Bandit Sephilan's Story

Location: 71.2 degrees N and 156 degrees W

Bandit Sephilan
Ｕｓｅｒｎａｍｅ: forever2b Speech Color | FC: Ayer from Granblue Fantasy Thought Color
The Arctic Tundra was known for its cold, desert-like conditions. Warm days lasted about two months in earth time and the rest of the days were icy cold, a perfect combination for an arctic fox like Bandit. Today, the sly fox was trailing a big burly polar bear-mutant that was sniffing around for food. Bandit was not much of a fighter, but an opportunist. He knew the big mutant was capable of hunting bigger sources of meat than he could. As long as the small fox kept its distance, Bandit knew the polar bear wouldn't mind.

After miles of tracking, the bear-mutant stopped to stand on its feet. Bandit also stopped a distance apart from it. Sniffing and grunting, the polar bear locked eyes with its target, seals, more specifically baby seals. The family of a mother and three children, laid carefree on the frozen edges of the sea. Soon, the giant man-bear got down on all fours and revved up its internal engine. Bandit silently giggled, as he knew that this chase was going to be good.

The time had come for the bear to charge straight in. For a big figure, it sure moved fast. Excited, Bandit too followed, jumping over icy rocks and sliding through the ice. The bigger seal seemed to notice, as it gave a loud "urf" notifying her kids to follow her back to the waters. However, the bear struck with force. As the mother scrambled with her young to get back into the waters, one of her babies were already in the mouth of the white bear. As bandit was catching up with the bear he noticed another creature in the white snow, an Arctic Hare posing to be a snow mound. Not missing this opportunity, he lassoed it with his bandage around his hands, effectively choking the life out of it with a bit of a whimper. He pulled the prey to him, "Wow, a good catch!" he said grabbing it by the ear.

Gaining speed, he caught up to the polar bear, who was already chowing down on the seal. Quickly he snatched up the tail piece from the bear who roared in anger, clawing the small fox and clipping the hair ends of Bandit's tail. What a close one. he thought as the fox kept running. He turned to look at the mutant polar bear who didn't bother to chase him. "Thanks for the meat!" Bandit yelled, as he went back to his home.

Back to in the village, Bandit busted the door open with his feet. "Mom, dad, I'm home!" He said excitedly, as he put his gathering on the wooden table. A pregnant woman and her husband came walking down the wooden stairs. "Welcome home!" Bandit's mom said. Grinning Bandit went over to pet her belly, "And I haven't forgotten about you, lil' sis!" he exclaimed.

"Bandit, your hands are cold. You'll freeze your sister to death!" His mother teased.

"Aww come on mom. We live in the Arctic. I'm sure my sis can handle it!"

"Now, now, Bandit. Go be a good boy and wash your hands." His father said. "Seems like you brought us dinner!"

"I sure did! I snatched the seal tail from a polar bear!" Bandit exclaimed, as he went over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

"What did we tell you about stealing, Bandit?"

"Yes, I know, dad. But it's kind of an instinct for me."

"Well, don't go off doing those things in the real world you hear?"

"Will you two hush and give me a hand with skinning these?"

"Yes dear."

"Sure thing, mom!"

The house was warm and the kitchen room filled up with the smell of spices and meat. The wooden table was soon filled with a large black pot of stew and a plate full of meatloaf. TV played in the background as they munched down.

"Wow mom, that's some solid stew!"

"That's why I married her."

"Ew"

On the TV, an energetic girl spoke about the Game of Pursuit. She was drawing the lottery numbers for this year's contestants. Bandit's father looked up giving a look of disapproval.

"Those barbarians up in the sky..." He said chewing through the seal tail. "Who would risk their life to get rich anyway?"

Bandit sank in his chair.

"It's just a human thing to do." His mother said, as she got up to take the empty dishes away from them. "Let them have their game, and we'll live our lives."

"Lottery number:484742147, oh lots of fours!"

"I mean who do they think they are?"

"None of us would even dare to enter."

"Yea, about that...." Bandit said with his hands on top of his head.

"Bandit... I don't like the sound of that." His mother said in a low voice.

"Well you see... I entered into the Game...."

"Bandit! How could you!"

"Honey calm down." His father waved, "there are plenty of people that applied, he couldn't possibly be chosen."

" Yeah... the number with lots of fours... that was my number." A weary smile came across Bandit's face, as the intense stare from both parents nearly burned a hole in his skull. The house shook with screams after, and Bandit ran out of the house, his mother chasing him with a broom, while his father came out with a shotgun.

"If you want to die so badly, I'll kill you right here!"

"No! Herald."

"Mom, dad. I'm doing this for you and my little sis! I promise to win and make us rich!" He said dodging the shotgun bullets.

"Come back in the house this instant!"

"I love you too~"

With that the Arctic Fox named Bandit made his way over to the terminal.

Bandit Sephilan
Location: Station to Father
Ｕｓｅｒｎａｍｅ: forever2b Speech Color | FC: Ayer from Granblue Fantasy Thought Color
The bustling place of the station was an exciting scene for Bandit. There were so many people, with so many shiny objects to take from. The Arctic Fox's tail wagged, as he went left and right sifting through pockets of other creatures, and snatching people's possessions every now and then. Finally Bandit made it to the front desk, his pockets saturated with pocket watches, necklaces, and the like. With a big grin, Bandit looked over the table to the human sitting on the other side.

"I'd like a ticket to Father, please!" The human was not amused. She stared at the short creature, annoyed.

"Kid, not everyone gets to go up to the Father, okay. Go back to your parents and tell them to see me."

Confused, Bandit put his hands up to his head. He tilted his head as he spoke "Well, if I visit my parents now, they probably will shoot me dead. So I can't go back now. Here, I have my ID. I have been chosen for the game!"

Maintaining the same expression, the lady at the counter looked over. She snatched Bandit's ID and ran it on her Holo Tab. In a few seconds, the machinery responded with a short beep, confirming what he had said. Responding to the machinery, she let out a sigh before returning, Bandit his card.

"Poor thing." She muttered.

"What do you mean poor? I'm gonna get rich off of this you know!"

"... congratulations on being selected for the 100th Game of Pursuit. Your shuttle to Father will arrive shortly, by that I mean now. Please give me your support item."

Gleefully, Bandit dug through both of his pockets to reveal all the booty he got from the hunt inside the space stations. The lady looked over and gave the arctic fox an "are-you-serious" look.

"You can only have one supporting item..."

"Oh... then I guess this will do." Bandit replied, holding up a shiny golden pocket watch. As he held up the watch, a low voice came shouting.

"There! That's my watch!"

Turning around bandit could see an old gray mutant covered from head to toe in gems with three or four overweight mutants in leather and varying colors of Mohawks giving him the stink eye. Uh oh. That's not good! Bandit thought.

"Get him boys!" The old mutant said, as the big boys tried to make it over to Bandit. The thugs, however, were intercepted by the human guards in full riot wear. They slammed the ends of their guns at the big mutants to fend them off.

"Stop causing a ruckus, Muties!" One of them said. The rich old mutant came in front of the mutants with his hands together.

"Sorry my good sirs." He said. "You see, I happened to lose my precious valuables to a thief..."

Bandit put his two hand on the desk, "Actually, I think I will have no support items thanks!" he blurted out snatching the ticket from the lady's hand, while putting on his hood to run as fast as he can towards his shuttle.

"Look! He's getting away!"

"Calm down, and tell me from the beginning."

Getting lost in the crowd, Bandit gently shoved the golden pocket watch into another person's back pocket, similar to his size. Sorry man. he thought as he scurried to his destination. The shuttle was about to leave; they were closing the doors. Bandit got on all fours to ramp up speed. Nimbly, he weaved through the crowd and jumped for the entrance.

Smack!

The arctic fox collided with a girl with brown ears, hazel eyes, and grayish black tail. She held her forehead and let out a soft "oof", as Bandit rolled over, grasping his head in pain. Coming to his senses, he made a quick dash into the closing doors, but to his surprise something grabbed him from behind. Everything went in slow motion, the girl he crashed with was hanging on to his cloak to boost her own momentum. Aw, crap. Bandit thought as the he went face first into the shuttle's floor, with the girl landing on top of him. The shuttle door closed and they were off to the Father.

Bandit Sephilan
Location: Shuttle to Father
Ｕｓｅｒｎａｍｅ: forever2b Speech Color | FC: Ayer from Granblue Fantasy Thought Color
Bandit lifted his face off the floor with bloody nose and mouth. He tried to get up, but a heavy weight on his back prevented him from doing so. He turned his head as far as it would go back to see that the girl who he bumped into was sitting on top of him. Annoyed and spitting out some blood that dripped into his mouth, Bandit said, "Hey! Do you mind getting off of me?"

The racoon girl blinked as she felt her surroundings. She looked around to see where the sound was coming from before realizing she was sitting on another person. Her eyes grew wide as she jumped up.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

Being able to breath again, Bandit stood up.

"What's the big idea? You nearly had me killed!" He said getting close to her face.

Looking at the blood on Bandit's face, the girl dug through her pocket to get out a purple handkerchief and put it in front of the arctic fox. Bandit was taken aback by the sudden gesture, but took the offer anyway and began wiping his face.

"I needed to get on the shuttle, but I slept through until the last minute. So I needed some help to get on the ship." She said.

Once Bandit finished cleaning his face, he gave the girl back the bloody cloth. "Well, thanks for the towel." He said wrongly. The girl took the handkerchief back without much retaliation and began folding it. "So that must mean you're a contestant in the Game huh?"

"Yes," she replied nodding her head.

"Hey, at least we both made it on." Bandit said trying to smile, "Ow, I think I chipped a tooth."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry." The girl said feeling guilty.

"Don't worry about it. I had worse. You should see my mom when she gets angry with me. One time she nearly knocked my head off with a broom!"

"Wow, your mother seems like a very strong lady."

"She sure is! My father is also tough too, he's a hunter and creates many different types of guns for it!"

"Oh, guns! I work with firearms all the time. I put them on robots, cars, and even computers."

"Wow, that's so cool! Cars with guns sound like an awesome ride, but it also sounds expensive. My name is Bandit by the way." He said letting out a hand to shake.

"Trix, my name is Trix." She said accepting the handshake. While shaking hands, Bandit could feel Trix's clothes moving. Out of her sleeves came out another short, hairy arm with claws. It tried to reach for Bandit. Surprised, Bandit retreated his hands quickly. There was ruffling around Trix's white shirt, before a fluffy gray racoon head popped out of her shirt.

"Mew." It said.

"And this is Dirk," She said pointing to the racoon.

"Woah, you smuggled a racoon to the shuttle?" Bandit said surprised.

"Dirk, is my friend. I can't go anywhere without him." She replied. "Smuggling is such a strong word..."

"You are amazing Trix! How do you fit such a huge creature inside your shirt? I'll teach to how to pickpocket someone in exchange."

"P-pickpocket, I'm no thief! I just didn't want to leave Dirk all by himself in the shop."

"But thieves are cool and awesome! They can take from people without noticing and give to people without telling them!"

"Mew, mew." Dirk cried.

"See, Dirk agrees with me!"

"Dirk, how could you say such things! I should have taught you better!"

"Mew, mew. Hiss!" The racoon cried, as it crawled out of Trix's shirt to grab the bloodied purple cloth to throw it at Bandit.

Catching it before it it his face, bandit replied "Woah there Dirk, it's not my fault that she caught you bragging about stealing."

"Growl. Hiss. Mew."

"Well try better next time", He leaned closer to the racoon "that's part of being a thief; not getting caught."

"Mew."

"I can't believe you can communicate with Dirk."

"Well I guess great minds can think alike." Bandit grinned.

"Attention Passengers, prepare for landing. I repeat prepare for landing."

"Oh look! We're landing on Father!"

"Mew!" Dirk said as it crawled back into Trix's shirt.

"Ouch Dirk, be more gentle!"

The shuttle landed with a rough shake. As the gate opened, Bandit hopped out of his seat walking to the exit. He turned to Trix waving to her, "Let's go!" He said.

Bandit Sephilan
Ｕｓｅｒｎａｍｅ: forever2b Speech Color | FC: Ayer from Granblue Fantasy Thought Color
Location: The Father
As soon as Bandit and Trix got off the ship, they were escorted to the row of human managers that were waiting for their mutants. Trix’s manager came to get her, and Bandit waved to the racoon girl promising to see each other after they have their meeting with their humans. She went off through the doors with scanners on the side.

Not long after, a human girl with short purple hair and green eyes stepped in front of the arctic fox. A long strand of her hair fell between her eyebrows all the way down to her left chin. She was wearing a collar around her neck and her shirt was plain white, tucked loosely in her black dress. Instead of a tie, the manager had a long, thin blue ribbon wrapped in a standard knot.

Bandit stared from her head all the way up to her eyes. Instinctively, his tail stood up and he began to back away. The girl looked at him with unyielding green eyes.

“Mutie, come. I am your manager.” She spoke. Her voice had power behind it: straightforward and commanding. The young thief did not like her one bit. To him, she had the eyes of a murder, a cold emotionless being.

“No thanks,” He said, turning around three-sixty degrees to begin walking towards the shuttle.
Before he could go far, the girl grabbed the arctic fox by his back collar and dragged him towards the door.

“Hey! Let go of me! I don’t want you as my manger!” Bandit yelled, as he squirmed to break free from the human’s grasp.

“This is not an option for you, my little mutant fighter. I have a lot of money riding on you.” She said waving her hand in front of the door scanner. After a moment, the door slid open. Bandit tried his hardest to not go inside, but the girl had strength. She threw him into the room, walking after him. The door clicked closed behind them.

Bandit tumbled to the floor, trying to recover quickly. Perhaps his father was right, only stupid people would enter this Game.

“I don’t want to play the Game. I quit!” He spoke.

The purple haired girl looked at Bandit with one eyebrow up. A crooked smile came across her face.
Brushing her hair to the side, which fell back to its position, she spoke “Like I said, you don’t have a choice.” She got out her Holo pod, scrolling for a while to find a video. She showed Bandit.

It was surveillance footage of him pick pocketing the rich mutant on earth and putting the golden watch on to another person before boarding the shuttle. Bandit’s eyes fell to the floor. He was caught red handed.

“You see, I have this footage of you doing some bad things. Currently, the authorities don’t have access to this clip, so they think the person who did the stealing was the person you choose to give the stolen goods to. But I wonder what the authorities will think if I were to hand over this footage to them? Perhaps they would go for your family and that dear sister of yours.” She said putting her hands on her lips acting like she did not have a clue.

Bandit clenched his fist. Grinding his teeth, he began to growl at the girl. She had him my the tip of her hands. He came here to protect his family, not put them in danger. Although the arctic fox did not like to be constrained, he needed to comply with the scary lady for the sake of all those he held dear to him. Plus, if he won, that would mean that he would have all the money his family could ever need, which will mean that Bandit won't have to steal anymore.

"Fine... have it your way." Bandit said sighing. He didn't really believe that no one had seen him, nor that the video was only on the girl's Holo tab, but quitting on the potential to be rich just because of her would seem childish, even for him.

The purple haired girl, let out a smile. "I knew you would see it my way." She chimed, "Let's start over. My name is Sahara."

"Bandit." Bandit replied.

"Okay Bandit, you are going to be the first contestant to ever win the Game of Pursuit. I'm going to make so much money off of you, it's going to be so much fun! First, take off all your clothes and step into the room over there." The room that Sahara pointed to was dark and empty.

"Fine." Bandit said as he began undressing. Sahara stood there watching him. When the arctic fox was about to take off his pants, he paused and stared at Sahara. She stared back with a blank look on her face.

"Uh, could I get a bit of privacy in here?" He said.

Sahara stare at Bandit as if he was a little toddler. "I need to make sure that you are not going to run off somewhere."

Bandit looked around the room. There wasn't any place that he could really run off to, as all the exits were sealed. The only way forward was to enter the shower room. He looked at her in disbelief.

"There's no where to run off to..." He trailed off.

Losing patience, Sahara gave an eye roll as she walked over to Bandit and started taking the rest of his clothes off for him.

"H-hey, what's the big idea here?"

"Oh please, you are way too young for me to date" the manager responded, "I just need you to hurry up so that we can make it over to the orientation in time."

Fully naked, Bandit covered his private area with both hands. Sahara took all of Bandit's clothes and bandages as if they were toxic, and she stuffed them in a plastic bag.

"C-careful with those!" He exclaimed, being careful not to move around too much.

"Oh, you won't be needing these. I'm going to throw them away and get you better clothes."

"But-"

"No more talking for you." She said kicking Bandit into the next room. The door sealed shut as Bandit drowned in spray of hot water.

"Hot!" he exclaimed.

After minutes of being cooked, bandit was sprayed with some sort of cologne, a manly blue smell. It was too mature for Bandit. Then the system threw him out the other side, giving Bandit an underwear and towel, which Bandit hurriedly put on. Another ten minutes passed before Sahara kicked the sliding door open, even though it would have opened by itself (only slower). She held up a suit on a coat hanger to Bandit's chest. He froze there waiting for Sahara to finish her measurements.

"A bit wide on the shoulders, but nothing very noticeable," she said, as she handed over the suit to Bandit. He stared at it in disgust.

The arctic fox never wore this kind of fancy outfit before, it would never be his style as it would restrict his movements, so he stood there looking at the outfit of black and red. Losing patience, Sahara let out a sigh and went over to Bandit.

"Do I have to do everything for this mutie?" She grumbled out loud, as she stripped off Bandit's towel and began clothing him.

"W-woah, hey!" Bandit exclaimed as his manager dressed him up. She pulled his pants up, zipped some zippers, buttoned up his white shirt and put on the suit, and finally put on the red bow tie. Black, white, and red were the colors. Once the outfit was put together, Sahara took a step back to look. She nodded her head and smiled.

"Now you look presentable." She said. "Now what to do with your hair..."

The human girl closed in to Bandit's face. He could smell the stench of cigarettes masked by perfume, which caused him to reel back. Sahara pulled his head back in and said "Hold still."

She took out a can of hair spray, and began to apply a generous dose to the arctic fox's hair. She then took some gel, slabbed it on and combed the long brown hair back and out of his face.

"There," She said once done with her styling. "I can't do much about the scars on your face, but a bit of makeup should be able to hide most of it."

"Makeup? Only girls wear make up." Bandit said cringing at the thought.

"Oh you naive mutie. Just stand still and let your manager make you look good." She said squirting some foundation onto her hands. She rubbed on different chemicals that smelled fine by itself, but to Bandit's nose, it was too strong. Plus Sahara really needed to stop smoking. Bandit thought. Once done, his skin seemed nearly flawless, but the scars on his cheek was slightly visible.

"Done! This look should attract some sponsors!"

"Cool. So can I get out of here now?"

"One more thing," Sahara got out her Holo tab "we need to make a story for you?"

"Story?"

"That's right. Something that can sell you to the other investors."

"Well, can't you just tell them the truth. Like that I am fighting for the money in order to give my family a better life?"

"Boring!" Sahara sang, "If you want to go the tear-jerker route, you have to make it more extreme, like that you need the money for an operation of your mother. If she doesn't get it, then she dies... with your sister inside!"

"But, my mother doesn't need any operations. She's pretty healt-"

"It's decided. You need the money to save your family from a disastrous disease. If you don't get the money for the operation, your family will die and the baby inside will die too! That will get those grubby old men and some women to give you their money."

Bandit had his mouth open wide in disbelief. Were all humans like this? He wondered. Thinking back to his past, he did remember that humans came to hunt down his blood family. It was a scary moment for Bandit. He could never forget the loud sounds that brought down bullets of death, seemingly out of nowhere. Lucky for him, he was able to survive and have a group of people that he called family, but humans were pretty cruel creatures.

"Okay. So where do I go next?" Bandit said. There was no point in arguing with Sahara. She did whatever she wanted, so it was faster if he complied. As long as he can win the game, he would endure through more, for the safety and well being of his new family.

Sahara smiled, pointing to the door. "To the lounge" She said, walking him out of the dry room. Once in the lounge, Bandit could see many mutants gathered. Some were standing in the corner, others were mingling amongst each other.

"Good luck on the orientation, my mutie!" Sahara exclaimed as she headed to the door where no mutant could enter. She waved her hand and the door opened. Turning back once more to Bandit, she gave a wink and then the door closed.

"Well, what now?" the Arctic fox said to himself.

Bandit felt a soft tap at the back of his shoulder. Thinking that is was Sahara again, Bandit jumped up and turned around with a tiny squeal. He was relieved to see that it was Trix. She had on a pure white dress with white hairpiece to match it.

"Um, are you okay Bandit?" She inquired.

Relaxing a bit more he responded, "Oh, it's you Trix! Am I glad to see you."

"Was the human a bit rough with you through the cleaning?"

"Rough? That doesn't describe how badly she treated me." Bandit said telling her the story of how Sahara undressed him and kicked him into the shower, then forcefully dressed him again.

"Oh my... all my human did was tell me to undress and go into the showers. He did tug at my hair a bit strongly though."

"I'm at least glad that you didn't get to experience what I did. By the way, where is Dirk?"

As if on que, the gray racoon popped up its head over Trix's dress.

"Mew." It cried. Its fur seemed to be puffed up from the showers and drying.

"My manager was okay with Dirk being here. He said something about making a good story."

"Yeah, my manager told me about it too. They want us to grab as many sponsors as possible or something like that. Lucky for you Dirk, you don't have to do any of that." Bandit grinned at the beady eyed racoon.

"Mew. Mew, mew! Hiss." It cried and suddenly the racoon crawled out of Trix's dress and dashed into the crowd.

"Ow, Dirk! Dirk?" Trix cried out as she began to chase after her companion.

Seeing the trouble at hand, Bandit dashed as best he could, making sure not to tear the suit, in fear of punishment from Sahara. He was just fast enough to see the animal crawl outside. Someone had left the door open.

"Over here!" Bandit motioned to Trix who was catching up to him, "He went outside!"

"Thanks Bandit!" Trix yelled dashing outside in her dress. Bandit was about to follow her, when his eyes caught a tall blonde creature in ponytails. It seemed to have determined something just before. His blue eyes were looking far outside. Cool. He thought, but now was not the time to admire someone, he needed to help Trix. Shaking his head, Bandit dashed outside looking for Dirk.

"Dirk? Dirk?" Bandit yelled. Neither Dirk, nor Trix could be found. He scanned the grassy fields, there seemed to be no one there, but a girl with white hair and ears. She sat down on the grass with her maroon shorts and white dress. More importantly, she had a shiny jewel on her head.

The Arctic fox's tail began to wave in excitement, as he made his way over to the tall wolf. Immediately he began to sniff her tail and worked his way up to her hair. That was how creatures like himself, and wolves identified each other. Lemony. He thought. He climbed on top of her head, placing one hand on her ear to peer over her from the top.

"You smell like lemons!" He exclaimed, the other hand quickly and gently, yoinked the shiny jewel on top of her bow. He pocketed it. "Name's Bandit. What's yours?" He inquired with a grin.

Location: Father

---

---

"I'm starting to feel nervous now...It's one thing to see the parties on the Holo-vision...But now that I look at myself and know that I am about go into a room full of humans, cameras and fellow mutants to basically present myself...Well it may not be hammering at scrap or tinkering with unstable machinery...But this is own type of difficult huh?...Well hopefully Mom and Dad can recognize me from this um...Makeover...Actually...Now that I think on it I look so different I think people would freak out when my face flashes on screen and see this face instead. Or better yet I hope some get a good laugh from this. I mean look at me, good old oil soaked Leo looking like a piece of art...Well...That makes my mood better, I can handle a little party. I mean if I can handle our colony's parties I can handle this party." He thought to himself as he softly smiled at the mirror.

"Alright Leo, it's time to make yourself seen. Come with me, it's time for the celebrations." Qiqi motioned for him to follow as he did so. While they walked through the pristine hallways once more his manager spoke up. "Listen Leo, this is going to be vital if you actually want to last in the death game. You look perfect thanks to my hands but I am going to need you to be on your best behavior...But judging how you have not insulted my products, argued or made any distasteful comment I can say I won't have to worry too much about an attitude problem. But keep your manners about you and sell yourself as a contestant who deserves a sponsor. I rather not have you dying on me, you need me and I need you after all. You obviously have some stake in this if you volunteer for this." Qiqi stated as Leo nodded.

"I see...Thanks for helping me out Miss Qiqi, we may have met each other for a bit but I will take your advice to heart. After all if we are going to work together and you're going to be helping me stay alive then you have my thanks. So I trust you...Not to be weird or anything of course..." He gave a nervous smile as Qiqi nodded.

"A good relationship is built on trust. You put your trust in me and you will be getting out of this alive. But I appreciate your thanks, and please don't get your suit dirty. I spent a while making you look presentable, so try to keep it dry and free of food particles." Qiqi added as Leo nodded in response. Soon enough they would arrive at the lounge with fellow humans and mutants gathered dressed in their best. And of course Leo felt that whole 'butterflies in the gut' feeling when you get a bit nervous.

"Play it well Leo, and remember what I said...As for your cybernetic arm even I can't make it look normal...But don't try to hide it I took that into account along your other eye so you should look great. Now enjoy yourself." Qiqi whispered to him as Leo gave a small gulp. "You got this Leo...It's a bit more fancy than you're used to but you can do this. At least I don't eat with my hands so I won't embarrass myself like that. But let's see the others gathered." He thought to himself as he gazed around the room. Food, drinks and the most important thing was his fellow competitors. A blonde haired young man who seemed to ooze confidence, a young brown haired teen who was on the shorter side of things...The fluffy looking teenage wolf girl. Despite visible signs of Ori and also looking like she had been through some fights in her life...And the fluffy looking...Tall young man!

Man those two fluffy looking people...He has heard of things that look fluffy but those ears! Those tails, especially the wolf girl's tail, looked like a perfect petting thing. But he should not just walk up and try to pet the tails and ears...He was smarter and not a creep after all. So to start things off...He simply walked over to a table with drinks and took a glass for himself. Smelled like...Wine? It's been a while since he had such a thing. But he did know you could use wine in cooking...If only he could get more wine one day to cook with more ingredients. But for now he should enjoy the food and drink like Qiqi suggested. Plenty of time to meet his fellows after all, of course that's if they actually would care for anyone speaking to them after all...

Sighing audibly, Ciara attempted a turn in her deeply constricting gown. Increments of black frilly fabric made up the draped collar, wrist ribbons and ends of her dress while a pattern of light and dark reds formed the base of the dress. A small dark bow was tied on the top of her head while similarly black ribbons were tied around the waist and stomach area. It was loud and deeply old-fashioned design and the worst part was her perpetrator was not finished with their preparations.

"Ciaaaara..!~" A voice cut through her efforts to lament, prompting the red-head to seek out a place to hide. Hearing scurrying and the pip-paps of barefeet, the manager would be greeted with silence, a fittingly white-noise quiet that made the paled-walled guest room that they were changing Ciara in seem truly empty. "Ciara! Come out! Don't make me count.." Only needing to saunter a few steps, the manager squatted down to look under one of the tables to find Ciara crouching under, closing her eyes shut and propping her hands atop her head.

Despite feeling Celty's breath, it seemed that Ciara believed the age-old notion that if she couldn't see her seeker then her seeker subsequently was unable to see her. A myth soon popped as Celty spoke to her face to face. "Don't be difficult."

Finally heeding her words, Ciara crawled from under the table and made her way to the middle of the room. Wearing a slight pout, her eyes formed a fitting glare as Celty reached for the add-ons they had placed onto the bed and begun to dress her with them. Her own fed-'upness readily apparent from her silent expression alone. Noticing this, Celty's face formed a similar stern scowl before speaking out with a huff of annoyance.

"Don't be such a wuss. My sense of style can't be that bad." As soon as the manager spoke those words, Ciara's eyes narrowed at Celty's transparent bubble-wrap top. Her autumn orbs fixated on the outlandish article of clothing before the slime girl wrenched her gaze back at Celty and cracked a smug smile.

"F*CK YOU DUDE!" With an expression that shifted from a studied calm to an almost primal fury, Celty let loose a growl at their mutant, tying the 7th ribbon around the girl's waist with an unkempt ferocity. Taking a few steps back, they looked at Ciara head-to-toe before nodding.

"You don't look half bad, all thanks to me, of course.." They placed a hand over their chin. Studying Ciara's simple expressions in an effort to derive a reaction, only to sigh once it was made clear that the slime girl was indifferent, as she was to everything. "Now, shoes. I don't wanna hear no moans. Put these on." Celty pulled out a pair of ruby heels, a shade of red that wasn't close to even matching the color of her dress.

Following her direct order, Ciara strolled over and slipped her feet inside. Her first few steps were horrendous, becoming close to tripping on her face after every pace. However, the slime-girl found her footing and was able to walk in her new shoes while only looking a little awkward.

"Now, I'll set you off. Again, to reiterate..don't eat like a slob and talk with people more. Ohoho." Smiling to themselves, Celty lightly shoved the balancing girl, seemingly enjoying watching her stumble in an attempt to regain her footing. Finally gaining her fill of watching her competitor trip about, they offered a hand to escort. Ciara clenching desperately onto their arm as they escorted her out and to the ballroom that their party was being held.

Celty deposited her at the door before waving her off. "Hehe..oh yeah, when meeting someone, ask them what their ideal spouse is!" Meaning their parting words as a joke, Ciara would undoubtedly mistake it as an order.

As she stumbled her way through the party room doors, her eyes instinctively zeroed in on any feast that accompanied the party, only to find the banquet was all the way on the other side of the room. Cursing her heeled feet, her curious gaze turned to study who had already arrived in the main lobby.

While her eyes could register the stimulus, her inability to read their emotions from a glance only made the gathered groups of people all the more confusing. It would be best for her to greet how she always has. Starting with the damper, sharp-eared gentleman in the lobby who was similarly studying the convened masses with a hostile expression.

At first, she only wanted a touch, leaning over and reaching to pat his back, only to trip on her heel and to stumble into him. Her attempts to grab at any handhold resulted in her wrapping her arms around the man's chest in an accidental caress, however she was in no hurry to remedy her mistake by pulling away. In fact, this was the best case scenario if she were able to dismiss conventional societal norms.

"Sorry." Her head angled up to meet his reactive over the shoulder gaze, Ciara seemingly uninterested in breaking off her hands as she continued to hold onto him with the upmost nonchalance.

From her deep touch, she could feel his emotions. Gathering notes of disgust and anger that seemingly festered inside of him like a perpetual flame. Her curiosity beckoned her to learn more, but her lack of passable etiquette made it difficult to naturally do so.

However..that did not deter her from trying.

"What is your ideal..spouse?" An outlandish question coupled with a butchered deadpan delivery, Ciara was setting the stage for a rather unforgettable first meeting.

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xxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  Speaking: #CD5C5C | Thought: #2F4F4F

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"How about a truce?" Aries was standing behind her, why hadn't he left yet? He placed something in the grass, a plate with two cookies on it. Scout hugged her knees, staring out the large window. The artificial light above her was warm. "Not even a thank you?" Scout looked down at the cookies, considering it. Was it a trap? She wasn't sure, "Thanks." Scout took a bite, "I have to go soon, but look, I need some information." Aries sat down in the grass, not seeming to mind the dirt.

"So why did you enter the Game of Pursuit?" He picked up one of the cookies, taking a bite. That was enough for Scout to deem it safe. Scout lifted the cookie to her lips and nibbled on the edge, exotic flavors dancing on her tongue. It was soft and flaky, rich and chewy. "What is this?" Scout asked, her mouth full. Aries rolled his eyes, "Chocolate chip cookie," he finished his without a crumb falling.

Scout stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth, chewing slowly. "I entered the games," she spoke slowly, "Because I want to die on my terms." Scout gestured to her legs, "if I'm going to die anyway, I want it to be my way." Aries glanced at her legs, at the black stone-like lumps jutting out of her pale skin.

"The ori, right?" Scout nodded wordlessly. "Well, I can work with that." Aries rose slowly, "just don't curse the humans out tonight and I should be able to sell you." Scout frowned, "I'm not for sale." Aries laughed, "Please, you signed up for auction the moment you entered you threw your hat in the ring." He strode away, hands in his pockets.

Scout brushed crumbs off of her mouth and dress, hugging her knees once more. A voice in the sky announced that orientation would commence in thirty minutes. Scout would sit here then. Her tail swished in what seemed to be a happy manor as she ran her fingers through the grass. Scout lived in the Wasteland and the Tundra before that. She had never seen grass before, but had heard stories. Before the First Impact, it had grown in great fields. Anyone had been able to stroll through it, any human could own it.

Scout was still running her fingers through the grass when a sniff tipped her off to someone's presence. Her first reaction was to stiffen, the smell of something strange assaulting her nose. What scent had the manager chosen for this mutant? The warmth of a nearby person, standing over her. Why was a mutant smelling her? Why was a mutant so close to her?

"What do you think you're doing?" Scout asked, her fingers balling up in the grass. Scout's first instinct was to take the glass plate the cookies had been on and hit the mutant over the head with it; but she didn't, she waited, uncertain of his intentions.

"You smell lemony!" The stranger exclaimed, suddenly touching her hair, right behind her ears. There were very, very few people on New Earth that could touch her like that without permission and get away with it. Scout's reaction was immediate, she grabbed the assaulting wrist and flipped the perpetrator over her shoulder. Since Scout was sitting, the distance wasn't too far, probably just enough to warrant an oof.

Scout remained in the grass, but she was primed to fight if the need should arise.

"Don't touch me!" The wolfish girl snapped, realizing that something was off as soon as her head moved, the hairpin was wobbling. Scout reached up into her hair to readjust what Selena had so carefully put there, her lips pulling down into a sneer. The gem on the hairpin had suddenly gone missing. This was no coincidence, she realized. "Give it back," Scout demanded. It wasn't that Scout particularly liked the flashy gem in the first place, it was that something that Scout had deemed as her own had been taken from her. "That was mine, you had no right to take it." Her voice was a low growl, a threat.

It vaguely registered in her mind that he had asked for her name before Scout had flipped him over. He called himself Bandit, Bandit... her mind trailed off, wondering if the name or the hobby came first. It was the chicken and the egg scenario all over again. Scout shook her head, shaking those thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand.

"Scout," she grumbled, rising to her full height. Scout took the plate with her, intending to get more of those cookies Aries had given her. "If you like those fingers, you'd better watch where you put them in the future."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  Speaking: #919191 | Thought: #D8BFD8

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Jax listened to the story of the generator, his tail swishing with casual interest. So the reptile had made it then? That was what Jax had wanted to know. It seemed that the boy (man? Jax had yet to make up his mind) was quite handy, considering his tale of tinkering with a highly dangerous and explosive device. "That sounds quite precarious," Jax responded, realizing that the story had ended and he had yet to say anything. "I've treated quite a few burns," Jax had even amputated limbs, as it was sometimes necessary, although unfortunate. It was probably Jax's least favorite part of medicine.

You couldn't save everyone, it was a lesson he had learned early on. As much as you wanted to, as much as you tried, some would simply never recover. Some did not have the fortitude to bounce back.

This man (boy?) seemed to not only have the resiliance, but the skill set to match it. Jax would definitely file this information away, he could prove useful in the future. He introduced himself as Leo, a lizard mutant. Odd, Jax had never considered introducing himself with the species he was mixed with. He had always assumed it was snow leapord, since that was what he was told, but Jax had always wodnered if there was something else mixed in with his blood, since he did not know who donated the necessary parts to make him.

He had joined to help others? Jax couldn't help but laugh. "That is a strange reason to join a killing game." No, Jax decided, nevermind. This was too obscene, someone that signed up for a game of death to help others? There was no way he was going to last very long. Did he have any practical skills aside from being a mechanic? Could he make weapons? Any fighting ability?

Jax wanted an equal partnership, not a possible burden he would have to protect and eventually turn on. "You seem very kind Leo, but also a bit confused. This isn't a place you come to to help others," even Jax had his reasons for joining. He wanted to see his sisters again and the only way to guarantee that was to kill. Leo expressed surprise that a doctor would join these games. His skills would only serve as an advantage, should he need them later on.

Unless... Leo was lying and didn't want to reveal his motivation.

"I think you are mistaken, I may be a doctor, but I also know a great many ways to kill a man." It was not a threat, just a casual comment. "I'm sure you must understand, however, that everyone here has something they are after. You're a friendly guy so I will give you a word of advice, don't trust anyone here. They will not hesitate to turn on you if it will give them the upper hand."

Jax was getting hungry, he wanted to make sure that he could get something to eat before orientation started.

Ｕｓｅｒｎａｍｅ: forever2b Speech Color | FC: Ayer from Granblue Fantasy Thought Color
Having snatched the jewel from the wolf-lady, Bandit rolled down to the ground, getting back up on his two feet. He looked over his shoulder to observe is suit, which now was muddied and ripped. He let out a frown of disappointment. Sahara was going to kill him for this. He could imagine it now, her deadly green eyes looking down at him, forcing the poor fox to sow it back together in front of his eyes. Just the thought of it made him shudder. However, that situation didn't seem like the threat right now.

The wolf started growling at him for the robbery that he performed. Bandit let out a shrug, with both hands up in response to her asking for a jewel back. She couldn't have possibly known he took it.

"Give what back?" He said, "I just went to pet your head."

Then the girl stood up, having a good foot (0.3048 m) over him in size. She growled, clearly a threatening pose. However, Bandit wasn't afraid. He's faced so much worse out in the Arctic. Due to the sheer cold of the seasons, creatures there were much bigger and bulkier. The fox stood up to countless monsters greater than this wolf girl. He snatched their meals and treasures, right in front of their face and made it out without a scratch.

It seemed like she didn't really want the jewel back from him, as she picked up her empty plate of whatever was there, so Bandit didn't have to use any more dirty tactics than he did. He began to unbutton his suit which seemed to be ruined now. While he was doing so he responded to the girl's response of him giving his name.

He slung the suit over his back while responding, "Nice to meet you Scout. Hope I'll see you around in the Game. Not! He let out a casual grin.

"Well, now I gotta go patch up this suit, so bye!" With that he walked away from the girl. Wow, she was aggressive and angry. Definitely not my style.

The arctic fox began walking back into the lobby, until he realized that he came out here to find Dirk. Luckily, it seemed like the furry critter was already captured by Trix, who was also making her way back over to him. Bandit gave a wave, as he made his way over. When he got closer, he could see that Trix had her arms around the escapee, which had bunch of flowers gripped in its tiny paws.

"Trix! You found Dirk! Sorry I couldn't help, I was, uh, tied down at the moment."

Trix looked at Bandit with a smile, "I see, well I found this runaway picking flowers on a tree."

Bandit blinked, "What? Your racoon likes flowers?"

"Mew." It responded. Holding up the blue colored flower to Bandit.

"Apparently." Trix said frowning at the response. "We never got to see these types of flowers in the tundra. I guess Dirk got really excited."

"Well whatever floats its boat." Bandit said, not really understanding the beauty in flowers.

"So what were you doing while I caught Dirk?"

"Well, I was... introducing myself to a new person I found. She was tall had white ears, man was she scary though."

"Really? That was the important business?"

The three began to walk back inside the lounge where a sea of mutants formed. They squeezed their way off to a corner, so that the tiny trio wouldn't get squished. Along the way Bandit told Trix about his meeting with Scout, omitting the detail about how he stole her jewel.

"Yeah, she like, threw me over her shoulder and was very tall."

"I'm sure she didn't appreciate you jumping on her though."

"Well, I guess not." He responded with his hand over his head. Bandit was practically dragging his suit on the ground now.

"Mew. Mew." Dirk said.

"Hey, I thought you were on my side!"

"Mew, mew mew mew." It said pointing with its flower at a pink haired girl in the corner.

"Huh?" Bandit said.

"I think Dirk wants to interact with the girl in the corner. She seems lonely."

Bandit slouched his back, not wanting to have more interactions. Plus, the girl in the corner had scary hazel eyes. It reminded him of a predator.

Straightening back up he sad, "She might want to be alone. It'd be rude to interrupt what she was doing."

"But she might want some company."

"Or alone time. Let's let her be."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Trix said walking over.

"Mew." Dirk said as it pushed off of Trix's arm to lead the way over to the girl hunched over in the corner.

"W-wait, Trix! Dirk! It might me dangerous..." Giving up he chased after them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx #0EBFE9 | FC: #CD3333

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The foyer began to illuminate, lights flashed from all sides, holo pods illuminating as fog filled the center of the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, mutants both big and small, please make your way to the foyer and put your hands together for this year's Overseers, Kore Mars and Yeqon Cryo!" They rose from a podium in the center, Kore's smile so wide, her cheeks hurt. It wasn't exaggerated, Kore was truly eager for this moment, having been waiting for it for so long. Kore stepped off of the podium first. She and Yeqon had done three run throughs of the orientation speech, not that he would say much to begin with, but hopefully he remembered his part.

Kore looked out at the crowd, at the fifty hopefuls whose faces were a mix of bemusement, entertainment, and fear. She swished her cape over her shoulder, Kore's form illuminated by the lights, the gold in her outfit sparkling as she took her place in center-stage. "Welcome everyone!" A hover mic floated near her, capturing her voice so that the speaker hidden throughout the area could make sure that everyone would hear. "I am sure you're all very eager to get to tonight's party, but first, we have a brief orientation with some important rules!"

"We're your hosts, Kore and-" she glanced at Yeqon, hoping that he was paying attention. "Let's get right into it," Kore clapped her hands together, the holograms suddenly changing to display the rules. "We have a few rules for the mutant living corridors. Our first and most important rule, is that you must wear your tag at all times. Those tags are your key to the world card and without them, you won't be able to enter the rooms or unlock your door." Kore's smile eased a bit, the tags were akin to wrist chips, only less permanent, since injecting a mutant with a small microchip wasn't exactly efficient. Not to mention the distrust mutants already had towards the humans.

"Our second rule is, please do not attempt to leave the living space. This is an area just for you all and if you are found wandering the ship, unescorted, you will be subject to discharge from the games." This was an important rule, for the safety of the humans. Not that the door would open from the inside anyway. "Our third rule! No violence in the hallways! Sparring is allowed in the gym, but murder is only allowed in the Game!"

Did they understand at all? Were the rules registering in their pea sized brains? Kore hoped so. "Those are the three most important rules! The rest can be found in your handbooks in your rooms. As for other important information, everything we talk about tonight will be in your handbooks." Kore clapped her hands together, glancing at Yeqon again to see what he was up to.

"Now, the Games will take you through four different environments. Before each game, your manager will brief you. You have one week until the first Game begins, during which you'll each have several interviews for the audience to get to know you! You'll want to nail these interviews, since the more sponsors you have, the more mini prizes you'll earn during the Games! This can be anything from a bowl of soup, to a jacket!" The screens illuminated to show clips from past years, of sponsored items being delivered to contestants.

"Your biggest interview will take place the evening before the Game begins. As for the space around you, you are free to use it to prepare! Eat to your heart's content, train until your arms fall off, and relax! Remember, the only way to back out is between Games, so make sure you know what you're doing! Now that, that's over with, let the party begin!" Balloons and colorful streamers suddenly rained from the ceiling. Music played from the speakers and the door opened to allow potential sponsors and managers in.

"What do you think Yeqon?" Kore turned to him, her smile sparkling. "See any potential winners?"