INVICTUS || .ic [CLOSED]

"Hm." Angela thought for a moment. "All that teleportation stuff still seems risky to me. I guess it'd be fun to have, but I'm not sure it's something we really need, compared to the conventional means and everything else already at our disposal." She paused. "Still, I can try to help. what's the problem this time."

She paused when asked about her reasons for stopping by. "Well, now that you mention it, I would like to see how things are coming along. But I did show up just to check on you. Some of the greener agents are training, and I could crash that party pretty easily, but you know how the higher-ups can get about that." As she spoke, her hologram began to drift around the room. "And I've had my share of training sims. They're useful, but it doesn't matter if you're a digital construct, that shit can all hurt just the same. Which is...unpleasant, to say the least. Not that I'd be avoiding it much longer anyway."

"I could probably at least help with the spider robot problem. Particularly if they're wireless-enabled or similar." She already started her own queries, network-side. Not much more than a little sniffing around until she was given the go-ahead, but if they had a presence she could track, she'd do her best to chase them down. Actually getting to them might be a separate problem, of course. Unless she decides to become Dread Spider Queen or something and just take the lot of them over. The thought brought a mischievous smile to her lips.
 
DOCTOR BAUMANN​
Eager as always to crack open a problem. It’s something that Draeger missed within these labs: that spirit and energy to tackle any obstacle that arises. Leaning back in his chair, the supervisor focused on the conversation at hand. All the while, information about the latest upgrades to Angela’s physical chassis flashed on screen. “Do you recall the previous hurdle when it was in beta organic phase? The one about the particles being unable to assemble properly once entering reassembling phase in Pod B?

Once more, fingers danced across his keyboard to reach the files pertaining to 73L394D-Z374. Clicking on one of the video links, he full screened it on his screen to reveal the latest testing. A white lab mouse scurried around Pod A of the device. Then, a great flash of light blinds the screen for a moment. Then, the view comes back in to view, revealing the remains of the lab rat in Pod B. The video soon came to an end. “Of course we’ve underestimated the amount of power needed to break down the specimen and converting its particles into pure light. But, the readings remain unchanged.” Draeger soon brought up a document that consisted of the data of the machine in question during that trial. “Unlike the apples that was used in beta organic, there was a clear spike in electromagnetism contained in Pod A for this test. I had thoughts that if the Conversion Reactor was calibrated to take the load better, then live specimens may fair better during travel.” A flash of yellow passed over his gaze before turning dark once more as he faced towards Angela.

The practical means of travel is all well and good, but there situations where it could be defused faster if transport was cut in half if not boiled down to milliseconds. … I also wouldn’t mind taking a few seconds to get from Point A to Point B without enduring a plane ride.” Draeger nervously scratched his ear as he rose from his chair. Soon, the topic changed briefly to the reason Angela decided to appear. Company’s nice, but he couldn’t help but get curious about the new prospects of Invictus. Who knows what kind of intellectual minds would appear here? The thought that Angela wanted to interfere with the first wave of training, he couldn’t help but wonder where she “learned” that.

It’s because it’s one of the quickest way to learn and adapt, sadly. Through pain, we learn not to repeat the same mistake… for most of us.” Moving towards the large table, Drager busied himself in turning the contraption on. Soon, a holographic projection of a booting screen appeared. Soon, it darkened and ready to be used. As the supervisor began to input a few commands, he couldn’t help but worry slightly at the enthusiasm of hunting for these prototype spiders. If she were to meld with them… “I can handle the spider problem. At least it’s on the same wireless network, working through a Hive Mind behavior. The only things I’d worry about is how far progressed the AI has grown and that a few spiders may or may not be explosive… or contain deadly lasers…” he mumbled to himself.

It wasn’t long before Draeger had projected his own hologram on the table, revealing what a few scientists have been working on for Angela. There, the newest chassis upgrade was projected from the table along with a few new tool ideas. “Let’s see… we’re about 90% through the latest upgrade to your physical chassis. Some enhancements have been made to endure concussive blows to the chest and joints. We’ve also eliminated a few bugs too from the last chassis. … is there anything else you’d like to add?
 
Angela C. Lovelace
Dr. Bauman's Lab


"Teleportation's not my forte, sadly. But...live organics have got to be more difficult. I mean, information's easy enough to send around by quantum spookiness or similar tricks. But the sheer amount of it in a macroscopic object on its own is nuts...and gotta be worse for keeping everything straight in terms of every single little thing important to, you know, coming out a living cell or whatever and not a dead one. Might be a bandwidth issue, if you're at least getting a dead thing."

"Could also be an issue related to the energy required for the actual probe systems. I'd have to suggest it, but have you tried talking with the magic guys? I thought they already had this sort of routine down."

"I know the whole deal with pain and other signaling methods associated with the body's senses. Doesn't make them any more pleasant, but they serve necessary purposes. My body's designed with such in mind, you know. Probably won't quite be the same, but all that stuff's got a use, even if some of it looks pretty pointless. Evolution hits on some pretty great stuff, but it also tends to take any solution as long as it works, and all. Not that looking at something and saying 'I can do better' tends to end well."

Once the projection was up, Angela's attention shifted from Draeger to the...other hologram of "her". "It should be fine, if everything's in good working order. Not like it can't be upgraded while in use, anyway. You've done as much to some of the other operatives."
 



Sable Elias Mereworth


"Fight me if you wish, but know I am old for a reason."
x
Sable wasn't completely sure how he would be able to keep up with Esfir, but simply nodded to Vyla when she thanked him. He found it kind of funny when she called him dude. No one had really called him dude ever.

"Okay just stay here I'll go-" He was cut off by the simulation room door opening, and Martin ushering in a new face. Wonderful. Just lovely. He looked at his phone to check the time. Where was Storm? He had been so focused on other things that he barely noticed the Valkyrie step into the room and was a bit startled when he heard her voice. She was indeed beautiful, and he was excited to see what she had to offer in terms of abilities.

"Right. Everyone, welcome. My name is Agent Sable Mereworth, code name Omen. Please, just call me Sable." He gestured around him to the room. "This is one of our simulation rooms, where we put new agents like you. If you have never been inside one, congratulations on your first experience." He looked to the hoodied male and cleared his throat a bit. "Agent Ergo, I see you have made your way into the simulation room. Again. This training is for new recruits only, you know the rules." He paused for a moment. "However, you could make yourself useful. Could you please get a glass of water for Miss Vyla? Please don't spill any when you run back here." He asked him. Sable knew the kid just wanted to train and blow off some steam, but rules were rules. He could seriously hurt someone if he couldn't keep his abilities in check. Without really waiting for a response from the male, knowing he would probably do what a senior agent told him, he turned back to his flock.

"Today is a simple assessment. Each agent will have to go through various obstacles and trials. This is purely to know the current limits of your abilities, what needs improving, and what does not. I don't expect any of you to perfect this assessment, as nobody ever does. It's not made to perfect." He glanced to Vyla for a split second, hoping she wasn't about to be scared off. The documents he read claimed she disliked tests like these and rarely did well. He continued.

"Not only will the test be assessing your abilities, it will be assessing your physical capabilities such as running, lifting, jumping, et cetera." He continued, looking the agents over. "There will not be purely solo courses, and you will be expected to work together on some. Myself and Agent Storm will be a part of the obstacles you will have to face." He trailed off, casting a sour look to the door. "If he gets here." He mumbled, then turned to the newest recruit.

"Sorry, they didn't give me any documentation on you, or really any indication you'd be here, so I don't know your name. What would you like to be called by me and your fellow agents? And have you gotten an assigned code name?" He asked Seier, already jotting down some penciled in information in his notes on the recruits. "Also if you could, give me a brief explanation on what your abilities are, if any. Just so we have an idea of what you can do."

This whole assessment would hopefully end up just fine. He knew Storm was capable, he was just chronically tardy. Knowing him, he'd show up just as Sable was about to give up on him being there. Sable himself was what some people called "anal" about time. Unlike some immortals, who viewed time as something that didn't need paying attention to, Sable knew that to mortals time was important. He himself didn't care much about time, but he gave mortals the kindness of viewing time as one of them, which meant being on time. But apparently some mortals really didn't care.​

 
[fieldbox=Seier Rose] Seier had made her way a little bit further into the simulation room, observing the others who were in there, thankful she hadn't made too much of a disturbance. She watched the red-haired man who'd named himself as Sable, listening to him carefully. She still wasn't entirely sure about what role she could possibly play at INVICTUS. There was a moment of silence before Seier realized that Sable was talking to her. Her expression went from blank to annoyed, her brow furrowing slightly.

After a split second of thought Seier spoke, hertone implicating the fact that she was only barely tolerating even being there, "Seier. Seier Rose. Ah wosn't told ah'd fuken' be 'ere either, if ah'm t'be paerfectly awnest. Ah've naw gott'n a code name are any-ucken-thing, but' folks n' my village used tae cawll me Void Witch." She stopped talking for a moment, glaring at Sable with piercing grey eyes, making it abundantly clear she didn't like the fact that she'd been suddenly kidnapped, drugged, imprisoned, questioned, and forced to work for an organization she didn't care a single thing about.

"As faer my abilities..." Seier paused, pondering over how to describe her power, "Ah've got th' ability tae create dimensions. I can do jos' 'bout anything with 'em. Possibilities aer endless. Ah guess tha's why you fuckers kidnapped me right oot tha motel. If ah might make the suggestion to include a better matress in tha holdin' cell, ah've got a pure achin' back!" She rubbed her back a bit comically, sarcasm lacing her words. She'd wanted to say so much more, to let them know just exactly what she thought of their organization so far,but she took Martin's warning seriously. She didn't want to mouth off too badly to the wrong person, but she didn't want thse people to think she was happy with them, either.[/fieldbox]

@Tarieles @ERode @Jakers @Jinx
 
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[fieldbox="Gabriel Baraniq +ERGO, #242424, solid, 10"]
Gabe's presence in the simulation room didn't go unnoticed by Sable. He had hoped that somehow, magically, with his hoodie Sable wouldn't recognize him. But after he had gotten that odd look by the red haired male just before turning his attention to the very ill looking Vyla, Gabe felt like he had received an electric shock. The jig is up! He was caught, wasn't he? Was he going to get kicked out? He hoped now? His excited smile turned into one of embarrassment and he reached up to rub the back of his neck.

Looking over to Esfir and Vyla, he watched their little spectacle, though kept out of their business. Friends had to catch up, right? His focus kept going around to the others in the room, listening and trying to pay attention to everyone at once. But when Sigdrifa made herself known, his focus landed squarely on her. Whoa. When did she get there?! The rubbing at the back of his neck stopped, but Gabe didn't realize that he was now absently rubbing his cheek. Something about her was very, very pretty. Maybe she reminded him of someone he once knew. The strength that reflected in her eyes. A blush rose to his cheeks after he had realized he had been staring. Instead of just looking away, he spun around to avoid facing her altogether. He tilted his head up, looking up toward the simulation room rafters. It was safe to look that way, right? Right???

The door opened again and Gabe risked to look and see who it was. Another girl was brought into the room. For some reason... Gabe half thought that maybe this was meant to be a female-exclusive sim training. And that thought made his face turn red. He was just about to throw his hood over his head when Sable addressed him.
He spun around again and blinked cluelessly at the other agent.

"A-Ah... y-yeah about that... ahahahah..." He straightened up and let go of his hood so that he could once again, rub the back of his neck. This time, he somewhat frantically rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his own hair."I thought I could just... okay." His attempt to explain himself fell short and he just as easily submitted to Sable's request for him to get Vyla some water. He ducked his head slightly as he stepped passed the girls toward the door. Though as he was making his way, he had realized he was making a straight line for the new girl that had entered the room, and he quickly spun around her to head out the door.

Once outside of the simulation room, he looked back as his feet led him on. "Maaaan! I wanna help train too."
His thoughts slowly recalled the last time he helped the new recruits. He had gotten carried away and accidentally broke part of the sim room. And he had also scared one of the recruits so badly that they held themselves up in the infirmary for a couple days. Well... there went that plan then...

And there went his balance.

Gabe had ran into something rather sturdy and stumbled back so that he wouldn't lose his balance. He looked forward again and as soon as he saw Jasper he started to panic. Hands went out quickly to try and apologetically straighten Jasper out. "S-sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to--I wasn't looking--I mean, I just.. I-I I'll make it up, I'm sorry!"
[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="STORM KELLY, #242424, solid, 10"]
So things didn't exactly work out the way Storm wanted them to.

It was just supposed to be a quick nap before the holding cells were scheduled for their routinely cleaning. And he would wake up and leave when the janitor made it through. From there he'd go to the simulation room like he was supposed to and do the thing that the person told him to do. It was supposed to be fine. Buuuut of course that's not how it happened.

The janitor never showed up.
He was never woken up for his nap.
The doors locked automatically, locking Storm in one of the holding cells.
Well shit.

Storm had to wait almost an hour before someone decided to mosey on by and noticed that the agent was in a place that he wasn't supposed to be. "Kelly?" The man asked, brow furrowing. He turned to the cell door and placed his hand on it. "Did you get in trouble or something?"

"Ah...well not really." Storm muttered. He was sitting on the bed along the back wall, feet kicked up and a lit cigarette between his lips. "I fell asleep."

"....In a holding cell?"

"Yep."

"....Kelly, we're ten floors deep. How do you fall asleep down here?"

"It was quiet."

The man let out a sigh and hung his head for a moment as his hand started to glow on the thick transparent door.
The sounds of mechanisms turning sounded out and soon the door opened up. Storm hopped off the bed and fixed his shirt and cuffs as he stepped out. "Thanks pal." He muttered and slipped his hand into his pocket to fish out his phone. He looked it over, but the screen didn't light up. Dead. Of course. "Can I borrow your phone?"

<To: Sable
From: Ted
Message: Hey, it's Storm. omw now. ETA 15 mins. Stall for me>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes and counting, Storm had already taken the elevator upwards and rushed as fast as his casual walk could carry him down to the simulation hall. Despite not being there, he had seen everything take place so far. Vyla entering the room via portal, Esfir attacking her with a burst of friendly excitement, Gabe sneak in only to be cast out, Sig, Sable and Seier. He even saw Martin scurry back to something he found more interesting. He already had a couple sigils hidden about, but more than that... he had access to the simulation panel room.

He didn't head into the simulation room right away when he got there. Instead, he headed into the side door to 1-A that lead to the simulation room panel. The room that controlled the entire transformation of the room and set the difficulty. He quietly slipped into the chair and looked through the large one way mirror and watched the group below.

Sable looked irritated, and rightly so. Time to annoy him even further.

He cracked his knuckles and let out a small sigh as he started inputting the simulation code. He had another five minutes before anything would appear in the room though.​
[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Venn Charles - INDIE, #242424, solid, 10"]
And here Venn thought he had thoroughly scared people off with his death glare so that he could be left alone.
But no. Somehow, it always seemed to attract more people. Silently simmering, he looked over to the presence that made themselves known. A brow rose for a moment. This guy... he was the yaoguai, wasn't he? Venn took a quick look over his features. Definitely. He could just feel the energy radiating off of the guy. It was interesting to say the least--and at any other time Venn would have eased up the penetrating glares, but he was a little too irritated to spare the mercy.

His eyes trailed over to the phone Huiyin was showing him. Cracked. Shattered, was probably a better word. Venn clicked his tongue and looked away. "You fucking serious?" He muttered and started to walk. He went a few paces before motioning for the other to follow him. He could at least walk with him to the R&D department. They'd at least be able to help him fix his phone if not just issue him a new one. "Behemoths are fucking high level. Who the fuck set it for a low level?" He looked back at Huiyin over his shoulder. Really, the yaoguai was probably lucky he didn't come out more messed up than just his phone. Skill or not, if the room hadn't been monitored, it might have been a real bad time.

It wasn't too long before Venn had led Huiyin to the R&D labs. The door opened, but the main area was just a bit empty. He could hear voices from another section of the room. Instead of calling out, he simply walked in further.​
[/fieldbox]
 
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[bg=#000000][fieldbox="Jasper Lin, #bfbfbf, solid, 4, Courier New"]The first half of Jasper's walk back to his residence had, for the most part, proven to be entirely uneventful. Aside from encountering a mysteriously abandoned mop bucket (sans its mop, for whatever reason) sitting in the middle of a pristine hallway, he hadn't come across anything out of the ordinary as he strolled through Facility 287 - a fairly atypical occurrence in and of itself, given the nature of said facility's occupants.

Just as the senior agent was nudging the forlorn janitorial receptacle out of the way with his foot, however, he felt someone suddenly plow into him. Adjusting his stance in order to remain on his feet, Jasper glanced up to find the culprit - an agent whom he recognized as 'ERGO,' but was generally unacquainted with - stammering an apology. Off to one side, the bucket's contents sloshed with the transmitted force of their collision, yet miraculously remained unspilled.


"That's alright, Agent Baraniq," he replied mildly as the former helpfully (albeit rather energetically) straightened him out, rumpling his necktie ever-so-slightly in the process. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't need to apologize over something so trivial." Jasper absently ran a hand over his tie to flatten it again, then looked over at Gabe quizzically. "What had you so distracted, anyway? Is there someplace you need to be?"[/fieldbox][/bg]
 
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[fieldbox="Wu Huiyin, #242424, solid, 10"]
“I’m not sure. Fuck.

Swearing in the English language, Huiyin found, had something of a more powerful, visceral feel than in Mandarin. He attributed that to the monosyllabic nature of all the vernacular’s best tools; shit, bitch, fuck. Versatile - a hammer, a knife, fang and razor claw all in one. And most importantly, so very, very easy to learn. It had become a bit of a verbal tic for him, sliding in cuss words mostly unprompted.

He followed Venn, wholly undeterred by the man's more prickly disposition. He began to regale his takeaways from the encounter, beaming. “Big fat elephant man. And long trunk, fuck. But has very short arms. Get in close, and can win.”

The yaoguai had no experience in dealing with actual behemoths, and had read little on the subject. At the very least, Venn’s reaction had fluffed the ego a fair bit; he had gotten careless, perhaps, but he was certain he could match the beast given enough preparation.

He entered the lab close behind Venn, ears perking towards the voices further in.​
[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="C O N D U I T, #242424, solid, 10"]

Blinking a little as what she thought had been the only male rookie in the room got kicked out, Vyla couldn't help but be kinda disappointed. She'd never seen that dude before - which she supposed made sense, considering he probably wasn't a rookie after what Sable said - but she liked how chilled out and awkward he acted. It kinda reminded her of herself, and didn't make her feel so alone in here. In his place, more people she actually knew about started coming into the simulation room, the first of which being Sig.

Sig - apparently, according to what she'd heard from her fellow rookies - wasn't really much of a social person, just like herself. Still... Vyla didn't feel comfortable being around her: a rookie who some sort of 'ascended life form'. She - a more or less normal person - was on the same level as someone who could squash her into paste by coughing? Trembling a little and taking a few steps backwards as 'Victory' entered the room, Vyla hoped the Valkyrie would get promoted already so she'd never have the misfortune of sparring against her.


Es, being Es, tried to spark up some conversation with the Valkyrie, with fashion of the subject. As Esfir took a dig at her fashion sense, Vyla weakly tried to defend herself.
"Ultra slacker...? Hey, I like my shirt..." Vyla protested quietly, almost protectively putting a hand over the fabric round her stomach, "plus, I don't have the time to dress like a...
t-tryhard..." Despite her best efforts, though, trying to argue her clothes were 'cool' against someone like Es was a lost battle from the start. She'd probably be a dreadful fashionista even if she had the time; comfort always came above looks for her. And apparently, to look good, you had to suffocate yourself and break your ankles.

As Sable explained what exactly they'd be doing, Vyla's skin somehow went a little bit paler than it usually did. But then, as that red-haired trainer glanced at her, the feeling was indescribable as Vyla felt something flare up within her. For some reason, Sable glancing at her - just for that brief moment - really, really made her want to not break records of being the 'slowest' or the 'weakest' like she usually did in these trials. Even if she knew her body was weak... if she put in - mentally - everything she could, by some miracle, could she somehow do semi-okay?

'Don't worry... I-I... I'm not gonna run. I know training's still gonna be painful for a while, but... I still won't run.' Vyla thought to herself, smiling slightly but softly as her shaky eyes looked towards the floor. 'I
do want to get stronger. I have to get stronger. I can't stay like this forever, otherwise life is just gonna get even more hellish for me. I... I gotta find some way to show everyone I - in my own way - am strong. Even when alone... I can find a way to be strong...'

Stewing on that thought for a moment, there were doubts in Vyla's mind as she wondered if she could really stick to her words. She usually tried to big herself up with mental semantics, but it rarely came into fruition. Her eyes quickly peered upwards when someone completely new walked in the room, however, making somewhat of an entrance with an accent and tone of voice that appeared to have an explosive, angry quality to it. Plus, hat. As weird as the design was, it really suited 'Seier' for some reason.

Whilst Vyla's reaction to the whole situation had certainly been less volatile, to say the least, she knew exactly how Seier felt. Waking up to have a group of suited people tell you that you're never going to be able to go home, and that you're suddenly 'someone else's property'... it sucked. There were little snippets of a 'nice life' in INVICTUS here and there, but for the most part, it was like being in prison with the occasional bit of torture.

As Sable's fellow handler finally seemed to arrive, the wait was somewhat awkward - to say the least - as the group of rookies stood in wait for the simulation room to set itself up. These handlers - even if they seemed more chill - certainly seemed to be way less organized, which was actually fine by Vyla; that made them all the more relatable.

In the silence, Vyla didn't usually find herself talking to people she didn't know, but... for some reason, she found her body going over to what she assumed was the newest recruit of INVICTUS: Seier. People with a fiery personality usually scared her away, but... it was probably because Vyla knew exactly what she was going through. Though Vyla's posture seemed relaxed as she came near to the hat-donning girl, it was clear Vyla really wasn't good at starting conversations as it took her a few throat-clears and awkward hair-twirls to actually begin to introduce herself to the so-called 'Void Witch'.


"Hey, u-uh... S-Seier, was it? If you want, I can give you some of my pillows once we're done. I know how bad the rooms you start in are... d-did your mattress have springs sticking out of it as well?" Vyla gave a timid chuckle, hoping she wasn't going to be banished to the dimension of super-hell for talking to her, "l-like, um... I find sleeping my front without pillows to be more comfortable anyway, to be honest... so... yeah. If you want, I can go get them for you once I've finished. Sorry if I'm late, though... I usually get out of this thing last..."
[/fieldbox]
 
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[fieldbox="Victory, #242424, solid, 10"]

Sig would never get used to the nickname ‘Si-ri’. Despite this fact, she did find the energetic girl endearing and a positive person in general. Her presence was refreshing, especially in such a dismal place. Sig found that Esfir was usually someone who could coax a smile out of her, even though the Valkyrie often found herself a bit uncomfortable by some of the things the girl said. As the topic of ‘fashion’ came up, she found herself smiling slightly to herself.

“In Valhalla all Valkyrie have golden gowns that we wear to celebrations held there. It is uncommon for some of my kind to be found in the more casual clothing that mortals seem to enjoy wearing.” Sig began to explain to the other girl, her hands moving to the sash cinching her waist. Images of her sisters and herself dripping with jewels and dancing until the morning sun was sparking across their skirts flashed across her eyes. For only a brief second her expression darkened, but returned to its usual neutral look as quick as a flash. It would do her no good to mourn her past life. As Vyla defended her choice of clothing, something in Sig softened as she gazed at her. “As long as you are comfortable and can battle in it, I believe that you are permitted to dress however you please.”

She was grateful when the one referred to as Sable began to speak, allowing her to focus on his words instead of any unpleasant thoughts. Her lips pressed tightly together to repress a grin as someone who was not supposed to be there was sent to fetch water for Vyla. The chain of command was something that she was very familiar with, as she was a fairly young Valkyrie. There were plenty of times that she had been sent to complete trivial tasks simply because those ranking above her were able to command her to do so.

As the events of today were beginning to be explained, a jolt of adrenaline spiked through her veins. The rush of battle, simulated or not, was always something that never ceased to excite her. The chance to exercise her skills was a much welcome opportunity, as the longer she sat in a mundane and thrill-free routine the more restless she would feel herself become. It would be refreshing to run after so long being cooped up, and even more so to feel the familiar hot-blooded energy of sparring one of the higher level agents of this organization. She struggled to keep the excitement from her expression, her wings curling around her a bit tighter at the aspect of finally being able to use her abilities.

The newest out of their group of recruits began to introduce herself, crude words spilling from her mouth as she told them her story. An unrestrained expression of delight made its way onto Sig’s face as she heard the girl speak. It seemed that she had found someone who hated this organization as much as she did, and this girl’s hatred seemed to be fresh and burning. Not only was the Valkyrie excited at the prospect of a possible ally, but the accent that this Seier possessed was absolutely fascinating. Somehow, Sig was able to understand the majority of what she was saying, yet the wild and free tongue sounded similar to the tone of a portion of her sisters.

As Vyla kindly offered pillows to the fiery new recruit, Sig found that once again something in her softened. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this girl somehow reminded her of the youngest Valkyrie, Frihlanestra. Kind and soft-spoken, Vyla simply seemed to give off a warm and respectful aura. Every instinct inside of Sig screamed to protect this innocent child, despite the fact that this girl was an adult in mortal standards, and was also a superpowered being.
[/fieldbox]
 
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[fieldbox="Morning Breeze, #242424, solid, 10"]
Rostam finished his bowl of cereal eventually and just in time to do nothing. With his work being mainly preparation for encounters with objects which were often guarded by powerful magic, some sort of ancient guardian, or some other third thing, he didn't have much to do. He certainly was not having fun reading that text on Spanish artifacts, but it was necessary, it was one of his weak areas and he didn't want to get someone killed because he didn't know something. He closed his book and took his dishes over to the dish rack, he downed the last of the milk in the bowl before he set it down and then waved to the cafeteria staff before heading out with his hands in his pockets and his book under his arm.

"I should really just use the pdf versions, but then again, wind doesn't work on those." Rostam sighed as he looked around the corridors. People were getting busy, they were moving about and taking care of their daily tasks. "I guess I shouldn't complain so much, normally would be swamped in technical work like logging crap into an excel sheet. I talk to myself to much."

Rostam then stepped to the side as someone tried to enter the cafeteria. He apologized for standing in the way and then noticed it was a woman, he checked her out and then went, "Eh," before moving on. He figured his next place should be the recreation room while he had the free time, but while on his way he ran into Deborah and she had her hands clasped together, batting her eyes. Rostam took a deep breath, "What?" He asked her.

"Want to study together?" Deborah asked.

"No, not really, I did what I was going to today." Rostam said as he waved Deborah goodbye.

Rostam then kept on his way, waving to people he knew as he passed them. He then ran into Jasper and Gabe, he waved, just as he did with everyone else.

"Hey, Jasper. Hey, Gabe." Rostam said.
[/fieldbox]

@Eryian
 
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“Please,” Esfir snapped back lightly, “Adidas shirts are only reasonable if you’re playing soccer or trying to be a Slav meme, Vy-Vy. And you don’t even have to tryhard for good clothes! Just leave coordination to me. I’m 1000% sure that one of those backless virgin killer ribbed sweaters would look great on you.”

Thankfully, the heterochromatic girl’s little spiel was interrupted by Sigfrid’s answer, eliciting a starry-eyed gaze from her until it became apparent that Valhalla wasn’t the land of super high end clothing after all. Gowns made out of gold thread was fun to fantasize about, yeah, but uniformity was stagnation, and stagnation was the opposite of fun. With the whole Viking thing of pillaging and partying and debauchery, Esfir had imagined that there would have at least been some WILD AS FUCK fashion styles such as ‘naked with only body paint’ or ‘white wolf fur bikinis’, but perhaps that was less Norse and more Celtic?

“You’d be surprised,” she said, latching instead onto the words that the Valkyrie spoke to reassure Vyla about her own (slacking) fashion sense, “I tried to get away with going on a mission in one of those oversized mascot costumes before, cause it was Halloween and all, yah know? Thought it’d make for a funny story and all…but they actually straight up pulled me out and told me to wear ‘functional’ clothing! Totally an infringement on my agent rights, and I woulda kicked the shit out of that vampire with it on too.”

A terse click of the tongue, and then a quick grin to show that she wasn’t really all that irritated by those memories regardless. With that exchange, however, it was time to truly get to the crux of the situation. Sable posed in an official-esque manner, before dropping dem sick deets like a mad rapper. An obstacle course with combat between Reflecto-Boi and the Red Demon? Definitely sounded pretty wild for something that was meant just to be a test of their current abilities…which should have also been pretty clear. Not like ALTER’s own toolkit changed all that much.

Well, with newbies like the cute-as-a-button-but-foul-as-a-sailor Seier and the basically-newbie Vyla, it was obviously up to big sis Es to take care of her cute juniors. Sparing a smile in the direction of the two as they bonded over…offerings of pillows, Esfir’s eyes eventually settled on Sable instead.


“Great, super cool! Got our Supergirl, our steroids, our Outer God In A Little Girl’s Body, and the ever-cute me. So, we gonna start now, Sable? Or what?”


A slight pause.


“Oh, and just to clarify, you don’t have any super lethal weaknesses, right? Nothing like, if you’re exposed to silver, you explode into gory ashen bits?”
 
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DOCTOR BAUMANN​
With Angela’s input, there’s some things to consider to reapproach the matter of teleportation device. However, incorporating magic into the equation would be a mere short-term solution. Difficulties in relying on on magic to successfully complete this task would arise, especially those too sensitive to the properties and those that completely negate magic entirely. For now, he’d taken a mental note to expand this discussion when his focus shifts back to the project. Angela has become the focus of this conversation after she approved of the new upgrades and future designs of tactical equipment. “Good, good,” Draeger spoke up as he scrolled through older designs Angela had used in the past, “I’d like to hope that there wouldn’t be a need to upgrade once you download your consciousness into this unit. Well, if you change your mind about adding any additional features, you know who to call.i

As, the supervisor began to close out the projected images, two more agents appeared in his lab. Was today the day everyone wanted to visit him? Draeger wanted to think that as he pulled away from the table to greet the agents. He recognized the shorter male as one of the Collectors of Invictus. Though, he couldn’t help but get the strange feeling that the image is complete. Was something missing from this picture? As for the other, he couldn’t quite put his finger on him. The ears should be enough to give Draeger a hint, but he can’t recall if this agent was new to Invictus or to this particular facility.

Oh Venn! Nice to see you again,” he waved at both of the agents as he took a few steps in their direction, “Did you come to visit as well? Or, is there something you need help with?” Dark eyes flicked over to the wolf-eared agent that towered over Draeger. With a big smile on his face, he patted the other’s arm. “I don’t think I’m familiar with you. I’m Dr. Baumann. And, you are?
 



Atticus James Quinn


"Today only comes once."
x

Atticus stepped out of the gym shower, drying his hair to the best of his ability with a towel. He quickly changed into his regular clothes, just a black t-shirt and jeans, and began to make his way back to his room. He nodded to those who passed him, until he was stopped by a person he knew was a senior agent.

"Quinn, you're still a new recruit right?" The woman asked him, to which he simply nodded. "You're supposed to go to simulation room 1-A. They're doing some training with all rookies and lower."

Of course, Atticus was not known to be late. Not for just any reason, anyway. He paled, and began to walk much faster towards his room. He must have not heard the announcement. He was listening to music while he was working out, so it made sense that he missed it. He dropped off his drawstring bag, which contained specific gym shoes and clothes. He decided to stay in his normal clothes, as he had no time to change. He just had to get to the simulation room. He dashed out of his bedroom, and made a sprint towards the simulation room.

Shit shit shit. Did they send an email? I didn't see any, why wouldn't they send a fucking email? Jesus. He ignored people as he passed, some people telling him to slow down, stop running. He ignored them, until he finally reached his destination. He stepped inside, slowing to a stop. He gave a small wave to everyone present.

"Sorry I'm late, didn't hear the announcement." He told Sable, nodding an apology. He looked around the room, soon enough learning that other than Sable, he was the only male in this group. Everyone looked so young. He knew Sig was not young, but she still looked it. He had known of her from past rookie meetups. It was a curious thing, having a rookie that was actually older. A lot of people assumed he was at least a junior agent. After a short pause, he sort of realized that he didn't officially know many of these people. And they may have not known him.

"Atticus Quinn, code name Crisis. Good to meet you all." He greeted the group, getting in line with the rest of them, keeping eye contact with Sable, the supervisor. It was a habit he picked up working as a mercenary and as a bodyguard. Eye contact was respectful, and not maintaining it usually meant disrespect and a beating of some sort. He really wasn't sure what this training was going to entail, and would rather not get on the bad side of the person who was running it.​
 



Sable Elias Mereworth


"Fight me if you wish, but know I am old for a reason."
x
Sable listened intently to Seier introduce herself. He smiled as he listened to her accent, enjoying the small amount of nostalgia from it. He hadn't heard someone speak in that accent for some time. He chuckled a bit.

"I suppose you weren't told, no. They tend to do that. They're lucky nothing has happened to agents who were knocked unconscious. Some people have latent, subconscious abilities that can emerge." He mused, listening to what her abilities were, scribbling them down as she spoke. When she mentioned needing a better mattress, he nodded to her.

"Once they've finished processing you, you will get a better room, trust me. I think the bad conditions might be a scare tactic of some sorts? I don't know, but it's been like that even when I was first... Obtained, just over a hundred years ago." He finished writing down information on her, and gave her a welcoming smile. "And in case Martin was a little cold to you, welcome. We will call you Seier or Agent Rose until you tell us differently. Tha mi toilichte do choinneachadh." [spoili]Pleased to meet you[/spoili] He could only hope she actually did speak Scottish Gaelic, and wasn't just a person with a heavy accent. That would be thoroughly embarrassing.

Sable felt a buzz in his pocket, and held up a finger as he checked an email on his phone. It was from a guy named Ted. Who was Ted? He looked at the message. Oh. Of course Storm was late, that much was obvious. Probably pilfered a phone from a lower ranking agent or something. Now he had to stall even further. Like he wasn't already running out of things to say to these people.

As if some outerplanar deity listened to his deepest desires, in strode a late rookie, something to help him stall. The lone male, he knew exactly who it was from the documents he looked over. He was an older human, something that was not very common for new recruits. Often they were young, in their twenties or even younger, but this one was a bit older.

"Agent Quinn, welcome. Thought maybe you weren't coming." He never liked people who were overly formal towards him, but he dealt with it. Some of the agents were ex-military after all. "Considering you came in late, I will give you a quick rundown on what this exercise will entail." He cleared his throat, looking at the male. "This is a simple assessment of your abilities, both supernatural and physical. You will go through various obstacles, some of which include myself and Senior Agent Kelly. This test is to simply tell us what you need improving on, and what we can leave well enough alone." He watched Atticus nod to him, and taking it as an understanding, moved on.

"We should be starting now, but I would like to wait until Agent Baraniq gets back with water for Vyla here." He responded as Esfir asked him about the training. He actually audibly laughed when asked about his weaknesses. "No, I don't explode when I come into contact with anything. Don't worry about me, I am incredibly hard to actually hurt. Just try not to use any world ending attacks on us and we'll be fine." He joked, wondering where in the hell Storm was. It was nearing 15 minutes. Sighing, he looked back to Vyla.

"I'm sorry, but we really need to get going. I hope you're feeling better. If all goes well, Ergo will be back around the time we finish and you can have water for once you're done." He gave her a small apologetic smile, then tucked his clipboard and documents under his arm, heading for the door.

"I'll go start the simulation, if everyone would just wait here." He told them, reaching for the door. As if by magic, he heard the telltale thunk of the door locking. That meant he wasn't able to actually get out. He glanced up towards the ceiling, where he knew was a two way mirror into the control room. Did they upgrade these rooms for voice command? He turned back to the group and began to walk towards them, just as the whole room went dark for a split second. When the lights came back on, the room appeared to be massive. The door was gone and the white expanse around them seemed to go on forever. The floor appeared a slightly darker white, a very light gray. Simple dark gray blocks about the size of buildings shot from the floor. One in particular materialized below the group, Sable included and brought them up among the rest of the buildings. None of them were taller than a few stories, but he was still disoriented from it. When the block they were one stopped, a very confused looking Sable looked towards the group.

"So, um, this is a regular simulation for new recruits. We'll get actually started in a moment."
 
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Mina Helsing & Dracula

Mina was kneeled down in the hangar base as two suited individuals held to their guard to the unloading plane as a young girl with startling golden locks bounced down the steps and all but squealed happily at the sight of Mina as she dropped her pastel pink backpack to the ground and shuffled over in a run. Her small arms instantly were thrown in a lock around Mina's neck as she smiled happily and allowed her own arms to tighten around the girl as she gathered her closely and sealed a soft kiss atop her head. Aria all but smiled happily as Mina spoke."Hey there , you.. Look at how quickly your growing up on me. Would make your father want to hide you away more." She said in amusement as Aria herself giggled and shook her head furiously with a pout forming at her small lips."Nu-Uh! Daddy wouldn't have done that or I couldn't get a hubby and no hubby means no kisses!"She exclaimed and drew back to poke at Mina's cheeks whilst Mina herself all but laughed and looped her arms loosely around her waist and drew her up to her hip with a cuddling motion and eyed her in play."We can't have you getting married so early , Little Lady. Now , why don't we get you moved into our new home and get you set up for the day mm?" She said softly to her as Aria herself bobbed her head and held tightly as Mina carried her away with the guards in tow to either side that she herself had personally chosen and assigned to hold guard over Aria when she could not. As her look passed over Aria's innocent one , she couldn't help the soft sigh escaped her lips at the familiar nature and coloring of her gaze that held similar to Izrael himself. Her look faded away to the side as they made their way up the stairwell that held off to the West Wing of the building as a solid oak door came into sight as she set Aria down.

Without hesitation , she beamed happily and ran to the door and clicked it open with a heavy swing to enter the space of their new home as she happily chattered away to the fun that was to come before she turned her look to an approaching agent. She gave a small signal to the guard and that of the woman who had accompnied them to enter the building after the guard. Mina herself turned on the heel of her boot to brace her hand light to the sheathed katana at her belt as she met the gaze of the agent as her freed hand extended forth to accept the tablet as she spoke calmly and directed the younger agent to walk at her side."Is this all the up to date information listed on Dracula and any current events , strikes and or issues that have occured with him from his final handler and substitute ones?" She questioned as the man nodded and gave his gaze to her and answered."Yes Ma'am. All the data you will need is gathered and collected under the needed areas of knowledge on him.. I should warn you that he has quite the ass hole tempermant." He would state plainly as Delmoria's voice echoed in amused laughter to her mind.

"He sounds like quite the monster to poke at , Dear Girl... I wouldn't mind playing with that delicious food.." Yet , Mina quickly silenced her and nodded to the agent as she carried herself ahead of him and tucked the tablet under her arm as she calmly spoke."Don't worry.. I've dealt with worse then that... Try having that in your head on a daily basis." She said with a soft laugh before giving the small of her hand a wave before departing down the hall.

Several hours later , she could be found in the practice room as the large space flickered and released several practice figures as her eyes glowed bright red in that instant and her katana swung loose and incinerated before her as the blade itself awoke and loosened into a chain whip. Suddenly , she spun on the heel of her boot and allowed it to tighten around the incoming robot's neck as she dragged it closely to her form and flipped it in an instant over her head as it crashed into the wall. There pieces of it scattered and broke before it ignited and burned to ashes. She could truly feel her blood begin to boil as she slammed the blade into the ground and allowed the fire to burn in an outward circle to finish the remaining droids before it point blank announced.

Session Complete. No Remaining Targets Alive.

She breathed slowly as Delmoria whispered in her mind and she let herself calm whilst her gaze faded to normal. With that moment , she turned on her geel and allowed her blade to be sheathed as the dark smoke that fell from in vanished upon being sheathed. With that , she spoke to the screen in the front of the room."Locate and bring up the files on Dracula. History , Images , Timeline and all." She stated firmly as she freed her hair from her bun to spin loosely free as her red locks framed the features of her face as she overlooked the files calmly and took in the images and the accounted knowledge of him whilst Delmoria herself was studying along within.

"Why not just ask me yourself , my dear...." The dark alluring voice with a predatory charm spoke from the entrance of the training room only for her gaze to look up and find nothing there before she felt a lick behind her ear. Immediatly reacting to her slash she would bring to him by grabbing and halting her wrist. A small empty but entertained look within his mismatched orbs. Orbs of a monster that had been on this earth for far too long and had seen countless attrocities.You are certainly a fast learner but..." He spoke leaning his face inches closer to her her."It seems you have brought an uninvited guest.... As lovely as she may be I think there are already enough demons in your life." He said before looking briefly over her lips and then lower to the vein in her neck. "A Pity....I already have the blood of one demon crawling through my veins. I don't think they would get along" He said with a laugh before releasing her and letting her step back. He had learned how to read others to a near perfect natural ability, especially mortals but with her she had changed a great deal since their last encounter."I see you took my advice and learned to see with the eyes of your ancestor himself...." Dracula spoke as she was able to see him in a far..darker light. A heavy dark aura surrouding his form and most of the room around him. The weight of his power normally held away from all out of decency and personal desire. His eyes the darkest form of crimson that burned into her eyes before a small smirk formed to his lips and he surpressed such aura even further.We have much to catch up on...master of mine." He said with a slight bow and as he straightened up his tongue slowly skimmed over a single sharp canine.

That familiar voice rang clear in the space of the room as she quickly spun on the ball of her foot to witness that of an empty space. Mina all but hissed lowly at the feel of a tongue teasing her lobe in a skim as her blade swung forth to all but be halted mid swing. He caught her wrist firmly in his hold.as she tilted her head a bit and eyed him with a calm look as her lips twisted into a smirk. It only increased further as he drew in nearer to her as their lips hovered closely to each other and she herself all but allowed her blade to catch fire as he released it in an instant as she lowered it to be sheathed once again."I had to learn fast with all they put me through.. Especially to handle someone like you without being killed. Besides.. If you would stop licking your lips at the thought of tasting my blood it would make for a better conversation.. We all have our demons , doesn't mean they were meant to dance well with one another." She simply answered in that moment to him as she smiled sweetly and ignored the fact that he knew of what dwelled within her as Delmoria herself tsk'ed softly as Mina mentally silenced her and manuerved away from Dracula as she kept a steady hand to the hilt of her blade. As he commented on Van Helsing himself she nearly found herself flattered by such as she turned to meet his look once more."He knew the ways of what needed to be done and I simply took in the scrolls and manuscripts he left behind from his own time of living. They say we can learn by those before us and so I did." She responded with a softness in her words as she could feel his darkness seeping and twisting into the space as her own began to grow and match his.. A soft twinge of crimson could be found playing within her emerald hues as the monster within fought to show its dominance and she denied it time and time again.

She let her breath fall soft as she made a gesture of her hand to the doorway to walk with her as she moved ahead. She couldn't help but to chuckle merely at his words and the title offered to her."Master...? I'll have to get used to such a title but , for now you can refer to me as Mina from now on.. Care to tell me what made you so eager to see me again..? I would think I would be the one person you'd wish to be rid of the most or did you have a change of heart , Dracula?" She played lightly in return to him as she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk still held at her crimson lips as her eyes were stained with a taunting amusement in her look.

Seeing the crimson aura return as the demon within her played back at him many emotions had danced through his eyes. This demon was powerful....in a familiar sense even. A bit less to the degree of the demon who gave him the means to become what he was now.She likes to play I see..." He said calmly before returning his gaze to her own while the auras seeped back within the both of them."Mina.... How personal do you normally choose to get with demons and monsters of the night." He said with a raised brow before walking up to her side."As for your question...without my handler....for some odd reason this organization tends to watch and restrain me much more without the one I am bound to present. It's like they think I will misbehave.." He chuckled and brought his fist over his lips along with it.

"Having you ready to be at my side will hopefully promise a few years to get out and enjoy the fresh air...and the delights the outside will offer as opposed to most of those in charge here. Please feel free to call me whatever you wish. Anghel if you wish to refrain from the name given to me by legend in mistake of my father." He said with his name flourishing his romanian tongue even further."I hope you prove to be interesting and not one of the more restrictive and cautious of your bloodline. But moving on...Mina. You have questions or at least a desire to learn more about your servant. I only want to know one thing in return if you will indulge me." He said before taking a step in front of her and a serious nature held to his expression to the very core."What do you plan to do with the being within you. Your family I am sure adores it just as much as they do me and the only reason I have concern is you are the one who holds my reins....Demons can be much more...'creative' but I made my contract with only onebeing...not a second pact with a demon."

Delmoria remained on a calculated guard within as she let her gaze dance over the man from within. This monster dared to challenge her and above all had taken up the role of speaking so boldly of her and her game she played as she delved deeper within the hidden depths of Mina's soul once more as her own darkness diminished. Mina's brow quirked with an odd sense of amusement to his words as her shoulders rolled back in a shrug."Seems I was destined to find myself in the company of creatures of the night... I mean look at myself , I'm bound to one so how can I even resist the thought of said forms of company." She said with a brief gesture at him before she herself manuevered down the next bend in the hall she let her gaze flicker over him in that moment as she smirked a tad."Do you really wonder why they keep you under lock and key? Should I begin to list off the countless lives that have been slaughtered at your hand or the poor virgins that you have drained of their blood in your centuries upon centuries of living. I think we can both safely say why you are needing a handler to keep you in line." She said with a mere chuckle playing softly from her lips as Mina spared him a playing look as she jested."I would have to be a foolish woman to believe that your the kind to behave without guidance."She finished with a growing smile as she herself continued to trail on ahead of him as her jacket flitted behind her.

"You will be limited to what I will allow you to do in the outside world as you are still a threat and someone I have to keep a watchful eye on.. Consider yourself on a mandatory leash with me until I trust you enough to ensure that you will not pull a stunt that will screw over this originization." She would state plainly as he asked what name she wished to call him as she herself gave a light nod."I'll call you Anghel though someday you'll have to amuse me with the story on how someone like you gained such a name.. The name seems odd on you." Her look would find his as her brow gave a slight raise."My bloodline has often been more guarded and caution is never shameful to have.. It keeps one's guard up and ensures we are looking over things with a true dedicated nature.. That is the Helsing way.." She said as her words drifted off and all but narrowed on him as he stood before her with a cold expression as she herself neared him as they came toe to toe with one another. Her look bore a great guard against him."My family abandoned me as soon as they heard a monster had claimed a hold over me.. I don't know what family is anymore and to me it doesn't even matter because they fear me.. My demon is not one I can be rid of or plot against.. She has a mind of her own but , you can take up the arguement with her on your worries.. I'm bound to this until my dying day... And how I await it." She said calmly with a darkened look captivated in her eye as the eerie figure of someone passed the hall behind her as she looked to him."Care to bring up anymore painful topics or are you dying to piss off the monster in me , Anghel?" She questioned briefly as her gaze did not once leave his own.

"Some of your predesessors would say you are taking a stance on night creatures and how freely you walk with them too lightly." He said simply as he held personal distaste to how little she cared to show in severity for the demon within her. But he understood her line better than anyone and it was not unusual for them to face impossible obstacles or to put things out of ones control in a more simple and managable light. To her words he put his hand to his chest and let out a hearty honest laugh as he bent over a bit from her words."My my...I can only imagine where you have been told such things my dear master." Anghel said wiping away the mock tears at his eyes."If you deem I must have you around me than by all means. It's not like I....bite.." He said with a devious glint and near sadistic smirk."Nearly all of your line has held me on a restrictive hold, not that I can truly blame them. Afterall. You all understand little of the bond I have with you and it frightens most of you to the fact that if that small single sliver of protection faded.....you would be dead in an instant." He said darkly while his eyes returned crimson briefly.

Continuing to move at her side along the grounds of Invictus he gave a small wave to the guard that was almost always stationed outside of his 'lair' to which he was given a less than pleased return gesture. O he was so fun to toy with he must admit."Anghel is a name given to me at birth. My middle name to be exact. The files you have read should surely have explained that." He said to tease and prod further before she halted in front of him with an icy gaze that seemed so familiar on those features of hers. Listening to her words he gave no reaction and simply stood before her almost like a careless statue before she turned from him.

*Sounds familiar..*

He held her challenging and guarded gaze with his own it seemed it was almost certain he was to continue to poke at the fire that started to scorch between them only for him to step past her and stop at her side."You intrigue and continue to interest me..for now. So at least for the time being. I will offer some courtesy. There will be plenty of time to get to the more savory bits of your tale Mina." He chuckled giving her a playful wink before awaiting her movements as him and Mina continued to trail their way down the hall in search of a more private space to talk on matters.
 
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[fieldbox="Ꮢ Ꭼ Ꮑ Ꭼ Ꮆ Ꭺ Ꭰ Ꭼ, #242424, solid, 10"]
It was a small, square panel. Perhaps two square feet, maximum. A quaint, bathroom mirror with square corners that reflected back the vibrant, sapphire gemstones that peered into it. A woman sighed, the marionette trapped inside the mirror following the slender puppeteer's tired movements as she made ready for the day. Toothbrush, face wash, hairbrush; these were the tools of Arisha's daily routine. Life was duty. Duty was routine. Routine was monotony. Had anyone watched the first few minutes of Arisha's days, one may have assumed a boring lifestyle seeping with normality.

But if they had not watched, but listened... they would hear something far more curious. The buzzing of the living... the lamentations of the dead. Arisha could hear the souls within her vicinity, a constant, incoherent chatter that sounded like little more than superfluous white noise. It would be enough to drive anyone crazy... hell, it drove Arisha mad. The incessant, inaudible sounds of those around her was something that no person could ever learn to appreciate, only tolerate. To make matters worse, Arisha felt her extrasensory powers were even more annoying when she was tired. Or perhaps, her fatigued state only made her more irritable to them.

"Damn it!" The pissed off beauty cursed, a metal arm rushing into the mirror with a cataclysmic thud. Looking up, blue eyes glared into the fractured image that stared back at her. This was the third mirror she had smashed this month. Nabbing a plastic bottle from her medicine cabinet, the woman downed a dose of medication to help with her "distractions" before dressing herself for the day. A white collared shirt, accentuated by frilly sleeves and placed over a pencil skirt and two inch heels made her finally ready for the day.

Pressing through her door, Arisha found herself between the various personnel that lurked around Facility 287. While she had been stationed at the Texan Facility for a few years already, Arisha felt that she was still surrounded by strangers. Crossing her arms against her chest, blue eyes caught wind of two semi-familiar faces approaching from the other end of the hallway. A vampire and his "handler," their names always seemed to escape her mind. Perhaps she was bad with names, perhaps she didn't care. Either way, Arisha knew better than to stick her EsPer in places where it didn't belong.

Arisha passed through the labyrinth of hallways that led toward the cafeteria, wondering if she would finally be deployed today. The Reconnaissance Agent was beginning to grow rather tired of being confined in this godforsaken facility. As she made her way towards a hot meal, she found herself stopping beside the simulation rooms, where the greenhorns were getting a taste of simulated combat. Though she didn't enter, not wanting to disrupt their training, she paused to take a peek at the examination monitors located outside the simulation rooms.

From a quick examination, it looked like Senior Agent Sable was leading the training exercises. While he was experienced and certainly powerful, Arisha had always felt that he was much too kind to be training new agents. The recruits, on the other hand, looked to be nothing special - mostly comprised of the young and inexperienced. One of them in particular reminded Arisha of herself before she flew her first combat mission. Deciding that it would be best not to gawk any longer, Arisha turned away from the monitor so that she could continue on her way.
[/fieldbox]
 
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[fieldbox="Wu Huiyin, #242424, solid, 10"]
“I don’t have familiar; not witch.” The yaoguai giggled nervously, braced against judgment for his 'inspired' bit of wordplay. “I’m Wu Huiyin. Can call me Bobby.”

Shifting his glance from psychic, to ‘Doctor’, to female agent, the wolf flashed the splintered fractal screen before them. He exercised nervous caution in hiding the contents of the screen from the girl; she would think he was such a goon if she saw it. Allowing his 'sphere' to subtly flow from around him, he released the phone and gently pushed it forward. It floated gently in place, twirling in low-gravity above the diminutive researcher.

“Need fix please.” He tapped downward upon the floating phone, aiming it towards Baumann’s hands, “... you’re very short…”​
[/fieldbox]
 
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