Len was one of the last ones out of the plane. The pilot would not see the rat-sized chimeramorph that replaced Len in the seconds before he jumped out and the missiles found their target.
The firearms sang below, but with the explosion overhead, they were focused on the others as Len—who, at a glance, could be mistaken for one of the pigeons that could be seen in Phnom Penh when there weren't foreign militaries operating within the city—flew from transport over the parking lot, empty beyond a small command encampment, onto the steep roofs of the National Assembly building.
Under some circumstances, Len would have been able to hear Dior, or Kaden's response. Even if he had been in his keen-eared chimeramorph, Len could've picked up a snippet—but there happened to be a great cacophony of combat that smothered any chance of it. Even if he had wanted to, Len had no attention to spare.
Along the roofs, including the one he landed on, were tactically-positioned snipers of the Special Operations Command. Each of the elite soldiers were heavily-armed and contributing to the volume of fire directed at the grounds.
That did not stop the first one from getting the hundreds of kilograms of force from Len's paw swipe. Ribs were crushed, and the sniper was flung as Len morphed smaller to fly to the next.
Speed is of the essence, he thought, increasingly aware of the AFVs.
Len is a fast eater. He always has been, since he first entered the school system, since he first entered the domestic workforce. Put everything eats in any day on the table and he could finish well within 20 minutes. Thos who knew Len know he enjoys food, but it certainly might not look it.
Argentarch, on the other hand... not so much. Len's Noble Arm, by nature, required immense quantities of energy to sustain its abilities, and obviously derived no pleasure.
Hence the sounds of mastication coming from Len's seat. The transport was a tad quieter than a helicopter, so the ears of those who looked his way might pick up just enough for their minds to fill in.
He was eating butter. It had had softened through the briefing, and earlier when he swiftly ate his actual breakfast after taking it out from his personal refrigerator.
Len was going to need it—he had never parachuted before. Nor had he faced such opposition. Nor alongside the frightening amount of volatile child-soldiers.
Warriors, Len corrected himself mentally. He wouldn't trust them to conduct themselves with significant integrity.
Len had decided before stepping into the aircraft that he was not going to step out.
It was the logical conclusion. He could be killed in the air, on the ground, by those he would fight, by those he would not, or his own mistakes.
For a Friday, Len could not say today was something to celebrate. Awakening at 0600 hours wasn't a problem for the young man. The briefing wasn't a problem for foreign volunteer.
The problem, Len thought, is the mission.
The predicament of ASEAN personnel was dire, with both Arms Masters and regulars under fire. Typically, units were entirely composed of and commanded by Arms Masters exclusively or regulars exclusively, to minimize problematic power dynamics. But... among the Arms Masters assembled here... the highest-ranking, Len's superior, was ostensibly a kid.
As was the bearer of a perfume line's moniker.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the comfortable conclusion would be that there were multiple briefings like this across the base and ASEAN simply wanted all hands on deck to minimize the risk on individuals.
Considering the alternative conclusions... Len was going to rely on Argentarch more than ever before in his life—even more than the day his Noble Arm manifested. In his ambidextrous hands was a piece of white jade, 40cm in length. While listening to the words of Arrogance Personified, his thumbs absent-mindedly tracing the engravings along Argentarch's form, chimeric creatures and Chinese constellations.
Nothing quite like a flight at the break of dawn into the flames of war.
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Argentarch, a ceremonial white jade dagger carved into the likeness of a chimera with the body of a feathered tiger with wings
Noble Arm Rank: B
Power: B Speed: A Range: C Persistence: D Precision: B Potential: B
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Melee, shapeshifting, close- to mid-range
Noble Arm Abilities: Argentarch enhances speed and strength, allowing for superhuman reflexes and resilience.
Chimeramorphy allows for flight regardless of somatic injuries to wings and the ability to demonstrate “nature red in tooth and claw,” but the chimeramorph cannot vocalize nor does it enhance Len’s human senses.
Pinions (penna-minions) are formed when the tigerdove chimeramorph sheds feathers, acting as simple and weak drones that appear like loosely clumped heaps of white feathers or even torn-up plastic bags. The further Len bids them to go, the less responsive and more unsophisticated they become. At the maximum range of 200m, he can only have the pinions sluggishly travel into closer proximity to him where they can carry out more sophisticated maneuvers like obscuring things in a blizzard of pinions or transporting small objects.
Misc Abilities: Ambidexterity, bilingualism
Personality: Len is about as naïve as one would expect from a young man raised in Oklahoma, and also prefers to view events with a measure of amusement. Simultaneously, Len takes satisfaction in playing the straight man—although this is often undermined by his default expressionlessness that can come off as sarcasm. While he doesn’t take light deviations from loyalty among those he spends his time with badly, Len prides himself in his own loyalty towards others. Stemming from his upbringing, this young man will almost universally be considered excessively stingy. While not a strict adherent, Len believes that he should be deliberate as often as possible, somewhat related to his mannerisms where speed is both measured but appears relaxed.
At times, he can be decisive—or impulsive, depending on your perspective—but in general, Len tends to be cautious, especially when decisions carry responsibility he is uncomfortable with. His reluctance to direct positions of leadership often leads Len to align himself under a superior—providing his creativity or insight when he believes it is pertinent but primarily exhibiting diligence in the execution of instructions. Confiding in Len has never been a problem in the past, either, as he lacks loose lips or an easily cowed nature susceptible to peer pressure.
*Likes:
*Dislikes:
Fears: His goal is to become historically significant—symbolic immortality—but fears that in his quest he may weaken his moral code. A problem with this is his lack of a well-defined moral code, leading him to agonize over the accidental and intentional “toeing of lines” mentally. He has other typical fears—fear of disappointing those who love or trust him and fear of powerlessness in all its forms. Combat always consists of an element of uncertainty, but Len’s civilian background leaves him quite poor at judging risk, tending towards overestimating danger and acting with more unwillingness than what might be rational.
Bio: Len Vuong was born in 2000 and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a working-class family who named him after Leonardo DiCaprio. Len is of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, which influenced his decision to serve as a foreign volunteer under ASEAN, alongside his desire to “make something” of himself. While Len personally feels connected to his family, he is somewhat of an outcast because of his choice to leave the country and serve overseas.
Before the manifestation of Argentarch, his Noble Arm, Len had been trained and then served in non-combatant roles within foreign volunteer units for over two years, during which he had refined his Mexican-flavored Spanish from his youth with Filipino elements. As of November 2022, the Arms Master has been transferred out of the support positions.
*Current Goal: Len aims to become a person worth being proud of, defending his people and making a name for himself.
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Argentarch, a white zhènguī (鎮圭) or jade royal tablet measuring 40cm in length, engraved with constellations and chimeras
Noble Arm Rank: B
Power: B Speed: A Range: C Persistence: D Precision: B Potential: B
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Melee, shapeshifting, close- to mid-range
Noble Arm Abilities: Argentarch enhances speed and strength, allowing for superhuman reflexes and resilience.
Chimeramorphy allows for flight regardless of somatic injuries to wings and the ability to demonstrate “nature red in tooth and claw,” but the chimeramorph cannot vocalize nor does it enhance Len’s human senses.
Pinions (penna-minions) are formed when the tigerdove chimeramorph sheds feathers, acting as simple and weak drones that appear like loosely clumped heaps of white feathers or even torn-up plastic bags. The further Len bids them to go, the less responsive and more unsophisticated they become. At the maximum range of 200m, he can only have the pinions sluggishly travel into closer proximity to him where they can carry out more sophisticated maneuvers like obscuring things in a blizzard of pinions or transporting small objects.
Misc Abilities: Ambidexterity, bilingualism
Personality: Len is about as naïve as one would expect from a young man raised in Oklahoma, and also prefers to view events with a measure of amusement. Simultaneously, Len takes satisfaction in playing the straight man—although this is often undermined by his default expressionlessness that can come off as sarcasm. While he doesn’t take light deviations from loyalty among those he spends his time with badly, Len prides himself in his own loyalty towards others. Stemming from his upbringing, this young man will almost universally be considered excessively stingy. While not a strict adherent, Len believes that he should be deliberate as often as possible, somewhat related to his mannerisms where speed is both measured but appears relaxed.
At times, he can be decisive—or impulsive, depending on your perspective—but in general, Len tends to be cautious, especially when decisions carry responsibility he is uncomfortable with. His reluctance to direct positions of leadership often leads Len to align himself under a superior—providing his creativity or insight when he believes it is pertinent but primarily exhibiting diligence in the execution of instructions. Confiding in Len has never been a problem in the past, either, as he lacks loose lips or an easily cowed nature susceptible to peer pressure.
*Likes:
*Dislikes:
Fears: His goal is to become historically significant—symbolic immortality—but fears that in his quest he may weaken his moral code. A problem with this is his lack of a well-defined moral code, leading him to agonize over the accidental and intentional “toeing of lines” mentally. He has other typical fears—fear of disappointing those who love or trust him and fear of powerlessness in all its forms. Combat always consists of an element of uncertainty, but Len’s civilian background leaves him quite poor at judging risk, tending towards overestimating danger and acting with more unwillingness than what might be rational.
Bio: Len Vuong was born in 2000 and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a working-class family who named him after Leonardo DiCaprio. Len is of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, which influenced his decision to serve as a foreign volunteer under ASEAN, alongside his desire to “make something” of himself. While Len personally feels connected to his family, he is somewhat of an outcast because of his choice to leave the country and serve overseas.
Before the manifestation of Argentarch, his Noble Arm, Len had been trained and then served in non-combatant roles within foreign volunteer units for over two years, during which he had refined his Mexican-flavored Spanish from his youth with Filipino elements. As of November 2022, the Arms Master has been transferred out of the support positions.
*Current Goal: Len aims to become a person worth being proud of, defending his people and making a name for himself.
Danyel
Snowdrops
Izurich
Carlyle
Height: 5'10"