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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…

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.

"Alright, anyone who can still listen to reason may want to hold their breath! The rest of you, it's time to take a little nap!" Catherine wondered briefly what the correlation between reason and naps were as the cloud passed over her body. "Wow." She said to the girl sarcastically. "So your big move is to pass some gas huh? How veeeery impressive." It all ended so suddenly that Catherine debated tossing around some of the other first years to see if that would get things going again but ultimately decided to wait and see. “What the hell was that all about…?” Did that mean this was NOT something typical of a school? Catherine would have to keep that in mind. Especially when she recounted to the boy about how exciting things got after he left. She wondered if he had more than the two shoes or if he'd have to go to school wearing only one after he ate the other. Several new people came in. One of them looked even older than her old people. He moved so slowly she wondered if he would pass away before he actually made it to them. The other two looked impressive indeed. Even more than that they bickered in a way that made Catherine very interested in them indeed. She chose to ignore the old guy, she knew old people already and they weren't as fun anymore, and went right up to the masked girl. "Hello. Why do you have a mask? Oh! Are you suuuuper ugly or something?" "I ain't a looker, that's for sure. But looks are for spineless cowards that can't fight anyways." "You're not ugly though?" Ken would add "Shut up." Catherine took the chance to strike at the big guy as well. If bad looks were proportional to strength..."Then I'm sure he's very strong in that case." Sadly neither of them caught her jab. "Too damn strong. He's a freak," Aife snapped at Ken's direction, missing what Catherine meant. "I'm not that---" "Shut up, no one asked you!" Catherine's gears, metaphorical ones as she may be a doll but she wasn't a machine, turned and a new line of taunting came to her soon. She then tilted her head, "are you two..." she seemed to be trying to remember the word then tried, "married?" That was the thing her old people had called it. She suspected at least this would get some reaction out of them. "No! I wouldn't marry that freak if he was the last person on Earth!" "Honestly, I just think marriage is something I should share with someone special, and Ms. Walker, while a fine acquaintance, isn't that special someone for me," "Can't you just say no like a normal person?!" Aife looked ready to throw one of the people she was carrying at Ken. Catherine was encouraged by Aife's more enthusiastic refusal and so she nodded solemnly. Her target was clear. "I see. I understand now." She gave Aife a thumbs up and said, "I'm rooting for you."

Beautiful West Virginia! The land of... that one song? They had trees, and mountains! Lots of wilderness, which Theo appreciated. As much as she loved some good old 21st-century convenience, her upbringing with a coven of witches did leave her with a fondness for the deep wilderness where only the brave or foolish dared to tread. The little town of Mountainguard had that sort of "superstitious smalltown" vibe in her opinion, which she was all about. When she and her mothers did some research on the institute she was being forced to attend, most of the coven came to the same conclusion. This was the perfect school for an aspiring young witch, and being sent here felt more like a reward for her than a punishment. The school was literally called Dead End Academy! Most students who got sent here were sent for poor behavior, or simply because nowhere else was equipped to handle them, or whatever else. It was isolated, underfunded, and its graduates seldom went far in life. Which meant this place was bound to be a gathering hub for the miserable, lonely, and depressed. Exactly the sorts of people who needed a bit of witchcraft brought into their life, and Theodora was more than happy to use her talents on their behalf. She'd even gotten business cards printed in the days leading up to her departure to Mountainguard. Some of the coven thought it was a bit tacky, but Theo had made her case quite clear. The word-of-mouth "marketing" witches used to rely on just wasn't as effective these days, especially when she hadn't even established herself in her destination yet. Hand out business cards, make deals, profit. And then word of mouth. Which was how Theo had found herself spending much of her early-start day so far keeping an eye on those around her. Anyone who looked especially vulnerable or desperate was ripe for the picking, and she made sure her card found its way into their possession, whether it was by handing it straight to them, slipping it in their bags, or using a bit of witchery to ensure it would turn up when they least expected it. When met with the sight of the principal, she determined he wasn't someone who would request her services. Keeping him in the dark was going to be impossible with her aggressive marketing tactics, but she certainly wasn't about to try to strike a deal with the principal. "Alright, listen up!" He called out, looking over the freshmen class. "I'm sure you all are used to people bullshitting you, trying to placate you into listening, but I don't have the time for that,. You all might think you're the biggest, baddest people around. Well, allow me to shake that unwarrented confidence! You are a small fish taken from the ocean and tossed into a small pond. And there are fish much bigger than you lurking around at the bottom of this pond. I won't lie and say that you all will turn out to be good people who will get great jobs after your time in Dead End. In fact, statistically, most of you are going to end up dead before you turn 30. However, to those who might listen to my words, if you keep your heads down and actually try to learn, maybe you'll have a better life than what you'd get otherwise." Dead before 30, eh? That was bound to scare a few people into something stupid. What the hell was Theo supposed to charge for life extension, though? She'd have to circle back to that one later. "Yeah, fuck this," A voice shouted after a minute of silence. Tall, big scar on his face, angry attitude. He was probably the "do everything through my efforts" type. Theo hated those sorts of people. This boy wouldn't be getting a card just yet. "A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" What, and miss out on all these potential customers? No, thanks! "Pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?" "Truth be told, he does have a slight point. This is a school, albeit the... 'last school you'll ever go to'... The worst they can do is write us up for not being around... not like some of us haven't gone through that rigmarole before. I, for one, am agreeing with our hot-headed... friend... eh, too early to call him my friend or anything. Either way, I'm heading out." The boy... he had a definite edge to him. Maybe, just maybe, she could get something out of him. Theo reached into her bag, and pulled out a business card placed between her fingers, with her index finger on one side, and her middle finger & thumb lined up on the other. She pointed the card at the bag, and with a snap of her thumb across card and fingers both, the business card in her disappeared. That would be a little surprise for the boy to find in his bag later, on top of all his other stuff. The girl on the other hand, was obviously a doll that could move and talk like a person. Creepy, but somehow she doubted going up to the doll girl like "don't you wanna be a real girl?" would be very effective. Maybe she could win her over with some smaller spells first, then go for something big like that later. "Hear me out, my friends, I implore that you go on the tour with us." Theodora turned in her seat to watch how this big guy's attempt to stop the other two was going to unfold. He was muscular, seemed to have a good head on his shoulders... no way he'd take a mystical shortcut. However, there was one thing about Flynn's - as he later introduced himself - attempt to defend Dead End Academy that prompted the witch to speak up. "Dunno if I'd call it amazing," she answered, getting up from her seat to approach the gathering herself, leaving another card behind in her seat, trying her best to make it look like she'd dropped it on accident. Whether her ruse was successful was anyone's call, though. "I grew up in a hut in the woods, and it was still more impressive than this place. Like it or not though, we are gonna be here for a while. A tour wouldn't be a bad idea, to get familiar with our new home." Then she leaned in a bit closer, speaking in a more hushed tone to keep anyone but the three boys from hearing her. "And hey, if you boys take the tour and decide you're not about to waste four years of your life here, I think I can help you slip away." From her bag, she procured another one of her cards, holding it out for any interested party. "That's what I do. I help unfortunate folks, like yourselves, with nobody else to turn to." She made a point to face the card upward, such that any of the boys could read it clearly. Theodora West, witch for hire Spells, potions, hexes Flexible pricing For more information, contact the number below

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.

OP: Honest Eyes ♩ Almost Heaven, West Virginia ♩ With a growl, Mr. Principale shut off his radio. He remembered a time he liked the song. How it was a comfort during his hectic reassignment. Such a calming song, about the beauty that would surround him in Mountainguard. Now, it was just a reminder that the state was a dead end. It was so insignificant that even the most famous song about it couldn't even get the basic facts right. The Blue Ridge Mountains were not in West Virginia. The Shenandoah River didn't flow through the land. And there was no heaven in West Virginia. The mountains loomed over the town of Mountainguard, surrounding it like it was an old guard of sentinels keeping watch. They contained the cool fall breeze that blew next to the cold river that cut the town in half. To some people, this was comforting, a lifelong home that they would never leave. To Mr. Principale, it was like being sealed inside of a cardboard box. He tried to keep his bad mood down to a minimum as he drove to the edges of town. It was a new year. Maybe this year would be better than the last. He choose to ignore the roads becoming rougher, the buildings becoming more rundown, and the grass littered with trash. The trees grew taller and thicker along the road as his car drove away from the last pockets of civilizations and into what seemed like a thick forest. Only the road cutting straight through it let people know civilaization's reach still made it here. The road didn't curve, didn't bend. The longest stretch of road, aptly called Speedway, lead to his destination. The road lead to a large plot of land cleared out in the forest. In the center of it all stood Dead End Academy. The name was sadly perfect for the school. The four stories of the building were old and rundown, almost looking like a haunted mansion in the forest. However, the architecture was far too uniform and dour to be a mansion for the rich. Some people would think it a den of villany before they thought of it as a school. And they wouldn't be completely wrong. Principal Principale pulled into the parking lot, sitting quietly inside his car as he let the engine shut off. He didn't have too much time to spare, but he didn't want to get moving either. Another year in this damn school. How much longer could he deal with it? With a sigh, he finally got out of the car and headed towards his school. However, he wasn't going inside. Instead, he went around the large building, walking towards the back of it. Behind the school was a wide field, obviously set up for sports. However, the beachers had long been removed. They didn't have a sports team, and the benches kept getting destroyed during fights. A small stage was set up with nothing more than a speaker system and a podium on it. In front of the stage was a bunch of kids sitting in foldable metal chairs. He could already see people using those as weapons, but at this point, there was nothing they could do about it. He only hoped these kids were well behaved. With a grunt of effort, Principal Principale pulled himself up on the stage. He walked over to the podium as he dusted off his shoulders. A high pitch whine came from the speakers as he leaned closer to the mic. Before speaking, he looked over the freshmen class. There were less people than he was expecting. That was technically a good sign, but he couldn't bring himself to feel hope. "Alright, listen up!" He called out, looking over the freshmen class. "I'm sure you all are used to people bullshitting you, trying to placate you into listening, but I don't have the time for that," He took a deep breath before continuing. "You all might think you're the biggest, baddest people around. Well, allow me to shake that unwarrented confidence! You are a small fish taken from the ocean and tossed into a small pond. And there are fish much bigger than you lurking around at the bottom of this pond," It was a standard warning he gave out every year, and every year it was ignored. "I won't lie and say that you all will turn out to be good people who will get great jobs after your time in Dead End. In fact, statistically, most of you are going to end up dead before you turn 30. However, to those who might listen to my words, if you keep your heads down and actually try to learn, maybe you'll have a better life than what you'd get otherwise." He paused a moment, letting his words sink into the crowd. He didn't have high hopes for this class. He was sure that no one would listen to his next words. Still, he had a job to do. "Now, school doesn't start for the freshmen today," He explained. "No, today, you all will do a short tour of the school. Afterwards, you'll get situated in your dorms. Tomorrow, school really begins. Dismissed!" With that, Principal Principale walked off the stage, headed for the inside of the school. To say he had given a speech would be stretching the definition. It barely took him 30 seconds to deliver his words. And yet everyone in that crowd knew he spoke nothing but his truth. There was a moment of awkward silence as the principal left. It was obvious that there was supposed to be a teacher here that would gather them up and take them on the tour. Except no one came. "Yeah, fuck this," A voice shouted after a minute of silence. A tall, tanned boy walked out of the crowd of students. A large scar marred his face, going from cheek to cheek, right through his nose. "A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" He threw his hand in the air as he walked around the school. It was unclear if this was a sign of dismissal or him beckoning others to follow him. The students now had a choice. Would they play hooky, or would they attempt to be good students and wait? OOC

“Hey, what are we hiding from?” Reno asked as he leaned in over Blake’s shoulder, trying to see what he was doing. “Yeah, Blake, tell us,” Destiny leaned over Blake’s other shoulder. “Are we punching someone in the face?” “Oh, I hope so!” After Blake flipped the panel and pressed the button, nothing happened at first. It made sense. The elevator needed time to hit the bottom and then come back up. The group waited in silence for a few minutes. “So, what brings you here?” Reno’s voice suddenly filled the empty room with a slight echo. “Well, I saw all of you, so I decided something fun was going on here,” Destiny’s response was quick and decisive. “I wasn’t talking to you, girl,” Reno snapped. “I was talking to him,” He put his hand on top of Blake’s head and gently shook it for emphasis. Before the questioning could go any further, the wall opened up once more, revealing the elevator. The teens shuffled in awkwardly. Thankfully for any claustrophobics among the group, the elevator was huge. While most regular elevators couldn’t hold more than 5 people, this elevator seemed big enough to hold upwards to a hundred people. Or perhaps several large vehicles. It might have been more accurate to call this a lift instead of an elevator. With a loud mechanical groaning, the elevator began to descend. The bright fluorescent lights illuminated the wide open space There were no windows, meaning the teens were blind the whole way down. A strange feeling of weightlessness bubbled up from their stomachs, letting them know they were going down instead of up. After what seemed like forever, the elevator lurched to a stop, causing Reno to stumble. The doors slide open, revealing their destination. The doors opened up to a massive room. No, a room didn’t do it justice. It was as if they entered a giant cavern deep within the earth. The ceiling far above them seemed to be about five stories away while the room stretched out into the distance. In the very center in the room was a large ring. The three ropes that surrounded it gave it the appearance of a wrestling, if a wrestling ring was nearly twice its normal size. Two paths extended out from the rings, each heading in opposite directions. It likely led backstage. A large wall surrounded the arena, and behind those walls were seating. It was obvious. They had walked into a battle arena. The construction wasn’t complete, seeing as they could see construction crews wandering around, some working on setting up stands, and others working on installing giant screen TVs on the walls. They suddenly heard an excited holler and the sounds of footsteps rapidly rushing down one of the paths that lead backstage. They saw Terry Tyranno running down the pathway, his speed honestly kind of scary for such a large man. He took a giant leap onto the ropes surrounding the wrestling ring before bouncing off of them. He majestically soared through the air, striking several poses before landing in the dead center of the ring. “Hey, this is looking good fellas!” He shouted out to the construction crews. “At this rate, we should be ready by the end of the week!” He didn’t notice the students that wandered down here yet. His back was to them as he stared at the giant room with pride. These hopped up delinquents seemed void of thoughts. Devoid of pain. Devoid of anything but their most basic instincts. While that made them hard to put down, it did give everyone a slight advantage. They had extreme tunnel vision. Flynn’s mighty dropkick struck the delinquent chasing down Casey. Unprepared for such a thing, the crazed man crumpled instantly, finally knocked out. The delinquent thrashing beneath Nalu’s weight soon became still, sleep overtaking them. The others were quickly neutralized by their fellow students' attacks and the sleeping gas Theodora mixed together. Some of the conscious students went around and dragged the knocked out delinquents’ bodies, laying them out into rows. It sort of resembled a graveyard, if one were to squint as they looked at the scene. Almost as quickly as it all began, it ended. “What the hell was that all about…?” Casey muttered as she leaned against a chair, wiping sweat from her brow. “Oh, you kids aren’t half bad!” A man, shorter than most of the students gathered, slowly made his way over. He wore a black suit, with a nice fancy hat. Sunglasses adorned his face, making it hard to figure out his expression. The students could see he was using a cane to help himself walk, which explained why he took so long to cross this relatively short distance. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s dead. That’s better than usual,” “Mr. Klein, please don’t talk like that. You’ll scare the freshmen,” A large man dressed in an ironed school uniform suddenly appeared behind the old man. The slight breeze going through the large man’s being and the old man’s clothes told everyone that there was no trickery in his sudden appearance, just sheer speed. He stood tall and proud, towering over everyone gathered in the field. The uniform did little to hide the muscles the man had no doubt spent forever honing. The cloth wrapped around his hands spoke of countless fights he had been in. His mere presence seemingly broadcasted a simple truth. This man was strong. “Oh, don’t baby the freshmen, Ken!” A woman’s voice echoed out. She approached the group, twirling a large chain lazily. She was dressed in what could be assumed to be the girl’s version of a school uniform, although there were definitely modifications done to them to help her fight easier. The strapped mask around her mouth did little to muffle her voice. “Ms. Walker,” Was Ken’s only reply. “Asshole,” ‘Ms. Walker’ snapped back before looking back at the group. “Name’s Aife. Don’t let the stick up his ass tell you otherwise,” She walked over to the knocked out delinquents, giving them a good look over. “Don’t mind me, I’m just seeing if any of my posse’s here,” Her eyes narrowed as she looked over some of them. There were definitely some of hers there. “I’m here for the same thing,” Ken admitted. “Mr. Klein will take you all on the school tour.” He informed in a pleasant tone. “Actually, Ken and Aife, I was wondering if you all could help these freshmen out,” Mr. Klein stated. “Some of them are obviously really injured, and we all know my old bones don't let me move around like I used to...," “Old bones my ass,” Aife muttered. “I don’t think Ms. Petrucci will appreciate all this extra work…” Ken muttered softly. “I suppose I can help her out with the medical treatment. If she lets me,” He scooped up six of the delinquents into his arms, setting them into piles of three on his shoulders. “I’d appreciate any help you freshmen might give us.” Aife simply clicked her tongue as she scooped up two delinquents. “Yeah, sure, help is good,” Casey went to attempt to pick up one of the last two delinquents before she suddenly fell over. “Ah, shit. I forgot I was even injured,” She tried to laugh it off even as she clutched her shoulder. It seems she lost her strength after that adrenaline rush. “Oh yes, before you all go, do you mind telling me what happened here?” Mr. Klein called out to the freshmen class. “I didn’t quite see what happened before. You all were already fighting these goons before I got here. I’ll need to know for the report,” It seemed the fight was truly over. The atmosphere settled into an uncomfortable air, the kind that would settle as people looked at the aftermath of a destructive storm. At least those that came afterwards seemed willing to help. Any questions lingering on their minds were sure to be answered. OOC

Today was an orientation of sorts. Since arriving at Dead End Academy, Flynn had been awaiting this moment on the edge of his wits. It was a beautiful day for a gathering of the students he'd be sharing his time with. The locale was breathtaking, as the mountains that rose in the backdrop beckoned him to climb it's rocky face. The weather in West Virginia was colder than the usual climate he had been accustomed to his whole life. The air was crisp, and fresh, and filled him full of life with every inhale. This place would be the perfect place to enhance his skills...and hopefully find some clues about his brother. All in due time. Now it was time for the Dead End Academy assembly. This school really was filled with all sorts of characters. Looking around, he could clearly see that this place really was a breeding ground for the strange and lost. He wondered if others gazed upon him with the same thought process, seeing as he hadn't taken his Luchador mask off since he had arrived. Was it rude to assume that everyone here was some poor unfortunate soul who needed help? That's what this place was advertised as, but were they all really at the end of their ropes. Flynn had come to this academy of his own volition, so maybe some other students had as well. Regardless, he would do his best to be friendly. He had made his way to the assembly and found a seat, waiting for their Principal to address them all. "Alright, listen up! I'm sure you all are used to people bullshitting you, trying to placate you into listening, but I don't have the time for that. You all might think you're the biggest, baddest people around. Well, allow me to shake that unwarranted confidence! You are a small fish taken from the ocean and tossed into a small pond. And there are fish much bigger than you lurking around at the bottom of this pond. I won't lie and say that you all will turn out to be good people who will get great jobs after your time in Dead End. In fact, statistically, most of you are going to end up dead before you turn 30. However, to those who might listen to my words, if you keep your heads down and actually try to learn, maybe you'll have a better life than what you'd get otherwise." He didn't like the statistic thrown in there. Were the futures really so dim for the students here? "Now, school doesn't start for the freshmen today. No, today, you all will do a short tour of the school. Afterwards, you'll get situated in your dorms. Tomorrow, school really begins. Dismissed!" A tour was something he was super excited for! He couldn't wait to get a good look at all the facilities this place had to offer. Hopefully there was a good spot to spar with his fellow Dead Enders. "Yeah, fuck this! A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" The harsh voice rang out through the class of freshman, coming from a rather rugged looking individual. Flynn could only sigh. This sucker was already off to becoming one of those bleak statistics the Principal was talking about. "Pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?” A young lady responded...at least she looked like a young lady. The joints of each of her appendages looked similar to an action figure. Was she a human, or something different? Flynn hadn't really come across anything...inhuman in his life, so seeing something this strange and up close was sort of a shock to him. He thought about keeping his distance from the girl...thing...but didn't want to appear rude. He'd have to get used to these types if he was going to attend this school. "Truth be told, he does have a slight point. This is a school, albeit the... 'last school you'll ever go to'. The worst they can do is write us up for not being around... not like some of us haven't gone through that rigmarole before. I, for one, am agreeing with our hot-headed... friend... eh, too early to call him my friend or anything. Either way, I'm heading out." Flynn decided to act. His sense of justice really couldn't allot a nihilistic infection spreading like this. He walked ahead of the two young men to try and stop their advance. "Hear me out, my friends," his tone was stern, but still friendly, "I implore that you go on the tour with us. Don't you want to see what this place has to offer! Look around you!" Flynn motioned to the masses of students around them, "Isn't this place amazing? Do you not believe this place has amazing things to offer amazing young people like you?" He crossed his arms against your chest. "I would rather everyone here get off to a good start. There's no use for you to be here if you aren't willing to do it straight...this is a fresh start for all of us...I plead you do not waste it." Flynn walked past the two, standing out of their way. "I will not stop you from leaving, I just thought that I would plead this school's case." He flashed the two a thumbs up. "My name is Flynn Guerrero! The Fly Boy! I hope you reconsider your attempt at hooky, and attend the tour with me!" Flynn gave a nervous glance to the well dressed lady who had spoken up earlier. "With us..." His voice was shaky, as the nerves at looking at her hadn't shaken, "right?"

Catherine was sitting perfectly still on a chair as people began piling in. She had been dropped off, quite literally as the elderly couple that had grabbed her from the back of their truck and deposited her in front of the school, a couple hours ago and had been sitting there ever since. While her body didn't move she did flick her eyes back and forth now and then to watch as people came in. Some of them gave her strange looks, and she wondered what was so weird about a beautiful young lady such as herself sitting on a chair, but many more just passed her by. There were certainly some odd looking folk here. Catherine hadn't realized that human beings could come in some of the shapes and sizes she saw. Some of them clearly didn't get along and she wondered if a fight was going to break out. Through it all she sat still and looked ahead at the podium. Something was going to happen. She just knew it. Call it a sixth sense, or wishful thinking, or simple delusions but Catherine was certain that if she waited long enough an interesting event was bound to occur. She got her first taste of this when an old man, who seemed much different than her own old people, came onto stage to call them fish. Before she could question his eyesight he was suddenly gone. It seemed they were to take a tour of the school. Which, if the brochures she had read that her old people kept around to convince her to leave and explore the world were right, usually meant someone who knew the school would take them around. Catherine had waited this long for something fun so she was certainly capable of waiting longer. It seemed, however, that some did not have her patience. "A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" And what if someone had not seen one? It seemed to her that this boy was the dumb one to not think about that. She found this so foolish in fact that she finally decided to move. The girl, who had been basically motionless this entire time, turned her head towards the person seated next to her. Her neck made a slight creaking sound as the material that made her body protested the movement after such a long rest. In a loud, clear, voice, Catherine spoke up, "pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?"

#4 - PRETTY STRIKER GRIMALKIN

Number 5 - Match

Number 7 - Absolution

#2 - The Brave

#1 - Maestro

I wanted to draw monthly kinda commemorative drawings for a while. For context, Mexico's independence day is on September. If I get the time I wanna do one for each month up to December. o3o

Made these 2 sequences of OCs of mine recently:

Flynn wasn't quick enough to make it to Nalu in time, as the delinquent's fists came hammering down upon her head. He watched as the girls head shattered apart...or splattered apart. Nalu seemed to be entirely comprised of liquid. He head squished it's shape, and she seemed unphased. The display was another shock for Flynn, as the girl he had just been conversing rather friendly with was just an amorphous blob, not that there was anything wrong with that of course. Her assailant had become rather feral, flailing around in a vein attempt to try and damage her. Even though the girl seemed to be able to handle him, Flynn still made an attempt to go and assist her. He was stopped in his tracks when the kid he had sent flying prior was now grabbing at his waist. Flynn went to try and rip the thug's grip apart, but it proved to be more difficult than he initially thought. Flynn was hoisted into the air by his middle. This technique was familiar to a grappler such as himself! He was about to take the brunt of a German Supplex. Smiling beneath his mask, Flynn tucked his chin into his chest, and protected his neck with clasped hands. Flynn crashed into the ground harder than he had on any wrestling mat before, and let out a loud grunt as he did so. It was probably the third of fourth hardest bump he had taken in his life up until this point. His opponent had dropped the hold on his waist, as Flynn writhed and wriggled in agony on the ground. The crowd that had been watching their fight specifically had begun to gasp, almost reaching out for the Luchador. He couldn't help but give a faint smile through the pain. Everybody liked their hero on the backfoot...it would make their cheering all the more sweeter in a moment. The delinquent stood up, rather clumsily, and proceeded to jump into the air above Flynn. They stuck out their leg so that it would act as a guillotine over Flynn's neck. Flynn gave up the act of the amount of pain he was in, noticing the amateur's move. "An Atomic Leg Drop!? Impressive!" Flynn instantly bounced off of his back, and onto his feet, crouched like some sort of wild cat. "You're not so bad, rookie. I'll show you something cool!" With an explosion from his quadriceps, he launched himself into the air, intercepting the fledgling luchador in the making. The two of them soared at least thirty feet into the air, before Flynn rotated the delinquent one-hundred and eighty degrees with ease. He grabbed their legs underneath his arms, their wrists with his hands, shoving his knees underneath their arms. With a twist, the two of them began their descent with a rapid twirling motion. He laughed as the two rapidly plummeted towards earth, the delinquents head poised to crash into the ground at top speed. "What do you think, eh!? You are about to take on one of my experimental finishers! I don't even have a name for it yet! HAHAHA!" This would have never flown for a real show, none of the wrestlers in his realm would be able to take this bump without serious injury, but this brute could take it...right? No...this guy was obviously under the influence of something...and Flynn didn't want to inflict serious harm onto someone who wasn't in control of their own actions. Before the last seconds before impact, Flynn changed his position into that of a mid-air pile driver. He legs would provide more cushion to the blow, but not all of it. The delinquents back collided with the ground, as it cratered beneath the two. When the dust settled, Flynn brushed his hands together, and stuck his fists into the air, each pointing with one finger to the sky. "MY FANS, NEW AND OLD!!! THIS IS LUCHA!! THIS IS MI VIDA!!!" A roar erupted from the crowd that was watching him at the awesome display. His legs were shaky, the impact of the piledriver still coursed through them. The pain mixed with his nerves was really putting them through the ringer. He had never put on such an impromptu show before, but he was proud of himself. He looked to the rest of the battlefield, and noticed the blonde girl from before being chased as she handed a bag towards Theodore. Flynn dashed off once more, and leapt into a dropkick in an attempt to intercept him.

If someone was supposed to show up and give the students the tour, they sure weren't showing up. Maybe the tour wasn't guided? Theo thought about going to explore the campus on her own if someone didn't show up soon. But then, someone did show up. Or, rather, something. “What… the hell is that thing…?” The witch turned her gaze toward... what the hell was that thing? No matter how she adjusted her eyes, it was somehow always out of focus. Its entire body was solid black, like some sort of charcoal drawing, except for its bright red eyes that seemed to stare at her and everyone else assembled outside all at the same time. It pointed ominously at seemingly nothing, then... when Theo blinked her eyes, it was gone. Whatever that was all about. Shortly after its departure though, something else happened. A bloodcurdling scream, and soon after that? Violence. Whatever the hell was these kids' problem, one of them had chosen to make it Theodora's problem. Being fairly in-shape was practically a requirement for witchcraft, but even so, the element of surprise had let them nick her neck with their nails. Whatever the hell their problem was, they were going to learn today. Among the many rules in witch society, two of the most important were separated only by context. Never leave a debt unpaid, and never leave a grudge unresolved. Whatever inspired this delinquent to attack Theodora, it definitely had earned a grudge, and she wasn't about to leave it unresolved. Unfortunately, Theo had left her aptly-named "bag of tricks" on her seat when she got up to address the boys. And it wasn't like she'd have time to stir something up in a cauldron, never mind the fact there wasn't one near her. This meant that all she had to work with was her own two hands, and what little tricks she could do without any prep time or special tools. However, witchcraft had many uses, and its power could be used in surprising ways. When the mad delinquent ran at Theo for a second swipe, she was ready this time. She stepped out of the way, plucking a single hair off their head as they stumbled past her. Hair was a very powerful tool for spells meant to work on one specific person. Anything containing the target's DNA, really, but hair was the most accessible. With a wave of her other hand over her prize, the hair began to glow. Only for her to drop it to the ground, ducking down to the ground as her assailant charged in for a third strike. Not getting hit again was nice and all, but being low to the ground for this next part was what Theo really needed. She put her hands over the grass, combing it down over the hair she'd placed down. As she did, the blades she touched glowed a sickly pale purple, and the grass beneath the delinquent's feet did the same. Only for that grass to then shoot up like vines, wrapping itself tight around their wrists and ankles, then dragging them down to the ground, where they thrashed and flailed in an attempt to break free. That wasn't going to happen as long as Theo kept the spell going. And she had no intention of getting up from her spot on the ground just yet. "Well, I'd say that's witchcraft: one, brute force: zero." That said, she didn't want to stay here forever. She could fix up a more semi-permanent solution for her assailant, but it required things from her bag. And going to get those things meant moving away from where she was currently doing her thing, and the spell would probably break in the time it took her to get the bag herself. So, she glanced around the crowd, looking for anyone who looked to still be sane and not currently occupied. "You there, could you be a peach and get my bag? It's over there hanging from that chair, the one with the rabbit pins on it."

"Pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?" a voice called out to Reno. He stopped in place, turning his head to look over his shoulder. The boy considered her words before firing back. “Yeah, well I didn’t get into this school for my genius intelligence. If something happens, you let me know and I’ll eat my own shoe, how about that?” He snarked. He continued his walk until his path was blocked by a… bird man? Wait no, that was a mask. Right? Probably. "Hear me out, my friends," the birdman’s tone reminded Reno of one too many teachers trying to be kind but authoritative. "I implore that you go on the tour with us. Don't you want to see what this place has to offer! Look around you!" the birdman motioned to the masses of students around them, "Isn't this place amazing? Do you not believe this place has amazing things to offer amazing young people like you?" Reno’s eyes drifted around. He saw a lot of trees… a rundown building… some crazy looking people. Okay, the birdman wasn’t wrong, this place was kind of amazing, but… "I would rather everyone here get off to a good start. There's no use for you to be here if you aren't willing to do it straight...this is a fresh start for all of us...I plead you do not waste it." Flynn walked past the two, standing out of their way. "I will not stop you from leaving, I just thought that I would plead this school's case." He flashed the two a thumbs up. "My name is Flynn Guerrero! The Fly Boy! I hope you reconsider your attempt at hooky, and attend the tour with me!" “I like your guts, Bird Boy, but you’re wrong about one thing. This isn’t a fresh start. This is just the latest stop. Enjoy the school tour or whatever. I’m outta here.” Reno waved off Flynn as he continued to walk away from the group. A pink haired girl walked out of the school group, following Reno, Blake, and Ori’s lead. She smiled at Flynn as she passed by him. “You’re a good guy, Flynn. But I think I’m gonna follow them. Might as well make sure they don’t cause too much trouble.” She stated with a confident smile. There was only one road to town from Dead End Academy, so the four naturally found themselves walking down that road together. The cool wind nipped at them as they walked down the road. There was hardly a sound beyond the sound of their own footsteps walking the poorly paved road. “So, what are you gonna do when you get into town?” Reno asked Blake. His eyes kept drifting over to Ori, but each time, he forced himself to focus back on Blake. It was obvious he wanted to ask Ori things but was holding back. “I’m thinkin’ of hitting up the park myself. Seems like a good place to get a workout, if you know what I mean.” Whatever reservations Reno might have had with questioning Ori, the pink haired girl didn’t share. She leaned over as she walked, staring directly at Ori’s eyes. Ori could see that the girl’s eyes had a star pattern right in the center of them. “You look really cool!” She stated as bluntly as a baseball bat. “My name is Destiny! What’s yours?” Instead of letting Ori answer, she followed up with a barrage of questions. “What does something like you eat? Oh, your hair looks so soft, can I pet you? Isn’t it hard to sleep on your back with wings like that?” Her barrage of questions ended with one final question. “Hey, are you strong?” Ori could see a smile slowly grow on Destiny’s face. Something about it seemed… off. Her eyes stared too intensely, her friendly smile felt hostile. Like if Ori answered wrong, they would have to defend themselves right away. The atmosphere grew heavier as Destiny waited for an answer. However, the need to answer never came. They group heard the sound of a car horn beeping at them, breaking the tension instantly. A beat up looking red pickup truck pulled up to them, coming to a stop by them. The window rolled down to reveal… A tyrannosaurus head on top of a muscular body. “Yo, you all need a ride to town?” the dinosaur asked, leaning out the window to better talk to the group. “You got a few miles before you hit the outskirts.” “Yeah, my parents told me never to talk to strangers.” Reno quipped. “They probably told ya not to skip school either, but here you all are.” was the expert counter. “I’m the school gym teacher!” “Really? Shouldn’t you be telling us to go back to school then?” Destiny asked. “Eh, you guys don’t technically have school, and frankly, I think trying to force you all ain’t a good idea.” He motioned to the back end of the pickup truck. “I’m headed into town to pick up some gym supplies. You all can hitch a ride with me. Turn an hour and a half walk into a ten minute ride.” “Well, I’m convinced,” Reno jumped into the bed of the truck, finding a comfortable spot and settling in. “You all coming or what?” Those who stayed behind would find that still no one had come yet. A blonde haired girl sighed loudly as she waited. She looked around, trying to find any sort of sign that a teacher was coming. Instead, she saw a bunch of nothing. Her eyes drifted as she listened to the people yammering off in the background. Until her eyes noticed something off. “What… the hell is that thing…?” she muttered, pointing towards the edge of the forest that grew behind the school. At the very edge of the forest stood something. It lumbered towards the schoolyard slowly. The thing’s seven foot tall black body seemed almost like a charcoal drawing come to life, something that closely mimicked reality yet was obviously fake. Or perhaps more fittingly, this was something that seemed fake yet was so obviously real. Its whole being seemed to be fuzzy. As if everyone was viewing it through an unfocused camera, or maybe as if it was living static. The only thing people could make out for sure were two large orbs of brilliant ruby red sitting where one would assume eyes would be. They seemed to look directly into everyone’s eyes at once, despite how impossible that was. It suddenly stopped walking, standing still in the middle of the field, a good fifty feet away from the students. It raised what one could assume was an arm and pointed at the gathered group. It remained silent and unmoving, as if it had become a statue. And then, it was gone. It vanished from everyone’s sight, as if it was never there in the first place. As if it never existed at all. A sudden blood curdling scream shattered the silence. The group of ten or so delinquents surrounded the freshmen. Some were hunched over, some looked as if they were struggling to stand. They were twitching as they stood there, as if they were trying to intimidate the freshman. “Oy, what’s you guys’ problems?” the blonde hair girl half asked, half taunted the delinquents. There was no answer. Instead one of the girls ran forward, faster than the blonde haired girl could process. The delinquent threw a punch, hitting the girl right across the face. The blonde hair girl flew back into the crowd, landing right next to Catherine. “What the hell is your—” The girl tried to sit up. Her lip was busted and bleeding. Before she could even completely get up, the assaulting delinquent leapt on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Without another word, she opened her mouth and bit straight into the blonde haired girl’s shoulder. “ARRRGH! WHAT THE BLOODY—?!” She struggled to get the delinquent off her, but no matter how she struggled, she just couldn’t do it. She looked over to Catherine. “Hey, help me would you?!” She pleaded. At that moment, the other delinquents attacked. One attempted to jump on Catherine’s back and bit into her shoulder. Two rushed at Flynn. One threw a wild haymaker at the man’s beak while the other attempted to tackle him. One leapt at Theo, trying to swipe at her throat with their nails. A rather big man roared and attempted to slam both of his hands on top of Nalu’s skull. And the rest attacked the rest of the freshman. It was an all out brawl, a tumultuous throw down! OOC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BGM The seas were quiet that night. Nalu sat at the water's edge, toes melting into the surf and sand, tail wagging in the wind. Gentle waves lapped against the edges of volcanic rocks, cradling them in seafoam and triggering a pale blue glow in the sea. These sorts of nights were rare, but the sight was mesmerizing. The twinkling stars in the sky were just as breathtaking. It was almost enough to get her mind off the move. For most of her life, this is all she knew. The wind. The sea. The black rocks. The sand. And now... now she was gonna leave it all behind. And she still wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. She should be happy, for the chance to get out there, to meet people, to learn how to be human. But some matrix approximating a hear inside her ached for the carefree days of yesterday, snatching fish from reefs and chasing her makuahine around the la- "Nalu? What're you doing out there?" Speak of the kiapolō... Nalu's mom sat down next to her on the beach, and wrapped her prosthetic arm around what approximation Nalu had made for shoulders tonight. "...enjoying the bioluminescence, kiddo? That's not something you see every day." "...I am, māmā. It's really pretty. Almost like that old projector we..." Nalu trailed off after a minute, awash in memory. It took a minute for either to press past the unease hanging in the air. "Ku'u keiki, it's okay if you're nervous about all of this. Aʻole loa, I definitely am." "B-but I shouldn't be, right? I-I-" Liquid started streaming down her "cheeks" unprompted, like she had seen mother do after her rampage, after all of her pain and the arm and- "Kiddo..." Lani wrapped her child into a hug, letting the sea monster-turned-girl's tears soak the woman's short sleeves. "Kiddo, come here. You're not broken , you're just feeling some heartache, ok?" "I d-don't have heart..." is all Nalu could blubber out before descending into full on sobs. "It's all gonna be ok, ipo. How about we just sit here in our slippahs for a while? Watch the sea for a while" Nalu nodded and gradually, the two turned back to the sea and the stars. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BGM First days can be stressful for most people, but Naluea Kainoa is anything but typical. Here she was quarter-way round the world sitting legs criss-crossed on a field of green grass (having not so gently put the foldable chair aside), getting ready to actually get to go to school. She had been dreaming of this for years, for a chance to actually experience personhood school life like humans her peers. She was frantically fidgeting with her hawaiian shirt, feeling the fishnet fabric her mom had used to patch it up as her pixie-cut hair swiveled a bit of its own accord. That's the problem with being an amorphous sea monster - every part of you has somewhat of a mind of its own, and all of them have relentless energy that has to come out. And so fidget she must, lest a tail pop out of her back or her limbs melt or some other form meltdown she didn't need right now. Soon the principal (wasn't his name literally Mr. Principal or something?) went up to speak with... to be frank one of the most targeted speeches she's ever heard (she thinks? maybe it's just an expression...), which she mostly tunes out by accident upon smelling a familiar scent. Iron. Smoke. Gunpowder. Blood. A pumped shotgun targeted straight for her flank. An arm in one of her mouths, broken off by accident in frenzy. Violence movie-monster style, with high violence and horror stings and so, so much gore- She snaps out of the flashbacks when she hears the principal mention a tour. Oooh, that sounds exciting, a chance to 'acclimate to her environment' like māmā always said in those notes of hers. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to meet people, and cod she wanted to meet people. And then she hears him. She can tell instantly - her nose doesn't lie on stuff like this. It's the same smell of smoke, blood, and violence. "Yeah, fuck this! A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" Nalu finds herself convinced by the statement for an instant, despite the mistrust in her gut. She's probably wrong, he's probably totally fine, her rival-sensing instincts are probably keyed wrong against humans, she shouldn't trust authority - And then another voice rung out, coming from a... wait, is that a luchador? Like the one mom used to watch all of the time? "Hear me out, my friends, I implore that you go on the tour with us." Oh yeah, she could absolutely trust this guy. As soon as he was done, Nalu ran up behind him and called out "Aloha kakahiaka!" (Good morning!) The wrestler's demeanor softened immediately from his prior posturing. "Oh! Aloha too you too!" She's grinning from ear to ear at this. Finally! A friend! Someone to talk to! Oh she's been so so excited about this oh yeah- "I liked your speech! Really convinced me but... honestly that's not saying much, given me. Hehe." "Easy to convince eh? Sort of going with the flow? Is that what lead you to Dead End?" "That and the fact I have no moral code, because māmā thinks that's important or something. I'm not really that sure, you know?" The wrestler scratched the back of his head. "Mi madre tends to think morals are pretty important. My dad was the one who beat them into me! Haha!" He stuck his hand out to Nalu. Offering something, maybe? "I am Flynn Guerrero. What may I call you?" Nalu took the hand and shook like her mā had taught her... albeit a little too hard. "Call me Nalu! Nice to meet ya, Flynn. I can call you Flynn, right?" "Flynn? Fly Boy? Next World Heavyweight Champion? Whatever rolls off your tongue right. I think we'll be good friends Nalu! Maybe you can learn a thing or two about morals from me." Nalu was still not fully sure what morals were useful for, but she didn't want to disappoint her māmā, so learning more about them... "I would like that a lot!" she replied enthusiastically. The scent hit her again. "...that one guy's a jerk though, right? Got... rather bad vibes off of him." "That guy with the sharp lookin teeth? Nah he's harmless. Just probably looking for some attention and comraderie! I cannot judge him too harshly though. It is not my place." Flynn put a hand on Nalu's shoulder as she shuddered slightly. "I can only hope to change his mind for the better." "Hopefully..." Nalu said, more hesitantly. She knew that feeling. She did not like it one bit. Part of her wanted to go over him and rend him to chum already. The other part wanted to stay as far away as she could. "Cheer up friend! We've got a whole school year ahead of us together! Let's you and me go on that tour and really have a blast!" The enthusiasm was contagious for her, helping her shake it off relatively quickly. "Yeah! The tour's gonna be so fun. My first time in a school..." She looked over to the haunted mansion of a school with a massive, predatory grin. Oh, the places they'll go...

Phase 1 - Bad Moon Rising The room was silent… bone chillingly silent at that. Those that just entered it simply looked in the direction of the one at the very front of the room, keeping within the shadows, avoiding the city lights coming from the windows. A series of noises broke the darkness, the sounds of armored feet clanking along the floor. “So, this is where you've been hiding.” the voice sounded… disappointed? “...so… of course they'd send five…” the voice from the shadows responded, almost seeming tired. “I take it the other seven may be on their way to my location now? Or perhaps… you wished to face me all on your own?” The deafening silence was all the answer that was received, but it seemed the latter was indeed the answer. “...I figured as much. I would've preferred it not to be you to be the one to find me… to figure it out. I have a lot of respect for you… despite the rivalry I wanted for us, you were like a friend to me.” The sounds of shuffling came from the shadows, it unnerved the one standing in the middle of the room, the city lights showing off the familiar red scarf the armored individual wore. “Try as I might… I don't understand the reason why? You owe at least that.” he sighed, his fists tightening slightly. “Why eliminate the number one?” Silence once again filled the room, before a heavy sigh echoed. “Pay it forward… help however you can… be someone else's hero… back then, that was my reasoning. To strive to be that kind of hero, like the one who saved me that day. However… it all became a contradiction to me when I hit it big…” The sounds of footsteps from the shadows began. “...the rank of number one… the ability to inspire hundreds… thousands… the amount of good done in this regard just from having that title alone. A higher audience is given with that… so why wouldn't I take that opportunity?” The steps grew louder… before one foot started to cross into the light… a red boot. “I chose to shake things up by removing that slouch… to spread that message that I've held onto so dear for my whole life from his position.” The rest of the body soon was in the light… the red and black suit wearing figure stood there, his own red scarf waving behind him. “I won't stop here… I will become number one… Feel free to attempt to stop me, but we both know… I'm the unstoppable force… I am the immovable object… and my inertia knows no bounds.” That was the big reveal? It didn't seem like that big of a surprise, though. It was written on the wall from the beginning… least, from what he could tell. After all, some of the characters here had suspicions from the start, and even during that small gala, the one that showed up moments after him had something squish under his feet on the red carpet, that sticky feeling anyway. It was a good fake out with the whole “maybe it was gum” aspect. Even still… the character played his part in this story and feigned ignorance up till it finally was revealed, but for the reader, yeah it was obv-... BGM “...today, you all will do a short tour of the school. Afterwards, you'll get situated in your dorms. Tomorrow, school really begins. Dismissed!” Blake paused, just remembering where he was and what was going on. He had been so engrossed in this chapter that he barely registered the principal's opening ceremony speech. …IF you wanted to even call it that. Best he could tell… it was thirty seconds, if that. Closing his book, he watched as the principal simply walked away after delivering his riveting speech… almost seemed rehearsed, like he said that exact thing to each and every Freshman class. But rehearsed or not… it was clear that he meant it. Not surprising… it's called DEAD END for a reason. he thought, closing his book slightly before shoving it back in his bag. It wouldn't be a wonder that he meant every word he said. Doesn't sound like he really believes in anyone gathered here… not that I blame him. He leaned back in the chair, exhaling slowly. But this school is just a means to an end for me… so he can take that and shove it up his-... "Yeah, fuck this! A school is a school! You've seen one, you've seen them all! I'm heading into town! If you dumbasses had any sense, you'd do the same!" Blake sat up slightly from his lounge state in the chair, glancing in the direction of this person who just spoke out like this. He seemed like the arrogant sort, but then again, first impressions weren't much to go by for him. Still, he had to admire the brazen boldness to simply say that like this. And it wasn't like any teacher was available at this present time to do this new student orientation bull… perhaps this arrogant peer of his was right. "pretty stupid to wait all this time and then just run away before anything happens, huh?” Another voice cut through, this one, a young girl… she looked like the definition of “cutesy”... like a porcelain doll, which might've been her make-up and complexion, Blake wasn't sure… he didn't know much about make-up. Nevertheless, she spoke loud and clear, rivaling her peer's viewpoint of this current situation. Not to say it wasn't a valid one, the principal just said they'd be going through a tour, not his fault that said teacher wasn't here yet. That said… He slowly stood up, stretching as he yawned loudly. "Truth be told, he does have a slight point. This is a school, albeit the... 'last school you'll ever go to'..." Blake scoffed, waving his fingers in a manner some would think to signify creepy. "The worst they can do is write us up for not being around... not like some of us haven't gone through that rigmarole before. I, for one, am agreeing with our hot-headed... friend... eh, too early to call him my friend or anything. Either way, I'm heading out." He slung his bag over his shoulder, gave everyone the two finger salute before turning on his heel and walked on off after the arrogant one. Plus... this is an excellent opportunity to look around... get acquainted with the locale... then... then I'll find my answers. Only a matter of time before the wolf goes on the prowl...

OP - Honest Eyes - Black Tide ED - Flowers - Hana Hope Mountainguard, West Virginia. A completely ‘ordinary’ city filled with completely ‘ordinary’ sights and ‘ordinary’ people. On its outskirts lies “it”. Dead End Academy. Nicknamed “The final disposal site for problem children”, this school is kept tucked away from the rest of the city to keep its student population out of sight and out of mind. Here, all sorts mingle. From the brooding loner seeking power, to the troublesome smart kid trying to create a gang, to kids who are rumored to not even be human at all. This school, nay this city, is filled to the brim with problems and rot. A mysterious new drug making the rounds, trading sanity for power. The disappearances of beloved family members. The underground fighting ring accidentally raising a cult. The emergence of monsters beyond humanity’s common sense… All these problems and more will confront you at Dead End Academy. Can you make it to graduation alive? Will you be able to leave the same way you came? Rules and What You Should Expect Database Apps Discord Link

Bark at the Moon

16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 6:45 PM Preparations for the annual Rankings Tournament have reached their usual fevered pitch in the hours before the Tournament Gala. And among the normal sea of frantic event staff and volunteers was the band Riot Canon, its five members split up throughout the venue, assisting with whatever tasks people needed help with. The bandmates, dressed in a typical ensemble of denim jackets and old firefighter overalls, relished this time apart and helping people, as back-breaking as the labor was at times. But all good things must come to an end. “Lead?” one of the event coordinators called out, paging the band’s lead guitarist. “Call your crew. You guys need to get going.” The guitarist responded with a chuckle, before replying with a joking “Kicking us out? Really? After all we’ve fu-“ “Quarter to 7:00. We would keep you longer, but…” is all the coordinator needed to reply. “…ah, fuck, one second…” the guitarist’s form.. lost coherence for lack of a better description before “settling” back into Riot Canon’s collective persona, edges still somewhat blurry and “doubled” akin to chromatic abberation in film. “Fuck,” they collectively replied, “we thought we had more bloody time. Thanks for the heads up, mate. Mind if we use one of your bathrooms?” “Least we could do.” “Fuck yes.” And so, they ran off, grabbing a duffel bag with their ‘gala outfit’ on the way. It was one of their old concert outfits which they hadn’t had an excuse to wear in years. As much as part of them wanted to not dress up at all, they had decided that they might as well not let the outfit go to waste, and this was the perfect chance to keep it from rotting in their damn closet for all of eternity. 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:30 PM At 7:30 PM, Riot Canon was seen walking out of the back alleys they were oh-so at home in towards the red carpet of the Tournament Gala, their studded-out, paint-stained, aggressively patchwork getup making a mockery of the term “gala wear”. The web would surely be full of reactionaries and puritans decrying a “lack of respect for the event”, but it was a very Riot Canon outfit, so they honestly did not fucking care. Of course, the circling school of reporters and paparazzi took this as the perfect opportunity to pounce, swarming the band-in-one and bombarding them with questions, which mostly went ignored outside the few they felt like answering. “How do you feel about being thrust in the spotlight?” “Grateful and fucking annoyed, honestly. We obviously fucking love our fans, but we have no damn clue how we made top 10, and honestly we fucking don’t deserve the spot, in our opinion.” “When can we expect your next concert tour?” “For the hundredth time, when we fucking feel like it! Our schedules are fucking packed as is, so stop fucking pestering us about concerts when we can barely keep a balanced schedule! God bloody damn you people can be so. Fucking. Demanding…” “Are rumors of you saying-“ “You mean us saying live on air that ‘hero’ means jack shit?” “Umm-“ “We fucking stand by it. Calling yourself a ‘hero’ makes you a self-aggrandizing piece of shit encouraging your fucking deification in the public sphere, and honestly the vigilante community as a whole has gotten way too fucking used to it.” “The Family Principles Institute says you-" “FUCK OFF YOU HIJOS DE PUTAS! DO YOU THINK WE CARE WHAT THE FUCKING FAMILY PRINCIPLES INSTITUTE THINKS?!” Eventually, after a minute that felt like an hour, the band made it to the door. They grabbed it, stared the pack of reporters behind them, yelled “Fuck you all and good night!”, slammed the door behind them, and breathed a sigh of relief. Better enjoy the peace (and food) while it lasts. Before she came in. 16th Rankings Tournament – Day 0 – 7:57 PM There was an unspoken tension to Riot Canon throughout the gala, the plural hero trying their collective best to enjoy themselves among everything. But even among the added stress of old scars, there was another tension there as the clock drifted closer and closer to 7:57 PM. Then the bomb dropped. “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.” Riot Canon exhaled a breath they weren’t entirely aware they were holding in, even as their hands remained balled into fists. Their head glanced around the room to the other heroes - other suspects - as the members’ suspicion boiled into internal argument. There was one thing they could all agree on, though: someone was gonna get torn into teeny, tiny little pieces, and there’s no one on this god-forsaken Earth who could stop that.

NUMBER 10 - RIOT CANON

#3 - Bahamut

#8 - Étoile Prima

#6 - Energex

#9 - Red Light

This is an old piece from me when the Shaddoll structure deck was announced back in 2018. And then when the Invoked alt arts got announced, I used that as an excuse to go back on this piece to update Mechaba's design, making him closer to his alt art.

Destiny and Ori followed the two boys into the truck's bed. The group had to shuffle around a bit to make sure Ori had enough space to sit, but they made it work. After confirming they were all comfortable, Terry drove off. He did his best to keep the ride smooth, but there were plenty of bumps and pot holes he had to avoid. The pungent scent of diesel was mixed with the the cool wind that whipped through through the students' hair. "Sorry about the bumps, kids!" Terry called out. "There should be some marshmallows back there. Help yourselves! Ain't much, but should help past the time!" Looking down, Reno quickly spotted the unopened bag of marshmallows. "Ah, nice," With a hum, he picked up up the bad and tore it open in one smooth motion. He reached in, putting one marshmallow in each hand. A light orange flame ignited around the fingers that held the marshmellows, cooking them. The smell of toasting marshmallows overwhelmed the diesel smell, and the sounds of the crackling of fire filled the air. After a few seconds, he had two perfectly toasted marshmellows. He popped one in without hesitation. "Not bad. I shoulda burned it more though," He shrugged. "Anyone want thi---" Destiny's hand lashed out like a whip, snatching the marshmallow out of Reno's hand. She munched at it daintly. She probably would have been considered cute if it wasn't for her manic question not even a few minutes ago. Reno reached back into the bag, once again grabbing two marshmallows and cooking them again. He looked to Blake and Ori, holding out a toasted treat for both of them. "Well, do you guys want one?" Whether they took one or not, the truck still kept rolling. The road eventually smoothed out, and the forest gave way to civilization. The forests were replaced by beaten up, dirty houses. Those houses were quickly replaced by cleaner houses and buildings. Though many were empty, it did look like a small town. The truck came to a halt at a traffic light. As they waited for the lights, a police car pulled up next to the truck. Of course, having people in the bed of the truck was very dangerous. In the event of a wreck, the students could get extremely hurt, or even killed. In most places, that wouldn't fly. The cops didn't even look up at them. The light turned green, and Terry took a right, driving across a bridge. The water below was so far down that the students couldn’t even hear the water rushing downstream. After crossing the bridge, it only took a few more minutes of driving before the truck pulled into a large parking lot. There were a few cars scattered around the parking lot, all looking a little beat up. Some construction equipment was in the far corner of the parking lot, likely to help finish building the place. “Well, here we are, kids,” Terry commented as he parked the truck. “Feel free to do whatever. If you want a ride back to school, I’ll be heading back in like…” He paused, rubbing his chin. “Actually, no, you’d only get like an hour or two if we did that. I’ll tell you what, how about at sunset, I’ll pick you all up here, alright?” From there, he headed into the community rec center. The four were free to go where they wanted. Looking out from the parking lot, they could see what appeared to be a small shopping center. About six small stores were situated around a corner. They seemed to range from ice cream shops, to specialty foods, and a game store. A little further down, they could see a movie theater. If they had the money, they could catch a movie for sure. And beyond that, there was a Malwart Supercenter. If they followed Terry inside, then they would find themselves in a lobby. Looking around, they could easily spot the way to the locker rooms, and the way to an indoor running track, a weight room, and a pool. They would also see several unfinished rooms, taped off and still being constructed. However, they would also notice a strange man slipping past the tape. No one seemed to notice him, and by now, Terry had disappeared to a different part of the building. In the end, the students were left to their own devices. Their choices will form their own story. Two gigantic fists slammed down on top of Nalu. The approaching Flynn could see Nalu’s head splatter, blobs of liquid being thrown around. However… she seemed fine. The place when the man had slammed was now a blob of aqueous material. The large man let out a growl of confusion. He slammed down again. And again. And again! Like a hammer, the man’s fists tried to bury Nalu into the earth. But Nalu wasn’t a nail. No, she was water. The man’s fists simply sent ripples through Nalu’s half melted body. It didn’t seem as if she even felt a single blow. Feeling frustrated, the man opened his mouth and went right for Nalu’s neck, trying to bite her! Meanwhile, the blonde haired girl ripped off one of her sleeves, wrapping it around the point the crazy delinquent had bit her. What the hell was all that? "You there, could you be a peach and get my bag? It's over there hanging from that chair, the one with the rabbit pins on it." The blonde haired girl looked over to Theodora, blinking in confusion. She quickly scanned over the chairs and found the bag. “Yeah, you got it,” The girl grabbed the bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She then grabbed the chair, folding it up and holding it like a weapon. Gritting her teeth, she ran over to Theodora. A delinquent ran right at the blonde haired girl to attack her, but this time she was ready. She swung the metal chair with all her might, nailing the delinquent right in the face. A loud metallic clang rang out, and a face shaped dent was left in the chair. Despite this great blow, the delinquent was not knocked out. However, they did fall over long enough for the girl to reach Theodora. “There! What do you need this for anyways?” she asked. The delinquent Theodora had wrapped up thrashed wildly, almost foaming at the mouth with rage. If the two looked closely, they’d see a trait shared among all the other attacking delinquents. Bloodshot eyes with red irises. Catherine would see the delinquent she used as a weapon slowly getting up off the ground. Their body looked as if it would give out at any moment, and yet they managed to get back up. Their movements were stiff and jerky, like a puppet played by an amatuer. As they stood up, they grabbed the other delinquent by the collar. They twisted their entire body, raising their unconscious ally over their head. Space itself felt like it contorted as the delinquent drew back like a bow. With power far exceeding that of a normal person, they threw their ally with all their might at Catherine. The delinquent arrow shot straight for Catherine’s head. Flynn would feel two arms attempting to wrap around him. The delinquent that tried to punch his mask was back! He managed to cross the distance Flynn had sent him in the short time between that and Flynn attempting to help Nalu. That seemed way too fast for a normal person. With his years of experience, Flynn could easily deduce what his opponent wanted. They were going for the classic German Suplex! As these battles raged on, it seemed the school finally noticed. An older man began to approach the group from the back doors of the school. However, it was obvious he would not get there in time to stop anything. Perhaps sometimes never was better than late. OOC

“I like your guts, Bird Boy, but you’re wrong about one thing. This isn’t a fresh start. This is just the latest stop. Enjoy the school tour or whatever. I’m outta here.” Somehow, in his heart, he knew the boys' mind was already made up. He was glad he had at least spoke up and attempted to dissuade him, even if the effort was in vain. Flynn nodded towards the boy, acknowledging his decision. A girl with vivid pink hair appeared, following behind them. “You’re a good guy, Flynn. But I think I’m gonna follow them. Might as well make sure they don’t cause too much trouble.” "Stay safe out there." Flynn gave her a thumbs up, hoping nothing would go awry. Sadly, the girl hadn't introduced herself, so he would have to ask for her name on her safe return. In the meantime, Idle chit chat hung all around them as they waited for the tour to begin. People from all walks of life just trying to break the ice, as awkwardly as kids at this age did. However, a murmur in the crowd caught his attention, as a girl with blonde hair pointed towards something far away. “What… the hell is that thing…?” Looking to where her finger lead his vision, a blurry figure was approaching them from beyond the forest line. Flynn couldn't make the thing out. The harder he tried to focus, the fuzzier it seemed. If there was one thing he could tell, it was rather large. It's fierce, red eyes looked as if they were peering directly into his very fiber of being. He didn't flinch while it approached, but once it had vanished from sight, he couldn't help but almost jump out of his skin. When that soul shattering scream rang out, Flynn assumed his wrestling pose purely on instinct. His hands, now pouring with sweat, were ready to grab whatever approached him. He took a deep breath to relax himself. He hadn't necessarily used his wrestling in street brawls like this before, and he hadn't assumed he was going to need to, but whatever this thing was warranted him to put up his guard. Nothing had ever make him feel like that in his life. Suddenly, a group of what he could only assume were tweakers were converging on the group. They convulsed and twitched, as if they were under some sort of influence, most likely whatever lied beyond those woods. One of them launched towards Flynn, packing their fist up and launching it towards his mask. "Ain't no way, brother!" Flynn, with the reflexes of some sort of big cat, swayed back to avoid the punch. In turn, he raised his left leg and wound it tight, ultimately launching his foot directly into the lower region of the punks abdomen. Holding back something fierce, the delinquent was still launched across the courtyard like a missile. He hadn't noticed the second scallywag until his tackle connected, but Flynn refused to sell that weak attempt at a spear. Without budging an inch, Flynn raised a single finger in the air. "Now this one is for all those Fly Boy fans out in the crowd! I know you're out there! Let me hear you say, 'BOOYAH!'" He used one hand and grabbed the grunt by the waist, and used the other to grip the grimy goon tightly. Flynn raised the ragamuffin into the air, parallel to his own body, and fell back, performing his famous Birdbrain Buster! The opponent was slammed onto the ground, as Flynn's giant body pressed into them further. The two tough guys were out cold, and Flynn hadn't even broken a sweat. Those around him were clapping and cheering him on, as he struck a flexing pose, pumping his bicep fiercely. Snapping out of his celebration, he made his way to at least attempt to help someone else. Nalu was faced with a rather large foe, so his first instinct was to help her. "Nalu, get out of the way, I can take him!"

“Yeah, well I didn’t get into this school for my genius intelligence. If something happens, you let me know and I’ll eat my own shoe, how about that?” While the girl's literal doll-face had limited capacity for emotion when the boy said that it was clear that the idea was one that interested her. "Okay, I'll hold you to that!" she responded, waving him an exaggerated goodbye. Humming to herself she stood up and looked around to see if there was anyone else worth poking at of those who stayed behind. The large one with a large voice came to mind. He certainly stood out. He was currently talking to another strange human. Catherine put a finger to her lips as she looked between the two and tried to think of the best way to introduce herself. She continued to watch the two, staring openly if they were to look her way, for a bit as she considered taunting them about a perceived romance. Which was when she saw the...fuzzy person. She watched it as it watched them. Wondering if it was about to do something fun to liven up this place. And then it vanished just like that. "Huh. Humans sure come in all shapes and sizes." Catherine said out loud. She had never seen a person that looked like that but, then again, it wasn't until recently that she saw many others besides her old people. She was about to see even more of them up close and personal real soon. It happened incredibly quick considering how long they had been waiting with nothing going on. Her head craned down to look at the girl who had just been knocked through the air and was now beside her. “ARRRGH! WHAT THE BLOODY—?!” "Oh my. Did you skip breakfast?" Catherine asked the person who had just bitten the girl. Hm, no, something certainly seemed weird about all of this. What could it be.... "She probably doesn't taste very good you know...or...does she?" Catherine tilted her head and stared at the blonde girl. “Hey, help me would you?!" "Why?" But then the rest attacked. And one of them had jumped onto her back and, much like with the blonde girl, bit her shoulder. It took her a moment to register the attack and when she did she let out an unconvincing "Ow." Then she reached back and grabbed onto the person biting her and yanked them off. She held them up above her head and tried to ask what they wanted to no avail. Catherine then glanced back at the struggling blonde and, with a shrug, swung the delinquent she was holding like a bat at the one on top of the girl and knocked them off. She then proceeded to chuck the one that attacked her off into the distance before bending over to grab the other one by the leg and flinging them in the same direction. The doll turned towards the blonde girl and offered her a jointed hand. "Wow, you're really weak huh?" She said. The blonde took her hand and Catherine pulled her up to her feet. "I'm working on it!" the girl snapped and, noticing that the delinquent's teeth had broken skin, tried to stop her bleeding. "Oh. Well. Good luck." Catherine looked the girl up and down. "You look like you'll need it. A lot of it."

wow yui that's an amazing logo you did such a great job especially when you haven't done one of these in so long anyway color me curious

“I wonder,” Quinn said. “Not being good with stairs would be the expectation, after all. There is precedent for traumatic experiences producing negative reactions even when temporally separated from the event. Even subconsciously, memories could start boiling up, encoded within the physical body until the worst possible moment. Then again, of course, I imagine my form is less and less physical by the day.” Fae took a first step up the lighthouse staircase. “Well, that is one down, and no ill effects at all.” The lighthouse did not seem so tall compared to the rest of the city, and indeed, on the times that Quinn did look down, the ground did not seem so far away. Quinn had learned from experience how short it would take to reach the ground from seemingly high places when he had fallen out of a tree later in her life. Still, Quinn figured it would do good to keep further thoughts at bay by forcing itself to the front of the two-person expedition (to dampen the flight impulse) and to instead focus on further expositing to Bridget behind them. “This is my first time seeing a lighthouse up close,” Quinn said. “I believe I mentioned my hometown of Eterna City to you before. It is not waterless -- there is a spring where Water-type Pokémon occasionally congregate -- but it is nevertheless landlocked on all sides, and certainly more known for the mountain it neighbors. I have seen depictions of lighthouses, of course. Many of them in documentary form in preparation for this adventure we are now on, though some fictional as well. I remember one rather vivid filmic depiction of a lighthouse that seemed to erode its keepers’ sanity, just as waves might erode a shoreline.” All at once, Quinn burst into an old mariner's hymn: Doodle let me go, me girls! Doodle let me go! Hurrah! Me yaller girls, doodle let me go! But two things prevented the young ghost from continuing past the refrain. The first was simple memory – they did not remember any more, and Quinn considered hirself polite enough to not drill it into eir companion’s head. The second was a shift in focus, back to the lighthouse they were ascending. The continuous close proximity had only amplified Quinn’s feelings towards the thing, an intense curiosity that could not be sated. Even as their other hand gripped the outer railing of the staircase tight enough to whiten Quinn’s already quite-pale knuckles, ae still reached out with its other hand to touch -- almost caress -- the lighthouse exterior. It felt cool to the touch. Quinn felt a touch on his shoulder and turned around. “Hm? Did you need something, Bridget?” Bridget, for her part, also seemed to have been relying on Quinn’s one-sided discussion to keep her attention off of stair-climbing. Quinn watched her eyes refocus back onto Quinn’s person. “What? No, I didn’t-” Before Quinn could react, Bridget was pointing at her. “Oi, there’s a hand on you!” Quinn’s eyes snapped to zir shoulder, only just catching the hand before it faded from view. “A fellow!” Quinn said, eyes growing even wider with each passing word. “Hello! Well, it is good to find something empirical, especially in the light. Perhaps I should point any future nonbelievers of my condition in the region this way. And here I was worried that we might have to wait around until nightfall to encounter anything ethereal or astral in nature.” The best part was, the apparition was not immediately hostile or preventative. Nothing stopped Quinn from taking a further step up the lighthouse. Whatever fear Quinn might have had was gone. “Just think, perhaps we might find this hand’s owner at the top! Come!” And despite their size, Quinn started taking the stairs two at a time.

Is the Neo Card Maker a step towards a dystopian future where our identities are controlled by a single entity, or a liberating force that empowers individuals to define themselves? This question has been burning a hole in the collective conscience of all YCM refugees who have taken residence here. Yet almost 7 years into its life, the answer is as uncertain as it was at the genesis of the website. While liberty and freedom were heartily extolled virtues in our former homeland, guaranteed to all under Allah by the great and glorious YCMaker, as we approach the first anniversary of his murder and the resultant bot chaos which overran our once beautiful vaterland many here find ourselves at a loss for the same kind of homely environment we once took for granted. Is this solely the fault of CowCowCowCowCow etc, Ash, and the rest of the moderatory cabal? Yes, probably, entirely, but at the same time there is only so much you can expect from yanks and brits respectively when it comes to cultivating an environment conducive to personal fulfilment, it simply isn't something their cultures value and we cannot hold that against them personally, though I do. So then, who to lead us? I propose the humble Rewas. Bumbling, inarticulate, dim-witted, gutless, and above all self-interested, he is the perfect foil to the conniving silver-tongued devils currently in power. With Rewas, what you see is what you get, for better or usually for worse, but at least you know where you stand. Big CowCow will say "Neo Cardmaker is a liberating force that empowers individuals to define themselves!", yet what liberties will he afford to us? The ability to delete other users posts? Nay, says CowCow, for that will impinge on the liberties of others! But what about my liberty to impinge on the liberties of others, you TYRANT? The Mussolini of CardMaking, as many have to come to know him, has clearly lost the run of himself in this overzealous policing of what YCMaker once called "the most fundamental and unimpeachable right of any cardmaker". Anyway none of that would be going on if Rewas was mod, he can barely tie his shoelaces. In fact, from 2018 to 2024 he exclusively wore slippers to avoid the humiliation of being outed as a middle-aged man incapable of something so fundamental and straightforward. If that's not the kind of character you want as a leader, you're absolutely right, he'd be awful. But wouldn't it be funny? Wouldn't it be more interesting to have a person who barely realises he is alive be given the power to give us power? Think of all the somethings that might happen, where nothing currently does. In conclusion, thank you for your attention to this matter and I wish you all a very merry Christmas.

I had an idea to limit the use of power cards in retro formats by giving them (mostly) the same rules as Pokemon Supporters. I've made 16 Supporters in total, with art credited on the card and some random royalty free backgrounds here and there. There are a few more cards I haven't gotten around to making yet. Obviously, which cards would apply for the Supporter Card treatment would vary depending on the format and whether or not people feel it's actually warranted. The rules would be the following: - You can only use 1 Supporter Card per turn. Once you use a Supporter Card, you cannot use another Supporter until the start of your next turn. - "Using" a Supporter Card means to play it from your hand or Summon it in some way. - The effects of "Serial Spell", "Double Spell", etc which duplicate effects allow you to break this restriction. Just for fun, "Graverobber" is also exempt from this rule. - If you go first, you cannot use a Supporter Card until the start of your second turn. Could use suggestions for a replacement Mai card, as well as any other cards you think should be added!

"If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can draw 1 card. If you do, you must then discard 1 card." "If this Attack Position card is changed to face-up Defense Position: Target 1 Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls; destroy that target." Not much to go off of here, so I went with the idea that its big shnoz can sniff out traps, and made it EARTH because it is a bottom feeder and it fits with the Clown archetype better. "When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can Special Summon "Garnecia Elefantis" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard." This one is based on the fact that the Hyrax is closely related to the elephant and NOT rodents despite its appearance. "Once per turn, you can target 1 monster on the field: Switch the original ATK and DEF of that monster until the end of this turn." "When this card is Summoned or flipped face-up, you can target 1 face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field with DEF equal to or higher than this card's current DEF: Destroy that target." "Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can target 1 Winged-Beast monster in your Graveyard except "Timberdoodle": Special Summon that monster in face-up Attack Position or face-down Defense Position." This is based on the silly conga dance that the American Woodcock does, bringing others along with it. I could have made it only summon from hand or only summon more of itself, but that would be too weak I feel, so I went with this instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF3-LvmHM4E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkX-n8zLVmE

With the group having caught their breath and gotten their bearings, as well as understood the depth of their new strengthening they began to ascend the staircase that lay at the end of this enormous room. As they likely could have surmised from simply looking at the ceiling above them as well as looking at the building outside the staircase itself was quite the lengthy climb. Were they regular humans with regular human bodies it would likely have exhausted them to walk this many flights of stairs at once, to the point one couldn't help but wonder if the King simply lived at the top of this citadel with how impractically large this was. As they got to the end, the group ended up at a large landing with a door leading to the outside, the symbol of a wolf above it. Though, the door itself was missing, the space between the frame being filled with the same opaque water that had stopped them before the entrance to the fight against the shrine guardians. And, is if to greet them for making it all the way to this point, a collection of water coalesced in front of them before the familiar antlered dragon girl form of River appeared before them. "Welcome Exalted," she cheerily greeted. "I am glad to see that you have found no trouble in dealing with the foes that have populated this castle thus far. And for that, I am most confident that you will be able to defeat the foe beyond this Threshold." The girl gave two thumbs up to them as she continued her speech. "I have, however, very little in way to help you in your struggle against Beryn, the Accursed that lie beyond. He is the apex of all Drengr that you have fought thus far, and wields both magics of Storm, and so I would advise caution in dealing with him. Oh, but my Lady has told me that often times before a decisive battle it is customary and helpful to give the side you wish to win words of encouragement and affirmation. And so..." The girl paused for a moment before clapping her hands together and smiling at the quartet, the water that made up her body practically sparkling from the expression, she said, "I believe in you, Exalted. Do your utmost!" Going to her usual chipper but more neutral expression she said, "I believe that should be a sufficient amount of encouragement. If you have any questions of me, as always, simply ask and I will answer with what information I possess." Were the group to not have any, however, River would simply bid them farewell and simply discorporate and evaporate as she had done every time before. All that was left was to walk through the watery wall before them. Once they had passed the Threshold they were greeted with the sight of what hardly seemed like one would expect of a throne room. For starters, the word "room" would be of liberal use as it was more akin to outdoor courtyard; large, circular with stone walls that evoked more of a colosseum type feeling, the roof itself non existent as the rain and thunder could be both felt and heard without any obstruction. Though lightning struck this part of the building frequently none ever managed to get into the arena itself, three spires on separate ends of the room acting as lightning rods and absorbing each bolt without any show of wear or tear from them. Though a garden likely once adorned this courtyard like room, one someone would be proud of, all that was left was the trampled and withering remains of gray, long dead plants. Though the stone here had the same weathered texture as the rest of the castle town had before, the damage here was even more extensive; cracks and long gashes in the stone flooring and walls as if something powerful had crashed into them and somehow managed to slash through the material. And at the very end of the room, a simple throne made of the same black rock like material that made up all of the lightning rods that they had seen, with the same crest of the wolf adorned into the top of it. Though that too had scarred by the same slashes that had damaged the rest of this building. There was no king atop, and instead, in front of it was a hulking armored beast, tufts of fur coming out of whatever scant few openings his armor had. Wielding a large double headed great axe in his curled clawed fingers, he stood hunched over in front of the throne swinging, almost absentmindedly at it and with singular, unknowable purpose. Yet despite this, despite the sound of thunder being ever present and the gentle rain pattering across ground as the group entered he stopped his attacks. A low growl escaped the beast as he turned to face the group, and though they couldn't see them they could feel his eyes lock with theirs. He took a single step forward, murderous intent in his gaze somehow very apparent to them before stopping. Then, with a stomp he stood up tall - having several feet on even Sabrina - before letting out a bestial roar, drowning out even the thunder that thought itself ruler. Slamming his axe into the ground and dragging the blade across the stone, the creature continued to slowly move closer to them, with heavy footfalls in every step. ACCURSED OF STORM - BERYN

Quinn whooped as the Ralts teleported up and hit the deck once again, unconscious. Not even Alicia’s deranged attempt at a reprimand could sour the moment, especially when she still conceded defeat and left with both of her goons. It also helped that everybody else on the pier was just as elated that Team Phoenix had been chased away, hooting and hollering and a solid three cheers from those who still did that sort of thing. Quinn let out its other two Pokémon so they could share in the celebration, and especially congratulate their newest party member. Normandie went over and licked Pisces right on the contact point of one of her Tackles, which seemed like a big deal for her. Cassiopeia did not immediately celebrate with the rest, however. Instead, the Drifloon looked down at her stringy hands and arms and took a deep breath before looking over at Quinn. Quinn returned the gaze and saw a new measure of Focused Energy behind their companion’s eyes -- a spark that could lead to something more. The moment passed, though, and soon Cassiopeia was blowing around the dock, allowing herself to be carried by the seabreeze and daring anybody to catch her in her exultation. One of the fisherman judges clapped Quinn on the back -- a strong enough tap that it very nearly caused her to go tumbling off the dock edge, but that was beside the point -- “Well done,” the fisherman said. Then he went into this whole spiel about the conclusion of the contest, including an indication that they were open to being influenced by past events. Quinn looked out among the rest of the crowd waiting to be evaluated, trying to see if he was getting swept up in the moment or if everyone else agreed on such a ceremonial appraisal. Perhaps as expected, there was a mixture of reactions. They were mostly positive, but there were a few dissenters. Quinn was used to some level of negative crowd reaction, and was sure e could handle it here as well, but fae shook its head. “Surely the process is important,” Quinn said. “I know how special Pisces is, and knew so even before his performance in battle, but he still should be submitted for judgement, and I would request that your biases cloud your judgement as little as possible.” The judges seemed amused, but did still go through the process as requested. “Goldeen huh, it’s rarer here than yonder way, but still not uncommon… This one in particular… seems quite the energetic one! Very nice… I think yes, a fine reward for a fine catch.” Somebody in the crowd mispronounced the word “Sitrus-y” in a way that seemed funny to onlookers, but Quinn did not understand. The reward was enough to distract from that in any case -- not one but twelve Sitrus berries! It was a massive haul, rivalling even Normandie’s hoard. Quinn was careful to keep them separate, just as xe had with the Oran berry from days before, but the elation was just as good if not better than their victory over Alicia. Pokémon battles came and went, but how many more times would Quinn ever enter a fishing competition? Even if this were not the only one, the opportunities seemed like they would be rare. In any case, with all that excitement over, there was little left to do but make sure hir Pokémon were well taken care of at a Pokémon Center and then go out and get some stamps.Dearest Mother and Father, I have made many more friends since my last missive, and have attached a number of pictures of them. Normandie did not want to sit still for any of them, but trust that that blurry mass of fur represents a proud and beautiful creature. There is also Bridget, who is not a Pokémon but an aspiring researcher who has joined Nathaniel and I on our travels. She is a little difficult to understand sometimes, but people have said I am the same way, so I continue to make my best effort. I have also learned how to fish! Of course, I imagined that I would when I set out on this journey. That is how I met Pisces, who you can see in another of these pictures. I write with the hope that many more will join him -- perhaps a veritable school will be coming home with me when this adventure has concluded. Then again, with so many other things to look forward to, I will have to cherish the opportunities to use this newfound skill all the more. We will be setting sail once again very soon, to the Korova Region proper this time. I cannot wait to progress further in this journey, collecting more gymnasium badges, friends to cherish, and, most importantly, more experiences to incorporate into my incorporeal self-actualization. I will report even further when I can. In the meantime, we shall surely see each other on the Astral Plane. Yours, even in death, Quinn