Magnus Academy for the Extranormal, Tyramin City, Planet Sverabog, Olgram Syste, Redzan's Nebula, Yramithi Omnist Council Republic, Nerada Galaxy, Omdyn of Democratic Omnist Council Republics
Arne sat down next to Elmorni, his thumbs twitching idly. His red eyes flicked between his hands, his adoptive mother, and the floor. His armour was shifted into a disguised form: black, red, white, and gold with a more mechanical-looking hard-light guise. From his observations, the ground below was comfortable-looking, not overly rigid, and made with pleasant rather than sterile colours.
He caught glimpses of people wandering about, almost all of them stopping to stare at him and Elmorni as they waited for Ygrak, Sciomagus Stygloch, and Mortirk to finish their discussions. So many forms of life all busy with one task or the other, so many shapes and varieties he had only considered academically before. But virtually all of them, regardless of who they were, found his presence there to be aberrant. At least, he thought they did. He could feel their thoughts, and none of them seemed to hate him, yet could they not be disguising their true selves from him?
"-Arne, you need not worry so much. No one here is going to be looking to make an enemy of you.-" Elmorni said, grasping his hand and holding it tight. Arne felt so much safer with her gentle grasp on his hand, knowing that at least some people here were looking out for him. Her armoured appendage was warm to his touch and smooth upon the gauntlet around his hand.
The shell of armour he wore around himself was something that was built for war rather than mingling, but it made him feel more secure. The Magnus Academy Privyetkaya Campus was a new place with new concerns. There were no dangers as many had told him, but he looked at every unexpected minor movement as if he was preparing himself for a bomb to go off.
But with Elmorni here, the pinprick sensation of tension, the steely coiling of his muscles into ready positions eased. He felt it more comfortable to breathe, and his thoughts were clearer and easier to form. He noticed that the seating was generally arranged into clusters to allow for people to form groups and converse, for example. His superhuman hearing drifted between differing conversations, mostly picking out what he found the most interesting.
"I-I'll be okay...I promise. I can do this. S-see they're talking about wormhole juncture engineering. How to alter the conduit metastructure to form the most efficient spacetime topographical alterations in ultrahigh gravity." He said, twitching his fingers a bit as he eavesdropped in. Speaking of machines was easy; things he could build with his hands or tools or tinker with on his own time were simple and easy. He could probably impress people with those skills. Maybe some of them might even want to be his friend?
"-Arne, you know what I think of you. Most of the people you meet are sure to see you the way I do. They'll learn to see the gentleness in your heart and your desire to help change things for the better. And when they do; they're going to know that they can trust you with anything.-" She said, stroking his hair gently as she whispered to him, murmuring sweetly to him when Arne rested his head on her arm while she made a quiet hum.
"Do you think so?" He said before noticing Ygrak's form peeling away from the conversation towards the front to approach him. Floating overhead, the crimson Alimbic descended closer to his level and folded up her legs in a manner made possible by her strange physiology. Her glowing monocular eye shifted colouration briefly while she waited for his responses, a chirping sound of approval coming from her when he smiled.
"-I know so. You've grown a great deal and impressed many who had doubts as to whether you could truly be the Neophyte. Doubts that I admit I sometimes had myself. But, it does me great joy to see that you've proven them all wrong.-" Ygrak said with her harmonious self-echoing psychic voice. A voice that felt so deeply connected to him in a way he did not quite understand, but it did make him reach for her helmeted face and brush his fingers against the smooth carapace.
"And you'll want me to do my best to make friends right? Fit in without uh...losing sight of who I want to be?" Arne said, hesitancy in his voice rising and then falling shortly when he tried to prepare his confidence. He fought two of the Old Foe and hordes of their machines, he could handle a routine conversation. Why was this so hard sometimes? He had fit in pretty well at Arganti...yet here he was terrified of letting go.
Was it perhaps that Arganti was full of people who at the very least, would have always considered him to be one of them? Was it knowing that his guardians were never all that far away? Or was it that golden-haired figure that he longed for, feeling the ache of separation and the melancholy of not having her to make him feel wanted and safe? It might have been all of them, it probably was all of them, but he found himself wishing in particular; that he and Samus could have gone to the same facility. But his internal strife was soon sensed by Ygrak, and she rested a hand on his shoulder.
"-Of course. You are the heir of two legacies: Ours, and the Skjoldrs. You can walk bridges very few others can tread upon. And I think you would have made Erik and Gyda so very proud of you.-" Ygrak said, making him widen his smile ever so noticeably as he glowed from the praise. He shifted a tablet in his hands, a collection of everything his parents had written that the Alimbics could find. His most prized possession. and one that Elmorni was delighted to see him bring.
"Excuse me, are you Arne Eriksen Skjoldr?" That snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned away from his mothers and looked towards the source of the voice. He hadn't been paying proper attention to the distant sight and cursed himself a bit for letting someone sneak up on him. He chided himself further when he realised that he was looking in the wrong direction. He snapped his head forward and blinked when he saw the person confronting him.
A violet-eyed human figure about his age, somewhat shorter, though few were really of comparable height to him. The girl flicked her purple hair a bit with her movements, letting it flow down to the midpoint of her back. A double cowlick accentuated the many layers of cyan hair while her bangs brushed towards her face from the far left and right. She offered a somewhat slender but agile-looking hand attached to a lean arm, wrapped in an all-purpose utility black, red, and purple exosuit that fit her quite snugly.
"Oh uh...yeah?" He said before she thumped her chest in a Grendakal salute and made an attempt at feral grunt that probably would have sounded more intimidating from someone older than her. The augmented reality glasses on her face glinted a bit as she gave him a wide grin that only got even wider when he started to stand up, feeling that this was the appropriate thing to do. Her skin was only a few shades darker than her pearl-coloured teeth, indicative of rarely going out into the sun.
"I'm Solveig Magnasdottir Lothbrok. Magna's first daughter. It's swell as hell to get to meet you clanskin Arne!" She said as Arne responded with the traditional Grendakal salute in return. He could see that she had runic warpaint in the form of a solar burst around her right eye and a lunar crescent to the left, both given a cool midnight blue colouration. But what also caught his eye was that she seemed to be continually swishing her hips in tune to a tune he couldn't hear. He pieced together the exact tempo of the beat and figured it was probably a song she had stuck in her head.
"Well uh...well met too, clanskin Solveig. Where's your mom?" He asked, trying to sort through his words as he finished studying her features, noticing she made a self-satisfied grin when he was finished and flaunting with another hair flip. Ah, she was aware of how pretty she was. Oh no why do so many people he meets have to be so attractive? He wondered to himself as she started to hum the tune in her head.
"Oh she's gonna sort some stuff out with the Departed Ancients. She seems to be getting along pretty well; Gods be praised. But she also thought that maybe it'd be best for me to talk to you first clanskin Skjoldr? Get you meeting with peers rather than guardians hrm?" She said, pausing her humming briefly as she slightly mimed the motions of a Dance that Arne busied his brain with trying to imagine moving at full throttle.
"Skjoldr?" A passing octopoid-like Mechanoid said as they retracted their tentacles towards themselves and turned around, getting a dark-skinned human companion of theirs to turn her head almost immediately. Ah yes, the sort of attention he was hoping to avoid. Arne looked around and saw scores of eyes and optics all focused on him, but what he got wasn't the rumours and whispers he feared, but a degree of deference...and pity.
"You, survived Cylosis?" One of them hesitated to ask. The tan-skinned Aelva seemed almost unwilling to hope, perhaps what they were seeing was simply an illusion? Just an Alimbic trick? Maybe the Alimbics themselves were tricks on their eyes. Arne could understand, with how thoroughly Cylosis was laid to waste by its mysterious assailants, it would be hard to swallow anyone managing to get away.
"...Yes." He said, quietly at first before repeating himself, nodding his head. But what really surprised him was the series of Grendakal salutes he got in response. Almost in unison really. They had recognised the scion of the Clan Champion, the Ikhragk of the Grendakal, and paid their due respects. The sound of so many moving in such unison startled him briefly, and he had to stop himself from letting out a brief quailing noise, but he tightened his hand and calmed down.
"It's an honour to meet not merely a survivor, but the child of the last Ikhragk." The Tan-Skinned Aelva said with a humbled voice that Arne could recognise as conveying how overwhelmed they were to be in his presence. He could understand that feeling; he was feeling like he was on the edge of what he could tolerate in terms of attention being thrown his way. He liked it to be sure, but he wasn't sure of how to deal with this many people...expecting something of him. Especially as the Alimbics rose to offer their own salute, getting awed whispering from the groups gathered.
The hard-light holographic avatar of the facility's primary supervising mind-spider; Ukil; warped into life, seamlessly transitioning from unreality to a proper presence. Skittering limbs supported a bulbous central body that contained some of the most advanced computer hardware of the extant powers in the known universe. And a glossy black, red, and green carapace was pockmarked by a number of glowing yellow pseudo-compound eyes that studied the room.
"+Our apologies for the delay. There were a few questions we had of your caretakers that we needed answered before we could accept their requests.+" Ukil said, Arne's mind already disassembling the machine in his imagination, his red eyes looking over the machine with the eye of a skilled tinkerer. He was already unconsciously thinking of ways he could perhaps improve on the design and what there was of their construction to appreciate. It was simpler than some of the designs he'd worked on, but impressive all the same.
"+Now, we see that Solveig has already arrived to accompany you to your shared domicile. Magna will come to offer you further assistance shortly, but in the meantime, feel free to make all possible efforts to get to know your domicile companions. Should you possess any questions; Solveig will be happy to answer.+" Ukil said, their mechanomandibles rippling slightly as Arne nodded in understanding before noticing Solveig was busily giving a big double thumbs up.
"Don't worry! I'll get him rolling with the pack in no time!" She chirped. Arne felt himself make a small smirk at that, it seems this might not be so bad after all. However, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched by something that shouldn't be here. Flicking his eyes ever so briefly to one individual he was dead certain had an entirely different shade of hair and a slightly different body shape the last time he saw them about a minute ago. He'd bring that up later when he felt it was safe to do so.
Dormitory Cluster Tertius
Arne remained somewhat quiet on the way over to where he would be staying for the duration of his socialisation training. The room prepared for him was a blank canvas waiting for him to make his contributions to it as he needed. However, he could see that there were a few items associated with his parents there, including his parent's training exosuits that they wore when they were his age. His eyes lit up, almost immediately, taking in the details of the now obsolete blue-green training armour and running his fingers along the hands of the armour suits in their docking bays.
The smooth turtle-shell like helmet with its simple T-shaped visor partly shielded by the cap of the helm felt familiar to him even though he had only seen them for the first time. He ran his fingers along the grooved mouth shield, eyes taking in the sight of the red visor and the crimson trimmings of the plating. He looked at the red coloured pauldrons, bearing the symbol of the class they went to; Erik's having a mechanical dragon of some sort, Gyda a four-winged creature somewhat like a Falcon.
He almost teared up at getting to be so close to something both of his parents once wore and pulled himself in for a hug as if to imagine they were still with him. He let go of the smooth plated armour suits and sniffled out loud, looking towards Solveig who gave him a sympathetic look and offered her hand to him. A hand that he took without reservation as she walked him out of the room once she was sure he was ready.
"We all miss them, you know. Mom was heartbroken when she got the news...and when she heard you were still alive. Gods, she just..." Solveig said before using her delvings into sorcery to make a firework-like burst of colours and noise in the air that got Arne to flinch and stammer. "Lit up!" She said, smiling up until she saw that Arne was not expecting a sudden bang like that in a place he considered safe.
"O-Oh...sorry. Do you want more warning before I do something like that again?" She asked, getting a quick nod from the white-haired boy as the two approached the main living room.
"It's something I'm trying to work on. It's not your fault, really. But yeah, a bit of warning would be appreciated." Arne said calmly as he put on his best smile and then let out a surprised gasp when he felt her hugging him briefly. He didn't mind in the slightest, of course, it was something that made him feel very...relaxed and at ease, and he returned the gesture almost immediately. His mind drifted a bit to the thoughts of how this would feel without exosuits in the way. He had to resist the urge to stroke her hair. She hadn't explicitly granted him permission to do such an intimate thing, but the thought of it against his fingers made him smile.
"Well, here you'll always have lots of people willing to help you out with trauma. That's what Omdyn means; Community, Union, Togetherness." She stated reverentially before Arne completed the last parts of the rather complex meaning of the word Omdyn for her once she pulled away, both of them with ample rose on their cheeks.
"Camaraderie, Fellowship, and Home." He said with a bit of his own reverence as he showed her his parent's memoir tablet briefly, relishing in the brief sight of stars in her eyes as the young sorceress just about shot over the moon at the sight. "My parents wrote a lot about all of that. And I've tried to read everything they left behind. I'm pretty eager to see how things have changed since they were gone." He said, doing his best to sound confident.
"Do you have any idea how important a find like that is?" She said, awestruck and holding her mouth open a bit. Arne quirked his brow and shook his head, a gesture he learned from Elmorni to help him more easily reintegrate with his own kind.
"If there's anything new in here that was never published...Gods be praised; this would be huge! Your parents wrote so many important things and aaaaaaaahhhh!" She said, taking a moment to breathe before calmly holding out her hands and being handed the tablet, her eyes flicking through the table of content and a gentle smirk forming on her face.
"I know what you're going to say. Make sure it always stays safe and back it up as much as I can." Arne said, getting a pair of thumbs-ups and a very pleased smile from Solveig. He liked that, the feeling of unabashed approval. She read through a bit more of the tablet before handing it back to him, offering him her hand and blushing a bit when he took it for her.
"Now come on, let's find mom for you!" She said as he scanned around the open doors leading towards the primary living room. His eyes caught a tall purple-haired figure on the approach though, seeing her rise to her feet as soon as he caught her eye and pushing herself up to her full height. Arne could immediately see the family resemblance between her and Solveig, though she had a sterner cut to her face than her daughter's more rounded; youthful look.
Those orchid eyes of hers glanced over to Arne, and immediately Arne understood that she was older than she looked. That weathered stare was one built only by experience, and he got a sense of aged wisdom from her. Though she looked to be in her early twenties at most, the way she carried herself made the fact that she had served for more than half a millennium much more apparent. An old woman in a young person's game. Every red tally mark across her cheeks speaking of another century of service.
A leanly powerful arm clad in her distinctive red, purple, and black power suit clanged against her chest in salute as she made the clan call of acknowledgement. With a step, she straightened her runner's limbs and made her head's worth of height advantage quite apparent. Her braided purple hair flicked behind her, and Arne returned the gesture almost immediately. Though he was a bit nervous as the Alimbics still had to conduct some business, depriving him of the personal attention of Elmorni, Ygrak, and Mortirk, he felt confident that he was making the right moves.
"Helgrask, Urglik Arne." She said, offering a traditional greeting that Arne was only too happy to give a nod of acknowledgement in return for. He let himself feel more at ease as he relaxed his posture, giving her a gentle smile.
"Helgrask, Urglik Magna." He said in return.
She looked over him once, then twice over and made a small grin.
"I was told you'd be a tall young man. Glad to see that the reports were true then." She said as she studied his face in particular.
"You've got Gyda's eyes, you know? And Erik looked so much like you when he was your age..." She said wistfully, letting out a sigh as she reminisced on simpler days.
"I still miss them every day." Magna said, folding her arms and gesturing to a holographic nanoscreen that reconfigured itself to show a picture of herself with his parents after they had just wedded, large smiles all around. Arne felt pained joy at that sight, a squeeze around his heart both sad that he couldn't see this moment in person but happy to know it had existed at all. He blinked away a single tear and looked back towards Magna whose look was one of sympathy.
"You helped them get together, didn't you?" Arne said, receiving a nod from Magna in return before she laid a hand on Solveig's shoulder and held her close. Like she was afraid that one day if she let her go too far, she might lose her altogether. A valid concern with how many widows and orphans the current age produced.
"Yeah, mom talks about the day she set them up on their first courtship so much! Just soooo much!" Solveig giggled as she laid a hand atop the appendage resting on her shoulder.
"After teaching both of them separately, I couldn't help but matchmake the two of them when they showed interest in each other..." She said wistfully before rolling some fingers through Solveig's hair.
"Mmmh, I wish you'd talk more about other mom or dads though." Solveig said with a smirk as she pulled away from Magna who gave a gentle laugh and shook her head.
"Let's not overwhelm him too much Solveig. He'll need time to adjust."
"Oookay. If you say!" Solveig grinned at her and then at Arne who felt a flush to his face when he caught a wink from the purple-haired girl. One that he did his best to return as Solveig giggled.
"Cute.~" Solveig chirped while she rocked on her feet.
"I well, thanks. You too.." Arne said with a hesitant thumbs-up before he decided to own the gesture and committed, getting a clap out of the young mage.
"I'm just really looking forward to getting to know you better Arne! You must have soooo many interesting stories to share!" Solveig said with a cheery clap as she lowered her augmented reality glasses to stare more directly at him.
"Well, not all of them are that interesting, but I'll let you decide which ones are. Alright?" Arne said, clearing his throat and winning himself a cat-like expression from the bubbly young woman as she just about vibrated with anticipation.
He couldn't help but think of how she reminded him of Samus...though there were differences of course, quite major ones. She was so much less blunt and whereas Samus always had bubbling outrage beneath her chipper exterior waiting to be prodded into motion, from Solveig he sensed something more like an...addiction. An addiction to thrill, a need to be near something interesting and exciting. Beneath her exterior was a burning need to always look for something fresh. Not so much the unquenchable thirst for knowledge of Samus as the daredevil hunger for something novel.
"Ooooh I'm going to love hearing everything so so sooooo much! Ah, it's going to be a pain to not just dip into my foresight and try and guess what you're going to tell me. Eeeeeee!" She said with a spin and a twirl as if she needed to burn off a bit of her excess energy until Magna put a hand on her head to still her trembling excitement. "I can't wait! Come on tell me something right now!"
"Good to see the two of you can get along so well, but your Clusterkin will be waiting in the living room. Come on, let's not keep them waiting." Magna said as she willed the door behind them to open, the octagonal door pulling itself away to give the trio access to the other side.
Feeling the sensation of something approaching at high speeds, Arne stopped and ducked beneath a thrown ball, reaching out and catching it in hand before tossing it back to the sender. His eyes followed the thrown sphere right back to a charming-looking burgundy-haired, elven-eared Aelvan boy whose dextrous ivory and scarlet-plated hands caught the incoming sphere in a single movement. Lean and devastatingly handsome, his presence made Arne feel much the same way that Solveig and Samus were making him as he gulped, once again wondering why everyone here had to be so hot. Giving the ball a spin, the third eye warpaint on his forehead glowed briefly as the psychic studied Arne with clear interest.
"Well hello there! Name's Illarion Aelgrad Tyriomyr." He said with calm interest before giving a wink of acknowledgement to Solveig who flushed at the gesture.
Arne went slightly redder again as he sucked in a breath and tried his best to meet the rust-coloured eyes of Illarion. He wasn't quite shy as he was not sure how to deal with the attention, but his attention was quickly drawn to Illarion, having the ball shrunk down until he could fit it into one of the pockets of his utility belt. His mind already at work, trying to understand the mechanisms of the action and unpack what he had just seen. And of course, trying to peel away from how flustered the bedheaded youth and his companion made him.
"Illarion, give him a bit of space." Magna said, getting a respectful salute from him in return as Arne's eyes scanned over the two. "Now, where's the rest of the Cluster?" Magna asked, placing her hands on her hips while Illarion gave out a whistle.
"Come on urgliks, Skjoldr's here." He said, the first response being a somewhat agitated feminine response.
"FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME YOU DON'T NEED TO WHISTLE THAT LOUD!" She said as a black-haired Aelvan girl stormed out, her twin tails streaking down to her waist as she cracked her neck. She wasn't clad in an exosuit just yet but wore a grey shirt that Arne recognised had an angry-looking mammalian beast chomping down on a planet while her blue trousers rustled against itself as she walked towards the group and then stopped at the sight of Arne. She pulled herself out of her slouch and rubbed at her eyes, making the shark took like facepaint marks on her cheeks stretch a bit with her skin. Confirming that he was indeed real, her scowl turned into a grin and her brow rose up and down her slender face in rapid succession while her ears pricked straighter.
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey~." She said with a grin and a finger pistol gesture that got her a wave in response. Yet more pretty people, Arne internally quivered as the moonlight-skinned Aelvan joined with her equally sun-averse counterpart and stretched herself a bit.
"I'm Taellarja Jelvaer Syndermin. Are you actually a Skjoldr? Huh…definitely look like one. Nice." She said, wiping off the anger that he saw on her face not even a minute ago, as if it were all just an illusion she could dismiss at any time. He caught her mouthing the word "Later" to Solveig and nodded with realization when Solveig bashfully looked away from Taellarja with crimson all over her face.
"So...where's the last one?" Arne said before he felt a vibration from something large moving. He turned his head around and followed his distant sight to catch sight of a large and imposing mechanoid, bipedal and already cracking her knuckles as she stepped into view.
To Arne's eyes the figure moved like a veritable colossus, her frame like the cross of a knight, a factory armature, and a main battle tank. She would have towered over even Magna, and her black, green, and yellow frame's back-mounted winglets folded behind her as she stomped into view, her bar-code scanner-like optics scanning across the room before fixating on the gathered figures.
Arne did his best to be friendly and offered a wave that to his surprise, the mechanoid returned without hesitation. "Helgrask Urglik Arne." She said formally as she folded her hands behind her back and stood at attention.
"Come on, here and now Elgramor?" Illarion said with an eye roll before Taellarja coughed to get his attention and remind him to be polite. That got a bit of a snort out of Arne.
"Just let her be formal if she wants! It's not the end of the world, right Elgra?" Solveig said as the young, growing synthetic gave an affirmative beep in response as a considerably smaller-looking human walked to the fore beside her.
"I have aspirations towards more formal duties when my growing processes are complete. It would be ideal for me to maintain appearances here and now." She said, hardly even flinching at the sudden company to her side.
"Yeah, I'm Arne." He said, offering the traditional clan salute and getting one in return.
"Well, I think that's everyone; no?" Magna said with a satisfied smirk.
Elmorni and her cohort glid into the room, offering a brief Tetrarch salute to the gathered group that Arne returned unhesitatingly. After but a second, Elmorni lowered her hand from its parallel position to her chest, her soft psychic voice vibrating through the air. The tone as almost always, was gentle and sweet, like honey to Arne's ears. He could ever feel safe with her and opened his arms up to give and receive a warm hug from her; relishing in her maternal warmth before the other Alimbics laid their hands on him.
"-You're growing into such a strong young man, Arne. I'm going to miss you so much. Please, whatever you do, never forget your desire to help those in need.-" She said to him as he rubbed his cheek affectionately against the armoured form of Elmorni.
"I'm going to miss you too, mom. All of you." He said, sniffling a bit and wiping away some of his shed tears. His cheeks were puffy, and his eyes were a bit heavy. This was going to be the first time he was going to be entirely without her support and care for long periods.
"I can call you as much as I want right?" He asked, wiping away a sniffle with his finger and giving her a small smile.
"-Of course, though General Zurvduat might complain.-" Ygrak said, a small joking tone evident in her voice that drew no mirth from him. She paused as she seemed to realise her mistake and asked for his forgiveness, sensing the turbulence in his mind at the mention of his...father.
Despite everything, something in him wanted Zurvduat's approval, acceptance, and love. At the end of the day, he still saw him as his father, and that troubled Elmorni, in particular, immensely as her psychic expression dimmed briefly.
"-Arne, he can't hurt you here. You're safe. These are good people who will stand by you and aid you. You can finally be the way you want, not just what the General asks.-" Elmorni said, placing her hand on his chin and tipping his gaze up towards hers. He managed a smile and laid a hand on hers, clearing out his nose and blinking a few times.
"I've read your file, Arne; you're in good care here. We'll help you out with everything you've missed over the years. And I trust this place with my own daughter," Magna said, patting Solveig on the shoulder as the enthusiastic young lady grinned and waved enthusiastically.
"Yeah, I'd love to have another boy here! Especially when you've got so many nexcite things to talk about!" She said, almost immediately drawing a confused stare from Arne as his smile faded into a look of befuddlement.
"It means like...hyper-excitingly interesting? Like, I don't just want to hear about it, I need you to talk to us about it! I could write so many things down about it and make so many xelketsch notes!" She said, her smile slowly fading when she saw that Arne's look went from one of understanding to even further confusion to the point that even the Alimbics seemed a bit lost.
"It means inspiring for an idea that you know, you really want to get out there—a story you gotta share. " Illarion said with a relaxed expression, patting Solveig on the head and getting a purr out of her. Arne felt slightly jealous, the coil of that serpentine creature of envy wringing around his chest while he thought of what it'd be like to feel his hand on his hair, but nodded in acceptance all the same. They could share, he figured, consoling himself once the serpent loosened its grip on his chest.
"Well...okay, I think I'm going to have to sit and learn all this vernacular some time. I'm, definitely not familiar with half of what you people say." Arne said with a bit of a snort coming in response from Taellarja who waved it off.
"Don't worry Arne, we'll help you out. It'd be my genuine pleasure to even." She said with a confident smirk as she straightened herself out just a bit. She stretched her legs slightly and fidgeted just a bit with her arms to relieve some muscular tension before she placed her hands behind her head and sucked in some air.
"-See Arne, you'll be in wonderful company here. And I'm sure that Samus and the others will continue to visit. Like the Faeran youths you seem fond of.-" Mortirk said with a gentle pat to his shoulder as he scanned around the crowd.
"-Certainly these facilities are more suited for childcare than our own. I'd have liked coming here in my time.-" Stygloch said, the white armoured young Alimbic's tone courteous but intrigued, his arms folded behind his back and his singular luminescent silvery eye focused on the attentions of Elgramor who couldn't help but study him intently with her laser optics.
"I'm still not sure why you'd want to leave the company of progenitors for people like us. But I'm flattered you decided to come and join our group." Elgramor said as she finally turned her attentions away from the only recently matured Sciomagus who offered her a curtsy of acknowledgement in return.
"Well, as he's said, they don't have the facilities to help watch over a growing young man like him as he matures. But we'll be sure to take the best care of him, won't we?" Magna said, turning her attention over to the Cluster who all gave their affirmations in virtual unison.
Arne felt slightly flustered at all the positive attention thrown his way. He was so used to the quiet loneliness of Sentus Primaris that the past two years of suddenly having so many people his age to speak to felt overwhelming. Like going from never having swam in his life to being pressed into ever deeper and more turbulent waters. It was not necessarily unpleasant, but he found the certainties of battle and engineering to be...simpler for him to grasp.
But Magna was able to sense his troubled mind quickly. Her eyes rapidly switched from the Alimbics to him as she gently looked down and gave him a reassuring smirk that soon bared its teeth towards him. He understood this was an open-lipped grin, at least, and meekly returned the gesture, even if it felt a bit unusual for him.
"-See, hardly anything to worry about, is there?-" Elmorni said as she patted her son on his back and cooed gently. It was a warm gesture that made his heart feel soft for a moment, but when she mentioned a lack of things to be concerned about, he shot his eyes open and turned towards the Cluster.
"Do any of you know any shapeshifters?" Arne asked, deciding to broach the question while the mood was still good. It was a silly question, of course; there were plenty of beings in the universe able to alter their shape. That figure he saw earlier was probably nothing to be concerned about. It was all probably just another thing he'd have to get used to.
"There's quite a lot here. Do you mean the one that Taellarja is trying to find though?" Magna said, her hands finding their way to her hips as she quirked a brow.
"Well, I'm part of the paranormal investigation club, so it's kind of my duty anyway!" Taellarja said with a brief smirk.
"And what would they even be trying to do here?" Illarion said with a shrug and a laugh. "Just wandering around gheisting on students?" He scoffed a bit before realising Arne was once again lost. "Oh, that means haunting people, following them around and being unsettling." He added, brushing a hand through his hair and giving an easy smirk to let Arne know it was no trouble. He was show-offy and brash, but he would never be mean-spirited.
"Like you aren't used to people staring at you," Taellarja said with a smirk and a scoff before Illarion rolled his eyes at her and made a mock huffing sound of faux-disappointment. "It's true you know. How'd you know the difference between people who just want to ogle and people trying to hunt you?" She said teasingly, giving him a little elbow to the ribs that got a faked "ow" out of him.
"Okay, okay. Arne asked a question, so why don't we get together and hrm...answer it, maybe? That sounds good to you all?" Solveig said, looking around and getting a few nods of approval in response. "Tixebar," she said approvingly.
That, at least, wasn't a slang term; it was simply an Omdyrzschpiel term that didn't translate super well to the Uskarlyc he was used to speaking. He understood it, though, which filled him with no small measure of pride. It was a term somewhere between "wonderful," an enthusiastic "yes!" and "this will do."
"We could probably check with some watch volunteers. They'd have answers." Taellarja
"Well, I've seen it at least." Elgramor said, folding her arms while Magna nodded politely and the Alimbics studied with interest, Stygloch even rubbing his hand against his floating chin as he pondered for a few moments.
"-Interesting Arne, it seems you've already found your first task.-" Mortirk said with a bit of joking pride, eye flashing from gold to blue with interest before shifting colours again.
"I...yeah I guess I have." Arne said with a nervous laugh. He had barely arrived here and there was already a trial in waiting for him.
"-Not quite so fast, he should investigate at his own pace. I'm sure that it will be quite harmless based on my readings of the distant sight.-" Elmorni said with a gentle wave, turning her full attention towards her son who nodded in appreciation.
"-At the very least, he should have some time to orient himself in this facility before trying to find anyone in it. He is still unused to being around so many people. Give him time.-" Ygrak said, gesticulating gently as her harmonious but firm psychic voice rang in the ears of all present.
"-Certainly, there should be some allowance of time to have fun first and foremost too. We will need to get him relaxed and integrated with the population after all. Otherwise, aren't we all wasting our time?-" Stygloch added to the approving nods of most of the adults gathered here.
"-Besides, I'm sure many of these students are very eager to get to know the Neophyte better.-" He concluded, folding his arms behind his back once more as Arne flushed slightly red in the cheeks and looked at the interested expressions on everyone else's face.
"-Oh but of course, Arne. This is meant to be a time for you first and foremost, my darling Knight. Please, do everything you can to make yourself at home and regale me with all the little stories of the friends you've made whenever you want.-" Elmorni said in her matronly tone, bending down towards Arne and dropping onto her knees.
"Yes, moms, dads?" Arne said, looking up to the gathered Alimbics as they approached.
"-Above all other things, remember that there will always be people looking out for you. No matter how lonely the universe may seem. Just as you should always be looking to help where you can. Just like your parents did.-" Elmorni concluded before pressing her forehead to his own and shared a moment of psychic warmth with him. Something very much like a kiss to his forehead before she floated upwards.
"...Can't you stay, at least a little longer?" Arne said, tearing up again as he realised that this would be saying goodbye for at least a little while. He sniffled as an emptiness began to fill his chest. He already knew the answer, but it didn't make the simmering anxiety lessen at all.
"-There are things we must attend to, my little knight. Other Alimbics in stasis we must reawaken and help readjust to the way things are now; other people who need our guidance. But I'll always find a way to make time for you, my son. Never forget that.-" She said as she started to hover away, Arne's hand gripped around hers before his fingers began to relax and slowly let go.
"...I love you." Arne finally said.
"-I love you too." She responded.
"Aww, Arne, don't worry. We're all friends here! And I'd love to have you join us!" Solveig said as she offered him a hug. A hug that he quickly returned as she gave him a pair of cheek kisses and exhaled contently before pulling away, something that most of the group save for Elgramor offered shortly afterwards. Arne felt a bit flushed at so much contact in quick succession and made a note of the different ways they embraced him.
Solveig was enthusiastic and bubbly and lingered a bit with her hug as if she wanted to really understand what it was like to hold him. Illarion rather, sought to do it in a bolder and more assertive way, and whereas Solveig's eye contact with him afterwards was bashful, Illarion's was challenging. Taellarja was outright probing, hungry almost, she wanted more, and tried to leave him wanting more herself. Though all three got him to blush all the same.
But of course, the moment had to end eventually and the Five had given each other their space. Magna, moments from leaving, turned towards the group gathered behind her and offered a sweet smile.
"There's not much going on academically at the moment, so feel free to take the time to explore. Now, Solveig, can you promise me something?" Magna said as she paused at the exit, Solveig's eyes lighting up from the acknowledgement.
"Yes, mom?" She asked, letting her curiosity linger for a bit as she tried her best to peer into the causeways of destiny, making a quick incantation and a few gestures before closing her eyes and casting her astral sight into the beyond. Arne could perceive her spiritual form taking a look at the endless, shifting roads of possibility and narrowing it down to the most likely ones. With that information, she could easily guess her answer, and all at once, her eyes lit up, and she shook her hands with excitement. Ah, she had got it! She understood!
"Oooh! You want me to make sure he's got as many friends here as he feels comfortable with right? I can do that, mom! Don't worry; I am the urglik for the task!" She said, giddy with anticipation and just about vibrating with eagerness that she'd managed to filch the answer from the future. And she was even prouder of herself when she saw that Magna had the most glowing of smiles for her in return.
"Correct as usual. I'm sure you'll do great. Now, I must be off. Take care all of you." She said, giving a farewell salute before stepping out.
"Well, anyone wants to hit one of the rec areas? It might be good to stretch our legs a bit, hrm. We might catch some of the volunteer watchers there, too. I know I'll catch some of their eyes at least," Illarion offered as he stood up and gestured towards the door with a supremely confident smile before Solveig tapped on her chin a bit and nodded.
"I think I know just the one to visit. Come on companions!" She said, gesturing everyone to follow her as she tried her best to contain her energy to something approaching a reasonable level of activity.
"So if you look that way, Arne, you'll see the way to one of the gymnasiums. Specially rated for people with enhanced abilities, so I'm sure you'll find a way to keep busy!" She said, gesturing over to a hallway where Arne cast his gaze down, catching a glimpse of a number of pupils hard at work rolling away from some manner of stabbing machine with quite a substantial number of limbs.
"That looks...dangerous for lower-grade combatants," Arne said, some uncomfortable memories of the endless hours of drilling against the machinery of Sentus Primaris surfacing for a second until he choked them back down. He wasn't going to let that pain rule him; he would survive, he would overcome.
His breathing was tense, and everyone knew it. Illarion was the first to offer him a shoulder pat in sympathy. He felt a bit tenser. Arne would have felt more comfortable had Solveig or Taellarja offered the motion, and he almost felt a brief shudder at the sight of Illarion's hand raised and close to his head.
"...You gonna be okay there?" Illarion said as Arne gulped and shook his head, relaxing his breathing when Taellarja approached instead. Arne wanted to get closer to Illarion, but simply knowing that Illarion was a he made the sight of his raised hand alarming to the boy. That animal instinct to seek shelter in the face of oncoming pain making itself loud in his mind's ear.
Solveig whispered something to Illarion, that his superhuman could easily make out. "(He was abused a lot before coming here. He's got...problems with male authority figures. Try not to seem too dominant.)" Arne made a pensive face at that. Being described in such terms made his stomach simmer with unease and drew a frown on his thin lips.
Taellarja noticed the issue and spoke up quickly. "So, Arnie, we're almost there. Rec-area's just past that gym. We've got all the best fun stuff to do with friends there. We should try some of it out you know?" She said, harrumphing to get Arne's attention and a nod out of him.
Right, duty, a mission, something he could focus on and feel like he was progressing towards finishing. That helped put his mind at ease.
With that, he breathed in and relaxed and took another look around his surroundings, his eyes catching on a rather pleasant-looking outdoor area, which made him draw in a pleased breath.
"Oh...wow, you've got some fascinating-looking specimens there." He said, even limited to only what he could see through the window the sight and its riot of carefully blended together colours sparked a sort of primal joy in him. Samus had taught him to appreciate the beauty in all things, and right now, he felt like he was surrounded by it in this warmly lit and cosy-looking hallway and its myriad paths.
"Oh, those? I made a few of the suggestions for this year myself." Elgramor said as Arne pressed his face close to the window and looked down. He looked out with amazement in his eyes and couldn't help but imagine himself reaching out and touching the wonders of the garden or its selection of suitable fauna. He could almost imagine Hugin and Munin flying around, and then found himself frowning when he realised he left them back home. He should call Elmorni to bring them over...Geri and Freki too, he thought to himself.
"You've got great taste, I like it a l-" Arne paused when he thought he saw someone who had once been a child not a few moments ago now have their place taken by a spidery alien several times more massive than he was. Given that it was a reasonably open bench, it should have been impossible for the girl just to disappear, but there they were. At least, until they disappeared and his usual distant sight visions felt unusually clouded by some other presence. He frowned and rubbed at his temples, grunting a bit out of frustration. Something had to be meaningful there if his ordinary foresight was being interfered with.
"Did anyone else see that?" Arne asked before he was tapped on the shoulder by Taellarja. He was aware that many presences had gathered around him and lacked much in the way of hostility. However, he was not particularly focused on those visions. At least, not up until he was pulled from his thoughts by the tap. All at once, he became far more aware that a large group of people had congregated near him, and he made a gasp of surprise when he felt the paths of destiny clog with imminent questions and curiosity.
He spun around and saw Taellarja thumbing over to the group that had gathered near him, many species and people of many ages who were simply fascinated by the fact that someone amongst them could be wearing Alimbic armour.
He couldn't help but notice how so many people looked at him with awe. As if they could hardly believe that he was actually there. It made him feel self-conscious, aware of everyone's expectations for him and the legacy he'd have to live up to if he wished to fill the void his parents left properly.
He almost wished he could cloak himself right about now, and set his mind on working out how to create such a device. It'd be handy for more situations than just this for sure, but for now he was just glad that he had his helmet up and thus kept his face a mystery to the would be observers. It still got him looks, but at least people couldn't see how he responded to them for now.
He looked around and gulped a bit. He tried to shy away from confronting so many people at once, sulking away as quickly as he could while the cluster surrounded him. He'd love to indulge all their questions at some other point, but right now he was dealing with a strong feeling of not having done much to earn this kind of attention.
After all, what did he do for the Omdyn or any other member of the intergalactica so far? He couldn't even answer the mystery of who could have killed Cylosis. His initial theory seem to be so impossible after actually meeting with the Chozo and seeing their great influence over the federation. And if he couldn't answer that...what good was he so far really? Certainly not anywhere near enough to warrant this kind of interest.
He quickly caught on to how exosuit fashion seemed to be the norm. Seeking to style functional and practical wear such as environmental exosuits into something for everyday life. Everyone patterned and coloured theirs somewhat differently, applying their own aesthetics to their power armour. Some wore more conventional clothing over it, but it seemed that for the most part, every citizen of this region of the Omdyn considered at the very least environmental suits to be their civilian wear.
"Hey, Solveig. Does everyone wear suits at all times to make species that have to wear them in other environments feel more comfortable?" Arne asked, approaching Solveig who flicked her head around with a whipping motion of purple hair, nodding enthusiastically in response to his question.
"Mhrm! Also means that in case something goes wrong, people can just fold up their helmets and be fine. And it also well...makes it easier to fit in with all the synthetics honestly!" She said with enthused excitement as she walked ahead, deciding to lead the group while she hummed a jaunty tune.
"It helps organics keep up in many ways without requiring invasive procedures, an efficient solution." Elgramor said plainly.
"We'll be heading to the rec room soon, better place to talk things out." Taellarja said, their expression turning to one of tremendous anticipation.
"Ooooh I can't wait!" Solveig giggled.
"...So uh, what do you do in a Rec Room?" Arne asked in confusion.
"Now, if I'm right, and I definitely am. There should be a Venger Wars tournament going on right now!" Solveig said as they passed through the door.
"Oh...well, you're probably going to have to teach me about it then." Arne nodded.
"Oooh yessss I'd love to!" She said with a wide smirk.
The recreation area was an expansive vista, full of wonderful sights and delights in a social space for the inhabitants of the building. Arne's eyes caught sight of hundreds of individuals from dozens of different species just in the area in his line of sight. He almost didn't know where to even begin. He spotted an off-duty volunteer, the figure busying themselves with shaping some manner of nanite clay into artistic shapes for the benefit of some of the younger pupils.
"Am I supposed to just..go up to them?" Arne asked, not exactly sure on the proper protocol here. Asking the Alimbics for favours without solicitation often ended in him getting chided for his lack of self-reliance. At least, as long as they leaned more towards Zurvduat's theorems on how to raise and treat him. But with those memories in mind, simply walking up to someone in a position of authority like that felt...wrong. There had to be some sort of procedure to it, right?
But the answer he got was pretty surprising, with Elgramor simply walking up behind the four-limbed semi-avian volunteer guardsman. He had read about the rather bold and lackadaisical attitude towards authority his parents' home nations had, but to see it in motion was something else. He almost internally cringed when Elgramor just made a salute and a request of the beaked and saurian headed guard whose wings flapped behind them in sync with their turning.
"Urglik, would you happen to have seen any unfamiliar shapeshifters lately?" She said plainly.
"A few, One in particular that never seems to mingle with anyone, just watching a few people now and then." They said with a somewhat whistly voice.
"I've notified the Mind-Spider. We'll be putting out a notice later today. But if you manage to catch them in a conversation, be sure to share what you learned." They continued before turning back to their sculpture, shifting some of its colourations.
Elgramor turned back towards Arne and walked over as he gave a nod and his thanks to the mechanoid. "Taken care of. Just do your best to keep an eye out. Anyway, if we're going to be here let's do the fun things yes?" Elgramor said, giving Arne the impression she always preferred to just get to the chase.
"Oh uh...already?" Arne said, looking to Illarion who smirked a bit as he laid his hands on his hips.
He tried to do the same to Arne but found his telekinesis simply...not working at all on Arne. He realised his mistake quickly and brushed it off with an easy grin.
"Right...Alimbic hybrid." Illarion said with a small laugh.
"Yeah...altered human." Arne said, almost as if he was trying to correct Illarion who raised a brow until Taellarja cut in with a harrumph.
"So...before we get knee-deep into me showing off how big my brain is, why don't we show you a few more things first Arnie?" She said, clapping a hand onto his shoulder after sensing that he wasn't going to pull away and grinning at him.
He didn't flinch at the shoulder grab, but he did turn his helmeted head towards her as she tapped on his faceplate.
"Come on, live a little." She said, and with a bit of reluctance, he closed his eyes and dismissed his helm in a flash of blue light.
"Better.~" She giggled while Solveig urged them to keep going.
"Come on; we don't want just to stand around when there's so, so, sooooo much fun stuff to do right?" She said, offering her hand to Arne and leading him through a procession of all manner of intriguing-looking activities. Games, a few smaller-scale sports that didn't need the gymnasium, artistic and other social events, and some people just trying to experiment with their self-expression all flooded his eyes and ears.
Some people were trying out some music; painters were attempting to capture the hustle and bustle, impromptu dances gathering and shaking out their worries; some people gathering around and spectating for a cooperative holo-game of adventure and exploration. Even a few people just sit around, talking about what was going on or commenting on things they watched together. All that and more almost overwhelmed his senses as he could hear so many conversations going on.
Arne was glad he learned how to filter out what he didn't really care for, but it almost felt perverse to be able to just listen in on anything here he wanted. But even that couldn't diminish the wonder of seeing all this unfolding all around him with a number of people just...living he never really before imagined. People of all ages and stripes. So many people his age too, and with relatively light supervision from elders who were content to let the youth play as they will so that they could find themselves and bond with their friends.
His eyes drifted to a few people playing around with miniatures made of nanites shifted into shapes; ordering them around and watching the small robots mime out a conflict; holographic lights and sounds completing the illusion.
"What kind of game is that?" He asked, Solveig's face lighting up as she saw an opportunity to bombard him with information.
"Ooooh yes, it's Venger Wars! Come on; I'll explain the whole ruleset to you! It's super simple to pick up!" She said, urging Arne forward while Taellarja whispered "Hope you don't need to be anywhere soon." to Arne as the group clustered near one of the tables.
Arne was about to sit down at the table, but he caught a glimpse of a figure with pink hair who hadn't been there before. But when he saw the specific shade of pink, he felt a brief chill. One that grew into a jolt of panic and recognition of something he had thought he had left behind when he briefly locked eyes with the figure that crackled unpleasantly. He felt a crawling sensation he hadn't felt since Cylosis. A lump formed in his throat and sweat beaded down.
"Arne, you okay?" Illarion said with concern.
He stopped squeezing his hand around the table after realising he'd crunched it like foil between his fingers. The smell of cold ash disappeared from his nostrils, and he shook his head, tapping his disguised armour nervously.
He no longer saw the pink-haired figure, but he figured they might have been the shapeshifter. No sign of teleportation, but they had vanished in a way that not even his senses could pick them up.
"..I...saw something that brought me back to bad places. Pink-haired woman, like on Cylosis. Stared right at me." He breathed.
"I'll put out a memo, don't worry Arne." Solveig said, laying her hand atop his as the table's nanites began to reconfigure them into their proper shape while he breathed out and muttered his thanks.
"Now...let's take your mind off that with some competitive wargaming! First...let me explain army composition.~" Solveig grinned.
Arne's Logbook Entries
Individuals: Human-Alimbic Hybrid: Male: Omdyn Born: Independent: Alive: Arne Eriksen Skjoldr
Arne was initially presumed deceased after the mysterious assault on Cylosis would turn up at the doors of the Magnus Academy for the Extranormally gifted roughly a decade after his supposed demise. While he had no real clues as to the origin of the attackers beyond his mother having a theory that they were Federation in origin, he was found to have been raised by the Alimbics as a squire of the Tetrarch Order. Knight-General Zurvduat's parenting methods have been classified as abusive, cruel and harshly disciplinarian. Mystromagus Elmorni, on the other hand, seems to have genuinely loved the child, and her treatment and care, as well as his socialisation practice with other progenitor or progenitor, touched youth has done much to maintain a basic level of social functionality. Augmented with Alimbic genetics and given an Alimbic suit of squire armour, Arne shows tremendous promise though he is reluctant to talk about many of his experiences.
Arne's Notes: It's ironic how despite all the time I spent looking up to mom and dad, I never really realised just how many other people also admired them. It's difficult to have to live up to those expectations, but people here seem understanding at least.
Organisations: Academic: Intergalactican Established: Extranormal: Project Outreach
Project Outreach is the Intergalactica's "Mission for the assistance of extranormally gifted youth" designed in accordance with the lived experiences of many extranormal individuals and associations with the aid of experienced pedagogues and psychologists. Project Outreach seeks to provide young extranormals with comforting environments where they can associate with peers and practice their abilities in preparation for adult life. Given the often traumatic circumstances of many such extranormals' shifting into an extranormal state, Project Outreach's facilities are also well accustomed to dealing with those with significant psychological harm in need of therapy. After its launch, Project Outreach had its mission scope expanded to include adult extranormals, though its focus remains on youth and children.
Arne's Notes: It's pretty comforting to know that these people are good at working with people like me. I'm just hoping that I'll be able to live up to everyone's expectations for what I'll get out of this place.
Technologies: Computer: Synthetic Consciousness: Mechanical: Mind-Spiders
Mind-Spiders serve as lynchpins of the cybernetic networks that underpin the whole of Omdyn and Intergalactican society. Mind-Spiders are gestalts of highly sophisticated inorganic computer systems, with virtually unparalleled and continually growing processing power. Mind-Spiders are referred to as such for their ability to rapidly compile "webs" of information and their supervisory role over the decentralised cybernetic web of societal coordination, helping keep all facets of society in touch. Mind-Spiders typically consider themselves to be more advisors than overseers and only exercise direct managerial authority when it is deemed either necessary or if the officials to be affected by such a decision have democratically given their consent.
Arne's Notes: The sort of software that goes into a Mind-Spider is absolutely fascinating. It reminds me a lot of working on Volva honestly, even if the methods are cruder, there's a lot of...art that goes into meshing the parts together into a gestalt individual. Maybe I could try making my own someday?
Individuals: Human: Female: Omdynisch: Uskarling: RGA (Retired): Teacher: Alive: Magna Alvisdottir Lothbrok
Magna is frequently considered to be one of the finest warriors and individuals that clan Grendakal has ever produced. The teacher to many famous individuals and a legend in her own right, Magna's long career spanned centuries of distinguished service across the known universe. Magna also served extensively as an Errant Freelancer before eventually, she had decided she had seen enough of violence and sought to retire. She continued to pass on her wisdom to others who sought it and would still occasionally sortie out with all of her usual skill. Magna is also famous for teaching Erik and Gyda Skjoldr, and had plans to help them raise Arne before their untimely death. Saddened by this turn of events, Magna redoubled her efforts to teach her daughter Solveig how to follow in her footsteps and right these wrongs. Even to this day, Magna is highly regarded for her skill at education and combat as well as having a gentle, patient attitude towards helping people in need.
Arne's Notes: Mom and Dad wrote a lot about their time learning from her. Mom especially almost saw her as more of a mother than the woman who gave birth to her sometimes. But everything I read about Magna shows her as One of the best of the best. Someone everyone wants to be. I hope I can be like that at least.
Individuals: Human: Mages: Female: Omdynisch: Uskarling: Student: Alive: Solveig Magnasdottir Lothbrok
Solveig is the youngest daughter of the legendary Magna Lothbrok and rearing her takes up a large portion of her efforts. Immensely excitable, cheerful, upbeat, and eager to show what she's got or what she's passionate in, Solveig is regarded as eminently easy to get along with. Her passionate nature makes her extremely adept at her practice of Uskarlyc magecraft, where she is considered to be one of the fastest learners yet seen. Regarded as a pillar of the student community of her age group; her passion for the study of progenitorology and Uskarling history has won many admirers. She is also well known for her tremendous skill in all manner of tabletop games and heads the local school association for roleplaying and wargaming for her age bracket. She's one of the most avid media posters within the Privitkaya Campus and the sector at large, eagerly diving into ComNet discussions. Her augmented reality glasses help her keep track of her favoured discussions and her video series on the history of Uskarlyc magic has gained her a substantial following.
Arne's notes: She's so cheery and bubbly and beautiful. I don't think I've ever met someone with her level of enthusiasm for nearly...everything she gets involved with. But I think I really like that; it's nice to see someone so sincere all the time. It reminds me a lot of Samus, though she's less angry and more...ambitious I'd say? She's got big plans for herself. I'm hoping our mutual interest goes somewhere.
Individuals: Aelvan: Psion: Male: Omdynisch: Uskarling: Student: Alive: Illarion Aelgrad Tyrlomyr
Illarion was born to the Aelvan Weivyll Nomad fleet to Allaral and Ylvresse. Illarion quickly demonstrated a tremendous degree of skill at the utilisation of psionic force. Specialising primarily in the manipulation and channelling of energy, Illarion requested and received a transferrence to Project Outreach. Well known for his strong sense of humour and considerable charisma, Illarion is respectful and charming if shameless in his desires following the onset of adolescence. His friend circle ranges far and wide in the Privetkaya campus and beyond, and as one of the most popular pupils of his age bracket, he often takes it upon himself to greet new students. He is also regarded as a frequent poster and connoisseur of ComNet memes, keeping his fingers on the pulse of the shifting and transformations of culture.
Arne's Notes: At first I wasn't sure what to think of him besides that he's...really good looking but the more I spend time with him the more I think we'll be pretty good friends, or maybe more? He seems interested at least. And I think he's likely to make the first move...I don't get a lot of the jokes he posts on the ComNet though, but I'm just behind on online culture in general.
Individuals: Aelvan: Psion: Female: Omdynisch: Uskarling: Student: Alive: Taellarja Jelvaer Syndermin
Taellarja was born to the population of the nomadic fleet Syflewin during its visit to the Black Eye Galaxy. After her tribe elected to stay in the Galaxy, she demonstrated tremendous bio and telekinetic psionic powers that she soon wished to study further as well as broaden. Ambitious, flirtatious, crafty, and entertaining big dreams of heroism; Taellarja keeps people underestimating her by presenting herself as an unserious and often outright silly person. This, however, masks her tremendous and steely determination to show that she can be someone others can rely on to keep them safe. An experience born of her own personal trauma when a War-Spore force attacked her tribe's fleet and only the timely intervention of a number of Uskarling champions prevented further tragedy. Since then, she seeks to live up to the image set by many other champions and hopes to perhaps one day fill the void left by Gyda Skjoldr.
Arne's Notes: I wonder if it's because she doesn't want me to feel too overwhelmed about my parents' legacy that she didn't tell me that she knew my mom before her death. But I'm sure that when she gets alone with me we're probably going to have a very long talk about that subject. I just hope that well, she's...fascinating and I don't want to disappoint her...
Individuals: Synthetics: Feminine Presenting: Techmaster: Omdynisch: Yrakt: Student: Alive: Elgramor
Elgramor is a growing synthetic, designed to help the synthetic majority of the ODOCR better connect with its organic minority. A nanite construct that has come into contact with some progenitor technology, Elgramor at first seems to be simply a large and powerful brutish mechanoid, but in truth is a highly adept shapeshifter and technology assimilator. Able to integrate most technology quickly, although struggling more with progenitor technology or devices with counter-assimilation failsafes that generally require progenitor grade modules to assimilate; Elgramor's capabilities are ever adapting and evolving. Elgramor is a somewhat serious machine and likes to focus on her tasks first before allowing herself to relax, but she is also well known for being extremely fiercely loyal. She is also known to occasionally take on less intimidating forms as a sign that she feels comfortable around someone.
Arne's Notes: I wonder what her more benign forms are like? Though I suppose she could look like nearly anything she wants to really. It's interesting that she's also able to assimilate most technology instantly though; well ahead of most non-progenitor modular systems even. Maybe I could try and help her with some limitations?