Just another test thread. DNP

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Personal test thread for roleplays, post layouts, whatever. Keep out.

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋗There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋗You became the light on the dark side of me
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋗Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill



⋗But did you know, that when it snowsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
⋗My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seenxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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ღ Now that your rose is in bloom ღ



Never in her twenty eight years of life had she felt this cold.

She first awoke to a mechanical whirring. After fifty nine long years in a state of cryogenically induced suspended animation, her brain sluggishly and reluctantly roused from its slumber. Like the revealing of a heavy, velvety veil, consciousness returned to her at a crawling speed. First, it was the pressure on her eardrums. After such a long period of disuse, even the sound of her own heart beating were like thunder striking her befuddled brain, and her mind struggled to decipher its meaning and source.

Next came the cold. As soon as her brain managed to interpret the stinging, pricking feeling all over her body as plain old cold, her muscles immediately caught on with the idea, sending a violent, involuntary shivery down her entire body. This seemed to do her some good, as blood was forced through her icy veins, spreading a slight hint of warmth through her limbs. Her heart rate began to pick up, fighting vigorously to bring her core temperature up. One minute passed, and two, and five. After what felt like an eternity, her body finally managed to reach a state of stability, her breath slow and even and her pulse steady and strong, though her mind still felt cloudy and slow.

That was when the pod opened, releasing its occupant again after nearly six decades.

There was nothing graceful about the woman that came out of that icy chamber. Or rather, dumped out of. She came tumbling to the floor in a mass of red hair and gangly limbs, coughing and sputtering as her lungs adjusted to the dry, filtered air that circulated the hold where all of their pods were kept. Legs still too weak to support her body so soon after her awakening and thoroughly disoriented as well, she simply allowed herself to lay still on the floor. Images from another lifetime ago floated into her mind, of her and many others like herself sitting in a large briefing room, and a male voice that droned on and on about the safety precautions of the cryogenic pods. 'Do not attempt rapid movements within two hours of waking. Breathe slowly and deeply. Move all parts of the body, especially the extremities.' Drawing a long breath of air, she closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening her eyes again. Like a newborn fawn trying to take its first steps, she slowly and gingerly moved her arms and legs, positioning them to push herself up from the ground. With all the strength she could muster, she heaved, and with some difficulty, managed to hoist herself into a kneeling position. There was a metal bench a few feet in front of her, and she pulled herself into it, where she sat with her back against the wall and rested.

It took her nearly thirty minutes before she felt well enough to move again. After all, she was just a researcher, a civilian, and had none of the military training nor prior experience with cryogenics to prepare her for such a long journey. Taking the time to rest and take stock, she saw that all around the room, pods like her own were opening, and people emerged from them, many of them in states no better than her own. That was when she remembered that this room was the one that contained specifically the civilians only, with the military personnel in the next room over. As if on cue, she heard a metal door slide open, and in walked a man donning combat fatigues, with an austere expression on his face as he walked to the middle of the room and surveyed his surroundings, looking like he expected a riot to break out any second. "Now why did I think this was a good idea?" With a weary sigh, she mumbled to herself.



ღ A light hits the gloom on the gray ღ
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[size=7][color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/size][size=7][color=saddlebrown]⋗[/color][color=darkgoldenrod]You became the light on the dark side of me[/color][/size]
[size=7][color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/size][size=7][color=darkolivegreen]⋗[/color][color=olivedrab]Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill[/color][/size][/align]
[align=center][img]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b370/Horuki/temp-3.png[/img][/align][align=right][size=7][color=saddlebrown]⋗[/color][color=darkgoldenrod]But did you know, that when it snows[/color][color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/size]
[size=7][color=darkolivegreen]⋗[/color][color=olivedrab]My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen[/color][color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/size][/align]

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[size=9][color=tomato]ღ[/color] [color=darkgoldenrod]Now that your rose is in bloom[/color] [color=tomato]ღ[/color]
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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Alexander McGaven
The Stray Cat


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❝Hurry up and get it done, I have drinking to get back to.❞


Who knew that an ordinary day like this could end up in such a mess.

The day had started out like any other for the young man with the strawberry blond hair. He had gotten out of bed at a respectable hour, gotten himself dressed and made presentable, and went about his usual daily activities, which included dodging the debt collector who prowled his front door, heckling the old man at the bakery for a piece or two of freshly baked delicacies, and flirting with that one waitress who worked at the small family diner down the street and then getting chased away by her father the owner. Nothing out of the ordinary. That was, until a black sedan with tinted windows showed up.

At first, he paid the vehicle no attention; the area of town he lived in wasn't exactly what one would call safe, and from time to time, the more ostentatious of the local gang leaders would fancy a ride in their shiny new cars (the means of which they obtained them will not be mentioned), so the presence of suspicious looking vehicles were no reason to raise serious alarm. However, it was 6 or 7 blocks down the road when he noticed the same car on the side of the street that he began to feel a tinge of unease. If anything, he'd say that the car was following him around, and even as egocentric as he was, he failed to think of a single reason as to why. Okay, maybe that was not entirely true. So he did manage to piss off someone up there in the local crime syndicate when he accidentally interrupted them during a bank job they were trying to pull; or maybe it was the son of a gang leader he beat up the other day. But none of those he deemed important enough to warrant a specially arranged ride. So what exactly did those guys in that car want with him?

His question was soon answered when the car rolled to a stop beside him and the rear passenger door opened. 'Alexander McGaven?' A male said in a rich baritone, and without waiting for Alex's response, he went on. 'Our leader has noticed you. You will be coming with us.' Short and curt, and straight to the point, though it seemed to raise more questions than it answered. With his head cocked, Alex studied the man sitting inside. Dark sunglasses, black suits, and a not-so-subtly concealed earpiece. If the man's attire did not scream trouble, he didn't know what did. "Sorry fellas, but I'm a busy man, and whatever business your leader has with me, I'm not interested." Running a hand through his hair, he replied nonchalantly and was about to walk away when the man's next comment brought him to a complete stop in the middle of his steps.

'Don't you want to know how Melanie is doing?'

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Now that he had had a bit of time to reflect upon the morning's happenings, it was probably a very big mistake for him to get into that car. Afterall, didn't mothers always warn their kids not to get into cars with random strangers? He began to regret his decision the minute they arrived at the big mansion, and over the course of the next thirty minutes. he only came to regret it even more. A ridiculously dull man, an equally boring speech, and a battle royale style trial, all of which were things of complete irrelevance to Alex. Brotherhood of Shadows? What a cheesy name. Though he had to admit that the promise of wealth and power did tickle his greedy innards a little. But what really propelled him to go through the test was the man's words earlier. Don't you want to know how Melanie is going? No, no matter how much he lied to himself, he could not ever forget the fire that had consumed an entire city block, and the young girl it had taken with it as well. His sister. Melanie. What did they know about that fire? How did they find out about her? And most importantly, why did they speak of her as if she was still....Alive? It was impossible. She had died in that fire, burned to ashes along with her kidnappers, and then washed away by the rain the next day. She could not possibly have survived. What the man said must have been a trick in order to get him to the mansion. But still.... And that was why he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

He was a little put off by the unimaginative way the initiation process had started. He wasn't shy about killing people if he had to, but a mindless slaughter like this held no interest to him. Besides, why waste his precious energy slashing and cutting when he could just as easily advance to the next round by staying out of the trouble and let the group take themselves out? And that was exactly what he did. Dodging the blows flying around the room, he lingered at the edge of the group, weaving in and out of the mass of bodies and kept a low profile while the rest of the people tore into each other, all the while keeping an eye out for the stronger ones who might end up as an opponent. When the whistle for the end of the five minutes sounded, Alex managed to emerge unscathed and without taking a single blow at anyone. Not that he wasn't capable himself, just that he condemned any waste of energy. It was against his principles. The next part, however, had his lips turn in a slight frown. So much for an easy ride, it seemed like there was actual effort he had to invest in order to pass, and with a team as well. Turning to face the people around him, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the crowd, sizing each one of them up. He didn't want someone who'd be a hinderance, nor did he want to end up in an opposing team as the few stronger ones. Now, it would just be a matter of picking the strongest of the bunch...



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[size=10]The Stray Cat[/size][/align]
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[size=9]❝Hurry up and get it done, I have drinking to get back to.❞[/size][/align]

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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Situated in the heart of the city, the Alterra Power Corp. as it was called, occupied the top ten floors of the towering skyscraper, making it an easy target to find. With the help of the building's blueprints, one of the only things he obtained from his contractor, Anthony was able to familiarize himself with the building's layouts, and after a week of stake out he had memorized the shift schedule of the security guards as well. It was not a tightly guarded place, it being a building shared by many companies after all, and getting into the building would pose no challenge to him at all. Leaving his car parked on the other side of the street, he climbed out of the driver's seat and stood by his car, a camera bag in tow. Pressing a baseball cap over his head, he dug into his bag and came up with a binocular and a folded piece of brochure. It was a tourist guide of the city, a handy disguise he employed that gave him the perfect excuse to glance around whilst keeping an eye on the building's revolving front doors through the binocular.

At precisely fifteen past twelve, the window of opportunity he had been waiting for presented itself to him. Surrounded by a small group of people, Rayne exited the building and headed to the restaurant across the street. Training his binocular on the group, he studied each member of the group carefully and recognized themselves to be the scientists in the company. Perfect. Licking his lips in anticipation, the hitman strode back to his car in wide steps. He reckoned that he'd have 45, maybe 60 minutes at most, so he'd better make it quick. Pulling open the car door in one swift motion, he quickly ducked his 6 feet 4 frame inside and slammed the door shut, startling a few nearby pigeons. Tossing the camera bag into the backseat of the car, he quickly brought the vehicle around and headed toward the entrance of the building's underground parkade. Pausing briefly in front of the close metal gate, he fished in his pocket and produced a small plastic card from within. A master access key, something he had swiped off an electrician who was working on the fire alarm system in the building. To lose something of this importance, the poor man must have been frantic, and was probably in the process of being fired at the moment. But that was no concern of Anthony's, as he waved the key in front of the sensor and nonchalantly pulled his little grey rental into the garage, mindful of the tiny security camera mounted on top of the gate.

Parking in front of a service elevator, he checked his surroundings through the rearview mirrors, and did not emerge from the vehicle until he was certain there were no one around. From the trunk, he retrieved an oversized duffle bag, and checked all around the car to make sure he had not left any personal belongings behind before he locked the doors. The car was of no use to him now that it had been captured by the camera, and the car keys he would later drop down a garbage chute. Lugging his bag behind, he ducked into the elevator and waited patiently for it to make its ascend to the top floor. There were no cameras inside, that he knew, the only one was broken and taken down three days ago (he would deny having anything to do with it, and only God knew better) and the replacement yet to be installed, so he was safe for the time being. Using his opportunity, he unzipped his duffle bag and took out a whole plethora of items from inside. First was a thin bullet proof vest, then a pair of gloves and a white overall complete with a name tag with his photo on it, courtesy of the same man he had gotten the access key from. Quickly getting dressed, he dug out the rest of his bag's content, which included a fully loaded .45 caliber pistol and silencer, three extra magazines, a combat knife, a flash light, and of course, a small box with a single cyanide pill inside, should things go horribly, horribly wrong. The last thing to come out was what looked like a small flash drive, which he picked up with a slightly dubious look before shoving it deep into his pocket. That was the special instruction from his employer, to upload the flash drive's content into the company's main computer, and Anthony was not exactly pleased with it. He was a killer, his job there was to finish off the woman and then get the hell out, and that was the one and only thing he was concerned about. But the pay was extremely good, so there was nothing he could really complain about. Checking over his gear to make sure that all was in place, he counted seconds as the elevator pulled to a stop on the forty-ninth floor.

From this moment on, there'd be no turning back.

Expertly navigating his way around the floor, he soon arrived at the company's main research center. It was empty inside save for a janitor, and even she was just finishing up with the cleaning and was leaving the room through the door on the other side. All the scientists were out having lunch with their CEO, leaving the computers unguarded. Or so it seemed. Years of experience trained him to notice things others wouldn't notice, and a thorough sweep revealed four concealed motion sensing cameras, each covering a section of the lab. If he had barged in and tripped one of those, he was certain that he'd have been swarmed by police cars within a matter of minutes. So it was time for a different plan. Moving to the end of the hall, keeping in the blind spot of the security cameras all the while, he found what he was looking for: a fire alarm pull station beside the stairwell. Carefully prying open the glass panel, he took a deep breath and pulled the bar down. Instantly, a shrill screech sounded all around the floor, and not three seconds later, people began to rush out from their offices toward the stairs. "What's going on?!" He was quickly approached by a security guard, who came running toward him with his hands raised. "Everything's fine, I was just working on connecting this fire alarm and must have accidentally tripped it. But just to be safe, please get the people to the lobby while I check things over. I'll give you the all clear when it's good to return" Anthony lied smoothly while the guard looked him over, an apologetic smile painted across his features. Seemingly satisfied at seeing the name tag on his chest, he nodded and went about to directing the crowd down the stairs. That would take care of the alarms business, he thought with a smug smile. Though, that act would shorten his time from 30 minutes to maybe about 10. Swiping his card key across the lock, the glass door to the lab silently slid open, and he made his way straight to one of the computers.




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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

╔════════════╗
Alston Ravenot
╚════════════╝
❝ The Half Brother ❞

x
x

The sound of boots crunching gravel could be heard as a young man strolled back and forth in front of the castle gates, a hollow, slightly troubled look shrouding his features. Dressed in rough peasant clothing, with dirty, ruffled blonde hair and three days worth of stubble on his chin to boot, Alston looked every bit the ordinary folk, the likes of which would walk through a busy street without anyone taking a second look. Only the most observant would notice the slight stiffness in the folding of his clothes which suggested thin leather armour underneath, or the lightness of his steps which could only have come from years of combat training. The sentries standing guard outside the entrance glanced nervously at each other, obviously uncomfortable in the young man's presence, but none dared to speak up and demand reason for his dawdling, which they would have to any other lowly peasant, under any other circumstances. But they recognized him, and so, kept their uneasy silence.

Habitually, Alston reached to his side to feel for his sword which he usually wore on his left hip, something he usually did when he felt nervous and tense, only to feel nothing but fabric. That was when he remembered that he had left it with Macy, a mild, temperate young mare whom he had left at a local tavern along with the rest of his supplies. All he had with him now was a dusty cloak, a money pouch, and a note, the latter being the reason for his appearance and behavior now. He had been sent on ahead to make preparations for a rather peculiar journey, and when he was done, he would meet his travelling companion in front of the royal castle, which was what he was doing now. Though a disguise was not exactly included in the instructions he received, but he nevertheless deemed it a necessary precaution. After all, his companion was no other than Giaque Dovasary, the Crown Prince of Westwind. And naturally he, the prince's personal bodyguard, would do well to ensure their absolute safety. Though to him, it wouldn't exactly be a disguise. After all, a peasant was exactly what he was before he came to the castle, and even though he had now risen high through the ranks and outwardly no longer resembled the dirty, ignoble boy he used to be, he never did forget the humble life he came from nor the hardships he had to endure. So it was not a far stretch to say that he was only going back to his roots, however dubious his reasons were.

Another round of pacing, and he paused and looked in the direction of the castle. The prince should be here soon. They had agreed to meet up and set out for the nearest town, where they would try to establish the directions of their search. He had to admit that he was a bit apprehensive about this whole thing, to look for one woman in the entire kingdom, and based on so little information as well, was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and he knew that Giaque felt the same. No one at the castle knew anything of her and for good reasons, for her last appearance was a whole twenty years ago. It was not even certain if she would still be alive or not, and if there was anything at all left for them to find, but he understood Giaque's reasons for going, and thus saw it as his duty to help him accomplish his goal in any and all ways he can. That was all he could do for him, as his guard, and also as his friend.





[imgleft]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b370/Horuki/Male/Demon/Warrior-1-2.jpg[/imgleft]

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[color=#5C3A3A][b]Alston Ravenot[/b][/color]
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[size=9][color=#7E6262]❝ The Half Brother ❞[/color][/size][/align][size=9][color=white]x
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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

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Krisdove Wyvernjack
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❝ The Thorns Vice-Commander ❞

x
x

"...Did you hear? Vice Commander is back today. I heard she's in a terrible mood..."

"Oh man, that evil bosslady?"

Whispered talks could be heard from the two guards as they patrolled the castle grounds, their heavy metal armor clinking together loud and rhythmic as they moved that it drowned out the sound of crunching gravel behind them. As if out of nowhere, a pair of gloved hands reached around the two unsuspecting guards to lock around their necks, and a heavy, menacing presence could be felt pressing ever so closely against their backs.

"So, who are we talking about?"

The voice spoke, its tone low and provocative as the arms around the guards flexed, halting them dead in their tracks. The duo froze, fear and shock coursing through their veins and sending their hearts racing a mile a minute. They could recognize that voice anywhere, and knew well of the consequences that would soon befall them. Slowly, they dared to turn their heads back to face the owner of the arms and voice, and were met with a stare so intense in its icy anger that they would probably remember the chill that ran down their spines for days to come.

"Ten more rounds around the castle, and don't even think about supper until it is done!"

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Stalking away from the castle grounds, Krisdove kicked the dirt beneath her feet angrily as she walked, creating a small dust storm that clearly marked her course as she left the two stupefied guards and made for the Thorns headquarters. It's been merely a day and half since she returned from her most recent border patrol, having traveled days nonstop to reach the castle and the weariness of the journey still hung around her, yet already, she was bogged down with work that had compiled in her absence, as well as recent happenings that poured in at an alarming rate. Reports of murders of nobles and their subjects flooded in, and the Thorns were becoming severely short handed in dealing with all of them at once. At this rate, they will be ran to the ground, Krisdove thought to herself as the toe of her boot met another pebble. Being the chief military force in the city as well as the protector of the nobles and the general public alike, any cases of assassination or murder will be directly dealt with by the Thorns, and thus they were also directly held responsible for the sense of fear and unrest that was rapidly spreading among the citizens.

Roughly tugging a hand through her short silver hair, the troubled-looking woman paused in front of the heavy iron doors that enclosed the Thorns headquarters. Just thinking about the mountain of reports piled haphazardly on her desk made her brows furrow in a deep frown, and she dreaded the hours upon hours of reading she will have to go through to catch up on all of them. At times, she really wished she had an assistant to help with the paperworks, yet she did not trust anyone but herself when it came to analyzing the reports. Those b*****d Black Roses were good at carrying out their covert operations, and it was hardly a decisive win on their part that they'd happened across a piece or two of information on a few of the Black Roses' plans. If there was any hope of uprooting this poisonous weed of an organization, the Thorns will have to put a lot more effort and be steps ahead of their enemy. And when it comes down to getting down and dirty, nothing could be accomplished by sitting behind a desk.

So, it was with this last thought in mind that the woman turned away from the iron doors and headed out the castle grounds and into town. She wanted to get a little more information on the latest hit pulled by the Black Roses that they managed to bust, and what better place to start than where the plan was first leaked to, the tavern where the two drunk Black Rose members were arrested? And perhaps she could get a mug of their famed brew to wash away the weariness of her journey too, she thought with a small smug smile as she made for the tavern.


Armor - Weapon





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[color=#5C3A3A][b]Krisdove Wyvernjack[/b][/color]
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[size=9][color=#7E6262]❝ The Thorns Vice-Commander ❞[/color][/size][/align][size=9][color=white]x
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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Wildflowers

TREY EDWARD STANSON
"If it's not candy, a puppy, or a make up exam notice, I'm not interested."




███ tab THE BASICS

NICKNAMES
✿ Teddy (Combination of first & middle name)
GENDER
✿ Male
AGE
✿ 17
GRADE
✿ 11 (Junior)
DATE OF BIRTH
✿ June 15
SEXUALITY
✿ Heterosexual
DORM
✿ A01


███ tab AFTER SCHOOL

CLUBS
✿ Track and Field - Captain

LIKES
✿ Running | The outdoors | Sweets | Naps | Small furry animals

DISLIKES
✿ Boring classes and exams | Doctors | Spicy foods | Losing bets | Wearing contacts


███ tab ON THE SURFACE

APPEARANCE
✿ Standing at 6"1 and weighing 168lb, Teddy has a lean build and may look thinner than he actually is due to years of extensive workouts. He has a fair complexion, lightly tanned in some areas that are often exposed to the sun such as face and the limbs. He has red hair and matching red eyes. Both of his ears are pierced, with one on the left lobe and two on the right. He has no tattoos or other visible markings.


███ tab BEHIND THE MASK

PERSONA
✿ A very laid back individual, he is very bright when it comes to things that interest him, but is hardly motivated when it comes to school work, much to the chagrin of his teachers. Most of the time, he is seen as a loud and cheerful person. However, he does have a stubborn streak, and seems to lack the filter that most people have between their brain and mouth, which may unintentionally upset or anger people from time to time without himself realizing and come across as rude, except to those who know him well enough to know that he usually means no harm. Terribly unobservant when it comes to the female sex, he is rather clueless about how to deal with girlish antics and gets highly agitated when one cries in front of him. A typical male, in other words.

STORYBOOK
✿ The family Trey had come from was considered normal by any standards: upper-middle class, two kids, working dad and stay at home mom. Nothing surprising ever happened in that household, which was probably why Trey hated it. Ok, maybe hate was a little strong, but he did feel constantly irritated and uncomfortable, which was probably why he started running in the first place, as an excuse to spend less time at home. His father, a brilliant heart surgeon, was rarely home due to the demands of his job, and his brother was in all senses a prodigy, except when it came to sports due to being born prematurely with a weak heart. Trey, on the other hand, was healthy as a horse and excelled at it. But athletic abilities mattered little when it came to one's future success in their career, or so he had been told. He wasn't disillusioned enough to think that he'd become a professional athlete, nor did he really want to, for that matter; just that he had yet to find something that really captivated him the way running did.


███ tab ALL THE LITTLE THINGS

WILDFLOWERS
✿ Given: Acacia, Celosia || Received: Light pink roses, Yellow hyacinth, Pink heather, Gardenia

TRIVIA
✿ He has poor vision and requires glasses, but he finds them embarrassing, not to mention a hinderance when running so he opts for contacts most of the time, despite his avid hatred for putting them in.

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

╔═
tab The harp at Nature’s advent strung ♫ Has never ceased to play


#40443E - Normal
#B38184 - Talk

"Ah, nice meeting you too, and just Lily is fine." So far, so good, she thought to herself as she returned his smile. It seemed that he was nice enough, as far as first impressions went, anyways. At his seemingly friendly demeanour, her earlier worries dissipated somewhat and her shoulders dropped slightly in relaxation. She was half way through a relieved sigh, however, when his next question made her breath catch in her throat. She had been so absorbed in the...timely arrival of a roommate that she'd forgotten about her half dressed state. The sudden reminder made her cheeks flush.

"Well I...uh..." She stammered as her brain rapidly turned in search of a plausible excuse. It would be simply too embarrassing to admit that she had ran and hid during the storm, but what else could she tell him so she wouldn't appear as strange? There were no stories she could think of that would not lead to some kind of misunderstanding or another, and she did not want him to get any wrong impressions of her. Well, not for his impression of her to get any worse, considering the current circumstances. He must think that she was either a complete weirdo, or a promiscuous person and she wasn't sure which one was worse, she lamented as she looked down at her attire of bare feet, rumpled nightgown and messy, slept-in hair and wondered how she had managed to get herself into such an embarrassing situation. It was like those nightmares people would have of showing up on their first day of school without pants. In fact, that was pretty much exactly what she did. So much for first impressions...Could she just remove the memory of this whole awkward incident from his mind and pretend nothing of the sort had ever happened? She briefly entertained the thought, but tempting as it was, she knew that it was rude to tamper with the memories of others without permission.

Sighing inwardly with a look of defeat on her face, she tugged her fingers through the mass of unruly hair in a futile attempt to tame them. The awkward silence hung heavily in the air, and she was very much aware that he was still waiting on an answer, despite having occupied himself with unpacking his bags. "I...couldn't sleep last night and went to see Freddie...I mean, the harp in the music room -" Catching herself, she quickly corrected. Best not let on the fact that she named the instruments lest it'd give him any wrong ideas of what she was really doing last night. "- and accidentally fell asleep there until this morning." She managed to finish in the same breath and let out a nervous chuckle. That much was the truth, though she'd chosen to leave out the rest of the story as to why she couldn't sleep in the first place. Things like those were pretty common, right? Students new to boarding schools often felt homesick within their first few weeks and insomnia would ensue, or whatever other thousands of reasons for sleeplessness there were out there. She'd let him draw his own conclusions and fill in the gaps however he saw fit. "I just didn't expect to get a roommate today, I promise I'm not a strange person or anything...Now, if you'll please excuse me for a moment." She added, rather unconvincingly, before grabbing some clothes from her own wardrobe and ducking into the one bathroom they shared.

Locking the bathroom door behind her with lightning speed, she leaned her forehead against the cool tiles on the wall and simply stayed that way for a moment as she willed away the burning redness in her cheeks. Turning on the tap, she splashed some cold water on her face to clear her mind and stared at her own reflection in the mirror. "Idiot, idiot..." She muttered under her breath. Finally having calmed her nerves, she changed out of her nightgown and got dressed as fast as humanly possible before opening the door again. Outside, Danny was still unpacking his bags. "Sorry about that. So, would you like any help with unpacking? I'm really good at it." Feeling noticeably brighter now, she smiled cordially at him and offered despite her face still being a healthy shade of red. The last part was true; having moved a countless number of times throughout her life, it was only expected that she'd become fast and efficient at packing and unpacking and she could put a whole house into boxes in the span of a single afternoon and take it all out again in their proper order in just as long.


The song the stars of morning sung ♫ Has never died away tab
═╝

Location: In her dorm
Company: Danny Wells
Outfit: [Click]
Out Of Cookies: Gosh, writing about her awkwardness has made me feel awkward too ¬_¬;

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[color=#40443E][align=right]The song the stars of morning sung [color=#B38184]♫[/color] Has never died away :tab:
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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Alangard
The Dragon

Watching unabashed as the female went through an almost transformative series of emotions, from anger and irritation to tension to relief, and finally, resignation, he found it rather amusing, to say the least. When she finally spoke, it was after a hearty gulp of this foul excuse of a drink which, if he had to describe it, tasted more like horse piss than anything else (not that he would know what horse piss actually tasted like) and the half a cup of which he managed to chug down still assaulted his tender taste buds. What was it about alcohol that so appealed to these feeble minded men and women? He was brought out of his reveries, however, by the words that came out of the female's mouth next.

"Hmm, is that so..."

He mused out loud, more so to himself than anyone else as he mauled this piece of information over. He had little interest in the female herself, but the experience she had described made him slightly uneasy. After all, he was a dragon, and dragons were sensitive to such topics of enthralling captivation. Could it be...He mentally shook the thought out of his head. For nearly two centuries, the male dragon had remained unbound, despite the King's every effort to introduce all kinds of knights and warriors to him - a good number of his own children and grandchildren as well. Did it have anything to do with his ability to take on a human form? He had pondered upon the peculiar situation a countless number of times in the past, and had gone through every scrap of information that were left in the kingdom concerning the dragons of the old, all to no prevail. All he managed to gather was that his case was special, as with the dragon that hatched from the other of the two eggs, the only other dragon remaining in the world besides himself, and thus everything about them must be treated differently, a fact he had come to resign himself to. So if he had not bonded with a rider in so long, what reasons did he have to think that he might now? None, he answered for himself.

Resting an elbow on the bar counter, he formed a loose fist with one hand and rested his chin upon his knuckles, and with the other, held the cup he had snatched from the elf and swished the brownish liquid around. It was purely an act to get her attention as well as gauge her reactions when he had taken her cup and drank half her drink, and with those intentions satisfied, he was uncertain what he might do with the rest of his drink, so he found himself simply playing with it as he absorbed himself in his somber thoughts. Out of the corners of his eyes, he studied the elven woman who was the source of these musings. She was tall and lanky, and had the usual graceful looks one would expect from these forest prowling, knife eared creatures. Though, if he had to form an opinion of her based on first impressions, she'd seem more like a heedless, wild spirit than someone capable of shouldering the responsibilities of being a rider. No, she just did not seem like the type who could ride a dragon into war and command a battle with sheer might and power, so there must be some other explanation for the strange connection she felt, like those curious deja vu phenomenons people often described, or the "love at first sight" he had so heard dewy eyed youngsters praise. What laughable ideas, he thought as he swirled the drink in the cup another round.

From somewhere behind him, a commotion seemed to be stirring, and the male tore his eyes away from the bar and his so called companions for the moment being and glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see a large, green being in a grey cloak barge into the establishment. An orc, and this far into Allied lands? His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he followed the orc's progression to the bar counter. Forcefully jerking his gaze back to his cup as the being took a seat barely two meters from himself, he was further alarmed when he caught the mention of a pair of human twins. Was it the same pair of twins who were arguing with the female elf just a few moments prior? He had not failed to notice them quietly slipping out of the bar and into the kitchen just before the orc made his appearance, and wild speculations seemed to fill his mind now as to the relationship between the two parties. Orcs usually did not stray far from their homes in Torenth, does that mean that the twins were also from Torenth? It certainly would explain their strange accent. Furthermore, they did not bear the signs of mistreatment slaves usually did. In fact, he'd even say that they looked like kids who had been pampered all their life. Were they aristocrats? As far as he knew, most aristocratic families in Torenth were on the side of their dark king, an unsettling fact to consider given the twins' presence in Tamaron. But then again, they seemed awfully unskilled to be considered spies...

Head cocked, he watched the confrontation between the orc and the dwarf behind the bar unfold with detached curiosity. A slimy b*****d he is...He thought with a hint of smugness as the stocky man seemed to toy with the orc, who looked like he was at the very limit of restraint. When the orc's hands flexed around the hilt of his sword, Alangard tensed slightly. It was a terrible place for a fight to break out, with all things considered, and he doubted if the dwarf was able to handle the full wrath of an orc if he continued to toy with him so. The dwarf, seemingly having realized the same thing, finally divulged the twins' whereabouts, and seemed surprised when the orc suddenly rose and leapt over the counter. Alangard was no less surprised, though for slightly different reasons as he was more focused on the speed and agility with which the orc propelled himself over the bar and dwarf and landed on the other side with ease. The counter was over three and half feet in height, and to have performed such a feat with ease spelled years of training. The male dragon felt his nails digging into his palm as his fist tightened. Though, there was no time for him to properly digest this new piece of information, as the exclamation of the dwarf brought him to his feet. Sprawled on the floor where the orc had knocked him, the force with which the stocky bearded man hit the shelf behind him made the tall wooden structure topple forward, sending bottles of wine sailing through the air toward occupants of the bar, namely Alangard and the two females beside him. The copper haired man let out a string of profanities as a few bottles came flying directly toward them and almost instinctively turned his body in such a way as to shield the two women with his back. What transpired next happened so fast that one would have missed it it they happened to blink at that precise moment. As he raised a bare hand to slice at the air before him as one would with a sword, his eyes seemed to take on a golden gleam, though one could not exactly be be sure since it only lasted a fraction of a second before fading away. Before him, the wine bottles suddenly broke apart in mid air, having been cut cleanly in two, and shattered into a thousand pieces on the floor around them. The shelf too, groaned in protest as it began to break apart right across the middle, despite behind far back enough that it couldn't possibly have come into contact with the male's hand, and finally it fell to the floor with an ugly crack and a sea of splinters.

"Are you two alright?" Straightening himself, the male asked through clenched teeth as he shook himself free of the wooden splinters and glass shards, his brows deeply furrowed as he casted a dark, brooding look to the direction the orc had gone. Besides a few splatters of wine on his sleeves and the thinnest of a cut across his right cheek from a stray shard of glass, the man appeared largely unscathed.

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[color=#555555][align=center][size=14][b]Alangard[/b][/size]
[size=9]The Dragon[/size][/align][/color]

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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

Watching the whole fiasco unfold with detached curiosity, he merely raised a brow as the girl raced away from him and climbed over the ship's railing. A gesture of defiance, an act of imprudence. He made no attempt to stop her and haul her back as the small figure threw herself overboard and disappeared into the waves below. A collective gasp sounded from the crew behind him, all attempts of pretending to busy themselves were abandoned as they gathered around and openly gawked at the space the girl had occupied just seconds before. Some cast nervous glances at the captain, wondering what the man planned to do, but all they gauged from him was a crooked smile that tugged at one corner of his mouth. Raising a hand to shield his eyes against the glare of the sun, he peered at the figure in the water, obviously struggling. Did the girl not know how to swim? He wondered incredulously just as Desdan plunged into the waters after her, quickly crossing the slowly widening gap between her and the ship. At least someone in his crew had a good heart...however dubious their motives for saving the girl really were.

"Aye, it seems indeed I have." Responding to Zelos' comment with a hint of amusement, he tossed the rest of his unfinished orange at the youth. "Bring us about, lad, we can't leave our good doctor in the company of such a foul mouth now, can we?" He instructed and gestured to the helm with a slight inclination of the head, a devilish smirk now beginning to make its way across his face. One could only guess at what plans were churning in the man's head, but one thing was for sure, whatever it was, it would not involve comfort on the part of the princess. No one could get away with defying the captain without suffering some kind of consequence. Turning his attention to the quarter master, he listened to the man speak, quickly catching on with his ploy.

"Now, Charlie, what right do we have to shatter a poor girl's grandiose delusions? If she thinks herself a princess, then we shall treat her like one. So if Her Highness desires a swim, then who are we to deny her such pleasure?"

He declared as he leisurely crossed over to the rails, the same smirk upon his face as he watched the two floating some 50 yards behind the ship. Of course, he had no intentions of letting the girl drown, not so much because he valued her life, but more so because having her alive was the most convenient thing for him. But if she continued to act as irksome as she had, then it'd only come to hinder the efficiency of his crew. She had to be put into her place.

"See a rope ladder be brought for our good doctor." He hollered over his shoulder before turning back to the two in the waters. "I hope you are enjoying your refreshing dip, Princess, it is excellent weather for a swim right now." With an elbow resting on the rails, he leaned forward and rested his chin on loosely formed knuckles as he watched the girl struggling to keep her head above the waves. In this position he remained as if he was watching a most interesting show, until he seemed to suddenly remember something important. "Oh, I forgot to mention, Princess, these are well known shark infested waters." He called out to her almost regrettably. As he did, he slowly reached for the sheath strapped to his hip and slipped out a small knife with an ornately carved handle. Holding the knife before him, he examined it with mild interest, turning it this way and that in his hands as he tested the blade. "Vile creatures they are...able to sniff out a single drop of blood from miles away. And then they converge...with great big jaws and jagged teeth...A good number of sailors have became snacks for these devils." He carried on in a monologue as he twirled the knife in his hands. Catching the weapon from a throw, he grasped the handle firmly in his right hand and wrapped his left around the blade. As if in slow motion, he drew the sharp blade across his palm. Instantly, beads of red began to aggregate and drip down the tip of the knife. Straightening himself, he extended this now bleeding hand and examined the cut before holding it over the rails and giving it a squeeze. Blood dripped down into the waters below, the redness quickly swallowed up by the waters. But it was enough. Soon, sharks will congregate like flies to honey, crazed by the smell of blood. To anyone who was still in the waters by then, it would only be a scene from their worst nightmare as the giant creatures devoured them with frenzy. He had made his point clear. Whether she'd return on board or be eaten by sharks, the choice was up to the princess now.

"Enjoy your swim."





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[Sophisticated Simplicity]

She did not just see Valentine get shot. She did NOT just see VALENTINE get SHOT.

Shock coursed through her body, making her already tense muscles rigid. Eyes glued to the passenger side window, she stared at the scene and her mind went blank. Though it only lasted a second before her trainings kicked in. Yanking open the door, she leapt from her unmarked, discreet little black rental and sprinted down the same alley Valentine had gone just a moment earlier, all the while barking into the microphone of her small transceiver unit at a rapid machine gun pace. Gun drawn, she plunged into the dark, dank alley. It was the worst case scenario she had imagined and feared, and until now vigilantly avoided. After all, she had the orders to trail and protect the man, whether he was aware of it not. But now, her target was lying in a puddle in a dark alley, gasping and flopping pathetically like a fish dropped into a frying pan, and all of that had happened practically right under her nose. That would leave a huge splattering mess of a mark on her perfect field record. Swearing under her breath, she scoured the scene, but the rain was coming down hard and obscured any sign of the shooter anywhere. Cautiously, she followed the alleyway to its end, but found it to be a deadend, and the only living things in sight were rats that scurried behind the dumpsters. And no shooter. Perplexed, she slowly retraced her steps and returned to the body of O'Xavier Valentine. He was no longer moving, and the puddle he laid in was now stained a dirty red from his own blood. Two fingers on the carotid artery confirmed the man's death, though she hardly needed the confirmation - the man was shot practically right in the neck. Carefully nudging away the hand that rested over his chest with the barrel of her gun, she located the second shot over the heart, an added insurance maybe to ensure the kill? In any case, there was nothing she could do now; the rest were strictly standard operating procedures. Biting the lining of her inner cheek, she mentally prepared herself for the shitstorm that was sure to come.

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From somewhere within the darkness, a phone rang.

Fumbling groggily, Anthony reached for the noisy contraption beside his pillow. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told him that it was 1:30am. Who in the world would be calling him at this hour? The flashing screen of the cellphone seemed far too bright for his sleepy eyes, so he flipped it open without checking the incoming caller ID and felt for the answer button.

"Tony, wake up buddy. Tony. It's Marc. You need to come down to the station....."

The string of words spoken by the half familiar voice echoed across his befuddled brain, failing to make any impressions. Something about being shot, and his number in a phone? And Valentine? None of it made any sense to him. Valentine's Day was a month ago. He knew because the girl he was sort of seeing at the time insisted on them doing something "special" for it. He recalled the home cooked meal he made her and the wild sex that followed out on the porch of his tiny downtown flat, but that was the last time he ever heard from her. Oh well, she was a bit young for his taste and too much of a left wing libertarian to the point of plain naivety anyways.

"Yeah, I'll get down there in the morning..."

Mumbling into the phone, he snapped it shut against the other person's protest and shoved the cellular device back under the pillow. Turning over in his bed, he was about to go back to sleep when something finally snapped into place in his brain. Instantly, his eyes snapped open and he shot up from bed with reflexes faster than what seemed humanly possible, sweeping sheets and pillows aside in one swoop. Valentine. O'Xaviar Valentine. Multibillion conglomerate and one of the most influential man in the city. His client. Valentine was shot?! It was inconceivable because he had just seen the man the day before for the case he hired him for. In less than a minute, he had already pulled on his pants and was half way through buttoning his shirt. Snatching up his phone from the pile of mess on his bed, he was out the door in two minutes flat. Running at full speed down the carpetted hallway, he braked in front of the elevator and jammed his finger repeatedly into the DOWN button, as if pressing it more would make the elevator come faster. When it did not come up in 10 seconds, he spun around and went for the stairs. Eight flights down took him into the underground parkade, and he made a beeline toward his car. He was half way down the street when he realized how hard it was pouring outside and he did not have an umbrella. He also remembered that he had not locked the front door. Oh well, no time for such trivial things now. Speeding down the mostly empty streets, he tried to recall the lopsided conversation he just had on the phone. Marc, a former colleague of his down at the police department. They had got along fairly well, even after his split from the force, and they had helped eachother out with their respective cases on several occasions. Now, where did Marc say Valentine was shot at? He tried to replay the broken pieces of conversation in his mind.

"...O'Xavier Valentine, sounds familiar? Yeah, you better be. Just pulled your number from his phone. Why? 'Cuz he was just murdered, that's why! Shot twice in a ********' filthy alley the dogs wouldn't even piss in. What the hell's a man like him doing down by Lamont anyways? Dammit Tony. You better have a good explanation for this because I sure as hell don't....."

Lamont. Lamont Avenue. That was only one place he could think of that fit such a description. Without hesitation, he pressed down on the gas pedal and sped toward the crime scene. Being a civillian, he will be denied access to the scene of course, but he simply had to see it for himself. They'd fill him in on bits of detail when they bring him in for questioning as everyone the victim had had contact with within the last 24 hours will be, but this sudden turn of events was too suspicious, raised too many questions for him to simply let go of.

Pulling over to the side of the road, he could see a cluster of flashing red and blue lights just ahead. Looks like his guess had been right. Leaving his car on the side of the road in blatant disregard for parking regulations, he paced down the street toward the scene of murder. Yellow tapes were set up everywhere, stopping him well before he could get close enough to the alley, though it seemed that most of the work was already done anyways. A young, miserable looking officer cast suspicious looks in his direction when he tried to find a way around the tapes. Looks like just walking in is not going to work so well. The heavy downpour drenched him in seconds, but he ignored it. Glancing around, he was trying to find another way in when he spotted it. Hmm, that's strange...

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇xxx▇▇▇▇ 天願✿凛 ▇▇▇▇xxx▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

The guards shifted uncomfortably as Rin went up close to the drunk man, though they really can't be blamed for being cautious. If anything were to happen to the girl, they had no doubt that they will lose their heads. After all, she was the daughter of a lord, and a powerful one at that. On this particular trip, they were tasked with guarding the girl on her trip to Unagi village, a trip which she makes once every year to visit the grave of her mother, who was born and spend her girlish years in the village. Though in truth, it was more than just to visit her mother. Her father rarely allowed her outside of the castle, so it was an opportunity for her to get out of the castle and escape the oppressive atmosphere which she hated.

At the mention of sake, Rin looked up at the man in mild curiosity. She had not gotten a good look at him before when her entire attention was on the few thugs and the potential of anyone getting hurt, but now that she did, she noticed for the first time that he sported an eyepatch. And he was a samurai! She had seen enough of them back at the castle that she'd recognize one instantly, though something about this man was not like the samurai she was used to seeing. For one, they didn't mill about drunk in the middle of the night. Even though she was a good distance away, she could still smell the alcohol on the man's breath, and it made her wrinkle her nose slightly.

"The village is not far away, so you should find...."

She began to speak, but something else drew her attention. The two horses that pulled her carriage suddenly let out a shrill whinny and appeared highly agitated as they reared and stomped and attempted to shake loose their harness. Animals always were better at detecting menacing presence than humans. Alerted by the animals' agitation, the guards slowly moved closer to Rin and the drunk man, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords as they peered anxiously at the gloomy darkness around them. However, it seemed that the fog suddenly became even more dense than before and reduced visibility to no more than 10 feet. Brows furrowed, Rin slowly rose to her feet. The tension in the air was as tangible as the fog, and her heart began to pound ever so faster.

"Hime-Sama, please return to the carriage..."

One nearby guard urged, and she nodded in agreement. The chilly night breeze combined with the suspicious presence sent a shiver down her spine, and she longed for a warm, bright fire in the hearth. She saw the guard opening his mouth to speak again, but all that came out was a strange gurgling sound. Confused, she looked to the man and noticed with a start that his eyes were rolling back and a dark red liquid stained the corners of his mouth. Following that line of sight, she looked down, and that was when she suddenly saw it. There was something wrapped around the man's neck, a rope of some sorts with short spikes coming off of it. They were cutting deeply into his neck and thus resulted in the blood that dripped from his mouth. His jugular had been cut.

Everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion. In one moment, she was staring wide eyed at the man struggling to pull the rope off of his neck, and the next, there was suddenly a sickening crack as the rope tensed, and right before her eyes, the head of the man popped cleanly off in a spray of blood. Mortified, she instinctively stumbled back and let out a high pitched, blood curdling scream. This instantly sent the guards into action, however they were too late. A figure suddenly dropped from above, a woman wearing a ghastly looking mask, and with a flick of the wrist, her whip which had just decapitated the first guard lashed out at a second guard, wrapping securely around the man's torso and effortlessly tearing through his armour plates. With strength that seemed superhuman, the woman tossed the entrapped man aside like a mere child's toy, sending him crashing into a third. Just then, the whip itself seemed to pull back into itself and with a faint glow, transformed into a spear.

"Who...What are you..."

With fear evident in her eyes, Rin looked at the woman and felt her blood turn cold as she met her penetrating gaze.

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

»» Name: Trey Edward Stanson

»» Age: Eighteen

»» Gender: Male

»» Power: Energy - Third former

»» Likes: Playing guitar | Thriller movies | Coffee flavoured anything

»» Dislikes: Attention | Exams | Seeing people cry in front of him

»» Bio: As a legacy of his father, Trey was born with the power of energy, a rare magical power that had the potential to deal massive damage at great costs. However, the raw power coursing through the infant's tiny body was too much for a normal human to handle, and his mother died as a result while giving birth to him. Having the power of energy himself, Trey's father knew well of the dangers such a power can bring and in an attempt to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again in the future, placed a powerful seal on Trey that effectively locked away his powers for good. He never told Trey the truth about his mother's death - there was no need as the boy will never be able to make something like that happen again for as long as the seal remained in tact, and the secret became buried forever when Trey's father passed away fourteen years later. That was, until the stranger came knocking on the door. Claiming to be a representative from Oakhearst Academy, the stranger insisted that Trey had been entrusted to the school after his father's death, by no other than his father himself! Having no other choice, he went along. It was there at Oakhearst that he found out about his powers for the first time. The examiners were excited when they found out that he had the power of energy, but were quickly disappointed (though they didn't show it) when Trey failed to show any aptitude for it at all due to the seal's hinderance. Not only that, but over the course of the next four years, there was little improvements in Trey's powers in spite of his diligent efforts. For most students, they would be reaching fourth or fifth former already, while Trey still struggled with third and eventually had to be held back a year. It was a great source of embarrassment for Trey, and he was sometimes teased for it as well by fellow students.

[Sophisticated Simplicity]

xxxxxxxCelenia Delphine Mulieresxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Female :: Human :: Eighteen :: "If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world."

Celenia was born to a regular, loving family. Her father was a professor at the local university while her mother worked part time as a nurse and took care of the kids, and her older brother Caleb was her best friend and hero. They were not wealthy by any means, but those days were happy ones, filled with laughter and joy. That all changed, however, when a house fire took away her father, and left her brother in a comatose state. She had blamed herself for the incident; had she not knocked over that candle holder, there wouldn't have been a fire, and if she hadn't struggled free of her father's grips and ran back into the house for her brother, her father wouldn't have chased after her and gotten crushed by the wall that collapsed on them. Plagued by the what ifs, the girl withdrew within herself and was rarely seen smiling again. It's been many years since the incident, and her mother had since remarried - to a wealthy businessman this time, though fate didn't grant her happiness for long. Three years after her remarriage, the woman was found to have cancer and passed away soon after. In the wake of her mother's death, Celenia and her brother were left to the care of their step-father, who must have realized that now that his wife was dead, her children from her previous marriage no longer concerned him and shoved the burden aside. He gave them a house to live in and enough money to live by as well as cover Caleb's medical expenses, and was rarely heard of again. Outside of a maid who comes by once a week to clean, Celenia now lives alone as she goes to school by day and takes care of her brother at night. The amount of work keeps her hands busy and her mind occupied, but not a single night goes by when she does not lie in bed and wish that her brother would wake up one day, so when the mysterious being appeared in her dream, she did not hesitate to take his offer.