On Discord, the GM said that shirts, though encouraged, are optional. So would you guys highly disapprove or be weirded out if Mykhailo entered the briefing without one?
I haven't made a post saying whether he has done so, or not, by the way.
Mykhailo entered the briefing room with a wave, a smile, and a box of donuts which he set down on the central table and opened, saying, "Sorry I'm late; I brought donuts, though!"
He was young, barely nineteen, with silvery hair that may or may not be dyed. His skin was soft and attentively cared for, and his smile was meant to light up the room he had just come in. There was a gentleness in his face, a vulnerability that nevertheless hid confidently tempered steel underneath. But steel could be broken without other metals alloying them, and Mykhailo knew he was no protagonist; rather, he was just one of the team, one of the bunch of unknowns who would one day become his friends and allies.
To be honest with himself, he was nervous about no longer being the center of his world, much less others'. But glancing around at the others and their varied reactions to his offer, the young man smiled again, ready to trust yet also ready to defend himself - metaphorically - should his friendship not be accepted. But for now, he kept an open mind; he wanted to shed the ghost in his mind left behind by Artemio, his first love - He was not going to let hate ruin him like it had so many other people; just because others deserved hate does not mean he should poison his mind with it.
Otherwise, he could not face Artemio when they met in the afterlife.
To be honest, he still doubted that a good afterlife awaited him and his love; the beliefs picked up over a long time in deeply traditional countries were hard to shake off. But he knew that he no longer cared - He had been in love with another boy and what he felt was love; that should be enough.
So he smiled at his teammates, asking, "So, we're about to have the briefing, or are we waiting for anyone else? By the way, my name's Mykhailo, Mykhailo Martinez. I'm glad to meet you all."
He knew that not everything was going to go his way. One day, he'll take a loss and he needs to trust these others to pick him up. But at the same time... Can he pick them up as well, when they were down?
Misc Abilities: A skilled pilot who has gone through basic training as a soldier, and a cook, and has a degree in History.
Personality: Polite, kind, and generous, even to his bitterest enemies, Mykhailo has been shaken by the events of 2022, but tries to take the high road and not give himself over to hatred. Instead, he resents how his lack of a Noble Arm meant that he could not even be of help to his own country, Ukraine, especially as his piloting skills were not enough to make a difference in the war without experience. However, he knows that strengthening his personality and development would give him a Noble Arm that can solve the problems he has, thus allowing him to gain the power he needs to save both the Philippines and Ukraine and those whom he loves.
*Likes: Contentment (rarely found nowadays), Astronomy, Flying.
*Dislikes: Russia, China, and his negative feelings.
Fears: Falling into the hands of the enemy.
Bio: Mykhailo's Father was one of the Philippines' richest media executives, his mother was a Ukrainian volunteer worker who helped run a homeless shelter. They married; he was happy, not wondering about his mother's roots - He loved the Philippines, and Ukraine to him was a distant name. Then, as he grew up, he realized he liked both boys and girls and it wounded his heart that he was something so shameful, so aberrant, so different, and he would be targeted by hatred if people found out. It became worse when he moved back to Ukraine for a few years to attend a moderately prestigious flight school where he could train as a pilot.
His wingman was also his first love; a Ukrainian boy named Artem who had an interest in astronomy, and even got Mykhailo interested in the subject. The stars, the moon, and the sky, were interesting, and so was Artem; he was such a kind and generous person and Mykhailo wanted to be with him forever.
When he turned 18; he went back to the Philippines to visit his father, just in time for China and Russia to hold 'parallel special military operations' in both Southeast Asia and Ukraine - Artem died in the first volleys of the Russian invasion; to this day, Mykhailo believes that the latter was targeted for being gay.
The young man tried to muster the anger and hate required for revenge, but could not do so; he was too kind for that, even to people who hated him for what he was. Instead, all he could feel was utter sadness... And Artem's smile, that smile when they spent time together under the stars. So he did something immensely difficult, something he found hard to justify even to himself - He let go of his desire to hate and instead chose to try and stop the Russians and Chinese so that more people do not have to be hurt.
He felt a seed of something stir within him; the very beginnings of something that if treasured and nurtured, could grant him what he needed most - The power to save his people.
And so Mykhailo joined the Philippine Air Force, hoping to strengthen himself and potentially gain a Noble Arm. Then he'd make sure that more people like Artem do not have to die.
*Current Goal: Save ASEAN, then Ukraine.
Military or Civilian Rank: Airman
*Optional
Noble Arm Name & Appearance:
La Astronomica - The Longsword on his picture above.
Noble Arm Rank:
Power: A Speed: C Range: A Persistence: C Precision: C (S) Potential: E
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Melee/Sky/Long-Range
Noble Arm Abilities:
An Artificial Sky - When Mykhailo conjures up his Noble Arm, the sky above or around him is covered over with a starry nightscape or sunny sky, regardless of the actual time of day or night, light pollution from city lights, or artificial darkness from smog or storms. This zone slowly expands to cover an area the size of an entire city (New York's Metropolitan Area, to be exact), and Mykhailo can then choose to show specific images of constellations, stellar or planetary alignments, or solar equinoxes or even show the moon and sun at the same time. This does not change the existing weather, which continues as normal despite the changes to the sky.
It does, however, affect Noble Arms with an Astronomical Theme (Sun, Moon, Stars, Space, Eclipses, and Comets), boosting or debuffing them by one rank, as well as duplicating specific conditions for specific Arms' activation (like for example, the Sun and Moon needing to be up at the same time).
Astrological Omens - Under the projection of the sky that comes from his Noble Arm, luck and probability are affected in some small way, making his allies more fortunate while cursing his enemies with increased accidents and unfortunate events. This can, assuming competent allies, shift the tide of the battlefield to favor the side that should normally lose.
Heavenfall - Mykhailo, with a single command, can cause meteors to rain down from his artificial sky onto a foe; said meteors are, well, meteors and cause damage on par with high explosive artillery rounds. However, the damage they cause is purely physical, and thus attacks that render the user intangible or put them in another dimension or otherwise circumvent physical damage can work to make them immune or resistant to this power.
After cleaning up and dressing, Tenno strolled out of the establishment - His body had a natural immunity to poisons and diseases - and walked towards Bomoh with a smile on his face, trying to indicate that he had gotten at least some of what he came to the brothel for. He said to the Oni, "Let's go; I had my fun."
The young man then wandered off, seemingly without a care in the world, even as he sent a text message to the rest of the group - He could trust their Technomancer to encrypt the messages automatically.
There's a lull in the gang war. Vultures started the latter. Their leader is a she and she sounds dangerous. We're probably being followed.
He then gestured to Bomoh to come over and follow him before whispering, "Play along with what I want to do next, but be ready for a fight."
Sending a message to CAPTCHA, he asked her to, Trust me provisionally and relay a plan I have to Bomoh and the others covertly.
I am going to pretend to fight with Bomoh to lure in any 'interested parties'. Prepare an ambush combined with a rescue and getaway; I'll activate a tracker on my burner phone if you need the help.
Tenno was not in a hurry to meet up with the others; that much was certain. So he continued walking at random, deliberately trying to lure any watchers into a false sense of security, even as he continued to walk the border between the contested district and the other, richer ones, his hatred deepening as he saw the contrast between rich and poor. Any observer could tell that he was looking for something, and keener observers could tell that he was going to more deserted places where the constant corporate surveillance was laxer.
He then found a small pedestrian bridge close to the district in question, then whirled around at the Oni, before saying, in a louder tone, "Let's spar, Bomoh. Prove to me that you're worth sticking with."
The young man drew his sword to show to the people no doubt tailing him that he meant business, saying, "I've decided that I don't really want this job; why should I take a young woman from her new home so her father can do something selfish like marry her off? I was hoping that when we find her, she can give us a counter-offer and I can ask you guys to take it, but that's a fool's dream; a fool's errand. It's not as if I want to live anyway, so Nuyen isn't of any use to me..."
His eyes glinted again with reflected light, but a keen look at them told Bomoh that he was still on his side - Their side.
Then he said theatrically, "So spar with me - Prove with your fists and magic that you and your group have more to offer me than just survival from payment to payment."