alderwitch
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Janus nodded their head a bit in agreement with Veronica, also offering since they'd been staying there all summer, "Danger Manor has a stretch of private beach attached to the property. I've been rattling around the house all summer waiting for school to start. I'm certain it would be fine if we used it for a small get together of interested students." There was probably a zero percent chance that the Headmistress would agree to a student trip to Danger Manor all things considered. The chance of falling through inter dimensional portals alone was extraordinarily high. For Janus, though, it was the family house that they lived in when in this dimension. "Grandfather certainly won't mind."
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Janus' eyes twinkled at that deflection, like they were full aware of the lie but said nothing about it. Winking one violet eye, Janus replied smoothly, "Another time then," as if it made total sense for that to be exhausting after Lulu looked not even the littlest it bit worn right after reading Veronica's thoughts. Shifting a little in the chair, Janus folded both arms across its back with a casual sort of posture that would totally have given their mother fits at home. "As you call this 'Earth', we call our world 'Fortuna'. My mother rules the largest kingdom; Aruivia. It's.... well, it's different from Prime in many ways. The more obvious is that there's no black powder or steam technology. We travel by horse and carriage - rooms are lit by fire, or magic for the elite." There was a certain wistfulness to Janus' tone as there was no attempt to hide just how much Fortuna was missed by the teenager. Shaking it off, Janus continued, "It's not perfect. There are many dangers to life in Aruivia. Before my father arrived, it was ruled by a monstrous individual. My mother has spent decades trying to make up for the damage he did to the land."
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"What's Juliard?" Janus asked, directing the question more towards their cousin though certainly open to anyone. Janus had gotten a good grasp on Prime on top of a good base from having taken vacations here just about every few months. That, however, could only provide so much to a non-native. Janus wasn't embarrassed about the lack. It was bound to happen and as it clearly seemed to be something (a place? a school?) that everyone knew as a reference, it seemed worth learning. Janus offered Corrine a disarming smile, "I am sure its a significant accomplishment. I'm not from..." Janus made a vague gesture to their surroundings which could have meant anything from 'New Jersey' to 'this planet'. It was Claremont after all, "...around here."
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Sofia's hand kept her rhythmic, absentminded petting, like Lou's stomach was some sort of pet cat that she'd decided to adopt. "I'm not running!" Sofia countered with a short, sharp shake of her head, "This is a piece of shit town, but its my piece of shit town. I'm not running but ID flags are the easiest way to turn up someone you're looking for, especially when they think they got us on the run and all that, so I make sure that the only pings we send out are ones we wanna send out, comprende? I mean, Chance is nice and all that..." And here Sofia paused and lost her train of thought, staring at the man in question while she patted Lou. Pat. Pat. Pat. Yeah, that had definitely gone on too long to easily point out her odd tell for her anxiety. She shook her head once, sharply bringing her train of thought back to the conversation, "But you're gonna want to be able to use some cash, place some orders and all that. Digital footprints are harder to scrub out than just not making them in the first place."
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Phantom slipped through the many layers of wards, leaving behind her Sanctum for the flickers between the world. Between one moment and the next, Phantom vanished and reappeared in the room the shadow had first slipped into. Her baleful gaze traveled over where the crack between worlds had spiderwebbed out and vanished before the ephemeral magician ghosted through bed to take in the drained tree. She let her body fall out of sync enough with Prime that most senses wouldn't find her as she stalked the stolen corpse and its passenger with no more than a whisper to mark her passage. There was a reason, after all, that before she became the Master Mage, the entities of the other worlds had often called her Heshem's Hound.
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Phantom had remained a still and silent presence as the bargaining began; her features difficult to see behind the shifting shadows of her cowl. One might have thought the Master Mage was immune to the threat on the doorstep except for the fact that she was here at all. She had made no supplications and invoked no higher powers. The Mordoros, after all, would have answered her plea. The eye of Heshem winked once at her throat; the endless writhing of her cloak stilling for a brief moment as Nick tossed out his wager. Her white gaze shifted from the gods to Nick then with the full weight of who she was behind it. Phantom's full attention was not an easy thing to bear; gods had quaked under her glare before - and would again. If it had been anyone else, anyone that Phantom trusted one iota less she would simply and flatly shot down the offer before it gained any traction. Nick, however, had earned at least her moment of silence - not assent - but chances were good the gods would read into her silence as potential wiggle room although that gaze never left Nick's features. He had the Master Mage's trust but he should choose his next words verrrry carefully.
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For Janus, please add the following feats: Eidetic Memory, Ambidextrous Two Feats at better than one -TA
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Janus nodded their head in agreement, "Yes, though I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your father. I do know that he and Aunt Rachel sometimes attend the same fundraisers." Janus replied, their manner friendly to Corrine although each loud slurp of food did get a slight twitch of the teenager's eyebrow. They nodded their head towards the workshop in question at Micah's query. Janus had gotten at least the basic layout from earlier in the summer. "There are some students who's special talents lie in creation of various machina and there's the facilities to do just that. I imagine you'll have no trouble finding things to tinker with." Janus nodded though at the debating of a trip, "Though I think the beach will be more bonfire and star gazing than much swimming this time of year - at least if one still feels the cold." That was probably certainly possible in the local student body, "Still, it sounds entertaining."
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Janus had watched the magic worked with open interest, one hand flexing absently as they restrained the urge to reach out and verify that it wouldn't hold up to touch. As Lulu seemed startled at the invitation to read thoughts, Janus' lips quirked up into a lopsided smile of amusement, "We're Dangers. The one defining family trait is heading towards things most people run the other direction from." That was said with light amusement but it was no less the truth for the easy manner in which Janus mentioned it. One of their rings absently tapped on the back of the chair, as they went quiet while the telepath read Veronica's memories. That was well done of Veronica, Janus rather thought, as not everyone had the sort of encouragement in their abilities as they had been given; Janus' slight problems with their home world notwithstanding. Once Lulu sat back, Janus' eyes twinkled with good humor, "Did you want to do me next?"
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Janus smiled widely, the corners of their eyes crinkling up and wrinkling the white-star scar around the one eye. "My father has had some of the rougher edges smoothed after years as Mother's consort, but yes. Also - unfortunate groin-kicking incident aside, I try not to offend potential teachers especially. I've already learned the error of my ways sassing the arms-master at home. 'Tis not a lesson I would repeat." Janus' sense of humor was dry, but they clearly had relaxed a bit more. Enough that when the delicately-worded question came up, Janus gave a small shake of their head, their smile a little wry, "No, it's a largely meaningless title outside of Fortuna. I try not to be THAT sort of nobility even when home. If you are delicately trying to find out what pronouns I prefer, it doesn't matter to me, personally. Aruvian has non gendered pronouns but I know English is not so... eh, facile. My title is Prince and I've taken on what Americans, I gather, see as more masculine roles but my biological gender is female - which seems a weird thing for everyone to need to know but..." Janus gave an enigmatic shrug as if it were not the only oddity they found in their resettling in Prime. "... 'she' is fine as is 'he'. I suppose it depends if you find cultural standards a higher priority than biology in how you codify information." Janus spread their hands wide - for once without any jewelry as they'd come ready to practice in case that had been requested or required. Their hands were long and elegant but with the clear callouses that one would expect from the years of practice. "I assure you, either is just fine with me. Would you like me to run through my practice forms?"
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Janus demurred with a flick of one elegant hand, rings flashing from each finger at the gesture, "The offer is appreciated but I'm perfectly fine. We just checked out the mess hall and I snagged an apple then." While Veronica made herself comfortable, Janus snagged one of the desk chairs to flip around backwards and drop into easily, arms folding on the back with lazy grace. "Veronica's branch of the Dangers are travelers through and through. It's probably shorter to list the countries she hasn't spent some time in." Janus' grin was brief and a bit cheeky as they teased Veronica with easy familial camaraderie. "I grew up in what is commonly referred to here as another 'dimension'." Janus said, making a brief gesture for finger quotes. "My father fell into a magical land called Fortuna decades ago and met my mother there. I was raised in her kingdom of Aruivia - middle child of three. We visited a few times every year for family reunions. There's a lot of Dangers."
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Janus leaned over Veronica's shoulder. There was certainly a familial resemblance between the two - the Danger good looks were a strong gene - but where Veronica could have been the next face of the Jungle Patrol, Janus decidedly fell into more of the 'fairy prince' spectrum with sharply handsome features and hair that started pure white before blending through many shades of pink to a deep rose red at the tips. Angularity androgynous, their tenor voice had some vaguely masculine quality to it, "Ronnie's a sociable sort that way. Personally, I'm just trying to scope out potential work out buddies." The dry humor in their faintly accented English made it obvious that Janus was teasing as did the wink they added before leaning against the door frame once Veronica vacated it, crossing one booted leg over the other in a lazy sort of sprawl. Their clothes were as a-typical as anything else for a teenager though downright mild for Claremont from a poet's shirt to tightly laced leather pants and over the knee boots.
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Janus gave Erik a briefly baffled look, cutting a quick questioning glance to Ace and then relaxing once the elder Danger explained, "It's the appropriate title for one who is the master of their craft - in this case swordplay. Goodman, if the individual is not." Janus added helpfully, giving another small nod of their head and a friendly smile, "If you wish to be called simply 'Erik', I am happy to do so. I know that father's homeland is a less formal place than my home country. We came here for family reuinions a few times every year before I was, ah, shipped over." The way the teenager's gaze cut over to the side briefly at that last statement certainly indicated that the trip to reside with their father's relatives certainly hadn't been Janus' first preference. The teenager rallied quickly though and their gaze cut back to Ace with a bit of exasperation, "He said not to hold back so I didn't. I assumed that it was a genuine sentiment." Shaking their head and sending the long braid back over their shoulder, Janus gave Erik the full weight of their attention, "Yes, sir, I began training with the pages when I turned six and I was squired at ten. I earned my sword by the time I was thirteen and I've been blooded since that time. I've been cleared for combat for almost four years now. My preferred style is arming sword and buckler but I've been working in other styles for the last year or so." Clearly the idea of involving Danger children in combat scenarios continued to spread through the family tree from Ace's time still to the present generation.
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There was a flash of appreciation in the teenager's eyes before their violet gaze dropped politely to the ground as a teacher was way more important to Janus then ogling - even if the man was very handsome. Janus silently set down their equipment on the floor before offering a respectful bow with long-limbed grace. For all of their recent growth spurts, there was no awkwardness in movement. No, the teenager was clearly light on their feet and highly attuned to their place in the environment, "That's high honor coming from Grandfather, Master Espadas." The lyrical lilt of their accent colored the words though Janus' English was perfectly fluent. It didn't match any of Earth's languages, not quite, but wasn't entirely dissimilar to a French or Belgium accent in the cadence of lilt. Janus straightened to their full height - just a few inches shorter than Ace and likely not entirely fully done with growing. Like Ace, Janus radiated a certain amount of charisma but there was an elegant aristocratic cast to those features that looked like Min's particular elfin brand of not-entirely-human. Janus met Erik's gaze without any challenge and with a bit of a ghost of humor that strengthened their resemblance to Ace as they apologized, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm afraid that I've given Aunt Rachel the very devil of a time trying to find a swordsmaster."
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Janus gave the family patriarch a slightly confused look but with a shrug of their lean shoulders, seemed to imply agreement with whatever that meant. Fortunately, Janus didn't look too out of place heading into a dojo. In leather pants and high boots and a tightly fitted sleeveless shirt, they'd dressed for a potential work out, shouldering a roll of equipment that included both practice and carefully packed real blades. A little on the dramatic side, but hair that went from white to rose red at the tips wasn't entirely unseen in the West End. People would assume dye. Janus had found in the quest to find a potential teacher, it was best to be prepared. "Yes, Grandfather," Janus replied, their tenor voice respectful if a bit confused by the admonishment. Glancing around, Janus shifted the equipment more easily on their muscular shoulder before glancing around the interior of the dojo with abject curiosity.
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"We have benches to sit on, and no one has demanded silence or parade posture. I can happily sit and chit-chat all day," Janus offered, amusement deepening the accent that curled around their words. They weren't having to stand in parade formation, or wait on an endless stream of dignitaries. Americans, Janus thought not for the first time, were a rather impatient lot. Relaxing their posture to wait comfortably for however long it might take, Janus nudged Kam a bit with their shoulder as the gems adorning their jacket caught and refracted the light Zenith threw off in an array of second-hand sparkles. "My mother's court can last all afternoon and well into the evening when there's enough business at hand and punishment for chatting or dropping posture is much worse than a few laps around a track." Janus' wink made it clear that they assumed that Kam could understand that sort of situation before nodding towards Veronica, "Though, you may be right, Kam. It might just be Aunt Rachel's wistful thinking that we'll be less trouble in Claremont than outside of it. Do you think so, Veronica? I could use the distraction, personally." Veronica had likely noticed the restless energy that Janus had trouble dispelling without the routines they were used to, or even a trainer that could provide a suitable challenge for the swordsman.
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Janus considered the question for a moment, before answering slowly, "I don't really have that much in the way of hobbies. My, ah, duties at home kept me fairly busy until I moved to the Manor this summer and then I've spent much of that trying to make certain that I was familiar enough with the local idioms to not stand out too poorly. I watched a lot of television mostly." Really one of the quickest ways to get a feel for societies expectations. "Like Kam, I shall have to adapt. I do like driving, though I may have given my aunt a few new gray hairs in the process of getting my license."
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Janus' smile was sudden but brilliant; their laugh quick and easy and rising above the ambient chatter for a moment. "Well, that part remains true, absolutely. Nothing quite like a Danger's collateral damage on their way out." Janus chuckled again, giving Veronica a sideways smile to include her in the discussion of their family. Relaxing back onto their slightly uncomfortable seat on the bleachers, Janus crossed one booted leg over the other, nudging the small satchel off to one side as they turned their attention to Kam's question, "Oh, any number of things plus they might want to see the entire student body in one place to get a read on what interactions are forming up. Plus, when its a person making an announcement, they can add a force of personality to it. I imagine there's going to be some reinforcement of the rules for the campus." Janus tipped their head to one side, pink hair shifting with the gesture to brush the hem of their bejeweled jacket as they considered the possibilities with shrewd intelligence. "At home, they'd gather all the new squires and pages into groups and have them do some camaraderie building exercises to prepare for future battles but Aunt Rachel tells me that its not entirely that sort of school." The taller Danger absolutely sounded disappointed about that.
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"You know me and my reputation for sentimentality," Robin replied dryly as she well knew that among a class of stoics, Robin had stood out. With her usual economy of motion, a few short strides caught her up to Fred as they made their way to the still a little dusty interior that Robin had found furniture on craigslist or reclaimed from other environments. Eventually, it would probably have a rather shabby chic aesthetic but at the moment, it was just shabby. "Now, we try and get our name out there, really. Take a few free or nearly free cases to get some good PR. I mean, we have some ads online and in the paper but its the Fens." Robin said phlegmatically. These were her streets and she knew them intimately. Her years at Claremont hadn't changed that - not with all the moonlighting she put into it. "What would really help is if we can get a couple of pillars of the Fens mentioning us as problem solvers, you know, the clinics, the food pantries. Local churches. We just have to get people to start thinking of us when they hit that point of feeling like there's no one to turn to." Robin's smile was brief and tinged with a bit of sadness, "It's a pretty common feeling around here."
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Janus offered Selina a lopsided smile, their mouth quirking to one side, "I'm afraid my home is even farther away than that. I'm lucky, though, that I have family close by." Janus said with a tip of their head towards Veronica. As Micah adjusted to the small knot of teenagers, Janus offered their hand once Veronica had finished making her introductions first to Micah and then to the approaching Corrine with a warm smile, "My name's Janus. This is Kam... and I'm sorry, remind me of your name?" That was added to Selina to allow her to make her own introductions rather than having them made on her behalf more than any faulty memory for the taller Danger descendant. "The very same Danger family, indeed. Veronica and I are both cousins from Rex's branch of the family. From what I gather, Ace will be our nominal in-loco-parentis since both of our parents are, hrm, abroad. Though, really, all the power lies in Aunt Rachel's formidable hands. Would you like to meet him?"
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Janus grinned at Veronica, opening their mouth to respond when the sudden bang of the door had Janus' head snapping to one side. Janus wasn't SO combat oriented that they actually put a hand on their dagger but keen eyes like Kam's would likely notice the tell tale jerk of one long-fingered hand before arresting the motion. Janus frowned briefly before they forced their expression to smooth to a friendly one for the Dakanan prince. Especially as the swordsman rather hoped the other young man would prove a friend with time and effort. "Would that we could convince her to do such. Alas, no. Prudence is here to be Aunt Rachel's eyes and ears; to squelch anything that our fine matriarch doesn't want in the gossip papers and warn her of what she can't." Janus provided, their drawl lazy and amused. Thankfully, Janus had a similar attendant from their doting Mama back in Fortuna. They were used to such things being part and parcel of a Danger's existence. That smile warmed with familial affection for Veronica as Janus tipped her head towards their cousin and added, "Hardly abandoned. The student body might be a rather dramatic lot - myself included - but I don't imagine we'll be attacked outright. Not on the first day."
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"Prudence is our assigned majordomo from Aunt Rachel," Janus provided the explanation for how their relationship to the rather tense personal assistant worked. Janus blinked once at the lit up arrows, cocking their head to the side to study the bit of magic before deciding it was harmless. Janus offered to the other Danger, easily, as they had little love for more formal tours and that sort of structure if it wasn't mandatory. "If you want to go on the tour, 'Ronnie, I don't mind taking your bags up to the room with mine." Their violet gaze slid back to Kam and a drawl deepened their accented English, "Yes, well, Claremont is known as the place for dabblers and dilettantes, no?" Sardonic amusement lacing the words made it clear that at least that lie, Janus spotted easily. Giving one elegant wave of their hand, Janus dismissed the matter rather than make a 'thing' of it. "As to trolls, only during mating season really, then they're hell on the fields. I'm missing this season, unfortunately." There was real regret that laced Janus' tone briefly, not so much in missing battle, but rather in that it was the first year since becoming a full fledged fighter, that Janus wouldn't be guarding their brother's back. Janus reigned it in, offering a small smile to deflect onto lighter topics, "I'm sure everyone is bound to have bouts of homesickness in a boarding school."
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Janus wasn't overly concerned with either the potential contents of the meeting or who they might find themselves sharing a bench with. Shortening their stride to keep an easy pace with Veronica, Janus offered conversationally, switching to French and murmured, "If someone catches your eye, I shan't mind if you abandon me." Straightening back up, Janus took the point to weave through the crowd and find a spot on the bleacher to drop onto. After all, someone had to sit down first from the newer kids and as Janus wasn't bothered by potentially sitting alone. The gems on the shoulders and cuffs of their jacket caught the light and their white-to-rose hair was pulled back from an aristocratic set of features but otherwise loose down their back. Dropping with loose limbed grace to a seat in the auditorium, they leaned back a bit to better people watch as other people found their places on the bleachers. Unslinging their leather satchel from one shoulder, Janus dropped that to sit between their booted feet.
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Janus Danger Portrait Project -
From the album: Alders Portrait Project
