I see that you guys haven't started yet...is it too late to join?

@Annabeth C. sure! It should be okay for people to join for the first few posts.

***

Eris was missing. Celeano had noticed when she'd stopped answering his letters. He had turned to Anna at first, one of his own Harpies, to ask if she was taking them, but she had shook her head with obvious confusion (and yelled at him later for fraternizing with the enemy). After that, he'd gone to Cora and Micah, Eris's trusted lieutenants, but they hadn't seen her, and Cora had said that that confirmed their fear- the leader of the Sirens had gone missing. Her voice usually laced with disgust had been high and nervous, and that's when Celeano realized it was serious.

"We need to search for her," he said to the gathered group. They were hidden on a rooftop they'd refurbished. Small, handbuilt buildings ringed the edges and lanterns and skulls decorated the space. In the center was the large command tent, where Celeano and all his leaders- officers wasn't the right word, they weren't an army- sat.

Anna frowned. "Isn't it good if the leader of the Sirens is missing? It leaves them vulnerable.”

Celeano sighed and leaned back. “I guess, like it’d be a good strategy if we kidnapped her, but we don’t know what’s going on. Whatever made her disappear might come after us next.”

“Good reasons,” Corrim said, “but they’re justification. You are blinded by love for your sister.”

Celeano tilted his head. “And? You got any family?”

Corrim shook her head. Of course.

Celeano didn’t like Corrim. She was strong, and he’d put her in second in command because she seemed to be satisfied by it, but she was impossible to hold a decent conversation with, and her no-kill policy was almost worse than a good clean slit of the throat. Plus, her eyes were creepy as all get-out, almost draconic with slit pupils, and always watching him.

“We’ll have a vote,”  Celeano decided. “And, just noting, I’ll go after Eris with or without you guys. This vote is just should I take you or should I leave Anna in charge?”

“Why not Watcher? She’s your second in command-”

“Because I like Anna better and military stuff is dumb. Now-”

Corrin~

Celeano is weak. I can see it in his eyes. His all-kill policy is cover for his insecurity. It takes a strong heart and mind to control your enemy in battle instead of killing them. He becons me into his 'office'.

"Watcher, you have to start killing. We've gotta be strong, and-"

"And having mercy is weak? I don't believe what I'm hearing." We've had this conversation before, but I've always won.

"It is, Watcher. If you don't start killing then I'll have to reduce your position." He's used that threat before.

"So what? I could kill you right now and nobody would raise a finger."

"I'd like to see you try." That's what he says, but I see fear flash behind his eyes.

"But that's where my fault is. I'm a generally good person, so I wouldn't." He smirks. I sneer back. "And that's where your fault is. You'd kill your own sister."

"I would not!"

"And there's where your arguement fails. You can't scold me for sparing people's lives when you do too."

"But she's my sister!"

"She's a Siren, Celeano." I smile. He's cornered.

"That's 'Sir', to you, Watcher."

"Make me, then. I'm sorry, but I won't bow to a weakling with teeth." Celeano's anger flares. With a jump, he stands above me, looking down from the rock he uses for announcements.

"What does that mean??"

"It means that a leader who is willing to fight and kill but not willing to think is weak. Brains before brawn, Sir. If you would just think about the people you're murdering, then maybe you'd see my side."

"Watcher, you-" I jump onto the rock and thrust my hand towards his throat, curling my fingers around it. I refrain from squeezing.

"I've killed once, and it was an accident. I'll never do it again. Don't try to make me, or you'll find yourself up against your own team. Killing is weak. Mercy is what makes me strong. Maybe someday you'll understand that." I release my leader and walk away, reflecting on my words. I remember that night, when I shed another person's blood. That was the night I promised myself I never would kill ever again.

~~ 

Heh, this may just be a bit of a filler, but I felt like I should write something, but I'm also gonna wait to see what's unfolding a little, cause it looks like Rogue and Blue moon had some really good ideas, also since I'm the Faerie I might make another character? if that's okay. for now I'll use some fillers.

Brina~~~

I drummed my fingers against my bedside table. I was reading, and now I wasn't. The book was lying face up on my bed, pages 43 and 45 looking to my ceiling. I gave a half hearted glance at them, I hadn't gotten that far yet, my mind wandering far too often to sit and casually read. Their was a penciled-in doodle down the margin, nothing specific, just little designs, reminding me of the ones on my wings. The content? Not as interesting. Something including breakfast cerial, or something along those lines. 

A knock sounded at my door, sending me up. A nice distraction from each twisting and turning road my mind would take me down. My hand clasped the polished, gleaming doorknob, carefully turning it. I felt rude to smudge it, even if I had made it so shiny myself. 

"Wade. Come in." I gestured into the room, closing the door behind him. His ebony wings slightly fluttered as he stood directly in the center of my room. 

"I take it you've heard?" he asked me. Looking over my shoulder at a small picture on the wall. Something the hospitle had given my adoption center when I still lived there. an old picture of my mother, she must have been getting a check or something along the lines because she still had the bump of little me. I cleared my throat, taking back Wade's attention.

"heard what?" I said absentmindedly, squaring my shoulders, and trying to get rid of my stiff neck. Wade gave a breathy laugh, taking a seat on my bed. I stayed standing, calculating his every move as he brushed his hand over the material of my blanket. "Wade, tell me you haven't been spying on people again."

"I wouldn't call it spying-"

"I would."

"okay, okay. It was just Celeano and his gang, nothing I couldn't handle," He said cockily, trying to get me to sit down next to him. "I heard something's wrong with his sister," He offered after accepting my refusal. my feet gave soft thumps as I paced back and forth, something I liked to do when things like this were brought to my attention. 

"Wade?" I said finally, looking up from the small black dot on the floor. He too looked up, meeting my eyes. "one of these day's you're going to get yourself killed." I shook my head, pulling my desk's stool over infront of him. I sat down, feeling the slight breeze my wings created as they fluttered. 

"Aw, Bri you wouldn't let that happen though, you love me too much right?" Wade teased, picking up the book from my bed and plucking through the pages for a second. 

I rolled my eyes, "I'd say tolerated, but whatever helps you sleep at night, I suppose." Wade gave a crooked smile, putting down my book. 

"C'mon, I'm bored, and you look like you need a distraction. Want to annoy your second in command?" he asked me, standing up, then proceeding to taking my hands and pulling me to my feet. 

"What must you always torment her?" I shook my head, not able to help the smile playing on my lips. 

"Because it's not fair, Brina," he whined my name, probably joking, because that's about the lone time he uses my full name.

"Oh, really? and why's that?" 

"Because I should be your second in command." He winked.

"Of course, Bri Willows and Wade Fireling. She builds things up and knows how to keep everything perfect, he knows how to knock everything down in a fiery demise. I can see your point." I dead panned, watching him though, and waiting for a response. 

"Now, now Bri, don't be so Narsasistic, if you truely did know everything, I wouldn't be making everything a disaster."

"Obviously you think that deeply into something so simple, and yet you barely raise your eyebrows when we're in meetings, you're a terrible person, terrible person."

Wade slung his arm around my shoulder. "I may be a terrible person, but you've said it before, I'm your terrible person."

I smiled. "When did I say that? I never said that."  

Okay, this is getting off to a good start! Rogue, your post was especially good- it was good writing, and I'm going to enjoy messing with those two's dynamics! With that being said, we need to find a way to get everyone together. @Annabeth C., you have some good things that could work- Brina or Wade could go spy, Celeano could seek them out as allies, or Wade could get kidnapped and lead Brina to go after them. @Quill, Viva could be interested and find Celeano, maybe when asking to join after an argument with her parents. @GW, Desmond doesn't seem to be the type to get in trouble, but maybe his friend could get kidnapped? @Soren, maybe one of Alani's sisters could get kidnapped? @Code, maybe Ailie could be dragged into it by someone else, maybe another CBer's character? And I think that's everyone. If any of you have another idea for how to get everyone togethe, maybe in a more in character way, please go ahead with that- you don't have to ask me. I just want to make sure everyone gets together so the plot can pick up. WIth that, here's my post!

**

Watcher was gone. Celeano stood tall, glaring after her for a while- then when she was long gone, he let himself collapse and sit on the ground, holding his head in his hands and cursing silently to himself. How am I going to deal with this?

He did have advantages. He’d made solid friendships within the Harpies, while Corrim was mostly disliked and didn’t have any good friends. If he broke them up into civil war, his side would be bigger, and it would win- but on the other hand, he didn’t want to do that to his people. A fractured community rarely came back stronger, happier, or better.

Part of the problem was that what Watcher said was true. Celeano didn’t like killing people, it was just easier than talking. Still, it wasn’t like he was going to take her advice, no matter how true to home it was.

And she could have killed him. Well, not as easily as it seemed like- his knife was close enough to cut her until she let him loose, throw her off the boulder… it didn’t matter. She’d been in power, there. Corrim had that much confidence because he was afraid, because she was stronger. She could have killed him.

Celeano sighed and headed to his room, but not before making sure his knife was secured in a easy-to-reach place on his belt. He had to be aware, in case Watcher tried something.

The vote hadn’t come through. He was supposed to head off tomorrow, leaving his lieutenants in charge- Anna and Jackson. The basic idea of command was the leader, then the second in command, then the two strategizers, who were the ones selected for actually being good in the leader’s eyes and not just awesome at fighting and stuff. Technically he should have left Watcher in charge, but that was never gonna happen. Anna and Jackson were his two best friends. They could handle it. He’d plan more in the morning. They’d planned at sunset, and it was summer. It was like, midnight now.

Celaeno drifted off into uneasy sleep.

@Blue Moon, ooh, one of her sisters getting captured sounds good! The plot so far sounds really good. Also, could I change Alani's pronouns to they/them? I'm working on diversifying my charries.

@Annabeth, can Alani and Bri be friends, but Alani just isn't part of either gang? 

Ooh, fun!

Name: Iluvent Deventa

Species: Originally Elf, now Half-dragon

Age: 343

Pronouns: They, them

Personality: Rather full of themself, loyal, a staunch defender against evil. Lawful Good.

Appearance: Elven, black dragonwings and tail, long, pale blond hair, violet eyes, coal-dark skin, 6'6'', with a smattering of scales on their body. Often wears a dark cloak, always his enchanted plate armor.

Backstory: They were a knight of an ancient elven tribe for the first hundred years of their adulthood, before an ancient dragon destroyed it, leaving them as the only survivor. They tracked it to its lair, and a long battle ensued, ending with Iluvent fatally wounding the dragon, and it falling on them, knocking them out. The dragon's blood soaked them, and when Iluvent awoke, he was part dragon. Ever since, they have been mistrusted, never being able to find a place to stay for longer than a week.

CBer Name: Catsclaw

Fun Fact about CBer: I'm so nearsighted I need bifocals.

No! This shall not die! We worked hard!

I will post soon! 

Ailie:

I hide in my room, listening to music on a small MP3 player. But the human voices drive me to distraction and I shut it down. "Ailie, dinner in 10 minutes!" my foster mom, Marta, calls from downstairs. I don't reply and instead flop over on the bed. Plink. A small rock hits my window. I open it to see Desmond standing in the street. "Desmond!" I hiss. "What are you doing here?"  He grins, that really sweet puppy grin. "To see you! Why haven't you come to the shop in a while?" "Because." I sigh. Desmond's eager face turns away and he is about to leave. I think back to the first day I met when I moved to this idiotic human town. He also was new that day at school and the teachers had the genius idea to pair us together for everything. Desmond asked me a million questions and told me a million unnecessary facts about himself. I, as usual, supplied nothing. Then he said something that really stung. "So, if you're an elf, why are you here? Elven folk live apart from the rest of us." 

My face grew hot. But just then a giant winged girl snuck up behind us and said, "Nice chat? You rubes won't last a week here! And you, elf girl, are a traitor. Marcus wants to see you soon. Come to Daemon headquarters in a week or else." I explode. All the anger pent up pours out of me. A huge wave of water shoots out of my fingertips and knocks the Winged girl down. Desmond stares open mouthed and then slips on the water. He falls. Then he looks up at me and smiles. I grin back realizing that I just made a new friend. 

The Winged in school leave us both alone after that. And pretty much every day after school I've walked across town to Desmond's moms electronics shop. But today I just wasn't feeling it. I'm homesick for the tents and camps of my clan. But after Desmond turns away to walk off, I cry after him, "Wait! I'm coming!" I climb down the side of my house and as the sky looks stormy, we run together all the way to the shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~

@GW: I hope I wasn't too controlling with Desmond, but I thought that he and Ailie could be friends.

@Blue Moon: I was thinking that Ailie could get kidnapped and Desmond decided to go rescue her. Or they could get into more trouble with the Daemon gang and get roped into Celeano's gang's problems. All right?