Lady Hawk

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

-144

Northwood Academy

I hope you get better soon, @Kirah!

Northwood Academy

I have a feeling we're going to have a pestered GM in the future.

Northwood Academy

I finally posted. Sorry it took so long to get my first post up.

Northwood Academy

Michael nearly told his parents to turn around about ten times, thinking of his tearful dance instructor and the girls--still dressed to dance--wishing him well at boarding school. But then he'd remember Merlin's stupid face and would glare at the scenery while his sisters fill the car with chatter. The conversations were something he was used to and he wondered if he'd find it hard to concentrate on his work without their voices as background.

His whole family had come to wish him off, the dopes. Especially since the the girls would have to stay in the care (which they wouldn't since they caused more problems than he did).

"Are you sure you want to do this?" His mother asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, mom." Even though he wasn't, not really, and fifteen year olds shouldn't be allowed to make life decisions. This was especially true when one considered those life decisions were based on a hippie who called herself Merlin (he wondered if she was a descendant too or was Merlin himself turned magically into a girl or what- he should've asked). In all probability he was following the advice of a crazy person.

But the building had looked nice and they had dance. And he wouldn't have to deal with his sisters until Christmas. And he'd read the school had kids from all over the world, so if he slipped into his British accent--a trait he'd mostly trained himself out of after years in the states--it wouldn't be as weird. He'd still be the kid who wore a leotard for fun and enjoyed a manicure every so often, but he couldn't win them all.

Getting out of the car was a hassle because he got at least three hugs from each sister and they messed with his hair and he caught them trying to stick a paper on his back that said I'm a loser. But they all told him good luck and to write and to get into insurmountable amounts of trouble.

They sprawled all over the car as he and his parents went inside the building and were greeted by the headmistress. He had to pull his parents away from asking her questions or something equally embarrassing. They piled into the gym and he was a bit disappointed to hear about the lake, but the curfew didn't bother him as much as it might anyone else because he usually got up early to run or stretch or practice anyway. It was nice, he supposed, that the student body was so small. It would be easier to figure out and join the culture here with fewer people.

It was weird, though. Michael had known about the dead girl (Merlin had told him even before his mother had figured it out in her worrying-stage of his application process) and thought there was more to it but everywhere else he'd heard of where a student died, by the next school year most of the kids were okay. But the death of this Natalie girl seemed to hang over everyone. He thought it might be because of the smaller size, but it was still weird to just insert himself into that atmosphere.

As he went to get his packet, his parents bade him farewell--his mother slobbering all over him and his dad being very British and shaking his hand (he winked though, so Michael knew it was mostly an act--he'd been very Americanized over the past decade and just refused to show it).

The only thing that irritated him was that he'd been signed up for Debate club (dammit mom!), which was fine he guessed, but he'd probably end up skipping it to practice or to get a head start on homework or he could find out more about that girl's death or something. Maybe actually go, if he felt like it.

0-Dance
1-English 2
2-Geography
3-PE
4-Science 2
5-Latin 2
6-Maths 2
7-Theater
8-Dance
9-Debate

He checked his room number. It was on the second floor, which he liked because he wouldn't have people making noise above him, in the third room. Which would have meant something if he knew where he was going. He glanced at his roommate's name, Rayford Whynn, and hoped he wasn't a real prick.

The room was easy enough to find and luckily his roomie wasn't there yet so he could claim the best bed and put his stuff away. The room wasn't bad, as far as dorm rooms went. It was a bit drab but he figured livening up the place wouldn't be too difficult. If anything, the natural clutter of teenage-boy-dom would make it feel lived in. Michael looked out the window and couldn't help but grin at the view. There probably wasn't a bad view with the Academy's surroundings, but a boy stuck in the suburbs like him was amazed.

He figured that was enough sight-seeing--he needed to check out where he'd be dancing--and he left his room.

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

-18

Northwood Academy

Picture

Name: Michael Horne

Age: 15

Year: Sophmore

Appearance:

Michael is a dancer and it shows. He's lean like a runner but has the let muscles required to throw himself in the air and make it look effortless. He's shorter than he'd like at about five and a half feet, but there's always the hope of another growth spurt or two. His eyes are a dark, dark blue and he keeps his hair short. Diving fully into the 'ballet is for girls' atmosphere, he's taken advice from his sisters and fellow dancers and keeps his skin as clear as possible and his hands well manicured.

He was also born with a rather large birthmark encompassing most of his back. It isn't as noticeable as one might think because it's only one shade lighter than the rest of his skin.

Birthmark

Kind of a mix of this:

[+]

and this:

[+]

Ability:

Michael is a descendant of one of the most well-known names in the Western world—Arthur Pendragon. As such, he has some of the abilities King Arthur had.

For one, he has extraordinary physical capabilities—the actual secret of Excalibur. Along with endurance and a pain tolerance that far exceeds that of a normal human, he has scarily fast reflexes. This along with an uncanny situational awareness assures that bumping into someone is never his fault and he never accidentally steps into a hole while running. The bloodline also gives him the gift of physical self-perception. If he sees himself doing something incorrectly in a mirror or it is pointed out to him by someone who know what they’re doing, he can correct himself with ease, even if he has been doing it wrong for years.

He also has mental defenses. If someone tries to actively influence his actions or emotions through abilities of their own or even through simple manipulation, he is oftentimes immune. In the case where the other person succeeds, Michael is completely aware of that success. Part of this ability is being able to spot half-truths as they are usually an integral part of manipulation. Full out lies are harder for him to make sense of and he’s just as apt to fall for lies told out of ignorance as any other person.

Passive abilities such as mind reading will not work on him unless what he is thinking or feeling is especially strong—which, as a hormonal teenager, it often is. While he doesn’t know this or understand it, Michael can sense when a person does so. But it is always passed off as a, ‘they can read people well’ or ‘they just know more than they should.’

Biography:

Michael spent the first several years of his life in London with his parents and three sisters. As a young child, he didn’t especially mind being the only boy in the family. If anything, it meant he got his own room and no hand-me-downs. But it also allowed him the opportunity to try some hobbies he might not have had if not for his feminine family members.

The girls were all given ballet lessons when they were young and he wanted to do the same because he wanted to be with his two older sisters. Neither of his parents thought he’d stick with it, but long after his sisters had quit, he was still dancing.

They also didn’t expect him to be so good at it. The teachers told them that he had excellent self-correction and didn’t make the same mistake twice very often. They also said he may be pushing himself too hard but he never sustained any of the typical injuries of overextending himself.

His family left the British Isle when he was nine, moving closer to his mother’s family. He continued to learn to dance, ignoring the jabs the other boys gave him while avoiding fights whenever possible.

On his twelfth birthday, he was approached by a woman not too much older than him dressed as a typical hippie. She told him her name was Merlin and that the pale mark on his back were birthmarks of a different sort. Merlin told him he was the descendant of King Arthur of Camelot and he wouldn’t have believed her if she hadn’t started telling him about how he could do things longer, stand pain for dangerous amounts of time, how he could tell when he was being manipulated even when he was young.

She also told him he wasn’t the Once and Future King so he should wipe that look off his face before it gets stuck like that. When he asked why neither of his sisters, especially the two older ones, didn’t have any of these abilities she just said it was his destiny (whatever that meant). And then she left.

He didn’t see her again until a few months ago, when she showed up with an envelope that looked like it had been in the trash. Which it had, because he’d thrown it away because he didn’t want to go to a school no matter how ‘exceptional’ he was. She told him he had to go because something was wrong and even if he wasn’t the king, he damn well better act like the nobility he was instead of the nerdy little ballet dancer he was.

And even though he thought destiny could shove off, he decided to go if only to prove Merlin wrong—it was totally kingly to be able to preform a grand jeté.

Personality:

He's been stubborn his entire life, he'd have to be to survive being a male ballet dancer with a funny accent, and he's absolutely unapologetic about it. At the same time, he knows showing this stubbornness too much could endanger him (he's good, but if they manage to hit him me might not be able to dance) so he keeps on an easy-going exterior. But he's learned a few things from his ballerina friends and knows how to wait to get his revenge.

And it's usually by flirting. With their girlfriends or the girl their interested in, or if the fancy takes him--with them. He doesn't care too much on how he does it but making them feel inferior or uncomfortable by using compliments is his favorite weapon. Michael is careful not to go to far to use other people against his enemies because it's not their fault their associate is a punk, but sometimes he gets out of hand and forces himself to apologize.

Not sure if it's a trait of being of Pendragon blood or because he's heard the horror catcall stories, Michael is only really aggressive about equality. It always ends badly, but it's the only thing he's ever been particularly aggressive about (well, that and proving how athletic one has to be to dance ballet) is making sure a person is treated exactly like a human being should be.

Northwood Academy

Picture

Name: Michael Horne

Age: 15

Year: Sophmore

Appearance:

Michael is a dancer and it shows. He's lean like a runner but has the let muscles required to throw himself in the air and make it look effortless. He's shorter than he'd like at about five and a half feet, but there's always the hope of another growth spurt or two. His eyes are a dark, dark blue and he keeps his hair short. Diving fully into the 'ballet is for girls' atmosphere, he's taken advice from his sisters and fellow dancers and keeps his skin as clear as possible and his hands well manicured.

He was also born with a rather large birthmark encompassing most of his back. It isn't as noticeable as one might think because it's only one shade lighter than the rest of his skin.

Birthmark

Kind of a mix of this:

[+]

and this:

[+]

Ability:

Michael is a descendant of one of the most well-known names in the Western world—Arthur Pendragon. As such, he has some of the abilities King Arthur had.

For one, he has extraordinary physical capabilities—the actual secret of Excalibur. Along with endurance and a pain tolerance that far exceeds that of a normal human, he has scarily fast reflexes. This along with an uncanny situational awareness assures that bumping into someone is never his fault and he never accidentally steps into a hole while running. The bloodline also gives him the gift of physical self-perception. If he sees himself doing something incorrectly in a mirror or it is pointed out to him by someone who know what they’re doing, he can correct himself with ease, even if he has been doing it wrong for years.

He also has mental defenses. If someone tries to actively influence his actions or emotions through abilities of their own or even through simple manipulation, he is oftentimes immune. In the case where the other person succeeds, Michael is completely aware of that success. Part of this ability is being able to spot half-truths as they are usually an integral part of manipulation. Full out lies are harder for him to make sense of and he’s just as apt to fall for lies told out of ignorance as any other person.

Passive abilities such as mind reading will not work on him unless what he is thinking or feeling is especially strong—which, as a hormonal teenager, it often is. While he doesn’t know this or understand it, Michael can sense when a person does so. But it is always passed off as a, ‘they can read people well’ or ‘they just know more than they should.’

Biography:

Michael spent the first several years of his life in London with his parents and three sisters. As a young child, he didn’t especially mind being the only boy in the family. If anything, it meant he got his own room and no hand-me-downs. But it also allowed him the opportunity to try some hobbies he might not have had if not for his feminine family members.

The girls were all given ballet lessons when they were young and he wanted to do the same because he wanted to be with his two older sisters. Neither of his parents thought he’d stick with it, but long after his sisters had quit, he was still dancing.

They also didn’t expect him to be so good at it. The teachers told them that he had excellent self-correction and didn’t make the same mistake twice very often. They also said he may be pushing himself too hard but he never sustained any of the typical injuries of overextending himself.

His family left the British Isle when he was nine, moving closer to his mother’s family. He continued to learn to dance, ignoring the jabs the other boys gave him while avoiding fights whenever possible.

On his twelfth birthday, he was approached by a woman not too much older than him dressed as a typical hippie. She told him her name was Merlin and that the pale mark on his back were birthmarks of a different sort. Merlin told him he was the descendant of King Arthur of Camelot and he wouldn’t have believed her if she hadn’t started telling him about how he could do things longer, stand pain for dangerous amounts of time, how he could tell when he was being manipulated even when he was young.

She also told him he wasn’t the Once and Future King so he should wipe that look off his face before it gets stuck like that. When he asked why neither of his sisters, especially the two older ones, didn’t have any of these abilities she just said it was his destiny (whatever that meant). And then she left.

He didn’t see her again until a few months ago, when she showed up with an envelope that looked like it had been in the trash. Which it had, because he’d thrown it away because he didn’t want to go to a school no matter how ‘exceptional’ he was. She told him he had to go because something was wrong and even if he wasn’t the king, he damn well better act like the nobility he was instead of the nerdy little ballet dancer he was.

And even though he thought destiny could shove off, he decided to go if only to prove Merlin wrong—it was totally kingly to be able to preform a grand jeté.

Personality:

He's been stubborn his entire life, he'd have to be to survive being a male ballet dancer with a funny accent, and he's absolutely unapologetic about it. At the same time, he knows showing this stubbornness too much could endanger him (he's good, but if they manage to hit him me might not be able to dance) so he keeps on an easy-going exterior. But he's learned a few things from his ballerina friends and knows how to wait to get his revenge.

And it's usually by flirting. With their girlfriends or the girl their interested in, or if the fancy takes him--with them. He doesn't care too much on how he does it but making them feel inferior or uncomfortable by using compliments is his favorite weapon. Michael is careful not to go to far to use other people against his enemies because it's not their fault their associate is a punk, but sometimes he gets out of hand and forces himself to apologize.

Not sure if it's a trait of being of Pendragon blood or because he's heard the horror catcall stories, Michael is only really aggressive about equality. It always ends badly, but it's the only thing he's ever been particularly aggressive about (well, that and proving how athletic one has to be to dance ballet) is making sure a person is treated exactly like a human being should be.

Northwood Academy

I'm working on my CS and will post it as soon as I get home. :)

The Circle Complete [Arc 1, Interest Check]

This sounds really interesting!