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The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Name:
Annette Kynbrough

Age:
23

Gender:
Female

Race/Place of Origin:
Half-Thalodreal, Half-Human from Orvalis

Appearance:
A very petite girl despite her ancestry, her height below 152 cm/5'0 at around 139 cm/4'7. She has light purple eyes, fair skin, and platinum blonde hair. Her clothing is black and cream, with pale purple and pink details, and her staff is tipped with gold and a purple gem.

Scripts or Executables:
As a follower of Metis, Annette is capable of utilizing a number of specialized Executables. Most commonly used within her library are two utility Executables, Thought Acceleration and Thought Partitioning. Already a fast thinker, Thought Acceleration permits a process best described by Annette as 'overclocking my frontal lobe' in order to arrive at conclusions and solve problems with extreme swiftness. At its lowest level, it doubles the speed of Annette's thoughts, and she is almost always utilizing this level of Thought Acceleration. At its higher level, Annette is capable of instantaneous solutions, but this poses a considerable risk of severe headaches or even unconsciousness.
Thought Partitioning allows Annette to divide her thinking process into multiple, separate instances, running multiple trains of thought at once. For example, this can allow her to solve a puzzle while maintaining conversation or preparing for a study without distracting her from any of her tasks. Annette usually has at least one partition active.
Compression is an Executable that targets a space or object and causes it to temporarily change size, becoming smaller in dimension until it reaches a target size. Compression can target a space or object of up to 9 meters. While the object's size changes, neither its shape nor its density are altered. This means that a large object that is compressed to a smaller size will become extremely dense. By utilizing Thought Acceleration, Annette can deploy a vastly accelerated form of Compression that she refers to as 'Spatial Crush'. It swiftly compresses an area of up to 3 meters and everything inside of it, commonly utilized for the purposes of self-defense.
Repulsion is an Executable that allows Annette to push any object, including herself, away from any other object by designating two targets. The first being the object to be pushed, and the second being the object it is to be pushed away from. This can allow her to move objects far heavier then her physical strength would permit, but it also functions on gases or other less substantial forms of matter. Its most common use is Annette targeting the ground and herself, allowing her to hover(usually while riding her staff).
Annette's final Executable is Psychometry, which allows her to gather and read information by coming into direct physical contact with an object. This requires the use of her bare hands, and thus is unsuitable for anything hazardous. While it cannot paint a perfect picture of the object's past, it allows for extrapolation based on what can be absorbed by its use.
Additionally, Annette possesses a line of defense devised by using two of her Executables in rapid succession. Using Compression to condense air to an extreme degree, the heat and pressure converts the elements in the air into plasma. This creates an extremely hot, dangerous projectile which is then hurled towards a target in a beam-like state by using Repulsion. The product of consistent experimentation and effort, Annette's Plasma Beam is a powerful tool of self-defense that may also have other applications as well.

Equipment:
Annette's primary piece of equipment is her staff, Solais. Solais is a multi-purpose tool that is also useful for her Executables, primarily Repulsion as it allows her to designate the staff as the object from which the target will be repulsed. She also rides it, and the crystal at the top can glow and be used as illumination in dark locations. Annette also frequently rises Solais while using Repulsion to hover above the ground.

Academic Qualifications:
From a young age, Annette possessed a keen interest in science. While her egotistical nature meant she was often difficult to instruct(coupled with her frequent forays into exploring knew knowledge for herself), it was only natural that she would become an Executor of Metis. She took to following Metis eagerly, but rather then dedicate herself to the god she instead viewed her worship as a way to gain more knowledge for herself. Excited by the process of learning even more then the result, Annette frequently dove into research topics and other scholarly pursuits, intent on deepening her own knowledge of the world. In particular, she became interested in the functions and nature of mana. It is through her research that Annette introduced the revolutionary Divine Pseudo-Matter Theory, which completely overturned prior understanding of mana and its relationship with the world and those living within it. Despite her often difficult personality, Annette is nonetheless a valuable mind for the modern age. She continues to study and pursue further knowledge, oftentimes stepping on the toes of those around her in the process.

History:
Perhaps it is unsurprising that Annette's future was in scholarly pursuits, as she was born as the child of two scholars, one a human woman from Orvalis and the other a Thalodreal man. While her parents did not stay together for long, it was clear from an early age that she was keenly interested in accumulating knowledge. She swiftly accelerated through her lessons, often teaching herself and at times even exceeding the knowledge base of her tutors. All the while, she developed something of a self-interested demeanor, caring little for others who she did not deem worthy of her attention. When she revealed Divine Pseudo-Matter Theory, she did not care one bit about how she upended current research, how she coldly dismissed the theories of other scholars, and how she may have looked. No, what she cared about was the pursuit of knowledge, even more than the knowledge itself. Over time, as an Executor of Metis, she has almost certainly made enemies(one particularly intense) due to her personality. Still, she pushes on, conducting research in her private home and searching for more and more explanations to the ways of the world. It is quite likely she will never stop searching as long as she lives. While her habits of treating others coldly and even mocking them certainly gives an unpleasant impression, in truth, Annette isn't without any care for others.
But only those she respects are worthy of her time, in her eyes.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Just one of those claws is the end.

The deck of the ship where I once stood is shredded. Had my body been in that spot, there would have been nothing left.

This thing is monstrous. It can't be allowed to leave here, even without considering our main objective. There mere sight of such a war machine would abruptly shift the purpose of any mission to bring it down or find some sort of countermeasure, as swiftly as possible.

It just so happens that our objective aligned with such a goal from the very start.

Dust rises from beneath my feet as I skid to a halt, duck low and tilting my body forward. I'm a smaller, more difficult target this way. It's harder to pinpoint my position, and I'm ready to move immediately.

Air fills my lungs as I suck in a deep breath.

Caradoc-san is right.

Judging him to be a poor tactician merely due to his Edreni nature would be foolish.

But a single explosive, or even a few---

I'm not sure it it would be able to break through this abominable thing's armor as swiftly as we need to.

No, that's probably not enough.

My hand reaches the pouch on my hip.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight---

Will even that be enough?

I have to guarantee the armor breaks. I have to ensure the leg goes down. I have to shatter the monstrous weapon's mobility as swiftly as possible.

This is no time for half-measures. This is no time to conserve resources.

I can make more.

I draw a kunai, flipping it around in my hand so that the blade faces the rope on my explosives pouch. The edge slices neatly through it in a single stroke, allowing me to slide it from my shoulder in a single motion without having to alter my stance.

I have to make this count.

I won't allow this Valheimr monstrosity to leave this battle.

Tying the explosives pouch shut, I raise it back over my shoulder, taking aim at the weapon's right leg.

Preferably a joint, but the power of the blast should do enough damage to disrupt its ability to move no matter where it strikes.

There's no time for hesitation, or trying to think of another plan of attack.

I'll shatter its armor, and bring it down in two moves!

I spin the bomb pouch once over my shoulder, then let it loose to send it hurtling towards the abominable weapon. It cuts though the air, black form growing nearer and nearer to its destination.

With my other hand, I draw back the kunai, sending heat surging through it as swiftly as possible using my materia. The flames surge down my arm and poor into its edge, igniting the blade and turning the metal white.

I can feel the warmth against my face, the flames leaping from its edge as I draw it back. My arm tenses. I need to do this perfectly, or else my target may realize what I'm attempting to do. I don't know if I'll have a second chance, but operating as if I will is the path of a fool.

So, I'll simply succeed in a single throw.

There's no questioning.

There's no doubt.

This is simply what I must due to ensure our objective is completed.

My arm snaps forwards. The kunai leaves my hand, a streaking trail of red and white through the cool wind.

My aim has to be perfect, so I can't have any doubt.

The burning steel hurtles through the air towards the pouch of explosives, and---

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

The swirling vortex of flame does exactly what it is intended to. The scent of burning flesh, Valheim soldiers being cooked inside their own armor, fills the air as they fall to the ground, smoke rising from their bodies, or hurl themselves from the ship and far below. Malina-san's approach worked perfectly.

Flames were exactly what these Valheimr had earned.

---What is that?

It's a monstrosity. Even laying eyes on it is almost indescribable. I've never seen anything quite of this nature, no matter how many missions I've undertaken to slaughter the invaders' forces. A construct of flesh and blood and steel, a weapon of war created out of both living and nonliving components.

I don't want to lay eyes on it, but there is no other choice. For the sake of completing the mission, I'll assist in its destruction.

---Izayoi-dono is barely heading any kind of reasonable strategy. Perhaps that's even an understatement, she's completely thrown away any sort of plan at all. Can this abominable machine be destroyed by such an approach?

I don't know, but I have to offer as much support as I can manage.

Malina-san would have a point, if we were not in the air and it was not compounded with laughter that made her sound like she had gone insane. Had the sight of the flesh machine tilted her mind in the wrong direction? How are we meant to drown its pilot here?

I cannot worry about such things now. I have to focus on what I can do.

My katana won't reach deeply enough, even in the most fleshy parts of the weapon's anatomy. My kunai, too, aren't destructive enough to hamper the flesh machine's movements.

But the explosives might be enough. At the very least to distract its pilot, or the creature itself, or both. However this monstrosity functions.

First---

The smoke bombs will help obscure the approach of my allies and of the true explosives. I don't know how this construct registers the world around it, but at the moment I have to assume that they will be effective. Three of them hurled upwards towards its head should hopefully assist.

Second---

Bombs at its leg joints. If I can force it to stumble, then we may be able to make some leeway into figuring out how to destroy it. The fuses flare to life as I use my fire materia to set the ablaze, ducking low and hurling the bombs towards the weapon's knees.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Blood splatters across the deck of the deck of the ship, streaks of crimson reaching across the steel like the limbs of a dying spider.

I haven't stopped killing since the moment I landed. Ever single disabled fake dragoon that I could reach was greeted with a swift thrust through their neck, into any gap in their defenses I could find. I had to kill as many as I could as swiftly as I could.

But there's still so many opponents. There's still so many targets. Even between all of us, how can we kill this many this quickly?

I have to try. I have to fulfill my duty. I have to spill as much Valheim and traitor blood as I can possibly manage. There's no other option.

There's no room for doubts.

This time, though, my blade is meant with a strong, forceful parry, and I can't push further. The fake dragoons have recovered---!

The world rushes forward past me as my feet leave the ground, shock rushing up my arms. It's not that I can't catch myself, but even a moment's pause or delay in slaying as many enemies as physically possible is a moment that our chances decrease.

Damn it, damn it, damn it---!

I need to kill them fast, but even an explosive won't help and kill enough of them to make space. I can't be caught up in fighting for too long, but there's no space to disengage and reenter combat.

I need to do something swiftly, but what? If I had my hand cannon, then maybe---

My ears twitch.

Bunny?!

---There's no time to question it or assert my name. I understand what she wants immediately. On my own there's no way I could do something on the scale required, but with her assistance...

I suck in a deep breath and draw one of my kunai. This time, I use the materia to pour as much flames as possible into it, to serve as a channel through which to unleash the biggest burst of heat and sound I can possibly manage. It's not meant to fly accurately or reach its target, no. It's meant to simply be a conduit through which to start a conflagration.

The steel glows white, as flames pour off of its edges.

I toss it into the air, and the fire bursts from it, red light washing over the deck with a roar of heat as the fireball appears over the deck, then dragged by the currents that Malina-san has created---!

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

"... Hmph. You shouldn't doubt the words of the Moonlit Queen. I've already made my agreement with you, Children of Man," the fae ruler declared with a wave of one black hand, one of her bare feet crunching in the chill-less snow as she stomped irritably, "My little sister will have her prize. You won, fairly."

Indeed, the fae in the transluscent dress faded away moments later, appearing, now, with three small boxes drifting through the air in front of her. Each one opened in turn, revealing an unadorned golden ring, a green glass frog that could sit in the palm of a young child's hand, and a black dagger.

"... Pick whichever two you like," she continued with a huff, "I am far more fair then my little sister and won't ask you to give up your own prize."

She seemed to care little about elaborating on what each item did, but it was unlikely that they were ordinary.

Fanilly took a deep breath. She hadn't expected a prize, but before that---

"And the duke's wits?"

"I'll return those personally," responded the Moonlit Queen, still looking away, though her black eyes glanced towards the paper that Lady Gertrude had offered to her, "If I can't keep his wits, then at least I can make him feel rightfully guilty for how much he's ignored me."

At this point, there was no reason to doubt the Moonlit Queen. She'd been more than fair, and Fanilly suspected she believed that giving them something extra would make them more likely to help when it came to the retrieval of the shard of Angroron.

Who could possibly have penetrated a Fae realm and stolen something from a Fae Queen's treasury?

The Knight-Captain took a deep breath. Whoever was collecting shards of the Hole in the World couldn't possibly have good intentions. While she had no idea how many shards of the blade could possibly be within Thaln's borders, there was no question that they had to do everything in their power in order to retrieve them.

"In that case---"

---

It was a grey, overcast day. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and though Reon's warmth would still be felt, her light was dampened by the potential for a rainstorm.

Still, the rain too was a blessing, though one more associated with Mayon then her lover.

The duke's wits had been returned to him, as promised. They had been able to retrieve a prize for the Moonlit Queen's sister and return with a prize of their own. In all respects, the mission had been an overwhelming success.

And yet Fanilly could not take solace in that outcome.

The Moonlit Queen, seeking the return of something stolen from her, had been happy to offer whatever information she could. There had been an intruder, apparently, one she had initially sought to destroy, but who had stopped her, and told her of the Duke's neglect. It had been something she already felt, so when the figure suggested she do something about it, and offered their assistance in the matter, she'd felt no reason to refuse.

It was after she departed from her Fae realm to steal Duke Thedric's wits that the shard must have been stolen.

But all of that information was, while concerning, far from the worst of it.

The figure had mostly obscured their form in dark cloth. But one trait was fully visible, clearly. One identifying item.

A blank white mask that bore the image of an eye. Just the same as the image that had appeared from the mind of the dying, cursed Golden Boar commander.

There was no doubt in Fanilly's mind that such things had to be connected.

She couldn't rest. She couldn't relax. Despite their success, she had to do something. It was her duty to do something.

It was for this reason that she found herself in the library, mere days after the events of their mission to restore Duke Thedric's wits, in hopes of searching out any little scrap of information that she could on the potential whereabouts of the shard of Angroron.

Of course, surely the Knight-Captain was not the only one preoccupied with important matters. There was the matter of the prize that had been granted by the Moonlit Queen for one.

Lady Gertrude had received a black branch from the Moonlit Queen as well, after the reveal of her nature as a Witch to the fae monarch, without much further explanation. Lord Arken had given her a message requesting a meeting as well.

The knights had potentially gained another long-term guest.

And there was word of the approach of special event hosted by the crown.

The Metian Institute: A science-fantasy low stakes Dungeon crawling RP.

I am interested maybe, I'll have to read on races in some more detail since I'll admit I skimmed a bit.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

The world streams by.

Our landing has not gone as planned. I don't even need to finish falling to know as such, the manner in which we were struck so suddenly, thrown so suddenly from Leviathan's back.

It is no longer an ideal situation, but that doesn't change our task.

We're here to spill Valheimr blood, and that is what we are going to do.

The world streams by as I descend towards the deck of the enemy ship. I tuck my body in tightly, folding my limbs against myself. I can't afford to be injured on landing, after all.

I shut my eyes.

The shock rushes up through my limbs, reverberating through my frame as I feel myself hit the deck, throwing myself forward and rolling. As I open my eyes, I can see the figures in the air. My fingers reach back, my hand wrapping around the hilt of my blade---

Valheim's blood. It's in my reach.

I'll spill as much as I can.

---Ah?

As I stretch out my free hand, crouching low, my legs spreading wide as my body tenses, I can hear his words in my ears.

The younger of the two Edreni men, Sagramore-san.

They'll drop, will they?

My eyes immediately scan them. I'd be forced to try and use my kunai, and my fire materia, to bring them down. But if he can make them drop without me needing to do so---

He'll have earned some recognition, I suppose.

The purple light, and then---

He was right, was he?

The packs the fake dragoons use to try and serve as shadows of far more capable warriors are struggling as gravity's force exerts itself on them with doubled intensity. I don't have to have a deep understanding of technology to be aware of the fact that such equipment simply isn't made for this.

The first one is about to fall into reach, struggling and failing to ascend. Like a bird with its flight feathers cut.

My body tightens, my muscles tensing, my eyes fixing on the man's throat.

---Now!

I hurl myself across the deck of the ship, the world running together again as the only thing that remains a single, continuous, solid shape within it is the body of my target as he hits the deck.

I raise my arm and draw my blade through the air, through flesh.

A curtain of red descends behind me as he slams to the deck, unable to even clutch at his cut throat as the doubled force of gravity slams his choking, gurgling down onto the ship.

One.

I'll kill these false birds before they can take flight again---!

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Missing...?

Fanilly couldn't fully understand how such a thing could happen, for a moment. This was the Moonlit Queen's fae realm, isn't it? She'd already shown the capacity to alter and change even visitors, so how could someone possibly commit a theft as long as she was present? Wasn't the entire realm constantly under her control?

Or could things escape her notice?

"I second Dame Tyaethe, your majesty," Fanilly said as she stepped forward, composing herself as quickly as she could, "Maybe if we know what it is, we might be able to help you find it."

It was a bit of a risk, but it was the best path forward that Fanilly could think of. The fae queen had at least adhered to her own set of morals and not dismissed them purely on their own nature as humans. If anything, she'd seemed pleased by their capabilities, and therefore this might be the best path to resolving the situation.

At the very least, the Knight-Captain felt certain that simply leaving without offering to help in any way would be far from ideal.

"My sister?" the Moonlit Queen's pure black gaze seemed to intensify for a moment when Gertrude knelt down, "You've met her? When? Did she ask you anything? If she---"

She paused for a moment.

"Hmph. She wouldn't do this. She'd want to earned fairly, even if she was involved. That doesn't make it any better, of course! I'm the older sister, she should be listening to me!"

For a moment, it looked as if she considered doing something to Gertrude in retaliation, her hand reaching out---

And then she stopped, folding her arms with another huff.

"You want to know? You think you can help recover it for me? Fine, then," came the Moonlit Queen's frustrated voice, "It's a little shard of nothing. A tiny piece of a hole in the world. Children of Man can't touch it, so I was going to wrap it up in case you wanted it."

For a moment, Fanilly almost felt her heart stop.

That was---

It couldn't be touched by humans. A tiny piece of a hole in the world.

"A shard of Angroron?!"

That---

A shard of Angroron disappearing from such a place, right after the disappearance of the shard in possession of the Mage College?!

There was no way this could possibly be a coincidence!

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Famfrit has been torn apart.

But it's still moving.

There's no way it can survive. The efforts of the rest of my allies have crippled it beyond repair, in particular Mathiassen-san's channeling of Ramuh-sama's might.

But what power it has left is still dangerous. Corrupted, corroded, the guardian becoming nothing more then a force for destruction.

In a way, the end will come as a mercy. But it must come as swiftly as possible.

I need to reach the core, and I must do so swiftly. Simply throwing kunai towards it won't be sufficient if I want to stop it before it can attack with its last gasp.

The skin of my left arm is reddened by the blast I'd used to escape Graviga, but nevertheless I wrap both hands around the hilt of my sword and suck in a deep breath. Both to prepare myself for what I must do, and to brace myself against the protest of my singed palm.

The nearest pillar is also one of the tallest. That suits my needs quite well.

A single slash won't be enough. Not to destroy it before it uses its dying moments as a final assault. And so---

I duck low and hurl myself over the stone floor, towards the base of the pillar. I have plenty of momentum.

I hit the base of the stone cylinder and push upwards, throwing myself towards the ceiling. With enough speed, scaling a vertical surface this way is trivial.

I have to get high enough, the word streaming past me.

But that's not all.

Heat and light flows through my veins, to my palms, to my fingers, surging its way through my katana. The steel begins to grow hotter, hotter, hotter, hotter---

Red. Then white. But then---

The shade of cherry blossoms overtakes the edge of my blade, surging over it and trailing light, burning petals scattering from the edge of my sword. A technique not suited for stealth, but rather for striking as hard as possible, as fast as possible, for securing the target's elimination regardless of discovery.

There is no need to be subtle here.

Famfrit's core is in reach.

A great technique of the Asakura will be demonstrated now.

The cherry blossom light sears through the air, evaporating the moisture clinging to the pillar, reflecting off of the damp surfaces across the temple, flashing against Famfrit's broken form.

I push off of the surface of the pillar. The world around me slows to a crawl, my body twisting, my limbs tensing as I raise my sword, burning blossoms following its path.

The first time she described this technique to me, they had been in full bloom. She had used the fallen petals to illustrate it to me, her motions stirring them in a trail much like the one following my sword now.

A shower of cherry blossoms to mark the death of the enemy. A grave among the trees.

Is Famfrit worthy of such an epitaph? To be destroyed beneath the falling petals?

Perhaps its endless guardianship truly did earn it that much.

"Sensen---"

I swing my sword. The trail of light follows, to strike as deeply into the core, to end it before Famfrit's 'final breath' can take anyone along with it.

"---Sange!"

The trail follows me as I descend.

Then, it erupts, the cherry blossom conflagration piercing the air and engulfing the damaged core.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fanilly couldn't help but let out an inward sigh of relief, now. Everything had gone just as they'd hoped it would. The fae Queen was bound to her word, either due to supernatural means or because of a sense of honor. Either way was equally plausible, and either way worked to their benefit.

The Duke would receive his sanity once again, and they would accomplish their mission. That being said, this tingling sensation up through her core still hadn't fully left her.

No-one had died. Even those who were injured were not injured so severely as to bear permanent wounds. They'd managed to crush the Midnight Hunt, the legendary terror that chased down its targets and did Goddesses-knows-what to them.

It wasn't just survival. They'd defeated them.

Was that why she felt this way? This slight tinge of weightless euphoria, at her own disbelief? It was a strange sensation running through Fanilly's heart, but not something could afford to dwell on.

Even though the Moonlit Queen had given her word, their goal still hadn't been fully accomplished, after all.

The Duke's wits would be returned, somehow, likely through whatever arcane means they had been taken away in the first place. But they had yet to receive the prize that would be given to the Moonlit Queen's sister in return for her assistance.

The raven-man glanced at his feather when Sir Fionn called his name.

"Ah, yes, child of man. I'll be taking that back."

There was no clear indication of how the feather had returned to Súileabhán's hand, but it was visible gripped between his fingers before disappearing just as swiftly.

"I had half-suspected you would attempt to keep it," he added, "For which I would have been forced to take something from you, as well. I should have better trusted in milady's judgement."

The Moonlit Queen smirked.

"Of course you should have, Súileabhán, don't be so silly," she commented in a lightly-teasing tone, before her attention returned fully to the Knights.

Or rather, to Lady Gertrude. As the Moonlit Queen listened to her speak, a look of surprise crossed her features. By the time that she'd finished speaking, the Moonlit Queen appeared entirely shocked.

---Until she started laughing, at least. Indeed, the diminutive fae lady was laughing, bending forward, her childish voice ringing out through the strange chill-less winter. If anything, the air began to feel slightly warmer, not unlike the sensation of being wrapped comfortably in a warm blanket.

"A contract? With me?" she questioned as she straightened, wiping a tear from her eye, "That's so bold of you! Did you seriously ask me that?"

Fanilly found herself somewhat concerned. That reaction... was her laughter the prelude to some sort of retaliation for asking such a thing?

"Child of Man, just what makes you think you can ask me for a contract? I'm curious!" declared the Moonlit Queen, leaning forward, "Maybe I'll think about it, if you give me a really good answer!"

It was hard to say how much she'd think about it, but it was a better response then outright rejection. Before she could comment more on the subject, however, the gray lady in the translucent dress appeared once more to lean in close to her ear and whisper something unintelligible.

"What do you mean, it's missing?!"

---The Moonlit Queen's reaction was certainly loud and clear, however.