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Leo Behrends

Relaxed and down to earth Cyber Lizardman

0 · 1,229 views · located in The Prime

a character in “Impending Pursuit”, as played by Specmarine

Description

Image Role Name

Specmarine: Speech Color(#EDBB00) | FC: Thought Color(#A50044)






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{ļ¼¦ļ½•ļ½Œļ½Œ ļ¼®ļ½ļ½ļ½…: Leo Behrends}

{ļ¼”ļ½‡ļ½…:48 }

{ļ¼§ļ½…ļ½Žļ½„ļ½…ļ½’: Male ā™‚ }


{ļ¼³ļ½ļ½…ļ½ƒļ½‰ļ½…ļ½“: Cybernetic Lizardman }

{ļ¼¦ļ½ļ½ƒļ½… ļ¼£ļ½Œļ½ļ½‰ļ½ : }
Ginko || Mushishi





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.ļ¼Øļ½…ļ½‰ļ½‡ļ½ˆļ½”:
6"4'

ļ¼Øļ½ļ½‰ļ½’ ļ¼£ļ½ļ½Œļ½ļ½’:
White
ļ¼·ļ½…ļ½‰ļ½‡ļ½ˆļ½”:
208lbs

ļ¼„ļ½™ļ½… ļ¼£ļ½ļ½Œļ½ļ½’:
Green


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ļ¼Æļ½–ļ½…ļ½’ļ½ļ½Œļ½Œ ļ¼”ļ½ļ½ļ½…ļ½ļ½’ļ½ļ½Žļ½ƒļ½…:
Leo is a rather tall individual with a stocky body and pale white skin and white hair along with green eyes. Usually his appearance while not wearing any environmental suit or extra clothing consists of a simple white shit with grey pants. However when wearing extra clothing he usually wears a more padded trench coat for extra warmth. When exploring more dangerous areas even for mutants he usually wears a set of shoddy scrap armor modified to look the very least presentable alongside a gas mask to help filter out any toxic chemicals.




ā€œKeep calm and relax a little, there's no reason we can't not be civil. Despite what I look like deep down inside I still have my humanity. But would you like some toast to break the ice?ā€




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ļ¼°ļ½…ļ½’ļ½“ļ½ļ½Žļ½ļ½Œļ½‰ļ½”ļ½™:

Leo is considered to be a rather down to earth guy, despite the world he lives on he and a lot of members of his colony of Lizardman have a lot of respect to others. As such not only does Leo not want to actually want to try killing, robbing or stealing from others he will actually help some random passerby on their day by giving them some food or drink. Leo is also a rather optimistic individual always seeing a better future or making the best out of any given situation, whether it be by jokes or simply looking on the better side of things he usually finds a way to keep his spirits and the spirits of those around around him up.

Of course combined with this nice personality, Leo also is a rather avid explorer. Often looking in nooks, crannies, and digging under rubble to find all the hidden and good bits that could often have been ignored as either useless junk or missed by others and often crafts anything that might assist him or others from trying to craft a toaster to cook bread or even a functioning gasmask and armor for whenever he needs added protection from the elements. As such, he often finds himself bartering wither others not only to talk but see what supplies the two can trade together.

But despite his non-aggressive nature, he is by no means incapable of protecting himself or against fighting others. If his hand is forced he will not hesitate to protect himself if he has to. He dislikes the act of fighting but he will not let another try to claim his life without defending himself. But despite all of this Leo remains a rather friendly individual and is always happy to make some pals, trading partners or simply being a nice guy to hang around with.





ā–¶ļ¼“ļ½ˆļ½…ļ½ļ½… ļ¼³ļ½ļ½Žļ½‡ : Space Lion// Yoko Kanno and/or The Seatbelts








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ļ¼¬ļ½‰ļ½‹ļ½…ļ½“
Like 1 // Cooking: Leo has an unnatural ability to cook, in this toxic world one must have some luck, weird tastes or a little of both to survive on this world. Leo has transcended past these two things and has come across a third option: A good eye for ingredients and proper preparation. With such knowledge...and a book on everything he has cooked and successfully eaten with good taste he is a self certified chef in a toxic world. As such he has a rather fond love of food not only for survival but for all the possibilities that come with cooking

Like 2 // Crafting: With 500 years of previous generations before him, they passed down a special teaching to their offspring...And that was the art of salvaging and crafting along other survival skills. As such the Lizardman has been known to be good at re-purposing old scrap, junk and old stuff to something useable. And Leo is no exception to this, being an imaginative inventor he really likes to dabble with making things.

Like 3 // Being Friendly: With the world being toxic and rather unforgiving to the unprepared many would assume most of their inhabitants would be hardened and ready to throw one another into a toxic lake for even a piece of meat. Well a bunch of individuals would do that but Leo is one of the exceptions, he will not attack others or steal from them, in fact he often helps others donating supplies or even time to assist them in whatever they need, be it building a shelter of cooking them up a nice meal.


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ļ¼¤ļ½‰ļ½“ļ½Œļ½‰ļ½‹ļ½…ļ½“
Dislikes- Fighting: Although not shying away from fights, Leo will often do his best to convince the opposition if they are ready to attack him to stand down and simply walk away. But fighting will always leave a sour taste in his mouth especially when he comes out on top.

Dislikes-Blatant injustice: With there not being much laws on a toxic world, its to be expected that all sorts of things will happen. Even if he dislikes fighting he does not like watching people get attacked and robbed in his eyes and will intervene to protect someone.

Dislikes-The cold: As a Lizardman he is coldblooded. As such he has trouble regulating body temperature by himself without say close contact with another or warm clothing. But even then he very much dislikes the cold because he dislikes the feeling and it also has a physical impact on him.

Dislikes-Doing nothing: As an explorer, mechanic, cook and wanderer he normally keeps himself busy looking for scrap, cooking and tinkering with creations. If he literally has nothing to do and is still wide awake he...Tends to question what the heck can he do without being absolutly bored out of his mind.


āœ°


ļ¼³ļ½”ļ½’ļ½…ļ½Žļ½‡ļ½”ļ½ˆļ½“

Strength-Agile: Being a Lizardman his agility is one of his defining traits. He can move quickly, climb quickly and think quickly. As such when in danger he can put that speed to good use and get out of danger at a rapid pace if he is capable of running.

Strength-Survival skills: When out there in the wastes and the open worlds. Keeping your eyes open, ears alert and surroundings clear is one of the few things one should learn while surviving alone. Not only is he a good explorer, he can forage for food that most might not have tried out, make shelters for multiple situations from flooding to the cold, and knows when things might be off.

Strength-Mechanical engineering: Knowing what mechanical scrap looks like is one thing, being able to use it is another. Leo has a lot of experience tinkering with machines whether it be toasters and getting it to actually work to keeping his own cybernetic enhancements working and maintained so they don't simply shut down on him...Or shut down on others...

Strength-Cybernetics: Parts of his body has been modified, his left eye is a cybernetic eye capable of seeing much further than his organic counterpart. A cybernetic Left arm that packs a much greater punch than his organic arm and a much more steady trigger finger, and a cybernetic right leg that has a lot more force behind it. Each capable of being modified further to add extra features.


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ļ¼·ļ½…ļ½ļ½‹ļ½Žļ½…ļ½“ļ½“ļ½…ļ½“

Weakness 1 The Cold: In any low temperature environment, as Lizardman with cold blood it can be very bad for him as it actually debilitates his physical capabilities and slows him down. It can be somewhat mitigated by warm clothes and weather protection gear but he will still feel the effects unless he is warmed by a fire or a warm individual.

Weakness 2 Combat Capabilities: In an actual fight against others he is not the best when it comes to it. Sure a weapon that shoots at people is one thing, a smart living being out to actually kill him and actually trained for killing others is another thing. As such he struggles against anyone with combat capabilities.

Weakness 3 Fluffy things: Being a race who has more scaly skin, and the best luxury being rags just piled together for a pillow on top of scrap. Anything remotely comfy or looking really fluffy he will gladly barter for a chance to get some of that. Or pet the floof.






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{ ļ¼·ļ½…ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½Ž : }

A simple weapon rigged up from the many working pieces of scrap that was capable of being refined. A humble rifle with a bayonet attached to the end of it, although rather primitive compared to all the advanced technology of the sky it is still a capable weapon. Featuring a five round capacity which rounds are manually inserted into the weapon to reload the weapon. This makes a good hunting weapon and a capable self defense weapon.




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{ļ¼°ļ½Œļ½ļ½ƒļ½… ļ½ļ½† ļ¼Æļ½’ļ½‰ļ½‡ļ½‰ļ½Ž :}
Colony Of Belinian

{ ļ¼¢ļ½ļ½ƒļ½‹ļ½‡ļ½’ļ½ļ½•ļ½Žļ½„ : }

Born in the Colony of Belinian with a long history that dates back to when humanity left to the starts 500 years ago. This colony was originally composed of soldiers that were unable to head to the stars to get to safety. As such they had no choice but to hunker down and make a living to survive, over time their genetics were mutated and changed into on of a Lizard and after a few hundred years their human bloodline had all but aged and passed away. And 500 years after the initial 'settlers' there young Leo was born.

Growing up Leo learned all the skills that were passed down from his parents, he learned how to utilize and tinker with mechanics, survival skills to take care of himself out there in the field, and soon enough he was on his way to be like many of his fellow Lizardman. Of course among the others of the colony he was a bit more eccentric or had a far grander imagination than most. Whatever it was young Leo was a lot more active at making discoveries, cooking strange things to make gourmet meals, and perfecting toasters to try and make toast that had been written in old books from the founders.

Soon enough Leo was one of the brightest people of his Colony, however his wandering nature has seen to him always leaving and returning, but he also faced many troubles. Losing an eye in an ambush and having to replace it with a cybernetic one he took a few years to get everything for, lost a leg after narrowly escaping a collapsing ruin forced to remove it and then spent a while forging enough parts to make a new one, and finally losing an in a mechanical accident where a minor explosion took his whole arm and had to replace it once more with a cybernetic one.

Now he simply lives his life as Leo the mechanical cook. Not knowing what the future has in store for him



{ļ¼¦ļ½ļ½ļ½‰ļ½Œļ½™ :}
Royce Behrends 84
Judice Behrends 83

{ļ¼Æļ½”ļ½ˆļ½…ļ½’ ļ¼©ļ½Žļ½†ļ½ :}

Leo is a smoker, using a special batch of makeshift herbs he finds around the world he usually carries a lot of special smokes on his person. They all usually have different effects but they are used as personal flavor smokes to relax even better. Some also have the effects of relaxants.

Leo's skin although looking human like from afar has reptilians like properties upon closer examination. As such his skin feels a bit clammy to the touch.






ā’øā“„ā“…ā“Žā“‡ā’¾ā’¼ā’½ā“‰: ā“‰ā’½ā’ŗ_ā“†ā“Šā’ŗā’ŗā“ƒ



So begins...

Leo Behrends's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ljilja Character Portrait: Leo Behrends Character Portrait: Scout
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xxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ā Speaking: #CD5C5C | Thought: #2F4F4F




"They're going to try and rile you up tonight," they stood in the wings of the waiting area, the other competitors getting touched up before their big moment. Scout was no different, Selena was pinning pieces of her hair back, standing up on her tip toes to try and reach the top of Scout's head. "What's that supposed to mean?" Scout asked, ears flickering as Selena quickly brushed out the gray and black fur on them, making them look neat and fluffy.

"It means that you can't lose your temper."

She was led out of the hall with the others, like sheep to the slaughter, their herder positioning them on stage, a velvet shield the only thing protecting them from the audience. Their hosts stood in front of them, Kore and Yeqon. Scout scratched one of her ears, wholly uninterested. Sound bursted out from every side of the room, assaulting her senses. The wolf winced, able to feel the reverbaration of their mic feedback in her spine.

The contestants were moved to a staircase on a higher platform, each provided with a seat with their name. Underneath the seat was a small bottle of water, in case they got thirsty. In front of them was the first interview, Scout vaguely recognizing the contestant. Boqin, the one that had approached her the first day and then again earlier in the hallway. Instead of paying attention, her gaze travelled upwards. It was not her first time on a ship, but it was her first time in a public area. She felt strangely tired, her eyes blinking slowly until they shut.

The wolf's ears pricked upwards, her head tilting forward when Boqin was suddenly standing in front of her. Had she... fallen asleep? Scout reached up to rub her eyes, then stopped, remembering that she was wearing sparkly powder. "Your turn," Boqin was avoiding her gaze. "Okay," Scout yawned, her tail flicking. She rose, making her way down the steps that quickly disappeared as soon as she touched the lower stage.

Scout sat in the seat opposite their interview. What was his name again? She wracked her brain, trying to remember. A video popped up in front of them from the holo, startling her. The human paid her no attention as the highlight reel played. In between snippets of her fights were shots of Scout getting bandaged up in the med bay, or her and Ljilja eating breakfast together, and stealing away from the party to sneak into the gym.

As soon as the screen disappeared, their MC was suddenly interested in her. He put on a dazzling smile, his posture perfectly straight. "Scout, Scout, Scout." He shook his head, laughing, garnering a titter from the audience. What was so funny? She tilted her head to the side, confused. "You sure do prefer to talk with your fists, don't you?" Her ears tilted forward in slight annoyance.

"What do you mean?" She asked, recalling Aries's words. "Well, it's obvious from your video. You like to rumble and tumble," he fiegned a punch while Scout knit her brow. "So tell me, who taught you to fight like that?" He wanted to know.

Zhang, that was his name. "Mercy," Zhang waited, as though expecting her to say more. "Mercy? Is that friend of yours?"

"He was." Zhang's brow twitched in mild annoyance, but he covered it up smoothly. "I'm sorry for your loss, how did he die?"

"I killed him," her ears twitched, Scout started laughing, but no one else thought her joke was funny. Zhang began to laugh too, awkwardly at first, then wholeheartedly. "You had us there for a second! So Scout, what did you think of Boqin's confession?" He grinned, taking the narrative in his hands again.

"Confession?" Scout blinked, confused. "What did he say?" Zhang laughed again, genuinely this time, as though having just witnessed something entertaining. "You're like a little innocent puppy, I guess he was right about you having a soft side! Or maybe that little fish friend of yours is making you soft?" Scout shook her head, certain that she was missing something. "So, what was going through your head when you put your name into the lottery?"

He was taking direction again. "I'm living on borrowed time," Selena had done nothing to try and hide the ori creeping up on her legs, probably on purpose. "May as well have some fun while I can still move. Go out the way I want to." She grinned, "If I'm gonna die, it's not gonna be without taking some b*stard with me."

"Well Scout, we wish you the best of luck in that endeavor. We're gonna take a quick break, but we'll be back soon!" Zhang rose, Scout rising too. She stretched, the stairs turning back on to allow her back up to her seat. "Leo, you're up next!" He called, pointing to someone Scout had never seen.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ljilja Character Portrait: Leo Behrends Character Portrait: Scout
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Location: Father








Lights, Camera...Action!

Well in all his years of life, he never thought he would be here...Standing as an honored spectacle in a death game being aired live to every Holovision and everyone tuned to the channel, and if he were to low ball the amount of people watching them all he was safe to say it could have been an easy million...But he was certain his Mother was prepared to beat his ass into the ground for doing such a crazy stunt if the games don't do him in first...Sorry mom, call it youthful enthusiasm but he wanted to help some others out...Although he really was worried how long he would have to not sit down...

That's a burning bridge he would cross over one day but for now he stood there to cheers, music, lights and applause as he and the other mutant contestants all stood there as the announcers and emcee's began their comments. First they were commenting about a wolf girl...Wait...He saw one wolf girl back at that lobby before...wait she already beat the stuffing out of some people already?...A soft heart?...Ok he was getting some conflicting statements there, was she friendly or hostile? Well only one way to find out in the future that's for sure. But it was the interviews, well there were many other people to call upon now.

Remember Leo, you got this. First time in the limelight but at least he did not have wet feet when it came to crowds...Wait...His name got called already? Lucky or unlucky? But guess it was time. The Lizardman dressed in a suit and all dolled up by Qiqi soon stepped on stage. Remember that one line Leo and keep it natural. You got this, far more easier thank working on a generator that was infested by mutated ants and held together by strings and rope.

He walked down to the lower stage and sat in front of their interviewer. ā€And welcome back folks at home, today we have a rare contestant in our 100ā€™th game. One of the elusive Lizardman of Belinian Leo Behrends!ā€ Zhang Wei exclaimed at the sound of cheering and oooā€™s echoed through the place. A video of his little training session played on the top screen showcasing his feats along with some footage of him mixing and matching food back at the lobby. Jeeze, they were watching him since he arrived? He better not let slip some embarrassing secrets.

ā€I'm sure the viewers at home also have the same question I do, what brings one of you Belinian Lizardman, to these games? As far as we know your kind lives in a functioning society that has no problems of poverty, starvation or lack of shelter. But here you are, one of the rarer older contestants and even rarer mutants in these games. Perhaps you intend to become a winner in this game? In a life where the young die you usually fear the old people, and you certain are gathering attention just by being here.ā€ Zhang Wei spoke as Leo nodded.

ā€œWell, it certainly is a good place to live. But in a way, I am going to do something never before seen in these games. Been thinking about it for a while and I finally decided now was a good time.ā€ Leo replied as the crowd had a few murmurs and excited cheers. ā€And we all certainly look forward to it! Maybe you will break the last record of kills that one contestant is capable of. Or perhaps you have more devious desires that you want showcased live. We certainly await when we watch you in action, but for now we have another question. We are aware that your manager is the well known Qiqi, but we have to ask is your relationship together advancing fast? Compared to the others we heard there are virtually no problems with your pairing...Almost too well most can say.ā€ A small smile appeared on Zhang Weiā€™s face as even Leo sputtered lightly at that sudden question.

From thinking he was going to be some secret killing machine deviant to romance blooming!? Qiqi was not kidding, they were ready to rile them up. He had to respond and respond carefully. ā€œWell Iā€™m a well mannered man. My mother raised me right so I donā€™t do anything rude. And Qiqi seems to have her and my interests aligned. She helps me live and I help her. Which reminds me Iā€™m wearing her makeup line.ā€ He replied and also slipped in a little bit of advertising as Qiqi had asked him to do if he could.

ā€œSo we see.ā€ Zhang Wei had replied with a small nod, a small disappointed look crossed his face for a mere second. ā€œOne more question, from what we have observed you seemed to be very attentive to machines and the like. Tell us, if you happen to get any sort of tools out there what could you make?ā€ Zhang asked Leo as the older Lizardman nodded to himself.

ā€œI can think of many things, a heater, a working engine, a toaster to toast bread.ā€ He replied as a laugh escaped Zhangā€™s lips. A toaster? Not an answer he was expecting. ā€œVery impressive, being able to build things like that. Iā€™m sure the audience would be very excited to see what else more you can build besides simple machines...Or if you are not bluffing and can actually make working electronics.ā€ He stated as Leo gave a firm nod.

ā€œI will definitely make a working machine during the games. Iā€™ll show you the power of Belinian Engineering at its finest.ā€ He grinned a bit as Zheng gave a small clap. ā€œWell best of luck on that then. We will be on another commercial break, and letā€™s focus on another person that lives less with trees and more with water.ā€ He would rise up followed by Leo as Zheng pointed into the crowd at a certain finfolk. ā€œYou're up next Ljilja right after this short break!ā€

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Behrends Character Portrait: Jax
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ā Speaking: #919191 | Thought: #D8BFD8



Jax had seen the Games before, he had watched the interviews. The 100th Games was by far the most extravagant yet. The roar of applause was nearly defeaning, the audience strung along on a carefully laid out narrative. Jax was no fool, he knew that there was a puppet master behind all of this. The snow leopard could see her, sitting in a VIP box with a holo tab and a carefully placed smile.

His name was called, pulling him out of his reverie. Jax rose, fixing his suit jacket before taking to the lower stage. He had been watching the video compilations carefully so far, eyeing his competitors. He needed to know which ones he would have to watch out for on the field.

Jax's compliation began with him at the party, chatting with a certain lizard man, the one that had been on the stage before him. It focused in on Jax's bewildered expression, than a charming smile. "I think you are mistaken, I may be a doctor, but I also know a great many ways to kill a man." He leaned in towards Leo then, his voice lowering to a whisper. "You're a friendly guy so I will give you a word of advice, don't trust anyone here."

They were completely manipulating snippets of their conversation.

The rest of it was almost predictable, teaching Thorne how to use a gun, comforting Ten as she sobbed about her debt, finding friends and enemies among the competitors. At long last, the holo vid blipped off and Zhang Wei turned towards him, grinning like a cat that had just eaten a particularly fat mouse. "The Games haven't even started and you've reeled yourself in a fan club!" Zhang Wei cackled like a harpy, the crowd chuckling. "You're quite the charmer, Doctor. Is it okay if I call you that?"

"Just Jax is fine," he replied, leaning back, grinning easily. His tail swished back and forth playfully, Jax was falling into his old habits. The charmer, putting up a wall to hide behind. A chill crept up his spine, he was just another plaything for the humans to take advantage of, he needed to be careful. "So how did someone like you end up in a place like this? What's the end game for someone who probably lived a pretty cozy life on new earth?"

"Well Mr. Wei, there are things that I want to achieve, goals I could only dream of if I hadn't come here." Zhang Wei grinned, "but still, you're a doctor. A killing game isn't exactly your style, is it?"

"Not exactly, but you heard it first hand didn't you. My knowledge as a doctor will only help me. I can put a body together just as well as I can take it apart."

"Ooh, scary!" Their audience was eating this up. "What about your lady friends? You know, the winged girls?"

"Ten and Thorne? We're in an alliance, nothing more."

"Are you sure about that?" Zhang Wei's expression was crafty, but Jax did not need to think about it twice.

"I'm sure."

"Well ladies, that's good news for you! It means Jax is still on the market!" The phrasing of it was unsettling, in the back of his mind, he could hear other words.

"I paid good money to rent you for tonight."

"Anything you wanna say to your lady friends in the audience before you go?"

"I hope you're all going to watch, because I promise I won't disappoint." Jax winked. He was glad that it was over already. Zhang Wei grabbed Jax's hand and lifting it up above his head. "Jax, everyone!" Jax rose, sighing. Zhang Wei clapped him on the back, "What a show!" He grinned, it was clear that Jax had been playing right into his hand. "Cayde, my metal friend, come on down here!" He called as the staircase illuminated, allowing Jax to return to his seat.

He sat with a resounding thump! Quickly leaning over to cover his face with his hands, a slight tremble in them.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Behrends
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Location: Father








Calm before the storm

The days had passed like a blur, from sating his curiosity on the technological marvels of the ship to being paraded around by Qiqi all over the place and getting enough makeovers that it now felt weird to see his own face without it...Plus with more sponsorship meetings and the like the week certainly zoomed by without issue. Of course even with all this peace and distractions there was one thing for certain...The day of the games was looming very close now, come the next morning they would be pitted into a fight to the death for entertainment and rewards...To say he was a bit nervous was an understatement. Most would be nervous to be sent out into the games...And of course he was no exception.

Leo gave a deep sigh as he stared at the ceiling inside his room. what was the plan now Leo? He barley met anyone else throughout the week. His little interview made him seem both interesting, mysterious and of course likely painted a target on his back by some people who were intent on stopping whatever he had in plan...Man...This made his plans harder, in some way or another this was going to be tough. Ugh! Why cant life problems be solves as easily as a machine!?...Then again he took a few years to work on a machine so...Yeah that was just terrible...

Well no use in agonizing over his plans or the future, he had to get through the coming day and tackle each problem as they arrive. For now he had to just get up, do more tasks for the day like usual and all should be well. If he continues to do well he could simply get plenty of supplies during the game and hammer out a solution to each problem! Good thinking Leo. With his spirit more better and mind all clear once more he got showered and dressed for the day as he stepped out of his room.

Man...He could really go for a smoke though...Maybe he was an addict or something? Well if he was he would be far worse off so that was not the case...Oh! It was like a craving for sweets! That's the right comparison. But enough about smokes, problems and the like. Breakfast was just asking to be eaten today and more recipes needed to be recorded for the future. He brought out a notebook from inside his pants and began to read it over as he walked. He did his best to eat every possible dish they served, and he made sure to find out every last ingredient used inside the dish as well. It was of course hard when he cant simply just waltz right into the kitchen and ransack the whole place to record everything...But he had his taste buds to rely on! Now what else did he need to try out now...It was the final day so missing out on anything would suck...

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Location: Father








The Games Begin

The day has finally arrived, and the announcement was made...The games are officially happening today and the location was in the wastes. Well at the very least it wont be a cold location for a fight to the death...But a large no mans land with plenty of abandoned things littered around that many people would neglect...Well that certainly gave him a good positive outlook going forward...Judging if there as anything to salvage compared to an old ruined town...At best there could be old cars...Right?...

Well he would cross that fake bridge again when he came across it but at the moment they were all confined to their rooms for their safety they were told...In all honest it almost felt like they were all cattle being led to their pens before the slaughter began. A very unnerving thought but that was basically what was about to happen. A moment of peace before being thrown out in the wastes to fight to the death. And to top it all off he...Virtually never talked to many of the other contestants besides that fluffy looking Doctor and the girl who was eating the grass. And it was clear that he did not make any alliances...Still he did have a good sponsor thanks to Qiqi's hard work so if push comes to shove he had to buy friendship with food! With a firm nod he had one last shower with fresh clean hot water no doubt his last chance to enjoy such luxury before the knock came at his door. "Its time, follow us." Came a voice outside. One of the guards no doubt to escort him. With no further time to waste he got dressed and followed them all the way to the loading dock. Along with more and more fellow mutants being rounded up.

"Well Leo, this is your time to shine...I can't mess around now, some people may be friendly but keep your head down and safe...Take it smart and I can get though this." He hyped himself in his mind as he took a deep breath.

The setting changes from Father to Wasteland

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Location: Wastes



The Prelude To Carnage

Home...Or rather in this case back to the loving embrace of their toxic filled homeland in the middle of the wastes. Not quite his home but this land was technically home to him...But that was the very least of his worries now. He like all the others were assigned a vehicle! He had honesty thought they would be flown overhead and tossed out with some parachute at random intervals all over the land. Well this was a celebration technically...100 years of these games was of course a time to celebrate so maybe this was to 'spice' things up. Well whatever the case his mechanic blood just boiled being just...Given this pristine mechanical beast! Imagine all the possibilities! The upgrades! The maintenance! But of course...Right now they had to use these motorbikes however they see fit...To either get the hell out of dodge and find safety...Or already go for blood and start hunting the others in some crazy mechanical jousting blood sport.

His plan was obviously to get out of the starting area as quickly as possible...Find a good place to make camp and in a good area with places to salvage and vantage points to watch his surroundings better. Of course he was no sniper or a soldier, but he was a good survivalist when it came to the wilderness. He may not be doing any killing which he was not going to do if it was not absolutely necessary, at least he could keep himself alive for the week to come...

Still, with no prep time to get situated on his surroundings he could only rely on a few things. His item of choice, a humble rifle. Good self protection at range, and simply aiming it at someone would usually be more than enough to get them to surrender...Usually, he had no idea what the others were capable of or how determined they were to win no matter the cost...On another problem he would not be in contact with Qiqi so his source of information and aid was now gone...But he would get shipped goods from the sponsors he obtained so he could look forward to...Whatever they fancied to give him but for now it was time to really focus...The countdown began starting at 10...Once he was unloaded he had seconds to react. Gather his bike, his weapon and floor it in the direction of least resistance...With a few final deep breaths the Lizardman would have been sweating at this point but with his biology he was incapable of sweating so his nervousness was not outwardly shown...But he could safely say his heart was beating faster...He made sure not to eat hours before they had to go so he was firing on all cylinders at the moment so he was very much prepared as best as he could. Five...Four...Three...

"Mother...Father...I hope I did not make the biggest mistake of my life..." He spoke to himself as the second the ramp went down he had to fully focus on one thing. Survive the next few minutes....




The Start Of Hell

Running down the ramp, already he could hear it around him. Fighting...Gunfire...Machinery revving to life...And the familiar scent of blood in the air. He grit his teeth a bit as he rushed up to his motorbike, grabbing the strap of his rifle and slinging it over his shoulder as he got into position. Of course being a mechanic starting a fully operational machine was mere childs play to him, but for some of the others simply knowing how to start it and not start it was a life and death moment...He pressed the accelerator and kicked it into drive as he kicked up sand with the tires and began to peeled out from his starting location as bullets narrowly passed him by as someone must have been targeting those going for their only means of escape. That meant they were fully intending to kill off anyone slow enough to even start up their bike...

But more worrying was the massive sound he started hearing...A very loud pounding noise in the distance...What on earth was that? Some massive machine? No way could someone bring some high tech gear as their support item!? Man if thats the case whoever was making that pounding noise was definitely one not to mess with!

But looks like he was one of the faster ones to get on his bike that was a good sign...However he was not out of the woods yet, as he kept his eyes open, and his cyber eye scanning his surroundings he noticed another bike heading in his direction. Oh no...Was this going to be a high speed chase? This did not bode well...And with a few round fired in his direction he was forced to start swerving in random directions to throw off his pursuers aim. This fight he could not avoid...And as such his plans for a quick escape was thwarted for the moment...

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Mad Maximum Situation





If there was one thing he really hoped he would not have to at the very start of the games...This would be in his top 5 things that he did not want to do today. And that was fight on a Hovercycle with no cover between him and his attacker, and he was no killer either...He cant just shoot another living breathing person even if it was to defend his life...He was not against the wall yet and he most certainly wanted to avoid that situation. As the two hoverbikes blasted across the dunes of the wasteland, Leo would unshoulder his rifle carefully as he kept steering the vehicle before looking back.

His pursuer had closed the distance, with him having to weave left and right and in uncanny directions to not drive in a stright line and make himself a pathetically easy target to shoot. To his side now he saw a woman...A fellow mutant of course. Pale white hair, a rather peculiar dress?...Thing?...He was not much of a fashion expert...He was more comfortable with machines but what he did see was the protrusions coming out of her body. It looked like white branches. It was not often he saw mutations like that...

His grip tightened around his rifle as he was in her effective distance now with a handgun...However it looked like she was driving next to him probably plotting to open fire on him in the next few seconds. Now was his time to do something. "Hold up a second! I'm-" He tried to get out until he saw the woman start aiming her pistol at him. No cover between him and her! And trying to accelerate or lose his speed would not be enough if she was good with her aim...And he was not gambling on her having bad aim. So with his best course of action he tapped on the autopilot and quickly went over the edge of his hoverbike and gripped the sides as well as he could using his own bike as cover. "Woah! Truce! Truce!" he shouted over the roars of the engines as the sounds of metal ringing rang out as the bullets impacted it before they stopped. Ammo was not infinite thank goodness...He soon climbed back up on his bike and despite being shot at and with a weapon in his hands he did not open fire.

"You...You are a strange one. Most would have already retaliated." The woman commented as Leo gave a small smile. "I get that often." He chuckled lightly before the woman suddenly veered into him to close the distance. So much for talking his way out of this fight he supposed. As she closed into what was the equivalent of melee range, expecting some sort of knife or something he was more surprised to see the 'wing' like protrusions suddenly raise into the air. Well...This was probably worse than a simple knife...Leo quickly turned off autopilot and slammed on the brakes as he felt the wind swing right next to his head. Woah that was a close call! If he tried dodging that would have lodged into the bike, and it was not like he was jumping to avoid it or else he would watch from afar as his bike drove without him! But this was not over yet. The woman would spin her hoverbike around to face him. At this distance they were a good distance away from others.

"Is it too late to ask for some sort of truce?...We don't have to kill each other you know. In a situation like this its better to work together to better our chances." He called out as the woman blinked in his direction. "To be frank I don't trust you. Lizardman are rare enough as it is, and you live in an actual civilized colony...If you left such a place you are either stupid or a psychopath." She stated as Leo internally cried to himself. He was 100% stupid...Not a psychopath...Was it because of old man bias?...He was not that old.

"A fair thing to say..." He relented as the sound of the woman's hovercycle sounded as she dug into a bag and produced a pistol clip. It was clear that she had no intention of leaving peacefully. With a breath he formulated a plan in his mind. He did not want to just shoot her so that was out of the question. But he had an idea...Something that wont affect her chances at survival but yet give him enough time to scamper away...He soon readied himself as he turned autopilot on once more as he grasped his rifle with his robotic arm. Looks like today he was playing a game of courage...

Once she slammed a fresh clip into her pistol she soon drove forward and took aim at him as the two were closing the distance on each other. Leo took a breath and slid back and grabbed the very edge of the back end on his hovercycle as the bullets came his way. More metallic rings but it stopped short of her full count...Just as expected he was saving the round for when she passed and that's what he was counting on! He may not be the best in a fight but he can capitalize on situations. He would swing his body to the right just as their vehicles were about to near each other, her aim at the tail of his bike. He soon raised his rifle and like a hammer he hit the console on the front of her hovercycle and turned it off.

She would give a surprised gasp as her hovercycle suddenly went dead and crashed into the sandy dunes and skid. She being forced to hold the bike and brace for impact as he went full speed away. to gain as much distance before she got back online. Leo gave a tired sigh after that ordeal...If he could sweat he would be caked in it...





Scrap Home

After some hours driving he soon came across the remains of a parking lot. Stones jutted from the sands with old rusted cars from ages past laid their like undisturbed tombs...He would park his hovercycle behind one of the stone pillars and got off before cracking his back a bit. A good find for him, first things first he needed a to do list:

First was to properly hide the bike under a bunch of scrap so people would not realize he made this area a hiding place

Second he needed to find the most intact car and turn it into a temporary shelter for the night

Third he needed to begin salvaging any useful parts. Something that was still sturdy and light enough...Maybe he could make some body armor...If he had anything to craft it with which was not going to happen for the moment...So for the time being he would be gathering resources to upgrade his new car home...

After all these steps he needed to simply keep low and find good hunting spots to get food...It was not like he was going to have luck growing food out of sand...So the second best thing he was getting was to find any wild animals out there and get some food...But cooking it...That was going to be a problem...It was not like he had trees to simply snag some firewood from...But a bridge to cross when he got there...

He soon walked over to his bike and dug into his pack to check his supplies...Some ammo...Food and water...Makeup? How thoughtful Qiqi...Too bad that was not going to help him very much at this moment...But he would probably find use for it somehow...A single blanket, and...Oh! What did he have here a battery!? He would use this definitely but that was about it. He sighed as he sat down next to the powered down hovercycle and bit into his rationed meal. "Well Leo you done it now...You managed to survive the first hour without dying...But so much for making alliances...Or some ally for the journey...I wonder if that woman who ate that grass is fine...I don't even see how a girl like her got roped into these games...All I can do for her is pray...Maybe...If I tried to help her out when I hit the ground..." He mused with a sad sigh before shaking his head. "Come on Leo, only do things you can reasonably do...I have more opportunities in the future, that mosh pit of blood is too dangerous to play hero...For now just make some equipment and go from there..." He cheered himelf up as he gave a nod before standing up.

He soon got to work by ripping some decently well kept metal plates with his robotic arm...Not a challenge when the joins are about as old as the sand he was standing on...And soon stacked them in way to both cover open holes and looked decently natural. Once he was done he crawled into his new little metal home after clearing enough sand and wrapped himself in a blanket. If he was correct...It was going to be a cold night...So as such he covered the entrance he had crawled in with a metal plate and closed his eyes. At least he wont die from the cold in his sleep...

The setting changes from Wasteland to Father

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Character Portrait: Ljilja Character Portrait: Leo Behrends Character Portrait: Scout Character Portrait: Kore
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLocation: Fatherxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx #0EBFE9 | FC: #CD3333



Kore's long stride graced the walkway of the loading dock. Mimi had been waiting for her upon return, standing just behind the forcefield that kept them all from getting sucked into space. "Ms. Mars!" Mimi held up her holo pod, "you have a message from one of the sponsors."

Kore quirked a brow, but did not slow down. "I'll take it in my office," Mimi nodded. Their walk to the Overseer lounge was not all that far, Kore took the shortcut from the dock, using one of the metal maintenance halls to avoid fotors. The Head Overseer wasn't in the mood, she needed a drink and a mirror.

Her office was pleasantly cool, Mimi already had a lemon spritz waiting for her on the white desk and in the corner, a holo pod was playing several angles of the Games. Kore perched herself on her white leather desk chair, a message sliding over her holo pod, which jumped to life with a wave of her hand. From the window behind her, the stars were especially bright.

"Ms. Mars, it is good to see you." The sponsor leaned back, a pair of overly large sunglasses obscuring her face. Kore too, leaned back, crossing one slender ankle over the other. "It is good to see you as well. How is it going?"

"Just as you requested, the pills are taking effect. The poor mutt was foolish enough to finish the entire dose."

Kore swiveled over to her keyboard, checking the betting pool.

The numbers were plummeting quickly as people hustled to change their bets, spreading the money further. Her brow twitched in annoyance, it was still far too high. Kore turned back to the sponsor. "Do you have an estimate of how long it will take until she's out?"

It was Kore's job to give people hope, but it was also her job to squander it. Any competitor that could grow too close, anyone that might have a slight chance of actually winning, Kore needed to rid the Game of them. The rest of the trash would take itself out.

And what better way to do it than through the guise of a sponsor? Yes, Kore was the grandmaster of the Games, but she was also playing puppeteer behind the scenes, lording over them all.

"By my estimate and the progression of her Ori, one week." Kore nodded, a polite smile coming over her lips. "Thank you, you've been very helpful."

"I merely go where the money follows. It is not everyday a pharmacist like myself is offered such a hefty sum for a few measly hypertension pills."

She ended the call, turning back to the betting pool. To Kore's annoyance, the bets were going up again. The mutt had awoken, putting on a heartwarming performance with the hopeful little fish. With a sigh, Kore turned to watch another mutant, this one a lizard, struggle with another competitor. "What an asinine old man." She rose from her desk, a knock sounding on the metal door at the same time she.

"Come in," Ender shuffled inside, holding a holo pad. "Ender, what's wrong?" Kore asked, pushing her red veil aside to take a sip of her drink. "We have a problem, there's an issue with several of the hoverbikes."

"I am aware," she took another sip. "They aren't turning on, you mean?"

"Y-yes, how did you know?"

"Desperation makes for good entertainment, Ender." He stepped back, but did not seem surprised or upset. Instead, his expression was thoughtful. "I'm coming to the lounge, just a minute." Kore went to the mirror hanging on the wall, nodding once in satisfaction. She followed Ender out, where the rest of the Overseers and some of the managers were lingering, watching the Games, directing their production.

"Axel, how is your little leopard doing?" Kore asked, standing over his shoulder to look at his screen. "I thought the heat would break him in the first hour, but I guess that furry tail is more insulated than I thought." Kore nodded, glad to hear it. She had high hopes for that one.

"Zaxby, how is Douma faring?" Another competitor with a large amount of bets. Zaxby gripped his holo pod, gritting his teeth. "Not well, one of his arms was ripped off, he's trying to reattach it."

Kore flitted over to the bigger screens, standing over Sei's shoulder. "Ms. Mars! Everything is running smoothly so far. Your predictions were spot on!" Sei was as chipper as a duck in a pond. Kore smiled, "Well, when you're in front of the camera a lot, you know what goes on behind the scenes."

The setting changes from Father to

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Character Portrait: Yeqon Character Portrait: Ljilja Character Portrait: Leo Behrends Character Portrait: Scout Character Portrait: Edward Killedge Character Portrait: Ciara
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A Quiet Morning

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Mother drifted slowly in its orbit, the ship awash with a quiet calm that came with sunrise.

The Matriarch stood in front of the window glass, the UV shield protecting her pale skin from burning up in the face of the hot sun. Her organza nightgown was tied loosely, her snowy white skin basking in the light of the stars.

"Just how long are you going to stand there for?" Her voice, barely above a whisper, swept over the quiet room like a soft breeze. She did not turn her head to see who was there, she had no need to.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you." 001 spoke from his position behind her, having been kneeling on the cold tiled floor this entire time, not daring to follow the vein of gold in the pristine white marble that would led him to her feet. The Matriarch turned her head ever so slightly, her white hair sweeping against the backs of her ankles.

She had an heir of gentle elegance, from her soft blue eyes, which looked down at 001 with a calm grace, to her smooth hands, which had never seen a day of menial labor.

Most did not know what the Matriarch looked like. They knew her voice, or the beautiful lace veils that obscured her face from their peering, pressing gazes. The anonymity was a relief, but in the same sense, it was frightening.

There was one, however, who knew what she looked like. He knew her lips would pull up ever so slightly when she found something amusing, he knew what the curvature of her slim waist felt like in his rough hands. He knew those eyes, piercing, but calm, that stared at him so benevolently, even now.

[color="What reason would I have to be afraid of you?" She asked, reaching out her hand. Her organza robe slid off of her shoulder. Behind her, the sun bounced off of her white hair, giving her an illusory halo.

001 kept his head inclined, taking her hand to press against his forehead. "You should be more careful, what if I was someone else?" He coughed, his gravely voice low.

"And if you were someone else, who would you be?" The Matriarch turned back towards the window. 001 rose from his bow, pulling the robe tighter around her, his hands grazing her bare shoulders. "You should get ready, the show will begin soon."

"Already..." The frown she wore did not suit her. "Can't I stay here, forever?"

"No, I'm afraid not." The Matriarch turned away from him, walking towards the dresser where a wig head sat, protecting a simple organza veil in a pale pink. The Matriarch lifted it from its resting post, covering her face. Behind her, as though on cue, the door opened and two attendants rushed inside to begin preparing her for the day.

"Good morning!" They bowed quickly, in unison, kissing two fingers and touching their foreheads. "Another glorious day has graced our Sun, Moon, and Star."

"Good morning," the Matriarch smiled from behind her veil. The attendants took her hands, leading her to the next room where hot water spilled into a sunken bath in the floor. The steam filled the bathroom, the smell of roses and rice water perforating through the veil. They untied her robe, diverting their gaze out of respect until she had sunken beneath the water.

Together, they scrubbed her delicate skin and rubbed it with perfumed lotions. The attendants worked in unison to dry and braid her long, long hair before twisting it into an intricate coif.

They laced her into dress that looked as though it had been woven by stardust, its gentle iridescence shimmering under the artificial sunlight of the bedroom. "Thank you for allowing us to serve you," her attendants kneeled at the waist again, kissing their fingers and touching their foreheads. They remained bowed, shuffling outside of the door and only straightening when it closed.

"The ship," The Matriarch turned back towards the window, "it's listing."

[color=E6B426]"I did not notice,"[/color] 001 gazed at her in open awe. She was completely in-tune with Mother's innerworkings.

"Is it time to go?" The Matriarch asked, moving away from the window as if she already knew the answer to her question. Her shadow, her sword, 001, moved towards the third set of doors in her bedroom.

"Yes, it's time." 001 nodded once, before pressing his hand against the door. It read his palm quickly, the door unlocking on silent hinges and swinging open slowly. The artificial light from the hallway spilled against the ground. The Matriarch adjusted her veil once before stepping between the silk blue curtains and onto the balcony, greeted by the morning noise of the atrium.

001 Held onto the bottom of her dress when she descended the marble staircase, a line of shadows falling into step behind them, keeping a respectful distance. "I can hold that," 002 took the train of the dress from 001, who nodded and moved to his place beside the Matriarch instead.

"Today," it only took one sound from her lips for the entire bustling atrium to fall silent. They held onto the Matriarch's every word, waiting with bated breath, as though she were a Saintess or a G-dess come to deliver them a prophecy. "Is going to be a very unusual day." With her silence the atrium moved again, like the cogs in a wheel, they fell back into their places.




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UNLIKELY DUO
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gavin o'donnell | https://www.artstation.com/gavinodonnell


The cold desert night was not the most pleasant thing to sleep through with just a single blanket, some sand and a rusted metal shelter...But at the very least Leo had staved off the most harsh of the cold wind to prevent his body from shutting down from the sheer cold. Soon the wind and the cold weather began to clear as morning slowly approached, replacing the bitter cold to the more favorable hot temperatures of daytime. And with the change of weather, he knew it was a good time as any to get up and get started on his day.

But before he just decided to simply poke his head out to start his day, he put his ear near one of the small holes in his little shelter and listened closely to the sounds outside...No voices, no sounds of a vehicle, no nearby footsteps in the sand...With the coast clear he moved a metal plate out of the way and crawled out into the sunlit wastes once more and took a nice breath of fresh sand scented air with a small nod.

First thing to start on today, breakfast. With a quick dusting of his clothing to get the dust off his clothes he walked over to where he hid his bike and began to move metal plates off of the machine to get to his supply bag and began to gather some necessary materials...Let's see...He had eaten some things before but if he remembered right Qiqi informed him that they would send him supplies every once in a while from some pods in the sky right?...

WIth that thought in mind he turned his attention to the sky and noted nothing out of the ordinary...For a few seconds of course until he spotted something with his bionic eye in the distance closing in fast. He walked a little closer to see it when he noticed a large metal capsule dlything through the air next to his location. Oh that's how they do it! Just air mail supplies right nearby their respective competitor! That's rather handy! Of course he quickly noted that he should clear the impact zone and quickly scattered backwards as he did not want the metal capsule to impact him instead of the ground. Safety first after all.

Once a good...Few yards away from the supply zone the metal capsule landed with a loud thud, sending sand flying upwards and raining back down all over the area. It was handy he would admit but...He would quickly note if he saw that then anyone nearby would of course see that. And he had full reason to believe that was a very deliberate choice on their end...But for now he would walk over to the supply cache and would open it up. Let's see...Water...Canned foods...Fabric? Some sewing needles and thread.. A screwdriver...More makeup supplies. ā€œOh thanks Qiqi.ā€ Leo would remark with a small chuckle as he also would discover a screwdriver among the supplies. Very handy! He could do more with his crafting now but...Nothing in mind to craft with metal at the moment.

But he had fabric now, probably thanks to that Madame woman he met beforehand...As much as the better part of him wanted to use that fabric to begin a fire to cook his canned foods he quickly realized he might very much piss off his sponsors...Guess he had to start making some new clothes because looks like his simple shirt would have to make due with some kindling.

With a heavy sigh, some scrap, his shirt and a heavy heart he assembled a fireplace. But how to light the fire...He looked at his options. Battery could work but he did not have the other components...If he had a rock he could start a fire with the screwdriver...But digging around the sand was time consuming. Well looks like he might as well use his trump card then. As a solo explorer he made sure he was prepared for a lot of situations. And usually he was equipped for most situations he would encounter. But in this situation he might as well make the process of making a fire easy on himself. And that was bending his finger revealing a lighting device and with a small spurt of flame he would light his clothes up and get a fire going!...

Cybernetics really does come in handy. For now he propped a metal place above the fire and opened up one of the canned foods with his screwdriver and simply placed it on top of it to begin cooking his meal for the day. Wonder if he could incorporate that battery he got into his arm...A lightning arm...Now that sounded really interesting.

A flame was a useful source of comforts, warmth in the face of a chilled desert morning. However, with fire comes light, and a beacon for the hunters with sharp eyes to lie in wait and strike as soon as they spy a slouch. Nestled precisely in the browned vegetation of a half-wilted bush was a dirtied sniper, equipped with a ghillie suit and headphones. Clothing caked in mud and sand from efforts to camouflage, the man aimed his scope at the glint of a crackling flame..the crossed center of the sight drifting to align with the head of the hapless lizard man. Silent counts filled his mind, smooth breaths seeping from his lips as he steadied himself. Closing his eyes for a fleeting reprieve, he focused back onto his scope only for something to be staring and waiting for him on the other end.

A sanguine eye, slightly dreary, looked into the man from the other end of the scope. This thing mustā€™ve snuck close from the sides of the manā€™s vision. In truth, she did little to hide her presence..and had initially ambled her way into frame courtesy of her whimsical curiosity.

Retracting back, the man dropped his rifle before his fingers encircled the hilt of a sheathed machete. Before he could squeeze and pull however, the man froze. Gurgling rose from his throat as a blackened edge pierced and crushed his lung. Having detected the slightest ounce of bloodlust, Ciara thrust out her hand as it turned into a sharp curved blade and killed the man where he stumbled.

Continuing to stare with ghoulish curiosity, she eventually freed the man to bleed out before standing and strolling opposite of the now corpse.

Her eyes caught the glint at first, a flame that now radiated a pillar of smoke. But more importantly was the smell..she had finished Celtyā€™s rations mere moments after receiving them and had been wandering empty for the past few days. No matter the quality, hunger was an effective spice and she oriented herself in the direction of the scent before willing herself to walk.

The kicking up of loose grains would most likely be heard from well behind the lizard man in question. Eventually Ciara would enter from the makeshift campsite from behind him, the iron scented crimson from her latest kill still fresh on her pale skin. She marched her way past the man and sank to her knees parallel from him across the fire. At first, it seemed that she did not regard the lizardman at all, gaze instead fixated on the flame and the heating can of instant food.

The sound of sand had reached the man's ears, but what hit him quicker was the fresh scent of blood. He could feel the hairs stand up on end as he turned around and gazed upon the source of where the sound and smell came from. A woman, on the paler sideā€¦But what popped was her scarlet hair, her clothes and of course the sight of blood on her skin. Like some sort of reaper of blood.

The Lizard man would have sweat if he could, the aura she radiatedā€¦Like a perfect killer. Maybe his luck had hit zero? She obviously has killed already and here he was sitting next to a can of food, no shirt and rifle stashed away from reach. He slowly held out his hands in a surrender gesture however instead of greeting him, rushing him to attack orā€¦Anything hostile, the red haired woman simply walked past him, and knelt down on the opposite end of the fire and simply stared at the fire and food that was cooking.

One blinkā€¦Two blinksā€¦Nothing. She was not attacking or anything despite her bloodied appearanceā€¦Seeing as how there was no immediate danger the man slowly lowered his hands from his surrender gesture and grabbed the screwdriver before using it as a makeshift stirrer for the food. ā€œUmā€¦Hi there miss?...ā€ He started as he was both confused and worried at the same time. ā€œAre youā€¦Hungry by any chance?ā€ The man eventually asked as he kept his gaze both on her and the food in front of him. His body tense as he was not certain what her motives wereā€¦If anything he was at least confident that if there was danger he could easily make a break for it. But for now he should not judge her by her appearanceā€¦Despite really wanting to judge her by her appearanceā€¦

The sense of unease that radiated off the swamp lady and into the heating desert air was impossible to slight but her previous bloodlust had seemingly shrunk to nil as soon as she plopped herself down to sit. Perhaps this would quickly change if Leo expressed even the slightest hint of hospitality but his friendly demeanor worked in his benefit regarding his safety. This show of indifference persisted until she finally raised her head slightly to meet his gaze as soon as he spoke words into the soundspace. Evident from her interview and general demeanor, it was clear that she wasnā€™t keen on speaking herself if it was unneeded. In the case of his question, she could answer adequately with body language alone, so naturally that was her first choice.

Still staring into him, Ciara nodded in response, motioning more fervently than usual as the topic concerned food in particular. Her uncharacteristic energy resulted in the sanguine hair on her sides to curtain the majority of her face, Ciara stopping to part the locks and remedy her show of clumsiness. As soon as she was finished with her short reprieve from the conversation, she crawled over until she was only a twitchā€™s length away from Leo. Residing to his left side, she glanced at him from the corners of her idle gaze for a fleeting moment before turning and focusing back onto the container..

With a small nod and a small smile, he gave a small sigh as it seemed things were going well as he looked over the cooking can of food and nodded to himself. ā€œToo bad there's no spice to addā€¦I think there's some interesting spices to add in desert areas like thisā€¦ā€ He spoke to himself as his ears picked up the sound of movement, only for his eyes to look over at the woman who was now suddenly crawling closer to him. For a moment his breath got caught in his throat as he saw this.

He was prepared to move but she soon sat just a bit too close. Here he was a shirtless man and now a crimson haired woman with stunning looks sitting together by a fireā€¦If he could sweat he would definitely be sweating up a stormā€¦Oh and he just now realized they were also on TV as well no doubt being observed from afar.

ā€œAre you alone?ā€ Eyes mesmerized completely by his rhythmic, the nature of her simplistic attention had her turn completely to the flame while asking her question. Alongside this, the angle of her body had her speak at the pot, though the query was evidently directed towards him.

Wellā€¦Silence was falling quickly after his little question with only the fire and wind providing some sound. However her response was more physical as she nodded at his question. Well, at least they had a common agreement for food. However he would note her nodding was rather energetic when he mentioned food than anything else she had done since he saw her. She must enjoy her food thenā€¦Just like him!

He gave a slight prayer hoping his mother did not just walk in and think her son was trying to get a date in the middle of a death gameā€¦Thankfully the woman asked a question, even if she was turned to the fire it was of course directed to him. And it was not a simple question he could just answer. Was he alone? Of course he was but she did not knowā€¦Should he lie or tell the truth? In these games he did not know anyones motivesā€¦Let alone this crimson haired woman who had blood on her body when they first met mere moments ago! Obviously she has already killed someone in these games but could it have been self defense? Out of malice? Necessity? He did not know.

But maybe she was testing him with a hard question like this to gauge whether she could trust himā€¦Or maybe testing him if he was dumb enough to answer truthfully and end up like the last person she met! Deep breaths Leoā€¦If she wanted to kill you she would already have done it by now with her just within breathing distance at his side.

Calming down a bit, he decided there would be no harm in telling the truthā€¦ ā€œI suppose this makes me an idiot probablyā€¦Iā€™m currently by myself, yes.ā€ He relented as he returned back to the sewing as he waited for the extra minute for the food to be cooked perfectly. These mind games were not doing well for his mental health that's for sureā€¦

In contrast to his frenzied, stirring thoughts was the slime seductressā€™ vacant stare, caring not of how he answered and instead having her attention drift elsewhere due his prolonged reprieve dedicated purely to spiraling. Leaning on 4s, she crawled and reached for the metallic stirring tool, plucking it from the stew and plunging it into her willing mouth. At first, Ciara seemed content with just lapping the contents that glazed the screwdriver. However, the hex key explored ever so deeper, becoming lost before she consumed the entirety of the wrench, handle and all sacrificed to an unless void that was her stomach by the time he finished answering.

As Leo was awaiting the slime's response to his answerā€¦It seemed she had basically seemed to either ignore or the answer passed right by her as she picked up the screwdriver that was sitting in the cooking canā€¦Only for her to proceed to stick it right in her mouth. The lizardman raised his hands in an effort to very much warn the woman that sticking a very hot object in your mouth was a bad ideaā€¦Only for her to simply close her mouth around the hot piece of metal causing him to blink in response as she showed absolutely no reaction to the heatā€¦And even more so he saw the screwdriver vanish into her mouth.

He would stare dumbfounded as she just ate a screwdriverā€¦What sort of mutant was she to easily ignore heat like that?...Of course with her proceeding once more to scoop some hot contents straight from the can he was ready this time. Think quickly Leoā€¦She was an unusual oneā€¦She was focused on foodā€¦Aha!

Ciara was dangerous, that much was true however Leo was giving her too much credit in her ability to speak with silver. She simply asked a question, and now would respond. She wore her thoughts explicitly, a byproduct of being unable to suppress innate wants.

ā€œMore for me then.ā€ She angled her neck, head turning to glance at him before reaching for the pot, this time intent on using her hands to scoop the contents.

ā€œWait! Before you just scoop it you could cause some to fall off your hand! Just wait a moment for a utensil and it can scoop up the food without spilling, more food is great right?ā€ He quickly spoke up, trying to appeal to her appetite before she ended up just grabbing the can and downing it like it was a bottle of water!...Or worse just grabbing handfuls and stuffing it in her mouth.

To utilize an arbitrary tool such as logic and reasoning to stop the likes of Ciara would normally result in little progress, but the woman seemed to at least pay an ounce of mind to the lizardmanā€™s plea. Heeding his call for a few moments, she stood frozen in place and regarded him silently. After gazing at him blankly, she blinked twice before resuming her advance, albeit much slower than previously.

From her limited ability to process otherā€™s emotions without touch, she didnā€™t seem to sense any hostility from him. It was fortunate that Leo had been born with such a friendly face.

Wellā€¦It was worth a tryā€¦But with her slowed paced to reach for the food this gave him time to basically sigh deeply as he decided to give up trying to stop her from making a mess. He could always make an extra can if anythingā€¦ ā€œHelp yourself then.ā€ He gave a small smile as he decided to get back to finishing sewing a new shirtā€¦Almost done! Although the sun was rather nice today for him, it beat the cold anyday.

Fortunately, Ciara was the type to refuse to leave a crumb unturned. Thus she exercised a form of cleanliness and all-consuming destruction akin to how a black hole swallows a star. Resuming her regular speed after the verbal ā€œall-clearā€, she brought her hands to clasp the tin casing and commenced her definition of eating.

Unbothered by the slightly-past moderate heat, she tilted the can so the contents were able to slide smoothly into the gaping void that was the entrance to her stomach. Angling the container higher and higher, she finished her portion with minimal staining around the corners of her lips. Rocking her gaze back in place to stare deeply into the lizardman, she aloofly dropped the can to her side before thrusting her hand out expectantly. Even mid-chew, she believed that heā€™d be able to conjure up another meal for her, seemingly with magic.

Turning away from her for a moment, it occurred to him that heated metal objects were indeed not supposed to be grabbed with bare handsā€¦Surely the woman would not just grab the heated can with her bare hands! And upon his horror as he looked up the woman was grasping the canā€¦Utterly unaffected by the heat as she simply just poured the contents in her mouth like drinking a can of water and once emptied she dropped it to her side and extended her hand to him.

He would blink again in utter confusion as once moreā€¦She continues to do things that he was very much not used to seeing. With little if any words to comment on this situation, he simply dug into his bag and produced nearly the last of his canned food and would hand it over to her. Heā€¦He really hoped she would not just eat the can whole right in front of him. His mind and eyes could only take so much confusion for a day.

As they exchanged ration for air, Ciaraā€™s digit grazed his extended arm. A muted palette of lizardman brand emotions danced upon her skin. The usual suspects, disbelief, uncertainty but hunger, a feeling she was intimately familiar with, made center stage. While it wasnā€™t a strong feeling, she knew of the source, and she was currently holding it.

Holding her hand upwards, her arms shifted into a blackened edge. Centering the can in front of her, she crossed the blade and lined it up with the top of the tin in question. In a single motion, she cut the lid clean off, spilling some of the contents onto the ground and her legs

Still clenching the cool container of food, she instead thrusted it outwards for Leo to receive, her sword hand reverting to normal as her gaze was transfixed between the lizardman and the canister.

Seeing this gesture seemed to perk the Lizardman, was she aware that he was hungry as well? How kind of her to open it up for himā€¦Because of course his screwdriver was settling in some stomach acid at the moment and of course gone. But what he noted was her shaftshifting-like quality, her arm transformed into a sword. That would probably explain the blood on herā€¦But how unusualā€¦He never saw a mutant like her before.

But for now he would kindly accept the opened can of food as he dug into his bag with his free hand and handed her the last can of food. If he was right if they kept going they would make it to a camp with food and safety. As such an idea finally popped into his head. ā€œItā€™s nice to meet you, but uhā€¦I guess we never introduced ourselves huh? My nameā€™s Leo. A Lizardman with cybernetics.ā€ He would introduce himself finally with the outstretched can of food in hand offering it to the woman.

Pausing for a moment as to eye both him and the container over, she graciously accepted his gift with a bowed head, holding the ration close as she pushed herself onto her feet. Even the slime could recognize the time spent to idle and the words of a ranting Celty echoed throughout the confines of her wilted mind.

ā€œCiara.ā€ She waited for him to stomach a few bites before walking off. Promptly leaving earshot however remaining well in his sight. With an expectant look, it was evident that she was waiting for him to rise and follow before sauntering into the sunset.

With a few bites of canned food, and with his unexpected guest now walking off in the distance looking at him to follow her. He would give a thumbs up as he would quickly finish up his breakfast before standing up and lightly jogging over to where he hid his hoverbike and began to unveil it by removing old pieces of scrap. Once done he would start it up and slowly drive over to where Ciara was. ā€œWell then Ciara. If you donā€™t mind, you can hop on and we can make it to the checkpoint no problem.ā€ He stated as he was now in good spirits as he made an ally for the time being.

Holding the gifted can as she waited, she held it close to her chest and allowed her body to absorb it. A glimpse of otherworldly horror, she had the mind to orient herself so she was facing astray as her chest created a divot of blackened sludge. The seemingly alive viscousness forming around the metallic can and pulling it into her body. After a moment, her body returned to normal, prompting Ciara to turn and face the now mounted lizardman.

Eyeing the piece of hoverbike cautiously, she eventually relented and climbed onto the seat and sat behind Leo. The woman cradled his waist tightly and towed herself so that her sanguine painted form pressed firmly across his back. For a creature of the utmost aloofness, Ciara was sporting an uncharacteristic show of unease, the whirring of the machinery seemed to be a point of trepidation but she visibly trusted her newfound companion at least for the time that was now. His generosity would not seldom be forgotten and as she clenched him, she sensed nothing but a noticeable contentment. Of course, sheā€™d kill him if he expressed ever the slightest tinge of bloodlust. But his kind, but in character and race seemed unable to manifest it.

With that, they rode into the wilting desert sun.

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Gently.

Whether the instructed word would be effective in pacifying the swamp woman was to be determined, but she seemed to cling onto the friendly neighborhood lizardmanā€™s words with relative comfort. To act with pause was Leoā€™s lulled advice, guided to take things slow when she was learning to ride the bike or when she caught sight of a fellow competitor in the distance.

And now, she was to take it slow in what she did best. Grasping the pie slice and drifting the small portion into her mouth with exaggerated lengthy intervals, she sat alone in the shade of a nearby tent.

Ciara peered at her companion in the distance, making ready use of the label of safe zone to make pleasantries with other competitors. She had been assigned to honorary guard duty, periodically told to follow the lizardman about when he approached more dangerous looking competitors but ultimately expected to keep her butt seated and enjoy her meal leisurely. With purposefully dainty bites, she ferried another slice to her mouth.

When she sat with the lizardman a few moments prior, he had described the meal as cooked to perfection. Something something about an ideal browning to char ratio, firm mouthfeel and precious fresh ingredients, her interpretations in contrast were woefully simplistic. A slimeā€™s tastebuds were only fitted to describe the base characteristics, an iron tongue to match an iron stomach. Breads and related carbs were an obvious favorite, a slight fungal undertone well met even with Ciaraā€™s simplistic tastes. A neutral stance on dairies and fats, a distraction from the delicious notes of warm bread. Fruits and vegetables, worth killing for in these mutated plains, were flavors the swamp women took with reluctance. Something about the freshness..it was disgusting.

Observing Leo, taking a game of death with relative stride, stirred the slime into a moment of contemplation. Unlike others, she had chosen this and despite a paved path, did not have much in regards to ambition. Whether fueled by an instinct to corrupt, the piercing screeches of Celtyā€™s voice..

Or perhaps something to protect.. Her gaze regarded her companion for a moment.

The mutants that the lizardman had chosen to do business with exchanged glare, seemingly finding his friendliness revolting before turning back amongst themselves. Breaking Ciaraā€™s rare pause of thought, Leo hurriedly jogged back to where Ciara sat, rested in hand was a weighty metallic screw.




The whispering tundra felt like needles pinching her skin, restricting movement in contrast to how the desertā€™s warmth affected her earlier in the match. Ciara angled her gaze behind her, her lizardman companion curled up into a slumber courtesy of a cold-blooded's hibernation. Much to her pouting, the swamp woman was obligated to drive the unknown metal contraption for the both of them.

Leo had described the the improved hoverbike as his..ā€best invention yetā€, taking whatever he could find and trade for at the previous outpost from other competitors to..ā€pimp their rideā€ (his words..not hers.)

Regardless, if this strange machine brought such joy to the manā€™s face, sheā€™d be certain to treat it with relative care. Spotting a turn in the frigid plains flanked by frozen rock, she rotated the handles of the bike.

Gently.

The setting changes from Wasteland to Father

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Unexpected small victories, bar intrigue





Watching the Holovision on the soft chair she sat on, Qiqi watched with intrigue as she was watching the highlights of the game so far and her competitor Leo engaging in a bike fight with a female competitor. From what she glimpsed of him he seemed fit enough to handle himself, but he was also rather polite at the same time. But for all she knew it could have been an act and out there he could really let loose his nature. Most of the mutants competing had already shown no hesitation in killing each other with blade, bullet or any other means at their disposal.

However, watching the fight unfold she would be somewhat surprised at how resourceful her competitor was. Without using the rifle on his back to shoot her and looking like some sort of clown crawling on his bike he would pull out an eventual win by shutting down his pursuers Hovercycle leaving her in the dust. It was still unusual...At the end of that fight all that happened was just the expenditure of ammo but otherwise she would be up and at it just as soon as she could turn her transport on. What was that old man thinking of? With a sigh she would put a hand under her chin in thought. "What noble thinking...What kind of idiot goes into a competition of death only to not do any killing?...Maybe he has some deviant taste just waiting to be shown, or maybe he just has a soft spot for the opposite gender...Who knows..." She would ponder as she would raise her hand and request a simple and light drink.

She had an hour to basically pass, with the day wrapping up, the other managers no doubt discussing private affairs and how to add more suspense to their competitor's plight. Unlike them, she wanted to promote her business and after a few hours she already noticed an increase in her products popularity. And with her collaboration with Madame Rose she would see thing rocket up within the week. Of course, she did not put it past Madame Rose to sabotage Leo down the line for the prospect of shaking hands with other popular brands and brush it off as a humble mistake and that she could get another model next year.

That thought did not sit well with her. She was able to be a manager recently and the first moment was always the most important. The next time she could get some scraggly and skinny desperate mutant that would be virtually impossible to work her magic on. But for now, she would stay her hand for now. Once the game reached the halfway point, she would need to make her own moves as well as the stakes would be higher. She would get him to survive long enough, pull him out and it was going to be a win-win situation for her.

Her attention soon focused on the Holovision as she would see Leo and Ciara heading off to camp together. How...Interesting. An engineer and a natural killer. What she would not give to have her as a model. Looks like she had someone to speak to in the near future.

But with the day nearing its end, Qiqi would finish the last of her drink as she stretched a bit. She would look over some documents and get some sleep for the day. She had another long day once she woke up, but she wanted everything to go well.

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The Passage Of Time

Time...He must have been feeling his age...His whole 48 years of age...He was not as young and spry as a lot of the competitors in this 'game' of death. His gaze would be staring at the sky as he lay down, hidden within a pile of abandoned and rusted scrap that he had made his temporary shelter. His newly sewed shirt and pants were getting worn out and damaged, but at the very least his skin was still looking fresh and smooth all thanks to his sponsors...And of course, the food and drink coming by on occasion was a lifeline for him during these tough times.

But besides the bullets, the close calls, the adrenaline filled bike chase and gun fights...There was at least one silver lining through it all. Ciara...The one person that had not been actively trying to kill him. That someone was indeed someone he could at least say was an ally in these games at the very least. Despite initial appearances with his first sighting of her covered in the blood of another individual, her actual personality was not that of a normal gung-ho killer who wanted to get first place and earn all the reward that came with it. Instead, she was a rather aloof woman. Her mannerisms strange, her personality still mostly unknown to him but he could safely say that she was at least good natured...Relativly speaking. He still had no clue what she truly was but the interactions he had with her were some of the most bizarre and welcome interactions he has had in a while.

But thankfully the first game was nearing its end, and his old body was of course thankful he no longer had to do crazy feats on his bike for much longer to not have a bullet end his existence. But still...Did he accomplish much during this first game? Not really, he made himself know for surviving this far, made the products his sponsors gave to him look appealing to get and so far he at least did not kill one single other competitor...However, her survival from that point onwards was all up to her...He would simply let out a sigh as he stared at the sky. It was almost time to catch one of those ships that was coming down to pick up all the survivors back to the ship to get all ready for the next game...

He had to at least make a move during the break to interact with some competitors...When he does not have to worry about getting stabbed on the ship he can at least try to start reasoning with the others. Something about these games never sat well with him...After all...He does not remember seeing a winner all this time.