[ ] Write-in: Zelkova, your most trusted companion
Too bad, this one seems more important to me. Oh well, this is a Wakame quest, no bromance allowed.
[X] Luna Lovegood
That may seem kinda strange after avoiding her for the whole evening, but sure, why not. May as well try to feel the situation on Luna front now.
Ah, finally caught up. I'd vote Zelkova. Make it happen. Let's show off the true onmyoudou style.
Choice 180: [x] Luna Lovegood
Chapter 13. Unknown Unknowns
Matou Shinji sat in the darkness of his room, enjoying a last few moments by himself – as himself, before he slipped once again into the persona he would be using for the next month or so: Nines, derived from the Latin non esse (not-being).
‘It’s a little like using Nobody as a nom de guerre,’ he mused, his lips twitching upwards slightly as he remembered the tale of Odysseus, the cleverest of the heroes of old (as least in his opinion). ‘Only I’m not fighting monsters exactly.’
No, indeed. He was a monster wearing the face of a man long dead, a boy who lived on only in habit and memory. And now he was about to hide what little remained of who he once was under a false face and name, a mask with a different past and vastly different habits, all for the sake of a mission.
Not for the first time, the boy sighed, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
‘Am I really cut out for this?’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ve never really been much of a leader. Not really. Most of what I’ve done, I’ve done on my own. The one time I really led something before this…it went poorly.’
That brief stint as a leader, as he recalled, had been during the mission to capture a tanuki who was wreaking havoc while wearing another’s face and name. The very same entity who was now one of his subordinates – and if he was being honest with himself – probably the most competent and best adjusted individual on the squad, since it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t…his other squadmate.
‘I just have to trust that Lockhart knows what he’s doing.’
That and keep from mentioning anything that a mercenary who had only recently come to Albion wouldn’t be aware of – something easier said than done, given that the boy knew he had a bit of a temper.
‘I have to put aside how Matou Shinji would feel. How Matou Shinji would react. How Matou Shinji would think. In a way, it’s like dying all over again – and this time, for stakes not nearly as high as when I faced the avatar of an Outer God.’
No. Instead all he had to do was face Hermione Granger and convince her to abandon WADA for somewhere…better protected.
The thought brought an odd smile to his face, with the boy laughing softly as he shook his head. He’d always been better at destroying things than protecting them, and now he was being asked to do this? Well, nothing to be done but to prepare, he supposed. Soon it would be dawn, and with the start of the new day, his mission would begin.
Hilde, of course, was already out and about taking care of her part of the plan, and Rin…well, it wouldn’t take much for her to play the part of a half-Finnish mercenary who had joined up with Albion’s armed forces in the wake of the Ministry’s withdrawal from London. Granted, when he’d first called her Lumi Edelfelt, he’d just been pulling a name from the top of his head, since the Edelfelts were infamous in the Moonlit World as the hyenas of the battlefield, but having actually met a daughter of the Edelfelt family, he thought the ruse might actually work.
…so long as he made sure that Miss Luviagelita didn’t find out about this (which he was hopeful of, as this was a low-profile operation), or at least, if she did, considered this something to laugh about as opposed to take offense to. The heavens only knew that he’d gotten into trouble for presuming on the authority of others before.
‘Sokaris warned me about my habit of doing that, and I’m trying to change. I am,’ he told himself. ‘Really.’ Not that even he was sure if he was trying, or just trying to convince himself that he was. Either way, he had to stop distracting himself with unnecessary thoughts and focus. ‘Right. Equipment. I needed to pick out equipment.’
He would wear the amulet he’d requisitioned, while in the guise of Nines, of course, as anything that provided protection from mental assault and detection was rather useful when he was trying to hide who he was, but other than that....
‘Do I dare use my wand-staff?’
Given its ability to absorb fire spells directed at him, as well as its ability to change its length and width as he wished, it was one of the most potent items in Matou Shinji’s arsenal, but that was the issue. It was something in Matou Shinji’s arsenal – something that he’d been seen using in the past. In fact, given that his doppelganger had used it during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he was sure that quite a few people might recognize it.
He had to have a wand, or something of the sort though, so…
‘Well, there’s always the Yew and Phoenix feather wand Tomas gave me…’ he mused, considering his options. He supposed it would work well enough for day to day use – even for combat, should things come to it. And it wasn’t as if he had another one just laying around. ‘Right. But…should I bring ofuda?’
Ofuda, of course, weren’t something exclusive to him – all onmyouji used it to some degree or another, and he was taking the persona of a mercenary from the East, but despite these facts, associations in people’s minds were harder to shake…
‘Maybe just good quality paper and ink, so I can make some while I’m there. I can even try folding them into odd shapes, or concealing them in different ways – ways no one has seen Matou Shinji use ofuda yet.’
Aside from that, it was only common sense to wear the underarmor that Touko had promised to make for him in exchange for one of the items he’d traded to her on the isle (since she’d finally gotten around to making it for him), his potions satchel, and the hidden blade he’d…inherited some time ago. It was always good to have a holdout weapon just in case, after all, even if one didn’t expect trouble.
‘I just hope Rin – Lumi, rather – hasn’t screwed up already. Again.’
‘Well, things are going well so far.’
So, Nines allowed himself to think as he gestured for the wizarding children that he’d escorted from the orphanage in Diagon Alley to board the armored limousine parked in front of The Leaky Cauldron.
“Come now, we don’t have all day,” he chided them, noting that a few had just stopped cold and were staring at the vehicle. “It’s almost like you’ve never seen a car before.”
“I…I haven’t,” came a mumble, with Nines noting that the speaker had been the youngest of the bunch, a certain Grim Fawley, a nine-year old boy who was the last of his old pureblood family. Who’d lost his parents in the Battle of London because they’d taken him to Diagon Alley to watch a play.
‘Ah. Right.’
“Hopefully it won’t be the last. Either way, you’ll find its more comfortable on the inside,” Nines advised gently. “If you’re scared, maybe Penelope can look after you for a bit?” he asked, glancing over at the girl who was the effective leader of the group of orphans, given that she was both the oldest and had the most experience with magic, having had two years of Hogwarts.
Grim nodded as Penelope took his hand and helped him board the car.
‘What am I even doing? I did well enough entertaining these children for an evening, but actually being their guardian and protector for a while? I’m not that much older than some of them, at least not in years…’
In life experience, he might be their elder, but in terms of years? He didn’t have much of an advantage there, being only 14 himself.
“Perdita, are you alright yourself?” he asked, turning his attention to the group of almost relieved looking Muggleborn…and the disguised tanuki standing among them, looking the very picture of innocence, with cornflower-blue eyes and hair like spun sunshine.
…if said picture of innocence looked like Gabrielle Delacour anyway.
‘Under other circumstances I’d grumble about her impersonating someone else once again, but it isn’t exactly Gabrielle’s image, so I can’t be certain that she’s using Veela powers to make herself more likable.’
“I’m fine, Mister Nines,” the tanuki replied shyly, something that made the boy suppress a twitch. If he hadn’t already known who she was, he would never have guessed she was Hilde. “We just…” She looked round at her fellows. “We hope things will be ok after…”
‘Ah. Right. They lost their parents - and the teacher who escorted them – in the Battle of London. Even with a Calming Draught, I can see why they’re nervous, though I suppose I should be glad they aren’t having panic attacks.’
“Of course, things will be ok,” the boy said with a winning smile, trying to project the image of a reliable first-class mercenary. “After all, I’m here.” He paused. “And so is Miss Lumi,” he added after a beat, gesturing at the blonde seated inside the limousine, wearing a rather somber outfit – the very one he’d negotiated away from the Illuminati, at that. “The First Citizen himself arranged for us to watch over you.”
The children looked a bit uncertain, given the stern visage – scowl, really – on “Miss Lumi’s” face, with
the boy remembering belatedly that she had not had her coffee that morning.
“I know she looks a bit scary, but that’s just because she’s thinking about how to fight off anything that even thinks about hurting you,” Nines related, mentally patting himself on the back for having come up with a justification so quickly, while also reminding himself that he needed to get “Lumi” a dose of caffeine soon.
As the children filed in, one at a time, the boy took one last look around, before getting in after them and closing the door.
“Ok, Jeeves. Let’s go,” he instructed, with the driver up front – the very same one who’d driven him about London many a time tipping his hat as they set off.
Not for the first time, he wished that the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts (WADA), was in Diagon Alley instead of Southbank, of all places, but reality unfortunately did not bend to his whims.
‘I don’t think anyone will come after us on the drive, but one never knows.’ That was the reason for the armored (and, he suspected, magically protected) limousine that he’d ordered for transport, as the company Jeeves worked for had some experience with VIPs. That, and he figured that Jeeves, as someone used to working with rich and powerful people - be they from the Tower or elsewhere - had probably seen stranger things than a group of children coming out of a broken down bar to ride in a limo. ‘Anyway, it’s a bit curious that the children are being sent there, but Magical Britain never really had much of a support system for orphans.' Mostly, such children were sent to the closest living relative or shipped off to a Muggle institution, but after Lockhart had taken over as First Citizen, one of the first things he had done was to use his personal fortune to pay for orphanages and to subsidize the medical needs of the survivors of the Battle of London, a move that had earned him no small amount of good will. 'WADA already has dorms and facilities - and other children around.'
Of course, it had never been the biggest or wealthiest school around, as those who attended it had generally either been purebloods with little in the way of ambition, or who strongly desired a career in the arts (despite how unlikely it was one could make something of themselves).
Still, it was set up to accommodate children, and it did have enough capacity for a few more.
For a while, it was quiet, as the children looked around the car and out at their surroundings, most of them quiet with their thoughts. Which was fine with him, really, since he really didn’t know the first thing about talking to—
“Mister Nines?” young Penelope Padgett spoke up, almost as soon as the thought had crossed his mind. She was looking around the interior of the limo uneasily. This wasn’t unexpected, given that magical Britain tended to emphasize magical means of transport, such as the Floo. Seated beside her, and nearly clinging to her, was Grim, whose eyes darted back and forth from the windows to the other children, from the door of the limo to Nines and Lumi, his expression haunted, his jaw tight, as if expecting something to leap out at them at any moment as their surroundings whooshed by.
“Yes, Penelope?” the boy asked, giving her his most charming smile.
“Grim was wondering how old you were,” the young Slytherin said quietly. “You don’t look much older than us, after all.”
“When it comes to magic, my dear, looks can very much be deceiving,” the boy replied – words that were entirely true, but also dodged the question entirely.
“So how old are you then?” Penelope pressed, noting the evasion.
“Older than I look,” Nines answered vaguely. “Old enough to have fought monsters and demons, and for what few of my enemies yet live to call me the same.”
“Demons?” Grim echoed, startled.
“Young master Fawley, you of all people should know that magic can be a pathway to abilities some find…unnatural.”
“Unnatural?” Perdita echoed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, there are few things that come to mind,” Nines mentioned. “Immortality is one of them – or something close to it.”
That got the attention of every child in the limousine – and why would it not, when they had all had such close encounters with death? (Though not, it must be said, as close an encounter as Shinji himself had the pleasure of experiencing!)
“Immortality?” whispered Grim Fawley, his lips trembling as he spoke the word. “I…is such a thing possible?”
“Yes. That, along with techniques that can protect those one cares about from dying…”
Grim’s eyes went wide.
“…what about bringing back the dead?” the young Pureblood asked, his voice shaky as his eyes looked desperately at Nines. “Can magic do that?”
Nines paused.
“…I don’t know of a way, Master Fawley, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one,” he answered after a long moment. “I’m no Unspeakable after all. My specialty lies…elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
“On the battlefield.”
“Ah.”
“If you wish, Master Fawley, I can teach you – and anyone else interested – how to mind your surroundings,” Nines continued. “If you’re going to be constantly looking around, I may as well teach you to be properly aware.”
“I…yes, please!”
“Good. Then we’ll make time to teach you, and anyone else who wishes to learn,” Nines said much more confidently than he felt, as he just hoped he remembered enough from Lockhart’s lessons to not make a complete mess of things.
To Nine’s relief, the children mostly were quiet after that, or at least had turned to talking amongst themselves – or trying out the drinks and refreshments in the limousine’s on-boardrefrigerator, for long enough for him to give Lumi the thermos of Neverending Coffee, which she accepted with a grunt.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Of course.”
For a moment, Lumi looked like she was going to say more, but the girl merely shook her head at Nine’s inquisitive glance.
Which was how he managed to catch Malfalda Prewett’s deep, almost resentful sigh.
‘Practically a growl, really.’
Mafalda Prewett was neither new to Magical Britain nor a pureblood. She was either a half-blood or a muggleborn, depending on the definition one was using. More than uneasy, she seemed angry, her body stiff and her eyes...
"Something wrong?" Nines asked, turning to the girl, who was seated beside him.
"Thinking about my parents," Mafalda muttered stiffly, a statement that made more than one of the children flinch. "They'd come to visit, when..." Her words trailed off as her words balled into fists. "A thousand curses on the Ministry's cowardice, and on the so-called hero who let them run away."
Nines blinked at the sheer amount of venom in the girl’s voice when she said the word hero.
"You would curse the Ministry and the one who saved its people, not those that did the killing?" he asked curiously.
"The Minister promised that something like this would never happen, not after the Quidditch Cup Incident," the girl bit out. "He promised and promised, took and took, and then when we needed him most, what did he do? He ran, like a bloody coward."
"Mafalda—" the eldest of the children tried to interject, but it was to no avail.
"Don't 'Mafalda' me, Penelope," the half-blood growled. "If the Minister had fought like he promised he would instead of turning his tail and abandoning all of us, my parents would still be alive. Yours would be too. All of ours. If that Matou Shinji was such a hero, he should have killed the coward where he stood, not let him sod off to Hogsmeade while my pa and mum were splattered by bloody giants."
Nines’ jaw tightened as his mind's eye imagined the carnage giants could cause at...a charms school?
"Killed one, too," the girl said with no small amount of satisfaction. "And one of those corpse bastards. The rest though..."
'Wait. Prewett...isn’t her mother a muggle, and her father a Squib?’
"Your parents - how did they...?"
"Shot them, how else?" Mafalda replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Muggle doesn't meant helpless, you know."
Nines nodded.
"No, no it doesn't," the boy affirmed. "I know that much very well. But at the same time, magical doesn't mean powerful, either. Not the way you mean, at least."
"That's true," Mafalda admitted. "But what about you? You're a soldier—"
"—mercenary—"
"—mercenary," the girl corrected. "Have you fought giants? Ghouls? Dark wizards?"
"Yes," Nines responded. "I have. And worse besides."
"...huh. And you didn't run."
"No. I didn’t."
"Why?" she asked, almost demanded, really. "What did you have that the Ministry…that the Minister lacked? Why could someone as frail as you fight – and live – while they ran away?"
“Why do I fight? Because I gave my word. And for someone like me, my word is everything,” Nines responded. “Even if I am asked to do the impossible, even if I am asked to face the very gods themselves, I will – or I’ll die trying.” He shook his head. “Why am I alive? Because on top of being good at what I do, I had good allies, good instincts, and good fortune.”
"And what about the one who let the cowards get away? Who let them run when so many didn't have the chance?” Mafalda pressed. “That Matou Shinji – what was he? They say he fought off the army that attacked the Ministry by himself, covering the escape of everyone who worked there. If he was that good, why did he just let them…"
Her words trailed off as her hands balled into ineffectual fists.
“You have to understand that I never met the man,” Nines replied candidly. “I’ve been working for the First Citizen, and they say he’s been in the hospital in serious condition. Still, I’m certain he had his own circumstances. He’s not much older than you, you know?”
Unsurprisingly, such an answer didn’t entirely satisfy the girl.
"He had his own circumstances, huh?" the girl muttered. "I bet the high and mighty Potions Champion of Britain never lost anything important in his life, seeing as how he seemed to have so much just...handed to him."
"...handed to him?" Nines echoed, and if his voice was a bit harder than usual, if his expression seemed to be slipping, well…there was a reason for it. "What do you mean, Miss Prewett?"
"I've read about him,” the girl replied, sounding entirely too much like a certain bushy-haired brunette from his past (at least, in her worst moments). “Born into a long lineage of practitioners – already a master of the eastern arts by the time he came to Hogwarts. Best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived, like the shadow to Potter's light. Instructed by Slughorn, mentored by the greatest adventurer of Britain. And yet, never there when people needed him."
"What do you mean?"
"He wasn't at the Cup, was he? Or rather – he was, but in the company of a pretty girl from Japan. He came with her – and he left with her, leaving the rest of Britain to fend for itself.”
“Now, leaving with one’s date is just good manners,” Nines commented, feeling his smile become somewhat strained, even as he felt Lumi’s eyes boring into the side of his skull. “That is, if it was a date,” he amended. “Besides, I think you’re being unfair, given that he had no way of knowing that the attack was coming. A man can enjoy his holiday as he wishes, you know?”
“Well…uh, what about him siding with Delacour because she was pretty?” Mafalda demanded.
“Was it because she was pretty, or were there other circumstances at play?”
“How would I know?”
“That’s right. How would you know?” Nines echoed, not unkindly. “You weren’t there.”
“No. I wasn’t,” Mafalda conceded bitterly. “I was in London though. When he let the Minister and the band of cowards in the Ministry escape. When he didn’t make the coward do what he promised. When he let my parents die. What did the Minister hand him, I wonder, that he decided to let them escape? A kiss from their metamorphmagus, perhaps? More? They do say he’s a sucker for a pretty face.”
Nines took a deep breath, clenching his jaw tightly to keep himself from saying the first thing that came to mind: that she knew nothing of his circumstances
He also fought back the urge to defend his actions as Matou Shinji, since as he himself had noted, Nines couldn’t really judge.
“Well, the media certainly wants people to believe that about Mr. Matou,” Nines said eventually. “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge myself, since again, I haven’t met the man, and I wasn’t there. Just as you weren’t in the Ministry when Mr. Matou made his choice. I often find that there is more going on than what is reported in the papers, or that we can guess from our limited perspectives. At least, that’s been true for every battle I’ve ever been in.”
Mafalda listens to what Nines has to say before shrugging.
"You say clever words,” the girl admitted grudgingly. “Still, it doesn’t change the fact that he protected cowards as they fled, letting those they swore to protect die." She sniffed. "I wonder what he would think of himself, if he knew the price so many paid so he could enjoy being called a hero. But I imagine he won't. Why would a high and mighty Champion and Hero ever see fit to meet those he'd hurt, or consider he might be wrong?"
She went silent after that, shaking her head, and would have turned to look out the window when—
"That's not true!" Lumi spoke up, her eyes flashing as she glared at this, her expression indignant. "Matou-kun is—"
"Not someone we know, really," Nines cut in, before his squadmate could completely blow their cover. "And from my experience, Miss Prewett, no one who is called a Hero ever really seeks the title – nor enjoys being called so, really. Like I said, I’ve never met the man, even if I’ve read – and heard – a good deal about him." He shrugged. "He’s not why I’m here though. I’m here to keep you safe."
"You’ve said that before," Mafalda said challengingly. "But what do you think you’ll need to keep us safe from?"
"Oh, all sorts of things," Nine said in reply. "Youthful overconfidence. Bullies. Yourselves. Oh, and the people who came after your families, in case there are any stragglers, though I expect the goblins on site have done a good job securing the area."
"Goblins, eh?" Penelope murmured.
"Mhm. You’ve met some before?" Nines questioned.
"A few," Penelope replied. "I saw them a lot around the alley when I was helping with getting food. Nice enough folk, even if they look a bit odd.”
“I’ve seen some,” Mafalda volunteered. “I saw them kill the giants who attacked my school. They fought and died for us. They avenged my parents, when no one else dared, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.”
“I wonder if they'll teach us how to fight," Penelope murmured aloud, with some of the other children perking up at her words.
"In an ideal world, you wouldn’t have to, but…they probably will, if you prove you really want to learn," Nines noted. "Just be careful,” he warned, shaking his head. “They're not exactly understanding if you can't keep up."
"...you know this...?"
"From experience."
There were no more questions after that, no more fuss, no more incidents, with the rest of the ride being conducted in silence.
When they finally arrived, Nines helped the group disembark and led them to the entrance of WADA, where they were welcomed by none other than an elegantly dressed Hermione Granger, together with a smartly dressed detachment of goblins.
It is all the boy can do not to react, but somehow he managed, nodding to her, before turning to Mudbutton, the Goblin Spectre in charge of WADA, and snapping off a sharp salute.
“At ease,” the goblin rumbled, with Nines standing down.
“And you must be Miss Granger,” he stated, as he spoke to the actress.
“Yes. I am she,” the brunette acknowledged.
“Nines, of the Albion Home Guard,” he said, introducing himself. “I’ve come to escort some new students to the Wizarding Institute, and to see to their security personally. I understand you are to take charge of them?”
“That is correct,” the actress said, perhaps a bit stiffly. She paused for a moment to look at him closely. “Have we met before?” she asked, her tone almost…curious. “You seem…familiar, somehow.”
“No, ma’am, not in this lifetime,” came the ready reply. “I look forward to working with you.”
“I’m sure,” the actress responded, less than entirely enthusiastically. “I’ll take the children now. You have business with Master Mudbutton, I presume?”
“Or rather, I have business with him and his partner,” the goblin noted gravely. “Gretlok, Snaphook, escort Miss Granger and the children to the administration building please.”
“It’s only across the courtyard, Master Mudbutton. I’m sure we’ll be safe enough.”
“I’m sure, but better safe than sorry, Miss Granger.”
“…if you insist,” the young woman agreed. “Come along now, we must get you registered and assigned to rooms. Mister Nines will be joining you soon enough.”
“Indeed. Until then,” Nines said, seeing the children off with a wave.
"I look forward to discussing what you bring to the table, Mister Nines," the goblin noted gravely, as he watched Hermione Granger leave with the children in tow. "You and your partner both."
"I do hope I will not disappoint, sir."
"You, no, but your companion..."
"What about me?" Lumi questioned, speaking up for the first time.
"Known quantities are...easier to deal with than unknowns. Isn’t that so?"
Choice 181: After the reception, Shinji will be getting the rest of his squad (Draco, Andreas, Zelkova [in the guise of Nines], one of the goblins who survived WADA, as well as Luviagelita Edelfelt - who has shown an interest in working with the "Home Guard" temporarily in the guise of "Lumi"). So we have a few simple things to discuss. The first is where will be they all be living?
[ ] In Shinji's house
-[ ] (write-in housing arrangements)
[ ] In Barracks provided by Albion
[ ] (somewhere else)
Choice 182: Who will be his second, given the changing circumstances?
[ ] Draco, of course, for the PR value
[ ] Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership
[ ] Hilde, because she proved herself in the first mission
[ ] "Nines", as he trust Zelkova more than himself
Choice 183: Who will he give the most personal attention to?
[ ] Luvia, who needs to learn more about the wizarding world
[ ] Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff
[ ] "Nines"
Choice 184: And how does he propose to get them all working together - preferably in a way that plays to their strengths, but more importantly as a well-oiled machine. (choose up to two)
[ ] Throw them into a mission
-[ ] Bodyguard duty - Miss Granger
-[ ] Patrol work in the Alleys
-[ ] Patrol work around the small wizarding hamlets
-[ ] Investigate an odd series of disappearances
-[ ] (write-in)
[ ] Training scenarios
-[ ] Team sparring with goblins
-[ ] Scenarios from the Book of Spells
-[ ] Cross-training with Pansy's squad
[ ] Something else (write-in)
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; May 23rd, 2020 at 02:29 PM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[X] In Barracks provided by Albion
A bit of an argument on this choice, I prefer using the House, but for the creation of the squad as well as professional reasons I can see how its more important to pick barracks, so that we are apart of the Albion forces. Plus who wants people to think that he is at his house cause that is where all the hot girls are?
As long as this choice is not super set in stone for the year, I am good with Barracks.
[X] Draco, of course, for the PR valueI can go back and forth with Draco or Andresa. The later is the better leader for sure, but what tips me over the edge towards Draco is someone that SHOULD be the leader for this squad. This is his country, and it plays better for someone to be a homegrown asset. I would say we go and bribe/talk with Andresa to help groom the two boys to become leaders. Where as if we make Draco a good leader now along with Shinji it improves Albion down the road more.
Plus anything to piss of Lucius.
Draco is also a counter to Shinji's own nature. Yin and Yang I guess. But like I said if people rather go Andresa I am super cool with that option.
[X] "Nines"
Not the person that needs the most dire attention but Shinji and Zelkova need time together. Shinji has changed majorly and Zelkova needs to adjust to being consider/playing 'human.' I think we should focus on him for now. Luvia is a ok pick...if she was not a girl and blonde to fan the flames about Shinji yet some more.
[X] Investigate an odd series of disappearances
[X] Cross-training with Pansy's squad
These picks are mostly because of the other choices I made to cover all the grounds I want. First I think we should pick one mission and one training option. Double training is not going to help us on the PR front and no training is not going to help the squad grow.
Investigation option because it forces the team to work together to solve a mystery yet also can be good PR if they succeed. Law and order. I think this option is more interesting than the others but if I had to pick another one I would say Patrol in the hamlets cause it contains the people most likely left behind in terms of security. But I rather set 1st Squad up as being a bit more special than just patrolling for PR points.
Cross training options are all good. But I think Pansy squad offers more exposure to more skills and types of people than goblins do. After all the goblin on the team does not really benefit cross training with goblins. Scenarios is good but it does not do anything with the issue of working with the rest of Albion.
Last edited by Skull Leader; May 23rd, 2020 at 05:23 PM.
[x]???
Waiting to see more opinions for house vs barracks.
[x]Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership
Having someone who has experience in leading is a plus and can leave paperwork for him to do. Hilde has her own mission, Nines has inhuman thinking, and Draco in same boat as Shinji with little leadership experience.
[x]Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff
Have to interact with Draco to get first hand experience of the new him since he has only heard and read reports. Luvia has mercenary background so she should be able to follow orders and act professionally.
[x]Patrol work around the small wizarding hamlets
[x]Cross-training with Pansy's squad
Having the squad patrol lets them get a hang of working together and working in a schedule. They will have time to bond and see the people they are protecting/fighting for. Training with another squad allows them to view each other skills and competitive nature of fights lead to bonding. The squads are mixture of goblins, and wizards from different schools so skills they possess vary.
[x] In Barracks provided by Albion
No special reason besides why we picked bunking with gobs at WADA.
[x] Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership
I don't mind Draco acting as ambassador for diplomatic stuff but, putting the guy in a role that involves ordering people with more military / field experience (Goblin, Luvia and Andreas) is a pretty bad idea. It's probably better to let him adjust to the squad as our medic / support caster.
Andreas has experience and can operate the squad even if Shinji is busy or get separated from them. Heck, he can advise us on matters of leadership. Plus, he's the one I would trust to get everyone (including Shinji if he oversteps) in line when it counts and coordinate operations / deal with intel.
But that's stuff we already discussed in the past.
[x] Luvia, who needs to learn more about the wizarding world
Need to address the fact that we used the Edelfelt name without her permission (and likely apologize) and to make sure the transition with wizard kind is done properly. I have no doubt she is used to work alongside (or against) freelancer magi but this is a different kind of group and people she will end up interacting with.
It's important since she will interact with our new goblin squadmate (who is not likely to be in a great mood after what he survived). Same with Hilde which is basically "only" a familiar for a magus. We don't want hurt or hostile feelings if we can help it.
Alright, all things considered, maybe giving Draco some attention would be good here. Swapping attention vote for him;
[x] Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff.
[x] Investigate an odd series of disappearances
That one seems like a decent sidequest, while at the same time would not bore the squadmates on their first job together.
[x] Cross-training with Pansy's squad.
That one will promote cohesion and unity where the previous scenario will reveal teh different ways the squadmates think and operate in a non-aggression scenario.
Last edited by Daiki; May 24th, 2020 at 02:30 PM.
Well my thinking was that Draco would like Shinji have Andresa to grow them into the position. It was more thinking that it plays a lot better to the public if he is balancing Shinji than another foreigner. And I did a bit of a long term thinking there, giving Draco the position so that he can take over at the end of the year since Shinji will need to move on to Atlas. Draco is the most likely person to stay in Britain.Originally Posted by Daiki
But fair is fair, the plan was to make Andreas from the start so I got no problem changing my vote to [x] Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership.
The vote to pick who to focus on is still a bit in the air. Three votes, three people picked.
Barracks. We have made the decision previously, our reasoning hasn't changed. No fun allowed.
[x] In Barracks provided by Albion
It seems I have missed the memo, but I still distinctly remember that Draco was supposed to be our second from the get-go, not Andreas. At the time we had been deluding ourselves about Rin's ability to act reasonably, true, so the choice was between her and Draco. Now in the face of new information, I still see no reason to include Andreas in the equation.
[x] Draco, of course, for the PR value
Andreas may be a better choice in a vacuum, but we are dealing with a real world here. This whole team was supposed to be a message about equality and unity, being the face of the Albion. The Hero who has been loyal to the citizens instead of Government as the leader, the Noble Scion who has chosen to follow the ideals of Albion instead of cozy life as his Second.
And its not like Draco is incompetent or something. He doesn't have Andreas' experience, but he has all the intent to improve without fatal character flaws to hold him back (unlike a certain someone we have tried to elevate so in the past). He will do just fine. That said...
[x]Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff
Doesn't hurt to make sure.Seeing how interacting with any girl is an obvious trap option.Let's see IC how much Draco has grown and help him to get better acquainted with the scale we currently operate on. I doubt that he will lack expertise with paperwork and political maneuvering though. And, being a British citizen of some importance, he can always delegate more tasks himself than would otherwise be plausible to consider.
[x] Investigate an odd series of disappearances
[x] Cross-training with Pansy's squad
I have no strong preference on these choices, so I'll follow the majority, since none of them seem really detrimental to our improvement as a team. Alf has pointed that some of the training will already happen before the investigation starts, so it's a good way to put our skills into practice.
Patrols would have been more important from the PR point, but the sidequests help to build our reputation too.
Last edited by Malorius; May 24th, 2020 at 07:03 AM.
[x] In Barracks provided by Albion
[x]Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership[x]Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff
[x] Investigate an odd series of disappearances
[x] Cross-training with Pansy's squad
Choice 181: Squad to be housed... [x] In Barracks provided by Albion
Choice 182: Second in Command - [x] Andreas, as Shinji knows he's capable of leadership
Choice 183: Personal Attention to - [x] Draco, since he needs to know the boy is up to snuff
Choice 184: [x] Throw them into a mission, [x] Investigate an odd series of disappearances;; [x] Training scenarios, -[x] Cross-training with Pansy's squad
Choice 185: How much does Shinji tell Andreas and the others about his powerset?
[ ] (write-in)
Choice 186: What is Nines' role to be in this Squad?
[ ] Normal squad member
[ ] Candidate for detached duty, since he can operate on his own
[ ] Personal assistant/aide
[ ] (write-in)
Choice 187: And who will be put in charge of making sure Luvia is acclimated to the realities of this wizarding world?
[ ] Nines - he's the natural choice, since "Lumi" and "Nines" worked together before
[ ] Shinji will handle this personally
[ ] Perhaps Andreas? This might involve letting him in on the cover story though...
[ ] (write-in)
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[X] Be honest and frank by laying down most of his cards. Explain/demonstrate his ofuda ability, flowing, earth/fire, yin abilities. Explain his dragon half by way of fusion, by stick to his previous story he gave Spencer-Moon. IE that he fused with a relic he found on the Island,that has since merged with him. He can now fuse with the wyrm sprite for limited time.
The question here is do you mention the golem fusion part? I figure we keep Zelkova role secret. But this write in is my attempt to be as open as we can be of what Shinji can do.
[X] Personal assistant/aide
Since I see Zelkova/Nines being Shinji’s Right hand man by way of being hisaide sounds right to me. Nines will be the person that he goes tosolve issues/problems. Shinji trusts Zelkova, which can be explained by Nines being an expert merc that proved himself during the WADAcrisis.
[X] Nines - he's the natural choice, since "Lumi" and "Nines" worked together before
Since we trust Zelso much figured it makes sense to assign him this. After all Zelkova is use to see the wizard world from an outsider position like the one that Luvia finds herself in. The downside to this pick is that Ninesis an experience merc that Luvia might see thru but I willing to risk that over picking Shinji to do this himself.
No other votes?
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[X] Be honest and frank by laying down most of his cards. Explain/demonstrate his ofuda ability, flowing, earth/fire, yin abilities. Explain his dragon half by way of fusion, by stick to his previous story he gave Spencer-Moon. IE that he fused with a relic he found on the Island,that has since merged with him. He can now fuse with the wyrm sprite for limited time.
[X] Personal assistant/aide
[X] Nines - he's the natural choice, since "Lumi" and "Nines" worked together before
[x] Be honest and frank by laying down most of his cards. Explain/demonstrate his ofuda ability, flowing, earth/fire, yin abilities. Explain his dragon half by way of fusion, by stick to his previous story he gave Spencer-Moon. IE that he fused with a relic he found on the Island,that has since merged with him. He can now fuse with the wyrm sprite for limited time.
[x] Personal assistant/aide
[x] Nines - he's the natural choice, since "Lumi" and "Nines" worked together before
Choice 185: How much does Shinji tell Andreas and the others about his powerset?
[x] Be honest and frank by laying down most of his cards. Explain/demonstrate his ofuda ability, flowing, earth/fire, yin abilities. Explain his dragon half by way of fusion, by stick to his previous story he gave Spencer-Moon. IE that he fused with a relic he found on the Island,that has since merged with him. He can now fuse with the wyrm sprite for limited time.
Choice 186: What is Nines' role to be in this Squad?
[X] Personal assistant/aide
Choice 187: And who will be put in charge of making sure Luvia is acclimated to the realities of this wizarding world?
[X] Nines - he's the natural choice, since "Lumi" and "Nines" worked together before
Choice 188: Do you assign "Nines" any of your personal equipment?
[ ] Yes (write-in)
[ ] No, he can make do with his natural abilities
Choice 189: Do you inform Luvia of Nines' true nature?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; June 18th, 2020 at 08:50 PM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[x]Yes-Goblin Forged Dagger, Moleskin Pouch
[x]No
[X] No but Shinji will reward Nines for his service next time he requests equipment
We don't really have much to hand over, the moleskin and dagger are fine to hand over but in my mind they do not warrant the level that Zelkova has done for us. At this point, he deserves more. But I would say at bare minimum that any equipment of Shinji's is open for Zelkova's use because they are Partners. He just has to ask.
[x] Yes
Partially because I rather be open to the team about Nines nature, (no reason to hide it from the team) and partially because for Luvia to understand just what is going on with the last mission with Rin and Lumi, she needs to be informed about Nines real nature. Maybe this is a bad idea but I just can't see Luvia not noticing how little Nines actually knows about being a merc if we don't tell her.
[X] No but Shinji will reward Nines for his service next time he requests equipment
[x] Yes
Choice 188: [X] No, he can make do with his natural abilities
Choice 189: [X] Yes
Choice 190: On a somewhat happier note, its time for the activity this thread loves best - shopping! Well, technically, requisitioning new equipment for your squad, given that not all of them are exactly equipped for the missions you will be undertaking. By default, the Wizard Marshal has assigned you one Requisition Point per person on the squad for anything required beyond making sure everyone has a wand and a combat uniform (based on the outfits that Nines and "Lumi" wore for the WADA mission - think Yorha outfits with built in vital sign monitoring, squad comms, and a level of magical/physical protection), with each piece of equipment being worth a certain amount of Points. You can attempt to requisition equipment in excess of your point balance, but such requisitions must be personally approved by either the Marshal or his secretary.
Currently available equipment (categorized by type)
Drones:
[ ] "Little Bird" Recon drones (x3) - modeled after the mechanical bird Shinji used in the training exercises, capability wise, though much more normal looking - 1 RP
[ ] "Beehive" barrier drones (x3) - given that not everyone is capable of casting a good shield spell, this can be configured to project either a flat or spherical barrier capable of protecting a single individual - 1 RP
[ ] "Stormcrow" Attack Drone (x1) - mechanical adds which can be ordered to attack enemies, either with razor-sharp feather projectiles, with a powerful sonic attack, or by self-destructing - 1 RP each
[ ] "Vigilance" Surveillance drone (x1) - passively monitors airflow, temperature, vibrations and other such things to defeat most forms of invisibility - 1 RP each
Personal Enhancement items:
[ ] Stone of Stillness - Enhances barrier/shield abilities (1 RP)
[ ] Ring-style Mana capacitor - effectively doubles a standard wizard's prana capacity (1 RP each)
[ ] Salamander skin gloves - a Mystic Code that amplifies fire spells (1 RP for a set)
[ ] Mind Blank - An amulet providing protection from mental assault and detection, effectively making one invisible to a scan via legilimency (1 RP each)
[ ] Legilimency Glasses - Of course, there is also some use in knowing what others are thinking around you, especially during investigations. These glasses essentially scan the thoughts of someone you are making eye contact with, allowing one to more easily pick up on any hints dropped, lies woven, or truths concealed (2 RP each)
Consumables:
[ ] Stimpack (5 uses per pack) - A cocktail of combat-grade stimulants and healing potions to get you on your feet and moving for anything short of death
[ ] Potion of Damage Diffusion - A potion that takes damage that an individual would receive at a single point and diffuses it across the entire body - and across a span of time - reducing its immediate and local impact on you (1 RP per dose)
[ ] Liquid Luck - You know what this does - (1 RP per dose)
[ ] Phoenix Tears (1 RP per dose) - Can heal someone from any injury, so long as they are not actually dead
[ ] Dispel-grenades (3x) - wipe away spell effects in a given radius (basically portable Thief's Downfall) - 1 RP per set of 3
Other items:
[ ] Shackles of Nullification - A set of restraints that sap the magical energy of the restrained and disrupt their ability to use circuits or core (1 RP)
[ ] Basilisk-venom imbued blade - for when you really want someone dead (1 RP)
[ ] Goblin silver mail - Provides extra protection against physical damage, can be worn under uniform (1 RP)
[ ] Wyvern-hide cloak - Provides extra protection against magical damage, can be worn over uniform (1 RP)
[ ] Invisibility Cloak - Self-explanatory - (1 RP)
Currently available requisition points: 7
May petition Wizard Marshal to spend up to 14 total with individual line item approval needed for anything beyond 7
Current inventory of squad members:
Luvia
Spoiler:
Andreas
Spoiler:
Goblin
Spoiler:
Draco
Spoiler:
Nines
Spoiler:
Emilia
Spoiler:
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; June 26th, 2020 at 07:49 PM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
Shinji - Nothing, waves his RP to give Nines two points because of Zelkova's loyal service. Plus Zelkova starts with no items so its needed.
Andresa - [X] "Little Bird" Recon drones AND [X] Ring-style Mana capacitor
This is the kind of stuff that Andresa would love. The ability to gather information on and off the battlefield, to tactically win. There is no better choice IMO for him then this drone option. The ring is so that Andresa who has good spells can be able to keep up longer term with the rest of the squad. This squad is made of some really heavy hitters. The wizards need a bit more gas in their gas tank to keep up with the other members, more so than almost any other unit out there. As long as Shinji explains this to Lockhart, I think we will be fine with the additional point spending.
Nines -[X] Stone of Stillness AND [X] "Beehive" barrier drones (x3)
Doubling down on magical barriers for Nines. We know what Zelkova’s strength is so we should support that. While he does not need drones to make barriers, having them can free him up so that he can have the time to make the bettermore complex barriers.
Emilia - [X] "Stormcrow"Attack Drone – Emilia can do so much with her main ability that it is hard to pick for her but having an attack drone option no matter her form sounds like something she would like. It increases her options as well as lets her buy time to get her big guns out. All while not relying on wearing an item that can't transform with her causing some issues if she picks a non-humanoid shape.
Luvia - [X] "Beehive"barrier drones (x3) – Luvia is our DPS. She can be long range artillery or close up brawler with the prana capability beyond the imagination of wizards with her 100 circuits. Having her have barrier bots helps ensure that she is covered defensively so she can spend her prana attacking. More Barrier drones for the party is good IMO. The unit is in HomeGUARD for a reason.
Draco - [X] Ring-style Mana capacitor AND [X] "Beehive" barrier drones (x3)
The Ring is a must have item as casting healing spells by way of Yin magic is typically more expensive than Wand magic. The Healing items are nice but really are more stuff I expect to be standard equipment for a qualified Wizard Combat Medic, so first start with giving Dracoa bit more gas in his tank so to speak. The drones are there so he and any current injured person he is working on is protected. Again a lot of barrier drones just fits with the duty of Homeguard.
Goblin - [X] "Vigilance" Surveillance drone
As being defeated by invisible foes was a big reason why this goblin is on the team in the first place, I would think they would want a device to make sure it does not happen again. And all the fighting prowess in the world, means nothing if you can’t detect the enemy.
[X] Two sets of Stimpacks (10 total) - One to each member, the rest going to Draco.
This I think is a fairly easy sell to justify. Protect and Serve, requires them to be the first responders. They need something to be able to help civilians, injured troops, themselves and even enemy troops after they been neutralized. Phoenix tears is a bit too much in this role but stimpacks is better than nothing.
[X] a Shackle of Nullification - for the team's use
They might have to arrest someone dangerous in their duties it behooves Albion to give Homeguard units the means to do so BEFORE they are out in the field as you can't predict when they might be needed on a mission. Homeguard must have the means to bring someone in alive.
TOTAL SPENT- 12
A large amount, but frankly those stimpacks and shackles that got tacked on at the end should be base level equipment which I doubt Albion can argue is too much to add. If I had to remove something it would be those last 3 RP points but come they are not as crazy big of an item then some of the things on the list. Like Luck potion or Tears. The two rings of capacity is merely so that wizards members can keep up with the rest of the team. The drones for each member of the team (barring shinji but hey we got REE REE REE) in my heads is because they are testing the units out by being the squad that ALL has them. Allowing 1st Homeguard Unit to be the protective eye and guardian of the people.
And we do this all while going hey I am not trying to be greedy for myself as Shinji is not taking anything here, yet has given a lot to the cause. No he is just looking out for his unit get the things they need. Granted I am a bit disappointed that he could not grab defense armors (M DEF or DEF) for the team but there are other frontline units that need that stuff more.
Last edited by Skull Leader; June 27th, 2020 at 01:05 PM.
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