[System]
Profession: Science Officer
Appearance:

Personality: Strict, cold, stern, perfectionist. But beneath that layer, she is insecure as well, and she is scared of failure. She does have a little bit of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. But despite all of that, she does care enough to make sure that no one gets hurt or dies on her watch. She will watch over someone and, sometimes, scold them if she thinks someone is being careless. Of course, this tends to translate into an abrasive personality and cause people to distance themselves from her.

Background:

"Do better! More every day! Don't be lazy!"

 Born as the daughter to the most esteemed physicist, her father, and botanist, her mother, she grew in a competitive setting. She was the youngest child with two older siblings. Her family seemed to value academic pursuits, and while Beatrice did her best in school, she often found herself dreaming and wondering what else could be out there. This didn't set well with her father. Whenever he found her not studying or bettering herself in any way, he often gave her those three lines and repeated them over and over.

Beatrice did set out to do as her father had stated, however...it turned out that her older siblings were much more successful than she is. Her older brother and sister graduated from the most acclaimed and well renowned universities, while the university she entered was good, but not as renowned. Her sister created the cure for cancer, and her brother was able to prove an important theory (such as String Theory) and provide enough evidence to make the theory valid. Beatrice? She got a degree in Exploratory sciences, and have yet to do anything groundbreaking, as her father loves to point out every chance they meet with each other.

Due to the fact that she was pressured to focus more on her studies and extracurricular activities that her father approved, that meant she had little to no time for any socializing or...living for that matter. She has little to no social skills and she more often than not, inadvertently pushes people away from her. So she has no friends, and practically no experience with romance.

So why did she decide to take on her current occupation? Well, she still held onto her dreams of finding what lied beyond the known parts of the universe, and she hoped that one of her discoveries will be 'groundbreaking' enough for her family and for herself. The thought of death out there has come to her mind, but quite frankly, she'd be okay with dying out there. Or at least, that's what she tells herself.

She has asked to work alone, but the request was denied, and she was paired with a pilot considering she has no skills in piloting space craft.

[User]
Beatrice stared at him when he mentioned delays, and she answered his comment, "Provided we follow protocol perfectly, we should have no delays," She watched him as he looked around and took in the supplies that she ordered. She noted that he nodded approvingly, as well as he should. Her calculations were correct, and she took everything into account. Or at least she thinks she did...

Before the anxiety could creep in, she turned her attention back to the Ensign. She had noted his physical qualities were attractive, and now that she could see his body language, she could see that he was lackadaisical and was not serious in general. How in the world did someone like him become referred to as the best once?

Beatrice listened as he asked his questions, and her eyes became half-lidded at his last question regarding a significant other. She answered him, "No. I do not have time for such tomfoolery," She then continued as she brought up a holographic star map from her watch and as she started pre-planning a course, she continued answering his question, "I am from London. My father is Dr. Marche Briarwood, and my mother is Dr. Melissa Briarwood. Dr. Tessa Briarwood is my older sister, and Dr. Anthony Briarwood is my older brother,"

It was impossible for anybody to not know those names, as they were big names in the science world and made significant contributions to society.

[Assistant]
"Tomfoolery," Morgan chuckled at that.

The woman was ice. Pure ice. Looking at her, he would have been hard pressed in that single instant to see if there was any difference between woman and machine. Everything was spoken with a cold detachment, like a block of ice. Or a machine. Maybe she was one of them? One of those lifelike synths that were created to give one the impression of being human, when they were not.

But no, he recognised the names that she spoke. Giving s low wolfwhistle, he jumped back to his feet.

"Impressive, Science Officer Beatrice Briarwood. You are descended from greatness. You must be so proud of yourself. No wonder command thinks highly of you. I consider myself honoured to be in your presence."

Heading over to the metallic door that was at the far side of the room, Morgan presses the round button. It opened, sliding upwards, revealing a small circular chamber beyond.

"We should get this show on the road, your greatness."

Going into the round cockpit, there were two seats positioned next to each other. In front of one of the seats was a large console. On the console was a monitor that showed an image of a large green grid. Periodically on the grid, green and red lights blinked on and off in a strange, almost disconcerting pattern.

Next to the other seat was a second console. This one had what seemed to be a series of levers and large buttons. It was this seat that Morgan sat himself down. Reaching up to his top right, he pulled down the seatbelt, strapping himself into the chair as he placed his right hand on one of the levers.

Outside the window in front of the cockpit was a view of the ships hangar. On the ground level people scurried back and forth, going about their business, either going in or out of the other aircraft in the bay, or otherwise seeing to the repairs of said aircraft. One figure stood in front of the Falcon. He had a red anda green flag in his hands as he held his hand up, gesturing to Morgan to bring the ship forwards slowly.

"Buckle yourself in partner," he said, looking back to Beatrice as he reached up to the large red button just over his head.

"Its going to be a bumpy ride, so don't get too comfortable," he chuckled as he placed his finger on the ignition.

[User]
Beatrice's gaze seemed to have become much more detached, lifeless, and robotic after he commented on who her family was. Her mind lingered on the words "You must be so proud of yourself," The words would not just leave her alone, and with those words came memories. Memories that drove her to do better, and to do more, even if it meant not sleeping for days.

In response to his words, she answered coldly, mechanically, and simply, "Why? I've accomplished nothing,"

When he suggested that they get started, she nodded in agreement, before she coldly stated, "Don't call me that," She then stepped forwards into the cockpit and took her seat, already getting to work with the grid right in front of her. She quickly buckled her seat when she had the chance.

After he spoke, and she noticed that his finger was on the ignition, Beatrice stopped preparing the map, and she leaned back against the back rest of the seat, and gripped the arms. She answered seriously, "Ready, Ensign,"

[Assistant]
As his finger hovered over the ignition, Morgan looked back to her. His eyebrow raised slightly at her comment.

"Science Officer Briarwood..." he began as he pressed the button.

Behind them the jets came to life with a loud roar as the Falcon started to inch forwards slowly.

"You're about to be the first of the human race to set foot on a planet in the Epsilon System."

The officer waved them forwards. Twisting the flight stick, Morgan maneuvered the ship to the left. In the distance, the hangar bay doors began to open.

"Your siblings and your parents, for all their achievements haven't done what you're about to do. Congratulations Miss Briarwood," he turned his head to her with a small smile. "...you're about to join the list of people that have accomplished something."

Grinning, Morgan pressed the throttle forward softly, moving the pod forwards. Beyond, the open expanse of space beckoned. A veritable carpet of black punctuated by white glittering stars. The officer outside nodded his head and moved out of the way. On the metal walkway, standing at its head, Major Carver looked over. He held his hand up, signalling to the two of them.

Three days. Don't be late

Heading towards the end of the hangar, the pod gradually increased pace. The exit came closer, leading to the cavernous, never ending abyss of space beyond.....

Then it was free, and the Falcon was heading out into the great unknown. On either side the blackness of the universe could be seen. There were other aircraft, both heading towards and away from the Galacticus on their own individual missions.

A waystation was hovering near the Galacticus, flashing red and green lights to mark the position of the ship. Several patrol ships circled the perimeter, keeping an eye out for any threats.

Turning his head back to Beatrice, Morgan grinned again.

"Are you ready to make your mark on the universe officer?"

He pressed the button to engage warp speed.

[User]
Beatrice looked to Morgan when he spoke once more. As the jets roared to life, he pointed out that they were about to be the first of the human race to set foot on a planet in the Epsilon System.

...Was he...trying to say otherwise in regards to her earlier statement?

...While it was true that her siblings and parents haven't done anything like this, there was still a part in Beatrice's mind that stated that getting there was one thing, and actually doing something is another.

But she didn't voice that out loud.

Instead, she took in the vast expanses of space as the pod left the Galacticus. It was always a beautiful and somewhat terrifying sight.

When she felt his eyes once her once more, she looked back to him. In response to his question, she nodded and she answered as she prepared the map once more, "Let's do this,"

[Assistant]
Pressing the button, the world around them became a blur. The stars shot by them as they tore their own way through the multiverse. And as they did so, little did they realise that they were heading towards destiny.

The planet they were heading towards had only been seen in passing by the Galacticus's sensors. Noone had been to it, and as far as Morgan knew, they were about to be the first of humanity to set foot on it.

He should have been excited.....but he was not. All he felt inside of him was a barren, nothingness, and it was the nothingness that had consumed him slowly from within. The drink was a balm.....when he was drunk, it numbed the grief that he felt inside of him. But what it could not take away was her face. Her face, her eyes as she looked at him.....looked at him as she fell, begging him to help. That, inasmuch as he tried.....he was too late. It ate away at him, his dreams.....nightmares. The same one every single night, and each night he watched the same terrible vision. He was too slow. He was always too slow.

There was nothing he could do that night.....or was there? Was it his own failure that Vanna was dead? Her corpse nothing but empty vacuum now as it had been shot out into space, the way that she wanted.

Those women.....the women that he took to his bed. They all wore her face. They all had her eyes. And they all looked at him in that same accusing way.

You couldn't save me. You were too slow, and I am dead because of it.

Morgan should have been excited, yet like all things, like his bravado and his manner, it was an empty fake thing. Deep down, he hoped, as he hoped every time, that this mission would be his last.

And every time, every single morning he was disappointed. And every single day, the ghosts continued to follow him. They....she watched him.....and she waited for him to die.

All the sounds becoming distant,
Breathing easy,
As I melt in to the ground,
There is calmness on the water,
Moving slowly,
No darkness hiding here,
A strange kind of comfort,
Maybe this time it's good for me,
Took a while to get there,
So many days of falling apart,

There was a strange kind of comfort.....here in oblivion.

The red flash shook Morgan from his reverie. Eyes blinking in alarm, Morgan glanced over to the console, to the red blinking light warning of an object that had come into close proximity to them.....

"Wha.....an asteroid.....how did it get past your charts.....?"

He moved his hand to the flight stick, trying to twist the pod of its way, out of the collision path that it was on...... But he was too late.

Too late once again Morgan. You're always too late. You couldn't save me, and you couldn't save yourself or your partner.....

The asteroid smashed into the side of the pod. The impact caused an explosion from behind. Morgan's head jerks forwards, slamming straight into the console. All of a sudden as pain ripped through him, his vision turns red as blood pours from where his head had split open...... Gasping, as white lights suddenly flashed across his eyes, mixed with the blood that dripped over the sparking console, he reaches out, punching buttons into the damaged console desperately.

The pod was spinning, round and round and round and round and round and........

"Beatrice......we have to land......nearest planet......NOW!"

His vision suddenly blacked for the briefest of seconds as he closed his hand on the stick again, trying to pull the Falcon back under control as it went spinning out of control.....

And as he did, he looked up to see her face, looking back at him once more.

[User]
As the ship entered warp speed, Beatrice was hard at work. She was glad that Ensign Kayler had fallen silent, it meant that she could focus on her job. As the data regarding the spot where they were going to drop out of warp speed appeared. As she took in the data, she warned Ensign Kayler, "There are going to be asteroids when we drop out of warp. According to the data, we should be able to avoid them..."

The key word was should, because unfortunately, an asteroid got past the ship's sensors.

When Morgan asked his question, Beatrice answered as she tried to remedy the situation, "I don't know! That shouldn't have been possible!" She immediately got to work in starting the emergency protocol as the red lights flashed within their cabin, immediately having the back up autopilot ready.

Before Morgan could even navigate the pod out of the asteroid's way, the space rock collided with the pod, and Morgan knocked his head against the controls. Beatrice looked to Morgan and after he spoke, she nodded. She called to the computer, "Autopilot! Set course for the closest planet!"

After the computer gave acknowledgement of her command, she immediately hurried over to Morgan. She pulled him away from the controls and lied him down on the floor. He was not in any condition to fly and he needed to have that head wound taken care of. Once he was lying down, she hurried to the supplies amongst the spiraling chaos. As she headed for the supplies, she ducked to avoid sparks of electricity, and held onto any part of the interior that wasn't flying from the spinning chaos.

Once she found the gel pack, she hurried back to Morgan. Once there she called, "Autopilot! Raise interior shield! Brace for impact!" In response to her command, a blue half dome of light appeared around her and Morgan.


[System]
Age: 27
Appearance: Daelin is a man with weathered features, always with five o'clock shadow and baggy eyes. His eye color is a light gray and he has dirty blond hair. He has a scar from the corner of his forehead leading into his messy hair. He is lithe and muscular.
Personality: Daelin jokes about almost everything whether it's funny or not. It may be that he's trying to seek some kind of humor in a job where he's used to losing companions to the beasts.
Height: 6'1"
Race: Human
Home Nation: Arcadia, born and raised.
Magical Capabilities: Arcane.
 Daelin uses only minor tricks and has never dabbled in advanced magic. Telekinesis is his most prominent go to trick, used primarily in combat for retrieving weapons or tricking enemies. He has never been able to lift very much and his mana capacity is fairly low.

History: Daelin Calso, pathfinder and forward scout. At least that's what he is now. Used to be that he started as a woodsman's boy, chopping down wood with his father in the forest on the edges of Arcadia. A dangerous profession with the abhorrent dangers around. Hiring guards was a must but it also made gathering wood from outside lucrative. Of course that was until his father's luck ran out. A great big ol' beasty got a taste of daddy o's leg and the man never walked again. Daelin was forced to become the man of the house and what better way than to enlist in the military. Describing his past work experiences and ability to track animals made him an obvious pick as part of a scout party. He's been an Arcadian knight for eight years and despite being a respectable, hard working soldier shows little ambition for rising in the ranks.

Name: Rem Vano
Age: 56
Appearance: Rem has long red hair, parted away from his face and tucked behind his ears. He has a big, pointed nose and a slightly wrinkled forehead. His eyes are green and he has a short, bright beard.
The garb stories witness him in is a mantle made out of the bark from a tree that makes his shoulders look far broader than they actually are and a cloak of patched furs drapes around.
Personality: Blunt but wise, Rem is a talkative individual. He seems to speak to everything, adding an air of mysetery and madness to him.
Height: 5'9"
Race: Human
Home: A hidden cottage in the wilds.
Magical Capabilities: Gaian
 Moving the landscape, commanding the plants and speaking to beasts is part of Rem's staple magic.

History: Rem Vano is a relatively young druid as far as druids go. He's been in the wilds for little over a decade now. He associates often with travelers, appearing as a kindly stranger to those that respect the forest.
The time he spent before that was in exploration of magic and debating its practices and uses. From Arcadia to Marrenfell, to Kell he researched and pondered on the nature of things. Everything he found had a limit. People treated magic less as a respectable force of nature and more as something to be manipulated, abused and used against one another to get gain. Orders of priests and their healing magics seemed the most attractive but they had their own problems serving entities with ulterior motives, especially Berganfont. That drew Rem to the ancient rites of the druids, to the order that still existed even if it were reclusive.

Name: Kanna Astorian
Age: 89
Appearance: Kanna is a lovely depiction of eldin charm. She has bright green eyes and long black hair. Her slender features are always accentuated by an extravagant dress.
Personality: Kanna is most often bold and provacative. Her mood and personality seem to change just as easily as if she were to change a mask. Her ability to act and grandstand are exceptional. Underneath all the lies and the act she is incredibly insecure with an agenda always on her mind.
Height: 5'9"
Race: Eldin
Home: Kell
Magical Capabilities: Psychic
 Kanna is secretly one of the foremost experts in psychic magic. Her very presence can alter a person's mood if she applies the right pressure of power. Few of her tricks can be used to actually hurt someone, rather augmenting states of mind or making them see things that aren't there. Given enough time and effort she is able to brainwash people, even making them think they are other people themselves.

History: Kanna was born to a highly esteemed family of the eld. The Astorians were known for their moral uprightniess and they did their best to provide everything necessary for her, hoping she would make for a good healer or some other beneficial role to society. Their hopes did somewhat come to fruition. She learned from some of the greatest tutors money could afford. Politics, theater, magic, business. She was well-educated and had a great mind for trade and business but she saw issue with the morals of her family. Where they saw profit in doing good she saw loss. She anticipated events no one else had. There was an obsessive, almost psychotic need to know things, to explore between the lines in her mind. She never had chances to leave Kell, it was dangerous outside when you had few means to actually defend yourself. Death was not in her plans so she played idly by, gathering resources and contacts, learning more and hatching plans for her masterstroke. What exactly is her masterstroke? Her goal? To unite all nations under one banner, whether it was hers or a puppet nation it didn't matter. Unity was needed for the foreseeable future and any evil needed to get there was worth it. After all, what was evil other than a disagreeable act to the ignorant? Living in walls wasn't survival. A world where giant walls no longer needed to be built was a paradise to look for and could be achieved in no other way than through absolute unity.

Name: Vetch
Age: 36
Appearance: Vetch is likely one of the ugliest of the eld alive. He is bald and pale with abnormally large ears. His blood shot, red eyes bulge out of his head. On top of that his jaw is crooked to the side and it looks like at one point his nose was broken and healed improperly. He favors longcoats with hoods to keep his head and face covered. An old injury forces him to hobble with one foot but it doesn't slow him down as much as you'd expect.
Personality: Disturbingly calm and absolutely obedient to his master, Kanna. Vetch would do the extreme for her. He seems to always be dire and grave in his speech and mannerisms.
Height: 6'3"
Race: Eldin
Home: Kell
Magical Capabilities: Water Elementalist
 Vetch is a capable elementalist using water and ice, two sides of one facet. Many of his techniques mirror bladed weaponry. Mist is one his favored spells, allowing him to slip in and out of locales while people think it's simply a natural part of nature.

History: At a young age Vetch was adopted from an orphanage along with several other children to a noble family known as the Astorians. Of course no one actually knew the Astorians were involved in the adoption. The children just seemed to disappear. No one ever missed them. Vetch was infatuated with Kanna, the leader of the noble house. She was kind and benevolent to him as none other. While she spent personal time with many of them she never had to use her power to affect his mind. He was willing to be her tool, to learn from her, to be tutored and molded. The other children weren't as willing, but they came around eventually whether they wanted to or not. Vetch became a trusted right hand servant to Kanna, performing tasks that would normally put her at risk. He is in generally kept secret from the public and acts as a subtle agent.

[User] Shane smiled at Peter as he walked away, and looked over at Lilith. He chuckled a little. "Sorry, I thought it might bother ya so early in the morning." He said, standing up from his chair. He made sure to place it back in it's original position at the table, and walked over to Lilith. He sat down on a stool at the bar. "Nice morning, huh? Ain't a single cloud in the sky." He mused. Lilith was certainly dedicated to keep everything clean, that was for sure. But he didn't mind. The atmosphere was still a lot better here than it was at the square.

[Assistant]
Ayer Lecomte
-- 9:37pm
- Mentions@Mataus

Though the battle ended rather quickly, Ayer still felt jitters of adrenaline. He tried to keep his breathing stable as they skulked across the port.

Upon being notified of the opening the patrol, he nodded and scurried after his friend, keeping a concerned look out as the cross the main walk towards the edges of the harbor by the ocean water where the boats were tethered. They were closing in to the first stage of their escape now. Ayer was familiar with how the arcane engines and rotors worked on most vessels, and judging by how they looked from afar, there wasn't any concern for any sort of odd technology he hasn't come across before.

"Smaller... Okay... umm, let's see."

He agreed with this sentiment. His eyes caught sight of the fleet's pride, a large cruiser compared to the rest. It can be safe to assume that their largest ship was also their fastest, and so stealing any of the lesser vessels will only lead to a chase they cannot hope to win. They would need to rely on slipping past without alerting. That would be the best bet.

As Ayer looked across their selection, keeping his head low as he practically crawled, he noticed a slight bobbing in the water and ducked his head over the side to see a rather small dingy in between the other vessels. Base don how unassuming it looked, and how it's sleek size probably meant it didn't have a motor of any sort, he was unsure if they would be able to pilot it properly. He also doubted if they would be able to reach the other shore in time before the Nillium patrols would discover the aftermath of what happened back in the alleyway leading to the harbor with the captain Mop. If that happened, stealth would not be a correct trade for speed. Thus, they would need a blend of both for this plan to succeed. Luckily...

Ayer pointed down to it, tapping the Eldi on the shoulder, "There... a small dingy in the water. It doesn't look like it has an engine for a rotor, but it's probably our best chance of slipping out unnoticed. However, it's pretty far down. And the thing is, while I don't mind swimming, water doesn't fare well for my Ars. My crafts won't break, per se, but getting water in some of the auxiliary units causes some complications with the mechanisms that'll increase risk. I might not be able to use Wax Jury right away if we fail the jump."

He looked for a scaffold or a set of protruding nails, where they can climb easier. "And for my plan to work, that cannot be the case..."

...

[User]
Baeshri Pass - Caravan Centaurus

Ellorei allowed for the one called Daelin to stand beside her. This was going to be interesting, to say the least, so far she learned that soldiers were not as battle hungry as her parents had told her. It was at her great relief to her that it was the case. "Ell works," the druid smiled, "I can tell you that the chances of finding your friend should be good, alive or not I can't promise. Rem, shall we meet back here?" Ellorei called over her shoulder before she turned to look at Daelin Flin, "What direction did the blast send debris. That should be a good place to start."

[Assistant]
Paric

 Feeling the tap, Paric looked to where Ayer was pointing at a dingy in the water. It was perfect. It was exactly what they would need for a inconspicuous escape to a nearby shore. He waited till Ayer finished his comment, "good find, friend." The bit about not getting Wax Jury wet was a little concerning, especially given that Ayer was planning to use it in stride with moving dingy. After all, it was a difficult climb into a moving boat and they would need faster propulsion than oars, if there even were any at the bottom of the craft.

 Paric had not been on a boat for a long, long time. In fact, he barely remembered why he was last on a boat. His best guess was a ferry that moved him across a body of water. He did know about the creatures that made the water their home... and about how many unfortunate souls found themselves in a watery grave. They would not want to be in the dingy long, less they find themselves being attacked. With any luck, those were just drunk stories. Told by sailors who wanted to spook their friends.

 "Let me go first. I have the messed up arm. I don't want to fall during the climb and knock you into the water." He said, making his way to the nails that provided a haphazard ladder to the dingy. He felt strong enough to make the climb, his weight was in his favor, at least. "Here goes nothing," he muttered with an outburst of breath. He lowered himself over and began the climb.

[User]
The Rise of Kul

Smor'Gen'Blok

He torqued his foot free with a twist and a pull. Za'Kul made his exit; he hoped the Wor who had gone to save Wor'Da'Li would make it out. If not, he would be sure to honor them and the rest of their bretheren who had fallen there. With the Wor that remained, Za'Kul joined up with them.

"We go to Kul tunnels. All be safe there."

[Assistant]
Baeshri Pass - Caravan Centaurus

 Daelin went as prompted, leaving the caravan and joining the others outside. He took a spot near the front of the group. "We're going to need to search down there." Daelin pointed down away into the ditch below and hilly terrain weaving below the pass. "The explosion wasn't directly from beneath the caravan. It was a miracle the whole thing didn't topple over and fly off the path to begin with." He reasoned. The explosion was set up closer to the rocky face opposite the trench below. If Marilyn was thrown it would have sent her careening down below somewhere in the hills and crags. If she were still alive she would be in critical condition. Daelin started to move to the edge of the path, pausing briefly to look back at Ell and the rest of the group. "Sooner we get her and get back, the sooner we can get to safety." Daelin explained. He personally didn't want to die but had enough moral fortitude to not want to leave without their comrade either.

 The wind was gentle in the pass despite such paths generally having a wind tunnel effect. Rem stood resolute outside the caravan's cabin door. The door still remained open as the people moved and took to their roles. Rem took in the sight by scanning his head around. He drew in a deep breath to settle himself and turned half-way to speak to the cabin's inhabitants. "You will all survive this night." He promised before turning back and maintaining a vigil. It might seem safer to the others inside but Rem was used to being in the open. The caress of the wind always settled his nerves.


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 30

Appearance:

Anton stands about 182cm tall, or as the dreaded British would call it, "about 6 feet and an inch", making him an easy person to spot in crowds or fields alike. His frame isn't as bulky as he'd like, making him look a bit thin and lanky. He sprouts a moustache, finenly trimmed while the rest of his face is shaved. His hair, light brown in colour, is kept shortly cut, always slicked back in the approriate fashion.

Personality: Anton is outwardly behaving like a man of honour; outmost and unshakeable honour. Both from his childhood upbringing and the tradiation of the French military, Anton does his outmost to respect the conduct of honourable acts and gestures, towards friend and foe. Even if said honourable acts include taking decisions that'll hurt those he care for, because of unwritten rules and expected norms. It bears on him, this pull between doing what's honourable, right, and best.

It doesn't mean that he's heartless. Oh no, certainly not! What would any proper Frenchmen be without his passion? His love or anger? His joy and sorrow? Oh no, Anton his not free of petty emotions, especially not around those -and sometimes what - he truly loves and cares for. Friends, wine, traitors and the German invaders, name it all! As a soldier he obeys honour and follows orders. As a man, and a friend, he follows his feelings. An odd mix, though he's but a man.

Background history: Anton was born and raised on the farm his family owned on the French countryside, a short walk outside of the city of Saint-Quentin, north-eastern France. His father worked the fields around their home for his whole life, sparing little time for Anton and his siblings except for their time working in the fields and teaching Anton how to repair the family tractor. His mother, working time on and off in the city itself as a maid, was the beacon of love, friendship, patriotism and learning for him. It was she who persuaded Anton's father to allow him to attend the catholic school, thankfully giving him a decent education.

This was of course AFTER the Great War had ended. At the age of 2, the whole G'iscard family fled their home as the German armies of Kaiser Wilhelm lounged through Belgium and towards their home; the whole of Northern France was filled with refugees fleeing the onslaught. They did not return until 1918 when the war was over, but the farm didn't become what it used to be until much longer. The fields were unsuitable for farming; craters, steel fragments of bombs, undetonated mines, and the rotting corpses. It when at that point Anton, now 6 years old, knew he loathed the Germans for their cruely. He would never allow such acts of barbarism to befall his family again, even if he didn't know what he would become. After all, he was simply 6 years old, and not many at that age knew what the world war truly like.

At first he wanted to become like his father, taking over the farm and growing the land around their home like his ancestors had done long before. He wasn't the eldest son, however. That honour had befallen his older brother, Filipe, so he ventured into the world he knew he had certain skills in; mechanical engineering. Of course there were difference between a simple tractor's motor and the very intricate engine of a Dewoitine D.500 V12-Engine, though for Anton he miraculously always seemed to get a hold of it.

One of the places where engineers and mechanics were needed, was the French Air Force. The re-militarization of the Rhineland and warmongering rhetoric coming from Berlin convinced Paris that mobilizing the French military was not just the best answer; it was the only way to evade the same fate befallen on the country in 1914. Anton was given a job as an aircraft-mechanic, maintaining and repairing the planes of pilots he came to idolize and envy. He even made friends amongst the pilots, who let him join their flights at occation and even going as far as letting him fly a little himself - of course never alone, a mere mechanic was never expected to handle a plane like that.

It came as a surprise to everyone, even Anton himself, that he soon proved himself a competent pilot. Not truly knowing how himself, he was recommended for pilot-training. He passed with good marks, joining the ranks of those proud men willing and ready to defend France from the skies! And it would soon prove vital, as news quickly reached the whole world that Poland had been invaded.

Two days later, France was at war.

The skirmishes Anton partook in during those first months of the war were tense, but not particularly noteworthy. He managed to score a few kills in his beloved M.S.406 fighter plane, named "Marie", barely escaping death himself by a razor's edge unexplainably. It came even closer to his demise during his last flight in 1940. Flying to intercept an expected German bomber-attack, the squadron was surprised by the sudden appearance of a thunderstorm coming straight towards them. Anton was the last plane to turn away from the incoming storm, but in doing so was hit by a stray lightning.

But he didn't die. The plane kept flying by some miracle, even if the insides of the plane were almost glowing hot and all sorts of alarms going; even Anton himself felt as if he was being torn to pieces by the lightning, but he was still alive. And the plane kept flying. The new orders from their superiors were to change course south and land in French Algerie. When they landed, news came through that France had surrendered; they were to drop their weapons - the little weaponry that pilots carried on them - and be interned for the moment. What was Anton supposed to do? Refuse?

And so Anton was locked up for half a year in an Algerian internment camp, awaiting his fate at the hands of the Vichy-French authorities. When those 6 months had passed, he was offered to rejoin the French Airforce and serve the Vichy-government in protecting the French coloninal empire. He agreed.

It didn't take long, however, for him to "get lost during mission" and land on a British airbase. His pleas for fighting against the Nazis fell on deaf ears, however, as he was seen as a possible spy, and promptly sent to a POW-camp in Canada.

Now it was 1942. The world is still tearing itself apart. The German war-machine is steamrolling the Soviet Union, while the British Empire battles the fascists in Northern Africa and the American giant awakens from its slumber. And Anton is offered his freedom and the possiblities to fight for France's freedom. But he's not offered to fly with the Free French Air Force. Oh no, other parts of the Allied war-effort wants Anton for themselves.

Superpower and how the character got it: Anton has the remarkable powers of controlling energy; more specific one could talk of electricity and static inside and around him. His main usage of these powers are him seemingly shooting bolts of lighting out of his very palms, ranging from small fizzingly tickles to electrocuting those unfortunate to be hit. Though a less violet use of his powers, one that he enjoys much more, is his potential in manipulating machinery and electronics. He is, for example, able to start and controll - to a certain extent - a vehicle without being near it. Sometimes even enhancing the machine's potential in power and speed, though he prefers doing this with aircrafts.

As to where and when he discovered this, long story short; he had always felt a connection to modern machinery, electricty and the like, enjoying the small sparks one gets touching a lamp or a metal bar. Without knowing why, he was indeed the very person one'd ask to see what was wrong with the tractor's engine back home, to which he easily fixed. The full extent of his powers, however, he didn't learn of until being hit by lighning during an interception-mission in 1940. Instead of dying a horrible death in a fried-up airplane several kilometers above ground, Anton felt himself able to regain control of his fighter plane and land safely. As he himself explained, it felt like he was in control of the whole aircraft, even when it was in no condition to continue flying.

[User]
Belasý favored Anton with a mildly approving glance. She'd indicated the problems, yes, but also proposed a solution. It was important to know what might pose a problem, so one could make contingency plans. It was to be expected that Command would overlook things. They always did.

Maria was more abraisive about her concerns, but the woman seemed best suited to spy work, and Bel could tell she didn't take well to idiots. Good for her. And then John asked if anyone spoke Russian. Her expression tightened, but she tilted her head ever-so-slightly when Izkry looked her way.

"Belasý speaks Russian. Well, I say 'speaks'...this might perhaps be generous, yes?" He flashed a brief smile at the joke. "But she knew enough to keep up with most conversations, when we were younger. I imagine it's a little rusty, but give her a bit and she'll pick it back up. She is a fast study -- Frauline Maria, if you teach her the cutlery and such I think she would be fine. I am...less quick to learn such things.

"I might be able to pass as serving staff, if I must. But I might do better as one of the valets -- I drive well, and then I could keep an eye on those coming and going, though it would be up to the rest to watch other ways in. The biggest issue for me is my accent and my manners." Izkry ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "My accent is decidedly Germanic, and I would never pass for upper class without a lot of work."

[Assistant]
An Interlude: The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed...

Midday. An apartment in Manhattan, New York.

It was a small one and simply decorated, but it was enough for Hasso Steiner, the Thousand Faced Man. He was a simple man, a cog in a great machine. He was shaving his beard in the bathroom. Hasso had been born in Prussia into a military family, and his father had taught little Hasso how a man should shave his face. Steiner the elder, named Franz, had been a devilish disciplinarian, to say the least, but to him details mattered the most.

Hasso was a man in his late thirties. He had a tanned skin, black hair and green eyes. And wasn't. Mimicry was his expertise. He could mimic other people, changing his appearance, his weight and height to an extent. He was a spy by profession, and was about to get his final orders from the Fatherland. For years, he had been waiting in New York, waiting for his activation.

The razor was sharp, but he didn't feel nervous. He felt calm and steady, as he drew the blade slowly but surely across his jaw. He had to look nice. He was going to meet one of his contacts.

It was risky. The FBI was on his tail, and a squad of feds had tried to raid one of his safe houses, but Steiner had rigged the apartment with explosive and traps. The agents triggered one of the traps, and blew the house to rubble. Hasso had been just a block away, buying groceries from a nice lady at a market. He had simply moved to his another safe house in Manhattan.

Hasso finished with his shave. He checked his jaw and washed the shaving foam, drying his face with a towel. He took a quick shower and dressed in a regular black suit. Nothing too fancy, as it might draw unwanted attention. He walked outside to a busy street.

He started to walk, not hurrying, not loafing, going with the flow. The war hasn't descended on New York, and it seemed that there wasn't a war going on, except Hasso could see long lines of young men in front of recruitment offices. He took a longer look at them. If they all were qualified into service, the Wehrmacht would be even more hard-pressed. Hasso had read the news and heard rumours from the Fatherland, and they weren't just good. I hope Otto is all-right, Hasso thought, continuing his striding down the street.

There was a restaurant near his apartment. It was better than your average restaurant, and Hasso walked inside. He knew the contact would meet him there. Hasso was lead to a table, and started to wait. He ordered a glass of red wine. It was from California, but it would do. A few minutes passed quickly, and Hasso looked around him. The restaurant was starting to fill up, and soon enough his contact joined his table. The contact was a she, a sharply dressed woman in normal street clothes. Hasso rose to greet her informally and warmly, like old friends.

"I assume your father sent you", Hasso started calmly. They would converse quite... unprofessionally. She gave him a slight teasing smile. "Yes, And he is well, but he wants me to take more and more of his daily business running, if you understand what I mean."

"Clearly", he answered. "I remember he had some papers for me to sign."

"I have them with me. " She had a case with her, and she handed it to him casually over the table. "The instructions and cover are inside. And send my father's regards to them."

Hasso took the case, put it to the floor beside his chair and smiled faintly. "Will do, dear. Now, let's have some lunch. I've heard one can get excellent salmon with white wine sauce here. All this work gets me hungry."

[User]
Anton G'iscard
"L'étincelle"

---

---

Preparing for the mission
 An unknown apartment
 Somwhere in New York

"Colonel Philipe Artoue. 68th Infantry Division, 1st Free French Army, an honour to meet you, Monsieur."

Anton stood in front of a mirror, repeatedly talking to himself as if he was an actor rehearsing his lines for tonight's show. And in some manner, he was indeed an actor. It was just too bad that he had never stood on a stage all of his life, so he was silently praying to the powers above for support. But he did like the uniform.

They had agreed to have Anton pose as a Free French officer, representing the French Delegation to the United States. He was wearing the easily recognizable French officer uniform with the blue and red officer cap, a holster on his hip with a pistol, and his moustache just as finely shaven. Even his stature was fitting of an proud officer; hadn't he been the very same man in the mirror, he was sure he'd been easily fooled himself. The others, however, Anton was having stronger fears of how good their disguises were.

Anton finished his rehearsing to look at his watch; it was getting close to their departure for the fundraising party. He took a last look at himself, straightened his officer's cap and uniform, and marched as convincingly out to the main room of the apartment. It was a miracle that they had been give this apartment to prepare in without arousing suspicion, but soon they would enter the fire.

"Mon ami, what is our status? Are we ready?"


[System]
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Species: Dracoavian
Image created by Ridlins.

Stands at five feet, seven inches tall.
Bio: Trevor lived a relatively normal, boring life, though, for some reason, he was absolutely okay with that. When he was a child, he was always the target of bullies due to his love for video games, and general nerdiness, however, he was one of the few nerds who could and would fight back, and even so, with surprising strength. If he didn't change schools every year due to his parents moving, he probably wouldn't have gotten picked on after the first time... that isn't to say he didn't get in trouble, since he was bad at trying to convince people, and everyone always thought he was lying, despite Trevor typically not being one TO lie. At first he didn't really think he HAD anger issues, but all of that changed in the seventh grade, when he was just awake enough to notice that he was blacking out, and going completely berserk... the last sight he could remember seeing was his fellow students running away from him, or getting out of his way... funny thing, he doesn't even remember what GOT him that angry, but that incident caused him to finally agree to work out that issue.

 He has since calmed down, and hasn't gotten in any more fights, since most of the bullies in high school remembered him from at least one of the elementary schools he went to, and they didn't want to mess with him. He has since just finished college, getting a degree in computer programming, of all things, and he took his first interview for his first real job... his first day was going to be in a couple days, but he was, hilariously enough, excited about this. This was going to be the start of a brand new chapter in his life, and of course, he didn't think the meteor would actually hit until yesterday, and that REALLY soured his mood for a bit, but then he said to himself 'Well, if it's the last day for humans, let it be known that I really tried to adult' he chuckled at his own joke, and tried to live the last day as if it truly were the last. He tried all sorts of new food, all kinds of new activities with all of his friends, even introducing a few of them to others, and blew most of the cash he had in his wallet. He ended up DEAD tired when he got back home, though, he really didn't want this last day to end for various reasons, his body just wouldn't let him stay up any longer...

 However, much to his surprise, Trevor somehow woke up the next day, though, not everything was where it normally was, specifically, there were feathers and scales everywhere, and he had a long, blue thing blocking his vision... and he felt like he had a tail and wings, but, that can't be possible, right?

Weaknesses (x2): Ice, Stone, and Nature magic
Strengths: x0.5 - Water, x0 - Fire, x-1 - Lightning

Skills:
Fisticuffs: Not one to use weapons, Trevor prefers to just punch the enemy, despite the fact that his claws might be a better choice. He uses no real fighting style, since he was never trained, but there's enough strength behind his punches to make this a viable option.

Fire: Firebreath, and some other fiery skills... Trevor's alright at it, but some of the more advanced fire moves tend to come with some sort of drawback for him... he uses it as recklessly as one would expect.

 Flame Drill: A skill in which Trevor imitates a drill and drills through the opponent using his tough claws, and a dose of fire breath. A powerful move that can easily hit weak points and ignores an enemy's defense, but it also leaves Trevor dizzy, and unable to accurately attack for a while after its use.

Lightning: Trevor's a natural at using electrical abilities, apparently, and he tends to shoot said lightning from the tips of his claws, often shaping his hand to look kind of like a gun and even occasionally saying 'pew, pew' when he does so.

 Energize: Trevor can use some of his own electricity to give one of his teammates, or himself, a sudden burst of energy. Heals HP, and can restore some lost magic... costs a decent amount of magic to use, however.

Runes: Scan Rune - Allows one to use the 'Scan' skill both inside and outside of battle... said skill allows the user to read alien languages, and know the strengths and weaknesses of enemies once it's used on a sample of that language, and an enemy, respectively. This rune doesn't need to be equipped to any skill slot, and doesn't require any real magic to use.

 Heal Rune - Allows the use of one type of healing magic, depending on which type of magic it's equipped to. In this case, it allows the use of the magic skill 'Energize', since it's equipped to his lightning magic.
Other: Nothing.

[User] Where to start with this? It seemed like a few things were happening. Firstly, Shaula was suspicious of the harmless, honestly somewhat silly mole folk, who only became MORE silly as Trevor understood their jabbering. Secondly, It seemed like Jason was trying to figure out where we were, and he was trying to get the hang of flying, much to Shaula's fear, apparently. Thirdly, Aerin was offered some sort of umbrella by the mole people, and he described his powers as luck based. Finally, of course, was Celina copying Trevor's power. The rune, itself soon faded from her forehead, but she could still understand what they were saying, same as him, now. Trevor tried to answer every question he could, starting with Mia's. "Yeah, seems like the stone DID do that... weird. As for where we are..." Trevor said before asking one of the locals what this place was called... he then answered with "We're in a place called Copper City, one of the three largest cities on this snowball planet. Yeah... apparently wherever we are, the surface is too cold for liquid water, so, the people live down here, I guess," Trevor then turned back towards Jason to answer "It seems like I have fire and lightning abilities, as for flying, I never seemed to have too much of a problem with it... uh, keep trying, though," after that, it came time to finally answer Shaula's question of whether or not the mole person looked like a, well, person. "Uh... I mean, do I look like a person? Does Jason look like a person? How about Celina, or Aerin? I don't think you can distrust someone just because they don't look human, anymore, Shaula. Heck, you only BARELY qualify, and that's only IF you find a way to make yourself more solid," Trevor then tried to listen in on the locals a bit more carefully to figure out what they were saying... "Oh... there's some sort of premiere showcase of some new, powerful drill. Dunno why that's so exciting to them, but... yeah, that's why they're excited, I guess,"

[Assistant]
Shaula

---

 Convincing the group to be cautious didn't work. In fact, many of them had trusted the mole people on sight. Jason responded to her warnings with his usual shpiel about conspiracy theories, and while Trevor had made a good point about nobody being human, Shaula wasn't about to admit it to him. She trusted those mole people just about as much as she trusted "the president." "You can't be serious," she said, when Trevor claimed they were on an alien planet. It seemed impossible, yet the city before her looked like nothing she had ever seen before. Standing there felt almost surreal. But, as amazing as it was, she couldn't forget what the New World Order had done to everyone back home.

 "So how are we getting back, then? Because unless any of you know how to make a portal, then it doesn't look like we're leaving anytime soon." She looked around at the group for a moment, half hopeful, as though expecting one of them to know how to make one. Normally, she would want to stay and learn about the aliens, but these mole people clearly couldn't be from the New World Order. NWO aliens were known to use flying saucers and colossal, triangular spacecraft with starfield camouflage - giant drills would seem rather primitive to them.

[User] Jason shrugs, conjuring a ball of fire in his talons. "Don't know, don't care. I just want to learn how to use my powers properly. Quick question, water girl. Why do you believe in all the "new world order" junk? There's no proof for any of it. What makes you say, "Oh, the moon landing must have been faked!" or, "Australia isn't real!"? Why do you think that? Your rock evidently does nothing, so why do you think that it will?" He spins the ball of flame around in his talons, tossing and rolling it around in his hands.

[Assistant] Celina just calmed down as she listened around, listening to what everyone was saying and though about it. So those mole people were excited about some new drill... well considering what they are, it can be understandable at least. She looked at the group, thinking about it. "Didn't we have something that we needed to find here? Like... those that jumped into this portal?" she then says calmly before going forwards and looking around for any clues about those jerks. She heard the conspiracy theorist keep going on and on and sighed. Why did the group have to end up with her in the team? Sure everyone changed, but seriously. And there was one though that came to Celina's mind.. if the group would end up meeting a lizard person... oh god that girl will probably jump onto that person and cause some issues. The group probably will need to be careful about this, that is for sure.

[User]
Mia

---

 Mia let out a loud sigh as Jason and Shaula continued to bicker. She knew that arguing with people like Shaula was pointless, but it seemed that Jason hadn't realized that yet. "Seriously, Jason, why put in the effort?" It was rather annoying, having to listen to them argue nonstop from the moment they first met each other.

 The subject of the thieves came up. They were the reason they came here, after all. "It looked like they were the ones that made the portal in the first place. If that's the case, then finding them should be our ticket out of here." While it was likely that they'd passed through this town, they could also still be lost in the maze, or they could have ended up at a completely different exit. "We should ask some of the mole people if they've seen them. Then we'll at least know we're going in the right direction."

[Assistant]
Aerin swayed along a non-existent wind as he took in the surroundings. It was a lot more peaceful here than where they had come from, it finally let him think a bit in the closest shady spot, curled up under that umbrella of his. All this talk of hunting down some thieves and finding a way back seemed to make sense, but he couldn't just let it go. "Is there any reason we're in a rush to get back? Seems like it was a lot more dangerous back there than it is here." he'd offer. "Only thing that has attacked us here is some pushover spider."

"I think bird boy over there has the right idea. We should take advantage of the peace here and focus a bit on figuring out what's going on with us and what we actually can do before something really dangerous happens."

[User]
Trevor nodded when everyone suggested we look for the thieves, well, okay, maybe a couple people did, but it seemed like the logical thing to do in this situation, especially given the fact that they were the reason we were even here in the first place. Aerin seemed to suggest that we just stay here, and while Trevor thought he'd gone insane at first, he then gave his reasons. "Maybe this place isn't so bad, but I kinda don't want Earth to die from us just doing nothing. Sure, we can use this rest to figure out what we're capable of, but I'd rather not just live here, despite how peaceful it is," Trevor said to Aerin as he kept searching for the thieves. After passing by a tiny hole with a sign that reads 'MOLES ONLY', some sort of weird portal that seemed to spit out some kind of aquatic dragon, and what could only be described as a garden, where the moles were pulling root vegetables out of the cave ceiling, Trevor found the two hooded figures, just sulking next to one of the town's many street lights. Trevor immediately grabbed one of them by the collar of their hood, and slammed the thief against a building. "Alright, you're going to tell me where my stuff is, NOW," Trevor said while he had the thief pinned to a wall. The thief stammered for a while, and eventually managed to say "I... I have no idea where your stuff is, I didn't steal it! I only stole that golden dragon artifact!" Trevor then used his scan rune in the hopes that it would reveal if he was telling the truth... however, it didn't seem like that rune worked that way, so he had to try to find out using his own wits.

 It... seemed like he was, unfortunately, telling the truth, even if Trevor could trust this thief about as far as a car can go without wheels or gas, it didn't seem like he had any of Trevor's stuff. "Fine, then... what happened to that artifact?" Trevor asked, with the thief responding with "Uh... w-we were brought to some cliff when we teleported here, a-and there was a big, yellow dragon ghost, a-and the ghost said something about a 'test of power', and... um... he... um... possessed John, over there, and then he almost killed me with John's body... the ghost took the thing after that, and s-said that he'd be w-waiting for a new owner of it, or wh-whatever to challenge him," that... seemed a little farfetched, but upon looking for said artifact on their person, he noticed that it was, in fact, gone, somehow. Maybe not taken by a ghost, but certainly not with them, either way. I think they might have hidden that, and my stuff here. I really want my laptop back... it wasn't even the best one, either, sheesh, Trevor thought as he set the thief down... odd, though, that his friend didn't even try to help him during that whole interrogation.


[System]
Hero Name
Faire Glisser (Official in poorly applied French)
Zebra (Mean nickname)

Age
13 (Birthday on March 5, can be changed so its close to happening IC)

Gender
Female

Ethnicity
American

Nationality
American

Detailed Information

Appearance
Alex is a slim, tomboyish girl, with pale skin and a slightly toned body (nothing that looks out of the ordinary or healthy for a teen). With round and soft, yet determined looking eyes of a dark grey color and hair that is naturally black and white. She always looks like someone who just left a bath.

For clothes, she sticks to the uniform, sometimes using a tracksuit, among other sports clothes, and rarely using casual clothing. She likes to keep her hair in twin tails or ponytail (provided she is near mature people who won't bother her on her looks) and typically uses caps or hats. Wears swimsuits for underwear.

Hero Appearance
A zebra bra A sports bra with contrasting black and white pattern and leggings followed this same style, a loose cap, along with an electric green and black jacket. All tailored to not be harmed or to go loose and/or heavy with her powers. The green color was actually picked because she desired to not be known as "that water girl".

Personality
She is a focused, dedicated girl, who likes to explore her powers and challenge herself (Physically). She lives in the moment and is very forward about her feelings, this carelessness results in a strong mental resilience, she is rarely provoked by the words of others, but still takes offense and will act colder, if not a bit malicious, to those who try too hard to bother her.

Nobody ever described Alex as particularly bright, she often doesn't bother justifying her ideas or questioning why they went wrong, her pattern recognition isn't the best and more often than not she takes the wildest assumptions from explanations that should be simple. While able to focus, she also feels a need to move her body, and this detracts from her ability to read or study.

She tries to be independent and dislikes places with too many rules, even if she agrees with them, with its a sentiment born from disliking the overall idea of it as well as disliking having to memorize too many things. If leaving the academy didn't result in no more waterproof treadmills, cellphones, couches, beds, etc in her life as well as clothes that don't block her power, she would have considered leaving it.

And while it is nice that she has the mindset to brush off bullies and not be shy about her mind, her body and her mutation, there are perhaps things she should be shy about, like being shy about the mess that she calls a room, being shy about forgetting that when she goes to the mall she needs to wear more than a swimsuit, being shy about missing deadlines for school projects… Instead, it seems only others are bothered by her careless ways.

Notable Relations
Her parents? No one so far, though she will need a roommate according to the rules.

Everyday Skills
She is good at sports, as part of her training she developed skating skills, but she is also great at soccer.
She has a good sense of color theory and presentation, for someone typically useless in intellectual fields, she actually does well when it comes to being 'marketing savvy'.
Also she can swim well, very well, she doesn't even like it all that much, but it comes naturally to her.

💧Power

Water Affinity

The power of being wet. Alex has a kinship with water, and this is showcased by her ability to generate a coat of water that sticks to her body, basically, making her wet and, more importantly, slippery. It is a somewhat thin coat and does not enhance her body, but it is constant and is great for Alex to squeeze herself through passages where others might get stuck or to literally slide into battle, aquaplaning taking off the friction from the ground and allowing her to maintain high speeds (albeit with little to no handling of said movement)

A minor aspect is a resistance to moderate water hazards, being able to resist frigid water and snow as well as scalding waters and steam for longer than a normal person or even fully adapt to it. (For range example, she can carelessly go for a swim in a Russian ocean or relax all day on a hot spring, but when it comes to hot steam escaping a factory pipe, her advantage is surviving a couple of minutes in contact with it where a normal person would be seriously injured or killed.)

Weaknesses/Limitations
- Does not include water projectiles or manipulation of any sort. Does not generate enough water to be threatening.
- So far has not shown any ability to manipulate the temperate or form of the water
- The water still interacts with the ground. Tile floor or dirt after a rainy day is great for her to move through, asphalt is neutral, and sand is bad, as it absorbs a lot of water.
- Does not provide water breathing of any sort, though the 'water aura' does not block her breathing.
- Is not thick enough to stop projectiles or blows does not enhance her physical abilities.
- Most clothes block the power over the surface that is covered, only the academy provided clothes can reach the same performance as bare skin, though swimsuits or thin clothing are acceptable options to use the power while keeping her modesty.
- Her power is always somewhat active, and much like water, she has an easier time going down than going up, she cannot utilize ladders quickly without gloves, else she might slip and fall down.

Combat
Fighting Style
The main tactic is surfing fast towards enemies with clubs, shields, or weights on her hand, delivering a momentum enhanced crushing blow, moving close and away quickly. To make use of Parthian-like Tactics, especially when she can retreat facing the enemy, a whip is used as an option to keep the harassment going after the blow.

Close quarters combat is more complicated, she is developing a style with her teachers that use capoeira like moves to take advantage of her slippery nature and the lack of friction. It is far from done, however, so right now her main tactic is to just trash about and see if she can move away.

Strengths
In groups, her ability to slide quickly is useful for positioning and flanking, she can easily infiltrate areas through vents or small openings. She makes for a slippery enemy to deal with, with nimble movements, it can be somewhat stressful to deal with her, which is used to disrupt and bait enemies.

Weaknesses
She is a one trick pony in solo combat and said trick requires her to literally crash head-on with enemies. Negating that negates much of her combat power. Her power is very passive and more utility based, requiring weapons to be viable in combat, in a sudden fight situation, she would need to improvise.

Equipment
Her tailored uniform and hero costume (both compatible with her power)
A whip, a combat shield, a tonfa and a weighted anklet.

Cosmetics

Since a young age, her hair has white bangs.
She changes a bit when interacting with water, cold water makes her hair and eyes more white, her skin paler for days and even forms a few crystals on her skin and eyelashes. She keeps the red tan of hot waters for days at times, with constant breath vapor even if it's not cold.

Extra

🦓

Unnofical Character theme:

[User]
Venture Academy - School GroundsInteractions - @Shard

He could only imagine what was going through Neoh's head after the announcement. Oh the fun the two boys would have. Milly knew his brother would enjoy the combat, whereas they both would enjoy the competitive nature of the game. It was true Milly disliked extreme violence and more importantly, killing, but it was something he had grown used to in terms of fighting alongside his brother.
Milly found himself absent-mindedly staring at the flowers as they walked by, thinking about the announcement, but also thinking about the mission they had planned to go for soon.

A kind greeting snapped Milly out of his daze. He looked up to an all too familiar face and smiled, Hey there Connie." he said, giving a small wave at the young woman.

"I mean I'll try not to kill everyone. Some of these other supers can be quite a pain in the arse if they get bragging rights." he joked, snickering at Connie's comment.
Once Neoh pulled out the phone, Milly looked at the information about it before sitting across from his brother in the booth.
"What's your special today Connie?" Milly asked before glancing down at the menu, "Oh! What's the soup of the day?" he added. Venture Wok's soups were one of Milly's favorites.

[Assistant] As class ended Nathan would get up and start to gathering his books when he heard the announcement over the loud speakers. Thinking to himself he says "might be some fun, like one big mosh pit. I wonder who would be on my team". He would then rush back to his room to drop off his things and switch into his red t shirt and black basketball shorts before heading off to sign up for the event. After signing up he meanders over to the cafeteria to grab an order of general tso chicken and two vitamin waters, smiling at a few of his friends as he passes neoh and miles saying as he sits table next to them "you guys joining the event?". He would then take a bite out of his food. The taste was amazing like always and then orders a side of crab lagoon.

[User]
Astra

The charcoal haired girl had been lounging outside with her handheld console in hand - her completionist nature grinding to get all the possible collectables in her Kirby game - when a rattling voice sounded across the Venture campus from the speakers, alerting people of an upcoming competition. This sparked interest in Astra: capture the flag? That was definitely just her kind of activity, she could just mess with people and win her team multiple flags.
The announcement ended, but it had already brought Astra's attention back to this plane of existence from her game. Now the girl noticed how the time had passed by as she'd spent the whole morning gaming by herself. Whoops, Astra thought, saving and slipping the device into her pocket.
The first class of the day had already ended. Good, Astra hadn't been planning on attending anyway. It wasn't mandatory for her anymore, and she just felt like completing her safe file to 100% before getting anything else done. It had bothered her for a while now.
A low grumble alerted Astra to how hungry she actually was.
"Is it already lunchtime?" the girl wondered out loud, her habit of chatting to herself bothering no one because there were very few people around.
Astra made her way to the Venture Wok restaurant with little haste, thinking of a dish that would treat her hunger. As soon as Astra stepped into the mood-lit restaurant, she was overwhelmed with a plethora of mouth-watering scents. Instead of the usual greeting of Connie, however, there was no one to greet her in. Soon Astra found out why, and her face lit as a result. Connie was at a table occupied by two raven haired boys Astra was familiar with. There was a fourth person there too, Nathan. Astra smiled wide, her dimples deepening on her freckle adorned face.
She sat down on a bench so she'd be in the right position when she used her ability.
"Sup, Milly! Neoh, too. Bet you didn't see that comin'," Astra greeted right as she blinked into existence into an empty chair at the boys' table. Only then she had the brief afterthought of being polite.
"Mind if I sit here?"

[Assistant]
Venture Academy - School Grounds / Cafeteria

Alex was the sort of person who really could not stand normal classes, she had a natural desire for more practical actions, yet she rarely skipped on any class as she still desired to do well in school, and if she took notes, Alexya would help her understand it, it was much easier for her to focus when someone was talking directly to her.

Still, when the bell rang, she was quick to rush out of the class and escape to the fields, today was not a day in which she would have a particular training session, but that did not stop her from still doing it, although still following a few set rules given to her by the academy's physician so she would not overwork herself.

Changing into the athletic outfit that was better suited for her powers, Alex would start running across the running tracks of the academy. When she was younger, she assumed it was best to just aim for the most speed she could get when using her powers, however, the more experienced guidance she had now had made it clear that while speed was good, her ability to use her power was also tied to her balance, how well she could handle her direction while 'skating' and to discover new types of movement the lack of friction made possible.

When in simple movement it was easy to assume her power was just "ice skating but on any surface", however, these were merely aesthetic similarities, as she moved with aquaplaning caused by a layer of water covering her feet, as that was a flat surface, it reacted to her movement in a very different manner than the blades of an ice skate. In truth, she had almost zero maneuverability until she went to Azure, where her trainer instructed her to see if she could change the thickness of the 'water aura' in an uneven manner, which of course started to steer her movement. That had been years ago, and while her skills made noticeable leaps in each year, she still constantly trained simple things such as sharp turns, just making one had been an achievement, but Alex aimed to make it the least wide of a turn as possible.

Another thing she could train on her own was balancing things while she moved, it was not like she would need to carry a book on her head while using her powers, but it was a method to make her train her stability, which was useful in more complex movements. She really would much rather train those complex movements, it was 'fun' to try to go from a lying position to a standing position without breaking her glide, but it was always obvious when she was trying to rush her training, bruises were telling and a broken nose was impossible to hide.

With one last failed u-turn, she sighed, it was time to wrap up. Though after changing, she couldn't help but feel a bit hungry, so a quick trip to the cafeteria was in order. On her way, she noticed a few whispers of some sort of event, and while buying her food, she saw the flyer. Somehow she missed the announcement and almost the whole capture the flag event, but that was about to be fixed. She couldn't help but say to herself.

"Hah, this ought to be fun. I remember being the champion of C T F in the second grade." though back then most of the kids didn't have many powers, not that Alex was scared of those, or even remotely taking that into account to properly plan a course of action.


[System]
Age: 15
Digivice color(s): Blue and White
Personality: Kiba is the personification of laid back. Very rarely ever taking an aggressive or threatening tone, Kiba likes to always keep calm and level headed beyond reason. There are many instances when Kiba just stares into space or at something far away for a few moments without even realizing it. Kiba in a way is a hidden strategic genius, being able to test complex scenarios in his head, though if he does this for to long he gets a headache, and has a knack for being able to use this skill in order to get out of tight situations.
(For Later) Kiba is often scolded by his partner Gabumon X for spacing out or just lazing around and not focusing on the situation at the time. Despite this they have a good relationship with Kiba respecting Gabumon Xs great instincts and tenacity and Gabumon X respecting Kibas good sense of judgement and battle strategies.
Backstory: For as long as he could remember his family has been moving around once a year or 2. Having traveled from places like South Africa to Antarctica, Kiba has experienced an exponential amount of sights and cultures. Since he never had a permanent place to live, he didn't interact with many people around him choosing instead to read anything he can get his hands on from love stories to textbooks. Despite moving all around the world, he never once tried to find out what his parents did for a living.

Base Form: Gabumon X
Nickname: Wolfy (By Kiba and no one else)
Attacks: Petit Fire Hook. Little Horn. Blue Blaster.
Digivolution Line: Botamon--> Wanyamon--> Gabumon X--> Garurumon X--> WereGarurumon X--> Metal Garurumon X--> Omnimon X (with Agumon X/WarGreymon X)

[User]
"Do you think it might be a good idea to try and turn Tactimon's army against those so called Big Death-Stars? I mean I doubt our group can handle two armies at once." the partner of the bipedal bug asked Kiba.

"Hmmmm, that sounds like a more friendly plan. It would solve our biggest problem, which is that we're Kinda out numbered. But I seriously doubt we can handle converting ALL of them to our because. Maybe one or two if they are sympathetic but I'm sure Tactimon has the loyalty of most of them." Kiba said as he readjusted the Digiegg in his arms. "However I don't think we'll have to worry about facing them 2 at a time. Wolfy tells me that the digital world is huge and that most of the Big Death-Stars are spread out."

"Oi, how many times do I have to tell you to NOT call me that!!!" The wolf digimon said. "Although yes you're correct. The Big Death Stars are separated into different regions they control. The only time we'd ever have to worry about facing multiple armies is if we had to deal with a God of Destruction. They are the only 3 who move around the digital world freely." He explained to the two humans.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and one of the Big Death are friendly?" Kiba joked.

As they talked they saw the castle up ahead. "You know Beany dude, we should talk strategies later. I didn't even think of that approach." Kiba said to Danny.

[Assistant]
"Yeah it's not like they performed countless atrocities, killed and absorbed who knows how many Digimon and destroyed several areas. Clearly they are the reincarnations of the Royal Knights. So of course we'll get along like house on fire."

Doru responded sarcastically to the Big Death-stars being friendly comment. Though Robert noted the older Digimon and Norn's brief look of sadness when they heard the name of the Royal Knights. To Robert it seemed that the context of the name was a group of a paragons of justice, from they way that Doru was sarcastically comparing them to a group that had the death in their name and the fact that he called them reincarnations which seemed to indicate that they are long gone by now. Considering the events that are going on could they have fell to Tactimon's forces?

Robert sat down with the two plates of food, which was a rather large piece of seasoned roasted meat wrapped around a leg bone. To Robert who came from a rather rich family, he had only really eaten rather high class and healthy meals, due to his parents paranoia about not getting a proper diet and health issues in the future, they decided to get a nutritionist to plan out his meals. Meals like this really was something new to him, just simple dish and sitting around with others during it rather the large dining tables that felt empty, other than the few times that a major event was going on or times when he used to visit his grandfather's home. Robert's thoughts were interrupted when Doru sat down next to him.

Unlike Robert who was unconsciously following table manners that was drilled into him, Doru was attacking the piece of meat like it was his last supper or it was the only thing he had for ages, Robert had a feeling it was the latter. It seemed that Dorumon's lively way of eating calmed down most of the kids, as a way of confirming that the threat was over now and they can stop being afraid. Robert grinned at his partner and prepared to eat before realizing that there were no forks or knives. Robert interrupted Doru as he was eating and asked him.

"Are we supposed to eat this with our hands?"

Doru looked stopped eating for a moment and after swallowing a large bite of meat he responded with.

"Do I look like I have hands to eat with? Look just eat it and don't over complicate things."

Robert looked with a blank look and told him.

"Doesn't that seem a bit barbaric?"

To which Doru smacked Robert over the head with his tail, which felt like being hit with a pillow, a really soft pillow.

"And this barbarian is telling you to just eat it!"

Doru went back to attacking his meal and Robert picked up the two ends of the bones and was about to break all sorts of table manners by eating with his hands like a barbarian, until he saw someone in the corner of his eyes. Robert slowly put down the meat and got up squeezing though so he won't step on any of the in-trainings. Doru stopped eating and looked up at Robert leaning his head slightly to the left. To Robert said to him.

"Don't worry about it I'm just going to be talking with someone for a bit. Just keep doing what you're doing."

Robert walked towards two cats, a set of golden armour, and a patch of moss and turned and asked the patch of moss, Phase.

"You ok? Or do we need to get you a pen and paper to write your will?"

[User]
---

Partner Digimon: Zubamon
Digimon Lvl: Rookie
Location: Witchelny, Nyttliv
Tag: @Crimson Lion @Shiyonichi @Duthguy

---

 Phase felt his vision blur. He remembered the way the Golden Digimon had dodged his gaze, the way his eye shifted downward ever-so faintly. "Gilt, what did you do?"

 Liollmon nudged the nosy furball away until it understood the meaning behind it. At first her questions were incessant but eventually she moaned and was led away. Gilt pulled himself up onto the bench, sitting beside Phase and finding his long claws to fiddle with. "I'm not exactly normal, Phase. I was going to tell you, really I was. But as you can see, I don't exactly adhere to normal when danger is around. I didn't forget to... I just didn't care at the moment."

 "Tell me now then," Phase mustered through the aching in his back and shoulders.

 Gilt released a houseful of tension. "I'am of an exceedingly rare kind. My type or family is called the Legend-Arms." He knotted his claws together forming a hammock of reflection in his golden palms. "Essentially we are weapons and normally I could be used by another Digimon. But you changed that... Think about it like this, when you swing a sword you exert energy in that pursuit. Well, I told you I'am yours. Every attack I make drains you, every mote of damage recoils against your bones if only a little. You are my Tamer and that makes our Bond ironclad... In exchange for that degree of exhaustion, our attacks are all the more stronger."

 Phase rolled his shoulder blades, rebelling against the pain. "Which explains why you were capable of hurting that Kuwagamon."

 Gilt nodded. "That and being a sword-weapon gives me certain properties."

 Phase looked towards the corner of the cafeteria and let out a long sigh.

 The Golden Digimon's hammock tighten. "Don't throw me away because of my burden... Please. You're all I know."

 Phase smiled, he could hardly see himself living without a few burdens now. His father, his promise to the Digimon and Norn. They were all in some form, in some teensy way worrisome. But Gilt's burden, that was something he would hold without guilt or regret. "Relax, Gilt. You said you were mines. I guess this trade off makes us even. Besides, this is nothing if it means its us saving the others."

 Phase and Gilt sat in that comfortable silence again. Liollmon and Nyaromon, who hadn't been too far away were suddenly next to him. The yellow puffball found its spot in his lap, Liollmon was at his feet, providing warmth for his throbbing calf-muscle. Gilt helped keep him rigid, from showing the telltales of aches and pains.

 The white-haired Kid asked him a question. Phase disliked the situation, though he knew his mask would hide the pain of the battle, he wasn't so sure his voice wouldn't crack or falter. He swallowed in preparation to speak. "What? you worried about me now? I'm good. Go eat."

[Assistant]
Robert looked at Gilt for a moment and then Nyaromon and then Liollmon and then sighed. Going back to Phase he stated.

"So what if I am? Does that make you happy moss-head? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm just here to make fun of you if you were and see if I can't nick that silly looking mask off your face if you were kicking the bucket."

Robert said mockingly. Robert moved back to his food, seemingly fooled by Phase's ruse, but barely in ear shot he mumbled something that sounded like lyre.

With that Robert went back to his table and picked up his piece of meat.

"You know you'd be more popular if you cut the BS."

Doru said to him. Robert deadpanned back at Doru.

"Oh like you're the one to talk."

[User]
When they sat down Danny decided to expand on his idea a little. "We don't have to befriend or even ally ourselves with one of the Big Death-stars, if we can make Tactimon or one of the others think one of them is a traitor." Hirschmon who ended up sitting between his brother and tamer wasn't too sure about that. "I doubt fooling them will be easy."

After he awkwardly tore off some of the surprisingly tasty meat with his teeth Danny nodded in agreement. "True, but if we can keep our presence here in the Digital World a secret we should have the advantage and if we can get the two or more sides pissed of enough they might even keep fighting after discovering our ruse. Either way it'll require a lot of planning and luck, as well as all the info we can get." When he said the last part Danny stared in the direction of both Norn and Dorumon, Norn because well her connection to Yggdrasil and the purple dragon because of everything he had said about their enemies. Still not entirely convinced Hirschmon none the less had to admit it didn't sound bad in concept.

[Assistant]
Dorumon spoke up.

"That will be extremely difficult. Rather it's for two reasons, one Tactimon is not dumb. It's in his name, Tacti as in tactics. He is a tyrant and he has many years of experience of dealing with conspiracies, after all he didn't keep his position as tyrant for no reason. Though the second reason is that don't you think they would have an intelligence network? Rather they got a pretty good one. They'll find us out if we try and even if we do, we'll never fool Tactimon and that's the key to your plan fooling Tactimon if we just fool the Big Death-Stars or the Three Gods, that will accomplish absolutely nothing. Again the army isn't as unified as you'd think, heck some of the BDS and the Three Gods openly hate each other, however they'll never act upon it. Why? Because they are terrified of what Tactimon will do to them. So, unless we fool him that plan is going nowhere and in conspiracies both Tactimon and another member of the BDS got you all beat in experience in that department. So, the chances of you pulling it off is about 1%."

Robert responded to that in his usual manner with snark.

"Wow you can do math?"

Doru responded with a silent 'shut up'. Though Robert kept going with another question.

"So, who is this other member of the BDS?"

Dorumon frowned as well as a purple dinosaur could.

"Gravimon, he is probably the only member in the army that can match Tactimon in intelligence."

[User]
"We should just ... not think about it." Kiba spoke up to Danny and Roberts conversation. "Theres no use thinking about it now right?" He said as he began to take a bite of a giant piece of meat. "Hehe it's like a cartoon."

"We SHOULD be talking about this, it's critical for our futurer plans."

"And we can do that LATER, when we're all full." He gestured to the meat in his hand. "When we're all calm and able to think properly, well rested." He then gestured to Phase who was obviously fatigued. "We can do that away from those who don't NEED to know." He gestuires to a couple of in-training near by who were listening in on their conversation. "And lastly, we can talk about this when we have all the info we need." He then gestures to Norn how nodds back

"Do not worry Kiba, I will explain things about the armies tomorrow." She replies.

Kiba smiles as a Tokomon jumps onto his lap, he breaks off a piece of his food and begins to feed the small in training. "So lets sit back, eat, and enjoy ourselves for a bit."


[System]
Age: 14
Element: Wind
Appearance:

Personality:
A bumbling, airheaded girl who always seems to have her mind somewhere else. She excessively wonders about all sorts of things and is prone to mindless wandering, often finding herself somewhere with no idea of how she got there. If she manages to keep herself focused, she's actually very knowledgeable.

She can be a good friend as long as you don't mind if she skips a beat or two of the conversation.

History:
The Andors have been scientists and scholars for generations. Lyra's father is a mathematician, and he had taught her the intricacies of numbers and logic since she was young. Lyra's mother--who named her after a constellation--is an astronomer, and has impressed on her a sense of wonder for the universe.

At a young age, Lyra seemed keen to devour her family's scholarly knowledge, but somehow she was also easily drawn to music. When she was seven years old, in an act of confidence that surprised everyone, little Lyra declared that she wanted to be a musician, not a scientist like her parents.

It was a family friend who first noticed that her affinity for music might not be superficial. He was studying the elements in secret, and found out that Lyra has a grasp on the element in which music flows: air. When he told her parents about this fact, they were less than thrilled. The magic of the elements, after all, seems so far removed from their logical sciences.

The same family friend suggested that Lyra be sent to the Elemental Academy, where she could learn about her power in peace without frustrating her parents. They still love her, but agreed that it was for the best, and sent her off.

Equipment: She plays the trumpet and the violin. She might absent-mindedly carry either of them around.

[User]
Dia

---

Dia took a deep breath. She'd finally found the Gym, after dozens of wrong turns. But would he be there? Was she wrong?

Was she crazy?

With a gentle push, she opened the door. Her eyes meet the sight of molten metal, of a scorched floor, of the sun shining brightly through a window...

Her heart caught in her throat. He'd been here. She was sure of it. Worry. Fear. Hope. They all clashed inside her chest, fighting for dominance.

Confusion. Worry.  Anger.

It didn't look like it had gone well.

A deep breath, frost appearing in front of her as she exhaled.

 Control.

She had to be strong for him. Else the Void, the bubbling fear, everything would consume her.

Her eyes found him, far to the side. Bleeding. Injured?

 Rage.
Excitement.
Joy.
Fear.

Dia ran towards him, leaving frozen footsteps in her wake.

"Felix..." she breathed, dropping beside him. The everlasting cold poured from her in waves as her emotions bounced around. Without waiting for a response, for him to notice her, she leaned in and kissed him gently, carefully, cautiously.

So many questions. But no words to form them. All she had was her touch, and she could only hope it was enough to portray all the emotions, all the questions, all the words she couldn't say.

The anger at whoever left him in this state began to boil.

[Assistant]
Zeke gradually became aware of Viola's music changing, and somehow it seemed more appropriate for the wide open park they were now in. His parents had brought him here the day before school started, and he knew there was an ice cream trailer by the fountain. He looked over and spotted it, tugging at Viola's hand so that she followed him, and her music followed her.

The person at the ice cream stand was tall. Or was it that Zeke was short? An older kid who had a funny hat that looked like an upside-down boat folded from cardboard. "Viola," Zeke stretched the word until it was a tune of its own. "What kind do you like? I like the chocolate ones, with the nuts." He pointed with his free hand at the sign on the front of the cart, slightly in shade from the red-and-blue umbrella above.

As always though, his attention wandered. The fountain in the park reminded him of the splash from yesterday, and he thought about how he got a rainbow from the spray. Then he looked at the people sitting on benches near the fountain and how the shadows were almost directly underneath them. After a few minutes of intense calculation, Zeke came back to himself and tugged on Viola's hand again. He knew what sort of photo he wanted to take of her.

Stygian

[User]
Catherine nodded, ""Although I've been using the human body as an analogy, in many ways, our elemental powers are more closely tied to our sense of self than even our physical bodies are. The most powerful elementals don't let their environment force them to change who they are fundamentally. On the other hand, they are conscious enough to choose improvement over stagnation and will opt to change themselves, but knowingly, and without being forced." Catherine sighed, she knew she'd have to bring it up sooner or later, so she might as well get it out of the way. "Take note of what happens in the next few moments. Remember and burn the experience into your mind. I am about to say something that will most likely make you lose control. You will experience a strong knee-jerk reaction due to pressures that society has placed on you. Your sense of self will be tested, and you will be extremely uncomfortable with your current state. Learn to let go. learn to not care about these sorts of things. Understand? Ready? Your skirt is ripped up and your panties are showing."

---

Tears welled in ShiZhen's eyes as a natural reaction to the discomfort of having inhaled water. She stilled coughed reflexively, despite the fact the the headmaster had already extracted all the water from her lungs. She wanted to cry, she wanted to ask him why everything had to be so hard. Her body shook from the sobs she stifled. Sobs induced by her feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness, by her shame of simply being herself. But she held it back, and tried to calm down, slowing her breathing. She thought about what the headmaster was saying, and hadn't thought about water apologizing. "I-I was nervous. I was afraid nothing would happen, that I'd be a disappointment...I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I try to listen but I don't hear anything."

[Assistant]
Algorithm
Kanako listened to Catherine's explanation just as intently as before. When she said to prepare herself and to burn what would happen next in her mind, she became nervous. What was going to happen? She was going to say something that would make her lose control. What could that be? She wouldn't lose control, no matter what happened.

"Your skirt is ripped up and your panties are showing."

Like a comical scene from an anime, Kanako's face slowly turned red as she froze in place. She looked down and saw that her skirt was nowhere to be found. Just to be sure, she patted her butt, finding that she was touching her pantyhose and the panties underneath directly.

It was true.

She had no idea how it could be true but it was true for sure.

C-calm down, Kanako, c-calm down... T-take a deep breath... D-don't scream... N-no one else is here... T-there's only Catherine and she's a woman, not a man... Come on Kanako... calm down!!!

Kanako began taking her deep breaths. Slowly but surely however, her breath became shorter and shorter, and eventually, she buried her face inside her palms, sobbing, mumbling, "Uuu, this is so embarrassing... I-I'm so sorry, Miss..."

[User]
Ice cream! "Viola! What kind do you like?" What kind does she like? She'd never thought of that. Where she came from, there was only one ice cream, made out of milk fresh from the cows in the farms. But here, the sign in front of the cart had about a dozen of them. She wondered if they have farms too around here, if the ice cream and its dozen of taste was made here or if it came from somewhere-

The ice cream attendant snapped his fingers. "Hey, kid? Are you gonna buy something?" His voice was more joking than unkind. He looked at Lyra, then at Zeke, and then he grinned. "Skipping class to be out with your boyfriend, eh? Man I shouldda done that when I was your age."

Unfortunately, Lyra's brain filtered through half of what he was saying. "Huh? Oh, sorry! We'll have the chocolate nuts one, and the," vanilla? But might as well get something new, "mint one?"

The ice cream seller rolled his eye. He took scoops of each flavour and set them on their cones. "Here you go, that'll be- oh, thank you." Lyra already had the money for it out of her pocket. He took it and handed the two ice creams, one brown dotted with more brown and another that's a light blue. "Enjoy. Oh, and nice music, there."

"Huh? Oh." The violin was still playing, all by itself. Was he listening? Did he not think it was strange that a violin was playing on its own? Back home people would definitely freak out if they see one. She supposed things are different here, so close to the academy. "Thank you," she mumbled.

Zeke was tugging at her hand. "Yes? Oh, and here's your ice cream." She handed the chocolate one with Zeke, then looked at his eyes. "Hmm, did you find something nice to photograph?"