shylarah

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@AngelKitten Hello there! *glomp*

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Amuné was pleased to hear that Ethan recognized what she'd Seen. "I'd like to visit your village sometime," she said absently, her voice dropping to a mumble. The girl spent the rest of the ride half-drowsing, worn out by her foray into magic. She roused when the man behind her pulled out their map. She was a little stiff and it would be good to stretch her legs again. It sounded like Nymira wanted to go see the town's mayor, but Amuné didn't think she'd be much use for that meeting.

Cecil seemed worried that he'd scare people, but Amuné didn't understand why. He didn't look scary at all. "Why would they be scared?" she asked. "If they are then they're silly. You're nice." The child had completely forgotten the shock she'd had when she'd found out Cecil was a Machina, and not just a boy.

Ethan helped Amuné off the horse when they got to the stables, and she called to Wyth. The moorcat had returned from his hunting trip a while back, and he stretched lazily before jumping down from the cart to pad over to his girl. "I hope this inn is like the last one, and lets you stay," she told him, scratching behind his ears. She waved to Nymira and Cecil as they set off. "See you later!" she called, before looking around at the buildings nearby. "Maybe one of the stable hands knows where an inn is?" she suggested, looking up at Ethan. "It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@Mogtaki Ah, fair enough. ^.^

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Wyth had wandered off to catch himself a snack. Amuné was happy to ride in front of Ethan as the group got underway again. The girl turned her head to look at Ethan when he started guffawing at Nymira. She didn't really understand why Nymira didn't know horses had to go poo too. After all, all creatures did, didn't they? Sure, horses had rather /big/ droppings, and she supposed if the woman wasn't familiar with them that might be surprising. It was nothing to be so shocked by, though. But Ethan's laughter made Amuné giggle a bit.

The child returned to her thoughts, and a while later she suddenly spoke up. "Ethan? I think...I think I want to learn how to use my Sight better," she told him, looking at where her hands clutched fistfuls of Jorvind's mane. "I usually tried to keep from having visions back home, so people wouldn't find out. But now...I think I need to learn more than just how to keep from having them. I sorta think I might have an idea how to trigger a vision deliberately, but...Well the time I tried it didn't really work. But Daddy told me that he had to study a lot to learn to use his gift, and he wasn't good at all at first." Amuné paused. "He's blessed by Saint Kedo, like you. He taught me a little. So did Mommy -- she's blessed by Saint Edos, like me, but I was never able to heal people. I just see things."

The girl hesitated again. She wasn't sure how Ethan would respond to what she said next, and she didn't want to upset him. "Um...A lot of times when I get a vision, it's either something immediately dangerous...or something I touch. Like back in the inn, when you showed me the picture of Nymira? That's how I knew which building she was in. Or right when we met Cecil, when we ran from the men chasing him you picked me up and...I could tell you were a Magi, even before you used magic. So...I was wondering...um...maybe I could try with you?"

Ethan replied in the affirmative, and Amuné smiled over her shoulder at him, relieved. "Make sure I don't fall off Jorvind while I try, okay?" the girl said, before moving her hands from the horse's mane to hold onto the man's arm where it circled her waist. She took a deep breath and concentrated, trying to remember how it felt right before she had a vision, and how she'd managed to channel her magic back when they were attacked on the bridge. And when she felt something stir inside her in response to her efforts, she focused on that.

An image swam into view behind her closed eyes. Most of it was blurry, but she could clearly see Ethan in it. There was someone else too, and they seemed to be fighting. "No, watch out!" Amuné tried to warn her friend but the other man swept his legs out from under him -- then reached an arm out to help Ethan back up. The scene vanished abruptly, leaving the girl disoriented and more than a little confused.

It took a few moments for her to get her bearings. She felt tired, like she'd worked really hard helping with chores, but at the same time Amuné was elated. "I think it worked. I think I did it, Ethan!" She told him what she'd seen. It was one image, and it felt different from when she saw things that might be, so the child was pretty sure it was something from the past, and she mentioned that as well. "But I'm not sure exactly what it was."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@AlexStarsion Looks pretty good to me, though I do wonder how common crystal-using people are. Probably fits better since he appears to be a priest.

Edit:
@Mogtaki I am disappointed that Cecil had no response to Amune taking his hand. =/

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@AlexStarsion Hey, welcome to the rp! *bounces on* Nice to meetcha! Can't wait to meet your char.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Amuné gave Cecil a relieved smile when he said he was doing okay. Him not being at 100% until sundown was unfortunate, but after that huge burst of magic the day before she could understand it. He'd really been amazing, taking care of that giant monster all on his own. "You take it easy if you need to so you can get all the way better," she said, nodding. When he was up and they were all starting back to their abandoned camp, the girl took one of Cecil's hands, and held the other out for Ethan to take, giving each of them a smile.

Coming over the hill, she saw that while it looked like the place had been soaked, everything was more or less in one piece. Amuné dashed down to the tent, to look inside. Things seemed okay, so she grabbed her shoes and hurried over to the cart, waiting impatiently while the two adults flipped it back over. Once she could get at the packs she looked through them, intent on finding the med kit. It was there, thank the Saints, and she breathed a sigh of relief. With all the trouble they seemed to run into, it was important to have supplies for first aid.

Amuné was also glad to see Jorvind and the other horse still there, though that puzzled her a bit. Hadn't they been loose during the night? How'd they end up tied up and not run off somewhere? The girl didn't have a good answer, so she turned her thoughts to other things as she helped clean mud off the cart and get everything ready to set out again.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

A ways from the campsite

Amuné slept with her head on Wyth's stomach. The first thing she did upon waking in the morning was check on Ethan. The man seemed to be doing better, and she gave a sigh of relief. He was going to be okay. Still, he needed his rest and when Nymira wanted to wake him up the girl got in her way. "He needs sleep so he can get better!" she told the Dimuran, frowning up at her. "We're not in a hurry, so let him sleep." Amuné settled in to wait quietly, occupying herself by watching clouds pass.

It was some time later when Ethan finally woke. Amuné gave him a smile and a hug, ignoring his still-damp clothing. "I'm glad you're better," she told him. The little exchange between Ethan and Nymira confused her. The man wasn't stripping, was he, he was just taking off his shirt, and that was okay. If he'd gone for his belt she would have turned around because girls aren't supposed to see boys with their pants off.

It seemed they were going to head back to camp. Amuné hoped the bad Magi had left everything alone -- especially Jorvind and the other horse, and her medical supplies. When Ethan staggered she was at his side right away, but he seemed to be alright and waved her off. She looked at Cecil when Ethan asked the Machina how he was doing. She hoped he was doing better too.

Over

Innocence Docks

The evacuation was going as smoothly as could be expected, given the circumstances. Sparks tried to keep the other students from pushing as much as he could. “Come on, everyone, keep it orderly. No shoving,” he called, as he helped slide yet another boat into the water. He held it steady as students started to scramble aboard. “Easy now, don't tip over the boat. It won't do anyone any good then!” he cautioned. The press of students eased a little once the boat was full and he shoved it away from the dock. “Get rowing,” he told those aboard. “Put as much distance between you and the island as you can.” A few of the older students nodded and took up the oars as Sparks turned to help the next clump of students dragging yet another boat from storage.

As a result, he saw the nanny go down, along with the boy, and the girl slip off the dock. “Bits!” he called, not in a position to do anything to help the one in the water. Instead he angled himself through the press to the two still on the dock. “Back up, guys, don't trample anyone,” he called over the noise of frightened students. He arrived at the side of the pair in time to keep them from serious injury, helping the older woman up first. “There you go, on your feet. You too, kiddo, up you go.”

Bits heard more than saw the girl fall into the water, followed by her brother's shout. He couldn't get to the child. She had her hands full with the waves, though they were starting to lessen. Still, they were strong enough to pull the girl under and start dragging her out to sea. “Can't have that,” she thought to herself. ”Not while I'm here, not when I'm already working the water.” The woman shunted a wave threatening the docks to the side, before circling one hand around and around. The ocean responded, spinning around where the child had fallen. With a scooping motion, the sea surged upwards, depositing the girl on the dock again. Another quick sweep of a hand and the water in her lungs was pulled out. And then Bits had to turn her full attention back to the waves, steering another one clear of the boat that had just launched.

Sparks made it to the young girl's side soon after she was returned to land. “We gotcha, kid, you're gonna be alright.” He'd seen his sister clear out the child's lungs, so all that was left was making sure she was okay.

The last thing that drowning young girl remembered was pure hatred; a gross roiling within her stomach that conjured up bile. She’d sensed Bits’ alchemic drive spike, the water-manipulation washing over her body, purging her lungs, saving her. Yet in that moment came another reason for the sheer contempt the child held for her own limits. A love for water, the ocean, the sea breeze… What a connection, what a line… what a …

String.

‘No!’ she scolded herself, using Sparks’ touch to snap her out of it.

The girl’s awareness of her own hydrophobia settled beneath Sparks’ words, making her forget the immediate surroundings. A faint blush, even in the chaos, tinged her cheeks. Her torso turned away, breaking her gaze, but it was only the lesson of gratitude that immediately brought her back to eye-contact with him. She nodded her thanks, feeling the ground beneath her bum anchoring her to reality. But as she stood shakily to her feet with the older boy’s help, an odd presence (or lack thereof) reeled her attention to her right hand.

‘My yoyo?’ she thought, noting the loop had vacated her finger.

Some other young child might cry, wail, perhaps even beat the air over losing a toy, even at a time like an evacuation. Loss was a fact of life, a fact she knew rather well already. The girl pursed her lips to the side, relinquishing the possession and archiving the resolve to rebuild another one later. But then, a memory surfaced; a brief one yet prominent, for it was said that all acts start with a memory. And all of hers started with simply him.

Her father; a male; a dominant presence; the phenomenon known as Ethaniel Baine.

She glanced at Sparks’, feeling awkward for the silence outside her grudging thoughts. He was fighting, she could sense it. Her connection with him was so strong, so intimate, that a kind of pain caressed her chest and legs as quite a distance away, the Vile trashed him and the others with impunity. She scolded herself again, her own alchemic drive flaring up and embarrassing her; it was so hard to refrain from doing something that was natural for you. One does not truly realize the gravity of the trial until it was attempted. And for her, using alchemy was less a trial and more a mundane occurrence like breathing the air; speaking her will; moving with purpose.

Purpose. The girl seized it.

She met Sparks’ amber-brown eyes with her own green pupils. “I will not forget you,” she told him with authority, her undeveloped tone void of any distinctive womanly traits.

And there, her courage fell flat. Afraid that a conversation would emerge, she walked pass him, clutching her elbows with opposing hands. But the strangeness of her words already bit into her, so she scrambled for a parting phrase; some kind of goodbye that was meaningful. What would her father say?

“Until the Next,” she smiled at him sweetly with a wave, the full meaning of her father’s phrase weaseling out from underneath her comprehension.

Sparks’ eyebrows shot up at that familiar farewell, but he didn’t have time to dwell on whether it was coincidence or something more. He glanced at the boat that was now full, then looked back at the boathouse with a sigh. “Here, kid, come with me,” he said suddenly. Sure, children tended to bounce back quickly, but he wanted to keep an eye on the girl for a little longer, just in case. “What’s your name? I’m Sparks, and that’s my sister Bits over there.” He pointed.

The mulatto girl indulged Sparks’ wishes, following closely. She strained to listen as she fought back a shiver. Sparks? Bits? Her green eyes narrowed to pinpoints, then she blinked and looked down.

“Zoe,” she lied, averting her gaze.

The woman at the edge of the dock was standing still now, but still facing out to sea. The waves were dying down, and the water felt like it was done making crests big enough to cause trouble for the boats. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, using the familiar breathing exercise to release the remainder of the alchemic power she’d been using. She waited until she was sure she’d let all of it go before turning to see how the evacuation was coming, walking quickly over to her brother and his young companion. Bits gave the girl a rare smile, before looking at Sparks and tilting her head towards the boathouse. Zoe smiled back at Water Girl. For once, it felt genuine, but she had seen too many people smile with daggers in their teeth. People bite with relish.

“Yup, just heading to get another round now. Perfect timing -- you can help,” was his reply. He tapped the shoulders of a few of the older students in passing. “You guys, come with us,” he directed. Those he selected fell in without question, for the most part, though when one of them grumbled, Sparks drew himself up to his full height. “Maybe you didn’t notice the huge fight? Or perhaps you missed Miss Julie’s orders? Do you want to get out of here or not?” The other boy looked away, and Sparks nodded curtly. He continued leading the little group to the boathouse.

‘I guess I’m not actually leaving just yet,’ Zoe thought, listening to the conversation and keeping her eyes down. She nervously fidgeted with a ring on her right hand, her steps keeping her close to Sparks, almost at his heels. Like a dog. Her mind recalled the many lessons of her father, particularly the ‘dogs of AMRO’ one.

It didn’t take too long to drag the boats to the water. Sparks tried once to get Zoe to talk a little, but when the girl seemed reluctant to answer, he let it go. He was no stranger to silent partners. As he held a vessel steady by the dock, Bits offered the girl a hand to help her aboard, to which Zoe actually accepted. However, it became apparent that she had been trembling, not just from the water, but from fear, too. She kept glancing at Bits, her eyes welling with tears, but not quite breaking. Like she was refusing to cry. That didn’t escape the woman. She wanted to reassure the child, but really, what could she say that wouldn’t be a lie? Certainly not that everything would be alright -- Bits wasn’t even sure she believed this herself. So instead, as the last student that could possibly fit in the boat climbed aboard, she said simply, “Everyone will do their best. You do the same.” The words were soft, for Zoe’s ears alone.

Zoe swallowed, consternation tugging her facial features at Bits’ unexpected affectionate words. She didn’t know how to take this. Most of the time such things flew over her head, but at times like this, it felt more like a brick wall. Her nostrils flared as she nodded, though it was a lie. She didn’t really understand. If everyone did their best, why did they die? If they died, were they not doing their best? She then realized she was still holding Bits’ hand, yet as the boat rocked beneath her, she refused to let go. The boat started to drift away slowly, even as Zoe’s eyes stayed glued in stark terror to Bits’ gaze.

“My dad is going to kill you two,” she whispered to Bits and Sparks, tears suddenly breaking free and racing down her cheeks. Sparks looked surprised and a bit confused, but he wasn’t the one next to Zoe at the moment. In a single smooth motion Bits grabbed the girl around the waist, lifting her up and depositing her on the dock again, which caused Zoe to inhale sharply and tuck her limbs in so that she resembled an odd human-shaped ball.

“What the heck are you doing, Bits, she needs to get out of here!” Sparks exclaimed. It was too late to go back -- the action had pushed the boat away and the rowers didn’t seem inclined to wait for the girl. Bits just tilted her head, and placed her free hand on the child’s head. “She wants to stay? I don’t think that matters right now -- honestly, sometimes I don’t understand what you’re thinking, Bits.”

At Bits’ touch, Zoe fell down to her knees, her legs spreading out to form a W next to the woman’s feet. She didn’t fight the feeling of her hand, but she just couldn’t stop trembling. It numbed what could have been a gesture she’d enjoy. As the two argued in their own special way, she eyed the boat, then their shoes. Then the individual grains of the pier’s boards. Her shoulders slumped. ‘What have I done? … I’m so stupid. I can’t… why am I like…’ And then she had to go and say that thing, which confused her even more. She wiped her eyes with the back of her tiny hands. Why would Daddy want to kill these two?

Bits looked down at the girl slumped at her feet. She wasn’t entirely sure what had prompted her to listen to the child’s silent plea, but it was too late to change it now. The three of them were the last ones on the dock. It was time to join the battle, as hopeless as that might be. She caught her brother’s eye for a moment, before reaching down to help Zoe up. He sighed. “Right, well, I guess you’re stuck with us now, Zoe. Bits seems to think you should get to decide for yourself what you want to do right now, but I’m going to tell you straight up. This is not a fight I’m expecting to survive--”

“--then why fight it?” she interrupted, glancing up, then looking away.
“Why fight it?” the teen echoed. “Well...sometimes there’s things that you have to do, even if you don’t live through them, I guess. Miss Julie’s fighting, and there’s some friends of mine that are staying back. Maybe I won’t be much help, but I’m going to do what I can. Bits has her own reasons.”
Bits didn’t bother voicing her reasons, but she’d always expected alchemy to kill her one day. And going out fighting seemed better than waiting to go insane, anyhow. If Sparks had wanted to run she would have run with him, but with him staying, she could hardly do otherwise.

Zoe nodded at Sparks’ explanation, not really understanding fully. She could now see him, because he spoke. He impressed upon her, and that tickled her mind. It was odd, really. His words alone just felt like a string that pulled her head up, forced her to focus on him. But courage, even when imparted, was fleeting. She considered her thoughts as she stood to her feet, lightly brushing up against Bits’ side.

“Well… I may be wrong, but I’ve seen… seen my own death,” Zoe lied to them, “and it is not today…”

She looked at them, her eyes darting to and fro Sparks’ intimidating features and Bits’ quiet demeanor. The pair exchanged looks. Neither one believed her, but neither was willing to say anything about it either. “Right, then let’s go see what else we can do to help, hm?” Sparks said instead, with a lopsided smile, as they turned and started inland.

As she followed them, Zoe mirrored Sparks’ silly grin, causing excitement to course through her little body. “Yeah, let’s!” she smiled back, almost psychotically.

Over

Bloodline: Krichilsky

Region: America (northern and eastern)

Crest: a simple flame

Industrial Focus: Loose focus on accounting and investments, though this is not by any means the occupation of all members. A diverse workforce is the best way to ensure financial stability.

History: A small Russian shtetl gave rise to two alchemists in the 1700s. This pair was lucky, for instead of killing them, AMRO "requested" their help. Scarred by their experiences in this matter, and with a bond from going through things together, the pair eventually married, giving rise to the Krichilsky line. By the late 1800s/early 1900s when things were growing difficult for the Jews in Russia, the entire village was part of the "family" -- if not relations, then trusted friends.

Enlisting the help of the Delacours, they emigrated en masse to America, settling in the New York area at first. Overcoming initial difficulties, the family grew and prospered, with branches settling in other areas in the eastern and midwestern states.

Their relationship with AMRO is strained, with most of the members of the family disliking being used as a ruthless police force, but it is necessary to keep themselves safe.

They are seen as the least pure of the bloodlines, as often a cousin will become the next head instead of a direct descendant of the previous head.

Key Members (i.e. patriarch/matriarch, second in command, spouse of patriarch/matriarch, heirs) please put an * to indicate who will be attending the meeting. Each family is encouraged to bring at least the patriarch/matriarch, their spouse and heir, so that’s 3 people with x number of bodyguards. The max number of people in your entourage (including bodyguards) should be 10.

*Amuné - matriarch, Seer
*Emet - husband, lie detector
*Maxwell - eldest son (25), med student
Evelyn - middle daughter (20), truth teller, recently invested as heir
Sarah - (19) younger daughter

Isaac (?)- a trusted advisor to the leaders

*Zoe - triplet
*Zachary - triplet
Zane - back home with the others

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maxwell Krichilsky
25
undergraduate med student
A compassionate young man with no real gift for alchemy outside of his skill with healing. He dotes upon his younger siblings and cousins, and was always patching up skinned knees and hurt feelings. There is a gap of several years between him and his younger sisters. He has wanted to be a doctor since middle school, and relentlessly pursued that dream. He met Anya Legende in college, and recognized her surname as being that of another Bloodline family. He was intrigued, never having had an opportunity to travel away from home with his studies, and the pair hit it off. Her sharp wit and exotic beauty made her irresistible, despite the rumors he’d heard about her family. Max fell for Anya pretty fast, though it was a while before he worked up enough nerve to ask her out.

Amuné Ris Krichilsky
62
Her mother was very distant cousin of the previous Krichilsky patriarch, and the woman married the son of a converted rogue. At first the girl had difficulty controlling her alchemical abilities, but she has learned to keep them in check. Her level head and talent for organization lead to her becoming a prime candidate for the governing council. She married the eldest child of the previous head of the council to smooth things over when she was picked by the previous patriarch to be leader of the family when he stepped down due to deteriorating health. Fertility issues lead to her not having a child until a couple years later.

Emet Krichilsky
66
Eldest son of Emil Krichilsky, the previous head. While he has the truth-telling ability that is prized by the family, he falls short of being leadership material because he tends to have a narrow focus and more idealism than is desired. Still, he is a valued member of the governing council, and helps provide a balance to his wife’s at times ruthless pragmatism. He had quietly admired her spirit for quite a number of years prior to their marriage, though he regrets not having the right mindset to be a proper leader himself.

Zoe, Zane, and Zachary Mollem
24
Matched triplets with dark brown hair and light brown, nearly golden eyes. The trio surged early, and were found by rogue alchemists. All three are plant alchemists, able to use their skills to inflict a variety of effects upon targets. The most powerful is a total KO. The rogue group that picked them up was not particularly kind, only wanting use of the trio’s powers and not caring about their well-being. When the Krichilskys eliminated the rogues and found children being coerced into helping them, the three were not only spared but taken in. Where the rogues saw only tools, Emet Krichilsky saw children in need of guidance -- and Amuné saw potential. The pair treated the Mollems like part of the family, and after some false starts the youngsters grew into their new position, idolizing their rescuers and the people that gave them a real home. The result is a trio of fanatically loyal elite bodyguards.

EDIT: and as a note, my team and "Zoe" will probably meet up with the main gang around when the Vile explodes. Just to give a timeframe.