LuckyBlackCat

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

With a terse nod, Jess shuffled behind Roxy to the dining table. "I guess we'd better," she mumbled, frustration coiling tighter and tighter inside her, just as it did in the anchor. She'd known all along there was no changing anyone's minds here. No way to change the situation - at least, not yet. She couldn't let this slimeball marry Roxy, yet besides agreeing to play a part in a corrupt businessman's schemes, how could she prevent it? Was strengthening the shield in a short amount of time the only hope for her and Roxy? If so, what if Reginald got in the way of that?

She sat down, hoping Roxy wouldn't get in even more trouble over the lukewarm food as she awaited the inevitable questioning. Best not to let too much slip this time.

The Zephyr Extinct

✾ Steel Rose ✾

Steel Rose blinked in surprise. "Wow, talk about a baptism by fire!" Not what she'd expected, but she wasn't going to put a damper on Listener's excitement - and if there was a Horror around, it needed to be dealt with fast. "Nothing we can't handle though!" It would just be a simple starting mission, after all. A matter of getting into someone's home to take down a Horror with their new weapons, albeit ones they barely knew how to use... What could possibly go wrong?

It was when Archer refused to answer Iris' question that Rose blurted her thoughts. "But... We need to get there fast! Otherwise, if he goes home and we can't help in time, or if it gets out... We can't let that happen!"

At the simple answer - "Up to you, then!" - Steel Rose clenched her fists. She'd probably come across badly just now, talking back to the leader, but the issue stood. They needed to figure something out as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Cedar's plan sounded like a promising one.

"I'd be up for talking with him too," she offered. "Even if it makes him think cakes are coming to life and attacking people. The only issue is, though... He already recognises we're Zephyr. If he's trying to protect his pet, he'll likely figure out our plan." Ruskali had a few screws loose for sure, but that wasn't the same as being stupid.

"Yeah, it might be best if just one or two of us talk to him, then the others can follow. I mean, there are several people here who are good at sneaking around." She glanced from Listener, to Iris, to Fluke. "I can if needs be, I used to sneak out all the time. And however conspicuous we might seem, in the marketplace, anyone can blend in." As long as they didn't wear malfunctioning motor skates and bowl pastry stands over, that was.

After a moment's thought, she continued. "Or there's just being honest, at least partially. We could tell him we have reason to believe he's in danger, and we're here to help... Although how he responds to that will depend on why he's hiding that Horror. Hey Archer, which sounds more convincing?"

"Can't answer that either!"

Rose gave an audible huff through gritted teeth. She understood the logic here, but that didn't make the replies, or lack thereof, any less infuriating.

My Hero Academia: Another Story

---

"Alright, time's up!"

Martenell's voice cut through the chatter and whispers. "And you'd better have made good use of it," she continued, leading everyone over to the sectioned cityscape. "Team One and Team Two, you'll face off against each other in section A. Teams Three and Four, to section B. Five and Six, to C. Seven and Eight, head to D..."

She gestured to various parts of the arena as she spoke, her scowl deepening at anyone who complained or dawdled. Dunwich, on the other hand, let her excitement burst loose like the tendrils that made a reappearance. "Well, UJ, here's the moment we've been waiting for!" she squealed as soon as Martenell finished calling out matchups. "I hope you're all as geared up as I am!" She held up a whistle in one hand and a megaphone in the other as she launched into another dance, each tendril gripping a pom-pom.

"Go teams! Go teams of three! Go teams! Classes A, B and C!" The chant filled the arena through the megaphone. "Go teams! Into the fray! And now let's get this underwaaaaaaaay!!" Clusters of spikes knifed out from the tips of her tendrils, ripping up the pom-poms, the pieces flying in all directions like fireworks as she blew the whistle.

Dusting glittery shreds off of her clothes, Martenell sighed. "Do you ever tone it down?" she muttered, sharp eyes turning from Dunwich to the screen that would show each recorded fight. Time to see what UJ's trainee heroes had learned.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

That anger ran cold, souring to horror. Now she'd gone and screwed up, played right into Mr Black's hands. "It wouldn't even take an empath to figure that out," Jess quickly added, trying to remedy the situation even though she knew it was too late. "If-if you were saddened, you'd figure out something that suited her."

She inwardly cursed herself. Why had she gone and let emotion fuel her? Let it cloud her judgement? Now it was obvious he'd use her ability to his advantage - and use her and Roxy against each other to do so. As if that wasn't bad enough, if Roxy had blamed herself before, she certainly would now.

"Neither of us belongs to you," Jess insisted, one more weak attempt at defiance, although they'd both found themselves tangled tighter than ever in Mr Black's plan. She didn't know who Drake was, but this was yet more proof he'd gladly bargain with Roxy's wellbeing to get an empath on his side.

And no way could Jess let him do either.

The Zephyr Extinct

✾ Steel Rose ✾

Grimacing behind her mask as Archer commented on the mess that was her clothing, Steel Rose focused instead on the weapon. "Yup, I'll be sure to warn them!" she replied, testing the weighting once more. It seemed Listener wasn't the only one whose mask would need shaders. "Still, what better to use against shadow creatures? They're not gonna be so scary in the light."

For all her blustering, she listened to Archer's speech, thankful nobody would notice her expression turning solemn. Get to know one another. Trust one another. Her stomach knotted at the words. She wanted nothing more than this kind of friendly atmosphere, but letting someone in carried the risk of losing them. This time, she resolved, gripping Thorn, I won't be useless. I'll help in any way I can.

A glimpse of movement pulled her from her thoughts, the Zephyr named Fluke picking cake from her clothes and sneaking it under his elaborate mask of scrap parts. Despite Archer's scolding of the young man, instead of getting annoyed herself, Rose chuckled. "Looks like Archer isn't the only one providing snacks. And wow, that's one impressive mask!"

Quite the team had gathered by now, a tall, strong and sturdy woman spinning a bo staff before speaking up. Steel Rose's eyes widened at the mention of naming. "Ooh, what name are you thinking of? And great choice of weapon there, simple yet effective, we might have to be careful not to get whacked over the head though!" she joked.

Listener, who'd set about cleaning up the squashed pastries, gave her own thoughts about naming weapons, eventually deciding it wasn't for her. "Yep, I get where you're coming from... Even so, a rose needs its thorns, has to show it isn't one to get on the wrong side of!" Steel Rose replied, brushing what she could of the cake from her outfit into the cloth, helping Listener. "And don't ya worry, I doubt that spear of yours would do badly, judging by that description. We may be new to this, but having an idea of the kinds of Zephyrs we want to be... It's a morale boost. Something to aspire to."

Something she hoped with all her heart she could live up to.

Hiding her doubts behind her usual cheer, she turned to Cedar. His tone, however neutral, made his words no less uplifting. "Yup! This is quite some team spirit already!" Rose commented, accepting the cake from Listener and giving a somewhat strained laugh. "I did end up buying it, so might as well. Alright cake, the tables have turned in more ways than one!" She couldn't resist, neither the groan-worthy pun nor the sweet snack as she took a bite. A little crumbly, but still tasty with the mixed fruit filling. "Thanks! Maybe this wasn't such a bad start after all."

The Zephyr Extinct

Yep! Maybe it's a better first impression than she thinks, she inadvertently brought greeting gifts after all...

My Hero Academia: Another Story

<Snipped quote by LuckyBlackCat>
Not sure if you know, but mixing paper (wood pulp) and ice is an actual 'material': en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pykrete Not really viable at normal temperatures, but surprisingly sturdy.

@Stern Algorithm

I didn't know that, thanks for the fun fact! Gives Namie and Alex even more teamwork potential.

My Hero Academia: Another Story

---

Melissa Summerfield ~ Honeybee

---

@Pirouette @Heartfillia

"Ohhh!" Melissa's eyes grew round behind her goggles. "You're quite the lucky one! So many possible applications! My Quirk is a substance production one too, but I can only do so much with it. Still, it has its uses..."

She held out her hand, blobs of golden liquid forming at the tips of her fingers. "It's pretty much honey, but it's sticky enough that if I fling large amounts at opponents, it can bind their feet to the ground or at least slow them down. Of course, I've got to be careful not to stick myself to things, or use up too many nutrients at once." Setting down her drink and taking a wipe from her bag, she cleaned her hand, deep in thought as she did so.

"Hey, you think we could combine our Quirks?" she asked Namie. "Depending what your liquid is made of, they might not be a perfect fit, but it could give you more to work with in a pinch! Oooh, and here's something we could try..." She gave Alex a wide grin. "Papier mache! Mixing paper with a suitable substance could open up a whole new range of options for you, and your Quirk is pretty versatile anyway! Either or both of us could help out there. If it's Namie, freezing it or partially drying it as you toughen the paper would make for some sturdy structures!"

Turning her attention back to Namie, she pulled a few bottles from her bag. "And if you need to top up on any nutrients before the test, I've got several homemade beverages here! Just let me know what you need. Alex, feel free to take some too!"

Hopefully Namie and Alex wouldn't get too weirded out by the ingredients on the labels, like some people did. What was wrong with banana and beetroot anyway?

---

Jack Bocklet ~ Springheeled Jack

---

@Nyahahameha

While most students simply advanced upon hearing their names, one boy leapt right up, over the crowd's heads. A group of his 1-B classmates moved aside as he landed, the springstilts jutting through his boots from his feet launching him into a smaller jump that brought him to his teammates.

"Hey! Watch where you're jumping!" somebody yelled.

The boy smirked, head high, arms folded across his leather jacket. "How about you watch where I'm jumping?" he replied, before turning back to the girls. He didn't know them, but he was sure he'd seen one of them around - anyone would remember that fluffy white hair. He sauntered closer, the springstilts tucked into his feet. "You're in luck girls, with me on your team, victory's gotta be a given! I mean you saw my Quirk just now, and just wait till you see my jump kicks! Call me Springheeled Jack - but don't ya worry, I'm not scary." A confident grin spread across his face. "Except to opponents!"

The Zephyr Extinct

You ok now @Plank Sinatra? Love the intro though, and will have a reply up soon :)

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

As she saw Maxwell's touch on Roxy's arm, Jess clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug into her skin. She knew Roxy wanted nothing more right now than to hit him. Jess tried to slow her breathing, but it shuddered in her lungs with the steady flow of anger. Maybe it was best not to fight it completely. It was the only thing fueling the two of them to speak out through their fear.

"Leave her alone..." The plea came out soft, yet insistent, as she moved closer to Roxy. Her eyes shifted to Mr Black. "This doesn't benefit her. And... and..." She paused, swallowing a lump through her tight throat. The words on her lips could either prove a hindrance to Mr Black's plans, or land both her and Roxy in further trouble, but she had to point something out. Lying to an empath took a whole other level of arrogance.

"You're not saddened," she blurted. "Not for Roxy, anyway."