[Sandbox] Snippets

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Mir Glenn
Date | Time: October 28th | Morning (~8am)
Location: PRoWLer Dormitory
Wearing: Open faced silk sleepwear
Tagging | Mentioning: Haimehen | Ocean, Namid
Mir would not have called what he did routine. He didn’t really believe in routines. Routines meant a level of stagnation that dulled innovation, and he wasn’t about that. Despite that, he had some habitual consistencies that the uneducated outside might call routine. Friday’s were for enjoying time with friends. Saturdays were for wherever the wind took you and relaxing. Sunday’s were for the needs of the week to come.

Saturday mornings were for sleeping in and getting over the night before.

When the knock had come it was no shock to anyone but Mir, because everyone else on his team was out and busy living their lives. But Mir? Mir had enjoyed an evening with friends in Onyx and he was recovering from that still. He stirred, made his way to the door and activated it to hiss open. The first thing he saw, while looking down, was the rainbow vomit shoes. They were so jarring that he looked up and squinted at Haim, confused. His energy was palpable. “Haimehen? What time is it?” He asked, with a small yawn punctuating it. A hand idly stroked his bare sternum as he scratched lightly at his own smooth skin. “What?” He blinked, grabbing for the letter more out of shock than anything else.

“Who is Ocean? Steel? Haim…” Mir lulled his head to the side and shook it. What was with this boy? A manic episode of another flavor? Couldn’t he just be normal for half a second? “Partner for robots…” Mir blinked the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes and held the crumpled letter up so that he could read. Namid was, at least, familiar. “Okay, okay, I’m reading. I’m up.” He mumbled, with one final yawn and a squinted eye as he started taking it in. There was enough in the letter that Mir got a sense of what was going on. This had to do with the missing member of Haim’s team. That tugged on Mir’s heartstrings a little.

It had been nearly two weeks now, almost exactly, since their little interaction in the engineering lab. He hadn’t put much thought into the moment they shared after it had happened, truth be told. It had been creepy, a little bit, Haim’s behavior. More than that it had been cringey. And Mir had drawn a line then and there, and put the ball back on Haim’s side of it. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a big enough deal to Mir to have lingered on if he wasn’t going to be interacting with Haim. Now that he was though, it had to be considered. “Okay,” He held the paper back to Haim, “First, I’m going to need you to set your RPMs to something under a hundred.” Mir leaned against the door frame, then rolled back to open space for Haim to pass, “Then you can come in and catch me up.” Whatever else was true, Mir couldn’t ignore the chance to help find Mila. She didn’t deserve that treatment.

[Aethyrium]

Falkner Rubian

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: Tanktop, Cargos, Sneakers, Shoulder Bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Kiba and Falkner strolled out of the grand entry of Hammer into the courtyard together, already engaged in a conversation. “So you really think that Arcanite usage in combat is too risky to rely on as heavily as I do? Even though there are how many other squires who do so too?”

Glancing over at Kiba, Falkner’s expression was thoughtful. “Yes, I still stand by my opinion. I mean, sure, Arcanite can be powerful but it’s also unpredictable. We’ve seen what happens when it backfires in the heat of battle.”

Nodding, Kiba crossed his arms and looked down at Aujus, the giant sabertooth dog padding happily along at his side. “I get where you’re coming from, but don’t you think that with proper training and control, Arcanite is our most valuable asset? I mean, look at how some of the senior Champions use it. They’ve mastered its power, and wield it with precision.”

Falkner sighed, reaching up and running a hand through his hair, “I suppose you have a point,” he admitted reluctantly. “But I still think we need to be cautious. We can’t afford to rely solely on Arcanite when there are other skills and tactics we could be honing. Your combat skills, and your style with Aujus is potent and will always be with you.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, “Arcanite, however, may not be forever. It’s a consumable.”

Aujus made a small noise, which prompted Kiba to unfold his arms, reach over and scratch the top of his head. “I don’t know. Think about it. With Arcanite we have the potential to amplify our abilities tenfold. Imagine the impact it could have on our training? I think you’re being too cautious. We’re Champions in training, after all. We should be pushing the boundaries of what we’re capable of, not holding ourselves back.”

Shaking his head and grimacing, “I understand what you’re saying, Kiba, but I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re playing with fire here. I would never argue Arcanite’s potential, but how much safety and confidence in our actions can we really risk for the sake of a little extra power. Arcanite as a tool for enhancement and enhanced consistency is fine, but gambling with it is a faulty gambit.”

Unconvinced, Kiba looked ahead as they circled the courtyard and glanced at a familiar face, eating lunch alone on one of the benches. As the pair got closer to Lyra, within earshot, Kiba grinned ear to ear and proclaimed, “I know, let’s ask an expert.” Holding out a hand, Kiba brought Falker to a stop right off to the side of where Lyra sat. “Lyra,” He started, stepping a little closer toward her. He pivoted to be facing both of them, then gestured at his partner, “Falkner and I” He brought the gesture back to himself, “Are having a debate. See, he thinks that we should be embracing smaller uses of Arcanite, and as Champions that we should be relying on it in minimal ways to enhance, but not necessarily guide our actions. He’s worried about the dangers it poses, and its ultimate sustainability.” Kiba made sure to get a nod from Falkner that he was presenting his argument correctly, then continued, “But I think that Arcanite is here now, and even though it's got its dangers, we can’t stop pushing on it. It’s our greatest tool, and number one advantage, and we’d be foolish not to explore it to its limits and beyond.”

Turning his hands to her, Kiba grinned, “What do you think? Is Arcanite best utilized to blaze the trail, or to light the path we’ve already walked?”

[shengami]

Character Name: Haimehen
Date: Oct. 28 | Time: 7:59am |
Location: Outside PRoWLer Dormitory
Wearing: Sweatsuit and Crocs
Tagging: Mir | Mentioning: Farrah, Mila, Namid, Lyra |
A single thought bloomed and expanded. For a moment, Haim boiled down a single awareness. As Mir leaned and twisted, the front of his shirt exposed a tantalizing amount of torso. Torso, his brain reminded him, that Mir had been touching jus a second ago. The image bloomed in his mind as if on instant replay. Haim didn't fight it but looked. He looked hard; he might have even licked his lips.

He blushed furiously and then pulled back from that edge. That way lay the mistakes he'd already made and more anxiety and guilt.

But the moment had given the rest of him a chance to grab himself and set him down. He took a breath with his whole body. Palms went up, chest expanded, air whistled past puckered lips, eyes slid shut. Palms went down, air whistled again, chest relaxed, his eyes stayed closed for a second. The forms of the energy of the thoughts were still bouncing around his head, but they were contained and manageable. He blinked rapidly, not really seeing, then focused on Mir and ducked his head in apology.

Then he glanced at the space, space that was very close to Mir. Space that passed near the blazing sun of the man's chest. The yawning gulf of an expanse beyond it. He glanced at Mir's face and saw thoughtfulness that did not mirror his excitement. That made sense. Mir had known Namid and Mila briefly; they were part of Haim's DNA. His brain challenged the wisdom of this plan. But before it could form the argument, Haim nodded and moved. Namid had asked him and Mila deserved his full effort. A little personal discomfort weren't going to stop him.

He still inhaled a little deeper than needed as he passed Mir rather than outside. He snorted as he moved into their common area which looked somewhat like their own. "Fewer plants." Their dorm had become a veritable green house since Meena moved in. She had expanded into the space in a way even Lolo hadn't. It was nice, in a way, but the place felt like hers sometimes. His eyes moved around the room, taking it in, then he turned to face Mir. His eyes wanted to look again, but his brain chided him.

While he had been distant, it had been fine to look. Well, not really. It was creepy, wasn't it? Obsessed and unwholesome yet harmless. But he had taken the step in close now. His fingers danced around one another as a current of energy escaped its bounds. His feet didn't stop moving. His back felt like it was made of ice and kitten fur. He had talked to Lyra last week about a similar problem and that had been mediocre. They were at a stalemate, a neutrality, a peace. The bridge was being rebuilt but it was slow and fragile. Haim was conscious of it and the work. And here he was about to accept another such project, if he was lucky, or face humiliating rejection if not. Whichever Mir needed, he could do that for the man and maybe get his own tiny bit of redemption in the process. Redemption for his sins but also for Dazzle and Dust.

But that didn't matter. He had said he was willing to hear Haim out for Mila's sake.

"I don't know any more than what's in the letter. Namid is out there investigating. She trusted me to be able to help with this. Ocean Specter, the guy who attacked Dazzle and Dust, is connected to these people. She wants me to infiltrate and see what I can learn." Saying it out loud made it sound ludicrous. It sounded insane. What could he do? He was a squire, a Champion in training. He had the engineering skills to pull this off, sure, but why not take it to the authorities? Namid had asked him. He couldn't let her down. It was to help Mila and track down Ocean. He wanted to contribute; he wanted to show Farrah what he could do. He wanted to save Mila.

He blinked as the thought ricocheted in his brain. He didn't want Mila to 'be saved,' he wanted to save her. Farrah was rubbing off on him. He grinned stupidly and then refocused on Mir, "In the time I- No, it wasn't about time, you're the only one that made sense to me to help me with the mechanics. And the power system. The power system Namid designed. I- I think it's beyond me but it reminded me of some of Ardor's circuits. And it uses black arcanite... and the thing needs two skilled engineers to pilot." He pursed his lips and sent big eyes at Mir. 

Then he sighed and his shoulders slumped. He let the letter fall to his side again. His eyes turned to look out a window. It wasn't right for him to make Mir start. To wait. The guilt would only let him go if he offered freely whatever Mir needed from him. This was important; he could do this. Heroes helped people, right? And Mir and Mila needed help, didn't they? "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did. That morning. For- for the assau- the kiss. It was not okay. I know it wasn't. And I know I've been a coward about it. I-." He licked his lips and tried to look at Mir. He got as high as his collarbone and then looked off to the left. His eyes careened off Mir's face too scared to look. "It's okay if it's not okay. I understand. I'll make whatever apology or serve whatever penance you deem necessary. Whatever you need. I- I want you to- I don't know. But please help Mila?" He pulled his eyes, with a feat of monumental will, to make eye contact. He felt them trying to slip off. To look anywhere except where the disappointment or disgust or rejection might come from. But he looked. He blushed as he looked but he looked.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: White wrap top with dark blue floral hems, matching white skirt with floral designs, and wide dark blue sash, wedged ankle boots, shoulder messenger bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Kiba, Falkner | Farrah, Marlowe, Shir

Lyra had chosen to eat lunch alone in the courtyard. Again. It had become habit to her since she had begun attending the academy. While the early days had her sitting with her team, the mess hall was far too crowded and noisy for her, and she generally liked the quiet and greenery of the courtyard. The remnants of her sandwich sat abandoned next to her on the bench, left hand with fingers splayed over the pages of a book in her lap to keep it open, and her right hand fishing yet another cracker free from the little bag nearby.
 
At the sound of her name, the elf paused in her reading, lifting her head towards the sound to spy two members of Prowler approaching her. Well, three, to be precise, silver eyes warily regarding the giant animal trailing behind Kiba. She shifted in her seat a bit uncomfortably as they drew closer, her eyes widening with every step. With a deep breath, she tried to regain her composure, even if his presence made her frightened. Placing a bookmark between the pages, there was a sharp sound of the book being closed, resting her right hand on the cover, unconsciously obscuring the cover hidden beneath her fingers, the spine partially readable – ‘something-something’ Moonlight: Shadows of ‘something’ – as if well-read over the years and handled in the same spot many times.
 
As Kiba explained his dilemma, Lyra let her gaze travel from one man to the other as each of their viewpoints were laid out. Absentmindedly, she ran a few fingers over her right arm as he spoke of the dangers of Arcanite. She knew that fairly well. Probably better than most, in fact. She mulled over his words, trying to gauge the situation and understand what he was asking of her, thinking about how best to answer him. “I think… It is meant to do both.”
 
At the looks they were giving her, she offered them a gentle smile, even as she shifted again in her seat, inching away ever so slightly from the sabertooth dog nearby. She tried not to show how much being near him terrified her, those fingers on her arm tightening their grasp. If she focused on his words and the debate they were having, then perhaps she could steel her nerves long enough to survive the encounter. If she didn’t start sneezing first. “Falkner has a point. Arcanite is dangerous, and it is a consumable. I know that perhaps better than anyone, as that is my family’s livelihood. Champions are strong on their own, by their own merits and abilities.” She was briefly reminded of Farrah and Marlowe, two members of her team whose Arcanite usage was basically nonexistent but were Champions-in-training nonetheless. And what about Shir, their mentor who was already an established Champion? He had barely used any during the trial in the Wilds and still beat all six of them combined. “But Arcanite is a great way to enhance one’s strengths and natural talents, even in small ways.”
 
“Having said that,” she quickly added, noting the exchange of glances the men had, “Kiba is right, too. How we fight Hollow has evolved since the discovery of Arcanite, and continues to change as we research and develop it further. And we do not know how it came to be, nor if or when it will run out. I am of mind to agree that we need to explore its limit and any future potential it may possess.” She offered both of them a gentle smile, reaching up to nervously tuck some of her hair behind an ear, even if none needed moving. “So, I do believe it is meant to do both, as I said before. To blaze the trail but also to light the path ahead.”
 
“However, a lot of that is also dependent on the individual. Some better are better suited for using Arcanite than others. My partner does not really use Arcanite at all, while I rely on it heavily.” One side of her mouth twitched up a bit higher than the other, a light airy laugh accompanying it as she lifted a hand up, light glinting off the golden hued metal encircling her wrist. “Of course, I might be a little biased on that front. I… do not consume the Arcanite I harness.”

[Aethyrium]

Aujus

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: Tanktop, Cargos, Sneakers, Shoulder Bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
While both Kiba and Falker might have missed Lyra’s discomfort, Aujus did not. The nearly five foot tall sabertooth hound looked up at her as she shifted. Empathic, Aujus stretched his large bear-like front paws towards Lyra’s feet and lowered himself down until he was laying, then pulled them back in to be comfortable. Even on the ground he was big, but clearly he was making himself smaller. He crossed his paws and gently flopped his muzzle on top of them, and watched the situation through half upturned bright, sunflower-yellow eyes. His chest fell with a big huff.

Initially it sounded like Lyra might be agreeing with Falkner. Kiba was skeptical. It seemed impossible, with what he knew, that her true belief was that Arcanite should be kept for such small things. And when she continued, he grinned slowly, wider and wider nodding. “Ah ha!” He pivoted toward Falker and gently reached out punch-tapping Falker’s arm three times. “See! I told you, we can’t hold back. How are you going to argue with someone whose livelihood depends on Arcanite?”

Falker pursed his lips and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It seems I am outnumbered.” He said nodding lightly to Lyra, “I appreciate your input, Lyra. Thank you for humoring us.” Glancing at Kiba, “I have to meet Mir and Tay.” Once more he regarded Lyra, “Excuse me.” He backed up and turned, heading around Aujus - who regarded him with a little throat noise and watched him head back toward the academy doors, before settling back on his paws.

Kiba gave Falkner a thumbs up, and briefly followed with a glance over his shoulder, before squaring his attention on Lyra. “Knew that I could count on you. Thanks.” He praised, like she had done him a big favor just by stating her opinion. “You know, you’re way too anxious,” Kiba reached up to faux brush back his own hair, indicating her own nervous gesture, “For as smart and beautiful as you are. Worried the rest of us couldn’t keep up if you cut loose?” He lifted a brow, grinning playfully. “What’s relaxed Lyra look like?”

A flick of his eyes dropped down to her lap and the partially covered book. Kiba dropped into a sudden crouch and reached out in a single, fluid motion, snatching the lightly secured book out from under her hands. He leaned back to avoid any flailing retort from Lyra and flipped the cover around to get a full read of it. “Seduction in moonlight, shadows of desire huh?” Kiba flipped the cover of the book around toward Lyra and waggled it a little, tilting his head, “Is this the sort of thing you like?” He questioned, flipping it back around. Kiba pulled the book open to her bookmark and glanced inside, reading aloud for Lyra:

“As the moon cast its silvery glow over the secluded garden, their desire ignited like wildfire, consuming them in its irresistible embrace.” He put some theatrical, but not mocking, emphasis on the words. “With each touch, each whispered confession of longing, they surrendered to the undeniable pull of passion, lost in the intoxicating rhythm of their hearts beating as one.” Kiba glanced over the pages at Lyra and wiggled his brows, “In the soft light of the moon, their love burned bright, a beacon of hope amidst the shadows of doubt and uncertainty. And as they surrendered to the ecstasy of their union, they knew that in each other’s arms, they had found the true meaning of desire.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: White wrap top with dark blue floral hems, matching white skirt with floral designs, and wide dark blue sash, wedged ankle boots, shoulder messenger bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Kiba | Falkner

As Aujus laid down nearby, as he stretched his feet forward, she drew hers back, trying to tuck them as far under the bench as she could and still be comfortable and discrete. When they were pulled back and he settled down, the tension left her shoulders but there was still a bit of unease there, trying to focus her attention on the master rather than the pet.
 
Lyra lowered her hand to rest it in her lap overtop the book, further obscuring it from sight. It was partially intentional, and partially unconscious behavior. She smiled politely at the boys, watching Kiba’s grin widen the longer she spoke. He was rather cute when he smiled like that. Her cheeks grew redder as that thought crossed her mind, trying to dismiss it. It was just because he reminded her of a little kid getting excited over something, like a child in a candy store. Wasn’t she just like that when she went to Arcanite shops?
 
Falkner’s voice brought her attention back to him for a moment, her smile changing to one of apology. “Of course, Falkner. I never mind having a discussion of Arcanite. It is a fascinating field of study.” As he bid his farewell, her gaze travelled to Kiba instead, noticing that he was lingering behind. Was there more he wished to say?
 
“Oh, um, you are… welcome? I am not sure that I was much help. You both had good points.” She was startled as he called out her nervous habit, mimicking it himself to prove a point. Should she tell him it was because of Aujus? A quick glance down at the dog had her shifting in her seat again, moving back another inch, before her attention was back on Kiba’s face. Her own suddenly became flushed with the compliments, although her body reacted differently, lifting her left arm again to cross over her body like protection. What was it with the men at Hammer? “That is… not why,” she managed to get out, looking away from both him and Aujus.
 
The moment that Kiba dropped down to snatch the book from her lap unprompted, time seemed to slow down for her. Immediately Lyra reached out with both hands to grope for the book but he was too fast, leaning back out to keep it out of her clutches as she grasped nothing but air. Silvery eyes were wide in shock and terror as he flipped over the book and read the title in full. “S-stop it, Kiba. Give that back!” Her face held more color now as he teased her selection of fiction.
 
As he opened it to where she left off and began to read, her eyes widened even further in horror and embarrassment. NO! Was he really reading that out loud in the courtyard?! Was he mad!? “Kiba!” Lyra jumped to her feet, forgetting for a moment her trepidation and fear of being around Aujus, her entire focus on the man holding her book hostage and narrating it with theatrical air. Any other time she might have complimented the way he voiced the lines and gave a flourish to the text, but not now.
 
She made another attempt to swipe the book from his hands, but her fingers barely grazed the cover, watching in horror as he easily twirled around away from her, his back to her now. She curled her hands into fists, obviously frustrated with this man keeping the book from her. Lyra made another grab for it around his side, but he only side-stepped with a grin, instead now raising the book above his head. Which also meant far above her own, out of reach. “Ki~ba!” And he was still reading it!
 
She lifted her hands up, trying to make a jump for it, but it was just out of reach. To anyone watching, she was sure they were a spectacle to behold, a tiny dainty elf making swipes in the air towards a book a much taller human held aloft. Like an older sibling teasingly keeping a toy out of their little sibling’s reach. “Give!” She made a swipe for the book and a small jump, her fingers barely touching the cover. “It!” Another jump and another swipe that met nothing but the air. Was it getting higher? “Back!” With each word her voice was becoming a bit louder, her attempts to retrieve the book failing each time to even come close to it. In fact, it seemed as though it was just getting further away!
 
With her face red from both exertion and embarrassment, loose silver strands cascading over her shoulders and a few in her face, she narrowed her eyes up at the book above Kiba’s head. Maybe if she took a larger jump? Could she get a running start or something? Reaching up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, Lyra took a step backwards to put some distance between them, intent on getting that book. Only, with all her hopping around and his dodging, she didn’t even realize where they were standing nor how close she was to a certain large animal just laying innocently on the ground at their feet.
 
As soon as her heel touched his side, Lyra stumbled to try and regain her footing, quickly glancing over her shoulder to see what she touched. However, between that motion and trying to reset herself, her balance was overcompensated and she found herself starting to tumble backwards over the furry lump. With a strangled surprised cry, her hands flew up to grasp… nothing. There was nothing to stop her from falling, and she realized far too late she was about to land on the source of her terror. Aujus.

[Aethyrium]

Aujus

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: Tanktop, Cargos, Sneakers, Shoulder Bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Truth be told, Kiba wasn’t sure what was better, the content of the book, or Lyra trying to get the book back. That wide eyed shock was precious, and Kiba knew right then that he’d enjoy earning that reaction as many times as he could. Even if she hadn’t been beautiful, the smaller elven woman sure was adorable. She really shouldn’t have made it so easy. That color that didn’t belong on her face only made it that much better. He shot up with her and took a step back to evade her first grab for it.

Aujus, like the good boy he was, huffed to himself and watched the little encounter.

The way she called for him got a couple playful chuckles as he stepped around and twirled beyond Aujus, pulling Lyra away from the bench in her attempts to retrieve it. His grin wouldn’t quit and got bigger and bigger as he continued, despite her swipes. “With every caress,” He said, lifting it up over his head and turning his attention to it, avoiding her first upward grab for it, “Every tender kiss,” He held it further up, squinting in avoidance of the next, “Their connection deepened…” It was harder to read the book when his arm was fully extended as it had needed to be to avoid her last grab for it. He couldn’t have seen Lyra’s stumble, angled the way he was. But then, he didn’t need to. Aujus noticed - not in the least because it was over him that she toppled.

As if connected to the dog - because he was, everyone knew it at this point - Kiba reacted as though it was he who had been stumbled over. With a fluidity, awareness, and perception that was literally extrasensory. He stepped forward, shifting slightly to offset himself from her. Kiba clapped the book closed in one hand and threw both arms out. One he snaked around Lyra’s waist, sweeping all the way around her to catch the bulk of her weight. The other moved to catch and support the back of her head. As she hit his embrace he barely shifted for it, supporting her easily. He held her there, her leaning back, half toppled over, like they were dancing, with her book trapped between his palm and the mess of her hair. Pale blue eyes that were more grey than anything sought her’s and locked. “You should be more careful.” He said softly, not immediately moving to help correct her imbalance in his arms, “Or you might give someone the impression that you’re falling for me.”

Kiba took the needed step and hoisted Lyra back to her feet. He winked, lingered for only the length of a breath, and then slipped back away from her. A quick motion he held the book up between them, and it looked for a moment like he might open it back up and read it. But… He didn’t. Lowering it to more her level, Kiba let his wrist go limp and held the worn novel out for her to recover. But when she went to actually take it, Kiba pinched his fingers to hold it hostage just a moment longer, “So?” He glanced at the book, then back to her, “Is this how you like to relax?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Mir Glenn
Date | Time: October 28th | Morning (~8am)
Location: PRoWLer Dormitory
Wearing: Open faced silk sleepwear
Tagging | Mentioning: Haimehen | Mila, Namid
None of the members of prowler were particularly inclined toward lounging in their dormitory, if they wanted to hang out they’d do it elsewhere. To that end it had been changed a decent bit. The standard table, lounge, and desks had all been removed entirely. That open space had then been converted into a second section like the locker area. Mir had constructed a series of bookcase-like shelving units, one for each member, to fit into the space. None were uniform, with a number of shelves, spacing, and divisions that made it unique to the individual’s desires. A place for each member to decorate, store, display, or otherwise do with what they wanted. And each was fairly identifiable, if one paid any attention to the students. Mir’s, for instance, had two waist high shelves that were very close together, each filled with small labeled baskets containing parts.

Where the sofa had once been was now a long, straight, plush dog pillow for Aujus. Along with some associated shelving above for his things.

“Plants?” He murmured quietly, confused, but shaking his head. Mir was still confused by the vibration in Haim as he entered. It was strange and unlike anything he’d witnessed - even when they had shared the passion of working on the trap. His mouth nearly opened to rebut the idea that Haim didn’t know anymore than what was in the letter, only for Haim to offer more context that Mir didn’t have. Of course he had heard about the incident, knew that Mila had been taken, and Namid had left over it. But that had been the extent of his knowledge. The pieces from Namid’s letter all started to fall easily into place. Mir walked past Haim, gesturing for him to follow toward the locker area where a long bench existed. It was the only seat to offer. “Are we spies now?” He asked, amused, while walking to his own closet and tugging it open to find something more appropriate to wear. Mir laughed into the small echo chamber of the closet and leaned his head back lazily, glancing back at Haim, “So in other words, you just want to use me for my brain.” But his tone was light and playful.

But what happened next, Mir did not expect. If only because the opportunity for it had existed long before now and not been taken. He stayed facing away so that Haimehen couldn’t get a read on his face. No expressions for the man to adjust to. If he wanted to offer this, he needed to do it raw. There was something deeply ironic for Haim apologizing for his actions, while just moments ago he had been leering at him like he was a piece of meat to be consumed. Fortunately, for Haimehen, Mir wasn’t the type to weaponize issues. “You’re right, it’s not okay.” He said after a final pause, turning, feeling Haim’s eyes on him. Haim seemed to Mir to be tragically misguided, and it sparked all of Mir’s little ‘I can fix it’ instincts. “It was brazen, forward, and over the top.” Mir grabbed the edges of his robe and tugged it closed. Not because he was embarrassed, or even that he specifically had an issue with the looks, but because it seemed that Haim had an issue determining appropriateness. If he was going to teach that, this was the start. “You assumed too much.” Even though his words were scolding, Mir’s tone remained fairly level - not even particularly hurt. Haimehen was far from the first man to not understand boundaries.

“You want me to, what?” Mir lifted a slightly cocky brow and tilted his head, “Be… Okay? You think too highly of yourself, that I gave you the power to make me not that in the first place.” Grinning, Mir approached and reached out, poking Haimehen in the chest, “You’re cute Haim, but not that cute. I’ll help Mila, but because I want to help Mila. It has nothing to do with you, understand?” It wasn’t about him. It didn’t impact him. Life didn’t revolve around Haim, his impact on the world, and what he wanted. “As for you and me? I told you what you needed to do that day, do you remember Haimehen?” He tilted his head, “We were playing a game, and you broke the rules. You moved your piece way ahead. Now you get to start over from the beginning, with that stigma on your scorecard. I can forgive you though, and let you keep playing. But you can bet I’m going to watch your every turn and make sure you know and are playing by the rules going forward.” Turning back to his closet, Mir sauntered to it adding, “You showed me one thing, now you’ll have to work extra hard to show me something else.”

He grabbed a shirt from a folded stack of them, “Now, tell me about this power source. Monday doesn’t leave us a lot of time to get ready, if we’re going to save your friend.”

[shengami]

Character Name: Haimehen
Date: Oct. 28 | Time: 7:59am |
Location: Inside PRoWLer Dormitory
Wearing: Sweatsuit and Crocs
Tagging: Mir | Mentioning: Farrah, Mila, Namid, Lyra |
It was certainly a fact that one of the main reasons that Haim was here, now, was that Mir had been on his mind a lot lately. For both reasons. At first, just the irresistible attraction. Haim found himself wondering. If he could turn it off, would he? He might. Because the other reason had been that he knew he needed to make it right. Because he also liked Mir. The man was smart, funny, and saw the world in a way that overlapped with Haim. Not entirely, but more than most people. He chuckled and moved to sit on the bench nodding at the comment about the brain. His form's volume turned down.

And part of that brain was communicating in a way that Haim grasped. His fingers moved, his hands came up and he started 'air manipulating' something. But his eyes were distant. His ears were on though and he was processing the critique. His lips formed the words 'brazen' and 'too much.' They were nebulous words with loose definitions riddled with connotations, but he could use them to modify behavior for the future. If he had one.

Which seemed possible. Cute but not that cute. Haim processed that and considered upgrading his own assessment of his physical appearance. But he visibly relaxed when Mir's help for Mila was separated from their issue. Some people would withhold such help for exactly those reasons and be justified in it. In a way. Haim could see that.

He wanted to talk shop, but he needed to say a couple things first. "I see. We all have the ability to hurt others, but it is in us to decide if we are okay. I had been taught that if you did bad things, that made other people hurt. And hurting makes me feel not okay. So... I assumed more. A bias in projecting personal coping mechanisms onto the world, I guess? And that's all fair. As you say, I fouled. I broke the rules. Now I must serve the penalty game. Of course, it is for me to decide which version of the penalty game that I am playing as well." He smirked. That was an interesting first step. Deciding if he wanted the path that might lead to more with Mir rather than just letting working on autopilot. It was obvious that his programming was flawed and needed conscious readjustment. He'd need to operate manually for a while again.

He folded his hands in front of him and shifted the puzzle pieces around trying understand the moves he made incorrectly more precisely so he could recalibrate. It was like a tricky design. The trickiest design of all: how to live life and people successfully. He smiled. He nodded.

He looked to Mir and saw the closed pajamas. Shame flashed in his eyes. He still wanted to look but he forced himself not to. For now, that meant he didn't look at Mir at all. But he'd get better at it with practice. His smile remained, "OK, dinner? Reset the game pieces on my side of the board. Pieces already taken on my side remain taken. I might... advance a pawn and earn back my queen, but I need to do the work. I can handle that. And if I play well, I may yet capture the king? That makes sense to me. But dinner may need to wait. Tomorrow, we have a ton of work to do if we are going to help Mila. And maybe it's not dinner, but it's time. And engineering is better than food. By the Infinite Black, it's probably better than sex." It was a chance for him to show he could play the game. It was also building stuff. And building stuff, especially robots, was cool.

A part of his energy that had muted was ramping up again. He pulled out the schematic again and opened it to point, "This casing here reminded me of the way you shield the accelerator in your power generator. Then I saw these coils and this circuit. If you change this and this here to the way you've laid out in Ardor..." His eyes flicked to the room looking for the weapon then back to the schematic, "I think it improves the design really. Say, roughly, by 6 per cent? Namid's not perfect, she was good with mechanics but arcanite wasn't her specialty" He looked to Mir for his thoughts.

~~End Scene~~

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: White wrap top with dark blue floral hems, matching white skirt with floral designs, and wide dark blue sash, wedged ankle boots, shoulder messenger bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Kiba | n/a

Lyra had squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation for the fall, knowing it was coming and waiting to feel that furry lump underneath her body. Aujus had been the source of her stumbling and she was sure she was about to fall on him. Except, she didn’t. There was no fall, in fact. Suspended in air, leaning back, she realized she had suddenly stopped moving, but she was certainly against something.
 
Opening her eyes, a pale powdery blue that may as well be silver met those of a similar shade to her own, finding herself looking up at Kiba’s face rather than the sky above. She blinked once, twice, then her brain caught up, her face flushed three shades darker as his words sunk in. While grateful for his assistance, the sudden closeness of his presence had shocked her, possibly more than realizing she had been about to topple onto the giant dog. Fingers unconsciously gripped the front of his shirt to steady herself, merely nodding to his words of being careful. “Mhm...”
 
As soon as she was righted, Lyra took an unsteady step away from him, and away from Aujus, eyeing the dog carefully as she dusted off her clothes, trying to straighten anything that was out of place, and nervously tucking her hair behind an ear again. Her fingers lingered against the side of her face, feeling the heat underneath. She looked away, embarrassed for that unseemly display.
“Th-thank you,” she squeaked out. “For, for catching me.”
 
Thankful that he had decided not to continue reading aloud from the book and merely held it out to her, Lyra reached for the offered item, grasping it tightly but finding that he did not quite relinquish his prize just yet. Eyes traveled from his face down to the book, then back up to meet his eyes, her own slightly narrowing in suspicion. “It is…” she admitted sheepishly. With a yank, she pulled it free from his grasp, clutching it tightly to her chest, hands crossed at the wrists as she held onto opposite sides of the novel.
 
“I… I picked up the first book by accident. I-I thought it was a book on sewing!” Her cheeks were aflame again, casting her eyes downward. “Whispers of Silk, I think it was called?” Softly, she chewed on her bottom lip in thought, before speaking again. “I like to read, or draw, whenever I have a spare moment. When I came across this, I… I did not know what to think. But it intrigued me, and I found myself riveted by the tale, so much so that I needed to know what happened next.” She shrugged her shoulders, more so to indicate the book she was currently holding against her body.
 
“What about you?” Lyra lifted her silvery gaze back on the man before her, a tilt of her head given in question. “What do you like to do to relax? Besides play keep-away with another’s things?” There was a small smile pulling at the edges of her lips as she lightly teased him with a sparkle in her eyes.

[Aethyrium]

Aujus

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: October 23th | Afternoon (~12:40)
Location: Courtyard of Champions
Wearing: Tanktop, Cargos, Sneakers, Shoulder Bag
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
As quickly as Kiba had reached for Lyra, Aujus had moved. The dog hadn’t stood, risking destabilizing Lyra further, no, like the best boy he put his paws forward and dragged himself out of the way. Quickly, he stood, moved, turned and laid back down just away from them. Once more he rested his head on his paws and looked up watching the pair get standing properly again.

Though teasing her was proving to be very fun, Kiba made no effort to hold onto her like he did the book. When she was righted and stepped away, Kiba unhooked himself from her and took a step back to give back the space he’d taken in his rescuing effort. Her more determined, forceful, yank got a good chuckle out of him. He smiled big and warm, a little goofily. “No problem.” She gave him more than he expected. Each little activity that she mentioned for the tiniest, briefest, narrowing of his eyes as he tried to picture her doing it. “So you sew.” He held up a finger, “And you draw,” Another finger, and he tapped the tip with his opposite index, “And now you read steamy romances. Definitely for the story though.” He smirked, unconvinced, but still playful about it. Who was he to judge? Kiba was more than a little certain that he had a hobby or two that would raise some eyebrows. Wiggling his trio of fingers, “Careful, tell me any more and I think you officially have to call me your friend.”

Kiba dropped his hand with a slight slap against his thigh. He was pleased to see that she appeared to be having a good time. Really, what else could he ask for? Her scanned her tilted face for a moment, seeming to really consider something. Kiba stood at his full height, a full foot taller than Lyra, and tilted his head the opposite direction of her, somewhat upturned in a curious, appraising sort of way. “Me? You really wanna know?” Kiba swiped his tongue across his lips, “Meet me here,” He lifted a hand and pointed with one finger at the space between them, “After dinner. Say, six thirty?” He grinned, “Wear something nice.”

Kiba took a few backward steps away from Lyra and whistled lightly out of the corner of his mouth, signaling Aujus to spring up and quickly hustle over to his side. “If you show up, I promise I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me.” With a light shrug he started to turn, “And I’ll show you something you’ve never seen before.”

-End Scene-

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | ~2:30 am
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Artanis
Watch with Artanis the first night hadn’t been as bad as Meena figured it would be. They didn’t need to talk and kept their attention focused on the job more than each other. Which suited them both just fine it seemed.

However, tonight was another matter entirely. Meena was angry…at many things, and one of those things was Artanis. She was well aware that venting her frustration out on him was pointless and frankly counterproductive to the mission. It wouldn’t even make her feel better about anything. As much as she disliked bullies like Artanis. The entire Haim situation took precedence, not to mention the mission and the mission wrapped around it.

This concern came to the fore of Meena’s concerns after talking briefly to Azir when the dust of Haim’s assault had settled for the evening. Meena was well aware that problem was far from settled, but for the night, she had done what she could, and she would have to be satisfied with that, as unsatisfying as that was. 

Meena looked off into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lolo returning from her self-isolation. As the minutes ticked by, her hope faded.   Farrah told her Lolo was okay and she would ensure she stayed that way, but it didn’t mean Meena felt any better about it. As much as she wanted to see her friend, hug her, and listen to her until she got all her feelings out, it might be best that she didn’t show up with Artanis awake and Haim’s tent nearby. Meena had stationed herself on his side of the camp just in case someone decided to make matters worse than they already were. The thought caused a quiet, mocking laugh to issue into the night. How could it even get any worse, she thought. Her eyes moved to Lyra’s tent, then Azir’s, and back again into the darkness. 

Meena sighed heavily, a plume of warm breath billowing into the cool night. Meena caught the scent of cloves and the light crunch of grass. Her eyes were drawn to the silent form of Artanis returning to the low fire, where a pot of coffee was warming. She looked at Azir’s tent again and was reminded of their conversation. The need to know was significantly more important than any petty dislike she might have had for the man.

Meena approached. For someone as big as she was, she moved with very little sound. Years of semi-nomadic life among hollows had instilled this necessity in her. Her form appeared out of the darkness, and once he was done refilling his camping mug, she did the same. Without any preamble, she looked into the man’s eyes and said…

“Do you know why I have a problem with this mission?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Artanis Mellow
Date | Time: November 6 | Late Night (~2:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena |
Watch was easy. Artanis looked forward to it, even. Everyone else was quiet, and he didn’t have to sleep. It was just about as good as things could get. Meena wasn’t interested in him, and content to do her own thing, and that settled just fine for him. He stalked to the edges of the fire glow, just beyond it, shrouded in the dark of night. He thought of the earlier events - who couldn’t - and played them back. Not because he cared about Haimehen, Lyra, or Lolo, but entirely in reflection of himself. It was unusual for him to snap like that. Farrah’s calling him a liar had triggered something deep, and it irked him that she had gotten under his skin - and so easily, with something so small.

Weariness wanted to get the better of him, but it was easy - trained, even - to stay on task and power through the lack of sleep. So long as he had the goal, he could do it.

Things were still after the last attack. He looked into the distance, the direction Marlowe had gone. She was foolish, wandering away from the group. How much complaining was he going to have to listen to when she woke up dead? Fakers shouldn’t be on their own, or out here at all. Artanis rolled his eyes and huffed. He headed for the center of the camp and eye balled the coffee before filling his mug. He took a silent sip of the hot, bitter liquid while she filled her cup. When their eyes met, Artanis narrowed his eyes at the question, then smirked. He’d given away a lot, by being poked by Farrah. But there was no changing it now. “Because you’ve got a simple minded, very narrow view of right and wrong?” He took another sip and pivoted, looking out past the tents, “Or because you’ve based your entire vision of what and who Champions are on a single interaction with four people, a decade and a half ago?” He scoffed into his mug, muttering as he tilted it back for another sip, “Yeah, I have a pretty good idea.” Each word bounced around the inside of the mug before being silenced by the drink itself.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~6:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White button down, Plaid slacks, Suspenders, w/ glossy purple bowtie, Simple black beret
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Artanis
Lolo had kneeled down in front of the tent. She wanted to be right there when Lyra emerged. As badly as she had needed to be away last night, she regretted not being there for Lyra. But then, her way was not the way Lyra wanted… Ever. So she had resolved that it was just better that way entirely. So she restrained herself here, too. Which was why Lyra flinging herself into her arms came as such a shock - even on a normal day it would have surprised Lolo, but after all of this? She blinked, stiffened for a moment and then returned the gesture, wrapping the much smaller woman up and pulling her in close. Lolo couldn’t believe what was happening, but it almost immediately had an impact on her mood. It ticked so many brain boxes that stress literally melted off of her like butter in a skillet. Marlowe tilted her head to accept Lyra’s face burying, and then leaned into it to comfort her. She didn’t know where it was coming from, but she was starving to give the affection since it was wanted.

Clinging to Lyra, all but scooping her up, Lolo sighed quietly and let her hand fall to stroke the elf’s back and soothe her tiny sobs. “I’m fine.” She said, smiling brighter than she had since Artanis’ revelations. “No, no, I’m not hurt. I’m okay, I promise.” Squeezing her eyes closed tightly, Lolo squeezed Lyra just as tightly, “I’m sorry that I worried you. I…” Her heart thumped with the pulsings of anger. “Are you alright?” Lolo shifted her hands to Lyra’s shoulders, then slowly to the outside of her arms.

When her eyes opened she looked at Azir standing behind them. She couldn’t even be angry about that. He’d been there when she hadn’t. For that he got a small nod of appreciation. Marlowe pressed Lyra back a little so that she could look at her face. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have…” Well, what she would have done wouldn’t have been pretty, but she’d have been there. “I could have been there for you.” It was her turn to sniffle, holding back a cry of frustration - and glee - and she looked into those bright blue eyes. Lifting a hand from Lyra’s shoulder, spread fingers came to cup the woman’s cheek, and Lolo brushed it affectionately with her thumb, “I thought we were past you keeping me out.” She frowned, slightly tilted her head, then shook it.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I left. I… Was…” She took a deep breath through her nose and pursed her lips, “I didn’t mean to leave you.” Pushing both hands back past Lyra, she yanked her back into another firm squeeze. “I’d never leave you. You’re stuck with me.” She laughed quietly and sniffled again, “And I really am okay. A little sore from sleeping where I did, but nothing a stretch won’t fix.” Finally, relenting, and shifting once more so that she could see Lyra and look her over, “What matters is if you’re okay. Tell me what to do.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 6th | Morning (~6:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White wrap blouse with floral design, silver trip, and with sleeves wrapped and bound to her wrists, wide black belt, long white skirt with similar floral design, black laced boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe | Haimehen, Farrah, Meena, Vesper, Mila, Doya, Azir

Lyra had struggled to sleep that night, her mind too worried and focused on Marlowe. What if she got hurt? Or worse? Did she hate the little elf now? Was that why she didn’t come back to their tent? Was Marlowe disappointed in her? She had thought that once, but after seeing how Marlowe reacted to Haimehen, she no longer doubted it, but with her partner’s disappearance, that lingering doubt seeped back in and clouded her thoughts. She didn’t want to be around anyone, but at the same time, she dreaded being alone. But who would she even ask to stay with her?
 
Certainly not Haimehen, Light above, and she didn’t really get along with Farrah much. Meena, maybe? Not Vesper, either. They weren’t that close and he seemed annoyed by this whole thing. Besides, he was probably busy keeping an eye on his own partner. So that only left Mockery, and she barely had any contact with most of them. Doya had been her first pick, but when Azir had appeared and offered his company, Lyra had been reluctant to accept it. Sure, she felt comfortable and safe around him, but to stay the whole night, sharing a tent with a man? He assured her it was merely his presence he was offering and nothing more, and since she didn’t want to be alone, she finally agreed. And he kept his word. They spoke a little, making sure she was doing alright, but never pressing her for any details she was unwilling to divulge and he kept his distance from her. His warm presence was there, but never his touch. And she appreciated that much.
 
So, when morning arrived and Lyra realized there was a figure sitting outside of her tent, she couldn’t get out of bed fast enough to see who it was. Launching herself at Marlowe had surprised even herself, since her partner knew how touch adverse that she could be, but at that moment, she didn’t care. Marlowe was right in front of her, safe and sound. Her partner meant a lot to her, and they had been through so much together since the start of the year. She felt Marlowe stiffen under her frame, but the moment she felt those arms around her, the little elf just cried harder. She didn’t care about appearances; she didn’t care that Azir had slowly made his way out of the tent after her and was silently watching them. She was only focused on the taller woman in her arms.
 
After assuring her questions about her safety, Lyra squeezed Marlowe just as tightly in return. What would she have done if she hadn’t returned to camp? Her emotions were already scrambled and all over the place. She would have been devastated and an absolute wreck to lose Marlowe, too. Had that been how Farrah felt when Mila was taken? She was more determined than ever to give Farrah this sense of relief she felt now that Marlowe had returned. Feeling Marlowe shift and those hands moving to her arms, Lyra still flinched slightly, but she stayed right where she was, pulling herself away from Marlowe enough to look up at her face with a small nod. “I am… alright now. You are safe and here now.”
 
Azir didn’t stay long and apparently decided to leave the two of them alone after the nod Marlowe gave him and her whispered thanks. Leaning back a bit more, she settled down to sit on her heels, leaving herself sort of kneeling before Marlowe. “I…” She let out a deep sigh, looking away from her partner. “I did not want to think about it. At that time, I… I did not know what to think, really. Did I like it? Did I want it?” She closed her eyes, letting her arms slip from around her partner to rest in her lap. “I should have tried… tried harder to-to stop it. I apologize for not saying anything. I was scared. Of how others would react.” She opened her eyes, but did not raise her gaze, staring at her hands in her lap, palms turned up. “Things were awkward after that, but he did try to apologize once. The day of the party. I thought that was good enough, if that was the best I was going to get.”
 
She lifted her gaze to look up into those crimson ones as Marlowe cupped her cheek. At first, she leaned away from the touch, but after a moment, she let her do it. “I… I am sorry, Lolo. For not saying anything. It… it did not matter to me if I was still hurting. If I was the only one, then that was fine. I did not want to fracture Gravity, again. You… do not hate me, do you?”
 
Lyra let out a sort of squeak as Marlowe pulled her into another hug, but she did not try to pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her in return. “It is okay, Lolo. You are here now, and you are safe and sound. That is good enough for me.” Separating once more, Lyra pulled away, looking Marlowe over once again to confirm she was, indeed, alright. Satisfied with her assessment, the little elf focused her attention back on her partner’s face. “I am… Alright, I think. My head is spinning. It hurts, knowing what he did, and why. And that I was not alone.” She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, but she shook her head. Now was not the time for this. “I do not want to do anything. I just know I cannot be near him. Not right now. There are more important things to worry about, like our mission. I just… I want you close. I do not want to be alone. Not until we are back at Hammer. I cannot lose you, Lolo.” I don’t want you to become another Mila.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~6:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White button down, Plaid slacks, Suspenders, w/ glossy purple bowtie, Simple black beret
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Haimehen, Meena
“It’s not your fault.” Lolo’s arms dropped to her sides, and her hands pressed into the grass. She stared at Lyra like she was speaking elvish, tilting her head sharply. “Hate you?” Her brows tightened, and she even found a laugh bubbling up and escaping her lips. “For being someone so smart, Lyra, you really are very dumb.” Marlowe said with a smile. “How could I hate you for something Haimehen did?” She plucked grass, abandoned it to the wind, and reached for Lyra’s hand, taking hold of it and squeezing. “It’s not fine, even if it’s just you.” Lolo protested, sad that Lyra still thought that way. “Maybe you don’t care if you’re hurting,” She shrugged and shook her head as she said it, “But I do.” And whether Lyra wanted to acknowledge it or not, Lolo glanced over to where Meena was, “And so does everyone. That’s the only way this works.” If Haimehen had cared how the others would feel, he couldn’t have taken that action. The thought only made her blood want to boil again. So maybe not everyone, but she didn’t dare try to correct herself now. “You’re part of gravity, Lyra. Don’t you get that?” She bit her lip. “If you’re hurt, we’re hurt.” Marlowe sat back on her calves and drooped her shoulders, “We’ve got you, too.” He features tightened, pleadingly, “I’ve got you.”

It was good that Lyra said she couldn’t be around him right now, because Lolo had the universal constant of zero desire to allow that to happen. And truthfully it wasn’t limited to right now, she couldn’t envision a time where she’d ever let it happen again. That was… Complicated. Even she realized it. Lolo’s jaw tightened as she struggled with the thought. She was going to need to talk to Meena, or someone, about this. “I’ll be right here, I promise.” Lolo pushed herself to her feet and held a hand down for Lyra, gently helping her up. She tugged, so that she could step into Lyra’s orbit and lean in, pressing her forehead to Lyra’s and closing her eyes. “You’re not going to lose me.” She stepped back just as quickly, opening her eyes to meet Lyra’s. “Doesn’t matter what comes our way, I’ll be right by your side, Lyreilynn.” Lolo smiled brightly, “I promise.”

-End Scene-

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | ~2:30 am
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Artanis
Meena rolled her eyes. She had expected some sort of insult to be thrown her way. The idea that others did not hold her worldview had become painfully obvious since her arrival at the Academy. Was it simple? Sure, but that didn’t mean that it was wrong. And it still wasn’t really answering her question. Meena had heard similar expressions from others, though less dick-ishly stated. Shir said something similar, and even Sumina informed her that her view of the world would be challenged. This wasn’t anything new or something an observant person couldn’t figure out, but it was Artanis’s following words that sealed Meena’s suspicions about what he might or might not know from his Shimmer.


“It was a good interaction,” Meena said simply. One good deed could resonate with others. Meena was an example of that. The lives Sumina and her squad saved made a difference. A difference that would carry on through generations. Perhaps if Artanis had had similar interactions, he wouldn’t be so unhappy. The thought caused a contemplative frown. A petty and protective side of Meena didn’t want to find empathy with the bully that tormented her friend, but if she pushed that away, was she really the person she wanted to embody? The person Sumina thought she was. The person she wanted to be. She sighed.

“I’m not sure how much trouble Azir could get into if anyone found out you know things you shouldn’t. I doubt you would say anything, and neither will I,” Meena said as she turned away from the fire, her cup of coffee steaming in the cool night air as she let her eyes readjust to the night.

“It must be hard knowing things you shouldn’t all the time,” Meena said, a gentleness creeping into her voice she hadn’t intended but was there, nonetheless. Meena didn’t expect him to say anything other than perhaps to scoff or insult as the silence of the night began to creep in on them again.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Artanis Mellow
Date | Time: November 6 | Late Night (~2:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena |
“Ate a good tart one time.” Artanis said, looking down into his mug. He tilted it over and poured what was left of the liquid into the grass, “Never even crossed my mind to only eat tarts for the rest of my life.” He shook the mug to make sure he got everything out, then set it beside the fire. His gaze, annoyed by the implication of her warning about Azir, flickered to her as she turned away. “I’m sure the consequences wouldn’t be Azir’s alone.” He hissed. If she wanted to threaten, he’d do it right back.

The unexpected gentleness took him off guard, but only because the words themselves were so disarming. Artanis flexed his hands and stood back up, “You don’t know a damn thing about me cow, so do me a favor and keep your pity for someone who wants it.” Turning, Artanis started to stalk off toward the edge of the firelight again so that he could do another round along the perimeter of the camp.

-End Scene-

[Rainbae]

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Academy Workshop
Wearing: Her usual jumpsuit tied around her waist
Tagging | Mentioning: Maria @VVitch | N/A
Bzzzzz

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dok Dok Dok Dok Dok

Vrrr...Vrrr

The sound of Koko working resonated loudly in the Academy workshop which she now called home. She spent plenty of time in her dorm room as well but this new space was her true new residence on campus. The clean steel walls had already mostly been plastered with her blueprints and random design notes. The normally tidy and pristine work benches were littered with her assorted tools as well as half eaten ramen cups and chip bags. The space had large fluorescent strip lights that covered most of the vaulted high rise ceilings. They shone over the entirety of the room giving it an almost clinical vibe. That is if not for all the random string lights and hanging contraptions Koko had set up which cast shadows across the area.

She moved quickly and rather efficiently as she worked. Although her rhythm of progress was more sporadic and sudden instead of slow and steady. She would often stop in the middle of doing something and just stare at whatever her current project was. She’d ponder it for a moment and then gasp as another brilliant idea would jump its way into her mind and erase all other thoughts of whatever the last eureka moment for her was. This would of course lead her to drop whatever tool was currently in her hand and grab something new. She probably had three or four full sets of the things lying around in various piles and states. She found it much easier to just have an extra set or so of a tool strewn about the room in different corners that she could grab at a moment’s notice than having to go back to a tool box and find the specific thing she was looking for every time. One of such moments was currently unfolding as Koko had been stopped and staring at her project for several moments now. Her hand rubbed against her chin as the other was tucked beneath it. She hummed and hawed as she considered what to add to the construction in front of her.

The project in question was a large set of propulsion devices. Two large cylindrical canisters that Koko had set up were attached to a harness to be worn on one’s back. The idea was that she could fill them with yellow arcanite and activate them for a wide burst effect. Hopefully with enough power and some ingenuity she’d be able to make the user fly! Or at least make them float for a little bit. Either way the goal was to lift someone off the ground even if for only a moment.

She stood in front of the project, still having a staring contest with it. Leaning forwards Koko squinted as she moved towards it. Closer…closer…closer…Until bam! The thought finished forming in her mind and she was off to the races. She dropped the drill still in her hand where she stood and sped across the room to grab a hammer. Grabbing a mechanic’s dolly and skating on it back to her creation she flopped down onto her back and slid underneath the hanging gadget. Whipping out the hammer she had just grabbed she began smacking away at the flared base of the design trying to form the metal into a more curved shape like she imagined in her head.

Koko smiled broadly as she worked. She loved getting into these moods. Once the ideas were flowing and the progress just seemed to keep ticking up. She felt so zen that she practically forgot the world existed. And to her credit she produced some of her best work in that state. Less than 50% of the stuff she made when she got like that blew up! She continued smacking away at the metal, making loud bongs and bangs. She stopped for a brief moment and clicked a couple of buttons on the display on her forearm of her gauntlets. She’d wired into the school’s loud speaker system in the workshop and hotwired it to work with her media device. As she finished tapping loud rock music came on the speakers and filled the room as she began jamming out and continuing her work.

[shengami]

Character Name: Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 10.29 | ~13:00
Location: Onyx Prairie, Western Quarter, Rook's Down Park
Wearing: Black track suit and white running shoes
Tagging | Mentioning: @Rainbae  Koko Gero, OPEN? | none
Note: Scooping out the competition before a match
Chee crouched atop a post and let his eyes slowly rove over the course. There was no hiding the massive array of pipes, walls, foam, moats, and other apparatuses the organization had built in this corner of the park. There was a pretty standard hangman ramp to enter, but it would eliminate a lot of the field. You ran up the ramp, grabbed the lip, and pulled yourself over. After that, a ring swing at least ten meters long. A swing leap from the rings onto a platform and then a spider climb. That was a lot of upper body strength in just three modules. A spinning balance beam into five spring boards would let you rest your arms but the legs would be burning. Each board was further apart and would need a lot of momentum and ankle strength. Then a bicycle climb. Use your hands to pump the pedals to slowly ascend the long cylinder. He hissed through his teeth. His arms were going to be jelly later. From the bicycle climb into a climb hang with three levels and at least one gap long enough he'd have to stretch for it with his height. And finally a drawbridge. Run up one side, keep your balance at it tipped, jump to grab the next one and pull it down. Then run up that up to swing it back down. Hit the buzzer. And best time won.

A couple walked past and nodded at him. He grinned. He didn't know them, but he'd seen them around. The audience was usually faceless for these things, but the people who actually ran them were a small, intimate crowd. Physical games were Toil's top form of entertainment but the inter-Academy games only happened once a year. People needed entertainment.

This Thursday was the Alignment. That was the only reason he was out of the field anyway. The old guys had asked him to come back for a barbecue and some fun; you didn't say no to family. Well, not when they were being reasonable. And since the TOIL Ninja Academy was holding a special event, why not? He used to run these things every month before he started ranging out of Onyx regularly to train. TNA was the biggest and most legit of the groups that did them. He'd been in his fair share of far less than legit ones. They were usually a good time. Whatever the case, families all over Onyx and Toil would be gathering, eating, enjoying the day and the networks needed entertainment. So events like this were happening everywhere.

He'd run it, place if he was lucky, and then go watch himself on the broadcast with the old guys later.

He hopped down off the post and bent over at the waist to stretch the back of his legs. Standing, he started to stretch left and right as he went over the course again. It really was a ton of upper body stuff. He was better with his legs. His arms were also short and his reach an issue. But he was fast and flexible. Most courses started with an easy ramp, but this was meant to be a big event. If he'd not had a reputation from a couple years doing this stuff, he might not have gotten in. As it was, the course and the field looked rough. He smiled at another familiar face: an OES officer. He stuck his tongue out at the man's back. A lot of adrenaline junkies liked this stuff. The money was nice, but it was the thrill that got you. Even after months avoiding Hollow and doing survival training, he was excited.

He hopped on his toes and rolled his shoulders. Nearby, a fuzzy announcer voice rattled some random information. His ears flicked but he checked out after a second. It was soem claptrap about corn dogs. Rolling his neck, he started to jog in place.

[VVitch]

Character Name: Maria Rex-Astra
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Dorms -> Academy Workshop
Wearing: Cozy Sleeping Wear
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko @Rainbae  | N/A
Peace took time and work to build and maintain. Unfortunately, all that effort could be shattered in an instant. Maria's long, solitary walk had served to clear her mind and leave her drifting and content. Then, the sounds of some kind of music she didn't recognise or care for broke it all just as she rested her head on her pillow. Bleary-eyed she roused herself, sitting up and glancing about for a source of the noise. The reverberations bounced around her mind and she frowned, feeling frustration boiling up.

As she left the comfort of her bed, comfy nightwear crafting a near-formless silhouette around her she couldn't see what was to blame until she realised it was the speaker systems blaring the music. Her frown intensified. Who on earth would be doing this so late at night. There was no kind of drill that would begin by deafening the squires like this. In a rare moment of showing her ire, Maria grumbled as she slipped shoes on and tugged a jacket over her clothes, looking haphazard as she made her way to the corridors.

Sensitive ears picked up the sound of a cacophony quite far from her, leading her towards the source of her discomfort and displeasure. She was unhappy the whole way, increasingly so as it only got louder. Whoever it was was lucky they had only jacked into their dormitory or she imagined she'd have had an army of others at her back as she stormed into the workshop.

It was rare to see Maria looking angry. Not easy to spot, either. She held herself with grace, rising to her full height and upturning her nose a little. Beyond a slight narrowing of her eyes, it wasn't that visible compared to some. When she caught sight of her teammate Koko she felt a few things rush up. First, that this might be a mistake. Second, that she would have thought her friend and partner on SWAGger would be more considerate. Third, that this wasn't a great shock. Maria wasn't sure if she would have preferred it be a stranger.

"Hey!" Maria called, her voice too soft to be heard. Rolling her eyes, she approached further into the workshop. It was her mother's area, really, not hers. Nature made so much more sense to Maria than all this machinery and noise. She was visibly out of place, her body language guarded and drawn in as she raised her voice a little more. "HEY!" She near-shouted at Koko, waving one of her arms to try to get the other woman's attention.

[Rainbae]

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Academy Workshop
Wearing: Her usual jumpsuit tied around her waist
Tagging | Mentioning: Maria @VVitch | N/A
Koko didn’t notice Maria’s presence in the room until she was practically on top of her. Even this close her voice barely broke over the sound of the music, only the small noise plus the waving of her arms was enough to catch the inventor’s attention. She slid out from underneath the large contraption she was still in the process of hammering. Her dolly rolled noisily across the tread plate metal floor as she did. She looked up to see the much taller girl towering over her from her place on the floor. Koko immediately offered a smile upon seeing her friend and teammate. However it quickly changed to a confused look as she recognized the smoldering in Maria’s eyes. Bounding up off the floor Koko dusted herself off and then slipped the hammer she was holding into a loop on her jumpsuit before speaking.

“Yo! MareBear! What’s up homie? Thought you’d be nodding off by now. I like the look, very cozy time-chique. What can I do you for?” Koko approached for a hug and held her arms out around Maria. She just hovered them there for a moment and paused. She had learned that although the girl wasn’t completely opposed to physical affection, giving her a moment to refuse before simply diving into an embrace was usually a good idea. Depending on Maria’s reaction Koko either tucked in for a tight hug or took a step back. She wasn’t entirely oblivious to the girl’s anger but she wasn’t really able to tell that it was directed at her.

Koko had made many strides in learning what her friends' moods meant here and there but she wasn’t exactly perfect yet. She’d been able to get some of their habits and pick up on a few tells but she still struggled with the concept in general. She was happy that it seemed her teammates were often willing to just say what they were thinking most of the time, that helped her a lot. Maria more than any of them was usually very clear about what she wanted which pleased Koko a ton. She was really happy to have been paired with her.

“Oh! And you’re just in time by the way. I was thinking about giving this baby a test run any minute now. Let me just finish hammering this last bit out and we can give ‘er a spin. You wanna be strapped in? I’m willing to give you the honor of first flight if you want.” Koko spoke excitedly and slapped the side of the large metal tube with her hand as she said the word ‘baby’. She smiled deviously as she offered Maria the potential to try out her new ridiculous gadget putting a hand on her shoulder as she did so.

[VVitch]

Character Name: Maria Rex-Astra
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Dorms -> Academy Workshop
Wearing: Cozy Sleeping Wear
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko @Rainbae  | N/A
Maria could barely believe how close she had to get to be noticed. Then again, her own ears caught everything even amid a cacophany like this. Unusually, she kept an entirely stern expression through the ever-warm greeting. The comment about how she should be asleep made her wrinkle her nose in displeasure. For once, Maria didn't return the hug. At first she'd been like that, and this was a return to that same initial awkwardness. Maria let herself be hugged, but did not hug in return.

When Koko stepped back, Maria had her head tilted and an incredulous expression. The whole thing was confusing. How could someone be so oblivious to basic societal norms. Even basic politeness. Surely it was obvious how frustrated Maria was?

Stunned into silence, she listened to the excited babbling before finally replying. "I'm just in time to go to bed, actually. But I can't. Because of this," She gestured to the room, speaking in an icier tone than even she intended. "You realise you're blaring this noise into our dorm, do you?" Maria added, sharply, as she settled her arms crossed at her chest. The rock music was not appealing to her in the least, the sounds far too harsh for her taste. She wanted to add that she couldn't imagine why someone would do this, whether it was a poorly thought out prank or some bizarre bid to get someone to test pilot whatever contraption lay before her but she held her tongue from that, if nothing else.

[Rainbae]

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Academy Workshop
Wearing: Her usual jumpsuit tied around her waist
Tagging | Mentioning: Maria @VVitch | N/A
Koko was confused as Maria didn’t return her hug and her anxiety began mounting. She wasn’t really sure but she was starting to realize that the anger was probably directed at her. Which was confirmed as she began listening to the frigid tone her partner used with her as she laid out her transgressions. Koko was shocked at Maria’s anger as she had never experienced this level of frustration from her before. Sure she had been annoyed with her or mildly upset in the past but never down right infuriated like it seemed she was now. Her face went pale as she realized what she had been doing.

Koko quickly stammered apologies and curse words as she hurried to tap on the display once more and shut off the music. The heavy rock beats stopped abruptly as Koko breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She slowly looked up at Maria like a guilty Puppy as she touched her index fingers together. She waited a moment for her to say something but when nothing came she felt compelled to break the silence.

“I’m really, really sorry Maria…I promise I’ll fix it. Um…I’ll find a way to make it up to you! I’m uh not really sure how yet, but I’ll figure it out! I swear I didn’t know it was being piped into the dorms too homie, cross my heart.” Koko’s brows were furrowed with worry. She felt small and her body language showed it. She felt like she’d taken a step back with Maria right after she’d felt like they’d made a lot of progress too. She looked up from below at the much taller woman hoping to maybe see some forgiveness on her face.

[VVitch]

Character Name: Maria Rex-Astra
Date | Time: November 7th | Late Evening ~11:00pm
Location: Dorms -> Academy Workshop
Wearing: Cozy Sleeping Wear
Tagging | Mentioning: Koko @Rainbae  | N/A

The confusion was shared equally between the pair as Maria still couldn't understand why Koko would have thought this was a good idea. The fact it was an accident hadn't occurred to Maria, who rarely allowed herself to make mistakes and who didn't account for them much from others, either. Her harsh features softened slightly as the scrambled apologies were given and Koko went about fixing what she'd done. Maria sighed, but the frustration didn't entirely go. Mistakes happened when you didn't take enough care, she felt.

With a few nods, Maria accepted the apology. "It never occurred to me that something like that could be done by accident. I imagined it would take a lot of effort and assumed it was deliberate," She explained, in the manner she always did. Few contractions, little slang. An elegant, sharp tongue that sounded cutting even when she wasn't trying to be. "You don't have to do anything for me, Koko. Just think about how much noise you make when other people are trying to sleep, okay?" Maria added, brushing off the idea of reparation in favor of trying to head off the same thing happening again.

"I'll not hold it against you, okay? Please don't fret. I really thought it was some kind of bad prank, and I'd just settled to sleep. Please try to be a little more careful, if you can. I don't want you hurting yourself," Maria finished up, trying to put worries to bed and to show that she did genuinely care for Koko. While she didn't have much of a mind for engineering, or perhaps she actively rebelled against that part of her brain, she knew enough to be aware that an accident could do some real damage. She hoped her friend wasn't being haphazard about things as while she was annoyed she was happy she hadn't come down to find the other girl injured.