tokyobiohazard

Good luck everyone!

"Yes, Mama... Uh huh... Right." Mina listened to her mother prattle on in her ear about her brother's college options, "Yes, I know." As her taxi pulled up to the front of the C2Believe headquarters, Mina was quite excited to snatch this opportunity to cut her call with her mother short, as it was her second call today alone, and it was barely noon. "Oh, they have someone waiting outside for me, Mama. I'll have to call you when the test is over tonight... Yeah. Love ya bunches, bye... Okay, I will. Bye." There was, however, nobody waiting for her outside. In fact, the whole place had a strange kind of austere and empty beauty about it. She tipped her cab driver before grabbing her heavy purse and throwing it onto her shoulder. She smoothed down her daisy-patterned skirt and fixed a bright pink flyaway curl that'd come loose during the drive, then headed toward the door at a brisk pace when her alarm buzzed, showing that she was five minutes late. Her chunky heels clacked on the polished floor as she rushed toward the only people in the lobby, who she assumed were her fellow beta testers, "Oh my god, sorry I'm late! How were you guys all early? The traffic was like, insane! I was sure I'd make it on time. Is this all of us?" She noticed there was a man addressing the group and promptly pretended to zip her lips, "Sorry. I'm kind of a motormouth..."

You're approved, Mason!

Name: Mina Johnson Gender: Female Age: 20 Physical appearance: Mina is a svelte but tall young woman, standing at around 5'9", with dark skin and long bubblegum pink-dyed hair that hangs around her face in a mass of curls. She usually keeps it in a ponytail or braid to keep it out of her way. Her features are pleasing to look at, with full lips and large, almond-shaped brown eyes. She is physically fit, though very slight. She enjoys dressing fashionably and has a large collection of outfits. Personality: Mina is easy to get along with and usually overly outspoken. She is quick to make friends and has a reputation for being a bit of a joker, but when she needs to focus she can be quite serious. Favorite gaming franchise(s): Fallout, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Left 4 Dead, Pokemon, Mario Bros. Occupation: College student, accomplished track star Background: Mina is one of three children from an upper middle class family who own a few restaurants in her hometown. She grew up with little to no conflict to overcome in her life, with no real enemies to speak of. She's very social and considered by many to be a good friend. She is one of the most accomplished members of her college's track team, boasting quick speeds and high endurance. She plays video games casually, mostly shooters, perhaps making her one of the least knowledgeable beta testers in the program, but one of the most excited nonetheless.

You're approved, Auri! Welcome aboard.

Thanks for the response to the mod request. Surprised to see this necro'd but it's not unwelcome. Ty for the mod link @sykoholic001 and also @devinpatterson this mod has some jewelry you might be able to work with if you're still wanting to come out with something of your own http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/47951/? (Kaws Body Jewelry Expanded)

I never found anything else! Sorry. :(

Emilie stowed her knife into the pocket of her jeans and shook Rose's hand. "I came from the city, out by the mall in the center of town. I'm not sure if there are any reservations around there, unless you mean Amish country. That's a couple hundred miles out." The pale-skinned girl bit her lower lip, crossing her arms as she tried to process the information given to her. This girl, Rose, was obviously taken from somewhere much farther away from Emilie's town. Perhaps there was a serial killer collecting girls like them. The two of them weren't so different from each other in regards to their style and age. Those sorts of killers had types and patterns, didn't they? However, she then heard more voices carrying on from the darkness ahead of them, some of them male. "I don't think we're dealing with a killer... Or anyone from your reservation. Something else has to be up. We'd better try and find the others. I still have my knife if anything goes south." Emilie found her legs shaking, but trode onward in the darkness, snatching out her phone and checking the battery. Her phone was nearly at a full charge since she couldn't use it at work, and a flashlight seemed important in these dark conditions. As she went to open her flashlight app, she had a stroke of genius she was quite proud of, and stretched onto her tiptoes, snatching one of the torches off its sconce on the wall. She was surprised by its weight, but held it firmly in her right hand, remarking, "Someone has to keep these things lit. They're not electric at all. But, at least we have a portable light without using up my phone's battery. We'll need that to call someone when we get outside. No service in here at all."

Emilie waved goodbye to Adam, the poor guy running the register for the evening shift with an "I would rescue you if I could" grimace and headed out of the mall, bidding farewell to Hot Topic and its army of edgy teenage customers for yet another day, clutching her "hot mess clearance" employee discount spoils for the day: a case for her smartphone with a simple red anarchy symbol printed over a black background. She clipped the case into place, pleased that it actually fit. It was a bit cheap, but it'd have to do after her previous case was chewed up by Adam's dog. Maybe he did deserve the late shift. She grabbed herself something from the food court for dinner, and slipped her $10 bill into one worker's hand as she was handed a plastic bag laden with two warm burritos by another employee. She collected her change and smiled awkwardly as she slid her backpack onto her shoulder, tying up her plastic bag and stuffing it inside. She could taste the overstuffed burritos, each with a generous dollop of sour cream, already as she walked outside the mall and hurriedly made her way toward the nearest bus stop, stomach growling all the while. To her chagrin, a downpour started just as she contemplated munching on a burrito while she waited for the next bus. Emilie was brought out of her hungry ponderings when a man sat next to her at the bus stop, and she held her backpack close to her body out of paranoia. The man next to her didn't look like the type to be using public transportation, or to snatch her bag, which set off alarms in her head. He wore an expensive suit and tie that probably costed more than Emilie's rent, looking as if he belonged in a chauferred Mercades rather than a city bus stop. Maybe he was taking shelter from the rain. Emilie's eyes cut toward him for a moment too long, and he began to try and speak with her. "So, how much?" the man asked, his tone less than friendly and his expensive suit drenched with rain, though it looked like he could afford to throw this one away and replace it with another without a second thought. "I'm sorry? I don't understand." Emilie replied, although she very much did understand what he was asking, scooting away from the man as far as she could without leaving the shelter of the bus stop and getting drenched. At this point, her adrenaline started pumping, and she prepared herself to run as fast as she could down the sidewalk. "Never mind. I can give you a ride home, if you like. My car's parked down the street. This rain's awful heavy, isn't it?" Emilie stared at him open-mouthed, and the man slid his hand across the bench, reaching for her leg. At this point, Emilie didn't stick around to hear another word and bolted toward the nearest open business, clutching her backpack to her chest. Finally, she saw the McDonald's after running nearly two blocks, and slowed down, relieved. She never reached the door, however, as she was knocked into the street on her back by a bright flash of light which blinded her and set her ears ringing, before her vision faded to black. --------------------------- When Emilie awoke, she was surprised to be unscathed by her fall into the street, let alone alive. She was mostly dizzy, and a bit disoriented, but she didn't have any outward injuries and was thankful for that. As far as she could tell, she was in was what seemed to be a concrete basement illuminated by torch-lit sconces, her back to a corner, and her hoodie and backpack lay several feet away, the pack's contents scattered on the floor. She crawled over to her pack, shoving her wallet, keys, makeup bag, and now cold dinner inside and snatching out her smartphone, which was miraculously intact. As she shrugged on her hoodie to ward off the chilly air on her back she assumed the worst, Oh my god... I'm in that guy's basement and he's going to torture me in here! Oh god, what if he does worse than that? With a feeling of dread that left her racing heart in the pit of her stomach, she realized her phone had no signal. Figures he wouldn't let me keep that unless it wouldn't work in here. Wait... Did he take my knife? Rifling through her scant possesions, Emilie snatched out something that could be her ticket out of here, her sleek black pocket knife. She was confused as to why he would allow her to keep something like her knife, but pushed the thought out of her mind as she opened the knife and snatched up her bag. She'd trekked through the labyrinthine basement for what seemed like hours in confusion as her path twisted and took many turns, knife in hand, before she started hearing voices echo toward her at the end of a T-shaped hallway. Highly distressed, with tears welling up in her eyes upon hearing other people for the first time in ages, she called out, "Hello? Are you guys okay? I just woke up, and I think he hasn't hurt me yet. I... I have a knife. Maybe we can ambush him. And I have some food too." As she rounded the corner, someone came into view and Emilie cautiously made her way toward the figure at the far end of the hallway. Emilie was able to see that it was a young girl, possibly a little older than herself but a few inches shorter. The girl's black hair was carelessly tousled, she was wearing an outfit not unlike Emilie's, but a lot more conservative, and she seemed to be feeling her way through the corridors. Emilie lowered her knife, but didn't stow it away just yet. "Hi? I'm Emilie... I-I'm so glad I found you. A man tried to take me and I blacked out at the end of the street, and now I'm in here. I think he kidnapped me."

Name: Emilie Taylor Gender: Female Age: 22 Physical Description: Emilie is of middling height with a thin frame and nonexistent curves which lends her body an androgynous look. Her large eyes, almost always rimmed with black eyeliner, and girlish pouty lips, however, help make it much more clear that she is female. She has a ring through her septum, a spike-shaped stud in her lower lip, and dimple piercings in her cheeks. Her left temple is shaved to stubble, and the other side of her head sports shoulder-length, choppy hair in a natural shade of sandy blonde with blue tips. Equipment/Clothing: Emilie is currently wearing a black tank top which exposes most of her back and sides, with a ribcage design on the front, a union jack printed bandeau bra underneath. She has a hoodie with a popular video game logo on the back of it tied around her waist over a pair of ripped relaxed fit jeans. A pair of leather combat boots rest on her feet, laced tightly. She has a smartphone, a wallet, her house keys, some makeup, and a pocket knife in a slouchy backpack. Background: Emilie grew up in a less than forgiving and rather impoverished household in which one of her parents was a drunk and the other a pushover. Despite her appearance and upbringing, however, Emilie is a rather straight-edge young person who rarely even drinks and keeps to herself for the most part. She's still unsure of her path in life, and hasn't begun searching for a career yet, and therefore works at a local mall.

Aera was quite confused when the winged drow was mentioned, the amazon weretigress raising a brow at the strange mental image her mind conjured. Her curiosity spurred her toward the drow, along with her companions. Hazel remained amused at We'Tak's incessant questioning about softskin mating rituals, though, less concerned with their trek toward the drow woman, calling out to him as they rode onward. "I'm not sure about whether I'd be considered a softskin, but my kind also have interesting mating rituals. Perhaps when we next make camp, I can tell you about them."

Aera was none too pleased with the fair lady Rosalinde yanking her down to eye level to plant kisses on both her cheeks after an overly lengthy kiss with Sir Gregor. She cringed internally, and was very excited to be outside as soon as the party left the tower. "I thought we'd never get out of there. In fact, I was afraid she'd enchant us into staying forever." Hazel shook her head at the weretigress' words and replied, "She wouldn't have done that. I thought their love was very sweet, if a little dramatic."

Aera tilted her head at the fair lady's overly-romantic reaction to Sir Gregor still carrying her kerchief. She supposed everyone regarded love differently, but she still found their infatuation with each other to be especially strange. After all, who would enchant or curse their lover into staying just out of reach? Hazel, back with the party, fell close behind Abby and Zorica as she, too, pondered this couple's peculiar love. She was sure there was a story behind this, and that the party would end up with an earful eventually.

Aera followed Rhaine and company to the tower, surprised by the old maid who opened the door. She expected a bit more powerful a bodyguard for the place, but perhaps the enchantments were enough. Hazel watched as Rameses and Sir Gregor clashed, and winced as Rameses was thrown completely off his horse. She wasn't too worried about him, but it didn't stop her reaction. She grinned as Rameses stepped back into the fray of party members, and she decided she'd be among the first few to remark on what had happened, "Maybe we'll have to call you Sir Rameses someday."

Aera was about to volunteer to joust with the knight, before she realized that she, too, would have been likely turned down. She had no armor, and her horse was tired enough from carrying her this far. She was most likely going to sell the poor creature at the next town, and find some other mount which could bear someone of her stature more easily. Hazel rode close to the front of the group, near Rhaine. The dryad thought she would have been a good contender for the joust, as she wouldn't have been hurt by the lances or burdened by a shield, but she wasn't sure of the rules, and kept to herself. She did smile, however, when Abby suggested the knight had friend issues. She raised an eyebrow and cheekily muttered to the half-dragon, "Maybe he's compensating for something."

Hazel had slept fine, considering the sense of openness that the hole in the roof of the barn seemed to create. Perhaps, she thought, being exposed to the elements played a factor in her being well rested this morning. At times, she caught herself remembering who and what she was, and being slightly shocked at the strange sense of self-awareness. Her hands wrapped around the locket resting on her chest. She wondered how her tree was doing. Was it growing steadily? With Hazel's musing came thoughts of Ianthe and her unborn child, and she wondered at how far along in her pregnancy the nymph was. She had seen a nymph's pregnancy last as long as two years once, when the seasons were especially harsh, and longer ones still were not unheard of. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the shortest pregnancy in Ianthe's species resulting in a healthy child she'd witnessed had been three weeks and four days long. The dryad pushed herself to her feet, feeling a bit stiff as the groan of wood filled the air. She stretched a bit before heading downstairs and taking in the strange scene before her. Deciding it was too early for curious inquiries, she walked past without questioning it. She began to tend to her horse, as she'd noticed Rhaine looked ready to start traveling. Aera awoke as Abby stormed out of the room, greeted with the sight of Hexol nearly stark naked, if not for a pair of socks on his feet, and Lucas was gone from his bed. Eyes widening as she realized what she was staring at, she snatched her boots and dagger up as she leapt out of bed and rushed out the door. She passed Abby on her way to the barn, muttering to herself quite loudly, "Dear gods above, what did I just... I don't even... Hair!"

Aera took a large whiff of the catnip, but didn't feel anything more than a bit of tingling in her toes. She hated to disappoint her companions, but she handed the pouch back to Zorica with a shrug. "I guess it doesn't affect my kind." Hazel smiled and politely excused herself to the barn, where she then climbed up to the loft and found a corner to settle in for the night, watching Rhaine fall asleep quickly several feet away. Aera, however, took Hazel and Rhaine's signals and unceremoniously got up from her spot by the fire. She headed over to the inn, opting to take one of the likely slightly more comfortable beds inside.

Aera's eyes widened at the mention of catnip, before she pretended not to be quite so shocked, and with a gulp, uttered, "Don't be silly! There's no way that stuff could work on me..." Hazel grinned cheekily and a slight giggle escaped her, "Maybe we should try it then? If it doesn't work, it won't be an issue, right?" "I don't wan-- I mean, of course not!" Aera gulped once again as she'd practically dug her own grave. Nobody had sent a dare her way yet, so she couldn't refuse on the grounds that she'd done too many already. She sighed, "Alright. If anyone has any, I'll do it."

Aera and Lucas neared the inn within fifteen minutes, glancing up at the sky more than a few times as shooting stars continued to tear across the night sky overhead. The two nearly went inside before they noticed the party seemed to be spending the night in the barn, sitting around a bright bonfire, as it seemed that they, too, had noticed the meteor shower. The two crossed the distance from the inn to its barn, Lucas dodging a high patch of thick grass that would have reached his chin while Aera wove her way through it without any problems. Noticing the couple approaching, Hazel's head rose in greeting, "Oh. I forgot you two had even left. We're playing a game. 'Truth or Dare'. Essentially, you have to answer an embarrassing question truthfully, or perform an equally embarrassing dare."

Hazel found herself seated near We'Tak, keeping a safe distance from the roaring heat of the bonfire, and giggled at the young Thri-kreen's eagerness to learn the wonders of the world. Shortly afterward, Rameses had proposed the group play a game, and Hazel shrunk a bit at the prospects of being chosen by anyone. She wasn't keen on revealing secrets or performing strange dares for the entertainment of the party, despite trusting the majority of them with her life. Back at the clearing, Aera took in Lucas' grateful words with a glance in his direction, breaking her long gaze at the sky with a smile. "You're welcome. Besides, you're not half as bad as you think you are. Now, I think we should get back, before everyone gets worried." She stood up, then offered her hand to Lucas to help him up with a warm smile.

Aera and Lucas had decided to use a spot under a large tree in the middle of a clearing to start their training, and had been at it for a few hours when night began to fall. Aera had showed Lucas some basic hand-to-hand techniques, and slowly showed him how to counter each move if someone were to use it against him. Lucas knew most of these techniques already, but had trouble executing them, so Aera and Lucas both decided it wouldn't hurt to go over them until Lucas could successfully block an attack from Aera and then counter it with one of his own. With Aera holding nothing back, it was a fairly difficult challenge for Lucas, but he didn't complain much. As the sky settled into a deep blackness, permeated by the bright stars above them, Lucas and Aera decided to rest for a few minutes before they made their way back to the inn. The two settled down in a patch of grass next to a berry bush of some sort, a decent-sized distance between them, despite being in such close proximity to each other just moments before, the two not feeling excessively nervous, but still respecting the other's personal space. A small point of light streaked its way across the sky, and Aera cast her gaze upward, grinning hugely. "I think I saw a shooting star!" She paused a moment, realizing how childish she must have sounded, before adding, "It's been a while since I've seen one..."

Aera, upon hearing Leif's conversation with Rhaine, cringed slightly as she finished off the last few sips of her ale, washing down the nearly stale bread with a gulp. Hearing the inn's door slam, Aera then scanned the room and realized Lucas was gone. Without thinking, she immediately stood up and shoved her chair back under her table with a clatter of plates. In three strides, she was outside the inn and chasing after Lucas. Outside, Lucas had put a bit of distance between himself and the inn. Still angry about Leif’s initial reaction to the Kraken, he wanted to stay far away from him if he didn’t want to lose his temper and blow up in Leif’s face. He didn’t get too far however when he heard someone running towards him, shaking him from his rage induced train of thought. Looking behind him, he saw Aera as she quickly approached him, the memory of their last interaction and the image that it left him with reddening his cheeks slightly. “H..Hey… Aera.” He greeted her when she was close enough. "Hey. What, uh, made you leave so suddenly?" Aera had a theory, but she wasn't going to say it without having it proven first. Lucas exhaled sharply. “That new guy, Leif… When the Kraken attacked he was just going to stand and watch, now he’s in there acting like the big hero, trying to get Rhaine to go out with him.” He said in an obviously irritable fashion. “Just couldn’t be in there around him for much longer.” Aera didn't immediately have a response, so she just silently kept up with his brisk, angry pace. After a few moments of walking nowhere in particular, she finally uttered, "To be fair, I doubt even he thinks Rhaine will say yes to him. He just doesn't let it stop him from trying. He's... persistent." Stopping his angry walk with a sigh, he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before turning and looking up at Aera. “I know that. There’s no way that she would even consider it, it’s just.. His attitude about everything, like it’s all a game or something. He doesn’t get that we’re all in danger.” He spoke, his voice getting louder and louder as he went. “I don’t know how strong he is, but the rest of us…. Some of us.” He said, his voice softening to a mere mumble. “Some of us aren’t able to stand against giant threats like that… or any threat for that matter.” He debased himself, once again his feelings of total uselessness coming up to the surface. Aera, in a moment of rage hearing Lucas berate himself for the thousandth time, gripped his shoulders and looked down at him with a furrowed brow, "You need to stop that, Lucas! If you want to get braver, or stronger, you're going to have to try!" Realizing the strength of her grip, she released him and apologized before adding, "My offer to train with you still stands." Startled by her reaction, Lucas stared up at her until she released him. His eyes lowered to the ground as he thought silently for a moment until he let out a sigh. “Yeah…. Yeah I know. It’s just.. I train, I meditate, I do what I need to I just… never can seem to get any better…. Braver you know?” He admitted in a soft voice. Aera's expression and tone softened as she heard Lucas' admission. "I can't promise you'll get better, but I'd like to try and help." After a moment Lucas answered with a nod. “Okay then. I mean, it’s not like trying will hurt anything.” Aera nodded and broke into a sharp-toothed grin, leaning over and hugging Lucas briefly. "We can start whenever you're ready." Completely caught off guard by the hug, Lucas stood stiff as a board and wide eyed for the duration of the hug. When she released him, he looked up at her with an utterly confused look on his face. “Umm…. Uhh… Okay?” He stuttered at a complete loss for words.

Hazel smiled at the welcome sight of the inn before them, despite the state of disrepair it seemed to be in. Perhaps one of the group would find some extra coin to fix some of the windows, at least. Since it was the only welcoming inn they'd seen in several leagues, she assumed it still saw its fair share of business. Aera quickly directed her horse to the stables, the poor creature getting a deserved rest once she hopped off the stallion's back. The weretigress wished she could do something about it, but she was too large for most horses, and this one, while being larger than average, wasn't ferrying her on their adventures without strain, either. As she removed the stallion's saddles and brushed down his coat, Aera made the decision that she'd trade or sell her horse as soon as possible in order to both relieve this horse of the burden of carrying her, and to find a horse more suited to her needs. Not too long afterward, Hazel stabled her own dappled mare and headed out, walking with Aera toward the The Silver Hart. As the two opened the door, Hazel's theory about the inn receiving its fair share of business was proved quite wrong, and Aera headed straight for the nearest table and inquired about what was being served for supper. "Hope you're not expecting anything special, ma'am. Your crew look like the fancy type," the young, bubbly bar maid gushed as she sat down a tray of bread and cheese on Aera's table, looking Aera up and down enthusiastically. "Are you all from a carnival or something? Can you do tricks?" Aera smugly took a bite of her cheese wedge, nodding intently as she washed it down with watered down ale. "Something like that, yes."