The 42nd Gecko

Tower of Fable

"Ah, so you go the false choice route, so that someone can pretend they're being rebellious and defying you while still doing exactly what you want them to. A solid enough strategy." Caprice stretched her arms, lacing her fingers together and giving them a crack above her head. "I think I've come to a decision. I'll offer to do what I want, and if it counts as a crime, then you can give it a score and say I was in the Umbral games."

Tower of Fable

"Hmm? Well, everyone in this room is a subset of everything, so yes." Caprice answered Akiko's question with a smile. "Though to be less coy, these cards simply show a pale reflection of my soul. And everyone you meet, even for the most fleeting of moments, touches your soul. Whether they will build you or destroy you, who can say." Caprice sent a card flicking low across the table slipping right into Akiko's fingers, which showed... Akiko. Blurry at first, but as Caprice stared further at Akiko, the picture became more precise and true to life. Though colored with the current level of disturbance she felt, as Caprice had not known Akiko for long enough to make more than a snap judgment about her. "Perhaps I will forget you in time and your image will fade from my existence, perhaps I will remember you."

"But, if you're frightened, simply remember the first rule of magic. It's just a dumb trick. All you hold before you is a picture on a card. And not even a real card made out of proper paper." Caprice snapped her finger and the card's vanished from Akiko's hand.

"Ultimately, I'm more interested in learning how you enforce your dominance than adding another skill to my hand, at least at this juncture. You may count me among the delinquents for now." Caprice finally answered the president, declining the tarot class.

Cross Gear

Da-Xia Chen

Tsushima Diver Services, Main Lobby

---

The laughter didn't phase Da-Xia any. She was in a crowded building full of people, any one of whom could have looked up something funny on any number of electronic devices, and was not the kind of person to hear laughter and assume it was aimed at her. When someone went flying past her, on the other hand, she looked for the unusual source of wind, in precisely the wrong direction to see what was going on. Scratching her temple for a moment, she shrugged it off.

The location being Night City was both advantage and disadvantage to Da-Xia. Streets were the flat out ideal terrain. But there were also lots of buildings and verticality that were decidedly the worst terrain for her. But after having offered her services, there was no way Da-Xia would back down. "My deepest thanks that you would allow me to join you, Sir Michael, Sir Hyun-jin. Da-Xia shall not let you down." She bowed to each in turn.

At the question of whether either of them were holders, Da-Xia's brow furrowed. She glanced over her shoulder at her massive lance, then at Hyun-jin's not unimpressive sword either. Then back at Michael. Then at the weapons again, then at Michael. Oooh! He had a cool eye-scar and was wearing sunglasses indoors! He must be one of those cool blind swordsmen from the stories! "Nay, Sir Michael, I am not a Holder, but Da-Xia Chen's lance and steed are ready to serve. It also has a grenade launcher with flashbangs!" She unslung her lance held it in front of her with the same proud grin one might use when holding forth a particularly stretchy cat. Before realizing that she had just come to the conclusion that Michael was blind and she put it away.

Cross Gear

Da-Xia Chen

Tsushima Diver Services, Main Lobby

---

Da-Xia appeared uncomfortable in her skin as she walked in Tsushima. Opposed to the cool confidence she portrayed aboard her loyal steed, relaxed and set back, Da-Xia's shoulders crept forward, and her arms kept tight about her frame defensively. Something about islands always felt so claustrophobic to her, and cities doubly so. More at home on the mainland was she, where there was always the option to simply roam into the wild as Da-Xia was wont to do. But such flights of whimsy required resources, which in turn required money, which brought her to Tsushima. The Diver Services in particular, of course.

But a certain sound shocked Da-Xia straight up, sending a tingle of joy through her spine and joy to her lips. The cries of those in distress always brought a smile to her face! Wait, it sounds really bad when you put it like that... She's just excited to get a chance to be a big hero, really, honest.

Regardless of various confused motives, Da-Xia bounded across the lobby several times excitedly, looking for the source. Her haste was her undoing, as she passed the boy several times before locating him, by which time Michael had already made his full pitch. Nonetheless, she did find him eventually, coming to a skidding halt in front of the boy just as he was was half out of his chair to respond to Michael. "Hark! I cannot stand idle while those in need cry out for want of righteous might. Da-Xia, Knight-Errant, stands ready with her lance to take up your noble cause!" She firmly smacked a tightly clenched fist to her chest with rather more jiggle than normally considered elegant.

It was only after delivering this full impassioned speech, that Da-Xia seemed to finally notice the boy had been getting out of his chair to engage with Michael, and she followed his gaze and pieced it together. "Ah! My deepest apologies sir." Glancing at his sword, she assumed he must be another diver. She bowed deeply before returning upright. "I did not notice you had presented your services first. I will not oppose your first right of refusal." Drawing a step back out of the way after stating her piece, she waited for the boy to address Michael.

Cross Gear

@OwO Forgot how mentions work, see above.

Cross Gear

@OwO do you mind if I have my post assume that the boy was going to stand up and start to engage with Michael? I have some plans for sillies.

Cross Gear

Nice choice, I've a fondness for Travis Touchdown.

Cross Gear

Neato.

Cross Gear

Thank you. I believe that means we've got a perfect stamina - speed - power RPG trio. Now we just need our wizard.

Cross Gear

Da-Xia

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Appearance

Name: Da-Xia Chen
Age: 20
Type: Da-Xia is heavily biased towards Power.

Personality
Da-Xia sees herself as an ideal chivalric knight, roaming the land to right wrongs and slay evils, protecting the innocent folk of the world. This comes with a measure of pompous haughtiness and reckless overconfidence, but also overflowing generosity and unshakable courage. She goes above and beyond the Diver code to a point most would raise an eyebrow at what she's trying to prove. If she wasn't about to loudly tell them that she's trying to prove, that she's an ideal chivalric knight.

Still young, Da-Xia often dreams of true love. These dreams are fed by her prodigious consumption of knightly romances, more of this genre alone than most people have read books in total, and it is rare to find her without at least one in her pack and several hundred on her UNIT's wishlist. She's envisions herself as the shining white knight who will come and save some beautiful young man in desperate need. Though sometimes she finds the roles switched, imagining herself being rescued. Greatly confusing to the already confused youth, but she's more than happy to lance a monster or two to get her head back on straight.

Background
Da-Xia claims to be descended from chivalric knighthood, pointing to family titles and the island that once belonged to her family before the gates opened. And while it is true that there were some Sirs and Ladies in her family's history, they were actually knighted for artistic merit. But a past Da-Xia doesn't know is unimportant to the future she is forging for herself, that of a heroic knight. She is all too happy to spread her version of her family history.

Even if not enough of her past survived the monsters for her to know its true beginnings, Da-Xia still has had more going for her than many other AEGIS-wielding Divers. For her share of the family inheritance, she paid enough of her AEGIS' downpayment that she is significantly less in debt than most rookie Divers of her age. Additionally, she still has her father, older brother, and older sister alive. While she roams far from them in search of monsters to slay and heroic deeds to perform, it never hurts to have family for emotional security. She frequently calls or chats with them when she has a new tale to tell or simply needs social comfort.

Cross Gear
Da-Xia wields a lance, perhaps a bit too enamored of chivalric tales of old. Granted, most knights of old wouldn't have a grenade launcher in their lance, intended to launch flashbangs to stun the target in place for Da-Xia to land a good charge.

Equipment

• A monstrous bike that Da-Xia uses to compensate for her lack of personal mobility.
• Her EC-K, a standard knife type, also serves as the key for her bike.
• Her Unit is a fairly standard 'smartphone' type configuration. She has a mount for it on the dash of her bike.
• Smart Contact-Lenses that provide flash-protection and sunglasses function. Good for dramatically staring into the sunset.
• Smart Earplugs that provide gunfire-protection and tuning out loud repetitive noises like her engines.
• Food, water, and medical supplies kept in a compartment in her bike. She must ever be ready to help those in need.
• Knightly romance novels, usually snuck into the above compartment.
• Flashbang reloads, kept in a different compartment.
• Power adapter for charging her bike via her AEGIS system in case of running out of fuel in an emergency.
• Skid and burn resistant suit. Da-Xia's suit isn't going to protect her from monsters, but helps for monster-induced crashes.

Skills

• Skilled Motorcycle Rider and decent mechanic. Can usually get her bike to limp home on occasion she wrecks.
• Fast Reader. She gets through those novels quick.
• She's decent with a lance, but is certainly no master. Point lance towards monster, and let her riding skills do the rest.
• It is fortunate for Da-Xia that grenades are not precision weapons.
• Her greatest weakness is lack of experience or confidence fighting dismounted. At 20, she has not been a Diver long.