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Edanith Characters / Rika "Paprika" Vai, Pepper Bandit
« on: March 16, 2022, 05:38:00 pm »
Name

Rika Vai

Aliases

"Paprika"

Age

22

Gender

Female

Species

Human-ish

Ethnicity

Edani, supposedly. Probably some heavy mixed ancestry.

Height

5'8"

Occupation

Rogue mage and Pepper Bandit

Residence

Edanith

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description

As one might expect from an Edani, Rika is relatively light-skinned, although her long days spent out in the Frontier tend to leave her with an ever-present tan. She sports a light, strawberry blond head of hair accompanied by energetic blue eyes and a seemingly perpetual smile. She looks to be a bit on the delicate side, but has started putting on some more muscle as a result of her more recent adventures. Typical of Edani mages, she has a port installed on each of her temples that are supposed to allow her to link to a Mordecai. Truth be told, she hates the damn things and would have dug them out herself long ago if there was a safe way of doing so.

Decidedly not Edani, however, are Rika's feathery wings. She has two pairs of them for a total of four emerging from her back, and they're a pretty dead giveaway that her origins might not be entirely human. They exhibit a variety of vivid colours that resemble those of certain tropical birds. With a mixture of yellow, orange, red, and even some purple, the image of a sunset comes to mind when they're on full display.

Personality

Rika would definitely be considered the "bright and bubbly" type. It's exceedingly difficult to get her down in the dumps for more than a few minutes, and she highly enjoys being in the company of others (regardless of how receptive they are of her presence). She doesn't care much for trading barbs with others, taking all manner of insults without any hint of embarrassment and responding with friendly and nonchalant language until whoever she's "arguing" with realizes the futility of their efforts. She finds that holding grudges only ever seems to make people miserable, and outside of her banditry, she genuinely enjoys finding ways to make people smile.

That said, Rika can certainly be a handful at times. It can be difficult to determine when she's genuinely trying to be friendly, and when she's just playing it up in order to serve some sort of external motive. She's also quite prone to acting on her own impulses when the mood strikes her, and has very little patience for "sitting around and doing nothing", regardless of how important said "sitting around" might actually be. Failure to keep her on a tight leash in delicate situations is a pretty good way to find her getting into some sort of trouble.

Abilities

Flight- Pretty self explanatory. She's damn good at it, too.

Weapons- Rika's not a huge fan of guns. Instead, she typically carries around a bunch of hand-crafted darts to use as weapons. She makes them by attaching sharp pointy bits to her feathers when they end up falling out. Occasionally she might coat them with various substances to make them more effective, but she's hesitant to use some of the more deadly types.

Magic- Rika possesses the ability to summon and control wind- kind of. A chip she's implanted with is supposed to prevent her from being able to use it properly without being linked to a Mordecai, but a recent malfunction in the chip has given her a small amount of control over her abilities. The kind of gusts she's able to create are fairly harmless.

Other stuff

- Really likes wearing bright colours and long, flowing accessories such as scarves. Not always particularly practical, but it looks cool blowing around in the wind which is something she apparently thinks is important.

- Has a fondness for playing cards and tricks involving them (including magic tricks, even though she's kind of horrible at them and doesn't really understand how they're supposed to work). She could probably give people paper cuts by throwing them hard enough and has definitely tossed a full deck in someone's face at some point as part of some hastily-formed getaway scheme.

- Honestly feels a little bad about doing bandit-y things sometimes. She often leaves behind little crafts and trinkets she makes using some of her feathers as a way of offering her apologies.

- Is astonishingly lightweight. Most people could probably lift her without too much difficulty.

Relationships

- Probably has some family members back home who are worried about and/or disappointed in her.

- Relationships to other Pepper Bandits TBD.

History

Rika's affinity for magic was discovered at an early age, and it wasn't long before she was equipped with her chip and mage ports. Despite the generally high standards of care she was given as a mage, the idea of not being allowed control over how she lived her own life never sat particularly well with her. She would generally do what was requested of her without complaining in order to keep people happy, but secretly she resented the whole process and wished desperately for a way to break free from it.

As luck would have it, her wish eventually came to pass. One day, something suddenly changed about her- it seemed that the chip responsible for suppressing her magic and preventing her from leaving her city without permission was malfunctioning, giving her back some degree of control. Figuring that the malfunction might allow her to leave the city, Rika took her chance and made a break for it. Fortunately her theory proved correct, and she quickly fled from sight, making her way out to the Frontier.

Recently, Rika has fallen in with a group calling themselves the "Pepper Bandits", becoming the group's most newest member. It might not be exactly the kind of life she had imagined for herself when she first made her escape, but at the very least, she figures it's better than whatever might be waiting for her back home.


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Aedolis Characters / Violet Gold, Pilot Noble
« on: January 09, 2021, 11:08:27 pm »
Name
Violet Gold

Age
44

Gender
Female

Species
Part Kitsune, part... something else.

Ethnicity
Aedolian

Height
5'6"

Occupation
Pilot Noble. She's a Seeker, although the Inquiry will occasionally call on her for assistance if needed.

Residence
Travica, Aedolis

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description

Although she is capable of making changes to her appearance at will using her Kitsune shifting abilities, she doesn't often find herself in situations where disguising her identity is particularly useful. As such, she mostly keeps to a recognizable base form, albeit with some minor variations depending on her mood. In general, her body could be described as having a sleek and elegant definition- there aren't too many sharp or harsh edges to be found.

Her Kitsune heritage is obvious, with fluffy fox ears and... some amount of tails. She can have a maximum of four tails out at a time, and can shift to change the number visible at any time. Of course, fewer tails is often less trouble, but four is her "default" and what she feels most comfortable with. She'll usually opt to keep as many of them out as she can without causing problems. Her fur colour is, quite fittingly, a deep violet with some subtle hints of blue. Her hair shares this colouration and she enjoys styling it into many different intricate designs (although she definitely cheats a little by using her shifting to help). One part of her body that is decidedly not Kitsune, however, are the dark claws that grow at the tips of her fingers. When required, she can also perform some minor shifting on these in order shift these into some significantly-less-scary-looking nails. She doesn't really have a particular "style" she sticks to when it comes to clothing (other than preferring clothing that can properly accommodate her tails), but whatever she chooses, you can be certain that she'll keep it neat and tidy.

Personality

Violet is, at her core, a perfectionist. She strives to do the absolute best that she can in most everything she attempts, and takes whatever mistakes she makes very seriously- in most situations (if not all), she is her own harshest critic. It's common for her to obsess over improving at something new whenever it is introduced to her, and she can get into some heated competition with anyone willing to take her up on it. She is absolutely the type of person who will put in the effort to push the limits of what is considered "possible" and has the patience to repeat the same thing an inordinate number of times as long as it means seeing some form of improvement. As a result, she has plenty of confidence in her skills (as she should), but she can't shake the feeling that there was something that she could have done better.

You'll never hear her admit it, but Violet has a deep-seated desire for approval. She feels a constant need to prove her own worth to herself and to others, but it shouldn't come too easily- there's nothing that frustrates her more than feeling like someone is going easy on her in order to spare her feelings. She has a difficult time when it comes to accepting help or even gifts from others when she feels that she hasn't "earned" it, and even if you can persuade her to accept something like that, she'll try to find some way to repay it.

Notes

- Is a total caffeine fanatic. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks, even chocolate (especially dark chocolate)... if it's got caffeine, chances are she's a fan of it.
- Her working and living spaces are kept almost obsessively clean and organized. She really doesn't like it when people move her stuff around without her permission.
- Occasionally paints her nails as a form of stress relief- something she did with her dad when she was a kid. She paints them to match the colour of her fur and hair.

Abilities

Retrocognition- Or rather, a specialized version of it. By touching a dead body, Violet can "see" the last few minutes of that person's life. Using this ability leaves her vulnerable while she receives the vision, so she'll typically have backup with her if the situation calls for her to use this. Understandably, using this ability can take a lot out of her- while she's become more or less desensitized to the kinds of things she's seen over the years, it's not the kind of thing that should be used too much over short periods of time.

Telepathy- Fairly strong. She can pick up on surface thoughts easily, but a well-defended mind would pose a significant challenge for her to read.

Enhanced senses- A trait that seems to be linked to her non-Kitsune heritage. They're nothing too crazy, but they'll occasionally help her to pick up on a subtle clue that she might otherwise have missed.

Shape-shifting- A trait common to Kitsune. Using this ability, Violet can change her appearance, which is something that she doesn't typically get too much use out of aside from making some minor adjustments. She can also take the form of a fox, which can useful on occasion for things like getting into smaller places or quickly slipping out of someone's grasp. It also happens to be the form she likes to sleep in. Yes, it's adorable.

Lifespan- Who knows how long? Nobody, that's who.

Relationships

Rose- Violet's adoptive father. He raised her from as early as she can remember and was perhaps a bit too protective of her. It's something that she eventually grew frustrated by and certainly didn't prepare her properly for what would come next. The brutal nature of Candidacy was a massive change from what she had become familiar with from living with Rose. Any sense of entitlement she might have had going in was systematically targeted until none of it remained. In general, Candidacy was really not good for her. While this might not have been entirely Rose's fault, it's something that she ended up unconsciously associating with him. The result of this was a rift in their relationship that would remain until the end of the war, where they started making attempts to patch things up. They're once again on friendly terms now, but it's unlikely that they'll ever be as close as they once were.

Donna- Violet's "aunt". It's not too surprising that Violet visits a lot, considering how close they live to each other and Donna's friendship with Rose. She appreciates Donna's supportive attitude a great deal, but there's a part of her that can't help but feel a little guilty whenever she drops by- almost like she doesn't really deserve the effort and kindness.

History

WIP

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-- Credit for the Kitsune species goes to Zero. --

3
Aedolis Characters / Rose Gold, Pilot Noble
« on: January 07, 2021, 11:28:20 pm »
Name
Rose Gold. His "true" name is Nikola, although for most occasions, he's happy to go by Rose.

Age
77

Gender
Male

Species
Kulshedra

Ethnicity
Aedolian

Height
7'0"

Occupation
Pilot Noble, member of the Amristah Angels.

Residence
Amristah, Aedolis

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description

An imposing figure even for a Kulshedra and an Aedolian, Rose is an absolute behemoth of a man. He stands well above the height of the average citizen and is heavily built to match. Being a Kulshedra, his skin is covered in scales in many of the expected positions- his neck, arms, cheeks, and legs (for reasons that will be explained later, he is missing the usual "gem" of scales and there aren't any scales on most of his upper torso). True to his name, these scales he does still have are coloured a light reddish-pink. His black hair is kept long and often a bit on the messy side, although he'll usually at least take the time to tie some of it back. There is a single (but thick) pink streak running down the middle of his hair, matching the colour of his scales.

It's pretty clear that Rose has had plenty of close calls with danger and even death- many parts of his body are covered or reinforced with metal plates, or have been replaced entirely due to sustaining some particularly grievous injuries over the years. At first glance, the most obvious of these would be his lower jaw and tail. The lower jaw appears to be more or less entirely metallic, with teeth being replaced to match, which can be unsettling or even frightening for those who aren't used to seeing it (not that he cares too much). His tail has been replaced with one built from plates that can slide in and out- in situations where the tail is inconvenient (such as riding a dragon), the plates can slide inwards to reduce the amount of space that the tail takes up. Similar plates can be seen covering his upper torso as well as the backs of his arms, although most of these are considerably less mobile. In the spot where his "gem cluster" would normally be, a rose quartz crystal is socketed into the metal in its place.

Personality

Rose is a person who has seen and been through a lot of shit, and as a result, it's become extremely difficult to get him to lose his cool. Very few things faze him at this point- most insults or other verbal jabs glance straight off of him about as easily as physical blows do (although he's certainly willing to respond with a few teasing jabs of his own when appropriate), and he's very good at remaining grounded and focused in high-pressure situations. He takes pride in being the kind of guy that people can anchor themselves to in stressful times. It makes him happy to help take the load off of someone else when he can.

Rose possesses a very powerful protective instinct, which is something that has only grown stronger since becoming a father. There is very little you could do to him personally that would upset him too much- what hurts him the most by far is watching someone he cares for hurting. He is more than willing to throw himself into danger in order to protect others, and as evidenced from his appearance, he already has. Several times. In fact, it's extremely fortunate that he possesses his particular set of psionics, because it's highly unlikely he would still be alive today if it weren't for them.

Notes

- As a result of all of his metallic bits, mechanical whirrs and clicks can often be heard when he moves around.
- Likes to paint his nails- an activity he did often with his daughter when she was a kid. He paints them a similar colour to his scales.
- Loves terrible jokes and puns.

Abilities

Flyrokinesis- The psionic creation and manipulation of force fields. Rose's force fields are capable of taking heavy beatings, but they're difficult to shape or push too far away from himself. As a result, he uses this ability mainly defensively. His responsibilities as a squad member strongly revolve around this ability- he uses it to get people out of dangerous areas safely, protect the injured until the rest of the squad can get to them, and keep the squad safe while they work.

Telepathy- Decent enough for him to be able to do his job properly.

Aside from that, well, Rose is a tank. He is more than capable of taking some heavy hits even without his psionics, and will absolutely do so if necessary. He also hits like a truck- definitely not the kind of person you want to find yourself facing in close-quarters combat.

Relationships

Violet- Rose's adopted daughter. He raised her from a very young age and they were originally very close, although she grew increasingly frustrated with Rose's overprotectiveness which eventually caused a rift in their relationship. They started working on rebuilding their relationship after the war ended, and are now once again on friendly terms, but it's unlikely that they'll ever be as close as they once were.

Donna- A long-time and close friend. They've bonded closely over their similarities (both physical and otherwise) and Rose makes sure to visit when he gets the chance- and hey, as a bonus, she always makes excellent food! She's probably one of the few people who knows what his "true" name is.

Amristah Angels- His squad. He'd easily take a bullet for any of them, although he gets the feeling that Blu doesn't like him all that much. It's not something that bothers him too much, though.

History

maybe later :v

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4
Advanced Training Complex / Re: Hooked on a Feeling (Goblin)
« on: October 18, 2018, 10:22:44 am »
Vanessa's strongest psionic ability may have been empathy, but she hardly needed to use it to interpret Shale's reaction this time around- his brief change of facial expression was pretty much a dead giveaway to what he was feeling. It helped to confirm her theory about what exactly was going on with him, but his actual answer didn't didn't give her much to work with. It was interesting to learn that he was related to Cinnamon, sure, but he hadn't left her much room to continue that line of questioning, and she couldn't help but frown a little.

"What am I studying? Um, well, my next class is on psionic theory. I guess there's a lot of Candidates who think it's really difficult or boring, but to tell the truth... I'm actually really enjoying it so far. I think it's interesting to learn about, but maybe that's just me. Speaking of my next class, though..."

Around them, the hallways of the ATC were beginning to come to life. Candidates of all stages chattered amongst themselves as they made their way to their next scheduled classes, and the murmuring coming from the nearest classroom indicated that Pilot Noble Royal Bloom was just about finished with her demonstration.

“…I should probably get going if I want to get to class on time. If I could share how I feel, though… I think if you really want to grow closer with someone, you should do what you can to try and make that happen. Making plans, sending a few messages… it doesn’t have to be anything too crazy, just enough to show that you care. And maybe that won’t always work out in the end, and maybe you will just end up as acquaintances, but maybe you won’t. I think the best thing to do is to take that chance when it presents itself, because… well, I’ve learned that it can easily slip away if you don’t take it.”

Vanessa’s frown deepened a little, but she caught herself this time and quickly reset back to a neutral expression. Her attention was completely directed towards Shale, waiting for him to either offer a response or simply dismiss her- the latter may not have been strictly necessary, but it was certainly impolite to walk away from a Pilot who wasn’t finished speaking with you.

5
Haviah / Final Examination [Solo]
« on: October 12, 2018, 04:51:43 pm »
Even as Vanessa found herself standing atop the wide expanses of the Aerie, she frankly found it pretty hard to believe the situation she found herself in. The past few years of her Candidacy had flown by incredibly quickly, and the fact that she was now Stage 5 and about to be picked by a freaking Dragon felt almost like a dream. The last year (and her experience in Stage 4) in particular had seemed to go by almost suspiciously quickly, but she could think of at least a couple reasons why that might be. The first would be that she'd been working extra hard in every area of her studies since most of her friends had graduated- she couldn't stand being so far behind everyone else, not anymore. The second reason was something beyond her control, and also something she couldn't be one hundred percent sure about, but she suspected it to be the case nonetheless. It was a rare occurrence, but every once in a while, she could feel a sort of aura of negative emotion floating around the ATC. It was as if the Pilots were all uptight about something, but for whatever reason, they wouldn't say what it was.

Something had to be happening out there, something big, and she was convinced that it played some part in how she had moved up through the levels so quickly. It seemed that it was in the Dragons' best interest for her to graduate as soon as possible... if she was indeed going to graduate today.

If she did end up graduating, then of course she would go on to become a Pilot. The plan was for her to become a Pilot therapist, and that was a thought that filled her with hope- for as long as Vanessa could remember, she had always wanted to find a way to help other people with her gift of empathy, and working as a therapist would be a great way to achieve that goal. On the other hand, if she didn't graduate, then... well, she'd heard a few horror stories about what happened when a Dragon wasn't satisfied with someone, and the details were not pretty. This was a thought that filled her with dread, so overall, she really didn't have a clue what she should be feeling. It was an exciting moment, yes, but it was hard to recall a time where she'd ever felt more anxious then she did right now.

Regardless of what happened today, though, it was fairly safe to say that this would be her last day as a Candidate... for better or for worse. That meant that she wouldn't be around to help any of her friends left at the ATC anymore, or at least she wouldn't be able to do it as often, and that was sort of a worrying thought. She did have faith in them all to excel in the rest of their Candidacy and graduate just as her other friends had, but it was seemingly impossible for her to be rid of the small bit of doubt that remained in the back of her mind.

Right now, though, her first and foremost concern was making sure she didn't disappoint her Dragon and making it through the day in one piece. All of her other thoughts and concerns would have to wait until later.

The Aerie was surprisingly empty that day. There weren't very many Dragons around at all, and the ones that showed themselves seemed to be intentionally keeping a fair bit of distance away from her. Truth be told, she didn't actually have a clue which one was supposed to be hers. She'd simply been instructed to stand at this spot and wait for them to arrive, and she wasn't about to go and disobey a direct order- not from a Pilot, and especially not a Dragon.

Sure enough, one of the Dragons she spotted in the distance eventually stood up and started to slowly make his way over to her. As the beast approached, Vanessa could make out more and more details about his body, and soon she had a much clearer idea of what she was dealing with. She knew that every Dragon had at least some mechanical aspect to them, but this one took that element to the extreme. In fact, she couldn't point out any point of his body that wasn't some sort of metal plate or mechanical contraption. Surely he still had some biological parts- he was still a Dragon, after all- but wherever they were, they must have been completely buried underneath its metallic shell.

The Dragon continued to advance, closing the distance between itself and Vanessa until they were almost uncomfortably close before finally coming to a halt. He then simply stood there for a while, eyes that seemed like nothing more than glowing lights staring into hers, before suddenly blowing a small puff of smoke (or was it steam?) from his nostrils and sending its thoughts into her mind.

"Candidate Vanessa Corriveau. I don't think I need to explain to you why you're here, but perhaps I will, for the sake of formality. I have summoned you here because I think you are ready to become a Pilot. This will be your final examination. It is up to you to either prove me right and pass, or prove me wrong and fail. Pass, and you and I will become bonded- I will be your Dragon, and you, my Pilot. If you fail... then neither I, nor any of the other Dragons, will have any further use for you. Do I make myself clear?"

There wasn't much Vanessa could do but simply nod in response. She had figured those would be the stakes going in, and she didn't have have a good reason to disagree with the Dragon's terms, nor was she stupid enough to attempt it.

"Very well. I will begin by inspecting your body, then. You will not move or speak unless I tell you to."

With that, the huge beast began to slowly circle her body, his claws occasionally extending to lift up an arm or brush aside her hair. It made her incredibly uncomfortable and tense, admittedly, and part of her couldn't help but question why he felt the need to do this. Every Candidate had files containing all of their information, so if something was wrong with her body, surely the Dragon would have known by now. Considering she had passed all of her previous exams and finished her drills just as well as anyone else, there shouldn't have been anything wrong, either. So why did he insist on poking at her like this?

Eventually, the Dragon stopped circling and came to a stop behind her, laying back down on the ground and gently taking hold of each of her wings in his claws. Suddenly, his voice once again filled her thoughts.

"Now, these... these are interesting. It's not very often that you see a human with wings. Some Pilots end up getting them amputated, you know. They have a bad habit of getting in the way of things, and some of them don't even serve any purpose. A few of them are particularly sensitive. Yours, for example..."

Vanessa really didn't like what the Dragon was suggesting, nor did she like the way that he seemed to be tightening his grip. However, she didn't get to dwell on her thoughts for very long before they were overtaken by the sudden stabbing pain of his claws sinking themselves into her wings. To say it hurt like hell was putting it lightly, and it took every bit of willpower she could summon to stop herself from crying out or trying to move herself away. Doing so would mean disobeying the Dragon's orders, and as much as she wanted to get the hell away from him, she really didn't want to experience firsthand what it was like to fail the test.

"...I see. It seems that you indeed know your place, Candidate Corriveau. That's a good sign."

The Dragon finally removed his claws from her wings, providing her with a small amount of relief. They still hurt, of course, but it was a little better now that they weren't actively being dug into. It also helped somewhat that she was slowly being overcome by a strange feeling of exhaustion and numbness- she didn't know when it had started, but somehow it had made its way all over her body, pushing her to give in to sleep. She fought desperately against it, willing herself to stay awake, but it eventually became too much to bear and her consciousness slipped away from her.

By the time she came to, everything felt sore. Her body, especially her wings, and even her head was filled with a dull throbbing pain. It was a sickening feeling, and it wasn't about to get any better, because when she opened her eyes...

...She was high up. Really high up. She couldn't fathom how exactly she'd gotten all the way up her, but it was high enough that she knew a fall from this height would likely kill her. This time, she couldn't help but let out a cry and began to flail around in panic, but the sensation of the Dragon's claws abruptly jabbing into her chest quickly brought her back to reality. It wasn't enough to draw blood this time around, but it was enough to remind her of her situation and get her to stop squirming.

"Calm down, Candidate, unless you want me to put you to sleep again before I drop you. Make no mistake, this is still a part of your test. I figured it would be easier to get you up here while you were asleep, rather than while you were awake. It wouldn't do for you to struggle and accidentally slip out of my grip, now, would it?"

Of course it wouldn't, but she couldn't help but feel that the alternative wasn't much better.

"I'm going to give you a choice, Candidate. In a few moments, I am going to let go of you, and it will be up to you to decide what happens next. Whether you fight for your life with every ounce of energy you have or give in and accept your fate... that is your choice."

This wasn't happening. It had to be a dream, right? It was a nightmare, and in a few moments, she would wake up in her bed like nothing had happened. Or maybe he was going to drop her, but you always woke up before you hit the ground, right? That's what always happened in dreams, right?

That's what she wanted to believe, but no matter how much she willed herself to wake up, the world around her refused to shift into something more reasonable. She desperately wanted to believe that none of this was really happening, but reality was not so easily bent to her will...

And then the Dragon released his grip on her, and it seemed like time itself had suddenly slowed to a crawl.

This... this really was it, wasn't it? Vanessa had never learned how to use her wings to their full potential, whatever that might have been. It wasn't something that her instructors had particularly cared to go over, and she hadn't had nearly enough practice to learn how to do it on her own time. What little she knew shouldn't be enough to help her survive a fall from this height. And yet, she couldn't help but feel...

For everyone she helped, and everyone that she couldn't...

For those who believed in her now, and those who would rely on her in the future...

And for herself...

She couldn't die here. It was simply impossible. She refused to let that happen.

At that moment, it felt like every last bit of emotion she'd buried deep within herself during her Candidacy came surging to the surface. Anger and fear, yes, but there was also something else, something more powerful.

Determination.

It filled her with a burst of strength that even she herself didn't know she was capable of, and before she knew it, her wings were beating wildly in a desperate attempt to stay airborne. She didn't really know what she expected to achieve, nor did she care- the only thing she cared about was making sure she was still alive when she hit the ground. Sure enough, as she continued her descent and exerted every bit of energy she could summon, her speed was being cut down significantly. By the time she reached the ground, she was going slow enough that she was able to land on her feet and even stand up for a second before succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing to the ground.

The Dragon landed near her a moment later and immediately made his way back over to her. Vanessa started to pick herself off the ground in an attempt to stand at attention, but her efforts were halted as he placed a claw atop her head and lowered her back down to her knees.

"Relax. You don't have anything to worry about now. The test is finished, and I don't intend to hurt you again unless you give me a reason to."

It was kind of an unreasonable request to ask her to relax given the circumstances, but she wasn't about to argue with him about it.

"There's no need to look so down. In fact, you should be happy, as I have officially decided to make you my Pilot. Normally, this would be when I establish my psionic bond with you, but... well, to tell the truth, I already took care of that while you were asleep. We're already bonded- from now on, you are my Pilot, and I am your Dragon. I'm sure you're aware that I don't owe you an explanation for what just happened, but I do think you deserve one, so I'll give it to you anyways. Listen well."

"You may have guessed this by now, but this whole test didn't actually have much to do with your physical capabilities. I already knew everything I needed to know about that from your files. No, this was more of more of a test of will than anything else. The will to keep on pushing onwards, even when it hurts to do so. We can't afford to have Pilots who give up the moment they are faced with a challenge.

"The truth is, someone like you... you don't have it in you to take someone else's life. And perhaps that's fine- I don't have any plans for you to see combat. But that doesn't mean you aren't going to hurt. Some of the Pilots you'll be dealing with have felt pain beyond what many people could imagine- considering your abilities, you'll have to be able to deal with feeling at least a portion of that. So, I decided to show the worst of it to you right away. You’ll be better prepared now that you have a better idea of what you could be dealing with.

”I didn’t plan on letting you die from that fall, by the way. I was prepared to catch you if you weren’t able to slow yourself down, but you looked like you were handling the situation well enough, so I left you be. But I really don’t care whether or not you can actually fly with those things. What matters to me is that you at least put in the effort to try. I doubt your wings will come in much use in the future, but I will allow you to keep them if you want. Consider it your reward for passing the test.

”…That should be everything. You have a week to do as you wish before you begin your work as a Pilot. I suggest you use that time to recover and familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. We will keep in touch through our psionic bond, but if all goes well, we won’t be meeting in person again for the foreseeable future.”

With that, the metal-clad Dragon removed his claw from atop her head, turned around, and began wandering back into the expanses of the Aerie, leaving Vanessa alone with her thoughts. Considering how exhausted she was, it was impossible for her to process everything that had just happened to her, let alone the fact that she was now a Pilot. The only thing she could bring herself to think about was how incredibly tired she was. The sudden drowsy feeling from before combined with her burst of athleticism had left her completely drained of energy, and she soon collapsed back to the ground, slipping out of consciousness for the second time that day.

6
Tynova / Re: Silver Linings [Cinnabun]
« on: August 31, 2018, 09:01:15 pm »
Judging by his reaction when he first opened the door, the Mordecai seemed to be intrigued by Clair's appearance. This was another one of those things that she’d gotten more used to over the years, and she’d more or less just come to terms with it by now. It was no secret that she looked a bit off in comparison to your average Edani woman, and that naturally led to more than her fair share of strange looks. She couldn’t really blame them for being curious about something that even she wasn’t too sure about, though, and it typically didn’t go any further than that- most people knew better than to purposefully upset a mage.

This Mordecai, on the other hand, was… well, he was definitely Edani. There wasn’t too much about his looks that particularly jumped out at her, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing- it gave him a sense of familiarity that made her just a bit more comfortable around him, even if they’d never actually met before.

“Neighbor…? Well, I suppose you could call it that. I do live in the building, if that’s what you’re asking. My room is actually a few floors up, but that’s hardly relevant at the moment.” Averting her gaze for a moment to briefly inspect whatever parts of the room she could see from her position, Clair made note of a few items that she figured belonged to the Mordecai. There wasn’t much, but at least there was something.

“I was told you would be arriving earlier today, but I didn’t want to get in the way of your unpacking. You’re the Mordecai that just transferred here, correct? If that’s the case…” She held out her arm towards him, offering a handshake. “…allow me to introduce myself. My name is Clair, and as you’ve probably figured, I’m a mage. We’re going to be working together for the foreseeable future.”

Her words might have sounded almost like they were rehearsed, and in truth, they might as well have been. There were only so many ways you could say the same thing before you started to fall into a pattern.

7
Tynova / Re: Silver Linings [Cinnabun]
« on: August 19, 2018, 07:45:13 pm »
Getting herself acquainted with a new Mordecai was an activity that Clair had gotten much too familiar with over the years. It was something that happened much more often than she would have liked, and a change of partner often resulted in her having to move to a new location. It could get tiring after a while, and since it was something Clair had been dealing with for as long as she could remember, it was fair to say that she'd gotten a bit sick of it.

Of course, she didn't blame anyone for the unfortunate situation she often found in. It was important for mages and Mordecai to work well together, especially in a case like hers where the nature of her job and the volatility of her magic could easily result in someone getting hurt or killed if anything went wrong. It was only natural that finding someone who was a good fit for her wouldn't be a simple task.

Having to move around all the time still took its toll, though, which was why Clair was relieved to learn that she'd be staying put this time around. Her last partnership had led her to the city of Tynova, and she'd finally begun to get used to living there, so the news that her new partner would be moving here had come as a pleasant surprise.

It would be for the best if they could synergize well this time around and actually stay partners, but she wasn't about to get her hopes too high.

That being said, she was going to do whatever she could to eat least try to make it work, and despite all the hardships that came with changing partners, it was always exciting to meet whoever the next one happened to be. For now, all she needed to worry about was introducing herself.

She'd been notified of the Mordecai's arrival in the building a while earlier, but decided against going over to meet them right away- chances were that they already had enough on their plate with getting unpacked and settling in. She didn't want their first meeting to be an overwhelming one, and so she ended up spending an hour or so in her apartment before deciding to make her way over to her new partner's.

She briefly considered getting herself all dressed up, but quickly thought better of it- it wasn't like she was always going to have the time and energy to make herself look perfect, especially not with a job like hers.

A few minutes later, Clair found herself at the door to where she was fairly certain her partner was staying. Giving the door a knock (and producing a few small jingles from her bracelets as she did so), she took a step back and patiently awaited a response, silently hoping she wasn't interrupting anything.

8
Advanced Training Complex / Re: Hooked on a Feeling (Goblin)
« on: August 15, 2018, 10:21:58 am »
It was probably a good thing that Shale decided to keep his mouth from opening up too much. If Vanessa wasn't already a bit nervous around him, then seeing him do something like that would definitely do it. As far as she could tell, though, he didn't have any intention of doing her harm, which was admittedly kind of a relief. It definitely made her more comfortable talking to him.

"Candidate Corriveau, sir," she replied, returning his smile and giving him a quick salute. It wouldn't do not to show a Pilot the proper respect, especially not when she was trying to make a good first impression. "And I am well! Mostly. Maybe a little stressed out, but nothing too out of the ordinary."

Okay, maybe that was a lie. She wasn't doing that well, but now was hardly the time to dwell on that. Right now, she needed to do what she could to help someone else- maybe then she could start to feel better about her own situation.

While Shale might not have exactly been clear about which Pilot he was waiting for, it wasn't too difficult to figure out who it was. The Harpies were well known for their presentations at the ATC, and she'd picked up on some chatter earlier about Pilot Noble Royal Bloom being scheduled to visit today. Come to think of it, Royal was also a Kulshedra, wasn't she? And considering that the species had a tendency to be on the possessive side... this might be something more than just a little crush.

"You get to work with the Harpies? That must be pretty great! I mean, they're all so cool, and strong, and brave..." she glanced over at the door to the room where the presentation was being held, then back at Shale. "...I hope you don't mind me being curious, but do you ever get to spend time with any of them? Outside of work, I mean."

9
Edanith Characters / Clair, Storm Mage
« on: August 11, 2018, 03:43:33 pm »
QUICK STATS

Name
Clair. To her knowledge, she’s never been given a last name.

Age
26

Gender
Female

Species
Human. Probably. Maybe?

Ethnicity
Questionable.

Height
5’7”

Occupation
Battlemage

Residence
Tynova

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Clair can be an odd sight to behold. Light-grey hair and similarly coloured eyes makes her seem almost drained of colour, unless her clothing provides a splash of it (which doesn’t happen all that often). She’s pretty well built, which is apparent when she’s dressed for work, but less so when she’s off duty as she favours clothes that are comfortable and sometimes just a bit too big for her. She also has a particular fondness for jewellery, often wearing rings, bracelets, and necklaces, but nothing that requires a piercing. Anything that jingles or produces other subtle noises as it moves is a bonus- she loves those things.

Personality
In general, Clair tends to be on the more reserved side. While she does do a lot of thinking, it’s not very often that those thoughts end up as spoken words, not unless she deems them “important enough” to say. It can be difficult to get her to open herself up to conversation, and as a result, she maintains a bit of a cold aura about her. That’s not to say it’s impossible to have a pleasant conversation with her, as she still does what she can to be polite, but it’s not going to be easy to pry personal information from her.

Her status as a mage is something that Clair has mixed feelings about. While it’s comforting to know that there will always be people looking out for her and making sure she’s well taken care of, it’s also difficult to shake the feeling that she’s a constant burden on those around her. Because of this, it’s rare to see her complain even if something is seriously bothering her. Best not to have people not worry any more than they already do.

While she doesn’t enjoy every part of her job, she does it anyways out of a sense of duty (and, to be perfectly honest, it’s not like she has a choice). It’s the least she can do to pay them back for taking care of her, and it’s the most practical use of her abilities, as much as she might wish this weren’t the case. She just hopes it never gets to the point where she loses control of her magic.

Magic/Abilities
Storm Magic- A strange sort of amalgamation of lightning, wind, and (to a lesser extent) water magic. Her magic is definitely more focused around power than control, making it a far better destructive force than a constructive one. While formidable to begin with, the raw power of her magic grows over time if it isn’t being suppressed, becoming increasingly more difficult to control as it does. Since it’s generally in everyone’s best interest to keep her from getting to the point where she completely loses control of it, the limits of her magic haven’t really been made clear.

Relationships
Most of Clair’s relationships consist of her caretakers and her Mordecai partners. She’s had a few over the years.

History
Not much is known about Clair’s early years. What is known is that she was found as a young girl out on the Frontier, being used as a battery to help power one of the terraforming towers. Typically, mages in her situation tend to be overlooked or forgotten about, but she was one of the lucky few who ended up being found and freed. Less fortunate, however, was the fact that she didn’t seem to recall anything about where she came from or even who she was- not even a name. With no apparent family to go back to, she was handed over to the government of Edanith, where she was effectively raised by them through Mordecai and other caretakers. One of them helped her come up with names until she decided on one she liked, which she still has to this day.

Due to the destructive capabilities of her magic, Clair was trained to be a battlemage so she could put it to good use. She’s gotten pretty capable over the years, training with several Mordecai- due to the fluctuating power of her magic and the stressful nature of her job, it was difficult to find one who was a good fit for her. Her frequent transfers have led her to Tynova, where she seems to be staying… at least for now.

THREAD TRACKER
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10
Her... "genetic profile"? Axia could hazard a guess as to what that meant, and it didn't exactly make her feel too much better about the whole situation. She couldn't, however, be sure about how Kranath intended to go about getting what he needed, or how exactly he was going to use it to bring back the dead. If it was something that couldn't be done on Cancer, but rather required her to go with him to gods-knew-where, chances were that it was going to be some weird mad scientist type shit that she wouldn't trust most people with, let alone Kranath. It wasn't nearly as bad as actually having sex with him, to be fair, but it still didn't sound like something she would be particularly comfortable with.

Then again, though, what choice did she really have but to hear him out? If he was telling the truth, and he really did want to try to bring the old dragons back, then she might very well be dooming her own species to extinction if she turned down his request. On the other hand, if he was still the same dragon she knew him to be all those years ago, then it was probably a bad idea to let him go free without at least trying to figure out what he was up to. Either way, as much as she hated to admit it to herself, cooperating with him seemed to be the best course of action, at least for now. Of course, that didn't mean that she had to be particularly happy about it.

"Okay, look. If you're being genuine about your intentions, then believe me, I want to save our species as much as you do, but you can't blame me for being skeptical. I don't have any reason to believe anything you have to say, other than simply hoping that it's true. And I'm not about to run into your arms, completely defenceless, not unless you start giving me some real reasons to trust you."

She stared up into his eye, trying to gather whatever information she could from the elder dragon's expressions. His ever-present smile, while probably meant to help keep her calm, didn't do much for her except look a little... off-putting. Something about the person that she probably hated the most in the whole universe looking genuinely happy to see her just didn't sit right with her.

"...and you can start by wiping that damn grin off of your face. It's creepy as hell."

11
Libra Characters / Camilla Vera, Solo Pilot
« on: March 28, 2018, 10:50:55 am »
QUICK STATS

Name

Camilla Vera. She'll also accept "Cammy" or "Cam".
Goes by "Blue" online.

Age

28

Gender

Female

Species

Harpy thing :l

Ethnicity

Libran

Height

5'8"

Occupation

Solo pilot

Residence

Libra

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description

Well... being that she's a harpy, or at least very close to being one, the first thing about her that tends to catch people's attention are her more birdlike features. Her wings exist as part of her arms, and their size (along with the fact that she's remarkably lightweight) allows her to fly for short periods of time. They're also really good at knocking things over... usually unintentionally. Her feathers sport varying shades of blue, starting with a light baby blue along the edges and growing darker the closer they are to her arms. She makes it a point to clean and maintain them on a regular basis, so it's a rare sight to see any of them out of line. Her hands are mostly humanoid, except for her nails which are sharpened to the point where they almost resemble claws. Her feet also closely resemble a birds; they are dark, scaly, and digitigrade, with the toes ending in claws (or, perhaps more appropriately, talons). Each foot has four toes, with two of them pointing forwards and the other two pointing backwards. A neat little trick she can perform is rotating her back toes so that all of them are pointing forwards.

Other than those features, Camilla appears to be mostly human. She has energetic yellow eyes and navy blue hair that she allows to grow a bit past shoulder length- while she does take to styling it every now and then during her time off, there are other times when she'll simply leave it be, and it's one of the only things about her body that she doesn't really mind getting "messy".  She favours bright, colourful clothing to complement her feathers. Seeing as her feet are rather... difficult to work with when it comes to footwear, and the fact that she can usually move faster in the air than she can on the ground, she typically doesn't bother with shoes.

Personality

Camilla has a very clear idea in her head of what is "right" and what is "wrong", and it can be very difficult to get her to change her opinion on something important to her. She knows what is best for her in any given situation, and would probably have you believe that she knows what's best for you, too. In her mind, almost every person has something unique that they can offer to the universe, and while she recognizes that not everyone is willing- or able- to express that part of themselves, she's typically willing to help them to do just that... as long as it's on her terms, of course. There are a few types of people who she considers to be lost causes, though. You can't really help someone who isn't willing to help themselves.

...at least, that's how she is when she's on duty. Her off-duty personality is a fair bit more relaxed and playful, tending to avoid darker subjects and getting "too real" if she can help it. She enjoys teasing people on occasion- not usually anything hurtful enough to seriously upset someone unless she feels like they deserve it.

She's generally very alert of what's going around her, so when something does manage to surprise her, the results can be a bit... drastic. Sneak up on her at your own risk.

Magic/Abilities

She can flyyyyy. : D

...other than that, she has pretty fantastic control over her voice. She can use it to produce a wonderful melody, or to make REALLY LOUD AND ANNOYING SCREECHING NOISES, and pretty much anything in between, without much risk of damaging it.

Her feathers are coated with a clear, oily substance that, while it has a pleasant aroma to it, tastes incredibly bitter and is toxic in large enough doses. It also helps to prevent her wings from being held on to, with most attempts to grab them resulting in the attacker's hands simply sliding off.

Relationships

? ? ?

History

WIP

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12
Advanced Training Complex / Hooked on a Feeling (Goblin)
« on: March 19, 2018, 09:38:57 pm »
For the most part, it seemed to Vanessa that the past few months had just... happened to her. Like she was simply an observer, watching herself perform the same daily routine over and over again. It had been quite the emotional roller coaster, with too many ups and downs to count, and at some point she'd more or less started to go on autopilot. At least it was better than letting her emotions rule her and tear her apart from the inside, which would have been a real possibility if it weren't for Alec's guidance. Gods knew where she would be if she didn't have the support of her friends and mentors to keep her sane.

Of course, it wasn't like she could completely block out all of her feelings, even if she wanted to. That would require total control over her psionics, which clearly wasn't something she was able to accomplish just yet. As such, there were a few things that managed to sneak their way through the cracks in the wall she'd built for herself. Every time someone left the ATC, it stirred up some rather... bittersweet feelings inside her, ones that she wasn't sure she should be having. Of course she was glad to see her friends succeed and move on to do great things, but it also felt like each one of them that left was taking a piece of her with them.

At least she could find peace in the fact that she would be able to see all of them again once she graduated. Except for... no. No, no, no. She wasn't going to think about that anymore. It wasn't... good to think about that.

The past little while hadn't all been doom and gloom, however. There always seemed to be new faces showing up at the ATC, and that meant more people to befriend. More people that she could offer her help to, and if necessary, more shoulders to cry on. She desperately wanted to reach out and start putting her empathy to use once again, but right now, she needed kind of push.

Well, it turned out that this push would come fairly soon, although it would come from a rather unlikely source.

A particularly strong surge of emotion made its way into Vanessa's mind, pushing aside whatever thoughts had been running through it at that moment and disrupting her daily routine of walking from class to class without paying much attention to whatever was happening around her. It was a familiar feeling to her, and one that some might argue should be left alone. But what if someone really did need help, and she was supposed to be the one to offer it?

Well, she did have a bit of free time before her next class started. It couldn't hurt to check it out, at least.

The source of the wave of emotion appeared to be a man who was... well, he was a little scary-looking. It wasn't the lizard-like features that made her nervous, but rather the fact that he was practically twice her size and looked like he could probably lift her easily with one hand. Vanessa's instincts urged her to not get involved and just keep on walking, but her heart pleaded for her to stay. Appearances could be deceiving, and what good were her abilities if she wasn't going to use them to their fullest? So, taking a few deep breaths to keep herself calm and clear her mind, the small girl approached the giant of a man.

"Um... excuse me, sir. I don't mean to intrude, but you looked a little down and I wanted to make sure that you're alright. Is there anything I can do to help? Something you're looking for, maybe?"

Of course, she already had a pretty good idea about what was bothering him, but bringing it up right away would probably just make him more uncomfortable... and it would be kinda creepy.

13
Advanced Training Complex / Reflection [Solo]
« on: December 01, 2017, 11:51:28 pm »
Vanessa couldn't recall the last time that she really felt... alone. Not since she'd begun her life as a Candidate and entered the ATC, anyways. Between drills, classes, meals, and even free time, there was pretty much always someone else around to interact with. Hell, even at nighttime when nearly everything was dead quiet, she'd always had a roommate to keep her company. Even if they didn't actually say anything to her, she would always be aware of their presence. Pick up on what they were thinking. What they were feeling. It could be a bit of a nuisance sometimes, but over time, she'd gotten so used to that sensation that it somehow felt... comforting. So much so that not feeling someone else's emotions floating around actually felt strange.

Unfortunately, that was the situation that she now found herself in. Alone. Vanessa lay on her bed, one arm and wing draped lazily over its edge as she stared across the room at the bed that had previously belonged to Aspen. Once. But not anymore.

She couldn't really blame Aspen for moving up, of course. Nor did she really want to- in fact, Vanessa was happy for her for the most part! The more people that graduated, the better, and of course she was glad that her friend was able to succeed in part of her training. Aspen had really come a long way when it came to working together and cooperating with others, which of course was what Stage 3 was all about. There was no doubt in her mind that her roommate deserved to move up.

...

But at the same time... another part of her was pretty torn up about the whole thing. Why didn't Aspen ever tell her that she was testing up? Was she just... afraid of hurting Vanessa's feelings? Or worried that she wouldn't pass her exam? Or maybe she was just so focused on studying and preparing herself that it had simply slipped her mind? Well, whatever the reason was, it didn't really matter now. What mattered was that Aspen had passed, and she was in another room now, and that was that.

...

Now that she thought about it, the room really was... empty now that she was its sole occupant. Vanessa spared a quick glance around the room, spotting her headphones and books tucked away in the corner, but not much else. Most of the assorted trinkets that had previously called this room their home had belonged to Aspen, given to her on various occasions by her friends... friends that had also been moving up at an alarming rate. This was... probably how Aspen felt when their friends started graduating, right? Probably.

...

...

...She supposed it for the best that everyone else was moving up- Vanessa didn't have much to offer them anyways. She was a terrible friend, even if she was genuinely trying to make things better. She could tell that Matt had only pretended to be happier for her sake, and for all she knew, she'd only made him feel worse. And as for what had happened to Aspen... she should have told someone about it as soon as she'd found out. If she'd just done that, maybe less people would've gotten hurt in the end. Maybe Garza wouldn't have... have...

...

...Gods, she was so useless. She couldn't help anyone or keep them from fighting with each other, even with an ability that seemed to be specifically tailored towards accomplishing those tasks. If she couldn't even do that, then what on earth was she good for? She was going to be an awful Pilot, and that was assuming she would graduate in the first place.

...

She couldn't hold it in anymore. The built up emotions that she'd accumulated over the course of her stay at the ATC finally began to boil over, and before she knew it, she was in tears. Crying was something that Vanessa had learned to avoid at all costs- not only did it give off the impression that you were weak, and an easy target, but it also made the people who cared about you get all worked up. But right here, right now, none of that really mattered. Not while she was alone.

...

...

She wasn't really sure how long she cried for- just that at one point, she'd gotten sick of it and forced herself to stop. Pilots weren't supposed to cry, right? So what hope did she have of graduating if she couldn't keep her emotions in check as a Candidate? Not a very good one, surely. That was just one of those things that she would have to work on, she decided. Maybe then she would be able to actually help people. Like she'd been doing with Tink, for example; even if she didn't really use her psionics in doing so, she hoped that whatever guidance she'd been able to provide to the Stage 2 candidate was enough to help her through to the next stage. Hoped. Because while she did want to have complete faith in her friend's ability to pass, there was always a chance of something going wrong.

...

...It wasn't a good idea to be thinking about those sorts of things, though. What she needed now was to get some sleep, clear her mind, then work on making things better starting tomorrow. Finally shifting herself from the position she'd been in for gods-knew-how-long, Vanessa reached her arm out towards the light switch on the other side of the room, concentrating on it intensely until she'd eventually generated enough telekinetic force to flip the switch, plunging the room into darkness. A few seconds later and she'd tucked herself into the bed's covers, the blankets resting gently against her back and wings as her arms wrapped themselves around her pillow.

...Tomorrow was another day. Right?

...

...

...................

14
The Cancer / Fancy Meeting YOU Here (Cheesi)
« on: November 27, 2017, 09:50:46 pm »
Rumours could be a powerful thing. They were capable of convincing an untold number of people into believing and acting upon information that may or may not actually have any foundation in reality. They could be very dangerous in that way, leading to drastic actions being taken for potentially no reason at all, so when Axia happened to come across this particular rumour, she decided to investigate it personally before deciding what to do about it. After all, there wasn't much sense in getting her hands bloody if there was no reason to get all worked up in the first place...

...but if this rumour was true, her hands were about to be very, very bloody.

The rumour in question was concerning a certain group of black market dealers that had recently surfaced in one of the... less regulated areas of the Cancer. That alone wasn't really a surprise- the ship had a bit of a reputation for being a den for all sorts of criminals, and Axia was no stranger to dealing with some of the more unsavoury types that had made the ship their home. No, the surprising part was what they were supposedly selling. Apparently they dealt in rare animal parts (which, again, wasn't all that surprising), but the thing that got to her was that they were apparently dealing in dragon parts as well.

It sounded ridiculous, of course. Dragons were pretty much exclusive to Aedolis (with a few exceptions, of course), and trying to hunt a dragon there was practically suicide (as if hunting dragons wasn't suicidal in the first place). The whole dragon-parts-thing was probably a lie constructed to draw attention or swindle some poor sucker out of their money, but if there was a chance that there were other dragons out there, suffering just so that these sick bastards could make a few credits... well, that just wasn't something that she could let slide. Besides, even if they weren't hunting dragons, they were probably doing something equally as messed up. In any case, she wouldn't know exactly what they were guilty of until she'd looked into them personally.

The dealers' hideout was pretty much exactly how Axia expected it to be- dark, skeevy, and generally an unpleasant place to be around. She couldn't see much of the inside, as much of it was obscured by the rather hastily-constructed entrance, walls constructed from what appeared to be various bits of scrap metal. A lone, cloaked figure stood at the entrance, presumably placed there to greet potential customers. In hindsight, Axia would have done well to have been more cautious- because what were the odds of just one person guarding the entrance?- but at the moment, caution wasn't exactly her foremost concern.

The figure, presumably taken aback by her rather unique appearance, simply stood in silence as Axia stormed up to them. By the time they were able to start saying anything, it was already too late- the dragon had already planted her fist firmly into their chest, winding them, and they were almost immediately knocked unconscious by a second blow, this time to the head. The finishing blow was dealt by a partially-shifted hand rather than a fully human or draconic one; not quite heavy enough to kill, but enough to incapacitate them for quite some time. Would probably leave a pretty wicked scar, too, but hey, they probably deserved that.

Stepping over the now-unconscious body, Axia took her first few steps into the hideout and immediately began scoping the place out. The first thing she noticed was that the place was surprisingly spacious inside, having enough room to store perhaps hundreds of crates, indicating that there was probably a lot more people involved in the operation than she'd initially thought. The second thing she noticed was that everything was still pretty dark, which she quickly remedied by allowing the scales on one of her arms to light up and using them as a makeshift flashlight. The light produced allowed her to see more of the crates, and... and... oh, shit.

She dove behind a nearby crate just in time to avoid the sudden spray of bullets fired from one of the dealers that had previously been lurking in the shadows. All was quiet for a moment after that, but the silence was shortly broken by some faint murmuring in the distance. She couldn't quite make out everything they were saying, but she heard enough to get the general idea- something about "trying not to mess up the scaly bits"- which made sense considering what their job was. Honestly, though, they would probably be much better off if they just tried to fill her full of bullet holes. Well, that was their loss.

That being said, it wasn't like Axia could just ignore them and go on with her search... not unless she wanted her own body to be the next thing for sale, at least. They needed to be dealt with, not only because they were getting in her way, but also because they deserved to be punished. Lighting up her scales once again, Axia allowed her arms to begin shifting towards their draconic counterparts and stuck one of them out from behind the crate, releasing a blinding flash of light that temporarily lit up the entire hideout.

That particular moment may have been focused on light, but the ensuing panic was more full of noise than anything. Randomly fired bullets, the panicked shouts of the newly-disoriented dealers, the sound of claws and scales tearing through flesh... it was absolute madness. A few of the bullets actually managed to hit their mark, but were remarkably ineffective, leaving little more than cracks in the dragoness' scales. Axia, on the other hand, fought through the noise and chaos like it was nothing. Served these assholes right to be torn apart by the very thing that they claimed to have slaughtered several times.

15
Ships and Factions / Merydia Sirens - Grace Under Pressure
« on: November 21, 2017, 04:42:56 pm »
The Merydia Sirens

100% concentrated star power.



About the Sirens

A peacetime-formed squad, the Sirens are a unit with a heavy emphasis on strategy, precision, and timing. The squad is not intended to function in combat on its own- in the event that they are called to action, they are generally expected to aid other combat units by providing covering fire, sniper support, scouting, and distractions. Combat plans are largely decided on before any fighting takes place- deviations from the plan are very rare, and potentially devastating if they happen at the wrong time. As a result, composure and the willingness to obey orders are traits that are valued very highly among the ranks of the Sirens, as being able to stick to the plan even under extreme pressure is imperative to their success as a unit. If there's a possibility of someone freaking out in the middle of a mission, chances are that they don't belong here.

While their capabilities in combat are no joke, one might argue that the main reason for the Sirens' existence is their PR side. The members of the squad are immensely popular celebrities (even for Pilots) and are typically expected to spend more time performing for and appealing to fans than they spend preparing for combat. This gives rise to another desirable quality in the Sirens, that being the ability to stay out of trouble, at least when they're in view of the public eye. A very important part of their job is making sure that they (and, by extension, all Pilots) maintain their positive image for the general public.



Rank and File

PRESENT MEMBERS:

Squadron Commander

Pilot Royal Zeiss Pepper
Dragon: Hauteclere

Squadron Leader

Pilot Echo Ash Steel
Dragon: June

(NOTE: This is subject to change! I wasn't sure if anyone else would want to play the Squadron Leader, so I'm putting Ash there for now. If anyone wants this position, feel free to let me know- otherwise, I'll leave her there.)

Assistant Squadron Leader

- Open!

Squad Members

Pilot Echo Nakiri Devoss
Dragon: Lark

- Open!



Squad Roles

There aren't really any set in stone roles for this squadron- any number of squadron members might be called in to aid in a military operation while others are busy performing their PR duties, so they avoid relying too much on any one person performing a specific task. Generally, the role a specific squad member will perform will vary based on which members are present and what the combat situation specifically calls for.



General History

There's not much of significance to speak of, or at least not yet. What is known is that the Sirens were formed mostly with PR in mind- give more people one more reason to hold Pilots in high regard. A pretty big reason that they exist in the first place was simply in order to take advantage of Merydia's large consumer base. However, a squad can't expect to be taken seriously based solely on the popularity of its members- they needed to be capable in combat, too. Luckily, there was a local Pilot who was known not only for his considerable fanbase, but also for his impressive record in combat: Pilot Royal Zeiss Pepper. The Kitsuni isn't quite as obsessed with being in the spotlight as he'd once been, but the chance to form his own squad wasn't an opportunity he was about to pass up. Taking on the role of Commander, Zeiss quickly began to search for potential squad members- people who could hold their own in combat, while also being instantly recognizable by a massive portion of the population. The squad may have been formed for the purposes of PR, but that just gives them something to prove...

Not only are they more than capable of kicking some ass, they can look extremely good while doing it.



Timeline
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16
Aedolis Characters / Ash Steel, Pilot Echo
« on: November 20, 2017, 09:18:36 pm »
QUICK STATS
Name
Ash Steel
Age
35
Gender
Female
Species
Kulshedra
Ethnicity
Aedolian
Height
5’2”
Occupation
Pilot Echo, Squad Leader of the Merydia Sirens
Residence
Merydia

IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Ash is a tiny little thing, or at least she is in comparison to most other Kulshedra. This is a result of her being born "out of season", but other than that, she's not too different from your average Kulshedra. Her scales are a light grey to match her name, and are surprisingly smooth and bunched together to the point where it can be difficult to tell where one scale ends and the other begins. Her hair is entirely grey and shares the same colour as her scales, and is commonly kept on the longer side so that it can be styled in various ways- if given the choice, though, she likes to keep it pretty simple. Her eyes are a deep emerald green, decorated by several golden flecks. She doesn't exactly think of herself as being particularly cute, but that doesn't change what other people think.

Her clothing can very a lot depending on what she's currently doing- she could simply be wearing plain clothes, or be in her uniform, or (gulp) wearing whatever "overly cutesy mess" PR has decided to put together for her. One thing that's pretty much always present, however, is the big purple ribbon that she keeps tied around her tail. Her dragon basically demands that she wear it, and while Ash isn't particularly fond of it, it's not really worth arguing with a dragon over it.

She also has a tattoo of a phoenix on the upper part of her right arm, above where the scales end. It's very pretty. :3

Personality
Depends on who you are and what mood you happen to catch her in. To the average person, she’s seemingly bright and cheerful, always looking on the bright side, very playful, and generally being “toooootally adorable”. For most people, this is all they see of her, and so they assume that this is what she’s like all of the time- but that’s far from the truth. There’s another side to her, one that’s much more bitter, frustrated, and even fiery on occasion. This is the side of her that usually manifests around other Pilots and people she knows well, especially those in her squad.

Ash has a bit of a temper to her, and she's not afraid in the slightest to tell people off or even yell at them (when she's not out in public, at least) if they're doing something to annoy her. However, she does know when it isn't an appropriate time to lose her temper, and can be incredibly patient at times if the situation calls for it. For example, she would never allow herself to freak out in the middle of combat- she wouldn't last long on her squad if that was the case. This can lead to her letting her emotions bubble and boil underneath the surface for long periods of time, which only makes it even scarier for whatever unfortunate soul is on the receiving ends of one of her rants when she does get the chance to let it all out.

While the "cuter" side of her is mostly just used to make her look not-terrible out in public, there's some parts of it that aren't completely fabricated. Ash does have a bit of a soft spot for cute things, but of course there's a difference between liking something and having your entire life revolve around it. She can also be pretty competitive, which means that there has to be some amount of playfulness buried in there somewhere.

Ash has mixed feelings about being part of her squad- while she does enjoy the aspects of combat and order and appreciates the opportunity to prove her worth as a Pilot, there are other things that really tick her off. She hates the overly cutesy stuff that PR and her dragon are constantly getting her to do, and certain members of the squad do kinda get on her nerves...

Magic/Abilities
Ash's most practical and useful ability is a sort of localized hemokinesis(?) that allows her to control the flow of blood and chemicals (such as neurotransmitters) within her own body. This gives her more direct control over things that would usually be taken care of by her body automatically. For example, she could force her body to stay "calm" (normal heart rate, breathing, etc) under pressure, giving her an incredibly steady aim even under the most stressful of circumstances.

She's also a faunapath, but that doesn't really come up all that often in her line of work. It's a pretty rare sight to find her making use of this ability, which isn't too surprising- after all, what exactly would she be using it on?

Decent telepath.

Relationships
June- Her dragon. She's a bit unique-looking, having two pairs of leathery wings and sporting various shades of red, orange, and yellow. She also has a few small tubes running along the sides of her body, transporting various fluids around as they are needed. June is quite the playful dragon, and her decisions seem to be rooted much more in personal preference than pure logic. For example, her reasoning for her choice of Pilot was for one simple reason- she thought Ash was cute! The decision to join the newly forming Sirens was almost entirely June's, because of course she had to show off her adorable little Pilot to the world somehow. While the dragon does get on Ash's nerves from time to time, she puts up with her well enough- not that she has much of a choice, of course.

History
WIP BECAUSE LAZY BUNBUN

THREAD TRACKER
Current Threads

Complete Threads

17
Haviah / Re: Another Day [Lion]
« on: November 17, 2017, 02:59:29 pm »
Oh, that was just fantastic. Of course he had to go ahead and ask that, because apparently it wasn't enough that she needed to take the damned things in the first place- no, she *also* had to deal with someone making a bigger deal out of it than it already was. Letting out a sigh, Lorraine pulled the bottle back out and set it on the table, allowing Grisham to inspect it so he could be sure that she wasn't trying to hide anything.

"My psionics aren't always useful, Grisham. As far as I know, there's no way to shut them off, and it can get pretty damn irritating to have a bunch of people's pulses beating in your head all the time. These help to dampen the psionics whenever I don't need to use them. I only took one of those because I didn't want to deal with a massive headache for the rest of the day. So, no, it's not a "problem". Not one that has a simple solution, anyway."

She decided not to tell him that she'd been relying on the medication a little more than usual recently- that would only make him question her even more. Instead, she grabbed the bottle back from the table, returning it to her pocket. Afterwards, she crossed her arms and gave him a sort of accusatory gaze.

"What did you think it was, anyway? Do you just automatically assume the worst whenever you see someone take a pill?"

18
Advanced Training Complex / Re: Always Question Meatloaf [Cinnabun]
« on: October 29, 2017, 09:14:01 pm »
Well, whether or not it was because Vanessa had done or said something to make it better, Matt at least seemed to be in a slightly better mood. It was a huge relief to her- knowing that he wasn't going to let his emotions hold him down was always nice to hear, and of course, it could sometimes be difficult for her to separate her own feelings from someone else's. The chair thing did sound a little scary, though- she couldn't imagine that it would be too pleasant if that actually ended up happening, and while she doubted her own mentor would resort to doing something like that, Matt's mentor could be a whole different story.

Oh, well. There wasn't much sense in worrying about that if he was going to graduate anyways, right? And of course he was going to graduate, as was she, and all of her other friends. Everyone was going to graduate, or at least that was what she told herself. The alternative was just... impossible.

"Hmmm... no, I'm pretty sure it's just the cheering up buttheads thing. I did finish my food pretty quickly, and I don't have class for a little while... and hey, besides that, learning how to cheer people up is part of my training. At least, that's the way I see it."

She thought for a moment, staring at the cafeteria's wall as she tried to figure out where the conversation should go next before suddenly shuffling a bit closer to him and resting her head against him. As far as she could tell, he was feeling a little better, so she doubted he would mind too much.

"Soooooo. That's my situation, but what about you? I mean, if you don't feel much like eating, and you're not too busy, then maybe we can hang out for a little while. Y'know. If that's not going to result in a terrifying chair assault. That wouldn't be good."

19
Haviah / Re: Another Day [Lion]
« on: October 16, 2017, 08:46:26 pm »
Grisham might not have burst out laughing, but Lorraine could pretty easily tell from his face and the circumstances that he wasn't too far off from doing so. Then again, it wasn't like she would have blamed him too much if he'd been unable to hold it in. Recently, she'd begun to realize that she was a bit of an easy target to make fun of, which probably wasn't something that was going to change any time soon. Still, she appreciated the sentiment behind holding back the laughter- at least he was trying, right?

"Nope, I don't have any other plans for tonight... not that I usually make too many plans to meet with people in the first place. I'm just not really used to this kind of thing. Feels a little strange." Which was partly true, but of course there were other reasons why she didn't really want to stick around in public for too long. For one, she really hated the way that people would sometimes just stop and... stare. That, and the more people that gathered here, the more heartbeats there were going to be. It wasn't too bad at the moment, but it was going to get worse, in all likelihood.

Lorraine lingered a little while on the menu when it arrived. Were they getting drinks? Like... alcohol? It seemed like the type of thing that Grisham would want to do, but he opted for coffee instead, which came as a bit of a surprise to her. She simply ordered some water herself; she could always get something else later if she wanted, and plus, well, she kind of needed some water right about now.

She frowned a bit as Grisham poured a bit of whatever-it-was into his coffee- somehow she doubted it could taste very good, if the cigar had been any indication- before turning her attention to her own glass. Then, over the span of a few seconds, she pulled out a small medication bottle from her pocket, removed a small tablet from it, slipped the tablet into her mouth, and swiftly downed it with a gulp of water. It was a motion that seemed almost practiced, and clearly she'd been doing it for quite some time. Hopefully it would help with the headaches later on, but part of her hated that she had to rely on it at all.

"What kind of movies? I don't know if I really have a favourite. That would require me to actually go to movies, which doesn't happen very often. If that wasn't obvious. If I had to pick one, though... action, maybe? I mean, I think it's interesting to see how people fantasize over that kind of stuff when you compare it to the real thing. You'd probably know more about that than I do, though."

20
Advanced Training Complex / Re: Always Question Meatloaf [Cinnabun]
« on: October 13, 2017, 08:55:11 pm »
Another wave of emotion hit Vanessa, but this time it wasn't sadness, or anger, or even disgust, but rather pity. Pity for her. Well, that was just great. She'd only been sitting there for a few moments, and already the only thing she'd accomplished was making Matt feel worse on top of everything else he had to deal with. Gods, Alec made this sort of thing look way easier than it actually was.

It sure didn't seem like it was getting any better, either. Matt's mood didn't seem to be improving in the slightest, and once again, Vanessa could feel anxiety beginning to make its way through her body. She hated when this happened- it usually just ended up with her getting all worked up and being in a terrible mood for the rest of the day. Part of her wanted to simply excuse herself and leave before something like that happened... but that would just be plain selfish, not to mention cowardly.

Just... stay calm. Take a few deep breaths. She could do this.

"Well, that might be true, but... she was still your mom, right? Family is family, and they're an important part of almost everyone's lives, whether they really deserve to be or not. So there's nothing wrong with being upset when all of a sudden they're just... gone. And those feelings might not go away for a long time, but maybe that's okay. Maybe that fire can help push you to graduate. You can be angry with her for not being there for you, but you shouldn't be angry with yourself. At least... that's what I think."

She swallowed nervously as she finished talking, scanning Matt's face (and his emotions, of course, but that was more of an automatic thing) for any changes. It wasn't exactly easy to tell if she was saying the "right" things, or if she was just making things worse.

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