Nine / 九
| Twenty-something? | Female | No Thoughts Head Empty |
| Appearance |
Though she's appeared in many department positions, she's always returned to the Crisis Resolution department as a high impact field operative. No matter wherever she appears or how serious her office is however, she is consistently breaking dress codes and turning up to work in tardy and casual clothes, trying to catch up on whatever is considered 'trendy' by modern standards. The only consistent article of clothing is a simple rain jacket she dons whenever she gets into a combat situation. Combined with her aloof and awkward nature, she always looks out of depth despite being one of the longest serving operatives.
| WEAPON |
A lantern made out of old corrugated iron and glass, housing a luminescent orb within. When powered, it projects a field of heavy illusory rain that supresses all sources of light in all nearby surroundings except for those near the lantern. Since most of Nine's spells draw strength from relative luminosity, Nine's arrival at a combat scene is usually heralded by the sound of storms.
| MAGIC: RADIANCE |
Refract - A simple spoken spell that upon invocation temporarily speeds up the user's physical movement. When in effect, observers will see both the user that was sped up and a translucent after-image that move in regular speed. Though its effects can be extended through concentration, its resource draw also increases rapidly - thus it is usually employed in short, quick bursts.
Recall - A written spell that draws upon a subject's memory to create hardlight mimics of an object. Hardlight does not copy the original properties of the object, and always takes a luminescent shimmering yellow. The accuracy of the spell is dependent on how detailed the memory of the object is - the more detailed or recent the memory is, the better the mimic captures the finer details. Within the range of the light source, the object can be controlled remotely by the person recalling. Hardlight is incredibly durable, inflexible and persists for a long duration until it is dispelled or the original source of the light it was summoned from is snuffed out. The spell is most often used to recall Nine's sword in a combat situation.
Cleanse - A spoken spell that shoots a large beam of concentrated light towards a target, designed to punch through defenses and incinerate the target. Unlike more elegant methods of anti-magic that deconstructs the components of a spell, the beam seeks to crush all defenses through sheer overwhelming firepower, effectively challenging Nine's opponents into a duel of raw arcane strength.
Drown - A written spell chanted to a steady rhythm, enveloping an area in a fog of complete darkness. Those outside will see a storm that steadily thickens until nothing is visible in front of them. Those caught inside will find it impossible to sense anything outside of their immediate radius, and without a special magic resistance will have difficulty moving or breathing. Often reserved for high priority targets since it draws too much attention and even after being dispelled, leaves after-effects of lowering local luminosity.
| TALES |
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
It's something I used to say. I know it's my whole job, but I've never really got good at talking to people. Especially if they're freshly on the other side and are freaking out, so I tried to give them space and let them figure it out on their own.
Not this kid though. The whole room was a mess. A tiny one room apartment that was molded over by a leak from somewhere and you couldn't step anywhere without bumping into some pile of trash or overdue bills. The windows were all taped over and the gas faucet was open. You get the point. Was never easy the first time, and never got easier since.
This kid was barely anything more than skin and bones with some dirty cloth over him. Think he might have been somewhere near the ball park of 10 to 14, but it might have been that he hadn't eaten anything for a long time and shrunk him. Maybe years ago, way too far for a kid like him, his face may have been free of bruises, his hands free of cuts, but it was impossible to know. When I found him, he was sitting on what little free ground in that tiny hole of a place was still left, staring up at the rafters.
We stared at each other for a while. It was like staring into a mirror. And we just understood. He knew who I was. I had a feeling he knew that I was coming way before I did. When I offered, he just nodded. So without anything else, I took out my lantern and took his hand and led him into the gentle night rain.
I've always liked the rain. The way the hazy white streaks just wash everything away, the way the noise of the whole world quiets itself just to listen to the rain drizzle on. It gets lonely to walk alone in the rain, following the barely lit streets, but at least it's a good way to let people figure themselves out on their own. The kid sure enjoyed sticking his hand out in the rain, so it worked in a way.
As we turned through the exit of the city and out into a park, I asked him if he had anything he wanted to do before we finished our walk. The way his eyes widened, I think I was the first person to ask him that. We sat down under an awning somewhere and watched the rain jump across the lantern light.
After a bit, he finally said something.
"Will I meet my mom?"
I don't... what am I supposed to say? I've checked what was on those bills. I didn't mean to pry, but, their last names were different. She had cut contact years ago.
Sorry, I still don't know what else I could have done.
I lied. I said I met his mother a couple years back. That she told me how proud of her son she was. That she loved him, and she can't wait to meet him. Just a few steps into the After, and he'll be in her arms.
I think he knew I was lying, because he didn't ask anything else. We walked on silently, all the way to the Rail. No words. Just the rain. He got on, and he smiled at me for what must have been the first time ever.
Miss Death, please consider this as my request for transfer from the Deliverance department. I am far too simple for this line of work, and I am afraid I am but a blunt instrument.
It's something I used to say. I know it's my whole job, but I've never really got good at talking to people. Especially if they're freshly on the other side and are freaking out, so I tried to give them space and let them figure it out on their own.
Not this kid though. The whole room was a mess. A tiny one room apartment that was molded over by a leak from somewhere and you couldn't step anywhere without bumping into some pile of trash or overdue bills. The windows were all taped over and the gas faucet was open. You get the point. Was never easy the first time, and never got easier since.
This kid was barely anything more than skin and bones with some dirty cloth over him. Think he might have been somewhere near the ball park of 10 to 14, but it might have been that he hadn't eaten anything for a long time and shrunk him. Maybe years ago, way too far for a kid like him, his face may have been free of bruises, his hands free of cuts, but it was impossible to know. When I found him, he was sitting on what little free ground in that tiny hole of a place was still left, staring up at the rafters.
We stared at each other for a while. It was like staring into a mirror. And we just understood. He knew who I was. I had a feeling he knew that I was coming way before I did. When I offered, he just nodded. So without anything else, I took out my lantern and took his hand and led him into the gentle night rain.
I've always liked the rain. The way the hazy white streaks just wash everything away, the way the noise of the whole world quiets itself just to listen to the rain drizzle on. It gets lonely to walk alone in the rain, following the barely lit streets, but at least it's a good way to let people figure themselves out on their own. The kid sure enjoyed sticking his hand out in the rain, so it worked in a way.
As we turned through the exit of the city and out into a park, I asked him if he had anything he wanted to do before we finished our walk. The way his eyes widened, I think I was the first person to ask him that. We sat down under an awning somewhere and watched the rain jump across the lantern light.
After a bit, he finally said something.
"Will I meet my mom?"
I don't... what am I supposed to say? I've checked what was on those bills. I didn't mean to pry, but, their last names were different. She had cut contact years ago.
Sorry, I still don't know what else I could have done.
I lied. I said I met his mother a couple years back. That she told me how proud of her son she was. That she loved him, and she can't wait to meet him. Just a few steps into the After, and he'll be in her arms.
I think he knew I was lying, because he didn't ask anything else. We walked on silently, all the way to the Rail. No words. Just the rain. He got on, and he smiled at me for what must have been the first time ever.
Miss Death, please consider this as my request for transfer from the Deliverance department. I am far too simple for this line of work, and I am afraid I am but a blunt instrument.