Onyx Prairie - Southern Quarter

[Aethyrium]

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Koko, Marlowe
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander
"See you in the water!"

Chee's eyes threatened to bulge out of his face, "Da Infinite Black!?"

A second earlier, Dariaq had been kidding about going over the edge in his kayak. Chee raced to the edge, and stared down at the quickly fading figure of the mad elf. His grin was wide and wicked. "Not a chance. Not one tiny, itty bitty chance. Not one!" He screamed the last after the man. His blood was racing. It was rushing through his veins like a mad rhinopede.

This was supposed to be fun, a chance for them to catch up, Dari had wanted to talk about the speech Neerfrosts was jamming down his throat. Chee had suggested some time on the river. They were supposed to wait for the shuttle. His blood raced. Others were supposed to be coming. He looked to the craft he had secured from professor Wilt.

He ran back to his it then kicked it. The thing went skittering with a hollow wooden sound over the turf, teetered on the edge, then dipped over. He was after it in a second; there was no time to waste. He had to catch up; he couldn't be the last to the water. Wind bit as his face as he went over. His ears flexed under the helmet he was wearing. He slid the goggled over his eyes. He searched for Dari's figure. Then he looked for his kayak. The light object was a ways down, but it was riding the wind. Chee slimmed his profile and dove for it. How was he going to survive this? He'd figure it out.

It was fun though. The world disappeared; the world was laid out before him.

The kayak thunked a bit as he collided with it. They were light, wooden things. Each was able to handle two people. Chee hand walked along his and grabbed the rim of the back seat. Luckily, he was very comfortable maneuvering his body, so he slid his feet in and then took a second to strap in. A moment later, he worked it to the thing angled down and he started to cut through the air. Dari was ahead of him though. He grinned and felt the air tear at his lips. "Dat's cheatin, elf. But I never back down!"

His fingers went to his belt and thumbed along until he felt the ampule he wanted. Pulling out the soft white Arcanite, he popped the cap and spilled soem into his hand. Turning, he sat on his knees now and aimed his hands backwards. A second later, a jet of air shot out and sped him forward. It was a small burst, he was careful, and he let it peeder out. Twisting back around, he saw Dari coming up on his left. As he came alongside the man, they shared a manic grin. "You're crazy, elf! Crazier dan Marlowe." He gave the man a thumbs up and looked at him.

Chee had enormous respect for the dusky elf. He'd thought the man loud and off-putting that first meet. Later, just loud. Chee didn't particularly like loudness. But the man was good in a fight, always moved forward, and was dependable in a tight spot. That combined with Chee becoming aware of his and Koko's morning ritual moved the man up in his estimation considerably. So, now, Chee found ways to be busy in the mornings with breakfast or a morning run. Besides, most the team seemed happy there was a pot of coffee in the kitchen first thing. It was nice having a kitchen.

He grinned at the man again, "Last one ta da river is a rotten egg!" Chee pushed down against the craft to streamline himself and show ahead of Dari. He started thinking about how he'd lands as the bright blue band of water grew in his vision.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Hammer Island / Southern Quarter
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, visor glasses, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Too loud
On the edge was where the fear was always greatest. You could see the spiralling drop below you, you could feel the wind battering you without the protection of Hammer’s curtain walls, you could hear the jagged racing of your own heartbeat. That was when the voice that said you can still step back was loudest, and the only thing fighting it was the willpower to push through - to prove yourself and not look a fool in front of your squadmates.

With fingers that were stiff from cold and adrenaline, Dari checked his belt straps - the one that secured him to the short kayak he knelt inside, the others clamping the jetpack rig to his back. The dive into Fort Kapsi had been his third jump, after only two practice runs with Robyn. This would be his fourth. The arcanite rigs were easier for new starters, apparently - just wait for the altimeter to shrill in your ear, turn yourself upright, and hammer the button at the centre of your chest, between the tubes and crossbelts. Dari almost grinned as he mused that using it to burn off attacking Nevermore probably wasn’t in the manual. The lightning resonance around Kapsi had made him feel invincible, but Pinewatch had reminded him just how fleeting that feeling could be.

Dari felt his Soul spark, a brief ripple of protective green across his form. He shook his head, subconsciously trying to dislodge the voice that was getting almost too loud. He looked up and saw Chee making his way down the outside of the wall with kayak slung over his shoulder. Having his friend’s eyes on him made the decision for him.

“See you in the water!” he cackled, and leaned his weight forward. On the edge might be the worst, but over the edge was easier - the fear-adrenaline still screamed, but there was no time and no space for the voice because now you were falling, and there was absolutely nothing you could do to stop it. Dari let himself fall, and plummeted towards the distant night-lights of Onyx. The wind hammered at him, slipping beneath the edge of his visor and making his eyes water. He could feel his cheeks pulling his lips into a manic grin.

Chee pulled alongside him, now secured in his own kayak, and shouted something that was stolen by the wind as he gave a thumbs-up and then swan dived away from Dari. Below the ground was a dizzying spider-web of lights, white and yellow and red, but there was just enough of it to make out the river that flowed through Onyx as a winding black ribbon. Crossed with bridges and hydro-harnesses, it was the city’s lifeblood, and had been since the first settlers had come here, before they even knew they’d be building one of the greatest bulwarks against the Hollow. Dari aimed for it, leaning forward and spinning end over end before diving in pursuit of Chee. As he saw Chee’s canvas ripple and unfurl like a flower he plummeted past him again, leaning to one side and rolling well clear of the parachute. He felt the disc at the centre of his chest vibrate, warning lights flashing as the pressure monitor began to keen louder than the air rushing by. Dari hooked up his legs to pull the kayak out of the path of the rig’s jetwash, and hammered the button.

The pack ignited with a reassuring whoosh and roar of red arcanite, and he felt himself slowing as the black band of the river widened to meet him. He leaned to the left, correcting his landing spot slightly. The pack roared against gravity, until for all its fury he was drifting downward as gently as a leaf on the breeze. He was half pleased and half annoyed to see Chee’s kayak splash down in the water at exactly the same moment as his own, the parachute wilting and falling to one side. Dari chuckled to himself as the first thought to enter his mind was rematch.

He spotted a familiar feather-crowned head by the bank, and hailed the silenus with a raised hand. “Hey! Torina!”

Torina, who was kneeling to set her kayak in order, glanced up and stifled a yawn with her hand. “Did we have to start so early?”

Dari began to unsnap the straps of the jetpack rig, and shrug it off his shoulders. “If you took the fast way down with us you could have had a lie-in.”

Torina wrinkled her nose and smirked. “Flying is old news for me. If we have to start early, I’d much rather see what the eastern quarter has to offer in the dawnlight.” She slid her kayak into the water and hopped smoothly in after it. “But I’d be very interested to hear what you two thought of the jump. Did you fall long enough to reach terminal velocity? Once you do it feels almost like floating.”

By the time Dari had stowed his spent jetpack in the lock-box Torina had brought down and left by the shore for them all, and by the time he had untied the pieces of his paddle from inside the kayak and screwed them together, the sky was beginning to lighten. Sparse clouds turned from dark grey to pink above the skyline of the waking city. Dari paddled his kayak back out into the middle of the water to join the others.

“Alright, short king.” he volleyed over to Chee, “Where are we going now?” He shook his head vigorously and clipped his visor to his collar, skin still tingling with adrenaline. “You know, I think I needed that.”

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Koko, Marlowe
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (2)
Chee saw the look in Dari's eyes and he new it: Rematch! He grinned. Dari's eyes moved suddenly and Chee followed them to Torina. he grinned at the raven-born Silenus in the universal Chee-hello. He waved. His ears flicked. "Early birds gets da worm!" He chimed in then cackled. He wiped a bit of riverwater off him. The splashdown had been heavy even with the parachute. It was a strange wonder that he'd brought the thing, but you never knew!

He waggled his head as he removed it and stowed it in the nose of the Kayak. He reflected that getting the crafts back up was going to be a lot less fun, "Pssh! Torina? I was dere da night of da prison break? Not my first time jumpin off Hammer Island. Damn sure won't be my last!" Chee could barely imagine better ways to get down. Maybe he needed one of them Arcanite-fueled jet packs like Dari had? That was the ticket. He grinned at the elf. "But yeah, dat... peace? Dat moment when your just hangin dere? Dat's nice. Not dat me and Dari got much of dat dis time. We were sorta in a hurry!" He slapped the top of his kayak at his lame joke and hooted laughter at himself.

Parachute stowed, he pulled out his own oar and assembled it before pointing downriver with it, "Dat way is Gaoden after a bit den, after a loooong bit, Sea Breeze." Twisting , he points upriver, "Not as sure dat way. But it's harder ta row up current, ya?"

Chee started moving his arms to row and hold his position relevant to the shore while the choices were in the air. Either way, they'd be outside the walls eventually. That didn't ruffle Chee's fur, but maybe they didn't want to leave the walls."If you want ta stay in da walls, which I don't blame you, den maybe we do laps? Wall ta wall, tree or four times?" He looked the options at the other two then looked up at the sky. "It was warmer, but a nice day like dis when me and Bri went rock climbing ta da south." He wondered where she was and how she was doing. That made him think about Roar, and Meena, and Vesper, and Mugi. He looked to Dari, "Did Hulta ever tell you about Mugi?" Chee didn't often think about the past like this, but it was ok sometimes. The world was at peace at the moment. The river slid past, time floated. He was with friends, his body was warming up and vibrating. He smiled easily. His ears were calm, still.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Memories
"We were sorta in a hurry!" He slapped the top of his kayak at his lame joke and hooted laughter at himself.

Torina responded by trying and failing to shove him out of his kayak. She wore a charm bracelet on her wrist, bearing tokens such as a tiny bird skull, a spider, and a stylised wolf tooth, painted red. As both boats rocked unsteadily, Dari paddled up to join them.

"Dat way is Gaoden after a bit den, after a loooong bit, Sea Breeze." Twisting , he pointed upriver, "Not as sure dat way. But it's harder ta row up current, ya?"

Dari turned to look upriver. Far beyond the city, the headwaters of the great river began somewhere in the hills south of the trail to Cordes-sur-Ciel - beyond them was the Rishi Valley, and then another spine of mountains, past which was Le Havre, and home. In the other direction, as Chee said, was Seabreeze. Dari had never been there, though he knew it was the hometown of his father, Erevan de Cobassarez. Presumably it was now his father’s home once again, after he and Mother had separated. Dari had not seen him since. There could be many reasons for that - the Hollow-ravaged roads foremost among them - but it was the other possibilities that always held Dari back from reaching out.

“Dariaq Syvanios doesn’t take a path simply because it’s easier!” he declared, pulling his hand into his chest and then sweeping out dramatically to point upstream.

Torina laughed and shook her head. “Fine. We should stay inside the walls though. I don’t fancy having to fight Hollow on my weekend as well.”

“If you want ta stay in da walls, which I don't blame you, den maybe we do laps? Wall ta wall, tree or four times?”

“Let’s do it!” Dari affirmed, and dug one end of his oar into the water to swing his kayak around. Soon they were off, zagging their way upstream with shark-like economy, keeping to the inner bends where the current was slower. A stiff breeze blew along the open water, scudding whitecaps past the three squires. It was still early, but they saw a few people walking the paths above the concrete embankments, and the occasional vehicle rumbled across the bridges.

Chee looked up at the sky. "It was warmer, but a nice day like dis when me and Bri went rock climbing ta da south." He wondered where she was and how she was doing.

Dari seemed to be having the same thought. “Her and Thessa were the first squires I met.” he recalled, “They came into the bar where I used to work, I got talking to them, and she challenged me to darts. She had crazy aim, even drunk.” He shook his head, lips pressed together. “Now I guess I’ll have to wait to learn her trick.”

“She was in your old squad, right?” Torina asked as she oared herself clear of a bridge support. “She got reassigned?”

Dari nodded, feeling again the sting of being unable to find a single word to convince his squad-mate to stay. “Her family are all military and…well, I guess duty called.” It still didn’t quite sit right with him - after all, they had been perfectly happy to support Bri’elle on her squire journey until then. Perhaps it had something to do with the strange things they had uncovered at Fort Kapsi. In any case, it was not a question he expected to find the answer to anytime soon.

“Wasn’t a good feeling, seeing her go.” he admitted, driving his oar against the current with a determined effort, “Or any of the others.”

Chee looked to Dari, "Did Hulta ever tell you about Mugi?"

Dari cuffed spray from his face as he remembered his first introduction to Hulta, her big owl eyes staring at him upside down from the top bunk. He had asked her about the squire whose bed he was taking; the squire who had never gotten to be a champion. Not a champion’s story, but still one that mattered.

“Hulta didn’t tell me everything that happened at Azkhaban.” he began contemplatively. From what he had heard since, it had not been clean, or quick. It was not something he wanted the three of them dwelling on. “But she did tell me some things about her.” He tried to smile. “She said Mugi was always grumpy in the mornings, but she loved Hulta’s humming. And she had a big family she wanted to look out for.”

“Mugi was always helping people.” Torina agreed.

Dari nodded. “She’d have made a fine champion. I’m sure of it.” He pointed ahead, to a patch where the surface rippled with turbulence - the intake and discharge pipes from one of the industrial units that sat athwart the river. “Heads up!”

They slalomed the edge of the choppy water, and regrouped.

“How do you do it?” Torina asked, shaking wet hair and feathers away from her face. “You’re the first amalgamated squad anyone can remember and that’s awesome, but it’s only because so many…you know.” She pushed her spray-beaded glasses up her nose before returning both hands to her paddle. “How do you cope?”

I’ll tell you that when I figure it out, Dari thought, but instead he reached over to Chee and hooked a hand round the smaller squire’s shoulder, the hulls of their kayaks thunking together. “Strong team bonds!” he declared confidently. “Speaking of,” he added, looking to Chee as he released his squad-mate, “What’s up between you and Thessa? She’s been staring daggers at you these last few days.”

Torina hooted, and flicked her oar at Dari to splash him with water. “Of course you’d notice what faces Thessa’s making.”

“I’m very observant!” Dari protested, digging his oar into the river to return fire. “But yeah, she won’t tell me why. Quoi de neuf?”

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Bri, Roar, Meena, Torina
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (3)
Decision made, they oriented and started the first lap. There was that daunting moment that crested inside him as his brain started to assess the actual size of the task they'd bitten off. Three or four passes of the length of the river that flowed inside Onyx Prairie was going to tax them. That idea made him shiver with excitement.

There was something in being active, pushing that scratched a need deep inside him. He nodded, "Ya. True enough."

Then they were slicing through the water. Chee felt the thrill of the moment when him and Torina battled for the front a moment but then settled in. She took the lead. He needed to get better at that stuff.

His ears tuned into the conversation as his eyes searched the bank of the river that faced the prairies on Johtan. He couldn't help and didn't bother stopping his brain from drifting back to Bri. His smile was easy and comfortable. He'd heard the stories of Fort Kapsi now, and that sounded like it had been a strange mission. He wondered if it had contributed to Bri's leaving, "Yeah, duty was everytin ta her. I figure dat had ta be part of it? Same as, sorta, Meena? Duty ta family and all."

Then he turned his face to listen to Dari talked of the lost crow=born. He nodded at the assessment, "Her and Roar bot, not mornin people at all. She used ta get coffee with us once upon a time." Chee missed those morning coffee dates with Roar. He understood now they were part of what had alienated him, in the beginning, from gRAVIty. He'd spent more time with Mockery and Swagger. But Roar had become a bright spot in his life. She still was. It was tinged with sadness now, but he still thought about her. "She sure woulda! Fine Champion! Roar, too!"

He saw Torina's nod. There were not many Silenus at Hammer at most times. Losing Meena and Mugi from that community had been hard. But he had to focus as the wave hit them. He leaned into it and surfed it a bit on a whim. He noted Torina following suit and they had another moment of competition which Chee won this time. He was grinning back at her when she asked the question that made his ears pin down a bit. But Dari was talking first and his ears pivoted to listen. He watched Torina's reaction.

Which was why he wasn't able to duck Dari's grab. He felt the familiar hyper-focus on the point of contact hit him like a brick to the forehead. It wasn't bad. It was more like a soft paralysis. His brain was just locked in place, focused on the touch, then it was gone and he was blinking and uncoiling. He grinned at them and paddled a bit intensely. But the question was passed by then. Instead, a different and even more uncomfortable one was washing up against him.

He frowned at Dari, bit his lip, and looked to the far banks again, "Same stuff, different day."

As Torina teased the man, Chee angled himself and made to try his own hand at flicking water, but then second-guessed himself. This wasn't a moment for him. "Get him!" There'd be others. Instead, he charged ahead cutting a wake for them to follow. He called back over his shoulder, "We ran into one anoder out and about and had a bit of a row, dat's all. After da prison break and da losses dat day, Tessa's a bit odd about tings like dat." Chee pushed the thought of that night away though. Earlier in the week, he'd gotten the business from Apple. He still expected there were some unresolved stuff between him and Koko and the other two, but that was not a matter for this place. "I know you was busy fighting wit Marlow dat day, but what do you know of da rest of-" But Torina seemed to want a change of subject if the look she shot him was any indication. Everyone involved that day had come out the other end a bit broken.

So, he pushed the conversation another direction by looking at Torina, "Wait? You sayin Dari likes lookin at Tessa?" He turned wide saucer eyes at the elf. He whistled low. Chee was impressed. "She certainly cuts a nice figure. Ya." He had slowed and drifted back between the two others again. The conversation was more interesting than the competition. Besides, his body was nice and warm now. He felt how it stabilized him and defrazzled his nerves to be active at this level. He took a pair of long, slow breaths. "Your team like dat Torina? Everyone tryin ta jump one anoder's bones and such? I swear, everyone on SAvAGeD thinks about nothing else."

The Silenus woman considered briefly then nodded, "Sure. Put a bunch of active, physically fit, and attractive adolescent people in close proximity? There will be fucking."

Chee's eyes got big. She eyed him and then laughed, "Light! Except you! You know there's a pool on you and Artanis for who will get laid last? Looking like you pulled ahead now."

Chee spluttered and his oars didn't dig as deep for a few passes which saw him drift behind a bit. He dug in to catch up, "Why in da Infinite Black do people care about dat?!" But Torina only rolled her eyes at him and laughed. He turned big, wondering eyes on Dari. A moment latter, the rat-born Silenus chuckled himself. It wasn't like he was immune to good-looking people. He bit his lip and thought of Lionel.

Shaking his head shaggily, he dug his oars in and started another bit of a race. The end of this leg of the river was coming into view and Chee made for it. He'd rather they had talked about his fight with Adir or the upcoming Ninja Academy stuff than sex. His cheeks flamed and he used it as fuel for his body. The world started to drop away like water off the shorts hairs on the back of his skull. He huffed and pushed harder. The sound of water chopping the bottom of the kayaks was all there was for a moment. The three of them went neck-and-neck. People on the shore stopped to watch the display.

It ended as all three of them skidded past where the wall cut into the river. Chee hooted laughter and sent wild looks at his friends. The tension and weight of the moment before was gone. His flush was all exertion now. He grinned at Torina, "So what's dat pool up ta? Can I bet on myself?"

She laughed back, "That might be seen as cheating!"

"What? Like I can control da outcome? Dis ain't da Ninja Academy!" Chee grinned cheekily at Dari, "Kiki can give me a run for my money, but dis one? Hardly! All dem long arms and legs get in da way. It's like he's trying to run wit noodles for legs!" But his smile broadcast that he was just having a go at the big elf, nothing serious. Chee rested his oar across his kayak and let the river start pulling him along, resting his arms a bit. He only used a blade to keep himself straight.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Memories
"She sure woulda! Fine Champion! Roar, too!"

Torina nodded in agreement, though to Dari’s eye there was something wistful about Chee’s expression. He thought back to people whispering excitedly about how they’d seen Aurora kiss Chee at the winter ball, and to the decidedly shut up look Aurora had given him when he had thought they were responsible for Chee’s mysterious note. And then Ryefield had happened.

Dari bit the inside of his cheek. It wasn’t fair to make someone choose between their life’s calling and helping the people they loved, but the Hollow had never cared about anyone’s hopes and dreams. Aurora would be strong enough for whatever they found in Ryefield, Dari didn’t doubt that. But he did not want them to have to be strong - he wanted them to be okay. He could only hope.

The turbulence ahead provided a welcome distraction. “Heads up!”

…..

"Get him!"

Dari’s ears angled downward. “Trahison!” he accused loudly as he fended off Torina. “What happened to strong team bonds!?”

“And you didn’t answer the question!” Torina prodded as she paddled back out of splash range and tried to dry her glasses on her sleeve.

Chee charged ahead, cutting a wake for them to follow. He called back over his shoulder, “We ran into one anoder out and about and had a bit of a row, dat's all. After da prison break and da losses dat day, Tessa's a bit odd about tings like dat.”

Dari had no reason to disbelieve the lie, though it did make him frown slightly. In any case, the look Torina shot Chee convinced him to drop it, and the conversation quickly moved on.

"Wait? You sayin Dari likes lookin at Tessa?"

Dari stumbled a little before finding his words. “There’s a lot to admire!” he replied defensively. “Fantastic form in the sparring, great muscle definition, a haircare routine that speaks of care yet restraint. Excellent taste in perfume.” Okay, perhaps that last one wasn’t relevant. He drew himself up straighter in the kayak. “Possibly the second-best squire in Savaged, in my informed opinion.”

Torina looked at Chee, and tried to stifle a laugh.

"She certainly cuts a nice figure. Ya. Your team like dat Torina? Everyone tryin ta jump one anoder's bones and such? I swear, everyone on SAvAGeD thinks about nothing else."

The Silenus woman considered briefly then nodded. "Sure. Put a bunch of active, physically fit, and attractive adolescent people in close proximity? There will be fucking." Chee's eyes got big. She eyed him and then laughed, "Light! Except you! You know there's a pool on you and Artanis for who will get laid last? Looking like you pulled ahead now."

"Why in da Infinite Black do people care about dat?!"

“It’s a bit mean-spirited of them.” Dari agreed carefully. Especially after Aurora had to leave and everything. Chee however did not seem overly concerned, and as the great grey cliff of the curtain wall loomed ahead, he sped off through the water. Dari oared to catch up, quickly deciding that the challenge was more important than getting offended on his squad-mate’s behalf.

The wall boasted two great barbican towers at either side of the river, chains dragging into the water which could, at the press of a button, raise a solid slab of metal to dam off the river against any assault. Today the gate was down and the ramparts quiet, though Dari could see telescopes and the muzzles of arcanite artillery pointing out into the wilderness, ever watchful for Hollow. Beyond the wall were tilled fields and the distant clusters of outlying settlements, slowly materialising out of the early gloom. Some of the fields lay fallow, while others were green with rows of winter vegetables. The three squires skidded their kayaks into the current as they prepared to turn around.

"So what's dat pool up ta? Can I bet on myself?"

Torina laughed back, "That might be seen as cheating!"

“What? Like I can control da outcome? Dis ain't da Ninja Academy! Kiki can give me a run for my money, but dis one? Hardly! All dem long arms and legs get in da way. It's like he's trying to run wit noodles for legs!”

Dari shook his head, thinking of one of the notes tacked to the board outside the grand hall, until he had pinned a counter atop it. Thessa Almentis is the best. Dariaq Syvanios has noodle arms.

“You’ve been reading propaganda on notice boards.” he accused with mock severity. “Speaking of the TNA though, let me show you something before we hit the next lap…”

As the river gently tugged them back through the barbican gate, he laid his oar across his kayak so that Chee and Torina could grab onto it and pull themselves in, and used his other hand to fish a piece of paper from the zip pouch he had clipped beneath his tracksuit. He unfolded it as they bumped hull-to-hull and began to drift lazily downriver.

“Hope sent me the speech they want me to make on Neerfrost’s behalf before the next event.”

“Neerfrost?” Torina pushed her glasses up her nose. “Aren’t they sweeping the TNA right now?”

Dari and Chee exchanged a glance.

“Are they paying you?”

Dari sucked his teeth. He hated the idea of it, but maintaining the cover was useful. And if it helps pay off Scarecrow… “Actually yes.” he confirmed, and held up the paper for them to see. “But what do you make of it?”

The paper was creased, and now water-spattered, but the words printed on it were still legible.

Citizens of Onyx, brothers and sisters of this glorious city - welcome!

Look at this stadium tonight. The lights, the energy, the sheer promise in the eyes of these young athletes. This is what Onyx was built for—not just survival, not just struggle, but victory. Not just for a few, but for all those who call this city home and are willing to fight for her greatness. Tonight we gather to celebrate sport, but more than that - we gather to remember who we are. We are Onyx. Steel in the spine. Fire in the soul. We don’t bend when the world leans in - we stand tall. We win. Always have, always will.

There are those who would have you believe that Onyx owes everything to others. That we were the beneficiaries of mercy. That we didn’t earn peace through sacrifice. That others decided the outcome of the Great War. But we do ourselves a disservice. We know who held the line. It was our blood in the mud. Our names unspoken in the songs of others. But we remember. And we honor it - in action.

That’s why Neerfrost exists. Not just to sponsor games. But to shape futures. To find the forgotten and give them purpose. From the east quarter to the west, our programs reach those others won’t. We don’t ask where you came from. Only what you believe in. Strength. Discipline. Loyalty. Family. This year, we’ve doubled our efforts. More academies. More outreach. More chances for the youth of Onyx to rise above their circumstances - not be dragged into ideologies of division and resentment.

Let me ask you - when a city bleeds, who patches the wound? Is it those who threaten us with violence, or those who stand strong? Is it the voices screaming from the sidelines, or is it those who act with purpose? It’s those who take responsibility and don’t apologize for their strength.
Tonight is more than a competition. It is a declaration. That Onyx will never be ruled by weakness, or fear. That our future lies in those who earn it. And that you - the people - will choose what kind of city we live in.

So cheer loud, Onyx. Cheer for these young champions. For unity. For strength. For history remembered correctly. And for the future we will seize, together. We are Neerfrost. We are Onyx. And we are just getting started.

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Bri, Roar, Meena, Torina
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (4)
Chee was feeling a bit discombobulated. Topics were bouncing around his head and making him feel like he was all over the place. The push, exertion, of reaching the curtain wall had helped push a lot of it to the edges. He glanced nervously at Torina and Dari, expecting them to be casting strange looks his way, but they weren't. They were just smiling and laughing like they were having a good time. Tension knotted in Chee's chest and then bust out as he laughed with them. The rush of adrenaline filled in the now vacant spot like it was meant to.

"What propaganda?" He frowned as he had no idea what the man was talking about. Then he shrugged as the topic shifted again. The moment was past, so Chee let it go. It felt odd, but good.

Instead, he grabbed the oar, pulled in, then set his own over it. A moment later, Torina added hers and there was a triple bridge holding the slowly drifting pontoon together. The wooden hulls ground together lightly in time with the river's motions. Chee's ears twitched.

As Torina asked questions, Chee took the letter. Chee knew that Dari didn't like taking the money, but knew why he did. He glanced at the man, "I can give da money ta Ester. Put it ta helping da people Neerfrosts claims ta be helpin."

But he was reading as he spoke, so it was absent-minded. Still, Chee would do it. No matter what else had happened to him this week, Chee still helped people. Specifically, he would always help the one in front of him. He had to. Maybe, after this business was done, he could introduce Dari to Esther? He looked at the man. Would anyone dare to attack Dari the way they had Thomas? He grinned, "Bet Esther could use a strappin lad like you. Get stuff of da top shelf, open jars, keep da racists ta at least stay quiet while dey eat her soup?"

He finished reading the letter then passed it to Torina. He couldn't help recall other letters. His fingers tightened on the locked oars and he stared off into the distance for a moment. "Dere's lotsa folks dat could use da money. Heck, you could donate it ta da Freebirds! Da seems like it might just tweak deir noses!"

Chee frowned as his brain got back on track. He blinked and looked to Torina who was reading the letter, "Yeah, or some Silenus cause? Or the elves? Cause, fuck these guys!"

Chee nodded. He figured another Silenus would pick up on the stuff in there. "Da nerve! 'Rise above deir circumstances?' 'Division' and 'resentment?' Da absolute nerve!" Chee's shoulders vibrated. "Wonder what Satin would do when dat got back ta her? Probably make a martyr of Zhent. Which helps nobody and proves da point. Ya?" He looked to Torina. Chee didn't like Satin Whyte's tactics. He refused to call them Red Fang tactics. But claiming she lacked power or purpose were words to start an out and out fight in the streets. "Does he want every Silenus up in arms?!"

Torina set the letter down and clicked her tongue, "Probably, yeah? Give the OES and his 'powerful' an excuse to act? Scapegoat a whole community?"

"What, like Neerfrosts athletes bustin heads? Not sure dat'd go far." Chee glanced at the dusky elf, "No offense dere, your 'teammates' are fine athletes but no warriors." In an actual fight, Dari or Chee or Torina could probably take the whole team. His ears flicked and he watched the river flow a bit.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Memories
"I can give da money ta Ester. Put it ta helpin da people Neerfrosts claims ta be helpin."

Dari hmm’d in answer, not quite sure how to reply. It was a good idea. Morally, perhaps a better idea than giving it to Scarecrow. But then we stay on the hook…and who knows what favour she has in mind. He rubbed his wrist, grinding his thumb into his watch strap and the Shimmer-mark concealed underneath it.

“I wouldn’t mind visiting the soup kitchen.” he said after a moment. “You know, help out in person before just showing up with a load of cor. Would your madame Esther appreciate that?”

Chee grinned, "Bet Esther could use a strappin lad like you. Get stuff off da top shelf, open jars, keep da racists ta at least stay quiet while dey eat her soup?"

He finished reading the letter then passed it to Torina. He couldn't help recall other letters. His fingers tightened on the locked oars and he stared off into the distance for a moment. "Dere's lotsa folks dat could use da money. Heck, you could donate it ta da Freebirds! Da seems like it might just tweak deir noses!"

Dari massaged his shoulder. He had heard news of the Freebirds stealing arcanite in recent days, supposedly to get around the restrictions that were crippling half the city. But unlike Specter or the Red Fang, they went out of their way not to hurt anyone when they did so.

“Yeah,” Torina joined in, “Or some Silenus cause? Or the elves? Cause, fuck these guys!”

Chee nodded. He figured another Silenus would pick up on the stuff in there. "Da nerve! 'Rise above deir circumstances?' 'Division' and 'resentment?' Da absolute nerve!"

Dari read the script again over Torina’s shoulder. The first thing that had struck him as off had been the insistence that the Great War’s story had been somehow mis-told. He knew enough of the histories to know that Onyx and Emerald had stood together in that conflict. But now he looked again at the words that had so incensed Chee and Torina, he began to see. How could division and resentment be aimed at anyone but the silenus?

"Does he want every Silenus up in arms?!"

Torina set the letter down and clicked her tongue, "Probably, yeah? Give the OES and his 'powerful' an excuse to act? Scapegoat a whole community?"

"What, like Neerfrosts athletes bustin heads? Not sure dat'd go far." Chee glanced at the dusky elf, "No offense dere, your 'teammates' are fine athletes but no warriors."

Dari shook his head, rubbing his chin. “No, they wouldn’t get involved. Neerfrost is just the front.” A front that rigs games to gain influence, and then spreads lies. Dari let his hands fall onto the hull of the kayak. “I’m not reading those words if that’s what they mean. I’m not.” A champion unites, doesn’t divide. “I’ll make some excuse to Zhent.”

Torina tapped the paper. “Or you could just change the words.”

Dari looked at them both. “What?”

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Bri, Roar, Meena, Torina
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (5)
Chee's hand went out to clap Dari on the shoulder, "Buddy, sure ting. I'll introduce you. Like I said, strappin folk ta lift tings is always needed. And..." Chee bit his lip and thought about the day he, Maria, and Bri had been helping down there. Things were tense in the Eastern Quarter. "Yeah, a big fella like you'd be welcome. One who knows da power of a stern look rader dan a fist?" Chee clocked how uncomfortable Dari was though, which made him happy that he was able to do that, They moved on to discussing the speech.

Chee was nodding along to Dari's declaration, appreciating the solidarity, when Torina had a better idea. Chee's eyes got big. His mouth made a little 'o' of surprise. It was an obvious solution, but not one he would have come to.

"Well well... Torina wit da wits. Knew bringin you along was a good idea. Even if it was Dari's idea." Chee grinned at his friends. This time, he hoped the joke landed. He was bad at that type of humor.

He focused on the speech and frowned. His ears went flat as he focused. "Dat first part dere sounds good actually. Right?" He looked to the others for confirmation. "But dat second part kind of starts ta go off, don't it? Sounds sort of like dey tink Onyx was da only ones spillin blood, ya?" Chee's ears went flat. He was only just starting to learn the extent to which Silenus had been pushed down in this world. It was shocking how much some ignored the suffering of others to focus on their own and the actions they thought it justified. His ears flicked.

Torina looked to him, "We're fools if we think it was just Sapphire and Ruby that were the problem, Chee."

He looked at her with a bit of shock. It was like she was replying directly to his thoughts. His eyes went to her ears then and he smiled. It was odd to connect to someone on something like that. Odd, but good. "Yeah, didn't you say Zhent had some colorful tings ta say, Dari? Seems maybe he's usin Neerfrosts to push his own agenda?" He tried to focus and recall the things they'd learned from Hope's computer. What was that thing he'd overheard, "Black petals, Onyx dawn? Dis got anytin ta do wit dat?"

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Joining dots
“Black petals, Onyx dawn.” Dari repeated, “That’s the Lotus slogan, isn’t it?”

He leaned back in his kayak.

“Robyn told us a bit about them, before she sent me and Hulta to the Luxe. They think that with the dragons gone, Onyx needs a new defender - and it should be them.” Dari rubbed his shoulder. If that was as far as it went, it might have been a philosophy he agreed with. “They want Onyxians on top of the world. Real Onyxians, whatever that means.”

He looked down at the paper again.

“I could see Zhent buying into that.” And not just Zhent. He remembered all the lotus tattoos in the Neerfrost office. How many kids were they bringing on board with that narrative? Not just that you can become the best - you already are the best. Dari knew exactly how seductive that thought was. You belong. The past can come again. And we can make it happen.

“What did that have to do with the Luxe?” Torina asked, leaning in. It had been quite the chaotic night - but as far as most people knew it had been Ocean, not the Black Lotus, who had invaded the venue.

“Robyn said Black Lotus own the place.” Dari explained as they drifted downriver. “It lets them talk to people with cor to burn. The kind of people who can bend the council’s ear.” It made a cold kind of sense - recruit from the bottom and from the top. “Though maybe they’re not having so many conversations there nowadays.” Dari allowed himself a small smile. “It probably doesn’t seem as safe after Specter crashed the place.”

Torina prodded his arm. “What actually happened down there, anyway? It’s impossible to get Lyra to talk about anything, and Marlowe said something about you proposing to her?”

Dari looked sharply at the smirking silenus. “It was supposed to be a distraction.” he clarified, remembering Lolo jumping into his arms and nearly suffocating him with her assets. “And if anything she proposed to me.”

He decided to skip past Lyra. She had reasons not to want to talk about Ocean Specter, beyond her usual diffidence, and it didn’t feel right to tell that part of the story on her behalf.

“Ocean’s man was there trying to hand something off to the Steel League, and he brought a whole gang. It fell through when he recognised us. We had to chase him through the Steel League machine shop next door, but we eventually got him.” Dari pulled his dreadlocks over one shoulder. “Also I won a game of blackjack and got hit on by a silenus heiress, it was a whole thing.”

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | Bri, Roar, Meena, Torina
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (6)
"Da Black Wha?"

But before Chee could be much more than lightly confused, Dari explained what that was. His ears flicked as he listened. Then they laid flat. Something in the reasonable sounding words made bells go off in his head. Chee had been seeing the slightly shadier side of Onyxian politics recently. He pondered that slowly as he listened. Robyn Banks was someone he should get to know better. She was one of his mentors now, right? More influence and favor peddling. Chee was starting to really dislike that fact of life. Those with power always and only seemed to want more for no other reason than to have it and keep it. And Ocean was right there again. That man set Chee's teeth on edge. He was pondering various scenarios of what he might do to the man if he had free reign when Torina chimed in.

Chee blinked then looked slyly at Dari, "Whaaaat? Not even confessed ta Tessa yet and already cheatin?" He grinned the jest to make it clear he was joking. What Dari did with what was in his pants or heart was his business really. Chee had expressed romantic feelings for exactly one person on his life so far, and felt them for two. He really didn't expect it to happen again. So he had no legs to stand on. Still, ribbing a friend was the thing to do.

Dari kept going and Chee's ears flicked, "Heiress? What was her name? Kempe-Lauv?" Chee briefly recalled the day he and Maria had driven to that woman's home to beg for money and help for Esther. He frowned. That was all off-topic though.

"Da Black Lotus huh? What do dey want wit an organization like TNA? It's just folks havin fun and enjoyin demselves. Notin more." But his eyes drifted to the letter and Chee sort of got it. Champions were looked up to. Champions had been born out of a need to combat the Hollow. If the militaries of each nation were the shields, then the champions were the swords. Chee smirked as he used the metaphor that was starting to be part of his life. But both things, military and champions, had evolved from that need. Chee looked up at the sky, pondering that. He'd been wrestling with it. Both organizations, if champions could be considered organized, were still serving their primary functions. But they'd taken on secondary ones. He bit his lip.

That didn't matter, "Atletes are sometin like... I don't know? Someone people can look to and aspire ta be, yeah? Idols? Dey're da next tier down from champions. Individuals with great skill and capability. Yeah?" Chee rolled his neck so he could look at Torina and Dari.

The Raven-born Silenus chimed in, "Sure, and it's a route out of poverty."

Chee frowned at her. She sighed, "Outside one or two individuals like Ameldia Astra, or the military, how else do people elevate themselves out of the Eastern Quarter?"

Chee's eyes went wide. He looked at Dari to see if the elf had thought of that. Torina kept going, "So aside from the influence it gains them, if they can control who is an athlete, then they can control who has access to wealth and influence."

Chee whistled low and then put something together in his head, "So, with dat casino, and oder places like it probably, dey seek control of da rich. And trough TNA and such, dey control da poor. If dey had deir hands in da Military and Academy..." It was a chilling thought. Chee shivered and huddled down in his boat as the idea assaulted his notions of freedom and liberty. "Bet dey don't like dem Freebirds none!"

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Joining dots
Chee blinked, then looked slyly at Dari, "Whaaaat? Not even confessed ta Tessa yet and already cheatin?"

“Wh…?” A flush crept up Dari’s neck to the tips of his ears. “Why would I need to confess anything to Thessa?” he snorted, and drew himself up haughtily. “I already tell her to her face how great I am.”

Behind his back, Torina caught Chee’s eye and imitated a swoon.

Chee's ears flicked, "What was her name? Kempe-Lauv?"

Dari adopted a petulant expression, but after a moment he shook his dreadlocks over his shoulder and answered, “Lurette - I’m afraid I didn’t catch her last name.”

He was vaguely curious who this madame Kempe-Lauv might be and how Chee knew her, but that would require staying on a dangerous - no, not dangerous, just ridiculous - topic, and so he kept quiet until Chee and Torina brought the subject back around to the Black Lotus and TNA.

“How else do people elevate themselves out of the Eastern Quarter?"

Chee's eyes went wide. He looked at Dari to see if the elf had thought of that. Dari rubbed the back of his neck.

“And what better way to recruit people that the other East Quarter kids will look up to and listen to.” he murmured, holding the speech script in his hand as if it were something poisonous.

Torina kept going, "So aside from the influence it gains them, if they can control who is an athlete, then they can control who has access to wealth and influence."

Chee whistled low and then put something together in his head, "So, with dat casino, and oder places like it probably, dey seek control of da rich. And trough TNA and such, dey control da poor. If dey had deir hands in da Military and Academy..." It was a chilling thought. Chee shivered and huddled down in his boat as the idea assaulted his notions of freedom and liberty. "Bet dey don't like dem Freebirds none!"

“Trust.” Dari agreed. He tucked the paper away, and leaned his hands forward on his grounded paddle. “What do you think of them? The Freebirds, I mean?”

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.06.1323 | ~7am
Location: Hammer Academy and The Skies Over Onyx Prairie -> Southern Quarter - River
Wearing: Jeans, Denim Jacket, T-shirt, beanie, gloves and shoes, Darklash is Carried
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq/ @EyeofHorus  | 
Notes: Rivers Aren't the Only Thing That Meander (7)
"No, da one I know was Margery, I tink." He flicked his ears and grinned past Dari at Torina. But Chee let the conversation change easily as well.  Again, he was the last person to bust someone's chops on their feelings, romantic or otherwise. His feelings for Roar had been complex to say the least before she had bee called away to deal with her family. Now, they were a snarly mess of thoughts and emotions he was only slowly unraveling. Slowly but surely.

In the brief exchange, Chee clocked Dari's discomfort but also noted they seemed to be getting at something. Chee couldn't say how much of this plot was paranoia and how much was nefarious truth, but it was unnerving. Chee couldn't even grasp how listless it made him feel: impotent and small. There was such a shadowy organization like the Black Lotus behind screen he'd never seen before, pulling strings he had never been aware of, and altering reality in ways he thought was impossible.

If the elements that went into his erroneous decisions the night of the 31st had been too big for him to grasp properly, this was leagues beyond it. And even here, Ocean Specter's hand was present. Chee muttered the list of names unintelligently under his breath and wondered again what they could do to unravel it all. Because he wanted to.

Then Dari brought up the Freebirds. Chee's face colored from the neck of his jacket to the roots of his hair. "Why?!" His ears laid flat and he eyed Dari suspiciously. The general had said she would be informing Shir and Robyn, and that they might talk to the others. They didn't seem to have yet, of maybe the general had been to busy to loop the mentors in. It was like knowing a bullet was coming right for him not the angle or when. He did and did not want to keep it a secret. But it felt like he was meant to keep this under wraps until and when those above them decided. And Chee was through trying to self-sabotage his Academy career.

But he was overreacting here. He swallowed, "I was at dat rally two weeks or so ago. Met Paige Turner. I got a lot of sympaty for deir message. Da council, as it is, doesn't represent da people. Maybe it was never meant ta? Don't know. But dey want change and dey're tryin ta make it. I respect dat. Even if it seems everytin is workin against dat change?" Chee also knew of the Freebirds' more clandestine activities and their results. That, he didn't approve of as much. He swallowed hard. His feelings were still conflicted, but he'd learned that much. You couldn't risk destabilizing the military.

"Anyway, I like Paige Turner more dan I like Satin Whyte for sure. And I like dem both more dan Nicolash Rex or Swiftlen. Winterbourne seems alright dough." He bit his lip and held back on any more opinions. He let that silence drag a moment then looked to see what the others had to add.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 06.01.1323 | Early morning
Location: Southern Quarter, on the river
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit, fingerless gloves
Tagging | Mentioning: Chee Tortious, Torina Squall
Notes: Joining dots
“Why?!” His ears laid flat and he eyed Dari suspiciously.

Dari wasn’t certain what to make of Chee’s suddenly guarded stance, so he decided to answer honestly. “Because I’m not sure what to think of them myself. They’re trying to stand up for people who the city won’t. They even try to never hurt anyone, from what I’ve seen. But if they’re stealing from the OES…does that make us more or less safe from the Hollow? From Specter?” He shrugged awkwardly.

Chee swallowed. “I was at dat rally two weeks or so ago. Met Paige Turner.”

Dari nodded. Ah. So that must be why he was cagey.

“I got a lot of sympaty for deir message. Da council, as it is, doesn't represent da people. Maybe it was never meant ta? Don't know. But dey want change and dey're tryin ta make it. I respect dat. Even if it seems everytin is workin against dat change? Anyway, I like Paige Turner more dan I like Satin Whyte for sure. And I like dem both more dan Nicolash Rex or Swiftlen. Winterbourne seems alright dough.”

It was times like this that Dari really felt the difference of having lived in Onyx for a few short months, when people like Chee had been living there most of their lives. He glanced at Torina. Her eyes tightened just a little when Chee mentioned Satin Whyte, but whatever thoughts she had about professor Whyte’s Red Fang daughter, she kept them to herself.

Dari chewed the inside of his cheek. Knowledge was true wealth, as Mum was fond of saying, but it was also bewildering - splitting and spiralling away into ever more tangled fractals, until it was easy to long for the simplicity of ignorance again. A champion doesn’t have that luxury.

Dari settled in his kayak as the water ahead of them became choppy, eddying towards the struts of one of the city bridges. Here some things were still simple, and here was a challenge he still knew how to conquer.

“Come on,” he grinned, taking up his oar. “Let’s go!”

END SCENE

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 13.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Onyx
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko Gero
Notes: Visiting
The smell of antiseptic burned Dari’s nose, but he endured it in silence as the sliding doors of the Onyx South Ward closed behind him and Koko. A low hum of arcanite pulsed in the walls, and the lights were sterile and steady. Every footstep echoed in the polished corridor. Dari held a plain paper bag in one hand, folded neatly at the top, cradling a modest assortment of “get well soon” tokens: a few local sweets, a small hand-painted votive, and some ginger-pine scented tea lights he wasn’t entirely sure would be allowed inside the hospital. It was just goodwill, after the narrow escape some of them had had in the Bristlewood the previous night. It was something Thessa might’ve done - and not everything Thessa did was worth rejecting and upstaging.

“You ever been here before?” Dari asked Koko, keeping his voice low as they passed a nurse helping a Silenus child with a segmented breathing rig - a clear mask, steel-jacketed tubes, and an arcanite power source that pulsed in sync with the child’s breath. Koko was walking a little ahead of him with her arms clasped behind her back and her hair bouncing a little with every step. Perhaps this had been a tactless place to bring her. Most of Koko hadn’t made it to eighteen without spending time on an operating table, after all.

Dari had not meant to invite her along, at least not at first. But when he'd caught her fiddling with a new gadget after classes, sending sparks flying off the common room table, there had been a certain stillness under her usual chaos and clamour. He had invited her out on impulse, under the excuse of helping him pick suitable (and suitably cheap…) gifts. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure why she had agreed. He pretended not to notice how she kept glancing sideways at every kid they passed, her bright eyes dimming slightly each time. He wasn’t about to press her on it. Not yet, anyway.

“We won’t stay long,” he reassured, shifting the bag to his other hand. “Just long enough to drop these off and say a few words.”

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.13.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Onyx General Hospital
Wearing:  Oversized Black Band Tee, Oversized Flannel Shirt, Black Fishnets, Heavy Black boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Dari
Notes: N/A
Dread. That was what Koko felt as she stared the sign for the hospital down from the street. When she had agreed to accompany Dari along for an outing she had been excited. Koko had found herself with so much less free time lately since becoming a cadet. She knew that was kind of the point, that the whole thing was supposed to be a punishment. She just hadn’t considered that part of the whole thing. Her brain could easily identify ‘doing manual labour’ as a punishment but being less free hadn’t immediately come to mind. Still, she was trying to take the whole thing in stride. And one of the ways she was doing that was trying to make the most out of the free time she did have. And willingly going to a hospital was not what she would call making the most out of it. Still, Dari needed to go see some people so she’d have to endure.

She looked at her friend as they walked in. His concern for her was missed by the patchwork girl. All she read on him was a hurriedness which she didn’t quite understand. Did Dari have a problem with Hospitals too? She thought. Either way she nodded a bit slowly, while looking away to scan across the place. “Only once…” Was all she offered. Her voice sounded distant and much quieter than the standardly loud dynamic that Koko usually came in at. Her eyes were jumping back and forth between all the patients passing by them and filtering through. Her initially open stance with her arms behind her back slowly changed until she found herself much more withdrawn and closed off, her arms tucked in under her breasts. She almost missed it when he addressed her.

“Huh? What?...Oh, yea I um…yea sure we can stay as long as you need. Ain’t no problem.” A lie, truthfully a complete lie. Something Koko didn’t do often. She felt utterly cold in here. The stale filtered air of the place made her want to gag. Everything about this place made her want to leave as quickly as possible. She didn’t feel like burdening Dari with that information though. She led the way through the halls, more so because she wanted to set the cadence than because she enjoyed being at the front. They arrived at the area where the folks Dari knew had been brought. Koko stood just a few feet back as Dari started to hand out gifts and thank you notes. The whole time however her eyes were locked across the hall. Through a large window there was a small courtyard. Out in the yard a small gathering of children were being helped through various physical therapy exercises.

So many thoughts and memories flashed across Koko’s mind as she just watched. She stared at the kids, their failures and their successes, all of it made her skin crawl. Her hand went to her shoulder, slowly sliding across the cold steel of the access panel there. Her finger traced along the raised edge of her synthetic collarbone. It made her grind her teeth, not in anger, but anxiety. She hated looking at them truthfully. There was joy on a few of their faces as they succeeded at taking a few shaky steps. It wasn’t anywhere close to walking, nor even running. These kids would probably never play in the streets ever again. Why were they happy? What kind of hollow success was that? She looked down at her wrists, clenched her hands tighter and tighter until she felt the strain in her wrists and the shooting pain of her skeletal weakness. She wanted to scream.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 13.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Onyx
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko Gero
Notes: Visiting
Dari stayed talking to the Bristlewood survivors for a short while, leaving Koko to watch the children. Perhaps ten minutes later, he emerged from the ward and spotted her by the window, threading his way across the busy highway of the hospital corridor.

“Hey.” he interrupted Koko, gently poking one of her clenched hands as it rested white-knuckle on the windowsill. “You okay?”

He glanced down into the courtyard, where a brief beam of sunlight threw the children’s shadows across the tarmac before being hidden again by the day’s clouds.

“What are you looking at, anyway?” he added.

Closest to the window was an elvish boy, leaning heavily on two parallel bars while a nurse walked watchfully alongside, assessing the steps of his steel-braced legs. His face was a mix of discomfort and determination.

“Excuse me,” a hesitant voice said behind them. “Are you a squire?”

Dari looked round. A wispy-haired human girl of perhaps ten years, dressed in fleece pyjamas, had padded up to join them. She carried a fabric doll under one arm, and her other arm ended at the elbow, with a grey metal prosthetic fitted beneath.

“I saw the picture on your tracksuit.” she explained, her eyes flicking to the Hammer crest on Dari’s hoodie.

“You’re quite right.” Dari affirmed, and hooked an arm around Koko to yank her against him. “We both are, in fact. You’re looking at Dariaq Syvanios and Koko Gero, of squad Savaged!”

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.13.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Onyx General Hospital
Wearing:  Oversized Black Band Tee, Oversized Flannel Shirt, Black Fishnets, Heavy Black boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Dari
Notes: N/A
The passage of time escaped Koko’s sight as she stared out despondently at the courtyard. The sun’s rays shone down and illuminated the faces of all in sight. Yet to Koko it was a dark and ominous scene. Like all she could see were the shadows every ray cast. The darkside of every eventuality for these children. The respect they wouldn’t get. The lost opportunities. The friends they wouldn’t make. All of it was so plain for her to see. And yet somehow it seemed no one in the courtyard seemed to care. She couldn’t find a trace of a bad time except for the kid in the corner who had scraped her knee and was crying as a nurse brought out a bandage with hearts and unicorns on it. She tried to see what they were seeing.

Her eyes eventually found a little girl across the opposite side of the yard. She was in a wheelchair that a nurse was pushing from behind. She smiled brightly as they crested through the entrance and the sun’s light blinded her for a moment before she looked up at it in awe. A phantom pain in Koko’s legs suddenly made her feel weak. Her eyes drifted once more, over to a boy who sat on a bench. He and an older nurse were playing checkers. The child had a breathing tube that ran from his nose around to hook behind his ears and out to a tank of air behind him. He took two pieces at once with a double move and clapped as the older gentleman looked down on him softly. Suddenly Koko’s breathing felt erratic and short. Once more a child came into view. This one was playing hopscotch with a few other children. A nurse stood just nearby and the child signed a few motions to the who then spoke his words to the other kids who nodded happily and gave him a high five. Suddenly the loud beeping and constant chatter that was always present in the hospital was crushed down to a whisper as Koko’s hearing felt suppressed.

None of it was real of course. And as Dari’s hand came to touch hers she jolted back away from him as suddenly it all was sucked away and she was back to feeling like her normal self. She blinked and looked at him incredulously for a moment. “I-...what!? Did you uh…Did you say somethin’?” She licked her lips a few times as she rolled the spit around in her mouth that was very dry. She reached up and felt at her face and realized a tear had trailed down her cheek. She wiped at it quickly, turning away. The slight scowl that Koko had been wearing since they arrived returned as she regained control of herself. “You done? Can we get out of here now? I really don’t-” She was interrupted by the child taking Dari’s attention. Koko looked down at her and saw her prosthetic. Her wrist hurt immediately, but that was more to do with the clenched fists she had been sporting rather than any phantom pain.

“Hey! Dari!” Koko yelped as she was yanked across the hall. Dari pulled her away from the window, and subsequently broke some kind of grasp it had on her, knowingly or not. She looked at the child. There was a burst of excitement in her eyes as Dari confirmed they were squires. It was like sparkles started to pour out. “Uh yea, hey there kid. Look, we’re uh real busy an’ stuff. Ya know Squire business.” And despite Koko’s hope that the girl might be discouraged from engaging further after that it just seemed to spur her on more. “Woah Squire business!! Is there a bad guy nearby?! Can I see your guns?! Do you have a sword?! I wanna swing it!!” The little girl bounced up and down on the spot. She held her doll for Dari to see. “This is muffin! My Mom gave her to me after the explosion. Squires were there too!! They saved us! Do you guys save people!?” The girl tugged on Dari’s sleeve some more as she spoke, hoping to keep his attention. Koko, normally one to lean into adoring fans, slipped out of Dari’s grasp. She crossed her arms across her chest and turned away from the scenario. “Sorry kid, we have to leave.” She shot Dari a look and took a few steps away.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 13.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Onyx
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko Gero
Notes: Hurt
Turning towards the girl, Dari missed the tear as Koko cuffed it away. But he couldn’t fail to notice the sudden sharpness in her voice, and the way she tucked her arms in and turned away, like she’d been burned. Oh no you don’t. He reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her back towards the girl still bouncing with joy beside him. The girl was holding up her doll and babbling about explosions and heroes.

“Muffin, is that right?” Dari said, bringing himself down to the girl’s eye level. His voice stayed light, but his eyes met Koko’s as she glanced sharply back at him. Concern tugged in his chest. “That’s amazing. A gift from your mum is no small thing, you know.”

The girl nodded with enthusiasm. “She says Muffin’s magic. She keeps nightmares out.”

“Good.” Dari grinned. “Nightmares don’t stand a chance.” He gestured toward the girl’s prosthetic arm. “Do you help her fight them off?”

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, then her face lit up. “Can you sign it? Then it’ll be a real squire’s weapon!”

Dari laughed briefly in surpris, and fished in his pocket for the marker he had used to sign the get-well notes. The girl held out her arm, and he scrawled the elven runes of his name along the brushed metal in smooth, practiced strokes. After a second’s pause, he added a lightning bolt next to it, and winked. He passed the pen to Koko, giving her a sharp, meaningful raise of his eyebrows.

“You tell everyone you met Dariaq Syvanios of Le Havre, the son of Ivleen and Jenevelle who slew a Hispo Alpha.” he told the young girl, and leaned in conspiratorially. “He had help from his team, though. Maybe if you learn your Shimmer you can come and back us up.”

The girl giggled. Dari ruffled her hair gently.

“Now,” he added, “Like my team-mate said, duty calls.” He brought his horizontal arm to his chest in a casual salute. “You and Muffin take care, alright?”

The girl nodded solemnly, then darted off with her doll dangling from her hand, already recounting the tale to the nurse who accosted her by the ward door. Dari’s smile faded the moment she was out of earshot. He exhaled down his nose, and rubbed his shoulder with one hand.

“What’s eating you, Ko?” he frowned, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Being rude to kids isn’t like you at all.”

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.13.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Onyx General Hospital
Wearing:  Oversized Black Band Tee, Oversized Flannel Shirt, Black Fishnets, Heavy Black boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Dari
Notes: N/A
Koko couldn’t stop herself from looking back at the girl as she spoke about nightmares. She stifled a gasp as it almost came out. Remembering when Chandra had said almost the exact same word to her as a child. It hurt, it really hurt how similar she was to this girl. She tried to run, tried to exit the situation as quickly as she could. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Like she was in a box that was slowly filling with water and she was running out of air. She tried to break away, just to find some kind of oxygen. But Dari grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down, down to drown some more. She stared at the little girl. Her joy and glee at the whole situation just hurt even more. Partially because of the life she imagined for this child, and partially because it felt like looking into a mirror.

She stared blankly down at the pen as Dari offered it to her. There was a foreign emptiness about the gesture. Like there was a vast distance between her and one of her best friends, even though they were but inches from each other. Somehow by the grace of the brothers looked up to see the pointed look Dari gave her. A shiver went down her spine and she quickly took the pen. She chewed on the inside of her gums to keep her centered as she bent forwards and signed her name. ‘KoKo, GeRo’ was how she wrote it, with each ‘o’ being an explosion with jagged lines. She tried not to let her concern show on her face. The kid bounced up and down excitedly while watching her write it. There was a moment where the child ripped her eyes away from the pen and up to Koko and gasped. She was staring at something but didn’t say a word before Dari stepped in again. Almost immediately Koko turned away, nearly shaking, trying to hold back tears. There was turmoil going on inside her. Pain at the life she thought would come for this little girl. But the small little girl in Koko wanted to latch on to her positivity and excitement too. Two divided forces clashing inside her as she briskly and quickly walked off a few more steps.

Dari caught her before she got too far. She whipped around from her body being stopped but still trying to move forwards. A tear was trying its best to escape her eyelids but she was trying above all else not to let it get away from her, lest she give in to the feelings that were bubbling up. She collapsed down onto a bench and put her head in her hands. “She…she ain’t gon’ be smiling forever Dari…” She let that thought land as a large uncomfortable pause sat between them. She just breathed as she tried to control her emotions. After a while Koko broke the silence, “You think that ‘weapon’ she’s got there’s gonna help her much ‘gainst the Hollow?” She lifted her head, back still curved forwards. “Trick question of course it ain’t. You know what is gon’ do? Its gon make gettin’ a job hard. Its gon’ make bein’ chosen over other kids for dodgeball hard. Its gon’ make findin’ friends hard. It’s gon make even mundane tasks that a normal person could do in a heartbeat, hard.” Her voice raised in volume now, practically shouting. “How you think she’s gon’ feel when she ends up on a date and a boy tells her he ain’t wan-” She stopped suddenly as a group of children ran past giggling and whooping as they played pretend with each other. She waited for them to pass before continuing.

Koko’s voice went rigid and still. “The life ahead of her ain’t sunshine and rainbow, it ain’t playing make believe as a champ or a squire. It’s gon’ be hard. And its gonna be scary. And most-a these kids ain’t ready for it…” She breathed out a shaky breath. “And lots of ‘em ain’t gon’ make it.” She stared off at the wall now, but she was seeing much further. Off into a distant future that only Koko could see. One that Dari, even with his heaps of empathy couldn’t imagine. A future that even Artanis wouldn’t be able to gleam or fully grasp even if he had ripped it straight from Koko’s dreams. A future she was terrified of.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 13.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Onyx
Wearing: Hammer tracksuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko Gero
Notes: Hurt
Dari looked at Koko for a long moment. Then, silently, he sat down next to her on the bench. The last thing she wanted was pity right now. So he waited. Quiet. Solid. After a short spell of quiet, he leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees.

“You think I don’t know it’s going to be hard for her?” he asked, his eyes creasing as he stared at the far wall. “I see it, Ko. This whole city, it’s…” He shook his head. “Well, it’s not what I expected.”

He turned slightly towards his fellow squire.

“But you saying it like that? Like it’s over already? That’s not the kind of truth that helps. That’s a prophecy. Dead end. Go back. You won’t make it. And Ko…” He finally looked at her - calm, but deeply serious. “Who the putain are you to decide that for her?”

The words hung for a moment - not sharp, just heavy.

“Don’t pull the joy out of her hands before she even gets a chance to fight for it. That girl isn’t stupid. None of those kids are. They know. They’re going to learn more than they want to, soon enough. But seeing her smiling and thinking it’s fake, or it won’t last?” He shook his head. “Is it really her who can’t handle the truth?”

Softer now, a balm after the jab.

“It’s scary.” he admitted, “Being the one who still has hope. Probably even scarier seeing someone with hope when you feel like you’ve lost yours. Feels like you didn’t make it. Am I close?”

He glanced at her and smiled briefly, exhaling down his nose.

“I don’t know what’s coming. Maybe one day the Hollow swallows all of us. But today? Right now? That kid looks up to you. And when you signed your name on her arm, you didn’t make her feel scared or broken. You gave her a weapon.” He laughed quietly. “Maybe not one for fighting monsters with, but it could be one for surviving them.”

He reached across the space between them and cuffed her gently on the arm.

“You want to talk about how hard it is? Fine, I’ll listen. I’ll listen to you scream about it if you want. But not here, yeah? Let the kid keep that one hope. That maybe the world’s broken and unfair…and still worth believing in.”

He pushed his palms into his knees and stood.

“I’m not leaving without you,” he added. “But I’ll give you a minute.”

And with that, he walked a few paces away - far enough to let her breathe, close enough that she could still see him. Still reach.

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.13.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Onyx General Hospital
Wearing:  Oversized Black Band Tee, Oversized Flannel Shirt, Black Fishnets, Heavy Black boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Dari
Notes: N/A
Koko stared silently at the wall as Dari talked. Narrower and narrower her eyes went until she wasn’t even seeing the hospital anymore. Instead Dari’s words and her own thoughts blurred into pictures of the future that might or might not come true. She didn’t want to be that person Dari was talking about. But it felt so impossible to believe anything else could be true. None of these kids were as lucky as she was. They didn’t get to have fathers that built them a second life, a second body. His words stung too close to home just the same though. He had poked her right in what she was truly feeling and it hurt. She ruffled her own hair, annoyed at how correct he was. She let a low growl emit from her throat as she slumped in the seat. As Dari made to leave she grabbed at his shirt and kept him on the bench. She couldn’t look him in the eye still but she did address him.

“Fine, you’re close…too damn close.” She chewed the inside of her mouth. “Just…don’t walk away.” She glanced over at him and shuffled on the seat. “In fact…just don’t move a damn muscle.” She said as he used the biceps he was oh so proud of to smack her forehead against. Once they were touching Dari would be able to feel that Koko was shaking. Whether it was rage, sadness, regret or something else nobody but she knew. Still, she wasn’t breaking down completely. Just like Dari had said this wasn’t the place for a squire to have a scene. Before either of them could say anything else though a large number of tip tapping footsteps came barreling down the hall. It took both of them by surprise and before they could really do much of anything a whole gaggle of kids surrounded their bench.

The kids mostly had very clear disabilities of some kind. A few had missing limbs, hearing aids, eyepatches. A couple had their hands being held by other kids guiding what could only be assumed to be blind kids along to the small crowd. And behind them a few more kids showed up being pushed in wheelchairs by some of the staff. A nurse was with them but didn’t say anything, instead gently pushing the small girl from earlier to the front. She came out a bit shyly at first and turned to look around at the other children. They gave her excited head nods of encouragement before snapping their eyes back on Koko. Meanwhile the squire was pulling away from Dari slowly, very confused why this group of at least 20 kids were huddled around them. The little girl pointed directly at Koko. “Its her you guys!! She’s the one I told you about.” All the kids in the group awed and cheered. “Miss! Miss! Can you show everyone!?”

Very confused Koko held her hands up. “I-...What am I showin’? What’re yall doin’ here?” She tried to look to the nurse but she just smiled and let the kids speak for themselves. “You! You got a piece missing just like us right?! I saw it when you bent down!!” The little girl pointed to Koko’s shoulder and her loose fitting band tee. A small tiny bit of chrome steel was peaking out of the wide neckline. Another kid spoke up. “Nuh uh, you’re wrong Aimee! Squires are strong and stuff, no way someone like us could be one.” Koko was taken aback, she didn’t know what to say. Her mouth opened and then closed and then opened. She was lost for words. She looked at Dari for help but he just gave her a look. He had said everything that needed to be said a second ago, she knew what the answer was.

She blew out a breath of defeat and smiled smally, giving in to the kid’s whimsy. Her eyes drifted over the kids as they watched her with bated breath. Their gazes flicking back and forth between her and the kid who had spoken up. Tears fought fiercely to come bursting forth from her face. It took everything she had not to start bawling and ruin the moment. She looked at the little boy in the back and grinned. “So what, you’re sayin’ that a girl with one-a these,” She brought her left hand up and pulled on her shirt, revealing the totality of shoulder implant to the kids, arcanite hydraulics, chrome plating and all. “can’t go and have one-a these too?” She finished her sentence by punctuating it with pressing the switch on her right hand gauntlet and activating Devotion. The weapon chugged as it activated. The wrist band extended and spinning out until it was wide enough to cover Koko’s hand while other parts shifted and moved around. The barrel pushing forward and overtaking her hand as the trigger and handle slipped into her hand smoothly until the full hand cannon was revealed. It hummed with power and the glow of the cyan blue Arcanite on the inside was bright. She grinned at the kids.

The group of children exploded in excitement and chatter as they all pushed forward. Pretty much all of them wanted to touch her weapon, which thankfully wasn’t loaded at the moment. A good handful of them wanted to see more of her augments though. Which she obliged, eventually stripping her shirt and cardigan until she was in just her sports bra and black denim shorts. She threw them at Dari playfully to hold them as several of the kids wanted to see Dari’s weapon as well. They all clamoured around him to show them something cool too. The nurses looked on and smiled as lots of other people in the hospital looked a bit confused at what was going on. Koko bent over towards Dari with a bright smile on her face and a single tear threatening to fall over, “You still got that marker on you?”