Calligra
[Cah-li-gra]

A world that is, for the most part, literally suspended in the clouds. The streets are made of open air, leaving plenty of room for air cruisers, wind surfers, and even large, ship-like passenger ferries to flit too and fro between blocks. Floating bridges cross the gaps for those who prefer to walk and get excersize. The people who live in these cities are a happy people, and there is always something for everyone, young and old, to do.

Le'fett
[Leh-feht]

Le'fett is famous for its beautiful, happy people, its wonderful gardens, and its pirates. Many famous sky pirates were born in this small, island-like city. Here, piracey isn't a crime- it's a way of life. Of course, the Grand Council, those who make up all the rules that apply to all of Calligra, don't see it as such, and so even in Le'fett piracey can be a dangerous trade. It is the fourth largest island.

Machina
[Ma-shi-na]

Machina is a tiny island named after the large academy that dominates it. Machina isn't just any old academy- its the place where those who aspire to take to the skies go. Many go there to learn to be pilots on big passenger ships or trade ships. It is also the school for those who- secretly (or in some cases, not so secretly)- aspire to be pirates.

Other important places:

Reginal
[Re-ghi-nal] (think hard G sound)

Another island named for the academy that dominates it. Reginal is where those who want a position of power go- politicians, peace keepers (we would call them policeman), and even future Council members. While some of the students are nice, most don't care for the sunny, carefree, and even reckless ways of the Machina student body, and the two constantly clash.

Halyeva
[hal-e-yay-va]

Halyeva is a small island not far from Dekliron, and is the home of the Moraea people. A dense rain forest island with steep mountains, many of the humans of Calligra stay away from Halyeva. A treacherous wind blows ships into the mountains if the pilots are not skilled enough to navigate.

The Moraea themselves are a calm, peaceful people who are famous for their extraordinary navigational skills. Tall and graceful, it is rumored that they were the first inhabitants of Calligra, but with the arrival of humans they all moved onto Halyeva. Their peaceful ways are not to be taken as weakness- the Moraea are fierce warriors when needed, as they must protect themselves from a large jungle cat known as the Kinitiva, which resides only on Halyeva. Shorter Moraea could pass for human; however, their yellow eyes and facial markings would give them away as anything but. Most humans get along well with the Moraea, but prejudice is not unheard of.

Parthel
[Par-THELL]

Parthel is pretty much the giant trade center, inbetween Le'fett, Machina, and Reginal Islands. Many people live and work here, and is the largest island in Calligra. The Peace Keeper's headquarters is nestled near the center of the island, and the Hall of Justice, where politicians meet and trials are held, is nestled back to back with it. There are a few shady parts of town, like any city, but is generally a decent place to live.

Dekliron
[Deck-leer-on]

Dekliron is the third largest island in Calligra, and is the home of the Grand Council. It is generally restricted to the public, and guarded rigorously by heavy-duty attack ships; however, one day out of every year the island is opened to the public. A beautiful, mystical place filled with dense jungle and winding stone paths, the Hall of Faith is nestled on top of the highest hill, a large, green-white structure that can be seen from miles away. The homes of the Council members dot the island- large, airy villas that are the epitome of luxury.

Merith
[Merth, the i is silent]

Merith is a far slung island, and a darker place to live then the other islands. Here, poverty is not uncommon, and many people resort to terrible things just to get by. It seems the Grand Council has given up on Merith, even though they claim to be trying to fix the problem.

Lietha
[Li-eh-tha]

A sprawling desert island, Lietha is the largest island on Calligra. This hot, arid island is home of those who have been banished- and it is forbidden for anyone to go there. Of course, many young flyers have made it tradition to sneak to Lietha and explore- and sometimes run into the inhabitants, some of whom are not all there.

Natiba
[Nah-tee-bah]

Natiba is a frigid, icy island- a great place to go in the middle of summer, when other places are generally too hot and the beaches are packed. Full of high mountains and slopes, it is not uncommon for teens to rent a cabin for the weekend and go boarding.

Moon Bay

Moon bay is a tiny, quiet island, only 20 miles from Merith. This is one of the few islands with a beach- although it is not known how, water has somehow clung to the edges of the islands. No one has ever fallen "off" of the islands or "out" of the water- there seems to be some invisible force barring passage from anyone who has the ability to swim far out to the edge. It doesn't stretch all the way up- ships can come and go easily.

Metsa
[Meh-tsa]

Metsa is another beach island, but instead of being a quiet retreat like Moon Bay, it is the party island- teenagers can be seen flocking here by the dozens on Fridays after school lessons have ended, and bonfires burn late into the night. While most of the party goers engage in clean fun, some find it convenient that the foliage provides cover from prying eyes.

Etheron
[Eth-err-on]

Etheron is home to the wild animal park, where people can go and get close to many of Calligra's animal inhabitants. Etheron's complex and diverse habitats- from hot, arid desert, to sprawling tropical jungles, to beaches, to mountains, and even to ice lands- provide a perfect habitat for many different creatures. A nice place to go and relax, and also a place to find some thrills- if you go beyond the boundaries and play with fire.

Our Story Thus Far.....

For thousands of years, the people of Calligra have lived in a happy state. Even though piracey ran rampant, it was never more then a bother, never serious enough to threaten lives.

Now, a new group of pirates have risen- a bad kind. Looting, raping, even killing, the alarming acts of this new group have caused the Grand Council to consider outlawing Piracey- for good.

The students of Machina, alarmed, have started to organize themselves, preparing to fight for their rights and rid Calligra of the evil forces...

----------

Rules

1. Follow the Menewsha ToS obviously ((I seem to have issues with the spamming one though ))
2. No Godmodding, Aerinn and I are the complete ruler here XD
3. PM all profiles to me or Aerinn
4. Be nice to each other, it's okay if your characters hate each other but be polite to one another please.
5. Cursing is allowed but try not to do it to much, this is a pg-13 site and a pg-16 roleplay
6. I don't know if this will even apply but no cybering please, we really don't need to read about that here...
7. Title your PMs "Pro-Machina" if you are a good guy/Machina student, "Regal" for good guys/Reginal students, or "Torn to Pieces" for bad guys/bad pirates.
8. Insert a heart into your PM so I know you read the rules.
9. Have Fun~
10. I need this to be semi-lit to lit. Which means, though I know this is necessary sometimes, no one liners. They really annoy me.
11. Try to post at least twice a week, even then that's a stretch. If you really need it, ask me and I'll try to summarize what you miss for you.
12. Don't all go off into your own little worlds please XD I wanna try to keep everything in around the same time period so it doesn't all get mixed up.
13. Please, please, please do not join and then not post. I can not tell you how much this upsets me. I want to be able to enjoy my time here with you and you're characters, and if you drop out before you even begin I would be very sad.

Profile Skeleton

Hello, my name is: [Character name]
I've been here: [age (16-19 for students, 16-60 for everyone else)]
A picture has a thousand words: [picture; anime please]
Height: [...]
Weight: [...optional...]
Bio: [at least four sentences long. Must make sense.]
Things you should know: [anything extra- tattoos, birthmarks, fears, likes, dislikes, its up to you what goes here. Anything that is not protrayed in your picture or revealed in you're bio.]

----------

Accepted Profiles

Hello, my name is: Lein (pronounced Lane) Matilda Remus-Foxx
I've been here: 17
A picture has a thousand words: Lein
Height: 5'5"
Weight: A lady never tells ;D
Bio: Lein is the daughter of a Florist and a Sailor. As soon as Lein could walk, she was toddling around the deck of her father's ship, a merry, happy young child.
When she was six, her parents passed away, and Lein's world went spiraling down. She was an orphan, and lived in the streets of Parthell, refusing to go to the orphanage.
By the time she was nine, the young child had learned how to take care of herself- and was a nifty little theif. One day, she tried to steal from the wrong man- He was the captain of a pirate's ship, and could have killed her then and there. But he was amused by the young child and her skills, and raised Lein as his own. When she wasn't sailing on the ship, she could be found running around on Le'fett, well known and loved by all the inhabitants.
When she hit 16, the acceptance age for Machina, he sent her to school, where the girl has lived and thrived ever since.
Things you should know: Lein is deathly afraid of lightning, but faces everything else with a reckless (and almost stupid) fearlessness. She likes making friends and trusts people way too much for a pirate-to-be.

Hello, my name is: Lavinia Me'eila
I've been here: 18
A picture has a thousand words: Lavinia
Height: 5'9"
Weight: Ask her; she'll punch you through the roof.
Bio: Lavinia Me'eila is a human/Moraea hybrid, although she carries all the trademarks of a Moraea. Her and her mother, Ta'aki Me'eila, lived in Parthel with her father for the first few years of her life. When Levinia was younger, her father disappeared, leaving the two alone.
Although no one was outwardly hostile to them, Ta'aki decided to flee to Halyeva, where she had grown up. There, she raised her daughter in the traditional Moraea ways of stealth, strength, and peace with oneself. Lavinia grew up believing that she was a full blooded Moraea until her 16 birthday; her mother sat down with Lavinia and told her everything. Outraged, she packed her bags and left for Machina, to pour her energy into being the best pilot on Calligra.
She has come to terms with what her mother has told her, and her and Lein often go to Halyeva for the weekends.
Things you should know: Lein is Lavinia's best friend, and the two can often be seen causing mischief together.

Originally Posted by Sairys

Hello, my name is: Sairys Draconis
I've been here: 27years
A picture has a thousand words: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...nime/ninja.jpg
Height: 5'7
Weight: 127 pounds
Bio: Since a small age, Sai grow up training with varies weapons with her father, on a beach home on Merith, as they both tried find a living on Machina. her father saw that her skills of stealth and her blades were great then any other and opened up a small assassination business. Receiving a job that would finally pay to get them into the richly living, Sairys took the job without question but soon found out it was to wipe out 2 council members. it wasnt easy to escape, and was soon sentenced to Lieth, banished from the world. After being there for 5 years, So found a way out, only to find her father was murdered. her mind is set on finding who ever did such a thing and will take down whoever is in her way. She recently took up a job to kill some pirates in le'fett that owe some money.
Things you should know:Sairys Has blonde hair and blue eyes, a scar on her left side of her face from fighting on Lieth. She isnt easy to befriend but is loyal to those who are close. She takes what she wants and gives nothing back. If its a good price, its not illiegal =)

Originally Posted by LadyAlys

Hello, my name is: Anila Dava Yamare
I've been here: 18
A picture has a thousand words:
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 155 but don't ask where it hides
Bio: Her mother was a sky captain of a passenger ship and had an affair with a businessman. Nine months later he had been assassinated and the captain out on the streets of Pathel with a baby girl. They stayed there, her mother doing odd jobs, until Nil was five and her mother could start teaching her how to work and they got onto a passenger ship to Le' fett. There the two started working for one captain or another and Nil learned the ropes. By the time she was sixteen she and her mother agreed it would be better for Anila to go to Machina than to tempt fate at Reginal.
Things you should know: She doesn't like her first name and will either go by Nil or Dava. Although she love thunderstorms and rain she is terribly afraid of dry lightning. She will sketch anything she think is important and has sketchbooks full of ship designs and random sketches of people, trees, and animals.

Originally Posted by Obsidian Raven's Song

Hello, my name is: Erthnatora Kaldaka (nickname: Tora)
I've been here: 18
A picture has a thousand words: http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...girl/31736.jpg
Height: 5'4” (she's kinda short ^^)
Weight: Not on your life
Bio: Erthnatora is the daughter of a well-respected family. Her father is a member of the Grand Council and her mother is a Peace Keeper. Tora, being an only child, was spoiled at a young age. She didn't let it go to her head though and didn't become one of those girls who expected everyone to wait on her hand and foot. Her parents wanted her to attend Reginal but she convinced them to let her go to Machina instead.
Things you should know: Tora's style is very alternative; everything from music to clothing to food. She has a dragon skull tattoo on her lower back and angel wing tattoos on her shoulder blades. She has several piercings in her ears. (She had all of this done without her parents knowledge)

Originally Posted by Obsidian Raven's Song

Hello, my name is: Visekel Austratir
I've been here: 21
A picture has a thousand words: http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...meWithWhip.jpg
Height: 5'10” (and she's kinda tall ^^)
Weight: Ask her. I dare you.
Bio: Visekel is a full-blooded Moraea. Despite her peoples peaceful ways she enjoys her life much more thoroughly as a pirate. Violent and controlling by nature, she was exiled by her people to Lieth, which she had no problem escaping. She is very resourceful and cunning so she managed to trick a group of pirates out of their vessel and if anyone went to search for her on Lieth, she would find those pirates instead. She has since joined a group of pirates who enjoy violence and cruelty as much as she does. Her favorite weapon is the whip though she is skilled in many more.
Things you should know: Her eyes are yellow with ice blue facial markings.

Originally Posted by LenGe

Hello, my name is: Luis ‘Lithe’ Huang
I've been here: 18
A picture has a thousand words: ignore the pose
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 52 kg.
Bio: Luis is born, bred and raised on Calligra. He is loyal to his city and a fun loving person. His parents are easy going shop keepers who didn’t mind their second son’s activities. Lithe’s favorite activity was sky boarding. He enjoyed spending his precious time in the wind and clouds and hated having to come down to earth. He attends Machina high but is studying ship design as he wants to be a board designer instead of a pilot. When he heard that sky pirates were hurting Calligra’s economy with their looting and is threatening her safety, Lithe eagerly signed up for the anti-pirate group and vows to hunt down every pirate that darkens his beautiful sky.
Things you should know: He gets seasick on water and despises mushrooms to an unbelievable extent.

Originally Posted by Mr Crowly

Hello, my name is: Kite Summens
I've been here: 17
A picture has a thousand words:
Height: [...]
Bio: He went to Mechina for a few years, but the classes bored him. Once he heard news of the pirate attacks, he ran away, looking for adventure. There's a rumor going around that he has created an air ship that can stay in the sky for years on end. No one has seen him for while, until now.
Things you should know: There's a cat living in his ship, his name is Milo. Don't be mean to Milo please! Kite is sort of an oddball. He can be awkward at times, but he's really good at solving problems. He'll fix yer machine right up fer ya too XD.

[/CENTER]

:heart:reserved:heart:

:heart:Reserved:heart:

----------

.WE. .ARE. .OPEN.

The cup gently tapped the table as the waitress brought it to her table, with a simple nod and toss of 3 silvers to the lady, She gripped the cup softly and took a sip. She sighed as she shifted her eyes off to the side, None of them were who she was sent after, and it has been days on this bloody island and no lucky. Each day she doesnt get the heads she needs its less pay. She growled at herself disappointingly. it wasnt long till a smelly, filthy man and a small crew of his tagalongs came up to her table as she entered a tavern, as in where most men play. She would try to ignore the stench of ale in their breaths. -My....look fellas, a pretty lil doll show'd up to our doll house...- The man would place his hand on her cup and move it gently away from her hands. She would only lower stance glare at him. - Dont you know ladies hurt themselves when they play with swords?- Saying as another hand traced her blade that sat hanging at her hip.

" And dont you know men like you who are ignorant enough to think i dont know how to handle a blade, have their hands nails to their faces to keep their mouths, shut?" She replied softly as she reached for her cup. the man insulted slapped it away. -you dirty wrench!- Just as the man reached for her neck. She grabbed the table and flung it at him, just enough to pull out a Small dagger from her sleeve. The man would raise his hands to block the table and in that moment she grabbed his hand driving the dagger through and into his mouth, breaking through to the back of his skull. Once inserted she would spin slightly to round house kick his hand, knocking him over in his own screams to death as he hit the floor. She only stood over him as her eyes watched his tagalongs.

" Anyone else has a problem with this doll?"

"Come on, Lavinia, we have to run," Lein hissed, trying not to burst into laughter. The two girls ducked under a small niche at the bottom of the wall, as shouts began to echo down the hall. Lavinia clamped a hand over Lein's mouth as feet began to pass by, the group of angry girls trying to find the two, to no avail.

After they were sure that the group had left, Lavinia removed her hand, and Lein broke into laughter. "Oh man, that was great," Lein said, still chuckling to herself. "I told you it would work, Lavi!"

"I never said it wouldn't," Lavinia said, one eyebrow raised. "I just said we shouldn't do it."

The duo crawled out from their hiding space, Lavinia brushing dust off of her clothes. "Come on, Lavi, wanna go to Parthel? I got my new Wind Surfer today, and I really want to try it out." Lavinia considered this, then grinned and nodded, the two girls giggling and wandering off.

"Hey, Lein, look," Lavinia said suddenly, as they passed a bullotin board. She pointed to an article hanging there by itself; with gentle, hesitant fingers, Lein picked it up, reading it aloud.

"'There have been a recent string of violent attacks on ports and homes in Parthel, Merith, and Etheron. Students, we beg you to use caution when going out, and you should never go out alone.

If you have any information on those commiting these heinous acts, please contact the headmaster or Lavell Perine, the chief of the Peace Keepers. Have a good day.'"

The two glanced at each other, worry on Lavinia's face and rage and sickness on Lein's.

Nil pocketed the letter her mother had left on the kitchen table as she went back to school after lunch. Thinking that it was of no real importance and that she was just away on a business trip and wouldn't be home for supper. That was the norm these days, and it went very well for the both of them, their income went up and Nil had the apartment to herself. Nil kept telling herself that anyways, weather or not it was exciting wasn't part of the equation. She had forgotten her bookbag with her sketchbook in it at school, so she checked her wallet for her student ID and walked out of the apartment and checked to make sure it locked behind her before making her way to the street.
She made the trip quickly to the academy because something just seemed, well, off to her. As she walked into the door she noticed a new notice on the board. Curious she went over to read it, paused, read it again. "Damn it mom, why'd you have to go off island right now?" She pulled out the letter and read:

Dear Anila,
I'm off to Pathel for a trading job, from there we just have to make some deliveries. I'll be okay. The recent attacks don't worry this 'old woman,' (if you don't know about them, you should listen to the news while you're out drawing instead of daydreaming, or whatever you do when you draw.) remember I still best you in sword play, just keep practicing with the sword on that piller and you'll be fine. Dinner's ready just heat it up.
Love ya,
Mom

Sighing, Nil walked in further only to find another bulletin board with the same information on it, only there were two people by this one, Lavi and Lein. "What do you two think of that?" She nodded toward the article.

[[Don't forget, dearie, the only way to get from one island to the next is by a wind surfer for students (Those are like scooters XD) and that Machina doesn't have any houses on it, just the school.]]

Lavinia and Lein looked up as Nil approached them. Lein shrugged, glancing down at the paper again, while Lavinia merely observed.

"It seems pretty ridiculous to me," Lein said. "Who would do something like that? It gives pirates a bad name." Lein turned and pinned the paper back on the board. "And anyways, its not like a whole bunch of people are going to pay attention to that bit about not going out alone." Lein sighed again and shook her head, pushing blonde hair out of her eyes.

"You came here alone?" Lavinia asked in a soft voice, looking at Nil questioningly.

Nil nodded, "I usually go home for lunch, my mother doesn't think that cafeteria food is the best thing in the world for her family." She rolled her eyes. "I didn't know about the attacks before now anyways, not like they can do anything about that. Mom thought I should have though." She folded the letter back up and stuck it in her pocket. "And now she's off on a trading. I can't decide if I'm mad at her for going, or for not taking me with." She thought for a second, "This is more bad publicity for the school, and the Reginal guys aren't going to be any kinder than the press." She crossed her arms and shook her head.

((I better log out, I have laundry I should do and a con to get ready for. I'll be on tomorrow, it just might be in the morning or randomly when there's nothing I want to go to.))

[[Alrighty, I actually won't be on very much today, I have a tech/dress rehearsal to go to]]

Lein snorted when Nil mentioned Reginal. "Ah, they're just a bunch of stuck-up pricks, if you ask me," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "But this doesn't make us look good in anyone's eyes. I hadn't even heard of it till just now, so maybe if they can catch the rats doing this right quick we won't have anything to worry about."

"Hopefully you're mother makes it back safely," Lavinia said, changing the topic. "Does she go away often on trades?" The taller girl looked up as a light breeze ruffled her hair; a second later, she frowned.

"Lavinia, what's up," Lein asked, looking back at the girl. Lavinia shook her head.

"Nothing, really. But that was an odd wind for this time of year." The girl shrugged, smoothing the shirt of her uniform. She turned her attention back to Nil, an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Tora walked along the paths of Machina Academy, the slight breeze in the air tugging at the whisps of blonde hair that had managed to come loose. She absently brushed them back as she continued to walk towards the main building to see the Headmaster. Since her father was a member of the Grand Council she was often asked to run errands for him if she happened to be in the vicinity. Usually that only happened when she was at Machina since her parents didn't really know where she was the rest of the time. She wasn't out making trouble, she just didn't feel the need to inform them of her every move.

With a sigh she glanced at her watch for the time and decided to cut through one of the buildings instead of wandering around it. She wasn't lazy and had nothing against walking, but she would rather be doing her own thing right now. Up ahead she noticed a group of three other girls gathered around the message board. She recognized them as students as well and decided to see what was so interesting. Being an open person she leaned over one of their shoulders and looked at the notice they held in their hands. "What's that?" she asked.

----------

Leaning over the edge of the ship she was currently riding and gazed at the distant outline of Lieth. She smirked to herself as she remembered hailing the pirates who she had tricked out of their ship. She wondered if they were still there now. She had decided swapping places with them seemed like the best idea at the time. She would love to see their faces now; that is, if they were still alive.

Suddenly behind her she heard a commotion break out and she sighed, turning around to deal with it. At the moment, she was in charge, meaning she had to deal with crap like this. Two men were shouting at eachother and had come to blows about something she didn't care about. Instead of trying to sort it out she cracked her whip, wrapping it around one mans throat and threw him to the floor a few feet away. She grabbed the other man by the front of his shirt and brought him up to her eye level. Her golden eyes seared into for a moment before she threw him to the ground as well, her message clear.

Her mood thoroughly ruined, she gave instructions to head for Merith, needing to do something other then babysit this bunch of idiots. Perhaps she could find some entertainment there.

Lein looked up at the girl as she asked what the paper was, and held it up for her to see. "Trouble," she said, her irritation at the news on the paper apparent in her voice. "Seems a bunch of idiots decided to go and cause trouble for the rest of the world."

[[ACK >.< Short post, I'm sorry!]]

[[ Sorry for my short post, had a busy weekend...I should be on and posting up in a few hours or by tomorrow for sure. ~Sai ]]

Luis tenderly stroked his board and it's sails. This was his best friend. His brother came into the garage with a loud entrance as he stumbled into the tool box. Cursing, the elder came up to Luis with his own skyboard held under his arms. "Hey Lithe, the weather's looking good today and mom's slept in. Up for a race to school?" Luis, or Lithe grinned eagerly and pulled his board off the floor and ran out of the garage. The moment he stepped out, Lithe began to fall. Of course he fell, there were no sidewalks or pavements outside to support him. Enjoying the rush of wind on his face for a moment, Lithe drew out his board and manuevered his feet on it. The sails opened up and it's circuit board activated when it felt it's master's weight. Letting it hum for barely half a second, Luis stepped forward and the board shot off like a rocket at his command. This was what he loved. The speed, the air, the lightheaded feeling of the rush, he could go on but this was no time to think about that. Out of the corner of his eye, Lithe spotted his brother's tanned frame moving into view and catching up to him. As much as he hated to admit it, Lithe knew that Jack had given him a head start. Best hold onto it while he can. Bending a bit more, Lithe urged his board to go faster. A bit more c'mon...yes! There we go! Lithe flew through the entrance of Machina High and circled above the building a bit before directing his board to go back to the ground. He looking up at his brother who had already graduated and had no need to stay for a visit at the highschool. Jack gave him the finger but Lithe knew that was his way of showing love. Besides, last year he had broke Jack's record and became the first Machina student to win the Youth's Sky Cup for three years in a row. However, he was eighteen now and this would be his last year racing before having to go to the adult cup; which was a whole other league. Jack already dominated it and Lithe had doubts of stealing first place from his brother....only a little. Picking his board up, Lithe greeted his classmates as they gave out small cheers and calls to his performance. Grinning in the glory a bit, Lithe went on his way to his homeroom. Spotting Nil, a pretty classmate of his who also had interest in drawing designs for sky boards and ships, Lithe walked across the grass to go join her and a few other girls as they looked at the small bulletin board. "Sky pirate huh? Nasty guys," he said to them after peering at the paper stuck on the front. "When I graduate I might join the police service to hunt them down." He smiled a bit as he folded his board into a smaller shape that was easier to carry; with his speed he'll be able to catch any drunkard pirate there was out there in the seven skies. Unless they had pistols though.

The winds were high and the skies clear, it was a perfect day for Sailing. She leaned against the railing of a stolen ship as it made course to her final destination, to where she will find the last person she needed for her bounty. According to her search, this last person knows who aided in the killing of her father and the person who set her up to kill the 2 council men, 6 years ago. She would pull out a scroll of parchment from her sleeve as she glanced for the name of the man. " Professor Putricide of the Machina Academy, Swordmanship Instructor..." She growled as she squeezed the parchment. How can this be..he was loyal to her father, long time family friend. With a sigh she shook her head. " of course...they needed someone on the inside...that bloody scoundrel..."

Hearing the wind cut as a group of boys raced to school, she only watched them as into the horizon the Island of Machina came into view. She tossed the parchment overboard as she walked to her ship and began preping for landing. She climbed up the Star port to have a better view of the Area and how security is set up. Seeing it was only a school guard post she smiled as she grabbed the robes. " I can see this place hasnt changed much...Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho..!"

((Ah, sorry got caught up in the aftercon blah yesterday. And this is short, sorry. ;; ))
Nil answered Lavinia's question, "She and I have worked on random vessels since we moved to Le' fett. Lately she's been signing on without telling me." Which all in all makes sense, I am technically an adult. Nil thought as she acknowledged the other students as they came to join the group forming around the board. She crossed her arms and stared at the interlocking tiles on the floor, from this close they looked like random pieces of wood, but she knew from the top floor it was a mosaic of a sky ship. "The problem's now," she looked up, "so what are we going to do about it?"

Lein snorted, pinning the paper back up. "I say we go after them ourselves," she said, her temper flaring as she reread the paper. "Those dirty scoundrels deserve to pay."
"Lein, do you plan on doing it by yourself?" Lavinia asked, one eyebrow raised. Lein spun around, hands on her hips.
"If I have to, then yes," she said hotly. "If these rats think they can ruin my beautiful sky, they better think again!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, trying to calm herself. "Anyways, Lavi, I know you'd help me. And there would be others who would help to." She glanced at Lithe and Nil, a questioning look in her unnerving gaze.
"It's dangerous, but... you may be right," Lavinia said softly, examining the paper as if there was something she had missed. "The adults will try to stop us." Lein smirked.
"Let them try. We have some of the fastest pilots around." She looked at Lithe pointedly; she knew he had a reputation for being one of the fastest in their racing division.

Tora finished reading the paper before Lein pinned it up again. She groaned as she read it though. Her parents, of course, had to know all about this, but did they tell their daughter who was always out and about anything. Of course not.

"God forbid that my father or the Grand Council should do anything," she mumbled under her breath. "Well, if we're fighting, I'm with you guys. Besides," she said, grinning evily. "I haven't had a good fight in a while." She snickered then, anticipating the fight, though she knew it would be dangerous.

---------

After a moment more of flying Visekel saw Machina's vague outline in the distance. Something else, something moving, caught her eye and she squinted to try and get a better look. Finally she recognized it as a pirate's ship. She frowned as she watched the ship approach the island. It was strange to see a pirate ship so close to the school.

Making a snap decision, she ordered her crew to steer them towards Machina as well. Gripping her whip tighter in her hand, Visekel felt a sense of excitment as they drew nearer. This was going to be interesting.

“Well, I’m not sure surfing will help much when it comes down to a brawl. Even if the school’s guns were free to use and some pirates show up…we might not shoot anything if we’re at high speed.” Lithe shifted his weight onto the other foot lazily. Yeah, he wishes he could get on the action. However this is reality and only the city’s police force could confront them. Lithe was nothing but another idiot kid with big talk. “Glad to know we have you Tora,” he while turning around to head onwards to homeroom. Taking in the faraway clouds, Lithe sucked in a breathe in surprise but ended up coughing. Lithe turned around on his feet to look back at the others with wide and excited eyes. “Well, the sky scum have arrived; you girls up to some fun before the adults come to crush ‘em?” He really wasn’t sure what to do but Lithe had a feeling that this would be the best fun in his high school career (despite the death possibility) and he wouldn’t miss out for anything. Cracking open his board and flipping it up, Lithe almost jumped on it until he realized something. “Eum…I guess textbooks aren’t that great for weapons are they?” Standing still, Lithe felt a bit odd. Right here was a real to life pirate ship and he was committing the sin that most other surprised student on the lawn was doing; standing around and doing nothing to await their fate at the hands of the pirate. Part of him actually was waiting for the staff to come out and handle it; only, Lithe knew there was nothing a bunch of middle aged folks could do but call and wait for help from the city's small military task force. “Fu**, they’re going to land on us and I’m not doing anything...Do any of you want to fly up with me real quick for a look at it?” Lithe shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun; despite all his schooling and training, Lithe felt underprepared for getting upclose to a pirate ship by himself

As She steered and parked her ship just outside of school bounderies she noticed the outline of another ship. She shook her head as she might be making some new friend's quite soon. She hopped down from the view port and searched the stolen ship for anything. She found a flag that seemed to belong to the ship as it bared the trader's mark. meh could work for a bit to get by the school's guard as shes sure that by now would have seen her ship. Humming to herself she hoisted the flag as a trader ship. She moved her swords from her hips to her back, as she covered herself with a ragged old cloak. Taking steer of the wheel she noticed on her for-arm her pirate and banished mark of a sky dragon was visible. She searched the ship for something to wrap her arm in before any close contact will give away her position.

Lein looked up, surprised. "Wha-" She snapped her head in Lavinia's direction, confusion and excitement in her eyes. "I'll go up with you," she volunteered. She looked around her, searching for her board- and remembered that it was tucked neatly in its locker, on the other side of campus. "Ah, dammit," she cursed mildly, putting her hands on her hips.
"Here, use mine," Lavinia said, holding the silver object away from her. Lein frowned a little as she took it. Lavinia flew leading with her left foot- therefore, it was a "lefty" board. Lein was a righty.
"Thanks, Lavi," she said with a grin. "I promise I'll try not to crash it. Or get thrown off it." Lavinia chuckled as Lein tossed out the board, shakily climbing onto it, left foot in front. Not that Lein couldn't fly left footed, it was just extremely uncomfortable and just a tad difficult. Her hand brushed past her hip, reassuring her- a sword was attached to her hip, shining and ready for action. She usually didn't have it with her, but she had decided to take it home and clean it after a particularily unpleasant swordsmanship class.

Not being ready for action right that moment herself, and only having her wallet chain as a weapon, Nil looked around as other students jumped on their boards to either flee or fight. Someone's going to get hurt. It doesn't matter who or where they belong, And I currently have nothing to contribute if this is a fight. She looked at Lavi and Nora, "I don't know much about first aid, just that we may need some, I'm going to run to the infirmary and grab bandages and gauze and... really whatever I can get the nurse to hand me. Do either of you want to come with?" She was ready to run and adrenalin was pumping and just shear force of will was holding her back.

Tora gave Lithe a look, unsure whether he was being sarcastic or not then went over what was currently in her possesion. She was currently toting around her board, meaning she could ride up with them, and she always wore several lengths of chain, meaning she had a weapon if it came to a fight. She was more of a brawler so the chains had always suited her perfectly. Unwrapping the chain from around herself Tora gripped it tightly in her hand and stepped on to her board, waiting for any others to join before she took off.

She then noticed that the approaching pirate ship was raising a flag bearing a traders mark. Frowing skeptically, she tried to recall who flew under those colours. Her father had dealings with plenty of merchant vessels and she finally recognized the mark as that of a vessel that frequented the route between Parthel, Dekliron and Etheron. And they weren't supposed to be anywhere near Machina right now.

"Something's wrong guys," she said finally. "These traders aren't supposed to be anywhere near here right now. They shouldn't be passing near Machina for at least another week."

That's when she noticed the second ship.

----------

Keeping an eye on both the school island and the other ship, Visekel noticed right away when they hoisted a traders mark. She smiled and found her self acknowledging the thought behind this. Of course, she also knew that if any of them decided to fly over and check out the ships they would be busted right smart. But she was feeling up for a little deception today.

"Raise a merchant's flag!" she ordered over her shoulder. Hearing her command acknowledged, Visekel turned and watched the other ship again. She had a natural sense to recognize a pirate's ship immediatly, though the fact that it was once a traders vessel and they were raising a traders mark would probably lead anyone looking on to believe the obvious; it was nothing more then a traders ship, passing by. She knew better though.

They were mere specks on the ground below but Visekel was able to make out several students readying themselves to fly up and check on the approaching ship. Looks like they would be in for a fight after all.

"Ok, let's start this," Lithe said with a degree of uneasiness. His swords for sword dancing class was in his backpack and Lithe drew both out of their sheaths before stepping onto his humming board. It began to rise at the notice of his weight and he kicked off the ground with his right foot to raise up and off to the ship. Skimming against the air current, he slowed down as he flew close to the hull of the ship. Climbing up to a window where the cannons are supposed to pop out of, Lithe glanced down at the now tiny school and continued on. The other girls were far behind and Lithe peered over the edge of the ship's ornate balcony. It looked old but a bit refines; like it belonged to some fine merchants before being stolen by pirates and handed down to another generation or something. There were several gun toting sailors as well...Gripping his sword handles tighter, Lithe crouched down on his board like a runner preparing to bolt off. He made his board nose dive up into the view of the pirate crew. Jumping off his board; Lithe landed on the chest of one of the armed pirates and went on to side tackle another man. His swords and hands were useless as cutting apart people was never up his alley. The element of surprise was pretty handy in kicking over another pirate as he climbed up from inside the ship. His board went onto the specially programmed autopilot at the absence of it's driver and went around in a circle above before it dectected it's twin chip that Lithe had also used as a dogtag around his neck. Getting back on when it landed by him, Lithe flew his board at several dirty looking fellows who dived aside as he tried to make a getaway from the ship's balcony. In tactic class this would be classified as a hit and run, pretty much the best he could do right now. Before disapearing, Lithe turned his head and teased "Don't underestimate Machina High kids!" Flying above the ship, Lithe drew his board up several degrees as a makeshift shield while awaiting to see if the pirates would go ahead and try to shoot a 'young'un.'

Lein followed after Lithe, a grin on her face as she came over the edge railing. She kneeled down and stared at the pirates below her, who scowled and waved their swrods at her. She raised an eyebrow- definetely not friendly spirits.

"How interesting," she murmured, her fingers touching her sword hilt. She was tempted to fight them- it would be good practice, after all, and maybe she could get some information ot of them- but decided not to, and retreated back down. She turned and saw the other ship approaching, hoisting merchant flags- but why would a merchant ship go here? If it was delivering something to Machina, it should have gone to the docks....

"Lithe, Tora, something is seriously wrong here," she called down to them, turning the board a little awkwardly so that she could face them.

Meanwhile, Lavinia had stayed with Nil. "Let's go," the older girl said calmly. "The sooner we're ready, the better."

"Thank you." Nil said, slightly relieved to know that she wouldn't be the only one running like a madwoman through the school, well maybe she would be, she didn't know how fast Lavinia would go. All that energy built up inside her was let go as she sprinted into the school and up the stairs to the nurses office. She tried the handle, "Locked! Today certainly could have gone better. "and then knocked. She waited by pacing back and forth.