Rabidporcupine

Weirdness Magnetism ~ Gravity Falls RP

Oh shit, ok, let's go then! I'll transfer Jeremy over again as soon as you get the OOC up.

《 R W B Y :: Grimm Adventures 》

Rowan

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Basics

Full Name:
Rowan Kuronuma
(Rowan - 'Little red one' in gaelic, one letter off Rodan)
(Kuronuma - Named after Ken Kuronuma, the pen name of the original Rodan films writer)

Nickname/Alias:
N/A

Age:
17

Gender:
Male

Race:
Faunus (Bird)

Appearance Description:
If there's one thing most people would notice about Rowan, it's most likely his expression, which always appears to be some level of pissed regardless of how he actually feels. Even a smile becomes a sneer, or maybe a smirk on a good day. Outside of that, there isn't too much to say. He stands at about 5'8", and has red-orange hair, yellow eyes, and dark skin. He also has a fairly muscular build, although clothes with sleeves make it all but impossible to notice. In terms of clothing, he's fine with anything really, though it is all but impossible to find him without the large, almost oversized dark red cape he wears. Generally, he only removes that when he's washing or sleeping, sometimes not even then in the second case.

Allusion:
Rodan, King of the Skies

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Personality

Personality:
At first, Rowan seems like someone most people would want to avoid, appearing to be a very loud, very angry young man. However, this isn't entirely correct. While it's true that he does have quite the temper, a lot what most people would consider anger is just him getting over excited about things, leading to him aggressively pursuing whatever it is he's set his mind on. Coupled with his noticably unfriendly features and expressions, this will often end up either unsettling or just outright frightening onlookers who have gotten the wrong impression. As mentioned previously though, this isn't always the case, and it's actually not that unusual for something to set him off, which leads to what many have described as honestly not being that different to his usual personality, but even louder. One thing that makes him especially angry is when people try to order him around. Unless you've done something special to earn his respect, tell him what he can and can't do will only make him want to ignore your rules even more.

That being said, Rowan does have some positive traits too. He has an intense desire to improve himself however he can, in order to become the best person he can be. While this does have the side effect of making him a pretty massive show off, it has also led to him improving his abilities by leaps and bounds since he first started his training. He's also surprisingly creative, and greatly enjoys most hobbies that allow him to put it to use, though this is in large part because it gives him a chance to outdo and/or show off to his peers. Of particular note are the creation of weapons and clothing, both subjects that hold a special place in his heart, and discussing weapons or dust infused clothing with him will likely end with you trapped in conversation for hours longer than intended.

On the other hand, when he isn't talking about his hobbies or shouting about how great he is, Rowan isn't actually particularly good at talking to people. Despite his attempts to show off, legitimate, sincere praise or encouragement will actually leave him flustered more often than not, as he's so used to it coming with some kind of sarcastic banter attached, either due to him annoying the other party too much or them misinterpreting his expression and thinking he's picking a fight. He also tends to get fairly awkward during more serious conversations, rarely being able to think of the right thing to say, as he already knows that he tends to word things poorly most of the time.

In the end, all Rowan really wants is to be acknowledged. He has always felt like he was living in the shadows of the people around him, especially in the case of his teacher and his friends. He wants to show that he can be an even cooler, stronger, more beloved hero than his teacher, no matter what.

Likes:
Flying
Fighting
Training
People who know he's the best
Weapons
Dust infused clothes
Cooking
Blacksmithing
Sewing
Warm temperatures
Making bad choices

Dislikes:
Sitting still
Stagnating
People who don't know he's the best
Losing
Being told what to do
Cold temperatures

Motivation:
To become the best huntsman in the world, so everyone will love him and know how cool and amazing he is.

Sexual Orientation:
Heterosexual

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Biography

Country of Origin:
Mistral

Bio:
Rowan's story is honestly a rather simple one. He was the only child of a pair of bandits, raiding and rampaging through the area surrounding their camp. However, when he was just a toddler, they were killed by a huntsman named Kojiro, who reluctantly decided against leaving Rowan behind and took him back to the nearby town he was from. Despite attempting to dump the child with a number of other people who would take better care of him, such as his fellow huntress, Mori Shura, but apparently she decided that this could be a 'learning experience' for the man, and told him she'd help, but he should try taking care of the boy himself. Despite initially rejecting the idea outright, he eventually begrudgingly agreed.

The years to come were rough, but not truly bad by any means. Kojiro raised Rowan not as a son, but as an apprentice, teaching him how to live as a huntsman from a young age. Through this, an odd bond developed, one where they rarely got along, but clearly cared for each other in a way. They would squabble and argue over the pettiest of things, and it wasn't unusual for Rowan to straight up challenge Kojiro to fights in order to prove that he had finally surpassed his teacher, but it was well known amongst the rest of the village that if it ever came down to it, either of the two would gladly throw themselves in harms way to protect the other. They would deny it if asked, but everybody could see it.

Eventually though, Kojiro decided that Rowan should learn from other sources, and get a wider perspective on the world than he would be able to find in the village and the surrounding area. Following that line of thinking, he decided to send Rowan to study at Beacon, which he felt had always seemed to have a higher number of students from the other kingdoms.

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Combat

Weapon:
Rowan's equipment tends to change on a weekly basis depending on what he thinks would be cool, but he has a specific set he tends to return to more often than not. The actual weapons themselves are rather simple in design, a pair of gauntlets and boots that use dust to release explosive short range blasts of fire, which can be used both for offensive purposes or for added mobility. The gauntlets also have retractable curved claws on the ends of the fingers, similar to a bird of prey's talons, which he can use to effectively latch onto surfaces, grimm hides, or an opponents clothing.

The real centerpiece of Rowan's equipment though is his cape, which forms the backbone of his combat style. Due to gravity dust woven into the fabric, he is able to activate it by using his semblance on it, causing it to turn rigid. By then using his semblance on himself as well, Rowan is able to glide with it close to indefinitely, turning him into a capable aerial combatant. Should he ever find himself losing altitude, the cape also contains small amounts of fire dust, which he can use to artificially create his own updrafts beneath it and push him back up.

Semblance:
Weight Manipulation
Rowan's semblance allows him to either increase or decrease the weight of both his own body and any object in contact with his bare skin at that moment. He generally makes use of this ability to fly, using his cape and boots to keep him in the air while greatly decreasing his weight, meaning he can spend as much time in the air as he wants, at least until his aura runs out. Of course, he can also increase his weight, usually doing so to drop down from the sky on opponents with devastating kicks.

ANY OTHER POINTLESS TRIVIA YOU WANT TO ADD
He's gonna be the best damn huntsman in the world, so if any of you are also aiming for the title, best give up now!

《 R W B Y :: Grimm Adventures 》

I should probably say I’m interested in here too, just to help keep the numbers clear.

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Ok, got my character for Canary's bad guy squad here. Not sure I've managed to explain a lot of the stuff I wanted to explain all that well, but I'm hoping it's at least close enough to decent that it makes sense outside my own head.

Wander

Name
Marco Shaw

Hero Name
Wander

Nicknames
God of Leeches
Human Target
Pathetic
World's Greatest Thief (self appointed title)

Gender
Male

Age
Nineteen, or at least he thinks he is. It's a little hard to be sure.

Date of Birth
13 February

Physique
5'6", and very annoying to deal with if it's brought up. Fairly lean, maybe even a little bit lanky, but he calls himself aerodynamic. Brown, wild hair that sticks out everywhere and tangles around itself like a bird nest and light grey eyes.

Blood Type
O

Occupation
Villain

Side
Villain

Affiliation
Nobody at the moment.

Tier
C

Personality
Generally, it's pretty safe to assume Marco is little more than an annoying, immature idiot. His primary aim in life seems to be annoying people, poking and pulling at any thing he can in someones personality, actions, or anything else he can find, generally continuing until he's silenced by some form of violent assault on his person. He can also be very petty, grumbling and sulking about anything, or more usually anyone, who's managed to get on his bad side for days after the initial incident if nobody shuts him up beforehand, and regularly gives into vices and bad habits on a whim. On top of that, he tends to flip flop between laying around, wasting time when he should be doing something, or getting ridiculously overexcited about something and fixating on it, trying to drag anyone around him into it with him, regardless of their plans.

At the same time however, one of his most visible traits is how much he loves to laugh, and make other people laugh along with him. If someone looks even closer, there are also hints of something deeper to his thoughts, a deep loneliness that might just be what causes him to act out the way he does, and potentially some well-hidden maturity buried beneath the idiocy. Sometimes, if he manages to keep quiet, he can even trick people into thinking he's actually kind of cool. Unfortunately for him, this is usually a delusion, and should not be taken seriously.

Backstory
Marco doesn't actually know his real name. He's pretty sure he remembers people calling him Marco, but his last name may very well be lost to time, the name Shaw coming from an incident he prefers not to think about. His family only appear in very faint memories, and he probably hasn't seen them since he was a very young child, though again, the exact details of how old he was, or what happened, are vague. In the end, the root of all these issues seems to be the same.

People don't remember Marco.

He isn't sure why, other than that it has something to do with his power, but the vast majority of people seem to forget who he is or that they've ever met him within two days at best, most not even lasting longer than one. Odds are his parents were the same, and he's been wandering around the country pretty much as long as he could remember. Surprisingly though, it's been rare for him to ever find himself in danger of something like starving, largely due the other aspect of his power, allowing him to teleport almost instantaneously, as long as nobody is either looking at him when he departs, or looking at his destination. This has allowed him to teleport into houses, raiding them for food and 'supplies', and then teleport out again.

However, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbowws for our beloved wandering idiot... In fact, over his travels, he has come to feel a distinct sense of loneliness. Many, many times, he's tried to end his life of drifting from place to place, stealing whatever he can and moving on. Tried to talk to people, make friends, and settle down, but almost inevitably, time after time after time, he would be forgotten. No matter how he tried to stick in their memories, it seemed they were doomed to fade. In addition to the mental and emotional pain this brought him, it also seemed to have an effect on him physically. The smaller the number of people who knew who he was at any given time, the less he felt connected to the physical world. Teleporting would become scary, the act of actually returning from the void it transported him through becoming significantly more difficult, and he started to wonder if perhaps the people who knew him functioned as a sort of tether or anchor to the real world, with more people making for a stronger connection.

And so started his new way of life. Realising that his hopes of a normal life with friends or a family were next to impossible, he instead turned to a new tactic; annoying a number of random people every day, and stealing whatever he could get his grubby mitts on. While not a particularly fulfilling life, he was able to live fairly comfortably, pissing a bunch of people off in one spot, finding a good place to hide for a couple of seconds, and teleporting away from the ensuing mob to eat, sleep, and sell off other peoples hard earned valuables. Alternatively, he'll find a place where the people are soft-hearted enough to let him stay with them for a bit and ruthlessly taking advantage of their kindness, although this rarely even lasts the two days or so it would take to forget him before he gets 'evicted'. Whatever the outcome, the end result usually allows him to keep living as the hedonistic slacker. Before too long, anyone he'd turned against him would forget what he'd done, only remembering that he'd annoyed them. After a couple of days, they'd forget him entirely, and he'd be free to repeat the process somewhere else.

However, his 'surefire, fool proof, absolute one hundred percent success rate plan' hasn't quite been working out as he planned. Across the countries, a few people have started to notice the re-emergence of faint, scattered memories. Memories of some vaguely ghost-like figure, mooching off them for a few days and being generally pathetic and annoying before disappearing forever. Even more rarely, there will be someone who remembers the annoying idiot that is Marco Shaw with relative clarity, unsure whether they're happy or sad that he disappeared without even saying goodbye.

One thing is for sure, now that his drifting has finally brought him to the city of Castleburg, the odds of an easy, carefree life have dropped significantly.

It's just too bad he's too stupid to figure that out himself.

Power
Marco's existence is stretched across two different dimensions. The pull of the other dimension is stronger than his connection to ours, but he can remain connected to our world as long as other people acknowledge his existence. As long as the connection is there, Marco can temporarily release his hold on our world and slip into the other dimension, falling through the void before pulling himself back into ours in a different location. Though he may spend a number of seconds falling through the void before reaching his intended destination, it will seemingly be instantaneous within our world. However, he can only perform this teleportation as long as no one can see him, or would be able to see his destination, as this makes his anchor to our world too strong, preventing him from releasing it and slipping into the void.

On the other hand, if nobody acknowledges his existence, or even if the number of people who do is just too small, the opposite would be the case, and he would be unable to pull himself back into our world from the void. This is compounded by the fact that his comparatively weak existence and lack of presence within our dimension will cause the vast majority of peoples memories of him to fade far quicker than normal, rarely lasting more than one or two days. This means that it is an absolute priority for him to stand out and make an impression with people at least once every two days, or else any attempts to teleport would most likely trap him in the void. Of course, abusing his teleportations enough times in rapid succession would most likely weaken his connection to our dimension enough to bring the same result, regardless of how strongly anchored he was beforehand.

OTHER

His glasses are his most treasured possession. He doesn't even remember why they're so important to him, just that they are.

Whether it's hard work or punches, Marco is surprisingly skilled at dodging out of their way, regularly worming his way out of tough situations until he can find a nice, concealing trash can he can use to hide long enough to teleport away from.

He's actually terrified of bugs, which is ironic, as anyone who remembers him tends to consider him a human-sized leech at best.

He may or may not think mascots are real.

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Joseph

@canaryrose@Duoya@Jumbus

He'd upset her. She was trying to hide it, but even an idiot like him could pick up on how her voice was less bubbly and happy than before. Why the hell did he feel the need to bring Winterfall up? Surely there must've been something else he could say to convey how serious it was, right? Whether or not it was warranted, he could feel the regret building up inside him, knowing that he was the reason Jamie was feeling like this. Maybe he should just be happy that she was even trying to pretend it hadn't effected her afterwards. Even with the mounting guilt, he couldn't help but feel that same weird flippy feeling in his chest he'd never quite gotten used to, purely from the expression she made as she flicked him on the forehead.

On the other hand though, her words only made him more anxious. Not that she was completely wrong in her assessment of the man. Probably. He couldn't really judge how cute he was accurately, but he guessed he could see why someone might find the guy attractive. You know, if you were into that kind of stuff...

But he wasn't wrong. Jamie was right, he was paranoid, but he wasn't wrong. Not with this. Whether or not ZERO was involved, Yousef was a magus. Even without the runic arrays he'd been covered in making it blatantly obvious, he showed the same attitude as all the rest. The self-importance to assume that they could just stick their head into something they weren't involved with, and then make themselves the center of it, dictating how it should go as if they'd not only been involved, but in charge, right from the very beginning. Occasionally one would wise up and grow out of it, but he'd never met one who had. Not that it was really surprising, considering most of these people could literally change the world around them as they saw fit.

Though

"Sorry..." Joseph said to her, trying to drag his mind away from that topic, at least for now. "I-, I shouldn'tve brought that guy up, that was stupid. Still, he might not be involved with ZERO, and I guess maybe there's a chance he's even a decent person, but he is a magus. And there are some good ones out there, there must be, but... of all the magi I've ever known, there's only ever been one I wouldn't call a monster. They aren't good people, and I don't think there'll ever be one who hasn't hurt more people than they've helped. Hell, I'm pretty sure most don't even bother..."

Clearly, dragging his mind from the topic had failed. He couldn't quite hold back the dry chuckle that accompanied the realisation. Bad memories and old regrets were quickly taking over his better judgement, and it was only with tremendous effort that he managed to force the quickly forming grimace from his face, replacing it with a more easygoing smile. Not a very convincing one, he was sure, but hopefully enough that he could at least pretend to convince himself he was fine until he managed to get there for real.

"Jus-... I mean-... Alright, look." He said with a sigh, trying to make his voice sound at least a little less dark than it had gotten, though that was a secondary concern compared to hiding the gloominess from what he was about to say next. "I'm not saying don't hang out with the guy, ok? If that's what you wanna do, then... I guess that's what you wanna do... Anyway, you're your own person, so do what makes you happy. I'm just asking you to please, please, be careful when you do. Most magi don't see normal people the way they see themselves. We'r-"

Monsters.

He froze.

"A-anyway, the point is magi suck." He said, before blinking as it finally in his head registered that Chad had also said he wasn't a magus somewhere in the middle of that whole mess, presumably to keep Joseph from feeling left out or something.

Good kid, even if he did seem to have missed the point about as hard as he could've without using his super speed to actively dodge it.

"Ah... Yeah, cool. I mean, I'd already figured you weren't, but I guess it's good to know for sure." He said, giving him a thumbs up. He hadn't initially been planning to lie to the guy, but he also just watched him accidentally pull the dreaded 'you too' move back there with Yousef. Probably not the best idea to risk him blurting out the main thing he's trying to keep hidden in the first place.

Finally, he turned to address Starbright, who had seemed to be the only one who hadn't fully trusted Yousef other than him. It was a weird feeling, to be looking to Starbright as his only ally, but thankfully he didn't have to dwell on it because he immediately ruined it.

"Hey Noah? Starbite me." He said. "It's been a while since I've gotten the chance to play, but D&D is great. Besides, I'm not talkin' crap about your hobby of being a self-righteous douche, am I? Disregarding the frankly disgraceful example you're setting right in front of your dear protégé, do you really want to act even less mature than me?"

Despite how he'd been feeling before, he couldn't help but start smirking half way through the conversation. Apparently some mutual shit-stirring was exactly what he needed to distract him from the anxiety and anger roiling around in his gut, at least for a little while. He'd need something else to force it back down later, he knew that, but at least for now, he felt some of the weight on his shoulders lift away, leaving him free to try and enjoy himself for a couple of hours.

Thankfully, it only took a second or two before the perfect plan was suggested, his eyes lighting up as Jamie mentioned the bar.

"Now we're talking!" He said. "I've been sober since just after we got on the plane, which was a big mistake. Turns out they're still scary even when you aren't drunk."

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Joseph

@canaryrose@Duoya@Jumbus

---

Somehow, through great effort, Joseph resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Starbrights arrival. Oh sure, he'd already known what to expect attitude-wise, but for some ungodly reason, he hadn't been expecting the sunrise behind him, despite knowing he really should have. Still, he was more surprised that he actually asked the rest of them about teams, rather than just declaring Chad his teammate like he'd expected him too.

Of course, Chad immediately called dibs on Starbright anyway, so it's not like it actually changed anything, but Joseph was fine with it. Poor Jamie though, he could almost see her thought process playing out on her face, as she tried to think about something positive to say about being stuck on a team with him, before presumably giving up and settling on 'Yes, he is Joseph' as the best she was going to get. Thankfully though, being on a team with a loser like him wasn't enough to get her down, and she was quickly distracted when she got picked to serve.

From there, Joseph did... decently. He was never really much of a sportsman, actually preferring to avoid it when he could. Honestly, he wasn't even sure why he'd suggested volleyball in the first place, but he was here now, so he just had to try and get through it. He had to admit though, it was a little hard to push through it when it felt like somewhere around sixty percent of the hits to him involved the ball bouncing off his face. With every hit, he could feel his cool reputation fading away, replaced by some kind of goofy slapstick target, and he began to wonder if maybe he should've just tried his luck at convincing them to have a sandcastle competition or something instead. Still, at least they usually managed to bounce off his skull in a way that set them up for whatever Jamie had planned. Or she'd just adapted to his sports specific clumsiness, one or the other.

However, it was when one particularly bad hit somehow managed to spin off the side of his head and fall where neither of them could reach when they were saved by a man he didn't recognize, who caught the ball just before it could hit the ground.

The second he looked at him properly, Joseph felt his blood run cold. Heiroglyphs covered the mans body. He couldn't read them, but any magus would recognise the structure of the designs that covered the mans body. Runic Arrays. Each and every one of them. It took everything he had to keep his agitation from showing, fighting it down to retain his usual laidback appearance. Beneath the surface though, he was just waiting for this man to make a move.

And make a move he did, although not in the sense he'd been expecting. After briefly introducing himself, notably confirming that he was in fact egyptian, he proceeded to start hitting on Jamie. For a moment, he couldn't help but stare in some odd combination of shock and panic, his brain trying desperately to process what it was seeing. When that moment ended, he had made his decision. Even if this magus wasn't a villain, he was an enemy.

However, he doubted that would be the case. The world of Magi was a cutthroat one, that naturally bred dangerous, unscrupulous people. Magi with moral compasses were rare, and one of the first lessons an apprentice magus would generally be taught was 'Never trust a magus.' For non-magi, it was even worse. Magi might be competitors, rivals, or anything else on that level, but for normal citizens or non-magus powered people, it was unfortunately common to end up as little more than a guinea pig for their twisted research.

And then there was what the man they'd fought on Seraphs island had said. Seeing his use of runes, the ice-wielder had been surprised, specifically saying he didn't look Egyptian. For an Egyptian magus to suddenly show up here... Yeah, it was probably just a coincidence, but he was still going to keep his guard up. He couldn't risk it.

He couldn't lose anyone else.

"Jamie." He said quietly once the man had left. "Be careful around that guy. He's a magus. On it’s own, that would already be dangerous enough, but I also think he might be connected to the ice-user who was working with Seraph."

Planning in his head, he realised he only really had one real advantage, which was that Yousef hadn't seemed to realise he was a magus yet. Of course, it was possible that he had just been pretending not to know, but if he really didn't, it could end up being what tips the balance in their favour.

"Also, if anyone asks, my name is Alex, and I'm new to HERO." He said, this time to all three of his teammates. "None of you have seen my powers yet. No matter what, I'm not a magus, ok?"

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Joseph

@canaryrose@Duoya

---

Honestly, Joseph was sort of relieved at how easy it was to talk to Jamie. He'd actually been a little nervous she might still be annoyed at him for how painful his improvised treatment had been back during their fight with Winterfall, and adding in the fact that they'd barely managed to talk in about a month and a half, he'd been worried any attempts to have a conversation might end up sort of awkward. Talking to her now though, he realised he was stupid to even consider it a possibility, and he found himself grinning as at least one of his recent fears faded away.

This effect was immediately reversed as she walked up and clapped his shoulder, the doubts over just how forgiven he'd actually been resurfacing. He hoped it was just that the month and a half of power-assisted healing hadn't been enough to properly get rid of the soreness. Yes yes, that was probably it.

"Ah, cool, I was thinking the same thing." He said, nodding as she talked about helping Chad have some fun."It's our job to be the cool older coworkers and help him relax a little, right?"

He chuckled sheepishly as Chad corrected him on his name, pulling a flask out of his pocket and taking a drink.

"Oh, right, sorry Brad. That's my bad." He said, but nodded again when Chad agreed to hang out with them, even pretending not to notice the bit where he stared off into space for like ten seconds. "Don't worry man, you've come to the right people if you want to unwind and pass the time. Jamie's one of the funnest people I know, and wasting time just so happens to be my specialty! Though it does feel a little weird to do it out of work hours... Ah well, I'm sure it'll work out fine. Oh, and don't worry about being too good at volleyball for us, I'm pretty sure I have a decent handicap for you in mind."

He looked around for a moment, as if he was expecting something, before sighing and shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, I'm sure Starbucks'll show up eventually. Until then, I guess we can figure something out."

He continued to drink in the background as Jamie said her part, agreeing with her for the most part. Sure, he normally couldn't really talk considering how he actually tended to spend his time when he wasn't at work, but even he felt like he could relax here, as long as he ignored the nervousness about Jamie potentially still being pissed at him and the birthday present and stuff. Yep, right, he was here on vacation, enjoying time with his coworkers, and at least for today, he was going to relax and not think about any of that stuff.

And then he choked on his drink, as Jamie decided they'd 'do a three-way'. She... probably didn't realise what she'd just said. He was sure she didn't. Definitely not.

"Alright, team time!" He said, definitely still laid back and composed, and definitely not visibly startled. "How're we playin'?! One on two, or one on one on one?! I'm sure Starbright'll get here soon, but we can probably fit in at least one game in that time!"

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Jeremy Lindall

---

Jeremy wasn't quite as put off by the conditions they were met with when they made it to the hotel as many of the others were. While not his preferred environment by any means, he'd been on enough other hunts and similar excursions with far cheaper people to have already had some idea of what to expect. Of course, he'd get stuck into cleaning their room if he found the time, but that was more for his own satisfaction than any current discomfort.

Thanks to Jean Luc's liberal application of febreze, part of the job was even already done!

Again though, now wasn't the time for that. It had already been dark when they got into town, and that meant the vampires they were hunting could very well be roaming around already. While he wouldn't be able to confirm it just yet, it was entirely possible that they also knew the initiates had arrived in the area, and moreover, that they already suspected he and the others were, in fact, initiate witches. While this was all very much the worst case scenario, one lesson Argo had made absolutely certain to drill into his head was to never discount the worst case scenario. To do so is practically asking for death. So, in anticipation for any approaching guests, Jeremy spent the time the others used to unpack setting up as many defensive runes as he could. Fortunately, the process behind drawing these runic arrays was basically enchantment, just applied to the doorframe, window frames, and various items of surrounding furniture, so it still wasn't as difficult or slow as normal spells generally were for him.

Despite this however, he knew he still wouldn't be able to properly fortify the room before the meeting Rowan had organised, so for the moment he prioritised small arrays, focused mainly around the door and windows. Most of these arrays were of two varieties. The first kind would alert him if crossed by anyone he didn't specify while inscribing them, causing a small but distinct tugging sensation in the back of his mind. The second was similar in it's targeting criteria, but would cause fatigue in the individuals while active. Although the actual fatigue induced was only minor, there were a good number of them hidden around the room. Should they be triggered, the effect would stack, leaving any intruders at a significant disadvantage. Along with that, the large number also made it harder to nullify the effects by destroying the runes, as it would take longer to find and deactivate each one than if they were all in a single large array, allowing the initiates at least a few more precious seconds to incapacitate them. Honestly, for such a short amount of time, Jeremy was actually rather proud of what he'd managed to accomplish.

Maybe, even if he couldn't really compare to the others in terms of offensive abilities, or his knowledge and experience in vampire hunting didn't end up being needed, he'd still be able to contribute with fortifying their base of operations... Ok, so maybe that didn't seem like much, but as long as his squadmates didn't act like complete idiots, they honestly probably wouldn't need him for much else, other than maybe ranged support.

Unfortunately, over the course of the meeting, Jeremy began to wonder if he'd maybe given his companions just a little too much credit. So far, the only plan he'd actually agreed with had been the one put forward by Rowan herself. All the others seemed to agree with Jean Luc, who he was sure had been one of the more level headed initiates he'd met over the last few days, but now wanted to run out into the night to fight the vampires head on. In fact, the only part of Rowan's plan he'd acknowledged was that some of them might be too tired to join him. Everything else, he'd apparently disregarded, and extremely rudely at that.

As he listened to more and more of the others decide to join him, Jeremy found himself shaking his head.

"I agree with Moore. Going out now is too reckless." He said. "We don't know this town well enough. We have no idea what the layout is, or the layout of the surrounding areas. Potential choke points, optimal spots for ambushes, we have no knowledge of any of these places. The Vampires have all of this. Not only that, but as we've established, it's night. Our enemies are at their strongest. We, on the other hand, are largely blind. I can reinforce my eyesight to improve my night vision, but unless the rest of you can all do something similar, that's another disadvantage. And finally, as a few of you have already mentioned, there's a strong possibility that they have learnt of our arrival, posing an even greater risk. There are two options there. Either they already suspect we're witches sent out to hunt them, in which case they have a vested interest in taking us out, or we're just a group of teenagers from out of town, with no connection to any of the locals, meaning no one who will ask questions should we disappear, easy prey. Maybe eventually there might be a search, but not before they can pack up and move on to the next small town. Either way, if they know we're here, we potentially already have targets on our backs."

He looked over the people in the room, hoping they were all actually listening to him.

"Listen, I understand that I'm just another initiate. I may have experience hunting vampires, but that doesn't mean I have any authority over any of you. I can't order you to stay here. All I can do is try to convince you. I think we should focus on fortifying our rooms for tonight, making sure the vampires can't break in and kill us all while we rest. Then tomorrow, we perform reconnaisance around town, making sure we're at least aware of places we could be ambushed, and locate potential areas of interest. If we somehow manage to catch any of the vampires during the day, that would be the best scenario, but it's unlikely. However, if we can't find where they hide during the day, we can try to fight them tomorrow night, when we at least have a better understanding of the area."

And then he sighed, a frustrated expression growing on his face.

"However, like I said, I have no authority over anyone here, so I can't enforce this plan. If I'm outvoted, there's not much I can do. I will stay behind to help reinforce our defenses, but I'm not sure there are many other ways I could contribute. However, I'll at least ask that you find a better way to contact us than texting. Should something go wrong and you need us to come and help you, I doubt your opponents would give you the chance to write and send a text. Something faster will likely be necessary."

@Jumbus@KaijuBaragon@Blizz@sassy1085@Melissa@Hitman

【 Spy High 】

10/5/2021, Saturday
6:41 AM

---

It wasn't especially rare for Adam to be up and on the streets early in the morning, saturday or not. Indeed, a morning walk was part of his general morning routine. However, from the look in his eyes to the downright unsettling smile on his face, anyone who might have recognized the boy would see that something was different than usual. He was excited.

He'd gotten the message the night before. 'Got what you asked for. Meet in the alley by the corner of Coolidge and Moore. 6:45 AM.'

Exciting shit indeed. He'd asked for this stuff months ago, but he was willing to put up with the long wait considering how much cheaper it'd be to get it from this guy than through other methods. About a minute later, he made it to the meeting place, pleasantly surprised to see that the guy was already there waiting.

"Jeez, took you long enough!"

"Shut it, it ain't even the time you said yet! Anyway, whatever, you got the stuff right?"

"Hell yeah I did!" The other teen said, removing his backpack and pulling out a smaller paper bag. "You wouldn't believe how tough it was to get it. Even harder sneaking it past Mom. Don't even wanna know how she'd react if she knew I was doing this."

He shuddered at that last part, and despite himself, Adam almost felt some empathy for the poor idiot. On the other hand though, he needed to quit screwing around, seal the deal and get this stuff home before anyone saw him with it.

"Yeah yeah, quit wastin' time an' let me get a look at it already." He said, reaching out to grab it only for the guy to dodge away.

"Whoa pal, you remember how expensive this stuff is right?" He asked, staring at Adam like he was an idiot. "How about you give me the money first, then you can see the goods. I'm not about to just let you run off with both, you know?"

"Oh yeah? An' how the hell am I supposed to trust you not to do the same?!"

"Dude, I've seen the way you move at school. You really think I'm going to outrun you?"

Adam paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"Yeah, fair. Fine, here ya go. Solid hundred." He said, handing the other teen a pair of fifty dollar notes. Weirdly enough, he seemed almost disappointed when he saw them.

"Damn, I was kinda hoping it'd be a big wad like in the movies..."

"Dunno what to tell ya man, didn't wanna count it out wrong, an' this seemed like the easiest way."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Oh well, deals a deal. Here."

Immediately upon taking the bag, Adam stuck his hand inside to check. Just from feel alone, he could tell the difference between this and the normal stuff. It was insane.

"Holy shit, you actually got it..." He said, although the sheer awe he was feeling made it come out barely above a whisper.

"Told you I would, didn't I? Straight from the Andes! Well, with a few stops, so I guess not 'straight' straight from the-... whatever, you get the idea!"

"Damn..." He whispered, feeling something almost approaching respect for the idiot in front of him as he looked from him back to the bag, reaching back in and pulling the contents out to get a closer look.

It was a skein of blue wool. One of three.

"Damn..." He mumbled again, examining the skein like it was pure gold. Considering the normal price of this particular wool, it might as well have been. He was pretty sure Vicuna wool was some of the most expensive in the world. The fact that he was getting this much for just a hundred dollars was more than a bargain, it was actually sort of insane.

"So... what're you planning to do with it anyway?"

"Oho, I got some plans..." He said, more to himself, before his eyes widened and he turned to his classmate.

Joseph Hannigan. Son of the owner of the largest textile shop in town. Sort of an idiot, but the one of the few people Adam didn't consistently tell to piss off, mostly because he was also one of the few people who had found out about his love of knitting and sewing, having served him enough inside the store to eventually see through his disguise. Thankfully, they'd managed to work out an agreement on that particular subject.

"Hey, don't forget tha-"

"I know, I know... Anyone hears about this, they'll never find my body. Don't worry, I remember."

"Damn straight... an' thanks..."

Although the last part was said under his breath, apparently Joe somehow managed to catch it.

"Well well, what was that? Was that actually a th-" He started, before seeing the expression on Adam's face. "-hhhhunder? Thunder? Think I heard some in the distance. Might be rain on the way, unless I'm somehow hearing you glare at me. I'll see you at the shop I guess?"

"Sure." Adam responded, rolling his eyes at Joe's desperate redirection of the conversation and stuffed the wool into his backpack. "Wanna get home and start this thing anywway."

And it was then, as he was starting to get hyped for all the stuff he wanted to make, that his watch started screaming at him. Realising that this as probably something important, he refrained from shouting back for the moment, instead simply checking to see what might be wrong. Seeing the word EMERGENCY blinking at him did little to calm him down, and he growled to himself as he started digging around in his pockets for that damned earpiece, sticking it in his ear.

"Alright robot, the hell is going on?"

"Good morning, agent. Mandatory training exercise at 1700 Coolidge Road in Swindon in exactly 27 minutes. Failure to attend will result in significant consequences."

For a moment, Adam just stood there, glaring at nothing in particular and wishing Hiram had a face to punch. Eventually, he settled on an empty trash can sitting nearby.

"An' just how the hell is that a goddamn emergency?!" He shouted, kicking the trash can hard enough to send it tumbling out of the alley.

Oh yeah no, this was just awesome. Just goddamn perfect. Not only did he not have to worry about anything stupid like enjoying himself, or actually working on something productive, but he would also get to spend some good old quality time with Nadia Solokova, who definitely wasn't the most terrifying living creature he'd ever encountered. He'd been doing his absolute best to avoid running into her since the goddamn disaster that was Timbuktu, but no, apparantly turning the other cheek and walking away wasn't the way to deal with your problems. Solid piece of advice, Jesus! Totally hadn't just majorly screwed him!

Shit, and this call had probably gone out to all those other assholes too, and god only knew what they'd have to say about his performance. He'd tried to play nice, go along with what the big kids told him to do, and how the hell did that work out? Not friggin good, that's how.

By this point, he'd made it to the building. Place as a shithole, because of course it was, and it looked like he was early enough that it was just him, that one guy with the guns, and Solokova present right now, because of course it was. Trying not to let it show how terrified he was right now, he nodded to Solokova.

"Boss." He said briefly, deciding not to go any further out of fear that he might start stuttering or something.

Upon receiving the same instructions as Gun Guy, he enterd the building, and begrudgingly picked took a couple of pistols of his own after realising he didn't have his bolas on him, being too hard to explain away if he got his bag checked, which was regular enough for him to just not risk it most of the time. Thankfully though, he still had his gauntlets, and he also took a pair of batons to round off his knew arsenal.

From there, he waited for the other agents to show up, listening in growing horror as Sokolova described their training, though that was more aimed at the punishment for losing really. He did cheer up a bit when Gun Gu-BEN! That was his name! Anyway yeah, he did find himself grinning a little when Sokolova shot Ben, but it was quickly drowned back out by the thought of cleaning all the paint out of this abandoned building. He had shit to do, damn it!

By the time the exercise actually started, he was back to scowling again.

"Fine, I guess we're doin' this." He grumbled into his earpiece as he entered the building. "Bomb Girl, you're makin' the plan right? Got anywhere specific ya want me to be, or am I just wanderin' the halls beatin' the shit out of anyone I run into?"

@Hitman@KZOMBI3

【 Spy High 】

Adam Shaw

Adam Shaw

BASICS

Name:
Adam Shaw

Nicknames/Aliases:
Depends on whether or not we're countin' insults.

Codename:
I'm thinkin' Aster. I like the colour blue, I like flowers, and asters are blue flowers. Perfect fit.

Age/Grade:
Fifteen.

Place of Birth:
Don't know the exact location, just that it was some city out in the asshole end of Russia.

Gender:
Male.

Physical Description

General Description:
I think I'm pretty average lookin' for the most part, brown hair, brown eyes. I'm like, 6'1" or somethin', dunno if I'll get any taller, but I'd be fine either way. Oh, but I guess there's somethin' weird about my face though, because whenever I try to smile or anythin' like that, people start to freak out and think I'm about to beat the shit out of them or somethin'. But yeah pretty normal other than that.

Height:
6'1"

Weight:
170lb

Ethnicity:
Russian I guess, not that it actually matters to me.

Personality

General Description:
Ok, so let's get this part outta the way first. I'm an ass. I know. Might not have much goin' for me, but I'm a big enough person to at least admit that. I just ain't the type to get all buddy buddy with people, mostly because just about every time I tried as a kid, the other kids'd think I was tryin' to pick a fight or some shit. If they approached me, it usually ended with me getting tricked and beaten up, either because they thought I was a loser for likin' "girly shit" like sewin' or gardenin', or because I looked scary enough that it meant I was the bully, and they were just tryin' to keep me from bullyin' anybody else. So, eventually I started to expect it. Managed to scare the smart ones off, and beat the shit outta the dumb ones who didn't get the hint. Only problem is that I can't really tell anymore when someone might genuinely be tryin' to make friends with me, if they ever are. So, I end up tellin' those people to piss off too. And then sometimes later on I start wonderin' if maybe they really did wanna be my friend, but by then it's too late, you know? Then the next time it happens, I freak out and tell 'em to leave me alone again, because I'm an ass and an idiot.

So yeah, only person I feel like I can really trust is Nat, my mom. She got me out of that shitty orphanage I got stuck in, and brought me somewhere I could actually feel sorta... well, happy. Don't have to feel nervous about my hobbies or anythin', it's nice. Sure, she still teases me sometimes, but I can feel safe that she doesn't mean anythin' actually mean about it. That bein' said, she reckons I should let more people in, give 'em a chance, or at least try not to get in so many fights. I'm sick of lettin' her down with that stuff, so I'm really gonna try this time. No seriously, I'm gonna do it! I ain't gonna let shit get to me anymore! I'm gonna turn the other cheek or whatever so damn hard it'll break my goddamn neck!

Oh, but that doesn't count for the dickheads who go out and try to pick on other people over stupid shit! I had to deal with it and I know how much it sucks, so there's no goddamn way I'm lettin' anyone else go through it when I'm around! Screw that!

Likes:
Textiles
Cooking
Gardening
Drums
Cute things
Weeb shit
Exercise
Musicals

Dislikes:
Dickheads who judge other people for their hobbies or looks or other stupid reasons
High temperatures
Boats
Goddamn stupid assholes who just casually waste food like it’s nothin’

Goals:
I... I dunno yet... I guess I wanna make Nat proud, and maybe it'd be sorta nice to make a couple of friends or somethin'?

Fears:
Well, I know I don't wanna disappoint Nat anymore. Other than that... Ghosts. Definitely ghosts. Can't hit 'em 'cause they're... ethereal? 's that the word? I dunno, they're ghosty... Jeez, fine. I'm frickin' terrified that people are just gonna keep on judging me forever, alright?! Now just drop it already!

Sexual Preference:
Oh, uh... straight I guess? Nobody really gives me the time of day, so I don't really think about it too often.

Biography

Brief Bio:
Well, ok, I guess. Not that much to say though. Like I said before, I used to live out in the asshole end of Russia or Siberia or somewhere around there. I don't really remember much about my parents, but I know I wound up in an orphanage by the time I was four. Now I dunno if you know this, but kids can be real pricks, especially when they think somethings 'weird', like a guy who makes scary expressions all the time, or that scary-lookin' guy bein' into shit like knittin' and cookin'. So they started comin' at me, and I started givin' back everything I got. I don't regret it either, the little shits had it coming! It did make the caretakers see me as some kinda 'problem child', so in the end just tryin' to defend myself made things even worse. It all just wound up turning into some shitty spiral.

Then, when I was around eight, Nat found me. I still have no idea why she actually did it, but she got me outta that place and adopted me properly, so I can't really complain. Besides, for whatever reason, I already felt like I could trust her pretty easily even back then, so it was like I knew from the get go I'd be happier leavin' with her than staying where I was. And I mean, it's not like I was wrong or anythin', I was able to do all the stuff I like without having to look over my shoulder when I was home. It was just when I started school here that I realised being a piece of shit wasn't just a cultural thing. So in the end, I never really got away from the 'angry asshole' thing. Hell, I actually think it might've gotten even worse.

Anyway, you guys know the rest. I kept fighting people, I got better and better at it, all leadin' up to the bit where you assholes kidnapped me and stuck me in some random ass room and told to join the team. Don't even really know why I said yes, but I did, and now here I am dancin' around like your goddamn puppet. You're welcome.

Skillset

Talents/Skills:
Alright, so you probably already know this, but I'm damn good in a fight, especially if I can get in close. I hit hard, and I can usually catch when someone's windin' up to hit me way before they actually go through with it. Hell, I'd even say my brain is at it's best when I'm in a brawl, always helpin' me stay a step ahead of whoever I'm up against and figurin' out weird ways to confuse 'em and get the advantage. Might not be the best with computers or any of that crap, but you can bet your ass I'll be more than good enough to keep the bad guys off whoever is. Actually, I'm not bad at patchin' myself up after a fight either. Nothin' incredible, but probably more than the average idiot my age. And I'm also pretty good at keepin' myself in shape. If there's anythin' I know about all that sciency crap, it's nutrition and exercise stuff.

For the non-spy stuff, I'm pretty good at workin' 'round the house. Cookin', cleanin', all that stuff. Also, I don't mean to brag, but I'm probably better at sewin', knittin', or any other textile work than anyone I've ever met. Of course, you go spreadin' any of that shit around, I'll use those skills to sew your goddamn mouth shut, ya hear me?! This shit ain't leavin' this room!

Gadgets:
Shock Gauntlets
Forgot what they were meant to be called, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that they're badass. Basically, the hand area is braced to make 'em hit a little harder, and they can generate a crazy powerful electric charge to mess people up when I punch 'em, or even more if I manage to grab 'em. Even better, further up the wrist they've got a cord I can launch out, about twelve feet long, with a little hooky barb thing that can snag peoples clothes and reel 'em in. 'course, I don't need to extend it the whole length or reel it in straight away, I can also just loose it part way and use it like a whip, or even grab it like one of those chokey cords, think it's called a garrote. Best part? I can even send the electricity through the cord too! And all of that in what most people would think is just a normal pair of motorbike gloves! Coolest part of this whole spy gig, hundred percent.

Shock Bola
Not as cool as the gauntlets for sure, but these things ain't bad either. Essentially a little ring-ish thing ya hold, and there are three cords comin' off the sides with metal weights attached to the ends. You spin 'em around to gather up the speed and then ya throw 'em at your enemies, where it'll tangle 'em up. Usually you throw it at their feet to trip 'em over, but you can get it around their arms and weapons if you aim right, make a little more time for yourself before they can start shootin' at ya again. Then when I press a button on my gauntlet, it activates 'em, sends a signal over to the ring to generate electricity and send it through the cords. Just a little extra way to keep anyone I tangle with 'em from gettin' back up, ya know?

And yeah, 's kind of it, really. Haven't actually needed anythin' else yet.

Shortcomings:
Alright, look, I don't need ya to tell me I don't have much goin' for me. I've heard it all before. I know. Probably pretty obvious by now that my people skills are garbage, but you might not've heard yet that I'm a dumbass too. Ain't exactly doing the best in my normal classes ya know? Except stuff like Art and Home Ec 'cause you know, that shits actually fun, but all the normal classes for the brainy kids? Not my best area, gotta admit. And don't even get me started with tech shit, christ... I mean, I can use it most of the time, but don't ask me how the hell it works.

Extra Stuff

Ok, so I don't actually know my real birthday, but Nat adopted me properly on the eighteenth of August, so that's when we celebrate it.

Yo putting the voice example here too so nobody else accidentally assumes he’d have a Russian accent.

Grading

Strength:
A
Agent Aster's physical strength is remarkable compared to many others in his age group, likely due to what he views as necessity with how often he gets into physical altercations with other students. However, this is not entirely unexpected when one notes his regular training, even if he believes no one has noticed him doing so.

Intelligence:
D+
Agent Aster is not what one might call academically gifted. He has shown surprising knowledge in the areas of nutrition and physical fitness, and even some potential as a medic if properly trained, but the fields of mathematics, history, and any form of science not connected to the previously mentioned fields continue to elude him.

Close-Quarters Combat:
A+
Due to a combination his optimal physical condition and equally sharp instincts, Agent Aster has proven to be incredibly talented in the field of close-quarters combat. He is quick to adapt to various marital arts during training, and what had once merely been relatively straightforward brawling has evolved into a versatile style that can excel in both offence and defence, especially with the utilisation of grappling cords.

Firearms:
B-
While not particularly poor with long range weaponry, it is far from Agent Aster's area of expertise. More likely than not he will need to rely on squadmates in a prolonged firefight, as he alone will be unlikely to succeed unless he can find a way to get into close range.

Concealment and Disguise:
C+
While Agent Aster's skills in sewing and other textiles holds unexpected potential for the creation of disguises, poor interpersonal and acting skills make successful infiltrations unlikely as of this point. Perhaps in the future, should he get better at interacting with others, he may show potential in this area, but as of now it is simply not viable.

Strategic Thinking/Leadership:
D
Despite a good ability to think up unorthodox solutions on the fly, Agent Aster is unfortunately too poor in terms of social interactions to be viable as a tactical leader at this stage. On top of this, Aster himself holds no confidence in his ability to lead, and would likely shift a leadership role to a teammate even if he were to overcome his social issues.

Mental Agility/Intuition:
A
Agent Aster's ability to come up with unorthodox solutions to issues at a moments notice may be one of his greatest points, allowing him to escape difficult situations in ways that are often extremely difficult for opponents to predict. This coupled with remarkable intuition allows him not only to be a powerful close range fighter, but to avoid many conflicts altogether, though admittedly it is seemingly quite rare for him to choose that path as of this stage.

Hacking/Computer Operation:
D-
After much observation, it has been determined that Agent Aster should not be expected to perform any important activies related to computers. In fact, it is our current belief that Agent Aster may in fact be borderline tech-illiterate, capable of little more than locating and playing the program Full Tilt! Pinball on former Promenade operative Natalie Shaw's laptop.

Observation/Interrogation:
B
While Agent Aster does seem capable at observing certain details and changes in an individuals body language, our current understanding is that this rarely extends beyond determining whether or not said individual is planning to start a fight, and how they are going to act in said fight. However, naturally intimidating facial features coupled with his general aggression allows him to be very effective in an interrogation environment, as long as a partner is present to play good cop to his bad cop and take note of any information revealed.

Linguistics:
C
Though Agent Aster was born and raised in Russia, a fairly poor quality education means that his knowledge of the language is somewhat limited. He could make his way in the country without too much trouble, but he has difficulty with more intricate concepts such as metaphors and common sayings.

Teamwork/Cooperation:
C-
Unfortunately, though Agent Aster is technically capable of acting within a team, his long-running difficulties with interpersonal relationships makes it difficult for him. Though his willingness to trust fellow operatives has shown signs of improvement, and he is willing to put his own health at risk should he deem it necessary, he has an unfortunate tendency to argue or simply follow his own decisions if he disagrees with the instructions given to him, especially when they come from his own peers.