Anna was never one for tension, and there was definitely an undercurrent of it running between Meifeng and Ratchet. Seeing Jennifer, she knew something was off, even if she could put her finger on it. For now, though her first concern was to direct some of the pressure away from Jen, who was doing a wonderful job at hiding how nervous she was. Anna had been there before, she knew the look. A glimpse of the long bar gave her an idea. In all honesty, it was terrible idea, but maybe it would level the playing field. Bars weren't unfamiliar territory to Anna. Hawaii had plenty of them. She took down a liter bottle of Tequila and filled over a dozen chilled shot glasses. The silver tray she carried over was loaded with shots, limes and a bottle of pineapple juice she found in the mini-fridge.
"Fresh round, incoming!" She shouted, not wanting to navigate a sea of people and risk bumping elbows. The crowd parted as she slipped in with the tray balanced on her arm. "Plenty of shots and chasers for everyone!" As she set the tray down, a few at the table were already grabbing shots, Anna picked up two glasses and held out one for Meifeng. "Looks like your falling behind." She whispered playfully as everyone prepared to down the shots in unison "Here's your chance to catch up~" A mischievous grin played on Anna lips as she glanced at Jennifer and offered a soft, discrete wink. Her expression seemed to say I'll play along.
The Diamond Sands Fitness Center of Crystal Shores catered to high-class society. One third of the sprawling, two-story complex was dedicated to spas and showers. The chefs on staff were all nutritionist and had every member's preferences and allergies memorized. The olympic-sized indoor pools had lavish furnishings and left little more to be desired. The gym itself boasted state-of-the-art gear, machines, and trainers. Yoga is hands down the most popular with two-hour sessions scheduled three times daily. The whole building has a modest ultra-modern feel to it. Everything looked and smelled expensive, even if it wasn't.
Working as life-guard here wasn't hard. The job requirements were steep, which belied how little work Anna actually needed to do. Some days she could sit by, watch, and not lift a finger. But, today was bit different. Towards the end of her shift, the owner, Filíp, introduced her to his friend's son, Jake Valos, and asked her, in an strange, overly polite manner, to give him a tour. Jake's family apparently had full access, but he himself had never been. With no reason to refuse her boss--more importantly her father's boss--she acquiesced.
Boys had flirted with her in the past, many nice, some handsome, a few both, but none had really made a lasting impression and could be brushed off without a second thought. Jake was different. In the half hour it took to travel the hallways and get acquainted with the many common areas, he was genial and warm in everything he did and said. Almost too perfect. Sweet words and Devilish looks: Anna never thought she would be swayed by that particular combo again, but Jake Valos had proven her wrong. She could feel the heat filling her cheeks and cursed herself for it.
Midway through the tour, their conversation became more casual. The questions started out innocent enough: Do you like working here? What are some of the best spots in this place? If it meant keeping the owner's precious VIP preoccupied, Anna didn't mind answering them at all. And while she'd never admit it, Jake had caught her interest. And within a few minutes, the steady procession of their conversation felt comfortable, seamlessly flowing back and forth between them. Somehow it all culminated into Jake saying "Hey, we should hang out some time!" and the two exchanging numbers.
Shortly after, Filíp came to collect Jake, who's family was leaving and he with them. The interruption was so abrupt, Anna barely had time to stammer out a confused good-bye.
It happened so fast, she didn't really think about it until much later. Between that disarming smile and those "pretty boy" eyes, Anna suspected she was being played and hoped she was wrong. Usually people get swept into Anna's pace, not the other way around.
Later that evening, as she was locking the store closet and getting ready to leave, she heard the distinct sound of her textbooks vibrating. Anna reached into her cheap drawstring bag and retrieved her phone. "1 Missed Call!"
She was about to call the number back when she realized it was Jake's. She hesitated for a long moment, uncertain of what she would even say. Before she could even press hit auto-dial, the phone vibrated again with a "New Message" pop-up alert.
Hey, its Jake! We're going to a party at my friend's house in Kingsdale Row. You should come hang out with us. I'll send you the address.
She was typing in a reply, when another message appeared from her friend Marina.
U goin to Taylor's party in Kingsdale?
Taylor? Taylor who? Then Anna connected the dots. Oh...
Apparently. Who all is going to be there?
Alot of big wigs, heirs and heiresses, people frm University Row, and plenty of metas. U n?
Wait. Wait! Metas? All in one place? Terrible idea...
I'll be there! ;D
Her phone flashed "Message Sent!" before she could second-guess the decision. With an exasperated sigh, she copied it and sent the message to Jake as well. The potent mix of wanting to meet Jake again and overwhelming apprehension of being around that many metas made her stomach lurch and flip, but Anna gathered her composure and finished cleaning up.
--At home.
Among Anna's entire wardrobe, only one outfit stood out as being appropriate for a Kingsdale party. Her mother bought it for her a year ago, knowing full well something like this might happen. She was very encouraging and did everything but outright say "Take this and go have fun".
It was a black silk, designer tank top. Between the deep V neckline, the hollowed back with a criss-cross of elegant lace embroidery, and the split thigh mini skirt, it was a stylish combination which followed the curves of her body. With her favorite turquoise necklace resting at the center of her chest, it completed the ensemble. At a glance, you could mistake it for a fitted cocktail dress.
Make-up, hair, shoes, she fretted over them incessantly for half an hour before she gave up and resigned herself to a simple style: A quick shower to kill the chlorine smell from the pool, just enough make-up for accents, nothing special with the hair -- it was too long and she had too little time to really do anything spectacular with it. A good brushing would suffice -- and a pair of black heels to match the dress was all she needed.
A long look in the mirror told her she wouldnt be the most beautiful girl there, but between these clothes, her sun-kissed olive skin, and the sculpted features she inherited from her mum, she could definitely pull off striking.
Her cell rang. "We're waiting on you, Princess. You're holding up traffic, so get out here!" Marina is not a patient person. Anna didn't rush. She knew there was no traffic to hold up on a two-lane residential beach road, at night. All the same she was outside in a couple minutes. Marina was sitting her father's Mercedes. How she had gotten permission to drive it was a mystery unto itself. On second thought, she probably just took it. Best not to think about it too much.
--At Kingsdale.
The two drove up to the Crystal shores beach house, Marina's favorite Electro-pop still blasting the speakers. Anna's house was nice, but modest. In front this monstrosity of extravagance, she felt quite small, and out of place. That didn't deter her though; she walked the steps, arms linked with Marina. They were greeted at the door, and both took in the sights and sounds, the upbeat music and scent of alcohol. Marina peeled away after seeing a few of her other friends from school.
"Yes please, go have fun all on your own, Miss No-Attention-Span-Whatsoever." Marina was flaky at best, but Anna had never truly held it against her. She knew Marina would come find her again later, but for now Anna was left to look for Jake on her own.
Much to her own surprise though, she didn't have to wander far to find someone interesting. Mei Feng, who at the moment was being used as a kickstand for Jennifer, seemed to be enjoying herself. Anna opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She wanted to approach, she wanted to greet her friends, but the laughter around the table made the whole fair seem shady.
I really, really like your character. Probably because she reminds me of my own significant other. Her power seems really intersting though. Reagan (a character of my own) amplifies fire abilities when she's around. Makes me wonder what would happen if her AND Anna were around, say, Maxine. We should make this happen.
But I must ask, how would it affect physical altercations like in say, Henry, another character of mine?
Thanks! I made sure to work hard on it.
I think at it's core the amplification effect just streamlines the existing techniques people use, making them more efficient. However, for Henry, it may exaggerate his existing animal traits and increase the risk of side effects. He may be prone to more feral behaviors in Anna's presence.
Wavy mess of chocolate brown and chestnut blonde streaks
Eye Color:
Rich hazel brown with flecks of grey and green
Ethnicity:
Hapa Haole, or mixed Hawaiian blood. While her mother is Serbian, her father's family has heavy Hawaiian, Irish, and Portuguese elements
Physical Appearance:
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Anna has two faces: one she shows the world, and the other only her mirror knows. To world, she is as much an unstoppable wellspring of energy as she is a calming presence. From cutting the Fireshore swells on a surfboard and tutoring younger students to coordinating community events and singing choir in church. She dabbles in everything, and she seems to do it effortlessly. Her expression is always relaxed and just being near her somehow quells the anxiety in others. She follows her own flow and it's all too easy to easy to get caught in her subtle current.
For her, other people come first. If they need encouragement, she'll cheerfully brighten their spirits. For those in rough times, she always greets with arms wide open. Unassuming and always reserved in judgment, many vent their frustrations to her, some even speak their deep-seated insecurities in a bid for a raw human connection. She always tries to be there for it--determined to make a difference.
The face she sees in the mirror seems to be capable of no such accomplishments. She sees weakness, lies, fear; she sees a fragile girl constantly on the brink of collapse--afraid she can't meet the expectations of her parents, her friends, her teachers, of anyone; afraid she'll relapse and cause her family to suffer even more. The jaws of fear snap at her heels like wild dogs, chasing her through the day and lurking at her bedside during the night. Anna sees a girl whose only way to survive is to never stop moving. There is no rest for the wicked after all.
By nurturing others and placating their insecurities, she can escape her own fears, even if it's for a moment.
She frequently underestimates herself, and can never quite take a compliment to heart, but moves forward in spite of it, always trying to be better than her yesterday self.
Hobbies/Interests:
Her curiosity is insatiable: Anna has dabbles into anything that seems interesting and she changes hobbies like they were fashion trends. At one time or another she's invested herself in sidewalk chalk art, sculpting, poetry, Engineering club, gymnastics, reading biographies, competitive MOBA gaming, DDR dance competitions, flower arrangement, piano, choir, et cetera ad absurdum; the list goes on, but all her hobbies are short-lived. None of them feel like a good fit, with the following exception: As an avid swimmer, surfer, and diver, Anna spends much of her spare time in the water. In part as a way to relieve stress, but having grown up in Oahu it's ingrained in her lifestyle. The Ocean's call is hard to ignore.
Skills/Talents:
Proven herself competent at nearly anything she works on, Anna possesses a natural talent to acquire new skills quickly. Maintaining those skills, however, is separate issue entirely; she doesn't practice often, if at all. She's passingly familiar with many things from music history, costume-making, and Classical Latin to sailboat rigging, personal accounting, and foreign cultures. She is a master of nothing, but keenly resourceful. For her, fresh ideas aren't hard to come by.
Memento:
Empty Zippo Lighter
Quote(s):
None yet.
History/Bio:
Born to Bruno Aikau of surfing fame and Ilijana Tuvić, a Serbian refugee of the Yugoslav Wars, Anna was conceived and raised in Oahu, Hawaii. Both her parents are very passionate people who walked their own path in life. Ilijana, a successful defense attorney, would turn down cases simply because they didn't interest her. Bruno made a career of big wave surfing but never went to a championship or tournament which lacked a certain je ne sais quoi, regardless of how much prize money was involved. His passion was in the waves and Illijana's in helping those she believed in. Having grown up in a family that nurtured her curiosity, she had a lot of freedom. Often left to her own devices, Anna had to invent ways to entertain herself and her younger brother. The fires started small. There wasn't much harm in setting some paper aflame in a pile on the dry beach. She could even poke at it with sticks. It always starts small. A soft scolding from her father made her stop, but soon she was stealing oil from the scented lamps and taking forgotten lighters from Uncle Eddie's couch cushions. She thought no one would find her by the recycle dumpster down the street. When the blazing high noon sun is scorching the white gravel and the titanic green containers radiate a enough eat to fry eggs, no one comes by, not even in midday. She set it ablaze. The glowing embers were mesmerizing. Billowing streaks of black, orange and red surged through the paper-filled bins, growing hotter and hotter until the aged green paint peeled away revealing the seething metal beneath. The smoke cloud from a mile away, so it wasn't hard for the fire department to find. Anna was to entranced by the flames to resist being carried away by men in bright yellow suits. When her father claimed her at the police station, he exchanged only a few words with the officers and scooped her into his arms and carried her away. He said nothing during the drive home. Anna didn't like the silence and something felt wrong about tension in her father's face. His expression was a grim mix of terror and rage. They made lunch together and ate quietly. She wasn't yelled at or spanked like she had expected. Like a calm before the storm, her father only said "I'm worried about you." before starting to clean the plates. The shouting started when her mother got home. That night she was forced to use an entire box of matches on herself, forced to hold every match until it singed her finger tips. Looming over Anna and watching closely, her mother made sure each was wasted on the painful lesson. Afterward, she was instructed on why fire was dangerous, that she could hurt someone, but above that she could ruin the family, and strong-armed into promising never to do it again.
That should have been the end of it. Case closed.
Anna spent the next two years forlornly watching volunteers douse house fires and taking a special interest a select few Youtube series.
Now at the trustworthy age of eleven, one humid evening in the depth of Summer, her parents left her and her brother at home. It was only going to be for a few hours while the two celebrated their 12th anniversary. Anna had been staring out at the sunset, her head resting against the curtains while playing with her favorite lighter, the Zippo she'd rescued years earlier from a couch crevice. Boredom is the devil. It's true. If she hadn't been grounded for not doing chores, she could watch TV. If her dad was home, he could take her out surfing. If Jonah was still dumb enough to fall for her tricks, maybe none of it would have happened The fire slithered up the curtains, before it leapt to recliner. In just a few minutes, half the living room was on fire. The nascent inferno was all too willing to grow and consume every inch of the house. It lurched its way into the hallway and licked at the frame of Jonah's door. The wood creaked and snapped as she watched as if in a fugue. In that moment, imagined the fire she created that day at the dumpster and how her brother would burn just as easily; the image of him melting flashed before her eyes. Her stomach knotted, twisted and bounced her quickly beating heart into her throat. Shaken from her trance by the sudden realization, she grabbed a untouched chair pillow and began beating the flames back with her tiny arms, flailing at them relentless. No matter how annoying he was, no matter how often he stole Anna's snacks or barged into her room, he wasn't supposed to melt in a fire. She had to save him. All those times her mom and dad said they were a family, that family looks out for one another, the words hadn't sunk in. Anna understood it now.
The smoke stung her eyes. Wild current of heat seared her fingers as she trashed and wrestled with the flames. For a moment the doorway was clear, but the hot handle barred her entry. She tried gripping it with the case of her pillow, but it wouldn't budge. She fought with it until the black clouds took her.
She awoke to the unfamiliar ceiling of a sterile white room and a steady, incessant beep. Queen's Medical Center's intensive care unit had been more than accommodating to her and Jonah. Although she survived with minimal injuries, her brother suffered second and third-degree burns on his neck, back, and arms.
The damage had been done and her home was in ruin. Anna spent the next three years in and out of psychiatric offices. One-on-one interviews, case management, prognostic analyses, medication, screaming, crying, numbness, shame. Those three years exist very much as blur in her memory. Between the therapy sessions, the shouting sessions, the pleas, and the tirades it was all a muddled mixture of harsh words and raw emotion.
In those three years tensions grew around her like the rift between her parents. Haunted by guilt over what happened, Anna could not be consoled. She had convinced herself she wasn't human and punished herself far more than anyone could. No matter how overjoyed she was to learn Jonah survived and could make a full recovery, the years after were not kind and neither was Jonah. Just being in his presence as torture and as he grew older he found cutting words to tear into her. Resentment seemed to be the only thing Jonah held for her.
The day her parents announced their divorce, she permitted herself a selfish, relieved sigh. Living in her own wake was suffocating.
It was during this the time of her life when she truly felt what "rockbottom" was like that her father started show signs of superpowers. Late to bloom, but still a true-blue metahuman. Bruno had taken a break from the professional surfing scene for obvious reasons. At first invitational he'd competed in over 5 years, he's out-performed 53 contestants. At the age of 46, he bested more than 20 surfers still at the height of their game. It was landslide victory for him, a metahuman empowered by water.
While the discovery provoked many questions and interests, it ultimately cost Bruno his ranking in the tourney. More importantly, it cost him his career. With a power like his it gave him an "unfair advantage" or so the judges said. And while their was considerations to revoke his other championship titles as well, Bruno formally and publicly announced his retirement from professional surfing.
Through a friend now living in Verthaven, Bruno found work teaching members of a private gym how to surf. While the divorce proceedings continued, He and Anna settled into a beach house in Fire Shores while Ilijana and Jonah stayed with family in Oahu. Her parents were working out their disputes amicably enough, but felt after all that had happened some distance was for the best, even if it was temporary.
Anna transferred into the public high school system as a sophomore (now a Junior) and has tried her best to start life her anew. She even works part-time as a lifeguard in Crystal Shores.
Relationships
Family:
Bruno Aikau - Father Eddie Aikau - Uncle Ilijana Aikau - Mother Jonah Aikau - Brother
Dynamics:
Mei Feng | Good | Best Friend | "A loud and crude tomboy, and I wouldn't like her any other way. She's so cool! Her mum's a little scary though..." |
Abilities
Power Class:
Essence
Power: --Stoke
Anna passively amplifies any metahuman power in her vicinity. The vital metahuman spark that breeds superpowers pours out of her with no floodgates to stop them, let alone control them. One who manipulates Elements may find the same amount of effort normally required for a task calls forth half again the amount of her element than she was expecting. A Clairvoyant may find her visions more vivid and offering a wider range. The exact consequences are as varied as the powers affected.
Limits:
Unexplored.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
The effect is muted as she is not consciously aware of it, and she has yet to develop an "OFF" switch. For better or worse, it's always active.
Super Duper