(New thread!)

[hellb0und]

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NAME. jennifer dire ` ABILITY. fire manipulation ` TAG(S). ardai `
xxxxxxxx𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅.

xxxxxxxxUnfortunately for the fiery blonde, it wasn't long before she ran into someone. Of course, it had to be a certain someone. He was easily one of the most obnoxious people she'd ever met, and even worse, he constantly hung around Apollo. Someone else she couldn't stand, not that she could stand many people to begin with. She was at least glad they hadn't gone directly into one another. With her common unfriendly expression and a snarl, she spat, "What do you want, Ardai?"

[Sorry for the short reply. Wanted to get something up and I have a HORRID headache.]

[cocogerber13]

Caleb Oxenbera——————————
♠︎ // Phoenix Squad Recruit // Beast Summoning // Tags: Apollo

Caleb now had the weasel on his lap, softly holding it. It had picked up on bits of Caleb’s adrenaline, and Caleb himself didn’t know if the animal would attack or flee. Better to hold it steady for the time being.

The darker-haired boy’s teal eyes narrowed ever so slightly when Apollo turned and lashed out, which earned him an arched eyebrow. Clearly the beast summoner had hit a nerve. Even if it didn’t help like Caleb had wanted, perhaps it had its own karma for the comment made to Naevys previously. Despite Caleb’s neutral feelings on the subject, he still did inch away from Apollo’s stomping boots a bit. “Fine. Still, if anything does come up, I hope you’d trust us enough to tell us. Even if we’re not too close we’re still teammates.” Both his tone and expression were nearly unreadable; the only bit that showed through was a caring glance, though the boy knew not to act sympathetic. From his experience sympathy was the worst emotion one could show towards Apollo.

Caleb had given up on his prying and carefully let go of the weasel once he was sure it was calmed down. He still sat back against the podiums, his attention slowly shifting back to Apollo to see his next move. No way was the guy gonna open up to the quiet kid he had only spoken to like twice in their years of training. If he ended up physically lashing out then... well, Caleb didn’t know what would happen. Probably a lot of pain. Caleb blinked away the thought-up scenarios as he thought of them, his breath silently hitching in his throat. When he calculated scenerios like that it was usually instinct for overcoming a challenge, but taking heed to his own words only moments prior he realised that he hadn’t exactly been thinking of Apollo like a teammate either. With a mental sigh, Caleb pushed himself to his feet again and faced the fire manipulator. Apollo seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown, which Caleb had unfortunately had his own experiences with.

“You know, I have a lot of respect for you getting through all of this. Especially since you usually have to deal with Ardai’s aftermath with him.” Caleb started again, his tone shifting into a more casual one. A small grin had forced itself onto his face and a side glance tossed over his shoulder to the trickster in question. It was heartfelt teasing of their mutual friend, nothing against anyone. Perhaps Caleb could at least distract Apollo enough to preserve his ego. Caleb did feel sorry for the other recruit, and maybe if the two became friends then Apollo could have more real confidence. “I think it’d be nice for us to get along, if you’re cool with that.”

Even if this meeting didn’t end as positively as Caleb hoped, his words were a good excuse for forcing their friendship during the mission. That was how an introverted Caleb had befriended a few of the other recruits too, and he guessed that was how Ardai had weaseled himself into everyone’s hearts. Well, maybe not everyones, but a good portion of the group.

[comeonspiderman]

Apollo Torres ♦ Pan ♦ Fire Manipulation
Location: Stage ♦ Tags: Caleb, open
Apollo was hardly registering Caleb's words at this point, only hearing the tone of what was said. Something about it made him feel worse, like he couldn't handle things himself. Caleb stood in front of him and something about this drove Apollo into a blinding rage. He grabbed the other boy's shirt and forced him back, against the podium. Leaning forward, he whispered harshly, "I told you to drop it. Now leave me alone." Apollo's hand was heating up, though there were no flames yet. With a final shove, he let go and walked away. Actually, stomped away. As soon as he was out of sight, he wrapped his arms around himself, willing his body to cool down as well as his temper. I can't do this. I need to get cool.

[passione]

➵ ＮＡＥＶＹＳ ＸＹＲＣＡＮ
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male ● eighteen ● telekinesis ● on stage ● tagged - arys, caleb


naevys felt the tension in the air from two areas. one from arys who had turned around so abruptly in response to his touch that she could have snapped her own spine, and from the heat rising between apollo and caleb on another area of the stage. knowing caleb, any situation could be diffused quickly, so naevys turned his attention back to arys.

“i apologize for startling you. i momentarily forgot about your cycle, if that’s what it’s called. i don’t know. i’m not a wolf.” naevys shrugs, slipping his hands into his pockets. “but thanks. i haven’t felt like this in ages. i’m glad they’re here for me. do you have anyone in the crowd?”

as naevys carries on, the chatter in the background grows louder— a harsh hissing, almost. it was from apollo, no doubt about it. he was clearly hostile and despite trying to offer some sort of emotional support to the pyrokinetic, even caleb was shoved away. literally.

the moment apollo left the vicinity, naevys excused himself from his conversation with arys without forbidding her to follow him. he hobbled over towards caleb who had his back against the podium and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. a brotherly gesture, but also to give him some sort of balance if he needed it after the blow. the action was wordless, but naevys was sure that caleb would know what it meant.

“are you okay?” he whispered, letting go of the other man. “you can’t befriend everyone, caleb. but i think it’s clear what apollo really thinks and what kind of person he really is now.”

[cocogerber13]

Caleb Oxenbera——————————
♠︎ // Phoenix Squad Recruit // Beast Summoning // Tags: Apollo, Naevys

Caleb froze when the other boy grabbed his shirt, standing his ground despite being pushed back to the podium. A corner of it had driven into his back, but aside wincing slightly, Caleb only stared back. The “attack” had driven a look of annoyance from the quieter boy, which tended to be a rare sight.

Despite being terrified something was going to happen, Caleb only met the order with his lips being pressed firmly together. The last thing he wanted to do was give the fire-user the satisfaction of a win, which he clearly didn’t seem to see the occasion as. He made no further movements after he was shoved again, staying standing exactly where Apollo had left him when he stormed off. Caleb watched as the weasel squirmed out from the boxes it had been exploring, bolting after the other recruit for an attack of his shoes. Before it reached the corner he mentally whisked it back to wherever it had been summoned from. It was hard to control creatures when his adrenaline was running as quickly as it was now.

Upon seeing that Apollo was out of sight, Caleb let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. His legs shook and just as he stepped forward so he could touch the new wound on his back, the boy felt a sensation like he was going to fall. He merely braced himself for it at the time, but found himself with another’s arm thrown over his shoulder. Caleb blinked a few times before registering that it was Naevys who had caught him. The dark haired teen nodded, both in gratefulness and as a reply. “Sorry... I think I’m just a little shaken.” He admitted. Indeed, his wavering breaths were proof of that, as was the small, bittersweet grin on his face.

Caleb finally straightened his stance and shortly after, Naevys let go of him. “Thanks.” The beast summoner blinked appreciatively, then sighed. “Yeah, but... he was obviously bothered by something. I wish he’d at least respect the rest of us- we’re a team. And we’re supposed to be going on a mission, you know? What’s the use if we can’t get along?” Caleb explained, his explanation intentionally leaning towards Naevys’ own terms. “And, uh, what he said before.... that definitely wasn’t cool. Since I doubt he’ll say it, I’m sorry it happened.” The incident right before they went onto the stage was harsh, and Caleb never really thought that Apollo would have stooped that low.

The late teen brought his hand to brush the spot on his back that had hit the podium and immediately cringed. It’d definitely leave a nasty bruise. He threw one last glance to the corner where the guy in question had disappeared. With slight hesitance Caleb brought his hand back and then stretched it out once his fist was clenched. He lightly opened it and a common moth flew out, darting through the air to follow their hot-headed teammate. Luckily he hadn’t gone far, since once Caleb closed an eye he could see through the moth’s. As respectful as the summoner usually was about privacy, he was more afraid now that Apollo would do something potentially dangerous. The moth had landed on the wall by now, towards the ceiling, and if Caleb was correct then the species matched the moths that came in with their supply stores.

Opening his other eye again, he looked back to his telekinetic friend. “It seems like he’s just cooling down. Do you have any ideas to get him on our side? Normally I’d ask Lanette, but...” he trailed off, recalling that she appeared to be a common subject of Apollo’s bullying. Ardai was in the running, Caleb supposed, but it was only a matter of time before the prankster might blow their cover. He didn’t really want to take advantage of their friendship either.

[marimo.]

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

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

~18~Female~Werewolf~Mood: slightly fatigued~Location: behind stage~Tags: Naevys, Caleb~Mentions: Apollo~

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Ayrs watches as Naevys walks over to Caleb. She hadn't even noticed the him and Apollo. Some super-alert werewolf she is. Shrugging it off, she walks over to where the two boys are talking and listens silently. Seeing as she has nothing else to do, she might as well see what's going on, not that she'd be of much help. It sounds like they need someone to go talk to Apollo, and while Arys isn't good at the whole sharing your feelings thing on a normal day with a normal person, today isn't even a normal day and she hates talking with that particular fire-user. Of course, if the boys asked, she'd help, but she'd most likely end up in a fight and she's pretty sure that's the last thing anyone wants now.
Quickly getting bored with the conversation, she decides to go for a short run, figuring she has time. Making a quick pit stop to her room, she throws on some exercise clothes and stuffs her regular clothes along with her deodorant and a water bottle into a knapsack. As she sets off for the track in the training center, she settles into a light jog, her knapsack bouncing around on her back. When she reaches the center, she shrugs her sack off and tosses it to the side, still jogging. The second she hits the track, she increases her pace, upping the ante to a stride just above comfortable to her. Soon enough, her throat begins to dry out and every breath she takes is scratchy and laboured, but she continues running, relishing the feeling that she's so used to. Let's see if I can get two miles in, she grins to herself. She loves this feeling, the rush of adrenaline, the soreness of her body, the roughness of her breath. One day, when we overthrow Brungard, I'll be able to run outside for fun, not for my life.

[comeonspiderman]

Apollo Torres ♦ Pan ♦ Fire Manipulation
Location: Stage ♦ Tags: Caleb's Moth, open
CW//Anxiety Attack
The shake in his breathing told Apollo he would not be making it to his room before his body shut down. He found the closest door and threw it open to find a rare supply storage room. There wasn't much in it as there wasn't much to store in the rebellion, most of the supplies were immediately handed out. Apollo couldn't tell and didn't care what was being stored here but he closed the door behind himself. He fell against the wall as his legs gave out, anxiety forcing them to buckle. As he slid down to the floor, the shaking got worse. He gripped his shirt in his hands trying to still himself but emotion was building in his hands in the form of his ability. He could tell he was singeing his shirt but Apollo couldn't bring himself to care enough to let his body shake more. Stop. Stop. He shut his eyes and tried to focus on something good like Cujo had told him to once. The pride of good work. Like you actually do any real good. The praise he'd been given for his control. Control? You call this control? This wasn't working. But if that wouldn't work then he wasn't sure if anything would.

[passione]

➵ ＮＡＥＶＹＳ ＸＹＲＣＡＮ
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male ● eighteen ● telekinesis ● on stage ● tagged - caleb


“no problem,” naevys replied with a shrug. he’s been talking an awful lot today. this step out of his comfort zone seemed more like a long stride that would likely cause him to lose balance later. but caleb was one person naevys could handle talking to with no mental repercussions. he wasn’t so idealistic that he was annoying, he wouldn’t make unnecessary jabs at things (like ardai and apollo) and he could keep his temper. he had a deep respect for caleb that went unsaid a lot of the time.

naevys nodded. “you’re right. but he’s clearly not acting like a prick for the sake of being a prick. he seems to have a low emotional intelligence quotient. i’ll go into more detail if you’re interested, but essentially, he’s someone i would call a destructive narcissist. destroying those around him to feed his own ego because his self-esteem is in shambles.”

when caleb brought up the conversation naevys had with apollo prior to the ceremony, the telekinetic winced. it was hard to act as if the comment didn’t hit him where it hurt the most, despite it being easy in the rush of the moment. now, the adrenaline was gone, leaving naevys to fend for himself against his own insecurities.

“harsh? yes. true? also yes. he’s right. i can’t move quickly. but what’s important is that i know my self-worth,” naevys explained. “my lack of physical talents won’t hinder me in the long run. i was blessed with a higher mental capacity than the average. i’ll use my brain over my body for these missions. and i’d much rather use my brain over my body when it comes to fights.”

he watched as caleb released a moth into the air to follow apollo away. “you can never be too careful with that,” naevys warned. “don’t use what you see to your advantage anytime soon. let’s just learn who he is for now. and to be honest, we won’t have him by our side completely until he understands what respect is. regardless, the only way to get to him for now is to succeed in our mission because that guy seems to hate weakness more than anything in the world.”

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Ella

-----A quiet giggle escaped the pacifist as her friend remarked disgustedly on Prince Alastair. "'Unfathomable'? Oh no, his long words are rubbing off on you," Lanette said as her eyes widened in mock fright. "Pretty soon you'll start sounding like a thesaurus too. Maybe you should secretly wear earplugs, but tuck your hair so he doesn't see."
-----She pretended not to notice the reddening of her friend's cheeks, to save her some embarrassment. The bustle of Marking Day meant it might be an awkward time to blatantly flirt with her royally engaged friend. If the wrong thing slipped out, this day could become more dramatic than it already was.
-----"I'm surprised Alastair let you go so easily. It sounds like he has a real soft spot for you," Lanette said, trying not to sound too jealous. She was clearly eager to talk about anything other than Alastair though. "Training has been fun, even though I missed you! Gav is spending more time with others in the squad, which is good - and Kayla is more curious than ever. Her new hobby is standing outside the intelligence department and using her empathic powers on anyone who comes out."

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Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Jen

-----Shoot. Jen was already angry in record time, and Ardai hadn't even cracked a stupid joke yet. "Oh man, didn't mean to tick you off. You probably want me gone."
-----He started to back away, but then his signature moronic grin appeared as he got an idea. Maybe she would be less angry if he said something funny. "Hey, but before I go, what did the angry boss say to the fire-wielder? You're fired!" As soon as the dumb joke was out of his mouth, he immediately began laughing at his own remark. Oh man. He was starting to realize Jen would probably kill him for this.

████【❇】████

Commander Atlanta Hunter
Trans female ❇ Bisexual ❇ No power
Tags: Whole building / waiting for recruits

-----Atlanta had finished setting up the training area five minutes ago. Racks stood with fresh training uniforms, black emblazoned with crimson and bright orange flares. A table was covered with various items of clothing stolen from Delra, from teenagers' hoodies to high heeled shoes. Those would be the disguises for some upcoming missions. Another table boasted an array of weapons, the new and shiny versions of the Phoenix Squad's favorites. A sleek bow for Jen, a set of small knives for Lanette... there was something there for each new rebel.
-----None of the recruits had arrived yet. The only voices she'd heard outside the doors belonged to two Councillors - it sounded like Aurelia was chewing out Watson for making too many annoying remarks during the ceremony. Atlanta hadn't bothered to investigate, and the argument had dissipated now anyway.
-----It was getting close to the half-hour deadline. In case they'd forgotten about debriefing in the excitement of Marking Day, Atlanta decided to put on an announcement using all the speakers in the underground. She admittedly wanted to try the P.A. now that she'd been given the password...

"Phoenix Squad to the training area in five minutes. I repeat, Phoenix Squad to training in five."

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Ella --> Gavotte, everyone in gym

-----Lanette looked surprised when her new commander's voice sounded over the P.A. system. She smiled sadly at Ella - they'd just been reunited and now she had to leave.
-----"That's my call. You know this isn't goodbye, so... see you soon!" The pacifist smiled, her eyes full of sunshine even though she'd never seen the real sun.
-----Lanette hugged her friend one more time, then exited stage left for real. She waved behind her as she entered the hallway. In that brief lapse of attention, she collided with someone and they both apologized at the same time. Lanette looked up to see it was her brother. Kayla was trying to hide behind him.
-----"It looks like we have a little tail," Lanette chuckled. She winked at Kayla, then continued down the hall, siblings in tow. It didn't take long to get down to the training center. Kayla had vanished, but no doubt she would be peeking into the meeting a little later. Lanette shook her head with a small laugh and took a seat on the floor. She smiled at Atlanta, who returned the gesture - it was great to have a nice commander instead of someone tough and hardened.
-----Gavotte sat behind her silently. Lanette couldn't see him, but could almost feel his eyes scanning the room. He seemed a little more quiet than usual, probably taking everything in.

████【➹】████

Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Jen --> everyone in gym

-----Saved by the bell! Ardai pointed to the nearby speaker with a stupid grin on his face. "Looks like you'll have to murder me later. We don't want to be late."
-----With that, he broke into a run in the wrong direction. He hid in a washroom for a few seconds before daring to come out. The tall prankster snuck through the halls, praying to whatever powers that be that Jennifer wouldn't catch and skin him alive. When he finally got down to the bottom floor, he breathed a sigh of relief and strolled into the training center. A few punks were already sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Ardai just walked up to the weapons and started admiring them. He picked up a gleaming sword, wondering who this beauty was meant for.
-----"Hey, does this belong to anyone? I'll trade you for my concrete chip collection," Ardai said with a confident smirk, looking like he was serious about this dumb trade. He totally ignored the look the commander gave him. She was probably into him, but didn't know how else to express it!

[hellb0und]

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NAME. jennifer dire ` ABILITY. fire manipulation ` TAG(S). ardai > none `
xxxxxxxx𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅.

xxxxxxxx"Did I not make that clear?" She inquired with a tilt of her head, her arms crossed over her chest. As he started to back away, a very small part of her was hopeful he'd finally gotten the message, but of course, he hadn't. When he turned around with that god foresaken grin, she knew all too well he was about to say something entirely ludicrous. After the joke, she rolled her eyes so hard she was almost certain they'd gone into the back of her head. Just as she was about to reply, an announcement was made, resonating all throughout the underground civilization. She was thankful, though, it got him out of her hair. She watched as he ran in the complete opposite direction of where he was meant to be going, and while shaking her head, turned around and stalked towards the gym. Uttering a few swear words under her breath.

xxxxxxxxWhen she arrived, few were filing in. Taking their seats on the gym floor. She sought out an area devoid of others, sitting in the back near the corner. The floors had been shined to the point that she could see a very clear reflection of herself, no scuff marks in sight. The cleanliness wouldn't last long with the lot of them, though. Torn up practice targets had been sectioned off to one side, and the weapons had all been put in their proper places on the walls. Her attention continued to wander until locking on a strip of tables that had a long line of weapons carefully placed atop them. Which, Ardai was, of course, examining. She turned away afterward, sick of looking at his face, letting out a sharp, exasperated exhale.