Teen Ink
teenink
TeenInk I posted a new photo to Facebook http://t.co/Y2aXGHv5cc
Tue May 21, 2013 9:08am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk "I'm a firm believer in Karma." - Emma Watson in Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring featured at Cannes Film Festival... http://t.co/AtwVoR8xyT
(No problem, Leah. We're always here for you. I hope you feel better soon! I know that feeling, so if you're ever off, no worries; life comes before TI.)
Nyx: Fort London
Nyx couldn't hide her disappointed frown as the soldier came bustling back in, claiming that Harding and Wright didn't exist. When she looked at Quinten, he was already staring at her, his eyes forming a question she didn't have an answer to.
That General Hail sent for Tesla's files, she thought, thinking the situation through. He'll have found out she was lying. Jem and Tesla will have to explain the situation, or at least admit that they're not who they say they are...
There wasn't a reason to lie, but there also wasn't a reason to tell the whole truth. Nyx wasn't ashamed in the least as she stared back at General Vrain, making up her mind at the last minute to give as much of the truth as she dared.
"I lied," she proclaimed, her cheeks not even the least bit pink, no shame in her voice. "My name is Amanyx Sveta-Lubov Foka Petrova. I was born in Russia, actually...my brother and I left for America when the rest of our family died out. I was ten by the time we found a base to take us in."
Nyx was babbling once more, but this time it was the truth, if not slightly vague; she felt the need to give more than her name, if only to clear up the lies she had just blatantly told. She wasn't completely comfortable with pointing out she had been raised in the Arizona Base, considering the General before her would immediately know what she was.
Nyx shrugged her shoulders, not apologetically, but as a means of saying, Couldn't avoid it. "Sorry. That's the truth, though." Her voice was earnest, and when she smiled, it was faint and slightly tired. "Honest."
(Carson: Yeah, I was waiting for Nacho to post for Noah.)
Tesla: Fort London
As hail spoke, Tesla rose back to her feet, moving forward to stand by Jeremy. When Hail finished speaking, Tesla spoke up, trying to keep her tone as respectful as she could.
"General, the letter is true. It makes sense, in a way. How did we get this way? The Gifted, I mean. It had to start somewhere, it would make sense if the one who made us this way enslaved us all those years ago and not the humans."
Tesla paused and glanced at Jem before looking back at Hail. She took a quiet deep breath, squashing her pride, "General, I don't expect you to trust me, just as I doubt you expect me to trust you. I don't expect ir nor do I demand it."
Tesla ducked her head slightly, sincerity in her eyes, "Thank you, General, for allowing me to see Sheppard." Tesla meant it, too. Hail could easily have forbidden it and locked her, Nyx and Quentin up, ruining the entire mission. But he didn't, and Tesla was thankful. Tesla looked sideways at Jem when Hail mentioned telling Vrain, how many more people would hear this message than Leona intended?
"General, I would like to take Wrig-" She stopped, there was no point in lying about names anymore. "I would like to take the young girl, her name is Petrova."
Quentin: Fort London
He was slightly relieved, to be honest. Quentin hadn't fully known what to do, which was a little strange given Quentin always had a plan. But this situation wasn't exactly one he'd ever imagined himself in.
Moving his gaze from Nyx to Vrain, Quentin spoke up as well, "My name is Quentin Short. My family wasn't killed by the Gifted, I really am a human, and I really did grow up in and around Britain."
His green eyes were bright as he watched Vrain, waiting her reaction. It wouldn't be a surprise to the woman, that much was clear, but he wondered--now that she knew fully that they'd been lying--how much of the actual truth she'd believe.
( I'm sorry you're going through a hard time Leah. We're always here if you need to talk :) And GASP! Snooze is going to be so upset! I can't reply right now since I only have my iPod, but I'll reply tomorrow :) )
(Woops! Completely forgot about Noah ^^' And thanks everyone. It's just... since the beginning of the school year I haven't had any friends and now it's starting to get to me.)
Noah:London
Once inside the gates, the captain who had been on top of the wall appeared to escort them. They were lead right through the main part of the city- Noah tried not to stare at everything too hard but he was afraid he wasn't doing a very good job of it.
He hadn't been entirely sure of what to expect from fort London, but he'd always thought it would be something completely different and shocking. The real thing turned out to be surprisingly normal and almost disappointing. Still, though, just the fact that he was really in London easily overshadowing that feeling.
They were brought inside a large building that was obviously a main center for military affairs. After walking through the halls for a bit they arrived in a relatively large room with other people who were obviously new arrivals to the fort.
"Wait here," The captain said tersely. "Someone will come and fetch you soon. Until then there's food and fresh clothes for you." And with that he walked off.
When he was finally gone Noah let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He attempted to look sullen like the others in the room but he was too giddy with excitement to play the role well.
"Well, here we are," He whispered to Bobbi and Jaden. "Now what?"
Jaden: Fort London
Well, that was boring. Jaden removed her hand from Noah's arm and wiped it on her pant leg with a small curl of her lip. She was honestly rather surpised they'd made it in so easily. The humans really were rather stupid, weren't they.
Jaden-still trying to act blind-turned to Noah, her voice low, "You two buffoons are the ones leading this thing, please tell me you actually have a plan."
She tilted her head and crossed her arm, a perfect blond eyebrow appearing above the sunglasses. She considered taking them off, it was hard to see inside with them on. Her eyes were already a milky, grayish blue that looked very obviously unnatural. But that would be risky, they looked too Gifted.
Jaden let out a small huff and looked around the room. There were others like them scattered about the room, some wet others dry, as if they'd been there for a few hours.
(Just FYI, I don't have time to post now, but I will tomorrow. And after the morning-ish, I won't be on until Monday, most likely
And, most importantly: Leah, if you ever need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to come to me---or any of us, for that matter. I'm sorry you're going through a tough time *hugs*)
((Here are two more pictures!
Hector: h ttp://i1267.photobucket.c om/albums/jj543/elizabethe819/Busting%20Through/886a10d66918bbcb29845f9cd938b0d9_zps0d827129.jpg
Quinten: h ttp://i1267.photobucket.c om/albums/jj543/elizabethe819/Busting%20Through/18080a473119289739810c5de224ef8a_zps2f6dcdf4.jpg
Also, I realized you changed the spelling of his name to Quentin (on purpose or no), but I was going off of his skeleton so its spelled how you originally had it :)
And just as a reminder, after this I probably won't have the chance to post again until Monday))
Hector: Central America
You don't need a Gift to execute the powers of persuasion.
Thankfully, Jo finally agreed to remain in Central America---another disaster averted. Sending one person back with Leona was more than enough, since he had turned down her proposal without much room to give. One person and a kid who wasn't really his? Okay, that would be fine. But adding another soldier to the squad? That was a bit much.
Hector didn't fail to notice, however, Jo's hesitation in answering---though he hoped it was due to her attachment to the child, not because of otherwise divided loyalties. Nor did he fail to notice Snooze's watering eyes, as though he was about to cry. But he isn't crying, that's the thing. Another reminder or how quickly everyone grows up these days. Including me.
He bent down to eye-level with Snooze, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey kid, I'm sorry. But sometimes when you're an adult, you have obligations to meet, obligations you can't back out of. Jo is one of those adults---she's a soldier, and we need her here."
Umbra and Leona, on the other hand, kept their expressions impassive---whew, they were quite alike, weren't the?---although the former didn't look too pleased at the prospect of dragging a child along with them on the way to North America. No, scratch that. Neither of them seem eager to bring Snooze with them, actually. But he knew they would, and that they would keep them safe. Leona, due to her own obligation, and Umbra, because she would be the guest, not the host, in North America.
"The Sun is rising," he heard Umbra say. "If we don't leave soon, we'll be driving in the worst of the heat." She was right, of course---once the cool of the morning waned, the weather was nearly unbearable, especially when travelling. Well, if anything, this'll be an interesting road trip for them.
Eve Fort London
If anything, Eve had a good poker face. Her expression remained blank, and her icy eyes seemed to melt a little. She didn't know why they felt the need to lie. It would only cause more suspicions for them, and her impassive mask broke as she rose her brows. Quentin's "I really am a human" line caught her interest, and suddenly, her eyes were freezing up again.
"And you," She looked pointedly at Nyx, things clicking together softly in her head. It would explain her strange eyes color, for one..."Are you human, Nyx?" Eve asked, her fingers beginning to tap on the table steadily.
Jem Fort London
Jem nodded, understanding his brother wholeheartedly. He had really grown into a rational man in the two years he was away. It made a flutter of sorrow fly through him. He missed so much...all because of how he couldn't own up to who he was...
"Of coarse. I understand." He responded, catching a glimpse of something else behind those emerald eyes. Something that shouldn't have been spoken about in front of Aurora...their father...
Jem blinked at the mention of Eve. That last time he saw her, she was the same height. All that changed was the faint scar on her chin, though it didn't disrupt her beauty. Faintly, Jem wondered if their was something more than a working partnership in their relationship.
"Actually, she was supposed to know, too." He replied, with a little laugh. Funny, how things turned out...Jem glanced back at Aurora, listening to her speak. He was glad that they were finally being civil to eachother, and hopefully she wouldn't hold a grudge against him for siding with his brother. At the mention of Nyx, that fatherly side rose up in him again.
"I think Petrova should accompany her. Very young, you know." Jem's British accent was much more noticeable now; hethought he lost it for good from staying in Arizona..."Could she go get her from Eve?"
Snooze Central America
Thick betrayal built up in Snooze's throat, bitter in taste. He stared at Jo as if she pulled a rug from under his feet. That's how he felt like, anyhow.
It was because you were stupid, and depended on her, and grown attatched to her. Snooze thought to himself angerily, even if all he could do was stare at her in utter dibelief. Jo isn't Alice, and she never will be. He couldn't believe his own stupidity, to actually trust someone! Snooze nodded heavily, her words seeming to reach his words slowly, like he was underwater.
"Okay." Was all he said to jo, his eyes broken as they fluttered down to his feet. Tears were threatening to escape, but he held them back with a determined set of his jaw. Even when Hector talked to him, Snooze barely looked at him for longer than a few seconds.
I trusted him too. He sullenly thought. I can't trust anyone. No one accept Alice, and myself. Snooze suddenly decided.
"Okay." He repeated to the man, nodding numbly. Snooze wish he could say other things, like how he would miss Jo--stupid, but true--or how he was thankful for Hector's rescue form Lion Lady. He couldn't be there if she freaked out again, but he shoved the thought away hastily.
"Bye." Another single syallabe left his lips, and he gave one last look to Jo--one that spoke of hurt, and his eyes spelled out the question How could you?-- before he obediantly got in the back of the Jeep, staring straight ahead.
(Leafy: yes, it's Quinten, not Quentin. When I posted my skellies on this thread I accidentaly posted the pre-revised ones. Like I think I forgot to put the languages Tesla speaks, the ones Quentin speaks, Quentin's eyes being green not blue, things like that.
And btw, I can't see the pictures you posted of the characters. All it does is take me to photobuckets homepage :/ )
(Skyye, the same thing happened to me when I was on Mobile. I had to use a regular computer to see them. Also, the password to get in is "teenink."
Carson, I was gonna do the opening post for the time-skip, but I think maybe you should, since you know how far you wanna go and could introduce Delias arriving at camp, too, if you wanted? )
(Dolphin: I'm not on mobile :/ I'm on a laptop and it doesn't even take me to a password protected part, just the regular PB homepage)
((Hm...are you sure you're getting the whole link, Dani? If it doesn't end in .jpg, then you're not (you kinda have to highlight it to the next line for it to copy the whole url, that makes sense). And ah, I see. I probably won't end up changing it all though, since that'd take a bunch of time :P
Also, Dolphin, I'm trying to find a picture that might resemble Kors (or at least one close enough that I can edit), but it isn't exactly working :P. I'm trying, though! haha))
(Leah: You're awesome, so never feel that you're not just because other people can't see it. I know the whole friend issue is hard, but we're always here for you!
Dolphin and others doing the time skip: Certainly! I think we're all ready, correct?)
Hail: Fort London
My God, he thought, taken aback, as Aurora stood and tucked away her pride, though with a noticeable grimace. Raising his eyebrow, he quickly shoved down the snide comment rising on his lips. After all, this show of respect had to have cost her; pushing her, despite the fact that he could, wasn't necessary.
Hail stomped away the unwanted demon in him and nodded his head at her. "Very well." He didn't miss how she had paused upon calling the young girl "Wright", and no doubt knew those names were fake as well. "You certainly can."
At the mention that Hail was free to tell General Vrain of the message, he relaxed visibly. "Good, good. I'll inform General Vrain..." He stood slowly to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck absently. "We'll go to the room next door. We won't be staying in here," he informed his brother, gazing at him with one last, burning look full of questions.
Hail was the first at the door, and he opened it for the other two to step through first. "First door on the right."
Nyx: Fort London
Nyx watched Quinten curiously as he gave his story, his face earnest and showing he spoke nothing but the truth. Her interest wasn't quenched, however; it merely intensified.
Grew up around Britain...and, well, he's certainly human. But what is his family story?
She tore her gaze from him reluctantly at Eve's question, and she opened her mouth to lie...but why? General Vrain would know, surely, once Jem had told his brother everything. Nyx had sensed something between Vrain and Hail that went beyond professionalism; he would tell her, she was sure, that Jem and Tesla were Gifted. No doubt he had already explained what they all were, excluding Quinten.
"Er...no," she answered truthfully, smiling bashfully. "Not exactly. Well, not at all, really."
Bobbi: Fort London
Noah's enthusiasm was infectious; Bobbi chose to ignore Jaden for the moment as the soldier left, peeling off her soaked jacket and shirt but keeping her relatively-dry tank top. There was no privacy in this room, and Bobbi thanked the fact that she had worn compression shorts beneath her cargo pants; she changed quickly into a dry pair, though they were slightly big on her. She fixed that with a belt before turning to the others, finally turning her gaze to Jaden distastefully.
"Please. You're the only one here making this mission more complicated than it should be. Of course there's a plan." She refrained from calling Jaden an imbecile. "We weren't sent here to make things up on the fly, though the attack and your appearance was inconvenient." Bobbi ignored the fact that Jaden had taken part in getting them out of that tough spot; for all Bobbi knew, she was what had drawn the soldiers' attention.
She waved a hand, sitting down at a cluster of chairs away from the other new arrivals, each of them wet and muttering darkly to their neighbors. Clearly, they were also waiting to be interrogated; Bobbi caught sight of a large, brutish man in the back, his full red beard and large black scar making her grimace before looking away. She counted about seventeen others in the room, but none of the soldiers looking about seemed bothered. New arrivals were, clearly, expected.
Lowering her voice so no one else would hear, Bobbi explained. "Our names and pictures are in the system...or, mine and Noah's names and pictures are in the system. I'm Administration, and Noah's Captain. They'll check our files and we'll be cleared." Her eyes went to Jaden. "You'll have to stay in the guest terminal of the fort, but I doubt they keep people for more than a few days. I don't think making an excuse for you would work, not any longer than you hanging back as a civilian would." Bobbi frowned. "We might have to find a soldier to kill off for you to impersonate, but you'd have to stay in. I can only keep up a change in your appearance for so long."
(I'll wait for Skyye before posting for Noah :) And thanks Carson... Actually, I think I would like to talk about this with you guys if that's okay. I'll make a separate thread in the rp section.)
Caterina:London
Caterina sucked in her breath when Wright- if that was even her real name- hesitantly admitted to being gifted. A gifted in the base? She thought worriedly. How on earth was this allowed to happen?
But outside of her worry and surprise Caterina felt extremely curious, maybe even a bit wistful. She tried her best not to, but she couldn't suppress the memories that rushed back to her from when she was growing up back in Italy. All of her family had been gifted, and all of her friends too. She had been completely surrounded by them for the first half of her life.
Because of that she hardly feared the gifted as much as the average human soldier, so finding out that these soldiers were gifted wasn't too outrageous to her. But still, it brought back a fresh sting of betrayal.
Caterina desperately wanted to question the two of them, but she knew her place and kept quiet. Hopefully General Vrain would get this all sorted out.
(Promise I'll reply back as soon as I can tonight! Sorry guys! The time skip for the Maerica people is okay for me :) )
(Alright, Leah. Just tell us when you've made it and we'll be there!
If everyone's ready (I know Dolphin is for sure), we'll skip ahead now for the Americas. It'll be a three day skip, so everyone should have time to have their characters travel.)
Leona: Arizona Base
It had been an agonizingly awkward and long three days, filled with nothing but silence in the Jeep---the boy, Leona was surprised to find, was well-behaved, if not because of his loss of the girl, Jo, and his kind savior, Hector---each individual lost in their own thoughts. Leona had been pondering her next move, but what was there? Hector had seemingly ruined the prophecy, though Leona wasn't sure a prophecy could be ruined. After all, the future was set in stone; so how, then, would Hector play as she had thought he would in the makings of things now?
Her dreams were uneasy, filled with a forebodding she could not explain. She felt as if something approached, and only twice before had she felt such a gut-wrenching sensation. The first had resulted in the murder of her stepfather, a moment that had changed her life; the second had come in the form of the General, Delias, arriving in her dreams, confirming the destiny that had been laid before her path and the paths of the others she had sent to be found.
Nothing good could come of this feeling. It would no doubt result in something tedious or otherwise stressful. Would it be a change in the prophecy? Would the world Leona wanted to prevent happen now that Hector had bowed out? How many others had rejected her message?
And yet, despite her troubled thoughts, the group arrived at the Arizona Base no sooner than the third day, the afternoon sun hot but, she noted, not quite as scorching as the blazing southern heat had been. Her reappearance caused a stir, and she was not surprised when, with their Jeep now parked its inhabitants slowly crawling out, several of her advisors and officers strode up to her, giving well-wishes with anxious looks that told her they wanted nothing more than to get down to business.
I'll need to see Wade, she thought, thinking of the man that had, for many years now, been a friend and advisor, whose relationship with Leona had only grown with the scandalous affair that had involved his own boyfriend as well as hers. He'll have the most accurate report...I don't need pieces here and there. I need it all.
Leona kindly waved them down, announcing quickly, "As you can see, we have a guest. I'll call a meeting at nightfall, in which I'll need full reports on all fronts."
This seemed to calm her officers, as they each, with nods and more warm welcomes than she had first received, left. Their appearance had drawn the eyes of soldiers walking through the camp; they cast her curious looks, noting the return of their Commander and her strange visitors: a small boy and a woman who, to put it in the boy's words, appeared more ghost than human.
Leona turned to Umbra and the boy---how had she not got around to asking him his name?---giving a warm smile, some of her ice having melted at being back in her homeland. If Leona was comfortable anywhere, it was here.
"Welcome to the Arizona Base. I can assure you, you're stay here will be comfortable...though I can't promise to compare it to your base back home." She nodded her head to Umbra, wondering what she thought of the place, with all of its tight corners and rigid soldiers. "I'll have to leave you to your quarters after dinner, but until then, I can give you a tour. If you would rather rest in your quarters after the long journey, however, I can provide a meal and a bed."
Her eyes went to the boy and then to Umbra, two figures who stood out more than Leona herself did, boy and ghost woman, looking out of place if only because of the attention they drew. Had the others ignored their existence, Leona knew they would have blended into the background, unseen and unheard.
But it can never be easy, she thought with a sigh.
Eve Fort London
If it wasn't for Nyx's youth, Eve probably would of slapped the girl.
Quite an irrational thing for her to think, but Eve couldn't help bing biased towards the Gifted. They had killed her parents, afterall. Even given her a scar from an attack, one that she wanted to badly to touch on the spot. Instead, her fingers stopped drumming against the table abruptly, and her eyes seemed to freeze over completely.
"So you're telling me that you are a Gifted." Her words were steady, but detached. Somehow, that made her fury all the more tangible. Eve couldn't believe the girl hadth nerve to smile...
A knock broke Eve's haze of wanting to pin Nyx down. She cast a sharp glare at both of them, swiftly getting up to answer it. Standing at the door was Keegan. The sight of him made her heart jump in both surprise and something else. Eve quickly took in Jem beside him, and his Captain.
"Immepcable timing."Eve murmured, letting the three of them in before she closed the door."Let me guess; you two are Gifted as well?" Her tone was more weary than anything else as she resumed her seat behind the table. The room was rather cramped with six people in total, though she had much more important things taking space in her thoughts.
Snooze Arizona Base
The next three days of travel was a blur to Snooze. He sat between two ladies; Ghost Lady, and Lion Lady, though he had tried referring to them by their actual names of "Leona" and "Umbra" outloud. His nicknames would stick mentally for quite a while.
It was a pattern of clothes sticking onto his chest, coated with sweat, to sleeping. He tried not to think of Jo, or Hector. Everytime their face flickered into his eyelids, a new flmae of betrayal burned his insides. It was tough, but Snooze knew it would pass over time. Over time, everything got easier, he decided.
Most of the time, Snooze disracted himself. He so rarely got to travel by car, and he would take in the landscapes of mountains and plains with wide eyes. He tried to memorize the beauty, to draw down later. His sketchbook was in his backpack, but he was much too shy to reveal any of his drawings to either of the woman he was traveling with. On occasion, he would stare at Leona, getting the odd color of her eyes, or Umbra's peculiar skin color. They both looked like that got over loaded with one color.
The worst part was Snooze's dream watching. Two of the three nights, he would wake up leaning either against Leona to glimpse images that sent shivers down his spine, or Umbra. Somehow waking up against her was even worse; she hardly dreamed of anything! At least Snooze knew Leona had some feelings. Umbra was an eerie blank sheet of paper.
And then, they finally made it. To the Arizona Base. The first thing Snooze noticed was how much cooler it was than in South America. Sure, it was hot, but the humidity was replaced by dryness. The people, too. All of them were obviously Gifted, some with even stranger features than Leona or Umbra.
On instinct, Snooze wanted to stay as close as possible to Lion Lady. Sure, they might of gotten a rough start, but Snooze forgave her. At her offer of a tour, he hovered closely to her side. Probably an annoyance, but Snooze couldn't help the fear that was leaking thorugh him. It was thick in his blood, like poisened syrup.
"Leona," Snooze's voice was raspy, and he swallowed. It had been a while sicne he last drank..."Can I please have a tour?" Really, he could care less about getting around. Frankly, he wanted to prolong his stay with her as long as possible, and if he was going to get a tour out of it, then so be it.
(Every single one of my characters are in Fort London O_O)
Quentin: Fort London
Quentin stiffened as he saw the iciness spread over Eve's features. Her eyes were like shards of glass, all pointed at Nyx. Quentin straightened his shoulders, feeling defensive Nyx.
His own eyes hardened as he watched Eve, almost daring her to threaten the younger girl. She wouldn't, would she? Nyx had done nothing to Eve, but it was obvious-at least to him-that she had no kind feelings toward Gifted.
He was jerked from his thoughts from a knock on the door. He warily watched as Eve opened it, revealing Hail, Jeremy and Tesla. Jeremy and Hail both looked the same, yet very different. Tesla looked like she'd stuffed a lot of pride away for the sake of her mission. He respected that.
Quentin rose to his feet, making sure he was at full height. He crossed his arms, making his shoulders look even broader. He silently watched as Tesla answered Eve.
"Yes. I am Gifted, I suggest you don't have a problem with it."
Tesla eyed Eve openly, her blue eyes-quite a few shades darker than Eve's-firm and unflinching. She was no stranger to hostility, from the Gifted to the humans or vise-versa. She didn't tolerate it in those directly under her command, or at least when they were in her presence. Eve seemed to have no kindred sentiments.
"My name is Montange, Aurora Montange."
She held out a hand, waiting to see if the woman would shake it.
Jaden: Fort London
Jaden shrugged of Bobbi's distainful look--which was easy considering she wasn't supposed to be able to see it. "Oh, am I, Mimic? The best I remember it was you and Noah who got yourselves found by a band of soldiers, not me. And I'm not making anything more complicated."
She smirked at Bobbi calling her an inconvience, "Oh, honey, I've been called a lot worse than that. If you're gonna insult me do it a little better."
Jaden leaned forward and propped her chin on her palm, her clothes were already drying, which she was thankful for. It was taking all her control not to let loose even the tiniest of sparks. It'd hurt like he.ll if one got on her.
"Oh, Mimic, I don't need a fake name or a dead soldier to get what or go where I want. And you're not touching me with that mimickry of yours, I'll do fine without it."
