Blizz

X-Men: GenetiX

For an indeterminate length of time, Ryder had been monitoring everything that was of any consequence in this hell they called a lab. What was allegedly just a medium to low-level psychic was actually far, far more powerful than she had been given credit for. She played a good undersell, not a single scientist or researcher expected she was any stronger than what they observed. And so, she had the run of the entire facility. Ryder heard the conversations recorded by security systems, she saw the logs that determined which personnel were in rotation, and she knew who would and wouldn’t be present at any given point. After all, what kind of scientific research facility wouldn’t write down every little thing?

Like bricks in a wall, she slowly constructed her plan. Trawling the wires and processors of every computer in the building for every possible weakness, and leaving no trace of her intrusion. Ryder’s espionage had been going fine. There were tiny holes in the security that made things vulnerable, like micro-fractures in a window that made it all the more brittle. One day, though, something different made itself known. Not a machine, not the minds of the researchers or her “keepers.” No, this was something very interesting. Mentally, it was like a lighthouse in a layer of fog. A ripple in otherwise still waters that ran deeper than realized.

Jean was her name. She made a phone call to someone, and Ryder could hear every word. Someone was on their way to Umbra, and they’d arrive in a short while.

Perfect.

She waited for years, she could wait just a little longer.

---

In a veritable explosion of psychic energy, the lab lost itself like a drunken fool. Security systems spasmed, doors went haywire, even the lights flickered and blew open in showers of sparks. Every now and then, a single security camera would be released from the chaos for a second at a time. That would be Ryder’s doing, so she could mentally check in on the chaos. She ran down the cold hallways of Umbra’s levels, and willed a door to slam shut behind her. Ryder knew every inch of every room in this building with near photographic accuracy, so she reached out into the darkness of the room and just knew the weapons were here, and the ammunition there. Everything was hers to exploit.

Knowing better than to go back the way she came, an air vent was telekinetically crushed into a ball, and Ryder floated up, held her breath, and crawled to the next step. While deep in their computers, Ryder had memorized the pathways of the HVAC system. If she took this vent, went up and down the next three and took a left, she could release an elevator and crawl down the empty shaft. She did just that, making sure the fire suppression system throughout the building wouldn’t stop doing its job for the next few minutes. Just to spite them.

---

Fresh air was a strange thing to Ryder. It was foreign.

The lab was in chaos of the highest order. It stood behind her while she stared out into the open world. Green trees, a blue sky and white clouds. Of course she knew this was waiting for her, but being present in the real world… It was a shock. Her scheming had paid off. She could pick a direction and never look back. All she had to do was-

"Hi. Do you want to tell me why you're running from this place?"

Ryder practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of someone creeping up behind her. She spun around and pointed the gun straight at the… Guard? No. He wasn’t a guard. In fact, he wasn’t even armed. Then it hit Ryder that this guy was one of the visitors. He had some strange visor over his face. She didn’t recognize what kind of device that was and assumed it was just some weird pair of sunglasses. At least he didn’t have a gun like her.

”That doesn’t concern, big guy. Turn around, walk away, and forget you saw me. Do that and I won’t blow your fucking head off.” The gun’s safety was off, and the barrel was pointed directly at Scott’s center mass. Spite and self preservation were written all over her face.

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Leah Jordan

---

Location: Framework
Skills: Battlefield Manipulation
Today’s Fit

---

---

The fact that the Felsic Thickness went down at all was a surprise to Leah. She was about to shout somethi jg along the lines of, “Are you not entertained?!” towards the simulated heavens for Usagi to bask in their glory. Except, she was until Arcade swooped in and chanted a cheat code- She fucking knew he jacked more than Mario Kart into this fucking rig. The corpse of the Scoria Skank swallowed him while and suddenly Arcade was Ganon. And Arcade Ganon blasted Leah like a glass bottle in some old ass shooter game’s tutorial. She went back flying and hit the ground palms-first. Leah’s legs went over top and she performed a handspring to her feet. She hit the ground rather forcefully, rocks crunched underneath her. Arcade was clearly a tricky fighter. He waited for his moment and took it- Credit where it’s due, that was smart.

But now he was the bad guy here, and Leah had to wonder what the chances were that he could ambulate something that big, even with his techno wizardry. Could Zari just will her brain to instinctually know how a different body functioned? Leah just went through a werewolf moment and she definitely didn’t feel comfortable in that skin. And Arcade wasn’t Zari. So… Leah slammed the ground with her fists, and a tremor split split open underneath Arcade Ganon. Rocks cracked and fractured, until a miniature canyon yawned into existence beneath his feet. Leah watched him fall like a 747 with a broken wing. Perfect.

”Throw everything at him!!!” Leah shouted, running up to rejoin the rest of the group, already forming her next move in her mind.

rolls for next update

Roll for Leah to start producing boulders from the surrounding terrain to start burying Arcade Ganon alive. Calling battle manipulation skill.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

Selena Phoenix

"I have nothing to prove to anyone." _____________________________________________________ NAME: Selena Phoenix _______________________________________________ EPITHET: The Starry-Eyed Wizard _______________________________________________ AGE: 18 _______________________________________________ PRONOUNS: She/Her _______________________________________________ HEIGHT: 5'7" _______________________________________________ WEIGHT: 175lb _______________________________________________ NATIONALITY: American _______________________________________________ LIKES: Books, sweet food, caffeine, astronomy, cats. _______________________________________________ DISLIKES: Loud noise, summer heat, magic haters, failure.

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OVERVIEW

"I'm not here to play nice."
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APPEARANCE

"No, they're not contacts. "
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Selena normally dresses nice and neat, wearing button-up shirts, sweaters, and other things considered "Dark Academia" or "lame" to some. She looks like she goes to a school for rich kids. Her hair is bright orange and always braided immaculately. Selena likes to look nice wherever she goes, as she finds people talk to her more willingly when they think she takes herself seriously, which she does. The most striking detail about her is her eyes, which look like a pair of diamonds. She is also often see wearing a somewhat tacky coat that looks like it was ripped straight from a fantasy book. Selena says it's ominous but it's just ugly.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

"Don't get in my way, and we'll get along just fine."
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Confident: Selena is proud of herself, and sure of her capabilities. She believes she has what it takes to be a Nomad and get what she wants out of life. No one can tell Selena otherwise, because no one but her knows what's best for her. Telling Selena she can't do something is like telling the sun it can't rise in the morning, you're just plain wrong and it'll happen anyway.

Insecure: Selena's self-assuredness hides the fact that she's a little defensive. She believes she doesn't have to justify herself to another person, and Selena worries whether or not people believe that themselves. She tries to project an air of not giving a damn about what others think of her in any way, but deep down, she wants to be liked and cared about.

Bitchy: Sometimes, Selena doesn't go out of her way to be mean to people. Sometimes, though, she can't help but be inconsiderate of the way others feel. She has a habit of being insensitive, minimally empathetic and just plain rude when things don't work out as she expected them to. Selena doesn't do it on purpose, but it's a habit she's yet to break... Not that she tries.

BACKSTORY

"Don't tell my parents I'm here- Not that I care if you do, but..."
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Selena was born to two parents and an brother 4 years older than her. The Phoenix family was formed after two longtime Nomads fell in lover on their journeys, and settled down Gold City to raise their kids. They taught their firstborn son to fight and wield ki. He was a fierce martial artist, and followed in his parents' footsteps proudly. But Selena... Didn't. From a young age, the entire family tried to teach her the ways of a Nomad. They taught her how to throw a punch when she was no older than 10, and spent weeks searching for ki techniques that worked for her. Her brother Remi's lightning fast kickboxing, her mother's fiery mid-range style, and her father's defensive fighting were all applied to Selena's upbringing so that she'd carry on the traditions herself. But as they pushed her further and further, Selena moved less and less. Sure, her punches were straight and her footwork was decent, but Selena couldn't work up the ki to pull off any fancy techniques. Nevertheless, her family put her through it all the same hoping she just needed to struggle more. By the time she was 12, Selena learned of another method. In the attic, she found an old book about the magical Nomads of history. Growing up as a kid with a family full of punch-happy Nomads, this fascinated her.

In just a week, Selena conjured up a small, rocky substance that lasted for seconds before crumbling to dust. This alone was more progress than she ever made in marital arts, and so she dove in deep. She eventually tried to apply the logic of mythic techniques to what her parents taught her, but nothing happened. Selena came to the conclusion that magic would be the best path for her. When she told her parents about this, though, they were very disappointed. They interpreted Selena's new... "Activities" as a lack of commitment, that she was simply giving up. Selena showed them her spell, and her mother recognized it as a spell that her mother did once. Apparently, magic ran in the family just like martial arts. But this didn't matter to Selena's family, since they were martial artists, and they expected their daughter to follow the legacy they were setting in stone. But no matter how hard she tried, Selena just hit a brick wall, while making progress with magic in a matter of days. She rejected their legacy, and told them they had her Remi for that.

Her parents weren't pleased. The only reason they didn't take that damn book away right then and there was because she kept it safely stored away. Selena stopped training with them and her brother, and instead took to finding more books about magic. Being in Gold City, there were plenty of books to find in public libraries. There weren't many mythic Nomads around, since most were of a martial nature, but this only motivated Selena to push herself and teach herself. By the standards of a teenage, self-made magician, Selena was doing quite well for herself. But alas, talks at dinner were all about how Remi was doing so well in the local Nomad tournaments and how proud they were that he was getting better at fighting. Any time Selena tried to bring up how she had finally mastered a new spell, no one cared. They just switched gears and talked about something else, interrupting her like she didn't even speak. Selena never heard her parents say they were proud of her for learning to master a magic spell, because magic was always just a waste of talent to them. Except she didn't have any talent, she only had skill and hard work.

Year after year, Selena would get noticeably more skilled with her mythic study, and her relationship with her family would grow colder. Every now and then, an argument would erupt between them all, and they'd never apologize to each other. Selena devoted more time to practicing magic, spending entire days locked in her room with dozens of books to learn more. Eventually she found a few magically inclined Nomads in the city, and starting practicing with them. This got her out of the house and allowed Selena to learn a few things she couldn't in books, like the practical application of her spells. Her parents were glad she got out of the house, but they didn't care for her meetings with her "friends" very much. Surprisingly enough, the other magic users Selena befriended held their own miniature tournaments on the other side of the city. One of them taught her a teleportation spell so she could get there easily. This knowledge motivated Selena to try and reconnect with her parents. She invited them to her tournaments, but they were "too busy," and she discovered that "busy" meant they had another tournament to attend- Remi's tournament. They argued about this for hours, and eventually the whole family caved and agreed to attend the small magic tournament, on the condition that she face her brother.

She accepted.

On the day of the tournament, Remi blew through several magicians in minutes. The ones who gave him the most trouble were the defensive ones that burned themselves out before he could with his ki-charged speed. Selena outwitted her opponents by manipulating the environment and getting the drop on them. The two were on a hot streak in their own way, but most of the attendees in the crowd of about 50 were secretly confident in Selena winning. Two hours passed, and the siblings faced each other. Remi walked into the arena with red energy flowing from his arms, and Selena with spheres of light in hand. The match began, and Selena's spheres disappeared. Remi blitzed her, but she ducked. In all the years they fought, she noticed he was always too confident in that haymaker. Remi's fist soared clean over Selena's head, and she cast a spell to send him flying into the sky. In a flash, she teleported above him before he could start falling again, and blasted him with two bolts of light. He began falling, and Selena through a Crystal Wall to the ground before teleporting back down. Remi couldn't stop his fall, even with all his mobility he leaned on. Selena charged up a Falling Comet, and waited until the right second. Down, down, and down he fell like a meteor. Until...

BOOM!

She fired the Falling Comet, and it hit Remi straight in the chest. The explosion sent him backwards into the crystals, which blew apart and bruised him to hell and back. Ultimately, Remi was perfectly fine. He'd walk it off in a day or two, but the entire Phoenix family just watched him get laid out like a towel on a beach in under thirty seconds... Because of magic. And in front of a rather large group of magic enthusiasts no less. Selena could not have been more proud of herself in that moment, as the crowd went absolutely wild. She pulled off the upset, broke Remi's streak and practically stole the winnings- A cash prize and an enchanted cloak that Remi would've just thrown in the trash. Needless to say, Selena felt incredible... Until she saw the faces of her parents. They were angry at their son for losing so easily, as if Selena was a pushover. She put the cloak on and wore it with pride. When the family reconvened back home, the parents once again disregarded Selena's achievements. To them, she didn't win because of her hard work, but because Remi didn't take the fight seriously. Because there was no way a martial artist like him could lose if he tried.

Selena felt conflicted at this point. She proved to herself and so many others that she was an incredibly talented magician, but her parents didn't respect that. It was frustrating, and she wasn't sure what to do until she heard about the Power Stone being up for grabs at the World Tournament. Remi wanted to attend it, but so did Selena. As usual, another argument ensued. They argued about how a magician didn't deserve the Power Stone, and forbade her from leaving. But luckily for her, Selena was 18 by now. She could if she wanted, and besides, they didn't have anything to say when she asked if they were scared Remi would lose again. So, Selena gathered up her things, and used her prize money from the local tournament to buy a plane ticket. Selena didn't care if her parents approved or not, or even if Remi was on the way himself. She was powerful enough to contend, and that was enough.

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITES

"Why would I punch someone when I can do this-"
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SKILLS & ABILITIES

"My victory is written in the stars."
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Selena is a magician. Her abilities come from years of study and practice that she has committed herself to over the years. Most of Selena's magic tricks keep her from the middle of a fight, often inconveniencing an opponent or preventing them from getting within arm's reach. This makes her a partial specialist in ranged fighting who can apply a lot of pressure or make herself harder to land a scratch on. Most people in this day and age still rely on beating their opponent over the head and risking their own skin, so naturally Selena likes to take advantage of that.

SIGNATURE MOVES

"This is a waste of my time."
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■ [Shooting Star]

[Selena points her hand at an opponent, and a spark of pale magic energy is shot outwards. It acts like a fireball, in the sense that it burns things away but doesn't produce a any heat. It's hard to not see the projectile flying towards you, and could be deflected like a tennis ball. Can be fired in rapid succession up to three times.]

■ [Arcane Pulse]

[When Selena needs to, she can channel magic through both of her hands and shoot it out in a shotgun blast, meant to send someone or something flying backwards a few dozen feet. This is essentially an "Oh Shit" move to put space between Selena and her opponent. But due to the fact that the blast is raw energy forced out in such a violent manner, Selena can't do this in quick succession or she'll risk fatigue.]

■ [Flare Step]

[Selena picks a direction and appears at a chosen destination she can see within 50 feet, in a sparkly flash of pale light when she arrives, and can be used to carry up to one other person. This can only be done once per post, unless Selena is affected by Moonlight, which allows her to use Flare Step one more time.]

■ [Moonlight]

[Selena forms a glowing ball of light in her hand and hands it to someone. Whoever absorbs the Moonlight gets a boost to their next move. Attacks hit harder, duration based moves last longer, teleporters can teleport further, and so on. The Moonlight lasts for one move before fading away.]

■ [Crystal Wall]

[Selena hurls a clump of magic energy at a surface, causing it to crystalize and form a glassy barricade on contact. The barricade is roughly 7 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and is sturdy enough to be used as a platform if stood on. It can be broken with sustained attacks, but will slowly crumble away to nothing over the next two posts if not destroyed prematurely.]

■ [Blindsight]

[Selena channels magic to augment her senses, allowing her to detect anyone within 30 feet, from any direction and regardless of if they're visible. If they come within range, she will instinctually know where they are, provided they have a source of ki or magical ability.]

SUPER MOVES

"You never had a chance."

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■ [Falling Comet]

[The Shooting Star's older brother, the Falling Comet is a much larger ball of magic energy that Selena fires towards her target. The projectile leaves behind a much bigger and stronger explosion, but moves like a baseball thrown through the air, giving faster Nomads a chance to dodge the attack.]

■ [Meteor Shower]

[Selena opens up a magical power in the sky, above her head, causing dozens of crystals to rain down and pepper the battlefield. These crystals harden and become cover much like the Crystal Wall move, and burst into dust when they strike a person. Selena primarily uses this to provide herself with a lot of cover over a wider area when there isn't any. The crystals caused by this last much longer, but aren't any sturdier compared to a regular Crystal Wall.]

■ [Imposter's Veil]

[Selena's cloak is enchanted, allowing her to produce a magical clone capable of casting spells and tanking some attacks. The clone does not speak, and bursts into a shower of light when destroyed. Once the clone is destroyed, it cannot be summoned again for the next two posts.]

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

"Weak? Me? Impossible."
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The biggest thing that holds Selena back is the fact that she's a ranged specialist. The girl isn't capable of winning a fist fight against someone skilled in using their ki for more up-close fighting. Her comfort zone is staying at a distance and blasting her opponents with magic, getting the drop on them with sudden cover and repositioning. Those who rush her head on must contend with this, but if you can, then Selena is dead to rights. Strangely enough, Selena seems to have very little ki herself, if any at all. For this reason, she's generally much more fragile and easier to hurt. Some Nomads are easier to injure than the rest, but Selena struggles to take a beating even by normal standards- Grab her, and she's done for.

OTHER

"The Power Stone is mine, just you wait and see."
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Gay as fuck. Women are pretty.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

Selena Phoenix

"I have nothing to prove to anyone." _____________________________________________________ NAME: Selena Phoenix _______________________________________________ EPITHET: The Starry-Eyed Wizard _______________________________________________ AGE: 18 _______________________________________________ PRONOUNS: She/Her _______________________________________________ HEIGHT: 5'7" _______________________________________________ WEIGHT: 175lb _______________________________________________ NATIONALITY: American _______________________________________________ LIKES: Books, sweet food, caffeine, astronomy, cats. _______________________________________________ DISLIKES: Loud noise, summer heat, magic haters, failure.

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OVERVIEW

"I'm not here to play nice."
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APPEARANCE

"No, they're not contacts. "
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Selena normally dresses nice and neat, wearing button-up shirts, sweaters, and other things considered "Dark Academia" or "lame" to some. She looks like she goes to a school for rich kids. Her hair is bright orange and always braided immaculately. Selena likes to look nice wherever she goes, as she finds people talk to her more willingly when they think she takes herself seriously, which she does. The most striking detail about her is her eyes, which look like a pair of diamonds. She is also often see wearing a somewhat tacky coat that looks like it was ripped straight from a fantasy book. Selena says it's ominous but it's just ugly.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

"Don't get in my way, and we'll get along just fine."
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Confident: Selena is proud of herself, and sure of her capabilities. She believes she has what it takes to be a Nomad and get what she wants out of life. No one can tell Selena otherwise, because no one but her knows what's best for her. Telling Selena she can't do something is like telling the sun it can't rise in the morning, you're just plain wrong and it'll happen anyway.

Insecure: Selena's self-assuredness hides the fact that she's a little defensive. She believes she doesn't have to justify herself to another person, and Selena worries whether or not people believe that themselves. She tries to project an air of not giving a damn about what others think of her in any way, but deep down, she wants to be liked and cared about.

Bitchy: Sometimes, Selena doesn't go out of her way to be mean to people. Sometimes, though, she can't help but be inconsiderate of the way others feel. She has a habit of being insensitive, minimally empathetic and just plain rude when things don't work out as she expected them to. Selena doesn't do it on purpose, but it's a habit she's yet to break... Not that she tries.

BACKSTORY

"Don't tell my parents I'm here- Not that I care if you do, but..."
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Selena was born to two parents and an brother 4 years older than her. The Phoenix family was formed after two longtime Nomads fell in lover on their journeys, and settled down Gold City to raise their kids. They taught their firstborn son to fight and wield ki. He was a fierce martial artist, and followed in his parents' footsteps proudly. But Selena... Didn't. From a young age, the entire family tried to teach her the ways of a Nomad. They taught her how to throw a punch when she was no older than 10, and spent weeks searching for ki techniques that worked for her. Her brother Remi's lightning fast kickboxing, her mother's fiery mid-range style, and her father's defensive fighting were all applied to Selena's upbringing so that she'd carry on the traditions herself. But as they pushed her further and further, Selena moved less and less. Sure, her punches were straight and her footwork was decent, but Selena couldn't work up the ki to pull off any fancy techniques. Nevertheless, her family put her through it all the same hoping she just needed to struggle more. By the time she was 12, Selena learned of another method. In the attic, she found an old book about the magical Nomads of history. Growing up as a kid with a family full of punch-happy Nomads, this fascinated her.

In just a week, Selena conjured up a small, rocky substance that lasted for seconds before crumbling to dust. This alone was more progress than she ever made in marital arts, and so she dove in deep. She eventually tried to apply the logic of mythic techniques to what her parents taught her, but nothing happened. Selena came to the conclusion that magic would be the best path for her. When she told her parents about this, though, they were very disappointed. They interpreted Selena's new... "Activities" as a lack of commitment, that she was simply giving up. Selena showed them her spell, and her mother recognized it as a spell that her mother did once. Apparently, magic ran in the family just like martial arts. But this didn't matter to Selena's family, since they were martial artists, and they expected their daughter to follow the legacy they were setting in stone. But no matter how hard she tried, Selena just hit a brick wall, while making progress with magic in a matter of days. She rejected their legacy, and told them they had her Remi for that.

Her parents weren't pleased. The only reason they didn't take that damn book away right then and there was because she kept it safely stored away. Selena stopped training with them and her brother, and instead took to finding more books about magic. Being in Gold City, there were plenty of books to find in public libraries. There weren't many mythic Nomads around, since most were of a martial nature, but this only motivated Selena to push herself and teach herself. By the standards of a teenage, self-made magician, Selena was doing quite well for herself. But alas, talks at dinner were all about how Remi was doing so well in the local Nomad tournaments and how proud they were that he was getting better at fighting. Any time Selena tried to bring up how she had finally mastered a new spell, no one cared. They just switched gears and talked about something else, interrupting her like she didn't even speak. Selena never heard her parents say they were proud of her for learning to master a magic spell, because magic was always just a waste of talent to them. Except she didn't have any talent, she only had skill and hard work.

Year after year, Selena would get noticeably more skilled with her mythic study, and her relationship with her family would grow colder. Every now and then, an argument would erupt between them all, and they'd never apologize to each other. Selena devoted more time to practicing magic, spending entire days locked in her room with dozens of books to learn more. Eventually she found a few magically inclined Nomads in the city, and starting practicing with them. This got her out of the house and allowed Selena to learn a few things she couldn't in books, like the practical application of her spells. Her parents were glad she got out of the house, but they didn't care for her meetings with her "friends" very much. Surprisingly enough, the other magic users Selena befriended held their own miniature tournaments on the other side of the city. One of them taught her a teleportation spell so she could get there easily. This knowledge motivated Selena to try and reconnect with her parents. She invited them to her tournaments, but they were "too busy," and she discovered that "busy" meant they had another tournament to attend- Remi's tournament. They argued about this for hours, and eventually the whole family caved and agreed to attend the small magic tournament, on the condition that she face her brother.

She accepted.

On the day of the tournament, Remi blew through several magicians in minutes. The ones who gave him the most trouble were the defensive ones that burned themselves out before he could with his ki-charged speed. Selena outwitted her opponents by manipulating the environment and getting the drop on them. The two were on a hot streak in their own way, but most of the attendees in the crowd of about 50 were secretly confident in Selena winning. Two hours passed, and the siblings faced each other. Remi walked into the arena with red energy flowing from his arms, and Selena with spheres of light in hand. The match began, and Selena's spheres disappeared. Remi blitzed her, but she ducked. In all the years they fought, she noticed he was always too confident in that haymaker. Remi's fist soared clean over Selena's head, and she cast a spell to send him flying into the sky. In a flash, she teleported above him before he could start falling again, and blasted him with two bolts of light. He began falling, and Selena through a Crystal Wall to the ground before teleporting back down. Remi couldn't stop his fall, even with all his mobility he leaned on. Selena charged up a Falling Comet, and waited until the right second. Down, down, and down he fell like a meteor. Until...

BOOM!

She fired the Falling Comet, and it hit Remi straight in the chest. The explosion sent him backwards into the crystals, which blew apart and bruised him to hell and back. Ultimately, Remi was perfectly fine. He'd walk it off in a day or two, but the entire Phoenix family just watched him get laid out like a towel on a beach in under thirty seconds... Because of magic. And in front of a rather large group of magic enthusiasts no less. Selena could not have been more proud of herself in that moment, as the crowd went absolutely wild. She pulled off the upset, broke Remi's streak and practically stole the winnings- A cash prize and an enchanted cloak that Remi would've just thrown in the trash. Needless to say, Selena felt incredible... Until she saw the faces of her parents. They were angry at their son for losing so easily, as if Selena was a pushover. She put the cloak on and wore it with pride. When the family reconvened back home, the parents once again disregarded Selena's achievements. To them, she didn't win because of her hard work, but because Remi didn't take the fight seriously. Because there was no way a martial artist like him could lose if he tried.

Selena felt conflicted at this point. She proved to herself and so many others that she was an incredibly talented magician, but her parents didn't respect that. It was frustrating, and she wasn't sure what to do until she heard about the Power Stone being up for grabs at the World Tournament. Remi wanted to attend it, but so did Selena. As usual, another argument ensued. They argued about how a magician didn't deserve the Power Stone, and forbade her from leaving. But luckily for her, Selena was 18 by now. She could if she wanted, and besides, they didn't have anything to say when she asked if they were scared Remi would lose again. So, Selena gathered up her things, and used her prize money from the local tournament to buy a plane ticket. Selena didn't care if her parents approved or not, or even if Remi was on the way himself. She was powerful enough to contend, and that was enough.

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITES

"Why would I punch someone when I can do this-"
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SKILLS & ABILITIES

"My victory is written in the stars."
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Selena is a magician. Her abilities come from years of study and practice that she has committed herself to over the years. Most of Selena's magic tricks keep her from the middle of a fight, often inconveniencing an opponent or preventing them from getting within arm's reach. This makes her a partial specialist in ranged fighting who can apply a lot of pressure or make herself harder to land a scratch on. Most people in this day and age still rely on beating their opponent over the head and risking their own skin, so naturally Selena likes to take advantage of that.

SIGNATURE MOVES

"This is a waste of my time."
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■ [Shooting Star]

[Selena points her hand at an opponent, and a spark of pale magic energy is shot outwards. It acts like a fireball, in the sense that it burns things away but doesn't produce a any heat. It's hard to not see the projectile flying towards you, and could be deflected like a tennis ball. Can be fired in rapid succession up to three times.]

■ [Arcane Pulse]

[When Selena needs to, she can channel magic through both of her hands and shoot it out in a shotgun blast, meant to send someone or something flying backwards a few dozen feet. This is essentially an "Oh Shit" move to put space between Selena and her opponent. But due to the fact that the blast is raw energy forced out in such a violent manner, Selena can't do this in quick succession or she'll risk fatigue.]

■ [Flare Step]

[Selena picks a direction and appears at a chosen destination she can see within 50 feet, in a sparkly flash of pale light when she arrives, and can be used to carry up to one other person. This can only be done once per post, unless Selena is affected by Moonlight, which allows her to use Flare Step one more time.]

■ [Moonlight]

[Selena forms a glowing ball of light in her hand and hands it to someone. Whoever absorbs the Moonlight gets a boost to their next move. Attacks hit harder, duration based moves last longer, teleporters can teleport further, and so on. The Moonlight lasts for one move before fading away.]

■ [Crystal Wall]

[Selena hurls a clump of magic energy at a surface, causing it to crystalize and form a glassy barricade on contact. The barricade is roughly 7 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and is sturdy enough to be used as a platform if stood on. It can be broken with sustained attacks, but will slowly crumble away to nothing over the next two posts if not destroyed prematurely.]

■ [Blindsight]

[Selena channels magic to augment her senses, allowing her to detect anyone within 30 feet, from any direction and regardless of if they're visible. If they come within range, she will instinctually know where they are, provided they have a source of ki or magical ability.]

SUPER MOVES

"You never had a chance."

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■ [Falling Comet]

[The Shooting Star's older brother, the Falling Comet is a much larger ball of magic energy that Selena fires towards her target. The projectile leaves behind a much bigger and stronger explosion, but moves like a baseball thrown through the air, giving faster Nomads a chance to dodge the attack.]

■ [Meteor Shower]

[Selena opens up a magical power in the sky, above her head, causing dozens of crystals to rain down and pepper the battlefield. These crystals harden and become cover much like the Crystal Wall move, and burst into dust when they strike a person. Selena primarily uses this to provide herself with a lot of cover over a wider area when there isn't any. The crystals caused by this last much longer, but aren't any sturdier compared to a regular Crystal Wall.]

■ [Imposter's Veil]

[Selena's cloak is enchanted, allowing her to produce a magical clone capable of casting spells and tanking some attacks. The clone does not speak, and bursts into a shower of light when destroyed. Once the clone is destroyed, it cannot be summoned again for the next two posts.]

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

"Weak? Me? Impossible."
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The biggest thing that holds Selena back is the fact that she's a ranged specialist. The girl isn't capable of winning a fist fight against someone skilled in using their ki for more up-close fighting. Her comfort zone is staying at a distance and blasting her opponents with magic, getting the drop on them with sudden cover and repositioning. Those who rush her head on must contend with this, but if you can, then Selena is dead to rights. Strangely enough, Selena seems to have very little ki herself, if any at all. For this reason, she's generally much more fragile and easier to hurt. Some Nomads are easier to injure than the rest, but Selena struggles to take a beating even by normal standards- Grab her, and she's done for.

OTHER

"The Power Stone is mine, just you wait and see."
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Gay as fuck. Women are pretty.

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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Jack Hawthorne

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Location: Limbo
Skills: Extra-planar Navigation
Spells:
Outfit

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There was nothing righteous and noble about the path Jack walked. Nor was there an inherent evil in what he did. At heart, he was an extra-dimensional explorer. He wrote down stories untold in places where the horizon did not reach. He traveled planets and dimensions that mortals were not meant to know the names of, and Jack has seen many who could not protect themselves. When it was worth doing, he stopped to aid others- Beings both humanoid and not remotely similar to life as he knew it, from flesh and bone to thoughts made manifests.

These antics brought Jack a semblance of gratification, but they were just that. Antics, which were not something he felt there was any calling to be found in. The truth of the matter was that Jack rarely cared about the world’s people as a whole. It was a wonderful cauldron of infinite creation, a boundless ocean in which life could never truly die. And yet, even as far as countless trillions of lightyears away from mankind’s known worlds, Jack scarcely met a soul he could connect with. He rarely ever manages to bring himself to care about most people, because there was so little warmth there that the stone had no blood to give.

”I have never been a very profound protector, Ororo. The places I’ve been to may have been endangered from time to time, but I am not an Avenger, or… An X-Man. The universe has never called out to me in all the years I spent exploring it. I’ve never known my presence to be needed by others.”

Perhaps there was an irony in that. Wandering different universes and all the worlds between, only to feel lonely in the lack of human connection. Did apathy make a man like Jack Hawthorne evil? Did that pit him against the side of Life? Or was his detachment the very thing that warranted the title of Sorcerer Supreme?

”I could never live up to the example that all of you set. It may be true that dwelling on what might have been is unwise, but I fear that now, some cosmic force has elected to turn what might have been into what will be. I can only imagine that this is how Steven felt, when this cloak first fell upon his shoulders.”

Hope for a Dying World

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Katrina got the point Osric was making. She could take a hint- Quit bitching and fear the patient man's wrath. Revna was surely used to it, being the closest thing to company for the jagged woman, but these two weren't. When Osric tossed the holy weapon at her feet, Katrina stepped back with a sort of quickness that suggested she was either averse to it or expected Osric to try something from the start. Possibly both. The monk clearly had some bark under there, at the very least. She didn't care for his apology, nor did she take the snap of his personally enough to warrant one. "Whatever you say, Osric." Katrina waited until the monk walked off to bend down and pick up the dagger. Even through her leather gloves, Katrina could feel a discomforting warmth bleed through to her skin, like sticking her hand over a funeral pyre. She held it with no reverence of any kind, and haphazardly dropped it into Revna's free hand. "Thank the Order," She remarked.

Sage's fireworks didn't get nearly as much of a reaction as the child may have expected. She looked at the blue fire, watched it drift up into the air and turn Sage's skin to stars. It was only natural someone of the Order could perform magical acts. Katrina's demeanor implied she wasn't even marginally impressed. Katrina held up a hand, and closed it into a fist, pointing her index finger to the sky. Under her gloves, something upon her skin began to sting. Sage wouldn't be able to notice this, but the result was an mote of glowing fire that hovered just above Katrina's hand. It was no bigger than a coin used to pay for things in a bygone time, and burned with the vibrant color of fresh blood. It was unlikely that Sage could recognize this as demon's fire- after all, her own magic involved multicolored flames- and Katrina wasn't about to clarify for her. "People are full of surprises, even in this day and age, aren't they?" It might've been a snarky comment, but Katrina said it in such a deadpan way that it might as well have been rude.

She snuffed the flame out when she heard Osric barking at someone off in the distance, and walked over to discover they had one more person.

"What'n the devil are you shouting about over here? Mm. Another one. Well, power to him. Where were we?" She asked rhetorically, going over to aid Osric in packing things up inside the wagon as she noticed him doing. "Roads past the mountain are safer under daylight. We get past them, there's a place an hour after, Moonhorn Ridge. Demons wont go there- It's dead land for miles and you'd see 'em over the cliffs if they planned to ambush. Safe enough first night on the way," She shared this insight with Osric and the new kid, because Katrina had camped there a few times. Moonhorn Ridge was worthless to anyone that didn't bring food before setting foot there, nothing would grow and thus nothing could graze. And so demons couldn't put up a stronghold of enslaved humans. Katrina was the guide, after all.

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Leah Jordan

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Location: Framework
Skills: Battlefield Manipulation
Today’s Fit

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Fuck yeah! Ganon was starting to sink into the sand. Good enough to slow him down, but the big motherfucker likely had more tricks up his sleeves… Well, he wasn’t wearing a damn shirt, but maybe he had more tricks in that giant crater of his. Leah noticed he was starting to get stuck, but surely that alone wouldn’t be enough to immobilize the fucker. Leah, being the resident crowd controller and reshaped of playing fields, was in a position to keep immobilizing him further. ”The less he moves, the easier he is to burn down,” She said, looking over to Vicky. ”’ll keep him stuck.“

Leah swung her arm up and at an angle. The ground swelled and shot up from far enough away that it was made of solid stone and not sand. The distance made the spike crumble under its own weight before it made contact… She tried again and the same thing happened, only leaving crumbling stones on the sand with Ganon. The third, though… Leah made the third spike thicker. The type of rock she had to work with must’ve been brittle, but this time it sunk straight into Ganon’s right arm. That would make it much more difficult to swing that axe, and to get out of the sand pit or even turn around if someone were to hit him from behind.

”There, now hit him with something!”

The Gifted (Reborn)

go right ahead, thats why ive been waiting lol

once Dragonheart hits the ground shit is gonna go from zero to a hundred instantly, and someone is getting their ass beat and I don't wanna derail something else already in motion

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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Jack Hawthorne

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Location: Limbo
Skills: Extra-planar Navigation
Spells:
Outfit

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The last time Ororo and Jack said a word to each other, Jack was a scared kid with no sense of direction. Another person might consider this to be no different from the Jack of today, but the difference between them both was that now it was a strength. One with nothing to lose was free beyond measure. This was the Jack that Ororo was less familiar with. When he turned his back on her and Xavier, he felt like he didn't belong there. He didn't trust people, or feel there was anything for him there. In a way, he was right- He wasn't a mutant. They didn't care, but neither did he. Jack always struggled with relating to people. He could pour his heart out to them and commit the most profound acts of kindness the world had ever seen, but he in every group of friends he had, Jack never identified with them. Though it wasn't always for a lack of trying. During his time with the X-Men, Jack tried so very hard to belong. It was draining, and weighed him down to the point he could only feel like he lagged further behind than when he started. Ororo was like a polar opposite to Jack in that sense. She was incredibly gifted in magic just as he was, and yet she was Storm. Fitting it was, that opposites had a way of gravitating to each other.

"I can imagine that she is. Belasco caused her unspeakable pain... He will never hurt her, or anyone else again." Say it, you idiot. Tell her.

After a stretch of silence, he did.

"...I may never have the chance to say this to you again. Leaving all of you behind was selfish. You had all done so much for me, and I repaid that kindness by disappearing. I don't even remember where I went, it could have been as far as Genosha or back to the Everdark. I will never be able to make up for that." How old was he when he gave up one of the few homes he could've had? 15? 16? Some things blurred together so much that there were entire faces and voices Jack couldn't remember. He needed to get back to Ananym, Madalyn and Annika... But an old friend deserved more time. And time worked differently in Limbo. They would be fine. Jack knelt down on the grass beside Ororo, to rest. "It often... Pains me to think of what could have been. I hope that, if nothing else, you too have found peace in this place."

The Gifted (Reborn)

This may be a good time to write Dragonheart flying over actually...