Episode 5: When the Knights Go Marching In

[Zahzi]

Location: Facility 108
Nearby: Morgan ( welian )
Aaron ( Gus )
Disposition: GETTING REAL TIRED OF YOUR SHIT, MORGAN.

Jordan's eye twitched as Morgan continued rambling about how he wanted out of their current situation.
There was a small part of the already-small Brahn that wanted to throw him into the water. The metal limbs shook him around for a moment, Jordan glaring at his brother.
"Morgan. If you keep this shit up, I'm going to go back into working on nightmares of terminal illnesses JUST to make a unique strain, and have it terrorize you by giving you DICK CANCER." he threatened, as Aaron intervened.

Jordan looked up at the man who could easily throw him across the stratosphere without any issues, the twitch in his eye only getting worse from the prolonged burden of hassle he seemed to be dealing with. One of the mechanical limbs shot out from the backpack, and pointed directly at Aaron.
"NOT NOW, MALLORY. I AM TRYING TO COAX MY BROTHER INTO MANNING THE FUCK UP."

"AND FURTHERMORE, MORGAN. WHY THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO BE THE ONE BEING THE GROWN UP!? WHEN DO I GET TO FUCK OFF AND MOPE AROUND ALL THE TIME!?"​

 

[Necessity4Fun]

​

Location: AEGIS Training Facility 108 - Exam Area
People Around: A green eyed boy my height (Hadrian), JJ and the friend-stealer, I mean... ehh (Lara)
Exam Team: Celestial Body (SURPRISE!)

Interactions: Malikai , Lioness075 (Yeeeeah, Lara definitely heard that XD) and The J
Additional Team Tags: yoikes and AllHailDago

Please reply, please reply, please reply, pleeeeeaseeee!

Once JJ replied, it was as if a switch flipped inside of Juliana's brain. It was the opening she needed to talk, well, more than she already was:

"I'm GRE-AT!" the teen exclaimed, eyes glistening with anticipation to everything she was about to relay to her (perhaps) unsuspecting friend, "I met such a nice person on the way here! It was awesome!! She has a mermaid name, and aww it's so adorably shy, but nothing her new friend Jú can't fix. Ohhh, I'm so excited I could explode into a BIIIIG shower of glitter!! If that was possible ofc~ But, ahh, I'm in the clouds, all packed with look ideas for her!", the teenager finished with a squeal.

"Oh, and I guess the library lady was there toooooooWAIT.WHAT?!"

It was like the whole world paused in an instant for the Brazilian. Having been too excitedly talking nonstop, Juliana hadn't paid attention to what Jeremiah had been saying to her after 'How are you doing?'. He kept going, eventually dropping the 'sike, you're actually participating lol' bomb and the girl was taken completely off-guard.

Jú burst out in laughter and she remained like that for about 5 seconds, patting the boy's shoulder once she was done, "Okay, okay. That! Was a good one Shorty! You almost got me!! Can you believe it, I'm participat-" She glanced back at him and he wasn't laughing. Realization soon bestowed upon her, "Wait. Is this for real?! Dammit... I did not bring any bathing suits. Weeeell, at least I'm not wearing white this time... You'd have liked that, don't cha?", she teased JJ with a wink, falling silent right after.

Independent of his reaction, the Brazilian girl soon would 'take care' of the next item in the conversation:

"Aaaaaanyway, everyday is a day for make-up. I hope that becomes very clear right.now.", Juliana made a remark, with an unusually serious tone, emphasizing 'right now' with a flick of her finger per word. Then she returned to her normal tone, "And sure!", the girl clapped her hands together, "I'd love to get you through a tutorial any day. Hah, 'Make-up it's not for ya?' Oh, sweet summer child, you'd be soooo damn surprised~!"

Before anything else, however, the winged girl that had been close-by all this time, decided she couldn't wait anymore and started dragging JJ away. At first the Brazilian glanced at the two, her possessiveness speaking louder. Hey, she had been here first! The attention was hers! They hadn't actually finished their conversation either!! But, in the other hand, turns out she also had her own team to find. So, Juliana made the most sensate choice... Making fun of the pair, of course:

"Ohhh~~ Look at you, Jeremiah fucking Johnson! So popular with the girls that his entire team seems to be of them, ohhhh~ What a true champion here! Already won in life, woooo~!!"

Aaaaand then she was bored of it.
The teenager glanced left, glanced right... It didn't seem like anyone else was coming, huh. With the silence slowly preying on her, Jú had been about to grab her phone, that's when she noticed someone else had been there the entire time...In the very edge of her field of vision.
Trying not to look/sound too desperate, the girl attempted to get a conversation going:

"Hey there, I'm Juliana! I, don't think we met before, did we?"

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

​

Location: AEGIS Facility 108 - Exam Area
People Around: Sam and Mr. Mallory >> Pass-by Morgan and someone else, Mallory stays >> Sam leaves too >> A reporter is who's left, despite his wishes.
Exam Team: Snowglobe

Interactions: Lioness075 (Piper)
Additional Team Tags: Lioness075 (Sam), ViAdvena and Gus (Manami and Miia)

Today's Toys: Ted, Spiral, Lieutenant George, Humphrey and Millie.

Someone, is not going to hear anything but me, until the next morning...

The CD&Y teacher had given no answers or made any commentaries. Behaviour that, which could only be attributed to the bald kid that seemed to have lost his brain somewhere along the way...Or maybe he had never had it. Since his 'target' was Mr. Mallory...
Also really? Captain Teatime? Was that supposed to offend him in any way? Is that the best he could do? If anything it had brought Kendrick a hard time suppressing a laugh. He had met 10 year olds that could be more creative than that. You know what? He was stuck with Sam on his team, and yes, she could be a pain, but, at least she was far more entertaining than this sorry excuse for a person.

Without sparing a glance to the mindless drone, the teenager kept on after the teacher, until the group came upon what seemed like two panicking students, or well, at least one of them was. The boy surely knew who Morgan was after the 'flooffersnoof' incident, but the white haired boy didn't ring any bells...

Mr. Mallory motioned for the late half of Team Snowglobe to continue on their way, around the problem-two, and Kendrick gladly obliged. Lord, and he thought he had issues with today's exam, but that outburst he had just presented certainly surpassed anything the teen had even done before.
As the pair ducked behind the complaining duo, the boy shot Morgan a sympathetic glance. Or at least, that had been the intention, since he was also stuck in this undesired situation... And then, not that further away, a new 'liability' crossed his way, or more accurate, came after him.

"Kendrick, it is possible to go through an entire day without a single complaint. It may sound impossible to you, but I'm telling you that it is quite possible."​

Now, there are a lot of things that'd bother the young Haywood, but this was one of the few times where several of them had been lined side by side. In this case, three things. Number one: It would always be incredibly unfair that the entire world knew his name, but he never knew anyone else's. Number two: Why was this random girl, who was clearly a stranger, being so damn friendly out of nowhere? Who gave her the permission to treat him on a first name basis with no honorific at all?? As he turned around a couple more annoying things came to his mind, but nothing topped Number three of this list: A press pass dangling from her neck. This was bad.

Out of everything and everyone he'd hate with a passion to run into, a reporter was in the top three of those things. Sam shouted something about a race, but his entire being was already too focused on dealing with this alburn-haired press person to give her any attention. Perhaps, it would be good that Sam did leave and soon, this wasn't exactly an act he wanted her to see... He had barely glanced back at the reporter and the rules and regulations already threatened to make him suffocate:

"Focus on your manners. Remember, there's nothing wrong. You're a Haywood!! BE PROUD Smile! Smile! It's the press, one mistake and there's no return! You're all a happy family and you're very much loved. You WANT to be the CEO, and you're pretty good at-"

The ground.
Apparently, it decided it needed company... Everything had happened too fast to see, and suddenly Kendrick was back-down in the grass, like the turtle he was for not seeing this coming. The boy sighed, mentally thanking Lady Fate for this brilliant outcome of disaster. Part of him actually wanted to stay there, but incessant voices wouldn't shut up about responsibilities. Another sigh. Why was this his life? He turned around to finally dislodge himself from the ground. He wouldn't look, he wouldn't care, at least, not this very moment, about which state his white shirt could be in, no. Not yet.

Kendrick straightened his clothes, making a big effort to not care. At last, there was a final sigh. Surely the press person had seen that. Yep, that was definitely okay, yep, very very much okay. ... Someone was getting a lecture, and it would be larger than the two paragraphs he had made on Knight Day, ohh boy.
And finally focusing his full attention back on the reporter. Perhaps, if he didn't make a big case of what had just transpired, she wouldn't feel like she could meddle on the subject. Sounds like a plan:

"Miss. What you have called 'complaining' it's simply my way of pointing out organization and planning flaws.", the teenager approached softly, as he continued, "Really, I'm just doing my civic duty in expressing how this event doesn't really match the standards of what a government-funded super training facility should be. This is AEGIS after all, it has a lot to stand for and hasn't been in its best days either. I can guarantee you, I'm not the only one preoccupied with such matters. Have you spoken to those two I just passed? Their statement won't be as, well, constructed, but it could give you a better insight on the matter."

In a distance of fewer than two arms now, Kendrick attempted being the most pleasant as he could feasibly manage. Even though part of him actually wanted to choke a certain speedster to death...probably. But it's as they say, a good actor should know how to improvise:

"You know my name, but I don't know yours. How about we level the grounds here, Miss?", the young Haywood grinned at her, offering his hand for a shake, "It is only fair, correct?"

 

[Gus]

Aaron Mallory
​

Location: Lower docks --> Main building
Mood: Cracked up --> Deadly Serious --> Back to default: Worried
Interactions: welian Zahzi
Nearby: Necessity4Fun Lioness075


Aaron hesitated for a moment as Jordan's ranting reached a fever pitch of nonsensical threats, complaints, and generalized misanthropic bile for the world at large. Something deep inside Aaron stirred, rising unbidden to Jordan's animated provocations. He tried to resist, but the force was simply inexorable, and it quickly broke its chains and burst forth startlingly into the full light of day...

“Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ah!” ​

Aaron doubled over with peals of irrepressible mirth, wiping tears from his eyes at the incongruity of the sheer volume of the invective and angst issuing from such a tiny package. The specificity of it came as a breath of fresh air after the generalized xenophobia of the alpha Bruce. The homophobia and generalized misandry implicit in Jordan's continued obsession with working 'dicks' into his threats and insults was less funny, but not enough to hold back the laughter this time. The fact that, unlike Bruce, Jordan was truly, and massively, dangerous, somehow just made it all the funnier. Gasping for breath, Aaron took a knee.

“...ah... ah-ha-ha-heh... hooh! You Brahn boys will be the death of me, I swear. Honestly, you're like two peas in a pod.” His smile faded, face darkening. “What am I to do with you both?" He put on a breathy, whiney voice, saying: "Woe are we, super-training is hard sometimes! We don't want to contend with anything difficult, only easy stuff!"

"Well too... damn... bad!"

"Life isn't like that. Get used to it. Use what you have and do your best! If you fail, pick yourself up and try again. Learn from the experience boys, because its that or run home to mama crying.” He shifted his weight slightly, swiveling on his kneecap to focus the full brunt of his rising rant on the pint size techno menace, eye to eye. “Jordan: you're fragile. Yes. We get it. You're also quite possibly the most brilliant mind on this planet. Figure out a work-around! Use your inventions to level the playing field. Make it work kid, because today might be the very last time we can ever let you practice in a safe environment.” Heaving himself back to his feet, he turns on the taller Brahn, stepping up close and looming over him. "Morgan! Mr. 'oh dear, all I have is telepathy how will I use that to get through an obstacle course?!' Maybe your brother could tell you, since he's so much smarter than I, but just off the top of my head, how about with teamwork? Or did you miss the part about how that is the primary object of this exam? Honestly, how do you live with telepathy for more than half a decade without noticing the potential for group coordination? No, don't answer, I'll tell you! Because you're afraid of letting people in, scared of what they might see, or what you might see, or whatever. So focus on the task! Learn to marshal your thoughts and use them as a resource instead of hiding behind them as an excuse. Bind your team together. Be a leader! Grow a spine. Or, you could stick to sniveling your way through life whining that you don't feel up to the challenge. That's an option too.”

Aaron paused, looking back and forth between the boys, weighing the effect of his words.

“I'll tell you what. The next boat out is right over there; you don't even have to swim. I'm going back to the gym, and I'm coming back with my scuba gear and two extra sets. When I get back, if you two are still fighting over this, you can do the obstacle course with me and we'll do it exactly how I did mine back in 2016: we will walk across the bottom of the bay underneath each obstacle until we've done all ten. Because that is how you do 'float' obstacles when you weigh more than the planet. We've all got issues boys. Work out your own, or share in mine.”

With that, he turned on his heel and headed back toward the gym. About halfway there, he noticed somebody had collapsed on the front steps of the main building. It was hard to tell at this distance, but it looked like Anneliese. His current errand forgotten, he rushed over, heedless of the cracking of the sidewalk then went with hurrying his pace...

 

[Syrenrei]

Luther Rousseau
"Reliquary"
Location: Spa
Nearby: Page ManicMuse , Trent Dano
​

"Thanks for telling me ahead of time so I'm an accessory to premeditated murder," Luther joked wryly. In some ways it was amusing to see Page lose her cool simply because she ranted and raved like the stereotypical redhead. Perhaps she had issues 'letting it go' as that was the way of white-haired Disney princesses that dealt with ice and Page was a lady of fire.

"Want to hop a ride?" she asked as she flashed one of her characteristic devious smiles. From her stomach she produced a second helmet that matched her own- sleek and black- and offered it to her friend with both hands. "Think of it like a peace offering. And a way to get away before your Don Juan makes it out of the spa. Maybe he's on his way right now," she mused aloud. It was damn unlikely that Trent Edwards was going to put that much effort into a disinterested, tempestuous, and offended member of the female gender. As someone who prowled the bars she had a sense about who her male counterparts were and, well, a man like Trent didn't need the hard chase. He'd be able to find admirers to bed with a fraction of the effort nearby and almost certainly did nightly. Still, poking and prodding Page's paranoia had a purpose. Luther didn't want her to waste her money on a cab.

There were things Luther was willfully omitting. Page was someone who enjoyed calm. This made sense to Luther given the rather explosive nature of her powers; however, you couldn't live your entire life in a state of zen. Luther wanted to show her that she could have a glimpse of the wild side, indulge a fantasy here or there, and not end up with tragic circumstances. That reasoning was precisely why she didn't expound on the fact that she seldom obeyed speed limits, often wove between cars (who were staying in their proper lanes), and sought thrills wherever she could find them. It was like a rollercoaster for the road minus all the sudden drops and safety equipment.

Luther almost, almost asked Page if she trusted her but she knew the answer for a sane person was 'no.' There was no sense in pushing her luck.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Tabitha

It was an almost shocking lack of privacy in the changing 'tent'. PVC pipes and plasticy yellow fabric hanging down does not a tent make. Especially in comparison to the tents they'd pull out of storage for camping trips though those were probably a good decade older than the rickety structure she currently was taking her time changing in. Halfway into the oddly stretchy catsuit, Tabitha had to stop and consider how idiotic it was of her to care about people seeing her 'indecent' at this point. Still though, maybe she could just play it off as a fool me once type situation. Rip out of your clothing and get gawked at once, shame on you. Do it twice and shame on me.

Stretching the rest of the slightly awkward feeling suit on, Tabby jumped as it suddenly clenched to the curves of her body before relaxing. Her forearm gently pinged once then settled. No mirror was present but with what she could see so far the suit was form fitting but hid anything too risque. Seeing the AEGIS logo on her wrist did elicit an eye roll but it explained the all too specific technology catered to her ability. Power. Biological adaptation. Whatever it was.

The yellow plastic is parted as the once clad in oversized sweaters Tabitha stepped out into the mid morning light in her new suit. Almost immediately the Aide from earlier came up and pointed down to the water.

"Mr. Mallory is right down there, go see him! Go! GO! Everyone is running behind, he'll know what to do with you"

Even before she could get off a thank you, the aide sped off leading Tabitha to think that maybe she had low grade super speed or was living two seconds ahead in the future or something. Sighing, Tabitha started on down the path only to see another, what looked like a student, collapsing with Mr. Mallory plodding up the ruined sidewalk towards her. It wasn't a difficult thing to beat the man there, but something about seeing a possibly injured person in the flesh, a real situation, just caused her to freeze up. Standing over the collapsed form and waiting for Mr. Mallory to get here and tell her what to do.

Gus B Bag o Fruit

 

[Teh Frixz]

Penelope

What
The
Fuck


"Imoji...what the hell is this? I swear to god I've looked at the Final exam plans ALMOST in person and they had nothing about this? Did we somehow go hire a Jap gameshow from the fucking nineteen eighties to qualify people as shitting vigilantes? Holy shit" The feed back to Imogen momentarily being interrupted by wheezing laughter and the sound of Penny's headset falling to the ground. "Shit..fuck..whoops hang on... That better? Wait, I don't care if it is or isn't fix the volume on your end."

It was just perfect, this whole idea. Already the edited footage of kids smashing their faces and twisting ankles on this injury trap was being put to upbeat pop tunes remixed into synth filled nightmares. Maybe some sound effects and fart noises thrown in for flavor. Should be good. She leans back in her seat, pulling her wrist enough to crack it she scoped out her room. Lights were out, just the pale blue lighting of the hall outside filtering in and the sound of the turbine humming along below her, feeding on her energy. Well, they'd get a burst of power tonight.

She leans back into her screen, wiping strain from her eyes as she scrolls down to Imogens headset, finally getting around to watch the play back. There wasn't too much she could throw at Imogen to get a rise out of her but maybe her little interaction with Anthony could get something. Pulling out her phone she quick sends a couple screenshots she took.

"Imogen, I'm sending you some zoom in shots on Anthony's package. Totally different shading when he's looking at you versus mamma big bewbs. Do you have to deal with the whole outliving your loved ones thing? 'Cause you could use some action. He's cute enough, don't bitch. You haven't sealed up or anything right?"

Her phone pings as her heavily altered screenshots sent off that aligned with a few lights going off on Imogen's headset as Penelope started fine tuning her tenuous connection.

Syrenrei

 

[welian]

Morgan Brahn

Overview

Location	Heading to the first obstacle to wait for his team
Company	Jordan and Aaron
Mood	Emotionally repressed emo teen mode, go!
Actions	Plans for his death have solidified. So have plans to make everyone as miserable as he is for the rest of the week.
Tags	Zahzi Gus and anyone in range of sulky emo telepathy

It wasn’t something Morgan could prove, but he was certain that he could almost feel Mr. Mallory before he could telepathically hear him, as though there might have been some sort of interference caused by the teacher’s heavy presence.

And today, he was just so frazzled, and so sick and tired of Jordan yelling at him, and this obsession with dicks, and just –

The teenager wilted further and further under Mr. Mallory’s (relatively) boisterous speech about teamwork and fear, and the humiliating mockery. That man didn’t know what it was like. He got silence. Morgan didn’t get that luxury, and neither did his brother.

A truly cross expression settled on Morgan’s face, as he festered in his silent tantrum. Everyone else got to go home at the end of the day and hear themselves think. They got a kind of peace and quiet that he hadn’t felt since he was twelve, and somehow it’s his job to be the epitome of teamwork? He didn’t ask to have superpowers, and he sure as hell didn’t ask to have wretched telepathy. People worry about being judged silently – and he got to know, whether he wanted to or not, exactly what people thought of him. And there was not a damned shred of respect.

Now there was this stupid exam that there was no way in hell that he was going to pass, and he'd never get to leave 108, and he'd have to spend another year with control over his power going absolutely nowhere, watching his friend Eden ace everything and maybe even get a blue card, and he'd get left behind, and, and....

It was enough to drive a young mad man.

“This is your fucking fault, Jordan. No wonder Mom is the only one who loves you.”

Morgan released himself from his brother’s grip – he had been thrown around by these stupid gadgets long enough to know how to unhook himself. In about two seconds, Jordan would grab him again, and then they’d tussle, and then they’d be separated, and then Morgan would be admonished for picking a fight with his sensitive, weak little brother, didn’t he know he had special needs, and then Jordan would gloat the rest of the day about being Mom’s favorite, and about being right all the damn time. He always had to be right! He always had to have the last word!

“You think it’s quiet at the bottom of the harbor? Suppose I took off the mask halfway through. Mr. Mallory can’t swim, can he? I’d probably drown. Then I’d get some privacy, and you’d get to be the little emperor of the house.”

Even on his worst days, he wasn’t usually this sour – what had gotten into him? Was there another telepath in the area? An empath? Some equally miserable and disgusting person that he was unconsciously picking up on? All three, maybe.

Morgan abandoned his brother and stomped over to the boats, glowering the entire way.

This. Sucks. I don’t even know where my team is.

 

[Syrenrei]

Susan Sanders
"Undine"
Location: Facility 108 Entrance Proper
Nearby: Some older gentleman (Logan, played by The Fuzzy Pixel )
​

It was an unusual first day of work given that there was an exam going on, but Susan thought it was an excellent opportunity to arrive at the facility and arrange her classroom how she saw fit. From what very little she knew about Agent Harry he and she did not share the same aesthetic. She was not so frivolous as to waste her money on purchasing interior decorations but, as she was going to spend a not insignificant amount of time in it in the future, it ought to be made more comfortable.

After completing her rather intensive morning skincare routine she had donned a loose, shimmering blue blouse and a pencil skirt made out of a wonderful 'scuba' material that had little to do with diving but was both flattering and easily dried. One could never be too careful when approaching a day of manipulating water. All of of her belongings were then packed into three air-tight (and thus water-tight) clear containers. The first contained rug squares, towels, an extra change of clothes to store at the school, and a supportive pillow for her back. The second vessel had reference books, half of which were older than she was and had completely faded titles, book readers, portraits of historical figures printed on glossy, laminated paper, and a few paper notebooks crammed full of her handwritten notes. Last but not least was her electronic catch-all that had her personal laptop, numerous USB drives that were meticulously labeled, an external hard drive, three different mice (she could be indecisive at times), and a small projector that she rather fancied.

"Well that looks like everything," she noted to herself aloud as she placed her hands on her hips in satisfaction. Now all that was left was a method of transportation.

When she had moved to Baltimore she had selected an apartment half a mile from the Patapsco River. Not only was the view better than living downtown but it had the benefit of allowing her to use her powers for more practical uses. Susan opened her window as a stream of floating, pressurized water glided up to her. It dipped slightly as she slipped out the window and put her full weight on it but then regained its form. An arm of the serpent-like stream of water reached inside her apartment and pulled out her three containers before thoughtfully closing the window behind her. Susan might have thanked her noble steed and servant but it was all her doing. No matter how alive the floating 'pond' appeared to be in its actions she thought it silly to thank herself. Besides, for whose benefit would she be polite? Her own? She already knew her own gratitude towards herself.

With a leisurely pace the watery stream carried her and her 'luggage' through the air to Facility 108. Susan almost had to stop and ask for directions. It would have been awkward but proved ultimately unnecessary. From her vantage point above ground she could easily spot the tell-tale crowd of students clambering over floating obstacles while spectators, family, reporters, and volunteers looked on. Her own days of training were sorely missed. Had she the chance she'd relive those years over and over again simply to feel the camaraderie, the sense of belonging, the thrill of a challenge in controlling her abilities, and the rush when she succeeded.

The water slowly descended at the front entrance of Facility 108, gently depositing her on the ground before it reshaped itself into a thick disk and positioned itself beside her and approximately two feet above the ground. Susan certainly wasn't going to carry her containers inside- at least not with her arms. Why bother when she had a perfectly good alternative? As she adjusted her blouse and smoothed her skirt she noticed a man nearby who had undoubtedly seen the elegant spectacle of her arrival moments before. "Good morning, sir," she greeted pleasantly. "Are you looking for someone?"

 

[The Fuzzy Pixel]

Logan Warrain
Location: Facility 108 Main Building, Front Entrance
Syrenrei | Susan Sanders​

Errol this, and Errol that.

The courier was half certain that the other man was rolling in his grave by now. Whether he was grinning at Chernov's frequent indignation or aghast at the state of affairs here at Facility 108 was anyone's guess, though. 'Possibly both,' assumed Logan from past experiences. Once this nonsense in Baltimore was concluded he resolved to find Mr. King's resting place so he could properly pay his respects. They just didn't make heroes like they used to anymore. Although, maybe that was a good thing; a world that didn't need men like Errol or even Logan himself would be a pretty damned great place to live in. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here.

The Commonwealth Director's instructions had been very clear. Assess Facility 108's security measures and report back immediately. It was an odd request to say the least, as he felt that no one in their right mind would build a school with the intention of defending it from anarchists. Form his understanding as well Facility 108's building had been repurposed for its current role too, which only compounded the inadequacies. As his SUV rolled into the school's parking lot Logan was already trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. A chain link fence enveloping the campus was a pretty half-assed countermeasure to troublemakers. At least the school had been moved away from large population centers, but that didn't seem to help the situation any if the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident was any indication.

The black blocky vehicle was neatly parked before the man disembarked. On his premier visit to the school he decided to dress casually: a black business suit and tie with an open jacket, and a tucked in dress shirt beneath that with a hue that matched the blue of his eyes. He was wearing sunglasses, but the eye wear was soon removed and carefully tucked into a pocket. He was getting too old to be wearing the things indoors; best leave the suave theatrics to the younger boys these days. He pulled a black leather briefcase from the SUV before closing it up and heading towards the main building.

The man stopped in front of the main entrance to give the structure a look over. Needless to say he wasn't impressed, but he kept a neutral, if not thoughtful facade. He had been told that there was an exam of some sort going on at the docks today. That would explain the lack of people in his immediate vicinity, and the other cars in the parking lot. However, that didn't quite explain the curious sight that came floating down from the sky nearby. As the flying mass of water descended Logan silently made a few mental notes.

The physics defying mass of liquid, solid yet obviously malleable as it adjusted its form after its passenger stepped off. The transparent containers filled with odds and ends; nothing that looked openly dangerous at first glance. Then the woman who he presumed was choreographing the whole setup. The streaks of gray and white in her blonde hair were elegantly done, but he wondered what the woman might look like if she allowed the colors to flow naturally. If those streaks were simply highlights, in any case.

"Good morning," he echoed with a polite smile when addressed. "Not at the moment, no; thank you though. Maybe after the exams are finished I'd like to speak to Mr. Swan, but it's nothing of immediate urgency. For now I thought I'd just familiarize myself with the campus since it's my first time here. I'm Logan Warrain, a courier for the Commonwealth." The man extended a hand to the blonde offering a light handshake to solidify introductions. The gesture revealed a limiter wrapped around the man's wrist, something that had been hiding beneath his sleeve earlier. It was an old model, and simply looked like a white plastic bracelet of some kind. Several numbers were stamped on its surface near several unremarkable buttons and a steady green light.

"I hope I'm not interrupting if you're preparing for the exams?"

 

[Syrenrei]

Susan Sanders
"Undine"
Location: Facility 108 Entrance Proper
Nearby: Some older gentleman (Logan, played by The Fuzzy Pixel )
​

"Susan Sanders, Political Powers Teacher," she greeted by way of introduction as she took her hand and shook it more firmly than he might expect from someone of her stature.Politely she ignored the limiter though she took note of it mentally. As an S-rank super she was, of course, required to wear a limiter at all times but she preferred to be more discreet. Putting it on display always seemed a little immodest and dangerous with the current social climate; then again, it looked perfectly in place on Logan. Once Susan had joked if she ever married that she'd request a new limiter and for it to be her wedding ring. This was just a playful jest. Neither limiters nor wedding really struck her as things to be lamented but such banter usually elicited hearty laughs.

"A courier for the Commonwealth? That sounds quite important," she remarked. As curious as she was as to what exactly brought him here it wouldn't be appropriate to inquire. Susan was just a teacher and not someone of high rank that would be privy to Commonwealth's more secure information. From his age she deduced he had been an agent for some time. Logan was not a young kid wet behind the ears sent on a throwaway errand to get him some 'experience' with a mundane task no one else wanted to do. The fact that he was even mentioning speaking to Jason Swan made it all the more obvious he was of some importance. But why was he here? What demanded Commonwealth attention and, more specifically, his out of all the candidates that could have been sent?

"Oh no, I was just about to set up my room. I'm new to the facility you see. The job opening was earlier in the year but I don't do well in winter," she laughed lightly as she motioned to the water. Ice or snow manipulator she was not. "I heard an old friend of mine worked here and I couldn't help but take the opportunity. I suspect she's over there with the crowd watching the students as is Mr. Swan. It's a beautiful day for the exams, don't you think? Ah," Susan sighed fondly as she began to reminisce, "I really enjoyed my training. Do you know that I actually failed the exam my first couple times? It was not nearly as easy as my high school classes. I'm sure the pupils out there are doing splendidly. If you like after I deposit my things in my classroom I can help you look for Mr. Swan," she prattled on as she flashed a charismatic smile. The more she spoke the more upbeat her tone became. It was strange to see someone of her age, and dressed so neatly with a mind towards elegant fashion, becoming so animated and chipper. Stereotypes were abound that she ought to be demure, serious, and perhaps cynical.

But Susan? Susan was a ray of sunshine that could not be contained by the heavens themselves. "I studied the information packet AEGIS sent me when I took the position so I could identify the senior staff from their pictures. Not that too many people look like any official pictures when you meet them in person, but I think it will do well enough to sort out who's who. Well except Gen of course. I would recognize her after all these years without much help I'm sure. A super who doesn't age... can't say I'm not a little jealous!"

 

[D. Rex]

Ernest


The man gave the scientist a friendly pat on the arm, this guy was a wierd one... but getting winks from a stranger was a little much. However smart the guy sounded. "Whatever you say, bud. And if I knew what 'apropos' meant, I am sure I would agree with you." He said with an chuckle. No. He wasn't too concerned about not knowing what a word meant. Would rather laugh about it. Probably a word meaning afterwards? Either way, maybe it help the strange man not feel so awkward as he seemed.

He was going to turn his attention to the young woman Anthony had been talking too, until another woman came up to them. Though, Anthony ushered her away almost as fast as she had come. The guy was in a hurry apparently.

When he did finally get the chance to turn his attention back to Ms. Jarsdel. He took off his sunglasses and looked at her with a smile. She was... pretty cute. Okay... so she probably seemed a bit younger than him... he was allowed to at least admit that. He wasn't made of stone, for goodness sake. What got his attention? Well... aside from her actually being cute, the combination of her slight blush and slightly stupefied look on her face. Why she was doing it? He didn't really know, but... something about it made him smile. There was always something penetrating about a girl blushing. It was unfair.

Still... the two of them were left alone, which would no doubt make things a little awkward. He cleared his throat as he filed his sunglasses and put them in the front pocket of his uniform. It... wasn't entirely intentional. Now, an eagle eyed observer would notice that there was no ring on his hand. But there was a faded band, signifying there was one there once. And to be honest... it was only last year that he had taken it off. Hoping to move on. It wasn't exactly going so well. He wasn't such a smooth operator as he used to be.

Looking at her with a smile, he adjusted his hat. His hands finding stuff to do, since... he sort of didn't really know what to do with them right now. At least he got her name from Tony. "Ms. Jarsdel. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." He said with casual laugh. He extended his hand towards her to shake hers. "My name is Ernest Rousseau, by the way. And it is quite a pleasure to meet such a lovely lady like yourself."




Syrenrei Gus welian

 

[Ixaix]

“…tried to bite me!”


“You did comment on his ‘fuzzy wuzzy toe-beans’, sir, in a rather derogatory manner.”


Hyou cracked open one deep blue eye at the sound of approaching voices. He was currently sprawled out on the threadbare mattress that had served as his bed for the past few nights, jacket folded up under his head to serve as the pillow they had neglected to give him. Deciding to ignore the men who were probably coming to harass him again, his eye closed again… Only for both eyes to snap open at the sound of a new, female voice.


“I don’t know if this is strictly allowed, protocol wise.”


Oh, shit. Hyou leaped to his feet in an overly smooth motion, showing off for himself just how graceful he could be now. He grabbed his jacket and tugged it on, regretting the fact that his favorite shirt had gotten shredded in the aforementioned biting incident a couple of days prior. Still, no shirt meant he got to show off the body he had worked so hard to perfect. Running his fingers through his long white hair, Hyou assumed a casual pose leaning against the wall as the trio came around the corner. Gaze skipping over the two men, his lips curled into a flirty smirk when he spotted a short, pretty brunette standing between them.


“Hello—”


“She’s not here to flirt with you.” The elder Commonwealth agent snapped.


“Still upset over the fact that I didn’t manage to take off a finger or two?” Hyou snarked back, grinning wide enough to show off his teeth. “I can remedy that right now…”


“Please stop antagonizing him, Takagi.” The younger agent pleaded, looking like he already had a headache.


“Your release date has been moved up.” His partner broke in, jabbing a finger in Hyou’s direction. “We’re turning you over to 108 immediately.”


“What, you don’t want to torture me some more?” Hyou jerked a thumb towards the back of his neck where a red welt was still healing from where the microchip had been implanted. “You know, the fact that that shit is still healing means you bastards did a real number back there. I have advanced healing, you know—”


“When you arrive at the facility, give these to Jason Swan.” A thick file folder was shoved through the cell bars into the shapeshifter’s hands.


“Wait, you guys aren’t coming with—”


“Hellenberg, do your thing.”


The petite brunette nodded and made a gesture towards Hyou. He looked down just in time to see what appeared to be a void appear under his feet—


“HOLY—”


--and then he was freefalling through the sky, tumbling head over heels down towards what he could only assume was an early death as a pancake sprayed across the unforgiving ground.


“—SHIT!”


Before he could even get his bearings, Hyou landed on something rubbery that gave enough to not break every bone in his body but still knocked the air out of his lungs. Papers went flying as he was promptly flung back into the air by his bounce, this time landing ass-first in water. For a moment he panicked as he struggled to figure out which direction was up before his own buoyancy tugged him to the surface where he splashed and struggled to remain afloat as he gasped for air. It took several long moments for him to calm down enough to have the presence of mind to kick off his boots, which helped with the not-drowning aspect quite a bit. It would have helped to give up the jacket as well, but he would be damned if he was losing any more of his shit to Commonwealth. Gritting his teeth, Hyou began the long swim to shore; when he pulled himself out and onto solid ground ten minutes later, Hyou was too exhausted to even be properly enraged about his situation.


“Motherfucking motherfuckers.” He moaned, flopping onto his back and panting heavily. Not his most eloquent cursing, but it felt good.

Kichiro “Hyou” Takagi ​

Location: Edge of the water. Somewhere.

Mood: Confused. Damp. Pissed off. Kinda hungry.

Actions: Not drowning

Tags: Come at me, bro!

 

[Necessity4Fun]

The Pellegrinis

aTablitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Edmondo

Spoiler: Translation

"Bye, sweetie, we love you a lot!" "Be careful and don't risk yourselves too much in there, you two!!"​

"Ciao, caramella, noi ti amo troppo!" "Essere attento e non mettere a rischio voi stessi troppo in là, voi due!!"​

The kind-hearted pair waved from behind the two girls in the process of leaving, probably to regroup with Lara and the student she had gone after. The Italian couple remained like this for a while, smiling. They watched as Cecilia and Nix got farther and farther away, until the duo was distanced enough that they could no longer hear the adults.
This time, Tablita was the one to falter. It had been hard enough when they first found their beloved daughter, years later, afraid of even taking a step outside and trying to stay strong, for her. But this last interaction had just served to deepen the wound. It was clear that they had missed way too much and would have to learn how to treat Cecilia as a teen, but the suddenness of everything was quite a shock, still:

Spoiler: Translation 2

"Oh...Look at her leaving, dear. If I close my eyes I can still see her with four, as if it was yesterday!"

"I know, I feel the same way..."

"Where has the time gone?! What if she decides to leave all together?!"

"Then, we should 'trust that she knows what she is doing'. Isn't that what you tell me all the time?" "Yeah..." "Also, my mom raised our daughter, we can trust in her work."

"Indeed. She's one of the best people I have ever met."

"I agree, even though she's my mom..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"...You know what I mean... Ehh, why don't we have a break? Maybe drink a glass of water..."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Oh...", the woman supported herself on her husband, as if she had suddenly lost in strength to remain standing, "Vedere la sua uscita, amore. Se chiudo gli occhi posso ancora vedere lei con quattro anni, come se fosse ieri!"

"So che, mi sento nello stesso modo...", Edmondo looked sympathetically at her, trying to bring his love some reassurance, but she kept going.

"Dove il tempo è andato?! Cosa fare se lei decide di lasciare tutti insieme?!"

"Quindi, dobbiamo 'aver fiducia che sa che quello che sta facendo'. Non è quello che lei mi dica tutto il tempo?", he said, a bit uncertain of what exactly was doing. She was normally the one to calm him after all...

Tablita, looked up at her husband, hopeful. She knew that Edmondo was capable of speeches like this sometimes, but it was always rather surprising... Certainly one of the many reasons she loved this man to death:

"Si...", she managed to respond in a low voice. Since it seemed to be working, the husband decided to keep going, "Inoltre, la mia mamma ha sollevato la nostra figlia, siamo in grado di fiducia il suo lavoro."

Tablita nodded, "In effetti. Lei è una delle persone migliori che io abbia mai incontrato."

"Sono d'accordo, anche se lei è la mia mamma..."

The woman laughed softly, "Che cosa è che dovrebbe significare?", she pushed on. It wasn't news to her that Edmondo hadn't been a disciplined child when younger, but she found his reactions when recalling that fact to be very amusing.

As expected, the man blushed slightly, rubbing his neck in shame, "...Sapete che cosa intendo dire...", he averted his gaze from her, still flustered and tried changing the subject, "Ehh, perché non ci prendiamo una pausa? Forse bere un bicchiere di acqua..."

Tablita shot him a mischievous glance. She knew exactly what he was doing, but decided to not tease any further...this time,"Suona come una buona idea."

Glued like a pair of siamese twins, the two made their way to a water tent. Had this been back when they've first met, Edmondo would have been too embarrassed and asked the woman to stop clinging to him, with 100% chance that Tablita would outrightly refuse.
Now, several years later, their relationship, surprisingly, still felt the same. But with the fact that both of them had gotten more used to their partner's antics, and that they had undoubtedly rubbed off on one another.


Two glasses of water and definitely not ten minutes of talking about Cecilia later, the Pellegrinis returned to the main crowd uncertain of what to do as volunteers at this point. After looking around for a while, Edmondo suggesting watching the students already at the course. His intention was to be prepared of whatever awaited their baby girl so that they wouldn't freak out, too much.
Tablita agreed with the idea, adding the fact that by being right there they could also help pull any of the teens that fell on the water, or at least be in plain sight in case anyone needed assistance.

With that in mind, the two headed closer to the harbor, but in the opposite direction others were headed. Sure, they wouldn't get that good of a view from there, but that they could they could see something without becoming hidden by the multitude. Tablita was also worried that if they did so and got separated from each other, Edmondo would become utterly lost inside 108. Which... wasn't impossible, in fact, it was extremely plausible to happen.

From the spot they had chosen, the Italian couple watched as some of the students launched. They didn't know who belonged to what team, but when they looked there were a couple of group going across and a sole person had made it to the stairs where the course started. They didn't remain alone for long as the recently launched students soon joined them.
Everything seemed to be fine. Unusual and with a duality of fun but dangerous, but at least things seemed to be going smoot-

"...yyy Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"​

Nothing, I repeat, nothing that had come first could have prepared the two for what came next. They had seen a student NOT launch, but seemingly hop in zigzag through the air until the obstacle course. Another one had gracefully leaped out of the water like a dolphin and left them speechless, but THIS?! This was an unprecedented amount of odd.

Seemingly out of nowhere --Pretty sure there had been no one in there before-- a person fell from the sky, sounding just as surprised as the couple watching was. The individual proceeded to collapse with one of the obstacle course's many 'walls' making a loud 'tchak' sound upon contact. No matter if this was air and rubber, it still sounded it hurt.
The unlucky person then, proceeded to have a bad day when the obstacle course bounced them out and directly into the water... Yikes.

The Italians observed the whole thing unfold in front of their eyes, but still couldn't really believe what had just happened. Edmondo even had to turn his head at his wife seemingly asking if she had seen this too. Which she had, so she nodded back as if saying 'yes this is definitely real'. They stood a while recuperating from the experience when they recalled something very important... Someone was in the water!!!!

Eyes wide, the pair made their way as quickly as they could to the location that person was. Once they got there, Edmondo arriving a couple of mili-seconds after his wife, both started to throw phrases at the white-haired stranger who had just drowned and probably not up for questions:

"Dio,mio.", the husband started still a bit out of breath, "Are you okay there young one? Should we bring you to the infirmary tent?"

"Amore, I think we shouldn't move him..."

"Oh, right." The woman sat down leaning slightly over the mysterious man, with a sweet motherly tone of voice, "Would you like if we brought the first-aid kit? Anything you need?"

Well, that least he seemed to be conscious --If the swearing was any indication-- and had not drowned, so that was good.

"Excuse my curiosity but, what were you doing in the sky even?", Tablita glanced at him, "Ehhh...Was that too early to ask about?"

Ixaix


((I missed playing these two and it's been so long, so, what better way to fix that than to make a post with the length of two? *cofs* I REGRET NOTHING~~~!))

 

[Damafaud]

Aid Ward
Pier
Nearby: Pinkie Swoob

Aid stared at his new wound with interest. It was a shallow wound, one he would expect to find on fingertips of people with nervous habits. He grinned as he wiped a drop of blood with his scarf. "Same! You look fun, Pink- Eden! "

Before he could ask what Eden meant by HIV, the announcement roared through the air, detailing the final exam. His eyes glimmered with excitement when the monotone voice explained what sounded like the most fun race ever. Can he swim in water and solid at the same time, he wondered.

As other teams started to gather in front of the starting line, Aid and Eden needed to look for their team members, who weren't anywhere to be seen. His short stature didn't help either. The transferred wound had began to heal already. Thin tissues of solid blood covered the opened skin, replacing the pain with a degree of bearable itchiness. The idea of scraping it open for the sake of spnething to do entered his mind, but he resisted. Among the ocean of people, he stood on his toes, trying to find the rest of his team.

After a few more fruitless minutes of standing about, sinking underground and tripping people down became a very entertaining idea. Fortunately, Eden's request came before the idea can develop any further. He only needed a few moments before nodding his head in agreement. He took a deep breath, and for the second time for the day, he shouted from the crowd,

"Heeey! TEAM SIX! OVER HERE! "

 

[Ixaix]

...Well. Of all the things he could have expected to see after being dropped through a portal and half-drowned, somehow an adorable Italian couple had never made the list. Rather, after the stories he'd heard about 108, he was almost disappointed that they weren't at least a little blue-skinned, on fire, floating, or... something. After a few sneezes to clear the remaining water out of his nose, Hyou confirmed via his recently heightened sense of smell that, as far as he could tell, they were just regular humans. In his still-recovering state of confusion, he realized he had been staring at them in shocked silence for a rather uncomfortable length of time. It took him a further few seconds to realize they had been asking him questions, and then to piece together what said questions had been.

"Ah..." Hyou paused to cough up a bit of water before continuing. "I'm fine. No need for first-aid." He struggled to sit up, waterlogged jacket feeling especially heavy. Shrugging it off, he saw with no small amount of irritation that the quality leather was more than likely ruined by the immersion in the lake. Those Commonwealth fuckers owed him new boots and a new jacket. Doing his best to wring some of the water out, Hyou came to the realization that he had just been dropped into a facility for supers of varying strengths with nothing but the clothes on his back--and those clothes now amounted to a ruined leather jacket and pants. Wonderful. Fucking wonderful.

"I was portaled here by the motherfuckers from Commonwealth..." Oh, wait. The woman was obviously a mother, given her tone of voice and the concern on her face that seemed a universal expression when it came to anything to do with him. Calling people motherfuckers in front of a mother didn't seem quite right. "Er... I mean, those jerks from Commonwealth... They said they were sending me to 108. Is this... there?"

Kichiro “Hyou” Takagi ​

Location: Edge of the water.

Mood: Confused. Damp. Pissed off. Kinda hungry.

Actions: Trying to not offend a sweet Italian couple.

Tags: Necessity4Fun

 

[The Fuzzy Pixel]

Logan Warrain
Location: Facility 108 Main Building, Front Entrance
Syrenrei | Susan Sanders​

The man nodded in acknowledgement at the introduction. His brows raised slightly in interest of her title, too. Susan ended up confirming Logan's general assumption: she was a staff member at the facility. Not only that, but a teacher as well. Political Powers wasn't a subject he expected out of AEGIS' curriculum, but it was fitting nonetheless. The youth hardly ever paid attention to the macro-level aspects of politics, and even Logan had been severely guilty of that crime in his own adolescence. That tangent wasn't as important as his true curiosity regarding her claimed occupation, however.

Why didn't her name sound familiar?

He was sure that he had familiarized himself with the school's staff roster several weeks ago. Perhaps he had missed her? Susan's next words thankfully allowed him to relieve himself of a soft chuckle instead of forcing himself to stifle it. Not even in his old age did he believe he'd miss something like that if he was looking for it, but then again the list had been provided for him by his employers in D.C.

"Sometimes," he admitted, but then was soon to add on, "..sometimes, not so much." The Commonwealth was a ponderous organization at times. Logan was still on the fence about it's capabilities to manage things as a sole entity. They might as well have been herding cats in D.C. two decades ago. Maybe things had changed since then, but he wasn't about to hold his breath. At Susan's mention of being new to the school the coin dropped for his earlier inquiry. He must have been given old information then. The man made a mental note to thoroughly investigate the current staff roster at a later time.

"Then they're lucky to have you for the remainder of the year, Miss Sanders," commented the man as he looked to the water platform when it was gestured to. Susan's words made him wonder about the extent of her manipulative abilities. Did the winter affect her skills that harshly? Apparently so if her hint had been anything to go by. Logan reestablished eye contact and nodded in agreement with a pleasant smile, although he wasn't sure if the question about today's weather was rhetorical or not. She was talking about several subjects in rapid succession, and was becoming more vivid with each account.

"Really?" came his polite response to another question or not-question. He did have to wonder if she meant that she had failed the current exam going on during a past trial. A curious look overcame his expression at the thought, but he refrained from asking for a more detailed explanation, at least for now so as to not interrupt her anymore. A part of himself even wanted to see this exam now, as he was fond of swimming. He nodded once again when she offered her assistance.

"I'd appreciate that. Let me help you get settled in return," he said as he moved towards the font doors and held one open for Susan and her water platform. One more time an earnest chuckle would escape his easygoing smile as the teacher carried on. "I can understand the slight envy to such a super." He assumed she was talking about Imogen Jarsdel, a staff member he had read about and found a bit morbidly fascinating. Logan was envious of her power, but perhaps not for the same reasons as Susan was. He had seen a brief list of 'safety' jobs Imogen had taken previously, though. That did not seem like any way for a person to live their life, although who was he to judge.

"You are far from needing superpowers for something like that, Miss Sanders," he added with another pleasant smile. "Speaking of which, if you don't mind me asking that is, how did you fail your exam? Did you attend this school as well, and take the same test? I've heard that the students are going through a floating obstacle course of some kind. Knowing myself I'd probably fail, too; going for a swim on a nice day would simply be too tempting. Maybe neither of us are as old as we look, either."

It was a pleasant thought, at least. He was well aware that he was no super, and that he was in fact old. Without his special injections Logan's age would catch up with him all that much faster, too. Ignoring the unwanted facts he would follow Susan inside whenever she was ready.

"Regardless, I do not think I would trade all the aged experience I've picked up along the way for even a single year of my youth, if even I could turn back the clock that is. All the lessons I've learned; I wouldn't want to forget any of them."

 

[Syrenrei]

Imogen Jarsdel
"Evermore"
Location: Near the First Obstacle of the AEGIS Final Exam Course
Conversing with: Anthony Gus , Ernest D. Rex , Jules welian
On Earpiece: Penny Teh Frixz
​

Imogen Jarsdel was many things but she was not daft. She saw Anthony's words and actions for exactly what they were; a polite excusing of himself and Mrs. Brahn so as to leave her alone with Ernest Rousseau. Were she someone more forward she might have pointed out the obvious plot as he waved around his slightly elitist and pretentious syntax- but she wasn't assertive. There were no bullets to jump in front of nor fires to dive into to rescue innocent bystanders. Social situations with any more than exactly one other person made her fade into the background. Had there been a wall she would have blended into it, quietly watching, unassuming, pleasant, yet easy to miss and forget after the moments of importance passed. Gen was okay with this. She had always been a follower rather than a leader. Only her powers forced her to interject herself and that was only physically.

Was Anthony leaving for her benefit? Because he had seen she blaring signs of her attraction towards Ernest? Experience taught her people were rarely so generous. It was more likely he wanted some private time with the buxom and confident Mrs. Brahn. Had she been male or attracted to her own sex she might have had the same proclivity. Gen had been so distracted by Anthony, Jules, and Ernest she very nearly missed Penny's prodding. She had become used to the harassment that came with the radiation-emitting super but she was somewhat surprised about how perfectly the banter today coincided with her internal thoughts. Penny had unwitting confirmed that Gen's extremely jaded, almost cynical, viewpoint on Anthony's motivations were correct.

It was never that easy to make friends no matter how long you lived.

Although she was perfectly capable of replying to Penny (she had a small mic pinned to her blouse) it would have been incredibly uncomfortable to do so even after Anthony and Mrs. Brahn stepped away. It was rude to carry on a conversation that Ernest was not privy to, since he could not hear Penny, but it was also not kind to ignore Penny even if she might deserve it. Gen did not believe in 'tit for tat.' Blowing off Penny the few times she blew through the walls of Gen's solitude would not benefit either of them. No matter how hard Penny tried to drive her away, she was desperate beyond words to have her as a friend. Briefly Gen had considered and acknowledged that she found her relationship with Penny more important than Penny found it.

In the precious few seconds she had while Ernest was fidgeting she grabbed her phone and shot back Penny a quick text. Penny should know she was busy since she could observe everything that Gen was, and thus ought to know why she couldn't verbally respond. Yes, I will outlive everyone I know most likely, she texted back while avoiding the 'loved ones' label entirely. Anthony is better with someone else. The second after she sent the second text she regretted it. Most of the time she was not so self-depreciating or vulnerable, especially with Penny who had her own problems and would likely take joy in jabbing at her open wounds, but she couldn't help it. Gen was not a golem. There were sensitive topics and the mere presence of Ernest was bringing some of them bubbling to the surface.

"No, you didn't interrupt anything," Gen too quickly reassured Ernest as she brought herself out of morbid thoughts. Taking a deep breath and trying to ease herself into the casual congeniality of the janitor's demeanor she shook his hand. The blush had faded from her cheeks briefly but it reappeared at not just their brief, innocent touch, but at the flattery that quickly followed. Today was an incredibly odd day. Anthony had insisted she was a hero despite her objections to the label, lauding her accomplishments, and now a man roughly her age was calling her lovely. "You're the janitor, correct?" she said as she struggled to find a way to not be completely flustered and mute but also not be boring. "I was hired to help with the safety here. I've been a safety consultant for about fifteen years now but this is my first time working with a facility as an employee," she admitted.

How did she chase his compliment? Gen was atrocious during dates. She was awkward as a result of them going so horribly and thus it become harder and harder to know what to do or say that wasn't disastrous. Had Ernest been anything besides her age, seemingly single, and good-looking, she would have spoken as smoothly as she had with Anthony. "Thank you," she said finally. "It's a pleasure to meet a lovely man such as yourself too."

Gen began to fervently hope and pry the earth would open up and swallow her hole. If it could happen anywhere it was the disaster that was Facility 108, but with her luck it wouldn't happen. No, she would die of embarrassment. Even her immortality wouldn't prevent that.

 

[Syrenrei]

Susan Sanders
"Undine"
Location: Facility 108 Entrance Proper
Nearby: Some older gentleman (Logan, played by The Fuzzy Pixel )
​

Susan regularly flitted around from topic to topic as she did now, briefly landing on one topic vein only to abandon it completely as another topic seized her. For this reason she had numerous note cards to help keep her from deviating too far from her lecture material. It would still happen, of course, as she was no miracle worker, but she could reduce the frequency. As a teacher she had a responsibility to educate her pupils. Getting swept away by the whims of her idle thoughts would be a disservice to them.

Logan wasn't work, though. Her smile softened and she looked upon him with both admiration and fondness as he not only expertly chased after each segue flawlessly but found a way to respond. Not many could or would do such a thing. They'd stumble around, get frustrated, or chastise her depending on her temperament. Was it the commonwealth that had cultivated such patience or was he successful as a Commonwealth courier because of his patience? It was true the Commonwealth had its troubles. People loved to lament it on a daily basis and criticism was for the government had always been an ever-flowing river. But there were good people that worked hard within it. Decent individuals that were on courier missions to a struggling super institution and took the time to listen to a middle-aged lady ramble about nothing. Head to a barber shop and hear that the Commonwealth was full of malevolence or ineptitude. Take a few seconds to speak to more than one tired employee at the DMV and you'd have a different result, however. Was that not how life was? The public was always willing to harshly judge those they had little to no actual interactions with.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," she said with a slight bow of her head before sure stepped to the side and let her disc of water slide past and in front of her. It shrank slightly to conform to the dimensions of the door before expanding again once inside the walls. The water moved with a sentience as if it was not even being controlled although that's exactly what was occurring. Susan was fortunate in that she neither had to stare at it nor gesture for her to be able to manipulate. Had she not been also blessed with water sensing undoubtedly she'd look a lot more foolish hauling around her baggage. The hardest part of most endeavors was fine-tuning the pressure sufficiently to support the weight of whatever she was conveying.

"That is very sweet of you to say, Mr. Warrain, but I assure you there is no product on the planet that makes you look ten or more years younger than you are. Trust me, I looked," she added with a wink and impish grin before she laughed lightly. "A lady isn't supposed to reveal her age but seeing as you're such fine company I don't mind mentioning I'm actually forty-one. Gen is a few years younger than me if memory serves but she looks like she hasn't even hit thirty yet." As a Commonwealth man he likely had access to basic records and could find out her age anyway. She had always heard it was best to admit these sort of things rather than try to conceal them. Besides, she ought to be proud he thought she didn't look as old as she looked! All that money spent on her skin care regimen was well worth it.

"Ah, my exam! It was a long time ago, of course, so changes have been made to the process now. Not quite like today's. Anyway, I absolutely bombed my first exam! My powers controlled me back then rather than the other way around. Oh, you should have seen me. Whenever I got upset I'd absolutely flood the room without my limiter engaged. I got so mad I couldn't get water to do exactly what I wanted when I wanted that it only made things worse. My second year I failed miserably too but it was a lot closer. The third year I threw my exam. I thought I could fool all my teachers and just stay at the school forever. I really enjoyed being around supers all the time. Needless to say they figured me out," she was laughing at herself now and the memory. She wasn't embarrassed of her failure and instead wore it with pride. It was proof of her perseverance and determination when faced with adversity. Hopefully she'd be able to reach out to a few of her students with her experiences and help find them the confidence and fortitude to press on.

"Here I am talking about myself to death. Tell me something about yourself, Mr. Warrain. What would you say is the most important thing you've learned over your years? Or your most fond memory of youth? I'm sure you must have your share of thrilling stories!" With those questions she walked through the door finally to join her disc and clear containers. Glancing around she tried to recall where her classroom was. After tapping her chin thoughtfully for a couple seconds she started towards what she thought she remembered was the correct direction.

 

[Gus]

Aaron Mallory
​

Location: Front steps of main building
Interactions: B Bag o Fruit Teh Frixz
Nearby: The Fuzzy Pixel Syrenrei


Whud!-crunch!-griiind, whud!-crunch!-griiind, whud!-crunch!-griiind, whud!-crunch!-griiind...

LARRY would no doubt lodge a formal complaint with anyone and everyone about the sidewalk, but there was no helping it; the moon had set about 10 minutes ago, and Mars and Venus were both behind the sun. Mercury was not an easy target, being no bigger than the moon, not to mention so deep in the Sun's gravitational grip that he had never dared to try bridging to it. At best, if he bounced off of Callisto, he could cover the hundred foot gap to the school steps in about 35 minutes... or just as likely end up halfway across the country and have to try again. His power walk would have to do, and damn the sidewalk. As he passed the water booth, he snatched a double fistful of water bottles and cooling towels without breaking stride.

He was surprised to see a tall young super had gotten to Anneliese's side first, but oddly, was standing there doing nothing. This thought was followed rapidly by recognition and understanding. Tabitha Crane still needed some work on response to the unexpected, it seemed. At least she had one of Dabbs' new suits on. If she had been in her usual baggy clothes, he might have recognized her immediately. In any case, she'd be useful; best guess of cause for collapse on a sunny spring day like this was heat-stroke. As he closed the last 20 feet, he called out, “Tabby! Step back a bit and grow until you can just see in the classroom windows all right? Position yourself to protect her from the sun with your shadow... I think she may be overheated.”

Carefully kneeling beside Anneliese's crumpled form, he pops the cap off a water bottle and drizzles it over a cooling towel. Leaning forward to apply it to the guidance counselor's forehead, he asks gently, “Anne? Can you hear me? We're going to get you inside, ok?”

 

[Teh Frixz]

Tabitha Crane
“Tabby!!! Step back a bit and grow yourself to protect her from the sun with your shadow... I think she may be overheated.”

Jolting back at the sharp mention of her name, Tabitha did a double take before understanding that it was Mr. Mallory giving a command. Feeling embarrassed at her own inaction, she complied immediately. Backing off a good five or six feet, the next command she'd been given or at least the best approximation of the request was to grow and provide some shade. If she'd been a more prideful person she'd have taken offense at being told to beat feet and make shade. But she wasn't that person.

The sun was pretty high in the sky, it was a nice day so far for all this so she'd have to be pretty tall. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, Tabitha grew. The world felt just a tad bit smaller and as she opened her eyes that feeling was confirmed. She must have gone up thirty feet or so, towering over most of the assembled people below but most amazingly her suit had grown with her. Checking herself up and down, she had to be reminded by the scene unfolding by her feet that she had been doing a job.

A few steps to the right, making sure she was on stable ground and not crushing anyone and wham, Mr. Mallory and the fallen girl were in the shade.

"Does this work Mr. Mallory? I can grow more if you need me to"

 

[Gus]

Kate Barrett
​

Location: Boarding a pontoon boat. (Avast!)
Interaction: Richard Chase ManicMuse
Nearby: Kendrick, Piper, Morgan, and Jordan Necessity4Fun Lioness075 welian Zahzi

"Yes, I like the sound of that. Do me the honor of escorting me to the boats Ms. Barrett?"

Oooh, he likes the sound of that does he?

I wonder what other sounds he'd like?

I'd like to see what sounds he can make... popping sounds? Tearing sounds? Screaming?​

Kate dimpled, flushed a brilliant pink and looked away, then back, beaming. “Mr. Chase I'd be most thoroughly delighted!” She forced her face back into a facsimile of seriousness and thrust her chin up in her best 'regal' profile. Draping her hand meekly through the crook of his arm, she said simply, “Lead on, sir!”

They walked arm in arm through the throng down toward the boats. In spite of her lighthearted teasing manner, Kate found herself slightly electrified by his touch. Richard was so... thoroughly, adorably sweet. Doting father, gentlemanly companion (rather undeniably handsome didn't hurt) yet none of this was what shocked Kate into feelings beyond mere flirtatious playacting. No. What made her heart skip a beat was how terribly fragile he felt. The wave of protective feelings that washed over her as they walked was not something she had been prepared for, and it made her very anxious. Jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as her grandmother used to say. So she was already on high alert as they approached the docks to the sounds of some kind of verbal fracas. They arrived a fraction too late to hear exactly what it was about, but the sound of ponderous footfalls receding back toward the facility, escalating to cracking the concrete as he pushed himself to go faster, confirmed whose voice she had heard. She paused, watching Aaron go, rushing off toward his next heroic moment, complete in himself, and utterly lacking in any need of her protection. Or her.

She swallowed hard.

Her gaze returned to Richard, and her heart fluttered again. Her anxiety did not go away, but her anxious look did melt back into a smile. “I believe the smaller speed boats are for the students who can't or won't swim, but that pontoon boat looks like an ideal observation platform don't you think? I say we commandeer it before someone else gets it, hm?” She paused, hesitating, then blurted out: “Thank you so much for your company, Mr. Chase, truly. I had forgotten how much more... ...fun it is to have a personal angle to a story.” As they started towards the boat to begin their amateur piracy, she continued, “...so tell me more about your daughter. I want to know all the little details!”

Guys, I think...

Yeah, she's really um...

...shit at this? I agree.

Joke all you want. This is bad.​

 

[Bag o Fruit]

Chris Kravitz Gus ManicMuse Lioness075 Necessity4Fun “Hello Chris! You are very talented swimmer for someone without gills! Hey Albert! Let me help you up...”

Chris reached his arms up onto the rim of the buoyant float and folded them, then tucked his head underneath them so his forehead was submerged, and gave a flick of his body such that he rotated about his shoulders, paused with his body pointing straight up, bare feet extended to the sky, and landed sitting cross-legged on the platform. This activity was so strenuous, and he was so tired, that he did not notice a white-haired man fall out of nowhere and ricochet off the other side of the float. "Hey, Manami." he sighed as he got up. "Thanks. Uh... your English sounds even better than yesterday!" He was pretty sure that was a stupid comment but he knew Manami wouldn't take it the wrong way. Since he got to 108 in the winter, he had learned that he liked talking to Manami.

“Man 108 is a bunch of losers. I’m not letting you hold me up anymore.”

Chris didn't know who that was, but he was pretty sure he didn't like talking to them. Fortunately, he didn't get much of a chance to, as she dove straight into the obstacle like a bat out- well, into hell, more appropriately.

Chris noticed Izzy on the float, and it occurred to him that she was on his team, the Green Gators. "Okay!" he thought out loud. "Now... how does this work? There's three more Gators, but... do we just go?" Chris climbed enough of the grey plastic steps to see the obstacle they were soon to surmount. It took him a little less than two seconds to determine that there was no pattern to their motion. Randomized. Still shouldn't be too difficult. He turned around. Except probably for Albert.

"Hey Albert, what do you do again? I mean, sorry, what's, what's your power?"

iiNPC Card:

--Name--

Albert​

--Power--

Green Vine Growing Giant​

"Hey, don't mention it buddy; I knew what you meant! I'm, uh, I'm a green vine growing giant! Heheh!

"Vine-growing? Do you think you could grow vines strong enough to hold up those pillars?"

 

[Bag o Fruit]

Anneliese Van Can Gus Teh Frixz As disoriented as Anneliese was, it was still impossible to mistake the hands that brought a cool towel to her head as those belonging to Aaron. His identity was evident in their very motion. Also, Tabitha yelled 'Mister Mallory', which was just as impossible to ignore, even with a true Dutch sweater plastered to her ears. In any case, Aaron was exactly whom she needed now.

She looked up, without unblocking her ears, and looked Aaron dead in the eyes. She held his gaze for as long as she could, watched his slow, calmly celestial movements as he tried to make sure she was okay. She couldn't believe how little self control she had had. Why did she stare right into the crowd? Why did she go outside when she knew everyone was out there? And why wasn't she as able to tune them out today? Must be the damn kids these days. Morgan especially, telepath and all. God, if he could only get something done... and Tabitha! Poor girl. No initiative... except to break the pavement. Oy, LARRY is going to act pretty peeved...

"I'm okay." she said aloud, still without taking her hands from her ears. "You make sure Tabitha gets to the obstacles. I'm going to go inside and sort myself out." she stood, and smiled "Thank you."

 

[Necessity4Fun]

The Pellegrinis

aTablitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Edmondo

With a expression of concern, the two Italians watched the man with the utmost attention. Tablita, like the worried mother she was, already wondering if the long silence was normal, or if something was deeply wrong. Edmondo was completely lost. He stood looking a the pair from behind but had no idea of what to even do. Nervous, the man had started sweating cold for as long as there had been only silence. Then the white-haired stranger finally replied and both sighed relieved, releasing the breaths they had been holding for God knows how long:

"Are you entirely sure?", the woman pressed, no longer leaning over the newcomer, but still in the grass beside him.

The husband seemed a lot more relaxed. Edmondo dried his sweat with his hand, all without taking his beloved panama hat out of his head and decided to approach, a bit aprehensive. There was a nervous gulp as the man watched the other not only inspect his jacket but also look extremely angry about it. Had it been another occasion he would have let his wife handle it. However, there was a chance he'd be needed briefly...
Tablita had remained on edge, she wasn't confident that the situation had ended. In fact, she was very capable of dragging the stranger to the infirmary tent herself, as soon as anything potencially problematic stood out... And no one would be able to talk her out of it. Kind but forceful, that was the way she had always been.
Note that 'capable of', didn't mean that she efectively did. It was common for tablita to request assistance from her husband in whatever she set her mind into and Edmondo was expecting for just that.

"I was portaled here by the motherfuckers from Commonwealth..."

"Commonwealth?!"​

Both stopped everything and the response was almost instaneous. There was a brief silence between the two. Tablita failing to tease the newcomer about holding his language? Things had certainly got a bit more serious:

"Didn't Cecilia mention this before?", Tablita asked turning towards Edmondo.

"Oh! She did!", he exclaimed, having just remembered of that fact, "It had something to do with training maybe why she moved here... I can't really recall that part."

The Italian woman glanced back at the stranger. This seemed... important. She couldn't grasp how important, but her intuition was telling her at least that. Did the newcomer have a message to deliver? She took a shot in the dark:

"Yes, this is actually facility 108. Is there someone you intend to see? Do you... have a name perhaps?"

Edmondo looked at his wife from behind with a confused expression. At this point, he had no idea of what she was up to or where that question had come from.

Ixaix