(New thread!)

[marimo.]

▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ αяуѕ ѕℓαтє █ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▄ ▂ ▁

❝ιf ι ¢αи вє σf αиу нєℓρ, ι'ℓℓ єνєи вє¢σмє α яєαℓ мσиѕтєя❞

~18~Female~Werewolf~Mood: lost in more ways than one~Location: sanctuary~Tags: none~Mentions: Drew, Jen, Gav, the team I guess~

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After what feels like hours of sprinting through dense forest and avoiding the occasional drunk citizen, Arys finally slows herself down after her body threatens to collapse from exertion. She flops down onto a flat part of the ground to rest, but despite her body having stopped its one-wolf race, her mind refuses to slow down, replaying Drew's last moments over and over again. Now that she's stopped, the girl feels paralysed with guilt and regret. We could have done it differently. We could have tried to bring him in, or knock him out and bind him. Heck, we could have even killed him quickly! Shaking slightly, the wolf chastises herself for not slitting the guy's throat when she had the chance. Despite Jen being the one to torture the guy brutally, she can't blame the archer. She can't imagine the kind of rage she'd be in if someone she cared for was in danger. She can't blame poor Gavotte either, so the only person left is herself, and rightly so. She just assisted in a murder!
No, no, you need to stop. She tells herself, taking deep breaths to prevent from hyperventilating. Blaming people will get you nowhere. And right now, you need to get somewhere. The wolf drags herself wearily to her feet and glances around at her surroundings. Nothing looks familiar to her. Come on, Arys, you can't be this tired! You have to recognise something! Just look harder! A few minutes later of pacing and even trying to pick up one of her teammates' scents (desperate times call for desperate measures), the werewolf finally has to admit to herself that she's lost.
Of course, this is JUST my luck. I took the trails in for practically the entire journey of the lake, and then I decided to go run a marathon in all different directions of these woods! It's no surprise I'm lost. She growls in frustration, not caring if anyone hears her at this rate. Well, there's only one thing I can do. I can't risk sitting here and being seen. I have to keep running. With a heavy heart and even heavier paws, the girl sets off in a random direction, limiting herself to walking so she doesn't waste her energy. Sure, she'd cover less ground, but she'd rather settle for that instead of fainting.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

˜”*°•.˜”*°•𝔻𝕒𝕜𝕠𝕥𝕒 "𝕌𝕞𝕓𝕣𝕒" 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕝•°*”˜.•°*”˜

❝𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖? 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕦𝕟 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖?❞

~18~female~umbrakinesis~mood: imma hurt this boi~location: knifepoint alley~tags: Lanette, Onyx, "stupid Keith"~ mentions: none~

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jumping slightly as Onyx cracks their knuckles, Dak calms herself as she assures herself that no, Keith is not attacking them yet. In fact, the man hardly seems to be showing any interest in taking up arms against the three of them, though she has to slightly discredit this since the man she is trying to analyse is currently a cat. So once again, she leaves the talking and worrying to the other two and settles on observing her surroundings, the layers of darkness having no effect on her.
The room they are in is tiny, especially with the three Keiths taking up practically half the room. The chairs and the table are rickety and honestly look like they're about to collapse. It takes all of Dak's self-control to keep from wrinkling her nose at the sight. While she herself isn't exactly bright-eyed and a do-gooder, she isn't so shady that she'd take up residence in this area.Ugh, I hope we can get out of here soon. She thinks, resuming her glare focused toward cat-Keith. No mstter how much she wants out of the dirty alley, she won't let him out of her sight. Come to think of it...
Without glancing away, Dak mentally summons a shadow from the alleyway and hurriedly tells it to watch the three's backs. She has no idea how well it will work, nor how long she can hold it, but it's better than nothing, and she at least feels slightly less on edge about their current situation.

[TheFae]

Arietta
18
Truth Knower
Location: The Sanctuary
Tagged: Ardai, Riley, Naeyvs, Leroy, Gavotte
Mentions: Jen and Arys

Arietta was following her gut, knowing she had thoroughly memorized her map. She was leading them all through the streets, praying that Leroy didn't know where they were going.
But then Leroy mentioned brothers, and Arietta couldn't stop her heart from reaching out to him. He was telling the truth, about how they just wanted to live and how they needed money. She sympathized with him, knowing what it was like to try and protect those you thought as family, and just wanting a better life.
He isn't really a traitor, he is just trying to better his family.
The thought sunk into Arietta's belly, making her the teensiest bit nauseous. She hoped the other groups were as nice to their assignments as her group was to Leroy. But then Arietta passed by a lake, and she immediately noticed how dreary and drab it was around here. The lake was muddy, which had Arietta pause for a second.
Something had to go very wrong. The lake was known for being pristine and clear, almost like a reflecting pool. Why was it muddy?
But then Arietta noticed Gavotte. And he looked so sad and defeated.
"Ardai, watch our buddy. I'm going to go investigate." Arietta stated, knowing Ardai could hold Leroy for a few moments. Arietta smiled at Leroy and blew a kiss at him as she walked alone towards Gavotte.
"Gavotte, where are Arys and Jen? What happened?" Arietta asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. She knew he needed support and comfort at the moment, it was definitely clear, but she didn't know why.

[honeybee.]

⋯⋯⋯⋯ ❄️⋯⋯⋯⋯
Brenn Lucasta
Location: Midas Tower Tags: Caleb; Other Caleb; Sonata; James
⋯⋯⋯⋯❄️⋯⋯⋯⋯

Brenn relaxed a little when Caleb returned the hug and Sonata rushed to join them. He was half-Twodorian after all and nothing raises a Twodorian's spirits like a hug. Sonata sounded determined and Brenn was equally determined. They would complete their mission, and he'd never let anything like this happen again.
Brenn's jaw clenched in annoyance when James' voice rang out from the kitchen, acting like some omnipotent being. "Maybe he's just trying to psyche us out." Brenn sounded uncertain, their enemy had sounded pretty convinced that Caleb would be alright from the moment he'd thrown the knife. "No-one said anything about them having abilities." But it was true, the vaguely familiar James looked young enough to be born in headquarters and having an ability could explain how the man knew.
He listened carefully to Caleb's plan. Their enemy had said he wanted to 'talk', a sentiment Brenn didn't trust despite all James' attempts at persuasion. "I could maybe freeze his fingers, stop him from trying anything, if there's a tap in there it would help." With a quick reaching gesture Brenn reformed the ice shield with the water that had fallen to the floor, making it as clear as possible. "I'm keeping this up though, no-one else is getting hurt today." He spoke with the same steely resolve as Sonata, though less of the rage. "I can take the front. It'll make it easier for me to hold the shield."
With the shield in front of him, he began to lead the way to the kitchen where James was hiding. "We'll talk," Brenn informed their target, "But if you think you'll persuade us to let you sell us out, you're wrong."

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

████【♟】████

Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Dakota, Onyx, Keith

-----Onyx was certainly weaving a more lighthearted mood into the dark atmosphere of this dingy detachment. Lanette appreciated it, and it seemed their host did too. Keith wore a faint smile as he folded his illusory hands over the table, leaning a little closer to the rebels sitting across from him.
-----"Indeed you are great listeners! And what a generous offer." Keith's eyes met with Onyx's for a moment before closing in resignation. "While I can't guarantee I will accept, I do want to reward your manners. How does a story sound?"
-----"That sounds wonderful," Lanette responded with an enthusiastic smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small dark shape slinking down the stairs. It was the alley cat from earlier. The pacifist remained unruffled and showed no sign of noticing, but she silently hoped Dakota would see. If the cat was the real Keith preparing a getaway, the shadow-manipulator watching their backs was best positioned to stop him.
-----"Good, good. To start off, have you heard of the Griffin Squad? They graduate by summer's end," Keith began. "Up until my promotion, I was one of them. It was early for my tastes, but I was young and naive. I was eager to see the world."
-----That explained the superpowers. It occurred to her that Ella's brother Matty would have trained together with him, and possibly the other traitors if they were the same age. Lanette was a little concerned about this development. How would it affect the squad, who were only seventeen bordering on eighteen? Their former teammate who'd graduated early was now a turncoat.
-----"They sent me here, to the District of Gold." Keith made a sweeping gesture to indicate the not-so-rich situation all around them. "Yet this is where I live. Three years working for the Uprising-" He said the word so bitterly- "and nothing has changed. Not for me and not for Delra."
-----Despite his calm demeanor from earlier, Lanette could see a genuine deep-seated hatred seeping out from under that mask. The pacifist looked into the young man's eyes with an expression of concern, exuding just the tiniest hint of her power in an attempt to calm him without his noticing.
-----It worked a little, but the anger was replaced by a defeated exhaustion. "So, I have been wondering... Does this rebellion really have purpose? Delrans seem fine as they are, while we suffer in tunnels and alleys."
-----"Mmhm, you raise good points," Lanette murmured in acknowledgement. She dared not push the pacifism more, for fear of missing out on his words. He seemed stable enough now.
-----Across the room, the cat now slunk along the wall, attempting to meld into the shadows where the dim light failed to reach. Lanette realized with a twinge of amusement that this would be useless against Dakota, the commander of shadows herself.
-----"Surely, Phoenix Squad, you must understand. After all, you are the symbols of everyone's dreams." Keith fixed them with an ironic smile, almost sarcastic, but his voice held none of the snide harshness. "What if their dreams are wrong, and we are all fighting for nothing?"
-----Lanette felt sympathy for this young man who'd lost his hope, but he could not sway her. No amount of despair could put a dent in her determination. He was a bucket attempting to empty out the ocean.
-----The cat crouched low, its entire body poised and ready to spring.
-----"Thank you for sharing, Keith. Your story really helped us get to know you." Lanette smiled sweetly, tilting her head up at Keith. This was much easier than the gangster act. "I'm sorry to hear you're feeling down, but as my friend said, you should consider coming home. Maybe you'll feel better?"
-----Keith chuckled, a little harsher this time. Across the room, a dark shape bolted out of the shadows. The cat sprang towards the door and the freedom it promised.
-----"A generous offer... but I have no intentions of ever returning to that prison."

████【➹】████

Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Squad and Leroy

-----Ardai was a little bummed out when they entered the Sanctuary. The joyful noise that reigned over the district seemed silenced here, drowned out in favor of soft nature noises. The wind through the trees and whatnot. As Ardai focused on the new sounds, however, he realized they were just as interesting. Music could be found even in this silent reserve. The grin returned to the redhead's face as newfound appreciation replaced that brief disappointment.
-----He tightened his grip around Leroy. The traitor was handling this entire situation so calmly, it was unnerving. Lanette was nowhere to be seen, and nobody else's powers included emotional manipulation. This dude was surrounded by four people who were basically kidnapping him, yet he wore the same old smile. Ardai just knew this horrible villain was plotting their brutal deaths. Joke's on you, Leroy! You're not getting a chance.
-----He let Arietta lead the way until they reached the lake. It looked disgusting even from this distance, muddied and swirling with gunky murk. Worse yet was Gavotte sitting at the water's edge, alone. That loner chick Jennifer had probably wandered off as usual, but...
-----Where is Arys?
-----His friend was nowhere to be seen. Ardai furrowed his brow, but nodded when Arietta gave him orders. He wrapped both arms around the traitor now. If Leroy had any chance of escaping earlier, now his odds were in the negatives.
-----The dude wasn't saying a word though, which bothered Ardai. There was nothing to do except stand and wait. Overhead, The full moon shone with a cold light. It reminded him that Arys was stuck out there, trapped in wolf form... and all alone, knowing Jen's antisocial personality.
-----Disgrace this. Why do I have to watch the traitor? He was beginning to get antsy, feet itching to run off and find his friend. It would be easy to dump his traitor on Naevys or Riley and leave. The only reason he stayed was out of respect towards Arietta and the mission at hand, but he was becoming more and more uncomfortable. What the disgrace even happened?
-----His eyes flitted to Arietta and Gavotte at the lakebank, then back to the moon shining above. Okay, Arys. This is starting to get un-funny. You better be okay, or...
-----Ardai didn't finish that thought, nor did he want to.

████【♫】████

Gavotte Lane
Male ♫ Heterosexual ♫ Hydrokinesis
Tags: Squad and Leroy

-----Gavotte had returned to the lake for the third time. With his mind foggy and clouded by emotions he couldn't understand, let alone process, he had little brainpower to navigate. He stared out at the murky waters, uncertain what to do while waiting. If he stood there too long, he was afraid he'd get lost in his thoughts.
-----A sudden hand on his shoulder startled him, and he jerked away, whirling around to face his assailant. His hunched shoulders relaxed when he noticed it was just Arietta. She looked concerned and her voice was gentle, reminding him of the calming tones of his sister. He really needed that right now.
-----"Sorry about that. I was a little on edge." Gavotte lowered his head, not meeting Arietta's eyes. Shame and fear still gripped him, making his heart pound with dreadful anticipation. He managed to maintain an air of calmness as he spoke, but the truth-teller would know this was a mask. "We dealt with our traitor, but needed some space. So we split up. None of us were hurt."
-----He tried to keep it vague. How could he ever explain the horrors that seemed to stretch on for hours, the terrible screaming that pierced the tranquil Sanctuary? Gavotte wished, more than anything, that he could wipe the past hours from his memory.
-----"That's enough about us." He dismissed the subject, hoping Arietta would understand. "How did your part go? Are you okay?"

████【❁】████

Sonata Thornwood
Female ❁ Pansexual ❁ Botanokinesis
Tags: bye james

-----Sonata snuggled into the hug like a baby bird seeking warmth from its mother. The comfort of being with friends was exactly what she needed for the coming confrontation. She could feel the panic and fury of earlier beginning to fade. The determination to protect her friends remained, and Sonata didn't doubt herself one bit. Failing them wasn't even an option.
-----When Caleb pulled away from their embrace and began explaining his theory, Sonata tilted her head in curiosity. Brenn also made valid points against it. Both sides made sense to her, but right now, the most important thing was taking down their traitor. Even if he had ten superpowers.
-----Sonata lowered her sword a little when Caleb explained his plan. Although she wanted to beat up the traitor until he cried uncle, running in recklessly would probably create more problems than it solved. She didn't want a repeat of what happened in the elevator, so it was best to be calm and organized. "I can do that!" She chirped enthusiastically, eyes bright and fierce with a new fire. She wanted to channel that burning rage from earlier into something productive.
-----Brenn brought back his shield of ice, the opposite element to Sonata's emotions. That shield had saved her life once already, and she felt safer entering the kitchen alongside him. It would help her be intimidating like Caleb wanted.
-----In the penthouse kitchen, James lounged boredly with his legs crossed atop a gilded platinum stool. One arm leaned on the marble countertop, holding a cup of water filled to its brim. Condensation dripped down the sides of the glass and onto his fingers. Across the counter, the knife box sat out of the traitor's reach. Sonata felt her hatred burn brighter as she noticed the numerous houseplants sitting untouched on this very counter.
-----"Finally, you're ready to talk reason. Don't have to be so cold about it," James sneered towards Brenn. Was he doing everything possible to spite them?
-----Fed up with his nonsense, Sonata stepped out from behind the shield and brandished her sword menacingly. This arrogant man was a complete idiot, so she decided to speak his language. It was horrible pun time. "Listen here, boy. You wanted to talk? Get to the point, or you'll be meeting this one."
-----She pointed to the tip of her sword, wickedly sharp and gleaming in the light from the balcony window. Although Sonata was unsure she'd be able to stab someone, even a traitor, the fury in her voice made her threat sound genuine.
-----Much to her dismay, James didn't react. He didn't laugh or flinch or whatever. He just... sat there with the same bored expression. It made Sonata totally self-conscious about her intimidation skills, but she pushed it down.
-----"Wow. Good one," He said flatly with a half-hearted grin. "Look, I already showed you how little I care."
-----He gestured at the water-glass in his hand, then to the obscene number of plants gathered atop the counter. This just brought Sonata's attention back to his arrogance. She stood there seething, afraid she'd start screaming if she spoke now. The pure rage she felt could even rival that of her friend Jade. Well... maybe.
-----"You want me to talk? Fine. Just tell me where to start." James shrugged and set the glass down, although didn't move his fingers away. This maniac was just asking to get frozen. "You want to hear how I knew he'd be fine?" He suggested, tilting his chin in Caleb's general direction.
-----"Or maybe... you'd rather hear how your friends at the Sanctuary murdered my brother?"
-----Again with the nonsense coming out of his arrogant mouth! Sonata wasn't even processing what he meant. In her ears, he was saying nothing but 'I'm the best, you and your friends suck and are stupid'. She took a step forward, side-glancing at Brenn and Caleb. If one of them gave the cue to attack, she'd bash this guy over the head. Maybe it would shut him up for once.


(I wrote out Lanette, Gavotte, Sonata and half Ardai's post and then accidentally closed everything. Whoops! I rewrote it, but let me know if there are glaring holes or errors lol.)

[hellb0und]

➴x────────────────────xxＪＥＮxx────────
NAME. jennifer dire ` ABILITY. fire manipulation ` TAG(S). those at ts `
xxxxxxxx𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅.

xxxxxxxxJen had wandered about the outskirts of the squad for long enough. Now, she moved further in. She could already feel the stares whilst glancing over everyone with an utterly blank expression. When her gaze turned towards the lake, she saw the ashes. Or rather, what were ashes, having now mixed in with water and mud to create some horrendous concoction. She should have buried them deep underground in the forest. Everyone would figure out what she'd done eventually, well, most anyway. She'd prefer they didn't, but majority here weren't stupid enough to dismiss it as "strictly mud". Her grip on her nearly-forgotton bow grew tighter. She chewed at the inside of her cheek to try and calm herself down, even clenching her teeth together. Though the efforts were futile, the antics provided some sort of comfort. Arys was still missing, and she didn't doubt Gavotte would be too if he hadn't returned and come back to the lake then ran into the squad. She kept a fair distance between she and him. The wall which would part them had now settled in.

(Sorry this is short - wanted to get something up before my surgery today!)

[marimo.]

˜”*°•.˜”*°•𝔻𝕒𝕜𝕠𝕥𝕒 "𝕌𝕞𝕓𝕣𝕒" 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕝•°*”˜.•°*”˜

❝𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖? 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕦𝕟 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖?❞

~18~female~umbrakinesis~mood: imma hurt this boi~location: knifepoint alley~tags: Lanette, Onyx, "stupid Keith"~ mentions: none~

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As Keith and Lanette strike up a conversation, Dakota notices the cat she'd been keeping an eye on slinking closer and closer to the door, making feeble attempts to disguise itself by blending into the shadows, of all things. Dakota has to resist the urge to laugh at the sight. Surely Keith, having seen her use her powers, would realise that trying to hide is useless. Idiot. She thinks, just as the man makes a dash for the door. Okay, so maybe not entirely stupid, The girl admits. Instinctively, Dak lunges for the cat with, well cat-like (pun intended)reflexes.
She almost misses him, catching him only by the edge of his tail as her body hits the dirt with a solid thump and immediately regrets the decision of jumping at him. I'm going to be in pain tomorrow.She'd directed all of her efforts to preventing the cat from leaving that she forgot about what would happen to her body if she was to practically fling herself at the ground. Groaning in pain, she grabs hold of Keith's tail securely with her other hand and hauls herself up, holding a hissing Keith by the tail. I hope it hurts. She knows it's cold, but he'd irritated her, and she isn't about to hold him in a more comfortable position.
"Got him." She growls, kicking the door shut to eliminate the escape route. If they lose him, they may never find him again. "Somebody better decide what to do with this slimy maggot quickly before I do something drastic." Normally, she'd come up with some clever idea to deal with the man, but she doesn't trust herself at this moment to think rationally. As sweat begins to bead on her face, she remembers the shadow she summoned. Flinging herself on the ground must have affected how long she can keep the shadow separate from its group. With a ragged sigh, she releases it.
"We better keep an eye on the illusions as well," She nods toward where the three Keiths are sitting, only to find they've disappeared. "Huh. Guess your power doesn't work very well under stress, does it, cat?" Smirking, she gives him a little shake. "Nice try Keith, but you underestimated the three of us. As far as I can tell, you have two choices, unless my comrades think otherwise. You can let us take you back to HQ, or I can kill you, right here, right now." With her spare hand, she draws one of her katanas. It doesn't work well as a short-distance weapon, but really Dak only wants to use it to frighten the man. She knows full well there are other options and her mind is frantically trying to pinpoint all of them and come up with a plan B should any of them happen. Scanning the room again, she is relieved to notice the closed windows. Another potential escape route. She notes, but skims over the windows as they'd prove difficult for Keith to open in cat form, and even in human form he'd never get them open before Dak kills him.

[TheFae]

Arietta Rerum
18
Truth Teller/Knower
Location: The Sanctuary
Tagged: Riley, Ardai, Naevys, Leroy, Jen, Gavotte
Mentioned: Arys, Drew

Arietta's gut was screaming that something was wrong.
"We did fine, we have Leroy as you can see. It takes a lot of will power to get out of his power. It's like he dazzles you or something." Arietta smiled, trying to stay calm for Gavotte. She noticed that Jen was here too, and she was much farther away from Gavotte than normal. She then did something she was still trying to learn with her powers, she sought the truth of the events. It was like being jerked into a movie, she saw everything before her eyes. She knew the truth, and she knew Jen had tortured the poor boy until he died. It wasn't a clean death either. To make matters worse, Jen just dumped his ashes in the lake, defiling the sacred place.
Arietta couldn't believe her eyes, and her blood immediately turned to ice. Instead of following orders, like every other person, Jen took it upon herself to just kill Drew. Who was only 18. He was their age, and she brutally murdered him. The screaming Arietta heard earlier, it all made sense. She slowly turned until she was looking straight at Jen, Arietta's entire body going taut. If Jen moved a single muscle, Arietta would snap.
"Ardai, go find Arys. If you need help, just shoot flame into the air or something." Arietta stated, her voice thin, now noticing how jittery her friend was. He was more the competent to find the upset werewolf, as Arietta no longer trusted Jen. Arietta took a step forward, a slow step, a predatory step. She didn't care of Leroy heard, she didn't care who heard at the moment. She just wanted the truth.
"How could you? He was only a boy, he was our age. He made a mistake. He just wanted a better life for himself." Arietta seethed, her voice deathly quiet as her eyes glowed with rage. She has never recalled a time feeling this anger. Not even when she learned what her father was being subjected too. "You had no right. No one, no province, no ruler, absolutely no one save you, would be that cruel and torture him out in public. You could have screwed us all over! You should thank your lucky stars that the Fivianian Guard, or even the Royal Guard, didn't come looking! You would have ruined us!" Her stomach was rolling with nausea. Not even Thrinton would have been so cruel without just cause. Arietta eyes bored into Jen, laying her soul bare, allowing that power in her gut to expand.
"Why did you do it? What caused you to act so cruelly to a boy?" She demanded, her voice ringing with the need for truth. No one could withstand it, Jen could only speak the truth. Arietta never wanted to use her power against her friends, or her allies, but she needed to know. She needed to know what compelled Jen to be so vicious and cruel. She knew what was done was done, there was no fixing the past. But Arietta, for sure, was not going to let this happen again.
"We are not callous murderers. We only kill for reason." Arietta stated, her voice steady but lethal. Her words were true, no one could deny it. "Know me as truth-knower, as truth-teller. Know this as the truth: if you pull this stunt again, I will kill you myself." She then turned her back on Jen, showing her that she did not view her as a threat. Arietta was literally shaking with rage, and she knew she needed to get farther away from Jen before Arietta did something stupid. She just hoped Jen knew that Arietta would never forgive her for this.
It was no secret her father was being tortured, and the fact that someone she called a friend would do the same thing. Such an act was unforgivable.

[hellb0und]

➴x────────────────────xxＪＥＮxx────────
NAME. jennifer dire ` ABILITY. fire manipulation ` TAG(S). arietta `
xxxxxxxx𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅.

xxxxxxxxWhen Arietta turned around, she knew what was coming. Her powers enabled her to view the entire heinous act, scene by scene. She'd have watched Jennifer shoot the young adult, then hinder him incapable of running, and afterward leaving him screaming in pain for almost an hour before she ended his life. Taking his last, final, raggedy breath. Every emotion she felt within turned into an inferno, rage, sadness, guilt. She'd regret what she had done for this century and the next. For as long as the "Fire Girl" lived, she'd be known among them as a monster. She never wanted to be what Emporer Brungard was, a man she hated so deeply. And she'd entirely forgotten that Arietta's father was undergoing torture too, making the crime all the more personal. While some part of Jen wanted to scream at her back, she forced herself to bite her tongue and leave her be. Taking the full force of her bitter, angry words. What was going to happen to Jen now? Were they going to remove her from the squad entirely? Send her off to an asylum where she'd spend her days chained up? Or perhaps prison. Mentally ill or not, there was no condition she had that could be connected to murder. This was purely her doing. An impulsive, reckless, rage-filled doing. Now she'd pay the price of what she'd done. Whether banished completely, or adding something else which would keep her up at night screaming and sobbing. War certainly had changed her, which she knew would happen, but to this extent? It'd turned her completely rabid.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

████【♫】████

Gavotte Lane
Male ♫ Heterosexual ♫ Hydrokinesis
Tags: Squad and Leroy

-----At Arietta's explanation of her traitor's power, Gavotte nodded with a look of cool, detached observation. It was a relief to momentarily think of something other than the incident. He glanced behind Arietta, where Ardai was physically restraining a lanky blonde. They'd captured their target without much of a struggle, judging by how everyone seemed unharmed. And Leroy's expression was so calm despite his circumstances.
-----He had no idea. Had Leroy switched places with his 'friend', he wouldn't be standing here perfectly fine.
-----At that moment, he noticed Jen standing a fair distance from the squad. Still apprehensive about facing her, Gavotte turned away and took a deep breath.
-----Then Arietta spoke, voice strained with emotion. Gavotte was incapable of processing what emotions right now, but they weren't good. He turned his eyes back towards the brunette, whose voice had dropped in seething rage. She was addressing Jen now, infuriated, and Gavotte could say nothing. The accusations struck something in his own soul as well, making his stomach churn with disgust and hatred. Not towards Jen, but rather towards himself. This is my fault too. I could have stopped her, but I ran away. Because I was weak. Because I was a coward.
-----And then Arietta threatened death upon the fire-wielder. Gavotte could take it no longer. She has every right to be angry. But I have no right to stand here, doing nothing, as if I'm somehow innocent.
-----The boy finally found the strength to move, positioning himself directly between Arietta and Jen. His ocean-blue eyes glistened with quiet unshed tears as he looked from one girl to another. Neither the fiery archer nor the outspoken truth-teller were speaking, but Gavotte refused to stay silent any longer.
-----"Arietta..." He began, forcing his small voice to remain calm and even. "You're angry, but please understand. I'm equally at fault here."
-----Once he'd started, the words flowed out, as easy as the water he commanded. Maybe some wisps of Arietta's truth power lingered in the air. Or maybe, it was cathartic somehow to finally stare his burdens in the face.
-----"I underestimated Drew. It ended with him holding a knife to my throat." Using his power, Gavotte subtly dried his unfallen tears. His eyes, now clear, held glimmers of grim determination that never shone there before. "Jen went too far, yes, but only after saving both our lives. Mine and Arys'."
-----"As for me, I have no excuse. I ran away as a coward would, and left Drew to die. I deserve your blame just as much." Gavotte assumed a protective position between the two. "My silence killed Drew, just as painfully as her arrows did."
-----The air hung heavy with tension over the lakeshore, but he refused to let them snap and hurt each other. They would have to go through him first. No matter who started the fight, Gavotte would do anything in his power to stop it. Never again would others suffer because he was a weak bystander.
-----"We've both made mistakes today." His azure gaze, heavy with regret, turned once again to Jen. "But we're still on the same side."
-----Today, they'd glimpsed their own dark sides. But condemning a teammate would not chase the darkness away. If anything, it would feed the very shadows Arietta hated so much.
-----Gavotte was done with denial and running away. Now, he would play by Arietta's rules and face the truth. And the truth was, he wanted to do better.
-----To ensure they never made the same mistake twice.

████【➹】████

Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Squad and Leroy

-----Ardai wanted to obey orders, to sprint off into the woods and find his friend, but... something was wrong. Even a moron like himself knew it. The air around the lake suddenly felt unsafe, sizzling with tension as if two enemies were having a standoff. Yet the only people here were his teammates and Leroy. And it sure wasn't coming from Leroy.
-----His fears were confirmed when Arietta spoke again. Boiling with rage, she tore into Jen with her words. Ardai could feel the power radiating off her with each sentence.
-----After a few seconds listening to this furious rant, Ardai's eyes widened. A horrible realization struck him: Jen had tortured her traitor to death. That was why the lake was deserted. That was why Gavotte had been alone, why Arys was missing.
-----What the disgrace? Ardai couldn't process this, not right now. What the actual disgrace?
-----Leroy's calm demeanor seemed to vanish, and Ardai felt him tense beneath his grasp. Oh no. That guy was one of his 'brothers'. Ardai's bravado and hatred towards the traitor had evaporated, and his only instinct was to cover the poor dude's ears, to spare him further knowledge of what happened to Drew.
-----But his arms wouldn't move. Nothing would move. Leroy's willpower had overrode Ardai's once more, and now he was stunned, trapped in the same paralysis that overcame him at Corazon Street. No matter how hard the redhead fought, he couldn't break free.
-----In his arms, Ardai felt Leroy's body trembling with faint, silent sobs. This did not look good. Mother of the Emperor, we really messed up. He's gonna freaking kill us!
-----The thought of Arys crossed his mind, the horrible thought of never seeing his best friend again. For a moment he regained control of himself, just enough time to shout "Guys!" down to the lakeshore.
-----Leroy froze him again. He was still shaking as he pried himself out of Ardai's motionless arms, but the redhead realized with a stab of horror that he was laughing. The traitor turned and fixed him with a crazed, bloodshot gaze that sent chills down his spine. Ardai couldn't move, he couldn't react if he wanted to.
-----"Ha... they were right about you." Leroy's left eye was twitching. He shone with an unearthly glow, similar to the halo of light he wore at the parade. Except this time it burned painfully into Ardai's eyes, and he was helpless to look away.
-----"You had me fooled, until you admitted with your own mouths that... Ha ha..." His tone was so quiet, so full of hatred and grief. And then the light surrounding him flared, blinding Ardai, and the traitor's voice rose to a scream.
-----"Drew! Aren't I so disgracing naive?"

[cocogerber13]

Caleb Oxenbera——————————
♠︎ // Phoenix Squad Recruit // Beast Summoning // Tags: Sonata, Brenn, James from Team Rocket blaSTING OFF AGAINNN

“Maybe...” Caleb started at Brenn’s voiced doubts about James having abilities. “But... in any case, he still has information he couldn’t possibly know. We should be weary.” He gave an appreciative smile to the cryokinetic’s ice shield and volunteer to go first, the gesture quickly falling when they started to move forwards. Just what was James playing at? The teenager had guessed that the other would be a smart businessman type, but so far he only seemed a careless spoiled kid. There was more to him most likely - and they’d have to find it out. Caleb’s eyes narrowed as they entered the room, quickly glaring across the water and vegetation that were purposely put there. The traitor had managed to get the exact items that Caleb’s two friends had control over. He knew what their abilities were from the start and had planned accordingly— had there been files made for the current recruits? The summoner stood in the back between Sonata and Brenn, fixing a harsh glare on James. In only seconds his wasps had zipped around him too, ready to strike as one at the mental command.

Caleb’s mistrust only grew when James simply offered the reasons as to how he knew they had been coming. There were things impossible for anyone to know predicted, which only supported the theory of him having the ability of insight. Just as Caleb was about to speak up, another detail was mentioned. “They wouldn’t murd...er....” He started protectively, though trailed off upon remembering the group that had gone there. Arys, Gavotte, and Jen... though Caleb didn’t want to doubt his teammates, he did know that a certain someone had a bit of a temper. It didn’t help that James’ words had been true about his own death.

Caleb tried to ignore that information for now, though. There had to be a reason- their villain may have attackEd them or something, just like James had, and more importantly they were not here right now. Right now, Caleb wouldn’t worry about it. With a level voice, the boy spoke aloud. “Don’t try to distract us. If you knew we would come, then have you already..?” He wouldn’t ask if it was too late for their mission to have meaning - they’d still catch the traitor, but if this guy had some sort of future sight and was well aware that the three would come for him, wouldn’t that give him time to sell the information he had? Of course Atlanta hadn’t been specific with the information the Phoenix squad was trying to prevent the traitors from spilling, but if it was enough to send recruits out to stop them then the question was at least worth being asked.

————————


Onyx Carriado——————————
♣︎ // Phoenix Squad Recruit // Acrobat // Tags: Lanette, Dakota, Keith the Thief

Onyx stayed respectfully silent as their host spoke, nodding along with Lanette’s agreement. Their eyes were lazily watching the apparition as the story continued, their face staying relatively emotionless as Keith started his backstory. Onyx had heard of the group, and now that the man had admitted to being a part of it Onyx felt their judgement of the villain had hit the nail on the head. He could have been just like how they were now. The whole situation churned to something more realistic in the acrobat’s mind, and however curious Onyx was they figured it was time to keep their mouth shut.

The place Keith resided was definitely not characteristic of the province they were in, though it did seem to do a good job of keeping the attention off of someone. Compared to headquarters it also seemed to have a lot more freedom, which made Onyx silently consider their own views. All in all it didn’t appear to be the preferred residence of someone betraying a movement just for money. In fact with the hopelessness in Keith’s words sounded more like a desperate cry for answers, a cry that forced Onyx to reconsider their own ideas.

It was enough to stop the acrobat in their tracks, straightening up from the table but looking down at its surface with an unreadable expression. Were they truly doing the right thing? The doubts from before flooded into their mind, distracting them from any other movements for the moment. It is so simple for an organisation who raises kids from birth to teach them incorrect principles, especially when their experiences were so limited. Is it so wrong then, for the teenagers with more time on the surface to develop their own opinions?

Onyx was visibly hesitant now, before remembering their mother. The many stories she had spoken of from her time in Sixney brought back new support for the revolution- for them, any way. Slowly they looked up to the center of the table, not wanting to face an illusion as they talked. “Progress doesn’t happen within only a few years. If it did, then the world would be a lot more different from how it is now. And how can you say that Delrans are doing fine, when you’ve been staying in Fivana? You said it yourself, you were sent to the ‘District of Gold’. Now that’s all you see, the ideals of a society known to be the wealthiest of the entire country- have you given no thought to the millions struggling to live on the wages Emperor Brungard keeps chipping away at to increase his own power?” Onyx pointed out calmly, but when they looked to human-Keith’s face their eyes were ablaze. He better be able to see through the illusion’s eyes. “You’re okay with leaving a government in charge that rids its citizens of their very natures just so they can’t -don’t even get the option to- revolt? Even though the Emperor doesn’t have a scar of his own?” Onyx continued, their voice raising gradually but never growing to a shout. “A government that cares more for spying on and limiting its own people than helping them? What has the government done to the homeless in Sixney, given only enough to build Delra’s railways? What has it done to those being mistreated and unrightfully tortured in Thrinton? What of the resources it takes from the provinces? The forests being cut down in Forell? The dangers of mining in Severin only to have ores forced out of the workers hands in order to get barely a meal’s worth of marks?” Onyx’s voice cracked a bit on the word ‘marks’, feeling very much like a flame had burned to the end of their match. “What has it ever done for you here? You blame the uprising, but this situation is out of their control. You know as well as we do that those in its ranks are mostly from the provinces that need help, help they certainly aren’t getting from Brungard.” Onyx’s expression was challenging, but it quickly lightened up when the cat made a bolt for it. The dark-haired recruit hadn’t seen him slink downstairs, and before they could even think to reach out for him Dakota leapt. Onyx was grateful for the umbrakinesis’ quick reflexes but stood still himself as she pinned him down.