PatientBean

Château de La Lune

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Millicent

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Location: Château de La Lune: Turkish Rose Room
Skills: N/A

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As Brendan left to head to the Foyer, Millicent stayed behind a bit. Things were coming together. Her suspicions from the start were validated, though that wasn't something to be happy about. After all she hadn't wanted Renee to die or for Miguel to go missing. But things had been weird since she set foot in this place.

It stood to reason that Renee's father was a member of the La Lune family, likely the patriarch. She doubted any one of the staff would be willing to murder for their employer, no matter how much they are paid (though the rich are very odd), so that meant it was a family member, either the one who did it or is helping the person (one of the invitees).

Millicent began to make her way out of the room when she heard a voice from the bathroom. It seemed Sam had made his way back in. This was not the ideal place to talk though. "I'm fine. I need to update you on some things though, so let's talk in a minute."

Not long after she heard a knock on her door. Confused, she walked over and opened it, only to be face-to-face with the good doctor. She did her best to hide her annoyance. "Hello Tony. To what do I owe this intrusion?"

Legion of Superheroes

Ok I was going back and forth on this and I think I'd like to join if this is still a thing happening. If so, I was thinking of doing something along the lines of Supergirl or White Witch.

STARFINDER ~ Rogue Voyage

Valiane Driftshade

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- Name: Valiane Driftshade

- Age: 30

- Race/Species: Winterborn Ryphorian

- Sex: Female

- Homeworld: Triaxus

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- Class: Operative

- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

- Occupation: Assassin/Information Broker

- Faction Alignments: Starfinder Society and The Dataphiles

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Primary Weapon: Assassin Sniper Rifle

Secondary Weapon: Uppercut SMG

Sidearms Hail Pistol, Electric Prod

Outfit & Armor: Valiane wears a white Second Skin suit that allows her to move with ease and remain stealthy. She wears a black leather belt that holds her tools and weapons. When not in her armor, she casually wears hooded robes in black, dark red, or white. Not much of a fashion enthusiast, Valiane prefers comfort and sustainability over looks, as she remains vigilant in case she is ever attacked or followed. She does own some more "fashion"-y clothing like dresses, skirts, blouses, and heels in case she needs to go undercover, but those are often few and far between what her standard missions are.

Inventory:

• 300 credits
• Personal Comm Module
• Signal Jammer
• Camouflage Membrane
• Hacking Kit
• Datapad
• Dark Purple Crystal Gem attached to a necklace

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Short Backstory: Valiane entered the world in darkness. Truthfully, she does not remember much from when she was younger, despite fleeting memories of a woman's skin against her cheek or a man's laughter warming her inside. Valiane's attempts at remembering are met with a piercing headache, so she has not bothered much. Instead, she remembers fighting tooth and nail to find food for herself, leading her to pick pockets or steal to provide for herself. Any people she came across were either marks or means to an end.

In her struggles, Valiane also learned the gift of information. Information was powerful in the right hands, and even at her young age, she learned how to wield it to get out of trouble by reminding one of the security guards that she overheard his interest in younger women despite being married for 20 years. Quickly, she started gathering information and remembering it. She found she could remember a lot of what she read and recall it just as quickly. This made it easy for her to use them at the right moment.

One of her early marks was a Ryphorian man named Tyrkashy. He caught Valiane and, rather than turn her in, decided her skills would be valuable. Unbeknownst to Valiane, Tyrkashy was a criminal with hands in many pockets, and he saw a tool to be sculpted, used, and, if need be, disposed of. So he trained her and honed her natural talents, instilling knowledge of computers, hacking, and defending herself. What Tyrkashy hadn't anticipated was how he grew to care about the young girl. Valiane, used to not trusting anyone but herself, grew to start caring for the older man also. So when Tyrkashy was inevitably betrayed and killed, in his dying breath he urged Valiane to run.

Valiane got off the planet by hiding out on one of the ships that was leaving. The ship belonged to the Dataphiles. Valiane hid and gathered information from the ship, seeing if she could find a place to lay low. She was caught again, but yet she was offered freedom. The captain of the ship saw her abilities and decided she would be most useful to them in gathering information or taking out contracts. Valiane, with nowhere else to go, joined up with the Dataphiles.

Valiane still didn't trust anyone, but she knew people out there were not all bad or all good. Tyrkashy had instilled a moral code in her, and she never took contracts on people who did not deserve it. In the pursuit of knowledge, Valiane was given a new task: join the Starfinders and gather intel. Valiane was unwilling at first, but knew she had little choice. She joined the Starfinders, hiding her true motivations, to see what she could find.

Personality Description: Valiane has spent a lot of time on her own or surrounded by people who could not be trusted. As such, Valiane does not give in to her emotions easily. What many see as quiet and icy, Valiane sees as survival. Valiane is loyal to herself and has very little to spare for others unless they prove themselves to be worthy of her consideration. Valiane knows how powerful information can be and knows the dangers attached. Despite this, Valiane does follow a code and does not go after people unless they deserve it.

Friends: Tyrkashi Val'roy (Deceased) - A criminal on Triaxus who took Valiane in and trained her up to be the best. Initially cold and distant, he eventually grew to care about Valiane. He was killed in an act of betrayal that Valiane knows nothing about. Truthfully, Tyrkashi was killed protecting Valiane from people who wanted to make her into a weapon for their own means.

Enemies: Quilla Vanguard - A big name in the criminal underworld whom Valiane targeted during one of her missions. Ruthless, cunning, and not afraid to tear anyone down who gets in her way, Quilla was bested by Valiane and had one of her secrets stolen.

Pewter Goldsmith - A former confidant of Tyrkashi and the one who betrayed him for his own means, he wanted to take Valiane and train her to be a weapon he could sic on his enemies. A powerful businessman now, he never forgot about the young girl who got away.

Romantic Partners/Lovers: Few broken hearts, but nothing of substance

Contacts: None

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Feats

• Low-Light Vision: Ryphorians can see in dim light as if it were normal light
• Trimorphic: Winterborn ryphorians gain cold resistance 5
• Skill Focus: Gained from Operative Specialization - Data Broker. +3 to Skills included (Computers and Diplomacy)
• Weapon Specialization (Snipers): Deal extra damage with selected weapon type
• Read Foe: Use Sense Motive to gain a bonus to attack or defense
• Far Shot: You remain accurate at longer ranges
• Intuit Relationships: You can quickly sense relationships between others and use that knowledge to manipulate them
• Mobility: You can easily move past dangerous foes

Spells/Talents:

• Operative Exploit: Intelligence Network - You have access to a secret intelligence network that gets you snippets of information and rumors you can sometimes use to reveal secrets or weaknesses of your rivals. This may be a collection of operatives and spies you have infiltrated, a connection to a formal information broker you trade tidbits of knowledge with, or an assemblage of allies and informants you’ve carefully curated over your travels
• Weapon Specialization: You gain the Weapon Specialization feat as a bonus feat for each weapon type with which this class grants you proficiency

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Attributes & Skills

Strength 10 - 2 (Racial) = 8
Dexterity 10 + 2 (Spent) + 2 (Operative) = 14
Intelligence 10 + 2 (Spent) + 2 (Operative) = 14
Wisdom 10 + 2 (Racial) + 2 (Spent) = 14
Charisma 10 + 4 (Spent) = 14
Constitution 10 + 2 (Racial) = 12

(DEX) Acrobatics 0 + 3 (Spent) + 1 (Operative) = 4
(STR) Athletics 0
(CHA) Bluff 0
(INT) Computers 0 + 3 (Skill Focus) + 1 (Spent) = 4
(INT) Culture 0
(CHA) Diplomacy 0 + 3 (Skill Focus) + 1 (Spent) = 4
(CHA) Disguise 0 + 2 (Spent) = 2
(INT) Engineering 0 + 4 (Spent) = 4
(CHA) Intimidate 0
(INT) Life Science 0
(INT) Medicine 0
(WIS) Mysticism 0
(WIS) Perception 0 + 2 (Keen Senses) + 1 (Spent) + 1 (Operative) = 4
(INT) Physical Science 0
(DEX) Piloting 0
(CHA, INT, WIS) Profession 0 + 4 (Spent) = 4
(WIS) Sense Motive 0 + 4 (Spent) = 4
(DEX) Sleight of Hand 0 + 2 (Spent) + 1 (Operative) = 3
(DEX) Stealth 0 + 3 (Spent) + 1 (Operative) = 4
(WIS) Survival 0

Avengers Academy: X of Swords ⚔️

Sabine Bassard

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Location: Medical Bay -> New Orleans Streets
Gear: N/A
Skills: Perception

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"Well, I think that's part of it. But I also suspect that one of them, probably Thuy, used Leah's father to get inside her head and rattle her before the competition. I am unclear if that is considered cheating also, but Leah and I spoke to Vision because we were concerned, but he helped Leah realize it wasn't true. So someone here used that against Leah and I can only suspect it was one of the Hex Girls. I'd love to get inside Thuy's head and see if that's true."

Sabine paused because she was now, again, casually mentioning invading a person's memories. Even if it was the best of intentions, that wasn't something to be done lightly. "You know I would never attempt to see inside someone's head to mess with them or get what I want, right? I didn't mean to hurt Casper. And I never did that with you or Leah unless I asked." The anxiety surrounding her powers was ever present.

"I can't help what power I was given, but what I can do is use to to help others, like see if a team is cheating in a competition they could have easily won without help or stop a madman from killing us all and see the error of his ways. But even that is sketchy moral territory." Sabine hadn't talked about this with someone outside of Dr. Whitehall or Max. And she didn't want to unload on April as they just got back to being cordial, if not friendly. "Sorry, I won't dump on you. I am glad we are talking again though."

As they neared the hotel, she heard Vicky inside her head again. She forgot for a bref moment her thoughts are being broadcasted. "Glad the family stuff is handled. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have experience with family issues. Me and April arrived at the hotel and are going to see if we can find their room. Hopefully there will be evidence."

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Haven
Grimoire: N/A
Skills: N/A
Current Outfit

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Cassie stood there, anxious, waiting for Willow to come out and join them. What Cassie saw as she went through the portrait was intense, she couldn't imagine what Willow was experiencing. Cassie had recalled in one of the many, many books that she read that people who were blind often had their other senses heightened. She didn't know if this was fiction or not, but either way Willow had stumbled already.

Cassie looked around her, eyeing the others. Strangers, all of them. Not unfriendly, Rohan seemed fine. The excitable, cute one was a joy to be around and Cassie wanted to speak to him, but she remained. The one friend she had made might need her and she needed friends if she hoped to survive here. Slowly, she was starting to realize she may have jumped in the deep end and would need to swim to survive.

Eventually, a gasp showcased Willow's exit as she came through. Cassie reached out, taking Willow's hand in her own and squeezing it. "There you are, it's okay. You're okay. Come, let's take a seat and maybe get something to drink." Cassie led Willow to a nearby chair, allowing the girl to take a seat. "It looks like they serve alcohol, but I am sure they have water or maybe some tea if you want." Cassie glanced warily at the drinks she did spot. She had never drank alcohol other than the wine at church. She tried to sneak some of her father's bourbon before, but she was caught and banished to her room.

College kids drank, right? Perhaps she should partake. But Willow needed to be settled first.

The Season of the Enlightened

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Opening Day

Everything had been finalized. Stands were set up, acts were practicing until the last minute, and it was magic incarnate. Say what you will about Lord Maleficar, he ran a tight ship. Opening day was always a bundle of nerves. Everyone was running around to ensure it was all in place. One figure was Big Bulma. She had no intention of being in the spotlight today. Instead, she was content to see everyone enjoying the limelight and impressing the crowds.

The evening soon rolled around, and people started appearing in large numbers. London had never had a circus so close to it before. Rumors were rampant, of course. How it was filled with Enlightened freaks with nowhere else to go. How many of them were criminals or worse. But despite the air of dread, smiles were abundant.

In the center of the circus was the big top tent where one could see a variety of acts perform. The main show would not be starting for some time, but some made a beeline there so they could get good seats. On the outskirts were various stands selling different foods, some the people of London had never heard of before. As the circus traveled they picked up varying delicacies from the different countries. There were also games of chance where you could win a prize or two, if you had incredible luck. There were performers walking about as well. Contortionists, clowns, gymnasts, magicians, all sorts showing off their specialties to the delight of the people.

It was a well-oiled machine when the circus got running.

Lord Maleficar stood at the front gate, adorned with a top hat and a mischievous grin. As he spoke, there was a hint of an accent that could not be placed unless one strained to hear it. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Lord Maleficar's traveling circus! Please make your way to the main tent in an hour's time for the grand opening show. Feats of strength unlike any you have seen before. Death-defying stunts high above you. Animals and humans working in tandem to astound and delight. All of this and more." The charismatic head of the circus put on a great performance himself. He took his cane and spun it in his hand as he launched it. As the cane dropped, it broke apart, pieces of metal circling and spinning, lights crackling off the pieces as it spun faster until it launched back at Lord Maleficar, who deftly caught it as the cane formed itself again. He grinned with a sly wink. "And who knows, there may be a surprise or two if you know where to look."

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A group of people stood in a semi-circle on the outskirts. They remained unseen by the swarms of people walking towards the lights and flash of the circus. These people wore dark cloaks covering their bodies and masks to hide their faces. Despite the anonymity, they did wear an identifiable mark on their cloaks, a picture of a raven holding a purple gem.

"When do we strike?" one of the figures asked.

The others looked around. It was unclear who was the leader here, if there even was one. "Does anyone know where.."

Their words were quickly hushed when one of the other figures backhanded the speaker, enough to cause them to stumble and fall back. "We do not use names. Do so again and I will strike you down here and now."

The others started murmuring, but were quickly silenced again when someone else spoke. This one with authority. "We wait. Let the masses enjoy themselves first. So far things are going to plan. Soon they will know the truth."

The group nodded their understanding. Word had gone around and people flocked to the circus. One of their leaders had done their job beautifully.

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Prudence had been admonished. Morris had unleashed his own personal hell on her, which wasn't as bad as the disappointment he etched on his face. And not to speak of Melody, who she knew would never outwardly judge her, but the dread seeped in nonetheless.

So Prudence came with them, unwillingly but here regardless, to the circus. If for no other reason than to show she meant no harm, but she was sure Morris wanted to keep an eye on her. Prudence hated what the circus stood for. Was it not hard enough for the Enlightened without being made a mockery for other people's delight? She imagined the people here against their will, having no place to go because of their deformities or their background or because something in their past prevented their future.

Perhaps Prudence hated it most of all because, if things had gone differently, she would be amongst them.

Prudence heard the giggles of little children as they enjoyed treats and were amazed by the different people walking around. Prudence couldn't help but feel worried. Was this an omen or was she just upset she had to be here? Possibly both.

Prudence eyed the man in front of the circus. The handsome character served as the ringleader. Lord Maleficar. She had heard whispers from the other girls at the Haven, though most of it was how attractive he was and how well he would be in the bedroom. Prudence glared at him and, for a moment, she was sure he looked at her and met her gaze. A dark feeling overwhelmed her as she returned her attention to the other girls she was with.

Something was going to happen tonight. She was sure. Who would believe her though?

Strange Academy: Journey into Mystery

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Location: Haven
Grimoire: N/A
Skills: N/A
Current Outfit

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Cassie could be wrong, but she felt like Finley wasn't as excited to meet her as Finley was to meet Connie. So far, the meetings with new people have been hit or miss. Cal and Willow were cool, Rohan was a mystery, but he was not outwardly antagonistic. The twins were...well, it was hard to read them. Perhaps it came with experience, after all, they had been here longer than she had.

She needed to give off confidence. She earned her spot here. Surely there were no ulterior motives for accepting her amongst their ranks. Cassie turned to ask Cal a question before she heard a noise, a scraping and bombastic sound of something falling, and she saw Willow with a crumpled suit of armor on the ground. Cassie walked over to her as Alfonse went and checked on her also. "Willow, are you okay?" Possibly a stupid question, but it seemed Willow was fine, save for a bump and possibly some embarrassment.

Cassie glanced around to see if anyone else was concerned, but it appeared the others were more eager to get inside to the party proper. She stood there waiting for Willow. She wasn't about to leave the first friend she had made by herself. "We'll go in together, if you're up for it. Seems we have to enter separately, but I'll wait for you on the other side."

She walked with some confidence towards the painting. A little magic on the child, was it? This school was wild. So far she had to use her magic on a fish to find out what room she would be lodged in and now she needed to do so to enter a party. What next? Using magic to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? She should keep her thoughts down, because that stood to be a real possibility. Cassie held up a hand and summoned her magic, allowing it to sweep over the child as the painting shifted and stretched to allow her entrance. She stepped forward, walking into the hallway of magic and horror in equal measure. The warning given by one of the twins played in her mind. The Neverish it was called, she thought. She needed to keep moving despite every instinct in her wanting to look around and explore, see the possibilities. But she also didn't want to be the lone guest who got lost in some nightmare prison. That would be a good look, Cassie, being endlessly tormented because you wanted to skip off into the shadows.

Eventually, she felt a warmth and stumbled into the next room. She glanced around, spotting the others who had entered before her. Satisfied she passed this first test, she moved off to the side to wait for Willow. She didn't want to explore this new area without someone at her side. She had a feeling the tests weren't done.

Avengers Academy: X of Swords ⚔️

Sabine Bassard

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Location: Medical Bay -> New Orleans Streets
Gear: N/A
Skills: Perception

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As Sabine spoke to April the medical bay received two new guests. Sabine watched as Skylar appeared, looking no worse for wear. He appeared to be in a good mood even greeting the two of them as if they weren't just at each other's throats. "They're cheaters and he's acting like this was just some typical match. Is it possible he didn't cheat? If that's the case then he at least had to know his teammates did, which didn't make him any better." Sabine thought, then realized Vicky would hear that.

Sabine gave him a tentative thumbs up in return, though the kind gesture didn't quite reach her eyes. She was prepared to turn and leave when another new person arrived. And Sabine decided to savor this one as Thuy laid there. Sabine took satisfaction that the remaining team had bested her. Was it worth it at this point to turn them in for cheating?

Of course it was! Bunch of bitches didn't deserve to be in consideration.

"Oh, probably. We love a good party." If she exposed them as cheaters she doubted they would be invited anymore, if there was even a party at all. She looked at April, waiting for her before Sabien turned to leave the med bay.

Sabine got the sense that this was not your typical building when she tried to leave. She paused a moment to assess her surroundings. She wasn't completely sure, but she strode forward and eventually found herself outside. It would be a walk back to the hotel.

As she did so, she heard Vicky's voice in her head. So Vicky's mom was here? Sabine didn't know much of Vicky's past, but she did know that families could and often did lead to trouble. She didn't have the ring on her (it didn't make sense since she would need to use her powers during the fight), but made a note to see if Max could retrieve it, just in case. She debated letting April know of Vicky's warning, but decided against it....for now. The tension between the two of them was palpable. Instead she kept walking. "When we get to the hotel we'll have to see if we can find their room. I'm hoping for actual physical evidence, I don't know if the memories alone will be enough. And it may not even matter since it seems like our team is kicking their asses."

Camp Athens - Closed

^{#f0e69f ....|..... outfit .....|..... roxxy's cabin}

It didn't take a PhD in psychology to understand Tess' reactions. She felt every inch of that body for a blissful amount of time. Roxxy wasn't the best with emotions, she could admit that. When you grew up moving from place to place, never knowing if the family you got put with was there because they care about you or they were looking for their next paycheck, you developed a thick skin and never showed how you were feeling.

So Roxxy moved over, putting Tess' face into her palms, getting her to look at Roxxy, really look at her. "Hey, I already met the best person here." She wanted nothing more than to take Tess again, but she knew that monopolzing her time was not fair to either of them. And Tess was right, they really should make introductions.

So she waited for Tess to be ready andwalked out of her cabin. In making her way back to the party, Roxxy reached for Tess' hand, eager to feel the warmth again.

"I imagine we'll be nearing midnight soon. Any plans for the new year? I've never been big on New Year resolutions. I think we should always strive to improve ourselves and I think that adds unnecessary pressure. If you want to lose weight, great. If you want to travel, do it. And if you stumble, that's fine too. But there is one thing about the midnight countdown that I do look forward to," Roxxy added, looking back to Tess, her eyes falling to her lips.

Yes, a new year. A new her perhaps?

^{interactions ....|.... Tess............... mentions ....|.... None}

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^{#de9b8f ....|..... outfit .....|..... party}

^{5 years earlier}

Chariselle sat outside the principal's office, a cherry red sucker in her mouth. Dolores or Debbie or whatever bland name the receptionist had sat in front of her, stapling her papers and shuffling around in her grandmother shoes despite her being in her late 30s. If Chariselle was ever like her, she would ask someone to shoot her and shoot to kill.

She glanced around. This was not the first time she got in trouble and it would not be the last. She seemed to drag chaos with her like some poor freshman who felt that if he just breathed her essence in he would be set up for life.

The door opened and Principal Hayes stepped out. A formiddible man who looked like the mere presence of children caused him indigestion. A former army seargeant who was discharged and took the first job that gave him the time of day. "Ms. Ashthorne, you can come in."

He stepped out of the way to allow her entrance. Once she was in her eyes landed on her English professor, Mr. Dewhyte. He wouldn't meet her eyes and she smiled sweetly as she sat down in the chair next to him. Principal Hayes shut the door a bit too harshly as the pictures on the wall swung a bit, but didn't fall. Principal Hayes say in his chair and folded his hands together as he leaned back. He eyed Chariselle and then Mr. Dewhyte. "So, who wants to go first?"

Chariselle knew what this was about. Mr. Dewhyte was a happily married man of 13 years to his high school sweetheart. He didn't plan on being an English teacher but, gosh darnit, it called to him. He knew how much he liked his teachers in school and figured he could be the next Robin Williams in that one movie Chariselle never saw. He wanted to speak to the youth, touch their hearts, expouse the joy of learning to them to create the next generation of thinkers.

Well, as it turned out, Mr. Deqwhyte did a little more than touching the minds of his students.

Chariselle was a rumor mill of her own making. Information was currency in high school and it made or broke people, relationships, and boundaries. If someone needed to be put in their place, a simple rumor got them right where she wanted. The best ones held a slight bit of truth to them so they could never be fully denied. Or if it was a dark enough secret they either had to admit it fully or be labled for the rest of their high school career.

There were more than a couple of students who have transferred. Even some teachers.

So when one of her friends (okay, let's be real, she wasn't a friend, she was a means to an end) came to her saying Mr. Dewhyte failed her because she refused to sleep with him, Chariselle asked no follow-up questions. She was nothing if not a girl's girl. So she got to work, spreading rumors about Mr. Dewhyte's failing marriage and how he enjoyed his one-on-one tutoring sessions with other students, especially the boys, a bit too much.

What Chariselle hadn't counted on, although she relished in it once she found out, was that her rumors turned out to be true.

So Mr. Dewhyte called her in after class to "talk". Talk was a cute word for what really happened which was him accusing her of spreading lies and threatened to tank her grades so hard she wouldn't be able to get a GED after she flunked out. Told her that if she contnued to spread these "horrendous lies" that he would call the authorities and he would be believed over her, because "who trusted girls anymore?"

Chariselle sat there, sweet as pie, and let him rant and tirade around his classroom. Once he tuckered himself out she started chuckling. Then laughing. Then full on guffawing. He just stared. Once she settled she whiped her eyes and pulled out her phone to turn the camera on and check her make-up. She paused though. She then stared at him and turned her phone around. What Mr. Dewhyte saw was not, in fact, the camera, but instead the bright red record button.

"Oh gosh, Mr. Dewhyte, I'm such a ditz. I forgot I started recording before I came in here. Now everything we talked about is saved on my phone. Or, I guess, what you talked about since I hadn't managed to get a word in since I sat down. Now, what was that about calling the authorities?"

Chariselle glanced at Mr. Dewhyte in the office, daring him to say anything. He knew he was fucked either way, the uestion would be if he took her down with him. And she knew he would. So, she started talking. "Well, I can't speak for Mr. Dewhyte here, but I for one am so troubled by the things I have been hearing. I mean, school should be a safe place for kids and my education has been impacted by the threats, the sheer amount of hate I felt coming towards me from an educator. And one who should definitely not be within 50 feet of a school, let alone teaching them in front of a classroom. It's just like I told you Principal Hayes." Chariselle puncuated her speech by putting her phone on the desk and hitting play.

Mr. Dewhyte's words rang out through the office. He looked crestfalled, probably because he had confiscated her phone earlier. What he hadn't planned on was that she had back-up after back-up.

Amateur.

Once it was done, Principal Hayes sat a moment, contemplating. He then pressed the buzzer on the phone and spoke. "Daphne, please send them in." (It was Daphne!)

Soon, the door opened and two armed police officers came on. Mr. Dewhyte looked scared now. He started flubbering about how it was all a lie, how she was setting him up, how she was the monster here. She pulled her best "oh woe is me" innocent look and she could have sword Principal Hayes actually looked upset for her, maybe a bit. The officers took Mr. Dewhyte out in handcuffs. Chariselle put on her best performance yet, crying and letting the tears fall. Principal Hayes pulled out a tissue and handed it to her, which she took gratefully.

As she wiped her tears, a small smile came on her lips.

^{interactions ....|.... N/A ............... mentions ....|.... N/A}

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Avengers Academy: X of Swords ⚔️

Sabine Bassard

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Location: Medical Bay
Gear: N/A
Skills: N/A

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Sabine was feeling more satisfied after hearing from Vicky and Vision. She would still rather have physical evidence also, because she didn’t know if they took it before the medical exam. It stood to reason they did.

Sabine shot off a quick message back to Vision.

To Vision

”I do not know fully, but intend to see if I can find out. I firmly believe they are cheating and am happy to share what I saw with whoever needs it.

And I am doing better, thank you.”

That last part touched her. Vision, for all his quirks and curiosities, did seem to care about them.

Sabine finally paid more attention to her surroundings, noticing Prudence was awake now and didn’t seem to notice her mind was explored. Skylar had also appeared, which meant the team was doing better.

She allowed one of the medical staff to check her out. She was definitely sore, but she was otherwise unharmed. It could have been a lot worse. She could be on fire. Her wind raced back to April, who had saved her from Thuy’s onslaught.

And as if the fates themselves were ever present and listening a new figure came into one of the other beds.

April.

Sabine was concerned, initially. She didn’t appear too badly injured, but it also meant the team was down two supports. While they had a lot of heavy hitters, there wasn’t anyone to field off attacks or dampen or boost the others.

Sabien waited a tick to allow the medical staff to help April. When she was sure it was safe Sabine walked over tentatively. Allowing April to see her before she approached.

Sabine smiled softly. ”Stupid question, but how are you feeling?”

April had opened her eyes slowly. The burns covering her body were being soothed with some sort of cooling balm, leaving mostly the aches behind to remember Thuy by. It was disorienting, being on the field one second and in a medical ward the next - like waking up from a deep sleep, only to find her surroundings completely changed. ”Uh, hi…” April closed her eyes briefly, before opening them again, shifting so as to be sitting up.

She couldn’t help but be slightly surprised to see Sabine there, smiling at her. The silent treatment had stopped a few days back, but communication still hadn’t been perfect. ”I’m okay, I think… just sore…. Um… how are you? It wasn’t cool the way they were talking to you, so are you… are you okay emotionally too?”

”Oh them? Please, like water off a duck’s back. I don’t care what their opinion of me is. They’re just jerks.” Cheaters, by the look of things, but she didn’t know if she wanted to loop April in just yet. ”How were they doing up there before you….ya know? I’ve been a little busy down here so I haven’t checked.”

”I think things were turning around - but I didn’t last much longer than you,” April admitted. And then she bit her lip, looking down at her hands for a moment, before looking at Sabine again. ”I’m sorry I couldn’t save you - it was all just… just too much and I couldn’t keep up with everything.”

Sabine went over and sat beside April. She wanted to hug her, but stopped herself. Not just because of the burns, but they weren’t quite there yet. ”No, don’t apologize. It isn’t your fault. They had a solid strategy in taking out the main supports. We could have planned better also, but it sounds like that might not be an issue.”

Sabine took a moment. ”If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I have been treating you poorly and that’s not fair. Just….I’m sorry.”

April shifted over, moving so that way there was space for Sabine to join her on the bed, if she wanted to. Hearing her apologize made April tear up a bit. She’d thought that Sabine hated her for ending things - that she’d made a mistake and she was being punished for it. But beyond the tears, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly confused. The breakup hadn’t been easy on her either - there were times when she regretted it, when she wanted nothing more than to take it back. And times still where she was sure it had been the right choice.

”Did I… Did I do something wrong when we broke up?” April asked, looking away again. ”I thought you hated me because of it. And all I wanted to do was make sure I treated you the way you deserved, because I… I loved you. But I don’t think… I don’t think I know how to be a good girlfriend to someone else. And you deserve someone who knows how.”

”Of course I don’t hate you! It was….honestly, in thinking about it, I was a terrible girlfriend. I feel like I rushed you into things and when you wanted out I felt…attacked. And then I felt guilty because it was my fault you got into this and I never even considered your feelings or, rather, I assumed you felt the same. And I internalized it because it was beyond my control. And I didn’t want to talk to you because I was afraid I would say the wrong thing or that you would be better off without me mucking things up. Lord knows how I screwed up things before.”

She couldn’t help it now. April couldn’t keep the tears at bay any longer. As she talked, her chin wobbled and fresh tears spilled out practically without end. ”No, no you weren’t - I mean you and Leah were always more comfortable doing stuff than I was - l-l-like I don’t think I’m ready to have sex because I can’t stand - I can’t stand my own skin. Like my body doesn’t feel like it’s mine so using it for something like that is… S-sorry I’m off topic. You weren’t a terrible girlfriend at all - I n-never thought that you were. I was - I was the one who was always too scared. I was - I am - I’m just not - not ready yet.”

Sabine started to tear up now. ”If you cry I’ll cry, dammit.” She wiped the wet from her eyes. ”You know we’d never force you to do something you weren’t comfortable with right? And physical intimacy is important, sure, but so are many things.”

Sabine thought about it more. ”When you say you can’t stand your own skin…is it like you are in a body you don’t like? Or not liking how you look?” She was trying to understand, treading carefully. ”This honestly sounds like a conversation with a therapist and I don’t want to pry if you aren’t ready. Just know I do care about you and want you to be happy, even if that means we’re no longer together. We can be friends, if you want.”

April wiped her eyes on her sleeve, somehow already red and puffy. ”I-I-I know but I… It was more than just that, it was like… Like I felt like you two were together and then I was - I was just also there sometimes. A-a-and that scared me, too, so I - I let it happen more. S-so when I got… when I got sick… I thought you two would be better off without me. That you’d be happier.”

The other thing Sabine said confused her slightly. She’d mentioned this to Danni and Dorian once or twice before, and she was pretty sure everyone felt this way about their body. But Sabine was so pretty, maybe she never felt it. ”It’s - it’s like my body is someone else’s, y’know? I think - I think that’s normal though, Dr. Whitehall… she would have told me if it wasn’t, I think. I think I mentioned it to her. I don’t… I don’t remember. It’s all… a bit of a blur.”

Sabine bit her tongue. This was not a conversation April should be having with her, at least not now. ”When you got sick I blamed myself also. I didn’t know you were so worried or unhappy and that’s on me, whether you agree or not. But your feelings matter and I hope we can do a better job going forward, communicating those.”

Sabine thought more on it. She looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, before she leaned in to whisper, ”I think the Hex Girls cheated. I have some of the memories I saw with them ingesting some drug or candy and I think that’s how they were so….I don’t have the right word. But Vicky is looking into it too and we made sure Vision knew. He’s going to submit a claim, but we need a lot of evidence. I was going to go check their hotel room before you got here.”

April stifled a gasp. ”Cheating…?” she whispered, dumbfounded. ”But that’s… that’s against the rules. Why would they… I mean wouldn’t they… wouldn’t they feel shitty to know they didn’t earn it?” The naiveness of her statement wasn’t lost on her. Her gaze drifted over towards the Hex Girls in the infirmary - half of their team was here now. Could they get them to pee in a cup somehow? And then, April couldn’t help but cringe - if this was true, the Hex Girls had tried to cheat and still lost. Awkward. ”D’you… do you want help?”

Sabine let it slide when April asked. If anything, the Hex Girls weren’t the type to do things honestly. Which was a shame, considering how skilled they were. ”Sure. The more help, the more likely we can find something. Are you good to move around? I’m sore, but you got it worse than I did.”

As she stood up she felt an intense amount of emotion. She grabbed her head and winced. Vicky was dealing with something. ”Vicky’s in trouble, I think. I know you don’t like her, but she has been helping me a lot. If we run into her, I want to see she’s okay.”

April stiffened as Sabine mentioned that she wanted to go see Vicky. She had no interest at all in doing that. She did not talk to Vicky, she did not interact with Vicky, she did not engage with Vicky. None of her friends seemed too bothered with the way Vicky had treated her, but that didn’t mean April was going to pretend it hadn’t happened either. She wanted nothing more than to say that the android could go fuck herself.

That wasn’t the sort of person April wanted to be, though.

”I think I’m okay. Moving around might help. If Vicky’s in trouble… I’ll help. But if we run into her and she’s fine, I’ll leave. I don’t want to deal with her. She’s always… she’s always a bitch to me.”

Sabine knew April didn’t like Vicky, though it was unclear why specifically. Sabine knew Vicky rubbed people the wrong way. However, since they were bonded telepathically, Sabine had a better understanding of Vicky. To some degree, at least. ”I am not suggesting looking for her. She’s capable of handling things on her own. But if we do see her, I just want to be sure she’s okay. Top priority is the Hex Girls’ hotel room.”