shylarah

Over

@Rumplestiltskin Wait, ISRAELI?! I like this. *Jewish and proud!* HAha.

@Xodus okay so I had a thought. Is vocum casting focused on the words, or the sound? Like, if someone wrote a sentence down, or used sign language to say it, would it be vocum still? I could see sign language falling under motem, because it's movement, but I think if you're /saying/ something by your signs, it's vocum technically. And for writing things, it falls in the border between vocum and sigillum. Like, you could be very refined with written words, making for higher accuracy, and you could build up more power since the cast doesn't take effect as fast as pure sigillum. I'm toying with an idea for later on, and I think vocum/sigillum pairing could be interesting for an artist.

Over

@Rumplestiltskin Ooh, trouble between Linked and Unlinked? OOOH. ...That'd suck, though. I don't think AMRO would let that break out, but they'd overlook distrust.

Over

@Rtron Well, she's usually a frightened little girl with visions. But I can't do precog here. I can do other things, though, and she grows into a fierce young lady, so I think she'd work. Bits is the opposite. She starts as a typical child, and turns into a very withdrawn adult. *prods her*

Also, if one person can specialize in pocket dimensions, that means any Asylum /might/ be able to use that ability, unless it's a level 2 or level 1 deal. Sparks approves of blowing people's minds, though!

Over

@Bakugou@Rumplestiltskin@Grif of Hearts

I had to look it up. I'd never heard it before. BUT I LIKE LEARNING NEW WORDS. ^.^

Alas, my idea for a shifter is smushed, but I'll figure out something eventually. Ooh, actually I do have another idea...but I'd need to change Amune a great deal for it, totally rework her personality. Actually, she grows up fierce, so it might work!

Over

In the classroom

Bits sat in the far corner of the classroom, her mouth closed and her head down. The woman – for at 20 she was among the oldest in the class – didn't look up upon the arrival of their instructor. Instead she watched him from the edges of her vision, and through a curtain of wavy brown hair. At the desk next to her, her brother turned around from where he'd been talking to the two students on his other side. Sparks did spare a glance to the man's injuries, but his main focus was on the lecture. He disagreed with some of what was said, not that he'd voice that disagreement. Yes, some humans – perhaps the majority – were like Joux said, but not all. And those in AMRO were very much human, despite their alchemy. Not to mention that some of his ideas didn't seem to fit together at all. The teen drummed his fingers silently on his leg, wishing yet again that their instructors were more teachers and less soldiers. There were only a few that would tolerate any sort of debate – the rest saw it as contradiction, or worse, insubordination, and didn't take kindly to it at all. Sparks wanted to be able to discuss things, play with ideas and viewpoints, and he rarely got to. Such was the life of a student at Innocence. And after, well...that would hardly be much better.

The class was interrupted by cursing and banging. Bits tensed, and her head moved a little, though not enough to be called looking in that direction. Sparks considered getting to his feet to find out what was going on, and maybe see if the situation could be diffused, but he didn't get a chance. Before he could come to a decision, a head was thrust through the door. He leapt to his feet, but by then it was too late. Student and door flew across the classroom and out the window, by sheer chance not catching on the frame and instead plummeting downwards to crash on the ground. Sparks winced at the sound, hoping there was someone down there who could and would help, but he sat back down. He knew better than to try to leave class before the bell. He glanced at his sister. She was staring fixedly at her hands, which were clasped atop her desk. He could tell by the way she sat that she was upset about what had just happened.

The bell for dismissal came shortly thereafter, but Bits wasn't willing to push her way through the students to make it out the door as quickly as possible, as she would like to. She stayed at her desk until most of them had filed out, and Sparks stayed nearby. That gave him the chance to overhear one of his classmates speaking to the instructor. The girl looked to be about his age, dressed all in black. He was sure he'd seen her before, but he'd never been in her class until now. He regretted that they'd never talked when he heard what she had to say. The siblings seemed to be heading in the same direction as she was, though Bits nudged her brother's arm as he headed past the turn to the cafeteria, her expression puzzled. “That kid,” Sparks replied. “I want to make sure he's alright.” To his surprise, the black-clad girl seemed to have the same idea as he did.

Through some stroke of insane luck, the kid was alive, though injured. Sparks took his other side. “Dude, that was intense. I'm glad you didn't break too many limbs.” The unfortunate teen hobbled between the pair, one leg at an awkward angle, and Bits trailed along behind, her expression nervous.
“Hey, I'm Sparks, and that's my sister, Bits,” he said cheerfully, directing this comment at both of the others. “I'd offer to shake your hand, but...well, we'd better get to the infirmary. Oh, and I heard what you said back there to Mr. Joux.” He looked at the girl past their injured peer. "And I think you're right. It's the only thing that makes all this bearable."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Town

The young girl huddled near the corner of a building, one hand on the rough brick, the other tangled in the shaggy coat of her companion. The cat wasn't too much shorter at the shoulder than she was, and currently much cleaner. The girl's clothing was soiled and torn, her face smeared with grime and her short hair tangled. In fact, the only part of her outfit still in good condition was her shoes, and even those had patches of mud on them. She was watching the people in the square with a great deal of intensity. Her eyes darted back and forth, and she pressed a hand to her stomach as its complaining intensified accompanying a breeze that brought delicious aromas from the tavern across the way. It wasn't as good as what her mother would make, no, but she'd been eating scraps and what she could forage from her limited knowledge of edible plants and roots. Wyth had brought her a rabbit on two separate occasions. The second time she was so hungry she'd tried to eat it despite not having flint and steel to make a fire for cooking, but the taste of raw meat had made her nauseated and she could only force down a small portion before she gave up. She thought that eventually she'd be starved enough that it would seem appealing, but that wasn't the case -- at least, not yet.

She'd been avoiding towns for the last two weeks or so, just travelling without a real destination -- anywhere that was away from the village she'd lived in all her life. Upon spotting this settlement, however, the thought had occurred to her that where there were people, there would be food as well -- and she might even be able to grab flint and steel. She'd never stolen anything before, nor begged, but desperation caused a person to do things she wouldn't otherwise. So the child had made her way into town, trying to avoid the busiest streets and the larger groups of people, and before too long she came across the tavern she was now watching. Could she slip in the side door? It might lead to the kitchen. She could grab something to eat and leave again right away. But what if there was someone there? She licked her lips. As she tried to muster enough nerve to make a move, a young man emerged from the tavern, with a hunk of bread in one hand. His attention was focused on a piece of paper, to the exclusion of all else.

The girl steeled her nerve and left the safety of her alleyway, heading for the man and the bread he held. She realized she shouldn't appear too purposeful, so she tried not to look at him too much, and she angled to approach from behind and to one side. When she only a couple arm's lengths away, she swallowed hard and darted forward. As a thief, her technique was awful. She made no effort to avoid being noticed. Instead she relied on surprise to work in her favor as she snatched the targeted item from the man's grasp and took off at a dead run. "Wyth, ahead!" she called, and the cat surged forward, weaving through the crowd with his girl right behind him. The passage of a large cat cleared a path, at least temporarily. As they reached the edge of the square, she told him to heel and dashed into an alley, her eyes searching for somewhere she could climb up, where the man wouldn't be able to follow.

Over

@Rtron I slipped up, it's eight years back, not just two.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Vena said to post my CS in this tab. Yay!

Amuné

Name: Amuné Ris
Age: 8 years
Gender: female
Race: half-Ydran

Appearance: Amuné looks like a normal Muran child at first glance. It is only at closer examination that hints of her Ydran parentage. She is on the smaller side, lacking the slight chubbiness of most younglings. Her features have a sharp cast, though her ears are not so pointed that she cannot pass for Muran. Her coloring is washed out, with pale mousy hair cut a little past her jawline and light grey eyes. At the moment, her clothes are ragged and stained, her hair untidy and her face splotched with grime. She travels in the company of Wyth, a large moorcat. a younger version of Amuné

Element Affinity: Luminous (Seer)
Gear: Amuné has next to nothing in the way of possessions.

Brief History: Amuné's parents met by chance as teenagers when Baldur's tribe passed near Amira's village. Amira, who was studying to be a midwife and herbalist under the elderly village healer, came across him and a few others while out gathering plants. She had seen Ydra only rarely, as they didn't often come to her town, and she was fascinated by them and their animals. Baldur found her bold curiosity cute, and he enjoyed the energetic company of someone that wasn't from his people. They quickly became friends, and over the following few years, Baldur would make excuses to go off on his own to see her whenever his travels brought him within a day's travel. Eventually romance blossomed, and a tumble in the woods lead to a child. Baldur had moved on by the time Amira found out she was pregnant, but when he received word following Amuné's birth, he went to join her in the town. He was met with some suspicion by the villagers, as they had limited contact with Ydrans. This never completely went away, but his bright personality smoothed things over for the most part.

The pair were both Magi. Amira had minor skill with healing, and Baldur was a talented Air Magus. He also had a knack for woodwork and other small crafts, and his toys and kites became popular with the village children. Amuné was not formally acknowledged as his, as Amira realized this would make life easier for the child, and the girl had enough difficulty already. Even as a baby, the girl was a bit odd. She would react oddly to what appeared to be nothing at all, and at times her mood would change for no apparent reason. On occasion she was even afflicted with fits where she would not respond to those around her, instead focusing on something only she perceived and saying things that made no sense. Eventually it became evident that, among other things, she seemed to know the outcome of calls for her mother's services as a midwife before Amira returned home. Baldur realized his daughter had an unusual gift indeed: Sight. He'd heard of the occasional Seer but never met one. By this time technology was taking hold, and there was talk of the decline of magic, and the start of tension between Magi and non-Magi. As the victim of low level xenophobia himself, Baldur realized that her power could easily be viewed with suspicion, and imparted to Amuné the importance of keeping it to herself. She took his advice to heart, but cannot always control her visions, nor what she says during them, and there were at least a small number of villagers that figured out she had magic of some sort.

Life was good for the most part, but when the Church of the Nine Saints turned to technology and tensions erupted, as both a Magus and an outsider Baldur fell under increasing scrutiny. The townsfolk didn't mind Amira, for though she was a Magus she was one of their own, and a healer besides, but became more hostile towards Baldur, accusing him of stealing power from their Demacite crystals to use, even though he had all but stopped using his magic. The pair discussed leaving town, but Amira had spent all her life there, and while she was curious about outsiders the thought of leaving everyone she knew terrified her, and she couldn't bring herself to agree. The ill temper and seething discontent encouraged by the Church erupted one evening, and a mob came to kick Baldur out of their village. Amuné was outside playing, and she retreated to her father's side as the villagers confronted him. Baldur ordered Wyth to sit, so the cat wouldn't seem to be aggressive, and tried to talk them down and reassure them that he was not trying to cause harm to anyone. They didn't listen, and when a man who shoved Baldur brushed against Amuné as well, it triggered a vision for her. She said only "the village will be in flames", but that was enough for the riled-up townsfolk. They tried to grab both her and her father, over Amira's protests. With his daughter in danger, the generally gentle Baldur tried to fight off those going after her, using fists and his magic. He was not a strong man, and hadn't needed to defend himself in years -- not since he'd come to live in the village. Wyth made a better accounting of himself, but there were too many for a single cat, however fierce, to fight off. Baldur's aim was to take Amuné and Amira, if the woman would come, and flee, but he was unable to break away from the attackers. Following a solid stab to his hip and one to his shoulder, he told Wyth to take Amuné and run. The last she saw of her parents was her mother trying desperately to reach her fallen father as the mob turned on the woman as well.

Additional info: Frightened by the events immediately preceding her leaving her home, Amuné is more withdrawn than she was growing up.

Wyth

Name: Wyth
Age: 10 years
Gender: male
Race: moorcat

Appearance: Wyth has an appearance typical to moorcats. He is a large feline, standing nearly two and a half feet at the shoulder, with a thick, slightly shaggy coat of mottled gray and brown, with a lighter gray and cream underbelly. His paws are proportionally larger, to help distribute his weight on the often sodden and muddy ground of the moors and marshland. His eyes are pale green, on the yellower side of the hue.

Brief History: Wyth was the kit of another moorcat owned by a member of Baldur's community. He imprinted on Baldur as a kitten, and has accompanied the man ever since. When Baldur fell for Amira and eventually went to live in her village, Wyth joined them. The moorcat is very fond of their daughter, Amuné, and treats her like he might a kitten.

Additional info: Originally the companion of Amuné's father, he now stays with her and guards her.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@Vena Sera@Scout

Amuné

Name: Amuné Ris
Age: 8 years
Gender: female
Race: half-Ydran

Appearance: Amuné looks like a normal Muran child at first glance. It is only at closer examination that hints of her Ydran parentage. She is on the smaller side, lacking the slight chubbiness of most younglings. Her features have a sharp cast, though her ears are not so pointed that she cannot pass for Muran. Her coloring is washed out, with pale mousy hair cut a little past her jawline and light grey eyes. At the moment, her clothes are ragged and stained, her hair untidy and her face splotched with grime. She travels in the company of Wyth, a large moorcat. a younger version of Amuné

Element Affinity: Luminous (Seer)
Gear: Amuné has next to nothing in the way of possessions.

Brief History: Amuné's parents met by chance as teenagers when Baldur's tribe passed near Amira's village. Amira, who was studying to be a midwife and herbalist under the elderly village healer, came across him and a few others while out gathering plants. She had seen Ydra only rarely, as they didn't often come to her town, and she was fascinated by them and their animals. Baldur found her bold curiosity cute, and he enjoyed the energetic company of someone that wasn't from his people. They quickly became friends, and over the following few years, Baldur would make excuses to go off on his own to see her whenever his travels brought him within a day's travel. Eventually romance blossomed, and a tumble in the woods lead to a child. Baldur had moved on by the time Amira found out she was pregnant, but when he received word following Amuné's birth, he went to join her in the town. He was met with some suspicion by the villagers, as they had limited contact with Ydrans. This never completely went away, but his bright personality smoothed things over for the most part.

The pair were both Magi. Amira had minor skill with healing, and Baldur was a talented Air Magus. He also had a knack for woodwork and other small crafts, and his toys and kites became popular with the village children. Amuné was not formally acknowledged as his, as Amira realized this would make life easier for the child, and the girl had enough difficulty already. Even as a baby, the girl was a bit odd. She would react oddly to what appeared to be nothing at all, and at times her mood would change for no apparent reason. On occasion she was even afflicted with fits where she would not respond to those around her, instead focusing on something only she perceived and saying things that made no sense. Eventually it became evident that, among other things, she seemed to know the outcome of calls for her mother's services as a midwife before Amira returned home. Baldur realized his daughter had an unusual gift indeed: Sight. He'd heard of the occasional Seer but never met one. By this time technology was taking hold, and there was talk of the decline of magic, and the start of tension between Magi and non-Magi. As the victim of low level xenophobia himself, Baldur realized that her power could easily be viewed with suspicion, and imparted to Amuné the importance of keeping it to herself. She took his advice to heart, but cannot always control her visions, nor what she says during them, and there were at least a small number of villagers that figured out she had magic of some sort.

Life was good for the most part, but when the Church of the Nine Saints turned to technology and tensions erupted, as both a Magus and an outsider Baldur fell under increasing scrutiny. The townsfolk didn't mind Amira, for though she was a Magus she was one of their own, and a healer besides, but became more hostile towards Baldur, accusing him of stealing power from their Demacite crystals to use, even though he had all but stopped using his magic. The pair discussed leaving town, but Amira had spent all her life there, and while she was curious about outsiders the thought of leaving everyone she knew terrified her, and she couldn't bring herself to agree. The ill temper and seething discontent encouraged by the Church erupted one evening, and a mob came to kick Baldur out of their village. Amuné was outside playing, and she retreated to her father's side as the villagers confronted him. Baldur ordered Wyth to sit, so the cat wouldn't seem to be aggressive, and tried to talk them down and reassure them that he was not trying to cause harm to anyone. They didn't listen, and when a man who shoved Baldur brushed against Amuné as well, it triggered a vision for her. She said only "the village will be in flames", but that was enough for the riled-up townsfolk. They tried to grab both her and her father, over Amira's protests. With his daughter in danger, the generally gentle Baldur tried to fight off those going after her, using fists and his magic. He was not a strong man, and hadn't needed to defend himself in years -- not since he'd come to live in the village. Wyth made a better accounting of himself, but there were too many for a single cat, however fierce, to fight off. Baldur's aim was to take Amuné and Amira, if the woman would come, and flee, but he was unable to break away from the attackers. Following a solid stab to his hip and one to his shoulder, he told Wyth to take Amuné and run. The last she saw of her parents was her mother trying desperately to reach her fallen father as the mob turned on the woman as well.

Additional info: Frightened by the events immediately preceding her leaving her home, Amuné is more withdrawn than she was growing up.

Wyth

Name: Wyth
Age: 10 years
Gender: male
Race: moorcat

Appearance: Wyth has an appearance typical to moorcats. He is a large feline, standing nearly two and a half feet at the shoulder, with a thick, slightly shaggy coat of mottled gray and brown, with a lighter gray and cream underbelly. His paws are proportionally larger, to help distribute his weight on the often sodden and muddy ground of the moors and marshland. His eyes are pale green, on the yellower side of the hue.

Brief History: Wyth was the kit of another moorcat owned by a member of Baldur's community. He imprinted on Baldur as a kitten, and has accompanied the man ever since. When Baldur fell for Amira and eventually went to live in her village, Wyth joined them. The moorcat is very fond of their daughter, Amuné, and treats her like he might a kitten.

Additional info: Originally the companion of Amuné's father, he now stays with her and guards her.

Over

@Xodus Wait, what? Um, my character Bits is already 28. She was supposed to graduate at 18, but was held back because she refused to partner with anyone but her brother, Sparks, who is three years her junior. What I had already was him graduating at 18, with Bits being 21. I can hold her back a year or two more, maybe, because of her aversion to using her alchemy, but...not another seven years. Also I'd had the mindset of them having some missions under their belts. Like, several years' worth. Plus Sparks' relationship with Cam will be changed if I change his age. O.o

What the /heck/ is an invigilator?! Is that even a word?! *looked it up* Oh, someone who gives an exam? Huh. I've heard proctor, but not this word. Cool, a new word!

EDIT
NEVERMIND ME! I read something and got anxious. I am curious as to why students in different years are working together, but I can go with this.