(New thread!)

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

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Gavotte Lane
Male ♫ Heterosexual ♫ Hydrokinesis
Tags: Jen, Caleb, audience

-----Gavotte was often concerned for Jen when she tuned out the world. What dark thoughts churned in her head at such moments, he would never know.
-----The water-manipulator nodded with a gentle smile as his fiery counterpart agreed to the light show. After quite a respectful speech, Naevys had left the room and was now announcing his entrance boldly. As for Caleb, he was asking for more volunteers. Gavotte approached the door and nodded to the other boy.
-----"We'll be going now, if that's alright. We have a little something planned," Gavotte explained, his tone and expression cordial.
-----He raised his left hand with the ball of water floating above it. Not wanting to enter with an anticlimatic-looking blob, Gavotte quickly split the water into five smaller spheres, which began rotating like a ferris wheel - like he was juggling without touching them.
-----With silent focus etched on his face, Gavotte stepped out of the doorway and onto the Uprising's stage. The orbs of water continued to revolve as he approached the front of the stage. His deep blue gaze scanned the audience, soon finding his parents - both of whom had left the health ward to watch the ceremonies. In fact, his mother had a patient on crutches leaning against one of her strong shoulders. Behind his dad peeked his little sister Kayla, who had time off training today. She'd be standing here soon enough. Gavotte's solemn expression brightened into a fond smile as they waved at him.
-----He took a deep breath, and collapsed the five spheres of water into one. In a grandiose gesture, Gavotte raised his arms above his head, shooting the water up in a fountain that split apart into thousands of tiny droplets. He suspended every drop in midair, then funneled them back into the bottom of the fountain so it could erupt again. Although he didn't look behind him, he trusted that Jen would have his back - literally and metaphorically.

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Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Naevys, Apollo, other recruits

-----Ardai burst out laughing at Naevys' joke - so the serious-looking dude packed a real punch. Now that managed to earn the troublemaker's respect.
-----In all seriousness, though, B-team seemed fitting. He liked to think of himself as the lighthearted sidekick type. Even so, Ardai felt a twinge of guilt when his friend made that comment about Naevys. Maybe it was in good humor but the leg thing seemed kinda sensitive. Even after Naevys handled it himself and started to leave, the redhead decided to lighten the blow a bit.
-----"'Sloth?' I thought you were talking about me! I think I've got more late-slips than everybody else put together." It was true. Ardai collected all the notes of disappointment his instructors had written him, because some of them cracked him up. Whenever he was afraid he'd get old and boring, he just looked at the comments to remind himself he was legit a troublemaker.
-----Caleb was now asking for volunteers, and Gavotte took up the offer. Ardai turned his back on the boring guy and grinned at Apollo. "Yo. Can you fire your, well, fire at me a couple times onstage? I want to do some ninja dodging thing, then turn invisible." He made some hand chopping gestures to emphasize. "Don't burn me too much, though. Atlanta will think Jen fried me!"

[jellyphants]

xx xx xx xx ✌ !! ｅｍｍａ ｇｒｅｙ !!

location; behind stage tags; caleb, open

placed on the old chair, she swiftly returned to a human form. "oh- didn't notice. who's going first?" she asked, adjusting her hair behind her ears."i don't mind whether i go last." emma added with a slight nod.

[fifty blessings]

xxxxxxxxxxxcujo y.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ^ backstage
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ^ anyone in particular

After having given his personal input on his idea of who should go first, he sort of wondered how in the world he would display his powers on stage. With the constant little insult and even the concept of some fire abilities getting thrown around, there was always the possibility of him being able to display his much more passive ability as well. Perhaps he would go last, or go in even earlier if he's needed before then (due to someone becoming a human bonfire).

He sort of clasps his hands together in a patient manner, glancing among the familiar faces for anyone who wanted to go next. "If we ever need to be on a stage again after this, I think we should come up with an order before hand-"

[hellb0und]

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

xxxxxxxxAfter Naevy's tear-down of the door, it made more sense for him to go before she and Gavotte. From behind the stage, the crowd could be heard growing louder and louder, with excitement and wonder. At Caleb's question, her partner promptly answered. Already walking slowly towards the door, she followed him in par. Stepping out into the view of the audience while sending balls of fire up into the air and moving them back and forth as he did what looked to be a whole new juggling act. The true performance they had pieced together began soon after, and as Gavotte created a fountain-like motion, Jen made her way in. Using her flames to give light to the maneuvering water at various angles, moving the fire around their opposing force. It had made for something grand, and clearly, everyone thought the same as they clapped their hands together and whistled. Her gaze shifted just for an instant, but she caught his family with ease. All brightly lit smiles. His younger sister curled up behind his father, and mother allowing what must have been a patient to rest against her. Her attention diverted back to herself almost instantly.
xxxxxxxxAs their act came to a close, she shot columns of fire from the palms of her hands. Shooting up into the air and disappearing in an instant. Standing back as all calmed down if only for a very much short-lived instant, as the next volunteer would be on the stage shortly to present all they had learned, and the show would go on. She didn't smile or wave at the crowd, instead stood there with her arms at her side and a fixed indifferent expression. She wasn't here to win people over, and she demonstrated that quite clearly.

[marimo.]

Arys Slate // 18 // Female // Straight // Behind stage // Tags: everyone backstage
Arys sighs. Might as well get this over with. She growls in frustration at having to do this--she doesn't like to show off her power, and besides, they're not really that spectacular and more of a curse--and moves to the front of the room. "Anyone care if I go next, then?" She asks, seeing that Gavotte and Jen had finished. Her hands are shaking terribly at the thought of going next, though, and she tries not to let anyone see how nervous she is.

[jellyphants]

xx xx xx xx ✌ !! ｅｍｍａ ｇｒｅｙ !!

location; behind stage tags; arys

"sure- i can go after you as well, arys." emma nodded , tossing her hair back. she hadn't planned anything, at all, and only had a basic idea of what she was doing- but she didn't care. besides, how hard could it be to impress a crowd? emma didn't have stage fright at all- or at least, she didn't think she did. of course, she had never actually been on a stage before, but it couldn't be that difficult to wow people if you can turn into animals. she was only beginning to plan out what she would do- but she could improvise easily. "i'm doing mine alone, anyway" she added nonchalantly, shrugging passively.

[comeonspiderman]

Apollo Torres ♦ Pan ♦ Fire Manipulation
Location: Stage ♦ Tags: Ardai, Open
Naevys's comment at Apollo's lack of mental strength hit a nerve with him. Obviously not as big as his insult but something about that returned anger made him feel that his words were warranted. Nausea built up as he thought about Naevys, or anyone else, seeing beyond his facade. Apollo swallowed as he watched Naevys step out into the cheers. He finally looked away when Gavotte stepped up to go next. He briefly watched Gavotte and Jen as they also stepped onto the lit stage. Apollo didn't hear the others talking about who would go next. Distractedly, he met Ardai's gaze and processed that the trickster had been speaking to him. "Yeah sure." He grinned. "Time to show them what real fire looks like."

He started toward the door, pausing for a short moment to make sure Ardai was following. Once he was sure, he lit his palms and stepped out. He sent two hot small fireballs out above the crowd to give time for Ardai to step through the door before turning on his heel. He fired three similar fireballs, one after another, at Ardai, giving him enough space to maneuver and making sure they weren't too hot. Once his friend had disappeared, he turned back to the crowd and sent a blast of fire from his mouth like a roar. Once again, he made sure to keep it above the crowd, but he heated this blast as hot as he could.

Apollo panted as he listened to the cheers and applause of the crowd. His eyes drifted down to the first few rows, where he imagined most of the squads parents were. His smile dropped as he turned and joined the others in their line. Once in place next to Jen, he looked to the back of the room and met his mother's eyes. Her expression was stern, arms crossed over her chest. As quick as he saw her, shifted his gaze so he looked out above the rest of the crowd, fists shoved in his pockets as he tried not to think about the coming scolding he would receive the next time she saw him.

[cocogerber13]

Caleb Oxenbera——————————
♠︎ // Phoenix Squad Recruit // Beast Summoning // Tags: All behind stage

Caleb watched quietly as others went ahead, glad that his speculations from before had been incorrect. There was no competition and Caleb figured that the whole working together in teams plan seemed extremely beneficial to the ceremony and himself. Heck, the entrances of the fire-manipulators and their counterparts made for a wonderful show, even if He had seen the abilities countless times before.

His own eyes seemed to have a fire in them now, as he caught Apollo and Ardai’s vanishing act. The performance alone summoned a strange, fear-driven calmness that hadn’t been there before. The 18 year old looked sharply back to Arys and Emma quickly after it had started, wanting to make the most of the short time they had. “How about you two go next?” He took it upon himself to confirm their wishes of going onto the stage before his attention moved back to Leo, Lanette, Cujo, Eris, Sabine, and Aphrodite. “Then that would leave the rest of us... since I used up pretty much all the power I can afford to at the moment right when the door was blown off it’s hinges, I’ll probably just make the birds come sit on my arms. Oh, and anyone’s arms that doesn’t have a sure way yet to show off their ability...” Caleb thought aloud, his eyes returning to the remainder of the recruits. “I wouldn’t mind spooked them with your snakes, Aphrodite, since they are pretty much an extension of my conscious. And since I can’t control them very well when they’re scared, Lanette or Sabine can pacify them.”

Caleb bit his lip and quickly added a, “but you can all do what you want! I’m just making suggestions here.” and diverted his gaze to the floor. He never wanted to be the center of attention and he had automatically assumed the same of his peers, though that was obviously not the case with a lot of them. Plus his desire to be inclusive to everyone made him feel pressure to cross-examine the powers that were left. “Um, Leo? If I may, how many people can you influence with your mirage..? Maybe you could influence the font rows? And Cujo, though I don’t really want anyone to get hurt, I wouldn’t mind me taking a blast from someone...” he continued rambling hurriedly. Sure they had a little bit more time if the shifters were going to go next, but Caleb’s anxiety got the best of him and his mind was running wild.

“Uhm... then push and pull could maybe be used for something on the stage. Like it could look like the lights are falling or something but then you just push them back up with a snap of your fingers...” the boy eventually trailed off, doing everything in his power to keep his cool. The last thing he wanted to do was sound bossy, but the area backstage appeared to be swamped with uncertainty. He also wasn’t completely sure of the limits to everyone’s abilities. Eventually Caleb just brought a hand to comb it through his hair. “Honestly I’m not even sure if anything I just said was possible, but hopefully you could take some sort of inspiration from it. I believe we can all make it look good. And Cujo..? I’m definitely with you there.” Caleb finished with a forced but supportive smile, his eyes scanning the shrinking group.

[marimo.]

Arys Slate // 18 // Female // Straight // Behind stage // Tags: open
Arys takes a deep breath as she watches Ardai and Apollo finish their entrance. She had a tentative idea of what she'd do for hers. It wasn't anything special, but it would have to do. When there's substantial room on the stage, she backs up a little and breaks out into a sprint. When she's a quarter of the way across the stage, she launches herself into the air and tucks her body into a flip. As she does, she feels herself change. Her senses sharpen, her face and limbs lengthen, her eyes turn a murky yellow, and fur sprouts everywhere on her body. She had jumped into the air as a girl, but with a triumphant howl, Arys lands on the floor of the stage as a wolf. When she hits the ground, she pauses for a few seconds to get her bearings before padding to the side, still a wolf, making room for someone else to enter.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

Apologies, this took longer than I would have liked. The fifteen-minute break wasn't enough to finish the post. We finally finished painting the upstairs washroom, though, so I'm back. :)


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Gavotte Lane
Male ♫ Heterosexual ♫ Hydrokinesis
Tags: Jen, audience

-----Gavotte could feel the heat of Jennifer's fire flaring behind him. Fiery lights danced from the fountain overhead, scattering in the mist from the droplets suspended in midair. The crackling of the flames was barely audible above the audience's roars, but the young man would recognize that sound anywhere. In fact, Gavotte was convinced he could tell both fire manipulators' flames apart by simply their sound. He had yet to test the theory - the subjects were volatile to say the least.
-----Of course Gavotte's mind was buried in hypotheses while he performed. Now that he'd gotten the hang of the fountain, maintaining it was second nature. He honestly preferred to distract himself from the current reality of being onstage. Despite the water fountain above, Gavotte was not in his element.
-----He was relieved when the lights reflecting overhead finally turned off. Gavotte turned the fountain and all the suspended droplets into a single, floating halo above his head, then stepped back to stand beside Jen. Her expression was impassive and she obviously didn't want to endear herself to the crowd. Gavotte would have to act for the both of them - so he smiled at the audience, mostly at the approving face of his mother, and raised his hand in a small wave.

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Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Arys, Emma, Apollo, Caleb audience

-----Ardai bared a friendly grin at Arys and Emma, who were planning on performing next. As for the 'real team dad', Caleb was simply watching silently. The prankster didn't want to let him down for some reason.
-----He turned back to Apollo, who'd agreed to the positively fabulous plan. The redhead's mischievous smile widened as a matching grin appeared on his friend's face. "Let's show them!"
-----Ardai followed the dark-haired dude out the door, strutting onto the stage with haughty confidence, his head raised high like a purebred stallion in show. His head turned as a volley of fireballs flew in his direction. Without breaking his egotistical composure, the lanky redhead weaved between the first two fireballs, leaping to the left and then to the right. He literally stayed on his toes until the final one headed in his direction. Ardai then dropped into a breakdance-looking position, dodging underneath as the fireball skimmed him and lightly singed the fabric of his shirt. He backward somersaulted and came up on his knees with his arms spread wide - Look at me, punks, 'cause this is the last you'll see of my fabulous face for a while! - before vanishing with a grin on his face.
-----None of the other recruits could see him now, so Ardai needed to be quick. He darted to the front of the stage and flickered into view once more as Apollo sent out his last blast of flames. Ardai swept his arms in a grandiose gesture toward his friend - Now look at this guy, you big nerds! - and disappeared once again.
-----He just walked to Apollo's side this time. Their routine was finished anyway, there was no rush. Ardai popped back into existence beside his roommate, arms crossed over his chest and expression bright with pride.
-----His parents weren't in the audience. They... couldn't make it. Ardai's smile didn't falter, though, as he knew they were watching from wherever they were.
-----He poked Apollo lightly with his elbow in a brotherly gesture that was supposed to mean 'good job, dude'. The redhead was proud of the spectacular show they'd put on. That ought to show those boring-ass adults what the new generation was capable of.

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Leo, Cujo, Caleb, recruits still inside

-----Lanette's eyes flickered to Cujo and she nodded a silent agreement. This was a little chaotic, she had to agree. Even if nobody had been expecting the sealed door, they could have at least discussed their onstage routines beforehand, as the medic had suggested. The pacifist made a mental note to talk things through next time.
-----Caleb began speaking again after the 'A-team' exited. Lanette watched the beast-summoner with respectful admiration. Although she could sense a tenseness within him, he continued making his suggestions for everyone. This man's mind was a bottomless fountain of good ideas.
-----Lanette raised her hand slowly, as if she was a student still in class. Caleb did have a teacher-like or at least class president vibe.
-----"Caleb, all your ideas are great." Lanette said as she gave her fellow recruit a small, slightly concerned smile - she didn't want him to burn himself out or feel underappreciated. "Thanks for helping all of us. We're really lucky to have you."
-----He'd also mentioned making the birds sit on the arms of himself and others. That idea in particular was one of her favorites for many reasons. "Ah, I'd love to have a dove land on my wrist if that's okay. I'm not doing much else for my routine, so petting a peace dove, I think, would remind everyone what my powers were. I'm glad you happened to use doves."
-----Lanette planned to smile at the audience as she approached center stage, radiating her lavender-colored aura of peace. She'd wave at the crowd - hopefully they would see the violet glow from her palm. If not, that was alright. She had quite small hands anyway.
-----Other than this little plan, though, Lanette didn't have much. Her pacifying abilities weren't made to show off or to 'wow' others. They were useful for quite the opposite, calming people down, and that would probably become more useful after the main event.