NeoAJ

Vanguard: Calder City

You’ll get what you’re given and you’ll like it.

@BrutalBx

Yes sir o7

Also, I made Day 2 (Top 64), which means I get enough points to qualify for Worlds. I'll be in San Francisco in August as a competitor for the first time.

Vanguard: Calder City

Finally the post is up! Took the bottom of the page, but hopefully it's up to the same standard my gameplay needs to be at. Now to see how many Pokemon my Miltank can beat up in a short period of time...

Vanguard: Calder City

---

5:00 AM

Steel Acres, Sandhurst Park Tower, Apartment 614

Current song: Wake Up - 7evin7ins

---

Sometimes it can be difficult to find the sunrise when it seems like everything is blocking out the light. Whether its in the shadow of natural wonders like the Rocky Mountains that obscure the dawning rays, or the towering presence of the skyscrapers of Calder City that can dizzy anyone looking up without the ability to fly up and alleviate that problem, sometimes it was tough to find that glimmer of hope that inspired one to take on the new day with all the energy and optimism that were needed to make it shine. The truly skilled could find that in them and impart it at ease to the masses, making whoever they talked to feel like they experienced it themselves.

Michelle Tierney did usually manage to see the light, but only when she was working opening shifts. And even then, it was tough to enjoy the sunrise en route to her job. A job that usually numbed her brain following events of the previous evening.

Today wasn't going to be any different. Another weekday, another trip to the day job to make sure everything was ready for the rush of commuters, office workers, laborers and those who wanted to say they had a bite on their script but were trying to put the finishing touches on it and were doing so for the better part of the last six months. Michelle sympathized with them the most, knowing how hard it was to be content with the work being put out and making sure it would not only be appreciated by those who glanced upon it, but also by yourself. It was tough to find that feeling outside of her alter ego's shows these days. Yet she soldiered on.

While the clock read 5:00 AM, Michelle had been up for at least 30 minutes before that going through her routine. Showering, hair drying, deciding which snappy t-shirt she was going to wear to entice tips from the customers on this day, there was an order that she had perfected. Her father was very insistent that a well-oiled process to start the day made sure that things would never seem unmanageable. She never saw the point, but it did make things much easier when she had these early wake up times. When she was just starting at AlleyCat, it resulted in very swift turnarounds if she was working on stage the night before. Now that she had some seniority, she never worked early if she performed within the last 12 hours.

She moved through her small one-bedroom apartment like a breeze, now content she was ready enough for another day in the salted caramel coffee mines. The window was occupied by the white-haired Ragdoll cat lounging on her suction-cupped catbed, waiting for the rays to come through to offer comfort that her owner would not provide during the day. For the moment, Michelle was able to offer a few scritches behind the kitty's ear, a soft purr coming from the princess. "All right, Snowflake. Watch the place while I'm gone." The order was met with a nonplussed yawn, and another stretch on the bed. "Yeah, you'll watch the place get robbed all right." She laughs and shakes her head as she heads to the door, scooping up her purse, her phone and her keys before heading off to her day job.

---

8:17 AM

Midtown, AlleyCat Coffee House

Current song: Be Sweet - Japanese Breakfast f. So!YoON!

---

"Here's your macchiato, Tyler!" Michelle calls out, looking for one of her regulars.

The man with the slightly balding head of ginger hair got up from his laptop and moves over to the counter, scooping up the concentrated cup of caffeine. He looks down, then back up at Michelle. "Your foam art is getting really good," Tyler comments. "How are you able to get a snowflake pattern like that going with just a splash of milk and a toothpick?"

The question is answered with a shake Michelle's well-manicured index finger. "An artist never reveals her tricks, Ty. Although I guess I can say I don't have the powers of milk manipulation. Trust me, I wouldn't be working here if that was the case. I'd be making a killing on an internet website."

Tyler shakes his head as he pivots. "Wouldn't be worth losing you here. Trust me on that." He moves back to his computer, staring at a script for a one-man play that Michelle's offered comments on over the past year, but the author still hasn't felt fit to put out into the world.

Thus it had been a fairly normal day at work for "Auntie Chelle", as her co-worker Laila called referred to her when the 20-year-old reported to work at 8am. Despite being a bit miffed that she wasn't hired at Brewed Awakening when she first applied at AlleyCat, the CSU junior had come into her own under Michelle's management and was handling the baked goods section of the coffee house with ease, allowing Michelle to focus on the beverages that were the business's calling card. The 31-year-old wasn't thrilled at being given "Auntie" status, but she had four years under her belt at AlleyCat, and Catherine Michaud, the owner of the business, trusted her to keep it running smoothly while she continued to try and climb the social ladder among Calder City's elite. Michelle silently laughed at Cat's attempts to schmooze the upper class, given she was told when she was hired the AlleyCat name came from the fact that Miss Michaud has scraped her way up from the alleys of Lower East Calder to earn this spot in on the edge of the Entertainment District.

As Tyler got out of the way, the next customer stepped up to the counter, a suit looking like he was trying to get in and out before an early meeting at one of the Midtown skyscrapers. "Hey, can I get an iced cappuchino to go?"

"Sure thing, top cat! Coming right up!"

Michelle moved over to the blending station, and started loading up the cup with ice and coffee to create one of the AlleyCat's signature drinks. She spearheaded the move into focusing on cooler caffeine options and it had paid off with a boon in business during the summer months. Even in the winter, people still ordered the frozen drinks because the blends were near perfect mixes that soothed the java jolts that remained. Michelle had done this drink a million times, and was set to go through the motions on one million and one when she overheard the conversation a couple of patrons were having at the corner table near the counter.

"Heard Miguel say they finally got that drunk guy unstuck from the side of the Odom Building an hour ago.

"How long had he been there? Must have sobered up by the time they got him down?"

"The whole night from the sounds of things. Miguel said he was cursing up a storm when his lips weren't chattering.

"Lips weren't chattering? Was he frozen or something?"

"He was! They had to call in a Gray Pyro to unthaw him so they could get him into the ambulance."

"Well how the hell did he end up in that spot in the first place?"

"He wasn't saying anything, but when they were looking for leads, a woman came forward and said the guy tried to sexually assault her last night when she was walking home, but someone came up, chucked a bucket of something on him, I guess water, rushed him to the wall and stuck him there!"

"Really? We got another vigilante or something running around? Who is this one now?"

"Miguel said the authorities don't know. The woman didn't give any description, she just said that the person saved her and that the man deserved what he got."

"That's a given, but still. Seems like new Grays are popping up every day in this place. There needs to be some kind of control or something on all of them coming to Calder.

Michelle snapped out of her frozen state at the sounds of the suit asking for his drink. She looked down, she hadn't put nearly enough ice in the beverage and it was still a little liquidy. _"Shit...." The brunette focused for a moment and felt the energy flow out of her for a second, crystals forming in the coffee as it quickly firmed up into a more slushie-like state. She quickly capped the drink and stuck a thick straw in the middle of the lid. "Here you go! Sorry about that! Was just making sure it... and he's gone." The man had tapped his card in the middle of her apology and run off to his concrete casket for the day.

The barista just sighed and mopped up the condensation that the drink had left on the countertop. This job was supposed to numb her mind against all the exploits of the previous night. Now, Crystalline's extracurricular activities were first and foremost on her mind. It probably meant she couldn't start ramping up the ice tricks in her act any time soon. A link didn't need to be drawn to anything just yet. Instead, she slapped a smile back on her face and looked ahead to the lineup that was still going out the door. "Next up!

Vanguard: Calder City

Uh, I might be disappointing a few of you, but I'm not a VGC player. I'm a Pokemon Go player. So I won't be going head-to-head with Wolfey, but I got a few wins over some big names in my career. I finished Top-8 in Seattle in February beating a couple former regional champions, including the guy with the most regional tournament wins (he's got six), so I'm just trying to build on that.

I'm playing in the limited meta at the tournament, so I'm hoping my Grumpig gameplay is up to snuff...

Vanguard: Calder City

<Snipped quote by NeoAJ>

Wow so you're just living my dream huh?

@Sep

I mean, given I got laid off late last year, I guess my official job title now is "Professional Pokemon Battler". If I get a middle-of-the-pack result here, I qualify for the Worlds tournament in San Francisco in August.

Vanguard: Calder City

<Snipped quote by NeoAJ>

You want help with that?

@Theyra

I will eventually! I've been a bit delayed on posting. I'm typing this from New Orleans, cause I'm competing in the Pokemon North American Championship this weekend, but I'm going to try and finish the OP today before diving back into prep for that.

Vanguard: Calder City

Anyone keeping tabs of the lore drops?

@Memoria

I've just been trying to finish my OP, so I can go back and see all the lore and stuff that everyone's been dishing so I can try and fit my girl in there somewhere...

Vanguard: Calder City

C R Y S T A L L I N E
C R Y S T A L L I N E

^{"When I came to Calder City, all I wanted to do was make art that could help people see the beauty around them, but now when I perform as Crystalline, they just ignore it and focus on me... which is quite the pickle..."}

_________________________________________________________

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ (FC: Emily Rudd; Dialogue: 5584AC) _________________________________________________________ S U M M A R Y S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Michelle Allison Tierney _________________________________________________________ January 20 | 31 _________________________________________________________ Single | Female | Pansexual S T A T S S T A T S _________________________________________________________ Height | 5'8" _________________________________________________________ Hair Color | Varies, but currently Brown _________________________________________________________ Eye Color | Blue _________________________________________________________ Hometown | Kamloops, BC, Canada -

H I S T O R Y H I S T O R Y ___________________________________________________________________________________ Michelle Tierney's story is almost too stereotypical for her upbringing. Born to a real estate agent and an arena maintenance worker in the heart of the BC interior, the young girl was immersed in the best of Canadian culture. Growing up around the rink as her father kept the Sandman Arena ice in immaculate form, it was natural for Michelle to have an affinity for frozen exploits. Unbeknownst to the local population, Paul Tierney was a super, and his daughter inherited his gifts, but wanted to take them to the next level. The young woman was a star hockey player growing up, but was unable to parlay that into long term success after taking a crushing hit into the boards during her junior year at Minnesota. She swore there was super speed at play, but either way her shoulder and knee were so banged up she wasn't able to physically maintain the pace on the ice without tapping into the powers her father swore her to keep quiet about. Michelle quietly retired and started looking into acting as a way to get the fame she thought she deserved while hiding the powers she felt the world deserved to see. She moved to Vancouver following graduation and landed a few minor roles in local TV productions before moving to Calder City five years ago to try her luck in a more vibrant setting. While she was unable to parlay her Canadian credits into something more substantial, she found a home on a stage in the West End as part of a regularly performing burlesque show under her stage name Crystalline. It isn't glamorous, but it helped pay part of the bills, with the other half coming from her barista duties during the daytime. Her reputation has been growing within the social scenes, hopefully leading to a brighter future in the city. A B I L I T I E S A B I L I T I E S __________________________________________________________________________________ Michelle, much like her father Paul, possesses cryomancy abilities. She has the ability to form ice crystals using moisture in the air around her and form it to her whim. Paul subtly used this ability to create the smoothest ice surface in Canada, as well as make sure his family enjoyed the full pleasures of Canada's winter wilderness, but was adamant that they didn't need to make a fuss about it so that people were coming to them for everything. Michelle doesn't subscribe to that theory and has been expanding her abilities while in Calder City. She is able to control the temperature of liquids she touches in order to chill them, hence her iced mochas being the best ones on offer at AlleyCat Coffee House. She can shape frozen liquids with ease, forming perfect ice balls for drinks and perfect tiny blades when she's threatened. Her favorite trick to do is one she has perfected on stage. One of her fellow cast members will spray a gentle mist from an elevated position and Crystalline will harden the droplets in a flash, creating a surreal diamond-like shimmer to surround her as she's spinning and dancing, like a brilliant flurry. Michelle also has the ability to withstand frigid temperatures with ease, almost always seen in a pair of shorts and a tank top even in the coldest weather Calder City has to offer. The problem for Michelle is that given her father's clamping down on the abilities the family was given, she has no idea what she can actually do with them. Can she make a frozen death ray that coats a city block? Can she bury an unsuspecting villain in a sudden avalanche? How quickly is she able to create an ice sculpture of Calder City Cougars star Brycen Daniels? These are limits she's never tested, and wants to push, but it's tough to do that without attracting unwanted attention. P E R S O N A L I T Y P E R S O N A L I T Y __________________________________________________________________________________ There are three personas to Michelle, that all show various facets of her personality. The Michelle that holds a senior server position at AlleyCat is a perfect example of Canadian politeness. She can tell by a glance what kind of drink or baked good a person usually needs, and is willing to offer a friendly ear for a moment or two while someone is chitchatting waiting for their order. She maintains a level of responsibility and a watchful eye over her co-workers to the point where she gets referred to as "Auntie Chelle" by some of the younger members of the team. She's not thrilled about that distinction, but she wears it all the same in the coffee shop confines. The Crystalline persona is confident, sultry and demands to be the center of attention, all traits that Paul Tierney would have despised seeing his little girl portray out in public. When Michelle puts on that ice blue wig and dusts the rhinestones onto her face, any visage of submissive behavior takes a backseat to the woman who commands the room with a frozen fist. Crystalline doesn't fear anything or anyone, and does her best to project that value for people in the crowd that need a reason to believe. With all the attention some supers have been getting, she wonders if she should take her act to the next level, maybe doing an ice knife throwing routine with volunteers. She has no doubt she could make it work. The woman that remains when both those identities are cast aside has some issues to work through. Michelle knows that she didn't capitalize on the gifts she had in the arena, nor in front of the camera, and she is a little neurotic about it now that she's crossed over the 30 threshold. She does her best to hide it on the rare occasions she goes out socially, but it eats at her and does color her actions even without the costumes she wears at both her jobs. Plus, being single, she worries that she's been too cold to those that might try to get to know her closely and thus she remains in her one-bedroom apartment with only her cat for company. Not that Snowflake isn't good company, but while Michelle is trying to piece together these psychological conundrums, the Ragdoll cat can only offer a stare that demands soft food, and that doesn't set the Canadian's mind at ease. M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S __________________________________________________________________________________ Turning 30 puts some things in perspective, and it's finally convinced Michelle that hiding her abilities in the shadows are not the way to go to accomplish what she wants in life. Her father was adamant that relying on powers to get ahead in the world was no way to find satisfaction, but then what is? Michelle's done playing down her powers, and she wants to use them, get better with them. Get the fame that she knows she was destined to achieve before life waylaid her plans with various pitfalls. Maybe it's time for a third job to get her name on people's lips. If Crystalline can wow the crowds at the theater, then surely she can do so in the streets of Calder City as well! Proving to herself and to her father that their cryomancy isn't something to be sheltering from the world is now a rising goal in her mind and she is certain she can handle the rising notoriety and pressure it would bring. It has to be better than what she's doing now. If she can't fully be herself in Kamloops or Vancouver, she sure as hell would do it in Calder City. Secondary to those goals is the hope that Michelle can finally find her people, ones that don't need the barista or the burlesque personas to enjoy her company. While she has friends among her co-workers and fellow performers, they only see the versions of Michelle that suit those particular worlds. Ultimately what Michelle needs is someone who can help shoulder the load of what she's been carrying since the first time her father told her not to do anything that would bring attention onto the family, and help her take the next step in her evolution as a superhuman.

Vanguard: Calder City

I’m already fighting the urge

@BrutalBx

Resist Brutal. Cause if you do that, I'm gonna have to make a love interest who has fallen from grace and finds your edgy character in the pits of her despair and has them help guide her out of it.

Vanguard: Calder City

It is truly a blessed thing to be in an RP where posts keep rolling in before I get caught up.

@Lord Wraith

I am already worried I'm going to be too rusty and my quality is not going to match that which I am seeing, but I will certainly try my damndest to meet that bar.