Outnumbered ~ I Am Number Four ~ Invite Only!

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

Gingko was in that mood again, the one where she wanted to punch everything and everyone. When she noticed Amber shaking, though, she could be nothing but concerned. She loved her Garde like a daughter, and she would never forgive herself if something happened to her.
"Yes, let's," she grunted. "Speaking of which, come with me to the dock. You need some time." Usually, when Gingko wasn't feeling well, a little bit of sitting alone or with a close friend helped. She didn't know what was wrong with Amber, since she wasn't that sensitive, but there was something wrong and Gingko didn't like it. She began to walk towards the dock, but not before shooting a glare at Richie.

Rowan hadn't really spoken or done anything productive the past hours, but one look at Esme and he couldn't help but melt. Wlilow's death had beaten him up -- badly -- but it hadn't broken him. Not yet, he couldn't break just yet. He still had a lot worth living for.
And Esme was number one on that list.
"I never stopped thinking about you," he admitted. There were still tears in his eyes, but he didn't let it bother him. "At first I was afraid, because Apricot was Number One, but I knew you could handle it. I knew that with you in charge, I had no need to worry, but I still did. Because I always cared about you, I cared a whole lot, and Esme, I..."
Say it. Tell her, a voice in his head coaxed.
I can't.
Say it, you idiot! said the voice again. It sounded almost like... no...
"I just don't know what to do."
Damn you, Rowan Adamson. You haven't changed at all.

Icaron watched the exchange with a smile on his face. He was so proud -- of his daughter, of Rori, of the family he wanted them all to become someday. He immediately knew what she meant by Janice losing a member, and he knew Acacia did too. She looked so sharp and focused, it was impossible for her to miss it. Icaron was so busy studying the two that he only became aware of Rori's proximity as she pressed against him. He couldn't help but smile, and though he was still standing, inside he was a mess of anxiety and butterflies having Loric War Two in his stomach. Keep your composure, Icaron, he told himself. You are about to lead a planet. Do not pass out, start hyperventilating, or lose your mind.
Luckily, Acacia's response helped to give him something else to focus on, though he loved how close Rori was. He just couldn't handle the emotions. "Yes, ma'am?" said Acacia calmly. Icaron knew her question was both asking what the favor was and implying that she would likely agree to it. Like him, she seemed to like using double meanings at key points. He loved his daughter dearly, and hoped that when the time came, Rori would also accept her as her own.
Do not freak out. Do not run off the stage. Do not start crying, he told himself as, very casually, he put a hand on Rori's closest shoulder. Do not suddenly have a heart attack. Do not die on the spot. Do not ask one of them to kill you.
So many do nots, Icaron mused, finding himself a little disturbed by where his train of thought was going. But I don't know what to do. I'm not used to not knowing what to do. Maybe this. He slid his arm across her shoulders gently, and he hoped his heart wouldn't spontaneously fail him. Oh, I'm an idiot. I feel like I am going to die...
But I love it.

[honeybee.]

Erin grinned at Clark, "I think we've all been pretty lonely," she said before looking at Amber. "I already thought of that. I contacted them on the journey, they should be coming." She told her.

Sam seemed to be the only one paying attention to the cheesecake. "This looks great!" He said, ignoring the tension between Richie and ,well everyone, and taking a slice.

[hilde]

Clark nodded. "you seem to really know what you're doing! i wish I was that smart!"
Richie walked over and shoved Clark out of the way. "get away from her you creep. I know your no good." He said angrily at him.
"Sorry" Said Clark before walking over to Sam. "glad to see you like the cheesecake." He said taking a slice. "I wish all of your friends liked me though that guy over there seems to hate me. maybe i was a bad person in a past life or something." he shrugged eating a bit of the cheesecake. "not to brag but this is really good!"

Susannah was on the plane to california with Rosemary.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

"Excuse me, are you flying alone?"
Vincent turned his head, and was startled to see the lady in the seat across from him was looking right at him. He was flying first class; Cedar could afford to pay for it. His Cepan was on another plane, in third class himself. Vincent had begged for Cedar to at least get himself a better seat, or to take Vincent on the same plane, but Cedar had just winked and insisted they go with his plan. Nobody would expect a posh, rich spoiled brat to have any relation to an old mad scientist with failing funds. It wouldn't make sense the other way around, because Vincent was used to being a wealthy kid. Cedar had much more believable acting skills compared to his Garde and unrelated 'son'.
"Yeah," he said. "Just taking a vacation to California to visit my grandparents. My parents are staying here, in Canada." Casuallly, Vincent crossed his legs, then took a sip from his orange juice.
"Well, cool," the lady said. Actually, she looked more like a teenage girl. Just really, really tall and pale, and her hair was as dark as an Adamson's. "I'm alone, too. My story's funny. I thought I was supposed to go to China, but I was wrong; apparently, my job's in California. I got the place name mixed up. I'm in Canada right now because this is my second mess-up. This is embarrassing, but... I can't read. This plane's to California? Please don't tell me it's Cuba or something!"
Vincent laughed. The girl was pretty cute, but not his type. He liked girls with big brains. Still, she seemed like she would make a good friend. "It's going to California, you're right this time!"
"Yes!" the girl said cheerfully. "Oh, sorry. I'm overreacting. I'm just so happy, because finally I get a chance to make my big sister proud of me. You see, we have some rich friends in California we want to track down for a visit... but we lost their number. It's a long story. Anyway, my sister really wants to talk with them again. Lots of catching up to do... I'm just scouting them out for her, 'cause she's on a business trip! Anyway, I've talked way too much. I'm Jadie Cole, nice to meet you. What's your story?"
Vincent remembered the fake backstory Cedar had dreamed up for him. "My name's Cyril Fielding," he said with a grin. "I lived in Canada my whole life, not really an interesting story. But I heard my grandparents are going back to work as lawyers in San Francisco! My parents want me to be a lawyer, so they think this will be good experience over the summer."
"A lawyer!" Jadie said excitedly. "That's really cool! My sister has a friend, Acacia, who wanted to be a lawyer. But she makes a much better soldier." With a smile, she reclined in her seat. "This vacation's gonna be so awesome. Your grandparents sound like the best. By the way, this is completely random, but your name makes me think of citrus fruits."
"I love oranges," said Vincent. "And limes. But not lemons; my evil sister squirted one in my eye once." He was still smiling, but inside, he felt like something was wrong. This wasn't part of the story; it didn't involve a sister. Did he ever have a sister?
"A sister!" squealed Jadie. "Older or younger? Tell me all about her!"
Vincent just started talking off the tip of his tongue, using the best logic possible considering the circumstances for Lorien. "She's older, and she likes to beat me up a lot, which makes me glad to escape from her." This made him feel very guilty, like he was complete scum. If he actually had a sister, she was dead, and now he was talking as if he was glad... what if he wasn't an only child?
"Sounds like my sister!" giggled Jadie. "But don't tell her that... she'd actually kill me."
"Sisters are like that!" Vincent tried to sympathize, but he just wanted a punch in the face right now. Preferably from that possible sister who was definitely dead if she had once existed. He should not have spoken ill of her if she was real.
It went on like that, with Jadie sharing her life story with Vincent, who told her tall tales of the life Cedar had made up as a disguise. When they were off the plane, Vincent immediately headed away from the airport; it would be a long walk to the mansion, given Number Four's directions. Number Four. I can still remember her voice, thought Vincent. He could easily tell she was a genius. A very well-read one, at that. And she had sounded so strong, full of conviction at the plan. He loved that.
Stop being a distracted idiot! Walk faster! he told himself, and picked up the pace. He had been told to head straight for the mansion, to not wait for Cedar.
"What are you doing, Cyril?" asked a voice from behind him.
"Ah!"
"Sorry," laughed Jadie, walking up to his side. "I didn't mean to scare you. You're twelve, right? Awfully young to be walking out of San Francisco alone. I'm going this way, too, and I have a ride. Want to join me?" she grinned, which Vincent found a little disturbing. Something about the teeth.
"I'm not twelve, I'm thirteen-and-three-quarters!" he insisted indignantly. "And I'm not allowed to go into the car of a stranger. I know where I'm going, thank you very much." With a huff, he stormed away. He was putting on a show of being an annoying kid with a horrible attitude on purpose, to get her to leave him alone. It was a defense thing, not because he wanted to be rude. He actually felt pretty bad... but Cedar told him to trust no one. It was for his own good.
Number Eight, safe in California! he announced as he exited the city, picturing Number Four in his mind. He imagined her to be tall, a smart brunette with cute glasses and sharp blue eyes. Maybe braces, but he couldn't tell. He didn't know how accurate his mental picture was, but he wanted to find out. My Cepan should be either ahead of or behind me, he said before thinking of Jadie and their weird interactions. He ended up unconsciously sending the memory of Jadie to Number Four.
I'll see you soon. Can't wait to say hi!

[honeybee.]

"Don't worry about Nine." Sam's said, "He's been being obnoxious to everyone since we all met. I think he dislikes everyone, not just you."

As soon as Richie came and rudely interuppted her conversion with Clark Erin just blanked him. She turned on the spot so she wouldn't have to look at him or listened to his offensive remarks. Besides, Eight's voice had just appeared in her head.That's great! Now it's nearly all of us! She thought in return then a memory appeared in her head. That was a first, she shut her eyes and let it play out in her head. Something was off about the girl Eight had met, alarm bells were ringing in her head. She remembered being taught something, and she sort of looked similar to the Mogs on the beach and some of the things she had mentioned.. Eight. That girl isn't following you, is she?

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

Vincent's smile fell when Number Four stopped sounding so cheerful. This time, her reply sounded ominous. He looked behind him, and to his relief, the teenager from the plane was not following him. Well, from what he could see, at least. When he left the city, he immediately picked up his pace and began running. No, I don't think so, he replied. There was something foreboding about Four's words... and suddenly it hit him. What if she was one of the Mogadorians?
Um, Four, I know teenagers are bad in general, he thought nervously, running even faster, but you don't think she's... you know...?

[hilde]

"Thanks Three." Said Clark with a smile. "so did any of you ever see a mog? i never did. What are they like?"

[TheFae]

Esme
35
Location: Clark's Mansion
Tagged: Rowan

"Tell me you love me, and I'll tell you." Esme though, waiting for him to say the three words she had been dying to hear. "I worried for you too. I knew your Garde had the protection spell, but you didn't. You could have easily been killed-" She started to say, but she stopped before she uttered the next words. "If you died, I don't know what I'd do. I can't live without you Rowan." She continued, stopping and looking down.
"I love you Rowan." She blurted, not having the courage to look up at him. She didn't want to look at him if he rejected her.

Amber
16
Location: Dock
Tagged: Gingko

Amber was shaking incredible hard, and she didn't know how to calm herself. "My legacy, I don't know how to control it." She murmured, ashamed of the fact. She felt out of control, and she hated the feeling. She also wanted all of the Garde in one place, she wanted to see them all and remember them all. She wanted to save the human race. She wanted to make her parents proud, she wanted to make Gingko proud. It was a lot to handle, because she wanted so many things, but she didn't even know where to start. She felt like she was on the verge of tears, but she was holding it all in, just as Gingko taught her. She wasn't going to show any emotion until she could get herself under control.

Rori
37
Location: Room
Tagged: Icaron and Acacia

"Perfect." Rori smiled, savoring the warmth from Icaron. "I actually need two favors. The first is to see my niece, Eboni. She is 9 years old and is absolutely in love with you. If you could see her, maybe show her a move or two, I would appreciate it more than you think you'd know." She stated. She then continued, smiling wider. "Then, I need you to go on a special mission with me. It's a surveillance mission. I know the Garde are congregating all in one area, but I need to know what we are going up against before we actually attack. I don't need any Woman Scouts or my Brigade to be hurt." She stated. "I know you'll do perfect, especially since you already came into contact with one of the Garde, and I heard he was rather fond of you." She smiled, walking up to Acacia and putting an arm around the girl's shoulder. "If you don't want to do it, I completely understand. It could be risky." She stated, hoping Acacia would say yes. She wanted to see how she thought of her father and her being a couple. She wanted Acacia's approval before she tried to pursue anything. She loved Acacia like a daughter, and she didn't want to upset her.

[Pistol Annie #1 NPC]

Tell her! The voice in his head was insistent. Furious. For the love of Lorien, Rowan!
He was struck completely silent when Esme told him she loved him. He wanted to say that he returned the feeling, but where were his speech capabilities when he needed them? Trying not to shake (of course, it was futile), he leaned in slightly, preparing to do something he had waited more than twenty years to do. He had fallen in love with her when they were still teenagers, but now...
Before his lips could connect with hers, he pulled away, like he had been shocked. "I'm- I'm sorry," he stammered before turning and running away as fast as he could.
What the Mogadore, Rowan! cursed the voice.
I can't do this. What if I lose her like I lost you? What if she loses me and has to go through the same thing? His mind was filled with only worst-case scenarios and horrible 'what ifs.' Rowan eventually found an outcrop of palm trees and hid there. He couldn't handle the emotions, the shame of what he hadn't done, what he should have... but didn't. Because he was a coward.
Damn right you are.

Once Gingko had led Amber safely to the dock, she turned and gripped her Garde firmly by the shoulders. Gingko's side of the family were Cepans, but their other relatives were powerful Garde; and the strongest of them always had the humblest beginnings. Gingko knew Amber was a control freak, and always strove to be perfect. With the arrival of a new Legacy, everything got complicated for any young Garde. It was a fact of Loric life, and a harsh rite of passage for teenagers.
She remembered that her niece, Anise, had attempted to impress her girlfriend with a feat of gymnastics. She ended up developing antigravity that day. It had worked out well for the competition, and she had won; but the following day, she lost control of her Legacy and ended up getting stuck with her gravity sticking to a wall. The catch? Her sister had shoved her in a chimney, and she couldn't tell what wall she was stuck on. Luckily, her mother (a leader in the council of Loric Elders) had the Legacy of Dreynen, to cancel others' Legacies. She had 'fixed' her daughter's 'glitch' with only a few minor bruises. Anise's training after that had been very, very careful, and she had kept an eye on Hazel.
Gingko understood very well. And Amber wasn't her first Garde... the last one, she didn't like to talk about. It was a long story.
"There will always be things we can't control in life," she said, "such as my daughter's death. We can't control everything... but we can control ourselves. I need improvement in this faculty too, but right now I am talking about you."
"At first, when you get a Legacy, violent outbursts of it will happen if your emotional levels spike dramatically. With a first Legacy as powerful as yours, this could be dangerous. The calmer you are, the easier it is to control your gifts. But sometimes you just need to take it out. Focus on something -- not a person -- and shock it with all your might. It won't help to keep all this power inside."

Acacia was respectfully silent as Rori spoke. She took in each word, analyzing the situation carefully. If she was to meet with Eboni, great; if she had to show her a move, still good, but a little more challenging. Unfortunately, as a Matthias with her father's blood, her fighting style was very boring. The only 'specialized' things she did involved a concept not many of her fellow Mogadorians understood. She would have to adapt one of her moves so she would not sound dull.
She was pleased to be offered a surveillance mission, however when Rori mentioned the Garde she had encountered, Acacia's vision suddenly was blinded by a blue light. It disappeared in a second, and she doubted she had really seen it. Something about that boy. There was a thing she needed to remember, but it was just out of reach. She ignored it and focused fully on Rori.
"I accept," she said courteously with a nod of her head. She smiled, but it was one of Acacia's signature smiles that never reached her eyes. Her dark yet bright eyes, empty yet thoughtful, cold yet compassionate. Besides her immediate family and closest friends, Rori included, not many enjoyed making eye contact with her. "Thank you, Rori. If it is alright, may I see Eboni now?"

[TheFae]

Esme
35
Location: Clark's Mansion
Tagged: Rowan

Esme looked up, only to see him move closer. She leaned in towards him, but then he pulled away, almost like he'd been shocked. He stammered an apology before running, and tears immediately pricked into Esme's eyes. "It was too good to be true." She bitterly stated. He must have already loved another, and the very thought tore Esme's heart into two. She had foolishly fallen head over heels for him, with no way out, and now she was stuck loving someone who could never love her back. Esme shook her head, and slowly walked towards her room, feeling numb and lonely.

Amber
16
Location: The Dock
Tagged: Gingko

Amber nodded, truly listening to Gingko's words and letting the advice sink in. Amber then took a deep breath, and looked for something to shock. Something that could handle the amount of heat it was about to experience. Her eyes landed on a tall oak, and she hoped no one was fond of the tree. She closed her eyes, and found the source of her stress. It was blistering and moving, almost like it was alive and a part of her. She grabbed a hold of it, and when she opened her eyes, she let all of her stress go towards the single blast. A bright white arc of lightning left Amber's hands, and they crackled until they hit the tree. With a loud boom, the tree was split in half, and it groaned as it fell towards the ground. It was completely charred, and Amber could see the smoke rising from off of it. "This could be a very dangerous Legacy." She murmured aloud, watching the destruction she had just caused.

Rori
36
Location: A Room
Tagged: Acacia, Icaron

Rori smiled when Acacia accepted. "Perfect. We leave tomorrow, if that's okay with you." She smiled. She noticed Acacia's smile hadn't reached her eyes, but Rori was used to it. "Absolutely! She would love that!" Rori smiled. "See you later, Icaron." She smiled, starting to walk out of the doors and towards her niece with Acacia in tow. "Can you say, 'The Best Aunt Ever'?" She thought with a laugh.