her expression turned more cold and serious, though there was still an oddly motherly smile on her face, “We’re building a wonderful world you know. I’m not going to let you ruin it. Not after all we’ve done to get here." BGM Group 4: Taiga, Keanu, and Lok The room they found themselves in had a high ceiling. High enough that it was difficult to determine how far it actually went. It was roughly rectangular and had the same, metal, plate walls that the previous room had. Across the floor, spaced ten feet apart, were eight foot high poles made of some sort of wood. They each were six inches in diameter and appeared to have flat tops. Unlike the previous room where the only noise was themselves and an eerie hum they could hear voices. With a brief moment of searching they saw where the voice was coming from. Across the room they could, between a couple poles, see two figures. One a small Fletchling girl and the other a Crobat that Taiga would remember from the encounter with Zygarde. The Fletchling looked to be arguing with the Crobat. Gesturing about wildly and desperately. “You’re right I DON’T understand, Veronica! Why are you with them still? Can’t you see what they’re doing is bad? Betty wouldn’t want this...” Even from the distance the group could see Veronica’s eyes flash for a moment. Then she scoffed at the girl and waved her off. “Yeah well we can’t ask her can we? They’re more dangerous than we are and if you can’t see that...” She then looked over and saw the group. Eyes widening she got into a fighting pose. Causing the Fletchling to glance back at them as well. “What’s...Ah!” She cried out as Veronica chopped the girl in the back of the head and knocked her out. She grabbed her and pulled her back before stepping towards the group.Her expression was somewhat flustered but when she spoke it was with a dismissive attitude. “So you made it here after all. It’s a shame that commoners like you ended up having to face me. You’re basically out of time already. Soon we’ll have a world free from the grip of so-called Legendaries. And I am not about to let you ruin that.” BGM Group 5: Mac, Ari, Marie, Dora Unlike the others the room that the youngest of the group found themselves in was incredibly simple. It, in fact, was similar to the previous room. Except it was more rectangular than square shaped and at the far end of the rectangle was a large, bronze, door. Some sort of chain was across it which glowed with a powerful aura. In the middle of the room, sitting cross-legged, was a blindfolded Lucario. One that Marie would instantly recognize even from just the pressure coming off of them. A pressure so great it rivaled some of the Legends they had met. Just from sitting there he gave off an intense aura that caused even Mac to tremble. And then he stood up. He turned towards the group. Though he couldn’t see them it looked as though he was aware of their presence. “You.” He said at last. Without looking at her Marie could tell that he was talking to her. “You were given a warning. You ignored it. I am sure you are aware what that means for you.” His jaw then twitched a moment and the frown on his face deepened. He turned in the direction of Dora then. “You seem familiar. You remind me of the past. When I dueled and defeated my father, when I destroyed his dojo, and removed all remnants of those who claimed to be my family. It is an aura I thought I removed entirely...I suppose now is the time to correct that mistake.” Though Dora didn’t understand what he was saying she could feel his intent and, despite her attitude until now, she was afraid. Mac, too, was rooted to the spot. She had never faced someone like this before. It frightened her. Especially now that she only had Ari by her side. She wanted to say something. Something confident and inspiring and heroic. But nothing came out. Then they heard the noise of the teleporter again. Someone pushed their way past the four children. A muscular Zebstrika with several scars along his arms and face. Ari would recognize him as Jabari, one of the warriors of Pride Rock. He hadn’t been on the boat yet here he was clear as day. When Jabari noticed the boy a complicated mixture of emotions went over his face until he settled back into his usual stern look. The Lucario seemed to notice, as well, and seemed to recognize him somehow. “The Zebstrika. What are you doing here? Weren’t you told to be elsewhere...Ah. I sense it. You wish to fight me.” Jabari grunted. “Once I thought this the only way. The only way to raise my people up was to change the very fabric of the world. Yet time and time again I was shown that there were those taking their destiny in their hands and changing it themselves. And now I know that I cannot stand by and let this happen anymore. Especially not when there are those like you who wouldn’t hesitate to crush children in your path.” The Lucario shrugged. “I thought you understood. A warrior does not hesitate when someone comes to face him. But fine. I wanted to face you and the others in combat from the start. I had planned to do so after his plan was finished but I care not if I begin a little early.” He called towards the others then. “I have not forgotten you. This merely means I will have to strike you all down.” BGM Jabari let out a low growl and planted his feet firmly on the ground. From his feet the room was filled with an electrical surge. After this he sprung towards the Lucario. His fist just barely missed the man who countered with a Force Palm to the chest. Knocking the Zebstrika backwards. Mac shook her head and slapped her cheeks with both her hands. “What are we standing around for? We gotta help!” She then ran to the side and darted towards the Lucario with a Quick Attack. Only for the Lucario to move even faster behind her. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and tossed her into the bronze door. Dora let out a gasp and then opened her mouth to let loose a Mud Shot at the Lucario and at the same time Jabari fired a Shock Wave towards him. The Mud Shot missed and the Shock Wave struck the man. Causing him to very slightly tense up. It wasn’t much but the attack had harmed him. Which gave Mac more confidence. “If he can be hurt he can be beat.” She muttered.Though with the intense aura coming from him she knew it would be a struggle just to survive.

Well friends, I'm officially a homeowner.

Marking this post as my spot for a W.I.P. application. Look forward to working with you. [The Duke of Dirty Coin] "I'm mostly interested in coin, but I'll take your wife's knickers too... if you'll bargain of course." Name: Olive Yurgold (Olivander Steel is his actual name) Age: 24 Gender: Male Patron Deity: Hinder, God of Gambling, Thievery, and Wealth [Appearance] Standing at five feet and seven inches, Oliveander is quite slender. Constantly on the run, Olivander is built for speed. His core isn't fantastic, but it's by no means sloppy. His legs and calves are quite well toned from years of thievery. He has very mangled, unkempt black hair that just barely grazes the back of his ears. His eyes are a tender, forest green, giving him a misleading, innocent appearance. His slim nose and budding jaw, along with his broad shoulders and mustache makes it just as easy to swoon ladies as it does to steal from them. Olivander's bronze skin allows him to portray a variety of nationalities as well, making him, almost, the perfect swindler. [Biography] Olivander was born and raise among the slums of Sindalium (sin-day-liam), an island in the west. Ever since he was a boy, the earliest memories he has had are of stealing to survive. Never knowing his parents, Olivander has fended for himself by taking from others. As a boy, he was an awful thief. From bread to wine, he was barely avoiding capture. He would often have to go several days hungry in order to hide himself from the threat of Sindalium soldiers who wanted to cut off his hands. As luck would have it, however, Olivander was not destined to be a terrible thief for long. His mischievous ways actually drew the eyes of like-minded people who wanted to help him. But they didn't want to help him out of his situation. They wanted to help him master his craft. Enter: The Sindalium Thieves Guild. Nearly busted on another desperate job, a single guild member ambushed Olivander and swiped his goods, prompting Olivander to give chase. After a rowdy ten minute hunt to recover his own stolen goods, Olivander cornered the guild member in a narrow alley. It was there that Olivander stomped forward, demanding the thief return his loot. And the thief did comply, but only after throwing Olivander's loot over the alley wall and forcing him to chase after it one last time. Olivander took the bait, and on the other side, he was face to face with three other guild members who knocked him unconscious. When he awoke, Olivander was in a damp, cold cave with four guild members standing over him. They were draped in red and black robes with their faces covered, and they were muttering something about "average" and "amateur" under their breaths. "Well, we can teach him, can't we?" said one. "If he wants to learn. Judging by the last week, he's quite stubborn," said another. "He's desperate. We can always use more members," said a third. "And what do you think the others will say if we simply... induct another?" asked the fourth. They looked to each other before turning back to Olivander. "Alright. Let's help him. I've been in his shoes," said the first. "Agreed. We'll give him a chance," the third said with a nod. "If he blunders and dies, who's responsible?" asked the second. "She is," said the fourth, pointing to the first. All the while, Olivander stared on, speechless at what he was witnessing. "Just what is going on? Where's my loot!? And who the heck are you!?" he demanded. Olivander sprang to his feet and began pointing his finger in the chest of guild member number two. "Was it you who took my loot!?" he barked. He poked the chest of guild member number one and asked the same question. "Or was it you!?" he snapped. But it was as Olivander pressed his finger into this woman's chest that he realized the mistake he made. Because, by the time he finished asking his question and processing what he had done, he was looking up at the guild member, and the back of his head was bleeding. The room began to spin and Olivander was going to pass out once more. The last words he heard were, "well he clearly has no respect for women!" Some hours later, Olivander awoke once more, but this time to a prison cell. And at the ripe age of 14, he just knew this was the end of his life. As he sat up and stared out of the prison bars, he realized he was surrounded by guild members. There were at least a dozen or more of those red and black cloaks, except for one, which was red and white. This one was clearly their leader and they marched forward with a shit-eating grin on their face. "Desperate. Reckless. Dirty. You've got the makings of a thief alright. But you're half-assed and one copper short of a warm cot. So welcome, boy-o," he said as he lowered his cloak to reveal his dark brown hair and black eyes. "We'll make a proper thief of you yet. And you can start by breaking out of that cell and earning your loot back. Once you're free, we'll show you the tricks of the trade," declared their leader. "Bullshit! You can't just abduct me and take my loot! I earned that!" Olivander argued. "Then you can earn it back. Good luck, boy-o!" said their leader before he began to walk away. "You could at least tell me where I am and who you people are!" Olivander protested. The guild leader stopped and turned on his heels. He was still wearing the same cheeky grin. "My name is Pfeifer, leader of the Sindalium Thieves guild. And you, young man, are about to have your balls drop." After dropping a key at his own feet, Pfeifer disappeared with his thieves in tow, leaving Olivander in his cell with only the light of the moon to guide him. Over the next forty-eight hours, Olivander would struggle valiantly to break free from his cell. He tried slipping through the bars, digging under them, bashing the lock open with rocks, but nothing was working. He was desperate and he was hungry and he was tired. He hadn't slept because he was starving. And ten feet away, teasing him in the dark, was a single rusty key, lying in the dirt. Olivander was sure now that the only way out of his cell was to get the key. Finally, he resorted to desperate measures. Olivander stripped himself of his only clothes and began to tear them to shreds with his bare hands. This took all of his remaining strength, but he managed to form a lengthy rope from his clothes. Naked and starving, Olivander tied a knot in one end of the rope and slipped it out of the bars. Slowly and carefully, he tossed the knotted rope outward and, after many tries, it landed squarely over the key. Olivander gently dragged the key back to his hands and finally opened his cell. After that day, Olivander would be trained with the greatest thieves in the west, with Pfeifer leading them. "The test was to see just how far you would go to get something you wanted. How vulnerable are you willing to be? How desperate will you become? How long can you wait? Can you strike carefully? That is what it means to be a thief." Olivander had lived by those words for five years before he graduated and earned his robes. Over the course of this time, Olivander honed his skills. Sleight of hand, light stepping, moving with the wind, and of course the thief's most underrated weapon: the gift of gab. Olivander quickly learned that he could talk his way in and out of situations, but harnessing those skills to earn trust and get on the inside and move toward a goal would be his biggest asset. And it was then that that Pfeifer revealed the greatest secret the guild had to offer to their thieves: prayer. "Prayer? To whom?" Olivander asked. Pfeifer had lead Olivander to a hidden temple on the north of the island, beneath a rugged crag and covered in brush. "The god of thieves himself, of course. Hinder," Pfeifer began to explain. The temple was filled with sacks of gold, bursting at the seam as offering to the god of thieves. "Many thieves pray here that their sleight of hand might be the most subtle, or that their footsteps be the most silent. But that's not something that Hinder will grant. Those are things that a thief must learn on their own. There is but one blessed thief at a time under Hinder's watch. That chosen thief is his watch dog," Pfeifer continued. The further into the temple they went, the more gold seemed to fill the air around them. Eventually, they reached a large awning that rose into the temple's ceiling and stretched into a rounded offering room. At its center was a rounded metal plate engraved with the symbol of the guild of thieves. This symbol was a closed hand grasping tightly to a torn cloth that fluttered, empty. "The watchdog is effectively Hinder's right-hand man. He doesn't represent our god, per say, but he has unique capabilities that other thieves may not. That, and of course he is closely linked to Hinder and may even speak with him," Pfeifer went on to say. They paused at the offering room entrance and stood to observe it. It was dimly lit by four torches surrounding the offering plate. "There, you may pray when you please and bring offerings to Hinder." Olivander stood silently as he observed the offering room. Finally, he addressed the elephant in the room. "So, who is Hinder's watchdog, then?" Pfeifer smiled. "It used to be me," he said softly. "But now, I've no idea who has been blessed by Hinder. Maybe he's chosen someone outside of the guild. Maybe he hasn't chosen anyone at all. Who knows?" Olivander scratched his young head. "Well, has anyone tried asking him?" Pfeifer laughed. "Of course we have. But no one has heard directly from Hinder in thirty years. He's gone silent, so to speak. We haven't had much meaningful insight into great heists in some time. Still," Pfeifer said with a nod. "We continue to offer to Hinder as much as we can." Olivander sighed. "I only see gold and gems here. Is there something else you can offer to Hinder?" Pfeifer smiled again. "You're quite the inquisitive one, Olivander. Perhaps that is something we should consider. An offering so great, Hinder would have to answer us." Pfeifer's smile slowly turned into his usual shit-eating grin. Olivander chuckled. "I know that look. You've got a target in mind, don't you?" Pfeifer smacked Olivander on the back. "I do boy-o. And you're gonna be a part of the team that steals it." Pfeifer began to feed Olivander's curiosity as they returned to camp that day. And it was that day that Olivander learned more intimately about Sindalium's history. Having founded its riches on the backs of slave-trade, Sindalium was an island that was mostly devoid of common decency. The only people who called it home were slave masters and merchants. It was a western trading hub that saw hundreds of slaves go through it every day, being traded for everything from coin to spices and gems and oxen. It's busiest city, Rourtoria (roar-tore-e-uh), hosted its crown jewel and most prized possession: the Sindalium Spinning Wheel. A magical spinning wheel produced by the gods long ago, which created a thread that was light, pliable, and stronger than diamond. The trade value of the wheel was priceless. It was also impossible to get to due to the twenty-four hour patrol of Rourtorium guards circling the Spinning Wheel itself. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The Spinning Wheel was staged on a large, raised platform in the center of Rourtoria, concealed in a cage of steel bars. It was placed just so that there was a clear view of the wheel with plenty of positions for Rourtorium archers to fill any intruders with arrows should they attempt to get to close. The only way to actually reach the wheel was a cleverly housed lever system that raised and lowered the platform from two kilometers south of its position. This housing was also guarded twenty-four hours a day. "So how the hell do we get to it?" asked the now twenty-year old Olivander. They had been planning the heist for six years now. "The wheel? Well, we have two choices: we can sneak into the lever house and lower the platform, slither our way to the center of town, bypass the few hundred guards, and get to it. Or, we can infiltrate the Rourtorium archery guard, take up positions around the town square, and grapple our way up to the cage while simultaneously avoiding enemy fire," Pfeifer said confidently. Olivander shook his head. In the last six years, he'd worked his way up the ranks of the Sindalium Thieves guild and he was now a commander in Pfeifer's ranks. "Even if we reach the cage, we'll need the key to open it. And there's only one key and its around the neck of the king's guard," he said. Pfeifer's shit-eating grin returned. "We're not after the wheel, boy-o. We're after the thread." The room grew silent with anticipation. Pfeifer's commander's stepped closer and listened close. As the thought soaked in their heads, Pfeifer continued on. "You see, the thread is blessed. A gift from Hinder to the people of Sindalium. Steal from the god of thievery himself--" "And you're bound to draw an audience," Olivander finished. "It's genius." And to think, the past six years would quickly prove just how well Pfeifer had taught Olivander. You see, the entire time in which this heist was being planned, Olivander was finding secondary routes to come out on top. And once he learned what Pfeifer's ultimate goal was, stealing from the guild leader himself would prove to be the greatest heist he alone would ever accomplish. The fateful day that the heist was underway was the same day that Olivander met Hinder for the first time. Olivander had successfully stolen the godly thread from the Sindalium Guild Leader, taking it all the way back to the offering chamber where Hinder was waiting for him. Hinder stealthily slipped the thread out of Olivander's hands when he entered the offering room and sealed the room behind the thief. "You stole from me" Hinder chuckled from the dimly lit room. The god's presence was ethereal, making up nothing more than a shadow that Olivander could perceive to take a "human" like form. Olivander stopped on the offering plate and faced the ethereal being in silence. "Not only did you steal from me, but you crossed your own men, stole from them, and made away with the goods," Hinder said with a chuckle. "I've never been disgusted before in my infinite lifetime, but this must be what it feels like," Hinder said. "And yet, here you stand before me, a god, flaunting your heist with great pride. You're quite bold, Olivander Steel. I'm impressed," Hinder admitted. Olivander tucked his hands behind his head. "Impressed enough that, after all this time, you'd see the audience of a mortal like me? I must've done something right," he said cockily. Hinder laughed heartily. "So you were doing all of this just to speak with me? And what for?" Olivander smiled. "I want to be a watchdog," he said happily. Hinder clutched the thread tightly until it disappeared. "But why? You already have great talents as a thief. And I already have a watchdog. Not that I can't have more than one if I so choose... but why should I make you a watchdog? What do you gain from it, boy?" Olivander shook his head. "I wanna be the greatest thief the world has ever seen. With a bit of your power, I'll be a breeze in the night, accomplishing heists that even the guild couldn't dream of," he said boldly. Hinder was silent for a moment but finally spoke up. "Well. You've proven that you can steal from this god," Hinder began. "But you've been trapped on Sindalium your entire life. Can you go further than this?" Olivander grew excited. He stepped forward hastily, his fists clenched. "Make me a watchdog and I'll prove that I can." Hinder nodded. "Okay, boy. I'll give you what you seek. A taste of what it is to be the greatest thief. I want to be entertained by your escapades. Show me something that even you wouldn't believe." There was a rumbling in Hinder's temple and the dimly lit torches began to burn with a great intensity. Hinder snapped his ethereal fingers and Olivander was knocked off of his feet. He flew backward into a pile of coin and hit his head. Now, he was slowly falling unconscious. "Good luck, Olivander. I look forward to telling your story," Hinder said as Olivander lost consciousness at last. When Olivander awoke next, he was aboard a ship he had never seen before and there were several others there too. He wasn't sure how he got there or why he was there or even where he was going. What Olivander did know was that he had a new opportunity in front of him now, and he wasn't about to question it. "Gambler's luck," he thought to himself. Personality: Olivander is almost unnaturally charming. He's quick-witted and cunning. He's not extremely intelligent, but he's by no means an idiot. All of these things make him an excellent match for Hinder. With that in mind, while Olivander seeks to earn others trust, he does not trust so easily. His life of crime and crummy past have left him very closed off when it comes to new relationships. He is more likely to commit to a heist than to a person, which is why its no surprise that he betrayed the guild that made him who he is today. Olivander prefers flings and one-night stands. He unknowingly fears deeper connections with people because he knows that the outcome will always be the same: he will abandon them. Miscellaneous: Inspiration for the character came from a bit of self-reflection, a bit of my own written work, and an interest in taking a less direct path to the inevitable "Watchdog Abilities" His name was meant to be a joke from the start, but I got so into the character that I decided to make it an in-game "alias" but to give him a generic last name to complete his identity. Additional inspiration comes from the "Assassin's Creed" video game series.

I am the Bone of my Sword Taros, God of Blacksmiths and the Forge

Amir Qureshi

←Previous Post -- Next Post→ Duel 03 -- On the Night of the Ball or: Champagne is the New Pig’s Blood, Tablecloths are Haute Couture I have to apologize for an error I made last week. In one of the closing paragraphs of that post, I implied that there was little significance to be read in exactly what manga Wakaba was reading. It didn’t immediately click with me that Chiho Saito, mangaka of the Waltz in a White Dress series and Chiho Saito, member of Be-Papas and illustrator of the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga were the same person. The reference then becomes less of a shout-out to something on the mind of the creators and more of an allusion to one of their own pieces of work. Magnolia Waltz is not Saito’s most well-known work, however. Her most well-known manga -- excluding Utena -- is a music-themed romance called Kanon, about a young violinist in search of her father, only to fall in love with him without realizing who he is. I would say more but that’s about the extent of the summaries I could find. Kanon has only officially been translated into French and Italian, and the only unofficial English translation still on the internet only has the final two volumes of the six-volume compilation. In any case, it won the 1997 Shogakukan Manga Award for shoujo manga, and the people online who have read it seem to think well enough of it. Other unverified sources have claimed that it was Kanon that got Saito invited to contribute to Be-Papas (the timelines do match up, at least), and since the group disbanded, Saito has continued to add to a rather prolific body of shoujo and josei manga, even collaborating with Ikuhara one more time with S to M no Sekai / The World Exists for Me. The Revolutionary Girl Utena manga and its sequel are likely to get their own blog post one of these days. For now, I just wanted to talk a bit about someone involved in Utena’s creation who I worry might otherwise have been overlooked. I’ve been trying to clamp down on auteur worship when I can, and though Kunihiku Ikuhara certainly deserves a lot of credit for Utena and its movie, to say he was the only person involved in the creative process would be a mistake. This anime would not be the same without the work of several people, and Chiho Saito is one such person. In the previous two episodes, we’ve seen Student Council President Touga Kiryuu the second-most out of all the members of the council, and yet we haven’t really gotten a sense of his character. He tells Saionji a few times to stop abusing the Rose Bride (emphasizing how the council objectifies Himemiya, it is always “the Rose Bride”) though it is always verbal warnings and never anything of consequence, he quotes The Rose of Versailles a lot (that’s the “if a chick cannot crack its shell” speech), and he reacts with shock when he sees Utena wield the power of Dios. All this is in contrast to his true character, a flamboyant playboy who has probably broken more hearts than there exist girls attending Ohtori Academy. And yet, Utena is attracted to him. Some of this is understandable; one could easily draw parallels at this point between this relationship and Wakaba lusting after Saionji, but there’s more to it than that, I think. We see that this attraction is mostly based on the connection of the rose seals on their rings -- Utena wonders if Kiryuu could really be her prince. This is a deliberate piece of dissonance on the part of the creators; We know Saionji has a ring as well that didn’t trigger anything in Utena, and in every flashback (and it is included at the beginning of the episode again just in case you forgot), Utena’s mysterious savior is depicted with purple hair and darker skin, closer to Anthy’s than most of the other characters depicted thus far. Obviously, Touga Kiryuu is not this prince. We also see Utena realize this subconsciously in how she rejects his advances despite her attraction, and later she says it outright, “No way a playboy like that could be my prince on a white horse.” This connection is going to be explored in later episodes, of course. It’s kind of a narrative trope that, given a villainous student council, the president of said council is going to be fought at the climax of an arc, not three episodes in. Utena subverts a lot of tropes, but it doesn’t subvert that one. But let’s talk about the real star of the show here, Nanami Kiryuu. Nanami is a girl who loves two things, the first is her social status -- the Kiryuus are portrayed as a rich family and the titular ball takes place in their mansion -- and the second is her brother. She really, really loves her brother, so much so that she goes out of her way to eliminate potential romantic partners. And because Anthy is the Rose Bride, because Touga is fighting for her hand, Nanami decides that she needs to step in here as well. Some of this you could probably already figure out. She appears with all the other Student Council members in the show’s opening, after all. But I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to talk about the specific structure of the episode. Because it’s different, but in a way that will be used repeatedly throughout the show. All of Revolutionary Girl Utena’s episodes are called “Duels” but not every episode has a duel in it. The bulk of these duel-less episodes are focused around Nanami. One might even call them filler episodes, but I’m not so sure I see it that way. They are more of a subplot, yes, but they also allow the creators to explore more general themes of growing up that the main theses -- the ones about gender roles and the damage of unhealthy relationships -- might not otherwise be able to cover. Nanami is younger than most of the cast, and her two loves mentioned above have left her woefully unprepared and in need of catching up, so she becomes the focus. This episode is more of an introduction to these characters and setting up these respective plots (the closest thing to a lesson Nanami learns here is “you never know who could be attracted to who” which is a fine lesson, but not the focus), but there are a few other notes I’d like to close with. First, we see Utena shed her very feminine dress for her masculine school uniform at the episode’s climax, the first instance of what will become a recurring motif. This was something already set up with the show’s opening, but it’s important to note when it happens more obviously. Second, I’d like to point out a nice touch on the animator’s part. Anthy makes a comment about not liking large groups of people because everyone’s faces start to look the same and she gets uncomfortable, and while we do see a rather intense version of that near the end, even before then, most of the attendees are drawn more as outlines of characters than as people. One might assume that this is due to animation budgeting, but when we see the ballroom through the eyes of non-Anthy characters, suddenly many of them are filled in. Thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you all next week! -r Next time: How many pets does Anthy Himemiya have? The answer may surprise you! ←Previous Post -- Link to Episode -- Next Post→