(New thread!)

[sevenstorms]

S a b i n e C o u d r i e t ⋯ Mind Manip ⋯ Loc: Backstage ⋯ Tags: Lanette, All open

The time had come to go out on stage. Sweat forms and beads across Sabine's forehead. Wiping it away with her sleeve, she looks over to the pacifist and smiles warmly. She knew exactly what she was thinking. Their powers, although extremely helpful in certain situations, wasn't something that could easily be shown off in an extraordinary way. Certainly not to the public anyway.

"I like that idea, that's actually pretty symbolic for someone like us" Sabine reassures her in front of everyone still in the vicinity.

As the amount of squad members behind stage dwindles, they share lighthearted quips and encourage the next squad member to go out. Without using her ability too much, Sabine gives everyone that extra "air of confidence" so that they can keep their cool out there without sputtering and making a fool of themselves. She was almost certain that it was the right thing to do - but when it came time to think about how she would represent her own powers, she drew a complete blank.

Perhaps she would just smile and wave and make everyone think she did something interesting and mesmerising.

[`sappho]

ａｐｈｒｏｄｉｔｅ ｔｈｏｒｎｅ — ♚
female - pansexual - snake charmer - tagged; everyone

xxxthe girl nodded. "that sounds good," she told him. aphrodite snickered a bit, she quite liked the role that was proposed for her. "i'll scare the pants off of them," she said with a laugh. it would be really interesting to see the audience's relation to being terrified before feeling a warm wave overcome them and calm them down. that would be sure to wow them. "so are we next then?" she asked them. she couldn't lie that she was a bit nervous about performing her power in front of all of these people and she had never done something to the extent she was about to do without hours of practicing. she was going to turn her hair into cobras and her brown eyes into glowing, golden orbs, like the myth of medusa she had heard from many, many years ago. of course, she couldn't turn anyone one to stone.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Sabine, Cujo, other recruits still inside

-----Lanette returned the mind-manipulator's smile. Sabine, thanks to the telepathic side of her abilities, could always know what others were thinking. It was comforting to the pacifist, who had nothing to hide. Lanette felt a general goodwill towards everyone - her fellow classmates in particular. She'd grown so attached to them over the years.
-----Warmth rushed to the pacifist's cheeks as Sabine expressed her approval for the idea. "Thank you, Sabine," Lanette said as she stood up a little straighter. It wasn't just the encouragement - she knew Sabine was influencing her mind, emboldening her in preparation for the stage. "I really do appreciate it."
-----She chuckled a little at Aphrodite promising to scare the audience. Lanette would pacify them afterward, but not too much. Too much would ruin the show. The brief rush of adrenaline from Aphrodite's snake shenanigans needed to linger, keeping the audience on edge.
-----Now, as for the mind manipulator, she was in a similar boat as Lanette herself. Maybe even worse. Neither Sabine's hands or eyes glowed when she used her abilities - she could be far more subtle. While that would be useful in real situations, here it would make showing off difficult.
-----"Sabine, do you want to do our part together?" Lanette suggested. "If you're alright with it, we can link arms and both wave at the audience."
-----She waved her hand in a little demonstration, lighting up her palm with the soft violet glow of her ability.
-----"I think the audience roughly knows what our powers are - everyone keeps talking about us around Headquarters. It's nice but a little embarrassing," Lanette admitted. "Seeing my hand would remind them of my powers, which are mental like yours. That would help them remember what yours are - since you'd be beside me."
-----She turned to the medic, Cujo, not wanting to leave him out either. "Oh, and Cujo? I liked Caleb's ideas, but I think no one has to get hurt. You could come with us too if you'd like."
-----He was about a head taller than her. Linking arms would still be doable, but she might have to raise hers at a slightly awkward angle. Lanette would make it work, though.

[DetectiveLunar]

Leonardo Toronta//18//Male//Behind the stage//Tags:Lanette,other recruits

”It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who’s anxious.” Leo told Lanette. Honestly it was the truth. He felt better knowing that others felt the same as him even if they weren’t as anxious as he was. He watched as Naevys practically blew the door off it’s hinges and flinched slightly when the door hit the ground,making a loud crash. He lightened up a bit when he heard that Naevys was also slightly anxious but that the feeling would go away. ”Thank you.” Leo was honestly starting to feel better and was actually looking forward to “showing off” what he can do to the audience. He thanked Lanette once again for helping him calm down. ”That’s very nice of you,I’ll tell you when I’m ready.” He was glad that she was willing to go with him so he wouldn’t feel anxious going alone. He watched as a few of the other recruits made their way to the stage and preformed their “grand entrance” it honestly looked amazing and based on the clapping coming from the audience they thought so as well. Caleb started to suggest things people could do to impress the audience. When he asked about how many Leo could affect with his power he replied,”Not much,I haven’t tried it on a large group of people but I’m pretty sure I can do the front row.” He watched as Caleb started to try to help everyone figure out what they could do but slowly become uncertain. ”I agree with Lanette,your ideas are indeed great and I really appreciate how you’re trying to help us figure out a way to make a grand entrance.” What he said was true,he really appreciated Caleb’s ideas. Now he had to figure out what exactly to do.

(I’m sorry if this is a bit confusing or “here-there-everywhere” I’ve been a bit busy and something happened so I wasn’t really focusing on this too much.)

[cocogerber13]

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

Caleb gave an appreciative nod and smile to Lanette and Leo for thanking him, glad that his ideas at least sparked some interest. The compliments did make him feel a little bit more on ease despite still having a lot of attention, but he knew it would be worse to go out on stage without a plan. Scratching the back of his neck, he gave a nervous chuckle and thanked the two.

Upon hearing the plan to have the doves land on the mind-shapers’ arms and shoulders, Caleb seemed to perk up a bit. “Oh, I hadn’t made that connection. With the peace doves, I mean, though I’m glad that doves are what I chose to summon. I’ll get the two peacocks then. You two and Cujo could have the doves if you want, since healing can go with the idea of peace too.” He voiced. Though the elemental and shape-shifted effects were definitely cool, a little bit of fright would hopefully make the performance more impressive.

Caleb suddenly found himself feeling a bit more ligh-hearted about the event, wondering why until he spotted Sabine and Lanette again. He shot them a look of gratitude before his gaze moved back over to his roommate. “The first row is good! They’ll be the leaders for whatever else goes on in the crowd, so your abilities could totally amplify the effect. Maybe... if you don’t have an idea already, you could make some sort of snakey scene for them? That would spook them even more, and you could go out with Aphrodite and I. Though, since my ability isn’t really related to any of the rest, I’m think I’ll have to hop out right before you two. I’m just going to collect the birds on stage, okay? And it’ll give you all time to coordinate each other’s placements.”

The dark-haired boy flashed a quick, reassuring wave before turning and walking on stage. He knew that his performance was definitely not as eye-catching as many of the previous, but he hoped people would make connections with him and the first burst of birds. Caleb also did not want to go on stage by himself, but the time between the last performance and the current silence was growing thin, and Sabine’s trick really did help boost his confidence.

When Caleb was a few steps outside from the doorway he flung out his arms with a small, mysterious grin. He had seen a few recordings of magicians and figured that the debut with the birds had given off a similar vibe to the tricks of the career. Once he had extended his arms out the peacocks bolted over to him and symmetrically leapt onto him. Just as they landed they turned and unfurlled their colourful plumage, displaying the designs for all to see for just a few moments as the doves above came spiraling closer to the stage and then up again to hide by the rafters. By the time they had done this, Caleb had walked silently to stand next to the other recruits in line and the peacocks had folded their feathers. Now he only waited for his cue to call the doves down again.

[fifty blessings]

xxxxxxxxxxxcujo y.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ^ stage
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ^ caleb , lanette

As Caleb had suggested that he could take a little bit of a hit just for Cujo to demonstrate, he sort of raised his brows a little in a mildly surprised manner. He wasn't one to usually want anyone hurt but at the same time, he was a little happy that he wasn't going to get left out of all the fun of showing off abilities and such. Unclasping his hands, he gives a small nod and gives his attention to Lanette who offered once more to go onto the stage with them both.

Filled with a mild amount of gratitude, he gave another little nod. "Ah thank you-" Pausing for a brief moment, and thinking a little, he nods again. "I'd love to join you on the stage."

[sevenstorms]

S a b i n e C o u d r i e t ⋯ Mind Manip ⋯ Loc: Backstage ⋯ Tags: Lanette, Cujo, Caleb, All open

She reaches over to Cujo and gives him an enthusiastic air high-five. With the plans in place, Sabine felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Plus, they couldn't make up more a of a mini dream team even if they tried.
Hearing the commotion after Caleb had walked on, they became really nervous. But, again, Sabine used her ability to her advantage just to make them feel all at ease again. Though she didn't like using her ability willy- nilly like this it was the one day of their their lives where making a good impression could make or break their reputation.

"I'm so glad you guys are on top of things. I've been feeling frazzled all day" she says with a giant sigh of relief while rubbing her temple.

"So, just to be safe, let's go over this one more time..."

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Sabine, Cujo, Aphrodite, Leo, Emma, Eris

-----Lanette gave Leo's hand a final, reassuring squeeze before heading toward the exit. Cheers of admiration were coming from the crowd outside - Caleb's appearance had rallied up their spirits once again. The audience was ready for the last of the recruits to present themselves.
-----She smiled at Sabine and Cujo, making eye contact with both in turn. It would be nice for three introverts to travel as a unit. Lanette would never say this out loud, but her tiny size made her rather self-conscious about going onstage alone. It was nice to have two fellow recruits by her side.
-----Lanette directed a reassuring look to Sabine before deciding to take charge of the recap. "Ah, so Aphrodite and Leo are up next. Caleb's idea was for them to scare the audience with snakes and mirages. Then the three of us, Sabine, Cujo and myself, can follow them out and calm the crowd. When the doves come down, maybe we could have one arm stretched out like this..." She extended one of her tiny arms straight out at the side, like a perch for the birds. "Then with our free hands, we could wave to the audience?"
-----Her eyes scanned the room for the last remaining recruits. Only a couple hadn't been accounted for entirely yet - Eris and Emma. The shapeshifter had already mentioned presenting herself alone, so Lanette decided not to worry about her. She did flash a supportive smile in her direction, though.
-----The pacifist found Eris in the room and waved over at her. "Ah, Eris? I think Caleb had the idea that your push-and-pull could move the stage lights. You could also do the curtains, maybe?" Lanette smiled shyly at the dark-haired girl. The pacifist wasn't used to playing a leader's role. Of course, it was always a good experience to try.
-----She glanced at Aphrodite and Leo and clasped her hands together, but didn't say anything. Even though they were next in line, it would feel odd to suddenly start giving orders. Lanette offered them an encouraging smile instead.

[honeybee.]

⋯⋯⋯⋯🥀⋯⋯⋯⋯
Ella Brie
Location: HQ Cafetorium- Tags: None
⋯⋯⋯⋯🥀⋯⋯⋯⋯

The only powers Ella had ever seen in use were her sibling's, plus Lanette's and Cujo's, so when the door leading to backstage burst out of its frame and smashed onto stage she was taken by surprise, stifling a gasp. Matty, stood next to her, also jumped. Mia on the other hand, applauded gleefully at the destruction whilst even the twins stopped their chattering. A flurry of doves flew out next followed by a pair of peacocks and a blast of fire that must have come from one of the two fire-wielders she'd heard about, Apollo or Jennifer. After the fire had died down a man stepped onto the stage though the flames certainly weren't of his creation.This was Naevys, a friend of Lanette's and the younger brother of Ryker whom Ella had spent many years training alongside and had been the reason she trained as a medic in the first place, his telekinetic powers clear as the door lifted from the stage to above his head his ability much more impressive than she'd even expected. Ella and the other Brie children watched in awe as, after calling out to his siblings, he twitched his fingers and the door snapped into two."I bet I could do that with my bare hands." Mia whispered. "Of course you could, Mia. You have super strength."


The next to emerge was Gavotte, who Ella obviously did recognise. Droplets of water spun in front of him as a fire-wielder appeared behind him, obviously Jen, and he shot a fountain of water up into the air, Jen's fire making it into a beautiful light show as Ella stared, transfixed. Their display ended with Jen shooting fire towards the roof, looking quite unimpressed with her audience before more fire blasted out from the other fire wielder, Apollo. His flames were being fired towards another rebel who was avoiding them through some ninja-like feats of acrobatics before vanishing into thin air. So, this must be Ardai, the prankster. Finally a blast of fire shot from Apollo's mouth, accompanied by Ardai flickering in and out of existence once more, flying over the head's of Ella and the rest of the crowd, heat radiating down upon them.


After the heat of the fire died down another young woman leapt through the door, flipping before landing upon the stage.At least, she had been a young woman when she'd first come through the door but now, upon landing, she was a wolf. Really, Ella should have expecting this. She'd heard of Arys, the team's werewolf, but her swift and sudden change to such as beautiful, powerful looking creature had still taken her by surprise. Once she'd moved to the side the conjurer of the birds emerged, flinging his arms wide so that the peacocks landed on them, simultaneously displaying their gorgeously coloured plumage. The beauty of those two birds alone seemed more wonderful to Ella than all the silk and jewels at court.

Still, there must be more to come. Clearly, since Lanette and Cujo, the two Phoenix squad members she really knew, were yet to emerge. Of course Lanette, with her peaceful powers and peaceful disposition would come out last, looking after the rest of her squad for as long as needed.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

-Time skip-
At this time, all recruits have finished their entrances and are onstage.
After Caleb's debut, the order went as follows: Aphrodite and Leo wowed the crowd with snakes and illusions, Emma performed solo with shapeshifting, Eris showed off her push-and-pull ability, and finally the trio of Sabine, Cujo and Lanette calmed the audience as the doves landed on them.
All recruits are now standing back at the sides of the stage.

-----After the final recruits had finished their performance, the Council moved to center stage and arranged themselves wordlessly into a line. They'd delivered enough speeches atop this very stage that rehearsing a formation was unnecessary. High Councillor Senegal naturally found herself in the middle, flanked by Oakley and Evelina, with Aurelia and Watson standing proud at the edges.
-----"Fellow rebels, sisters and brothers in arms." The High Councillor's low voice resonated throughout the cafetorium, which had fallen respectfully silent with only few whispers. The tall woman raised her arms outward in an encompassing gesture; she considered each and every member of the Uprising also a member of her family. "We gather here today to celebrate a turning point in history."
-----"Many of you have heard of these youth." The fatherly voice of Oakley, Councillor of Education, soon took her place. "Some of us taught them. Others trained beside them. Some are lucky enough to know them in person. All of us, however, have the honor of welcoming them into our ranks today."
-----The Councillor of Intelligence was next to speak. The glare from the stagelights reflected off Evelina's glasses, making her gaze look impossibly bright. "For years, our people have suffered under the oppression of Delra's tyrants. The scars on each of our heads reflect that. We had our power taken away before we had a voice. But, the recruits standing before us today were born in the freedom of our very own headquarters."
-----"As you can see, their abilities have been spared. They are very much capable of wielding these powers in the fight for Delra's future," continued Aurelia, the elderly Councillor of Health. For once, her features were not contorted in an irritated scowl. She only looked mildly cranky today. "They are the first generation of rebels with such powers at their disposal. Today, Marking Day, literally marks their initiation into the Uprising. These recruits' foreheads are untouched by the knife of Delra, but our blades will mark them with identical scars."
-----"For mission stuff," said Watson with a shrug. The Councillor of Development clearly wasn't sticking to whatever script the others had planned out. Fortunately, he and Aurelia were on opposite sides of the stage - the elderly woman looked ready to murder him horribly. "For those who don't know, you'll be arrested walking around in Delra without a scar. We're not torturing these poor kids, we're basically giving 'em a passport!"
-----High Councillor Senegal, however, was completely unfazed. "Now, let us begin," she spoke as the Council retreated to the back of stage to make room.
-----A warm smile remained on her face as she gestured to the side of the stage. Fourteen senior rebels entered in single file and took their positions across the stage, forming a horizontal line in front of the Council. Each held a sharpened blade and what appeared to be a slightly damp cotton ball. Their outfits were pure white, a stark contrast from the earthy browns and greys of most rebels underground.
-----The volunteers faced forward, meaning the recruits standing before them would have their backs to the audience - no one would see their faces during the marking itself. That was Evelina's idea, to preserve some dignity for those recruits who couldn't keep a calm expression.
-----"Recruits, please find your place in front of a mark-giver. The marking itself should not take much longer than annual flu shots." The High Councillor faced the eighteen-year-olds with what would've been a reassuring smile, if not for the circumstances. It was time for them to be literally scarred.

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Lanette Lane
Female ♟ Pansexual ♟ Pacifism
Tags: Ella, Sabine, the mark-giver

-----During Lanette's routine, she'd smiled and waved at the audience as doves landed on her outstretched arm. Anticlimatic as her debut might have been compared to the fire-manipulators, she was proud of herself and her fellow recruits nevertheless. She'd sought out her family in the crowd, their proud faces bright and beaming, and then her eyes had fallen on Ella Brie. It was a surprise to see her here. Ella must've come all the way from Delra's royal court to watch this day - the thought melted Lanette's heart. She'd smiled at the blonde girl even after she, Sabine, and Cujo retreated from center stage.
-----Now, the pacifist stood back and listened with the other recruits. It was a little overwhelming, the idea that the Council was talking about them. Lanette wished she had something more presentable to wear than these mangled training clothes, torn and stretched from the numerous times she'd been tossed around by other trainees. But it was alright - most of the audience wore equally old rags, shades of brown and murky grey. Their smiles were the brightest thing about them and Lanette found that especially lovely.
-----Her heart began to beat faster as the fourteen volunteers walked onstage, clean blades in hands. Each one of those knives would be bloody by the end of this ceremony. She made eye contact with Sabine, knowing the mind-manipulator would get the message. It would really help if we could calm the others down during the marking. I'm especially worried about Leo - can you ask him to pick the mark-giver beside mine? He'll receive the most of my gift. Lanette tried to keep her thoughts as clear and direct as possible.
-----Once the High Councillor was finished speaking, the pacifist walked forward without hesitation. She approached a mark-giver closer to the middle and faced him with determination burning in her eyes. The field of calmness had already begun to radiate from her.
-----Her mark-giver smiled, as benevolent as one could smile before slicing up your face. He gently wiped her forehead clean, then extended the hand holding the cotton ball - but Lanette knew what that was. She shook her head, determined to endure the ordeal without anything to ease her pain. It would be a test of her willpower as a pacifist.
-----The mark-giver looked surprised, but tucked the swab into the pocket of his white apron. It was time for the blade to meet her skin. Lanette breathed slowly, maintaining eye contact as the blazing sting of the knife cut across her forehead once, twice. Her teeth were clenched behind a tight smile. A true pacifist never returns violence for violence, pain for pain. I want this mark to remind me of that.
-----The High Councillor hadn't lied about how quick the marking would be. The mark-giver returned Lanette's smile with pride, then spun her around to face the audience as blood dripped from her face. Although some were cringing from the sight, most in the crowd had begun to roar their approval. The sting of her new wound began to fade as Lanette found Ella in the crowd again, violet eyes fading back to soft blue as she met her friend's warm brown gaze.

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Gavotte Lane
Male ♫ Heterosexual ♫ Hydrokinesis
Tags: Mark-giver

-----Gavotte showed no emotion on his face, and didn't plan to. The water manipulator needed to appear strong, especially for the audience. It was important for them to have faith in him. Both fire-wielders in the class were just as fiery as their own powers, so their counterpart had to be strong enough to douse their flames.
-----His water had collapsed back into a blob again, which he fed into his water canteen. Gavotte closed the cap and slung its strap over his shoulder as he joined the other recruits in choosing a mark-giver. He was a little late, and had to settle with an intimidating-looking woman who seemed all too eager to cut into his face.
-----Gavotte didn't speak a word as the mark-giver cleaned his face, then dabbed something across his forehead with the cotton ball. It offered a nice, cooling sensation which didn't last long, because the knife immediately sliced twice across his head. It didn't burn as much as he'd expected - probably because of whatever was on that cotton ball.
-----He noticed Lanette's mark-giver turning her around now that she was finished. Gavotte didn't need prompting from his own - he turned to face the audience, looking impassive as warm blood continued to flow from the fresh cuts. The emotionless facade faded as his eyes landed on his baby sister. He hadn't noticed before, but there was a red mark across her forehead - she must have drawn it on herself with ink. Gavotte couldn't help but smile as little Kayla pointed to her own 'mark' with pride.

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Ardai Fairchild
Male ➹ Heterosexual ➹ Invisibility
Tags: Hot chick who cuts up my face lol

-----Ardai's eyes immediately landed on this gorgeous, older recruit with flowing waves of white-blonde hair. He knew exactly who was marking his forehead - the hottest one. This would be a scar he'd never forget.
-----He strutted up to her with an expression that was supposed to be seductive. She narrowed his eyes in disgust and simply went through the motions, cleaning and dabbing his forehead.
-----Ardai was about to hit her up with some killer pick-up line. He opened his mouth, but was immediately silenced by the knife slicing up his face. The heartless chick mercilessly scarred him, no emotion in her gorgeous blue eyes. Ardai barely managed to keep his mouth shut for once.
-----Finally, it was finished. Just two cuts, but it felt like an eternity. Ardai's grin returned and he prepared another pick-up line, something about her appearance being sharper than her blade. Before he could speak, she grabbed him by the shoulders - Wow, her hands are so cold?! - and spun him around roughly.
-----Ardai was almost disappointed, but he'd look kinda pathetic if he turned around to ogle his mark-giver again. Instead, he put on an even bigger grin and waved to everyone he saw. A wiry twelve-year-old boy with dark skin. An elderly man, hunched and haggard. A mother and father with their little daughter, who had a red ink smear on her forehead. Ardai didn't recognize any of these people, except maybe the last family - they kinda looked like Lanette and Gavotte to him. He waved to them for a particularly long time. Maybe Gavotte would stop being a killjoy if Ardai was nice to his family.