• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Fantasy ＩＭＰＥＲＩＵＭ

Characters
Here
Lore
Here
Other
Here
liv eione
time of day: sunset —location: auster division
Dusk was falling, draping the sky above them in a soft curtain of encroaching darkness, but it didn’t seem to affect the crowded, still-bustling alleyways of Lutum. Weaving through the swell of people and mopeds, a lanky young woman paused at a lantern-lit stall, briefly inspecting the wares of dried fruit--but the shopkeeper was soon to be disappointed as she smiled apologetically and stepped back into the stream of people, melting into the crowd. Hiding a scowl, the portly shopkeeper rubbed her weathered hands over her sore shoulders, the thought of the girl already having slipped her mind as just another faceless passerby.

Indeed, no one would’ve looked at her twice, especially not in the busy crowd. As the young woman turned the corner, leaving behind the stalls and into what was technically a residential area, she became someone of a little more note, if only because of the lack of others around her. A too-big jacket was hanging off her frame, gathered up as the temperatures began to dip along with the sun, her black-brown hair haphazardly gathered into a ponytail that had become somewhat lopsided throughout the day. A threadbare canvas bag was slung across one shoulder, weighed down by the purchases she’d already made: a handful of vegetables, some dried mushrooms, a satchel of tea, and a pack of cigarettes. She was perfectly mundane, from the way she was dressed to the way she walked, one more weary resident of Lutum.

Of course, that was the whole point--to blend in. It would’ve been a shame if she couldn’t manage that after a whole month of deployment. There had been no way to tell when she would make contact with the targets, so she had made a point of going out and about every single day, walking through the grimy streets of Lutum to get a sense of the stink that she was meant to be emanating. If one observed carefully enough, one could mimic--and once one could mimic, the rest was just practice. Luckily for her, she’d always been the tireless sort. It had served her well as a child, it had served her better as a trainee, and she intended for it to serve her even better on this mission. Mediocrity had never been an option, but for this operation, she wouldn’t accept anything short of flawless, and neither would the Spectare Primo.

Though she supposed she was thankful for the time to do the proper amount of recon and getting used to the layout of Lutum and its divisions, she had to admit that a part of her patience was beginning to wear thin. With such an important mission riding on her successful integration into the rebel group known as the Gryphus, there was not much she could get done until she had been recruited--and therein lay the issue. She had focused her activities and presence in the divisions bordering the desert: Caurus, Favonius, Auster, and still hadn’t sighted anything that might give her a lead on pinpointing their movements. A week longer, and she figured she would have to start taking some drastic action…

But it was right in that moment, as she mulled over her options, that Lady Luck finally smiled at her. In the fading light, the figure of a young man hurried by the mouth of the alley before her--and as he looked about, as if checking to see if he was being followed, she caught sight of his features. It’d just been for a fleeting moment, but it was enough--she recognized him. Oh, there’d been pictures, multiple profiles lined up that she’d drilled into her memory. He’d been among them, a face in a series of grainy shots, but it wasn’t those vague pictures that made her so certain of his identity. No, it was because she’d seen it before--the light in his eyes, the set of his brow--replicated on a sharper, female face, drawn and soaked with effort and rage. This likeness was closer than any photo they could’ve given her, and her heart leapt at the sight, even as the rest of her body steadied, the same calm that came over her when she had a target in her crosshairs. She shouldered her tote a bit more securely, her steps quickening with purpose as she turned and followed the figure, careful to maintain distance.

A breeze swept past her, revealing her small, humorless smile to the dying sun. The hunt was on.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Sunset -- Location: Auster Division -- Interactions: Mr. Flynn
The sun hung low above the horizon, slowly inching towards the blanket of desert dunes. It had been a quiet day in the desert, the sands ever shifting with the winds. A brief glance at the open beige dunes would make one think that it was just an empty, desolate land, uninhabitable and uninviting. Below the surface, however, an engine roared through the underground tunnel, built by the hands of his father before him. A black moped sprinted towards the city of Lutum. It's driver's shoulders were tense, knuckles clenching the handlebars until they turned white. Underneath his helmet, his light brown eyes were narrowed with conviction and rage. He had only one target on his mind, only one thing mattered in the entire world right now: revenge.

Remy almost wished he had traumatic memories to look back on- a sound clip of her screaming as she was pulled away, or the look of panic in her eyes, or the mysterious dark figures dragging her into the car. Anything. Any moment to hang all his feelings onto. Instead, all he had was disappearance. One minute she was there, telling him to be careful on his dirt bike, and the next, she just vanished into thin air, like a specter. Maybe he couldn't get her back, but he could punish the man who betrayed them: their old neighbor, Mr. Flynn. He had always been a quiet old man, minding his own business yet bringing them cakes every year on Novus Dies. Remy was surprised the man harbored such weakness inside him.

He finally reached the Auster exitpoint into Lutum, leading him into an area behind an abandoned warehouse. He joined the congested urban traffic where hundreds of other mopeds zoomed back and forth in a tangled cobweb of engines and lights. He had purposely worn a full helmet this time to cover his entire face. As Remy knew he wasn't supposed to be back in the Auster neighborhood where he first grew up, he was afraid another Griffin would recognize him. Even though he was leader now, he knew he had to follow the rules too, or at least give off the appearance that he did.

It had been more than a decade since he returned to the old neighborhood where he spent the first 9 years of his life. There were not only more houses and businesses, but the people seemed sadder and more broken down. He noticed more military patrols in the area, marked by their fancy black motorcycles with unnecessarily huge engines. The soldiers themselves were dressed in black gear, black guns, and black helmets to match their black souls. Their seemed to be an invisible shield between each patrol and the rest of the city, the people naturally keeping their distance and leaving a few feet of space when walking by them.

Remy parked and locked his moped to a fence about half a mile away from his old house and decided to walk the rest of the way. The tiny hairs along his spine automatically started tingling with apprehension as he walked past a few military patrols. Their black gear brought back memories of his mother storming into their shop, saving his father from his impending arrest, as she was pulled away in his place.

Finally, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, he stood in front of his old house, staring up at the now abandoned structure. He remembered running up and down these streets, playing with Rhea and the neighborhood kids. He and his sister would inevitably lose track of time and get yelled at by their mother to eat dinner before the food got cold. As they ran back, they would stop to greet their father as he rode home on his moped every day from the shop.

His eyes fell. It was just him now.

And it was all Flynn's fault. His gaze shifted over to the adjacent structure where he saw the lights on inside. Rage boiled inside him and he felt his body shoot towards the house. His knuckles pounded on the door, his heart pounding even louder. Just as he was about to knock again, the door creaked open. An old, wrinkled face appeared behind the door but it was certainly him- just skinnier and weaker. Mr. Flynn's eyes first widened in recognition then fear when he realized why Remy was here. He attempted to swiftly close the door but Remy was faster, sticking his foot into the crack.

"How could you?" He felt like his eyes were going to sear lasers into the man.

Mr. Flynn was frozen, staring up at Remy.

"How COULD you?" Remy repeated, louder.

"I-I didn't know it was going to be her!" He protested.

"Bullshit." Remy felt the angry waves inside him start to churn. The surging river traveled from the core of his stomach down his arms and to his hands. He froze the water emerging from his palm and a sharp icicle appeared in his right hand.

Mr. Flynn's eyes filled with panic when he noticed the icicle, looking past the Aqua Prodigium's shoulders to see if there were any military patrols nearby. They lived in an era now where the black soldiers deserved more fear than anything Remy could possibly do to him. "I'm telling the truth! P-Please, you have to understand. Things have changed since you and your family left. You have no idea how much worse it's gotten."

"What family? They're all gone now, thanks to you." Remy was about to stab the man's hand against the door with his icicle when a movement behind him caught his eye.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: sunset --- location: auster division --- interactions: remy
It wasn’t difficult to shadow the young man, as on edge as he seemed to be. Though he seemed to be on the lookout, likely for the military patrols that prowled the streets, a lone girl coming home from running errands didn’t fit the bill for what he should be afraid of. Of course, it was just the contrary--she was exactly who he should’ve been wary of. She paused at a corner, leaning against the cracked concrete of a building as she peered discreetly down the alley. He was standing still in front of a silent, run-down house, staring hard at the thing as if he could see through the walls.

As she continued to watch, he turned, shifting his gaze to the building next door, with a light shining through the grime-speckled windows. It didn’t take long for him to storm over towards the light, gait brisk and angry, his knuckles rapping loudly against the door; it opened, revealing a shriveled figure, and though she could not make out most of the exchange, it wasn’t hard to pick out the anger ringing in his voice. As she strained to make out the words, her mind working busily on a course of action, she suddenly picked up on something else--the faint sound of boots in the distance.

She thrust her hand into her bag, pretending to rummage through it as she glanced over her shoulder. There, in the distance, she caught sight of something that most Prodigiums would dread--two suits of shiny black armor marching up, far behind her in the alley. This was either bad timing, or perfect timing...if she could use it to her advantage.

With one hand, she yanked the hood of her jacket over her head, while with the other she drew out a small object from her bag--one of the dried mushrooms. The two patrols didn’t seem to take particular notice of her yet, but she was about to give them a reason. Without hesitation, she hurled it down the alley towards the two patrols, and in the moment the dried mushroom left her fingertips it burst into bright flames. It landed halfway down the alley, a smoldering, glowing ember, a wordless gauntlet. The patrols’ gazes went immediately from the burning mushroom to the slight figure standing at the shadowy end of the alley, and in that very instant, she broke into a run. The two patrols followed, of course, but there’d already been quite a distance between them, and she wasn’t wearing body armor.

The young woman sprinted down the residential alley, coming to an abrupt stop at the defunct gate that obviously didn't keep unwanted visitors away. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect; he stood there with a menacing icicle protruding from his hand, poised to strike at the old man cowering in the doorway. “Hey, I don’t know what your deal is, but if you don’t want to lose your hands, you better book it,” she hissed urgently. The sound of footsteps echoed in the alleyway, and she turned to look as at long last, the two military patrols made their debut; they closed in swiftly, yelling out their typical lines. “C’mon, this way!” she gestured frantically to him, turning to break into another run.
 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Sunset -- Location: Auster Division (near Favonius border) -- Interactions: The young woman
Remy's angry trance shattered and the world broke through to him like the sharp icicle in his hand. He quickly swiveled around and saw a young woman, donning a hooded, oversized jacket that flapped in the wind as she ran down the street. His gaze briefly met hers before it traveled past her and spotted the two military soldiers. Clad in their typical black armor, they ran towards them, no doubt chasing the woman and closing the distance between them with every step.

He instantly dropped the icicle in his hand and let it melt into the warm ground, becoming a dark puddle within seconds. "C'mon, this way!" The woman called to him before running towards the end of the street.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he instantly ran after her. He heard the door slam shut behind him as Mr. Flynn quickly hid himself from the incoming military soldiers. A deep sense of guilt flooded him as he ran through the streets, catching up to the woman. He could've gotten caught and jeopardized the entire Gryphus mission. He was supposed to be their leader for Lux's sake, someone they could look up to. Instead, he was sneaking back to memory lane, threatening his old neighbor, and using magic of all things. Shame invited itself in and sat down next to Guilt as he thought about what he would've done had the woman not come. Would he have seriously hurt Mr. Flynn? Killed him, even? He had to believe that he wouldn't have, that he was above vengeance. But deep down, he wasn't so sure.

Although it had been years since he was back in this neighborhood, the twists and turns of the streets still felt familiar. As they came upon the mouth of another alleyway, he took a sharp turn into the dark gap between two looming buildings. "Over here!" Remy called towards the woman. At the very end of the alley was a tall fence with a few wooden crates stacked on top of each other into makeshift stairs. "Climb up the crates and jump over to the other side," he told her. "Hurry!" He could hear the rattling of their armor and the heavy footsteps of the soldiers growing louder. He turned his head to watch the alley entrance to see how much distance they had.

By the time he looked back, the young woman was already on the other side. Remy was impressed by her stealthy agility- this was obviously not her first time being chased through the streets. He climbed up the crates and when he got to the top, he turned around and sat up on the fence. Just as the military men appeared in the alleyway, he gave the crates a hard kick and they came crashing down to the ground, removing any possibility of climbing over the fence. Remy swiveled around and jumped down on the other side, the impact shooting painfully up both his legs.

"Get back here!" The soldiers yelled at them, running towards the fence but having no way to climb over.

He jogged a few more blocks towards the Favonius division to make sure they had really lost the soldiers before he slowed his pace to a walk. Even though he was sweating from the run and his body was heating up, he kept his black jacket on, not wanting to reveal his Prod's Mark to passing bystanders and patrols. Remy's light brown eyes turned onto the woman walking beside him. "So what did you do to have them chasing you like that?" He asked, noticing the freckles on her cheek and the way they complemented her lighter skin in the dimming light.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: sunset --- location: auster division (near border of favonius) --- interactions: remy
The alleys were narrow and cramped as the two fled from their pursuers, but it appeared, somewhat predictably, that the young renegade was rather experienced at running away. He soon overtook her with his longer gait, but she was hardly one to be bested so quickly; she chased after him, hot on his heels as he turned abruptly into another part of the sprawling maze that was Lutum. “Over here!” he called to her, pointing out the crates stacked up against the tall fence. “Climb up the crates and jump over to the other side. Hurry!” he urged her, and she didn’t need to be told twice. Rushing to the end of the alley, the young woman dashed up the unsteady makeshift staircase without an ounce of hesitation, vaulting herself up and over the fence. She landed on her feet with surprising ease, immediately scuttling back away from the fence in preparation for him to follow. It didn’t take long for him to clamber up the crates, but he remained perched on the fence instead of joining her on the other side.

“What’re you waiting for? Let’s go,” she whispered sharply, her body already turned halfway towards the street. The answer came swiftly as the sound of footsteps closed in--with a forceful kick and a terrific ruckus, the crates tumbled down, destroying the staircase. A clever move, she had to admit, but the ghost of a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth was gone by the time the young man leapt down from the edge of the fence.

The patrols stuck at the dead end demanded furiously for their return, to no avail: uttering a laugh--half-glee, half-relief--she turned, making her escape along with her target. Neither of them stopped nor let their guard down until they were good ways away from the neighborhood they’d fled, and as their pace slowed down to a brisk but inconspicuous walk, she blew out a breath, pulling the hood down and away from her face. Now they looked quite mundane all over again, two youngsters walking down a street--a common sight, to say the least. She felt his gaze land on her and she tilted her head to meet his eyes.

“So what did you do to have them chasing you like that?” he asked, and she could see a spark of curiosity there, much to her satisfaction.

“Nothing that merited that chase, honestly,” she remarked dismissively. She soon relented, however, smiling wryly. “I was going through the food stalls, and a kid must’ve knocked some cooking oil into the burner, ‘cause...” she gestured, spreading her fingers wide to simulate an exploding fire. “It wasn’t even that bad, just part of the stall, but I guess I wasn’t thinking. Kid was right next to it.” She shrugged, recounting the tale with a matter-of-fact demeanor that gave off the impression that this incident wasn’t anything special. “I reacted, and of course, with my luck, patrols just happened to be strolling by, and ah--well, here we are.”

Nothing spectacular, but certainly a benign, almost noble reason to be breaking the rules, if not for the fact that this was all a fabrication. Still, it was a plausible occurrence, as she had witnessed a similar accident just the week prior; the fire had been quickly smothered out by the stall owner and a few bystanders. The trick to telling a believable lie was always to insert a bit of truth into it, though she’d never had trouble with getting away with blatant ones.

“And you?” she turned to him, her eyebrows arching almost playfully. “What’s your excuse?”

 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Sunset -- Location: Auster Division (near Favonius border) -- Interactions: The young woman
Remy's gaze shifted from the rundown buildings where people made their homes to the congested moped traffic all around them to the pairs of people walking home before it got dark. If there was one unspoken rule most people followed, it was that Lutum turned into a different city at night, more dangerous and unpredictable, and no one wanted to be caught in the dark alone.

He listened to the young woman speak about her incident with the stall catching on fire as they walked. When she mentioned that she reacted, Remy turned his eyes onto his walking companion with a new interest. He was curious now to see if she was an Aqua Prodigium like himself or if she were an Ignis Prodigium and dissipated the fire itself. "So did you throw water on it or did you... put out the fire?" he asked innocently, alluding to the use of magic in a way so that any passing eavesdroppers wouldn't detect any suspicious language. It was a rather innocuous question after all.

When she turned the question back on him, he looked away and a darker look passed over his face. He knew she was referring to the icicle she most likely saw in his hand when she first ran past him. "I was... seeking revenge, you could say," Remy responded slowly, choosing his words carefully. "It was an impulsive mistake," he added, guilt creeping into this voice. He focused his gaze straight ahead as they walked, his mind flashing back to Mr. Flynn's face in the doorway and the violent rage that had overcome him.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: sunset --- location: auster division (near border of favonius) --- interactions: remy
It appeared that her little story had done the trick. His curiosity seemed to light up his eyes, and she met them with a humorous look as he rephrased the actual question he wanted to ask. “I may have convinced the fire that we were on the same side,” she replied, the lilting tone of her voice making it sound like a joke. She knew he would catch on easily to the fact that she was answering that she was an Ignis Prodigium. Indeed, the element that had manifested from within her core had been fire--something she didn’t quite understand, but one didn’t have to understand why to get a job done. If she had latched onto that question, she wouldn’t be able to survive a day in her current occupation. No, that wasn’t her place: a weapon didn’t question how it was used. Even now, she didn’t know the wider reason for why she was to infiltrate the Gryphus--all she needed to know was that she had to.

Unlike her, his answer to her own question wasn’t so nonchalant or jovial. “Revenge,” she echoed quietly, as if she was chewing on the word. “I see.” Her reaction was calm, non-judgmental. After all, the girl she was meant to be would understand that motivation quite well. Going by his dark expression, however, it appeared that he wasn't angry about losing his chance.

“It was an impulsive mistake,” he admitted, confirming her suspicions. In fact, he looked positively guilt-ridden--a perfect opening.

“Hmmm. Well, then maybe it’s a good thing I ruined your moment,” she remarked lightly, giving him a smile. “I mean, I was beginning to think I’d have to apologize.” She added a rueful chuckle, casually stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she looked ahead at the darkening streets sprawling out in front of them.

However, it wasn’t long before she looked towards the young man again, the same curious light that had been in his eyes now reflected in her own gaze. “I’m Liv, by the way,” she started, offering him a hand to shake, then paused. “It’s Livia, actually, but only my grandma calls me that,” she rolled her eyes, but the way her lips tugged into a smile indicated fondness. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?” she went on, as if she didn’t already have the names of his entire family memorized.

 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Sunset -- Location: Auster Division (near Favonius border) -- Interactions: The young woman
So she's an Ignis Prodigium, Remy thought to himself when the woman said she had convinced the fire to dissipate. Based on their very short interaction together, he could already see the fiery spark in her eyes and the way she moved, the flames enveloping her into their warm embrace. Although Prodigium were able to deliberately choose which element to specialize in, he believed that it was the element that chose the user. Of course, Remy had gone against the grain when his father, his role model, and the great Gryphus founder, had asked him to pursue Aqua magic due to their shortage of Aqua Prodigium at the time. But how could he say no? Especially after Caliban, his old teacher who he felt nothing but fondness for, had raved about him so hard after that fiery day.

"And are you very experienced in this particular art of persuasion?" Remy asked, trying to gauge how frequently she turned to magic in her daily life. From her story about the stall catching on fire, he could already tell that she sometimes used her powers to help others, assuming she was telling him the truth, that is. Around these parts, it was often difficult to trust strangers, as anyone could be duplicitous if they tried. Having lived in a small, tight-knit community of renegades his whole life, Remy was especially secluded from how harsh and distrusting people had grown in Lutum over the years. However, he had a good feeling about the woman in front of him. And if she did prove to have ulterior, dangerous motives, Cleo would certainly catch her. She didn't let anyone fall through the cracks.

"Hmmm. Well, then maybe it’s a good thing I ruined your moment. I mean, I was beginning to think I’d have to apologize," the woman joked.

"You certainly did me a favor. Perhaps I'm the one who has to thank you," Remy replied with a smile, meeting her dark brown eyes.

"I'm Remy." He reached out his hand to shake hers then put them back into his pockets. "Remus is the full name, but no one really calls me that anymore," he added, thinking back on the times his parents would angrily shout his full name after he had done something mischievous. "Livia is totally a grandma name," he joked. "Although a grandma certainly couldn't have tumbled up those crates like you did," he commented with curiosity in his voice, wondering how she had learned to be so agile.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: sunset --- location: auster division (near border of favonius) --- interactions: remy
“I would hope so, with the amount of effort I’ve put into it,” she pulled a quick face, rubbing a hand gingerly over one sleeve. He couldn’t see them, but the traces of just how much effort she’d put into mastering this ‘particular art of persuasion’ were littered all over both of her arms. The first burns had been painful, of course, but reburning the same area was far worse, which became all too frequent. It couldn’t be helped, not with the amount of time she’d had; ten weeks, she’d been told the very day she had been cleared as physically fit. Even the best medical care Imperium had to offer wasn’t much help when there was no time for recovery between repeated injuries.

Her arms were far from a pretty sight now, and she knew they would never be smooth or unmarked. In fact, she doubted that the parts where she had lost feeling would ever return. These, however, were expected sacrifices, ones that did not weigh on her for even a moment. Anything and everything for a mission--that was what a perfect specter did, especially for a mission of this caliber. Of course, it was far too early to make any assumptions, but so far, it seemed that her gambit was working. Her target seemed to be quite intrigued by her, perhaps even warming up to her in the light of her good-natured joking.

This role of hers--charming, good-natured, level-headed--wasn’t difficult to slip into. From the very beginning of her life, she’d been directed to playact a desirable character. By now, it was all-too-simple to don a role like an outfit, especially when much of it was based off of someone she’d known for more than half of her life. “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far,” she waved off his assertion that perhaps he ought to be the one to thank her. “I interrupted your moment, you got the patrols off my back--we’ll call it even,” she mirrored his smile readily, her eyes harboring a ready twinkle.

As he took her hand, she shook it with a firm grip, not once letting her gaze fall from his. His skin was a bit cooler to the touch, but she knew that wasn’t any fault of his; rather, it was her own body temperature that had grown abnormally warm over those ten weeks. “Nice to meet you, Remy,” she returned amiably, also tucking her hand back into her pocket afterwards.

“Livia is totally a grandma name,” Remy joked, and at once, she let out a short bark of a laugh.

“Oh, like Remus is so much better?” she threw back, grinning, and she knew that if anyone cared to look over right this moment, they wouldn’t have thought that the two youngsters were merely strangers.

“Although a grandma certainly couldn’t have tumbled up those crates like you did,” he remarked. He'd noticed, it seemed.

“Ah, well, the patrol boys are awfully fond of me,” the young woman answered nonchalantly, “It’s not the first time we’ve had a...misunderstanding, so to speak.” She quirked her brows knowingly at him. “And I’m sure you’d agree, growing up in Lutum is a lot easier if you’re quick.” While it certainly couldn’t hold a candle to the strict regimen employed in the academy, she’d seen how things turned in the underbelly of Lutum. There were many survival skills one could pick up just from living in a particularly rough part of this district, and it would be true of the girl who was meant to be Livia Eione. “Speaking of which, do you live around here? We’ll be coming up to my area soon--it’s right on the other side of the border,” she mentioned casually, tilting her chin in the general direction of where she was living with her ‘grandma.’

 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Evening -- Location: Auster Division (near Favonius border) -- Interactions: Liv
“I would hope so, with the amount of effort I’ve put into it,” Liv answered.

"Well hard work certainly pays off," he replied. "Still, be careful. I'm sure you want to keep all your limbs intact," he cautioned her instinctively, remembering how one of the most extreme effects of overusing Ignis magic was burning away one's limbs. Remy noticed her rub a hand along her forearm, currently covered by her oversized jacket. He wondered if she was hiding her Prod's Mark like he was or if her arms were decorated by the classic fiery scars of a hardworking Ignis Prodigium. He remembered Caliban's forearms donned quite a few burns and scars from all his years of training. His teacher often used his own arms as examples to his students on practicing caution when using magic. Although, given that their prior leader was quite literally a stone statue, Gryphus did not lack examples on the extreme consequences of overusing their powers. Still, Remy always admired a dedicated soul to the art of magic and he was beginning to think that Liv may be a good fit for Gryphus. He made a mental note to talk to Cleo about her when he got back.

Liv stated that they were even, given that she had halted his vengeful moment and he had gotten the patrols off her back. "A truce it is," Remy agreed, feeling drawn to her dark brown pools of eyes. "Although if I have to save your ass again, you owe me beers," he teased her.

Remy let out a loud chuckle when she made fun of how his full name sounded very much like an old-person name. "Can't argue with you there."

As he commented on how agile she was, Liv raised her eyebrows knowingly at him and mentioned how this wasn't her first run-in with the patrols. He could tell she had figured out all the ins and outs of escaping from patrols, and probably had a whole toolbox of tricks up her sleeve. Remy thought back to all the residents he saw running away from military patrols in his neighborhood when he was growing up. Some were ultimately tackled to the ground because they weren't quick, agile, nor smart enough. "It's a tough world. You either have to be the patrols or you have to be fast and smart enough to escape," he agreed. "Well it's a good thing those patrol snails don't stand a chance against us," he commented cockily.

As they walked and conversed, the Gryphus leader thought about how nice it was to speak to someone who didn't know who he really was for a change. All the pressure he felt to lead in the footsteps of his headstrong sister and courageous father was suspended momentarily. Any expectations he felt from the Circle and the other Griffins on a daily basis were washed from his mind for the first time in months as he walked with this intriguing young woman into the dimming sunlight.

Finally, as they neared the border with Favonius, Remy realized how far they had walked and how dark it was starting to get. "Speaking of which, do you live around here? We’ll be coming up to my area soon--it’s right on the other side of the border,” Liv asked him.

"I actually parked my moped closer to where you first found me. Those military patrols made me take a long detour," he replied. "I did grow up in that area though, but not anymore. Nowadays I live closer to the desert," he added, throwing in a half-truth.

"I'll probably just take a taxi back to get my moped," he said as they came upon a group of mustard yellow mopeds with the word TAXI printed on both sides. "You gonna be alright getting back alone?" Remy asked her, wanting to make sure she was safe. As it was getting dark, this city was certainly not the place to be caught out alone at night.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: auster division to home --- interactions: remy, grandma & her friends
“A truce it is,” he ceded amiably, but his tone quickly turned to something mischievous. “Although if I have to save your ass again, you owe me beers.”

“Oh, that’s only if I don’t save your ass first,” she teased back. They were hitting a good stride in their banter, much to her delight. It was hard to say if he trusted her--well, as much as one could trust a stranger off the street--but she could tell that he didn’t mind her company. She might even venture to say that he was enjoying it. As he made a confident comment about how the ‘patrol snails’ didn’t stand a chance against them, she smirked in agreement, playing along with the feeling of youthful invincibility. Pride before the fall, Magister Scylla always used to caution them. She’d never needed such a reminder--the fall, after all, was perhaps the single thing she feared in the world.

With that on her mind, she couldn’t help but grimace as he told her that he’d parked his moped by the neighborhood where they’d met. “Watch your back when you grab it,” she cautioned, and the grim concern in her voice didn’t need to be faked much. Things were in a good place right now--he was even telling her that he lived by the desert, only a step away from the truth, and all of that would go straight down the drain if he got collared by the patrol and got his hands lopped off.

They came to a pause in their stride near the familiar sight of yellow mopeds, each boasting their professions in big bold text, and the drivers lounging nearby instantly perked up at the sight of potential customers. “I’ll probably take a taxi back to my moped,” he said, likely to the drivers’ delight.

“Yeah, that might be best, it’s a bit of a walk and it’s getting dark,” she agreed, drawing her jacket more snugly around herself.

“You gonna be alright getting back alone?” he asked, and she laughed. What a gentleman! A part of her wondered what kind of face her ‘grandma’ would make if she recognized who he was, but these things took time.

“I’ll be fine, we’re practically in my neighborhood now,” she replied, smiling. “Besides, I can handle myself. They don’t stand a chance, remember?” Still meeting his gaze, she took a few steps backwards, headed towards the border. “Anyways, it’s been real, Remy. Catch you next time I’m running from the snails.” With one last playful smile and a wave, she turned and strode off, disappearing into the gloom like a shadow.

When she reached the cramped neighborhood that she had moved into a month prior, the streets had grown dark. It certainly wasn’t a place for anyone to be walking about alone, but the young woman wasn’t ill-at-ease as she made her way up the cracked concrete steps that led to a worn flat. She noted that there were two extra pairs of sun-bleached slippers on the poor excuse for a welcome mat outside their door; they had guests. Letting herself in, she locked the door behind her as she stepped into the smoke-filled den. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, but it was something she’d have to put up with for the time being. “I’m home!” she called as she struggled out of her boots, and the answering call came from the interior of the brightly lit kitchen.

“You’re late!” the familiar voice came, scolding. “I was getting worried.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she called back, picking up her bag and reaching the kitchen, where three older women sat with their cards and cheap cigarettes. “Hello, Mrs. Corinna, Mrs. Marcius,” she greeted the guests, both looking like peas in a pod with the woman who she called ‘grandma’ with their permed graying hair.

“Welcome back, sweetheart,” they cooed in unison. They both lived in the same neighbourhood as them, and it wasn’t at all uncommon for them to stop by and play cards while smoking and gossiping. Her ‘grandma,’ who was going by Placida Eione, had made fast friends with the two women when they had moved in, telling them of their life on the far opposite end of Favonius and all about the hardships the grandmother and granddaughter had endured. Mrs. Corinna and Mrs. Marcius were eager to hear her stories, but even more eager to tell their own and all the business of the people in their neighborhood--gossipping hens were always a fantastic source of information.

“Do you need to eat?” Placida asked, getting up from her seat and turning towards the big pot sitting on the burner.

“Oh, I’ll get it myself, sit, sit,” she waved her away and back towards the table. She wandered through the kitchen, putting away the groceries she’d procured--the vegetables and the mushrooms. The pack of cigarettes she unearthed from the bottom of the bag was swiftly presented to the trio of old women, to which they all approved.

“Such a sweet girl,” Mrs. Marcius noted. “If only my Iulia was like you.”

“And getting prettier by the day, too!” Mrs. Corinna chimed in, something she said every time she stopped by--empty pleasantries that all old women seemed to use. Waving off the compliments, the dark-haired girl sat down at the corner of the table, spooning stew into her mouth. Her grandma wasn’t exactly the best cook--all her food was exceedingly salty, but she didn’t voice her complaints. After all, she had so much to review in her head.

“You’re in a good mood,” Placida remarked at once. “Did something good happen?” She was sharp-eyed, as to be expected of her profession. Liv stopped chewing, looking up to meet the gazes of the three older women with a half-embarrassed, half-gleeful smile.

“Well,” she started, and they all seemed to hold their breaths in anticipation. “I met a boy.”

 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Auster Division to Gryphus base -- Interactions: Liv, Adrian
When Liv cautioned him to be careful getting back, he looked at her with a lopsided smile. "Don't worry, I'll be able to wiggle out of any patrol," he reassured her. Once she confirmed that she would have no trouble getting home safely, she waved goodbye to him. "See you around, Liv. Keep putting out those fires." Remy gave her a knowing look, trying to pass along his encouragement to continue practicing her Ignis magic. He waved farewell to her and watched her retreat into the darkness. His eyes lingered on her figure growing smaller for a few more seconds before he redirected his attention onto the group of moped taxis.

The moped drivers swarmed him as he walked up to the group, each of them trying to persuade him to give them his business. The Aqua Prodigium settled on the young man closest to him and after some bargaining, he managed to convince the man to bring him back to this old neighborhood for 3 mentas. He swung a leg across the body of the moped and secured his seat behind the driver. The wind brushed his face and blew all the anxious thoughts that usually dwelled in his head out his ears, spiraling away into the night. The only thing he knew at this moment was the wind on his skin and the urban city sounds surrounding him. He felt acutely aware of this exact moment.

Of course, all trances had to come to an end. Remy tapped his driver's shoulder to pull over when he spotted his black, inconspicuous moped still locked to the fence where he left it. He pulled 3 of the pink bills out of his wallet and handed them to the young man. After he unlocked his moped and clipped on his helmet, he drove back towards the secret entryway behind the abandoned warehouse and entered the underground tunnels once again.

Twenty minutes later, he parked his moped next to the line of Gryphus mopeds against the tunnel wall. Remy knew he would have to be quiet going in, as he wasn't supposed to be coming back from the tunnels this late at night alone or there would certainly be questions if someone spotted him. He quietly creaked open the metal door and headed up the stairs to the ground floor where the sleeping quarters were. Luckily, there was no one in the hallways when he exited the stairs but he could hear murmurs and whispers as the night owls were still awake. Remy turned left at the top of the stairs then left again into the main corridor. When he opened the door to the bedroom he shared with his best friend, Adrian immediately dropped the book he was reading.

"Dude where've you been?" Adrian asked when he entered the room. The young man was lounging on his bed on the bottom bunk with his long curly brown hair tossed over the pillow. As Gryphus was currently under capacity, the pair of friends managed to get an entire room to themselves that was meant to fit 6 people. And being the leader didn't hurt either.

"I was just going for a joyride in the Wastes," Remy replied casually as he looked away and started changing into his pajamas.

"Bullshit," Adrian smiled. "Were you holed up with Cass again?" he teased. The one disadvantage of being friends with this man for over a decade was that he knew exactly when Remy was lying.

"No!" Remy shot back instantly. "You know we're not a thing anymore."

"Not yet anyway. I give it 2 weeks before you're back in her bed," Adrian mocked. He sat up in his bed and swung his legs over the edge to study Remy more closely. "Alright then where were you? Because I saw your dirt bike here so I know you weren't in the Wastes."

Remy sighed and half-turned his body to glance at Adrian. "I found Mr. Flynn," he finally said in a lowered voice. He trusted with his full heart that his best friend wouldn't speak a word to anyone.

Adrian's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? What did you do?"

"N-nothing, I didn't do anything. I almost did, but I didn't. Some patrols distracted me," Remy tried to explain.

"Dude... I thought I was supposed to be the stupid one here," Adrian's eyes were wide, unable to take them off his face. "You get away from the patrols alright?

"Of course." Remy rolled his eyes. "I may be dumb but I'm not dumb enough to get caught by those snails." As he called the patrols snails, the edges of his mouth started to curve into a smile when he thought about his banter with Liv earlier today. Of course, he and Adrian had first coined the term when they were teenagers.

Adrian's eyes narrowed with mocking suspicion. "What are you smiling for?"

His cheeks flushed slightly and he was glad the lighting in their room was so dim. He looked away with a sheepish smile. "I met a girl."
 
Last edited:
TIME SKIP
giphy.gif

2 WEEKS LATER​
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: gryphus base, bedroom--- interactions: mystery assailants
Though that one month in Lutum filled with waiting had felt close to an eternity, the days after the fateful encounter had been excruciating once the initial sense of achievement had faded. She had made contact, yes, but how to do so again was unclear. Still, it hadn’t been like she had no clues at all. Keep putting out those fires, he’d told her, and it had become clear to her what would set her apart in the eyes of a rebel group. She had gone about her day to day--worked the handful of odd jobs she found, mostly for the elderly women of the neighborhood, and then went walking about the divisions, frequenting the food stalls and markets--just like she had for the month prior, but with one added task. Her sharp skills of observation were now fine tuned to seek out issues she could remedy, particularly with her ignis powers.

It was on the fourth day after she’d made contact that she stepped out onto the alleys and at once knew that there were eyes on her. Not just eyes--she was being shadowed. She knew they weren’t specters just from the way they moved and the tactics they employed; no, they were something entirely different. Not bad for members of a ragtag rebel group, she’d thought. Oh, they certainly didn’t have the polish of the specters, but they weren’t half bad at staying elusive and keeping track of her. She didn’t bother trying to lose them, and she of course didn’t dare try to confront them or let them know that she had picked up on their surveillance. Instead, she continued her routine, now taking extra care to make sure there weren’t any flaws in her performance as just another prodigium condemned to the Lutum district--well, just another prodigium who had a heart burning with revolutionary ideals.

Now with an audience, she’d made an effort to use her abilities whenever she could see a way to--from things as little as discreetly lighting the burner of a food stall owner who had run out of starters to something as bold and risky as distracting patrols from chasing down a group of teens by setting a small fire and screaming for help. The very night she’d pulled off that daring stunt, Medea had woken her with a thin finger at her lips. Silently, she had motioned the Hand over to the window, signaling. Peering carefully through the spotted glass, she’d caught sight of a shadowy figure outside their home, carving at the inner lip of their door frame. The two spectare agents had met each other’s gaze and shared a look, the understanding that they were one step closer glittering bright in their dark eyes.

The next morning, she’d pretended to be surprised by the carving of the wing-shaped symbol. After a moment of staged hesitation, she had drawn a pocket knife from her jacket and carefully carved a circle around the mark. This custom, at least, had already been given to her at her briefing--things Lutum Eyes had picked up on. What would come next, she hadn’t known, but she had found out soon enough. That evening, as she walked home from the market, she’d felt the shadows chasing her grow closer and closer in proximity, until they’d pounced. After putting up a believable struggle, she’d allowed herself to be dragged off to what was meant to be an interrogation.

The interrogation had been an interesting test of her skills as a specter. Naturally, enduring even the most high pressure interrogation tactics had been an essential part of her training, just as any other specter, regardless of whether they became an Eye or a Hand. Each of them only graduated when they had the resolve to die for Spectare secrets, but the best were the ones who were able to avoid such a fate while protecting said secrets and the mission.

Over her years in the academy, she’d be subject to countless mock interrogations, including those that had involved drugs and physical harm. Still, when she’d first felt the fog coming over her mind, even though she knew they hadn’t injected her with anything, she had immediately known that she would have to stay on her toes. It would be stupid to fail because she’d underestimated the opposition, and she couldn’t falter, not here. Not when she was so close. There was always a twisting, white-hot feeling in her chest that came alive in her when she needed to be perfect--the feeling of standing on a stage before the distant eyes of her father, the sparring ring in an exam, face-to-face with a target while a syringe of neurotoxin lay curled up under her sleeve. Just like in those moments, that desperate feeling pushed her forward to greatness, to that perfect performance that was expected of her--and within the span of the next two days, she had been welcomed into the fold.

She had collected what little she owned, shared a convincingly tearful goodbye with her grandmother, and then she had been taken out to the desert through a series of underground tunnels. She hadn’t hidden her shock at the sight of them, for indeed, to the extent of her knowledge, the Spectare did not know about such a complex system underground. The Gryphus, it seemed, was truly shaping itself out to be a credible threat. Her surprise had continued as she had been given a tour of the base by a rather flirtatious young man who had introduced himself as Adrian. The base was not a flimsy, outdated bunker, but a burgeoning base of operations that had just about anything one might need. She noted every little detail she could--she knew that nothing would be deemed too insignificant by the Spectare Primo herself.

With roughly only a hundred and fifty members, or Griffins, they seemed to be a tightly-knit pack. Her reception had been warm, with many members eager to introduce themselves and find out more about their most recent addition. One person in particular, however, had been quite pleased to see her amongst them--her 'unexpected encounter,' Remy--and of course, the girl he knew as Liv had no reason at all not to act equally pleased and surprised.

So it was that came to be lying in the dark, already ending the third day since she had stepped foot into the underground Gryphus base. She turned the details of her so-called life in her head, letting it all sink into her bones; Liv--Livia Eione, twenty-four years old, only child of Leander and Adelia Eione. Born and raised in Favonius. Raised by her grandmother, Placida Eione, from the age of ten. An Ignis Prodigium, just like her father--but most importantly, she was a revolutionary, just like them.

Why do you want to join the Gryphus? she recalled the words, hanging in the distant still of the musty warehouse.

“Because there needs to be a change, and that’s what you guys are working towards, isn’t it?” she’d answered at once. “I’m tired of watching them take and take and take.” Then, much quietly, she’d added, “Nobody deserves to lose the people they love.”

What are your weaknesses? Things that might compromise our cause.

“There’re some men I’m after. If I ever see them, I don’t know what I might do.” She’d paused, only for a moment. “No, that’s not true. I’d chase them down, no matter what, and I’d make them pay.”

Why?

“Because they killed my father. They took his hands first, and then when he’d wasted away they pumped him full of bullets.” There’d been bitter anger in her voice, perhaps too insistent, the sound of someone in denial. This time, her interrogator had to press and probe before she caved into her stern gaze. “I knew--I know…” A hard swallow interrupted the sober, halting words, “...that he wanted to die. He rushed at them, knowing they’d shoot. But I--I still can’t forgive them, for driving him to such a state. I can’t forget it. I won’t forget it.”

What’s your biggest fear?

“That I’ll let the memory of my parents down,” her voice had gone whisper-thin, her breathing shallow. “That...that I’ll fail. That I’ll be useless.”

It hadn’t been difficult to summon the symptoms of fear for that answer. After all, it had been the closest thing to being truthful she’d uttered that night.

Useless. She closed her eyes, and she could see her mother’s piercing cold gaze, the way her perfectly rouged lips would grow thin with loathing. More than a decade had passed, but it chilled her still, all the way to the core, and she quickly diverted her thoughts to the mission ahead. As she carefully planned out the mannerism and things she might say in the coming day, she slowly felt herself drift off to slumber.

It’d felt like only five minutes had passed when she suddenly woke, her eyes snapping open in the pitch dark gloom. Something was wrong. Something...no, somebody was there. Every nerve in her body came alive, her muscles tensing for action, but she didn’t dare move, not yet. Not until--

A hand closed over her mouth, another snaking under her torso, and she immediately sprang into motion--her knee came up hard, slamming into what must’ve been a head. With a muffled swear, the man stumbled, releasing her, and she twisted to kick him squarely between his legs. As he went down, she realized the assailant wasn’t alone--far from it. The other figure lunged for her rather enthusiastically, grabbing for her arms, but it was she who clutched his arm, using his momentum to flip him flat onto the floor, mercilessly pinning the arm behind his back. He howled pitifully, struggling to undo the painful grip she had on him, but she wasn’t going to budge. “What are you after?” she hissed into his ear, pressing down a little harder. Her mind was racing now, narrowing down on a very unpleasant possibility: she had already been compromised.
 
Last edited:
REMY VARICK
Time of Day: Morning -- Location: Gryphus base -- Interactions: Adrian, Helvius, Vinnie
The Cafeteria was filled with Griffins milling in and out as everyone received a share of their morning breakfast portion. Some were half awake and still in pajamas, planning to spend most of the morning lounging around. Others were dressed in athletic clothing, no doubt planning on hitting the Gym or Training Room after breakfast. The children and teenagers were in a rush to get to class on time, scarfing down their food on their way out the Cafeteria. They knew Caliban would assign them extra homework if they were late (or worse, bathroom cleaning duty if this was a repeated offense.)

There were long wooden tables lined up side-by-side each other to most efficiently fit one hundred fifty people into the room. Adrian and Remy sat across from each other in one of the center tables. A plate filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns lay victim before Adrian's hungry mouth. The delicious aroma wafted up his nostrils and, akin to a starving dog, he wolfed down two whole portions of breakfast rations.

Tasia walked by and looked at Adrian's two empty plates with displeasure on her face. As their house mother, she always tried to fairly divide up their limited food supply to make sure all Griffins had their stomachs filled. Occasionally, however, one would slip through the cracks.

"Do you have to be so greedy?" Remy questioned him, emptying his own plate at a slower pace. He gave Tasia an apologetic smile, embarrassed by his best friend's lack of manners.

"Waz dat?" Adrian turned his eyes towards Remy, his mouth stuffed with hash browns.

Remy couldn't help but smirk. "Nothing. Enjoy your meal," he said.

Just then, Helvius and Vinnie walked up to their table and sat down next to them. "Yo, you guys ready to Initiate Liv tonight?" Helvius asked with excitement in his voice.

"Shhh not so loud!" Vinnie jabbed Helvius with his elbow and jerked his head in the direction of a few tables to the right of them. There, Liv sat with Vinnie's sister, Vita, happily chatting away and eating breakfast together.

"They're not even paying attention to us," Helvius reassured him but lowered his voice nonetheless. "The dirt bike and wagon are ready. Fabius already said he was on board this morning. We just need to confirm with Marcella now."

"Awesome. Newbie won't know what hit her," Adrian added confidently. Initiating new recruits was always his favorite thing. Each new recruit always handled Initiation in their own unique way and it was fun to hold this brief power over them. "Marcella's probably working on the mopeds. Let's go find her," he suggested. When the other two boys nodded their heads in agreement, the Initiation team rose from their seats to prepare for the night's events.

Remy stayed behind to finish his plate, periodically glancing over at Liv from the corner of his eyes. Of course, he already knew that Liv had officially joined Gryphus a couple days ago. When he got back from his little expedition in Auster, he had spoken to Chloe about her in hopes of recruiting her and he was pleased to learn that she had not only accepted their invitation, but also passed the interrogation with flying colors. On the first day she moved to base, Remy walked up to her to give a brief introduction of their base and the Gryphus organization. This is, of course, what any other polite leader would do to make his new members feel at home and was not at all related to his own personal interest in her.

However, the Gryphus leader felt skeptical towards the boys' confidence in being able to overpower Liv easily. From his brief interaction with her, she had already surprised him with her stealth and agility, so he already knew she was someone who was easily underestimated. Still, it would be an interesting show nonetheless and he was curious to see how she would perform in the final battle.
 
ADRIAN, HELVIUS, VINNIE
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base -- Interactions: Liv
A slim crimson moon hung high in the night sky above the desert, casting a dim light over the still land. A sluggish breeze dragged itself across the tips of the dunes, taking the sands along with it. Darkness and stillness enveloped the desert, amplifying every small sound and dreaming up imaginary movements behind tall dunes. A dirt bike with a wagon attached to it awaited its drivers in front of the Gryphus base entrance.

Inside the bunker, three silent figures made their way through the sleeping quarters until they stopped in front of a bedroom at the end of the hall. After years of sneaking up on new recruits while they were sleeping, Adrian had perfected the exact amount of pressure and speed he needed to open these metal doors without them making a single sound. Vinnie and Helvius followed closely behind him as Adrian closed the gap between himself and the sleeping figure under the blanket.

When he reached the edge of her bed, he lunged towards Liv, using one hand to cover her mouth and the other hand to grab her torso. However, it seemed like Liv was already awake and ready for them, as she immediately kneed him in the forehead. With a surprised and painful grunt, Adrian released her and stumbled backwards, dazed. That wasn't the end of it, however, as she twisted around and kicked him squarely in the groin. "MOTHER LUX!" He shouted in agony, most likely waking up all the nearby Griffins, and crumbled into a fetal position on the floor, clutching his crotch with both hands.

As Adrian fell to the floor, Helvius wasted no time grabbing Liv's hands, ready to tie her wrists together with rope, while she was preoccupied with Adrian. However, she immediately clutched his arm and flipped him onto the ground, pinning his arm painfully behind his back. "What are you after?" Liv hissed into his ear, applying more pressure with her body and threatening to break his arm. "Holy Libertas you're going to break my arm!" Helvius shouted helplessly, wriggling in pain and failing to break free. At this point, the only thing he could see was Adrian's curled up body on the ground beside him, his painful groans echoing through the room.

After several seconds of useless writhing, Helvius finally relented. "Ok ok let go! It's just a prank! We're not here to hurt you- it's just me, Adrian, and Vinnie. We're just Initiating you." He used his Fulmen magic to give Liv a little spark on the leg to urge her to release him.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: gryphus base to the wastes--- interactions: vita, helvius, vinnie
This could still be salvaged--no, it had to be salvaged. How many were onto her? How many did she have to eliminate? Possibly far too many. Then she would have to feign innocence, no matter what. She had the confidence to endure torture, but then again, seeing how they’d attacked her without even confronting her, perhaps they already had all the information they wanted. Was there a leak? She had to find out. “Holy Libertas, you’re going to break my arm!” the assailant under her cried, writhing and struggling, but she wasn’t about to let him get away.

“Pity,” she remarked flatly, not a drop of sympathy in her voice. “I’ll ask you one more time,” she continued. Her tone was even, but the threat was there all the same. “What. Are. You. After?”

“Oh shit, Helivius. Oh shit, you guys, uh…” the voice came from the doorway, and she instantly tensed for action as the gloom was brightened by a flame upon a hand. Surprisingly, it was Vinnie--Vita’s little brother--who stood there, looking like he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. “This wasn’t in the plan guys, uh…”

The interruption seemed to break whatever mood there was in place, and the man underneath her gave. “Okay okay let go! It’s just a prank! We’re not here to hurt you--it’s just me, Adrian, and Vinnie,” he explained in a rush of words. “We’re just initiating you.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, reluctant to release him so easily, to which Helvius finally sent a jolt of electricity into her thigh. Grimacing, she let go, pushing him away from her before jumping to her feet, keeping her eye on all three of the men, just in case they would try to rush her again.

“Ye-Yeah, y’know, it’s a good ol’ hazing,” Vinnie hurried to agree. “We’re supposed to act like we’re kidnapping you, shake you up a bit…”

She gave him an unamused look. Could this really be some elaborate prank? What kind of stupid idea was this?

The sound of chuckling interrupted her distrustful thoughts, and she turned to see Vita sitting up on her bunk, grinning down at them. “By Lux, I wish I could’ve gotten that on video. You guys went down fast.”

“So this is a thing,” Liv confirmed, an unamused brow arching high.

“I mean, it happened to us,” Vita remarked, with a shrug. Her lips stretched back into a smirk. “You should’ve seen how freaked out Vinnie was.”

“Hey!” Vinnie yelped.

So it was some sort of convoluted tradition. Relief thundered through her, but this wasn’t the time to get distracted or break character. Crossing her arms across her chest, she turned to the regrouping men. “Okay well, your kidnapping attempt has been botched. Can I go back to bed now?”

“Ehhhh…” Vinnie glanced at the other two men, then back to her. “I mean...we’re supposed to take you to a secondary location…And then there’s some more stuff… You’re not reeeeally a true Griffin until you get through it, it’s like a rite of passage!” The enthusiasm had come back to his voice; clearly, he remembered whatever speech he’d been given by the others after his gauntlet quite well.

Liv glanced back up to Vita, who nodded. After a moment of standing there, her fingers tapping out a contemplative rhythm on her sleeve, she heaved a loud sigh. “Alright, then. I guess I’ll play along,” she relented begrudgingly.

“Awesome!” Vinnie chirped, hurrying back to the doorway to bring back something he’d dropped. A large burlap back.

“You gotta be kidding me,” she groaned under her breath. There was no way around it, it seemed, and it was important that she went along with it. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” she prompted, holding out her hands to be tied with a cavalier attitude. She held obediently still as they tied her hands and blindfolded her, though she kept the muscles of her wrists tensed, so that she might be able to slip out of them if she needed to. After that, she let them lead her into the sack, and then was bundled up and carried out, thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She kept careful track of the directions they turned, doing her best to follow along on the mental map of the base she had created on the grand tour. So far, they weren’t headed anywhere particularly sinister…

Then again, perhaps there was nowhere more sinister than the desert wasteland outside the base. As she heard the doors open and the sounds of the nighttime desert, her focus sharpened. She was then tossed--somewhat roughly, she noted with annoyance--onto something. Her irritation was quickly ignored, however, when something else caught her attention: frantic blubbering.

It was a woman, as far as she could tell, going on and on about how she didn’t know anything and about how she didn’t want to die. Another new recruit, it would seem--one who believed that this was all real. Just as she was about to sigh to herself, the sound of dirt bikes coming alive rang out, and then--they jerked into movement. They were apparently on some sort of wagon or cart, being pulled by at least two bikes, but the ride certainly wasn’t a pleasant one. Every other second they seemed to hit a bump in the dunes, jolting them around in the wagon. With each bump her inconsolable neighbor let out a punctuated sob, and as one particularly rough jolt brought them crashing together, the young woman grit her teeth. She ought to have kicked them all a little harder while she'd had the chance, she thought.

 
Last edited:
ADRIAN, HELVIUS, VINNIE, MARCELLA
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Gryphus base, Desert Wastes -- Interactions: Liv
Helvius let out a deep sigh of relief as the pressure of Liv's body weight finally relented. "Dang I should've shocked you harder given how close you were to breaking my arm," he grunted with annoyance. "My arms are precious, ya know."

Next to him, Adrian slowly rose, first to one knee, then to both feet. "Man I feel like I'm going to throw up," he wheezed.

Behind him, Vita laughed with amusement about how she wished she had gotten their beating down on video. "You wouldn't be laughing if she roundhouse kicked you in your vaj," Adrian threw back at her, still salty about how he went down. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. He was supposed to be the one dominating the new recruit, scaring them shitless, not the other way around!

"There's no way you're stopping here. You gotta see this all the way through," Adrian agreed with Vinnie when he told Liv how it was a rite of passage. "Besides, now I'm way more curious to see how you'll do at the end," he added on mysteriously, referring to the final battle that all the other Griffins in the room knew about except for Liv.

He and the two boys threw her roughly into the burlap sack and carried her over their shoulders up the stairs, towards the base entrance. When they opened the door, they saw Marcella lounging in the wagon and playing Candy Crush on her phone. Even though they didn't get service in the desert, Griffins would still leach off the limited free WiFi networks in Lutum to download offline games for moments like this.

When the mechanic saw them coming, she tossed her phone to Adrian and silently slipped into her own burlap sack. Giving her a playful wink, Adrian intentionally tied her hands together in a loose knot and slipped a blindfold over Marcella's eyes. After he tossed Liv in next to her, he swung a leg over his dirt bike and ignited the engine. "Let's go," he said to Vinnie, who was already mounting his own dirt bike, familiar with the routine. They both slipped on their black helmets and rotated their accelerator handles forwards.

As they jerked into motion, Marcella began playing the part of the panicked new recruit, a part she was very well-versed in at this point and practically enjoyed. Although she would never be a famous actress in Imperial City, she could at least scratch her theater itch by messing with new recruits which was basically hitting two birds with one stone. She closed her eyes to envision herself as a scared recruit who genuinely thought she was being taken against her will, getting fully into character.

She started with shouting (a classic first reaction.) "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED! STOP! LET ME OUT!"

Then moved onto threats. "If you don't let me out this instant, I'm going to crush you with a giant bolder!"

Next came the bribes. "My uncle has lots of mentas to reward you if you return me!"

After that, the pleas. "Please let me out! I'll do anything! Please don't hurt me!"

She continued this for half the ride before turning silent again to make Liv think that she had given up. She needed to rest her vocal cords anyway. Finally, they came to a halt after about 15 minutes and Marcella had to admit that her legs still felt sore after the rough ride no matter how many times she had done this.

Adrian and Vinnie turned off their dirt bikes and hoisted the two women out of the burlap sacks, practically throwing them into the sand. They quickly lifted one of the dirt bikes onto the wagon and Adrian climbed in after. Vinnie ignited the remaining dirt bike back up and they sped out of sight before Liv had a chance to remove her blindfold. As they rode, Adrian waved his hands over the sand to cover up their tracks with his Ventus magic.

Marcella wiggled out of the loose ropes around her hands and slid off her blindfold. "Oh my god, we're doomed!" she cried out. She crawled over to Liv and untied the ropes around her hand, which was in a much tighter knot, and took off the Specter's blindfold. "We're going to die!" She said to her. "They left us in the middle of the WASTES. Who knows what's out here! There could be scorpions and snakes and sandstorms." Marcella sat on the desert ground with her knees pulled against her chest and her head buried in between her legs, crying.
 
Last edited:
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: middle of the wastes--- interactions: weeping young woman
Her shoulder took the brunt of the impact as they flung her onto the ground, and she quickly brought herself upright, spitting out the sand that had forced itself into her mouth. Just then, she heard the ignition roar to life once more, and their ‘kidnappers’ were gone all too quickly. Well, she supposed she could stop worrying about them executing her in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately--

“Oh my god, we’re doomed!” her unwanted companion wailed.

She didn’t bother saying anything. There were more important things to focus on; she began to struggle with the rope around her wrist, hell-bent on getting free as soon as possible. Then, startlingly, she felt another pair of hands fiddling with her bindings, and then at the blindfold around her head. How had she gotten free so quickly? She turned to face the woman--she was perhaps in her mid-to-late twenties, with curly brown hair and what appeared to be a smattering of freckles.

“Tha--” she began, attempting to at least thank her for freeing her, but before she was swiftly cut off before she could even get the word out.

“We’re going to die! They left us in the middle of the WASTES,” she babbled, eyes wide with fear. “Who knows what’s out here! There could be scorpions and snakes and sandstorms.”

“Well,” she started again, rather calmly, but the other woman seemed deaf, curling up into herself and starting to sob pitifully.

For a moment, the specter was at an utter loss for words at the outrageously emotional display--one she had never even been close to indulging, even as a child. This sort of appalling behavior was unthinkable, whether on the estate or the academy. The last time she’d seen someone have this sort of reaction was nearly a decade prior, when a young boy had broken down during a training exercise--one where they’d had to cross a simulated burning bridge. It’d been a bad place to realize that he was terrified of heights, and barely halfway across he’d sunk to his knees, paralyzed, hyperventilating, and sobbing--but the real fear had seized him when Magister Scylla, poised and soft-spoken as ever, had ordered him removed from the training area. She still remembered how he’d screamed as another trainer had picked him up, begging for another chance, but the Magister hadn’t spared him even a fleeting glance. The Spectare have no use for weakness, she’d reminded them.

Indeed, neither did she. There was no sympathy or empathy in her as she watched the nameless woman sob--not even pity. It was irritation she felt coiling up in her instead: how could someone have such a loose grip on themselves? Scorpions, snakes, and sandstorms sounded a lot better than having to deal with....whatever this was.

She drew in a breath, feeling her molars grind in the back of her jaw. She wanted nothing more to snap at her, tell her to stop being a disgrace, shake her until she stopped that awful, awful sniveling. But of course, Liv couldn’t be like that. Everyone had to like Liv--Liv was responsible and quick-witted, yes, but she was also caring and protective. She had to perform, and well, she could do that, couldn’t she? She’d always managed it, even if it was something that she didn’t want to do--no, particularly when it was something that she didn’t want to do. Maybe this woman was weak and useless, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find a use for this situation. She just had to do it right.

Steeling herself, she forced a pliant expression onto her face, scooting closer to the weeping girl. “Hey,” she offered soothingly, mimicking the way Evadne’s voice would lilt. “Hey look, I know you’re scared.” She made herself reach out and place a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder. “But we can’t just stay here--we need to get back to base before the sun comes up and it gets hot. We’ll dehydrate real fast then.” It was far easier for her to list the facts in this situation, but facts often weren’t the only things that coaxed someone into action. What would Ev say? “My name’s Liv. What’s yours?” she coaxed, trying to get her to be more responsive. “I don’t think we’re that far from base, but we’ll have to work as a team if we want to make it. I need you to help me out. Can you do that for me?” She didn’t need her help. Not even a little bit--but this was a test, right? She’d have to be friendly and drag her back to that blasted base if she wanted perfect marks, even if it made her feel queasy. “C’mon, let’s get up. I promise we’ll be back in our beds before we know it.”
 
MARCELLA SILIO
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Desert Wastes -- Interactions: Liv
Liv's entire internal monologue and boiling irritation was completely lost on Marcella as she kept her head buried in her knees. She was wondering how this new recruit would react to her meltdown. Over the years, she had experienced a wide spectrum of behaviors. Some would console her while others would stay silent and wait for her to calm down again. Some would become so panicked and start crying themselves while others would yell at her to stop crying (which of course, only made it worse.) And then there were a few who would completely abandon her and walk off.

Generally, the purpose of this test was to assess how a recruit performs under stressful situations. It tested their ability to be resourceful and creative as well as the sheer determination to find their way back to base, never giving up hope. Throwing in Marcella, however, added a whole other dimension to the test, requiring the recruits to be emotionally intelligent and exercise their teamwork skills as well. The few recruits who abandoned her at least made up for it in other qualities. After all, an entire rebel organization needed a mix of personalities- not everyone needed to know how to be a therapist.

Marcella saw that this particular recruit was going with the first option: to soothe her. When Liv asked for her name, she slowly raised her hand and wiped away the fake tears with her sleeve. "I-I'm Marcella," she answered quietly. "But everyone calls me Marcy." She shifted her eyes to the dark, looming desert around them with wide, hopeless eyes.

After a few moments of silence, the gears turning fast in her head, she spoke with a new realization. "You're right. We have to make it back before the sun comes up, otherwise we're going to burn to death!" She repeated after Liv with increased panic in her voice. "Which means we have to leave right now! Otherwise we're never going to make it!"

The mechanic instantly shot up on her feet, her eyes wide with alarm, and took off in a seemingly random direction in the desert. Of course, she knew that she was running in the complete opposite direction of their base, but the recruit would just think her meltdown had evolved to the next stage: flight. Marcella's feet thumped quickly in the soft desert sand, playing the role of a recruit who was so determined to find base that she was willing to wander around aimlessly in the Wastes until they did.
 
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: middle of the wastes--- interactions: marcella
She internally breathed a sigh of relief as the young woman’s sobs slowed at the question. She really wouldn’t have known what to do if it hadn’t ceased--well, nothing that would’ve been considered nice, anyway. “I-I’m Marcella,” the woman replied tearfully, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “But everyone calls me Marcy.”

“Okay yeah, Marcy,” she repeated amiably, keeping her tone as comforting as she could. “It’s nice to meet you. Listen, we’re going to be okay. First--”

Unfortunately, that was as far as she got before Marcy was talking again, this time, with a different kind of frantic edge in her voice. “You’re right. We have to make it back before the sun comes up, otherwise we’re going to burn to death!”

Oh no. “Well, not quite,” the specter retorted placatingly, “but let’s keep our heads on our shoulders--”

“Which means we have to leave right now! Otherwise we’re never going to make it!” she somehow concluding, jumping to her feet. And then--before anything else could be said--she suddenly broke into a full-speed run, careening down a slope.

“No, wait--” Liv spluttered, taken aback. What was this woman’s damage?! Was this seriously happening? For a split second she could only watch, slack-jawed, as the other recruit ran off in what most definitely was not the right direction. A murderous look flitted past her face as she scowled to herself, biting back a swear--and then she was off, running after the madwoman. “Marcy, wait! Stop!” she shouted, chasing the figure down. The panicked recruit, however, did not seem like she had any thoughts of stopping. “Hey! Hold up!”

As she gained on Marcella, she tried again. “Listen to me, just hold on a sec,” she pleaded. When she displayed no sign of slowing down, the specter pursed her lips. Well, she’d tried--Marcella couldn’t blame her for what came next, then. She rushed the other recruit, tackling her with a practiced ease. They went down rolling into the sand, but in the scuffle Liv pinned her down by the shoulders. “Just listen,” she demanded, her gaze as firm as her grip. “We gotta make sure we’re going in the right way!” When it seemed that Marcella wasn’t going to bolt, she got up off of the recruit, though she kept a wary eye on her. “Let’s figure out which way the base is from here, and then we can run for our lives, okay?”

“Do you remember where the base is located?” she asked Marcella, though it was more to keep her occupied than anything else. The base, as she was already intent on reporting to her superiors, was southwest of Lutum. She doubted that they would’ve taken them north towards Lutum--otherwise, it’d be all-too-easy to sight the burgeoning city. From the way they had departed the base, her best guess was that they had been dumped towards the south, though it was difficult to say whether it was southeast or southwest. That didn’t matter right now. “I think Adrian mentioned that the base was southwest of Lutum,” Liv offered strategically. “But we should figure out which way’s which first.”
 
MARCELLA SILIO
Time of Day: Night -- Location: Desert Wastes -- Interactions: Liv
Marcy heard the new recruit's shouts from behind her as she kept running into the dark desert. She wondered how Liv was going to handle this next trick in her theatrics. In her experience, there seemed to mainly be two outcomes: abandon Marcy and let her keep running or chase after her and bring her back. It seemed like this particular recruit had chosen the latter as she felt Liv's body weight crash into her from the side and they both went tumbling down the side of a dune.

Liv pinned the mechanic down on the ground by her shoulders, the Fire Prodigium's intense eyes boring down at her. "Just listen,” she demanded. “We gotta make sure we’re going in the right way! Let’s figure out which way the base is from here, and then we can run for our lives, okay?”

Marcy slowly nodded and Liv released her from her tight grip. The actress stood up and dusted all the sand off her body. "I'm sorry, I'm just terrified of being stuck out here forever," she replied in a quiet voice. "But you're right, let's try to orient ourselves."

“Do you remember where the base is located?” Liv asked her. "I think Adrian mentioned that the base was southwest of Lutum. But we should figure out which way’s which first.”

So she paid attention during Adrian's tour, Marcy thought to herself. When the new recruits first move to base, whoever gives them the tour (usually Adrian) always casually slips in the fact that the base is located southwest of Lutum. If the recruit remembers this crucial fact, then they already have one of two important pieces of information to find their way back to base. "Yes, I remember him saying that too," Marcy confirmed.

The mechanic lifted her head to the night skies and noticed how cloudy it was, only a few stars peeking out from behind the foggy blanket. They chose a difficult night for this one, Marcy thought to herself. Luckily, they didn't need to see all the stars- just one. She turned her body in a slow circle, keeping her gaze on the sky. Although it was a very cloudy night, a brief break in the clouds revealed one bright star in particular: Polaris. However, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished again as the clouds covered it up.

Marcy didn't stop looking at the sky when she spotted the North Star, not wanting to make it obvious to the new recruit. She continued to spin in a slow circle, as if she was still trying to find something. "We can use the stars," she suggested. "It's a cloudy night, but we'll be able to orient ourselves if we find one star in particular." She made a show of closing her eyes and trying to remember what the star means. "But I forget what it's called and what direction it points to," she lied, including a tilt of frustration in her voice. Although Marcy knew exactly how to get back to base, the whole point of this test was to see how the recruit used the bread crumbs laid out for her.
 
liv eione
time of day: nighttime --- location: middle of the wastes--- interactions: marcella
“I’m sorry, I’m just terrified of being stuck out here forever,” the young woman explained soberly. “But you’re right, let’s try to orient ourselves.” Liv only nodded back, choosing not to say anything that might suddenly trigger the nervous recruit into another meltdown. If she ran off one more time, the specter had half a mind to let her wander out in the desert wasteland forever. Still, this was part of a test. No doubt making sure to come back as a team was going to be a big chunk of the score--and she intended to get perfect marks. It would likely set the tone for her reputation as a Griffin, after all.

So now, it was time to get them back to base. In a wooded forest without much access to the sky, the way moss grew on a tree was often a good indicator of the cardinal directions--north when in the northern hemisphere, south when in the southern hemisphere. Of course, there was no moss to be seen in a desert waste. In the wide open desert, a much better sign would point them north: Polaris, the North Star. As she tipped her head back to scan the unfortunately overcast sky, she was subtly surprised to see Marcella already doing the same. “We can use the stars,” the other recruit suggested, unexpectedly helpful. “It’s a cloudy night, but we’ll be able to orient ourselves if we find one star in particular.” All very true.

“You’re right, that’s a great idea,” Liv encouraged, keeping her eyes on the sky.

“But I forget what it’s called and where it points to,” Marcella confessed. Well, then. Another twist, and yet somehow less surprising.

“I think it’s supposed to point North,” she clarified, keeping her words more vague. It would be best to keep her thinking that she was contributing--it would likely keep her calm. “But I don’t see it right now.” Quickly, fearing more panic, she added, “Don’t worry, though, it’s a super bright star, and I’m sure we’ll find it. First, let’s walk back to the place we were dropped off.”

She gestured for Marcella to join her as she set off following the tracks they had made in the sand, but eventually she asked for the other recruit to trail the path while she kept an eye on the cloudy sky. Unluckily, as they made their way back, there was no Polaris to be seen. Just when they reached the spot they’d been tossed onto the ground, the agent pressed her lips together into a thin line. There were no tracks from the motorbikes or the wagon, either--likely erased on purpose. If they were out here for much longer without any clear next step, Marcella was bound to start freaking out again. Ignoring the way the other recruit was staring at her, she looked up at the sky again, just as the clouds drifted apart.

There, right at the edge of the clouds, was the North Star, twinkling bright.

Bullseye.

A smile curled at the edge of her lips. “I found it,” she announced, pointing at the star, even as the cloud moved to swallow the luminary back up. “We’re going to be just fine. C’mon, this way.”

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Similar threads

Lucyfer
Fandom Devil May Cry: Cold Day In Heaven [Closed]
Replies
4
Views
147
Lucyfer
Lucyfer
Edric Blight
Fandom The Untold Stories of Hogwarts - 1x1 HP RP
55 56 57 58 59 closed fluff harry potter
Replies
1K
Views
7K
Edric Blight
Edric Blight
moonrise
Fandom ATLA: Archive of Fire [Closed]
Replies
3
Views
129
Lucyfer
Lucyfer
Lucyfer
Fandom Fallout New Vegas: All Roads [Closed]
fallout new vegas
Replies
4
Views
76
Lucyfer
Lucyfer
Rusting Knight
Fantasy Broken Faith [Closed, w/ Lucyfer]
Replies
5
Views
134
Lucyfer
Lucyfer
Back
Top