Digmata

After Era Mythos

Elpis: The Maiden of Hope

---

"We will work on that smile someday." Elpis noted as she flew away from Moon Arrow and into the crime scene, as she got closer and closer she recalled the words of advice given to her by his brother when he asked her for Elpis' first autograph.

"Be flashy, smoke and mirrors it may be, it is how the public garners fame. This is especially true during debuts where a Talent's skill set remains unclear.

Colorful flames began to surround her body invoking the image of blazing wings as she flew through the sky, it wasn't really providing her any benefits but the fans might believe that they do. Her speed at chasing the car wasn't impressive compared to speedsters but it was fast enough to reach it.

She didn't immediately descend to the vehicle like most heroes and instead focused on encircling the car to let the driver be aware of her wonderful presence and give her time to assess the situation. On the driver seat is a young man nearly the same age as her brother, pushing the gas pedal as hard as he could. Behind him were a bunch of bags that were not filled with money but with items like clothes, pillows and some cans of food.

She could feel it, what was inside his heart she could see the surprise in his eyes, the fear in his body as the flames got closer. And the shame creeping to his shoulders and the desperation from fleeing his life.

"It's okay." the Maiden of Hope spoke through the intercom and the car's fearful driver. Her flames began getting smaller, just enough to keep up with the car.

What a weird unscripted debut, there is no criminal for her to stop but someone to help.

But that's just how most of her patrols go.

"No one is out to get you, we're here to help." She spoke with complete confidence and sincerity.

"I can't."

"What?"

"THE BRAKES AREN'T WORKING, I CAN'T STOP IT!" he yelled to Elpis which is heard through the intercom as he tried turning the wheel to no avail.

Credit to Elpis she didn't panic and instead began looking ahead of the road which is about to reach a turn, it doesn’t take much to realize that there is almost no time for the car to turn.

"Jump!" she ordered as she began pushing the car back, planting her shoes on the asphalt road.

She managed to slow down the vehicle but her strength alone wouldn't be enough to kill it completely but she didn’t need to do this alone.

Noble Arms: The ASEAN War - Thread Three, the Darkest Hour

Cristina Bernardino

The mercenary raised her hand as points out another possibility. "Or I could I just trap Cao Bao in the Mirage Space so that we can avoid any traps they planned, at least it would deal with the conventional ones easily." she muttered as the plan slowly forms.

"Regardless I'm getting tired of waiting, so I say let's stop anticipating traps and get into the action part."

Her face clearly shows boredom and bloodlust, ever since she managed to rescue her sister she needed to find a new reason to stay in the Obsidian. The reason that she found for now? The realization that working under this team would grant her the hardest battles, a stupid reason but one that she'll take regardless.

And to be honest, getting the opportunity to see that prince again is a good bonus. He wasn't that bad.

After Era Mythos

I just realized does the city have rankings? Like a top list of heroes with the highest fame?

After Era Mythos

Elpis: The Maiden of Hope

---

“…but kids are impressionable. You could be a little flashier in front of them for this kind of thing. They talk and believe twice as m--”

Elpis listened with the curiosity that could only be attributed to someone with a mind of a child. She was right, she should have used some magic tricks as well. It would be more flashy or 'cool' to the younger generation.

“Dispatch to Patrol Three, we have a 10-50 traveling north in Mu.”

The Moon Arrow tilted her head and cut her own speech off as the crackling numbers in her ear caught her attention, as though it would make the broadcast clearer. She really needed someone to replace the earpiece if they were going to go on the fritz every time she launched herself.

“10-4, we are en route.”

Too bad she doesn't have enough time to voice it as an emergency appeared. She discreetly took a moment to close her eyes, her senses appears to be weak but it seems that there is a 'big' problem, at least bigger than the normal problem that she felt on the streets.

Elpis nodded at her senior's words as she prepare herself on her first crime related, unscripted event as a hero. She had done a few livestreams and patrols but this will be her first foray into unscripted crime fighting. Okay Phoebe, you can do this.

“Have you worked unscripted before?”

Elpis smiled as she began flying her way to the scene of crime, letting the Moon Arrow take the lead.

"Well does the agency unleashing a horde of mind controlled animals count?" she asked as she recalls her audition and her training that could only described as controlled chaos.

"My first unscripted job but the agency trained me to manage, hopefully."

Eidolon: Conspiracy Theory

For a moment, Ashley simply sat there contemplating about Jeese words. Is it really going to be over just like that? The problem, the dilemma that she is dealing for nearly a year now would now soon be a matter of time.

Ashley took a moment to look at Luka, as if asking him if he is pulling ber leg. For the first time, she wished that Bootstrap Paradox foresight is a long term one.

She took a deep breath and faced Jeese.

"I don't have a driver's license, a bike was enough for my needs and commuting is more convenient." she spoke to Jeese before turning to Luka.

"Hey, no matter if this works or not you had my thanks." Ashley spoke a little smile on her face. It might be a small thing for him but for her, it was a rope she needed

---

If approved Ashley's bond with Luka changes

2 Ashley considers herself indebted to Luka. 2

After Era Mythos

Elpis: The Maiden of Hope

---

'What kind of hero do you want to be?'

That is the first question the management threw to her during her first audition, she naively muttered the 'hero who helps everyone back then', and it took her quite a while to realize that she is answering the question wrong. You see all heroes, from the passionate Mighty Man to the enigmatic Theorist to even the villains have this thing called 'character'. Character is what separates a man to a cape, the character is who the people root for not heroes themselves. Character is where the public clings and shapes their perception of her.

It’s little bit of a bummer back then to realize that the heroes she admired might actually be hiding in some sort of mask but also a little liberating knowing she could separate Phoebe and Elpis with a costume change. When you come and give it a thought being a hero 24/7 feels like an existential nightmare. Blame his stupid brother for casually dropping the most existentially questioning statements out of nowhere, it got worse when he started listening to the Theorist.

“Alright, be more attentive next time.” The cyan haired maiden told the little girl as she returned her cat that she took the tree. The child saluted at her as she walked away.

“Sorry about that, there’s just no way I can ignore that.” Elpis answered to Moon Arrow as she floated her way back to the patrol route. As much as the agency complained about her numerous ‘small acts’, it had an interesting side effect of allowing her to ‘sense’ problems no matter how big or small it is. A skill that she didn’t need to speak about to explain how useful it is.

“So any tips you could give me?” the maiden of hopes asked the moon arrow as she landed and matched her pace, she stared at her with the most innocent smile she could muster as she waited for an answer.

Eidolon: Conspiracy Theory

Ashley clicked her tongue before answering the fixer. "Herrera was my mother's name and she's not my father's wife." the implied illegitimacy of Ashley is not lost to anyone in the room.

"When mom died, he showed up in the middle of the funeral, searched for me and try to drag me away. He failed but he'd been persistent since then." she took a sip of her drink, giving her time to breath.

"The name change was the start, a way to connect him to me. He said it was for my sake but I know it's not." Ashley spoke with venom. "I don't need him, I don't want him. He should stay in his perfect life and leave me at my own story."

She doesn't need his pity.

Noble Arms: The ASEAN War - Thread Three, the Darkest Hour

Cristina Bernardino

---

Maybe a visit to Lubao and Flores Pagkanta Corriente; she's caused enough trouble to our rear areas."

He then mused, "It's best that my sister not participate in that visit, however, a Japanese Imperial Princess burning down a Philippine City will dig up memories of the 1940s not related to Noble Arms. Speaking of that... Do you know that most of the first Japanese Arms Masters gained their Noble Arms by realizing that their war was wrong?"

Another interaction that may need to be turned into a flashback...

"And removing two s would somehow make the optics better." Cristina replied staring at prince with clear disappointment

"You better leave that battle to the army, things would be less messy that way." she spoke to the prince as she looked at her sword, she heard him speaking about the reasons how the Japanese get their first Arm Masters. To be honest she thinks it was propaganda but she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"Quite an interesting trivia." the uneducated girl spoke.

---

Callie trailed off as her mind snagged on something – then snapped her fingers. “Cristina. How many people do you think you could take with you, either by blinking with them or in your pocket dimension? If you could transfer them through the portal, that’d solve the problem handily – enough members of TFO to maintain a perimeter, even just special forces if we’re being conservative…” She leant back, folding her arms. “And then… I’ve been working on something and I think I can entirely sabotage their carriers’ take-off architecture without compromising my other capabilities. I’d imagine our Lotus flyboys would take air superiority with even less difficulty than usual if we could completely cut off Chinese reinforcements in the skies.”

"If I use my Mirage Space, I could carry everyone in this room and some more. My Noble Arm is limited by time, volume and indiscrimination, not body count." she answered to Callie as she keeps an ear to the planning of the operation.

"But if we use that, we would need to move quickly. I cannot hold the Mirage Space and stay outside for long, it's like keeping a bottle of water raised. Easy at first, then it gets tiring the longer it took."

Eidolon: Conspiracy Theory

Ashley would notice the annoyance and correct herself. "Sorry about that, I got sidetracked." she muttered.

"But if you need a name, the name Victor Whitlock should be familiar enough for right? Considering how frequent the press covers his potential as a mayoral candidate."

Eidolon: Conspiracy Theory

@Digmata@rush99999--can one of you tee me up with the name of Ashley's dad? otherwise my next post will just be Jesse going, "and who is this guy?" lol

@ctrlsaltdel

Let's call him Victor