The world of Cirrimus floats with the clouds. Composed of 72 cities separated first into 9-city Indas and then two-Inda peals. In between each Inda is a small merchant town--small because not a lot of people stop there unless they want to; most ships can make it between Indas just fine. Such is not the case during interpealinary travel. The distance between peals is so great that special ships--called IPT ships (or IPTS) for Interpealinary Transport Ships--are required to make the trip and they must stop at a Merchant City to get refueled. Few people have enough money to own their own IPT ship, thereby, IPT ships usually carry anywhere between 150-200 people, aside from the staff, per run. There are several large cities in each peal, but the largest cities in Cirrimus are Bismell and Bjottia in Peal 1, Ardon and Darforth in Peal 4, and Mohar, the merchant city located between Peals 1 and 4.

But all is not quite as harmonious as one might think in the floating world of Cirrimus. Questions tend to arise when things seem too perfect to be true. And more often than not… they are too perfect. What does Cirrimus float above? What keeps it afloat? What exists beyond their world in the heavens? As the leaders of Cirrimus are quick to tell anyone who asks, their world floats above the nothingness, the abyss, the nonexistence.

Despite the fact that people are more than willing to not test the “nonexistence, dark evil abyss” theory, some may find that sooner or later, adventure and revelation may be thrust upon them. In a world that floats amongst the clouds, it is to be expected that all things must eventually fall down, and the secrets of an all too Utopian society are surely going to fall with them.

Locations:

Cirrimus: a world located literally in the sky, it is home to about a billion people. There are no wards on Cirrimus. Its people are a mixed bag of appearances and races. Pink hair, purple eyes. None too exciting in the world of Cirrimus. Cirrimus is technologically advanced, but the cities themselves have a very dated feel to them. Big cities and buildings are tall and grand but rarely have more than one story inside of them (there are a couple buildings with two stories), the ceilings are high, and the walls are really tall. The smaller cities and towns of Cirrimus, meanwhile, have a very cultural look to them. The major (and only form) of public transportation is walking.

Darforth: Easily the biggest city in Peal 4, its architectural influence is somewhat modernized, though there's no neon signs or any of that (there's none of that anywhere in Cirrimus), but it’s got tall buildings. Everyone gets around via walking. Darforth is almost like the center of science in Cirrimus. Cool gadgets come out of Darforth’s laboratories seemly every other week.

Yasufina: a small town located about twenty minutes away from Darforth in Inda 8, Peal 4. It's a very quiet and relaxed place. You won't see too many outrageous things here, but it is referred to as the most tranquil city in Cirrimus because of the water that flows through the city and chops it up into pieces. One of the last monarchies in Cirrimus, the water originates inside the Yasufina palace (where, most people don't know). The buildings resemble buildings from ancient China. The river weaves all through the town, splits in two at one point, and eventually tumbles over the edge of the city.

Ardon: The second largest city in Peal 4 and third largest in the world, Ardon is the fashion capital of the world. Anything made by anyone that's something is located here. Thereby, Ardon is bright and flashy, and full of bright colorful banners. Many Cirrimus celebrities are spotted here. Ardon's a big mixing pot because people come from all over to live here, work here, shop here, be here. Ardon is often called the city of dreams because of all the entertainer, model, actor, and fashion designer hopefuls who come here to hit it big.

Mohar: The biggest and richest trade city in the world, Mohar sells everything. Everything passes through here at one point or another. People come from all over to explore markets in Mohar, and as a result, the scene is constantly changing; the market is always bustling. The architecture has a Victorian Neo-Renaissance twinge to it. The city is located between Peals 1 and 4.

Bjottia: The center of Cirrimus’ mining industry, Bjottia is known for the Disu Mines, where all sorts of expensive gem stones and minerals are harvested. The city is sandy with cobblestone paths and stone steps, comparable to a city one might find in the desert, but it’s very beautiful. The architecture is dated with a distinct Middle Eastern feel to it. The city is full of rich colors, and like the rest of the cities in the world, the buildings have tall walls and grand ceilings. Most of the people who live in this city work in the mines.

Bismell: The New York City of Cirrimus, Bismell is considered the financial heart of the flying world; it is home to several giant Corporation Headquarters, and the Cirrimus stock exchange. Unlike most other cities in Cirrimus, however, Bismell has two facets to it, which are both in the same vicinity but physically separated by air. The part that everyone sees when they visit Bismell is the financial- and business-centered area of the city. Anyone can access this part. The second part is known as Vacation Island. To gain access to this part, people must pay a hefty sum to fund a vacation there. It is separated into three districts: the beach, the mountains, and the forests (not just trees, but a more undeveloped area for camping and those who want to see wide open landscapes). Each district has their own attractions, but in the very center of all of it is a giant theme park known as the Cirrimus World Park. It’s the biggest theme park in the world, and visited by millions each week. The two parts are connected by a reinforced bridge. These attractions have helped make Bismell the richest city in the world.


Character Sheet:


~

Name: Ariel (more commonly known as Captain)

Age: Unknown—appears to be around 21 or 22

Gender: Female

Occupation: Sky Pirate; Captain of the Blue Rogue Sky Pirates

Location:
The Monkey Licker (Blue Rouge’s airship)

Appearance: Ariel has long straight pink hair, the roots of which she keeps hidden under a black bandana. She wears an elegant, white, long-sleeved, slightly baggy button up shirt with ruffles around the cuffs, which is tucked into slightly baggy light brown pants (held up by a belt). The pants are tucked into form fitting flat black boots. Her eyes are a bright green; her bangs (when not forced to the side by her bandana) usually hang in front of her left eye. She wears a gold locket around her neck; it is unclear of what—if anything—is in it. She wears a couple bracelets on her right wrist, hidden beneath her shirt, and an anklet on her left ankle under her boot. She stands at six feet tall. Her weapon of choice, a cutlass, hangs from her waist.

She is rarely seen without her small friend, Sylvia. And though she seems kind of wiry or scrawny, Ariel has a very powerful presence. She could command a room with it and she often does.

Personality: While she may not seem like it to those she first meets, Ariel is a thoughtful, fun-loving, and caring person. She always worries about the safety of those on her ship. She views every member of her crew as family and would give her life for them at anytime. To those not part of her crew, however, she comes off as cold, uncaring, and harsh. She’s serious as cancer most of the time (at least that’s how other people perceive her). Because of the lifestyle she’s chosen to live, she’s constantly on the look out for danger, which can cause her to be a bit suspicious and distrustful of new people, though she tries to hide these feelings from said people.

Weapon: A cutlass;

Ariel's locket is more than just jewelry. Synced to her body, when she commands it, the locket secrets a substance that when hardened is stronger and tougher than virtually known metals. The substance isn't heavy, and fits like a second skin. She prefers not use it all at one time, thus she commonly moves the liquid around as she needs it. For defensive techniques, the locket takes in solar energy and stores it inside the gold heart, allowing her to release a bright flash of light whenever she needs it. When the locket is fully charged, she has ten flashes at her disposal. These flashes are used to blind people temporarily.

On her wrists, she wears several bracelets and an anklet on her ankle. These pieces of jewelry multiply any kinetic energy being exerted from Ariel's body at the time they're activated. If used correctly, these double functioning items can help her smash through walls and other things.

Bio: Born in Ardon, Ariel grew up in an ever changing environment where people came to pursue their dreams. She watched some succeed, many fail, and even more head back home with broken hearts. But why did people keep coming if that happened to be the case? But they did. The wave seemed to be getting bigger and bigger each year. Her family life was similar to anyone else’s who lived in Ardon might have been. Her parents actually were fashion designers; her mother was anyway. Her father commuted between Ardon and Bismell to manage the clothing company’s (they’d started together) financial business.

Ariel always wanted to see the world, however. She was lucky enough to live in such the biggest melting pot in Cirrimus, but she wanted to see it all. She was even luckier as her mother often traveled in her business for inspiration and fashion showings elsewhere and whatnot. Ariel usually traveled with her. Still, she wasn’t satisfied. She wanted to see more. From the smalls nook on the smallest town to the tops of the sky scrapers in the biggest city. While her mother thought the dream was silly and nothing would ever become of it (she was hoping she could get her daughter to take over the fashion business), Ariel, fueled by all the dreamers she’d seen come to Ardon, despite the fact they had ridiculous odds against them, decided to pursue the dream.

She couldn’t tell anyone how that dream made her become a sky Pirate. It just sort of happened along the way. But as one, she has been able to fulfill her dream to see the world, and while she hasn’t seen everything yet, she’s certainly working on it. And as she usually jokes, being a Pirate has taught her all the things she needs to know in life a lot quicker than school ever did; should she ever change her mind to take over her mother’s business, she’d have almost all the necessary skills at her disposal.


Name: Sylvia

Age: Unknown

Gender: Female

Occupation: Mascot for the Blue Rouge Sky Pirates; Mini-sidekick to Ariel

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance: Sylvia is a very small creature of unknown origin. She stands at 8.5 inches tall, and is often found seated on Ariel’s shoulder. She wears very little clothing; a revealing green top that comes under the breast and curls up like a wave to cover the middle portion, and a green bikini bottom that is covered by a diaphanous silky green material, held up at the waist by an elastic band. Though no injury has ever come to her eyes, she wears an eye patch over her left eye and a black bandana over the roots over her hair (the way she ties it allows for her pigtails to still stick out uninhibited, and lets her bangs and the short wisps of hair on the nape of her neck to hang down).

Her hair is quite a sight to see. Six different colors, layered one on top of the other, starting with a royal purple on the bottom. On top of the purple is the blue, and on top of the blue is a seafoam green color with yellow crowning her head. Her bangs are two shades of pink; the darker color is on the underside of them and the light pink is on top. She has a long tail that is constantly twitching, and wings that look kind of like fairy wings, though they’re pink and slightly translucent. She has an average skin tone and wears a series of anklets on her right ankle. On her neck is a black choker with the universal symbol of Pirates, the skull. She prefers not to wear shoes.

Sketch of Sylvia's hair:

Personality: Sylvia is a trickster. She loves untying people’s shoes and tying them together, or squirting things on people from above. She’s not very serious, and she likes to chatter, but more than anything she likes being with Ariel. She’s curious, but smart and Ariel often uses her to run little missions.

Weapon: Sylvia’s too small to wield any weapon larger than a paperclip, which everyone knows will cause a lot of pain. Or maybe a toothpick…

Bio: Sylvia lead a rather uninteresting life until she met—and teamed up with—Ariel. She was kept in her tribe until she learned to how to use her wings. Even after she learned to fly, she wasn’t allowed to leave. Finally, her tribe was discovered by Ariel, and after becoming friends, Sylvia decided to leave the tribe and travel with her. She wanted to see the world, after all. And she just so happened to pick the right person. With Ariel the captain of the Blue Rouge Sky Pirates, she got to see everything. Even if the situation was a little tense, they were always moving, always going somewhere! And when Ariel started sending her on little missions to find out information, she got to see even more. It was a dream come true. So Sylvia has stayed with Ariel ever since. She is very close to her and loves her more than anything else.



Name: Elizabeth Sinclair

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Occupation: Student; Senior

Location: Yasufina

Appearance:

Personality: An only child, Elizabeth is used to constant scrutiny, and is a bit of a perfectionist because of it. She studies hard to be good at everything she does. Despite this, however, she is a bit lonely because she has no company at home aside from her parents. She’s hot-tempered, talkative, and, at times, quick to form grudges, but, she is also quick to forgive and help out those who are sincere in their efforts. She hates being ordered around more than anything.

Weapon: N/A

Bio: Elizabeth was born and raised in the small, tranquil town of Yasufina to two scientists, who’s place of work was in Darforth. Consequently, as she was growing up, she was forever traveling between her small town and the big city. While her parents did try for a bit, they were unable to have a second child for their daughter to play with, so she grew up alone. When she became old enough, she began attending the small Yasufinan school, which was set on it’s own little part of the town. Being one of the last monarchial cities in existence in Cirrimus, the city often holds seasonal festivals that everyone in the town participates in, including the New Year’s Festival, Spring Blossom Festival, and Festival of the Harvest (interesting names considering there were few trees and no crops in town).

Regardless of the town’s small size, Elizabeth always loved it and it’s people, so she never really felt much of a desire to stray from home (at least not without some people she knew, such as her parents). Obviously, little happened or changed in Yasufina, a new birth here, a death there, and the annual visits to the palace. Her parents’ professions helped cultivate a love of science in her, so her parents would randomly bring home extra pieces of things they were working on or toys that she could tinker with to see what she could invent. Life has continued in this same thread for all seventeen years of Elizabeth’s life. She excelled in school (there’s really not much else to do in Yasufina but reading and schoolwork), and participated in as many of the school’s field trips and other travel functions as she could.

Rules:
- Please be respectful.
- Clean up OOCs once the matter is resolved.
- Try to stay as active as possible or let me or Oriana know if you will be otherwise occupied.
- Send your bios to either me or Oriana for approval. You can post them once you've been approved.
- Include "spatula" in your PM somewhere to show that you've read the rules.
- All rules for the RP forum apply here as well.
- Long posts aren't always necessary but do try your hardest.
- In this RP, whatever Oriana or I say goes. We want to make this as enjoyable for everyone as possible.
- And finally, ENJOY~!

Please note: No more characters are allowed on the Monkey Licker. Thanks.

Name: Zakary Lakatos

Age: 12

Gender: Male

Occupation: Look-out on the ship, usually in the Crow's Nest where his hamock is set up.

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance:

Personality: Zak is very mischievious. What he's lacking in sense of morality, he makes up for in speed. He has a tendency to steal objects that he finds to his liking, with the intention to never harm anyone by it. He's quite naïve and innocent about the world, yet he has incredible street smarts. He knows how to handle people and how to survive on his own. Zak is quick witted and very sharp, you can't put much passed him. He likes questioning his surroundings and is interested in learning more about the trade of piracy. Zak is quite a scrappy fighter, eager to involve himself in an adventure. He is quite energetic and happy-go-lucky, finding optimism in even the most dire situations.

Weapon: Two small daggars at the hip

Bio: Beginning as a stowaway aboard The Monkey Licker, Zak was found by Captain Ariel and nearly stranded. Tempted to throw him off at the next stop, Ariel quickly grew to appreciate Zak for his abilities as a fast climber and his keen eyesight. He could see things most others couldn't at great distances.

Asked several times where he came from, Zak claims that he doesn't remember. He does, however, remember, but refuses to tell. Zak was born in Yasufina to a small family in the Blacksmith trade. His father, a mean drunk, repeatedly beat him, blaming him for the death of his wife during childbirth with Zak. After a particular nasty encounter, he took to the streets to get away from his father permanently. For years, he spent his life in poverty, learning how to survive by stealing.

Finding his way to the Monkey Licker, Zak felt that with these people he could start over. Though the crew doesn't know it, Zak considers them to be more of a family to him than any other. To the crew, Zak is like a little brother, sometimes annoying yet always reliable.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Name: Evana Toov

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Occupation: Quatermaster

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance:

Personality: Eva is a woman of few words. If nothing need be said, she won't. If something should, she will say it as simply as possible. Some could call her simple-minded; others could call her brilliant. Because she doesn't speak much, some are confused of her intelligence, but once one can see her in action, they truly believe she has a gift. She is highly loyal and respects her seniors, in both rank and age. Despite being quiet, Eva is a fierce warrior. Though she is the silent most of the time, she is quite motherly to some of the younger members of the crew, enjoying making meals for them and teaching them the ways of the world.

Weapon: An aged cutlass and a pistol

Bio: Eva and her four younger brothers were raised by their parents in the city of Bismell. Her father is a retired general in the military, a great hero of his company. Her mother is a school teacher, specializing in mathematics and science. Never much of a talker, Eva found herself surrounded by influences of military might from her father to the importance of education from her mother. Some could consider her privilaged to be raised in such a reknowned household.

Ranked in the top of her class, Eva payed the social price, however, for it. Though she excelled in academics, she could never find true friends. She never felt like she could be herself in Bismell. One day, she learned that she could have the opportunity to explore beyond the walls of the floating island and volunteered to become a member of Ariel's crew. Though her parents reluctantly approved, Eva jumped at the thought that she could relive the adventures of her father, whom she admired deeply.

As quatermaster on the ship, Eva found her place within this microchasm of a society, and finally feels accepted by her peers.

Name: Kirin

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Occupation: Pirate Hunter/Mechanic/Engineer

Location: The Justice

Appearance:

He keeps his mechanical limbs hidden by easy to shed clothing.

Personality: Hard to say. Kirin is mute, but can appear as human as anyone else, including smiling, frowning, and even the stone-lip snarl he reserves for Pirates. His actions are cordial to all, but he is ruthless in battle and will seek to destroy any Pirates he engages with.

Weapon: Kirin has four separate weapons. He has named these weapons to distinguish them from each other, and all can work as one.

Weapon #1 – Guilt

Description: Kirin’s left mechanical arm. It has a piston that slide out where his elbow would be located. After it comes out all the way flame erupts from the tip to slam it back in. Both the extension and thrust are controlled by thumbing pressure points on his fingers. When combined with a punch, the blow can be devastating enough to break bone.

Weapon #2 – Hope

Description: Both of Kirin’s legs are this weapon, and they are each counted separately. There is no hidden weapons or anything of the sort, but the legs themselves are five times as strong as a human being’s. This lets Kirin almost fly, move at high speeds, and deliver powerful kicks. When he has Vengeance on his back or in hand the effectiveness of Hope decreases by 75% due to its weight.

Weapon # 3 – Vengeance

Description: The least-used weapon. It’s a massive sword that Kirin can only wield using his mechanical arm. It is simply far too heavy for his only flesh and blood limb to use. Unlike a normal blade, it has absolutely no sharp edge, being more like a rectangular block on a hilt. Each side has apertures in it that twist and wind their way to various exits. The result of this is that when the weapon is swung, the air literally screams as it rushes through the weapon. Kirin calls this the scream he can’t make to announce his revenge against evil. The noise is loud, high-pitched, and usually enough to startle the enemy. The sword is not meant to cut, it is meant to crush the victim and obliterate their existence.

Bio: Kirin has led a very broken life. At the age of four his parents’ vessel was captured by Sky Pirates. His parents refused to surrender and threw themselves overboard into the void. He himself was forced to serve the Pirates along with his sister, who was five years older than him and tried everything possible to keep him safe.

At the age of six he lost his arm trying to defend his sister, now considered a “woman” by the men of the ship. He had bitten the one making physical advances on his sister in the bum, and was rewarded by the Pirate’s cutlass cutting his left arm clean off. But, his sister then ran the Pirate through with a cutlass she herself had stolen. This crime was enough for the captain to make her walk the plank. Kirin received a sword through the throat that rendered him mute, but lived through it.

At age ten, the Pirates were set upon by a military vessel. An explosion in the lower decks, where Kirin worked on the engines, cost him both of his legs. But, as a result of the battle, he was saved by the military and the Pirates were literally thrown overboard for their crimes after a quick trial without a jury. He was introduced to the ship’s mechanic after they learned that he was fairly skilled with tools.

He quickly befriended the old man who kept the ship running. When they made port, the ship mechanic gave Kirin a special gift he had been working on during the voyage as a hobby, before he had met the boy. After a few adjustments, Kirin now had three mechanical limbs. He was fascinated by these complex machines and quickly learned everything about them. So voracious was his appetite for knowledge that he began studying various modifications he could make to the limbs, and enlisted in the military.

It was not to be. At age thirteen his ship was set upon by no less than ten Sky Pirate ships flying flags of a skull with crossed wrenches. Badly damage, over ¾ of the crew was killed by the ambush and the rest left for dead, with the ship slowly sinking into the void with its engines reaching critical. The old man was one of the deceased. Kirin realized the ship’s doom and quietly escaped via a modified lifeboat, making his way back to port.

Through his earnings, he continued to modify the limbs and began construction on a weapon he would use to destroy Pirates everywhere. He took the lifeboat he had used to escape and modified it as well, turning the thing into a fully functional IPTS. While lacking any weaponry, the real secret of his own personal ship, the Justice, is that its engines are twice as powerful as a normal IPTS, allowing him to pursue and destroy with ease.

Taking the spoils of fallen Pirates he has slain, he continues to make modifications and pursues any and all Pirates with a desire to rid the world of them. He is now known as Silence by other bounty hunters, and is gaining fame with each flag he takes as a trophy.

Name: Operator 042 (His official ‘name’; however, he usually just makes up a pseudonym when needed.)

Age: Late Twenties

Gender: Male

Occupation: None

Location: (To arrive at the beginning of the RP.)

Appearance: He looks more or less like this (nevermind, they took the picture away. Basically, he's a mid-twenties guy with short brown hair and a suit. Simple enough), with these glasses and is always seen carrying this briefcase.

Personality: He is very intelligent, and a bit sarcastic. He thinks and acts quickly, and he values the lives of others, though not (usually) above his own. Due to the fact that he simply pops up in different places, he often doesn't know where he is, and asks people questions that, to them, seem obvious.

Weapon: His briefcase. (Okay, so it’s not a weapon per se, but it’s actually a very advanced piece of equipment.) It is virtually indestructible, and cannot be opened by anyone but him. It is really a combination of various storage compartments, and a computer. He can change the contents by closing it, changing the combination, and opening it again.

Bio: (In order to keep from messing with your plot, I’m not going to bother incorporating any of this guy’s backstory; all you need to know is that he’s on the run from someone, and ended up in Cirrimus when he transported himself to a random location in order to avoid detection; even he didn’t know where he was going.)

This post has been edited by LockeRoberts on 18 July 2007, 04:23 PM

Name: Rikash

Age: 39

Gender: Male

Occupation:Captain-Commander of the Cloud Buster Pirates.

Location: Darforth, waiting for his ship, the Drakenfly, to get out of transit.

Appearance: Rikash stands tall at 6'5", most of which is contributed to his long legs. His short black hair is beggining to grey, and already there are long streaks of
pure white running from his fringe to the nape of his neck. This is a result of living the majority as a sky Pirate. His skin is a very dark tan.

Personality: Having lived as a sky Pirate or with sky Pirates for as long sa he can remember, Rikash has developed an extensive collection of stupid jokes. By nature a joker, he is carefree and handles his ship with such finesse, he can outrun almost any law division that tries to take him on.

Weapon: Rikash wields a long barreled rifle, and two curved knives that hang from his waste.

Bio:Having been born the sun of the previous captain of another Pirate group, Rikash had always been surrounded by some noble, some unsavoury types. The result was that as a child, he dreamed of being the kind of hero he had read about in books, stealing from those with much, keeping some and passing the rest onto others. This dream took him to desert his parents, because their views did not agree with his.

At the age of 15, Rikash hopped a passing ship, and by luck rather than choice, ended up on the ship of a Pirate who was everything he wanted to be. By the time he reached 25, Rikash had become the first mate of the ship. Soon after his promotion, their ship was attacked by a hostile group of Pirates and his mentor and hero was killed in front of his eyes.

Hopping yet another ship, Rikash took all the money that the crew had earned and found his way to Darforth. There he bought his ship, the Drakenfly, from a down-on-his-luck merchant. With this ship, he founded the Cloud Buster Pirates. Now, 14 years later, Rikash is one of the oldest sky Pirates still in the business. His fleet consists of the Drakenfly and a smaller scout, the Starling. Rikash picked his crew from those with the same morals he himself holds, and they follow him with loyalty


Name: Bella

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Occupation: Second in command of the Cloud Buster Pirates, and Captain of the Starling, the smallest ship in the Cloud Buster fleet.

Location: Darforth

Appearance: Bella is a striking woman of average height. Men gaze at her, no matter what city or Peal they're from. Normally she wears clothing befitting a woman of her beauty, but occasionally she dons more practical clothing.

Personality: Bella is a natural flirt, turning heads as she flounces on by. She hates anybody who is overly serious or rigid. She cares for those under her command, and would die for any one of them. Except maybe that ugly new guy...

Weapon: Bella wields a long rapier, and keeps a pistol as a side arm.

Bio: Bella grew up with a rich family, but it was not her own. Her parents were never found and she only made it to a hospital by being left on the steps. The other family adopted her and treated her well, until she turned 7. Deciding she could work for her leaving, her adoptive parents pulled her out of school and set her to work around the house like a maid. She put up with this for 7 more years, then, on her 14th birthday she ran away from home.

She had obviously not thought about the consequencs of life on the street until, in a dark alley one night, a group of men cornered her. Thinking this was the end, Bella covered her head, but the men never touched her. When she lifted up her head, a man dressed like a sky Pirate held his hand out to her. She never forgot his words that day. "Hello, miss. I'm Rikash."

That day she became the second member of the Cloud Busters. She has followed Rikash with respect and loyalty and he has done the same for her.

Name: David Rendack
Age: Unknown - Looks around 25

Gender: Male

Occupation: Ex-member of “The Capricorn,” Sky Pirate/Bounty Hunter
Location: Following after the “The Monkey Licker”

Appearance: David’s eyes are a deep brown, and his dreadlocked hair is a straight black color which he keeps under a white bandana with black designs. He has a chocolate brown complexion and a chinstrap mustache which is somewhat of a trademark to his “look”, which accents his strong face. David also has a beautifully designed tattoo on his left pectoral of three sevens. He stands at about 6’5”, and is very well toned. David wears a white French cuff shirt with silver cufflinks and a black vest with an intricate gold design that zips up and comes up as a collar around the back of his neck. His pants are black and he wears two leather brown holsters which are crossed for his gun and his blade, as well as a several gold and silver rings. He also wears the tattered jacket that his captain used to wear, a brown jacket with a gold trim along the cuffs and bottom with a black Capricorn on the back.

Personality: David is a cool, calm and smooth individual who to many seems almost lethargic in his behavior, however he is in fact simply a constant thinker. Evaluating, calculating, and estimating every situation he comes across, David will almost always “look before he leaps,” because he values his life more than anything. Although he is looked down upon for his seemingly selfish behavior and is believed to be a cold person, he has a warm heart and follows a set of morals that many men and women could never hold to. For that he is respected as a man of principles. He is also quite the ladykiller, known for his suave and debonair when it comes to the opposite secks.

Weapon: David carries two weapons that belong to a set of 7 rare objects known as the “Unlucky Seven.”

Quickdraw 3 VII – A beautifully crafted black steel Damascus scimitar with a black sheath decorated in gold, the sword “Quickdraw 3 VII” is a strange and powerful weapon. A long chain connects the hilt of the sword to the sheath, which has a brass knuckle like handle for drawing the blade. The hilt and guard, designed to look like a lion, are gold and have a thin trigger (similar to that of a modern day motorcycle). When the sword is drawn from the sheath, if the user presses down on the trigger, the sword will “fire” from the sheath with explosive force, increasing its drawing power by tenfold.

This obviously makes it a dangerous weapon, because the users arm can be crushed by the shear force of the blades “Quickdraw” ability. Not only that, but the blade is coated in iron shavings which soak up blood. This creates an ability called “Red Iron” which can be used along with “Quickdraw” to scatter the blood soaked iron shavings at high speeds and rip through objects. It has taken David 12 years to master this sword.

Fenrir 3 III – Another beautifully crafted weapon, Fenrir 3 III is a brown shotgun with a gold hammer and lion design; the wood stock has a comfortable grip which extends down and curves back, giving the arm support. This rectangular barreled weapon packs an awesome punch with a small amount of recoil. The guns chamber, a revolver like cylinder can hold several different types of ammunition (up to eight bullets at a time), reloading like a top break revolver. Although it is classified as a shotgun, the firearm is more closely related to a pistol. David still has yet to master this weapon’s special ability.

Bio: There is a modern day legend among the many sky Pirates of Cirrimus of a ship known as “The Capricorn” which traveled the skies and beyond, searching the world for artifacts and treasure. It is said that they were some of the greatest Sky Pirates in history, but they chose to stand against the military and were crushed, sunk to the void below the world. This legend is passed down from Sky Pirate to Sky Pirate, passed along to all those who wish to travel the skies. It is believed that the survivors of “The Capricorn” went into hiding with all the treasures the ship collected during its voyages, but they left behind what made them human for riches. It is said that they became less than human, creatures whose souls have been dragged down into the nothingness below. It is also known, that every legend carries a bit of truth…

There once was a young boy in the city of Bismell who lived his life like every other, going to school, playing with other children, studying. He lived alongside his mother and younger sister and was content; he had everything he ever needed. But he yearned for the world beyond the clouds, and he would dream of life in the Sky. One day, this boys father came to him, asking if he wanted to join his father aboard a Sky Pirate ship and travel the world. The boy, bright eyed, asked his mother, who reluctantly agreed to let her young son go. Bidding his mother and sister goodbye, he left with his father for the skies.

Although being a crew member on the ship was difficult, the young boy did his best. He never, not even for a second regretted his decision to board, as he saw the world like never before. The boy soon became a young man, and was given a mark upon his chest to signify his acceptance by his fellow crew members. Facing many trials and tribulations, the young man braved the elements, other Sky Pirates, and even stared down a cannon or two while aboard the ship. There were times of hardship and times of great laughter and fun, and life had become full and rich for the young man. He was given a gift from the Captain, a special sword to mark his status as a member of the ship. The young man was ecstatic, as was his father for his coming of age. But the times of fun and laughter were short-lived.

A man dressed in the garb of the military would often visit the ship while she was in port and speak with the Captain. The man always left with a look of frustration, and the Captain seemed worried after every conversation. The young man never heard what they were speaking about, but it worried his father. For three months the man would come and visit until he did not visit for quite some time. The Captain who was now worried, took the ship out of port and into the open sky. It would be the last time she set sail. That night the ship was destroyed, and the crew sank into the nothingness below.

But there were survivors of that horrid event. The young man, his father, and twelve other crew members escaped the massacre that took place that night. Each of them carrying a weapon the Captain left for them, they saluted the man who had shown them the world as he and his ship went down in flames. The young man’s father was crippled from the waste down, while the young man seemed almost empty, clutching to the sword and the coat the captain gave him. He would remember the words the Captain told him for the rest of his life.

“I’m asking a great deal from you, but I ask you to bear with me boy. I need you to carry out the will of this ship, the will of your Captain.” The Captain spoke, his voice still strong even with the wounds on his body. His eyes still fierce even with his ship burning. Standing on the deck near the life boats he crouched down near the young man, his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “I want you to find the remaining pieces of the ‘Unlucky Seven.’ And I want you to make those who would harm the freedom of these skies pay. Can you do that?” Eyes full of tears the young man said yes, holding tightly onto the sword that his Captain gave him, draped in his Captain’s coat. “Thank you my boy. Always remember what we stood for. Never forget.”

That young man now walked the path of a man driven, who will accomplish his task by any means. David Rendack is one of the few survivors of the ship known as “The Capricorn.” His search, bound by his Captain’s last request, has led him to the crew of the “Monkey Licker” whom he is now following after. David is a man who will not let up on his quest to find the pieces of the “Unlucky Seven”, no matter what it takes or who must taste his steel.

Name: Gaignun Bei Fong the Fifth ("Guy" for short)

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Occupation: Crown prince of Yasufina and world renowned Master Thief.

Location: Yasufina, constantly travels for various capers.

Appearance:

Personality: Guy is made up of two very different sides. When putting around the palace and attending to official business, he is quiet, wise, insightful, a true public figure. Many consider him to be the true voice of the people. He can often be found outside of the castle, walking among the people and getting their input on the state of things. He is a truly compassionate soul, who cares more about his people than himself more often than not.

However, when he isn't being a public figure, he's pretty... crazy. He sings badly with friends who also sing badly, and dances randomly in public areas. He's louder than most sirens and can really make a scene. He's playful like a puppy and makes jokes that are pretty lame. His friends are more important to him than anything in the world and he has often gotten in trouble for taking the blame for things they've done.

Weapon: And pearl blue mallet taller than he himself is. The head of the mallet is encrusted in jewels that form the shape of dolphins. The staff is inscribed in waves with intricate gold leafing. The hammer is said to have powers beyond human comprehension, as it is part of a set boasting equal renown. While Guy has been the mallets master for about four years now, he has still yet to find any proof of the aforementioned "power", and has shelved the theory as nothing more than legend.

Bio: Born the Crown Prince of Yasufina, His Royal Highness and Serene Majesty Prince Gaignun Bei Fong the Fifth, or as he is more commonly called, Prince Gaignun the Tranquil, has lived a life full of love, riches, family, friends, and duty. Well, more accurately put, he has lived "lives" full of love, riches, family, friends, and duty... and secrecy.

The oldest child of Emperor Gaignun the Fourth and Empress Dwayna, Gaignun is considered by many to be a beacon of hope for the people of Yasufina, and a role model for his four younger brothers and recently added baby sister. Though Guy has never once complained about his life as a royal, it is apparent to those who know him best that he has always longed for a life of... difference. And so, it should come as no surprise that when the option presented itself to him at the age of 13, he was quick to accept.

One day, four years ago, when strolling through the marketplace, Guy stumbled upon an older gentleman, stumbling down the street, clearly overloaded with recently purchased goods. Being the kind and gentle soul that he is, Guy approached the gentleman and offered his assistance. Grateful for the help, he lead Guy back to his newly purchased estate for tea as thanks. The home was about half the size of the palace, and as opulently decorated. Golden sabers glittered magnificently behind class cases and ornate tapestries hung from the walls. Guy's first impression was that the man ran a brothel. Why else would he go through the trouble of decorating so lavishly? But it was then that something caught his eye.

Sitting there, on the desk, a small crystal bird danced in the light. It was the same small crystal bird, that Guy knew had been stolen from the palace two years former. The theft of the royal family had resulted in an uproar, and the memory still stood gingerly in the mind of many.

"That bird... that's my fathers. Where on earth did you get tha--" A blade flashed past his face, nearly removing his head. It would have completely severed had it not been for Gaignun's own dexterity. It was then that he noticed it was the elderly man who was attacking him-- and doing a damn good job of it too. A half hour passed, and Guy managed to barely evade his onslaught of attacks. Only when both were thoroughly worn out, did the attacks stop.

"It's rare when someone is able to survive one of my attacks. What is your name?"

"Gaignun. Gaignun Bei Fong." The gentleman chuckled happily and set down the sword. The man walked out of the room, motioning for Guy to follow. The two walked through the halls, eventually walking down a long set of stairs and through a large set of iron doors. The room they stood in was dark, lit dimly small candles. The room was full of glittering piles of treasure, strewn about the room as though it were dirty laundry. The walls were covered in clippings of newspapers, all about the same person.

"Oh my... you're The King." And it was from that day onward that Gaignun was trained by Albert Simon Moore, better known as The King, the greatest thief the world had known in centuries. His skills honed, and his pent up frustration vented, Gaignun adopted the name Wing, and he too became known for his prodigious skills in the art of thievery.

A "Pirate of Pirates", Wing was known for stealing from Sky Pirates soon after they had looted expensive freighter ships or luxury cruisers. Pirates regarded him as a traitor, the authorities regarded him as a threat, Wing rose to celebrity status in a manner of weeks, and still remains a popular topic of gossip and discussion.

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Name: Andrea -- Andy for short.

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Occupation: Crew aboard The Monkey Licker and, unknown to herself, protegé of Ariel.

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance:

Personality: Andy is by far, the epitome of carefree. She often cares little for her own personal well being, and as such, can often be found doing quite dangerous things without the aid of what she calls "safety junk". She extremely flirtatious and uses her assets to her advantage. She often walks on her hands just to throw people off, and it isn't totally out of the ordinary to find her walking around completely naked, just to prove her freedom of expression.

Weapon: As agile as she is, it should come as no surprise that Andy is a master of all means of throwing knives, stars, parrots, and knives (You just try to find something wrong with that.). She also keeps a small Cutlass/Scimitar hybrid at her side for when she finally runs out of things to throw. But lets not kid ourselves. With all the small children there are in the world, there's always something to throw.

Bio: Andy was born and raised in an Orphanage on Bjottia. Being without a loving family, she was put to work in the mines at an early age. The young girl was constantly in trouble for goofing off on the job, and learned at an early age that adults were the enemy. Throughout her years at the orphanage, Andy became some what of a fiendish mastermind, planning various pranks, revolts, and mischievous doings to make the adults lives as difficult as humanly possible. The girl seemed to have a real talent for [censored]ing people off.

But, as much as she liked giving the adults at the orphanage hell, she longed for a life among a family. And so, when a ship docked itself one day on Bjottia, Andy leaped into action. Hiding herself in one of the crates of ore that were being carried onto the ship, Andy hid for a little over a day, until finally venturing out of her box. Navigating the many corridors, when she finally reached fresh air, she found herself soaring in the clouds, the wind whipping through her hair . It was heaven.

For about four seconds until she was surrounded by a very angry looking group of Pirates.

Taken to the captain, Andy was pretty much sure she was about to have her head forcibly removed. Much to her surprise, however, the captain admired her spunk, her "can do" attitude, her lack of real care for her own life. And so it came to be, that when she was thirteen, Andrea joined the Blue Rogue Pirates. And she's never looked back since then.

Name: Cedric Dawnsturn

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Occupation: Sky Pirate; Pilot of The Monkey Licker; Assassin/Sniper.

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance: Cedric stands at 6'5'' with an all too skinny built; in addition to being naturally slim, the fact that he has close to no muscle and hardly ever eats doesn't help his weight much. Cedric's hair is about shoulderlength and shaggy, in an ashen blonde shade. He has a lengthy fringe and rarely does much to his hair; usually he keeps it down, or in a simple braid. His eyes are a clear sky-blue, and often has a blank look to them. His skin is pallid and clean.

Cedric prefers clothing that hides his skinny frame, and so usually wears many, many layers of clothes. Usually this will include at least two pairs of baggy pants, undershirts, vests and overshirts. He prefers subtle greens and browns, with the occasional article of off-white. All his clothes are simple with far-from intricate designs. He sometimes keeps a scarf tied around his head, and a pair of black-rimmed goggles whenever piloting.

Personality: Cedric is extremely withdrawn and antisocial. He absolutely despises being the center of attention, and dislikes talking to most people. He will rarely say anything without having been asked a specific question first. He acts careless and indifferent to most subjects, and in reality, he is – He's close to being a sociopath, nearly incapable of comprehending or even experiencing emotion of any sort. Although he is intelligent, he has trouble understanding people's actions at times, especially those born from pure emotion.

Weapon: A rifle and a shotgun.

Bio: Shortly after his birth in Bjottia, both of Cedric's parents were killed in an accident. The infant was immediately dumped in the orphanage, having no living relatives that were capable of or wished to raise him. This decided his fate – Orphaned in Bjottia, he would surely end up a miner with scarcely a paycheck to boast of.

Naturally, this was how things turned out – As soon as he was old enough, the unnaturally quiet and detached boy was taken to work in the mines, and he did so without complaint. In fact, he never voiced his opinion on anything that mattered, be it positive or negative remarks. He was always in the background, observing, never mingling or attempting to take part in conversations or social gatherings of any sort.

However, it wasn't until he was sixteen that he discovered his true nature – when, in a minor cave in, he accidentally caused the death of a co-worker and realized it had no effect on him, whatsoever. He decided to himself that he simply did not care, not about this place, these people, or anything he had yet encountered in this world, and so ran away, seeking anything that might move him or trigger something in him. For the last years he had studied piloting and mechanics among various other topics in his sparetime, and when The Monkey Licker passed by Bjottia, in need of a new pilot, he offered his services.




Name: Valentin Vimes

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Occupation: Sky Pirate; Engineer aboard The Monkey Licker; Rental thief.

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance: Valentin stands at 6'1'' with a slender, yet powerful build. He possesses a natural grace and is both athletic and gymnastic. Valentin's hair is a pale blonde hue, with long bangs on the left side of his face that falls a few inches past his chin, and shorter bangs on the right side coming down just below his eye. The rest of his hair is kept in a practical short cut, a couple of inches long at the most. His eyes are a ruby-red color, and he wears a black eyepatch over his left one, for reasons he isn't comfortable telling others of that easily. He has a slim, pointed face and high, arched eyebrows.

Valentin, while his preferred choice of clothing lies on a more aristocratic level, is usually seen wearing a simple, semi-tightfit engineering-worksuit.

Personality: Valentin is a quiet and rather vain individual. He isn't stand-offish or anti-social, but he is hardly ever the center of attention in a group of people due to his serene nature. He prefers being with only a selected few people over masses and masses, but is perfectly capable of working as part of a bigger team, as long as his task is adequately explained to him. He hates making mistakes, and is hopeless in debates as he is quite stubborn and will close to never admit to being wrong. He thoroughly enjoys looking good.

Weapon: An unlikely amount of throwing-daggers.

Bio: Valentin grew up in Darforth, and despite it's modern and technologically advanced advantages, led a severely uninteresting adolescence. He lived with his mother, his father having disappeared without trace when Valentin was merely a toddler. Oddly, this never seemed to really bother Valentin; he was a rational and gifted individual, could hold his own in and out of school and all in all he was normal.

Normal, if you didn't count his slight 'impulses' that began around his mid-teens. Simple, small urges to snatch something that wasn't his and flee. And with time and trouble, he became rather skilled even in this area; at the cost of his mother that was.

Becoming aware of her son's rebellious tendancies to run off with others' possessions, she promptly disowned him despite his pleas for forgiveness and promises of quitting his cleptomaniac tendancies. But his mother held her ground without budging, and thus he ended up where he is today – As an airship passed through town, he made his way aboard, offering his skills with engineering as payment for staying there and become part of the crew.

Still, he wishes to make peace with his mother, but he is doubtful that he will success as stealing simply gives him the thrill of his life.




Name: Cidou K'redos

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Occupation: Sky Pirate; Ship Management and Protocol Administrative aboard The Monkey Licker

Location: The Monkey Licker

Appearance: Cidou stands at 6'3'' with a characteristically lean built, broadshouldered and with a narrow waist and hips. His hair is a honey-like blonde and at all times he will appear to have walked right out from the stylist. It is lengthy and flares outwards, with long bangs that frame his face perfectly. His eyes are an intense jade-green and he almost constantly wears a smirk on his face and an air of confidence about him.

When it comes to clothing, Cidou likes anything tight-fit and classic. I.e, skin-tight leatherpants tucked nicely into pointed leather-boots, accompanied by a wide-sleeved white shirt buttoned at the cuffs, topped by intricately patterned vests. Oddly enough, he enjoys combining this sort of clothing with expensive shades.

Personality: Cidou's ego and confidence are nothing short of colossal. He enjoys a good laugh and can often be seen joking around (or flirting) with just about anyone, and despite his major arrogance, he is a fairly likeable guy. He does not know his own limits though, and simply hates it when there is something he just can't manage. He also dislikes being left alone for a longer amount of time, as he strongly prefers the company of others. He is very intelligent and has a unique sense of logic.

Weapon: Two customized revolvers.

Bio: Cidou was born into an extremely wealthy family in Mohar, as the youngest of two sons. He was set to be the next vice-president of his father's platinum-company, one of the largest technology-dealers in Mohar. Due to this 'fate' of sorts, from a very young age, Cidou received advanced lessons in technology and programming.

However, upon reaching his teens, Cidou came across a much more amusing way to spend his time in front of the computer – he discovered hacking. And with a little practice, and a little trouble, he had soon reached the peaks of this noble art, as the mastermind he was. Having lead an extremely dull and controlled life thus far, Cidou was thrilled to be able to screw over a business or two, whether they be his father's or not.

But his ministrations did not go on unnoticed – his brother, the bastard, was neither stupid nor particularly fond of his younger brother. With the hope that their father might abandon Cidou and simply leave the company's future up to him, he did his very best to prove Cidou's illegal actions, and was successful.

More to his pleasure than dismay Cidou was robbed of his title of 'next vice-president', and was instead simply employed into lower sections of the company – still with access to a computer. His arrogance and pride was still unwounded, and soon crazy ideas came to mind – Crazy ideas of leaving this controlled life behind for something more free, and maybe something less lawful, too.

His dream was soon to come true. Still living in Mohar, airships would pass through town nearly every day, and finding a suitable one was not hard if you had a little money to throw around. In exchange for a small amount of his family fortune, as well as the promise of a more than trust-worthy worker in the CIC department, Cidou got aboard The Monkey Licker as a member of the Blue Rouge Sky Pirates.

Name: Anah Adalheidis

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Occupation: Field researcher for The Skoelberg Society of Terrærmuneris Studies

Location: Mohar

Appearance: Anah is a rather short woman standing only five foot three inches. Her hair is jet black, wavy, and falls just below her waist. She is fair-skinned, rather slim with blue eyes and soft features. She usually wears heavy black boots, leather chaps, a large belt and thick scarf over her other clothing. She also has a love of heavy cloaks and long coats; particularly oversized ones.

Personality: Anah is usually quiet, and un-talkative. She is curious about the world around her and enjoys learning how things work. She is hardly methodical in her ways, with exception of research, with which she takes the of greatest care. Friendly and usually smiling, she is tactful in speech and somewhat deviant in thinking. Anah is quite independent. And has a fondness of alcohol, amongst other things; something of a vice. Consequently, she always keeps an eye out for hangover remedies.

Weapon: Pepper-box revolver and compact six-shooter (The Skoelberg Society suggest all of it’s members arm themselves. Recently this suggestion has been taken as more or less a requirement with the recent killing of a prominent and outspoken member, Professor Anton Dergost.)

Bio: Anah Adalheidis, born to Adah and Bea Adalheidis, intellectuals that spent most of their lives traveling throughout Cirrimus. They prided themselves on having visited every major city at least once. Adah and Bea felt rather encumbered, having children and so, Anah was quickly shipped off to a boarding school in Bjottia. She graduated at 18 and went on to attend the Denn General Academy in Darforth, there she spent the next four years studying various subjects. At 22 she graduated and moved on to Denn Academy where she briefly studied Natural world systems. She was quickly dissatisfied with the curriculum, and left the school after only a year. Shortly after she received news of her parents’ deaths in the loss of the “Helen” IPT. She had spent little time with them. They had sent gifts for her birthdays and for each New Year. But, aside from this there was not much of anything in ways of a relationship.

Two years later, Anah joined The Skoelberg Society of Terrærmuneris Studies. The Skoelberg Society rejects contemporary theories regarding the operation of the universe and it’s subsequent systems. It makes a point to educate its students only using proven laws and concepts. Encouraging the exploration of theories, which seek to explain the nature of systems within the universe. After three years of induction studies Anah was given membership. She has now been doing field research on behalf of The Skoelberg Society for about a year. Most recently she has gone to Mohar in hope of finding a ship that ventures outside of usual travel routes. With news of Professor Dergost’s Killing, Anah has been keeping a relatively low profile. She does not openly mention her involvement with The Skoelberg Society. Nor does she specify what kind of research she conducts. Often posing as a meteorologist. (Though she did study meteorology, it is not her main area of interest.) The Society considers her eligible to write a manuscript. Upon doing so, she will be assessed her for a doctorate in her chosen subject area. To call Anah well schooled would be a bit of an understatement.

Name: Delée Delwyn

Age: Late Twenties

Gender: Male

Occupation: Smuggler

Location: Mohar

Appearance: Delée is of average height. He keeps his head clean-shaven, eyebrows included. He has strong, sharp features, leafy-green eyes. He is quite thin, his hands are large, bony, and, almost elegant-looking. He usually wears Overcoats and other, heavy, drab clothing. Though, when in smaller towns He makes an attempt to blend in somewhat.

Personality: Delée is shrewd, quick speaking, and has a playful way about him. Though, he is very much, no-nonsense when the situation calls for it. He is subversive and will never flinch when it comes to taking the less-than-moral road. He also tends to be somewhat paranoid, and is particularly wary of authority figures. Still, he is kind, and takes pride in his work. He has little conviction against gambling.

Weapon: A pair of six guns, a Blunderbuss, and backup Remington Derringer (A bit excessive, but you never know.)

Bio: Delée tells no one his past. The way he sees it, the past is the past, and should be buried. For those who do manage to pry something out of him, they typically learn that he has been smuggling and trafficking for the past several years, mostly around Mohar. And that he formerly worked in the Disu mines.

Because of the exceptionally lucrative nature of the smuggling business, Delée has managed to buy a small IPT ship, The Basilisk. He makes runs throughout Peals 1 and 4. The ship is used exclusively for smuggling contraband (and the necessary cover cargo.) He deals mostly in stolen goods, working for various cartels. Recently though he has taken up contracts dealing in contraband to help pay his debts.

Elizabeth sighed as she stepped out of the shop. As excited as she was to be somewhere new, it wasn’t really new. She’d been to Darforth so many times, she could traverse it’s streets in her sleep. Still, it was nice to see what new gadgets they had at other laboratories. Her parents were always bringing home prototypes of things from their place of work, but she rarely got to see the competition.

She looked around, holding newly purchased goods close to her chest. Gloves with pads on the fingers that were supposed to let the wearer cling to walls and the ceiling and a small instrument that was like a virtual diary; you could talk and record yourself into the instrument (which kind of resembled a pocket mirror), and play it back later. Voice activated, password protected, hologram playback (based on settings). She wasn’t certain where she’d ever use them, but they sounded cool in the store. Now where was her traveling companion? She’d thought he’d been right behind her on the way out. She turned around, looking for him. “Hmm, I wonder where he could have gone,” she sighed, taking a few more steps away from the door.

Not many people had come on this trip, at least not as many as Elizabeth had been expecting. Probably because everyone at her school went to Darforth at least once a month. It wasn’t that interesting to go there on a school sponsored trip. Elizabeth felt the same. You couldn’t do half the stuff under the teacher’s guidance that you could do on your own. And she was old enough now that her parents had given her permission to go to Darforth whenever she wished, provided that she let them know first, of course. But, regardless, she’d signed up to go on this school trip. And then her mom had insisted that she wear the uniform. (“Everyone else will be wearing it. You don’t want to be the odd one out.”) Thanks to her mother, she was the only one stuck in the lame, straight-laced brown pleated skirt, off-white blouse, red tie, and brown pullover sweater vest that was the Yasufinan high school uniform.

“Ugh, Guy… doesn’t he know it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?” she grumbled as she lowered herself to the steps and sat with her back leaning against one of the pillars supporting the concrete covering that provided shade for those just stepping out of the shop. She’d been careful to select a stair still in the shade to wait for her friend. “I wanted to go check out the observation deck too,” she pouted, as she dug her virtual diary out of the bag and stared at it. She wasn’t much of a diary person. Perhaps she’d give it to one of the girls back home.



Ariel sat up, and yawned, looking around her room blearily. “What time is it?” she mumbled to herself, reaching over to check the clock built into the nightstand/counter by her bed. She pressed a button on the metal surface and watched the small box rise out from within it. A small feature she’d asked Valentin to install for her. When the alarm was set, the clock would go off from inside the stand, and the button that would open the compartment and bring the clock out into the open was clear on the other side of the room (the one right beside her bed was disabled), so to stop the wretched noise, she’d have to get out of bed and traverse the cold metal floor. And of course, pressing the button didn’t stop that annoying beeping noise. She’d have to run back across the room to turn it off, and of course, by the time she’d done all that, she was so awake, the thought of even flopping back into bed seemed like a cruel joke. She was nearly always in a bad mood in the mornings. But, she hadn’t set the alarm today. So she felt perfectly happy. Ten-thirty in the morning. Last night’s party had put her in a jovial mood.

She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the bedhead, but at least she’d have company doing so. She twisted around to where she could see Sylvia sprawled out on her pillow, with her small blanket (one of Ariel’s handkerchiefs). She reached over and poked the small girl. “Sylvie, wake up. It’s morning.” She twittered and rolled over. Sylvia was even worse in the mornings than Ariel was, but she’d get mad if the pink-haired woman left without waking her up. “Sylvia, get up!” she yanked the hankie away. The burst of cold air woke the small creature up instantly. She shivered for a minute, and then started twittering like mad, stomping around on the pillow, glaring up at Ariel, and flaring her small nostrils. Ariel laughed. “There, there, Sylvie. Come on. Let’s go get dressed.” Standing, she crossed the room, heading for her shower.

Sylvia wasn’t done yet. She flew after her, straining her wings so she could get in Ariel’s face and started waggling her finger at her. Telling her off with words Ariel couldn’t understand. She stared at her, anyway. Somewhat shocked by the display. “Sylvie, I’m sorry,” she supplied as she began stripping off her night clothes. “But you get mad at me when I leave you asleep. So stop complaining and get ready for your bath.” She ran the water for Sylvia’s bath in the sink and got into the shower.



Half an hour later, Ariel was sitting on her bed combing out the last kinks in her hair, before tying her bandana on over the roots of her hair. “Are you ready, Sylvia?” she asked as she looked over where her sidekick was primping in front of the mirror. She shook her head. Sylvia was so vain some times. She stood and headed for the door. “Come on. We’ve hung around in here more than long enough.” Sylvia abandoned the mirror and flew to her partner’s shoulder, where she settled herself for the walk to the cockpit. That was always the first stop in the mornings. She walked down the hall for a couple minutes before veering left out of the residency area. Passed the hallway that led to the pod ships, engine, and other technical goodies. Passed the stairway that led up to the kitchen and dining hall. She turned right and passed a flight of stairs that lead up straight to the observation area and instead headed straight towards the end of the hall, where a flight of stairs lead down into the highest level of the cockpit.

She trotted down those and leaned over the edge of the observation deck. She could see Cedric already sitting in the pilot chair. She thought she saw Eva down on the bottom level where the weapons were. “Has anyone seen Andy?” she asked as she headed away from the edge of the railing and headed down the stairs to the level where the CIC, pilot, and other basic radar panels were found. A short flight of stairs lead to the weapons station. “How is everything? Anything detected on radar?”