Many are the ways in which this charismatic dame with strong passions and beliefs defy and contradict the established norms of society. Selene will stride loudly and proudly ‘where angels fear to tread’ and speak her mind and heart without doubt or shame for all to hear. She is fearless and volatile in her endeavors and emotions and behaviors which against all odds favor the outcome appropriate to the situation. She is by no means cruel or unjust, quite the contrary, but Selene is on her own side and her deeply rooted philosophies will not budge for anything or anyone.
Besides pulchritude, Selene is a chiefly cerebral individual radiating sublime perception, aptitude, cunning, and sophistication. However, despite these lofty attributes, this tenacious girl is acutely egocentric in that she assumes her will to be the will of others and any form of opposition is a struggle with Selene’s own personal integrity, which can cause her to become emotionally conflicted and moody. Furthermore, Selene is intensely self-critical and introspective and brooding. She can dwell on the pains or perceived injustices of her life, often to the point of indulgence, which may be irrelevant to her person or the situation at hand.
All of this leads to extensive philosophical musings concerning the circumstances that brought her to a specific point in time, accompanied by a cynical, world-weary, and jaded view on the faults of mankind and beyond. Therefore, Selene values her own passions as above those of others, which can manifest as arrogance and a martyr-like attitude. Either way, she is natural born leader in that she can drive lesser mind to follow her into impossible odds and fervent battle, and her magnetic allure can play mind games on the most hardened veterans.
Appearance
Selene stands at 5’4” and weighing in at roughly a hundred and twenty pounds. Her posture is elastic and her build slender and lean, accentuating fluidity in her flow and movements. She has dark blonde hair and green eyes. Selene has an impressive collection of sneakers which usually dominate her footwear. The rest of her fashions are not particularly varied: dark leggings for the whole year, sometimes seemingly infinite layers of loose fitted, black sweaters and cardigans, and lastly an extremely oversized knitted, dark scarf that is possessed by a spirit—it has a graceful display when Selene moves around, especially in combat.
Weapon
Selene uses a gunblade-type sword that has a gun action built into the hilt. The barrel of the gun runs inside the length of the blade. She mostly uses it as a melee weapon, as the ammunition capacity of the sword is rather limited. It can carry three rounds of shotgun shells. The gunblade is of a rather minimalistic design, being shorter than other types. It allows Selene to be more fluid in her motions. The sword was first introduced to her at the academy, and she began to practice with it shortly after being admitted at the age of eight. However, due to the nature of her spirits, Selene tends to lean towards their function and mobility rather than being duking it out face to face with the enemy. Her fighting style is based on hit-and-run tactics; striking her enemy and then disappearing into the shadows again to strike another target.
Biography
Selene was born in Tenebra. Her mother was but a simple villager mesmerized by the local cult leader, which became Selene’s father. The Land of the Mist, Tenebra, is a place of esotericism and mystic worship of Kami, as it was the place of their civil war. Selene’s father had prophesized to his followers that a kami known as ‘Diablos’ would rise again from his second born, whom were to be a boy. When Selene appeared, the prophecy became false and the cult exiled Selene’s parents. Realizing his delusion, Selene’s mother took her two children girls and ran away, leaving the father somewhere in the Tenebran Dead Lands.
The firstborn of Selene’s father is her older sister, Monika. She became one of the most powerful Guardians to ever exist and was headhunted by academies on Elysium. Selene became a Guardian as well, but not in the same capacity as her sister. Being left in the shadow of her sister’s prowess and fame, Selene formed her rather sinister, but passionate nature and always striving to be her own force. However, she has no brooding ill-will towards her sister. They get together whenever they can and love each other as siblings should.
Due to the sister’s talents, Selene and her mother was able to leave Tenebra and receive residence on Elysium. It was not in the most luxurious of sectors, but infinitely better than living in the Land of the Dead that is Tenebra. Selene was ultimately accepted into Oakridge Academy where her sister studied, a few years ahead of her. It became quite apparent early on that Selene would become a Squad Leader someday, but her spirit combination of dark and fiery elements was rare for that profession. However, she did not care in the slightest. Selene was quick to establish herself as the dominant force of her class, being the one who determines the outcome of matters. She was sent to the principal’s office and disciplined on more than once occasion, but only because she saw to her friends’ best interests.
Throughout the years at the academy, Selene was the one who kept her group of friends together as they explored different subjects and arts. She constantly kept contact through phone messages and get-togethers. Her greatest fear has been that they would be separated after being admitted by the U.D.F., but as a favor from her sister—who pulled a few strings—they were put together in the same squad with Selene as their commander. It is through this position, and a passion to advance within the Great Warmachine, that she intends to find and know her father if he is still alive.
Spirits
“Orb of Darkness” Element: Dark Ability: Amplify Status Effects: Blind Description: This spirit manifests as a black, smokey orb projectile. It detonates upon impact and affects everyone in the immediate area. The personality of this spirit is that of impatience, insolence, and intrusiveness. It may sometimes emerge from Selene’s body in the shape of a ghost-like figure with giant, hollowed eyes and myriads of slender arms.
“Bloodlust” Element: Dark Ability: Lifelink Status Effects: Meltdown Description: This spirit manifests by extending Selene’s canine teeth, allowing her to bite and penetrate hardened skin. The spirit lunges Selene toward her targeted enemy with great speed upon use. Selene and her target are enveloped in black smoke during this attack. The personality of this spirit is that of isolation, brooding, and jealousy. It may sometimes emerge from Selene’s body in the shape of a bat-like creature of smokey shadows.
“Enveloping Shadows” Element: Dark Ability: Fear Status Effects: Vigor Description: This spirit resides in Selene’s scarf. It manifests by enveloping her in smokey shadows that imposes temporary flight. Selene dashes from foe to foe and strikes them once with her weapon before returning to a safe position. The personality of this spirit is that of detest, enmity, and secrecy. It may sometimes cause Selene’s scarf to flow in the air akin to garment under water. However, it has choked her on more than one occasion.
“Inferno” Element: Fire Ability: Trample Status Effects: Imperil Description: This spirit manifests as a massive burst of fire in the target location, sprouting embers and thick smoke. The personality of this spirit is that of hate, arrogance, and restlessness. It may sometimes emerge from Selene’s body in the shape of a golem-like creature of ember and smoke.
Relations
Eric Wormwood Being a cerebral person herself, Selene shares a certain mindset and approach to problems with Eric. However, he does have an upper hand in matters of logic and intelligence, but Selene is able to better understand his chosen words than anyone else’s when the ins and outs of a problem is explained to her. As they are both agents of intelligence, they can and will argue about things. And Selene being the more fervent and passionate of the two, she is quite often the one who loses. But, this does not mean that they dislike each other; it is how they connect. It was what led Selene to speak of her endeavors in Tenebra. Eric became the first of her friends to know that she is the offspring of a former cult leader, who worshipped Kami. Even if they all know about it by now, it is something that she do not take joy in talking about. Selene has, on more than one occasion, asked Eric to help her in the quest of finding her father. However, so far, they have been unsuccessful.
Aurelia Rosenfeld Selene once barged into Aurelia’s dorm at the academy, saying nothing but ‘hey’. She then sat down and began to braid her friend’s hair without asking permission and without talking for the duration. If it were anyone else, Aurelia would probably have punched them in the throat. Selene and Aurelia have an unspoken bond. And for being so close that normal social barriers do not apply, they do not speak much with one another. Or rather, it is fair to say that they do not dance around what they want to say. They are extremely blunt when it comes to conversation—no sweet talking, no bullshit. Even if they do not agree on everything and somewhat argue from time to time, a simple slap across the face will always restore balance. One could say that they have found each other as sisters in the shadows of their biological ones.
Wren Valkyrie Selene remembers one day in particular concerning Wren. It was a year ago or so during a sparring session that was supposed to just fill their morning routine, but ended up extending the whole day and the two of them skipping classes for it. They interrupted for lunch and dinner, and ended it all with a bit of relaxation at a spa. There is an air of simplicity to Wren that attracts Selene. The girl is the type of soldier that will drag your bloody body out of the fray no matter what, and her fiery passion for combat will strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. Selene has commanded Wren in a few simulations and she is like a surgical syringe backed by a barrage of artillery fired rolled up into a single person. Wren is an incredible asset for Selene outside of their strong friendship.
Ito Ishioka Selene once spent quality time with Ito as his spotter during a training exercise that was designed to test his endurance as a long range unit. Even if they were closely monitored by Oakridge Academy drones, they were completely alone in an abandoned town on the surface of Libra. They had no idea where they were, but Ito figured it out after twenty minutes, simply by analyzing the landmarks and environment. They were sitting on the roof of a building, shooting chickens mutated by the Mordrem/Divine disease. It was a stretch of forty-eight hours, which gave them plenty of time to talk. Even if Selene did most of the talking, she got the chance to learn about Ito’s past in Hong Desa. On the battlefield, Selene takes great comfort in Ito’s presence, as he is the guardian angel in the sky, raining down bullets on the enemy.
Cassandra Jurico Selene and Cassie are both small town girls. And coming to a place such as Elysium instantly forms a specific bond between people like them, even if they are from two completely different continents. Their friendship is, at least to Selene, especially important in times of strife or failure related to grand endeavors. Their lives as children were simple, as such they became used to a more accepting and forgiving environment. The pressure and demands of the big city is different. However, when such failures have imposed, Selene and Cassie have had each other for comfort. Selene was there for Cassie when she failed the pilot’s test. She has been there for her during times of homesickness, and when dealing with big-city boys and their inherit douchebag nature. Selene does not miss her cursed home as much, but Cassie is the one person she can talk to about that hardwired love-hate relationship she has for Tenebra.
Trivia
Loves dark Chocolate cake.
Can sleep through almost anything and is difficult to wake up.
Has a weakness for scarves, ponchos, and sneakers.
Eric is an uppity fellow, one of those scholarly types that you see in libraries buried in a book all day. He's prim, proper, intelligent and tidy to a fault, yet he's also quite sociable, if not blunt and impersonal at times. Through his time spent in Oakridge, he picked up many things, one of which is how much the job of being a Guardian entails having the utmost focus and dedication to the craft. As such, his time spent training has honed his focus and willpower solely into being one of the best Guardians ever to be seen, even though this has yet to be proved.
Of course, being fully Elysium-born and bred has had its disadvantages. Not understanding the suffering of those born on Libra, Eric is aloof towards their problems or habits, and as such treats usual displays of their personal habits or traditions as shows of being uncouth or rough-and-tumble. Yet, through all this, the years he's spent next to Libra-born has given them a soft spot in his heart, and though he still does not fully understand them, he tries his best to accommodate them. As such, as much as he is a little blunt or aloof, he knows this and always tries to not be so.
Appearance
Eric stands 6' tall and weights roughly 150 pounds, so he's not exactly a heavyweight. With a head of scruffy brown hair and green eyes behind his brown-framed spectacles, he isn't a looker either. The way he dresses is sharp and distinct, having a penchant of wearing, at the very least, a waistcoat and tie over a shirt and slacks and dress shoes, if he's not wearing a suit jacket or a coat over that. Occasionally he gives in to his more radical urges and wears sleek leather fingerless gloves alongside his sharp ensemble, or switches out the dress shoes for more comfortable sneakers.
Weapon - Fayth
- His weapon is a high powered railgun in a casing in the shape of a lean, thin cross. One side bar is the grip and magazine housing; the other, a collection of various zoom lenses and sights. The rifle barrel itself is the long end of the cross and the other end at the top of it is the shoulder butt. The special thing about the gun is that it's also modular: almost every part on it is able to be moved or shifted around in some manner. When he's not using it as a weapon, he regularly uses Faith as a cane, not like he has a limp or anything, but it looks fancy.
-- Battle Configuration: Fayth's standard and default combat form, it is simply a battle rifle. Ten round magazine.
-- Marksman Configuration: Eric releases the foregrip from its housing within the charging handle on the bottom of the long end of the cross, unclamping it and popping it open into a bipod, after which he unclips the top bar and fits it horizontally onto the top of the long end, slotting it into place where it becomes the zoom scope. The ammunition he uses stays the same, except the rifle's power is amplified for this configuration. Used in conjunction with his spirit Shock.
-- Armour-Piercing Configuration: Eric pushes the charging grip forward and clamps it into place, starting the transformation of the barrel. It lengthens, pushing out a section of the front casing to form an expanded gas release and heat sink, while the barrel itself also widens to accommodate a larger, mass-reactive round that he loads. Used in conjunction with his spirit Awe.
-- Bludgeon Configuration: For close quarters combat, Eric switches his grip from the normal pistol grip to the butt, which lengths and sheds the outer white casing aside to reveal a proper sword handle. The pistol grip and sight bar click back several degrees to form a regular-looking hilt guard and the barrel assembly lengthens. It's not a gunblade, but it's an effective bludgeoning tool to use alongside his spirits.
Biography
Born on Elysium to a pair of scholarly parents, Eric picked up the same interest in books and learning from a very young age, one that followed him into his early youth. However, because he was so impersonal and buried in his books all the time, his folks decided to send him to Oakridge in the hopes that the exposure to people of many different races and nationalities would open up the boy from his pursuit of knowledge, which it did, very slowly. His quest for knowledge and inherent curiosity led him to investigate and learn more about his friends that were born on Libra, like Selene. She was his first real friend in the Academy, and for that he was very grateful. Though he has yet to overcome the hurdles that being Elysium-born present, like being unable to understand the hard times those on Libra went through in life, he still maintains his friendship with her and those others within their squad.
What he was never told about his parents though, specifically his mother, was that she was a weapon designer that worked in the U.D.F. Through a little executive meddling, she was able to give him Fayth as his eighteenth birthday present. Her most experimental creation, Fayth was a handheld, multi-function railgun that surpassed any handheld battle rifle that the UDF possessed, yet it was still experimental so there were bound to be bugs with the magnetic rails that sat within the hard, non-magnetic densplast housing, bugs that, well, bugged Eric through the latter three years of his time in the Academy, time spent ironing out said bugs and earning more than a few black eyes and bruises during his time practicing with it. Eventually he gained a sort of expertise in her use, and although he still has a few more kinks to iron out, Fayth has rapidly become Eric's best piece of equipment in the Academy. Of course, with his mother's help, she was also able to help provide his squadmates and best friends with the unique weapons and equipment they have as well.
Now that they're Guardians and bound together in a squad, Eric keeps his friends close by, quite protective of them as he should be, even though he's not the squad leader. He excels the most in single-target focus and takedowns with his rifle, the spirits within him aiding him in this.
Spirits
Flash Freeze Element: Water Ability: Swiftness Status Effects: Slow Description: Flash Freeze is an Ice spirit that imbues Eric's bullets with the ability to instantly freeze the target it hits. This ability affects all the rounds in Eric's current magazine and does not transfer over to new magazines. When Faith is in Bludgeon mode, the ability transfers to her blade instead, giving him the ability to freeze anything he whacks. The spirit, which he has taken to naming Frost, usually manifests as a spectral feral wolf that appears from within him and follows him around. Flash Freeze represents his patience, intelligence and smarts.
Armour-Piercing Configuration/Shock Element: Air Ability: Shroud Status Effects: Might Description: Shock is a Lightning spirit that imbues Eric's bullets with harder impact force and penetrating strength, way harder than a regular railgun can hit. This ability only affects the currently loaded magazine and nothing else. When Faith is in Bludgeon, the ability is instead translated to an electrified weapon. The spirit normally manifests as a faint electrical field that sparks and arcs around his arms and hands, though occasionally it shows itself as a fuzzy elderly humanoid being made of electricity. Shock represents his more impulsive side, the former half of ingenuity under stress.
Marksman Configuration/Awe Element: Holy Ability: Vigilance Status Effects: Weakness Description: Awe is a Holy spirit that weakens a single enemy target and makes it highly susceptible to physical damage. It changes one magazine's worth of regular rounds into devastating mass-reactive explosive shells. In Bludgeon mode, this ability instead is cast as a single slashing attack that is able to cut the target despite Faith being blunt. The spirit manifests itself typically as a pair of wings on his arms, although he also has seen it as a winged angel every now and again. Awe represents the desire to help by hurting, of protection through harm and safety through slaughter, his desire to help as much as he can.
Bring the Noise Element: Air Ability: Provoke Status Effects: Dispel Description: Bring the Noise is an Air spirit that taunts and provokes a single enemy target to attack Eric, and at the same time it dispels every buff or debuff cast on it, making it an ideal ability to set up a takedown. This spirit likes to manifest itself as an array of small speakers on his chest and sleeves that amplify his voice, though occasionally it does like to also manifest as a goofy-looking clown that Eric has taken to naming as Jester. Bring the Noise represents part of his opportunism borne in combat, the latter half of ingenuity under stress.
Relations Selene Palamecia
Eric has nothing but the utmost respect for Selene; being the first ever Libra-born person he ever talked to, she essentially was the one that opened his mind to the wide, wide world. It began when they were a lot younger, when Eric saw her struggling on academic subjects during the more boring classes in the academy. Fighting past her insistence that she didn't need any help, he helped her out where he could, and in return she helped him out of his shell by talking to him on a regular basis, slowly breaking down the anti-social walls that surrounded the boy. Back then, it didn't seem like much, but when he looks back on it, he has many reasons to be grateful for her help.
The constant get-togethers with the rest of their little gang helped him to grow as a person, and thus his interest in the more sociable, more human citizens of Libra grew. He especially spent several times alone with her when she grew homesick, along the lines of "hey, well, I'm here, if you wanna talk about it". Nothing too close, but where no one else would keep her company, he at least gave her someone to confide in. He, in fact, appreciated the time she spent to organise each and every gathering and meet, even though he hasn't said it to her face just yet.
The dynamic between these two is one of unspoken trust. During the heat of (simulated) battle, Eric regularly supplements Selene's guerilla tactics with fire support; raining down bullets (and trying his best not to hit her) and provocation to distract the enemies from their greatest threat: her gunblade. In return, of course, she prevents anything from reaching him at his usual spot at the back of the fray even though, should anything come to that, he is more than capable of fending for himself with Fayth.
They still bicker and argue sometimes, almost like a married couple would, but there is no doubt that Eric does trust Selene with his life and vice versa. He still struggles to fully understand what goes on in her head, but to say that these two are not best friends and true comrades is a white-faced lie.
Aurelia Rosenfield
Eric has known Aurelia ever since they were children. When his mother began work at Rosenfield Munitions, he had seen the young Aurelia around several times when he'd followed mum to work. Then, at a company-sponsored function, he'd met her for real and made fast friends with her. Their friendship followed them through their enrollment into Oakridge, where he soon discovered her more angry and zealous side in her outbursts and social floundering. Not intent to let their friendship sour because of that, he continued to stick by her while, through the years and the classes, the rest of their ragtag bunch of misfits slowly grew together as friends.
In fact, it was Aurelia that had first encountered a struggling Eric in the throes of his first Spirit possession: freezing cold, badly shivering and in dire need of heat, she'd saved him from being almost killed by the brooding, intelligent Ice spirit he later called Frost. He is slightly indebted to her as a result, of course, and never fails to help her if she does need help. He even has a pet name for her: 'Aurey', just a shortened version of her first name. He's the only one that she allows the use of that name, no one else.
During battle, the two work very, very well in tandem. If he isn't supporting Selene, he's doing the same with Aurelia; drawing enemy attention to himself to let her get the advantage in positioning so she can blow them away with fire or what have you. Where Selene has a gunblade though, Eric knows that Aurelia's spear is a little more unwieldy and opens her up to attacks from her blind spots, so he takes it upon himself to be closer to the action than normal, either supplementing her attacks with gunfire or melee fighting in tandem with he, the sight of which is something else entirely.
Wren Valkyrie
Having known Wren ever since they enrolled and even before that, just like Aurelia, Wren and Eric are pretty much best buddies, and the trio of childhood friends have gone through thick and thin together. Getting used to her temper and her hot-headed nature took quite some doing, but Eric did manage it after several years, even slowly matching fire with his cool-headed demeanor. He also owes his current state of person partly to her, as without her constant peppy nature that regularly got them into trouble or elicited laughs made him open up more to the group as a whole.
With their differing personalities, it's no wonder that Wren and Aurelia argue and bicker often. And it's also no wonder that Eric steps in the resolve these arguments without a cat fight or the two young ladies breaking their friendship. In a way, he is the glue that holds these two wildly different personalities together.
In battle, Wren and Eric share the same dynamic as do Aurelia and Selene; she charges in to deal damage while he supports from afar. What makes them unique is the certain synergy their spirits share: Shock is regularly paired with Electric Frenzy to create a dastardly, wicked and very strong one-two punch of electricity that oftens sends enemies flying, or worse. She also regularly uses Clap of Thunder to help him line up those perfect shots on targets she's engaging.
Ito Ishioka
The rivalry between Ito and Eric was evident from the very first day they met. The two boys argued about almost everything and agreed on next to nothing, but it was the fire of this rivalry that set the foundation of their friendship. For if it were not for Ito, Eric would not be the excellent shot he is today, since is nowhere near as good as Ito in terms of marksmanship. He, in return, helped Ito a little to bring him out of his shell, mostly by just engaging in idle chatter with him.
Eric knew that Ito would be the loner of their group, but that hasn't stopped him from trying to be better friends with him. The rivalry is only one part of their vitriolic friendship, the other being the simple fact that they almost share the same combat role of the long-range support. As such, the two are often competing against each other in tests of accuracy, though these are always friendly duels, never anything too serious.
In combat, their dynamic is one of absolute trust in the other's abilities and is a complete reversal of his usual combat dynamic. Where he normally supports melee-oriented fighters like Selene or Wren with his railgun, he is the one being supported by Ito when it comes to absolute long-range superiority. Eric will readily admit that Ito's sniper rifle is a far better firearm than his own, and knowing that such a competent and accurate marksman wields such a precision instrument of death keeps him at ease in his role nearer the front line.
Cassandra Jurico
Like Wren, Eric is usually the one that keeps Cass calm when she's about to explode or do something stupid, which she's regularly prone to doing. Often, when she gets injured doing another one of her crazy 'live life to the fullest' stunts, he usually just so happens to be nearby when she inevitably gets injured or screws up. Thankfully he's decent enough not to pour sarcasm onto open wounds, instead merely keeping quiet to help her back on her feet. And, just like Wren, he also owes her a fair bit in helping him to not be an anti-social jerk.
Also, Cass is also usually the one that drags him off when she's gonna go do something stupid, mainly because he's also usually the only one who sticks around not to watch her fail, but because he's concerned for her wellbeing. What would happen if she suddenly got mortally wounded doing something silly and no one was around to help her? Eric simply cannot banish the thought.
With her penchant in weaponsmithing and general proficiency in weapon maintainence and modification, Eric regularly goes to her for help if Fayth's having a technical hiccup, or if he needs advice on a certain modification or on how to better keep his weapon in tip top shape. He doesn't share her considerable enthusiasm in the art of making weapons, unlike his mother, but he still has the interest.
In battle, Cassie's spirits in conjunction with his are an extremely deadly combination. Shock combined with Push equals an extremely fast and deadly projectile, and if Push is combined with Shock and Awe, more often than not instead of his explosive shell deonating within his target, it explodes in a shotgun blast after it's punched through said target, hurting anything behind it. Collateral damage at its finest.
Trivia
Eric has a penchant for dressing in suits and ties, no matter the occasion. Some call him a stuck-up, snobby person. He prefers calling himself classy. He even has a set of formal dress for combat, can you believe this guy?!
Eric's very bookish, and spends a fair bunch of his time reading, if not socialising.
He has a very weird taste in music that doesn't suit his image. You'd wouldn't expect such a prim and proper person to enjoy metal, would you? In fact he says that the genre helps him think.
Eric loves a vanilla milkshake any time of day. No questions asked.
People also ask if his spectacles are for show and for style. He legitimately has a vision problem; not a serious one, but his vision is reduced to slightly blurry shapes when he takes them off.
He prefers to roll out of bed on the left side rather than the right.
Eric has had a lifelong dream to visit Libra to better comprehend and understand what people like Selene and Ito have had to live through on the planet as compared to the richer, well-off people like himself, Wren and Aurelia.
"Blushing? Wha - of course I'm not blushing! You’re looking at the results of a traumatic injury, because these idiots finally broke my brain!”
Were one looking for a truly apt way to describe Aurelia Rosenfeld, especially to the sweet, naive little lamb who hasn’t yet faced her wrath, one might liken her to a faucet. On one hand, her scathing wit and truly incendiary temper will, if triggered too long and by the wrong person, roast you to ashes. On the other, her cold, distant, almost concerted efforts toward maintaining the illusion of detachment can freeze you where you stand. (Toward those with whom she’s managed to establish a vague approximation of a friendship, she can and usually will dial it down, turning from scathing to fondly exasperated.)
Brash, blunt, and catastrophically brazen, there isn’t a force in this universe that could stop Aurelia from giving her opinion - whether or not it’s wanted, needed, or even respected is a matter of heated debate. (This has legitimately ended relationships, platonic or otherwise; the girl’s simply too critically upfront for her own good.)
She’s not one for sugarcoating matters, albeit not out of malicious intent - she’s honestly oblivious to her own bluntness. Having Aurelia around is like having a hammer you could throw with impunity at delicate situations.
Further imbalancing the unstable collection of minefields that can generously be called a personality, most of Aurelia’s frustrations and irate outbursts result from internalization of her own shortcomings. The only reason she’s so skilled at pointing out others’ flaws is because she’s had all that practice picking out her own. However, she refuses to let these flaws govern her entirely, and she’s entirely willing to work hard to overcome them.
While more than happy to congratulate herself - her nickname back at Oakridge was “God Complex” - Aurelia has no idea what to make of an honest compliment. She tends to flounder and stutter and lapse into incohesive, flustered mumbling. Along that vein, she’s extremely susceptible to cajolery and her friends’ wheedling; she has a hard time resisting pouting and pleading.
On rare occasions, she can be incisively funny, especially when she’s trying to call someone out on their bullshit or launch into a hilariously pissy rant. Tragedy is Aurelia happening to you, comedy is Aurelia happening to someone else. She’s also willing to argue with absolutely anyone about absolutely anything.
She’s used to a certain degree of refinery as far as amenities and lifestyle goes; dragging her along camping and presenting her with a few hastily-butchered trees serving as makeshift chairs would earn a priceless look of disgust. She also has absolutely no idea how people without limitless funding live - trying to explain to her concepts such as “frugality” and “not dropping thousands of dollars on jackets alone in one sitting” and “aurelia no we know you have more money than god and could buy out this entire store please stop brandishing your credit card like a club sweet merciful lord” is, unfortunately, futile.
However, despite her eagerness to resort to status and funds to get what she wants, Aurelia is surprisingly reticent in terms of talking about about her family, because daddy issues, daddy issues, daddy issues. If it’s not something you could glean from her family’s company website, it’s not something she’s willing to disclose. Attempts to push the matter will usually garner a frosty glare and the silent treatment.
Appearance
Height: Falls somewhere between 5’3” and 5’5”; not extremely short, but not particularly tall, either.
Weight: Never bothered to keep informed as to the exact number; is, presumably, on the lower side, considering her lithe, slender frame. She’s built more for agility and dexterity than she is brute force; what little muscle tone she has is lean and functional, almost like a dancer’s. As such, in a fight dependent on strength, she'd most certainly lose.
As such, she's not suited towards heavy armor, either. She'd prefer to don something lightweight and comfortable to move in. Possibly with some kind of gaudy coat thrown over top of the whole ensemble. (She's always had a flair for the dramatics.)
From Aurelia’s showy weapon and reckless fighting style, one can surmise she’s attempting to compensate for an otherwise unimposing physique. She fights like wants to die, in a sense; it’s a miracle she’s survived this long. Or graduated the Oakridge to begin with; excellent note-taking and diligent studying can’t save a sloppy combatant.
Vain enough to maintain her appearance almost meticulously. She’s downright pedantic about her eye makeup, and she'd rather show up to a function two hours late than arrive sloppily put-together.
The lip piercing is Aurelia's own special brand of rebellion. She claims it's because she wanted to "explore her options" before judging others' appearances; in reality, she just thought it looked cool.
Pretends her hair color is natural; in reality, she dyes it almost obsessively. An upbringing like hers is certain to engender some variety of peculiarities.
An explosively flashy weapon for an explosively ostentatious fighter, the unholy amalgamation is a testament to the eccentricity of man. Through nothing short of a miracle, humans somehow managed to merge two entirely incongruent weapons to form something of a paradox. In layman’s terms, it is, essentially, nothing more than a pointy stick that can split into two, smaller pointy sticks.
In its "fused" form, it best lends itself to elegant twirls - almost the sort one might see a flag-twirler of a drill team implement. Overhead circular spins melt seamlessly into sudden thrusts; in a pinch, it could even function in a manner similar to that of a longsword. It's surprisingly versatile.
Once separated into what is essentially two swords, Aurelia's fighting style shifts to a fury dance of death; its short range allows for greater speed and more attacks.
Has a wide variety of uses, ranging from thrusting attacks to parrying jabs to broad, sweeping slashes.
Born in one of Elysium’s most extravagant estates to a father as indifferent as he was affluent and a mother who had opted for a more “hands-off” approach to parenting (except for mooching off benefits, of course), Aurelia spent much of her early childhood learning the intricacies of internecine warfare. Passive-aggressive notes, “accidental” misplacement of vital funds, and deploying threats of dismemberment with cheerful grace were the norm. It gave Aurelia a perverse sort of appreciation for the fine art of war - or at least, revealed to her that it was fully possible to operate on a level of treachery yet unbreached by human influence.
The Rosenfeld Munitions Corporation was one of Elysium’s most powerful organizations; its surplus of quality resources and excellent marketing campaigns essentially secured a monopoly over the armaments industry. For all intents and purposes, Günter Rosenfeld was as much of a threat as he was a tycoon; charisma and a veritable mountain of highly-advanced technology at his disposal had a funny way of striking fear into the hearts of his enemies.
Aurelia, having been enrolled in the Oakridge Military Academy at age 8, because Günter didn’t want to risk his eldest daughter’s status as “company heiress” to some petty power struggle, held little to no interest in the company’s actions, deeming them a massive waste of her time. (Aurelia was a classic example of the “sour grapes” fable. She was blind to the red flags - wounded pride has a funny way of doing that.) When her older sister launched into a tirade about the “injustices” perpetuated by the RMC, such as the lack of accessibility by the people miring in their own misery down on Libra, Aurelia used that time to master the delicate art of rolling one’s eyes.
When Mathilde decided to take matters into her own hands and come into her inheritance early, taking on the role of executive, Aurelia began perfecting the cyanide sneer.
The day the RMC began expanding its horizons, producing several types of household appliances alongside the deadly, unholy abominations it called weaponry, was also the day it opened its doors to the people of Libra. Gone were the days of exclusion, the RMC boldly declared, because now was the time for Libra and Elysium to link arms once more, to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, to give those trapped on the dying, corrupted planet a chance at redemption, a chance at life.
And so, Günter put out word that the people of Libra were granted the opportunity to stay in Elysium; they needed only to register as one of the RMC’s workers once they were of age, and their quarters and payrolls would be prepared shortly. Mathilde, ever the paragon of naivety, was absolutely euphoric - she almost couldn’t believe her father was supporting her efforts so earnestly!
Quarter - what a funny word with funny meanings. Indeed, every possible definition of the word “quarter” was applied to the conditions in which the people of Libra were expected to live and toil. A quarter of a cot in a quarter of a room, a quarter of a bowl of broth with a quarter of a hunk of bread, a quarter of the pay an 18-hour-workday would normally warrant.
The people were outraged, and the people were suffering, and who was to blame but the neophyte executive who had ordered the changes? Whom else would they demonize, would they overthrow, would they execute? (Not quite in a literal sense, but for all intents and purposes, the being known as Mathilde Rosenfeld ceased to exist. She never died, of course, but the rampant alcoholism and substance abuse wouldn’t look very proper on a family tree.)
A panicked Aurelia, having played witness to her once-beloved sister’s tragic downfall, instantly severed all ties with Mathilde. She didn’t want to risk incurring the ire of the rioting Librans, nor did she want to be forced to take responsibility for something she didn’t do. A cowardly move, but, frankly, a smart one. It was this cowardice that spared her a timely “welcoming” back into the Rosenfeld folds; despite her disdain for the RMC, she was still her father’s daughter, and she was still a pawn in his game. She was the backup, the failsafe, and she wanted no part of it. Even so much as visiting the estate would put her at risk.
She distanced herself from the rest of her family, and invested herself in her academics and training with renewed vigor, even at the cost of some of her personal relationships.
While her end-game goal isn’t clear, popular speculation suggests she’s hoping to use the U.D.F to work her way up through the military. One day, once she’s gathered enough influence of her own, perhaps she plans to expose her father’s scandals, reveal the depths to which his depravity ran, and shatter the manacles binding her to such a toxic situation once and for all.
Spirits
“Firewall” Element: Ice Status Effects: (Shell) Ability: Defender Description: With the aid of this spirit, Aurelia conjures up a solid, spiky wall of glittering ice that will destroy most ranged projectiles. Size varies depending on its intended purpose. Serves as a makeshift shield. The spirit itself takes the form of a hazy, flickering ball of pale violet light; its personality could best be described as fickle, calculating, and exceptionally egocentric.
“Cherry Bomb” Element: Fire Status Effects: (Exposure) Ability: Provoke Description: This spirit manifests as a sizeable volley of small fireballs, with which Aurelia can then pelt her foes. Their large ranks compensate for their small size.
“Hell’s Havoc” Element: Fire/Dark Status Effects: (Zombie) Ability: Lifelink Description: A canticle of veritable desperation, alluding to the inevitability of self-destruction, the abilities lent by this spirit are to be used as an absolute last resort. Serving as an imitation of a berserk mode of sorts, this spirit wrenches free of Aurelia’s body, enveloping her in a writhing, caterwauling aura of unholy fire. She locks on to her enemies with savage precision, lunging at them like a monster possessed. The chorusing wails of unearthly terror radiate from the fire, mingling with the anguished screams of her opponent as the hellflame chars their flesh. In true sadistic fashion, it’s never enough to kill; this spirit prefers toying with its foe, leaving them alive so they can bear the full brunt of the number of unpleasant hells they’ve had rained down upon them. Needless to say, this spirit is malicious, fiendish, vindictive, and well and truly heartless - its cruelty is undiscerning; as such, friendly fire is a real possibility.
“Primal Rapture” Element: Fire/Light Status Effects: (Faith) Ability: Amplify Description: Everyone has within them a hidden vestige of goodness and purity, and Aurelia is no exception. Fueled by hope and passion and a little bit of naive determination, this spirit summons an ancient flame in a gigantic, towering pillar to cremate her enemies.
Relationships (WIP)
Selene - Aurelia views Selene as a trusted confidant - the sort of person with whom she could spend hours doing nothing more than sitting in comfortable silence. She holds a sort of admiration for Selene's leadership skills, although she'd never admit it aloud. Despite not being Aurelia's oldest friend, Selene's masterful leadership has earned her the position of the most trustworthy; Aurelia would admit things to Selene she wouldn't risk telling even her oldest friends. In fact, Selene is probably one of the few people to whom Aurelia would entrust her life. Selene's judgment is the only one to which Aurelia will defer without question, even if she doesn't always agree with Selene's policies. There seems to be something more, though, something dark and something hidden; perhaps she's harboring a bit of resentful envy of Selene's passion?
Wren - Having known each other from the very beginning of their enrollment in Oakridge, Aurelia and Wren have butted heads about any and everything within their power, leaving the third member of their ragtag trio, Eric, to serve as the sole mediator. Without his intervention, the pair surely would have torn each other apart - perhaps not nowadays, necessarily, but back in the day, their scuffles tended to lean more towards "gratuitous and excessive use of violence" as opposed to "playful bickering". Nowadays, Aurelia and Wren are the textbook example of a love-hate dynamic. Most of their interactions have an underlying aura of antagonism, particularly when Wren goads Aurelia into an argument and Aurelia latches on with all the brutal efficiency of a rabid dog. They bicker and they tease - Aurelia even inventing a few derisive nicknames for Wren, such as "brute" or "monkey" - but, at the end of the day, it's mostly all in good fun. Aurelia does admire Wren's strength and resolve, and she privately appreciates knowing someone that powerful has her back. It helps calm her nerves before a battle, because even if the only "sniping" she'll be doing is at Wren during one of their little banter sessions, she supposes it's good to know she's got someone to help her out of a tight spot. They support each other and do have a fairly solid friendship; in the end, their bond is strong, if not a tad unconventional.
Eric - Acquainted from a young age, having met at a celebratory function sponsored by the RMC, Aurelia would consider Eric one of her closest childhood friends. Unlike her interactions with Wren, or even occasionally Selene, Aurelia speaks to Eric without any sort of contempt or derision, displaying a level of gentleness even she didn't think she had within her. Her smiles come more easily - honest smiles, not smirks or sneers. She considers him one of the more sophisticated members of their little entourage of misfits, partially due to his background and partially due to the manner in which he conducts himself. She also legitimately cares about his well-being, and makes a concerted effort to check up on him from time to time, even if only for a quick chat - she's almost lost him once, when his spirit went on a bit of a rampage, ensnaring him in its grip, and it was the first time in her life she was truly, honestly scared. As such, she's made it her personal goal to ensure that never happens again; she's got a bit of a mama bear instinct where he's involved. In combat, the pair of them operate in almost perfect synchronization, making them a terrifying adversary to behold.
Cassie - Aurelia regards Cassie with the same exasperated sort of consternation a haggard caretaker might show a rambunctious child. Rewarding each of Cassie's (usually dangerous) efforts to coax her out of her shell with either a peeved scowl or somewhat pissy lecture on more appropriate uses of Cassie's time, Aurelia has, over time, come to view herself as a sort of foil to the former's boundless enthusiasm. One might assume they, being such polar opposites, would make a formidable battle duo; Aurelia's more strategic, calculating approach balances out and supplements Cassie's propensity for reckless improvisation (and, in Aurelia's opinion, truly baffling lack of foresight). Cassie is also the individual who both perplexes and frustrates Aurelia most; despite Aurelia's constant spurning, Cassie still darts in front of the bull, so to speak, trying to goad Aurelia into lightening up. Aurelia does secretly foster the smallest of soft spots for Cassie and her antics, however - Cassie may be an insufferable dolt, but she's still Aurelia's friend, and perhaps her reproachful looks and rolls of the eyes are her ways of expressing her affection? Besides, she does appreciate someone caring enough about her mental state to try to lighten the mood, so to speak. As far as Cassie is concerned, absolute dunce or complete, utter idiot or recalcitrant child are terms of endearment. Besides, she can always make the excuse that someone's got to ensure Cassie's shenanigans don't get her killed, right?
Ito - Aurelia and Ito have a friendship tempered by mutual dislike of their less-than-desirable home situations. While not necessarily the healthiest bond out there, as the pair have made more than their fair share of poor decisions, and wound up in a fair bit of trouble as a result, it's arguably a somewhat safe outlet to release stress. No one can deny there isn't support involved; because they've bonded over defiance towards their parents' expectations, they tend to fuel each other's desires to rebel, encourage each other to build their own lives from the ground up, free from pressuring by anyone but themselves, and facilitate each other's occasional staggeringly bad ideas, and devise various ways to execute said bad ideas. As to whether or not that won't get them killed is a matter of heated debate.
Trivia
Insofar as sexual and romantic orientations are concerned, Aurelia is entirely undiscerning. Gender doesn't really matter so long as their personalities are compatible.
Has legitimately never so much as touched a cheeseburger or other greasy comfort food in her life. She grew up with personal chefs capable of replicating the things advertised on broadcasts or commercials, and yet they never quite tasted the same. Would probably regard a menu at a casual restaurant with a look of utter soul-crushing bewilderment.
Doesn't particularly like chocolate, but can tolerate it if it's drizzled over strawberries or vanilla ice cream.
Absolutely loathes warm weather and visiting the beach. She doesn't tan, she burns.
Has a hyperactive imagination and an affinity for all things histrionic; as such, she has a rather irrational fear of the dark and the things that might lurk within its midst. Has been known to stay up the entire night, stumble blearily into training the next morning, dark circles ringing her eyes like war paint, and offer, "The windowsill - it creaked" as her sole explanation.
Absolutely not a morning person - she's even more waspish than usual, especially if she was forced to rise in the wee hours of the morning. Don't speak to her before she has her daily dose of coffee.
It's generally a good idea to avoid the topic of her father or older sister. A black cloud of rumors and scandal swirl around the RMC and its affiliates like vultures on roadkill, and it's a sensitive subject.
“Yeah,” she responded, fidgeting in the tiny folding chair. “What are we doing, exactly?”
“It’s an interview for the Elysium Report. You should have been briefed on this already.”
“Listen, I’m not suited for this kind of thing. Just keep the questions short, all right?”
“Yes, ma’am. You’re a respected Guardian of the United Defense Force, correct?” The reporter pointed the boom device toward her.
“Yes,” she said, smirking, “though the ‘respected’ part is up for debate, apparently.”
“Ah, indeed, you’ve had issues with your General-in-Command in the past. Tell me, do these conflicts suggest mutinous feelings?”
“Absolutely not,” Wren said quickly, straightening. “He and I… don’t see eye-to-eye on certain things, that’s all. I suspect I won’t have to deal with him much more, though.”
“Why is that?” the reporter asked, pulling out a notebook and scribbling intensely.
“Well, I’ve been placed in a new battalion with some other recruits, so I won’t be taking orders directly from him anymore.” She crossed her arms contentedly. “I decide my own actions now.”
“About these recruits,” the reporter leaned forward, “is it true you’re personally acquainted with them?”
“Yeah, they’re actually my closest friends. It was a smart decision, pairing me with them, since we already know each other’s battle techniques. Besides, I don’t work well with people I don’t know.”
“…Wouldn’t you say that’s a pretty vital aspect of being a Guardian?”
“Don’t give me that shit!” Wren snapped. “I get enough of it from the General. I’m self-sufficient, all right?”
“Okay, sorry!” the reporter said hastily. “I think we should move on to other questions…”
Personality
On the battlefield, Wren is nicknamed "The Blue Fire”, not for her flame abilities but for her fierce attitude and her brilliant blue armor. Her short temper and constant eagerness for a fight combine to form a reckless, hot-headed warrior. When not in battle, however, Wren is capable of keeping her composure, if only for a short time; in these times, she shows her logical and strategy-inclined nature. As great as her fighting abilities are, she is highly overconfident and loses her rationality as soon as she thinks herself capable of achieving victory. Though Wren would call herself proud, those who know her would instead call her narcissistic; she lets her success as a fighter go to her head, and she has trouble seeing from other people’s perspectives. Despite all of this, she has an intense loyalty for her friends and fellow Guardians, and in combat, she makes for a much better soldier and strategist than a leader.
Appearance
Wren’s face, along with many piercings, is scarred and battle-worn, a testament to her love of physical combat. Wren stands tall at 5’9” and weighs 170 pounds; her weight is mainly attributed to her impressive musculature. She has olive skin, short, choppy white hair (as a result of her lightning spirit), and bright, golden eyes. Wren wears heavy armor, with shining cobalt blue, silver, and gold metal plates, and a black, form-fitting rubber and Lycra suit underneath them.
Weapon
Wren wields a golden, extendable stun baton. This unusual weapon was crafted by her specifically for her fighting style and abilities. It does not emit electricity by itself, but is a powerful conductor of spiritual energy, and she directs her Fire and Lightning spirits’ power through it. This energy can be felt through direct contact with the baton for full effect or through a whip-like extension of fire or electricity, which can be “swung” from a larger distance (at the price of doing less damage and being less accurate). Wren has been training with a baton since she was submitted into Oakridge at eight, but crafted this one shortly before being admitted into the United Defense Force.
Biography
Wren has lived on Elysium all her life. Her parents, as esteemed and wealthy merchants, afforded her a comfortable and doting childhood, especially since she had no siblings to compete with for attention. Because of this, she grew up quite self-centered and overly confident of her skills. When her abilities were noticed by local authorities, they submitted her to the Oakridge Military Academy, where she trained and excelled until her admittance into the United Defense Force. Though she was above-average academically, Wren always managed to get herself in trouble of some kind at the school. Her frequent visits to the principal’s office were usually attributed to her defending her friends or starting a fight of her own volition. She was never bullied, however; she was picked on once, on the first day of school, but after she electrified the bully and temporarily paralyzed him, the other students backed off for the rest of her academic life.
In the last few months of her time at the Academy, Wren was one of the few promising students chosen to go on an exclusive tour of the U.D.F. Headquarters, meant to help prepare them for life in the military. The General-in-Command of the Special Warfare and Reconnaissance Group, Joseph Artemis, happened to be assisting with the tour, giving general information about the different divisions of the U.D.F. During the questionnaire section, Wren proudly announced that she planned on being the best Guardian of the W.A.R.G. General Artemis, seeing this as insolence, had her removed from the premises and told her that she would become a soldier “over my dead body”. Regardless, she never lost hope, and when Selene managed to get her into her squadron, Wren promised herself that she would prove herself not only as a valuable asset of her squad, but as a worthy soldier of the U.D.F.
In her spare time, she dabs in metallurgy and technical pursuits, such as building computers and various weapons (her baton being one of them).
Spirits
Electric Frenzy Element: Air - Lightning Ability: Vigilance Status Effect: Weakness Description: This spirit is the most dominant of Wren’s arsenal. It is conducted primarily through Wren’s baton, but it can also be emitted directly through Wren’s skin. It can be extended from her baton in the form of an electric whip, at the price of lower accuracy. This spirit takes the shape of a small yellow orb of electricity, giving anyone who touches or upsets it a tiny zap. It exemplifies ambitiousness and impulsiveness.
Engulfer Element: Fire Ability: Provoke Status Effect: Exposure Description: This spirit takes the form of a blazing flame enveloping Wren’s baton; like Electric Frenzy, it can also be inaccurately extended as a weaker fire-whip. It takes the form of bright orange flames in her eyes that actually hurt to look at, like staring at the sun. It exemplifies ferocity and violence.
Clap of Thunder Element: Air - Lightning Ability: Storm Status Effect: All Description: This spirit Is controlled by Wren’s shouts, and takes the form of a mighty blast of air, physically blowing enemies away but dealing little damage. This spirit takes the form of thin rings of gray clouds around Wren's body that slowly swirl around her. It exemplifies loyalty, integrity, and rationality.
Acid Rain Element: Water/Dark Ability: Trample Status Effect: Zombie Description: This spirit can be utilized from a great range, high over the enemies’ heads. It delivers searing, acidic rain from above, diminishing their physical armor. Though it can be cast from far away, it affects only a small zone. This spirit, unusually, takes the form of sound; when Wren walks, it sounds as though she is constantly stepping in puddles, but there is no water to see. It exemplifies confidence and self-assurance.
Relations
Selene: Wren and Selene have an especially strong friendship; Wren admires Selene’s strength and leadership abilities, and they’ve saved each other’s asses in fights on more than one occasion. However, they are capable of disagreeing on things like battle strategies, who gets to lead the attack, etc., but these minor quarrels are always over quickly, as Wren will always defer to Selene as a faithful soldier. Wren has a fondness for Selene, as she was the first to become her friend at Oakridge; she feels that she is one of the few people who truly understand her. They sparred together many times at the Academy, and Selene was there when Wren was possessed by Acid Rain, her most recent spirit.
Aurelia: Wren and Aurelia are what can best be described as vitriolic friends; though their personalities and preferences clash in almost every way, they share the same intensity and self-assurance. As a result, they frequently argue, but these skirmishes are merely surface-deep. In truth, Wren quite likes Aurelia and admires her direct approach to dealing with others. If anything, their friendship is only strengthened by their ever-present mocking and teasing. Wren typically refers to her as "princess" -- but you would be mistaken in thinking this nickname could be used by anyone else, at least without a swift punch in the nose from Aurelia.
Eric: Eric is the yang to Wren's yin, her counterbalance. He cools her fiery temper and keeps her thinking straight in dangerous situations. They went to the same school pre-Oakridge; not long after befriending each other, they met Aurelia, and the three have been close ever since. Wren and Eric bonded in weapon smithing class and practiced in training simulations together. In combat, their electrical spirits combine to form a super powerful lightning attack with incredible accuracy and range.
Eric, Wren, and Aurelia - the Trio: As they are all natives of Elysium, Wren, Aurelia, and Eric have known each other since before they were accepted into Oakridge, and as such have become a special, if a little bizarre, trio of friends. While Aurelia and Wren tend to kick up a lot of fire, Eric chills them both out and keeps them focused.
Ito: Ito and Wren met during a battle simulation at Oakridge. At first, Wren was wary of Ito's inclination for long range fighting, but ended up appreciating snipers and their support in combat. Selene played a major role in getting them to become friends.
Cass: Out of everyone in the group, Wren and Cass get along the most. They have the same interest in fighting, and their personalities mesh well. Cass's calm attitude and cheerful demeanor brings out Wren's best characteristics. In combat, Wren's Acid Rain attack can be combined with Cass's Tornado Blast to make a small, destructive hurricane; in addition, Cass's Push and Pull techniques can be used on Wren's armor, speeding her up even faster than she can sprint or pulling Cass closer to her. Unfortunately, Cass loves to bring Wren on grand adventures, getting both of them in all sorts of trouble.
Sage: As Wren is more attracted to the up-front, straightforward types of personalities, she was initially highly distrustful of Sage and her secretive tendencies. However, as they spent more time together and Wren got to see her more sensitive sides, she began to appreciate her clever thinking and devotion to her friends. Together, they make an effective duo, both in strategics and in battle; their logical skills combine to create strong combat plans, and while fighting, Wren's Clap of Thunder spirit supports Sage's Blackout spirit.
Trivia
- People often ask Wren if she’s “stressed” or “old” because of her white hair. It annoys her. - She doesn’t wear makeup, but Aurelia did try to put some on her once. That went about as well as you might expect. - She hates seafood. - She prefers winter to summer. - Wren is straight, but has very little experience when it comes to romance. She once punched a boy she had a crush on in the mouth to show her affection... when she was seventeen.
Appearance: Ito keeps himself at the highest standard of personal upkeep, choosing keep himself well-groomed and manicured at all times. His strong muscular frame and long lithe limbs denotes the many hours of training he has done to hone and perfect the skills that he has chosen to invest his time in. Standing roughly around six feet and weighing one hundred and eighty pounds Ito has been known to tower over others from his region with his most noticeable feature being the cold blue steel eyes that he uses to bore into the souls of friends and enemies alike.
Personality: Ito is a very straight laced individual most likely from his upbringing, but there always seems like there's more just beyond that. Ito has a way of peering into the true thoughts and feelings of those around him which helps him be the best person to talk to when there is trouble, however, despite his excellence in spotting whats wrong with others he is completely oblivious to any real problems that he might have himself dismissing them as "A part of his station". Even among his friends Ito keeps a certain level of detatchment about him believing that the worst might happen at any moment so don't get too attached to anything real. With all of this mulling around in his head, Ito has hope that someday there will be a time when he doesn't have to live within the confinds of the world he has created for himself.
Weapon(s): Ito’s main weapon is a Type 99 Anti-Material Sniper Rifle that was given the code name “The Longbow”(see picture below for more detailed description of the inner workings). Instead of the off board aiming computer however Ito uses a direct interface system by linking his helmet directly into the aiming system of the rifle using a Virtual Aiming Interface or V.A.I for short.
When The Longbow isn’t an option Ito relies on his dual hard light constructed short “swords” mounted on his wrists that he calls Masuro and Suswano.
Biography: Ito was born in the eastern region of Hong Desa to two minor government officials. Although most of his life in his home country is lost on him Ito clearly remembers his life in Centra, and it wasn’t a pleasant one, being mocked because of his nationality was something that will clearly stay in his mind for the rest of his life. For as long as he can remember Ito distanced himself from any and every one that could help him, including his parents. It wasn’t until he met Selene and the rest of his friends that he finally started to attempt to be a part of the world around him. While he remained loyal to his closest friends, the rest of the world became more of a mystery than it was before.
From an early age discipline was drilled into every facet of Ito’s life, and so when it became clear that he was to be a Guardian it too was drilled into his daily life. For many hours of the day he would practice his combat skills and his schooling in an attempt to become the best at everything that he decided to do. On the day that he was accepted into Oakridge it was no surprise to anyone who knew him that he would make the journey to Elysium and in doing so raise his parents station as they accompanied him. Even as his studies progressed into more and more Ito still retained the discipline instilled by his parents rarely going out and having any sort of fun with his peers which made him seem distant and aloof even among his closest friends. As time progressed Ito became more enamored with the ideal of long ranged combat in lieu of the more favored close ranged taking up the sniper rifle as his main form of combat was something else that made him seem…off.
Tradition ruled every aspect of Ito’s life as he was often pulled out of classes on key days for cultural ceremonies meant to remind him of his heritage and keep him focused on the task at hand. Ito’s parents drilled into him the importance of being a Squad Leader and the honor that such a station would bring to his house hold. While this was a dream of parents Ito was never too fond of the idea, his preferred method of fighting always kept him away from such lofty ambitions. As graduation day approached tensions between Ito and his parents reached a final boiling point as he finally announced his intentions to become the long ranges support instead of the leader. Outraged, Ito’s father formally disowned him as his son and told him that he was no longer welcome in his house. It was clear that day that Ito’s parents actually cared little for the actual safety and more for their own station in life. It was from that day one that he dedicated his life to the protection of his friends and little else.
Spirits:
Burst Shot Element-Air Ability-Trample Status Effect-Unsure Desciption-This spirit doesn’t truly manifest itself until it comes into contact with something. As it hits its mark, the spirit manifests itself as a sort of “second bullet” which explodes after initial contact, the pratical upshot being that it can either break through armor or deal additional damage once it breaks armor. This spirits personality is that of the winds fury and unrivaled force.
True Shot Element-Air Ability-Amplify Status Effect-Exposure Description-This spirit manifests itself by shifting the winds around Ito and his target allowing him to have a longer range and a more accurate shot. If given enough time the spirit can actually move the bullets direction in order to have the most effective shot every time. This spirits personality is that of the winds ever changing nature and free flowing nature.
Crow’s Flight Element-Air Ability-Provoke Status Effect-Haste Description-This spirit manifests itself in speed. If Ito is in hand to hand combat he finds the most direct path to his target allowing him to move unhindered as he dispatches his targets. This spirits personality is of the winds speed and its ability to topple anything that stands in its path.
Relations:(WIP)
Selene- Ito holds Selene with the highest regards both as commander and as friend. She has a unique understanding of what it means to be a leader and has the insight to get the job done and it is because of that he often refers to her as "Mottomo meiyo shiki-kan" which means "Most honored commander" in native Hong Desa.
Eric- To say that Eric and Ito are rivals would be the greatest understatement of the century. From marksmanship to more intellectual arguments, Eric and Ito are often at odds about almost anything. Despite all of their arguments however, they both share a common respect and admiration for the others skills with both aiding the other in their respected persuits. He refers to Eric as "Mottomo chōsen-tekina raibaru" or "most challenging rival".
Cassie- Ito sees Cassie's reckless behavior as someone who needs help and guidance and as such he tends to be much more protective of her than the rest of his friends. The two have an odd relationship where they both try to help each other; Cassie tries to get Ito to loosen up and have more fun and Ito, in turn, tries to teach her some of the things he has learned about discipline. He refers to her as "Imōto" or little sister.
Wren- Ito and Wren met during a battle simulation at Oakridge. Ito could sense her initial distrust of long range fighter but after a few times in the simulator they both began to appreciate each other.
Aurelia- Aurelia and Ito are an odd pairing of friends, like most of his other friends she is Elysium born and his planetary birth already make them an oddity. Their friendship, however, is born of a mutual desire to be free of their lives and to have some fun, which generally leads to combat training and things your not supposed to do.
Cassandra Jurico Cassie is.. well, she’s crazy. Not the psychopath, serial killer crazy, but the no regard for her own life, adrenaline junkie type of crazy. She’ll do just about anything to get a rush to include running headlong into a large group of enemy combatants as a distraction. Ever see someone try to jump off the top of a building with only a bedsheet and a few lines of rope tied to each corner? Cassie’s done it. Twice. She’s adamant in her belief that life is meant to be lived, not survived. There’s no point of living until you’re a hundred if all you’ve done is sit in your house and stare out the window the whole time. Of course, this tendency to throw herself in dangerous situations for both legitimate or no more discernible reasons than “it looked fun,” means that she requires her ass to be pulled out the fire on a somewhat regular basis.
Cass is extremely extroverted. Generally upbeat and friendly, she has no problem throwing her arm over the shoulders of an out-of-place looking stranger and dragging them into her circle of friends. She would consider herself an enabler, pushing people out of their comfort zones in a bid to “help them experience life.” She lacks the ditzy bubbliness some might expect from her, but instead is filled to the brim with a sort of mischievous, witty sense of humor with a liberal sprinkling of sarcasm. You’d be hard pressed to find a way to make her angry or embarrassed, as she’s prone to laughing off just about anything you throw at her. Unless you call her Cassandra; She hates that. Cassie, Cass, CJ, Jurico, Juri… even “Hey you stupid” would be an improvement over calling her by her full first name.
A lover of everything physical, she has participated in every athletic activity that Oakridge has to offer of both the sport and combat variety... and she excels. It’s not odd to find her working out in one of the gyms or running off some of her boundless energy around campus. She’s the definition of what it is to be a cavalier competitor, however, and she often infuriates her opponents with her nonchalant, smiling attitude coupled with abundant skill.
Not exactly the most attentive student at Oakridge, her grades in most areas are average. She’s smart, she just won’t sit down at a desk to study for countless hours when she could be doing… well, anything else, really. She does have a natural affinity towards math and science, particularly anything dealing with physics and chemistry. You know, the fun stuff. She even built her own weapon from scratch a few years back, and she’s pretty proud of it. Her intelligence largely relies on her intuition, quick wit, and quicker reactions. Sit her down in front of a map and tell her to plan out an intricate operation to steal information from a fortified enemy base and she’ll just stare at it blankly and shrug. But when all that fancy planning has gone to shit in the heat of battle, there is nobody better at winging it and getting things done than Cassie.
Appearance CJ stands at an even 5’8 and weighs in at about 145lbs. Her love of exercise and sports for the fun of it makes her exceedingly fit, and she has a surprising amount of upper body strength. Her hair is about shoulder length and naturally a mousy brown, with a few lighter sunstreaks making an appearance every now and then. Everything about her face are expressive and animated, from her big doe eyes that are a brown so dark that in lower lights they appear black to her mobile mouth, to the interesting set of her nose that looks to have been broken a few times, the crooked lift of her eyebrows, and the dimpled smirk she often employs. Her sense of style is pretty simple, and most would consider her a tomboy. Tee shirts, jeans, and sneakers are her go-to, or sports apparel… anything comfortable and easy to move in, really.
Weapon
Cassie’s weapon is a buster type sword she made with a special little twist to give it a little more umph. Basically two swords fused into one via several support/spacers, this beast of a weapon stands at least 5ft tall from hilt to points. The blades are made from an incredibly strong metal alloy, allowing them to be hollow without fear of breaking. Within the blades are housed electromagnetic coils that run down their lengths.This is so that the pistoning weight located between the two blades can move quickly up and down the weapon, effectively allowing her to change the center of gravity and put far more momentum behind her hits. A little switch on her hilt near the guard changes the direction of the accelerator, and the power cell for the coils are also housed there. Should an enemy’s weapon get trapped between any of the spacers between her blades, she can also activate the switch to smash it with the accelerator or twist it from their grip. Cassie can pack quite the punch with her sword.
Biography Cassie was born in a small village of around three hundred people that exists on the the cusp of the Anatolian wilds and the shores of a large glacial lake. She had three older brothers (Dieter, Felix, and Kurt) and one sister (Minna) at the time of her birth, and while her mother took care of their too tiny house and too many children, her father was a woodsmen and trapper. He’d spend most of his days trapping animals whose pelts would one day end up lining the inside of an aristocrats coat or some such, or chopping wood in preparation of the long, harsh winters. The kids, of course, would help where they could depending on their age at the time. The Jurco family wasn’t rich, or even well off, but what they lacked in material gains they made up for in their closeness.
Being the baby of the family (at least until she was six, when her mother popped out the twins Lucas and Lara), meant that Cassie grew up being the brunt of every joke, teasing, and fights between the children. She didn’t seem to mind, however, and still tailed her older siblings like a puppy as they had misadventures in the town and surrounding areas. As she grew she became somewhat of a staple in the village, the sweet talking little girl with a the crooked smile that caused mostly harmless mischief in the name of fun.
She and her dad have always had a special relationship, and the cheerful giant that he was taught her most of her understanding of the world. Cassie is very much a daddy’s girl, and has always lived in a way she thought her father would approve. And he, in turn, knew that his fifth child was something different from the rest and that she was destined for more than being a fisherman’s wife in their small town. Maybe he could sense the spirits that begun residing within her, or maybe it was just fatherly intuition. So when Cassie turned eight, he wanted to send her off to the city of Juno to be tested at one of their annual exams meant to find the most promising children in Anatolia and offer them scholarships from the many military academies around the world. He scraped together all of the family’s savings just to make the long trip to Juno for her and himself, believing without a doubt that it’d be worth it to see his little girl live the life she was meant for.
She passed the tests; crushed them as much as an eight year old little girl from a backwoods town could. Cassie never understood exactly what it was they were looking for, or what it was that they found in her, but several academies made a bid for her admittance. Her father ultimately chose for her to go to Oakridge as it was the most prestigious of the lot. There, he knew, his daughter could have the world on her fingertips.
Soon she was shot off into space, or at least as far as Elysium, and away from her family for the first time in her young life. She wouldn’t have called herself the wide-eyed country girl when she got there, but there was definitely some gawking going on in those first few days on the station. It didn’t take her long to make an abundance of friends and acquaintances, being friendly and open even at that age, and she became one of those kids everyone at least knew about at the academy if only because she had introduced herself to them out of the blue.
Her life at the academy has always been about excitement. She was on every sports program the school had to offer for at least a short time and her daredevil antics around the academy grounds have often made her the bane of every faculty member’s existence. She’s never really done anything bad enough to get expelled, so at least there’s that, though her exceptional performance with all things physical and combat-oriented probably helped her case. That, and her friends saving her from trying out the dumbest stunts.
She has calmed down a little with age, though her compulsive nature is still evident. Cassie has even shown quite a pension for maturity when the time calls for it, and it often surprises people to hear that the vast majority of the monthly allowance she gets from the academy is actually sent back home to her family in Anatolia and that she keeps in contact with every single member.
Spirits “Push” Element: Earth Ability: Vigilance Status:Vigor Description: This spirit gives Cassie the ability to push metal. If the thing she is pushing at weighs less than her, or is not anchored down to something, if will go flying directly away from her. If the object weighs more or is anchored, she will fly directly from it. For instance, Cassie can toss a coin over a ledge and push on it, causing it to shoot to the ground like a bullet, but if she continues to push said coin while it has the weight of the ground supporting it, Cassie will shoot up into the sky. “Push” along side it’s sibling spirit “Pull” exemplify the qualities of balance, force of will, and focus.
“Pull” Element: Earth Ability: Swiftness Status:Might Description: This spirit gives Cass the ability to pull on metal. It works in the same fashion as “Push,” only opposite. Using these two spirits in tandem can allow her to either throw a metal wearing opponent around like a rag doll, or whip herself around the battlefield with the force of a freight train. “Pull” along with its sibling spirit “Push” exemplifies the qualities of balance, force of will, and focus.
“Tornado Blast” Element: Air Ability: Lifelink Status: Imperil Description:This spirit creates a small, but powerful tornado to rip through the battlefield, picking up anything it can (to include smaller, lightweight enemies) only to be launched at a specified target in a vortex of wind and debris. Depending on what the tornado has picked up it end up being nothing more than a stinging nuisance, to causing decent damage. This spirit exemplifies luck, adaptability, and intuition.
“Flame Aura” Element: Fire Ability: Trample Status: Armor Description: This spirit wreaths the users body completely in fire, creating a shield that can cause damage if in close proximity or even light an enemy on fire upon touch. This spirit exemplifies enthusiasm, rebelliousness, and passion.
Relations
Wren is Cassie’s partner in crime, albeit sometimes a reluctant one. Not only is Wren willing to partake in any shenanigans that may ensue, but she is artfully masterful at reining Cass away from the most idiotic of her ideas. As the two of them are both in-your-face, melee combatants, Cassie knows that she always has a challenging and willing sparring partner. Wren is also usually there to feel affronted for Cassie when she probably should, and Cassie is there to act as the friendly go-between for Wren. On the battlefield the two of them working in tandem are a force to be reckoned with, and Creator be with you when they start combining their spirit abilities in a flurry of physical and magical attacks.
Probably the least likely friendship of the lot, it almost seems like Cassie should not have survived Aurelia’s wrath for as long as she has, let alone be among her circle of friends. Cass has made it a personal vendetta to get Aurelia to lighten up and show a little humor once and awhile, though her progress has shown miniscule improvement at best. What Aurelia probably doesn’t realize is that the two of them have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship. For one, Cassie is fond of throwing herself directly into Aurelia’s path for not only the fun of it, but because the other girl’s brash, condoning attitude towards her reminds Cass of her older siblings’ teasing. Coming from such a tight-knit family as she was, it helps Cassie fight off the homesickness she gets from time to time. And the benefit for Aurelia? Well, Cass is the perfect target for her.. angst. She doesn’t get offended or angry by Aurelia’s insults, and if she’s fuming at Cass, she’s not doing it to the other, more hot-headed members of their circle.
If Cassie were to try to pin down her and Eric’s friendship, she’d probably tell you that he is her mother hen, and she is the one that gets him to loosen that tight collar of his. Or that she’s the jelly to his toast. Whereas Wren can usually be persuaded into joining in on the fun of Cassie’s misadventures, Eric acts more along the lines of her safety net. At the time she never really thinks she’ll need such a thing, as she pretty much always figures her ideas will pan out, but it’s always nice to have someone to lean on when limping her way to the infirmary after a stunt gone wrong.
He also is one of the few people that sees the more intellectual facets of Cassie on a regular basis. Sure, the others love sparring with her as she’s a skilled and unpredictable opponent (and she loves fighting with them too), but rarely do they seek her out for more academic pursuits. Which is understandable, mind you, for her normal behavior and demeanor do a fairly good job of making her seem like she’s not capable of much more than a witty remark. However, her deep understanding of the way things move makes her quite adept at more than just fighting. Eric gets that, it seems, or just realized that if Cassie could build an electromagnetic sword on her own, she could probably help him finagle with his own weapon.
Cassie and Ito are about as close to being siblings that two people from opposite upbringings possibly could be, though if you asked they’d both adamantly claim that they hold the “big” sibling role in the relationship. They’re particularly protective of one another. Cass knows that Ito has her back in all things; her overwatch through and through. In turn, she comes running at his call for help. Hell, she even gave him an weird, trapezoid shaped chunk of metal to keep on him in battle so she could easily Pull herself to him should he need close range support.
They both seem to strive to teach the other a little something about their respective life philosophies and have devised an odd tactic that works in both their favors: the haggle technique. If Cass wants Ito to do an activity of her choice, she’ll have to do one of his choice. Of course, these plans are usually paired with stipulations that they agree upon beforehand as well.
Cassie both loves and hates that Selene is her leader. On the one hand, Cassie is not too fond of being told what to do, especially when what she wants and what is wanted of her are two totally different things. On the other hand, Cass is fully aware of her own inability to lead, lacking the strategic mind, foresight, or even the desire to be responsible for pretty much everything. So, if she has to have a leader it might as well be someone who has all those things. In spades. Several decks worth. In fact, Cass has even watched Selene in the process of concocting some of her larger battle plans for their simulations and it’s pretty much convinced her that the Selene has a secret spirit that gives her the ability to magic the damned things from her pocket. That has gotten her Cassie’s respect, and her propensity for ensuring their group’s safety has gotten her Cassie’s unfaltering loyalty.
As far as their friendship is concerned, they share an understanding that is unique among their group; they are both the small town girl in a megacity. Life might have thrown different things at them that caused them to grow into two distinctive people, but Cassie likes to think that they started off from the same core stuff. And while Cassie is far more likely to seek out Wren or Ito for the vast majority of things, in the rare instances she finds herself really needing to confide in someone it’s usually Selene.
Trivia-
Cassie’s favorite snack is peanut butter, creamy style. It’s not odd to see her walking around eating a glob of it on a spoon.
For a long time at Oakridge, it was Cassie’s goal to become an UDF fighter/test pilot. However, when she was actually old enough to test for aptitude (at 13) she failed the exam miserably.
She keeps a handful of Anatolian coins in her pocket in case of “extreme lack of metal emergencies” so that she can still utilize her 'Push' and 'Pull' spirits.
Once as a kid, her siblings locked her into the firewood storage box outside the house for a prank and forgot to let her out… for six hours. Consequently, Cassie suffers from a moderate case of claustrophobia.
Cassie has gone on a lot of dates with a lot of guys, but never has she had a romantic relationship reach the one month mark. She generally runs them ragged or gets bored too quickly for them to last that long.
She snores due to a deviated septum.
You can always tell after Cassie has called home and talked with one of her family members as her Anatolian accent, which is now normally so slight that it borders on nonexistent (she hasn't lived there since she was eight, after all), becomes noticeable for a bit before wearing off again.