mantou

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{Teamed up with: @ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

"Mom, dad, today I've decided. Let me settle down ri~ight here!" A freshly-graduated Aria excitedly split her two fingers apart, zooming in on the map of the country, depicting the shape of Pax Septimus. Her voice was light, airy, and almost a little cutesy-- a medium to stir up any leftover emotions from her parents and improve her chances at persuasion.

"This place isn't the best, see? But that means there are people who'll need me there. I just know it. Think of all the children! If you let me go, I can help them!"

---

At that moment faced with the green-haired pyromancer, the Protector slowly lowered its head, its movements falling slack, seemingly allowing itself to be dragged away and consequently beaten by the deceased magi's partner.

Who am I helping?

Tetrad's sock was enough to break the sentinel away from its trance. With the situation getting direr and it not understanding fully what was happening on Klava and the Timekeeper's side, the Protector made haste with its forced resolve. It was already bad enough that these poor children had come back to haunt the suit of armor, however, they would not be responsible for any more lives lost during this mission. If anything-- it would make sure they'd go in peace.

It would be good for them, right? To not have any blood on their hands, even after death. Perhaps that was the least it could ensure, after everything.

It took a deep breath, channeling the mana from its body and into its straight-headed spear. The clean, sharp edges on either side of its blade surged with a piercing blue aura. It exhaled and swung once, and then used its stance as leverage to pivot its body for another lethal swipe. Its weapon aimed to slice at both the magi's necks and then their legs, seeking to decapitate and immobilize, if the first swing was not enough to send them off just yet.

Mana Banner

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless, Suspend] Transplace, Restrain, Reflect, AoE, Damage X, Shield

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500
PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Bronze Touch + Damage X + AoE = -80] = 184/500 Remaining

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

"..."

With the entire battleground in chaos, it was this particular section that could have almost been mistaken for a still image. As if sucked into a trance, the suit of armor stood there for a little while, unmoving, staring at the ground that the young magi's skull now bled into. A deep web of red seeped out from the point of impact, and the titan could not look away. With thoughts gone, its hand clutching at its heaving chest, and expression unseen, it was anyone's best bet what the Protector was thinking.

”Maybe you’d like to see what those kids can do when freed from their mortal vessels?”

No.

The complete absurdity of that sentence and the visible 'souls' sinking into the ground snapped it out of its trance. It allowed the Protector time to spot enormous barrels falling into separate directions. Unfortunately, with the distance between them, it wasn't able to get to Klava in time to shield her from the impact. It cursed inwardly, thinking as fast as it could with its mind now racing to act. With a heavy clatter of metal and no plan of getting hit, the sentinel immediately set off in a run towards Apollo and the... remaining kids.

With an awfully tight grip, it managed to pick up its spear on the way, which soon began to emit a vivid blue light as it moved as fast as it could to stand between the barrel and its ally. And this time... it was sure it didn't want to see more children hurt. Not by its own hands, nor by the enemy.

With a horizontal swipe, it released the bolt of blue light collected inside the spear at the barreling container, infusing it with the sentinel's mana. The Protector then swung at the barrel like a batter, using all of its force to hit and direct the thing right back at Gunther. Once it was a close enough distance to the strange creature, the Protector would raise its shield, absorb back the blue light from the barrel, and thus return the keg to its original mass.

The suit of armor glanced back once to check if Apollo was alright before turning its gaze away. "...Let's not fight any more. We can settle this without more lives lost." The exhaustion in its deep, tin-canned voice was evident. It inwardly prayed once more-- not for a melody this time, but rather, for the young magi to rethink their decisions thus far.

Mana Banner

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless, Suspend] Transplace, Restrain, Reflect, AoE, Damage X, Shield

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500
PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Bronze Touch + Weightless = -32] = 264/500 Remaining

Lost World: Antarctica

Sunny

---

_{interacting with: @Inertia@Theyra}

The landing!

Skidding atop the roughly-laden icy runways of the Williams' airfield, an aircraft finally came to a parked stop after a good ten minutes of slipping and sliding. This naturally brought with it a few mini-heart attacks and passengers clutching at their chest, but there was one flyer in particular who instead vibrated with such giddiness that it threatened to shoot her straight through the aisles of the crowded plane and into the field.

This was Dr. O'Connor, better known as Sunny, who looked at those vast fields of white with almost childlike excitement, going against the urge of wanting to break free of the constraints of her seatbelt right that instant. The urge to rush the undulating ebb and flow of the airplane disembarkation process grew from there. So the botanist hastily grabbed her hand-carry and sped out the runways to collect her baggage, readier than ever to venture out into this new world of frost. Being greeted with the biting winds of the cold air, the woman scrunched her tingling nose as she stepped out of the airfield with a high-pitched squeal and a celebratory twirl, complete with the wide-open V-pose and everything. Without being predisposed to normal human levels of shame, she proceeded to embarrass the McMurdo Sound's agent in charge of collecting her for the first (and definitely not the last) time. The agent's hand that rose up to wave immediately dropped, executing the swiftest facepalm to date.

Anyone would have been able to tell that this was her first visit here-- but the question of whether she was a field botanist on the job or a straight-up tourist was slightly blurred there. Faster than light, the collections agent ushered the woman to the car that brought her directly to their on-site accommodations.

---

Packed like a girl scout, Doctor O'Connor approached the temple in slow steps to admire it in all its magnificence. The woman was no architect, but she was willing to say it was worthy of an A+ in aesthetics. Very excitedly, she whipped out a camera and began circling the temple like a bird of prey, taking photos of it in every angle possible, hoping to write home about it and perhaps show her colleagues once she returned to the U.S. Naturally, her work here would not be as extensive as the next archeologist or paleontologist, but she was more than eager to begin her data collection on any floral specimen that seemed remotely predated. So, watch out, anything that wasn't Antarctic hair grass and pearlwort! Doctor O'Connor slowly brought up a finger gun, shot off at an imaginary target in the distance, and blew away the non-existent smoke from the barrel. This was going to be great.

After scouring the outside of the temple and collecting each new sign of flora, she then made towards the best part for the last. The giant backpack on the woman bounced with every step into the temple, but not before stopping abruptly just ten feet into the place.

"JOHN!" A restrained, yet undeniably loud, hushed exclamation sounded from within the poor temple. The botanist cupped her own mouth, shocked at her own excitement. On this particular expedition, she should not have felt surprised to see her friend, Dr. Ha-Kun, studying the material structure of the temple. Still, a familiar face in a new continent was nice to see. And it was no more of a surprise to her that he turned up earlier than she did! "So good to see ya again! Have ya met any of the other scientists onboard yet?"

"Doctor O'Connor." The Paleontologist turned his head towards Sunny, a greeting in his own way. "Not quite yet, I was simply enamored by this structure."

"Sure looked like it! The botanist beamed, glancing at John's point of interest. "I damn near bumped into y -- Ooh, this material's gorgeous, for sure. Now how's about we get some more lookin' done inside?

"Well, I can't keep the top scientific minds of this century waiting," He says, dusting himself off, "Shall we?"

"Sir yes, sir." Sunny clicked her tongue twice, nodding her head towards the halls further in.

"It is good there is a veritable expert in paleobotany in our midst, it is an area I'm... sorely lacking in." He continues, "Truly, our back-and-forth dialogue has helped further my research, Doctor O'Connor."

"It's no biggie!" The botanist shrugged. "I'm glad I could help! If anything, I'm only here because you got me into taking the initiative to learn more-- 'we've much to comprehend from the past', isn't that what you said?"

"Yeah..." John scratches his cheek, perhaps embarrassed at being quoted as such. He coughs awkwardly, "Ahem- indeed it is true, the past is rife with information. It is a pleasure and privilege that we are allowed such. There are many unknowns that we, as scientists, must uncover."

"Preach it, John, preach it." If she could whistle without potentially obstructing the rest of the team across the temple, she would've.

---

They chatted a little more until the conversation reached a lull, in which the two scientists took their time to keenly observe the interiors of the temple. In time, they found themselves in front of a massive open entrance that seemed to denote great importance to whatever the chambers within held. The botanist peered inside yet only to realize that they were in fact, not the first ones there. By now, it was for sure, this was the most responsible team she's come across thus far. According to her, McMurdo really did a fantastic job attracting the best of the best to this operation.

"Hello--." Sunny's voice echoed slightly from where she stood at the doorway before shutting up. Even though it was second nature for her to introduce herself as soon as she got to meet her team, this type of environment begged for some peace and quiet. If they were going to work together, then getting to know each other was an obvious step to take... but perhaps that could come later after everyone is finished. She nodded at John before turning away, heading towards the man standing with his back towards them. As the orb came into view, the botanist felt her jaw loosen and drop.

"Well, that looks like a giant ominous red button waiting to be pressed." She whispered.

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

"Klava-san, Timekeeper, take care!" The sentinel's deep, tin canned voice sounded after its allies rushed towards the other end of the hall. Without further hesitation, it turned on its heel and headed to the back-line where Billy, Apollo, and Tetrad stood. While the squad of pyromancers was busy attempting to hurl flames at Billy, deal with Tetrad's firing, and also Apollo's manic man-catching, the Protector opted to follow Klava's instructions and conjure a melody from where it stood.

As it lifted its spear in the air to aim, a blue wash of light rose from the armored suit's feet all the way to the weapon, enveloping the polearm with a bright sheen of mana. For a split second, it froze as it locked eyes with the flame-thrower. Young. Almost too young. There was no way they were that far apart in age. However, it needed to steel itself and shut its thoughts away. With its spear now thoroughly glazed, the straight-headed weapon shot through the air with the force of all the Protector's might, aiming directly for the white-haired pyromancer. Unbeknownst to itself, the Protector turned its eyes away right after it let go, forcing its attention to their partner.

Even as it trembled ever so slightly, the sentinel had no trouble executing a straightforward shield bash in an effort to finish off Apollo's work on the green-haired pyromancer skull. Once that was done, it would move in front of Tetrad, raising its shield to keep the esper woman safe behind it from whatever was about to come.

Mana Banner

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless, Suspend] Transplace, Restrain, Reflect, AoE, Damage X, Shield

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500
PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Bronze Projectile + Damage X = -60] = 296/500 Remaining

Lost World: Antarctica

Sunny

Sunny O’Connor

Gender: Female
Age: 31
Nationality: American

Personality:

Sunny is an upbeat, optimistic, and passionate woman. Ever since she was a young girl, her family knew her as their very own little “ray of sunshine” because she came into the world with a smile that beamed so bright it could single-handedly power any town you put her in.

Skills:
> PhD in Botany. Sunny can raise knowledge about the hows, whats, and whys of any plant that is brought up faster than any Wikipedia page.
> Bachelor’s degree in herbalism. Keenly interested in the medicinal properties of plants and their healing capabilities.
> Knowledgable in paleobotany
> Extensive laboratory research
> Canopy and understory fieldwork
> Gardening
> Camping
> Cooking, home and outdoors

Personal Belongings:
> Secateurs, trowels, magnifying glass, and a camera to collect evidence of plant species.
> Machete and a swiss army knife for the more hardy plants.
> A pair of durable gardening gloves.
> Binoculars.
> Plastic+paper bags and vials to collect plant specimens on the go.
> A 2-L water bottle to make like a plant and stay hydrated.
> A leatherbound journal to jot down field notes.
> Sunglasses, a heavy winter coat, and a sun cap.
> A handful of rations, trail mix, and granola bars.

Background:

When she grew into adolescence, Sunny grew a fondness for plants that she could never quite explain. It all began with a small high school science project that involved sprouting a bean. After a few weeks of careful and affectionate grow-time, Sunny eventually found herself in love with the process of it all. Every day, she would hop out of bed and water the tiny science project first thing in the morning. See, with this little bean plant, there was always something to look forward to– a shiny leaf, a brand-spanking-new millimeter of height, and even later on, the most beautiful, purest, white flower buds she’d ever seen in her entire ten years of life. Something as simple as this made her the happiest little kid in the whole wide world.

The O’Connors then started a garden together. With the help of Sunny, they nourished the flowerbeds and grew a variety of plants and crops for their household like it was second nature. Sunny had a green thumb, and if that wasn’t obvious, the dozens of baskets worth of fruits and vegetables they amassed every season spoke for themselves. It was through experiencing this simple joy in life that she was inadvertently taught about her deep love for plants, her need to care for them, and her desire to understand more about them.

Combining her undying love for plants and boundless thirst for knowledge, her course in life had already been decided at a young age. Equipped with an abundant set of skills and a wide expanse of knowledge on every herb, flower, vegetable, weed, or plant one could think of, it was no question that she’d end up at a temple in Antarctica to investigate any signs of fossilized vegetation growing within or around it.

Lost World: Antarctica

sorry, it took some time, but my botanist is finally done

Sunny

Sunny O’Connor

Gender: Female
Age: 31
Nationality: American

Personality:

Sunny is an upbeat, optimistic, and passionate woman. Ever since she was a young girl, her family knew her as their very own little “ray of sunshine” because she came into the world with a smile that beamed so bright it could single-handedly power any town you put her in.

Skills:
> PhD in Botany. Sunny can raise knowledge about the hows, whats, and whys of any plant that is brought up faster than any Wikipedia page.
> Bachelor’s degree in herbalism. Keenly interested in the medicinal properties of plants and their healing capabilities.
> Knowledgable in paleobotany
> Extensive laboratory research
> Canopy and understory fieldwork
> Gardening
> Camping
> Cooking, home and outdoors

Personal Belongings:
> Secateurs, trowels, magnifying glass, and a camera to collect evidence of plant species.
> Machete and a swiss army knife for the more hardy plants.
> A pair of durable gardening gloves.
> Binoculars.
> Plastic+paper bags and vials to collect plant specimens on the go.
> A 2-L water bottle to make like a plant and stay hydrated.
> A leatherbound journal to jot down field notes.
> Sunglasses, a heavy winter coat, and a sun cap.
> A handful of rations, trail mix, and granola bars.

Background:

When she grew into adolescence, Sunny grew a fondness for plants that she could never quite explain. It all began with a small high school science project that involved sprouting a bean. After a few weeks of careful and affectionate grow-time, Sunny eventually found herself in love with the process of it all. Every day, she would hop out of bed and water the tiny science project first thing in the morning. See, with this little bean plant, there was always something to look forward to– a shiny leaf, a brand-spanking-new millimeter of height, and even later on, the most beautiful, purest, white flower buds she’d ever seen in her entire ten years of life. Something as simple as this made her the happiest little kid in the whole wide world.

The O’Connors then started a garden together. With the help of Sunny, they nourished the flowerbeds and grew a variety of plants and crops for their household like it was second nature. Sunny had a green thumb, and if that wasn’t obvious, the dozens of baskets worth of fruits and vegetables they amassed every season spoke for themselves. It was through experiencing this simple joy in life that she was inadvertently taught about her deep love for plants, her need to care for them, and her desire to understand more about them.

Combining her undying love for plants and boundless thirst for knowledge, her course in life had already been decided at a young age. Equipped with an abundant set of skills and a wide expanse of knowledge on every herb, flower, vegetable, weed, or plant one could think of, it was no question that she’d end up at a temple in Antarctica to investigate any signs of fossilized vegetation growing within or around it.

Lost World: Antarctica

Hello hello, this is pretty interesting stuff. do you guys happen to have space for a potential botanist and a friend of mine?

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

The Protector was on fire. Contrary to what it'd witnessed in the movies, this phrase did not denote anything good, but at the very least, it wasn't the type of fire that could last through its frantic arm-waving. It burned for a good several seconds. While physically the skin on its arms and chest felt quite raw, it was simply grateful that it wasn't cooked alive in its armor. That was what mattered. So it patted itself down, shield and all, before glancing back to check on the poor Timekeeper, whose position, clothing, and physical health was compromised as a result of the barrel explosion. It gripped its spear tightly. That's definitely no good, the Protector thought to itself, clearly feeling a little guilty over the child esper getting harmed in the process. It would need to try harder to take initiative this time.

When the magnificent ice structure solidified and took its firm place, courtesy of Klava, the Protector waited for the Timekeeper to deal with the barrel.

Afterward, it pointed forward with its spear. "I will try to slow them down! A bright pulse of mana would shoot outwards, aimed directly for the fellow in armor's legs called "Bob". Was this the Builder? No, but one thing was for sure-- it was big enough to be difficult to miss. Without missing a beat, the Protector would shift its spear ever so slightly to reposition its aim and shoot once again, this time for the Pink Gunner smaller body, hoping to compromise her mobility or dexterity, whichever way Kamisama decided its shots would land today.

Mana Banner

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless, Suspend], Transplace, Restrain, Reflect, AoE, Damage X, Shield

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500
PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Bronze Projectile + Restrain + AoE = -72] = 356/500 Remaining

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

The Protector strode into the wine cellar alongside its allies, hanging behind Fable as he spoke. While the armored titan admired the child's bravery, it certainly would be ready to shield him at any given moment. As it was, the situation meant that the entire place could go up in fermented-grape smoke if any of them were to make the wrong move. This troubled the sentinel greatly, but its feelings would never be betrayed thanks to the dignified frontage of its helmet.

However, the sight of Klava executing a brilliant palm-to-tush maneuver on Apollo nearly cost the Protector its solid grip on its shield. The incredible smoothness of its friend would have caused its jaw to drop if only that was possible in its esper form. Is this what it was like to be brimming with so much confidence? Would Aria too, be able to do the same thing eventually if she worked on her self-esteem? An inquisitive thought creeped into the metal giant's mind palace, infiltrating it like a thief in the night. However, it was immediately chased away by the sentinel's conservative mindset. Nonsense. That was not the issue as of now, pay attention!

The Protector raised both its spear and shield hands to smack itself on both sides of its helmet.

Now standing at attention as if ready for preschool drills, the sentinel responded to Klava's plans with a determined nod. These were no ordinary gang members by the clear looks of it, and so they would need to be cautious. Unlike the last time, it wouldn't charge headfirst into the fray right away. Instead, for now...

With a raise of its spear, four bolts of mana flowed from the tip to each of its team members, enveloping each of them, save for the Protector, in a light-blue physical shielding aura. A melody for insurance. Then, it marched to the frontline alongside Fable, raising its kite shield directly in front of the pink-weaponed gunner's line of sight, effectively providing well-enough cover for its allies behind it. This woman was definitely no Pink Devil, nor was her gun a P90, but the Protector decided it was best not to underestimate its opponents nonetheless.

Mana Banner

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless, Suspend], Transplace, Restrain, Reflect, AoE, Damage, Shield

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500
PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Bronze Projectile + Shield + AoE = -72] = 428/500 Remaining

Symphony of Espers

ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | The Mavericks

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

Rising Hope needed a few extra hands to tend to the school gardens today-- a little setup built by fellow volunteer teachers to provide more outdoor activities for the kids. A fun time, indeed, so much so that the Protector got carried away in the process, and had to speed to the closest bus upon realizing it was nearly late for its meeting with the other espers. It was seemingly in such a rush that the jingle of its keychain (along with its heavy rumbling steps) as it ran past the pedestrians along the way could probably be heard from the meeting spot itself. Either way, it was only glad it wasn't late. Though transforming right at the bus stop did earn it some funny looks.

"Hi, Klava!" The eight-foot-tall hulking suit of armor showed up just after Klava did, arriving in a jog as it waved at its friend with eager semicircle arcs through the air, clearly glad to see her."And hello again-- Apollo!" It shyly raised a gauntleted palm in the air - the same form of greeting the Protector recalled the man using when they first met during their last minute.

After greeting the familiar faces, it directed a bow towards the head of the operation, Billy Black, and his fellow mercenaries. While this crowd most definitely intimidated the young esper during its first mission running with the Mavericks, it had gotten used to their more unique and vibrant forms of expression, and gradually grew to respect their way of handling monsters. The same went for the GEMINIs, but this week, it was time to alternate between the two. It hummed as it acknowledged the leader's instructions.

Casting a glance around, it didn't take long for the armored sentinel to notice the youngest person in their midst. A child, actually. A bubble of concern immediately rose within the Protector, but not before reminding itself that the people present were all either espers or very-well capable of handling themselves. The nursery teacher rationalized this fairly quickly. After all, it would not deign to underestimate a child, no matter who they were.

"Hello, there." A deep, gravelly voice rumbled kindly from inside the hunk of armor, offering its hand to the boy for a good old-fashioned handshake."I go by the Protector. May I have your name as well?"