darkSpyro

Having left Quake and Michael, I continue to wander, before sitting down with my back against the very tree that Vi is part of right now. To the observer, unless they look real hard, nothing seems to be there. However looking closer they can see an outline of a wraith-like figure.
May add more later.

//I'm not proud of my previous post, I could've described that much better and without all those run on sentences aha. Wylrin teach me how to be like you senpai. Teach me the ways of description *Bows.* But srsly, all of you are amazing roleplayers and I'm glad you joined this, I really didn't think it would take off so thank you!//

Digby wasn't very fast, and with the long strides that Aileen made it always was embarrassing for him. When they were kids Digby and Aileen would race, and every time Aileen won, which for a 12 year old boy, being beaten by a girl wasn't the best confidence booster. Of course Digby had grown up since then...Well, physically at least. It would've been easy for Digby to shift his legs into a cheetahs and win easily but he didn't want to use up all of his energy. Once he'd gotten fairly deep into the woods he had stopped, kneeling over and panting. "You...You got lucky that time, I had you there at the last second."

-----

In quite the contrast to Digby, Quake hadn't seemed to lose any energy during the fight, more like he'd gained some, most likely due to the rush of adrenaline that fighting bestowed him with. The brute tore his axe from the metallic golem, ripping out nuts and wires. "Good thing you aren't alive, would've been painful, for all the five seconds it lasted." He chuckled to himself and put the axe in its holder. As he turned to Michael he saw the boy clapping. "Ah, why thank you, of course I'm sure you could have done all that in less time than me, after that cup of milk you drank, aha."

"Hmm..." Quake perked up, like a meerkat on watch, normally he would have told his companion to be quiet but since Michael didn't speak he didn't have the need. The man listened closely, his entire body still as a stone statue except for his eyes which shifted back and forth. "Something isn't right." When he spoke now it was icy, cold like steel, terrifyingly serious. "Stand behind me. Now." Quake would take no nonsense, if Michael didn't listen he would have to grab the boy himself. "Stay behind me and do not move."

Quake slowly raised his blade from the hilt and held it at his side. "I know that you are there. Whomever or whatever you are. If you do not show yourself I can assure you that pain can be administered even by the blind." Quake had been taught to know when something wasn't right, when he was being followed, it wasn't exactly a sense, it was his observation. There wasn't a wind and yet the grass beside the mossy rock was moving, bugs were flying in a specific path, around something, something invisible, but something. "Last warning."

Quake had noticed that the grass continued to moved, towards the large oak tree that was nearby, only a few feet away.

((OOC: I don't know how to teach! D: Teach me how to teach so I can teach! ))

When Quake addressed him, Michael put a stop to his quiet applause, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly for a moment at the man's last remark. It was amusing just how inaccurate the statement was, though the empath knew it had merely been a joke. The boy's abilities couldn't be used in a battle situation, nor was he at all skilled in any form of combat or martial art. Even if he had faced only one of those robotic creatures on their easiest setting, he still probably would have lost the battle. Michael simply wasn't suited for combat, which in all honesty, suited him just fine. He had neither the need nor the desire to fight anyone, even if it was merely out of self defense.

He was brought out of these thoughts of how he would fare in a combat situation when he took notice of the change in Quake's posture. The man seemed more alert now, like an animal searching its surroundings for any other creature that would prey on it. It was disconcerting to see the man act in such a way, for surely if Quake was put on edge, then Michael should probably be terrified.

At Quake's command to get behind him, the empath readily complied without any sort of argument. He peeked out from behind the man's larger form, but similar to his earlier experience, he saw nothing. It occurred to him just then that Quake might actually be sensing whatever he had sensed before the training session had begun. Tapping the man on the shoulder to get his attention, Michael put an index finger and a middle finger to his own temple, putting much emphasis in the gesture, trying to get across that he was trying to convey something of significance. The empath was trying to tell him that he, too, had sensed something earlier, though he wasn't entirely sure how to tell him this without the use of words.

Vianne watched Quake practice with a childlike wonder. Eyes wide and grinning from ear to ear, she enjoyed every exciting second of the battle. It took a bit of willpower to keep from cheering and completely giving herself away. Her motivation for this was the simple fact that she wanted to respect the man's personal space. She was not actually given an invitation to watch, and she didn't want to come off as an intruder. She was merely an innocent spectator who happened along the scene at the right time. So she kept her distance out of respect, even though she would have loved to join in the fun.

As she continued watching, however, she noticed a change in the man's demeanor. The training seemed to be over, and yet he was readying himself for combat once more. When he called out, she flinched and her eyes widened. Did he somehow know she was watching? It didn't sound like he saw her, even though he could have. She may have been partially camouflaged, but she could still be easily spotted.

It was when she felt a presence against the base of the tree that she thought maybe this man wasn't talking about her. Vi turned her gaze downward, but saw no one. That was odd. She could clearly feel someone or something against the tree. Being a part of the tree, she could feel everything it touched. Whether visible or not, something had to be there.

//I honestly believe you're a troll judging from your character here and in HSvA. You clearly did NOT read my rules because as stated this takes place in the real world and you didn't list any weaknesses, so there's two strikes, you're most likely trolling, so that's another strike, and if you aren't trolling you need to learn how to follow the rules of a roleplay and create a proper character, your sheet is that of an OC Fandom Rp, which this is not.
Not Accepted.
I hope this doesn't come off as rude as it wasn't the intent, however as GM i need to be strict when people aren't following the rules, hopefully you can understand.//

Standing up and positioning myself in a way that I can be seen, a wraith-like form appears. I watch them in silence as they look me over. Even in my position, I can be easily mistaken for a reflection or illusion. The only real way to be sure that I am real, is for someone to gather the courage and make physical contact with me. Or they could attack me. My look however makes it difficult, for others to approach me.

Quake spread his legs and pumped out his chest, seeming bigger than he already was, a fear tactic. The man raised his sword and pointed it towards the creature. "Who and what are you, What is your intent?" The man took a step towards the Wraith and prepared for battle. "Speak." He didn't want to harm the creature for Quake knew not if it was friend or foe and he didn't want to frighten it but he also couldn't take the chance that the spirit was dangerous. "I promise I will not hurt you, I just would like some answers." He assured the creature before placing his sword back in the hilt.

At first, Michael couldn't see the source of the disturbance, though from the way Quake changed his posture into a more defensive one, he knew that the man must have seen something. Peeking around the colossal man he hid behind, he followed his companion's gaze until he finally saw... something. The boy wasn't at all certain just what it was, but he did know that this was the entity that he had sensed before.

One might think that all emotions were the same, but this was not quite the case. Every person or living creature possessed its own unique emotional signature, which the empath could distinguish and use to separate individuals. Though the stream of emotions that barrages his mind can be vast and overwhelming, making it difficult to pick out a single feeling - like a droplet of water out of a sprawling ocean - if he concentrates hard enough, the empath can determine just where, as well as who, he is picking up emotions from. He can learn to recognize certain people's emotions, pick up on the subtle differences between one person's sadness and another's.

It was for this reason that, looking upon this strange creature and feeling its unique emotional print, Michael could sense that this was the very same entity he had encountered before. He glanced up at Quake for a moment, before returning his gaze to stare questioningly at the strange anomaly that stood before them. Though he didn't pick up any hostile intent from it, he still wasn't at all certain just what it was going to do next.

((OOC: I hope my description of how Michael can tell people apart based on their emotions makes any sense.))

((OOC: Here's another character. I hope they're alright! :3))

Name: They assume the identity of whatever mask they are wearing, though others have given them the alias “Anonymous”

Age: 21

Personality: Anonymous’s personality changes depending on the mask and/or costume they wear. Their gender identity also changes depending on their current costume/mask. For example, they might refer to themselves as male in one mask, then as female in another mask.

Appearance: Aside from standing at about 5’11, not much can be discerned about Anonymous, for their costumes and masks tend to conceal their features. Even their biological gender is unknown. Whenever they assume the role of a male or female, their voice is remarkably masculine or feminine, respectively, so even their voice does not hint to their biological gender.

History: This will be revealed throughout the roleplay.

Powers: Anonymous can – and has no choice but to – assume the identity, skills, and knowledge of any costume or mask they wear. For example, if they dressed as a ninja, they would assume the identity of one, as well as immediately have the skills and knowledge of a ninja. They would possess the techniques, as well as the strength and stamina, of a ninja. Anonymous can also assume the powers of their mask/costume. If they dressed up like Darth Vader, for example, then they would be able to use the Force. This assimilation of knowledge, skills, and powers is not permanent and cannot be added to by another mask/costume’s traits. Anonymous cannot, for example, put on a ninja costume, then put on another costume, and possess both costumes’ traits. They only possess the traits of their current costume, so when a mask/costume is taken off, the knowledge, skills, and/or powers go with it.

I look into Quake's eyes as I stand before him. My eyes glisten in the sunlight. I show no fear as he tries to intimidate me.

"My name is Rhin Fallen. I came here for refuge from the outside world that wants to kill us all. I came here searching for a new home and life. You all have no idea about pain. There are no words to describe mine, just a great hole within me," I say as I move to leave the group and be on my own.

Name: Dillan Star York (prefers to be called Star)
Age: 15
Personality: Star is the drama queen of the group. She likes to cause trouble with other girls. She is very overdramatic and has a bad attitude towards other girls. She uses Snapchat all the time and most of her followers are boys. She listens to pop music. She likes to party and get drunk. She is very spoiled. She is very greedy.
Appearance: A 4'5 girl with pink hair, blue eyes, big lips, small feet, and average sized hands. She dresses like a rich girl and she wears 24 karat gold bracelets and necklaces and rings.
History: Star was born to her billionaire mom and dad. She found out her weather power at the age of 3 when she made it snow in July. She went to the outcast camp for learning more about her powers but she didn't leave her riches behind.
Powers: She controls the weather and she makes the weather move to her emotions. Telekinesis.
Weaknesses: Fire. It's actually more of a symbol of being humble and kind not greedy and mean.

//@Wylrin accepted
@Pokemon2 12 is a really young age, I'd say it would be better if she were older. Also in the case of her liking Digby, Digby doesn't really know anyone in the camp other than Aileen as he's sort of a recluse at the time that this starts so I'd change that. I don't understand her weaknesses, could you please elaborate? And I think her ability to turn those to gold might be a bit too overpowered as she could stop literally anyone//

Quake stood in silence as he listened to the wraith speak, this being seemed to be entitled, as if it thought that pain was exclusive to it and it alone, which was both selfish and arrogant, pain made people stronger, although it hurt, in the end it was a strength in Quake's mind, not a weakness, it reminded him why he needed to be stronger than his enemies, why he was still alive. Pain was inevitable, everyone felt pain, even the strongest of warriors, but letting the pain consume you, giving up, was the greatest fault one could have. It was admitting defeat before defeat was had.

Quake watched as the creature trailed off. "You think you are in so much pain that it renders ours pointless? These are not the words of a kind man, but a blind man, a man who cannot see that others have pain, that others are suffering, it is not in your right to compare that pain, that is foolish. You must find yourself and put the blame aside before you can become the person you so wish." After speaking Quake glanced towards Michael. "Pain makes us who we are."

The creature's words upset Michael. His face was even visibly distressed, which he usually kept stony and solemn to hide his feelings and try to keep them in check. This person - Rhin, as he had identified himself - didn't think they knew pain? That was a surprisingly... unempathetic thing to say. How could he so easily disregard others' pain, when he himself claimed to suffer from it so terribly?

Michael was an empath, and as one might chance to guess, that made him a very empathetic individual. He understood what people felt, in more ways that one. He felt and endured others' pain and misery on a daily basis. It was downright insulting, for this creature to tell him he knew nothing of pain. If his abilities should be left unchecked, Michael could very easily be a conduit for everyone's agony. This creature didn't understand. It was ridiculous for him to pretend that he did.

Looking away, unable to bear looking at the individual who accused him of not knowing anguish, Michael only half heard what Quake was saying. He didn't raise his eyes from the ground where they were currently trained, the boy simply nodded in agreement with the man's speech. Part of him wanted to walk away, to get away from this conversation, but he stayed where he was, either because he felt safer by Quake's side, or because he was simply too drowned in his thoughts to move.

Vianne quietly watched and listened from her sitting position on the tree branch. She frowned and narrowed her gaze on this wraith creature. While she was normally friendly and tried to get along with everyone, she already had a bad feeling about this person. She just didn't like what this Rhin fellow had said. He acted like he knew them, knew how they felt, or more accurately, didn't feel. He seemed to have no real consideration for others. How ironic that someone who apparently felt a great deal of pain couldn't even begin to understand how others feel.

With a heavy sigh, she watched this being leave, actually eager to see them go. Vi was sure that the wraith was not the kind of company she wanted to have. Wanting to bring happiness back to her day, she decided to look elsewhere for fun. While still in her wooden form, she jumped out of the tree, hitting the ground with a thud. Not even bothering to deactivate her powers, Vianne started to walk away from the scene.

Quote: Lunarz

//@Wylrin accepted
@Pokemon2 12 is a really young age, I'd say it would be better if she were older. Also in the case of her liking Digby, Digby doesn't really know anyone in the camp other than Aileen as he's sort of a recluse at the time that this starts so I'd change that. I don't understand her weaknesses, could you please elaborate? And I think her ability to turn those to gold might be a bit too overpowered as she could stop literally anyone//

Quake stood in silence as he listened to the wraith speak, this being seemed to be entitled, as if it thought that pain was exclusive to it and it alone, which was both selfish and arrogant, pain made people stronger, although it hurt, in the end it was a strength in Quake's mind, not a weakness, it reminded him why he needed to be stronger than his enemies, why he was still alive. Pain was inevitable, everyone felt pain, even the strongest of warriors, but letting the pain consume you, giving up, was the greatest fault one could have. It was admitting defeat before defeat was had.

Quake watched as the creature trailed off. "You think you are in so much pain that it renders ours pointless? These are not the words of a kind man, but a blind man, a man who cannot see that others have pain, that others are suffering, it is not in your right to compare that pain, that is foolish. You must find yourself and put the blame aside before you can become the person you so wish." After speaking Quake glanced towards Michael. "Pain makes us who we are."

She'll be 15 instead and the turning people to gold will be replaced with telekinesis.
She'll have the fire weakness because it represents being humble and kind. Star is the opposite.

Updated Star

//I want to accept you but I don't think you should make her cheat on people, that's a terrible thing and a terrible message and it's just terrible in general (and I mean...She's also 15 so it's even worse) Or have her punch Aileen. Like I said these characters do not know eachother save for Digby and Aileen who were childhood friends. I feel like I'm being such a jerk to you aha. Tell ya what. Take out the cheating, take out her punching Aileen, and be more detailed with the weaknesses and that should be good. I really don't mean to seem like a jerk I just want to make sure everything goes well.//

Several emotions were swirling through Quake's head, he felt sadness for Michael as Quake could see very obviously he was unsettled, he felt confused and angry at Rhin as the Wraith-boy clearly wasn't very empathetic, seemingly wanting someone to feel bad for them when they themselves seemed to lack the ability to feel bad for others and understand that pain didn't just belong to him. Quake wasn't so unlike Michael, both were able to perceive emotions and had excellent observation skills, Quake through learning throughout his journeys and Michael through his decision not to speak and needing to learn how to observe and speak without speaking in order to survive.

"Those in great pain often find themselves alone in this world, as if no one cares." The man went back to a more relaxed position before continuing. "Perhaps we were harsh with him, he seems alone. The next time, if there is a next time, I would like to apologize, pain does great things to a person, Michael. It can twist them and mold them into someone they are not, it can change their perception and emotions and the way they portray themselves. Maybe he just feels alone..."

That was when Quake heard the thud. "Hm?" It was like a giant clump of bark just fell out of the tree somehow, crashing to the ground below, but it was heavy, and it seemed...It seemed to move. As Quake watched the "bark" stand up he then understood that it was someone from the camp, perhaps with the ability to blend or mimic nature. Quake wondered if whoever or whatever it was had seen the entire incident that took place. Normally for Quake a regular day involved a long walk, training, doing work from the bulletin board, training some more, and perhaps going out to get a bite to eat with an acquaintance, however this day seemed to be going quite....Different, for lack of a better word.

Quake yelled after the tree person. "Excuse me!" His loud voice echoed across the field. With a smile the large man waved, he wasn't sure if this were friend or foe, male or female, human or tree, he didn't exactly have a reason for calling for the tree person other than utter curiosity and the possibility that this person could lighten up the day, if not just for Quake's sake but for Michael's aswell. It was rather...Not obvious, but assumed by Quake that Michael could feel emotions, Quake hadn't caught onto it until recently but it seemed that whenever sadness was portrayed by someone, Michael seemed sad, when wonder was expressed, Michael seemed excited, and Quake thought that maybe this person could bring Michael the good mood he needed to feel better about the day.

Quote: Lunarz

//I want to accept you but I don't think you should make her cheat on people, that's a terrible thing and a terrible message and it's just terrible in general (and I mean...She's also 15 so it's even worse) Or have her punch Aileen. Like I said these characters do not know eachother save for Digby and Aileen who were childhood friends. I feel like I'm being such a jerk to you aha. Tell ya what. Take out the cheating, take out her punching Aileen, and be more detailed with the weaknesses and that should be good. I really don't mean to seem like a jerk I just want to make sure everything goes well.//

Several emotions were swirling through Quake's head, he felt sadness for Michael as Quake could see very obviously he was unsettled, he felt confused and angry at Rhin as the Wraith-boy clearly wasn't very empathetic, seemingly wanting someone to feel bad for them when they themselves seemed to lack the ability to feel bad for others and understand that pain didn't just belong to him. Quake wasn't so unlike Michael, both were able to perceive emotions and had excellent observation skills, Quake through learning throughout his journeys and Michael through his decision not to speak and needing to learn how to observe and speak without speaking in order to survive.

"Those in great pain often find themselves alone in this world, as if no one cares." The man went back to a more relaxed position before continuing. "Perhaps we were harsh with him, he seems alone. The next time, if there is a next time, I would like to apologize, pain does great things to a person, Michael. It can twist them and mold them into someone they are not, it can change their perception and emotions and the way they portray themselves. Maybe he just feels alone..."

That was when Quake heard the thud. "Hm?" It was like a giant clump of bark just fell out of the tree somehow, crashing to the ground below, but it was heavy, and it seemed...It seemed to move. As Quake watched the "bark" stand up he then understood that it was someone from the camp, perhaps with the ability to blend or mimic nature. Quake wondered if whoever or whatever it was had seen the entire incident that took place. Normally for Quake a regular day involved a long walk, training, doing work from the bulletin board, training some more, and perhaps going out to get a bite to eat with an acquaintance, however this day seemed to be going quite....Different, for lack of a better word.

Quake yelled after the tree person. "Excuse me!" His loud voice echoed across the field. With a smile the large man waved, he wasn't sure if this were friend or foe, male or female, human or tree, he didn't exactly have a reason for calling for the tree person other than utter curiosity and the possibility that this person could lighten up the day, if not just for Quake's sake but for Michael's aswell. It was rather...Not obvious, but assumed by Quake that Michael could feel emotions, Quake hadn't caught onto it until recently but it seemed that whenever sadness was portrayed by someone, Michael seemed sad, when wonder was expressed, Michael seemed excited, and Quake thought that maybe this person could bring Michael the good mood he needed to feel better about the day.

Fixed it.

I swivel around as I hear someone call out. My deep dark midnight blue eyes are watery and a single tear escapes them, flowing down my cheek. It wasn't that I thought their pain was not bad at all, it was just... Oh, how could they possibly understand, that I died, been crushed and burned alive to save a hundred or more people, some of them could even had been members of the camp. There was even a monument, a memorial built to comemmorate my selfless act, giving my life, to preserve many more. I am but a shadow of my former self, to roam the land for eternity as what I became in death. Though to them I am the villan as all this, is because of me. All the pain and loss they went through, I am to blame for it all. Through the survivors' tears and love, I will always be a hero and a villan. This is how I feel, and it is reflected in the aura around me. Little do I know that they do not blame me for all of this, nor their pain, they see me as they see one another, a victim of circumstance. My appearance scares them, but they do not hate me. Finding another distant tree, I lay against it gazing at the sky, not knowing I am now part of the canvas of a talented female artist.

As Vianne had started to walk away from the group, she had forgotten about the fact that Quake and Michael were there and could clearly see her. The thought didn't even cross her mind until she heard a loud voice. The shout startled her and made her flinch. She instinctively stiffened up, appearing as hardly anything more than a humanoid log standing upright. When nothing further happened, she slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice.

Vi noticed how the large man smiled and waved. He didn't seem angry at all, in fact, he seemed friendly. This put her at ease and helped her to relax. She gave a smile and wave in return as she deactivated her powers. Her form changed back to normal, starting with her head and going down to her feet. It almost appeared as if the wood was leaving her body and simply going back to the Earth.

As Quake began to speak up again, suggesting that they, perhaps, had initially misjudged the wraith-like creature, Michael did not raise his eyes from where they were trained on the ground. He seemed distant, almost unresponsive to the outside world. To his ears, Quake’s words seemed very far away, as if he was standing at a great distance from him as opposed to being right next to him. The man’s dialogue only half-registered in the empath’s mind, for right now, he was caught up in a strange realm of his own that was very different from the real world.

Earlier, he had allowed himself to get upset by Rhin’s seemingly unfeeling words, and now he was paying the price for it. The empath constantly regulated his own emotions, for it seemed that when he let his own feelings get the better of him, others’ emotions could more easily slip into his head. He couldn’t be caught up in his own feelings and maintain the mental barriers that kept his mind safe from being overrun by foreign emotions at the same time. This was why Michael constantly kept his face stony and mask-like, and forbade himself from ever expressing any extreme form of emotion. Keeping his facial expressions in check was just one of the many ways that the empath tried to keep the emotions within him from running rampant. A neutral expression didn’t necessarily mean that one’s emotions weren’t raging on the inside, but in maintaining awareness of one’s facial expression, one could also retain consciousness of one’s inner feelings. So one might guess that, if Michael’s facial expression was compromised, then surely his inner feelings must be as well.

And they would be right.

The empath had let his barriers down long enough for others’ emotions to force their way into his mind, and so, he was experiencing the strongest feelings of those around him – which happened to be Rhin’s. The wraith-like creature was calling to mind the experiences he’d had before his death, and so Michael was feeling the very same thing. Now, if you’ll recall, an empath doesn’t deal with base emotions themselves, but to an extent, memories as well. They can experience others’ past experiences as their own; can feel not only the emotions of those memories, but the physcial stimuli, as well. It was like reliving a small fragment of another person’s life, only these experiences that empaths face tended to be distorted and confusing.

And Michael was definitely confused right now. He was hardly even aware of his presence beside his friend now. Before his eyes flashed images of panicked crowds, scurrying and bumping into each other as they tried to get away. He could smell smoke, could taste its toxic fumes in his mouth, could feel the poisonous gas burning his throat, as well as the heat of… was there a fire? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he needed to get out, but he couldn’t, because there were others, all clustered together in a chaotic mess as they tried to escape.

The empath suddenly shook his head, trying to force the sensations out. He knew logically that he was fine, that he was safe, but how can any human being simply ignore their senses? Ignore the strong sense of panic that was surging through him now? He had to get out, both in the sense that he needed to get away from the imaginary fire, and that he needed to get away from the source of these terrible feelings –memories – that were being projected onto him.

Not aware that Vianne had revealed herself to them now, and only half aware that no, he wasn’t burning alive, this was just a memory of someone else, the empath turned on his heel and tried to discreetly sneak away from the scene. He had to get away, but he didn’t want anyone noticing his strange behavior. So while he did not break out into a run, his steps were quick, for he had to get as far away as he could from the source of these feelings.


On top of a tall building far away from the training grounds, a figure was watching the scene unfold. This individual was dressed in some sort of ninja outfit, for they were dressed in all black and the only part of their body that was uncovered by the material of their clothing was their eyes. They certainly seemed to be acting the part of a ninja, or some sort of intelligence-gathering agent, for they were pressed flat on their stomach on the roof of the building, trying to remain unseen. If anyone had managed to spot the elusive figure, they would have seen that their eyes were trained on the grounds below them, looking seemingly anywhere and everywhere at the same time. Those observant eyes of the ninja were watching closely for any activity, so thus, they had focused most recently on the events unfolding at the training grounds. If this figure thought anything of the current doings of their fellow camp members, their eyes did not show it, and their mask concealed any facial expression they might be making.

OOC: I have returned from my seclusion.

Aileen eventually caught up to Digby and stood by him. Her breathing had quickened, but she wasn't nearly as worn out as him. Standing straight beside him, she tried thinking of jokes to make fun of his weird cheetah legs, but digressed. Instead, she remained silent and stared down at nothing in particular, keeping aware of Digby's words and actions.

//Now that you've returned we can get into some sick sweet action. Waak, you silly goose, Digby decided not to use his little kitty cheetah legs. but it's aight cuz you're back now and we can start getting intense!//

Surrounded by nothing but woods, the sound of chirps and the whine of the wind sifting through the trees, Digby stood in the center of it, Aileen by his side, and while he hadn't caught his breath fully, he felt the need to explain his reasoning for bringing a girl all the way into the middle of the woods where no one would be able to hear her scream. "I've been training here, Aily." Digby had been trying to perfect a full form transformation, but he just couldn't get it right, he lacked the focus and the understanding, and he was far too angry and impatient, if he was lucky he could form two of his arms at once but that was on a good day.

"I wanted you to be the first to see." Slowly Digby paced towards a tall dark oak tree, it was incredibly large, unusually so. "Check me out, Aily." With a smirk the boy focused as hard as he could, after a few moments his legs began to change into those of a kangaroo's, and with one swift bounce he flew into the air, growing a monkey tail mid-way and grabbing onto a branch, swinging from side to side, he jumped at the trunk and hugged it with large tree gecko hands and began to climb, he had nearly reached the top. Finally Digby pounced for the final branch, his body in incredible pain from the rapid change, it felt like he was on fire and being stabbed at the same time, he could barely move but he was determined and there was no turning back now. "Aily!" He shouted as grabbed the final branch, his body tingling. He stood atop the branch, hands at his side. "I am the best! I am the champion, I am....I...I am..." His words began to slur, and his legs began to wobble, the crow feet he had chosen to keep him balance began to fail. "I...I am....Gonna sleep for a bit...." Digby's eyes closed shut and he fell, his body trying to turn back to normal but without his consciousness he just looked deformed, like a hybrid. It was as if time had slowed down as he fell through the sky, his entire body tensed up which would've helped more with the fall if he hadn't been three stories high. Digby landed in a large bush and with a giant thud.

-----

Quake could now see that this "tree person" wasn't a tree at all but a beautiful young woman standing in his midst. His smile continued as he began to wander over to the girl, not noticing Michael had given him the slip. Quake had removed his helmet, not wanting to seem like a terrifying brute, although the rest of his armor remained, that he couldn't help, he just hoped he wouldn't give a bad impression because of it. "I apologize for calling you out, m'lady....I'm so sorry to impose on your time, but did you happen to experience what happened back there, I couldn't help noticing you had a perfect view, what with you being a tree and all." He gave a slight chuckle. "Oh! It seems I misplaced my manners for a moment, I am Viridium, although most call me Quake." The man took a bow before Vi.

Quake, was still unaware that Michael had left, and it wasn't exactly his fault, though he should have made sure the boy was alright, the sight of Vi distracted him for a moment. Plus Quake assumed Michael would follow behind as he had been from the beginning.

As Quake approached, he almost seemed to get even larger than he already appeared to be. Vianne was used to being small compared to most people, but this guy was bigger than average. While his size and armor gave off an intimidating presence, his attitude suggested that he was not the brute he appeared to be. His kind, respectful manner made her more comfortable being around him.

"M'lady?"Vi raised an eyebrow at that. "Is there a queen standing behind me or something?" She took a moment to glance behind her, seeing no one. "No. Okay, must be me then? Did someone put a crown on my head while I wasn't looking?" She asked as she raised a hand to pat her head. "Nope. No royalty here. You can relax, Mr. Knight-in-shining-armor. No need to be so formal." She grinned.

When he asked about what she saw, Vianne was almost worried that he'd get upset at her for watching. Although he didn't seem upset at all, so she decided not to worry about it. "Uh, yeah, I saw all right, got a nice front row seat, too. It's just as good as being a bird." She gave a chuckle when he mentioned misplacing his manners. "Hey, no sweat. I've lost count with how many times I've done that. Nice to meet'cha, I'm Vianne, but you can call me Vi." She started to hold out her hand, when she noticed that he bowed. For a moment, she wondered if she should bow back or not.

As Quake came up from his bow he saw that Vi had extended her hand, being raised by women he had been taught to respect them at the highest regard, admittedly he didn't have much knowledge of females outside of his family so it wasn't exactly his fault, most women seemed to be frightened and run from Quake despite his kind and caring attitude, they cared more about his size and appearance than who he really was underneath all the armor.

"Oh." Quake was embarrassed, which didn't happen very often, at her request of not having to be so formal he was sort of relieved, he always was acting wise and formal, but it would be nice to relax for a bit. "I apolog-...Er, Sorry about that." He laughed as he took her hand and shook it. As Vi spoke Quake became even more hysteric. "Ahahaha! You certainly are refreshing, I don't have a lot of interaction with people as you can probably tell why." He gave a grin back. "Although if there were a crown upon your head I'd think it would fit nicely."

After his what he hoped wasn't an out of place compliment towards her, he had begun to loosen up, more than usual. "I wood assume so" He snorted at his own joke. This was a side of Quake that he never thought was in him, but the personality of this female was bringing out a silly side of him, his whole life he had to be serious for danger lurked everywhere but now that he was in the camp he was learning that life wasn't so dangerous after all. "Vi, a lovely name, a nice contrast to mine aha, I guess if you witnessed that whole incident with that Wraith you saw my fight, so I assume you can utter a guess as to why people call me Quake."

"Body manipulation, right? That's what you can do? Mimic textures and objects?" Quake was incredibly curious, he was pulled towards Vi for some odd reason, perhaps because she allowed him to let out his fun side, plus he'd never seen such an amazing ability before. "Is it limited to trees?"

Vianne chuckled a bit as she shook his hand. "Don't worry about it." She didn't understand why he thought he had to be so formal. Maybe someone had used time powers to pull him out of the medieval times. She gave an amused smile at the thought. "As refreshing as a glass of water." She smiled, only wishing she was actually in her water form for that to make more sense and actually be funny.

"Hmm, well, it can't be your size or cool armor. Maybe it's the helmet hair." She grinned, her tone suggesting that it was meant to be a joke. While Vi was only kidding around, she was being somewhat honest. She didn't see anything wrong with his size, and she thought the armor was pretty neat. She admitted that he could be intimidating, but he did seem like a nice guy, so she wasn't really worried about anything. Vianne paused at the compliment. She gave a sincere smile that was void of her usual silliness. "Maybe if it was a children's size." While her tone suggested that she took it as a joke, her expression said otherwise.

At the pun he made, her eyes widened. With his knightly appearance and manners, Vi hadn't really expected him to make a joke quite like that one. This knight could be silly, she learned. At this, she beamed with a cheeky grin, and gave a snicker at the pun. If there was any doubt in her mind that they wouldn't get along, there wasn't any now. At the comment on her name, she gave a softer smile. "Well, it's only a few letters short of yours." When the fight was mentioned, she grinned once more. "Oh, yeah, that was cool! Ten outta ten, best demonstration of Earthy powers I've seen." She gave a chuckle. "Okay, it's the only one I've seen, but still great. Quake suits you."

"Something like that." She gave a chuckle. "I kinda absorb the properties of things around me and become them. I guess it's kinda hard to explain in sciencey terms, but that's the gist of it. And it is definitely not limited to trees. I can become basically anything in nature. Well, anything that's not like human or animal. I can do some inorganic stuff, too, but that stuff's generally harder."

//Is Digby dead!?? Does Quake have a weird crush on Vi?!?!? Will Jet ever get his steak!!!?? Find out next time on Outcast Camp Z!//

It was odd for Quake, he'd only been in the camp a short few months, and he never really cared to make nice with people, form alliances, or anything of the sort, he just stayed stoic and intimidating and trained for hours on end, perhaps he was subconsciously pushing people away due to what happened in his past, whatever it was he felt happy at this moment, and although perhaps jumping the shark, in his mind he had now made two friends. One of which had gone missing although Quake still hadn't caught on to that yet.

"My...My hair?" Quake reached up for his head to feel around. "Why I swear I rinsed it this morning! Maybe I should just shave it, although if I did that my head would probably form to shape my helmet and I'd never get it off!" Quake wasn't exactly the best at conversations due to his lack of having any unless it was being told what to do by a client, so he was a bit rusty at what was going on, he hoped that Vi didn't mind, although he was still worried she'd find fault in his social skills, or lack thereof.

"Small is good, it makes you approachable and it helps if anyone tries to mess with you, they'll think you're an easy match, and then boom! You're made of steel!" Quake was becoming increasingly intrigued in Vi's abilities, he was thinking of the possibilities of a tag team fights in the Colosseum that the Camp held, her ability to change substance could work amazing well with his control of nature.

"Hey, I hope this isn't too blunt but, would you like to go and get a-....Uh..." Quake paused. "I'm sorry, have you..." The giant looked every which way, his comrade couldn't be seen anywhere. Most people would have shrugged it considering that Quake had only just met the Empath, but Quake felt responsible, he let himself get distracted in a time of need for his new friend and now Michael could have been anywhere, hurt, sad, alone and afraid. "Vianne, the boy who was with me. Did you see him trail off?" Quake's stance became far less friendly and loose, he was tense and serious now. "I feel that he may be in trouble, or hurt." Quake was angry at himself for not keeping an eye on him, he felt responsible for everyone, it was one of his best and worst qualities. "I don't know how to explain this but that boy, he can feel....He can feel what others feel, and the encounter earlier with that Wraith must have sent him into a deep depression, I am so sorry, I want to so badly continue this conversation at a later time but...Please, will you help me find him?"

Vianne's smile faded when Quake seemed to miss the joke. "It was just meant to be a joke, it's fine. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." She told him quickly, almost frantically. Vi had made mistakes like that before, probably too many times. She always tried to tell jokes to make people laugh, but they weren't always good, or even taken the right way. She tried to make it obvious that she was only kidding, but even then, some people just never understood and would get upset. She never meant to be rude, and always felt bad when people took her jokes the wrong way.

She gave a proud smile at his comment on her size. "That's true. Seeing their faces is always fun, too." She chuckled. While her short height was sometimes a hindrance, she realized it had it's benefits as well. Sure, there were times when she wished she were taller, but she had learned that her powers could make up for her small size. So Vianne knew that there was truth in his words. Plus, she had tested out that theory a few times. Of course, that always led to getting in trouble and having to move.

Vi's smile faded as she watched him look around. Something seemed to be wrong, or missing, and she wondered what was going on. She was about to ask, when he spoke again. "Oh, that boy? Uh..." She muttered, looking around herself now. "No, I didn't see him leave." She admitted with a frown. Vianne wasn't the most observant person in the world, and she knew this. That boy could have been long gone and she never would have noticed. When Quake continued talking, she clenched her teeth, now getting nervous. "Oh, no, that's not good... Oh, geez, we better find him then..." She didn't fully understand, but she figured it didn't matter right now. What mattered was finding this boy and making sure he was okay.

"Um...." While looking around, she tried to think of how to find him quickly. Her eyes widened as she got an idea. "Ooh, uh, he was standing next to you, right?" She asked quickly as she turned her gaze to the area of ground by Quake's feet. She smiled a bit when she saw footprint indentations in the grass. "Okay, gimme a sec." She said as she knelt down. She reached out her hand and gently touched the grass. From there, her form changed, making her almost look like a bush. Now that she was grass, she could feel everything that touched the grass, meaning she could tell where people were standing and where they had been. All she had to do was focus on the set of footprints that were next to Quake and follow the trail to where the owner had gone off to.

Once Michael finds himself in that memory of mine, escape will be no easy feat. If he can push through, braving out this fragment, my mind will release him and someone will understand me. Otherwise he will have to wage a fierce battle with all he is experiencing. As I relax against the trunk of a tree, I watch the artist, her hand glides gracefully over the canvas and, color from her brush, breathes life into her masterpiece.

"Such a fine pastime, you have real talent, young artist. Please do not let me stop your art. Its been so long since I've seen one's fingers dance across the canvas, with such grace. I myself, wonder what is mine," I say quiety laying againstthe trunk.

Quake felt a bit embarrassed, he was in the midst of asking out this girl, who he'd only just met, and in the middle of him asking, he went into a tizzy about where his young mute empath companion had gone, not something that happens everyday. He was worried that Vi had thought he was weird, or maybe she hadn't even noticed he was asking her out, he didn't know if it was normal, he didn't know a lot of stuff, like that being formal around females wasn't always the default, of course he had his silly moments but he had been forced to be so serious most of his life that he'd sort of just forgotten the person he once was so long ago, the young child who would joke with his step-sisters, although they were the only people he really interacted with as he lived in such a small town.

Quake grew sad and weary, what if what happened to Tabitha had happened to Michael? What if someone had harmed him, what if he was wrong about the Wraith and it had returned to harm the boy? So many emotions and concerns flooded through the man's head, he couldn't make sense of anything, disorientation was running through him.

As Vi became the grass, he watched, stunned at the display. "Vi....That's amazing.." He uttered, enthralled by her abilities, perhaps because he was aswell part of nature with his abilities, that if he focused he aswell could feel the earth and flowers. "I feel stupid, we've known eachother for what, five minutes? And we're already searching for a lost boy who you have no connection with, I shouldn't be asking of your help, I feel awful about it." He didn't want to inconvenience her, she was so kind and he didn't want her to feel she was being used for her powers.

"Anything?" He hoped they could find Michael, Quake made it his responsibility to keep him safe and he had failed as a guardian. And now he was enlisting help of a girl he barely even knew, to help him find someone that he was responsible for. Quake felt like a failure and it consumed him, letting anyone down always went to his head, it was why he never previously made friends with anyone in the camp, he was too worried he would fail them, that he would be responsible for someone getting hurt and if that ever happened, if something had happened to Michael, he never would have forgiven himself.

During the time it took for Vi and Quake to notice his disappearance, Michael had managed to get himself a decent distance away from the others. One might think that, in a time when someone wants to be alone, they would go to their house and shut themselves away from the rest of the world. The empath did not do this, however. His emotions – well, not his own emotions, but those of another person’s – were running rampant in his mind. If he were to go home now, he would take the raging sea of emotions with him, and subsequently let those feelings stain the foundation, the very soul, of his home. He didn’t want to bring bad feelings or experiences home with him; he didn’t want to darken the atmosphere of the very place that’s supposed to be safe and comforting. Thus, the boy never set foot inside of his home unless he was in a good mood, or at the very least had his mental barriers in check.

This was why instead of hiding himself away in his home, Michael instead headed further away from the center of the camp, trying to distance himself from any other inhabitants. He wasn’t wandering aimlessly, however. In fact, he knew very well where he was going. He was heading towards a place he normally went to when he wanted to relax, or just get away from the world around him. It was an area that was far from any building or human activity and where a creek ran through, the waters running over smooth stones.

The empath wasn’t having the best time getting there, unfortunately. Flashes of fragmented memories were still overcoming his vision, forcing the boy to stop until he could see the real world around him, and the sheer feeling of being trapped and in danger was making it difficult for him to think straight. He was teetering on the border of the physical world and a world that existed only in his own mind, and while he was struggling to pull himself back into reality, his strange visions and feelings still tried to drag him down. It was a sensation that might have been comparable to drowning, trying to keep your head above the water even when the waves are crashing down on you and the weight of the water is sapping away at your strength.

And so he half stumbled, half fled to the creek. Michael didn’t even know he had made it to his destination until the feeling of cold water up to his knees finally registered to him through the cloud of false visions and sensations that engulfed his head. Blinking in a startled manner – for what a shocking thing it is to be choking on smoke one second then wading through water the next – the empath made his way to his usual sitting spot, which was a smooth, flat rock in the middle of the creek that was high enough that the surface of it was dry. He settled himself on the rock, though for a moment the stone looked like the tile floor of the interior of a building and the rushing of the water sounded like the crackling of flames.

He shook his head forcefully. The empath knew this wasn’t real, that this couldn't be real. There had once been a time when Michael had been unable to differentiate reality from his visions, his own emotions from others’. He still had his troubles at times, though he has learned much over the years to help him get through these episodes of his. He has even learned to seek out water during these times, hence his desire to get to the creek.

Certain beliefs have it that evil cannot cross water. Michael does not claim to know whether or not this is the case, but he does know that, when surrounded by water, the emotions of the outside world can’t seem to get to him. Bad feelings or memories are seemingly unable to cross water, and so the empath has learned to seek it out during these times. It would not solve his problem entirely, but it would help him, all the same. The visions in his head were already imprinted there, and no amount of water was going to get them out, but the water that created a moat around him now would prevent any other negative emotions or memories from getting to him in his compromised state.

With the creek protecting him from any further breaches in his mind, Michael now had to focus on ridding his head of the memories he was now living through. He took a deep breath, trying to tell himself that, yes, it was cool, fresh air, not stinging, hot smoke filling his lungs. Images flashed across his eyes and his ears could still detect the sounds of panicked crowds and their cries of terror. He knew these things weren’t happening to him, and so he tried to bring himself out of these memories, so that he might rid them from his mind. It was rather like trying to tell yourself that you’re having a nightmare, so that you can wake up from it. Waking up was only the first step, however, for when you wake from a nightmare, you still have to convince yourself that you are now safe in the waking world.

As Vianne focused on the set of footprints that Michael had left, she nearly drowned out everything else, ignoring the rest of the world. She didn't mean to be rude by not responding to Quake, she just needed to put her full attention on differentiating the Empath's footprints from everything else the grass touched.

She followed the trail, feeling every indentation in the grass. At a certain point, the trail seemed to suddenly stop. There were no more footprints in the grass. Not only that, but there was no more grass. It wasn't like something was simply in the way, like a tree or a rock, because she would have felt that. The grass would simply be going around an obstacle, not stopping entirely, as if reaching the edge of the world.

Vi figured that Michael must have stepped onto a different type of terrain, thus meaning that she could no longer follow his footprints. She had a good idea on the direction he went in, but couldn't follow him any further unless she actually went out to find him herself. Even then, she worried he could get too far ahead, or change direction. It was when she felt something else that she got a better idea of where he was.

Water droplets splashed onto the blades of grass. It clearly wasn't raining, so the Empath must have come across a water source. With this information, she stood up straight and faced Quake. "He must have come across a river or something. I felt water on the grass in the direction his footprints led to." She informed him, pointing in said direction. Vi sighed. "Don't worry about it. I may not know him, but I wanted to help. It's just good to help people when you can. Now let's go see if he needs any help."



Kayla was quietly sitting against the trunk of a tree, lost in her own little world as she sketched a drawing. Her sketchbook sat in her lap while the pencil in her hand seemed to effortlessly glide across the page. She only looked up long enough to steal a glance at her unknowingly patient subject, a grey squirrel who had stopped to perch on a branch with an acorn for a snack.

She smiled as she worked, blissfully unaware of anyone nearby. That is, until a voice startled her. With a yelp, she jumped in surprise. Her hand jerked, sending her pencil flying across the page, creating an unsavory mark on her sketch. As an artist, her first instinct was to erase this unwelcome line in an attempt to repair the damage done to her drawing. When she finally looked up, she noticed that her subject was long gone.

With a sigh, Kayla finally addressed her speaker. "Um, thank you, I guess. Though it's not really talent when you spend most of your life working on the skill." She blinked. "Well, uh, my subject is gone, so... Not much I can do about that now...." She muttered quietly. Letting out another sigh, she flipped the page of her sketchbook, turning to a blank page.

"I apologize if I startled you and ask you please not run away as I reveal myself. I know my form must be haunting, but I really am a good person. Ok here it goes," I say and minutes later she can see all of me.

OOC: Crap, sorry. I read that as him having shifted for a second but then stopped ahh. Also how the heck do I react to that, is him almost getting himself killed a normal occurrence? Ha ha, I'm not complaining though. More drama!


Aileen watched Digby with her usual expressionless face, until he started rapidly shifting parts of his body as he ascended up the oak. She knew he wasn't capable of keeping himself together after that, what was he doing?
"Stop!" she shouted, but he either didn't hear her or ignored her. As he began to fall, she figured that she could have reached him from where she calculated he was going to land, but her breaking her fall wouldn't make a difference. She's too light and frail, and both of them would get hurt. She could only be grateful that he managed to land in a bush instead of on the ground. Rushing to him and trying to pull back the branches, she hoped that the fall wasn't too hard on his body. He was much stronger than her, but that was a long fall...

Digby lied in the bush, motionless, scrapes and bruises and a small pool of blood from gashing his arm. Thankfully Digby's body activated a defense mechanism when he was falling and his head and skull had become nearly impervious to damage, coating him with a ram's skull, rhino armor and multiple other features to take the blow, although this drained even more energy from the already almost empty tank that he had. Because of this, Digby was still breathing, however if this hadn't initiated he would most certainly be dead, however not dead, he was unconscious and breathing only lightly.

----

Quake watched in awe as Vianne performed her abilities in front of him, although the sheer brilliance of what was happening before him wasn't able to stray him away from his thoughts of Michael. Quake knew he was overreacting, that Michael most like just needed space, but he was worried, and he didn't know why he was worried or why he felt responsible, he barely knew him and there wasn't a real reason to panic. It was most likely due to Quake's worry about his sisters, how the last time he let his guard down and let someone he loved slip away they got hurt incredibly bad.

"This is unlike me, i know in almost certainty that the boy will be okay but I feel...." Quake never let anyone inside his shell, the barrier he put up to keep everyone else out for fear of him getting too close to someone. "I let someone get hurt once before, and if that happens again I just..." Quake let a tear fall down his face and drop to the ground below before he quickly got a hold of himself and wiped his face, not wanting Vi to see him like that.

"I just want to know he's okay, I don't want to baby the boy, just know he's safe, he was attacked earlier and that concerns me." Quake also knew that if Michael was near water, there was a potential that he was near Jet, and Quake knew that Jet was not afraid of tearing someone's literal throat out without any warning.

Kayla blinked and stared quietly at the figure for a moment. She was surprised, but not for the reasons someone might think. The wraith-like form didn't bother her, but rather intrigued her. She hadn't seen someone with an ability like that, and it made her more than a little curious. "Is this... Some kind of illusion?" She asked softly. She wondered if what she was seeing wasn't really there, and instead the real person behind it was somewhere else. Perhaps this person had a similar ability to her own. Maybe he could help her with her powers.



Vianne listened intently with a frown, her eyes appearing to soften, even though she was still made of grass. The blades of grass moved to form new expressions, giving the appearance of a bush that had been trimmed to have a certain pose or face. "If anything happens, it won't be your fault. You couldn't have predicted that he'd run off like that. I'm sure he's okay. He probably just needed some time alone." She tried to comfort him, but worried it wasn't enough. "Come on, we'll go check on him together, okay?"

Name: Rider [Oliver]
Age: 17
Personality: Rider is a warrior in it all for the rush. He is cocky at times, but when push comes to shove he is serious. He is good at making friends and sticks to his promises. However, since his accident, he is easily angered and when mad, he loses a sense of judgement and gets sloppy. He is also unsure of his life, and hopes to one day get it back. He hopes he can find a path and will be happy again. He yells when he needs to remind someone of something, and he has a love for theater. Rider also hides his superhero identity.
Appearance: Tall and thin, Rider is always wearing an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shirt. He has faded tennis shoes and wears worn jeans. His superhero costume was homemade, with a mask and a black hoodie.
History: Rider was born into a wealthy family that was murdered. He has been on the hunt for the culprit ever since, and he wanders the globe, searching for this man. When he found him, the man was killed, but Rider lost his arm and leg. He went into surgery, and got robotic limbs. However, he was messing around with an experiment one day and he fell into a capsule. He became an Outcast. He now operates as a small scale crime fighter under the name Rider, but one day he destroyed a car with a family in it on accident. He got arrested and broke out of jail, and is on the run, even when he did nothing wrong. He sees the camp one day, and the adventure starts...
Powers: Rider has the power of "shadow fighting". This lets him summon his shadow to fight beside him. Rider is trained in Karate, Judo, and Knife combat. He is a skilled combatant, and when focused, can decimate an enemy. His shadow techniques let him trick people and with his intelligence, he is a master tactician. However, Rider loses his cool when mad, and he can lose focus.

//Before I accept you I just have questions to clarify some things, I hope that's alright. When you say he's a superhero what do you mean? I just want to know because this does take place in the real world for the most part, and in the camp there probably wouldn't be need for a superhero due to all the safety surveillance the camp has, however, if instead of a "Superhero" He just gets a thrill from fighting crime then I can understand that. I just don't want to have too many subplots where we have to make up bad guy characters just for him to fight. Other than that, accepted.//

Quake couldn't help his brotherly instincts, after all he was a brother and when one of his sisters had run off it felt like the world had stopped, that nothing else mattered except for her safety, he knew now why he was so worried. It wasn't Michael he was worried about, it was his Sister, the memories flowing back through his head after so many years of repressing them, this is exactly what happened. Quake had been with Tabitha, he'd let her slip away, and then she was attacked, he wasn't see Michael, he was seeing Tabitha and it was creating a false danger in his mind, he needed to save her...Or him, he wasn't sure, he was all messed up and was trying to get a grip of reality.

"What a great first impression I've made, aha!" Quake knew he probably was giving the wrong impression to Vi, he wasn't paranoid usually, he wasn't always so sappy and serious. He wanted to show Vi he was more than that because he never got the chance to show anybody. "He may be at the stream, it's not far from here." Quake began to walk, he knew once this fiasco was over with, he could try to give a second impression, he only hoped that Vi would let him.

//Oh, I forgot to mention he has given up the mantle of the superhero. He doesn't do that anymore. Sorry for the confusion.//

//I gotchu fam, accepted//

Michael was indeed at the stream, and while the water seemed to protect him from any other outside emotions or memories, he was still having trouble breaking out of the illusions that his mind was showing him. His heart was pounding – or maybe he only thought it was – for while he knew rationally that he sat upon a large stone in the center of a creek, his mind and his senses kept telling him otherwise. They insisted that he was surrounded by panicked crowds and burning walls, for these images constantly flashed across his eyes and he could hear the frightful screams and crackling of flames.

But he knew this wasn’t true. While when he was younger, he would have been entirely convinced that he had somehow been transported into a hellish nightmare, the empath knew now that he was simply experiencing pieces of someone else’s emotions and experiences in the past. He knew this, and like someone who wanted to escape from a bad dream, he just had to wake himself up now and tell himself that it had all been just a nightmare. Like how one might escape from the terrors of their subconscious as they slept, Michael repeatedly told himself that this wasn’t real. He also did some reality checks.

The memories he experienced were never entirely perfect or accurate representations of what had occurred in the past. They were more dream-like, for minor details seemed unable to maintain continuity. For example, someone doing a reality check in a dream might look at a clock once seeing one time, then immediately look back again to see an entirely different position of the clock’s hands. This was how lucid dreamers could recognize that they’re dreaming and thus try to manipulate their own dream to their liking. The process Michael used was similar, only instead of trying to change what he was experiencing, he was simply trying to snap out of these illusions.

He stared at one of the many faces in the crowd as his mind brought these frightening images back to his head. Normally the empath could not control his own actions in these recreations of the past, much like a dream, but as he became more and more aware that what he was experiencing wasn’t real, his control over what he could do in these unreal situations grew. And so he focused on one particular young man’s face, but when he blinked, it suddenly transformed into that of an older woman’s. This impossible transformation only further solidified the fact that none of this was real, and so very slowly, the empath’s visions began to fade away. The sights, smells, and sounds were growing more distant and less frequent, until they vanished completely.

Michael sighed in relief. The worst of it was over now. Now all he had to do was banish the lingering fear that still gnawed at him, that was still convinced of what he had thought he had experienced.

Aileen was relieved that Digby's body had protected itself mid-fall, but he was still unconscious and injured. Trying to stay calm, she quickly thought of the scenario. There was no one around. She didn't have the strength to pick him up. And even if she could, she might cause additional damage to the head and brain if he managed to get a concussion. Yet, he didn't know the proper position to set him in if he did. For now, all she could do was call for help. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dialed the number for emergency assistance. She quickly stated the details of the situation and approximately where they were. Her tone wasn't as cool and even as it usually was, talking louder and faster.

Vianne gave a weak smile. "Don't worry about it. I've probably made, like, about a hundred worse impressions, you know, give or take about a hundred more." She chuckled nervously.

Vi knew she was no better at giving the right kind of impression. Usually, she had a bad habit of coming on too strong. She moved around so much that she hardly had time to actually make friends. She'd only be with them a short time before having to leave them. So she always tried to make the most of it while it lasted. She'd do nearly anything to please them, make them happy or laugh. She wanted them to have so much fun that they'd never forget her, and would at least miss her when she left. However, usually she ended up pushing people away with how aggressively friendly she was. She learned that sort of behavior never got her anywhere, so she tried to clean up her act. She still sort of struggles with restraining herself.

"I'm right behind you," Vi said as she hurried up to him, slowing to a walk beside him. "or, you know, beside you. Same thing, right?" She chuckled again. Either she had forgotten she was still made of grass, or she just didn't care. Maybe she meant to keep that form in case Michael changed his location.

The clock once again chimed the same tune. Oliver bursts out of his bed, covered in sweat. "Oh man... these darn nightmares.." he mutters to himself. He walks to his fridge and pulls out some bacon and he heats it up. He glances over to the closet in the back left hand corner of his cabin. "One day man..." he says, as he eats his breakfast. Living deep in the woods was exactly where Oliver belongs. He takes his free time writing out plays and watching the birds. However, Oliver bolts out of his seat as soon as he hears slight talking. Not many people cross his path. He starts to charge up his shadow double as he opens the door. Outside he spots a tall girl and a boy on the ground. He lets the charge go as he runs over to the boy. "What in god's name happened here?" he says, looking over the wounds. His mechanical arm glimmers in the sunlight as he bends down to look at the child.

"Wait, you're not scared of me? Finally someone I can be with, without them running away due to fear of me. Illusion? I'm afraid not. Well maybe... I don't know. I guess... Mind if I sit down with you? It isn't very often I get to spend time with another person especially, one as beautiful as yourself." My deep, dark midnight blue eyes sparkle as I gaze into hers. Am I considered an illusion? My actual body was destroyed in the incident, so if I am defeated, I mearly become like smoke as I reform myself. All I can do in this state is move and hear, smell, see and speak. I am incoporial, both unable to hold or carry anything, unable to use my powers, and am untouchable. Still what am I? A shadow of my former self. A image, reflection, an illusion of the one I was before.

Kayla was quiet for a moment as she blushed at the compliment. "M--me? N--no--no, I'm not, really....." She muttered, quickly averting her gaze. She lowered her head as she pulled her hood up, holding it tightly around her face. She wasn't one to receive compliments like that. If people thought that way, they never told her. "But, uh, sure... I--I don't mind..." There was a moment of silence.

The artist glanced down at her sketchbook while she thought about what he had said. It didn't seem like he had been around anyone in awhile. It was a shame people were afraid of him. He didn't seem so bad, unless this was all an act and there was something dangerous about him that she just wasn't aware of. The thought made her nervous, but the camp was mostly safe. Maybe he just wanted a friend. When he claimed to not be an illusion, but then sounded unsure, she got curious. "You mean, you don't know?" She asked quietly, glancing back at him.

Kayla looked back down at her sketchbook, and flipped to the drawing of the squirrel she was previously working on. "Let me show you something." She stared at the drawing, focusing, wishing it were real. Then it was if the drawing rose up from the page and came to life. Since the drawing was just an unfinished pencil sketch, the squirrel appeared rather ghostly. It was transparent, and the missing body parts appeared like wisps of clear smoke that were barely even visible. The illusion sat there on her sketchbook, surveying its surroundings with a twitchy nose and tail.

Sitting beside Kayla, I smile slightly. It is nice to have someone to talk to, but how am I supposed to tell her about me. Taking a deep breath, I remove a clipping from a newspaper from my pants pocket. Handing it to her, I begin to speak.
"Impressive. I see, you draw whatever you wish and then imagine it is real, and it becomes a living illusion that aids you. Very useful and versatile. Then swallowing, I prepare to tell her about myself. Do you remember the event that started this all," I ask Kayla as gently as I can.

Oliver's appearance certainly wasn't expected, but was definitely welcomed. "He fell from that oak. He's a shapeshifter, but he overexerted his body when trying to climb it. He lost consciousness and fell. His body protected his head from fall damage in the moment, but he's still wounded," Aileen explained, saying much more in one sitting than she usually does over a long period of time. "I called the paramedics. They should be coming around the area. Could you find them outside the forest and lead them here? He might have a concussion, despite the armor, and picking him up then could be dangerous for him."

"Got it. You should get to elevating that head while I get the others." Oliver said, looking up into the distance. As he broke into a sprint, Oliver came to the conclusion that the kid will be all right. He spotted the paramedics in the distance. "Hey guys, we have an injury over here." Oliver remarks, running back. "You wanted paramedics, you got paramedics." The paramedics see the kid and get to work.

Quake tried to be cool and collected, even go so far as forcing a laughing at her remarks. But he had so many thoughts floating around his head, he knew now people weren't his responsibility, that maybe he had to stop being so down on himself, that even though someone seemed weaker than him it didn't mean they couldn't manage on their own. Quake usually had to time to himself but he didn't like to think about these things, he always only ever thought of combat and how to further his skills, but now that he was figuring out what he really wanted, how he really felt, he realized that he should have done that a long time ago.

"Vianne, when this is all over..." He trailed off, wondering if it was the right time to try and ask her again. "Maybe we could start over? Perhaps over a glass of wi-.." He was cut off at the sight of the creek, and in the middle of it, Michael. "He's alright..." It was a relief but also Quake felt terrible, if Michael was in danger at least Quake's wanting to find him and protect him would've made sense but now he just seemed foolish. "Sorry for dragging you into this, I just have always been taught that those that seem weak need protection but, no one is truly weak, we are all strong in a different way." The epiphany probably seemed odd to Vi. "Well, I guess he needs alone time.." Quake composed himself and readied himself to ask Vi once more. "Vianne, I think that we should get to know eachother better, would you like to-..." The sound of water thrashing, he knew that noise. "Oh no.."

-----

Jet hadn't been completely satisfied, he'd hoped for some fresh and succulent cow meat, but they'd run out and he'd had to settle for small chicken meat, and while it got rid of his hunger and lust for eating another human being, it made him upset because if that stupid Michael kid hadn't bumped into him, he would've been devouring delicious cow meat. He was furious at the boy, and then he realized something, he had the boys scent. Jet had followed the scent the best he could, and he ended up at the river, just deep enough for him to swim in, he didn't know where Michael was but he knew that it was somewhere in the river. So he swam as fast as he could, finally finding the boy, his fin rushing through the water and causing it to split into two wave paths. He popped his head out of the water next to Michael. "Remember me? I'm the guy who's gonna eat your insides and make you watch." He said with a sick and twisted smile on his shark-like face.