Gizmo
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Kimber continued laughing as she hugged Koshiro back and was quickly enveloped by an unconventional sort of group hug with a happy yelp. By the time she squirmed around enough to meet Indira's three eyes her own had tears welling in the corners above a grin that looked like it was about split her face in half. "I did! I did it! You guys, thank you so, so much!" The hug broke up somewhat as the funny projectile launched herself at the poltergeist's head, sparking another bout of laughter. "Hayley!" Kimber exclaimed delightedly, grabbing the raccoon so that she could hold her in front of her face for further nuzzling. She continued to beam at all of her gathered friends, looking giddy but still more ground than she had when they'd departed from the ice rink, more comfortable in her own form. At Lucy's dry words she hummed. "Haircut, eh? There's an idea!" Whipping her head around in an arc, her hair shimmered for a moment and reformed itself, going from the shoulder blade length it had been for as long as any of them had known her to almost startlingly short, shaved closed and coloured more darkly around the sides with a lighter blue wave of longer hair on top. "What do you think?" she asked the group, though her gave went up to the top of the bluff, her smile turning a bit coy.
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Erik opened his mouth to respond to Talya with something clever when the younger Espadas interrupted, "Why don't we test it with me? I'm lighter than Chubs here, just in case." Ellie turned to shove the bags of burritos into her brother's arms, not incidentally turning her back to the upside down woman in the process so that she could give Erik an arch look. He took the bags reflexively and frowned, mouthing a silent question and getting only an eyeroll in response as Ellie turned around again. "Alright! Where do you want me to grab on?" she asked, lacing her fingers to crack her knuckles and rolling her shoulders once. "Not an innuendo; unlike some people, I'm a professional."
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"Beats the way I learned!" Erik laughed, indicating a few thin lines that showed up lighter against his sienna toned arms. There wasn't anything particular puckered or jarring - one of the two women in the room knew that worst of the scattered scarring was confined to the fencer's torso - but it was clear that he'd seen more than a few scrapes that didn't involve padded practice weapons. "You don't have to twist my arm too hard to get me to show off, though, sure. Gotta get my pride back after letting you knock me down earlier somehow. Here, let me stand in front of this wall; I've plastered over holes there a bunch of times already and that way we don't ruin any of the mats or blunt the knives too badly."
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Erik scoffed a bit at Raina's concern for her implement, waving a hand airily. "Sounds like you just need a better reinforced broom," he opined, sauntering over to one of the racks of practice weapons and retrieving a padded staff only a little longer than the broom in question. "And I object to to the idea that thwacking doesn't require finesse! Thwacking is a proud and nuanced art form and I'll thank you both to treat it with the gravity and respect it deserves!" His tone said that he was joking but the way he idly flipped the staff from hand to hand, twirling it behind his back then overhead without stopping the conversation actually lent a bit of credence to his words. "Anyway, if you have to think about your weapon you've probably already lost, sure. Skipping that comes with practice. Ask Talya, she'll tell you I barely even think at all!" With a grin he planted the staff on the floor and used it to lean against. "Crossbow bolt, huh? That's a suspiciously specific question there, Dora."
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Erik let out a sigh that suggested he knew when he was outnumbered. "Fine, sure, clearly I'm the crazy one for not immediately wanting to hang students from the ceiling," he huffed with exaggerated outrage. His hand still lightly on her knee, he looked up and gave Talya a lopsided smile as she mused on the versatility of the set-up. "It is actually a good idea. It's always nice to have more options for training. Training and nothing else," he added with a sharp look toward his sister. "I don't even want to know why that's the first place your mind goes." "Well, Mara's an inventor..." Ellie quipped back serenely without an hesitation, having had the rejoinder chambered and reading to fire from the first moment she'd suggested that the rings and ropes looked like a sex swing. She gave more consideration to the placement of her sibling's hand, frowning faintly but not commenting just yet. "Dios, not in front of Steve!" Erik protested, lifting both hands to cover his face with a groan.
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Character Name: Hemlock Power Level: 7 (105PP) Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Alternate Identity: Terrance Espadas Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City, West End Occupation: Student Affiliations: Interceptors Family: Erik Espadas (Jack of all Blades, father), Minerva Espadas (Willow, mother), Talya Espadas (Bombshell, mother), Eden Espadas (Thistle, sister), Mia Espadas (Cherry Bomb, sister), Emily Espadas (Shrapnel, sister) Description: Age: 16 (circa 2032, DoB: July 16, 2016) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian/Latino Height: 5’11” Weight: 160 lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Pale Blond Abilities: 2 + 6 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 8 = 24PP Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 6 + 8 = 14PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +3 Base, +9 Melee Grapple: +10 Defense: +9 (+4 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2/-0 Saving Throws: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9PP Toughness: +5 (+1 Con, +4 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +4 (+1 Con, +3) Reflex: +6 (+3 Dex, +3) Will: +5 (+2 Wis, +3) Skills: 60R = 15PP Acrobatics 7 (+10) Bluff 8 (+12/+16) Diplomacy 2 (+6/+10) Disable Device 3 (+5) Gather Information 6 (+10) Knowledge [Arcane Lore] 3 (+5) Language 3 (English [Native], French, Russian Spanish) Notice 7 (+8) Sense Motive 9 (+10) Stealth 12 (+15) Feats: 21PP Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Attractive Defensive Roll 2 Dodge Focus 5 Equipment 1 (5EP) Evasion Hide in Plain Sight Jack of All Trades Quick Change 2 Sneak Attack Equipment: 1PP = 5EP Collapsible Baton (Damage 2 [Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty, Subtle]) [5EP] Powers: 4 + 1 + 13 + 4 = 22PP Comprehend 2 (Speak To and Understand Plants) [4PP] (cosmic) Immunity 1 (Aging) [1PP] (magic, inherited) Regeneration 13 (Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured 4 [1 Round], Resurrection 6 [5 Minutes]) [13PP] (magic, inherited) Super-Senses 8 (Cursed Eye; Magic Awareness [Visual, +3], Enhancements: Analytical, Counters Concealment [All Visual, +2], Tracking 2, Flaws: Distracting) [4PP] (magic, inherited) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) + Sneak Attack DC18 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Collapsible Baton Touch DC18 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) + Sneak Attack DC20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (24) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (15) + Feats (21) + Powers (22) - Drawbacks (0) = 105/105 Power Points
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Character Name: Shrapnel Power Level: 7 (105PP) Trade-Offs: -1 Attack / +1 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Alternate Identity: Emily Espadas Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City, West End Occupation: Student Affiliations: Interceptors Family: Erik Espadas (Jack of all Blades, father), Minerva Espadas (Willow, mother), Talya Espadas (Bombshell, mother), Eden Espadas (Thistle, sister), Mia Espadas (Cherry Bomb, sister), Terry Espadas (Hemlock, brother) Description: Age: 16 (circa 2032; DoB: July 16, 2016) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian/Latina Height: 5’7” Weight: 145 lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Ash Brown Abilities: 8 + 4 + 6 + 0 + 0 + 6 = 24PP Strength: 18 (+4) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +4 Base, +6 Melee Grapple: +13/+10 Defense: +9 (+4 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2/-1 Saving Throws: 3 + 3 + 4 = 10PP Toughness: +5 (+3 Con, +2 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +6 (+3 Con, +3) Reflex: +5 (+2 Dex, +3) Will: +4 (+0 Wis, +4) Skills: 32R = 8PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Bluff 3 (+6/+10) Diplomacy 0 (+3/+7) Intimidate 7 (+10) Knowledge [Physical Sciences] 5 (+5) Language 1 (English [Native], Spanish) Notice 6 (+6) Perform [Percussion] 2 (+5) Feats: 17PP Attack Focus (Melee) 2 Attractive Challenge (Fast Feint) Defensive Roll Dodge Focus 5 Improved Grab Power Attack Takedown Attack 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge 2 (Auditory, Tremorsense) Powers: 1 + 5 + 6 + 16 + 2 = 30PP Immunity 1 (Aging) [1PP] (magic, inherited) Immunity 10 (Impact Damage [Falls, Knockback, Slams]; Flaws: Limited [Half]) [5PP] (genetic) Immunity 10 (Psionic Effects; Flaws: Limited [Half], Feats: Selective) [6PP] (magic, inherited) Kinetic Aura Array 7 (14PP; Feats: Alternate Power 2) [16PP] (genetic) Base: Damage 4 (Explosive Punch; Feats: Improved Critical, Knockback 8, Mighty) AP: Damage 7 (Kinetic Release; Extras: Area [General Burst]) [14PP] AP: Kinetic Manipulation (14PP Container [Active, Sustained]) [3 + 3 + 2 + 6 = 14PP] Leaping 3 (x10, 140’ running long jump) [3PP] Speed 3 (50 MPH) [3PP] Super-Movement 1 (Slow Fall) [2PP] Super-Strength 3 (Effective Strength 31, Heavy Load 1800 lbs) [6PP] Super-Senses 2 (Tremorsense) [2PP] (genetic) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC19 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Explosive Punch Touch DC23 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Kinetic Release Touch [Area] DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (24) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (8) + Feats (17) + Powers (30) - Drawbacks (0) = 105/105 Power Points
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Set straightened abruptly as Talya calmly described her first experience, shamefaced. "An anecdote that truly provides perspective. I believe another shot be absolutely in order." The godling shot the blonde woman an apologetic look, feeling quite petty indeed as she did her best to stop pouting and compose herself. She turned to Dimitri as he posed his question and gave him a short laugh. "I be somewhat diminished, you may have noticed, but tis beside the point. Any god who claims not to care should others love them or not be either lying or selling something but I would not bed my online followers specifically because I would only need ask! A god of the unknown has little love for a sure bet." It also struck her as a distasteful abuse of influence but that sort of regard for others was still a fairly novel line of thinking and she wasn't sure how to articulate it without sounding trite. "As for the leech's insults, tis the principle of the matter! He should not be allowed to speak so to me nor any other!" She slapped the bar hard enough to rattle a few bottles and coughed quietly as she modulated her volume back down a bit. "Besides, did you even see his scion's dimples? Auuuugh, old man!"
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"Well, I actually do remember how I died, more or less," Kimber admitted with a self-conscious shrug, pulling a bit of a face and looking off to one side. "It isn't really a big deal, I don't think, but I try not to talk about it too much 'cause it really seems to weird other people out." She looked back over to Jessie and incorporeal or not glided around the table so that she was hovering in a seated position right next to the despondent young woman, offering at least the impression of physical comfort. "We're not really talking about me, though, eh? It's okay! If you feel like you'd be comfortable talking about it to me I'd really like to listen! Sometimes that helps a lot, for me anyway. Indira's a really good listener. Eve, too. I think I talk too much som-- oh!" She mimed pulling zipper across her lips and folded her hands in her lap, giving Jessie and encouraging look.
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Covering her face with her free hand Becky groaned in abject mortification. "Auuuuugh, you're so bad!" Lowering her hand she squared her shoulders, trying to look as nonchalant as possible and perhaps overcompensating. "Let's try to avoid the medical facility if we can help it," she added in a very slightly tighter voice, looking ahead of them and avoiding Eve's eyes briefly. The long period it had taken for her to get the wendigo even mostly under control had not left her with a particularly fond attitude toward those kinds of buildings. She let out a breath and shook off the feeling quickly enough, regardless, looking down at Eve and allowing herself a small smirk. "<I can be gentle if I have to be.>"
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Set looked over the last two lines of text trying to parse out just how serious Huang was trying to be. "Damnable lack of inflection inherent in the medium," he muttered under his breath prompting Sekhmet to rub her eyes wearily and rise from her seat in the kitchen nook and head off to retrieve a pair of weights from her room. She'd never actually needed to train to maintain her strength in Heliopolis, just to hone her skills, and the jury was still out on whether or not the much closer to mortal forms they wore currently could actually build muscle in the traditional manner but she found the exercise and repetition soothing regardless. Set, meanwhile, looked none too soothed himself, chewing on the tip of one thumb. You aren't in an ACTUAL prison correct? Not a deal breaker but still good to know!!!
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With a light laugh at the monkey's serious faced nod of approval, Erik turned his attention back to the two women and raised his hands in front of himself. "Hey, we agreed this one was your rodeo. You just let me know what you need." The public self-defense classes Talya was teaching were already going excellently but this was the first time he'd asked her to help with one of Claremont's more specialized cases. It was looking like a particularly good fit and he didn't even attempt to hide his pleased grin. "We can definitely do some stealth work, too, sure. As for how long, really comes down to how much you end up wanting to learn. You'd be surprised how often 'just the basics' turns out to be the gateway drug, ha!" He lased his fingers behind his head and mused. "We can work in a little gymnastics if you're up for it, good for flexibility, good for mobility. And I take one look at that broom and see 'bludgeoning implement'. Maybe that says more about me, though...?"
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"I'm gon' be cowboy when I'm bigger," Eden explained to Talya from her seat, more interested in using the sticks of celery as building toys than as food for all her impassioned demands for food minutes before. "Then I'll have all the motorcycles and none for everybody else!" She crowed triumphantly, bouncing up and down as she set upon the raisins with a similar lack of mercy. "Ha! Sure, I can do that," Erik confirmed to his wife's suggestion, tousling Eden's light brown hair on the way over to the kitchen counter. "You remember Bill-- Colt?" he asked their guest as he started to get what he needed together. "He and Lynn went back to his home dimension around the time you disappeared and... and time works differently there." He looked away for a moment, having through he could get through the sentence without needing to dissemble but still finding it a difficult topic to discuss. He expected that, given her long life, the Englishwoman would understand what he was inferring. "Anyway, Lynn's been back in town for a bit and she likes to tell stories when we visit with the girls." "Tía Lynn can turn real smalls and swoosh!" Eden added, demonstrating the visual of pixie sized flight with a dangerously peanut butter laden celery stick.
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"Talya. Dear heart. Unless 'inverted burglary' means 'charity' I'm not completely convinced that's on-message for-- hey, that's really holding you up there with that weight," Setting down his bag of burritos Erik walked further into the room craning his neck to look at the setup Steve had helped her install overhead, distracted from his initial objections. He reflexively reached out to steady Talya's spinning with a hand on her knee while the other tested the rope with a hesitant tug. "I mean... we could definitely use that for some gymnastics work or just mixing up the strength training to keep things interesting, yeah. I-- no, wait, back to the burglary thing." Ellie rolled her eyes at her brother's back-and-forth but turned to Steve as she retrieved the abandoned bag with her free arm. "I know you don't need to eat, big guy," she assured him with a smirk that suggested they'd had similar conversations before, "but c'mon, refried beans! Eh?" With her hands occupied she gave Talya a nod rather than a wave. "Hey, pretty good. Brassy move with the sex swing." From her sidelong glance it looked like she was less teasing the blonde and more just egging Erik on.
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Becky let out a surprised, coyote-like yipe at the unexpected goosing, momentarily straightening up to her full length before hastily ducking down and shooting Eve a look that wanted to be reprimanding but but had too much of a poorly concealed smile in it to pull it off. "Eve...!" Clearing her throat and looking around to see if anyone had noticed, she lowered her voice even when nobody seemed to be paying them any particular attention. "Under the bellybutton would be, um. Enticing? Doing that today might put a damper on the rest of the weekend though, like, um, in the bedroom department?" She looked like her cheeks were about to catch of fire any second but she powered through. "I can eat a steak and heal myself but you'd have to wait it out."
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The bell on the front door chimed again and the school's titular proprietor called from the entryway, "Hey! Back!" Even with the weather turning cooler Erik hadn't given in and started wearing a jacket just yet, making do with a plaid flannel shirt hanging open over a plain white t-shirt. A step behind him his sister had no just compunctions, a well worn denim jack sitting over her shoulders and a large brown paper bag in her arms that matched the one the elder Espadas was carrying. "We got burritos! Hey, Steve, man, we-- Talya, why are you hanging from my ceiling?" "I don't know what else you'd do with the rope and rings," Ellie quipped dryly, waving to the pair already in the room. "You guys like guac? We went half with, half without so you might wanna call dibs."
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"For somebody who just said she'd stay you seem to be having a lot of trouble with the basic concept," Erik observed as he turned back around to look at Talya. If he'd noticed her literal disappearing act or sensed anything odd her certainly wasn't showing any indication. Stepping close enough to place a reassuring hand briefly on her waist he clarified, "Don't particularly want you to get dressed but we definitely don't want you jumping off the roof so let's go with the dinner option, huh?" Grinning he headed back over to the door and stooped to scoop a protesting Eden up in his arms, freeing Min up to see to Mia's wailing. "Hey, you little monster! Are you sure you really want snacks? I don't know, I don't think you do." "Daddieeeee!" Eden groaned, bopping the top of her father's head with little fists in exasperation before catching sight of a new person over his shoulder. "...are you a cowboy?!" she asked Talya with a gasp and wide green eyes.
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Sensing something in Jessie's tone or body language, Avro raised the volume of his brassy purring a few notches and butted his head more insistently into the hand not occupied with a fork. Kimber's face fell a little bit, turning more serious as she descended through the air until she was level with their guest. "Going to Claremont and meeting Indira and Eve and everyone was the best thing," she said truthfully, wishing she could reach out and take Jessie's hand comfortingly. "And I do sometimes think about what I was like when I was alive and if that me was better or worse or what but all those friends I made? That was me-me. Y'know? That's just for me and it's good." She lifted her hands in a gesture of ignorance. "Maybe that's why I didn't pass on. Dunno!"
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"Smart kid," Erik commented, arms cross as he observed the interaction between Raina and Talya. Just because Erik himself had rarely gone far out of his way to avoid a fight it wasn't like he didn't recognize that it was objectively the better choice. They weren't going to turn every student into a martial arts master in a couple of hours a week but they could absolutely give them the tools to escape an attacker and get to safety. That was the whole point behind founding the school in the first place; every person they made capable of saving themselves was one less person stuck hoping some good samaritan was lurking on a nearby rooftop within earshot. "I wouldn't worry too much about the Academy's administration," he added to Merlin in an aside, remembering the strings the elder Summer had pulled to accommodate his sister, "but if thing go off, you know where we are. Fair?"
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"I live in the hope that encounter did not involve the sensual drinking of your blood sending your lucky partner into feverish hallucinations, oh most congenial of catburglars," Set groaned, planting her forehead against the surface of the bar and covering her head with both arms in utter dejection. She certainly could become any more mortified by Bombshell finding out about the incident, having reached her theoretical limit so far as she could tell, though admittedly their hostess has so far been far more understanding than was her obligation. "Tis a meaningful endorsement, Dimitri, my thanks," she replied genuinely to the Russian, lifting one hand to squeeze his forearm. "Please do not let anyone place a likeness of me inside your body."
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"If it keeps you from disappearing again I'm prepared to be just an atrocious student," Erik pledged in a mock-serious tone, slipping his hand out from under Talya's to grab Min's hip and pull her closer, pinning the Englishwoman between them. Ducking his head toward the shoulder nudging him he kissed her collarbone, letting his teeth lightly scrape against fair skin as lips curled in a smile. He'd never have said there was anything missing from his relationship with his wife and this wasn't filling some previously empty void. It was additive, generating a rush of new variations on familiar feelings that he wanted to guard jealously. He got the impression that he was going to need a whole new set of vocabulary to articulate and navigate those feelings. His ruminations were interrupted by the stomping of little feet rushing across linoleum before an insistent pounding sounded on the closed door to their bedroom. "Snaaaaacks!" Eden bellowed into the wood with fervor that seemed to outstrip the capacity of her little lungs. "Snacks snacks snacks snacks..." The three year old continued the chant as she hit the door rhythmically. The frustrated cries of an infant followed, somewhat more muffled, as the noise roused Mia as well. "So I think Eden might have woken up," her father remarked with a small sigh, working to reluctantly untangle himself from the pair of women in bed with him.
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"Oh, I can walk through walls," Kimber explained brightly as she rummaged through the cabinets. The closest thing she could find to birthday cake candles were some tea lights but she realized that even those she'd have to actually light with something and the idea was quickly discarded. "The crazy part, you mean! Well, ghost stuff, it's not as interesting as you'd think," she admitted as she caught onto Jessie's meaning and turned around to face her. "One of the heroes back home found my remains and did a proper burial which is supposed to put a ghost to rest all the way but instead... tada!" She made jazz hands and pointed to herself with a grin. "It's a little more complicated than that, though. I lost all my memories, basically, had to pick a new name for myself and figure out if I was just an echo of somebody else, pretty much a downer! It worked out, though, 'cause I got to go to school here and make all kinds of great friends!"
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Talya's immaculate show of nonchalance would have fooled nearly anyone but Erik was at least as fluent in the subtleties of body language as he was in any method of speech and at that moment he was intimately aware of every movement the blonde woman made. "Hey," he murmured softly, placing a hand on her stomach in a comforting gesture while simultaneously revealing his own worry that she might attempt to bolt from the room. "Not a bad discussion We don't... do this every time a friend visits and wants to kill a few hours." He looked over Talya to meet Min's eyes for confirmation. "That was special." His opposite arm had ended up comfortably under Talya's neck, the fingers twining gently in long strands of snow white hair. He licked his lips, trying to frame everything into words when he wanted to just show them what he was feeling. "I... I don't totally know what that was but... I don't think it was a one-time whatever it was?"
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In the manner of a fungus one assumes That was probably meaner than he wanted to be, Set realized after he'd already hit send. They were discussing Huang's father, after all, and even if there was obviously friction between the two blood drinkers there was no excuse for fostering resentment among family. Then again, the dhampir wasn't wrong, Set had far fewer compunctions about annoying his father than Phantom. He was already getting quite good at saying what the godling wanted to hear; Set appreciated that. Well mayhaps a bending of the rules would be in order I assume your place is out of the question...?
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"Hey, these are just the hard copies," Erik protested defensively to the capuchin, gesturing emphatically and resisting the urge to grab the papers out of Merline's little paws. "There's a database! I've got a guy!" Depending on one's definitions the guy actually was the database, since Vince collected the information about the school. He didn't feel the need to add that Vince often chastised him for continuously referring back to said hard copies instead of actually using the database, meaning the artificial intelligence often had to remind him about things like upcoming bills or scheduling conflicts but Erik maintained that the tactile method was just better, for reasons. He was still paying enough attention to Raina's preliminary lesson to catch the part about having a closetful of shoes again. "Hey, listen, you don't have to tell me what went down exactly, but the Academy is taking care of her, right?" Erik asked Merline quietly in a more sober tone of voice. They were paying to send her to his school, of course, but they usually sent students along in small groups, not alone save for monkey sidekicks.
