TheHangedMan

Epic City: Starburst

Name:
Charlotte Carrolle Lutwidge

Epic Identity:
Looking-Glass

Age:
12

Faction:
Epic [Neutral]

---

Ability:

Charlotte's main ability is the permanent animation of otherwise mundane objects. These objects cannot be organic or living in nature, such as a tree or plant and neither can it be from any form of electronics with calculative abilities surpassing a calculator. Upon animation the object brought to life gains immediate sentience and sturdiness far surpassing its original state; how far exactly it surpasses the original is dependent on how much Charlotte is willing to sacrifice. They also gain abilities comparable to other Epics. Again, the potency of their abilities is dependent on how much Charlotte is willing to surrender.

Her creations are permanently sentient and can act of their own accord without instructions from her. A creation "dies" if its body is wrecked beyond repair. Charlotte can feel the death of her creations no matter the distance, as well as experience what they're experiencing at any given moment. All her creations possess a mental link with her and each other, allowing for instantaneous communication no matter how far apart they are.

Her current creations:

Aida- A reanimated clothes mannequin that serves as Charlotte's primary bodyguard and escort, especially when she ventures outside of her demesne. As a combatant, Aida's ability is comparable to that of an extremely well-trained human, added to the fact that she does not feel pain or fatigue and therefore can maintain peak performance continuously. In combat, her main armament is a Heckler and Koch G36 Assault Rifle, and her sidearm is a customized Desert Eagle. She does not have a face, but she has a collection of rubber masks that when she puts on becomes as though it's a part of her, and is indistinguishable from actual human faces. Charlotte calls her "Sister" when in public, and also serves as her code-name. The first of the Animated, and easily the most stoic. She usually serves as Charlotte's liaison for public business.

The White Knight - A living suit of armor that Charlotte can don in the case of battle; it's extremely durable, more so than an antiquated piece of armor has any right to be. The armor can actively change its size to fit anyone, and grants its wearer the same strength, power, and reflexes that it possess. The downside to putting on the armor is that its wearers - and especially Charlotte - are put through immense strain due to the suit pushing the body past its limits. Irritatingly cheery when it decides to speak. Most of the time, it's asked to remain silent.

Cheshire - A cat that was once a stuffed-toy. Cheshire can sense the presence of living things in a 3 kilometer radius, as well as turn invisible. It's hearing is 3 times better than an actual cat, and it can move as fast as a car. Has an acerbic wit, and a tendency to speak in gibberish to anyone that's not Charlotte.

Weakness:

Charlotte's ability comes at a great cost - per every creation she gives life to, a corresponding toll is taken out on her lifespan; even further, during the creation process a backlash occurs that affects her physical health in proportion to the strength of the creation; small, weak creations can cause her to have heart palpitations, and even further than that can lead up to an outright heart attack.

Her creations, while fully autonomous even while she's asleep, will "shut down" temporarily should Charlotte's hands be bound in any way, and will remain in this state until her hands are untied.

Personality:

Taciturn, quiet, and meticulous; she's often acts a no-nonsense person and prefers working than playing, often overdoing it to the point of abusing her already fragile health.

Charlotte is someone who, when set out to a task, will aim to execute it as perfectly as possible. Despite her age she's very goal oriented and does not easily get sidetracked - in fact, her focus is such that it's borders on obsession. She does not get angry or hate people easily - in fact, she has a hard time developing grudges at all - however, once someone or something has become a target of her vindication, she won't stop for the rest of her life until that grudge is settled.

She tries to be act like a grown-up, and definitely pulls it off most of the time, but she has yet to understand that tragedy doesn't make you mature, and in truth, she's a lot more childish than she makes herself out to be.

Appearance:

A girl short for her age, with short, black, bob cut hair and wide green eyes; pale skinned and with unhealthy looking bags under her eyes, she often looks older than she actually is. Her face is fixed with a permanent frown and her eyes are always intense.

Background:

Born in Epic City to two insanely wealthy parents, both the heirs of what could be deemed as "old money", she was a girl born with everything. Wealth and power were not a problem, and despite both her parents being Normal's, Epics had a hard time touching them due to their long reach and influence, especially in Epic City, where the peace was kept by other Epics - even more so for her family, because with their wealth they had helped fund a number of heroic escapades and backed a multitude of heroes in starting their careers.

Charlotte herself wanted to be a hero. It was no surprise, considering that she interacted with a large variety of them while with her parents. Of course, that was the furthest thing her parents wanted. In their eyes, there was no career more dangerous than that of being a hero; not to mention though they supported heroic Epics, there was always a lingering fear in the back of their minds that drove them to do it, a fear that if they did not, then perhaps they would turn on them instead. They did not truly understand the people born with these special abilities, and predictably feared them for it. Still, they loved their little girl and if it turned out that Charlotte was, in fact, gifted with these powers, they would be at a loss as to what to do.

The day she discovered her ability was during a visit to a local mall. There was a robbery, and the robbers took her hostage - in her panic and desperation, Charlotte gave life to a nearby mannequin, her first ever creation that she dubbed as "Aida"; the mannequin subsequently disabled her attackers, who were powerless to stop a bodyguard that felt neither pain nor fatigue, and one that not even a bullet to the chest could stop. The police arrived with her worried parents in tow, just in time for Charlotte to faint as the backlash from her ability hit her.

Not initially connecting her fainting with the creation of Aida, she ecstatically set out to experiment with her abilities. Her parents, in the meantime, worried about her future. As things stood, Charlotte would definitely pursue her dream of becoming a hero.

It was just as she created Cheshire, however, that the true price of her ability was discovered. She collapsed in a heap after their creation, and was rushed to the hospital. Her body had suffered greatly, and after the incident, she became more easily fatigued, and her physical capability had dropped drastically. This would be the last time she used her abilities up until the next year.

For a time, she was content - despite the shock of what happened to her, she still had new, wonderful friends that she was sure would help her in becoming an amazing hero.

Her parents, for their part, were simply relieved that nothing worse had come of it. They would tackle the problem of her becoming a hero later on; they were sure it wouldn't become an issue until a few years later. In the meantime, they did a good job of covering up her abilities and making it seem as though she were nothing more than a normal, albeit sickly, girl.

Unfortunately, their calculations were off by miles.

There were many people that had a bone to pick with them. Villains who's plans were foiled by heroes they financed, rival businesses that they had bankrupted or snubbed - even other "heroes" who were enraged that they did not see fit to fund them. These enmities eventually came together and boiled over in an incident that forever changed Charlotte's life.

It was during a charity event that they struck. Their aim was simple - wipe out the entire family in a grudge fueled slaughter. The leader behind them was an infamous villain named Blacklight - a name that sticks to Charlotte's mind and haunts her dreams to this very day - who targeted her parents due to their funding of Dragon Heart at one point, as well as their overall wealth. Their plan was almost a success; the villains got both her parents and succeeded in orphaning her, but only came that far until other Epics arrived with the police in tow to deal with them.

For awhile, she was in a catatonic state. She had lost near everything she held dear. Nothing made sense to her anymore, and for a long time, she did nothing but sit by and watch as more things were taken from her.

People interested in her parents wealth and lands argued over her rights as the inheritor. They were people she knew, even liked; business partners that came over every so often, aunts and uncles that would play with her, older cousins that treated her to candy -- all now squabbling over her parents wealth, using her as a tool to claim it or even forgetting her outright. It was her first betrayal, and it was a painful one. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded on all sides by enemies she'd read about in story books, but unlike the princesses in her fairy tales she had no-one. No prince nor fairy godmother to assist her out of her dilemma.

Some claimed that the wealth should go to this-or-that person/organisation, while others tried to adopt her outright so as to have the money flow to them by proxy of being her guardian. The money-grubbing and greed came to its peak when they turned their eyes to her fathers statue collection.

It was her fathers most prized collection, and he often took her with him to admire them. At the time, she never really understood and appreciated them as he did, and even now she probably does not, but they held memories of her playing with him among the tall and handsome looking statues, memories of a life that could not return, and were one of the last and greatest reminders of his love.

She was not going to allow them to take that away from her.

She quickly put Aida to work, and used Cheshire to assist her for the sole purpose of halting every move to steal her inheritance, her memories, and ignored the incoming pain and fatigue that came with the stress of long nights of reading and writing and court hearings. For a half a year, she struggled with legal cases, manipulating people using stolen knowledge and using Aida as a false proxy to give adult weight to her request, and finally, ultimately, succeeded.

The battle for the memories of her past life invigorated her, and soon, she fell out of her state of ennui, now alive and in the present once more. At the time, however, she had no clear direction of where her future lay, until she came across a news report of Epic Heroes that were recently murdered, their deaths in full, grueling display. Another childhood memory corroded by society and tragedy -- but this time, she did not feel so helpless.

Recalling her childhood dreams, the image of herself as a hero resurfaced in her mind. The ways she was now, couldn't be the hero she pictured herself becoming; she had her abilities, and she had new skills, but her idealism wasn't the same as it once was. There was no way she could focus on just helping people singlemindedly, not until the darkness that resided in her heart, the same darkness that stalked her dreams and plunged her life into the pits of hell, walked free. Being a hero was no longer her objective, but she had a goal, one that more or less coincided with other heroes:

Until Blacklight was behind bars, or better yet, dead, she would not rest.

Over the past few months, she had settled on transforming her home - a mansion and the surrounding lands spanning kilometers wide - into a headquarters, from where she could provide support for herself, and any possible future she wanted to explore. It was easily converted it into a base, a base that was almost impenetrable through normal methods. She set up Aida with a new identity, and created the White Knight to aid her in her goals.

Every night, she follows up on leads as to wear her target may be, and viciously targets those affiliated with him. School is a second thought for her; she is enrolled in a nearby private school, but rarely attends actual classes, having received a special permit to simply have exams administered to her by a teacher from the school should it be necessary, while the rest of her education she handles herself.

Her face is not known to the public, however when she goes out, joining the melee between heroes and villains, the name she has chosen to take for herself is adopted from one of her favorite childhood books, and is the theme behind all her creations:

Looking-Glass.

Deal with the Devil: A High School DxD RP

@Demon Shinobi

Is Tsukimi or any other person asides Kohana watching the duel between Seig and Ryu? If so we're going to need a reaction before we get our next collab up.

Epic City: Starburst

@Regitnui

Name:
Charlotte Carrolle Lutwidge

Epic Identity:
Wonderland

Age:
12

Faction:
Epic [Neutral]

---

Ability:

Charlotte's main ability is the permanent animation of otherwise mundane objects. These objects cannot be organic or living in nature, such as a tree or plant and neither can it be any form of electronics with calculative abilities surpassing a calculator. Upon animation the object brought to life gains immediate sentience and sturdiness far surpassing its original state; how far exactly it surpasses its original state is dependent on how much Charlotte is willing to sacrifice. They also gain abilities comparable to other Epics. Again, the potency of their abilities is dependent on how much Charlotte is willing to surrender.

Her creations are permanently sentient and can act of their own accord without prompting from her. A creation "dies" if its body is wrecked beyond repair. Charlotte can feel the death of her creatures no matter the distance, as well as see experience what they're experiencing. All her creations possess a mental link with her and each other, allowing for instantaneous communication no matter how far apart they are.

Her current creations:

Aida - a reanimated clothes mannequin that serves as Charlotte's primary bodyguard and escort, especially when she ventures outside of her demesne. As a combatant, Aida's ability is comparable to that of an extremely well-trained human, added to the fact that she does not feel pain or fatigue. In combat, her main armament is a Heckler and Koch G36 assault rifle, and her sidearm is a customized Desert Eagle. Charlotte calls her "Older Sister" when in public, and also serves as her code-name. The eldest of the Animated, and easily the most stoic, along with Red the Teddy Knight. She usually serves as Charlotte's liaison for public business.

Red - A giant red teddy bear taller than an average adult, and along with Aida is the most treasured of her companions. Teddy is the champion that she usually sends forward in case combat is needed, and among her creations is the most seen and thus her symbol. He is immune to pain and cannot fatigue like Aida, as well as being immune to fire, lightning, and possesses immense physical strength and durability with reflexes to match. He can lift and bench-press up to 13 tons of weight, and wears a suit of red antiquated armor that matches his name.

The Vorpal Sword - the blade that Red wields. It talks, has sonar vision in an eight meter radius, and can alter it's sharpness; it can make itself practically blunt, or sharp enough to cut through steel like butter. Has a sharp sense of humor and a rather blunt personality. Also very punny. Can levitate itself, and can levitate its wielder, essentially making it a flying sword.

Dinah & Cheshire - Two cats that were once stuffed-toys. Dinah can sense the presence of living things in a 3 kilometer radius, and is strong enough to pin down a grown man and bite through steel and while not as durable as Red, is still tough enough to withstand gunfire. Cheshire can turn invisible and move faster than a locomotive, as well as mimic voices. Cheshire has photographic memory, and never forgets what he's seen and heard.

Knowledge & Wisdom - A pair of stuffed crows. Neither can talk, and both are only about as durable as the real thing; they do have the ability to read minds and feelings of any one person they focus on in an area of five meters. They require visual contact in order for their ability to activate, and if they lose sight of their target the ability breaks.

The House of Cards - 30 toy mice that act as scouts for her. Indistinguishable from real mice asides from the fact that they can talk.

Jabberwocky - a massive dragon statue crafted from marble, Jabberwocky was originally her fathers favorite statue, before she converted it to life. 13 meters from head to tail, and 28 meters from each tip of the wing, whenever leaves Charlotte's home and serves as the vanguard of her manors defense. He is the most powerful of her creations and cost her an arm and a leg to breath into life . . . or, to be specific, cost her both her legs and approximately ten years of her life. Jabberwocky can fly as fast as a jet, breath ice at sub-zero levels and shoot searing laser beams from his eyes hot enough to melt steel beams, and has the strength to lift over a hundred tons in weight. Aggressive and distrusting of others who are not Charlotte, he rarely speaks, and when he does, it is in rhymes and riddles. Heis extremely tough, but brittle. While it takes a lot to pierce his armored skin, once it has been pierced, the rest of his body soon crumbles, as befitting his nature as a marble statue.

Weakness:

Charlotte's ability comes at a great cost - per every creation she gives life to, a corresponding toll is taken out on her lifespan; even further, during the creation process a backlash occurs that affects her physical health in proportion to the strength of the creation; small, weak creations can cause her to have heart palpitations, and even further than that can lead up to an outright heart attack.

Her creations, while fully autonomous even while she's asleep, will "shut down" temporarily should Charlotte's hands be bound in any way, and will remain in this state until her hands are untied.

Personality:

Taciturn, quiet, and meticulous; she's often a no-nonsense person and prefers working than playing, often to the point of abusing her already fragile health. The concept of having fun, while not necessarily alien to her, has become so distant that often times she struggles to recall what it's like to laugh. That is not to say she is completely devoid of happiness - on the contrary, she has a rather gentle and jovial side when in the presence of her creations, though she does not show it.

Charlotte is someone who, when set out to a task, will aim to execute it as perfectly as possible. Despite her age she's very goal oriented and does not easily get sidetracked. Surprisingly enough, she's neither someone that easily gets angry or holds a grudge; in fact, it's difficult for her to get angry at all. Her first response to slights against her is usually sadness.

Appearance:

A girl short for her age, with short, black, bob cut hair and wide green eyes. She's in permanent need of a wheelchair as she's paralyzed from the waist down; pale skinned and with unhealthy looking bags under her eyes, she often looks older than she actually is.

Background:

Born in Epic City to two insanely wealthy parents, both the heirs of what could be deemed as "old money", she was a girl born with everything. Wealth and power were not a problem, and despite both her parents being mundane, Epics would have a hard time touching them due to their long reach and influence, especially in Epic City, where the peace was kept by other Epics - even more so for her family, because with their wealth they had helped fund a number of heroic escapades and backed a multitude of heroes in starting their careers.

Charlotte herself wanted to be a hero. It was no surprise, considering that she interacted with a large variety of them while with her parents. Of course, that was the furthest thing her parents wanted. In their eyes, there was no career more dangerous than that of being a hero; not to mention though they supported heroic Epics, there was always a lingering fear in the back of their minds that drove them to do it, a fear that if they did not, then perhaps they would turn on them instead. They did not truly understand the people born with these special abilities, and predictably feared them for it. Still, they loved their little girl and if it turned out that Charlotte was, in fact, gifted with these powers, they would be at a loss as to what to do.

The day she discovered her ability was during a visit to a local mall. There was a robbery, and the robbers took her hostage - in her panic and desperation, Charlotte gave life to a nearby mannequin, her first ever creation that she dubbed as "Aida"; the mannequin subsequently disabled her attackers, who were powerless to stop a bodyguard that felt neither pain nor fatigue, and one that not even a bullet to the chest could stop. The police arrived with her worried parents in tow, just in time for Charlotte to faint as the backlash from her ability hit her.

Not initially connecting her fainting with the creation of Aida, she estatically set out to experiment with her abilities. Her parents, in the meantime, worried about her future. As things stood, Charlotte would definitely pursue her dream of becoming a hero.

It was just as she created Dinah and Cheshire, however, that the true price of her ability was discovered. She collapsed in a heap after their creation, and was rushed to the hospital. Her body had suffered greatly, and after the incident, she became more easily fatigued, and her physical capabilty had dropped drastically. This would be the last time she used her abilities up until the next year.

For a time, she was content - despite the shock of what happened to her, she still had new, wonderful friends that she was sure would help her in becoming an amazing hero.

Her parents, for their part, were simply relieved that nothing worse had come of it. They would tackle the problem of her becoming a hero later on; they were sure it wouldn't become an issue until a few years later. In the meantime, they did a good job of covering up her abilities and making it seem as though she were nothing more than a normal, albeit sickly, girl.

Unfortunately, their calculations were off by miles.

There were many people that had a bone to pick with them. Villains who's plans were foiled by heroes they financed, rival businesses that they had bankrupted or snubbed - even other "heroes" who were enraged that they did not see fit to fund them. These enmities eventually came together and boiled over in an incident that forever changed Charlotte's life.

It was during a charity event that they struck. Their aim was simple - wipe out the entire family in a grudge fueled slaughter. The leader behind them was an infamous villain named Blacklight - a name that sticks to Charlotte's mind and haunts her dreams to this very day - and their plan was almost a success. They got both her parents and succeeded in scarring her, but only came that far until other Epics arrived with the police in tow to deal with them.

For awhile, she was in a catatonic state. She had lost near everything she held dear. Nothing made sense to her anymore, and for a long time, she did nothing but sit by and watch as more things were taken from her.

People interested in her parents wealth and lands argued over her rights as the inheritor. They were people she knew, even liked; business partners that came over every so often, aunts and uncles that would play with her, older cousins that treated her to candy -- all now squabbling over her parents wealth, using her as a tool to claim it or even forgetting her outright. It was her first betrayal, and it was a painful one. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded on all sides by enemies she'd read about in story books, but unlike the princesses in her fairy tales she had no-one. No prince nor fairy godmother to assist her out of her dilemma.

Some claimed that the wealth should go to this-or-that person/organisation, while others tried to adopt her outright so as to have the money flow to them by proxy of being her guardian. The money-grubbing and greed came to its peak when they turned their eyes to her fathers statue collection.

It was her fathers most prized collection, and he often took her with him to admire them. At the time, she never really understood and appreciated them as he did, and even now she probably does not, but they held memories of her playing with him among the tall and handsome looking statues, memories of a life that could not return, and were one of the last and greatest reminders of his love.

She was not going to allow them to take that away from her.

She made the Deck of Cards and Knowledge and Wisdom in quick succession, and put them to work with the sole purpose of halting every move to steal her inheritance, her memories, and ignore the incoming pain and fatigue that came with the stress of their creation. For a half a year, she struggled with legal cases, manipulating people using her crows and with Aida as her proxy to give adult weight to her wishes, and finally, ultimately, succeeded.

The battle for the memories of her past life invigorated her, and soon, she fell out of her state of ennui, now alive and in the present once more. At the time, however, she had no clear direction of where her future lay. Until she came across a news report of Epic Heroes that were recently murdered, their deaths in full, grueling display. Another childhood memory corroded by society and tragedy -- but this time, she did not feel helpless.

Recalling her childhood dreams, the image of herself as a hero resurfaced in her mind. Now, she couldn't be the hero she wanted to be; she had her abilities, and while she herself had very little, she also had a lot of things, things that mattered to other people, like money and land. No, her being a hero was out of the question . . . but she could help.

Over the past few months, she had settled on transforming her home - a mansion and the surrounding lands spanning kilometers wide - into a headquarters, from where she could provide support for herself, and any possible future she wanted to explore. It was easily converted it into a base, a fortress that could support heroes from all sides, and provide refuge if need be. She resolved to send them funds via proxies, so that they couldn't be traced back to her, and the creation of the Deck allowed her to gather information that she could send discreetly to heroes in need of it.

Currently, she is continuing her parents work, but in a more invigorated and aggressive manner, looking for heroes to provide support and funding for. While her identity is kept a well guarded secret, to those that have had dealings with her proxies and have benefited from her assistance, they have given her a name to go by:

Wonderland.

Aether Bridge Academy

Lance
Daga-Bulong

---

Lance was just beginning his routine when the door opened to reveal a girl; she had short, bright green hair which was only outdone by large emerald eyes. At glance he could tell what kind of character she was. He frowned a bit. He had difficulties getting along with these kinds of people. They usually talked too much for his liking, and were often unnecessarily nosy about other people's business in an effort to "make friends". Not that he couldn't see the logic behind which they operated - man being a social animal and all that - but it wasn't in his nature to get along with overtly friendly people.

He had to admit though, when her face lit up like a traffic light in the dead of night trying to argue for her innocence, he did find it funny.

"Lance Daga-Bulong, and same. Also there's no need to leave, I was just about to head to the training grounds," he replied with a reassuring smile. "I was just warming up before then. I'll be doing this a lot, so you know, so you'll probably be seeing me like this often."

He paused for just a second as his eyes flashed mischievously, and he gave her a teasing grin.

"Then again, I suppose it's just my luck that you're used to seeing half-naked men. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

With a chuckle, he turned, not waiting for her response, and moved to get his gym clothes from his luggage for a quick change. He returned once he was done and approached Fairi.

"I'll be leaving now. If there's anything you need to say best speak up. Otherwise we can chat later."

---

@Cherrywitch

Epic City: Starburst

Is this still open for recruitment~?

Aether Bridge Academy

Lance
Daga-Bulong

---

Lance skimmed through the information presented to him. His schedule was the same as ever, with the sole difference being his new room number; room 524 _{[@Cherrywitch]}. A new room meant a new roommate, which meant either a new round of headaches or brand new opportunities - then again, the two weren't mutually exclusive, so frustratingly enough, there was no reason it couldn't be both.

With that piece of business done, he returned to the shoreline, where his summon was waiting for him. While Yul-Cth may be frightening to most, the truth was it was a very tame creature at heart. It was one without desires or aspirations. It simply was - in that sense, Yul-Cth may be the most innocent creature in all of the school; it simply was, it didn't have an shred of malice or ill-intent in its whole body. He doubted it even understood the concept of hurting another creature for fun. It was only bound to him as it was that it took any action besides its survival at all. His goals were its goals now, and it would follow him come hell or highroad. Lance didn't know whether to be sad or happy about that fact; that his most trusted companion was essentially an abomination from another world that couldn't speak a word.

With a simple nod, the tentacle-creature returned to the stone, back to whatever realm it came from. No point in bringing him out in the school, after all. He wasn't one that needlessly let his partner stick around. Their bond was not that sort that they required each others presence all the time.

Whatever the case, there was no point in loitering around here. He walked around, looking for his room. It didn't take long to find, and after unlocking the door, he dumped all of his baggage inside. Looking around, it didn't appear as though his roommate was in yet, lucky him. Well, so long as whoever it was had yet to arrive, he planned to indulge himself for a bit.

Stripping down to his briefs, he replaced the pants he was wearing for training shorts, and discarding whatever top he was wearing, revealing a toned and tested body fit for war. There were scars here and there which were definitely out of place, but nothing that quite stood out; for Lance, it was a sort of testament to his survival - while others may take pride in their scars as proof of their strength, he took pride in his lack of them. It meant that despite how his life turned out, he'd avoided the worst, and dealt with the best that were thrown at him nearly unscathed.

He'd go for a few warm-ups here before heading for the training area, as per usual. Nothing much else to do this early in the day after all. If his roommate happened to enter in on him while in his half-undressed state, well, that was their problem.

Aether Bridge Academy

Lance
Daga-Bulong

---

Lance slept, and as he slept, he dreamed. Such an occurrence was rare; rarely did he experience anything in his slumber but a familiar but inviting darkness, and more often than dreams, he had nightmares. Not the kinds that force you awake, screaming your lungs out, or even the kind that makes you break out into a cold sweat as you sleep, unable to distinguish the reality from a distant, unrealistic fear.

No, his nightmares were arguably worse than either. His nightmares were memories - a reminder that he needn't close his eyes to experience terror, because that kind of darkness was something he lived in.

For the first time in awhile, what he saw as he slept was no nightmare. It was a dream, a vivid fantasy where he was happy. That was how he knew it was a dream; the kind of happiness he was experiencing was nothing like he'd ever felt before. The sense of contentment and security, and above all, the lack of regret and shame. It was unrealistic, it was impossible, and it was way too sappy for his tastes.

But for some reason didn't feel like waking up.

Still, like many other moments in his life, reality refused to cooperate; just as the dream reached a point where it was pathetically saccharine, with him having a wife and kids and a nice house with a white picket fence and all that happy-dappy business, he was recalled to the world of the living by the gentle prodding of his other-worldly partner. Yul-Cth was aware of how he valued his sleep, so if he was waking him up, it meant only one thing.

Sure enough, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the vivid underwater scenery of Molokai. Turtles and fish swam around him as Yul-Cth crawled through the underwater terrain at breakneck speed, making a beeline straight towards the school.

Right now, he was lying down in a cradle shaped out of his partners tentacles. He was kept dry as a bubble made using its abilities kept the water away, and created a space for him to breath. The bubble itself filtered in oxygen from the surrounding waters, so all-in-all it was actually more comfortable than it looked.

"We almost there, Yul?" he asked, stretching away the stiffness in his body.

He felt more than heard his partners affirmation. With a nod, Lance, at this point wearing nothing but the clothes he was born with, put on a pair of boardshorts and swimming goggles and got up, looking up at the aquatic world moving around him, he got into a small crouch and waited.

They'd done this so many times before that Yul didn't even require a signal from him. Once they got close enough to the island, the bubble keeping the water out suddenly burst, and suddenly Lance was flooded on all sides by water. With a grin, the boy shot off, away from his partner and began swimming for the surface. With Yul following closely after him, he swam the remainder of the way to the island, which was still a good 5_km away - if he ever got tired on the way, it would be close by, ready to act as a sort of resting point.

It was unnecessary, however, as currently Lance felt like he was in top form. Without stopping, he swam all the way to the island, just in time for several other students to drop off from whatever transports carried them here.

With deep breaths, Lance rested on top of the sands of the islands beach. He'd stay there for awhile, some students passing him by giving him a strange or curious look, until he was completely dry. A tentacle shot out of the water with a bubble attached to it containing his change of clothes, and in few a moments, he was quickly approaching the machine for the necessary information this year.

Just two more years and he'd be leaving. That being the case, it was the best time to set his plans in motion; he had only two more years to make an impact, and to further his standing. He'd been preparing silently and inconspicuously for the past years in preparation for these next to years.

And god help whoever got in his way.

Aether Bridge Academy

Lance of the Whispers

Lance Joseph Daga-Bulong

---

Appearance:
「Will add picture later」
_{Stands at 5'10'' (178cm), with black hair and olive-skin. He is rather wiry, but sturdily built. His clothes vary depending on the weather, however he always has on him a pair of black leather gloves. His eyes are rather large and dull black. Over all, he looks very unassuming, like someone who could easily get lost in a crowd.}

Age:
17

Element:
「Water」

---

Personality:

The quickest way to sum up Lance's personality is to liken it to murky waters. Serene on the surface, and yet the darkness within prevents anyone from seeing pasts its depths. Whatever lurks beneath them is hidden from even the most keens eyes, and it is only when one braves into those deeps that they come to realize the monsters that lurk within. Lance hides his true personality beneath a calm facade, his motivations and desires known only to him. Beneath the persona he shows to others, hides a vicious opportunist who scarcely thinks of anything other than his own desires. Ultimately, what drives him the most is whatever course of action will prove most beneficial to him in the long run, even willing to do things that would seem like insanity to normal people.

His outward personality isn't any easier to get along with either. His unassuming demeanor is contrasted heavily by his sharp, biting tongue, that reveals how little he cares about societal niceties. He has no qualms about verbally jabbing them or exploiting their weaknesses. He is even willing to dig up old trauma's if it's needed. That said, he also will not hesitate to simply give up and fold his cards on the table when continuin a fight ia pointless. Despite his utter disregard for societies norms, he has a deep understanding of how the human psyche works, as well as how to use it to his advantage.

Despite this, he does have his nice sides. Or rather, he has desires that benefit someone other than himself. His negative traits also do not surface all that often, and only when he wants a truly wants a desire of his fulfilled. He is also not above making friends, though only those he holds in the highest regard are those he considers such, even if they do not necessarily reciprocate those feelings.

On the more mundane side of things, he enjoys a good game of chess and is a sucker for excellent food, and is heavily critical of meals that don't reach a certain standard.

Abilities:

He has a thorough understanding of how the human psyche works, as well as knowledge about the effects and uses of different chemical compounds. He's a quick study with a sharp memory, which compounded with his naturally high intelligence and surprising diligence, make for a difficult opponent to plan against. He is a strategic thinker and very rarely caught flat on his feet - and even then, he may quickly recover.

In terms of combative ability, he's had extensive practice with Bajiquan and Muay-Thai, and uses a mutated hybrid of the two in combat. His fighting style is not what you'd call "polished" on any terms, however what he lacks in skill he makes up for it with pure physical acumen, often disregarding most "advanced" techniques in martial arts in favor of perfecting the basics and executing them with frightening prowess.

He's rather stealthy, and a good slight of hand due to several years of thievery and pick-pocketing.

He's also a talented chef and baker, having learned and mastered several recipes for his own enjoyment.

Powers:

Void Shield - 「Water」

Nether Mist - Lance creates a hazy mist that obscures the senses in a radius of approximately 11 meters. It obscuring properties extend not just to sight, but also smell and hearing. The mist has potent hallucinogenic and toxic properties, debilitating movement and further impairing the senses the longer one is exposed to the mists effects. Prolonged exposure can leave victims manic, rabid, or catatonic. Open wounds that are exposed to the mist also become aggravated and more difficult to heal, as well as easier to injure.

White Bubble - bubbles that Lance can create with varying sizes and durability. Some can be as fragile as a regular bubble, while the strongest can resist a storm of bullets before popping. These bubbles can be filled with objects inside of it, and also have the ability to take on the property of any liquids they come across. For example, if the bubble were to come into contact with blood, it would effectively become blood. Lance can choose the speed at which he fires these bubbles, however, when left alone they float aimlessly.

Preservation-Erosion - Lance can forcefully infuse water inside the body of another creature in order to take control of its movements. This ability is extremely difficult to use on living lifeforms as it's not very difficult to resist, corpses on the other hand . . .

History:

A street child from the Philippines, and the son of a drug dealer and alcoholic mother. While his past doesn't bare repeating, needless to say it was not a happy one. However, the child Lance learned to cope, and he learned how to play along with the scum in his life if it meant getting want he wanted. He peddled drugs, tricked others into starting feuds where only he benefited in the end by spreading rumors, and in general lived as one with the scum of the earth.

That changed, however, when he entered high-school for the first time. His education was delayed by a year, so he was already 14 by the time he was tested for the summoning gene, and much to his surprise, and to the despair of others, he tested positive. At once, he saw an opportunity to rise above the filth he was born in, and with no hesitation at all, left his parents for better pastures - but not before leaving them a parting gift: evidence of his fathers trafficking and his mothers abuse. In other words, he had effectively damned his parents with a life behind bars - or, in his fathers case, a quick visit on death row.

Lance knew that his newfound ability was the key to turning fortunes around. And even better, his partner was a creature he could get along with just fine - because, strangely enough, that huge, writhing mass of tentacles that just consumed a stray dog felt more like family than anyone in his life did.

Other:
Won't admit this, but he's something of a music enthusiast. Music helps calm him down a lot, and he's generally a lot more pleasant to be around when he has headphone on, or if there's a speaker blaring nearby.

---

Madness Swimming in the Depths

Name:
Yul-Cth'Logagog
(Yuls for short; alternatively, Lance calls him "my imaginary friend")

Appearance:
Yuls is a writhing mass of tentacles about the size a killer whale, though sometimes it varies, as the tentacles can stretch or retract as needed. It's tentacles come in many variations, such as those of an octopus or jellyfish, or something else entirely. It has no eyes, but one gigantic beak, with teeth inside of it resembling a humans. Yuls does not typically show its true form, usually concealing itself inside a dark bubble of water that follows it as it moves.

Summoning Mantra:
"Awaken, madness from the deeps, and let us wreck havoc until the end of days."

Abilities:
Its tentacles, asides from being able to strangle its victims, have special properties such as toxins or hard shells, making it far more versatile than it appears. It also has the ability to conjure up large bodies of water, enough to drown its opponents or for other uses. Asides that, while it's underwater it can unleash a haunting sound that disorients and induces fear to everything in a 10 meter radius. It can also change the properties of water it comes into contact with into toxins or medicines.

Element: 「Water」

Element gift:
「Deep Dive」 - The ability to slip in and out of bodies of water wide enough to fit his body, and along with it, the ability to breath underwater. It allows him to jump into something like a puddle of water, and slip out somewhere else. The maximum travel distance of this ability is 20 meters. Lance's stamina is drained in direct proportion to the distance he jumps.

About:
Yul-Cuth is a being that fails to comprehend the concept of "desire"; it is a creature that merely exists, feasting and killing not out of any sense of want or need, but simply because they are actions mechanical to it. That is why it was drawn to Lance - a human so filled with desire that it threatens to drown him. It can neither communicate nor understand any conventional language, however, it can send its feelings across through the use of bubbles. When it wants to communicate, it can eject bubbles that come in different colors corresponding to its mood. Prolonged exposure to its general vicinity is also prone to causing headaches, nausea, nightmares, and general sleeplessness.

Other:
Will eat anything. Anything
Has a strange fascination for birds.

Aether Bridge Academy

Lance of the Whispers

Lance Joseph Daga-Bulong

---

Appearance:
「Will add picture later」
_{Stands at 5'10'' (178cm), with black hair and olive-skin. He is rather wiry, but sturdily built. His clothes vary depending on the weather, however he always has on him a pair of black leather gloves. His eyes are rather large and dull black. Over all, he looks very unassuming, like someone who could easily get lost in a crowd.}

Age:
16

Element:
「Water」

---

Personality:

The quickest way to sum up Lance's personality is to liken it to murky waters. Serene on the surface, and yet the darkness within prevents anyone from seeing pasts its depths. Whatever lurks beneath them is hidden from even the most keens eyes, and it is only when one braves into those deeps that they come to realize the monsters that lurk within. Lance hides his true personality beneath a calm facade, his motivations and desires known only to him. Beneath the persona he shows to others, however, hides a vicious opportunist who scarcely thinks of anything other than his own desires. Ultimately, what drives him the most is whatever course of action will provide benefit him the most in the long run.

His outward personality isn't all that easy to get along with either. His excessively cheery demeanor is contrasted heavily by his sharp, biting tongue, that reveals how little he cares about societal niceties. He has no qualms about poking or prodding a persons weaknesses or verbally jabbing them. That said, he also will not hesitate to simply give up and fold his cards on the table. Despite his utter disregard for societies norms, he has a deep understanding of how the human psyche works, as well as how to use it to his advantage.

Despite this, he does have his nice sides. Or rather, he has desires that benefit someone other than himself. His negative traits also do not surface all that often, and only when he wants a desure if his fulfilled. He is also not above making friends, though only those he holds in the highest regard are those he considers such, even if they do not necessarily reciprocate those feelings.

On the more mundane side of things, he enjoys a good game of chess and is a sucker for excellent food, and his heavily critical of meals that don't reach a certain standard.

Abilities:

He has a deep understanding of how the human psyche works, as well as knowledge about how the human body works. He's a quick study with a sharp memory, compounded with his natural intelligence and surprising diligence. He is a strategic thinker and very rarely caught flat on his feet - and even then, he may quickly recover.

In terms of combative ability, he's had some practice with Bajiquan and Muay Thai, and uses a mutated hyrid of the two in combat. His fighting style is not what you'd call "polished" on any terms, however what he lacks in skill he makes up for it with pure physical acumen, often disregarding most "advanced" techniques in martial arts in favor of focusing on the basics and enhancing them with physical prowess.

He's also rather stealthy, and a good slight of hand due to several years of thievery and pickpocketing.

He's also a talented chef, having learned and mastered several recipes for his own enjoyment. He also likes baking.

Powers:

Void Shield - 「Water」

Nether Mist - Lance creates a hazy mist that obscures the senses in a radius of approximately 11 meters. It obscuring properties extend not just to sight, but also smell and hearing. The mist has potent hallucinogenic and toxic properties, debiliting movement and further impairing the senses the longer one is exposed to the mists effects. Prolonged exposure can leave victims manic, rabid, or catatonic. Open wounds that are exposed to the mist also become aggravated and more difficult to heal, as well as easier to injure.

White Bubble - bubbles that Lance can create with varying sizes and durability. Some can be as fragile as a regular bubble, while the strongest can resist a storm of bullets before popping. These bubbles can be filled with objects inside of it, and also have the ability to take on the property of any liquids they come across. For example, if the bubble were to come into contact with blood, it would effectively become blood. Lance can choose the speed at which he fires these bubbles, however, when left alone they float aimlessly.

Preservation-Erosion - Lance can forcefully infuse water inside the body of another creature in order to take control of its movements. This ability is extremely difficult to use on living lifeforms as it's not very difficult to resist, corpses on the other hand . . .

History:

A street child from the Philippines, and the son of a drug dealer and alcoholic mother. While his past doesn't bare repeating, needless to say it was not a happy one. However, the child Lance learned to cope, and he learned how to play along with the scum in his life if it meant getting want he wanted. He peddled drugs, tricked others into starting feuds where only he benefited in the end by spreading rumors, and in general lived as one with the scum of the earth.

That changed, however, when he entered high-school for the first time. His education was delayed by a year, so he was already 14 by the time he was tested for the summoning gene, and much to his surprise, and to the despair of others, he tested positive. At once, he saw an opportunity to rise above the filth he was born in, and with no hesitation at all, left his parents for better pastures - but not before leaving them a parting gift: evidence of his fathers trafficking and his mothers abuse. In other words, he had effectively damned his parents with a life behind bars - or, in his fathers case, a quick visit on death row.

Lance knew that his newfound ability was the key to turning fortunes around. And even better, his partner was a creature he could get along with just fine - because, strangely enough, that huge, writhing mass of tentacles that just consumed a stray dog felt more like family than anyone in his life did.

Other:
Won't admit this, but he's something of a music enthusiast. Music helps calm him down a lot, and he's generally a lot more pleasant to be around when he has headphone on, or if there's a speaker blaring nearby.

---

Madness Swimming in the Depths

Name:
Yul-Cth'Logagog
(Yuls for short; alternatively, Lance calls him "my imaginary friend")

Appearance:
Yuls is a writhing mass of tentacles about the size a killer whale, though sometimes it varies, as the tentacles can stretch or retract as needed. It's tentacles come in many variations, such as those of an octupus or jellyfish, or something else entirely. It has no eyes, but one gigantic beak, with teeth inside of it resembling a humans. Yuls does not typically show its true form, usually concealing itself inside a dark bubble of water that follows it as it moves.

Summoning Mantra:
"Awaken, madness from the deeps, and let us wreck havoc until the end of days."

Abilities:
Its tentacles, asides from being able to strangle its victims, have special properties such as toxins or hard shells, making it far more versatile than it appears. It also has the ability to conjure up large bodies of water, comparable to drown its opponents or for other uses. Asides that, while it's underwater it can unleash a haunting sound that disorients and induces fear to everything in a 10 meter radius.

Element: 「Water」

Element gift:
「Deep Dive」 - The ability to slip in and out of bodies of water wide enough to fit his body, and along with it, the ability to breath underwater. It allows him to jump into something like a puddle of water, and slip out somewhere else. The maximum travel distance of this ability is 20 meters. Lance's stamina is drained in direct proportion to the distance he jumps.

About:
Yul-Cuth is a being that fails to comprehend the concept of "desire"; it is a creature that merely exists, feasting and killing not out of any sense of want or need, but simply because they are actions mechanical to it. That is why it was drawn to Lance - a human so filled with desire that it threatens to drown him. It can neither communicate nor understand any conventional language, however, it can send its feelings across through the use of bubbles. When it wants to communicate, it can eject bubbles that come in different colors corresponding to its mood. Prolonged exposure to its general vicinity is also prone to causing headaches, nausea, nightmares, and general sleeplessness.

Other:
Will eat anything. Anything
Has a strange fascination for birds.

Aether Bridge Academy

Could we open a discord chat room for the RP OOC for small discussions and chats etc. It would be easier to stay in communication that way too.

@Sketcher

Agreed.