The Flare

[Doughguy]

My Char

Name: Greg Farran
Age: 22
Gender: M
Appearance

Magic: Magnetism

Equipment: Lots of metal blades which he uses as weapons. A roll of metal wire for general use. A shield he wears on his back normally for protection. The shield and blades are radiation hardened. A pistol.

Personality: Greg is a generally quiet and closed off person, he has trouble opening up about himself to others. He is kind hearted and enjoys helping others and is grateful for his power. He enjoys exploring and discovering new things and when he does it one of the few times he can be loud. New discoveries can also distract him easily and take up all his attention. It takes a lot to make him angry or sad and he dislikes making others angry or sad.

Bio: Growing up Greg was a very bookish child. He loved to read and learn new things and he even enjoyed school for the most part. He had some troubles with other children due to his nature and was often alone with no friends. However he was never sad about that because he had the world of books to escape to and their other worlds he could immerse himself in. His parents were both researchers who were engrossed in their work and had little time to pay attention to him as well.

During high school there was one person who he always seemed to notice. A girl, he wasn't sure how old she was, who never cared about what people thought of her. She was almost like his opposite and there were times when he often wondered what it would be like to be like that. Truth be told he was a little afraid of her in his shyness but also admired her for what she could do.

When the flare came his family was rushed off to a shelter to hide in. Thanks to his parent's research the government considered them important enough to reserve them positions in one. He was safe throughout the destruction and emerged into an entirely new world. A barren waste that held little for the survivors. At first they struggled to survive, barely living of some poor crops and what they had stored in the shelter before the flare.

However when people began to discover magic life began to get easier for them all. And Greg was changed by his. Now he had power like he had only read of. And he began to imagine himself as one of the heroes in his books, defending his settlement from the new dangers that tried to kill the survivors whenever they passed by. Though he was still the old Greg at heart he was more confident around people and felt more included, especially around the other rare mages like himself.

It was an ordinary day in what the survivors called Base-1. When you have dozens of scientists in one place things got named very blandly, though at least the names told you what you needed to know on their own. There were about five hundred in the settlement which was quite large. Most of the original shelter had been converted to lab space for the scientists and mages to do their research in, trying to rebuild civilisation from the ground up.

The settlements walls were ten metres high and made from packed earth and stone, courtesy of the Base-1's earth mages. The eastern half was dominated by their farms and the western half by homes. In the centre was the well/lake, depending on how well the mages were doing in a week. Slightly north of the lake was the entrance to the lab and in the south was a small area reserved for sports of any kind though it was not often used.

The settlement had two gates, one each to the north and south. Greg was sitting above the northern one on a chair he had brought up. He had been forced to drag it up as it was made of wood. Metal would have been easier but it got hot quickly in the wasteland sun. To the south the wasteland dominated the landscape, stretching on as far as the eye could see. However the north was broken up by hills, valleys and great fissures in the earth. To the northwest even stood the Forest of Bones. The trees within had been killed by the flare but the wood had absorbed the radiation and petrified. It was an oddly beautiful place to view from distance yet was one of the most dangerous places around Base-1.

Greg had been reading a book on the birth of the universe written from a very scientific viewpoint. However a while ago his eye had been caught by movement on the horizon. He had initially feared an attack, but as the figure came closer he could recognise the very normal human movement of it. For the last five minutes he had been watching them come closer and closer, wondering where they had come from and why they were traveling alone.

 

[Elixir]

My Character

Name
Kira Fier

Age
21

Gender
Female

Weapons
She's skilled with various guns, throwing knives, and crossbows.

Magical Ability
She has the gift of empathy, which means that she can look into hearts and read emotions. She can also read memories, as well, from tracking someone down through one of their possessions to holding someone's hand and seeing their entire history flash before her eyes. She'll feel exactly what they felt, and she'll experience exactly what they experienced. This is one of the reasons why Kira avoids touching people directly. However, she can also vaguely feel emotion without physical contact, as well. That's one thing that's always present, so she had no other choice but to get used to it.

Personality
Kira is a very headstrong girl. She's normally seen buzzing with confidence and an infinite amount of drive, and you can always catch her causing a little mayhem wherever she goes. It's not the type of chaos that one would see as unwelcome, though. In a sense, one can say that Kira is a burst of life. She's the type of girl that marches to the beat of her own drum regardless of what anyone else may think. She goes with the flow and takes things day by day, and she absolutely hates brooding over things she can't control. She sees no point in acting that way.

Kira is very outspoken, and she's not afraid to express her opinion. She can be quite idealistic at times, and one may even deem her impulsive. However, there's much more to Kira than what one may normally see. She may not act like it, but this girl has a very wise and understanding side to her. Ever since she was gifted with the power of intense empathy, that side of her has only grown. Sure, she may be blunt and over the top, but she has more sensitivity and compassion than many take notice of. She even has her fair share if insecurities, as well.

If you truly get to know her, you'll see what lies underneath that mischievous smile of hers.

♥

Biography
Kira was born a military brat. Her father took pride in his work, and he was that typical strict father that never wanted anything to happen to his baby girl. Because her mother was more on the frail side, she couldn't really teach Kira how to defend herself from the darkness of the world, so her father took the liberty of doing so. Ever since she was little, she was more on the tomboy side of things. One may even say she was a daddy's girl. She'd go hunting with her dad, as well as experiment with weaponry during target practice. By the time she was thirteen, she was even better with throwing knives and a bow than he was.

Many people were intimidated by Kira due to her strength, though. She doesn't appear to be much, seeing as she stands at a mere 5'2'' and is slender in figure. However, she's learned various styles of combat from her father, and she was taught to never back down to anyone. She never took anyone's crap, and she always stood up for what she believed in, even if it meant she had to stand alone. It was how she was raised. Still, she always had a softer and more compassionate side thanks to what time she spent with her mother. Those who got to know this were lucky, indeed, for Kira was nothing less than a true friend.

In school, she was that girl that many people admired, but few people actually talked to. She was strong and fierce, but friendly and kind. She got wonderful grades because she knew her parents would have her ass if she failed, and she was mischievous, but respectful. Due to Kira practically oozing independence, she never got too close to anyone, unless they were daring enough to approach her. She was the type that talked to many, but only bonded with few. Those few close friends she did have were her entire world, and her life was buzzing with nothing but healthy, happy fun. Her life was filled with beauty.

That was, until the flare burnt it all to the ground.

It all happened out of nowhere, and it seemed to occur within the blink of an eye. First, the weather just seemed to be getting warmer. It didn't seem too weird, but after a while, there was a small bit of panic. Due to her father's military connections, when the flare occurred, they were able to find shelter afterwards. However, Kira's mother wasn't so lucky. She was out buying groceries when it all went down, so she was completely exposed to the heat of the flaring sun. Like over half of the population, she was reduced to nothing but ashes, leaving Kira and her father to fend for themselves.

Her mother's death took a toll on her father, for he was no longer the strong, determined man she always knew him to be. He was angry and in total turmoil, and he began to turn to drink for solace. Alcohol was hard to find after the flare, but whenever he did, it was absolutely terrible. He'd drink bottle by bottle, and he wasn't a very calm or happy drunk in the slightest. He'd get violent, resulting in him and Kira brawling it out whenever he went over the deep end. After a while, Kira just couldn't take it anymore. She decided to leave him to his devices and make her own path, going off all on her own.

Due to her talents with combat and her father's military position, Kira landed a role as an officer. Many underestimated her due to her pretty face, but she earned her place as a commander. Some challenged her, just to test her position, and she put each and every one of those ignorant men in their place. Despite her being a female, many have learned to respect her, and she's even earned the nickname "Mistress Fear." Her last name is pronounced like the word, so it was far too perfect. She doesn't abuse the name, nor does she entirely embrace it. It's just something that's there and makes her giggle from time to time.

Now, she goes to whatever settlements that require her skills,
and she protects the people from the monstrosities of the wastes.

♥

Kira Fier​

Kira was making her way over to a place that local survivors called Base-1. She was coming from what many referred to as the Training Center, which was the third settlement's new name. It was where many military personnel rested and trained new recruits, those of whom were hand picked and put on teams to go out and clean up the wastes. All those rare ones blessed with supernatural power, as Kira herself was, were either put on special teams or became commanders of their own groups. Kira loved working with others, and she had always wanted to be on a team, but many found that her and her headstrong nature made a far better commander than just another supporting teammate. So, for the past year or so, she's been training new recruits and leading her own group out into the dark wonders of the wastes.

However, as of now, she was making her way over to Base-1 for reasons given to her from those few who were ranked above her. Apparently this particular base has been coming up with wonderful breakthroughs in science, and they were advancing quite well. Seeing this as something to encourage, they decided to send one of their best officers, that being Kira herself, to improve defense situations and help out in any way possible. At first, they were going to send a few from her group with her, but Kira told them all that she wanted to go by herself. In a way, she saw this as another grand adventure, and she didn't want any inexperienced newbies holding her back as she traveled through the wastes. There was the infamous Forest of Bones around Base-1, to the northwest of the settlement. Kira almost wanted to go explore.

It was daylight, and there wasn't a single monstrosity in sight. During the day, they were weaker due to the blazing sun sucking out what little energy they had. The things lived off of whatever moisture or radiation they could find, that of which the sun burnt up over half of the time. They were slower and easier to kill in the daylight, and it appeared as though their skin couldn't quite handle the sun's rays directly for too long. Kira liked to call them shadowlurkers, just because of how they always seemed to love hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to jump on somebody. Anyone would have been crazy to travel at night, but Kira was quite experienced and quite daring. She made it through alright, and now that it was the daytime, she was able to relax a little. It made the Forest of Bones seem less formidable, but she decided to not take the chance.

Instead, she made her way over to the northern gates of Base-1. Upon nearing the gates, Kira found herself able to sense feelings of curiosity and suspicion. That's probably coming from whatever guards they may have, she thought with a soft giggle. As soon as her figure approached the rather impressively made gates, she looked up towards the man sitting on top of them, resting in a chair and with a book in hand. "I've come from the Training Center," Kira began in her usual, friendly tone. She showed him a casual salute, pressing two fingers against the brim of her cap. She was wearing one of her favorite hats, that of which most modern police used to wear back in the day, only hers didn't have those signature stars on the side. She was dressed in her usual, cream colored button up shirt, that of which was nicely tucked in to her khaki shorts.

Her legs were equipped with her signature dark brown tights, and she was wearing her favorite pair of brown combat boots. They were steel toe, as well, just in case any monstrosity needed a kick to the face. Her chocolate brown eyes looked up towards the man, a welcoming twinkle shimmering within her innocent irises. "They sent me here to help you guys progress, seeing as we have more than enough people to protect everyone in the third settlement. My name is Kira Fier," she began, flashing him one of her winning smiles.

"Do you mind letting me in?"​

 

[Doughguy]

Greg watched as the figure came closer and became clearer. He stood up and placed his book on his chair, trying to give a more professional image to the visitor. He was a little surprised to see it was a girl about his age, dressed very casually. Only her hat gave him a hint to who she was. When she arrived and saluted it quickly fell into place. He'd heard the rumours that the centre was sending support out to Base-1 to increase security given their recent breakthroughs. He waved back to her, involuntarily blushing at the girl's smile, "Hello! I'll open it right up for you."

He turned around and immediately paused. He could either run down the stairs and open the gate the normal way. Or he could use his power to jump off the edge and float down. Realising that he was standing very awkwardly in the girl's vision he took the safer choice and ran down the stairs, hoping he hadn't hesitated too long. He quickly made it down the stairs and jogged over to the gate. The door itself was made of stone however a metal chain system had been hooked up to it. When the chain was pulled on the pulley system lifted up the gate so that even one person could manage it.

It was one thing Greg enjoyed doing. The base of the system was a metal block. With a flick of his hand the chain and block were suddenly magnetic. With the block anchored in the ground the chain was pulled towards it and the gate rose quite swiftly. By manipulating the strength of the magentic field he was able to open the gate then hold it open so Kira could get in.

Now he was in front of her she would be able to see him more clearly. He was dressed in a loose white shirt and cream coloured shorts. On his feet was a pair of brown thongs. His hair was in a tangled mess today thanks to the wind that had been blowing on top of the wall. He had a pair of square rimmed glasses on that had a black frame. "Hello again." he said, "My name is Greg Farran, I live here." He hoped the blush had faded from his cheeks as he looked at her. There was something very familiar about the girl, as if he had seen her before, though he had never visited the training centre.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira's eyes twinkled up happily at the man, who responded to her with a simple, "Hello! I'll open it right up for you." She nodded over at him as she waited, and she took note of his hesitation. She could feel subtle emotions of conflict for a moment, though those emotions disappeared as the man made his way down the stairs. I wonder what all that was about? She thought to herself as she awaited him to open the gate before her. With help of the pulley system, the gate was lifted quickly, and Kira proceeded to making her way through as soon as she could. She didn't want him holding the gate open for too long, after all. She had no idea that he was using supernatural powers to open the gate as swiftly as he did, nor did she feel the need to take any extra mind. She was inside now, and that was all that mattered.

Now that she was inside and officially in close quarters with the man, she was able to take better note of his appearance. He was dressed even more casually than she was, sporting a loose white t-shirt and some shorts. He even was wearing sandals of all things. This almost made her giggle, but she restrained herself. The last thing she wanted was to put forth a rude first impression. "Hello again." The boy began speaking to her once more. "My name is Greg Farran, I live here." He introduced himself, and Kira nodded towards him in response. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Greg," Kira began with another one of her friendly, bright smiles. She noticed a hint of blush accenting the boy's cheeks, but, rather than flatter herself and believe she was the cause, she chose to blame the blazing sun for the subtle, reddish hue.

Now that they were right in front of one another, she sensed something vaguely familiar about the boy. His glasses, how he looked as he was reading earlier.. There was something she could faintly recognize. Did I know him from before the flare or something? She wondered as her chocolate brown eyes scanned him for a brief moment. She gracefully moved a bit of her fringe out of her face, revealing just a touch more of her rather charming features. Her big, doe eyes stared up at the man, peeking over at his own irises past his black rimmed glasses. As if it was second nature to her, Kira held out her hand for the boy to shake. It was equipped with dark brown gloves however, which some may deem odd given the heat of the outdoors. Kira had her reasons, though; her powers made physical contact a hassle.

"Just in case you didn't hear me before, I'm Kira Fier. You might have heard rumors about me, actually. Some people call me Mistress Fear~" She introduced herself once more as she extended her hand, letting out a lighthearted laugh at her ridiculous nickname. "I've been living in the Training Center for quite a while, but I'm originally from the first settlement, The Capital." Kira's brown eyes shimmered with life, her smile bright and welcoming.

"I'm looking forward to working with you~"

 

[Doughguy]

Once Kira was through the gate Greg slowly lowered his hand causing the gate to slowly lower back down with it. As she smiled at him again Greg couldn't help but blush a bit more. Even though he was more confident than he had been in the past the attention of girls was something he was still not used too, especially attractive ones. Knowing he was becoming flustered he really concentrated on lowering the gate to settle his mind.

It was for naught thought as she started looking over him and he became very nervous. He wondered if there was something wrong with him. Maybe something had fallen on him when he had been up on the wall and he actually had bird crap on his face. He really hoped that wasn't the case. He looked back at her when the gate was finally down and he had no further excuse to look away and he knew that was another mistake. She was very pretty and her eyes even more so. He swallowed and hoped she wouldn't notice.

He realised she had started speaking and quickly focused on her words. He seemed to remember hearing her nickname before somewhere but couldn't quite place when. He reached out and took her hand with his and shook it. Greg had his own gloves despite the heat as well. They were actually normal gloves that had metal plates stitched into them. They allowed him to use his power more easily, especially with his weapons.

"I-I have heard of you I think." he replied, "Nice to meet you too. I hope you enjoy it here." he spoke fast but managed to avoid stumbling apart from at the beginning.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira couldn't help but notice just how flustered the boy was. She could feel the undeniable embarrassment and nervousness oozing out of him, and that's when she realized that the blush spreading across his cheeks actually was thanks to her. Aww! She thought with a soft, gentle giggle. How cute is that? She couldn't help but think as he took her hand with his gloved one. She noticed the metal features of the glove, which ignited a bit of curiosity in Kira. Could it be? She wondered as her shimmering brown eyes met his own. Does he have special abilities, too? I highly doubt an average person would walk around with metal plated gloves in this heat. She took note of, another small grin spreading across her smooth, pale pink lips. She gave his hand a small shake before returning it to her sides.

"I-I have heard of you I think." The boy began in response to her earlier statement, tripping over his words ever so slightly. His innocent nature really made Kira want to giggle a bit more, but she chose to restrain herself. She decided to just be entertained by his endearing awkwardness internally. "Nice to meet you too. I hope you enjoy it here." He finished off the regular introductions, and Kira playfully saluted at him again in response. "I'm sure I will~" Kira stated with another serene, lighthearted laugh. She began walking past him slightly, her chocolate brown eyes gazing about the place curiously. "Say, would you mind showing me around?" Kira questioned as she looked over her shoulder back at Greg. "I've never been here before, so give me a tour~ I wouldn't want to step on anybody's toes."

Kira then set her attention on her surroundings, taking it all in. It was very different from the Training Center, that was for sure. This place seemed more like a town than anything else, meanwhile the Training Center resembled military headquarters. She did notice more labs than usual, however, which gave this place a more scientific feel. One could tell that scientists were abundant here, and the sight was rather refreshing. It felt more reserved compared to the chaotic Training Center, where you'd normally see people marching around, sparring, or practicing with their powers. In a way, Kira felt like she could relax, so she did so. She took in a deep breath, allowing the air to fill up her lungs fully before letting it back out. "What a nice place," Kira began, her voice a little softer than normal. "It's so relaxing here."

 

[Doughguy]

As Kira saluted him Greg awkwardly saluted her back, guessing it was a habit of hers from the training centre. As she walked past him he felt as if he had a moment to breath and recompose himself which he hurriedly did. A few quick deep breaths and he felt like a functioning human again. Just in time for her to start talking again. He hurriedly turned around and took a few steps to catch up with her. "I-I can do that." he said to her request, "Sure. I've been here ever since the flare so I know it pretty well." He glanced at her as she looked around at the settlement and it felt like a few more gears turned towards recognising her.

"It is relaxing up here." he said, "It's down in the real labs that things get hectic. As long as you stay on the surface you shouldn't step on anyone's toes." He was opening up a bit more than usual to talk about the settlement, it was helping keep his mind focused. He knew if he didn't he might get flustered again. He could still feel the blush from earlier on his cheeks. "The entrance to the labs is just there." he pointed directly south of where they were currently standing to a house sized concrete structure. It stood out by being the only grey thing around. Even so the ywere quie a distance away and it looked small. "The mayor is in there as well, he likes his office near the labs."

He scratched the back of his head and looked at Kira, trying to avoid staring into those big, chocolate eyes, "Would you like to go there first? I could show you the stuff we're working on? Or we could go to the lake, or the game field, or the farms?"

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira smiled as Greg responded with another adorably awkward, "I-I can do that." He also told her that he had been residing in this settlement ever since the flare, so she felt assured that he knew his way around well enough. She also noticed how he attempted to salute her back beforehand, and this made her giggle softly. Her little, playful, two finger salute was a bad habit of hers, meanwhile she did proper salutes to those few who ranked above her at the Training Center. With Greg, she was only being playful, but he seemed to take her seriously. It was rather endearing, his slightly awkward reactions. She found herself feeling refreshed as she spoke to him, and that was definitely nice. What an innocent boy, she thought, though she was almost positive he was a little older than she was.

Soon after that, Kira listened as Greg went on about the place. He told her about the labs, and she gave him her sincere attention as he did so. He seemed to be avoiding looking her directly in the eyes however, and she could tell why. Am I really making him that nervous? She couldn't help but wonder as a small, mischievous smile spread across her pale pink lips. I wonder if he's awkward like this around all girls. He's so adorable. She shook her head softly, her sweet beam still tugging upwards at the corners of her mouth. She decided to give Greg a break from her apparently enchanting chocolate brown gaze, turning her stare to their current surroundings and taking note of the layout. Soon after explaining a bit about the labs, Greg asked Kira about where exactly she wanted to visit first.

"Would you like to go there first? I could show you the stuff we're working on? Or we could go to the lake, or the game field, or the farms?" He spoke, and Kira turned her stare back towards him as he did so. Her chocolate brown eyes twinkled as she pondered. "Hmm," she began as she placed her index finger against her bottom lip gently. She tilted her head ever so slightly as she thought, turning her gaze upwards as she debated. "This settlement has so much more than the Training Center does. It's kind of hard to pick," she stated with another one of her signature, lighthearted laughs, "I guess I'll go ahead and see the lab first. If you wouldn't mind, you can show me all the other fun stuff later." She then hooked her hands behind her back, walking along the place with an upbeat, light step.

After a moment, she gestured her arms in front of her, as if saying, "After you."

"Lead the way, Sir Greg~"

 

[Doughguy]

Greg found himself smiling as he spoke to Kira. As awkward as he was feeling she was fun to talk to. And she was profoundly different from anyone else in Base-1. A lot of the scientists who were in the same shelter had not had children. That or their children were fully grown adults and often scientists themselves. There were few people his own age to interact with and he wasn't talkative normally. It was why he had read pretty much every book that the shelter had saved since the flare. The only people he really knew were the other mages like him, whose power was not elemental.

He was glad she picked the lab first to visit. It was easily the most interesting place in the settlement even if it was extremely busy. When she started walking off then gestured and spoke to him he quickly stepped forward with a "Yes ma'am Kira." He then continued, "It's a big place the lab. The entire original shelter has been converted into it. That's why there are so many houses out here instead of inside the shelter. And we're running out of room still because we make so many prototypes. Soon we'll have to extend the walls or start digging tunnels."

As they walked forward he stayed beside her keeping his eyes on the lab entrance. He pointed out some things as they walked, like one of the earth mages going through checking the crops and the lines of irradiated metal that ran above them all. "A fire mage can stand on one end of those and channel fire into it." he said, "The entire line lights up and shines light on the crops. It means they can keep growing at night so we produce food faster. And it looks quite pretty from atop the wall."

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira couldn't help but giggle sweetly as Greg responded with, "Yes ma'am Kira." Her chocolaty irises twinkled with expectation and pleasant anticipation as she allowed Greg to lead the way to the main lab. She listened as he continued explaining more about the place, giving him her sincere attention as she did so. "It's a big place the lab. The entire original shelter has been converted into it. That's why there are so many houses out here instead of inside the shelter. And we're running out of room still because we make so many prototypes. Soon we'll have to extend the walls or start digging tunnels." He explained, and Kira nodded over at him thoughtfully in response. Ah, so it was converted into this after the flare. A whole original shelter became the home to experiments. That sounds quite intriguing, indeed.

Kira remained walking beside Greg, and her gaze followed his fingers as he pointed out the other features of Base-1. Apparently, there was much more to the place than mere scientific prototypes and experiments. They also seemed to be discovering more ways to use the new power bestowed unto about half of the survivors; the power to bend the elements. "A fire mage can stand on one end of those and channel fire into it." He began explaining processes to her as they walked by some crops. "The entire line lights up and shines light on the crops. It means they can keep growing at night so we produce food faster. And it looks quite pretty from atop the wall." Kira listened as he went on, and she couldn't deny the fact that all of it was quite interesting. Her brown eyes shimmered with the most innocent of curiosities.

"That's pretty impressive," she stated as her irises scanned the scene before her, "I'd love to see that sight one of these times." Kira grinned brightly, turning her gaze back up towards Greg's own. "You're gonna have to show me that later, as well," she said in her usual, chipper tone. There didn't seem to me many other young adults in the area, so Kira had a feeling that she'd be spending a lot of time with Greg. They might as well start off on the right foot. So far, everything appeared to be going smoothly. It was refreshing that everything was off to a nice start. She hoped that the mayor and all of the other major scientists in the area would take a liking to her as much as Greg seemed to, as well. A girl can always hope. She thought to herself, another kind beam spreading across her smooth lips.

After a moment or so, they were right in front of the lab entrance, and Kira's brown gaze turned towards Greg.

"After you," Kira spoke, allowing Greg to lead the way once more.

If she just barged in, it could be seen as rude.

She definitely didn't want that.

 

[Doughguy]

Greg blushed again when Kira asked to be shown the crop lights at night. Her chocolate eyes looking upon him didn't help either and he felt the flustering come back on. He looked back at her, knowing how red he was, and tried to give her a totally not awkward and natural smile, "S-sure! W-we can do that tonight if you aren't busy with security stuff." He then quickly turned back to the front and was a little bit stuttery as he explained the other sights.

And then they were in front of the door to the shelter. It was a very boring building built purely for defence against the flare. The outside was a solid block of concrete with no windows or ornamentation. The door was a slab of solid steel five inches thick. It was slightly taller and wider than an ordinary door and two people could enter side by side though it would be a bit squishy getting through. On the front in the centre was a wheel that opened it. Greg remembered on the day his family had gone it it had taken four soldiers to open it. However these days it was left open all the time, there was no need to shut it.

Remembering Kira's pleasant giggle from before Greg replied to Kira's 'After you' with another "Yes ma'am" and led the way into the lab. The room was dominated by 2 large elevator platforms which led to the labs, however they were only used for transporting prototypes as their batteries were running very low. Instead he led Kira to the stairs in the corner which spiraled downwards. The way was lit by glowing balls of fire courtesy of a fire mage.

After a few minutes of descent where flustered Greg couldn't think of anything to say they arrived in the labs. The small staircase suddenly broke open into a massive room filled with two hundred people all rushing about in a hurry. Everywhere things were happening. In one corner of the room bursts of fire leapt into the air every few seconds, ignored by everyone as if it was an ordinary sight. To their left rows of vines hung from wires across the ceiling and seemed to glow green. In the very centre of the room directly ahead was a pool filled with brownish black water and a dozen scientists standing around it looking deep in thought. "Welcome to the labs." Greg said, sweeping his arm in a kind of grand gesture, a proud smile on his face.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira took note on how easily Greg seemed to blush. That's so precious, she couldn't help but think as she suppressed her urge to giggle. She simply let out a little, "Pfft," and grinned ever so sweetly. She listened as he eagerly accepted her playful and lighthearted proposal, responding with an innocent, "S-sure! W-we can do that tonight if you aren't busy with security stuff." Kira nodded at him, her chocolate irises twinkling up at him kindly. "Tonight it is," she spoke back to him, letting out a little bit of soft laughter under her breath. She couldn't get over how sweet Greg was. She had to admit, it was quite the refreshing sight to see. Someone around her own age acting like such a sweet boy was definitely rare in these times.

Soon enough, they were at the heavy duty gate of the lab. Kira could tell that it was built solely for protection, taking note of the overall layout of it. Thick, sturdy, made of very durable materials; all in all, she's seen similar structures at the Training Center. To her, it wasn't anything too new. She knew it would probably take a good few soldiers to open such a gate, but they seemed to simply leave it open now. She could understand that, for there wasn't any real danger these days. Walls were built high and sturdy, and there were people with powers and other various skills to protect those few who needed it. With another kind, "Yes ma'am," Greg lead the way for Kira into the lab. What she saw upon entering was astounding.

There were at least a couple hundred people rushing about the place, all seemingly in some sort of hurry and with a purpose. Fire flashed about, which Kira guessed was a norm for experiments, and everywhere you looked there was something going on. Kira was used to so many busy people being around due to the various soldiers present at the Training Center, but all of these people here were working in a different way. They were scientists and experimenters, not brutes and warriors. All in all, it was a view that Kira had never seen before. In a weird way, it brought her back to chemistry class back when she was still attending high school. "Welcome to the labs." Greg said with a proud smile, and Kira returned his beam.

"This is absolutely amazing," she stated with twinkling brown eyes. She gazed about the place in wonder, finding herself absolutely captivated. "I've never seen anything like this in the Training Center," she began with a small laugh, "There, all you see are soldiers running about and practicing their chosen skills. Here, you're all scientists with a completely different purpose. It's quite refreshing." Kira couldn't help but admit as she took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She couldn't deny how nice it felt to be somewhere other than the Training Center. Sure, she missed all of her underlings and her group of recruits, but a change of scenery was always nice, as well. After a moment of taking it all in, she turned back to Greg.

"Mind showing me around a bit more?" She asked with a little more chipper of a tone. Her voice always held an upbeat feeling to it, but now she was much more excited than before. She was going to be staying here for a while, so she definitely wanted to get accustomed to the place as soon as she could.

So far, she could definitely tell she was going to like it here.

 

[Doughguy]

"Of course." Greg replied. He was in his element now, around the people he felt accepted by in the settlement. And Kira was excited by those people as well, as awkward as he was he caught the extra excitement in her voice. It was a boost to his confidence he intended to use. There was only one thing that would, not ruin, but steal a lot away from how he was feeling. He voiced a silent prayer that wouldn't happen. "It's probably a lot more chaotic at the training centre. Scientists engrossed in their work don't have the errr, best perception of others."

He first led her forwards to the pool in the centre of the room where the scientists were all staring into its depths. Unlike everyone else in the room they didn't seem to be doing anything but staring. "Some of the water we draw up in dirty and full of chemicals." Greg explained, "And the water mages can clear it but it's a tiring process. They're trying to figure out how to clean it in the act of pulling it to the surface." He pointed through the murk to the base of the pool where it sat directly on the rock. There was a filter-like object over the top that was stained black, but evidently hadn't worked properly.

He was about to lead Kira to another experiment when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of two people. They were headed right for them. And he could see their eyes widening as they caught sight of him standing close to a girl. He suddenly swallowed and lost all his confidence. It was happening, his parents has spotted him. He froze mid step, half looking towards and looking very guilty.

His father looked just like him only obviously older, with more weathered skin and wrinkles on his face. His father's hair was also trimmed short so its black colour was barely visible. His mother was about the same age as his father with long black hair tied back in a ponytail and bright blue eyes. They both wore glasses though theirs had circular rims rather than squares ones like Greg's. They were both also wearing white labs coats with their names clearly printed above the left breast giving away who they were.

"Oh my Greg, I'm so proud of you!" his mother said as the pair arrived, "Who is this darling young girl you've found? Have you been keeping her a secret?" She put her hands on Kira's shoulders and looked right at her "And she's so pretty too! Why haven't we met you yet?" His mum then hugged Kira before releasing her.

As that happened Greg's father slapped him on the back joyfully, "Ah my boy you found a girl at last. And you didn't even have to leave Base-1. You must tell me how you met later. And your mother is going to be so annoyed you haven't introduced us sooner. It's a good thing we were making our rounds here just now or we might've missed you!"

Throughout this all Greg stood there petrified, the blush on his cheeks growing redder and redder with every passing second. Everything had just gone wrong and he had no idea how he was going to get out of this. How was he going to explain it to Kira? How could he convince his parents they had mistook what he was doing? His mouth opened then immediately closed, words were beyond him right now.

Instead he took a step towards Kira and his mother as their hug ended, hoping his actions could show them the truth. But the area around the pool was wet from the experiment and he lost his footing as he tried to walk. Suddenly he was falling towards Kira.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira walked with Greg over to the pool of water that the surrounding scientists were observing so closely. She listened as Greg went on to explain exactly why they were gazing upon the scene to intently."Some of the water we draw up in dirty and full of chemicals." He began to evaluate, "And the water mages can clear it, but it's a tiring process. They're trying to figure out how to clean it in the act of pulling it to the surface." He explained, and Kira followed his pointed finger to a type of rock or stone in the center of the pool. There was also some sort of filter on it, though it appeared to have been a failed experiment. Kira began to guess that was one of the reasons why the other scientists were looking upon the scene with such intent.

"Wow, that's amazing," Kira began with curious brown eyes. She turned to look back at Greg, but she noticed that his own eyes were beginning to glance elsewhere. She followed his stare to two figures, those of which were making their way right towards the two of them. Greg didn't seem to happy about this, however. She watched him practically cringe with anticipation, as if this was something he wanted to avoid. She could also feel his discomfort, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Who are they? She wondered just before the couple reached them. As soon as they spoke with such familiarity, Kira got a good idea on who exactly they were. Once they were closer and she got a glimpse of their name tags, she was sure.

"Oh, my! Greg, I'm so proud of you!" His mother spoke out in an eager, chipper tone. "Who is this darling young girl you've found? Have you been keeping her a secret?" She questioned as she took a hold of Kira's shoulders, deciding to take a good look at her. At first, Kira stiffened, but she knew that the woman meant her no harm. If anything, she sensed nothing but innocent curiosity and utter joy coming from her. "And she's so pretty, too! Why haven't we met you yet?" She began again, questioning Kira directly this time. However, Kira got the feeling that she was asking more out of excitement rather than seeking an answer. Soon after her exclamation, she brought Kira into her arms, bringing her in for a warm, sweet embrace.

Oh, my. Kira thought to herself as she debated whether or not to hug the woman back. They definitely had the wrong idea, but Kira wasn't the type to just shove the woman away and declare her wrong. Instead, she decided to just enjoy the innocent mistake. Upon letting out a bit of lighthearted laughter, Kira returned the woman's embrace and shook her head. This is ridiculous. I think I understand why Greg was so worried about running into them. Kira thought, though she felt no discomfort about the situation. In fact, she felt nothing but warmth and happiness from the encounter. In a way, it made her realize just how lonely she has been. It was a bittersweet feeling, but she welcomed it nonetheless. Greg's embarrassment was entertaining, too.

"Ah, my boy! You found a girl at last. And you didn't even have to leave Base-1. You must tell me how you met later. And your mother is going to be so annoyed you haven't introduced us sooner. It's a good thing we were making our rounds here just now or we might've missed you!" Greg's father began, giving his son a nice slap on the back. Kira could feel Greg's discomfort and utter embarrassment oozing off of him, and she didn't even have to look at his face to know he was blushing. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, she just knew what kind of expression he was making. The thought of it made her laugh a bit more, and soon his mother finally released her from the embrace. Kira then decided to go ahead and address the misjudgment of the situation.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but you have the wrong id--" Kira began to say, but she was interrupted by a sudden force colliding into her. Greg appeared to have lost his footing, causing him to come tumbling right towards Kira. Caught by surprise, she didn't have enough time to counter the impact, so she let out a soft yelp at the collision. Greg fell right into her, causing them to tumble unto the floor below. Having learned proper ways to fall in training, Kira managed to land in a way that she wouldn't get injured, though the weight of Greg on top of her made suspending her body a bit difficult. She had her torso lifted slightly with her elbows and forearms pressed to the floor, meanwhile Greg's entire body was sprawled over on top of her own.

With one eye squinted slightly in the subtle, but bearable, pain from the impact, she looked over at Greg with an amused grin. "Are you alright?" She questioned, trying to suppress her laughter. It didn't work this time around, however, and she ended up going into a short fit of giggles. His parents were looking down on them in slight shock, along with a few other scientists in the room. Soon after that, a familiar face approached the scene - one Kira recognized from a video call. It was Mayor Greene, the man who first requested that someone be sent to Base-1 from the Training Center to help fortify the defense system. He looked down at the two and chuckled, and Kira returned his laughter. "Mayor Greene," she addressed his presence. He nodded down to her.

"Officer Fier," he greeted her with a polite smile. Kira then turned her attention to Greg's parents, shuffling through the weight of their son over her to retrieve something from her pocket. It was her I.D. and Badge, showing that she was one of the head officers from the Training Center. "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong idea. My name is Kira Fier, and I was sent here from the Training Center. They wanted someone with skill and experience to help assist you guys in fortifying the base and venturing out into the wastes safely." Kira proceeded to explain, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling with the kindest of amusement. "I think your son is fairly nice, but I only just met him today when he opened the gate for me. Sorry, but we aren't an item~"

 

[Doughguy]

If it was possible for a person's head to explode form embarrassment Greg's would have the moment he realised he was laying on top of Kira after tripping into her. He wasn't even sure what happened during the fall. He caught glimpses of her body moving rapidly but wasn't able to put the movements together. All he knew was he was in the most embarrassing situation after the most embarrassing moment of his life. He loved his parents but they had really got carried away here. The only thing he was thankful for was that they hadn't ended up falling in the pool of dirty water.

With the blood pounding in his ears he could barely hear anything that was being said, not even Kira's words before she started giggling. He wanted to hide his face somewhere but it was right next to hers and he couldn't see anywhere to hide. Finally he overcame his shock and embarrassment enough to think about moving. He really hoped he wasn't hurting her with his weight. Concentrating all his willpower on that task he put his hands on the ground and made to push himself off her.

Then he heard the mayor's voice. Oh my god please no he thought. A new wave hit him and his hands slid out from underneath him, just as Kira moved as well to get her ID, dropping him slightly before he caught himself. He fell low enough for his cheek to brush Kira's. Her skin felt almost cold to him thanks to his burning cheeks. He heard her speaking to his parents and was thankful she explained the mix up. With a small burst of power he created a repulsive magnetic field between his left glove and the iron in the steel floor. His body flipped over instantly so he was lying beside Kira instead of on her.

"I-I-I-I'm so sorry!" he quickly stuttered out to her, scrambling to his feet. He reached out a hand to help her up though it moved in small jerks as it a puppeteer was controlling the limb. His face was pure red and he hung his head forward, trying to cover it with his hair.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira could feel Greg's embarrassment on a damn near intimate level now that they were so close. His torso was pressed snugly against hers, and after being like that for more than a few seconds, even she was starting to feel a little bashful. As Greg attempted to lift himself off the floor, Kira felt like she could breathe again, but he soon stumbled back towards her once more. This boy is so clums--, she began to think, but her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as their bare cheeks brushed against one another. In comparison to Greg's abnormally warm cheeks, Kira's might have felt pretty cool. However, Kira didn't pay attention to that sensation at all. Instead, she was forced to face all of the random images now flashing before her eyes.

Oh, no, she thought as she shut her chocolate brown eyes and let the various scenarios play through. She was surprised, however, whenever she recognized the place she was seeing. It was her old high school. For a moment, she began to wonder whether it was her own memories she was seeing. That theory flew out the window, however, whenever she saw her own figure walking across the hall. It was her younger, sixteen year old self. She was laughing with a few of her friends, and then she was seeing the scene through Greg's eyes. He was holding a book in one hand as he shut his locker, and the view followed Kira's younger self as she strode through the hallway. Kira sensed feelings of admiration, but also a hint of what felt like jealousy.

As soon as the flash came to her, it disappeared. The physical contact was too brief to witness anything more, though it was enough to give Kira a small headache. She wasn't expecting to see memories so suddenly like that, after all. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, pressing her right hand to the side of her head. Mayor Greene looked down at Kira, for he knew about her ability. He didn't say it out loud, but his expression showed his concern. His eyes seemed to ask if she was alright, and once she caught his stare, she nodded over towards him in reassurance. Soon after all this, Greg seemed to use his magnetic power to fling himself up and over Kira, leaving him resting beside her on the floor. She looked over at him and flashed one of her winning smiles.

"I-I-I-I'm so sorry!" He stammered over at her. His face was beet red, and she could feel his nervousness like it was her own. Letting out a small laugh, she shook her head over at him, as if saying it wasn't a problem at all. "You can be a real klutz sometimes, Sir Greg," she spoke in a playful, teasing fashion. With that, she took his gloved hand with her own, allowing him to help her up. Everyone's eyes followed the two as they stood up, and Kira gave each and every one of them some fair time connecting with her own chocolate brown gaze. "Sorry about that, everyone," she offered her verbal condolences. "Please, continue about your business," Mayor Greene began, and soon all of the scientists in the space were back attending to whatever work they had.

"Wow, son! You move fast!" Greg's father began teasing his son kindly, giving him a little nudge on the shoulder. His mother playfully pushed her husbands shoulder, as if telling him to stop now that the misunderstanding was cleared. "I'm sorry about all that, sweetheart," she spoke in a sincerely apologetic tone. "I was just so happy at the thought of my son finally finding a girlfriend. Decent girls with a face like yours are hard to come by these days." The woman laughed, and Kira found the sound to be quite contagious. She found herself giggling in response, and she shook her head at the woman reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Farran," Kira began in a gentle, kind tone, "Thank you for the sweet words. I appreciate it."

With that statement, Greg's mother offered Kira a warm smile before returning her gaze back to her husband. "Let's get back to work, dear," she suggested. His father nodded in response, giving the two a small wave. "Alright, we'll see you two kiddos around. Take care!" He stated before taking his leave along with his wife. Now, it was just Greg, Kira, Mayor Greene, and the other scientists around the space. Kira turned her gaze to the mayor, offering him a proper salute. He returned the gesture accordingly. "Welcome to Base-1," he spoke after they returned to their positions at ease. "I'm glad to be here," Kira responded with a bright smile. She then turned her brown irises back to Greg, and soon after Mayor Greene decided to leave them to their business, as well.

"I'll call you in later, Officer Fier. Enjoy the tour," he stated with a hearty smile, having been able to assume that Greg was showing her around. With another sweet grin, Kira nodded over at him, offering him a kind wave before he took his leave.

Upon brushing off her clothes, Kira gave Greg her full attention. Noticing his hair hiding his face, Kira couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully as she brought her gloved hands up to brush a small bit of it away.

"You don't need to hide, silly," she stuck her tongue out at him playfully, returning her hand to her side.

"Where to next?"

 

[Doughguy]

"S-sorry ma'am" Greg replied to Kira's teasing, managing to give her a small smile through his embarrassment. He was feeling really bad about the fall but Kira seemed to be unhurt and didn't hate him for knocking her over so it looked like things would be ok. He stood by quietly as Kira and the mayor turned the crowd away. Everyone here knew him thanks to his rare magic power but he knew they scientists that they were, they'd probably forget about the event as soon as they turned back to their work.

"Dad!" he half hissed as his father slapped him on the back. And that was quickly followed by a "Mum!". Greg suddenly felt like he was sixteen again and his parents were embarrassing him in front of the other students. Fortunately for him they quickly took their leave, he waved to them both as they left. And then it was just him, Kira and the mayor. He stayed to the side as they finished up their short introductions. He did notice her eyes upon him as she was talking to the mayor and wondered why.

As the mayor left Greg managed to give him a wave goodbye as well, his face having died down to a duller pink rather than a burning red. He felt as if he'd reached his peak of blushing and his cheeks now had to reset before they could blush again. When Kira brushed his hair away from his face he was a little shocked and almost jumped, but managed to catch himself. "I-I wasn't errr ..." With that failure of his mouth he decided to give up on the sentence and gave her a small smile in reply. Her playful attitude helped him relax a bit more and he decided he wouldn't let that happen again.

"Next we should go ..." Greg paused as he thought about the best place to show her next. A flash of inspiration struck him and he knew where he should go. "Over here." he said and started walking to the left into the corner of the lab. They had to weave through the busy walkway and passed by a few labs but Greg didn't explain what they were. Instead he led her to a smallish lab in the corner that had a variety of metal objects upon a table. There was a target on the roof above that had dozens of penetrations in it. On the left was a series of metal rods that had loops on the end of them that looked like maze of sorts. Underneath the table was an object that resembled a motor though a lot had been removed and the inner workings were exposed.

"This is my lab." he told her proudly, "It's where I practice my power." He grabbed four of the metal objects that resembled elongated triangles off the desk and placed them in the palm of his hand. With a bit of concentration they began to rise in the air. As he pushed more energy into the magic beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Basic magnetism was easy but he was aiming to move each shape on its own and that required concentration to get the physics right. He was successful and they all rotated independently of each other until the corners of the short edge were touching and they created a four pointed star. "I have power over magnetism."

 

[Elixir]

[imga]http://s29.postimg.org/vq3anps13/Kira_Crop.jpg[/imga]Kira Fier​

Kira couldn't get over the fact that Greg seemed to act like a young and innocent high school boy. He hissed at his mother and father out of embarrassment like a sweet child, and the scene practically made Kira's smile immortal. Even after everyone was shooed off and decided to continue about their business, he was still acting as adorable as ever. As she brushed some of his hair away, revealing his face, and teased him about hiding, he showed his flustered side yet again. "I-I wasn't errr ..." He stammered as he attempted to regain his composure. He seemed to give up on finding words, though Kira could feel him relaxing a little. With a sweet grin, she listened as he responded to her curiosity about where to go next. "Next we should go ..." He began, and soon he seemed to settle on a place. "Over here."

Kira followed Greg without question as they began passing by various other labs. The place was beginning to feel like some sort of scientific mansion, and these labs were like various rooms. Each had their own personal feel, and soon the two arrived at their destination. It was a slightly smaller space in comparison to the others, and it featured many metallic substances. Is his power really..? She began to wonder, but her thoughts were cut short as Greg began speaking again. "This is my lab." He stated, and Kira offered him her full attention once more as he did so. "It's where I practice my power." He spoke, and then he began to display some of the things he could do. He grabbed some triangular pieces of metal from the table, and they began to float in the air. With more concentration, the shapes formed a star.

"I have power over magnetism." He revealed, confirming Kira's suspicions. With a sweet smile and genuinely impressed expression, Kira turned to face Greg. Her chocolate brown eyes twinkled up at him, her irises shimmering with delight. "That's wonderful," she began with a kind beam. "I had my suspicions due to your metal plated gloves and whatnot, but I'm glad you decided to show and tell." Kira looked over at the hovering star. "It's cute," she stated, taking one of her gloved hands and gently stroking the smooth metal. I wonder if I should tell him about my ability.. As well as what I saw when we touched. She thought to herself as she stared blankly at the hovering substance. After a moment or so, she turned her gaze back to Greg, her brown eyes staring deeply into his own.

"Would you like to know a bit about my power?" Kira questioned with a small grin. "I'm a bit like you. I'm not apart of the basic elementals. Like you, I have an ability that doesn't concern the four elements of this world," she began, and she decided to take a small walk about Greg's lab as she spoke. She began gazing about the room, taking in the various structures and features. "I have the power of enhanced empathy." She chose to reveal as she looked down upon her gloved hands. "Many don't understand what that means, so I'll explain a little," she spoke as she let out a gentle giggle under her breath. "It means I can sense emotion. Without touching people, I can feel what they're feeling. This can also apply to animals, too. Even the monstrosities of the waste have feelings, so I can track down them by their hunger, too."

She turned her stare up to the ceiling as she continued. "That's not all, though. When I physically touch people, I can look into their hearts and memories. Earlier, when you slipped and our cheeks touched, I actually caught a glimpse of yours." She admitted, looking back over towards Greg a bit shamefully. She felt guilty for just prodding into his memories like that without permission, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. This wasn't an ability she could simply turn off and put away for later use. It was always present; always there. Ever since The Flare, it was something she had to learn to live with. "You went to the same high school as me, didn't you?" She questioned him, a bit of curiosity in her gaze. "I saw you gazing after my younger self in the hall. I didn't see much after that, though."

She turned her stare to the floor, feeling a little ashamed for looking into his memory like that.

What's a girl to do? At least she didn't hide it from him, right?

 

[Doughguy]

Greg beamed as Kira complimented his work, amazed to see the delight in her eyes. He was glad she liked it. His power was a massive part of who he was and the confidence he had in this world. The citizens of Base-1 were thankful for it because he could protect them and help them. He was especially useful in their experiments with electricity and the like. But he had never left the settlement and met people who weren't interested in science. Kira had just given him a little bit of faith that in the other settlements that valued science less he would find himself just as liked. He kept the metal floating in his hand, making the triangles all rotate around as if the star was spinning.

When she asked if he'd like to know about her own power he nodded eagerly, and his smile widened as she revealed she was a unique caster like he was. His eyes followed her around the room as she examined the lab, his body spinning on the spot to keep up. He'd never heard of advanced empathy before and was quite interested. As she explained it, he let out a little "Oh." and was suddenly thinking back to all the things he had felt while she had been around him. He had been very embarrassed and she had been able to sense all of it. A little bit of blush crept onto his cheeks. And thinking she'd be able to sense that blush he blushed a bit more.

As she went on his curiosity was piqued when she mentioned being able to sense monstrosities and their emotions. That was very interesting to him and he made a note to ask her about that later.

But then she made a revelation that completely knocked him off balance. It started with her looking up at the ceiling and for the first time since they had met she seemed to have lost a bit of her confidence. He recognized it as something big coming. And she said she had seen his memories and seen him at her school. The gears that he had stopped thinking about before suddenly spun into full motion. He knew why she had looked so familiar earlier, because she had been at his high school. Kira, the girl who had always had confidence and been his complete opposite, the girl he had admired.

He wasn't entirely sure how to react. He'd never thought he'd speak to her back in high school but here he was no, chatting happily with her with ease. On top of that he was just plain amazed to meet someone from his school here after the Flare had hit. He'd known virtually no one in the settlement when he had evacuated to it. And then the way she was acting, he realised she must feel like she'd spied on him without his permission and he suddenly felt guilty himself. It had been his fault he had slipped and their cheeks had touched to start this.

"O-oh ... " he started, " I uh ... I do remember you now. You were the really confident girl that -" he cut himself off before he could say he admired her. "Well uh, it's ok ... it was just an accident. So umm, its ok if that's what you're worried about." He hoped that would help. His mind was whirling and it was a little difficult to think of anything else to say.

 

[Elixir]

Kira Fier​

Kira looked over at Greg a little bashfully as she awaited his reaction to her confessing her abilities. For a moment, she could sense his feelings of surprise and shock, though she also sensed much more embarrassment than before. She couldn't blame him; she did reveal the fact that she could feel practically everything he was feeling. Not many people want to admit that they're nervous or embarrassed around people, especially men. She watched as he blushed a little more, and, once again, she could feel the urge to giggle creeping up on her. She hushed her urge, however, though she couldn't manage to stop a smile from creeping across her lips. He really is cute, she couldn't help but think as she turned her chocolate brown gaze to the floor. She could sense his curiosity as well, which made her wonder what he wanted to know.

After a while of him gathering his wits, he began to speak again. "O-oh..." He stammered out, his sentence trailing off for a moment. "I uh ... I do remember you now. You were the really confident girl that -" He started to say, but he stopped right there in his tracks. Kira's smile only widened at this, for she had a good idea on what he was going to say. The really confident girl that you looked at with such admiration? She thought to herself, letting out a small giggle under her breath. He didn't seem to be upset with her, so she allowed herself to relax a little. "Well uh, it's okay ... it was just an accident. So um, it's okay if that's what you're worried about." He told her what she was waiting to hear. Once she heard those words, she allowed herself to return to her usual persona. "I'm glad," she spoke to him with one of her winning smiles.

"There have been quite a few people who have avoided me due to my ability," Kira began as she turned her gaze back to the lab walls. "Not many folks are alright with people looking into their hearts, much less their memories." She stated, letting out a soft sigh as her smile began to fade. She was beginning to remember all of the times she brawled with her father. She wasn't with him anymore, due to his drunken self becoming more than she could take, but she knew she'd never forget all of the strong feelings she got when their skin connected. Frustration, anger, depression, helplessness, guilt, and much more; it was far too much for her younger self to take. It was all during the time when she had barely received her gifts, too, and their encounters only made her feel more stressed about it. Her powers were so difficult to control.

After a moment or so, she forced herself to snap out of it, though. That was the last thing she wanted to think about.

"I'll try not to touch you again," she reassured him as she hooked her hands gracefully behind her back.

"Sorry about that."