LuckyBlackCat

The Zephyr Extinct

You ok now @Plank Sinatra? Love the intro though, and will have a reply up soon :)

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

As she saw Maxwell's touch on Roxy's arm, Jess clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug into her skin. She knew Roxy wanted nothing more right now than to hit him. Jess tried to slow her breathing, but it shuddered in her lungs with the steady flow of anger. Maybe it was best not to fight it completely. It was the only thing fueling the two of them to speak out through their fear.

"Leave her alone..." The plea came out soft, yet insistent, as she moved closer to Roxy. Her eyes shifted to Mr Black. "This doesn't benefit her. And... and..." She paused, swallowing a lump through her tight throat. The words on her lips could either prove a hindrance to Mr Black's plans, or land both her and Roxy in further trouble, but she had to point something out. Lying to an empath took a whole other level of arrogance.

"You're not saddened," she blurted. "Not for Roxy, anyway."

The Zephyr Extinct

✾ Steel Rose ✾

Steel Rose hadn't known freedom like this in a long time. Loose green and pink fabric flapped as she sped past stalls and crowds, probably looking quite a sight with her mask, as well as the motorised rollerskates propelling her along. Not that she cared. Children's laughter, a myriad of food scents, lively street music - this was her kind of atmosphere.

An atmosphere, admittedly, that lost some of its luster when experienced alone.

She bit the inside of her lip. This wasn't the same as the times she'd snuck out to the marketplace with Jay, the two of them selling woodcrafts or eating too many snacks, laughing and joking. He'd been so different then, so utterly unlike the husk he was now. Gritting her teeth, Rose accelerated with a swipe of her foot. She'd changed too, her reason for being here. She wasn't going to stand by and let others end up like that. She had to be someone else, someone stronger, better...

"Waugh!" The marketplace blurred as her speed picked up to dizzying levels. "Watch out!" She skittered and swayed like a drunken dancer as crowds scattered, a flute player abruptly pausing his song as he hurried aside. Tilting her feet, Rose tried to brake, only to somehow activate reverse mode. Letting slip an expletive she hoped no children heard, she circled backwards one one foot once, twice, before changing course and zooming forward - right into a pastry stall.

The table flipped over with a thud, as did Rose. "Uuugh..." Shouts snapped her from her dazed state. She propped herself up, aches flaring, albeit from nothing worse than bruises due to the squished cakes that cushioned her. Squished cakes... Uh-oh. With a sinking sensation, she stared up at the fuming vendor.

"What in the name of the gods do you think you're doing?" He thrust out a hand, gesturing at the ruined stall. "I don't care who you're with, miss. Zephyr or not, you'd better pay up!"

Rose flinched, giving a sheepish smile behind her mask. "Eheheh, sorry about that..." Her eyes darted around at the mess as she unstrapped the wheeled attachments from her shoes, putting them in a large satchel and standing up. "Here, I'll help. These ones are still good, more or less." She righted the table, re-stocking it with the less crumpled boxes, and handing over payment for the pastries she couldn't salvage. Not that she had many savings of her own, but it would cover the cost. "Hope the rest of your day goes better!"

She was glad nobody could see her crimson face as she rushed to the spot under the stairs. "Wow, those things need some serious adjustments to the controls," she muttered, brushing away sugared crumbs and almond flakes dotting her tunic top. In her mind, she could almost hear her father yelling. First things first, though, she had to meet the other recruits, first impressions nonwithstanding.

Archer, thankfully, was polite enough not to mention her current state, complimenting her mask instead. "Thanks! I see you like a mix of the mechanical and the natural too. A mask like that, it's gotta show those Nox you're not one to mess with! And squeamish? Ha!" She pumped her fist into the air, hoping to bolster morale - maybe the quiet man in grey needed it. She certainly did herself, her stomach tightening. Squeamish, an apt term for someone who knew what the Nox were capable of. "After we train up, our enemies are gonna be the squeamish ones when they face off against us!"

She popped the sweet treat under her mask. So far, Archer's kindness had calmed her fears of what sort of authority she and the other Zephyrs would answer to. "Mmm, thanks, good to get a snack to eat instead of wear." All too aware she didn't quite look the part of the intimidating warrior, she nonetheless rummaged through the wooden chest.

"This looks like a nice all-round one..." She pulled out a bladed pistol, the knife a foot long and patterned with veins like a leaf, the materials sturdy yet lightweight enough for easy wielding. She studied it, taking in the design and what she could glean of the mechanics, before turning back to Archer. "More of an energy weapon than one with conventional bullets, right? I'll call it Thorn."

Notes

The gun does indeed shoot energy bullets, although being mechanical, its power can run down fast if she isn't careful. Depending how you envision the ZE to separate the Nox from infected people, I'm thinking it could also have a mode that creates flashes of light which can help startle away Nox. Is that ok, or can only magic do that?

The Zephyr Extinct

Yep, sounds good! Going to have a reply up later.

The Zephyr Extinct

@Mokley Personally, I'd prefer some action, with plenty of teamwork opportunities. At least some kind of struggle against the Nox. Also the theme of identity is something that could be explored, with everyone's personal goals despite their masks and codenames, plus it's already an issue for Rose and Iris.

The Zephyr Extinct

Steel Rose

WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE?
Formerly Laverna Graydon, now Steel Rose, or Rose.

DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE.
Rose stands at 5'7", walking with confidence. Her chin-length, chestnut brown hair frames her face in messy wisps. Behind her mask is a pale, freckled and expressive face, with sharp green eyes. Her hands bear slight scars from tinkering accidents, and she has a tattoo of leafy vines winding around her left arm. She favours bright, bold colours, which extend to her mask, or at least half of it.

While the mask features plant motifs all over, both sides contrast with each other. Gears and metallic shards make up the flowers and leaves on the right side, wires snaking like branches around them. This mechanical design gives way to a riot of colour and intricacy on the left side, with red, pink and yellow roses surrounded by gold-tinged green vines and foliage.

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES?
Despite the "steel" part of her codename, there's nothing rigid or cold about her. Feisty and free-spirited, she can be viewed either as fun to be with, or a troublemaker who needs seriously reining in - not that doing so is at all easy. When she has issues with someone, she'll let them know. In that situation, she acts or speaks first, and thinks later. This is especially true if they're threatening someone she cares about.

She thinks of herself as her own person, someone who lives life to the full despite having been held back for so long. Having a strong sense of identity is important to her.

WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME?
She grew up in an industrial, high-tech area of Rig, although she found such a sterile part of an otherwise verdant city stifling. She much preferred the overgrown streets and woodlands.

WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES?
During childhood, it was her father, a renowned engineer. Just like most children view their parents as role models, she idolised him until he started using her love of tinkering to his advantage, forcing her to follow in his footsteps for his own image. For years, she was treated like as much of a machine as his creations, and punished for the slightest misstep or flaw in her projects. It was when she started sneaking out that she met Jay, who became a close friend, and the main figure in her life.

He'd take her hang-gliding, trekking through lush greenery and climbing trees, giving her freedom she'd never experienced before. Most importantly, he valued her for who she was. When the Nox crisis happened, however, her father made sure to keep her "safe" in the workshop, not out of concern for her, but for his legacy. After the situation calmed down, she found out Jay had survived, but only in a physical sense. Those blank grey eyes held none of the spark of life she'd known. She visited the care centre as often as she could, but every time, it became more and more painfully clear. He was gone.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS?
Rose has not abandoned crafting and construction, although her creations have an artistic flair with bright colours and floral motifs, to differentiate them from her father's works. Because she tends to experiment and get ahead of herself, rather than relying on tried and tested methods, sometimes the projects don't turn out quite as intended. Besides this, she's skilled at woodcrafting, something she and Jay learned together.

Her creativity is a strength not just when it comes to constructing items, but thinking on her feet and finding solutions to problems. Another merit is her willingness to work with others as often as possible, as long as nobody dominates a task too much. She thinks her curiosity is more of a strength than it is - while it can be helpful at times, it can just as often land her in trouble.

WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS?
One of the things Rose hates most is being alone. This makes solo projects difficult, she favours group projects even if the people involved are likely to conflict with her. If it's something that can only be done by one person, she prefers to have someone around to talk to while working on it. Despite her need for company and casual friendship, she doesn't like to get too close to people, as she's afraid of losing them. Her worst fear is being unable to protect someone.

She also prefers to follow her own rules, which as a member of an organisation, causes obvious problems. If someone gives commands she doesn't like, or too harshly, that's when her defensive side shows - a side that hides unease from bad memories. Something else linked to said memories, and that she hasn't fully acknowledged, is her perfectionism. For all her apparent wildness, she still feels the need to put 100% into everything she does, and while she pretends to laugh off failures, they get to her.

As for secrets, she doesn't let on who her father is, as she wants to break all ties with him. She never tells anyone her real name, in case they make the connection.

WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED?
A new start, but more than that, she wants to take action in a way that she couldn't before. What she needs is to see the difference she and the other Zephyrs are making, and to be part of a family-like dynamic of people who truly value her.

WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT?
Partly, it was to get away from her father, and start a new life with a new identity. The other reason is she wishes she could have helped Jay like he helped her, so this is a way to protect people from the Nox, and make sure they don't end up like him.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP?
Rose needs to mellow out over time, and make peace with her past enough that she can set aside issues with authority, as well as truly let people in. Reasonable higher-ups, and gradually getting close enough to a friend that she can confide in them, would help a great deal.

PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER.
I'd like to explore how she copes with not being able to truly "save" people who have been infected by the Nox, as in being faced with the shells of themselves they've been reduced to. This could lead to trying too hard to get stronger, to defeat as many Nox as possible, and of course going about it the wrong way. A more positive route (although the two wouldn't be mutually exclusive) would be trying to find a way to help former hosts.

It would also be interesting to see how she'd deal with a friend getting hurt, especially if she wasn't in a position to help them, as well as how others respond to her tendency to get hurt protecting others.

The Zephyr Extinct

Thanks! I have a feeling she'll either be best friends with Listener, or they'll bicker a lot. Or both.

The Zephyr Extinct

@Mokley Done! Here's a loud, boisterous foil to Fluke:

Steel Rose

WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE?
Formerly Laverna Graydon, now Steel Rose, or Rose.

DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE.
Rose stands at 5'7", walking with confidence. Her chin-length, chestnut brown hair frames her face in messy wisps. Behind her mask is a pale, freckled and expressive face, with sharp green eyes. Her hands bear slight scars from tinkering accidents, and she has a tattoo of leafy vines winding around her left arm. She favours bright, bold colours, which extend to her mask, or at least half of it.

While the mask features plant motifs all over, both sides contrast with each other. Gears and metallic shards make up the flowers and leaves on the right side, wires snaking like branches around them. This mechanical design gives way to a riot of colour and intricacy on the left side, with red, pink and yellow roses surrounded by gold-tinged green vines and foliage.

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES?
Despite the "steel" part of her codename, there's nothing rigid or cold about her. Feisty and free-spirited, she can be viewed either as fun to be with, or a troublemaker who needs seriously reining in - not that doing so is at all easy. When she has issues with someone, she'll let them know. In that situation, she acts or speaks first, and thinks later. This is especially true if they're threatening someone she cares about.

She thinks of herself as her own person, someone who lives life to the full despite having been held back for so long. Having a strong sense of identity is important to her.

WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME?
She grew up in an industrial, high-tech area of Rig, although she found such a sterile part of an otherwise verdant city stifling. She much preferred the overgrown streets and woodlands.

WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES?
During childhood, it was her father, a renowned engineer. Just like most children view their parents as role models, she idolised him until he started using her love of tinkering to his advantage, forcing her to follow in his footsteps for his own image. For years, she was treated like as much of a machine as his creations, and punished for the slightest misstep or flaw in her projects. It was when she started sneaking out that she met Jay, who became a close friend, and the main figure in her life.

He'd take her hang-gliding, trekking through lush greenery and climbing trees, giving her freedom she'd never experienced before. Most importantly, he valued her for who she was. When the Nox crisis happened, however, her father made sure to keep her "safe" in the workshop, not out of concern for her, but for his legacy. After the situation calmed down, she found out Jay had survived, but only in a physical sense. Those blank grey eyes held none of the spark of life she'd known. She visited the care centre as often as she could, but every time, it became more and more painfully clear. He was gone.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS?
Rose has not abandoned crafting and construction, although her creations have an artistic flair with bright colours and floral motifs, to differentiate them from her father's works. Because she tends to experiment and get ahead of herself, rather than relying on tried and tested methods, sometimes the projects don't turn out quite as intended. Besides this, she's skilled at woodcrafting, something she and Jay learned together.

Her creativity is a strength not just when it comes to constructing items, but thinking on her feet and finding solutions to problems. Another merit is her willingness to work with others as often as possible, as long as nobody dominates a task too much. She thinks her curiosity is more of a strength than it is - while it can be helpful at times, it can just as often land her in trouble.

WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS?
One of the things Rose hates most is being alone. This makes solo projects difficult, she favours group projects even if the people involved are likely to conflict with her. If it's something that can only be done by one person, she prefers to have someone around to talk to while working on it. Despite her need for company and casual friendship, she doesn't like to get too close to people, as she's afraid of losing them. Her worst fear is being unable to protect someone.

She also prefers to follow her own rules, which as a member of an organisation, causes obvious problems. If someone gives commands she doesn't like, or too harshly, that's when her defensive side shows - a side that hides unease from bad memories. Something else linked to said memories, and that she hasn't fully acknowledged, is her perfectionism. For all her apparent wildness, she still feels the need to put 100% into everything she does, and while she pretends to laugh off failures, they get to her.

As for secrets, she doesn't let on who her father is, as she wants to break all ties with him. She never tells anyone her real name, in case they make the connection.

WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED?
A new start, but more than that, she wants to take action in a way that she couldn't before. What she needs is to see the difference she and the other Zephyrs are making, and to be part of a family-like dynamic of people who truly value her.

WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT?
Partly, it was to get away from her father, and start a new life with a new identity. The other reason is she wishes she could have helped Jay like he helped her, so this is a way to protect people from the Nox, and make sure they don't end up like him.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP?
Rose needs to mellow out over time, and make peace with her past enough that she can set aside issues with authority, as well as truly let people in. Reasonable higher-ups, and gradually getting close enough to a friend that she can confide in them, would help a great deal.

PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER.
I'd like to explore how she copes with not being able to truly "save" people who have been infected by the Nox, as in being faced with the shells of themselves they've been reduced to. This could lead to trying too hard to get stronger, to defeat as many Nox as possible, and of course going about it the wrong way. A more positive route (although the two wouldn't be mutually exclusive) would be trying to find a way to help former hosts.

It would also be interesting to see how she'd deal with a friend getting hurt, especially if she wasn't in a position to help them, as well as how others respond to her tendency to get hurt protecting others.

The Zephyr Extinct

Hey, working on a character for this! I should have the CS ready tomorrow.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Right away, Jess picked up on that hint of surprise. A slight yet noticeable warm feeling accompanied it, like a glimpse of sunlight in a storm. Comfort? It hadn't been enough, it hadn't made any real difference to Roxy's mood or to the situation. For all Jess knew, she could simply be taking on traces of Roxy's personality from sensing her emotions. Still, now she'd spoken up, she knew she couldn't back down.

She could barely hide her grimace anyway as that pervert admitted he'd watch Roxy with a girlfriend. Both men's polite facades had slipped, their threatening sides showing now they had what they wanted in sight, Maxwell's in particular. "It's just..." Jess glanced from one man to the other, despite the gnawing fear. "Roxy's her own person." Again, she put emphasis on the name. "And she's made it clear this isn't what she wants."