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@Members @VIP - Just an FYI we've removed the necro bumping rule from the site (please let me know if there are still remnants anywhere!) We no longer feel the rule is necessary across the site, spam rules will still apply though.

NCM (nearly) a Year On I think I speak for everyone in saying that it’s certainly been an interesting year, from what feels like unending down time to what now feels like a new lease of life, communities are born and bred by people alone and you can’t force something to stick together when the cracks have already shown, and I think we’ve showcased that now more than ever, you’ll just continue to stick things back together as best you can in hopes that it will remain but, sometimes in life you need to move on and build something new up and that’s OK, nothing lasts forever but everything worthwhile only lasts for a period of time, and whenever this comes to an end I can only hope it inspires someone to pick up the mantle where it left off. That got a little… philosophical didn’t it? My fault, apologies, I just wanted to open a document and write down my thoughts and feelings with you all – bare bones you know how that stuff goes anyhow I think it’s important to reflect on how we’re doing and where we can go from here. So, how are we doing? That’s a great question and thanks for asking Torm! Fundamentally the site is stable, and activity is at an appropriate level, people are posting, RPs are… RPing? I guess you do roleplay in a roleplay so… ANYWAY things are good! There are some sections that have very little to no activity and I guess that’s something for me and the staff team to figure out together. I imagine it’ll be along the lines of consolidating “deader” sections together and making posts simpler to post but we’ll work on that. In fact, at the time of writing this we are roughly averaging 20 registrations per month, which are healthy numbers! It’s also probably a little more but I’m terrible at Math so… 20 sounds like a good enough number. There has been some considerable content committed to the site by many of our great users. I won’t go through all of them because honestly, I’ll be here all day and I think a couple of the staff team have ideas on events of their own accord for celebrating good content but stuff like .:Alive:. by Dad in the creative writing section, the NeoCardMaker Holy Grail War by Yui (whilst young, is a very creative take on the forum game genre) and RPs like Fire Emblem Curse of the Goddess which is so intrinsically Fire Emblem it’s great. So where can we go from here? Well personally I think I need to take on the leadership role a bit more, I just need to understand where the line is drawn with that and the like as we have a nice status quo going on and rocking the boat too much might cause us to get water on board when it isn’t necessary but I have ideas and thoughts for the site that I think will be healthy for the place. I would like to see a member of staff or two added to team at some point to help develop certain areas of the site, and perhaps cultivate new life and ideas into parts of the site but again it’s all about balance and that’s down to me to find that middle of the line, so please bear with me and provide criticism as and where it’s needed. I’ve yet to explore these ideas with Yemachu but getting the card maker more built into the site rather than relying on GitHub might allow for us to provide a better user experience for those of us who use the card maker on the regular, of course again I’m just vocalizing my internal thoughts so don’t take this as a “IT’S HAPPENING” (Yui please insert the appropriate gif in a reply thank you). It also seems the site is still struggling to send activation emails to gmail accounts… It’s something for me to look at as we are potentially missing out on active users, I’d rather publicly state this is an issue than it not be forgotten about (although I have mentioned it in the past). As for you guys? Keep doing what you’re doing. Maybe revive showcase for me I don’t have anything negative to say about the lot of you really, you’re all cute – except Cow, he’s a cow I mean they ain’t that cute maybe calves but like they don’t last very long in that state. So, thank you, for making this place what it is, and I wish you a fantastic Christmas, here’s to 2020 (we all legally have perfect vision now) ? @Members @VIP

Music So, it's been a while since we've really had a big statement put out or anything. We're almost at 2 years of NCM, and that's incredible! For a splinter community, that really stands out. All because people chose to take a chance and break away from simple numbers and the past itself. A sense of community that is more one of togetherness than obligation. I'm proud of us. Our little community. Sure, it's a quiet little corner of the internet, but it's far from dead. I'd almost go so far as to say that it's just right. Not too big, not too small, not too soft, not too hard. I just... really wanted to take the time, as a member of the staff and the community at large, to thank all of you. I know not everything is perfect. People have fights. Petty feelings can get in the way and blind us. Life gets in the way. People say things they don't mean. People don't say things that they mean to. Even so, there is a sense of community. Grudges don't seem to hold for long. Workarounds are found. Careless words are fixed, and overthought words eventually find their way to where they need to go. Our little home away from home isn't perfect, but it's a damn sight better than what it could have become if we hadn't had stood together. It's so different from what I remember, in general. I feel like I'm an old person looking at the forums and servers, even among people I actually talk to. So much history. So much time. But here you all are. People have come. People have gone. But the community is still here. And while I feel like a fossil, I still look forward to seeing you "younguns" a lot. So, thank you, NCM. For nothing other than being yourselves. Your kindness, your creativity, your intelligence, your humor, all of it. This quiet community means the absolute world to me. I can't speak for the team, in and of itself, but I can at least let you know how much all of you matter to me. And, as an absolutely personal note, I just want to say... if anyone is suffering. If anyone needs a shoulder to cry on. If anyone just needs to express something they don't feel safe to other places... I'm here. I'll listen. I'll give you my Discord if you want it. After all, life isn't easy. 2020 showed us that, if absolutely nothing else. But that doesn't mean you have to be alone. I see you. I'm with you. I'm sure a couple of you know who you are, and I hope you take this to heart... Yet I also hope anyone else who needs this right now sees it as well, and takes it as an opportunity. I love this place. And I love you guys. Thanks for two years, and I hope the third is great, too.

U.A. High. It had been a long time coming but Yasha was ready. He'd worked hard to get here, and now he had the privilege of attending Japan's most prestigious hero school. He adjusted his tie and collar, slapped his faceplate where cheeks would be on a regular head, and cleared his throat-- a sound like a stalling lawnmower-- as he approached. "Let's see here, are you--" "Yasha Yokuna, present SIR!" He said, standing rather stiffly at-attention. "I'm honored to be here-- and prepared to do my best!" "I... see. So, why is it that you want to be a hero?" Yasha grinned in response, showing off his teeth. Despite being abnormally sharp, they were also the only part of his head that looked even marginally human. The whole engine-block for a head thing wasn't going to earn him any points for beauty, that was for sure. "Because being a hero is hard work, and I LOVE HARD WORK!" His throat made a revving sound as his voice went up, and he covered his mouth with his hand. "Ah, sorry. I got excited there." "I never really got your type, kid. But go ahead and head on in. You'll probably make more sense to Ruby Heart." "THANK YOU, MISTER GLORY SIR!" The door to the classroom slid open and the sound of engines revving filled the air as Yasha entered, waving a pair of screaming chainsaw blades over his head. "HELP! MY HANDS ARE CHAINSA-HA-HAAAAWS!" He broke into laughter on the word 'chainsaws' and doubled over, the tools shrinking away. He straightened up and smiled, showing off his fanged grin, and waved his, now regular hands. "Nah, I'm fine-- 's just my Quirk. Hi!"

Inu wasn't happy. The field trip sucked, and while he was thankful it ended early, it seemed it didn't end for good reasons. The exact reason why, he actually didn't know though, he was hoping he'd find out in school today. Grumbling to himself, he popped a sunflower seed into his mouth as he walked into the classroom, hoping that it would distract him from a need to smoke. He walked in, scanning the room, looking to see if anything looked off or if people had some sort of gossip going on. Nothing really stuck at to him at the moment, and it was pissing him off. Did no one know what was going on? He sat down in his seat, sighing as slumped down. As if to signal that today wasn't going to get much better, it seemed a substitute teacher was here today. "So uh… I'm not Epicenter. You guys know that. I'm aaah… I'm the Destructive Hero - Dreadbolt. I'm a friend of Glory's, he asked me to sub for a bit while some of the staff is investigating some shi- errr, while the staff is investigating some bad stuff that happened yesterday…" Inu's eyes narrowed at that. So something did happen. He waited for some sort of explanation of what exactly the bad thing was, but instead, Dreadbolt moved on. "Fuck, why did I agree to this… Tomoaki you son of a bitch…"Quickly bringing himself to attention, he straightened his back and turned to address the class once again, "A-anyway, I'm sorry to inform you all that uhhh… Kikuchi Emi has dropped out of UA, for personal reasons. But there is good news, too! She will be replaced by the next runner-up in the entrance exam! Hoshinoooooo Rika!" With an unhealthy dose of melodrama, Dreadbolt pointed toward the classroom door with both hands… standing perfectly still in perfect silence for several seconds, before slouching in disappointment, "Is it too much to ask students to be punctual??? Can't I get one damn break???" "Don't worry about cussing, we're not kindergartners, we can taking some goddamn cussing without sullying our ears," Inu stated. "We'll probably hear worse out on the field," The new girl then went and made a fool of herself in front of everyone, but Inu wasn't going to hold that against her. At least she wasn't some joker that didn't take this whole thing seriously. Sun looked at the new girl with a sense of curiosity. She had a familiar look to her... well, kinda. It was more like she reminded him of lizards from back home. Now he was feeling nostalgic. But the poor girl seemed really scared, and that made Sun upset. He'd have to find some way to cheer her up... but, it seemed he wasn't alone in that endeavor. "Hi. I'm Hideyo," the happy sun man said happily. "And I think your quirk is the coolest thing I've seen. Ever!" "Aw, geez, I dunno about that really. Uh... I think if it was the coolest thing ever, I would've gotten in without having to get a little lucky." The chameleon laughed gently, her other hand rubbing at the back of her neck as she glanced up at the ceiling. "It's not, like... Terrible, at least! My dad had it bad, he didn't get any of the stuff mine can do. He was pretty nervous when I was born." She then began to look around the room. her eyes soon falling on the monkey king, who smiled at her. "Hello, I am Sun!" He greeted as he waved. "I like your quirk! It reminds me of home!" He hoped that despite his large size, she wouldn't be scared of him. "If you ever feel scared, just come find me! I'll protect you! You and Takehiko!" Before he could say anything else, the wolfman in the back raised his voice. "So... you gonna tell us what the fuck happened back at the beach?" Inu demanded at the sub. "Or are you really going to try to sweep some situation that was apparently so dangerous we had to leave right away, despite having three Pro Heroes there, under the rug?" Sun leaned over to Rika, whispering loudly. "Don't make the dog man angry. He looks very pettable, but he lights on fire, and fire is bad," "Shut the fuck up, monkey man," Inu snapped, causing Sun's eyes to narrow. That seemed like a direct challenge, and as king, he wasn't one to turn down challenges. However, it could have just been made in the heat of the moment, something that happened a lot back home. He'd wait for a second challenge from Inu before he showed him exactly why he was king of his home.

NEO is the best, most-well designed, efficient, responsive, and aesthetically pleasing yugioh card maker on the planet. In all seriousness, though... this has become a nice alternative hub for most active members of the community, and I commend your willingness and dedication to maintaining it as our beloved and reliable admin.

Yeah I cheated and gave u two Yeah yours is pretty sick so hard to beat tbh but here There abouts although I've seen @BGMキャノンs moustache and that thing is pretty stylish. I'm going to cheat and give you Fate stuff because hey, cheating is fine in moderation Finding art with just Kazooie is actually harder than I anticipated but this feels appropriate.

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:40 PM BGM He could’ve gotten there himself with his powers, that was already apparent, but at the same time Energex really wanted to enjoy the “lap of luxury” as he called it. After all, one couldn’t just turn down any chance to be driven in a limousine and directed to where he wanted to go. Life couldn’t be better, one could say. Looking out the window, he could see himself in the reflection, taking a moment to really appreciate the outfit that HypePro provided him. It really felt like it was tailor made for him… which is when he remembered… oh yeah it was. This revelation made him smirk, shaking his head as he couldn’t believe he missed that small detail… like it was a huge one. Like, where else would he have gotten an outfit like this for a red carpet appearance. Even if the past ten years gave him plenty of chances to have this happen, even him just turning thirty, Energex still could never get used to it. He glanced down at his watch, before nodding. It seemed like it was time for him to start the show… Putting his mask on, Energex tapped on his phone and soon… “What’s up everybody? Energex comin’ at ya live and bringin’ that energy!” Energex flashed a smile, giving a two fingered salute. “We are moments away from the red carpet of the 16th Rankings Tournament! Where yours truly is aiming for that top dog spot… X!” He watched as the comments started pouring in, the love and hype felt in each one. “You’ll be gettin’ a front row seat to the festivities tonight. So let’s get the Energy Pumpin’!!” An immediate wave of various emotes and emojis came across various comments on the stream, definitely pumping the energy up as it were. The vehicle seemed to slow it's momentum, pulling up to the event… meaning it was truly showtime. “Showtime folks… let’s get to it.” The door handle was pulled and the door opened, and the lights and flashes from the paparazzi were seen. He adjusted his outfit, exiting the vehicle as he started giving the adoring fans out there another two fingered salute. From what he could see, there were only a handful of heroes ahead of him: Riot Canon, Red Light, Étoile Prima, and Absolution. It sounded about right that these were the ones in front… though it was apparent Match wasn’t there yet. There went conversing with his Ranking Neighbor and self-made rival. But it's not like he could deal with all that right now… especially with the countless amounts of paparazzi and questions being rapidly fired at him. Ah the life of a hero… “Energex! What are the chances of you actually slowing down with your movements during the tournament to where we can actually follow the action?” “I doubt it. You can't just slow a moving object that easily when it's in motion, ya know.” he laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “But with the Rankings Tournament and how the Hero Commission is, I'd wager they'd have something to slow down the footage. Just have to wait and see.” “Are the rumors of you dating a reporter true?” “I'd LOVE to know where you guys are getting your information there.” Energex laughed. “Nah, those rumors are false. Still single as they come…” He paused, winking at his phone and the stream. “And the ladies know I'm always down to mingle.” This was obviously met with many comments with various hearts and other love like emotes. “What are your thoughts on your rumbles with villains that have caused more damage around the city than you anticipated? Are you setting a good example for your fans like this?” “I'm fully aware of what my dealings with various villains cause…” Energex stated. “Don't forget, I do try to fix whatever damages I can, without trying to put others out of a job. But I believe I'm still a good role model for any of my fans. After all, I'm showing them that anyone can help out whenever someone needs it.” “Do you have any words of wisdom to give to your adoring fans?” A small pause came to Energex when he heard this question. Of course, he knew the best words of wisdom to give them. “Words of wisdom, eh? I got just the ones for you… pay it forward, help however you can. Everyone has the ability to help those around them, I truly believe. It just takes people to take action and do what needs to be done.” 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:57 PM It seemed like the Gala was truly springing to life, as the last hero before the head honcho of the Top Ten, the Brave, showed. And all the while, while Energex mingled as best he could, the HypePro livestream he had going on was still in full swing. He was true to his word, they were getting a front row seat to the Gala, and he enjoyed giving them that immediate view. Though it was strange… where was Maestro's limousine? The Hero X was never late, least not that he ever saw. Energex simply tapped his phone, setting up a poll to engage with his fans on stream. “Poll time, everyone. Is X stuck in traffic or did he sleep in? Poll will be up for a couple min-...” he paused, noticing Jesticar arriving on the center stage. Now this was truly unorthodox… “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement. We regret that we were not able to release this information sooner, as things have developed quickly and information has been incredibly limited…” What was this jester on about at this moment? What could have happened within just a few moments like this? Was there an immediate and surprise attack that occurred? Normally something like that would've been brought up to him immediately, so Energex did doubt it was something like that. So what was the issue then? The amount of scenarios that could've been ran through his mind… but not one of them could've been what was brought forth by this clown. “X, the hero Maestro, was found dead in his penthouse in Hero Tower earlier today. While we cannot release further information at this time, we feel obligated to inform you all that our forensic experts suggest foul play was involved. There are a handful of suspects, but it has been decided that the investigation will not proceed until the rankings tournament has concluded.” Energex stood there, hearing the crowd erupt in confusion around him, and yet, he fell silent. His eyes fixated on this clown hero, then he glanced at the ones that were here. Each hero seemed to have their own methods of dealing with this tragic news… especially Bahamut, who seemed to want to go all grandiose with his little stunt there. Though he couldn't blame the dragon hero… he was trying to quell the confusion and the like. However, for him… Energex for the first time, simply cut his livestream off with no warning, letting his moderator team deal with everything. Right now, he felt…

I hope you all like this (especially Dae) as I have poured countless painful hours into making this as perfect as the real Dae is.

Can a machine have a soul? Asking for a friend.

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:33 PM Today had been an unprecedented day in the Modern Heroics Guild. It was a day in which the Rank 9 Hero, Red Light, did something she had never done before. Not in her past career with Catalyst, and certainly not during her time with the Guild. Today, for the first time in her life, she had called out from her usual duties. Instead, she had spent the entire day preparing for the Rankings Tournament Gala. Hair trimmed by a professional, tied into a single ponytail instead of her usual twintails, and the excess brushed out of her face. A fine suit, which she purchased and had tailored four months ago in preparation for this day. Rest and makeup to... at least lessen the bags under her eyes. That rest was also meant to let her face the red carpet fully awake and alert; there was no way she'd be able to manage that after one of her usual hardcore work days. Overall, she looked the best she'd looked since first becoming a hero. She knew some heroes were no doubt practicing and rehearsing their walk down the red carpet. Red Light made it clear from the onset that she would do no such thing. She could pretty herself up, sure, but walking was one of the first skills people acquired in life. She didn't have to practice it and dress up her steps behind a layer of finely honed artifice, just for an event that only lasted one night out of every two years. Of course, it was easy to casually dismiss the gravity of the gala when it was off on the horizon. Now that it was here, and a limousine was bearing the Rank 9 Hero to the red carpet, it was a different story. "You look nervous, Jie." The only other person in the back of the limo was an elderly man. In his prime, he was a B-list hero a few decades ago, but these days he was just a crippled old man enjoying the retired life. More importantly, he was the father of one Hong Jie, who was now on her fourth cup of decaf since getting into the limo. "Of course I'm nervous. The gala's a big deal, even if I wish it wasn't." "You'll be fine! Just act natural, and show 'em who's boss!" "Easy for you to say; you've never been." "Hah! Didn't leave your attitude at home, at least." The limo came to a halt. It was time to get this show on the road. Or off the road and onto the carpet, as it were. The old man picked up his cane, and prodded Jie's foot with it. "Showtime. Break a leg, young lady." "Very funny." She wasn't laughing. The hardest part for her was getting to the limo door. Not because of a size issue - she was always rather short for her age - or because of any obstacles in the limo. It was because each step was one step closer to something she'd never done before. Press conferences? Sure. Subdue a villain? Piece of cake. But pulling up to a big swanky party that all of the Top 10 Heroes were attending? That was new, and more than a bit nerve-wracking. All she could do was hope she didn't screw it all up. That, and start walking. Because once the limousine door opened... The real work began. "Best" was a word often rooted in opinion, but Red Light's opinion was that she was best suited to press conferences out of the Guild's top heroes. And as their third-highest hero, she was no stranger to them either. What this all meant was she was very used to the flashing lights, the overlapping questions from the crowd, so on and so forth. Being used to that environment was practically a requirement in order to survive the walk down the red carpet. Each step was confident and deliberate, but clearly lacked the practiced flair some other heroes would surely bring to the carpet. That sort of natural, intentional stride suited her perfectly. As was answering a swarm of questions precisely and directly, making every word count just as much as each step down the carpet. "Any comments on your recent encounter with the villain Nighthowl in which you allowed him to escape!?" "Chasing him would have meant abandoning the civilians he put in danger. Anyone who would chase one villain instead of defending innocent lives has no right to call themselves a hero." "Having formerly been one of Catalyst Foundry's first heroes, do you believe their methods are responsible for The Brave and Bahamut achieving their ranks!?" "Anyone can follow a script. Both of them - and Absolution, for that matter - got where they are by their own merits." "Lately, some of your older fans have observed that your fighting style and overall branding is very similar to the retired hero Prisman. What do you say to that?" "...no comment." The gala wasn't her element. She mostly kept herself occupied watching the other heroes make their entrances. She didn't have much of an opinion of them one way or the other, for the most part. It was rare for Red Light to even speak to her peers in the Modern Heroics Guild, if it didn't involve work on at least some level, let alone the heroes from other agencies. Étoile Prima was a standout exception who she held in high regard. The other major exception was the two heroes from HypePro. Red Light made a point to avoid them. Not because of any misgivings about them as people, but rather because the last thing she wanted was to get tangled up in streamer culture, and she'd heard that it was all too easy to get dragged in if you put so much as a toe over their little event horizon. Of course, there was also the hero who ranked above all others... The one who wasn't here. 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:57 PM Red Light valued punctuality. As a person, yes, but even more so as a hero. Being late to a disaster could have horrible consequences. Keeping people waiting for a public appearance without good reason might harm that hero's image. That being said, if anyone in the Guild's board of directors was ever late to a meeting, it was considered a given that she'd comment on it and sternly encourage the late arrival to work on that in the future. She certainly would have given Maestro the same treatment at the gala when the time had come for him to make his entrance, and both he and the limousine bringing him here were nowhere to be seen. She certainly would have, except... “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement. We regret that we were not able to release this information sooner, as things have developed quickly and information has been incredibly limited…” Red Light's attention shifted away from the carpet, to the biggest clown in the Commission's little circus. Whatever she was doing here, if an emergency announcement was being made while Maestro was conspicuously absent, it couldn't have been good news. “X, the hero Maestro, was found dead in his penthouse in Hero Tower earlier today. While we cannot release further information at this time, we feel obligated to inform you all that our forensic experts suggest foul play was involved. There are a handful of suspects, but it has been decided that the investigation will not proceed until the rankings tournament has concluded. We apologize for any undue chaos!!” The crowd erupted into general confusion. Red Light, more than anything, couldn't help but see the irony in it. The one time in her entire hero career she'd taken a day off, and what should circumstance throw her way but what was certainly going to be the most difficult task she'd been met with so far. Not the task of finding the killer or even avenging Maestro's death. The even more hellish task of handling the media response to this sudden development. Where there were journalists, there were bound to be errors. Misinterpretations. Factually incorrect statements. Baseless accusations. Given the situation's weight for the Guild especially, they wouldn't be able to just sit back and twiddle their thumbs while the world marched on. There would have to be an official statement of some kind, and she didn't believe anyone was a better fit for that job than herself. Red Light procured her phone from her suit. For the most part, she had various numbers for the Guild on speed dial, depending on what kind of job needed doing. Numbers for paperwork. For scheduling. For legal proceedings. For complaining directly to Maestro whenever she felt like he wasn't doing his job hard enough, which was most of the time. Red Light held down the button to speed dial the right number for the job. She didn't like calling at night, but she also didn't like the present situation, so now was unfortunately as good a time as any. "It's Red Light. Don't know if you heard, but--... yes, she did say dead. Contact the rest of the board of directors; we need to discuss this tomorrow morning at the latest. Tell them they're allowed to skip the meeting, but won't get a say on this very time-sensitive emergency matter if they do. No, don't worry about contacting Match or Riot Canon; I'll tell them myself. Yes, that's all. Thank you." That just left the matter of informing her two peers.

Figured I'd post the cardless images I've drawn so far just in case anyone wants to use them for cards of their own. Canyon Battleguard Sword Slasher Mass-Production Model Malice Doll of Despair Gemini Metal Elf Identity Theft! Hopping Vampires Toon Swordmistress this one of Hungry Burger and the Bistro Butcher I don't actually have a card in mind for, but feel free to use it for something. The Snake Hairstyles Dark Scorpion Motivator Time Lizard I'll try to remember to add any more images here as I go along

A fic or series of mini-fics set in the Neo community based on superhero comics/cinema. The characters are the members, each having their own superpower (or not, depending on what they want.) This used to be in Misc, but I decided to make an official interest check thread in the writing section for more credibility. Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? Let me know.

Good morning/afternoon/evening all, Im happy to announce Yemachu accepted a position of administrator for the site! He'll be focusing on development of the card maker within the site itself please keep all site requests and support queries in mine and the other members of staffs direction (unless of course it relates to the card maker) I think I speak for everyone in saying that the work Yemachu has done for this community and the last up until this point has been nothing more then incredible. We look forward to working with him moving forward. Please use this thread for any questions you might have for Yemachu. @Members @VIP @Yemachu

tfw single but killin

OOC TUESDAY NOVEMBER 01 180 DAYS REMAIN “This is an imaginary story… Aren’t they all?” -Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (written by Alan Moore) Do All Words Can Do “Fuck!” The events of the last few hours had taken their toll on Director Sekelsky. The reports of rioting were finally dying down, people were returning to their homes, and heroes were permitted to stand down, but that just meant it was time for the casualty numbers. Multiple people had been trampled in the initial panic, and several more were injured in what ensued afterward, including one of their own, a cape who went by the name of Spotlight. It was worth another few expletives. “Fucking goddamn piece of horseshit! Cass goes off the grid for who knows how long and then decides to pull this fucking stunt. Did they know? They must have known. Surely they realized what would happen next, right? So they just left everyone else to clean up their mess, huh?” There were four other people in the room, and each of them was in costume, so Director Sekelsky mentally adopted the standard name protocols. Cape names when dressed as capes. Easy. At the opposite end of the sweatbox of a meeting room (how could it be this fucking hot in here in fucking November?) were Override, Ember, and Aeon. They were the main recipients of this briefing, chosen for a number of reasons but there was really one big one: availability. None of them had been at Hallowmas or taken the holiday standby shift (and who could blame them? It was Halloween. Even Director Sekelsky had hoped to spend the night with his husband and daughter until whatever this shit was), which meant they were actually around this morning. The fact they all had some sort of criminal record was concerning but not work scrapping and waiting for someone else. Bard was there too, seated alone on the near end of the sweatbox next to the projection screen. His costume was positively ancient, and his mask one of those tacky theater masks that only covered half of his face, but he refused to change it, always citing more pressing issues of the time. The Director couldn’t fault him for that this time. He was taking this even harder than Director Sekelksy was; he had a pair of white-knuckled fists pushed as far into the table as he could manage, and he was shaking and muttering something under his breath. It was probably something to do with his Thinker powers, Director Sekelsky thought. It wasn't something he understood, but Bard had also been instrumental in G3’s response the last few hours and he’d been a wreck then too. As long as he was functional and managed to check in with one of G3’s counselors later, he’d be alright, right? He sighed. Thinking things through like this helped get the anger out of his system. The only emotion that remained now was a quiet determination. From an egotistical point of view, it was his best feature. He didn’t have any superpowers, but he wasn’t powerless. “First thing’s first, where’s DEUS?” “Helping with the riots,” Bard said. He eased up a little too now that the meeting had started. “He was spotted in Graceland a little before midnight so he actually wasn’t too far away when it started.” “For once,” Director Sekelsky said. “For once.” “But that means don’t count on it happening again. Not that we should ever count on him.” “Especially now that it’s daytime,” Bard said. “He’ll probably be too busy rescuing cats from trees or helping old women cross the street.” “Or rescuing old women from trees,” the Director snarked. “So Plan A, then. Alright.” Bard handed him a trio of folders and he turned his attention to the three capes in the back. One for each of them. “As you are no doubt aware, the Renegade Cape Cassandra predicted the end of the world at Hallowmas last night,” he said. “This is so obviously S-Class, it’s practically the definition of the term. Unfortunately, the actual words on the truces don’t agree here. They were written more for singular, concrete threats. A tornado, some supervillain who’s gotten too big for their britches, a bio-Tinker’s experiment run amok. Not something as nebulous and off in the distance as this. If we try to litigate this through the normal channels, that’s precious time lost we could have spent dealing with whatever the fuck this actually is, so we’re hoping to avoid that.” He tossed the folders down the table, one at a time. Landing them neatly at the edge right in front of his target without anything spilling out was something that had taken countless briefings just like these to perfect, but it was worth it every time. “We do have some language in our favor, however. We just need the leaders of each of the three main gangs to agree with us, and sign a document saying as much. You three will be facilitating that.” “In those folders are our profiles on the three gangs and the leaders,” Bard said, standing up as well. “Gibbons’ Caesar” -- he pronounced it “ˈsi zər” -- “The Zodiac’s Ophiuchus, and, of course, the Moray Clan’s three Fates. Most of it’s common knowledge, but make sure you’re up to date on it. It also has my best guesses as to how the negotiations are going to play out. Unfortunately, it is probably going to be a negotiation. Six months is a lot of time for Scarlet City’s underworld to play nice.” “We’re going to have to play nice in return,” Director Sekelsky said. “We were the ones with the most cape activity last night. Again, the extenuating circumstances favor us, and obviously so, but they’ll be looking for any concession they can get. Also included in those folders is a copy of a temporary S-Class agreement. It won’t last until April, but it’s something we can use when the Peacekeepers get their act together, so as long as you don’t do anything stupid like make a legally binding agreement without our negotiators present -” “Or start a fight,” Bard said. “- or start a fight, we’re giving you a lot of leeway on this. We need those signatures, you understand? The meetings are already set up. Catty Key buzzed everyone earlier, so be sure to thank her when you get the chance. Your first meeting is with the Fates in Echo Park, the other places and times are in there as well.” His eyes met Ember’s “Ember, you’re not going to that last one as per our existing agreement regarding Gibbons, report back here after The Zodiac meeting instead for a different assignment.” The last moment lingered a bit longer than Director Sekelsky intended, which mattered in the face of all the time pressure, but was still recoverable. “You have a few minutes to finish your reading, ask any questions, you might have, and then get going. Leave through the back while the sixes don’t have the building completely surrounded yet.” Hidden World Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos Lanthimos, the Moray Clan’s three Fates, arranged themselves in various positions about their lair’s (for lack of a better word) throne room searching for something that might fit the correct vibe. It was the new costumes that were the problem here. They’d just gotten three matching dresses from Rajawongse made out of Clotho’s fibers -- and they were the kind of dresses that came with pockets! -- but the room had been put together with their old aesthetic in mind. They’d started out so stereotypical, even getting one of those prop replica thrones from that one show, but the dresses were some kind of postmodern art. They had a flow to them that looked especially nice when they all stood together and the blotches of color started to blur. It was a total clash. The only pieces of fabric left from their old costumes were their blindfolds. “Blindfolds” was another one of those words that was technically true but not really. They were a solid black, but The Fates could all see through them just fine. Part of the magic of Clotho’s string was that its properties could be whatever she wanted it to be. That was one of the reasons Rajawongse had been so inspired in the first place -- a practically infinite amount of new materials, right there at his fingertips, who wouldn’t? But phrasing it that way would also sell the Renegade clothier short. He was a master of his craft even without his power. Rajawongse had created dresses that were identical down to the tiniest stitch. With them, the only way to identify which Fate was which was their distinctive manner of speech. “Maybe it’s the room that needs to change, not us,” Clotho said. “Sure,” Lachesis said. “But that doesn’t change the fact we need to figure out what we’re doing right now,” Atropos said. She was also identifiable by the butterfly knife she carried with her, a helpful outlet for not just her power, but idle hands in general. The swish-clack sound of its handles seemed to punctuate everything that particular Fate said, and frequently some of her sisters’. They settled on one of their standard formations -- Lachesis lounging on the throne flanked on either by her two sisters -- just as three of their underlings entered the room. Vi, Sibyl, and Demiurge were their names. The Fates gave them some time to get situated and even offered them some fruit in case they hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. It was still early in the morning, after all. It also gave them an excuse to get everyone up to speed on the previous night's events, the prophecy, the riots, everything. “The Stadium isn’t our territory, though it’s close enough that it might as well be,” Lachesis said. “And we’re going to have to deal with the smashed windows that are in our territory. Some of our people are already on it.” “It won’t be finished until later, though. Right now, G3 --” “-- The Generic Good Guys --” “-- The Group of Giant Goobers --” “-- is going to be pushing us for some kind of temporary truce until they can get their act together, and we don’t have any reason not to accept.” “But we also have reason to believe the Gibbons aren’t going to take the deal,” Lachesis said. “There are a couple of reasons for that. The first is that, like, it’s Gibbons. There’s no way Caesar” -- she pronounced it “ˈsi zər” -- “is going to let a land grab opportunity slip through his fingers, no matter how bad of an opportunity it is.” “That’s what happens when most of your territory is crap,” Atropos said. Swish. Clack. “Even when you have the most of any gang in all of Skitty.” “So it’s in character for him,” Clotho said. “But perhaps more damningly, he laid out his plans this morning while Worm still had one of his walls bugged, and later we hear some Gibbons capes are on the way to our territory. So we just- we know it’s going to happen. ” “Sorry to bury the lede like that.” “Our people cleaning up Nola Street already know this,” Clotho said. “There are some pretty hefty capes helping out there, both ours and otherwise, and DEUS is still in the area for at least a little bit longer.” “We’ll fight too if we goddamn have to.” The swish-clack of Atropos’ knife was especially forceful that time. “The point is, there’s a little time before anything goes down. There are still a few preparations to make, though. More thorough battle plans, making sure complementary powers are together, that sort of thing. Your job this morning is to keep Caesar distracted, and the way we’d like you to do it is to wreck some of his shit first.” “The target is a warehouse eleven point five nine kilometers that way.” Lachesis pointed in a direction she knew to be Northeast. This was her showing off her Thinker power and she relished the opportunity. “Pretty close to The Shimmer without getting up and personal with it, about as far as possible away from what’s going to be happening here.” “We think it’s a lab for a Tinker on Caesar’s payroll, which means it’ll have a skeleton crew of just that one Tinker and an assistant or two.” “The point is to get them calling for help. We’re not killing them or anything. Just roughing them up a bit to get Caesar’s attention, you know?” Clotho winked. “Of course, if they do go running to the hills leaving a trove of Tinker tech behind, you might as well take any of the interesting shit, right?” “At the same time,” Lachesis was quick to add, “if help does show up, that’s your cue to get out of there. Remember The Stanley Principle. You’re not invincible no matter how far ahead you might seem.” The Fates finally went silent as the invocation of that nearly-sacred rule brought a little extra weight to the proceedings. Both Clotho and Atropos shifted uncomfortably where they stood, and Lachesis had to stop lounging and actually sit in her chair. “Oh, that was a lot, wasn’t it?” Clotho eventually said. “Sorry about that.” “Anyway, the actual meat and potatoes planning of this mission, that’s up to you,” Atropos said. “We’ve given you the place and the goal, kinda want to just see what you come up with,” Lachesis said. “Call it a test, you know? Show us what you can do.” OOC

We've Been Trying to Reach You About Your Car's Extended Warranty

Mucha Lucha

Everyday Everyman

"Yanking the chains of happenstance for fun and profit!"

OOC Thread 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:35 PM Étoile Prima sat in the back of her limousine, her eyes closed and her body perfectly still. For a model with a thousand memorable poses, this was the one she had best mastered. Her body was like a statue, completely motionless yet without a single muscle tense. Stylists from Axis leaned before her, performing final touches to her hair and makeup. Her arms were held at full length, carefully woven around her associates so that a further two stylists could polish her nails and adjust her carefully-chosen jewelry. While several of the top ten heroes had managed to surpass her in popularity, and therefore strength, this was the one axis upon which she knew she could never be matched. After all, this beauty and serenity was innate to her, and she carried it even when the number hovering at her wrist was zero. She could remember the sound of the rain hitting the street, the pain of hunger in her stomach, dear god the hunger was intolerable. She remembered her eyes fixed firmly downward, as she could no longer bear to watch people walk by a beggar in the gutter. The downtrodden gaze is what allowed her to see for herself as her Trust Value went from 0 to 1. The visual indication was matched with a feeling she hadn’t felt in months, like she could do anything, be anything. She felt weightless. It was only a second later when she learned the source of trust, as a wealthy-appearing man approached her, told her she was beautiful, and offered her a job, telling her that she could be a hero. Yes. The factor that turned a girl from a stain on the tapestry of the city into one of the most recognized icons in history, what made her into X and gave her staying power in the top 10 even as her other contemporaries fell out of vogue went far beyond trust, far beyond the spring of power that greased the gears of society. Her beauty was her own, and it lifted her from the dreaded hunger of her youth. “...Six… Five… Four…” She could feel the countdown of her on-site director, as it pulled her out of the miasma of the past. It was time for her to show everyone what she could do when she was at her absolute strongest, in her home environment. “...Three… Two… One…” Liftoff Her eyes open in perfect unison with the door, just as had been rehearsed dozens – no, hundreds of times over the past weeks. Her strategy was perfect, to use her overwhelming presence to eek out every ounce of trust possible. While Axis had their doubts, she knew this was her opportunity to reattain her previous position, or at least to become second rank once again. As her body lifted off the seat, she could practically feel the muck from the pavement all those years ago, sticking to her dress and holding her back, but with a short breath the inhibition dissolved, as she lightly pushed off to glide out of the limo and onto the red carpet for the Rankings Tournament Gala. Center of Gravity Her outfit was constructed especially for this event, and deliberately called back to the costume that she debuted in over a decade ago. A frilled blue dress with matching bonnet, stuffed with cotton so that even if viewed from below as she glided through the air it would invoke a weightless cloud rather than demonstrate a shred of immodesty. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the outfit was constructed to make her seem more youthful, as she crested the greater half of her thirties, but the regality with which she wore it dispelled any possible notion of immaturity. Given her current position of rank 8, two heroes had preceded Étoile Prima. The Rank 9 Hero and the Rank 10 Heroes were pretty famous for being rough, tumble, and unruly, to the point that they had both had conflict with their original agencies and defected to the Guild. “Pathetic,” she murmured under her breath as she glided forward, six inches above the ground, her lips not moving a micrometer as every photo flash, from every angle, miraculously managed to show her best side. She had been told before that her greatest strength as both a model and a hero was that she truly had no bad side, not a single impurity before the eye of the camera. Compared to the ranks nine and ten, who Étoile was sure had managed to track mud onto the beautiful red carpet, she knew she was leaving a breathtaking impression on the crowd. And so, without a sliver of doubt, she kept her eyes trained before her, never again to look down in shame. Similarly, she had no interest in looking back as the other heroes arrived. There were a handful of shakeups since the last rankings tournament, but they were not of her concern, not tonight. She would be briefed by her agents on whomever she was to face in the coming days. Tonight was her opportunity to be at her absolute most powerful, gliding through space and shining brilliantly as the press surrounded her, giving her increasingly provocative questions so that they could get the most favourable scoop of the evening. “Who designed your outfit tonight??” “The esteemed Gong Yaozu, of course. I will be debuting a consumer-level line in partnership with him in two weeks, to celebrate the results of this tournament.” “How do you feel about the high rankings of so many heroes from the Catalyst Forge?” “While I admire my contemporaries, I am concerned that the Forge values moldability over dedication.” “What do you have to say about rumors that you are dating another woman?” “My personal matters being just that, I assure you that my greatest focus will always be my career.” “Analysts predict that your rank will fall once again in this tournament, as it has in the past three. The gap between your trust value and that of the as-of-yet unaffiliated Rank 11 Hero Yi Chang is now less than 1 million. Do you have a plan to reclaim the greatness of your younger days?” This question was the first to make Étoile Prima falter. The reporter was right, Yi Chang was only a hair away from the Rank 10 Ruffians, and thus only a handful of hairs away from Prima's own level. The further one got from Maestro, The Brave, and Bahamut, the more competitive things were. After an agonizing half-second pause, Étoile Prima smiled gently, blinking her forest green eyes slowly before making eye contact with the journalist. “I feel that my beauty and grace have only increased with age, and I have every reason to believe that I am coming back into style.” It wasn’t long after this that Prima made use of her ability to free herself from the constraints of gravity to float above the rest of the crowd. She looked across the crowded floor to the edge, seeing The Brave enter the room with its stilted, annoyingly regal gait. It was the only hero whom Étoile Prima thought may have rehearsed something as simple as walking quite as much as she had. Even still, the dedication was something she admired in spite of her misgivings with its agency. And next up, should be… Nobody... Change in the Itinerary 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:57 PM As she began to descend back toward her red-carpeted domain to investigate the holdup, she heard the pop of a microphone being unceremoniously plugged into a live outlet. A graceful mid-air coupé dessus gave her the ounce of momentum needed to pivot in place, back toward the source of the noise. Of course. She should have assumed it would be the Commission’s retained clown, Jesticiar. Though Jesticiar was smiling, it hardly looked like a real one. The clown’s weight constantly shifted from foot to foot as her disgusting irises darted back and forth across the crowd. “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement.” Prima narrowed her eyes gently, doing what she could to prevent her nostril flaring in revulsion at the clown, just in case a camera was pointed her way. In her station, she found that there nearly always was at least one. “We regret that we were not able to release this information sooner, as things have developed quickly and information has been incredibly limited…” Won’t this gross clown get to the point already? “X, the hero Maestro, was found dead in his penthouse in Hero Tower earlier today. While we cannot release further information at this time, we feel obligated to inform you all that our forensic experts suggest foul play was involved. There are a handful of suspects, but it has been decided that the investigation will not proceed until the rankings tournament has concluded.” Étoile Prima was silent as the crowd erupted in confusion, trying to make sense of the unbelievable news they had been given. For once, she was certain that not a single eye was on her, if only for a moment. She gently descended, her high-heeled shoes touching the floor for the first time in the event, betraying her startlingly average height. Despite the commotion around her, her shoulders slumped slightly, making her appear more relaxed than she managed for the entire event. Her eye twitched slightly as the clown stammered out one last sentence before sprinting off the stage and behind the curtains. “We apologize for any undue chaos!!”

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 6:45 PM Grimalkin popped in with bags under her eyes - this late. “Don’t know why this is necessary, I can just use my powers for this,” she said. “Don’t be like that,” one of her staff said, “this is a special occasion!” “There’s probably going to be another one of these next year,” Grimalkin responded, “and the next.” “And how many of them are you going to be in?” “Hopefully not too many,” Grimalkin as they started to apply makeup on her. “Let’s hide those bags,” one of the makeup artists said. “Like I said,” Grimalkin replied, “I can just..” She swiped her hand across her face to make her eyebags disappear. 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:55 PM Grimalkin emerged from her limousine, sporting a reflective emerald dress accompanied by a fashionable hat, topped off with a red scarf for completion. The camera shone on her, which meant it was her time to shine as she walked down the red carpet. “Pretty Striker Grimalkin!” She declared with her signature pose, “Cat’s Crossing!” That was for the children watching. Grimalkin, by instinct, dropped her glass of beverage at the news delivered by the clown, before someone came to sweep the area of fragiles. They’re just going to proceed like that? She was trying to maintain her composure. She had to stay positive, or at the very least, hold her demoralization back. They were right, this is a special occasion. Just not in the way she was expecting. “Breathe in, breathe out,” she approached and guided some guests who started to panic. She even tried to cheer some kids up, using her abilities to actively shapeshift into forms that would make them happy, such as fluffy animals or plushies, even letting them hug her in such forms. "You think the whole being positive spiel is gonna help us?" a guest asked. "Not exactly," Grimalkin responded, "but the opposite would actively make things worse. There's only so many of us - why not you calm your peers down too?"

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 6:45 PM An impossible choice faced the great hero Match. The outcome of such a choice could affect his very future, nay, the very future of the world! Lives that had yet to be saved hinged on this grand choice. The weight of the future crushed his shoulders as he stared at his two impossible choices. "Tie or scarf...?" Match picked up both strips of cloth, looking over them with a critical eye. Both were a vibrate red, the classic color to stand out against his black formal wear. What would reassure people more? A formal tie, to show he meant business? Or a flowing scarf, to show everyone even at a party, he was here to be a hero? Even a simple detail like this mattered. "I wish they made tie scarves...," he muttered as he compared the two. His eyes drifted to the tie. It hung limply, as if it was being crushed by the formality it represented. On the other hand, the scarf's edge fluttered, as if beckoning to him. Under his mask, Match smiled. "Yeah, that's right. It shouldn't have even been a question," Tossing his tie on the bed, Match quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck. "Match, moving out!" He called out to no one as he posed in the middle of his room. After a second of silence, the man chuckled to himself, obviously pleased. The door to his room opened without a sound as his handler walked in. "You're chipper this morning," The young man stated emotionlessly. "And you're in need of a coffee, Ichigo," Match teased as he walked over, adjusting his helmet as he walked. unlike its usual colors, this mask was black to match his suit. "Let's get you one on the way to the gala, eh?" "It's way too late in the night for that," "Oh, don't be that way! We got a long night ahead of us! A coffee for you and two for me!" Match let out a hearty laugh as they left, ready to take on this gala. ══════════════ 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:45 PM P.A.R.T.Y. time The limo came to a halt as the door opened. A second passed. Two seconds. After three seconds, Match stepped out of the limo. He took a step forward, his scarf flowing in the wind behind him. He then stopped, planting his foot solidly into the ground. With a dramatic flourish, he pointed his right hand into the sky, a classic pose of victory. "Good evening, my fans!" Match called out before turning to point at the cameras pointed towards him. "Thank you for taking the time to see me!" he quickly turned, pointing to another camera at a different angle. "I hope you enjoy the show! I got dressed up just for all of you!" With that, he began to walk forward once again, letting the media swarm around him. "Match, what are your thoughts about the brackets this year?" "Seeded brackets are really tough!" Match answered without missing a beat, laughing as he did. "To face Grimalkin right off the bat, and then follow it up with either Maestro or someone who can beat Maestro? It's like they don't want me to have a break! However, I'll give it nothing less than my all!" "Speaking of brackets!" A clever reporter spring boarded off the last one's question. "Do you have anything you wish to say to your fellow heroes?" "Something to say, huh?" He stopped in his tracks. "As a matter of fact, I think I do," Once again, he pointed forwards, but this time, not to any camera or reporter. He pointed to the other heroes that went before him. "To the heroes who forge the path on this red carpet! I challenge you! Overcome us who follow behind!" He whipped around, pointing to the very start of the carpet. "To those who follow in my footsteps, know I'm coming after you! Especially you Maestro! This year is the year I'll overcome you! I won't just be a hero. I'll be your hero!" "Oh, is this yet another direct challenge to Maestro? Do you believe you can win this year?" "I've been studying and training for this moment ever since last year! Maestro will soon meet his Match!" He took another step forward, pausing slightly as he realized he stepped in something. Something sticky... did someone spit out gum on the red carpet? "Match, is there anyone you hope to avoid?" Another question made Match refocus on what was really important. "Hmmm. Can't say there is. Crossing fists with people is the easiest way to grow!" With this final question, Match reached the end. "I'll see you all later!" He waved to the crowd before taking his place. He watched as the others entered, some with immense grace, some with immense dignity. It seemed all was going well. Until it all came crumbling down. “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement..." Everyone else sprung into action. Trying to calm down the crowd, trying to organize things, all sorts of heroic actions. Match was not among though. He stood still, staring at down the red carpet. It was almost as if he believed if he just kept staring, Maestro would appear. Like this was all just some sort of joke. They'd laugh, get scolded, and move on with life. But a limo never drove up, and nothing changed. Match could only stand there, clenching his fist as the world moved around him.

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 6:50 PM As Alvin slipped the longer frock coat onto his shoulders, he sighed. Sleep had been unfortunately brief, interrupted as it was. Any attempts to rest further been upended by the radio interview he had been scheduled to do that day, Catalyst wouldn’t let him flake out of another opportunity to reach the public. Personally, he wasn’t quite sure why they still bothered, with their more recent hits they had landed. Sadly, no amount of stubbornness had managed to convince them to keep him on a shorter leash. Management was as fussy as ever, and while he wouldn’t take it out on anyone else… He could at least force the management to deal with his sour mood. “Absolution, are you ready?” The sound from outside the door made him groan gently, his arms propped against the bathroom sink as he looked into the mirror. The bags underneath his eyes were readily apparent, but he spoke firmly, “Of course. I know what time it is.” “Don’t know why you don’t just stay at the Hero Tower more often. I’m tired of fetching you from this dump.” The voice sounded a bit on edge, a little sigh escaping Alvin as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose lightly. Picking a fight this close to the event… Wasn’t worth the hassle. “I’ve already told you.” Alvin opened the door the grouchy looking young adult, stepping out into the main hall of the apartment. His hands adjusted the buttons on his jacket, fastening them into place as he walked past his manager. “Let’s go.” “Fine, fine. Not like I’ve got any reason to hold you back.” The two got into the small vehicle that Alvin used, well maintained, though nothing fancy. Given his role… He wouldn’t be driving it tonight, something that frustrated him to no end. He was tired. “Alright. You know how it goes.” The younger guy’s hand rose up as he held a finger into the air, “The cameras are gonna be on you, don’t make a scene.” Alvin had to stop a small snort at that, they gave him the same warning every time. Either they never caught on that he only give them a hard time, or they just had that little faith in him. He wouldn’t be surprised by either. “Two, the other Catalyst Top Ten are the stars of the show, as far as I’m concerned. You can look good all you want, but don’t do it at their expense.” He wasn’t sure if that was from the higher ups or just his manager. He usually assumed it was just this sad sack who was assigned to deal with him. He just nodded his head lightly, “Of course.” “And three. Don’t be a downer! This is a good night to try and lift people up a bit. Everyone assumes nothing is going to change with Number One, sure, but it’ll be a good time.” His eyes rolled a bit as he glanced out the window. They were getting closer already, a small sigh escaping him as his eyes closed a bit, “It will be an evening.” ══════════════ 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:39 PM Absolution stepped out of the modest vehicle, straightening his back after the ride. As he stood, he raised a hand in a brief wave to the crowd, taking a few steps forwards before the media swarm could really begin. “Absolution! Is there any truth to the rumors that you’re planning to retire within the year?” He laughed lightly, “If I was going to retire, it would have been before this tournament. I can’t afford to retire just yet.” “What do you have to say about the ongoing discussion about why you’re trailing behind the other Catalyst Forge heroes?” He ran his fingers along the sides of his beard, stroking at the trimmed hairs gently as he tilted his head, “Perhaps trailing behind at my age isn’t such a bad thing? That leaves the future in good hands, the way I see it. I hope more young Heroes surpass me, even tonight.” “Do you have anything to say to the folks who still see you as the villain who rampaged years ago?” That question never surprised him, there was always someone who asked it, hoping to get a rise out of him. It never worked, but they always tried. He just shook his head gently, “Those who remember it and hold it against me have fair cause to. I’ll continue as I have since I was released from prison and hope to change minds.” He’ll never mention that being dragged into the spotlight was enough for him to deal with, he couldn’t afford to think too heavily on what the people dragging his name had to say. He made his way down the carpet, acutely aware of the anticipation building with each heroes' arrival. After all, he was only Number 7. It was only a matter of time before they were over him, and he was more than ready to accept that. He finished his walk and found a quieter spot, watching the arrival of the others. Truthfully, he didn't have a close relationship with any of the other heroes. Riot Cannon and Energex were simply too much for him. He held no ill will towards them, but the idea of acting alongside them was simply headache inducing. He respected Étoile Prima and her venerable career, though he doubted that sentiment was returned with her attitude. And of course. The Brave and Bahamut. He couldn't imagine working with them. “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement..." He paused, turning his attention towards the Commission messenger. The frown on his face turned into a full blown scowl at the admission. Well, he had to suppose this was a scandal of some kind. He watched as Bahamut rose up into the air, attempting to keep the crowd calm before things could get out of hand. He wasn't quite sure that would work himself... But he gave a small nod in response as he descended from the air back to the ground. He watched as the others found their own ways to occupy themselves, never quite moving from his spot as he glanced up towards the sky, contemplating the turn the evening had taken. He had no desire to step into the fray himself, not just yet. It was simpler to let the event... Most likely peter out now. He doubted things were going to continue for long on this note. Really, the most surprising part to him was that the tournament would continue. It hardly seemed appropriate now.

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:50 PM brave As the vehicle containing the #2 hero approached the venue, the person in question stared out of the window. The Brave's iconic helmet sat on the seat as its owner watched the night sky blankly, the lights reflected on flat eyes, while a sharply dressed man watched from across the vehicle. "You will be arriving shortly. I don't believe I need to inform you on how to behave. This should be old hat by now..." A silent nod in return. The man brushed a single strand of pitch-black bangs that had fallen across his brow with a huff. His hands idly fumbled with a schedule marked to hell and back in highlighter, scowling at the hero next to him. The Brave felt his gaze upon the skin, but did not respond. What was there to say? He had been around for so long, only still here due to the Brave being considered... difficult. But the man still looked at the hero with such disdain that the Brave could feel it without meeting his gaze. When had that begun...? "It's so droll," The handler muttered, leaning against the window opposite the Brave, resting his face upon his own fist, "All this pomp and circumstance, but it's so, so boring. Climbing the rankings, making a name for yourself, taking the world by storm, gaining believers..." His pose remained the same, but his gaze sharpened as he looked back towards his charge, "And you. Sad, miserable, loathsome you. It's a lot of trouble keeping this failed experiment going, you know. After I had such high hopes for you, all you can achieve is this." As the vehicle finally arrived at the venue, the handler turned back to the Brave, lifting the helmet and placing it upon the hero's head. A small jolt seemed to move through the hero, while the handler returned to his seat, making a dismissive hand gesture toward the door. "You'll do just fine. There's no doubt you'll come out on top this year. Give the believers the show they so desire, dearest qlip." At 7:54, the Brave stepped free from the vehicle with a wave to all of the believers and others gathered. The hero's gait was stiff, almost robotic. This quirk had proven oddly favorable with the masses, finding it to be a singular flaw within the overwhelming perfection that the Brave exhibited. With one foot in front of the other, the Brave headed down the carpet, nodding and waving the whole way. Singularly focused, as ever. Some reporters tried to ask questions, but the usual response was earned: A business card from the Brave, redirecting the questions to the handler. Strong and silent, no matter the pressure. By the time the Brave had settled in, it was time for X to arrive. The moments dragged on for eternity, confusion beginning to bubble up, twisting the energy of the gala... Then the dreadful answer was revealed. The clown woman gave her report before ducking away with a platitude. “We apologize for any undue chaos!!” For a moment, just a moment, no eyes on the Brave... with Étoile Prima standing directly in front as she floated to the ground, standing a few inches taller than the Brave... the hero let out a quiet sigh, like a breath long held in finally being set free, gentle voice barely mixing in...

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:50 PM Bahamut sat in the back of his limousine, nervously fidgeting his thumbs together. The outfit that the agency had put him into tonight was rather stuffy, and tight. He hated the feeling of the collar wrapped around his neck. He was no stranger to the public eye by now. As a matter of fact, he tried his best to keep their attention focused on him 24/7. However a crater in his stomach formed every time he stepped up to a press conference or photo shoot. Was it nerves, or the weight of all the responsibility he now held gathering in his gut. This wasn't the lifestyle he ever imagined for himself...he really didn't seem fit for this hero business. Yet here he was, having been carefully molded by Catalyst Foundry into the Number Three hero in the rankings. He wasn't ungrateful, and he never had been. Quite the opposite actually. He'd taken every opportunity to give back to Catalyst Foundry for taking a risk on him, making sure that the trust that was carefully given to him wasn't wasted. It might've been the youthful naivety of his speaking, but he truly believed in his mission. And in return, the public believed in him. He took a deep breath, and smiled. This was the path he chose to walk, and now he had to walk down a little red carpet. This was the bare minimum he could do! He had arrived. The sound of his door handle unlatching might as well have been a nuclear bomb going off with the commotion it had set off. The flashing lights of the paparazzi rained down upon him, and the questions followed immediately after. With his studies in public relations, he would do his best to keep up that heroic image forged onto him. "For such a young hero, you've ascended the ranks rather quickly! What's your secret?" "Well it's no secret that I've been blessed with powers beyond anything dreamed of! However, sometimes its too much for even me to try and control...that's why I've done my very best to make sure it's used for the good of the public! My vow to them was this; Those who are sheltered in the shadows of my wings shall never be harmed! Those wings, that were built on your trust, have to be the strongest to live up to your expectations. And I think that's why I've gotten to where I am today." He bowed his head to the reporter questioning him, "I also am very grateful to Catalyst Forge, for giving me this opportunity to prove my heroism." "Your last encounter with a villain caused massive damage to the city. Do the repairs to infrastructure come out of your pay?" "With the power I hold, structural damage normally occurs. My last opponent was dreadfully strong, so I might've let loose a little too much. However, my vow remains unbroken. No civilian lives were taken during that encounter. I think the worth of their lives is priceless, compared to the lifeless concrete and steel that may get battered and bruised during my battles." He bowed to this reporter as well, "As I'm sure you are aware, the Hero Affairs Commission and Catalyst Forge are entrusted to handle the costs of infrastructure repair. However, I have asked for them to take part of my salary as well, in recompence. It is my fault for losing control of myself, after all." "Are your goals in this tournament to surpass The Brave?" The particular question struck a strange chord with him. The thought never occurred to him that someday he might overtake THE Brave. "I believe anyone who partakes in the tournament is looking to make some progress in the rankings, right? The Brave is a valued member of Catalyst Forge, and the Number 2 hero in the rankings, so I would be lying if I said I didn't see myself as having a bit of a rivalry with them!" Bahamut waved his hand and laughed slightly, "All I will say is they better take me seriously! I don't plan on throwing in the towel easily!" 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:57 PM The Gala stirred with the arrival of the Brave shortly after him. He waved to the armor clad hero, hoping that they would just ignore him as they always had. Keeping up friendly appearances between those in the same Agency was good press after all. Maestro was to follow suit, but his car never came around. It was strange for the Hero X to be late. That's when Jesticar had come out onto center stage. Her demeanor did not show any sign of pleasantries, besides that silly little smile she wore. “Esteemed heroes and guests, the commission has an emergency announcement. We regret that we were not able to release this information sooner, as things have developed quickly and information has been incredibly limited…” Whatever she was about to announce would surely be no good...was the tournament going to be postponed because of a villain attack??? “X, the hero Maestro, was found dead in his penthouse in Hero Tower earlier today. While we cannot release further information at this time, we feel obligated to inform you all that our forensic experts suggest foul play was involved. There are a handful of suspects, but it has been decided that the investigation will not proceed until the rankings tournament has concluded.” The shocking revelation almost made Bahamut throw up on the spot. X...Maestro....DEAD?! How could that be possible...the strongest of all of them and he was dead. Bahamut grabbed the stomach of his suit, and snarled in anger. Maestro was someone all heroes looked up to...and now he was gone. He had lost his composure in the stirring and chaotic conversation in the room. He gathered himself quickly, and made sure he hadn't destroyed his suit with claws he didn't mean to unsheathe. “We apologize for any undue chaos!!” He almost burst into laughter at that last statement. How careless of the Commission! What could they be thinking with an announcement like this? And crazier still, the tournament was still going to take place despite this shocking development. He gazed among the rest of the heroes in attendance, all of them taking in this information in their own ways. A thought grazed the back of his mind. He shoved it back to the depths of his conscious. Now was not the time for such thinking. Instead, his thoughts dwelled on the public. His wings burst out from his back, tearing through his clothes in the process. The pit in his stomach was sinking into the earth by now, but he felt he had to say something before panic erupted. He flew into the air and filled his diaphragm to the brink, booming his voice to address those in the room. "Citizens, friends, and colleagues, I humbly ask that we all remain calm. I realize that the news we have received is rather shocking...and sad. But know this! Maestro was a hero, and the best of all of us! It is our duty as heroes to put our lives on the line for you, the people. And I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we all admired Hero X deeply. Let us not think of his death as something to be saddened by...but instead...let us think of how he shall be entered into legend! The Legendary Hero X, who saved countless lives before his ended. Let us use this time to celebrate Maestro, instead of mourn him!" Bahamut swooped down to grab a glass from one of the many servers in the room, before raising it into the air. "A toast...to Hero X. To Maestro! You will forever be remembered as one of the greatest heroes of all time!" With that, Bahamut downed the drink in one gulp, hoping it would calm him. He descended down back towards the ground, hoping he hadn't come off as too pretentious. However, he had meant every word.

Time Lizard | LIGHT | Reptile/Effect ATK 500 | DEF 400 You can tribute 1 Reptile monster you control: Toss a coin and call it. If you call it right, Special Summon 1 Reptile or Dinosaur monster from your hand or GY. If you call it wrong, take damage equal to the ATK of the tributed monster. A quickie I drew up because of a pun. Juggled a few different effect ideas so I hope the one I went with wouldn't be overpowered, but I'm always open to suggestions.

So, I wanted to build off of the depression entry. To a degree, at least. I want to talk about abuse. And I'll start with personal experience. You can skip to the second divider, if you don't wish to read this section. --- My dad was abusive. He never got to hit me, beyond a belt on my rear, thanks to my mom... but he was extremely emotionally abusive. He looked for any and all opportunities to belittle me or scold me, and then took them out on my mother instead if she objected, only to redouble on me. To make sure I wasn't an embarrassment to him. That I never even considered crossing him. He was the MAN of the house. What he said went. His wife was to be a stay-at-home mother who cooked and cleaned. His son was to be a clone of him who would exist only to make him look better. The Bible "said" he was to be the head of the household and in charge. So, of course, having a woman who didn't simply bow to him bothered him. Having a child be a child was unacceptable. Even my cousins were given similar treatment, especially before I was born. Like attempting to beat my older cousin with a brush for touching his bag when he had just returned from a trip. Where he cheated on my mother. But that's another story. Or how about instilling his young child with fear so great that a 6 year old was scared of burning in hell for not being perfect? Scared that the rapture would take place and leave them behind? My mother's parents as well. There's a laundry list that's come from my mother and her siblings about their childhoods, but the present is more pressing. Treating everyone around them like slaves. Gma pitting every single family member against each other, if given a chance. Resenting anyone that doesn't follow the plan she's set up. My gpa hit my mother recently for disagreeing with him. He threatened to call the cops on me if I ever disagreed with him. Told me we never made a deal for me to drive, and that I was a lying thief. Threatened to shoot us for not serving a meal he wanted, and gma only replied "you'd shoot me!?". Trying to kick us out, with nowhere to go, because mom was too sick to prepare a meal for their very able-bodied selves. All the while, these people play the victim. They're just suffering because of everyone else. My dad is a martyr, a God-fearing man who goes to church every week and beyond. He's a father figure to some people. An upstanding deacon. Any grievances that could be expressed could only be done so by a member of the church, as opposed to an outsider who KNOWS him. And he has sooo many illnesses, needs so many surgeries, and so on. Gparents are even worse for the latter. Trying to call social services because we weren't being proper caretakers, when they were more than able-bodied and we never agreed. Gma has been faking a cough almost my entire life, as she's admitted. Uses any appointment as a guilt to get people to spend money on her. And so many more fake things, always something to guilt someone into spending money and rendering service, all while playing up how cruel everyone is to them... when they both left their own parents to rot as they got into old age. Even before then. But they're owed it, because they were 'good' parents. Kids are for taking care of them, after all! --- ... and that's just people I, unfortunately, share blood with. But why do I bring up all this anecdotal evidence, when I'm doing what is normally philosophical or purely stream of consciousness? Well... that's because of the relationship that abusers tend to have to abuse's after effects, as I see it. As I experience it. I am so, so scared of calling myself an abuse victim. I never thought of myself as one for most of my life, just assuming that... everyone went through those things. And, even after that, I still just assumed I had to push on. It was just a hurdle. Just a scar that would one day shine. I wasn't a victim. Victims were people that the world hated, shunned, ignored. People that used it as a crutch. Sure, there were exceptions that I had met, but... by and large, people like my abusers portrayed themselves entirely as victims, never taking any accountability for their actions. Turning around anything they did to me back on to me as a source. Yet here I am. The moment I hear hushed voices, I go still and try to hear if they're going to be about me, if I fucked up, if they hate me. Loud noises cause me to shut down. I am oftentimes scared to even leave my room, to the point that I earned the nickname "Bernie-Bear" from Mel's friends for just how shy and bad I was with people. Which, coincidentally... was the moment that me being a victim of abuse began to set in. And I tried so hard to look away from it! I was strong! I had to be strong! I just had some hang ups, that's all! There was no way I was a victim! It is so, so, so hard to call myself a victim. I think it is for most people, really. I don't want to be like those in my life who I was abused by. I don't want to be perceived like them. I don't want to be pitied or looked at like I'm weak. If I'm weak, then I've failed. I'm letting them control me. I'm letting my abusers control my present, as they did my past. That's letting them win... BUT THAT'S WRONG! That isn't true at all! It is not wrong to hurt! It is not wrong to have been hurt by people who DON'T have power over you, much less those that do! You are not weak for being abused! You do NOT deserve that abuse! And those people that fake? Those people that use it to chase clout? Fuck them! They're more likely than not abusers themselves, and you shouldn't worry about them! You shouldn't have to be inhibited about your pain, you shouldn't have to shove it down so that you don't "let them win"! Shoving it down IS how they win, because you leave the trauma inside to fester and bubble, allowing it to consume you whole! You have a right to be angry! You have a right to be sad! You have a right to FEEL! ... It's okay to be a victim. You didn't make the choice to be one. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging what happened to you, be it sexual, physical, emotional, or any combination thereof. People can be monstrous. I do struggle with admitting to myself that I'm an abuse victim. I almost cried talking to my mother tonight, because we both are so close to being able to say and accept how we've been abused, but the people we know are so fake and wicked that we fear association with their behaviors. It's admitting that you aren't fully in control to admit to being abused, and it takes a LOT of courage to do so. So, to abuse victims... You are stronger than you think. That abuse isn't who you are. You did not deserve it. Cruel people inflicted it on you for a multitude of reasons, but none of them were your fault. It was not a result of your choices, but the result of others taking your choice away from you. This world has so much potential for love. So many people truly wishing to help heal a broken heart, soul, spirit. Sure, there are more abusers out there... But I sincerely hope that anyone this applies to finds someone they can truly depend on. Someone who will not treat them as you may have become accustomed to being treated. I see you. I hurt for you. I'm here for you. And, if given the chance, I will open my heart and love you. Stay determined, everyone.

Made about a week ago for the sake of having something of the season in time xD I had no idea how to go about the background once I had the character made, so I kept adding violets, purples, blues, vaguely resembling a cave-like pattern and after enough time I grabbed a pen and have what you see here.... I think the green is a bit too light and lime-y but that's what you get when you YOLO it and hope it ends up well hahaha....

"Ah what's the matter Dog Breath. Someone need a scratch behind the ear?" At this point, Inu growled, baring his teeth at the cat. "Go get high off some catnip, Cat Bitch," he snapped. Before it could go any further though, the teacher went off, ignoring Inu completely as he began to talk about everything else. "Fuckin' bastard's ignoring me...," Inu growled under his breath, but deciding to let it drop for now. He'd just grill Epicenter when she came back. She didn't look like she could keep a secret. However, before he could even fully calm down... "And finally, Kagarashi Hideyo, Konpaku Rei, Sogin Hakaro, and Sasaki Inu, you will all be against the number 5 hero, your history teacher Ruby Heart!" "Wait, Sasaki? Is there any chance you know the pro hero Howl?" "Fuck," Inu muttered as he gritted his teeth. "Yeah, I know the indecisive bitch. What a-fuckin'-bout it?" He took a handful of sunflower seeds and chomped on them with an angry crunching sound, just as Spidey O'Bitch came up to him. After their pleasant little exchange, the hellhound found himself standing in a corner of the room, chew on sunflower seeds as he watched two of his teammates at each other throats. Maybe they'd injure each other and Inu could transfer to a new group. That wasn't how it worked, and he knew it. With a sigh, he walked over, plopping his butt on the desk's top next to Hideyo. "So... you think we should stop them from fighting, or just wait it out?" He asked, chewing on yet another sunflower seed. Sun was ecstatic. He made a new friend in RIka, and Takehiko was trying to be friends with Rika to! Now he had two friends! There was only one problem though. "Sun Sun, Kaenbyou Tsubasa, Ohara Ben, and the new student Hoshino Rika, you will all be up against your JET teacher, Xionglauhu!" So Takehiko was on a different team, meaning Sun couldn't defend them. He had just had to believe in the guy. It wasn't like this was life or death anyways, so he should be fine, right? Sun wasn't convinced, but he couldn't let the others know that. For now, his team had gathered to make a plan. Sun could make plans, very good plans in fact! He bet his friends would be blown away with his great plans! "Ah... Does the sheet say anything about whether we're expected to actually win? With a numbers advantage, I get the idea of us holding up at least a bit, but... Winning seems like a long shot any way I look at it." Rika asked. Sun blinked as he looked at her. Why wouldn't they be expected to win? That was the law of the jungle, win or lose, kill or be killed. It was the same here... except without the killing. Most people weren't animals, they'd stop before that. "Hey Tsubasa, Sun...and you said your name is Rika, right?" The man with the many spiders approached them, causing Sun to subconsciously scratch himself. "Ahem...sorry I didn't probably make a good impression when you walked in. I'm Benjamin O'Hara, but I usually go by Ben. Nice to meet you. So...I guess it's going to be us four as a team." "A team huh?" the mini jaguar girl suddenly spoke up, "well, then alternate winning or otherwise, you have nothing to work about Iroko. After all, you've got three people with you, and most importantly I'm here with you. So, as long as those things are true, we're definitely a sure win." Smiling more excitedly she said, "and besides, haven't you always wanted to fight a bear?" "I dunno what a bear is, but it sounds fun," Sun admitted. "Nothing... To worry about? I dunno, I think we've got plenty to worry about. We don't know what our actual task is gonna be, aside from trying to overpower someone with more practice and experience than us. ...Fight a bear? I can't say it really ever crossed my mind. Generally you're supposed to, like... Play dead against them, right? Maybe we can do that against the bear then. I'd say we should come up with a plan, but... What can we plan for when we don't know the specifics? Hopefully we can get some actual time before the exam to plot a bit." "Oh, oh, do not worry!" Sun said excitedly. "I, Sun, have a great plan!" He cleared his throat before he started to explain. "So, we're gonna have you all stand behind me so I can protect you all, and then, I'm going to throw a rock at the bear!" He paused, waiting for a response, before adding as an afterthought. "It's going to be a very big rock,"

As he stepped onto the bus, Yasha was confident he had everything he needed. He was a bit over-packed, even for the beach-- a beach umbrella, a tarp/blanket, a couple gallons of water in a cooler bag, enough sunscreen to give the sun cancer, spare batteries for his phone-- but he was comfortable with carrying all of it, as long as it meant he could do what he came here to do. "Oi, oi, oi. You coming, O'Hara?" He stopped in the doorway to look back at the lagging American on his phone. "Hm? ...o-oh...uh...were we just supposed to enter the bus? I thought...jeez...gotta remember I'm not in America anymore. Uh, yeah I'm coming..." The two ended up sitting together on the bus, and Yasha was practically vibrating the seat-- which was notable since, at this proximity, it nearly drowned out the engine of the bus. Benjamin noticed Yasha's general noises and shrugged some. "I take it you're excited for the beach, huh Yasha?" Yasha looked up. "Oh, uh." He cleared his throat. "No, not really. Saltwater gums up my tool hands, I'm at a greater risk of heatstroke than most, and of course there's... sand..." He shuddered, then shifted back to his usual cheerful tone. "Pretty much everything about the beach is a horrible experience for me!" He smiled toothily. "Yikes..." Benjamin shook his head slightly. "Annnnd you're still okay with going? Despite the threats and risks that it brings you?" Yasha nodded emphatically. "Oh, totally. It's all worth it." "Uh-huh...alright, I'll bite...why is it worth it to you?" Yasha's expression, to the extend he had one, became suddenly serious. He glanced around, as though there were someone listening, though of course, nobody was. "Alright, don't tell anybody, but..." He leaned in and whispered. "I really just came to see the girls in their swimsuits. Think about it: Seigi, Konpaku, Ukemei-- all of them. In swimsuits." Yasha's faceplate was already red, and he had no skin above the neck so of course he couldn't blush, but there was an actual puff of steam from roughly where his nostrils would be as he straightened back up. Benjamin was surprised by this sudden turn of events as Yasha confided this information to him. The general thought of it, actually caused him to blush some. He looked around, before putting a hand on the chair, having a spider crawl out from his hand to sit on the chair, just as a lookout. "...that's why you were gung-ho about this? ...also do we need to even add Rei into this category?" Benjamin whispered back to Yasha. No going back with this conversation. Yasha nodded and huffed again, producing more little puffs of steam and folding his arms. "Even a cold girl like Konpaku can look good in a swimsuit, O'Hara. Heck, even a plain-looking girl like Sanada looks good in a swimsuit. It's science." Benjamin was still silent for a bit, before raising an eyebrow. "...uh, isn't Ren a guy...?" Yasha's eye twitched. "Not again..." he wheezed.

This is the NCM drawing resources, here you can learn to draw, see videos, programs, and etc that could help you. request drawings, learn to draw, get told how to draw, get critique, and etc. Only hand drawn things(from any program) are allowed, so no copy + pasting anything, but you can edit them however you like(warp them, put them in layers, overlay them, blur them, whatever you feel like doing), just not transplanting stuff from the internet. Some graphics programs you could use: Also, link your mobile phone to your PC to draw with it, if you feel like it. Use Chrome Remote Desktop or Teamviewer. A few throwaway tips of mine: Videos: A few of my drawings: Have fun!

pre-test jitters It was barely sunrise when Shoshiki arrived at the testing grounds. He would have left sooner, but decided that walking alone in the dark would be a bit too much for him. It wasn't a big deal, his hotel was only a few blocks away, but Shoshiki decided to play it on the safe side. He was simply being reasonable, nothing more. As far as he could tell, only one girl had arrived before him. She looked distracted, yet determined. Shoshiki figured she was probably friendly enough, but decided not to risk it. Who knows what kind of person could be here, she could have a quirk even grislier than his own. And so Shoshiki Kojin stood almost completely still at the edge of the waiting area, as the rest of the hopefuls arrived. It wasn't long before the gates opened, allowing Shoshiki and the rest of the applicants to make their way in. It seemed the testing ground had both a forest and a cityscape, two environments Shoshiki could only hope he would be able to use to his advantage. As a man in some kind of antique-styled armor explained the test, Shoshiki couldn't help but be distracted by the rest of the entrants, "To get this far…” was that a giant beetle? Did beetles eat meat? One of this size was probably very hungry... “forest type area, and a city type area…” a guy with blue hair and headphones was watching the samurai explain, but looked like he would rather be literally anywhere else... “your objectives will all be the same.” With this, Shoshiki perked up. He should probably pay attention to this part. “In each area are a limited amount of badges that resemble the U.A. logo. To complete the practical, one must obtain five badges and return to the gate before sundown. It doesn't matter how you get your badges. Just so long as you're here, you'll be permitted to attend U.A." Using wording like that is going to make people think we are supposed to fight over these. "So if I beat the snot out of some dude with three badges, and take 'em, I get in?" The question came from an angry-looking, muscular girl, who seemed to be about as tall as Shoshiki himself. Despite her apparent confusion over how many badges she needed, her strategy concerned Shoshiki. He had never really fought before, let alone with someone who had been training their quirk for that purpose for what could be ten years. He felt a terrible sinking feeling inside him as the people surrounding him changed from unknown entities to threats. “...our very BEST!" A loud screech interrupted his thoughts, as Shoshiki quickly pivoted to find its source. As best as he could tell, she had some kind of bat quirk. Wait. Wouldn't that make her a vampire? Was she going to murder Shoshiki and drink his blood as sustenance? The samurai/teacher hybrid had said that they weren't supposed to kill each other, but this was a vampire, do the rules even matter at this point? Even as the vampire was scolded by another scary girl with red hair, Shoshiki still found himself feeling like prey. Even if not literally, everyone around him was determined to get into this school, and Shoshiki standing in their way wasn't going to make them change their minds. He could feel the threads of nerve tissue moving just beneath his skin, his flight or flight response coming on in full force. Should he team up with someone so as to have strength in numbers should they be attacked? Or would that just put him at risk of being betrayed once they had found a total of five badges? As the rest of the would-be students were beginning to socialize, Shoshiki was overcome with fear. Even as he could feel himself shaking from head to toe, he forced himself to take a few deep breaths, before making his way to the least terrifying person he could see, a small girl with silver hair. He reached up to tap her shoulder, but hesitated before he could. She might have acid skin or something, I should be more careful. Averting his vision, he awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck, speaking in such a subdued tone that he was hardly audible, "So, if people are planning to take the badges by force, it might be a better bet to stick together... I don't know you, but, you seemed a bit more pleasant and a bit less violent than the others I see here..."

Getting up in the morning had hardly been a problem for Yuuka. She had merely figured what time would be the best to wake up to get through her morning routine and set an alarm for then. Having gotten up just when she should, the girl had made her way to school, and arrived with some time to spare before their exam had actually begun. As such, it did her good to see that there were those even more ready and on time then her, and so she simply smiled brightly and contentedly, awaiting their exam time to start. Standing around, the girl simply looked and studied the two instructors before her, head to toe while listening to the directions they provided. "Oh, this might be some trouble," the girl merely muttered to herself. While she had her own concerns as to how to approach this test, to her great pleasure it had seemed that there were a large majority of other heroes to be that did not. Though there was some to be desired she glanced from student to student as they talked to each other, stretching herself out as she was instructed to do so all the while. Two girls who definitely had the confidence and physicality to be a hero, though definitely lack in the tact of one. One girl who - Yuuka winced - definitely had the energy levels of one. A boy, Shiba Yuudai, who seemed to have proper manners. And then there were two other girls in particular that managed to catch her attention. Both being full of spirit and a certain righteous quality that set them apart from the others so far. The girl merely smiled in glee, wondering just what the test had in store for them, while also looking forward to seeing more of her classmates. Turning her attention to the blonde haired girl, she merely raised her own fist into the air with a smile on her face echoing, "<justice>" in a much more subdued tone than the girl's, but still in English all the same.

A while back I made a custom archetype named "Abystella" (stars of the abyss) consisting on marine life with patterns of glowing yellow stars. Here's the art I drew for it: Whale Narwal Jellyfish Squid Mantaray Sea Dragon/Sea Horse Isopod Marlin Fisher Nautilus Sea Serpent Mermaid Art for Spells or Traps

My latest piece in soft pastel, this time using splatters of white paint for the stars. Feedback is appreciated! ^^

"Alright gang, this has been Maya-chan! I've gotta get going. As you all know, Digimon World Online is coming out today and you know who is getting in at launch. I reaaaaaally wish I could I could stream it with you guys but you know how it goes. Game uses your real life appearance and that'd be trouble for me. But who knows, maybe we'll play with each other and not even realize it, that could be so fun! Let me know on my socials what you're planning to do with the game. I'll be talking about my experiences with it in upcoming streams just wont have much footage. Guess I'll have to come up with something. Maybe I can get Doki-kun to stream with me and we'll play the digimon card game while we talk about it! Oh there's so many things to do. You all know my stream times, if not it's down in the description along with my socials. Follow soon for exclusive signed merch, offer ends in two weeks! Keep it real and keep shining!" Click. Stream ended. "Uggggghhhhh" Came a moan as the face behind hit Vtuber Maya-Chan slumped back into her chair and planted her face down on her desk in front of her. Jeanne Sakamoto had just gotten done streaming for three hours and her day was only really just beginning. A thought crossed her mind why she was still doing this but the thought of disappointing so many fans seemed like more trouble than it was worth. She could see the social media threads over Maya-Chan leaving drama and the shit she'd have to go through the Vtuber company. Oh right them. A contract seemed like a pretty good reason to keep doing something too now that she thought about it. Before moping too much longer, Jeanne looked up from her den of depression to a clock to see she still had a scant few minutes before the DWO launch. "Well Jeane, you came this far. Might as well not be late." the woman muttered with a huff as she hauled the box of goods needed to play the game onto her desk. Opening it, deciphering instructions and assembling was easier than she had anticipated but still more complicated than any game had a right to be, at least in her opinion. She was tired enough that if she could have put off logging in for a day or two she would have. But she knew she wouldn't last a half hour of not showing up without Shion blowing her up in every conceivable method of communication. "I can't wait for this super awesome game." She said with as little life as she could muster. "Gonna be the greatest thing ever-" she was cut off the by digitizing process. 'Logging in.....User.......Maya.......DIGILIZING NOW' Never had Jeanne put much thought into what having her body deconstructed and turned into data would feel like. She figured it was just all overblown VR type stuff. But this was something else. But then all at once she was herself again just somewhere completely new. Somewhere that looked beautiful really. For a fake place in a game anyway. She was almost in awe until she was surrounded by other people all eagerly logging in for the first time. The starry-eyed masses quickly made her gut twist and turn. It wasn't like this was even the best graphics she'd ever seen in a game. Like sure she was actually in it but there were probably missing pixels or something. The girl's focus was on the CEO of the game company, Kazuki Iwakiri, who welcomed them all to Asuka City. Jeanne took the opportunity to move away from the congested spawn point to take in the bright eyed corporate speak. A game changing the course of history. Like that had ever happened. Still, at least the man wasn't going to take all day to get to what everyone actually wanted. A device, primarily white with dark purple accents, along with a soot black egg appeared before Jeanne as so many similar pairs of objects did for every other player at Iwakiri's word. Without warning the egg began hatching, revealing a bizarre looking black ball of something with yellow eyes. A Botamon it was, which Jeanne would know if she bothered to look it up in the game's information. She definitely didn't already know all about it. Having to lug this thing around was going to be troublesome but it was almost cute enough to justify it. But the CEO wasn't done handing out presents as the creatures all began their first evolution on the spot. Gone was the ball of black fur and in it's place a ball of gray fur with long ears. "Wait... is mine broken? How come mine didn't get arms or legs?" Jeanne voiced to no one in particular. This didn't seem to deter the creature though, who propped itself upright as much as a spherical creature could and puffed its non-existent chest. "I'm Pagumon! It's an honor to meet so soon Jeanne." Pagumon said, doing what looked like its best attempt at a bow. "So soon? Oh yeah didn't sign up all that lo- wait what?! Ah shit, I shoulda known they sold my data. Never use real names even when they ask for them, stupid!" She vented as Pagumon looked on concerned. "Please don't be upset. I've been waiting eagerly to meet you. This should be a happy time." the digimon offered, its ears drooping. "Aw c'mon Fido, dont start with that. I'm not mad at you, you didn't do anything." Jeanne responded, softening some. But Pagumon seemed peturbed. "Fido? I'm Pagumon." it asserted in confusion. "Yeah well you're like my dog now right, it's a nickname." the human offered in explanation. "You were given an opportunity when signing up to nickname me, you should have done so there. I am Pagumon and that's that." the furball stated. "You don't gotta be uptight about it." Jeanne said, clearly annoyed her new parter was such a stickler about these kinds of things. But there was no two ways about it. Jeanne kept calling Pagumon Fido and Pagumon continued to deny that was its name and demanded she address it properly if she wanted a reply. Still, Pagumon seemed overjoyed to be with Jeanne at all. As for Jeanne well, Pagumon was cute so it was lucky. The two left, Pagumon in Jeanne's arms as they talked some more. Jeanne explained she was looking for a friend and Pagumon suggested heading back to the spawn area as most players wouldn't have dispersed from there yet. A solid idea and one which the girl accepted. Now it was just a matter of looking for Shion. In a sea of faces. No problem there. Actually it ws a lot easier than anticipated as something caught the girl's eye. A raincloud, a tiny one at that, isolated entirely to the space just above a single player's head. That alone required a good laugh but no sooner did the woman look to see the poor soul with their own storm cloud than did Jeanne see her own best friend, Shion. That was too much, the girl burst out laughing as she approached. "Wow I really missed out on not pre-ordering huh?" she managed to get out when she stopped laughing enough to actually speak. Shion knew that laugh. It had a distinct vibe of "wow, this sucks, and you probably suck for getting so into it." She'd recognize it anywhere, and while she'd normally turn and greet its owner with a smile, she was already in a bit of a sour mood. And so, sour expression fully intact, Shion turned, and greeted Jeanne back with a "Oh, shut it. This was the most not-terrible pre-order bonus; how was I supposed to know the damn thing would be bugged?" "Wow, here I thought you were just trying to ruin the vibe for everyone on purpose. Was gonna be offended." Jeanne fired right back. At this point Pagumon interjected. "You shouldn't be rude to your friend!" it said very earnestly which only got another chuckle out of Jeanne. "We got every flavor of buzzkill here what'd I even sign in for?" "To be a better buzzkill than them, obviously," Shion answered. "And maybe to try and find game-breaking exploits so you can kill the devs' good moods too. The CEO didn't seem all that happy that his collector's edition bonuses were bugged when I met him. All I could get to make up for it was some bits, though." Jeanne could only give a typical whistle to fake being impressed. "CEO talking to nobodies huh? What an in touch and down to earth old guy. Be sure to threaten to refund if your... bonus here doesn't get fixed soon." Jeanne spoke, uncertain if she could call the endless raincloud a bonus with a straight face. "I'll make sure to do that. Give the devs a week, and if I'm still getting rained on, threaten a refund. 11,000 yen for a bugged poncho I need to wear." Shion finished that thought with one of the driest, most sarcastic "Woohoo"s one would likely hear. "Oh, loosely related, do you want to hit up the shops before we check out what this game's got to offer? I've got a nice chunk of bits, and I'd like to pick up some extra..." Shion pointed up at the raincloud hovering over her. "Equipment." Jeanne feigned shock this time as she reeled backward dramatically placing a hand across her chest. "Is it my birthday?" she teased. "Well far be it from me to deny charity in any mmo. And I'm not even being told to change my password to something specific must really be my lucky day. We'll get you fixed right up Miss Sunshine." Jeanne added to rub salt in the wound. "Miss Sunshine, haha," Shion sighed, leaving an obviously fake laugh behind as she got up, and opened her map. A map which, to her great relief, was rather well-made. Everything was clear, labeled, zoom functions worked properly, it was by all means a very nice map. It was surprising how easy it was to botch a map system in these kinds of games, really. After confirming the location of the nearest clothing store, Shion pointed in its general direction, said "That way," and started in that direction, gesturing for Pomumon and Jeanne to follow. She could feel the funny looks being sent her way. She didn't mind that, mostly. The ones she did mind were the ones from players with what she recognized as being other collector's pre-order bonuses. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn one of them off-handedly commented how glad they were they didn't pick the poncho. "For all the odds and ends in this thing's settings - it came with its own settings window, by the way - you'd think they would have checked that it can be switched off," Shion sighed. Jeanne for her part had been taking in the sights but more especially the people giving Shion funny looks. It was all she could do to not start laughing about the whole affair again. "Well for all his happy vibes and bravado for us noobs you know that CEO guy has to be overworking his team to be doing well... this." Jeanne said while motioning with her arms to a vague nothing. "This turning people into data stuff's kinda wild. Dunno if I'd be impressed or worried for the employees health if there weren't some bugs here and there." She paused, an off-handed comment about a way better pre-order bonus getting a snicker from her. "But hey, there's some positives to it all. Like how I'll never lose you in a crowd, or how I'll always have a conversation starter with everyone we meet 'cuz I can always just be like 'yeah that's me and my localized weather anomaly if you look closely you can see the rain is actually just the tears of all the disappointed pre-orderers". All said, I see this as an absolute win... you know, long as you aren't hugging me or anything." Jeanne added with a playful look of disgust. She did not intend to get wet simply be proximity to her best friend simply because said best friend wouldn't remove a cosmetic she didn't have to keep on. But then again Shion asserted she did have to keep it on and who was Jeanne to argue that? A foolish question really, Jeanne was never going to let it go. "Well, at least one of us is having a good time with this. And that's exactly what I'm doing here." Ah yes. Here. The clothing shop. The way Shion heard it, back when MMOs were not run through VR, the shop was generally just an NPC that you talked to, the list of items appeared, you traded in currency, and that was it. What a bore that sounded like, as if the shopkeep just had magical pockets containing their entire stock! Fortunately, those days were gone, and the shops of a VR MMO were at least a little more immersive. You could interact with the shelves or boxes, or in this case the racks of clothing. You could pull an item out from the lists - organized lists based on what you were interacting with - and examine it before buying, or even try it on in the case of clothes and other equipment. Then, once you were ready to buy, you could just hit the purchase button, trade in your currency, and your better MMO shopping experience was concluded. Immersive, intuitive, ingenious. "Say, since we're here and all, do us both a favor. Check around the place and try to pick up something for yourself." Pointing up above her head again, Shion added "Buy as if you were dealing with this instead of me. My treat. I'm gonna check the footwear and see about replacing my soaked shoes with something waterproof." "My whatever do you mean? I can only see the smiling faces of my friends. I don't see glitches." Jeanne teased as she left to look into wet weather gear. As she perused lists of items, Pagumon couldn't help but speak up having been a largely silent listener in the conversation between the two girls. "Are you two really friends?" it asked with an honesty and earnestness that might have made the woman choke had she been drinking something. Or staring up into her own personal raincloud. Crazy what not having one of those would do. "That's a silly question." Jeanne asserted. Having a piece of data analyze her relationships seemed like a waste of time. What did robots and algorithms know about any of this? "But you seem to always be bothering each other." Pagumon added, its ears drooping again. "It's a girl thing, kinda hard to understand I know but it is what it is. If you wanna think we're friends that works fine. It is the easiest way to put things." Jeanne remarked coldly as she settled on a matching pair of umbrellas, each wildly plastered with the logo for DWO and several of the posterchild digimon. "My god, they're hideous. Perfect." She said with an evil smirk. The redundancy of needing an umbrella while in a raincoat was going to drive Shion up a wall and Jeanne only wished she had a camera for it. "Let's go find our friends." Jeanne said to Pagumon who agreed happily.

Logo by myself Logo direction & assistance by Yui It Began With a Letter A character starts with an idea, an idea that flourishes and blooms into what the creator has seen within their mind’s eye. Where that character goes is determined by what the creator deems good for their respective creation and remains within the guidelines of the creation’s place of existence. Whether these characters are of a pure heart or whether they’re created solely for the purpose of evil, aside from an overarching narrative that the character’s find themselves within, it’s the characters themselves that truly make the atmosphere of a story. Isn’t it time we dove into the specifics of these characters and explored them even further than they have ever been? That’s the purpose of this blog: review characters, dissecting them bit by bit, in order to understand what they have in store. Along the way, we’ll discuss the creator’s views on the character and what the plans for them are (or would be). However, before we can do this, ground rules must be put into place: The Interviews

Interview 2 - Christina Yates by Comrade Duck

Dark Scorpion Motivator Continuous Spell During damage calculation: DARK Warrior monsters you control gain 500 ATK. When "Don Zaloog" and "Dark Scorpion" monsters you control deal Battle Damage: You can activate all of their listed effects (if applicable). Cards sent to the GY by the effect of "Don Zaloog" and "Dark Scorpion" monsters you control are banished face-down instead. I'm certain I messed up some grammar there, but the gist of the card is giving your Dark Scorpions more damage output, giving you access to both of their effects and making cards sent to the GY less advantageous to your opponent. Would this be enough to make the Dark Scorpions viable after almost 17 years? Absolutely not, but they're an archetype I have fond memories of and felt like drawing up a card for them. Open to suggestions and ideas in any case.

I had already given a like to this in the morning but I gotta say I am extra grateful to this little speech as one of the only beacons of positivity after all the events that have transpired today online. Thought it'd be good to let this thought out. To be honest back in the mod thread of the other site I let myself get annoyed by Horu's randomness and as a result I ended up venting out a private matter for a user that was just... there, with no votes or influences or much else to do with anything. An ad hominem that Dae was right to call out on along with all the hell breaking loose over there. Contributing to all that ruckus is something I still regret, and this time around I'd rather not go back in the gutter again. I don't even care I didn't win anymore, as I think I stopped deserving to the moment I did what I did anyways. Coming back to this thread relaxes me a bit so I'm using it as a sort of confessionary while I'm at it. It reminds me that there is this spot of the internet we have here, and although I wish it had the same traffic as the other place, it is still a space to be thankful for. It makes the issues and drama on the other side look smaller, and for members that came from YCM to make themselves a place over here, NCM should be "it" right? As much as I think YCMaker is pretty questionable to say the least, we should be able to look at things from a distance and with a more calm and collected approach. After all, Neo is home now, not YCM, isn't it? Now, I say this as somebody that has kept lurking on both sides and is dragged most to where my art buddies hang out (which has been like 90% YCM and discord this year) so I don't believe I deserve to include myself in this, but I do really wholeheartedly wish this place flourished a lot more and I could convince my friends to come here... Sorry for the aimless ranting, and let's hope we have a brighter year ahead of us....

So they had to show off their quirks, and they had to take out these robots. Of course, some sort of show like this was to be expected on the first day, it only made sense considering the nature of the school. Some of the others went before her, although truth be told Natalia wasn't paying as much attention as some of the others. She just wanted to get this done and over with, to be honest. Still, it was hard not to be impressed by some of these quirks and their power. As that overexcited Kio kid finished, Natalia let out a sigh, stepping forwards. "Let's get this over with." She said, turning towards everyone. "The name's Natalia. Natalia Kemuri. But I guess you can all call me Cloaked Hero: Styxx, if we're getting all formal or whatever. My quirk is Smoke. It does what you think it does." She said, almost annoyed that she even had to explain all of this in front of everyone. Confidently, Natalia strolled towards one of the robots, letting out a heavy sigh. As she did, some smoke escaped from her mouth, before she looked up at one of the robots, whose eyes illuminated into a bright red. The smoke kept coming out of her mouth, surrounding her and the robot in a thin layer of purple smoke at the level of her ankles. The robot didn't seem to respond at all to the sudden veil of smoke, bringing up its arms to slam them into the ground. Natalia didn't budge, not even flinching as the metallic arms swung down. Instead, she simple closed her eyes, before seemingly vanishing. The robot slammed into the ground, leaving Natalia's gym clothing in a small crater on the ground, as a cloud of smoke approached it. The cloud surrounded the robot, before slipping into the seems between the robot's parts. The machine seemed confused, looking around to try and find the girl that was just in front of it, before it began to jerk around, as if something was moving inside of it. Its head bobbed a bit, before it popped clean off the body. Sticking out of the robot's neck was a very pale arm, the arm that had just struggled to punch its way through the robot. Slowly, the arm climbed its way out of the robot's body, Natalia slowly forming as she climbed out. A very thick layer of smoke surrounded her now naked body as she stood in front of the collapsed robot, making her way towards the pile of clothing left behind. She didn't even seem to be phased by the fact that she was only covered by her own smoke, as she nonchalantly put her gym clothing back on. With a brush of her hair, she stepped away from the rubble she had made, all the smoke dissipating as soon as she was properly clothed. As the students were showing off their quirks, a young man entered the training grounds, a tired expression on his face. In his hand was a mug of coffee, which he had brought with him since the morning, and over his shoulder was a bag. He had gotten an email at the last minute by Glory to help Epicenter with today's class. Or maybe it wasn't a last minute email; maybe he hadn't checked his email until about an hour ago. The actual answer didn't matter, all he knew is that he was late. He knew he was late, as nobody was in the classroom when he had hurried on over here to check. Seeing the youth of the next generation using their quirks on the robots double confirmed his suspicions. Exhaustively, he made his way next to Epicenter. "Sssssorry I'm late." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't sssssee the messsssage until not too long ago." He turned his attention towards the kids. The ground suddenly shook as Ms. Todoya turned toward the new arrival "I-i-i-i-King Kobra??? Wh-what email??? D-d-d-don't tell me Glory d-didn't trust me to handle this??!" "Ah, did he not tell you? That'sssss a very Glory thing to do, honessssstly." Kobra said, smirking softly. "But yesssss, I am here to help you with the kidsssss." He turned towards the students, seeing them go off with their quirks. "Ssssseemsssss like thingsssss are going well ssssso far!" He smiled, before taking a sip of his coffee.

Elsie had spent the night dreaming of clear skies and gentle breezes. Because that was what happened when you had a raven familiar. If it wasn’t a dream with ominous and foreboding portents of the future, it was a dream about flying. Corbin, of course, had the same dream, and if Elsie rotated her little subconscious point of view a little to the left, she could even see him soaring alongside her. When the wake-up alarm went off, of course, everything came crashing back. Not literally, of course -- they always managed to wake up just before impact -- but they simultaneously snapped awake. Elsie even lifted herself straight out of bed and Corbin nearly fluttered right off of his perch. Still, Corbin at least managed to be chipper. “Good morning, Elsie! You want to, uh, you want to come down from there?” “Guh,” Elsie said. What was good about mornings? Corbin- sure, ravens weren’t traditionally creatures of the night, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t too. They called the witching hour the witching hour for a reason, after all, and that wasn’t because the sun was in the sky when it happened. Still, she complied, lowering herself back down into her bed before sitting up and, you know, actually opening up her eyes. “Good morning, Corbin.” Elsie’s waking-up process post-those initial moments was a little more involved than that, though it had much less that was worth recounting. That was the thing about routines -- the point of them was that they weren’t special. Corbin went through the process of preening himself while Elsie washed up and that was all that really needed to be said about that. The most involved moment was when they argued just how much she needed that little extra glamour. “You’re fine,” Corbin said. “I mean, obviously I’m fine, Corbin. That’s not the problem,” Elsie said. “But Jekyll said, ‘Jaegers’. As in plural. A plurality of jaegers. And if we’re meeting new people today, I need something that inspires that little extra awe, you know?” Could ravens roll their eyes? Elsie wasn’t sure if they actually could, but occasionally out of the corner of her eye, she’d spot something from Corbin that looked not unlike an eye roll and then was one of those times. “Do you think they were recruited like us? Or were they ‘recruited’?” Elsie mimed the extra quotes while cycling through potential options, finally settling on one that made her look just like herself, only, you know, better. A classic choice, if she did say so herself, and a good first impression. “There was a rigorous application process, I’m sure. With only one or two flashes of violence,” Corbin said. “Mm. Well, nobody we can’t handle,” Elsie said. “Not like we can’t handle just about anybody. Shoulder or broom handle?” “Shoulder today, I think.” Elsie offered her shoulder to her familiar and Corbin hopped right up her arm to perch right next to her face. She did a little twirl and a pose in the mirror, then nodded, confirming for the final time that everything was just so, and, with broomstick in hand, finally headed off. Inwardly, Elsie hoped Jekyll was serving breakfast at this announcement meeting, or at the very least, she didn’t want to show up at the kitchen later and find out somebody had poached all the rolls. When Elsie reached the conference room door, she paused, not quite sure what to do. Or rather, she knew she had to cross the threshold, but she wasn't quite sure how to do it. How she should do it. She pondered aloud, “I was thinking some smoke leaking through the bottom crack and then the door creaks open to our silhouette and I say-” Corbin quickly cut her off. “If I remember correctly, the last time you tried pyro we both agreed to never do pyro for our introduction again. And yes -- I see that look -- smoke still counts as pyro.” Elsie pouted, though even she knew it wasn't a serious pout. “Alright, classic plan B then, huh?” “Or you could open the door like a normal -” But Corbin's protests came too late. She conjured up a little extra wind for dramatic effect and aimed her heel right beneath the doorknob… ...whereupon she bounced right off and collapsed in a heap, the door still stubbornly closed. “I think it’s a pull door, actually,” Corbin said. “It’d be hazardous otherwise, right? Plus, I mean, the hinges are on this side.” Elsie so wished that she could smite her own familiar. She wondered if she’d also feel the pain or if he’d just broadcast his feelings to her of being in eternal torment. It would certainly be a step up from either two steps away from busting a gut laughing or a simple smug superiority. She settled for a “Hmph,” and readied herself for another go, this time throwing back the door and using the wind to carry it into the wall with as loud a BANG! as she could manage. “Tremble, mortals! You are in the presence of an avatar of Hecate herself. Gaze in awe at her majesty! She, one-hundred-and-eighth -” Elsie opened her eyes to an almost empty room. “Oh,” she said. Then, to Corbin, she said, “Do you think maybe you could tell me next time? You know I work better with a better audience. There’s barely enough people here to call it a crowd.” Ravens couldn't shrug either, but Elsie was pretty sure she felt the essence of one coming from her shoulder. “You seemed pretty into it, and I didn't want to spoil your fun.” Elsie suddenly realized that they’d probably heard her first attempt as well. She felt a blush on her cheeks but soldiered on anyway, even if soldiering on meant hurriedly walking over to a chair and sitting down. Corbin, for his part, hopped down off her shoulder and onto the table. Elsie manged an, “It’s nice to meet you all,” and that was that.

Bog Frog WATER ✪✪ (Level 2) [Aqua/Effect] ATK/ 1400 DEF/ 800 (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand or your the field to the GY; take 1 "Wetlands" from your Deck, and either activate it or add it to your hand. While this card is banished, Aqua monsters you control gain 300 ATK and DEF. Support To: Referenced Field Spell (Wetlands):

After rummaging through the photos I took while we were at Cancun, this one of a pier we were lying by caught my eye, so I decided to draw it in soft pastel. Feedback is appreciated.

I've had these in a notebook for over a year now. They are meant for my card-making schemes since I actually really dislike having to go with written cards when something occurs to me, or recycling older drawings over and over xD The Pentel Brush Pen has beautifully black ink but out of my brush pens it's the hardest one to control so sorry my little dragons, I used you to help me be closer to finish it up ^^" Hatching work by a micron though. The shading by pen is part of my old style that I wanted to practice after so long. I'm gonna have to get used to it again. Lance Trident Hammer Flail Sword Last one The last one was supposed to be a shield formed by the crossing wings but I couldn't figure it out. It also has a little drill on the tail but other than that it's the most normal-looking one so I'm making it the leader of the group xD