Realistic or Modern Dream Eater: Of Hopes and Nightmares

[Vox Angelis]

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Location: UNMRAS Headquarters, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1300​

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“With all due respect, General, what you are asking of us is simply impossible. It’s not like we can manufacture Dreamers for our needs, and you should know more than anyone else in this room how training takes time. I don’t think I need to remind you what happened to the latest squad we’ve sent on the field…”

The office’s atmosphere was tense, the three figures sitting around a large desk looked at each other with an equivalent amount of contempt. A general who, despite having mankind’s best interest at heart, was only interested in getting his hands on more weapons than what was being realistic for the moment. A Dreamer who was riding on the line of status quo, quietly tired of it all. A bureaucrat that struggled to make two pieces of the puzzle fit together. They all had a common goal, but the logistics behind achieving security for the safe zones in North America was a tremendous task. It fell on these three individuals, in this office, to make sure the rest of their world would not fall prey to the clutches of the bloodthirsty monsters that kept pounding at their doors.

“Son, I don’t care how you freaks reproduce. We’re losing a war for survival out there, we need all hands on deck.” Salvatore spat, turning his gaze to the director. “Director, let me put this out here plainly. The Council of Security is becoming increasingly alarmed and demands more resources from your institute, or else they’ll find someone else to fit the bill.”

“General,” Director Lang answered calmly, her voice cold and her eyes unflinching “You can tell the council their demands have been received, and we will comply with their needs.More units will be mobilized.”

With a grunt, the aged military leader got up from his chair. He worked a long time enough with the Director to understand there was no need for more to be discussed. Making his way to the door, he stopped, turning to glance at the woman behind her desk. “Yue, it’s nothing personal. That’s just how it is right now. We’re losing this war.”

“I know, Salvatore, I know… be careful out there.”

With a nod, the general left the room, closing the door behind him. The room remained silent for a moment. Both the Director and her Dreamer assistant breathed out a long-winded and exasperated sigh.

“We’ll have to get a move on with EPA.”

With another long-winded sigh, Casey ran a hand through the length of his hair, looking at the ceiling. “Yeah… I figured. I’ll be making preparations.” When his eyes settled back down and met the Director’s steely gaze, he held his hands up with an innocent smile. “Alright, alright, no need to give me the killer look! I’ll get it done ASAP” Sheeeesh!”

The Dreamer got up from his chair. “I’ll have my report ready before the end of the day.” the carefree tone from his voice turned informal, focused.

When the door to her office closed for the second time, Yue Lang pushed another long-winded sigh. She went to grab her cup of coffee, but refrained from bringing it up, the shaking of her hand making it quite difficult. She instead got up from her chair and went by the window, grabbing a cigarette from the case she was hiding in the nearby shelf. Her shaking hands began calming down after she blew a smoke outside, taking in the sights and the campus.

What a shitshow…

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Location: UNMRAS Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1630​

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The brown-haired Dreamer walked back and forth in an empty classroom, his fingers massaging his temples. He didn’t forget anything, right? Documents were placed on the few desks within the classroom, various forms and whatnot he’ll have to explain later on. Students should be arriving by any moment now, if he calculated execution time correctly.

Every chosen Dreamer would initially feel a buzz from their ankle, a sure sign that a message was about to be broadcasted from their magical cuff. Then the voice of one of the school’s operatives would reach out to the ears of these young folks: “Student, you are required to end any and all ongoing activity and report to your room at 1600. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary measures.”

It was quite an unusual message for most students. The ones with more experience at the academy will recognize this was not part of their academic activities, but rather a military command. Whatever it was, it usually forebodes an upcoming deployment in the field.

For the ones who took the time to prepare accordingly, they would be met with two guards barging in their room with little concern of privacy. These Dreamers would then be escorted to one of the furthest wings of the academy, a place that had been under construction for a moment. Their final destination would be a small classroom, nothing unusual about it, except for the fact it was furnished with fewer desks and chairs than a normal classroom.

The students would be greeted by the Head of Dreamer Activities himself, Casey Smith, flanked by two guards of his own as well. “Hello hello ! Please take a seat, we’ll begin shortly after everyone has arrived.”

Spoiler: OoC Notes

You are free to introduce your character in any way prior to arriving at the classroom.

At 1400, each of you have received a message from your ankle cuff to prepare to be at your room for 1600. If you ask your fellow classmates (aside from the characters of your fellow RPers) about this message, no one knows what you are talking about, but the older classmates will suggest you've be selected for military deployment if that's the case.

If you're not at your room by the time, two guards will arrive at your location and will order you to follow them. If you don't comply with their order, you will be tazed by your ankle cuff and arrive at the classroom in a dazed state.

Have fun everyone ! Looking forward to your posts !

 

[Nellancholy]

UNMRAS Campus, San Francisco
Time: 1545​

The wind whipped through Norah Eisen's braids, the gears of her bicycle clickclickclicking as she raced down the slanted roof of what was apparently the second tallest building on the grounds. Or maybe a close third? Whatever it was, it suited her purposes just fine. These people took a lot from her the day their jackboots tracked her down and "offered" her to join the program.

But they let her keep her folding bicycle. Good. She could see how far she could push things.

Presently the slanted, layered tile on the roof ran out, and there was nothing beneath or before her but air. She pulled her bike sideways into a tabletop spin and looked up, eyes meeting it. The edge of the roof of the tallest building on campus. It was a good thing she'd learned about the Pythagorean theorem from some yellowed textbook a long time ago, though she'd probably be pulling this stunt even if she couldn't tell that the distance between the two edges was a hypotenuse with length shorter than a hundred meters.

She blinked, and then she blinked.

And in a flash she was there, wheels resting on the building with the finest vantage point of the entire complex. She sighed, not bothering to put up the kickstand as she got off the bike. As it fell onto its side, she pulled her sketchbook out of her bag, scanning the scenery below. There was a faint notion that she was wanted somewhere at 4 PM. Only a faint one. If they really wanted her, they'd come get her.

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UNMRAS Rooftop
Time: 1602​

"Student, you are expected to comply with the order issued to you! Come down and follow us to your briefing or immediate action will be taken."

Norah rolled her eyes, setting her pencil aside as she leaned a little further than was safe over the edge of the roof. She could make up two armored, armed black blobs on the ground, and they could almost certainly see her too. But the main reason they could still hear each other was thanks to the anklet that had been affixed to her.

"And here I thought I could get away from you lot up here. Well, if you want me there so bad, why not come get me?"

"That won't be necessary, freak." One of the guards spat. "All we gotta do is hit one little button and punks like you all fall in line. And if you fall and crack that empty head of yours open, it'll save us both some time."

"Ouch..." Norah hissed in mock offense. "Spicy. Well, guess I have to come down to be a pain in your ass for longer then."

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Location: UNMRAS Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1630​

Norah may have been the first to arrive to the briefing, or she may not have been. Either way, she leaned back in her seat, doing her best to be as uninteresting as she was uninterested.

 

[BuggaBoo]

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Rai'Shauni - 'Fiendbreaker'

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1607. In the change room...

Rai knelt there in the middle of the change room floor. Serenity remained across her brown face, rhythmic and steady were her breaths.

A white towel wrapped around her chestnut hair tightly. A larger one wrapped her fit and muscular form, leaving little to the imagination. Oh, and she had her big black combat boots on for some reason.

Despite the tranquility in the white tiled room, slowly but surely that familiar scowl threatned to crease her brow once more, but a flow of relaxation pushed her brow back into a neutral position just as slowly and surely. This 'calming zone' session was not meant to drive back the Nightmare that resided within her. No, this session was one to focus all she had learned and trained for months in advance.

The magic announcement was loud and clear as it echoed away in her head. It could be rather ominous to the Dreamers that never before heard it, but for the ones who knew what lay there hidden in the undertones, like Rai herself, well, they knew exactly what it meant. This was the moment the young woman had been waiting for. They were coming for her and she needed to be sharp. She needed to make sure They remembered who and what she was.

The steam creeping into the room neath the crack under the door from the shower room finally disapated. Others could be heard in the distance working out in the gym, the music but a dull drone from here. The only sound in the change room was the buzzing fluorescent lights above her. Her zone of calm broke the moment she heard the pair of marching boots thudding down the hallway. Blue eyes snapped open the moment she heard the latch unclick from the door. Like usual, the guards had no care to respect the privacy of the Dreamers; arrogance does not knock afterall. And so slowy and surely, that familiar scowl found its welcome resting spot upon her visage, creasing her brow and igniting the glint in her eyes once more.

The door swuing open. It was Smitty. And of course Lil' Nate accompanied that cocky and pervy barrel-shaped son of a bitch. These two were hardly the best representatives of what UNMRAS had to offer. Both took sick pleasure in terrorizing Dreamers and getting away with abuse and misconduct when possible. And so when they saw the inked up, brown and muscular body of Rai kneeling down there in nothing but a skimpy white towel, both gave each other 'that glance' followed by a lecherous leer.

Rai winced as she felt that immemorial searing fire from the inhibitor cuff surge through her. She let out rough exhale; they had just nullified her power. But they did not nullify the danger she still posed to them.

"Head down. Hands where we can see them, you dirty freak!"

"Yeah. Yeah, whatevs. I know that somehow 'by accident' my towel is going to hit the floor and my modesty will be violated..." the smirk widened into a teasing smile accompanied by a blue-eyed wink, "... so here. Let's just get that part outta' the way."

Rai whipped off both her white towels and tossed them directly at the faces of the pervy pair much to there loin-pleasing surprise.

They both pulled the towels from their faces as fast as they could. The greedy grins upon their faces fell away even faster. Rai was right there, right in front of them. And the girl was fully clothed, leaning in close, and all up in their faces.

An glinting white hot sneer she flashed them. An sharp upward chinbob bounced her chestnut ponytail, "No, my name ain't 'freak.' It's Rai'Shauni; Ms. Devastation if you nasty--"

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1630. In the classroom...​

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Several extended smacking sounds Rai let out. Man, she would kill for a glass of water right now. But instead of homocide, she just groaned and rubbed at her ankle where that bloody magic taser hid. Her other hand just held her forehead, elbow on the desk, shaking but still managing to prop up her head. The pain throbbed throughout her body just like her head always did the morning after an elite game of underaged beer pong. The drone of the fluorescent lights above could use a punch in the face, but as it was, she was depowered and so there was no sign of Devastation in sight.

A few deep breaths she took, finally calming nerves and shaky body parts. Blue eyes peered upward now; there was Mr. Casey Smith presiding at the front. She had no problems with him. At all. In fact, he had been an absolute gem in getting her past the 'rough' spots in her rehab over the past year. No, the problem she had was with the guards flanking him of course. She wasn't 100% on it but she could swear that at least 1 of the meatheads was tight with Smitty.

And so she reached into her bra and pulled out two items. One was the shiny, metal lighter she lifted offa Smitty earlier. The other was a cigarette from Lil' Nate's half-full pack she also lifted offa him. It was time to celebrate. A clink, scrape and whoosh sounded out; a flickering flame danced at the tip of the shiny, metal lighter. Rai took several puffs, one for each of her beloved family members. Plumes of smoke spouted out above her head, but undoubtedly most of it encrouched upon her nearby neighbours.

She sat there rather unlady-like wearing her shiny, black combat boots, camo fatigue trousers, and a camo hat with her ponytail pulled through the back. A very immodest athletic white bra top barely covered up her inked-up, muscular brown form (and of course it was all bedazzled with happy faces, rainbows and butterflies along the hems a la her kid sister, Kishy). Her combat fatigue top hung placidly on the back of her chair.

"Nightmare Dreamer, Agent Fiendbreaker present, sir. Ready, willing and waiting to break unfriendlies with extreme prejudice. Just tell me what you want broken and I'm ya girl."

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[Umbran Fumbler]

Adelina Manuela Serrao
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Location: UNMRAS Campus Park, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1:45 pm
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"Care for a gummy?" Adelina asked the scruffy boy, a gentle smile resting on her face as she rummaged through her backpack.

A park as vast and green as the on one campus was no place for a child to be crying, especially on such a bright, beautiful day. Yet a crying child is exactly what Adelina had stumbled upon during her afternoon walk; no older than twelve, he was standing alone at the base of a thin tree a ways off the main path. His reddened eyes were focused on the willowy branches overhead, that was clear, but the exact cause of the tears running down his cheeks wasn't as immediately obvious.

Regardless of the cause, though, the tears were a problem.

The boy was startled by Adelina's voice, going rigid for a moment before looking to her, his eyes falling onto what she'd produced from her bag: a small packet of gummy worms. The tears stopped, but the frown and the furrowed brows made it clear he was just stifling them.

"Only if we can share them."

His voice was uncertain and unsteady, but his generosity—even with something as precious as a juicy packet of big, fat gummy worms, each one with three different colours and flavours—warmed Adelina's heart. She tore open the packet and let him take his pick of the bunch first, though she was much quicker to stuff the sugary snack into her mouth once she got one between her fingers.

This worm was somehow more delicious than the ones in the other packet from an hour ago, which themselves had been even better than the previous packet. Sweet and fruity, chewy and juicy; not long after the first had touched her tongue did she find herself munching on another.

Then another. Then another after that.

It wasn't until she'd slurped up her sixth one that she noticed the boy was laughing, and it wasn't till she stuck her searching hand in the empty packet that she realised he was laughing at her.

"You really like those things, huh?" The boy asked, his tone much bolder than before.

"How can one not?" Adelina giggled, smiling at him. "It seems as if they've worked their magic on you too."

"I haven't even had one yet." He was right, between his fingers dangled the very same gummy of red, white and green that he'd first picked out.

"Well," Adelina started, embarrassed slightly by the power gummies held over her, "you're not crying anymore. That's what matters."

The boy nodded but quickly turned away from Adelina, looking back up at the tree without giving his gummy so much as a nibble. Adelina followed his gaze, craning her neck up at the tree and spotting an odd mass of black fuzz atop one of its tallest branches. Upon squinting, she realised it was a cat.

"Is that your cat?" Adelina asked.

"He is. But he won't come down." The boy's voice started to tremble. "I lost him a while ago and now I'm not sure he recognises me. I'm—"

"Don't worry," Adelina cut him off, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. "I'll bring him down for you."

The tree didn't look climbable, no low hanging branches or footholds, and the branches it did have looked like they would snap with a tug. Fortunately, climbing was not the only way up for Adelina.

Adelina took her backpack off, setting it at her feet before squatting down beside it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the sounds of the outside world—chirping birds, whistling winds, the boy's shuffling—all faded away. A calming warmth formed in her chest, then washed over the rest of her body, loosening any muscles it reached and culminating in her hands. A bright light shone from the surface of her palm, it was visible even through her eyelids, and she heard the boy mutter a woah under his breath, but she squashed any feelings of joy or pride brewing inside her and focused on staying calm as she reached out and felt the coarse fabric of her backpack against her palm.

The light faded, and Adelina opened her eyes.

Her bag started with a gentle rumble, then a few light shakes before descending into a bout of convulsions. A sheen of deep red scales slid out into place between the polyester fabric, striping the bag like it was a reptilian zebra, and a pair of bulbous eyes popped out of the straps. A muffled voice squeaked out of the bag, though it was quickly silenced by two huge, webbed wings erupting out from either side of it, flapping in a frenzy as the bag reached a peak in its quaking. Then came stillness and silence.

The boy was holding onto Adelina's arm by the time the blessing had run its course, and he let out a little yelp when the bag began to hover above the ground on its own.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Adelina cooed to both boy and bag before closing her eyes once more.

There was no darkness this time; this time she could see the grey paths, green grass and blue sky of the world around her. She felt no ground beneath her feet, nor the boy's hands on her arm, the only limbs she could feel were the pair of beating wings.

Her pair of wings that she was beating.

Adelina made the bag ascend into the tree, quickly reaching the same level as the cat and perching on its branch. The adorable animal seemed curious about the bag, sniffing at the zipper, and curiouser still when that zipper opened up all on its own. It blinked twice at the new, warm area to laze in before slinking inside.

She was more gentle in guiding the bag's descent, puppeteering a gentle glide from the top of the tree to the bottom. Then, the world began to reform around Adelina and she opened her own eyes once again.

"Your cat fell asleep in there so be gentle," she said, slightly startling the boy.

"You mean I can take the bag?" He replied nervously. "Will it start... shaking again?"

Adelina shook her head. "No, nothing as violent as when it was blessed with life. It might move a little from time to time but it has a very calm temperament, just look at it now." She gestured towards the bag, it was sitting on the ground nearly as still as before it was alive.

This seemed to convince the boy, who trotted on over to the backpack and gently brought it into his arms, cradling it like a baby.

"Thank you!" He called out as he waved goodbye to Adelina and went on his way. "You're not so bad for someone who offers kids free candy in a park!"

Adelina didn't quite get what he meant at first, but then realised she probably needed a new opener when trying to help children.

Just then, Adelina felt a weak buzz coming from the anklet she'd received from the UNMRAS after being inducted into their surveillance, and along with it came a message:

“Student, you are required to end any and all ongoing activity and report to your room at 1600. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary measures.”

It was fortunate that she brought her backpack with her, at least now she wouldn't have to go all the way back to her room to get the stuff she needed for class.

Oh wait.

❂❂❂

Location: UNMRAS, Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 3:45 pm​

"Good Afternoon, everyone!" Adelina sang as she opened the door into the classroom. She held the door open for a moment, allowing a stream of living pens, pencils, rulers, erasers and everything in between to shimmy their way into the classroom first before she closed the door. She hadn't been able to find another bag in her room and this was a better alternative to haphazardly carrying everything she needed in her arms, though she did have to spend some time wrangling a few stragglers around campus on her way here.

In the room was a young-looking man with brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a smile, and even though the two guards flanking him painted a different picture, Adelina mirrored his expression as she found a seat at the front of the room. Her living school supplies were rather restless though, rolling around the desk in anticipation of what was to come.

 

[blankcanvas]

Location: Somewhere on the campus of UNMRAS
Time: 1400​

Ace let out a wistful sigh as they leaned forward, placing their arms against the guard railing. It hadn’t been long since they had arrived at this building, and according to the intelligence that they were able to gather, escape would not be a possibility - at least not for the moment. It still irked them that they had gotten captured before they were able to collect their payment.

‘I know right? The client better pay…’

‘Oh, shut up Sera, you just want to look at those pretty jewelry again.’

‘Please, that’s not any better than Xian’s obsession with those shiny weapons.’

Ace rubbed the side of their temple and let out a huge exasperated sigh. When was the last time that they were forced to be in some sort of confinement?

‘Well, there was that one time back in sector 76 where…’

As Ace's mind was flooded with fragmented visions of bloodied walls, dancing corpses, and swirling colors, they instinctively gripped the metal guardrails and pressed their forehead against it. The cold metal provided a stark contrast to the chaotic images racing through their mind. With a wry, sardonic laugh, the white-haired individual sank to the ground and gazed up at the blurry sky. This was hardly the time for a flashback to one of their most gruesome assignments, especially when their freedom was on the line. It felt like being trapped in a nightmare consisting of control and order, which was a far cry from the familiar comforts of guided, unfettered freedom.

A pair of guards came within earshot distance of Ace.

‘Um…I do hate to interrupt, but there appears to be some guests here that probably want your attention.’

A dozen sighs and some eyerolls were in order here.

'Shut up Sebastian, anyways, all I’m saying is that we should use this chance to test more boundaries and-’

“Ace, you were ordered to arrive at the designated classroom at 1600. You were given ample amount of time to obey and were warned of consequences should you not comply. Please do not make this anymore difficult and come with us.”

The white-haired student suddenly leaped to their feet and pointed at the speaker.

“Long time no see Patrick~ I see that you’re still working here, eh?”

The guards looked at each other before giving their attention back to the unruly student.

“Okay, looks like we got ourselves an uncooperative student, get the-”

Ace cackled and quipped, “Still paying for underage kids to diddle that sorry thing you call a pickle?” The one that they were speaking to narrowed his eyes and was about to retort back when Ace added, “The old black van that squeaks whenever you press the brakes too hard and has a dingy engine.”

As the one named 'Patrick' became increasingly agitated, his face flushed a deep shade of crimson. With swift and practiced movements, he produced a taser and forcefully jabbed it into Ace's ankle cuff. The electric shock coursed through Ace's body, causing them to collapse to the ground in a jumble of limbs, unable to move their legs properly. The sharp scent of ozone filled the air as the taser did its job, leaving Ace trembling and disoriented.

‘I told you greeting him like that would get us in trouble!’

‘What? How is trying to ask if he’s still up to his old behaviors a bad thing?’

‘My turn~ Let’s try my suggestion this time!’

Location: UNMRAS classroom
Time: 1630​

The heavy, metallic clang of the classroom doors echoed through the room as a pair of guards strode in. With an unceremonious thud, they dumped the dazed body of Ace onto the cold linoleum floor. As Ace regained consciousness, their disoriented and wobbly attempts at standing showed that they were still reeling from the effects of the taser. Their disoriented movements and glazed eyes were evidence of their struggle to regain control over their body and mind.

Finally, managing to find their footing, Ace quickly grabbed the nearest chair and slumped their head against the desk.

 

[TheRealAngeloftheStorm]

Location: UNMRAS Administrative Hall
15:50​

“...everything’s fine out here.” is what Angela said. There was an undercurrent of pain in her voice, fingers twisting and twirling around the phone. Mary imagined her in much the same situation - watched by guards in a tiny room, a vast gulf separating both and connected by a single line with a hundred listeners on the wire. “Olivia’s- well. She’s angry. Robert broke up with her after she blew the whistle.”

“He needed the push,” Mary murmured. “He was never happy, no matter what he told himself.”

A snort. “Robert didn’t take it well, but he deserves better than that shrew of a woman. She’s y got a new boytoy not even a week after you left. Still spreading lies, calling you a slut playing-”

“-what Olivia thinks isn’t my concern.” she cut in.

The line was silent for a moment, before a sigh came through. “That’s exactly why she turned you in, you know.”

“I know.” Mary said, gaze flitting to the dreary stone ceiling. Her cousin’s face appeared in her mind’s eye, features twisted into a furiously spiteful smile. “What’s done is done.”

“She didn’t have to!” Angela hissed, the sound coming out as a crackle through the phone. “Going around, flaunting her boyfriend to her sycophants, being a spoiled little whore! And then she wonders why everyone liked you more than her! God, I wish I saw it, saw the signs-”

“Angela.”

A choked sob. “I-I just…”

Mary’s fingers twitched as her chest tightened. “You’re not going to do yourself any favors by dwelling on it.”

“Not everyone’s like you.” A sniffle. Mary imagined the smile dancing on Angela’s lips. “Some of us want to make the world pay. Especially after great wrongs.”

“And the price of trying to avenge that great wrong is more than either of us are willing to pay.”

Angela was no doubt grinding her teeth at the injustice Mary suffered. She’d managed to counsel her from trying to cause a scene before she went to UNMRAS. Olivia was there during the handover, and she’d all but laughed in Angela’s face when the cuffs were secured onto her wrists. Mary silently commended her for not giving into the temptation to shatter Olivia’s nose there and then.

“Damn you and your reason.” Angela said, no real heat in her words. “...I’ll call you again.”

“Of course. Talk to you later, Angie.”

“...Later, Mary.”

Later. Not goodbye. Never a goodbye.

The guards let her step out without so much as a grunt of affirmation. They were affable to an extent, but never too open with their sympathies. Most of them relished in calling them monsters, freaks - but there was much to be said about locking away people from the world and turning them into fodder for the war. Common sense leaves the mind when extinction is at stake - and any and all options are on the table.

One day I’ll return to your side, Mary thought, turning the words over in her head.

One of the guards outside the room held out a hand. “Dreamers are to report to their rooms by 16:00. Better get moving.”

She dipped her head in acknowledgement and went on her way, thoughts churning in her head and the familiar itch of her scars under her sleeves creeping up her arms.

---

Location: UNMRAS, Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone​

The rest of the company wasn’t much to look at, truth be told. Mary closed her eyes as she sat down.

Casey Smith was the best one could hope for in this situation - but even he was constrained by the tight leash of the bureaucracy. There was little he could do in his position. Small wonder, then, that the guards flanking him only reinforced his helplessness. The same sneers, the same wrinkled nose as if they’d smelt something particularly foul.

She exhaled sharply, and waited for the briefing to begin.

 

[Vox Angelis]

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Location: UNMRAS Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1635​

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As expected, most of the students on his checklist were attending this class, more or less by the time he had gauged. It always amazed Casey just how punctual these military folks were. Then again, if they got that from Salvatore, it should be of no surprise...

Judging by the states in which some of kids came into the classroom, it seemed they still had much to learn in the ways of being either cooperative of submissive to the normies. Not that he didn't understand the young Dreamers, but he just wished they knew what was best for their health. Seeing a kid brutalized for something they didn't chose to become always left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, but he couldn't do much about it. Well, he could actually do much more for their well-being than they hoped to do themselves, but his resources were limited still.

"Alright, now that everyone's here..." he paused, feeling the unease in the eyes of some of the students as they looked at him and towards the two guards flanking him. He swiftly spun around on his heels, facing his two guards. "Gentlemen, I believe that will be all."

A look of confusion was exchanged between the two men, contempt barely hidden towards the freak that dared give them an order. "No way, Smith. You know the rules, just suc-" one of the guard was interrupted by a sudden transmission.

"Ma'am? Y-yes, roger that."

The burly guardsman shot a malicious glare at the Dreamer. Without a word, a nod to his comrade and both of them left the room with silent furor. With a grin, Casey turned back to face his class, his smile ever-so bright. "Well, now that we're all by ourselves, let's get to the 'fun' part, shall we?"

Before he started, Casey's eyes shone of a bright blue. His powers could not be seen, but they would rather be felt. The tension in the classroom seemed to fade away. In its stead, a wave of calmness seemed to softly embrace each of the individuals sitting behind the desks. For the Hopeful students, they would feel slightly less burdened by the weight of the world. For the Nightmares, their Curse seemed to recede slowly into the dark depths of their mind, bringing clarity and peace of mind at last.

"For those I haven't met yet, I'm Casey Smith. Head of Dreamers Activities. It's just a fancy title they give me to put me into a position of responsibilities, but in reality I'm just like each and every one of you guys. It's just easier to pin the blame on someone when something goes wrong with Dreamers in general around these parts." He chuckled softly, and despite the meaning being so bittersweet, there was no ill will behind his words. If anything, it felt like he was taking the situation a bit too lightly.

"Alright, so you guys might be wondering what the heck you are doing here. Let me assure you, you're not going to be deployed, yet. I'm not gonna sugarcoat things here, there will come a time rather soonish when you will be sent on mission, because that's what we're here for. That's what we've been rounded up for, at least. But first, you'll get to know each other before heading out there. Starting today, you will be forming a new squad. Special Unit A. You will have teachers dedicated to your group, you will be training together during 'PE' periods, you will even be sharing rooms, that's if some of you can handle it."

The Dreamer opened a hand and directed it towards the folders sitting on each student's desk. "You will find requisition forms and some much needed information in there. I only ask that you guys fill in the documents requiring your attention and take notice of some new dispositions. As we speak, our wonderful team is relocating your belongings into the new rooms I've talked about earlier. "

With a cough, Casey paused briefly to take a swig of his water bottle sitting behind him on his desk. Letting out a sigh, his eyes returned to the students. "Questions? Anyone willing to take a round of introduction? Anything else?"

Spoiler: OoC

1. For requisition papers, students will get a folder with formal documents to request diverse stuff a student feels like they might need. It is documented that cooperation and good behavior raise the chances of having requests accepted, depending on their nature.
2. In another folder, students will find a card and a document explaining the nature of the card and its restrictions. The restrictions are as follow:
   • The card's allowance is $500, refilling on the first each month.
   • It can only be used in stores surrounding UNMRAS.
   • Money can't be physically withdrawn.
   • The card's allowance can be subjected to change depending on its user's will to cooperate and their behavior.
   • The card can't be used on online expenses.
3. There's another document to fill out by the students. Extracurricular classes. You can choose between culinary, music, art or computer classes. Choose one.
4. A lodging list. The following list depicts how the students are roomed:
   • Room #1: Norah Eisen and and Adelina Manuela Serrao
   • Room #2: Kyoshirou Natsume and 'Ace'
   • Room #3: Marianne Allard and Rai'Shauni Calvillo-Holmes
   • Room #4: Dewi Wijaya and Angélique Lachance
5. Finally, there are some exams on various general subjects such as mathematics, English, science and such to gauge your characters' level of education. Please just mention on which academical year your character would be.

 

[Umbran Fumbler]

Adelina Manuela Serrao
​

---

Location: UNMRAS, Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 4:35 pm​

Adelina's new friends all seemed to be varying degrees of disinterested in their current situation. Though more importantly, they also seemed to be varying degrees of injured. Two of the girls, the one with long red hair and the one in the chrome coloured hoodie, seemed well enough, but the other two were clearly not. Agent Fiendbreaker had been clutching her head in pain before resorting to a cigarette, and the other poor soul had been dumped on the classroom floor like a slab of meat on a butcher's counter. Compared to the outside world, the UNMRAS campus had been a safe haven for Adelina. Clearly, that was not the case for all of the students, and though Adelina wasn't yet strong enough to make it so, she could at least help a little.

Adelina reached into one of the pockets she'd sewed into the inside of her robe, producing a box of over-the-counter aspirin. She'd apparently already taken six of the tablets from this box, and she only had three more boxes back in her room. The idea of running low alone made her a little uneasy, but right now her new friends needed the pills more than she did.

She took a deep breath and blessed the box of painkillers with life. Four wings—one per corner—sprouted from the box, but before Adelina sent it on its special delivery, she scribbled down a couple of messages on some slips of paper from her new notepad and put them inside the box too. Under Adelina's influence, the box hovered over to Agent Fiendbreaker's desk first, plopping the note and a couple of pills—still encased in plastic—down onto the desk before doing the same for the White-Haired Individual.

Spoiler: Note for Agent Fiendbreaker

Aspirin for your headache. Let me know if you need anything else =)

Spoiler: Note for White-haired Individual

Some painkillers for... everything. At least the fall didn't ruin your suave suit!

With any luck, that'd ease their pain a little bit.

The guards left after a brief but slightly uncomfortable back-and-forth with the man at the front, and Adelina had intended to start filling in her documents once they shut the door behind them. But, having to hold her living pencil like a chopstick to avoid smushing the various clusters of eyes that she'd blessed it with was proving a difficult task. She looked up at who she presumed to be their teacher—Mr. Smith, as he revealed—about to ask for something else to write with.

But then she noticed something.

Mr. Smith's eyes were really blue. Like, really blue. Somehow, she hadn't taken any notice of just how blue his eyes were when she walked in, but now that she'd noticed, she couldn't stop noticing. They were very blue. Very very blue. And they were so much more than just blue, too.

His gaze were more calming than the stillest seas, his look more soothing than the clearest skies. But, serene as they were, there was also a deep intensity—an unmistakable ferocity—simultaneously buried in the pair of glinting, unshatterable sapphires he called eyes.

No, his eyes weren't sapphires. They were better; strong enough to keep her safe, vast enough to get her wander in forever and vivid enough to convince her that she'd never truly seen blue before.

Those shoulders were really broad too.

It was only when she felt a damp squelch on the pad of her finger did she manage to tear her eyes away from his and look down at her pencil's eyes. Her thumb was cleanly pressing onto one.

Adelina mouthed a silent sorry to her pencil before placing it down and letting it rest; the documents were probably best filled in after Mr. Smith had finished speaking, anyway.

He actually didn't say anything she hadn't expected; training and missions were exactly what Adelina had wanted out of this place. Though, what did stand out to her was Special Unit A. In the brief time she'd spent with her powers before UNMRAS tracked her down, Adelina having to act all alone definitely contributed to a significant chunk of her failings. As part of a team, things were bound to go smoother.

"I'll introduce myself!" Adelina said, springing up from her seat with a smile the moment Mr. Smith suggested a round of introductions. She stole another quick glance at his comforting eyes before turning to face her Special Unit-mates. "My name's Adelina Manuela Serrao, I'm so excited to meet you all."

Adelina glanced at her desk, quickly scooping up a pen of hers that'd wriggled onto the floor. "Since we're all going to be part of the same Special Unit, it might be best if we all share what we can do with our magic so we can plan out some double-threat tactics before we go out there." She held the pen in front of her face, the tiny little fanged mouth on top of its clicker letting out a little squeal. "In my case, I can bless any object I touch with the gift of life. I just wish I could bless them with common sense too!"

It was a joke she'd made to break the ice a few times before. It never really worked, but one day it had to earn her at least a scoff.

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

Rai'Shauni - 'Ms. Devastation''

​

Smoking in the classroom...

A high pitched ringing filled her head, deepening the young woman's scowl.

It wasn't enough that Casey was droning away and the fluorescent lights above were being a bright and buzzing bitch, now she had to deal with the after effects of getting tased by Smitty. This sucked. Rai wanted to punch something-- no blow it up. Yeah, she felt like trash anyways so why not give herself an even bigger headache but enjoy the literal explosive times it could bring. But no, she was just not up for it. Instead she pinched her nose closed and exhaled; sometimes popping her ears worked to stave off that bloody effin' ringing.

It worked. A brown hand moved up to her mouth to take another drag from her cigarette. But really she was actually covering the small smile of satisfaction. A plume of grey smoke she exhaled then instantly froze up, winding up her muscles to react like a razor-bladed spring. Monster.

No, it wasn't a monster. It was some kinda winged tiny drone. Without even moving Rai could have flicked it away with a mere thought-- which she had attempted but failed due to her supernatural powers not returning as of yet. Bummer. She reeeeeeeally wanted to see the thing splatter against the wall. But her mind was changed the moment the little flying box deployed its payload.

Only one kinda person could write like that. Only one kinda person could have ever thought to bring some kinda painkiller. Only one kinda person would ever think to make a first impression by an act of consideration and kindness. This was a gift from 'The Group-Hugger.' Ewwww. Every squad had to have one. And my gosh how Rai'Shauni hated them.

What made it worse was when she saw what the 'Group-Hugger' was holding. How disgusting. The other young woman held a pencil in her hand teeming with squishy, wet eyeballs. Like for real tho, who does that? Not only that, but she was about to pop one of the eyes open like a rotten grape. Rai grimaced but continued to watch. Thankfully Group-Hugger adjusted her grip upon the eye-laden writing implement.

Rai wondered if Group-Hugger had the same kinda... 'affliction' just like her pencil but strewn across her body. Too bad because she was rather pretty despite having other well hidden 'fleshy accessories' crawling all over her figure. So yes, Rai was a bitch, but she was not an ungrateful bitch.

Blue eyes caught the gaze of the gift-giving girl. A slow nod and a tip of the hat Rai bestowed her as she dry swallowed the painkillers.

---

Yeah she had seen these papers before and just like before she had to shake her head at the prospect of receiving only 500 bucks as a living allowance. Hell she must've had at least 10x that at her disposal even laying low and going incognito. The scent of burnt paper and a dark plume of smoke wafted from her desk as she butted out her cigarette upon the page that denoted their allowance and stipulations to keep such a paltry, pissant amount. That AND they didn't even recognize her as 'Agent Fiendbreaker' anywhere on her docs. A jet of digusted air she exhaled and continued on through the rest of the dossier.

Culinary, Music, Art or Computers. Great. All trash choices. Not a single one was she even remotely interested in. Rai took her pen and drew a line through all the choices... but she had 'accidentally' marked off Music. By accident. These were all trash choices afterall so quickly she moved onto the exams. Done and done. Rai was homeschooled but had achieved the equivalent of possibly 1st yr college due to Mama, her sister Poli, and of course all her aunts, targeting her studies. Gosh how she missed them soooooo much-- noting that her face lost its familiar scowl, she promptly scowled and flexed her big muscles. 'No weakness here. Just move on or get removed,' said her body language.

Just then she glanced over at the list of pairings for the dorm rooms. Marianne Allard? Without moving her head she glanced around the room to see who this 'Marianne' could be. As blue eyes peered at the others, Group-hugger bascally bounced out of her seat, the glory of rainbows and angel's song nearly accompanying that wretched smile. Yuck.

"I'll introduce myself!"

Rai dipped her chestnut-haired head low, her chin even lower. Neath her breath: "Please. Mother, please. Don't say your name is Marianne, please for the love of all things holy do NOT say your name is Marianne--"

"My name's Adelina Manuela Serrao, I'm so excited to meet you all."

Rai exhaled a long sigh of relief. She even added a small triumphant fist pump at her hips. A smile she hid with her other hand; she had just dodged a very painful and annoying bullet. Group-Hugger's little bulbousy pencil trying to wriggle away and the little joke at the end proved it. And all of it earned a scoff from Rai as well.

"Rai'Shauni Calvillo-Holmes, Nightmare," said the tattooed, brown skinned, and very muscular woman loudly and perhaps outta turn. But she made sure to pronounce her Mama's proud surname with the proper Latin sound; 'Cah-vee-yo.' She pulled up her hat's brim so the others could see her face now.

"I use my mind to break things and harm unfriendlies until they are dead. I am fast, strong and have a reaction speed quicker than a cat. I have a very bad attitude and I don't like to talk. But when I do, I get to the point; you should do the same.

"I am the squadmate you will hate to love but will love to have when we are out there on the field. Some people call me; Ms. Devastation. I am a missile, a wrecking ball, an uncomproming force out there and things will get hit and hit very, very, very hard on your behalf when I'm around. Know that I'm not a good person, but I am a great teammate. Betray me, betray the squad and you will find out. I suggest against such things; do not become an unfriendly to me."

---

 

[Nellancholy]

Location: UNMRAS Wing Z, San Francisco - Safe Zone
Time: 1640...ish?​

Norah kept herself scarce at first, as the rest of the newest batch of Dreamers filed in, several somehow managing to be slower than her. Or, not that much of a surprise really.

A couple had to be more or less dragged in, insensate from the effects of their anklets. She felt just a little sorry for them, though she appreciated the example they demonstrated of what apparently would happen if she pushed back just a little more against the guards.

Maybe the day would come when she actually had to risk it. The day something would be worth risking that for.

But in the meantime, she slouched in her seat and listened to Mr. Smith. She figured if she was going to be here for a while, she may as well get the lay of the land.

And as it turned out, she really didn't like what she heard.

"Oh, of course, Mr. Smith. You people didn't bring us here to give us a chance at a nice clean life, or whatever you think a proper education is." Her tone was just a little colder than usual, and not nearly as sarcastic as she could make it. "You just wanted some lucky dreamers you could force into playing soldier boy for you. Well, I'm on board. I'll just make sure you all pay for it, 500 dollars at a time. Can I requisition my freedom? A little personal space?"

Dissatisfied, she shifted in her chair.

"In my case, I can bless any object I touch with the gift of life. I just wish I could bless them with common sense too!"

"Guess if you could, that'd be a power worth blessing yourself with, right Ms. Serrie?" She chuckled. "Well, you people can just call me Norah. I'm not here to be your specimen, or anyone else's." She chose to keep everyone present guessing, though she figured Mr. Smith and whoever pulled his strings knew the details. "All you need to know is that my dream told me I could outdraw and outrun anyone in this room, so anyone who wants to get hands-on with me shouldn't bother trying." Here she gave Rai'Shauni a little wink. "Don't worry, I'll keep myself pointed at the bad guys. For now."

---

Despite her abrasiveness, Norah cooperated with the form-filling, noting down the computer elective. Maybe she'd finally figure out one of those things.

Her answers to the tests seemed to put her at about the equivalent of a United States 7th grader, or at least that's the impression she wanted to give.

Vox Angelis BuggaBoo Umbran Fumbler

 

[blankcanvas]

Location: UNMRAS classroom​

‘I spy with my little eye…’

‘Oh for fucks sake Xian, for the last time, there was never a game called Eye-Spy. Not in your time, or my time, or any other time!’

‘Look look! The room is fillllllllllllllllllllllllllllled with different fleshbags! And ooh, they feel different from the usual~’

Ace awoke with a loud groan, their head throbbing from a bothersome migraine that seemed to have settled right at the center of their skull. The relentless pounding was only made worse by the incessant white noise that seeped in through their ears. They could feel every beat of the pounding headache, like a drum being played directly on their brain. The room felt too bright, too loud, too overwhelming. Every sound felt like a needle piercing their brain, making it nearly impossible to find any relief or respite.

‘This is our territory, get out and go haunt a different section.’

‘No, you!’

The white-haired individual murmured something inaudible before slamming their forehead against the flat surface of the desk.

‘Drama queen much?’

‘I know, right? Some people are so insensitive…’

‘Oh, it’s that man we saw earlier, and it looks like he’s talking about something.’

‘Look, it’s some kind of flying paper!’

The relentless bombardment of voices swirling through Ace's mind was like a chaotic symphony, each one vying for attention and drowning out any coherent thoughts. They were so used to the constant chatter that they barely registered the comments directed at them, completely missing the note that was addressed to them. Lost and disoriented, they had no idea where they were or why they were here, but exhaustion and weariness weighed heavily on their body. All they could think about was finding a place to rest and shut out the relentless voices for a brief moment.

‘Excuse me, but it looks like they are taking turns doing something?’

‘Shut it Sebastian, nobody cares, go get me some food.’

‘B-but we aren’t-’

‘Oh oh! We’re in a classroom and these fleshie things are doing some kind of introduction~’

Ace finally decided to raise their head and take a look around the room. The usual sight greeted their eyes - faceless heads attached to mis-shaped bodies that were mostly sentient. Of course, there was the obligatory amalgamation of letters that each of these individuals would insist was their unique identifier.

Ace didn’t care a single bit.

‘Oh oh! It looks like people are looking around, so it’s my turn, alright? No arguments!’

With a surge of adrenaline, Ace sprang up from their seat and landed gracefully on top of the desk. Their choppy bangs were swept to the side, revealing a mischievous twinkle in their eye and a sly grin that curled at the corner of their lips. They elegantly bowed, their body language conveying a sense of confidence and charm.

“Greetings, mortals! We are the bringer of peace, saviours of the world, and the one who shall bring salvation to thy soul. We are-”

The white-haired student's face twisted in agony as they clutched their head with trembling hands. A few dry heaves escaped their lips before their body went completely limp and slumped to the ground, a chilling silence replacing the commotion just moments ago. Suddenly, Ace let out a sharp cry and began wailing, their voice echoing through the room like a siren.

“You told me it was my turn! Stop being unfair, you always do this! Stop trying to-!”

Then, it all stopped in an instant. Ace blinked a few times as they slowly got down from the desk and buried their head upon the desk again.