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[sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1047910123206627378/1101987396972712006/Firebird_Placeholder.png[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=silver][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78 Campsite[/I] - [I]Southern Plateau, Dundas Islands[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=silver][b]The Homecoming Trials #1.074:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Like a Phoenix...[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=dimgray][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][INDENT][sub][color=silver][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78 - Firebird[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=2c2c2c][b]Previously:[/b] [I]None[/I][/COLOR][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]It had been a hectic forty-eight hours not only for Jessica Friend but also for all of Team 78. Unlike other students, like those belonging to Eclipse or Blackjack, the bulk of Firebird had arrived at Pacific Royal Collegiate and University only yesterday, with some having even arrived only an hour prior to the opening ceremonies. For most of them that meant they had barely had time to unpack a bag and change into one uniform before being thrust into a different one and told to pack up and move across the island to the Southern Plateau 

It was a learning curve for sure as this was the graduate student's first year being a student advisor to a team. Thaddeus was going into his third year and was used to the rhythm set forth by Jim O'Neil. Had Jessica not studied extensively under the tutelage of Dr. Miranda Rivers, she might have been out of sorts. But the calm and level-headed doctor somehow made order out of the chaos they had been dealt.

Still, it was almost special to have been assigned to Firebird. This was the first iteration of the team since the last one graduated in 2018. With enrolment and attendance both suffering during the pandemic, the school never had the numbers to fill the team. Being part of Team 78 was a reason to celebrate. It did also come with some minor inconveniences though. The team's armbands didn't all match, being a mix and match of the vintage logo and the newer, sleek one. 

With the team having been bounced from the ferry to the intake house and then the ceremonies, Miranda had opted not to load the lot of them up into a pair of Minotaurs and instead organized a slower-paced hike across the island. It gave the team a chance to take in their surroundings and for Miranda to explain what they were about to go through; the Trials, the House offers and ultimately the Hyperhuman Enforcement Accelerated Training Program. 

The hike had been wonderful, the sunshine of the day holding long enough for the team to enter the Southern Plateau before noticing the ominous black clouds overhead. Encouraging the team to split into pairs, Miranda took back over from Jessica, giving the girl a chance to go and check in on Tad and Team Blackjack.

That turned out to be a bit more exciting than she had anticipated. 
 
Hustling back to the Team 78 campsite, Jessica arrived just in time to see the team putting the finishing touches on their personal pizzas before placing them in the portable oven that Miranda had provided.

[COLOR=WHITE]"Been fraternizing with the enemy again?"[/COLOR] Miranda's stern tone was quickly undermined by the corners of her mouth turning up signalling her dry humour.

[COLOR=WHITE]"It was just Tad,"[/COLOR] Jess replied, her cheeks slightly flushing as Miranda shook her head.

[COLOR=WHITE]"I will never understand the inability to be honest about one's feelings."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=WHITE]"Easy for the telepath to say, you never have to face rejection."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=WHITE]"Girl,"[/COLOR] Miranda mockingly scolded, [COLOR=WHITE]"You're an Empath,"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=WHITE]"That would be wrong,"[/COLOR] Jess replied raising her chin in jest.

[COLOR=WHITE]"Right,"[/COLOR] Miranda retorted dryly, [COLOR=WHITE]"Because you would never use your abilities to ease along say team building."[/COLOR]

Jessica's cheeks flushed again. Miranda had called her out, full well knowing that Jess had used her abilities to reduce the team's nerves while they had hiked from the campus to the Plateau and throughout the setting up of their tents. 

[COLOR=WHITE]"In my defense, Blackjack had barely put their tents up and Tad was making dinner for everyone. I think this system is much better."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=WHITE]"You can also only feel or suppress what's already there,"[/COLOR] Miranda countered, having worked with Jess for the younger girl's entire career and given their similar abilities, Miranda had taken Jess on as her protégé.

[COLOR=WHITE]"In the case of the team, you eased their nerves to allow them to better be themselves, in Tad's case-"[/COLOR] 

[COLOR=WHITE]"Nope! There's the line!"[/COLOR] Jess interrupted before making a hasty retreat towards the fire, and subsequently the nearby pizza oven and the team of new students.

[COLOR=WHITE]"Did anyone make Hawaiian?"[/COLOR][/INDENT]
[table=bordered][row][/row][row][cell=warning][COLOR=white][INDENT][SUB][SUP][H3][B]OBJECTIVES[/B][/H3][/SUP][/SUB][/INDENT][b][sup]_______________________________[/sup][/b][/COLOR][INDENT][COLOR=BLACK]
■   Introduce your character.
■   Establish their time, however limited, at P.R.C.U.
■   Bond with the rest of Team 78.[/COLOR][/INDENT][/cell][/row][/table][/INDENT][CENTER][COLOR=dimgray][sub]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/COLOR][/center][COLOR=dimgray][SUP][table][row][sup][h1][color=2c2c2c][b]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[/b][right][b]▅▅▅▅▅[/b][/right][/color][/h1][/sup][/row][row][cell][color=#2c2c2c]- -|◄[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5427433][COLOR=2c2c2c][b]FIRST[/b][/COLOR][/url][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell][cell][center][COLOR=2c2c2c]◄ [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5427433][COLOR=2c2c2c][B]PREV[/B][/COLOR][/url] ||[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5444832][COLOR=silver][B]NEXT[/B][/COLOR][/url] ►[color=#2e2c2c]-[/color][/center][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell][cell][INDENT][right][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5448831][COLOR=silver][B]LATEST[/B][/COLOR][/url] ►|[/right][/INDENT][/cell][/row][/table][/SUP][/color][/COLOR]