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Fiacre Dumas

asteroid346 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:12:37 CDT

The Estate teems with non-humans, what with the fruitcake and fish-man and talking, sword-brandishing cat. Aside from Katie and her dad, and the few Marines peppering the place, the place is devoid of homo sapiens. Well, tack another one on!

...Well, no, not really.

Fiacre Dumas was born to an elven Frenchman and his human lover, a Choctaw woman, in Mississippi of the 1700s. She died giving birth to him, leaving the little one in the care of his father. The elf took his son off to New Orleans, where the boy lived for the next twelve years, if somewhat unhappily. His mixed heritage lent him what the humans saw as a strange, if angelic appearance; he took to the woods and bayous, often against his father's wishes, to escape them. In 1731, they proved an excellent refuge upon his father's death by smallpox and he found an elven society cultivated there. With some difficulty, he managed to convince them to let him into their home and became a runner to earn his keep, and it remained so until he reached his mid-twenties.

When the wood nymph Radha entered his world, it went topsy-turvy and toppled over. They found her too bold and too independent, though they begrudgingly accepted her once she had shown her abilities as a healer and mage. He was intrigued and sought her out often, the job made easier by his offering to be her guide. As time went on and she felt the need to return to her home, Fiacre grew uneasy - she had been the first person not to shun or ridicule him, and he would miss that. It wasn't quite as easy to do without something, especially once you got used to that thing being around.But the nymph wasn't so clueless and she managed to coerce him into leaving. He wasn't too keen on it, having a bad experience with humans, but found himself accepted rather easily by the others.

Generally, Fiacre has proven to be an eccentric, cheery soul with fairly level head on his shoulders. Since the Blood-Pact was formed between he and his two siblings (Larsa and Radha), his eyes have grown more hazel than brown, with his red-gold hair turning a more auburn and his pale complexion browning some. He's milder than his sister, but bolder than his brother and is exceptionally protective of them both. He dabbles in cartography, French literature, fencing and archery, with a budding interest in filmography. He's close to most of the Estate's core members, especially his siblings; he isn't all that fond of Spark though.

Radha Singh

asteroid346 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:16:01 CDT

One of few females populating the Estate, Radha is a wood nymph - a being with extensive command over the earth and all that thrive off it. A petite young woman, she stands at five feet three inches, with wavy black hair spilling past her shoulders, and pointed ears. Diagnosed with heterochromia, her eyes are two different colors - one blue, one brown. Her sense of humor varies between amused and bizarre, coupled with a Mercurial wit that pops up at odd moments.

Ever the mischief-maker, there's never been a time in her life comparable to normal - especially since meeting Katie. She's still going through med-school, if only for the sake of achieving her Master's. She acts as the resident medic, being an EMT, and is proficient in tai-chi, being particularly good with a quarterstaff. She can, however, improvise quite nicely, using anything and everything possible. She tends to rely on her general powers, as well as her friends and family if need be.

She and Abe are a definite item, Bonded and married. She loves him dearly, and their relationship is complementary one. Always one to hold strong feelings for the guys in the Estate - as well as her cubs and best friend/surrogate sister Katie - she's always protective of them, and will damn near risk her life to defend and nurture them if any threat is posed to them. Her past has bred this instinctual need, making it a definite mistake to even think of harming one of them.

The Estate

asteroid346 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:40:38 CDT

The Estate, essentially, is where the action is. It's beaten, battered, demolished, nuked and set on fire more than a hundred times each during the series, and yet remains standing, with next to no damage visible. It's the equivalent of a five-star resort, blended with a healthy militant punch. Here's what's to know:

General structure (when purchased): Three-story Craftsman-style home, steel and concrete frame and foundation, two-car garage; approx. twenty-five rooms, fifteen bathrooms. Baroque detailing; sits on a fifty acre plot, approximately a three-hour drive to the Jersey shore - or, a twenty minute flight. Roughly, 4506 sq. feet.

Added/Expanded: Kitchen, foyer, and living room doubled; med-bay added, w/ garage expanded into a hangar. Six additional stories supplement initial two; library and labs also added. Exercise and spa room added in adjoining space. Cedar deck added, with an enclosed ozone pool behind. Grounds updated with annuals and evergreens. Stables with chocobos also added. 545, 226+ sq. feet when completed.

Business

While Radha and company do have jobs, their salaries do get eaten up by the bills. And, the guys' appetites. So, they started a business in the magazine/comic industry and freelance paranormal extermination, for backup. But, they're always in need of a little extra moola and with Larsa accidentally introducing chocobos to the Eastern seaboard, a rental business was born. The magazine and comics are based in Manhattan, New York, and the extermination (which oft collaborates with the BPRD, willingly or otherwise) and rental service are in Newark, New Jersey. Prices for chocobos vary.

Breed			Price Range
Common Yellow			$35 ~ $50
Salikawood Green			$50 ~ $70
Phon Coast Blue			$70 ~ $90
Wild Black			$90 ~$95
Desert Brown			$100 ~ $120
Ruby Red			$120 ~ $140
Opal White			$140 ~ $185

Yellow chocobos are commonly used for ground travel. Green often live in trees and are useful when traveling in forested areas. Blue ones can walk on water, depending on how dark the blue of their plumage. Browns are well-suited to desert travel. Reds possess a resistance to flame and used to traverse volcanic regions. Black are favored for combat, but since the purebred ones are sometimes unduly hostile, they need to be bred with yellow chocobos. White is the rarest and most prized of the breeds, capable of 5 hrs. continuous flight at 90 mph, in addition to the classic race-car like speed of all chocobos.

Vehicles

You've a got a car, right? Or two or three? Well, so do our friends in the Estate - about, well, five cars plus a small fleet. All the land vehicles and aircraft are docked in the hangar; the seafaring ones are moored in a private little nook of the Jersey shore.

Toyota FJ Cruiser, fully equipped. Red, with white roof. Collapsible, semi-auto turret in trunk.
Honda Ridgeline, fully equipped. Matte-black, with darkest legal tint. Collapsible autom atic turret (with plasma/tungsten rounds, anti-synthetic) in trunk.
Hummer H3, fully equipped. Royal blue, medium tint. Non-collapsible fuel-rod turret, and semi-auto gatling guns.
Nissan Armada, fully equipped. Grey w/ silver overwash. Collapsible MAC turret; light to medium tint.
*Tsunami water bike. Modeled after Honda and Kawasaki water bikes, and modded to taste by R&D of UNSC and Covenant. Equipped with V6 engine and cloaking.
*Searchlight water speeder. Modeled after Honda motor bikes. Translucent gray, V6 engine, cloaking capability.
*Thunderburst submarine. Modeled after Warthog ATV and Covenant Ghost. Grey-violet fourseater; excludes gunner. V6 engine.
*Blackjack water speeder. Modeled for Mongoose ATV. Cloaking ability, w/ photon guns and turret. V8 engine.
*Escalade, Ivalicean and UNSC collaboration. Mercenary-class fighter/airship. Excels in air combat and speed. Makes up the fleet's bulk; ergo, fodder.
*Downbeat, Covenant and UNSC collaboration. Carrier-class, w/ excellence in evasiveness and speed. Numerous exist.
*Hell-Bringer, Collaboration with UNSC, Covenant and Ivalicean Archadia. Dreadnought-class flagship. Heavy firepower and excellent defense. Only a handful created.

*These are vehicles exclusive to the Estate

Yuri Lowell

asteroid346 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:53:19 CDT

Another pretty boy, right? Long hair, effeminate features, refined and dainty personality...

But then again, Yuri's far from refined and even further from dainty.

Empathetic and adventurous, Yuri Lowell is a young man from the little-known world of Terca Lumireis. He comes across as cynical and sarcastic at first glance, probably because of his upbringing. Growing up an underdog in the peasantry of Zaphias, his hometown, bred a distaste for all who were blue-blooded -- a fact that has him preferring the side of the common people, than the elite.

Standing at 5'10'', Yuri is a lithe and lean young man, olive-skinned with gunmetal-blue eyes. He has long, straight blue-black hair, flowing some ways past his shoulders and semi-effeminate features, lending to the misconception of him being a girl, despite his attire and demeanor.

He can be laid-back, and possesses a strong sense of justice, but this manifests itself in rather sordid manners. He views the laws as largely benefiting whoever has the best hand. As time goes on, this belief strengthens, and he gradually takes things more and more into his own hands. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that the only way to dispose of the world's villains, is to cut them down himself.

Still, he isn't all bad. When his temper's not roused and things are fairly calm, Yuri is basically an average guy. He has a tendency to nickname the ones he's closest to (calling Radha 'Ivy' and Katie 'Ember') and takes part in the everyday chaos of the Estate. He's developed a fondness for chocobo riding,Trivial Pursuit, CSI and treasure hunting. Katie's convinced he's cheating at the second -- mostly, because he's yet to lose his position as king, despite his relatively short residency in Newark.

He doesn't trust easily at all, but finds little difficulty in trusting the others in his new home. Most of them suspect that his relationship with Radha had developed from friendship into true amour, some going so far as to admit, if he'd struck a little earlier, that there was a good chance he'd have been her husband and not Abe. Still, despite their not-so-subtle needling, he's remained adamant in suffering the heartache, if only for the sake that Abe is a good friend -- if not, family -- and that Radha is truly happy with the fishman.

He's an excellent swordsman, a testament to the short period he'd spent as a knight in his home world, before quitting. Being ambidextrous, he can wield with both hands (he never does, though) and is strong enough to handle both swords and axes. Whichever he uses, he remains quite deadly. However mellow and calm he appears, the vigilante nature nurtured into existence by his origins and experiences in Terca Lumireis remains; simply give him enough of a reason and he will do away with whoever has incurred his wrath. Especially, if it means protecting those dearest to him.

Shuichi Minamino

asteroid346 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:27:54 CDT

He was handsome. He was intelligent. He was well-mannered, chivalrous and articulate. He received the highest marks of Meiou High, and with horde of fans on his tail every minute of every hour, every day.

But, this just barely scratches the surface.

Behind his guise of a sweet, hardworking young man, Shuichi Minamino is in actuality a 3000-year-old fox demon, infamous throughout the demon world. He had been ruthless, cold and calculating; there wasn't a thing in Makai he couldn't steal, not with his partner Kuronue to cover his back and especially not with his band of thieves behind them both.

Youko grew arrogant, as expected of one who attains too much power, and went after the hardest prize he could: a golden amulet, stowed away in a corner of the demon world, and riddled with everything possible to deter any raids going its way - any raids, that didn't involve a fox, that is. He and Kuronue went on their own, making past the first volley of deterrents with ease. Soon, the gold rope of the amulet was twined around Youko's wrist and forearm and they were off.

Only one would make it out alive.

As the bat demon fell, deader than he'd ever be, the fox stole away as the bounty hunter barreled after him. The lug got a hit in, and he reverted from his lean, tall body to the form of a silver-furred kitsune. It fled, all seven tails fanning, and soon cut through a weak thread in the barrier keeping him from the human world. As the time ticked and tocked away, his life force bled away with it. He sought out a body, one to hold him 'til his power as a demon replenished.

He found a human woman, whose unborn child had yet to acquire a soul, and took refuge there. And when the child, who would have been a stillborn with or without it's soul, came into the world, he grew into a solemn and silent youngster.

The woman, Shiori Minamino, never understood her son and his ways then. His gaze always seemed filled with disdain and a sense of superiority, and he seldom smiled or laughed. She loved him regardless, and was determined to help him transform into the spirited boy he could be.

One day, he was standing up on a stool, trying to reach a coffee can for arts and crafts; it was high above him, but he was confident that he could reach. Unfortunately, he was a little too confident - all the plates fell, shattering and raining down upon the young Shuichi. Shiori heard her child shout, and shielded him from the shards. Her hands were terribly scarred from then on.

The incident earned Shiori Minamino, at last, the unwavering love of her only son.

He grew to fifteen, and though he could have gone to Makai at ten, it was the bond between his mother and himself that kept him in Ningenkai, or the human world. It was during his freshman year, that his mother fell ill; the doctors didn't know what to do for her, said she would die in no matter what they tried. He visited everyday, sat by her bedside until the day turned to night, and left the roses in a water-filled vase on her table.

He met a fire demon as he was returning from school, and going to visit her. The fire demon, Hiei, said that he and another were af ter three precious artifacts. One could save Shiori, if a life were exchanged for hers. Shuichi agreed, and helped to steal the mirror known as the Forlorn Hope.

Spirit detective Yusuke Urameshi trailed them. Yusuke learned of the young man's desire to save his mother. He knew that though Shuichi had good intentions, his death would hurt his mother deeply. The rough-and-tumble delinquent gave some of his own life energy, so that the other would not gamble his life.

From thereafter, Hiei and Kurama, otherwise known as Shuichi Minamino, were the third and fourth members of the Reikai Tentai - the Spirit Detectives.

He stands roughly at 5'7'', now well into his early twenties, with flowing crimson hair past his shoulders and vibrant emerald eyes; he's incredibly good-looking, as any of his fangirls will attest, almost effeminately. As Youko Kurama, his hair whitens to a brilliant silver and his eyes darken to a rich, luxuriant gold; he is handsomer still in his true form, accompanied by downy fox ears atop his head and a silky tail matching his hair. He happens to stand at exactly seven feet tall as a fox demon, often garbed in a white tunic and pants.

Kurama as he is today stands in opposition to the heartless, if somewhat honorable, bandit he was once a upon a time. He is reserved and logical, with a level and cool head on his shoulders. He is calm and collected, preferring to analyze his opponents before launching attacks. He is well-mannered and clever, well-rounded and fairly competent in most areas. He utilizes plants as weapons, keeping rose seeds nestled in his hair, so that when needed a rose is produced - a charming move, to be sure, but he uses the roses to form a thorny whip that can slice through steel like butter.

He acts a groundskeeper, holding a job as an accountant, with few close ties outside of the Tentai. He is almost too close to Radha although, their shared affinity for nature possibly is the culprit. He gets along fairly well with Abe and Larsa, but his relations with Katie are slightly rocky, if good. He enjoys many of his old pleasures from his high school days, cooking and reading among them.

Credits

asteroid346 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:32:57 CDT

Going? Make sure to come back soon! Here are some of our favorite sites/resources.

And, of the people who actually own the characters featured in our stories...

Square Enix
Mike Mignola/Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures
Hajime Kanzaka
Yoshihiro Togashi
J.K. Rowling
Dimension Films/Columbia Pictures/Troublemaker Studios
Takara & Hasbro/DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures/United International Pictures

Also, a hearty thanks to the writers of the LoH series, Lashana and Telca, whose fics I am a great fan of. I'd like to state that while this may be similar to their writings, that this is not and never will be intended a plagiarising of their works. Aside from the bulk of chaos and characters, most of what is found here is wholly from the imaginations of myself and the other two.

That's it. So, don't try and sue us. Anyway, all you'd get is a ball of lint and laptop that overheats every half-hour.

Abraham Sapien

asteroid346 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:34:45 CDT

He was found unconscious in a glass, water-filled container in a Washington D.C. hospital basement. A piece of paper dated April 14th 1865 - the day President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated - was taped to it. Amnesiac to a fault, the icytho sapien was named for the dead president, and brought to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, where scientists proposed a dissection to better understand what they believed to be a unique phenomenon. Enter one Hellboy, whose empathy possibly saved his life, and Sapien quickly entered the BPRD's ranks alongside the red monkey and eventually the pyrokinetic Elizabeth Sherman.

Life thereafter was relatively quiet, at least for the BPRD, until the arrival of John Myers. A standard, would-be-normal mission goes awry, especially when Sammael rears his beyond-ugly head. The Hound of Resurrection would continue do so, with Nazi assassin Karl Ruprecht Kroenen murdering Hellboy's father, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm.The wild adventure climaxes with Hellboy's transformation into Anung un Rama - the Beast of Apocalypse.

And then, his rejection of it.

Ultimately, the immense power was forsaken for Liz's sake and things once again settled into a lull. In the time that followed, Myers was transferred to Antarctica (Liz speculated, that this was done by Hellboy in jealousy), an elven prince declares war upon humanity and the BRPD is headed by the ectoplasmic, by-the-book Johann Krauss. The sister of Nuada Silverlance (read: the elven prince), Nuala flees to the Bureau for safety's sake and to keep a piece of the crown from her brother. As her time in there lengthens, Abe gradually falls for her, drawn by the fact they both are essentially outsiders. Eventually, her brother has her hostage and in a stark contrast to his normal level-headedness, Abe surrenders the crown fragment entrusted to him to the prince in exchange for Nuala's safety. When Nuada duels and loses to Hellboy, he attempts to drive a blade into the red demon - and Nuala does the same to herself, effectively ending both their lives.

This being his first romantic involvement, Abe is crushed - nearly beyond recovery. He, Johann, Liz and Hellboy end up resigning from the BRPD, turning in their belts. From there on, the others lost track of him, too caught in their own lives and all too worried. No one knew where he was, or if he was alive and mentally stable...

At least, until two young women found him in a Coney Island beach.

These days, he's recovered significantly and involved again - and still, just as romantically awkward - with Radha. He's back to all his beloved hobbies and pleasures - reading, dining on century eggs, trying to solve that damn Rubik's Cube, and most recently, playing forensic expert for the Estate. He's expanded to include the theater among his interests, and while he enjoys it immensely, he sometimes just doesn't get it. Swimming, as always, is amongst his favorite things and he's started to push his limits regarding the time limit he spends on land. So far, he's managed to double it since first leaving the BPRD.

In other lights, he's not exactly the person you want to make angry - and going after his surrogate family's a good way to do it. Going for his Bonded or the cubs she's adopted? Don't even try.

The reasons? While he'd rather talk things out and resolve matters peacefully, Abe's no pushover - he may not be the best, but he's still a formidable hand-to-hand opponent and an equally impressive marksman. He's by far most adept at telepathy and psychometry.

Still, he's one of the sanest, most polite and generally all-around good guy a person could find outside of the normal clique. He's commonly described as dolphin-gray, with a definite bluish-teal overriding it for the most part, and large, dark blue-black eyes. Oft times, he'll travel with a U-shaped apparatus (sometimes mistaken for a toilet seat) which was designed to provide his gills with water should he not be near any or have to go without a dip for a lengthy period.

Flood

asteroid346 — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:58:12 CDT

The dead reanimated, the Flood are essentially a biological weapon. Named for their easy ability to overwhelm foes, these monsters ar e zombie-like, often a sickly yellow-green in color.

They, like the Nobody and Heartless are incapable of free thought and also require a leader to accomplish most means, theirs in the form of a Gravemind.

While exceptionally slow compared to the other two Parasites, they make up for this in sheer strength. They are capable of wielding most weapons, albeit in ways they shouldn't.

Multimedia

asteroid346 — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:11:38 CDT

The Fantrack

The unofficial soundtrack to Normal Overrated! This will mostly consist of character and couple songs, mind you,. It's also a perpetual work-in-progress.

normal overrated

soundtrack

hellboyandliz ―

markandkatie ― at the beginning (donna lewis and richard marx)

koenmaandkatie ― invisible man (98 degrees)

abeandradha ― can’t smile without you (barry manilow)

kuramaandradha ― you don’t know me (michael buble)

xellosandradha ― catch the wind (donovan)

chiefandcortana ― because you loved me (celine dion)

roxasandnaminé ― only one (yellow card)

tmeranandflorica ― truly madly deeply (cascada)

larsasolidor ― stand (rascal flatts)

autobotjazz ― secret agent man (johnny rivers)

autobotprowl ― bad boys (will smith)

autobotbumblebee ― yellow mellow (donovan)

pussinboots ― these boots were made for walking (kon kan)

xellosmetallium ―postively fourth street (bob dylan)

343guiltyspark ― boten anna (basshunter)

shuichiminamino ― so far away (staind)

katiemorris ― i don’t care (fall out boy)

radhasingh ― go the distance (lucas gabreel)

markrenault― thunder (boys like girls)

abesapien ― colico (kris wilson)

lizsherman― miss murder (a.f.i.)

johannkrauss ―

hellboy ―

mohindersuresh ―

gabrielgrey― hot ‘n’ cold (katy perry)

hironakamura ―

peterpetrelli ―

jasperhale ―kryptonite (three doors down)

thespirit ―

harrypotter ―

tmeranollivander ―no way out (phil collins)

floricaherne ― fighter (christina aguilera)

roxastetsuya ― crawling in the dark (hoobastank)

naminéhikari ― outside looking in (jordan pruitt)

ericmorris ―more than a feeling (boston)

menagerie ― how far we’ve come (matchbox 20)

Ivalice

asteroid346 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:05:09 CDT

Ivalice. A world where magick is commonplace and airships plied the heavens. A world of sk y-pirates, fiends, Occuria, and Espers. And it is from this very world, Emperor Larsa Solidor hails.

Consisting of three continents - Valendia, Ordalia, Kerwon - this is indeed a vast and rich world, but the Menagerie manages to explore only small bits of each. Ordalia's Galtean Peninsula is naught but an expanse of desert, with rocky mountains toward the western ends, with air travel feasible, if difficult thanks to the Jagds; lusher plains are found further within the continent.

Valendia is found to quite lush and verdant, consisting of hilly grasslands toward the south, the Cerobi Steppe being an excellent example. Kerwon is the most arid, especially in its lowlands, albeit, the highlands attain some snow. It is heavily forested and filled with Jagds; most attempts at fully exploring it, have not succeeded.

The Naldoan Sea is the world's largest body of water, located to the east in the Jagd Naldoa. Continuing this way, the Ridorana Cataract can be found. It was believed that the area was once land, but somehow collapsed, leaving a splendid and majestic waterfall. As a Jagd, the area is nigh-accessible since ships may be swallowed by the waterfalls and airships are unable to fly in a Jagd.

Jagds are quite prevalent in Ivalice, being filled and shaped by the phenomenon known as Mist. These geographical features can be found all around Ivalice and differ quite a bit; for example, the Jagd Yensa is mainly desert while the Jagd Difohr is snowy.

As for climate, it may occur naturally or be influenced by Mist. In the Giza Plains, there are two seasons - the Wet and the Dry. During the Dry, the plains are swept by sand; in the Wet, they are flooded, making some areas inaccessible. Balfonheim, Bhujerba, and Rabanastre experience and delight in warm Mediterranean climates. Some areas with Jagds may endure sandstorms or snowstorms, thereby attracting powerful entities known as Elementals and Entites, which are not to be trifled with.

Dominant factions in Ivalice are Rozzaria (headed by the Lord Al-Cid Margrace), Dalmasca (with Her Royal Majesty Ashelia Dalmasca) and Archadia (led by the Imperial Highness Larsa Solidor). Rozzaria and Archadia haven't always been on well terms, but enjoy relatively civil ones through their Emperors; the same may be said for the two in regards to Dalmasca, recently freed from the occupation of Archadian soldiers.

Peoples to be expected within Ivalice are the Humes, Viera, Bangaa, Moogles, Seeqs, Garifs, Urutan-Yensa, Nu Mous, Baknamy, Occuria, Rebes, Aegyl and Helgas. The Humes make up the bulk of Ivaliceans, with the Bangaa, Seeqs and Moogles mingling freely. Garif prefer to keep apart, but remain quite hospitable; in contrast, the Viera shun all outside contact, with a sparse number leaving their Wood for the rest of Ivalice. The others remain present but are not so commonly seen, as the Aegyl dwell on a purvama - sky continent - and the Baknamy and Urutan-Yensa have established rather black reputations among the others. The Helgas and Nu-Mous are quite scarce and the Rebes are exclusive to Bhujerba.

The UNSC

asteroid346 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:38:21 CDT

The UNSC is typical of the American military - just, it's not so all-America. It's compromised mainly of Marines, who have since gone bug-nuts, and not much else. Here's a list of the who you should know in the ranks.

The Master Chief

Calm, quiet and wryly cynical, Spartan John-117 - otherwise known as the Master Chief - is the last of the Spartan-IIs and as such, was viewed as humanity's last hope in the war against the Covenant. Since the reigning peace and his befriending of one Arbiter, he doesn't quite know what to do with himself, but maintains his usual routine. He may as well not have resigned at all.

Commonly clad in olive-green armor and standing at a full seven feet, he is one of the more imposing and awe-inspiring figures in the Terran military. He can be quite cold and aloof at first glance, but is surprisingly warm and quite loving toward the few people he allows close, particulary Radha, her siblings and his partner (read: lover) Cortana. Whenever outside his armor, he is often exceedingly pale with short dark hair, blue eyes and strong features.

Cortana

High-spirited, sardonically humorous, this AI-turned-human is the perfect foil for the stoic and nigh-silent Spartan. They were initially paired together for the MJOLNIR/Spartan-II trials, with her picking him as the best candidate to work with. She is an accomplished hacker and strategist, always with smart comment even during combat.

As an AI, she is slender with close-cropped hair and skin varying from lavender to navy blue; as a human, though, she acquires a creamy complexion and darker, longer hair to her chin.

Sergeant Johnson

Loud-mouthed, overtly religious and cuss-happy, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson is in charge of the crazy, loony Marines and keeping them from running the Estate into the ground.

As a general rule, never piss him off. Seriously, he's worse than his men.

The Covenant

asteroid346 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:36:41 CDT

The Covenant are the plasma-wielding, trigger-happy semi-disciplined maniacs of the Estate. For the most part, they're pretty calm and fairly ordered, but once you've aggravated one of them, start running. Really, really fast.

Here's what to know:

Elites

Officers and commanders of the military, these aliens are highly intelligent and equally formidable in combat, one having the capabilities of fighting a SPARTAN, the pride and joy of the human military. Their usage of personal Active Camouflage is well-known and the color of their armor indicates rank, with the Supreme Commander as highest and the heretics the lowest, with the former's hues being either violet or gold and the latter's orange or yellow, without a helmet.

Arbiter - Previously Covenant Supreme Commander, this Elite was demoted and pronounced a heretic, but then reclaimed his reputation as an Arbiter, fighting for his people And when the Prophets were unveiled as lusting for nothing but power, and determined to slaughter many to gain it, he and them turned and joined the UNSC forces.

He and the other Covenant reside within the Estate, with he and the Chief enjoying a fairly smooth relationship - one, punctuated by the occasional brawl at some point.

Shipmaster - Otherwise known Rtas Vadum, this skilled and able fighter heads the Covenant fleet. He's missing half his mandibles, thanks to the Flood, thus earning him the nickname 'Half-Jaw' from the Marines and any non-Elites.

Grunts

Ranked lowest in the Covenant's hierarchy, Grunts are cowardly and serve as the bulk infantry. One or two are no threat, but an en masse horde of them can overwhelm opponents quickly. Often, should they be without a leader and facing a threat larger than themselves, they'll panic and flee. However, they will rally together and fight should, an Elite be within their unit.

Hunters

These behemoths hit a towering 12 feet in height and are deployed more like equipment than soldiers. They rarely communicate with other species outside their own, save for Elites and are frequently seen in pairs. Due to their huge size, near impregnable armor, large shields and arm-mounted fuel rod cannons make them living tanks in combat.

Larsa Solidor

asteroid346 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:46:59 CDT

The fourth, last and youngest of Emperor Gramis' sons, this budding, sweet-natured diplomat was born Larsa Ferrinas Solidor in the Imperial City of Archades, and played brother to the consul, Vayne. Thought he may be only twelve, Larsa is extremely idealistic, firmly believing that all conflict can be solved without bloodshed and possesses a profund reverence for both his house and the men born from it, especially his brother. Both this brother and his father slaved extensively to insure Larsa remained pure and untainted from the corruption spreading like a plague across Ivalice, as well as his guardian, Judge Magister Gabranth.

The Imperial Archadian Senate, however, feared the ruthless Vayne and his growing power. Thus, they plotted from the beginning to displace the elder brother and have Larsa act as a puppet ruler. Fortunately, Larsa is far from spineless - he proves to be more than capable of taking up the sword of House Solidor, traveling to the Bhujerban Lhusu Mines with Vaan and company. Under the alias of 'Lamont' he manages to pull off the role of commoner smoothly, but his knowledge of nethicite exposes him. As time goes on, he assists them in escaping the Leviathan and in arriving to Mt. Bur-Omisace to meet with Gran Kiltias Anastasis. When news of his father's murder reaches him there, he numbly departs and attempts to reason with his brother. This proves fruitless - he and the party once again meet on the Bahamut, and together silence the now-corrupt and power-lusting Vayne. Thus, he settles onto the Archadian throne, a child emperor.

In the Estate, he retains substantial rank - he acts as the professional representative of the group as a whole, being well-mannered and articulate to the core. He attends one of the local public schools, the experience helping to season him slightly. He's fostered ties to Tmeran and Radha, and is now their brother through Blood-Pact, something that results in his appearance being blended with traits from both nymph and half-elf. He's definitely the youngest in the family, something that garners a great deal of protectiveness from all, especially Radha, who coddles him somewhat - much to his slight chagrin. He's also the one who introduced chocobos to New Jersey, as well as airships, through Vaan and Balthier.

He's quite chivalrous, and very polite. His speech is extremely flowery, and damn near impeccable, if somewhat archaic. He's a little tall for his age, lean and lithe, with a creamy complexion and chocolate-brown, wavy hair with deep azure eyes. Since forming the Blood-Pact with Radha and Tmeran, however, his hair's been kissed red-gold and black; his eyes have blended with emerald-green, rendering them teal and his complexion's ever-so-slightly browner.

Madness, madness, madness - oh, and more madness!

asteroid346 — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:00:42 CDT

Hello and welcome to Normal Overrated!

This is the chronicles of Radha and Katie, two New York girls who end up way over their heads, all because of a trip to the beach.

This site contains everything needed to know about them, their home, family and just about everything they've muddled in. Fictions, flashes, profiles, artwork - you name it, and it's likely going to be here or is already.

Normal Overrated, is a fan-series. Ergo, a ridiculously massive crossover. It's predominantly a humor and fantasy series, but there's a fair mix of fluff and other genres. A lot of fandoms are likely to be touched upon as time goes on, but the primary ones are as follows:

Hellboy
Halo
Final Fantasy XII
Harry Potter
Sharkboy & Lavagirl
Slayers
Twilight
Transformers
Yu Yu Hakusho
Heroes

The entire thing takes place in Newark, New Jersey - and yes, of this century. It's primarily authored by myself, SapphireKitsune01, and Rawrify; both of us have accounts on deviantART, wherein the series in its entirety will be soon found.

Fiends

asteroid346 — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:25:23 CDT

The bane of Ivalice, fiends are the predominantly hostile and savage attackers of the other high, sentient species. They are divided into genera such as Avion, Giants, Insects, Fiends, Ichthian, Dragons and etc.

From here there's classes, such as Gargoyles, Chocobos, or Mandragoras or Beasts. Each ne'er-do-well can be found in a specific region, such as the Topstalk in the Feywood and the Vivian in ancient holy city of Giruvegan.

Bear in mind, they are exceptionally ruthless and while they may be limited in number, a hunting party is recommended if you intend to pursue the stronger ones. Also, the spoils from the brawls you get into with them, are prized in Ivalicean bazaars; Chain enough of them, and you just might end up filthy rich from selling them.

The Ivaliceans

asteroid346 — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:46:32 CDT

From royals to sky pirate to knights fallen from grace, the world of Ivalice bursts with a Renaissance flavoring unlike any other. Time to meet the leading man, leading lady and their varied friends!

Vaan Ratsbane

Cheerful, energetic and a sometimes a little too optimistic, Vaan is a fledgling sky-pirate. He looks up to Balthier as a role model, with a teacher/student dynamic between them.

He and Penelo pilot the Galbana, their own personal airship acquired shortly after the discovery of Lemures, the purvama.

Penelo Brightheart

As Vaan's childhood sweetheart, this perky and maternal young woman is the sky-pirate's best friend, girlfriend and navigator. She was taught martial arts by he r older brothers before they fell to the plague.

Ashelia Dalmasca

Once thought dead by her people, this proud and adamant monarch rules over Dalmasca, just as her father intended. She had served under the Resistance to usurp the Archadians occupying the nation. She has been unable to maintain her friendships with Vaan and company properly, but with the Estate as a meeting ground, they manage.

Basch fon Ronsenburg

He had been the loyalest of knights and the most beloved of them, but it all ended when his brother stole his identity and he was declared a King-Slayer. Judge Magister Gabranth asked for forgiveness on his deathbed and for Basch to protect the young Emperor Larsa.

Now clad in the Judge's armor, none but those privy can tell the difference and he can see why his twin sought to protect the boy more than ever.

Balthier Bunansa

Charming, suave and debonair, this Dread Pirate is the most hunted of them all and pilots the Strahl with Fran. He'd once been an Imperial Judge, but seeing his father's madness, fled Archades and met up with his Viera partner.

Most recently, the duo had been after the Cache of Glabados; after the adventure, he surrendered his title as 'leading man' to Vaan.

Fran

A master of weapons, engineering, and handling Balthier's womanising keister, Fran is a Viera, one of the Ivalicean forest dwellers. She was exiled from her home, the Wood in Golmore Jungle and is estranged with her older sister, Jote.

She is the wisest of the party, fitting as she is the oldest despite her youthful appearance and is exceptionally vulnerable to the effects of heavy Mist, like all her ilk. She is stoic and stern, but also very caring beneath this exterior. She and Balthier are an implicit item.

Sharkboy

asteroid346 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:31:52 CDT

Everyone that knows Sharkboy believes that his father was a marine biologist that allowed his son to live around sharks and eventually become one of them. They didn't know how wrong they were. His real name is Mark Brandon Renault and he was an "experiment-gone-wrong." His temper sometimes get the better of him and, when it does, no one wants to be around him. He goes crazy and destroys anything in his path, as he doesn't care until his human part takes over again.

With webs between his fingers and toes in the water, he is a fast swimmer, and can sometimes beat Katie in laps. When he's out of the water, they disappear, even though the fins have to stay with him. He's around 22 or 23 and he fell for Katie when she first saved him from becoming a shriveled piece of skin on the Jersey Shore. They get married, Bonded, and have a happy life together, even though they have tempers that can match each other's at times.

Puss in Boots

asteroid346 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:28:30 CDT

Pray for mercy from -

...A Spanish talking cat?!

Well, of course! Initially a professional ogre killer, this suave and swashbuckling feline was hired by Far Far Away's King Harold, to assassinate the royals' son-in-law, Shrek. Puss opts for direct confrontation with the ogre, forgoing the trickery associated with his fairytale counterpart - this works quite nicely, until he damn near chokes on a hairball. While Donkey and Shrek debate on what to do with him (Donkey even proposes the Bob Barker treatment) Puss bargains for his life. They, in the end, spare him and he proffers his life-debt to Shrek, which is repaid when he staves off the guards chasing his friends. How? By being irresistibly adorable - and then proceeding to kick their cans back into last year.

When the king passes on and Shrek must search for the next-in-line (he doesn't want to be king) Puss of course accompanies him, along with Donkey. Unfortunately, once they find Arthur and need to get back, Merlin mucks up the spell, juxtaposing Donkey and the cat, into each other's bodies. When the little ones come around, he acts as their uncle - though, he wishes Shrek's kids would stop pulling on his fur and tail.

Despite his small size, Puss is quite the force to be reckoned with in combat. He's an accomplished swordsman, using his size and agility to practically dance around foes larger than himself. His trademark move, is to take off his hat and gaze at his opponents with a sad, heart-meltingly adorable expression - then return swiftly to his fierce self.

In the Estate, he acts a chef, surprisingly enough and has won numerous local awards for his creations. He dabbles in pool, hooker and blackjack and sometimes performs recon, by simply behaving as a normal cat, sans his hat, cape, sword and boots. He's generally suave and well-mannered and quite intelligent, and is particularly fond of the cubs, and Radha. He detests the dog, though.

Nicodemus

asteroid346 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:23:32 CDT

Nicodemus - or Nikki, as he's most often called - takes after his mother.

He's impish, sharp-tongued and generally protective, but is capable of being a royal pain in the ass. He's a chatty little thing, yapping incessantly without any real reason - and while he's at it, he's reeling in all the info he needs. This dumps him into the role of saboteur, like his father, something he takes pride in. He's distinguished from his siblings by his stark black coloring, and speaks with a watered down version of his father's accent, his mental voice cheery but acidic.

The Reikai Tentai

asteroid346 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:11:52 CDT

The Reikai Tentai - or, Spirit Detectives - were surprisingly influential in their world. The group began with punk Yusuke Urameshi, and gradually expanded until his ex-rival and best friend, a kitsune-turned-human, and a Jaganshi wielder made up the ranks. They busted down the Kekkai Barrier, and ushered in a new age. A very turbulent one at that.

Yusuke Urameshi

In a word, a delinquent. He played hooky, gambled, drank, stole and picked a fight with everyone he could - and won damn near all of them. He was the guy people hated and feared, and thought would amount to nothing. He was the last person you expected to save a child from being run over. But he did, and paid with his life. And according to Koenma, that's what made a him a Spirit Detective - a noble act and unexpected death.

He's a joker, crude and obnoxious. Fighting is his passion and he'll never run out of reasons for it. Still, he's a true friend, willing to do what he must for the people he cares for. A word of caution: never go after his friend s and family. If so, you may end up paying Koenma a visit yourself.

Kazuma Kuwabara

Yusuke's ex-rival and now best friend, he's a moronic and loud-mouthed fellow with a big heart and powerful six sense. He used to live to fight Yusuke, his only real challenge but now devotes his time to Yukina, the young apprentice of Genkai and the team's healer.

While he may appear macho and dumber than a sack of rocks, he is smart and protective of his friends. As for as humans go, he could very well be tops thanks to his experiences.

Hiei

A master swordsman, this fire apparition had his Jagan Eye implanted not for combat, but to watch over his little sister, Yukina. He's extremely fast and twice as lethal, thanks to his Dragon of the Darkness flame; it's quite draining though.

He's unaccustomed to expressing emotion, having the roughest of childhoods, but gradually grew attached to the strange band of fighters he'd been indoctrinated into. He'll never admit it though, keeping up his cold and heartless facade; he does to Yukina even, though softened, as he wishes her to remain un-targeted by any enemies. Thus he never tells her of their kinship.

Botan

She's the perkiest Grim Reaper you'll ever meet and the bubbliest person to boot. As the ferry guide to the River Styx, she acted as Yusuke's assistant during his detective years, providing gadgets and briefings on the fly.

Koenma

The Prince of Reikai is a little full of himself, and Yusuke's ex-boss. He has a rather cruel sense of humor (shown mostly to his ogre assistant, Jorge) and a particular penchant for placing the Tentai in impossible situations.

When the Tentai were still in his employ, he often appeared as a toddler; these days, he prefers his teenage form, though Yusuke still won't knock off the diaper jokes. The pacifier is shown to be a reservoir for excess reiki, which is why he always has it. It's been out of sight lately, though, for some reason...

Keiko Yukimura

Yusuke's childhood sweetheart and steady girlfriend, she's his polar opposite, as a model student. She worries for him a lot, taking heart in that as long as Puu lives, so will Yusuke. She's stubborn and packs a real punch for a non-fighter.

Genkai

This feisty old woman is Yusuke's former mentor and drill sergeant. She's the most accomplished of the human fighters, actually having won the Dark Tournament over fifty years ago. She once was romantically involved with Younger Toguro, but since he was a demon and she was human, it fell to pieces.

She's extremely strict and stubborn, regularly insulting both Yusuke and Kuwabara on a regular basis, if fondly. She does care for them all deeply, and as such, tells them never to run away from their problems. She serves as counselor and grandmother to all of the visitors to her temple.

Shizuru Kuwabara

Kuwabara's older sister, she's tough as nails and as just as sharp. She cares for him but does so subtly, knowing he can take care of himself. They share a powerful sixth sense, hers stronger. She's a chain smoker, and a beautician.

Yukina

This sweet and kind young woman is Hiei's sister, though he'll never tell her. She's the object of Kuwabara's affections and when she sheds a tear, it instantly becomes a priceless, precious gem. She acts as Genkai's assistant and apprentice, as well as a healer.