(OOC: Hmm...this looks interesting. but a couple questions...do you mean they are limited to your own personal IRL starsign? Or can it be a different one for the character? (EX: I am an aquarius, But Reni - who will NOT be in this I don't think - is a sagitarius. So...would any character I put in HAVE to be aquarius or not?) Also...I know very little about astrology, so...*shrug*)

(IRL would be perfered, but I'm willing to be flexible and go with the characters as well =3 As for not knowing, a comprehensive knowledge is not required, wiki browsing should sort it.)

OOC: Love this idea, Crim; too good to pass up. I'll put this up for now, and if you have any issues with it, I can fix it. Also, I'll wait for some more direction before introducing my character into the story proper.

Codename: Kincaid
Age: 31
Height: 5'11"
Eyes: Green
Species: Ram
Personality Profile: Kincaid is brash, bold, and brusque. His proclivity to acting independently has been the principal reason for not being promoted out of the Retrogrades. He certainly has no lack of spirit; among his peers, he has demonstrated considerable fortitude and energy. The flip side of this is that Kincaid is zealous to a fault; he exhibits strong streaks of incredible self-righteousness, narcissism, and wild competitiveness. Despite his tendency to be vindictive and temperamental, he is extremely competent at performing his duties and loyal to the end.
Powers: Primarily, Kincaid has prowess in the field of pyrokinesis. His secondary power, that of the earth, he traditionally uses defensively, but it is significantly underdeveloped. Most often, he tends to cause destruction accidentally when invoking his earth powers, leading many in the Zodiac to jest that when an earthquake hits California, it's Kincaid letting his emotions run away with him.

OOC: I'm going to be a douche since I'm bored and try to compete with Crimmybun. Also, I can build a profile for the mentioned kid but right now there's little point as it'll be revealed as this continues.

OOC: Nice to have you aboard guys, looking good there! Just waiting to see if we can get a couple more before I post the mission briefing, not that it will be closed to entry afterwards, but if you don't post before, you miss the chance to be picked as team leader ;P

Would if I could, but I'm already involved in a few RPs, some of which are set to pick up again soon. If I join this one as well, I'll be taking on too many things at once. Have fun though!

OOC: This seems interesting enough. I just hope this is alright. I kind of didn't want to end up creating a redundant character here. >.>;

Codename: Kite
Age: 22
Height: 5'1"
Eyes: Lavender
Species: Canine
Personality Profile: As she is inexperienced in her abilities, Kite is a member of the Retrospect. Despite a youthful appearance and somewhat "sunny" disposition and optimisism, she seems to have shown some potential. This does not account for a portion of her assignments ending in failure. This does not seem to affect her, however, as she strives to maintain an air of confidence.
*It should be noted that Kite has a tendency to jump to conclusions and approach situations from the wrong angle.
Abilities: Primary ability is terrakinesis, which is rather unstable compared to her secondary ability, limited control over ice. This ability allows her to freeze objects, however reports seem to indicate that it raises her own body temperature, which has led to high fever on some occasions. As such, it is utilized only when it is specifically required.
Attachment - File Photo:

(OOC: Still thinking...Who to bring back from the dead, so to speak? Liayra?...no...silver fur is not very subtle...Lib?...no, I need to keep my gaeaterrans in their own universe....Pir?....possibly, but I need to figure out a codename...no...she won't really work either. She's more my survival-story character. Hmmm....)

OOC: lol!! ^^^^ talk about thinking out loud VW.

Profile:
Real name: Athena O'shea
Codename: Celeste
Age: 19
Height: 5'7"
Eyes: Changes from caribbean green to icey blue
Species: Vulpine
Personality Profile: Athena is bad tempered, snappy, brash and abrupt for the most part. Her personality can vary from being very reserved, composed and professional- to wildly emotional, upfront and confrontational. She is aware that her emotions are perhaps her weakest trait which can cause her to lash out blindly- despite the splendour of her physical strength.
Occassionally one can earn her sympathy and loyality, but at an unclear bargaining or reason.
Abilities: Primary ability are high jumps. She can also land on the ground from considerably high heights with articulate balance and with no damage from impact.
Her secondary ability is physical combat. She is considerably strong and isn't afraid to literally fight 'tooth and nail' to a barbaric fashion.
Attachment -

OOC: Okay, briefing is going up now. That dosn't stop people joining, but it looks like they missed out on the team leader position!

IC:

Tybalt sat patiently as the other members of the aspect entered the breifing room, bolt to attention ready to begin. He barely even gave a nod to his team-mates. Not that he didn't want to of course, he recognised some of them certainly. But of course, if he ever wanted to be taken seriously he would have to be all buisness. No time for talk now.

Eventually, all were settled down, and the viewing screen that had been showing the Retrograde symbol flickred into life, now showing a different icon. A cross under a ring, with twin horns. The symbol of Mercury. The Ascendant are the few, the fabled, at the very head of the Zodiac. Each one seems at times little more than myth to those amongst the lower rankings. Nobody knew their faces, nobody knew their names. Their very identities were as fluid and ungraspable as Mercury.

Even as the Acensdant began the briefing, no clues were given, their voice broadcast through speakers, electronically distorted to hide even gender.

-

"Good evening, Retrograde. As you are all aware, I am known as Mercury, and I shall be in charge of breifing you for this assignment.I shall be brief and too the point. After all, no point in allowing such a buffet to go to waste. Heh. Heh. Heh. My little joke."

The screen flickers for a moment, and the picture changes to an arial shot of a small town by a lake, surrounded by woodland.

"This is the town of Gråbo in the Lerum Municipality, Sweden. We have recieved word that in this town there is a neo-paganistic sect that intends to perform a Midvintersblot. Or Mid Winters Sacrifice. However, possibly due to innacurate sources within the cult, they intend this to happen on the 13th of January.

"Normally this would not be a concern for Zodiac, we have already performed our Midvintersblot, it was called christmas. Heh Heh Heh. However the sect includes this man;"

The screen flickers again, now showing a well dressed individual with a very restrained smile, on the cover of a buisness magazine.

"Sebastian Gyllenborg. Our soothsayers have pegged him within the 78th percentile as being this years up and coming entrepaneur. Zodiac have invested a lot of resources into this man, as such we do not wish to see it squandered.

"If the ritual is to proceed at the wrong time in this manner, it is more likely to be detrimental than benificial to Mr Gyllenborg's fortunes. Which is why it is up to you, Aspects, to head to Gråbo and stop the midvintersblot. If possible, it would also be preferencial to extract Mr Gyllenborg from the cult, and direct him to a group the Zodiac hold more sway over.

"You will each have 10 days to sort out your own affairs in the outside world, before rendevouzing with our local contact in Gothenburg. For this assignment, the position of leadership has been gifted to Aspect Kite. Kite, you may be inexperienced, but we expect much. Listen to your teammates, and keep their emotions under control. Remember, you are not to give away your nature and purpose to the outside world.

"Also remember, if you fail in this assignment, then the Zodiac will be forced to start looking at things to cut from the budget this year. There are some jokes that Retrograde is not really an aspect anyway.

"This briefing is over, you may have the remaining time to get to know your fellow Aspect members better, or do as you see fit. And Aspects, Happy New Year.

"Heh Heh Heh."

-Briefing End-

-Mission 01: Capricorn, T-10 Days-

Audio Briefing

The green-eyed ram glanced at the others with a vaguely displeased expression. As something of a veteran servant in the Zodiac, Kincaid had been somewhat expecting leadership to be given to him. However, not all was lost; he figured that if he could demonstrate his superior capabilities, he would surely receive advancement from being a mere Retrograde. All he needed to do was exhibit dominance in the execution of the mission at the expense of the team leader. Speaking of whom...

"So," said Kincaid, forcing a smile that came out lopsided, "which one of you fine individuals is Kite? And for that matter, who are the rest of you? You may call me Kincaid: fiery by nature, fiery by trade."

There was no question that Kincaid benefited from his arrogance: humbler people would have felt some degree of shame for saying such foolhardy things.

(OOC: Something is starting to come to me for this, but I need to ask a quick question: Judging by the characters already posted, would you say charcater age is best set at twenty-something?)

Athena couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the bravado exhibitied by the ram who had introduced himself as Kincaid. Throughout this whole meeting, she had been chewing at the end of a sharp knife. As if it was a toothpic.
Other than that, her blasse demeanor remained as she sat back in her swerve chair with her elbows behind her head and her legs crossed. She was donning a white vest and a pair of black shorts. Like someone who had just got out of bed.

She couldn't really have cared who was given the leadership. Or better phrased- it's not a responsibility she was too bothered about right now.

However, in spite of her reserved mood as of yet, she couldn't help but deduce something perhaps, a little on the brash side of the ram.

'God. I hope these fiends aren't going to be difficult to work with,' she thought as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well?" Kincaid repeated, noticing no one had spoken up yet.

Athena raised the opposite eyebrow, before ramming the blade into the wooden table which got everyone's attention. Not to mention a look of concern considering their first impression of her.

"Celeste," Athena said getting it over with. Before pulling the knife out of the table, and using it once again to pick at her teeth.

"...hmn... by the way... Kincaid..." she began, a smirk appearing on her face for the first time "couldn't help but notice. Are we feeling a little sore?"

((OOC: Aspect members can be any age Vi, but yeah, it does seem that this particular group seem to be in the 20something ages or close too it. And I can already see this team is going to get along like a house on fire =D Exxxcellent.))

IC:

Tybalt's face was a blank slate following the brief, he seemed rather frozen. Slowly he blinked once, twice, three times. Kite? They picked Kite? Who the heck is Kite? Why didn't they pick me?! I tried so hard to impress them this time, I didn't do anything wrong! It must be bribery or something, yeah thats it! I'm not gonna get upset of this, I'm not going to sulk.

Well I might sulk a little

The trabbit's thoughts were interupted by the voice of Kinkaid and his aggressive questioning. Tybalt flattened his ears against his head as he turned to see the veteran ram, putting his face into the palm of his hand. Oh, gods, it's Kinkaid. He looked through his fingers to see a young vixen answering him with a snarky remark, though he didn't catch her codename. Sillyvest or something, she was obviously new, why else try to push Kinkaid's buttons like that.

Tybalt had been on one mission with Kinkaid before, though apart from them, they had been on differing assignments at differing times, thus he had seen the ram's temper in action. And the consequences. Half tempted to look for something sturdy to hide under, the lanky hybrid smoothed out his stiped fur and stood, giving Kinkaid a little wave of hello. Hopefully he would not remember the shaving foam incident.

Tybalt refused to speak of the shaving foam incident.

Spunky. Why else would she want to be starting something?

With this thought in his mind, Kincaid was about to drop everything and engage in a high-stakes argument. He had not the slightest idea whom the vixen who seemed eager for an unfriendly exchange was, but that was of little import. However, Tybalt's little wave brought Kincaid's meteorically rising temper down a few degrees. Kincaid recalled Tybalt from a mission some time ago; Tybalt's devotion to duty was admirable, and better still, he did not have a personality that rubbed Kincaid the wrong way. The ram modified his expression to a sweet, insincere smile and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, I haven't been inclined to stab the table, if that's any indication."

(OOC: Ok...think I have something. Let's go for an annoyingly happy character. I hope this works...was developing her all day at work today when I should have been concentrating on my increadibly DULL, annoying job )

Real name: *Classified*
Codename: Porche
Age: 20
Height: 5'
Eyes: sea green
Species: Poodle
Appearance: Wears reasonably fashonable clothing and lots of jewelry while not on missions, but when she's on a mission, she tries to pick out the most fashionable thing that would still fit in as appropriate for the setting. Often spends a long time to pick something out. While her fur is naturally apricot, she habitually bleaches it while on missions, and dyes it bright colors while not on missions.
Personality: Somewhat of a ditz, she can place priority on the wrong things at times, and has a propensity for tardiness. Comes accross sometimes as immature. Some theorize that she has short-term memory-loss. She can at times speak annoyingly loud, and her words tend to run together. She has bungled several missions because of this, and prior teammates joke that she's only good as bait and/or cannon-fodder. She has herself laughed at these same jokes, not realizing they were meant to demean her. Despite these flaws, she generally doesn't think ill of anybody and is almost always happy. She is, however, somewhat vain. She has at times almost told someone her real name before.
Powers: Primary power is wind-kinesis, sometimes in conjunction with other weather phenomenon. Secondary power...no one knows what her secondary power is. Or even if she has one. Perhaps her secondary power is water kinesis due to some of her winds containing rain. Or perhaps it is simply the ability to be annoying.

IC: The doors of the great hallway banged open loudly as a latecomer rushed in. "Hi-guys, sorry-I'm-late-but-I-couldn't-decide-what-dress-to-wear!" The words poured out of the poodle's mouth in a torrent. She looked around, seeming confused for a moment. "What just happened?" She recovered quickly and sat down in one of the chairs, taking out a mirror and preening her red-and-green-dyed headfluff.

TBC

Athena through her head back before snapping it forwards. Her strands of her loose hair flew over her face which darkened her expression as her eyes became veiled and only her mussel visible with contempt.

'Bastard,' she thought 'who's to stop my inclination to stab him?! Just one swift swipe will shut this damn arrogant dweeb's ...'
'No! Idiot. What will that achieve apart from a swift booting and an execution or life sentence in solitary confinement or eternal torture at the very least?!'
'Damnit. Oh well. There's other ways to shut this fiend up I guess...'

Athena slowly gazed upwards. Her eyes constricted with a madness that was about to snap its leash.

Before she was about to make her attack, the whole room's attention- including hers- was abruptly stolen by a noticable newcomer.
One to stand out from the crowd, that's for sure.

"Hi-guys, sorry-I'm-late-but-I-couldn't-decide-what-dress-to-wear!" The words poured out of the poodle's mouth in a torrent. She looked around, seeming confused for a moment. "What just happened?" She recovered quickly and sat down in one of the chairs, taking out a mirror and preening her red-and-green-dyed headfluff.

'Oh dgeeze!' Athena though exasperated 'just how many cartoon characters are there in this league. In fact, am I being had in actually believing this Retrograde business is serious?!'

"How about we let our leader explain?" Athena said, sharpening her nails with the blade "our other mentally challenged members need the reinforcement anyway."

Kite's mind was still in half-shock from the debriefing. Me? Leader? She was only half-aware of the goings on at the table, until the poodle suddenly entered the room.

"Hi-guys, sorry-I'm-late-but-I-couldn't-decide-what-dress-to-wear!" The words poured out of the poodle's mouth in a torrent. She looked around, seeming confused for a moment. "What just happened?" She recovered quickly and sat down in one of the chairs, taking out a mirror and preening her red-and-green-dyed headfluff.

'Oh dgeeze!' Athena though exasperated 'just how many cartoon characters are there in this league. In fact, am I being had in actually believing this Retrograde business is serious?!'

"How about we let our leader explain?" Athena said, sharpening her nails with the blade "our other mentally challenged members need the reinforcement anyway."

"Th-that's enough banter." Kite stood up, gazing about the table. As everyone's eyes stared at her, she felt rather small. Never mind that her short stature and outfit made her look more like a "flat" teenager rather than the age she truly was, her tone of voice when she spoke was all the more laughable.

What was she doing? She'd never been chosen to be a leader before, but obviously Mercury thought of her well enough to pick her... that didn't matter now.

She coughed a bit, trying to make herself look a bit more confident, and looked around at her new teammates, her eyes lingering on the ram for a bit longer than the rest.

"My name is Kite. As Mercury has no doubt said, I will be leading you on this assignment. That means the time for arguing is over... and the time to pay attention..." She said the last few words a little louder to get the poodle's attention. "... is now."

She paused. The weight that had been on her shoulders started to lift a bit. "Well, this is the first time I've really seen anyone here, so I guess I'll start by saying it's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can get along well.

"Um, before I continue, I would like to know everyone else's names.... except for... Kincaid, was it? It wouldn't be right just going calling people 'you' or something... heh heh..."

Yeah... this is going really well.... not.

Athena gazed up at the rather small statured canine, who finally decided to reveal herself as the leader of the group.

She then smirked. Purely out of amusement.
She wondered how hard a dent this might be making on the guys' egos within this group. To have a female leading the group. Let alone one who seemed rather little and naive to an extent. Unless she was underestimating her.
...still, it almost seemed as if the position had taken her by surprise and that the gesture of asking for everyone's else's name may be partly to buy time to think what to do or what to command next.

'I mean, I already gave the group my name...' Athena thought bemused 'it's really not that hard to remember. Why is she saying she's only heard Kincaid's?
...she must be nervous. And obviously that conceited ram is bound to make an impression for the wrong reasons...'

Athena smiled innocently, as she looked on at the rest of the group- curious to hear their names and to make up her mind around first impressions.

She couldn't help but notice a striped rabbit, and another rabbit seem rather quiet as of yet...

I'm not mentally challenged! I'm special!

Tybalt had been rather startled by the sudden entrance of the poodle, it was, by all accounts most unprofessional. Still, she must have had a good reason. He couldn't think what that might be, but...

Still, this... rookie. This rookie was Kite, their leader. He couldn't beleive it, but Mercury had to know what he was doing, he couldn't just have picked her on a whim, right? He'd best introduce himself. After all, that was the proffesional way to do things. He stood and dusted down his ostentatious clothes with a gauntled paw, looking to Kite.

"I'm Tybalt, and uh, well I've met Kinkaid here before, and I've seen a couple of you about, but that's about it. I'm looking forward to working with you for a better tommory."

OOC: (We can run this little character interaction session for as long as you guys like, so you can get a feel for your characters and each others. Just let me know when you are all done with it, and then I'll move on, da?)

OOC: Lol at first quote above ^^^^ XD

IC:

Athena looked at the rabbit that finally decided to speak up. Well, the striped one anyway. The 'other' one was still holding his tongue.

'Whatever,' she thought about that one.

"Tybalt huh?" Athena mused "nice."

"And you've worked with him before?" Athena asked merely indicating towards Kincaid with her eyes briefly "that must've been fun."

She pondered when Kite was going to come in and give some orders. She was getting somewhat bored of waiting.

A few errant strands of hair from the blond mop atop the ram's head hung in front of his eyes. He brushed them aside and stared dully at Porche.

Is that clown-haired creature legitimately a part of this organisation?

Kincaid let his eyes hop between the others, sitting in judgment of to what degree he expected he could put and keep them under his heel.

Perish the thought that the gangly, ugly hare over there speak. Methinks he will pose no threats. Tybalt is...well, he's Tybalt. The poodle is already a punchline. Celeste simply has yet to realise I outclass her in every way; breaking her will be a true delight. And Kite...

Kincaid looked at the vertically challenged canine. The ram suspected Mercury was a bit of a gambler: it was the only way to explain handing leadership to Kite. Her comment about the time to argue being over had completely missed Kincaid's notice. All he took stock of was the initial hesitation to her timid attempts to get to know the others' names. If she could not accomplish this much without a roadblock--admittedly, it was not her fault one rabbit refused to speak and the poodle was absolutely brainless--Kincaid hated to think how she was going to marshal this group together to execute the mission.

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect team.

Kite really felt like disappearing. ... Yeah, this is going worse than that accident with the hairdryer and the kitchen sink...

She crossed her arms for a moment, as though deep in thought. It was obvious no one was really expecting much out of her, so she may as well think of how she was going to be a better leader.

"... Right, I take it not everyone's not really having much of a good day. If there aren't any other pressing matters, then I guess we're dismissed. Take care of whatever you need to do today; tomorrow morning we depart at 8:00 AM sharp."

It was all she could think of.

"Conjure patience's'not a strong way around this group.  Still a guy would think you'd wanna to do more'an introspect to yourselves for a few minutes before we head into the maw."   The hare was sitting with a foot crossed up and resting on the adjacent knee.  His odd auburn leather overcoat on the back of his chair was sat next to the door.  His white t-shirt and tan cargo pants seemed a rather plain sort of attire when matched to the rather eccentric trenchcoat; however, the coat was very worn and some of the button crack and broken so it wasn't too much of a variation in garmentry tier; that is if such a thing existed.

"'Miss Leader I 'sume you have your thoughts on us?  Lemme be blunt and say mine."   He sat up and eyed the room, absently twirling an out of place lock of yellow fur on the back of his head as he spoke.   "Porche is our mascot.  Kincaid there is our brigand.  Good with fists and intimidation, little less with words and brains.   Celeste must be our token femme fatale as she reminds me of my ex-wife, the +%!#$.  Can't say I feel a good way about that.  Tybalt announces he's in with the brgiand there, conjure there some kinda subconscious surrogate sibling thing going on there.  Miss leader yerself is obviously the top of us, unless charlie doesn't know his angels.  Wager you're as naive as ya look but got ability an presence already, charlie put ya in charge to strengthen that first little wrinkle."

He smirked, "An me?  Tobias.  Tobias Droegemeier.  Guess our ilk haven't need of those kinda names though, e'la.   Codename, if it's your poison, is The Warden.  Little ominious, little enigmatic, but it's me.  Less you feel the latter is better you can call me Toby, bosses musta taken care of that name's records already."  He leaned back in the chair again, relaxing.

"... Right, I take it not everyone's not really having much of a good day. If there aren't any other pressing matters, then I guess we're dismissed. Take care of whatever you need to do today; tomorrow morning we depart at 8:00 AM sharp.”

'Suits me fine puppy...' Athena thought rolling her eyes, about to push back her chair and go.

However, her thoughts were spontaneously interrupted by a voice which she still had not yet heard, across the room.

“Wha...?” she uttered away from earshot range as the initially quiet hare began to talk.

She listened on as the hare brashly leant his opinion to the leader- which tailed on to a brief, and almost parodic summary of all the individual members within the group. She found the first two descriptions mildly witty.

Her own character account, however, she found to be presumptuous and the insinuation that the hare had judged her to be as much of dog as his ex-wife ruffled her fur a bit. But not enough to lose her composure.

'Completely out of line,' she thought as she eyed him coldly 'still, his deductive skills are obviously pretty sharp it seems for the most part. No wonder he hasn't been skinned yet by the outside world.'

Something else made her wonder as well though...

'Did he just give away his real name?' she thought confused 'was that wise? Is he that great in combat he'd do something so wreckless? Naive and trusting perhaps?!

... oh whatever. Who cares. I need a coffee.'

With that, she abruptly got up.

"Coffee break," she said, mock saluting to Kite, before taking her leave out the door with that knife she had had throughout the meeting.

Kite didn't get a chance to say anything more to Celeste before she left. She thought for a moment before sitting back in her chair. The other rabbit just tossed his actual name out there, without a second thought, it seemed. It was a lot better sounding than his codename, that's for sure. Her actual name, however...

"I think a coffee break is what's best. I... I would like some time alone..."

Looking at Kite, the green-eyed Kincaid could not help but stroke his chin and feel sorry for her.

Well, almost sorry.

"Didn't Mercury say we have to be at the rendezvous point in ten days? I should hardly think we need to move out at eight in the morning tomorrow to get to our destination. If that is your preference, however, I would ask this: are we formally dismissed, or are we merely taking a coffee break?"

In truth, Kincaid was slightly confused by her seemingly conflicting statements, though he was not about to admit to that. For much the same reason, he was more than happy to ignore Toby's commentary; the ram understood scarcely a word of the rabbit's drawl. He rather hoped to offer up some of his teammates as sacrifices for this Midvintersblot as he gave Kite a questioning look.

"You're dismissed," Kite repeated, a bit impatiently. "Having a coffee is entirely up to you." She buried her head in her hands. She wished she could drink, but reiterated the mental vow she made never to tread down that path. Too many people she knew ended up in all the wrong things.

As a leader, you shouldn't be down in the dumps like this. You're not exactly inspiring them to do their best, you know... On the other hand, who gives a flying rat's &%$#? It's not like anybody else does...

Then again, it just might we worth the effort to work with them. You could still learn a thing or two about experience... without letting it go to your head.

She looked up again, her lavender eyes hovering on Kincaid for a moment. "It is important that we get moving. Although we do have time, unexpected things can crop up at any time."

Tybalt shrugged, glancing around at his new teamates. "Well I could go for some coffee and a few more of those spring rolls myself. Nice to meet you lot then, or meet again I guess in some cases. Or put "Names" to faces.

Or actual names to faces, man that bunny's got balls.

"I guess I'll see you all in Kronenburg then." He said, giving a happy little wave. Nice bunch He thought to himself, making a beeline back to the main hall where the buffet table was, and other teams and meetings were beginning to emerge. This assignment will be a cakewalk.

Tybalt was not good at noticing the obvious.

OOC: ((Okay then, I'll start writing up the post to begin the mission either tonight or tommorry. We have one more team-member who asked nicely to join, but I think after that we have a good number. At least untill we finish the first mission...

If this lot complete the mission. We are the best formulated secret team ever =D.))

OOC: Alrighty! This scene I've just written I kinda started last night. It's just as an aside. But yeah, am ready myself for the group to move out! 😛

IC:

A slumped postured Athena numbly dragged her feet down the peripheral hallways, in search of a more authentic and quiet coffee room in which she could take her break. The revelations of the Aspect's members, Mecury's expectations and his hint to drop the Retrogrades had they not fulfilled their task was somewhat of a mild mental irritation that caused her to rub her temples as she walked.

She stopped outside a set of three elevators before punching in the 'up' button.

'G, 1, 2, 3, 4... 5' PING

A proud set of stainless steel twin doors whirred open, allowing her to step inside. She looked the set of choices of buttons on the wall- including the choice for an alarm, and the lift to self-destruct.

'Well well. A choice to self-destruct?' she thought with a snigger 'all these new advances they come up with... surely it's a joke?'

She was going to press the button and find out though.

PING!

As she finally arrived to the 21st floor- the top floor of the complex- she got out and made her way to what was a small and quiet coffee room.

As she got pulled out a mug, the coffee jar out the cupboards, a spoon, some sugar and some milk out the fridge, her long ears lifted ever so slightly followed by an instant freeze in posture.

She reached over to grab her knife and spun around 180.

“Athena Athena Athena...” a grinning purple figure chanted as he sat on the couch. He had his back to the veranda window- overlooking a vast panorama of the cityscape.

“Julien,” Athena said with a restrained snarl. She'd grown tired of the red-eyed, demonically spiked vampiric hedgehog who made random appearances at the most 'convenient' moments.

“Do you mind? I need some peace!” she said with a contorted expression.

“Already?” he asked, a superficial look of disappointment on his face “no bonding session with our new colleagues? They seemed like such interesting people- from what I could see through your eyes...”

Athena stood there- that bridled sneer on her face as she folded her arms- with the handle of the dagger gripped within her right hand with the edge pointing to the ground.

Julien's powers. Primary being teleportation. Secondary being the ability to see through any Gemini's eyes.

'Curse of the twins', she thought bitterly 'still, those powers were fun every midmonth when she got the chance to trade powers with him.'

“So an Aspect's members are formulated around members' skills, powers and trust...?” he said, jabbing his upper lip with his index finger with thought crossing his cerise eyes.

Athena gave him a quizzical look as she awaited further information.

“Either this Mercury maestro is really short sighted in his choice of candidates for this ensemble...” he said looking back at Athena with a canine toothed dominating grin “or he's setting up your sorry hinds for amusement.”

“What do you mean?!?” Athena demanded, uncrossing her arms. Dagger still in hand.

“What I mean is, your clan is completely 'dog-eat-dog',” Julien continued as he stood up tall and straight, a good 5 inches taller than Athena “that ram who dons the name Kilcaid will be the first to show you that harsh reality. You will fall with your emotions blinding you. And by the time he's done, I'll be there to pick up those poor tragic shards of you and then...”

Before Julien could finish, Athena wildly leapt towards the violet creature with her teeth bared and her keen blade aiming towards his jugular vein.

As she pulled back her arm to deal a clean cut, she gasped as she felt a harsh yank at the back of her white vest- pulling her back like a dog on its leash and catapulting her towards a round wooden table at the other end of the room.

Crash!

On collision, the table broke in two with the chasm sending all the other chairs back.

“Ohhh...” she groaned, cringing from the aches and pains dealt by the impact.

“You're such a messy girl,” Julien shook his head with disapproval as he looked down on her with condescending red eyes “clean up before the others learn the truth of your undomesticated self!”

With that, the vampiric hedgehog disappeared. A few light shimmers left in the wake as he disappeared from the coffee room. Athena looked on somewhat dumbfounded and frowning, before picking herself up with a wince.

"All I wanted was a &"(&*%3( coffee! God damnit!!" she shouted out loud.

With that, she began trying to order the room in a reasonably tidy manner. Or as much as she could leave it the way she first found it.

OOC: I'd be the 'one more team-member' Crimson mentioned. Pardon my late arrival and the length of this post, it took me a while to decide to give this thing a whirl!

Codename: Laima
Real Name: Clearence Denied
Age: 17 (almost 18) or 4 and a bit (was born Feb 29th)
Eyes: Black
Height: 5' 6"
Species: Monkey/Tiger hybrid
Personality Profile:
Introverted and introspective, with a tendency to think twice before
doing nothing, Laima is nevertheless intelligent and capable, if lacking in ambition. She has
demonstrated considerable expertise in unarmed combat, archaic written
languages, metallurgy and handling information technology. She is also
a gifted artist and singer, although those skills are generally not
required much. Though she demonstrates commendable skill for someone of
her age when doing a job, the necessity to push her to actually do it
and not overthink things is an area that needs attention. Also, her
need to spend time in seclusion, coupled with something of a lack of
self-confidence & occasional therapy for an ability-related
condition have made an otherwise very promising young recruit rather
high-maintainence for the organisation.
Powers:
Laima's primary power is 'continuous vision'. Simply put, although
blind, Laima sees all around her, above her and beneath her in a
complete sphere of 20/20 vision. However, her vision goes somewhat
beyond the material and into the supernatural. Laima often sees the
spirits of the dead, and occasionally other kinds of spirits- one of the reasons
for her need for therapy. Disguises or spells designed to conceal
things don't seem to work on her at all, and darkness leaves her sight
unaffected since she does not see with her eyes. In short- as Laima herself would put it- she "sees what's
really there". Perhaps noteworthy is that Laima sees the auras around
people, and can sometimes gain vivid insights into their personality by
reading the auras. This is contrasted by the fact that she tends often
to have an exaggerated view of her own faults, whilst under-estimating
her strengths. It is uncertain how this ability will develop over time.
Her secondary ability is a capacity to sense and manipulate metals. It
manifests in a form not unlike electro-magnetism, though it effects
even non-magnetic metals and alloys. Although she has built up a
considerable repertoire of skills while using this ability, the actual
power itself remains rather under-developed, with Laima not being able
to actively move or manipulate metals more than about 10 feet from her.
If the faults listed above are addressed, and her abilities mature
properly, Laima could become a very valuable agent indeed.

Okay, a few extra odds and ends here, just in case things need clarifying!

• I

chose Monkey/Tiger hybrid because, according to Chinese Astrology you
have animals for the year and month. 1992 was the Year of the Monkey,
and February had the Tiger for that month. Laima's Western Astrology
sign was Pisces, but no way I'm attempting a Monkey/Fish hybrid!

• You

might well be inclined to think Laima's power's should include some
sort of water-related theme then. But- according to that ever reliable
source we call Wiki- Pisces is a symbol that falls into the 12th House
(whatever that means!) and can also be interpreted as 'Mysticism',
hence Laima's ability to see supernatural realities. On the other hand,
in certain mythologies, bodies of water- particularly marshy areas, lakes and
rivers- were considered either portals into the hereafter, or doorways
between here and the lands of the Fey. So there could be a precedent
for her primary ability stemming from either interpretation. (Any experts on either Eastern or Western Astrology here, please don't seek to correct me on the interpretation of star-signs! Being able to plead ignorance is sometimes a blessing y'know?)

• As regards her secondary ability, Monkey has the fixed element of Metal apparently. [/list:u:8c8d216a93]Okay, now all that's taken care of, on with the RP!

IC: As the other members of the group dispersed, either to get coffee, enjoy the buffet, or to get ready for tomorrow, or generally leave their newly-appointed leader Kite to grapple with the responsibilities suddenly thrust upon her, there was one individual who remained seated. She had been there the entire time, having arrived but a few moments before Tybalt, and had all that time remained silent. And unnoticed. That was to be expected really, after all she wasn't exactly...well, how to phrase it? Some people simply cannot be ignored. The moment they arrive, their commanding presence coupled with the sheer force of their personality (whether oppressive or uplifting) seems to swallow up all available space in their ambient environment. Laima was almost the opposite: The moment she arrived, all the available space in the ambient environment seemed to swallow up her presence, until she was virtually invisible. Which was fine most of the time, but awkward whenever she wanted or needed to be noticed. On the plus side, since no-one had given any sign of noticing her, she had gained ample opportunity to take a look at her team-mates. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she had gained the opportunity to observe them.

Laima stirred slightly in her seat, easing her crossed legs into a slightly more comfortable position. She was a rather unusual girl to look upon. Her fur was dense and silky, with the normal tiger-stripe colour scheme reversed, so that she was mainly black, with orange stripes. Her ears were fully covered by that same fur, unlike many members of the monkey family, and were similarly black in colour. Her face was an unusual yet not unattractive mix of both tiger and monkey, and had intricate patterns of orange and black running through it, save on her muzzle, where white predominated. Almost one half of her face was covered by her sleek black hair, which was cut in a bob that stopped just where her neck ended and her shoulders began. Her long, striped tail was curled beneath her crossed legs, wrapping around her booted feet, her hands under her chin. Her head was bowed and her eyes closed, almost as if she were in prayer. Her clothing was quite plain, consisting of trousers and shirt in deep navy blue, with the only contrast being a silvery buckle on the belt, the similarly silver-coloured watch upon one wrist, and a small golden chain around her neck that was barely visible. These last items Laima had made herself, demonstrating considerable artistry and skill. Which was why, when she raised her head and opened her eyes, if anyone had been watching they would have found the creator hard to reconcile to her creations. For her eyes- or the one that was visible anyway- held no apparent trace of life within them: They were devoid of white, iris, or pupil; windows into an endless blackness of eternal night. They were the dead eyes of a blind person. Yet, despite the apparent lifelessness of her eyes, there was an awareness to the girl that suggested she yet percieved the world around her- that and maybe more. Laima had observed much that was interesting in her new team-mates and was still mulling it over. However the rest of them might feel, she was in no hurry to go anywhere. So many different emotions, ambitions, personalities and intentions, all mixed into one group it was quite...fascinating. She could only guess what might occur as the mission progressed. Without turning her head, Laima observed Kite.

Their team leader still sat in the place she had occupied for the briefing. She looked rather forlorn, Laima thought. Forlorn, put-upon, perplexed, nervous and...lonely. As though she was lost and needed a guide. As though she felt that- that no-one would listen. With that, Laima's thoughts veered off on a tangent. No-one would listen. Wasn't there a song of that title she'd heard before? Where had it come from? Ah yes, the famous musical. Quite forgetting for the moment where she was, and that she wasn't alone, Laima began to sing softly to herself the words of the song. "No-one would listen," Laima began, her words fluent and clear, "no-one but her, heard as the outcast hears..."

OOC: again apologies for the length of this post, hope I haven't killled the RP by joining it! The song Laima is singing is one that was cut from the 2004 big-screen adaptation of Andrew-Lloyd Webber's musical 'The Phantom of the Opera' (based on the novel of the same name of course). It can be found here, assuming I've put the link in correctly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1xHirK4k5U   Assuming the link works, just imagine the song being sung as well or better by a girl!  

 

(Document is marked: Destroy after memorisation)

Gothenburg, 10th January, 2010. Ouside the Comfort Hotel.

It was cold in Sweden, really, really cold. There was a think fall of snow coating the landscape, not quite a blizzard, but still enough to envelop the country in a blanket of chilling white. As such the streets were rather deserted. Which is always a bonus for those trying to be unobtusive.

Tybalt was stood oposite the doors of the hotel, and he was in fact, still wearing the outfit he wore to the New Years meeting, his red silk trousers stark against the snow, however he had removed his gauntlets and in defference to the weather, was wearing a black, fur-lined jacket, ski-glasses and a rather rediculous hat. He was also wearing a gold chain and listening to some music. It has to be admitted he did not look like a secret agant. But it was hardly keeping a low key.

Man, I can't beleive I lost my room key already! I hope that Kite gets here soon.

A second glance up revealed the rabbit standing in front of him, arms folded with a smug grin on his face.  Toby said something but it was drowned out by the music, but when he popped the 'collar' on his trenchcoat it became rather obvious it was a jab at his attire.

This weather was almost too much.

It was bad enough the buildings were barely visible. Just ahead of her, a couple of people had already arrived at the group's rendezvous point. Kite mentally cursed herself. A leader should be the first one here...

It wasn't readily obvious whether Toby or Tybalt even noticed her yet, emerging through the freezing white wearing a light gray hooded down coat that stopped just at her knees. Aside from a pair of dark pants, from just below her knees down was a pair of matching gray boots. A darker gray scarf was wrapped around her face, concealing her nose and mouth from view. Like Tybalt, she didn't seem to look the part of a secret agent either, more like some tall kid trying to keep warm. At least she didn't look like an eyesore.

"Isn't it a bit too cold to be standing out here?" she spoke up as she reached the two young men. "You should be inside by now."

... Like you're one to talk, Little Miss Tardy...

Laima rounded the corner just in time to see Kite approaching the Comfort Hotel. Like the others, Laima had donned clothing more suited to the environment and now wore a deep-hooded winter coat of blue-grey colour, that stopped just a few inches short of her ankles. Sturdy black boots, designed to pick up on even the tiniest scrap of traction, covered her feet and upon her hands were black gloves, so well-designed as to have been able to keep arctic explorers warm. Oddly, she also wore sunglasses, but that was because she tended to draw less attention wearing sunglasses than with her eyes uncovered. She slowed her step slightly as she noticed that two others were at the hotel: Tybalt, and The Warden- the one who had identified himself by his real name at the briefing. Had these two been there when she checked into the hotel? Laima couldn't say for certain, but they hadn't been in evidence then, since she had arrived early. That had been the result of an old habit, born out of necessity in the days before her primary power manifested itself: If you were blind and needed to travel to a new location, make sure you get there with time to familiarise yourself with the new surroundings- less accidents happen that way. Since she was now able to see more than most people who had two perfectly functional eyes, that rule was more or less redundant- but old habits die hard. Still, she'd made the most of her time since arriving, taking a walk through the surrounding streets to get a feel for the place. Thanks to the weather, that exercise had met with mixed success, but Laima was now confident that she knew the place well enough to find her way around it in a pinch- or maybe a blizzard. As she drew nearer to the hotel, she heard the tail end of what Kite was saying.

"...should be inside by now," Kite finished. Laima couldn't fault that sentiment; the weather was far from friendly just now. Halting a few paces behind Kite, Laima took stock of the auras surrounding her three team-mates. Kite seemed to feel some mild chagrin for something, but was calmer now, and less shell-shocked than at the mission briefing. That was encouraging, and it wasn't like Laima couldn't empathise with Kite. She'd never been picked for leadership, so she would probably have had much the same reaction. What she could read from Tybalt was a little less encouraging. He was calmer now than when he'd found out who their leader was, which was good, but he still seemed...agitated about something. What that something might be Laima couldn't tell, but if it persisted it might be a worry. The Warden- Toby- on the other hand, seemed much as he had at the briefing: Calm, composed, and a touch amused by something. Switching her focus from their auras, Laima took stock of Tybalt's choice of clothing & concluded that there might be at least one source of amusement readily available. On the heels of that thought came another, which almost made her laugh out loud: Tybalt's garments must be loud indeed, if they had attracted the attention of a blind girl! Stifling the sudden urge to giggle Laima decided she should make her presence known to Kite, and giggling for no apparent reason would not be the best way to do that! She hesitated. What would be the ideal way to introduce herself though?

Several thoughts ran through Laima's mind at this point: Would Kite even remember her from the briefing, or would she think someone had seen fit to drop another team-member on her unannounced? Should she address Kite as 'leader' or would that be too formal? More importantly, would it violate the 'low-key' instruction? If so, then should she address Kite as 'Kite' or would that be inappropriate coming from a subordinate? If it was inappropriate, then wouldn't that actually make Kite's spirits sink a little lower? What would be a good way of addressing the leader without compromising the integrity of the group or offending Kite? All these thoughts and more whirled through Laima's mind before she made her decision. Taking the remaining steps that put her level with Kite, Laima turned her head in Kite's direction and said softly, "good afternoon". 

Tybalt, unable to hear anything, turned his music off, and smiled a little at Toby. "Yeah, it's a nice coat, I like it."

Kite was right about the cold though, so he mentioned his little predicament with the keys.

Kite turned about face, slightly surprised. The girl standing behind her was someone she hadn't seen much of; in fact, she had to admit that Laima had almost been overlooked. "Afternoon," she replied, as Tybalt put away his headphones.

Upon learning he had lost his keys, however, she looked a bit disappointed. "I supposed you'd have been stuck had no one else showed up," Kite spoke, reaching into her pocket and fishing out two sets of keys. Handing one to Tybalt, she said calmly, "I suppose it's a good thing I came prepared. Please don't lose these, either."

Kite cast a glance at the team members gathered thus far (well, all three of them, anyway) and looked down the road again, as though expecting someone else to come, before proceeding to open the door. Sure, I'm not exactly an early bird, either, but those other two...

The warmth of the hotel lobby was evident as soon as the four of them stepped inside. It was homely, comfortable, almost like Kite's small studio apartment back home... except bigger and a bit more fancy.

"Finally," she said aloud. "I hate winter; it's all cold and snow and ice. I can't stand it... I'm can't wait until I get to my room so that I..."

Unfortunately, randomly speaking her thoughts was another one of her inherent flaws. However, this was one of those times she remembered she wasn't alone and immediately stopped talking. Her scarf-wrapped face burned with embarrassment.

"So that you'd...what, exactly?"

Kite, who was already burning with embarrassment, now nearly jumped out of her fur with alarm at the low, rumbling query. She, Tybalt, and Toby turned to see, seated in a cozy armchair not far removed from the door, a figure with its legs crossed and the rest of its body obscured by a newspaper it was holding. Laima, for her part, did not bother to look in its direction; she already knew who it was.

"Um..." Kite began, sheepishly scratching behind one of her ears. The newspaper lowered, revealing Kincaid's haughty smirk. As the others recognised the green-eyed ram, he, in turn, remarked, "So nice of you to turn up...finally. I see we are generally in form, trying to avoid garnering public attention by wearing starkly eye-watering garb"--here he was mirthfully glancing at Tybalt--"and standing around in a sizable group invariably likely to attract attention in and of itself. A commendable commencement of such an important assignment."

"Conjure you've got a mighty fine reckonin' of yoreself there, brigand," Toby said, clearly unfazed by the ram's smarmy commentary. "How long you been preparin' that rhetoric?"

"Long enough," Kincaid said, rising. "While you have been wandering about, I have already set about taking stock of the general environment of and around Gothenburg. I'm sure I'm not the only one to have done so."

The way he issued the statement, Kincaid made it sound like a question he expected no one to answer in the affirmative. Laima was about to speak up when Tybalt said, "Oh yeah, sure...already once 'round the block and back."

Kincaid gave Tybalt a look of vague acknowledgment before starting for the lifts.

“Wow. Finally you guys are here,” a voice announced as the elevator doors opened. Kincaid raised an eyebrow as he could recognise the voice, but noted the figure was disguised... as a tumbling pillar of shopping bags?!?

“Kindly take these!” Athena said with a devious smile as she dumped the unstable vertical mass of shopping on Kincaid, who caught them reluctantly.

The three-tailed femme vulpine dusted her hands before casually walking to face the gathering of the retrograde- still in her white vest and black shorts and bare foot.

“What's the meaning of this?!” Kite demanded, unable to decipher what was most crazy of the random event that just took place.

“The meaning of what?” Athena asked, tilting her head to one side. By the time she had finished the sentence, everyone practically jumped as they heard a tumbling of shopping bags and a knocked over vase plant.

'Rammy obviously couldn't take the strain,' Athena thought sniggering.

“Well, first you arrive unprofessionally late...” Kite began, narrowing her eyes “and now I find you're spending our budget on... a shopping spree? This is a mission. Not some forsaken mall merry go round in Gothenburg!”

“I was here first. I had so much time to kill, that Porche called me to meet up with her for downtown shopping...” Athena explained.

'Naturally I would've told her to get bent... but a shopping trip is a good way to prowl around for any suspicious beings and get a feel for the city,' the three-tailed vulpine thought.

“I haven't spent a dime though. That lot is all hers!”

“And where is she now?” Kite asked bemused.

“Getting her hair done.”

Great...

Here she thought Kincaid and Celeste were the types to just do what they wanted-- and they certainly seemed like it-- but both of them, even the poodle who came late to the briefing got here before her, Laima, Toby, and Tybalt.

"There's still some time," she said. "Do what you want until then."

Fate was being quite kind to the misfit Retrogrades. Kite's words, resigned as they were, gave Kincaid just enough breathing room to restrain his ire. The ram rose to his feet, kicking aside some errant shopping, and stared levelly (relatively speaking, in light of the four or so inches he had on her) at Athena.

Oh, I shall do what I want indeed.

Folding his arms, Kincaid flatly said, "If you're looking for a fight, little missy, you've not got the slightest sense of timing."

Athena harrumphed in response. The ram stepped around her and into the lift.

"Now listen here," he said, casting a dour glare at her. "We are supposed to have some illusion of working together; damned if I want to so much as be within the same country as you, but we've got limited options. I believe it best if we resolve right here and now anything that's going to affect our efficacy."

"What?" scoffed Athena. "You want me to get in that elevator with you and talk it out like we're at some counselling session?"

"It's preferable to keep this as calm and low-key as possible," Kincaid smoothly assured her. "We'd only be drawing attention to ourselves out in the open."

"There's nothing to discuss with you," she contemptuously snorted. He gave a sweet smile and said, "You wound me, little missy. Here I am trying to extend the olive branch and you take it like another provocation. How do you expect the rest of the team to view you when you're so combative?"

It was hard to place precisely, but experts in body language would have picked up a certain inviting look in Kincaid's eyes.

Laima had, true to form, been silent throughout the past few minutes of the unfolding, volatile mixture of comedy and drama. She had probably been the only one (with the exception of Kincaid) who hadn't jumped when the ram dropped the prodigious pile of shopping bags. One of the advantages of having always been blind before her ability manifested itself was that she had adapted naturally to keeping her attention on several things simultaneously, having never had to devote her attention to a limited number of things before- well, not when it came to things observed anyway. Thus, even as she had been watching Celeste, she had seen the teetering of the shopping bags and known it to be a matter of when rather than if. She had then turned her attention again to the auras of her team-mates. Since Tybalt's agitation had proved to be due to his misplacing his keys, that was gone now, replaced mainly with an anxiety that seemed to flare up whenever Kincaid was around. What Laima read from Kincaid's aura suggested that the anxiety was justified. Kincaid had openly informed them at the group briefing that he had a fiery nature, and reading his aura confirmed it. There was a propensity to ire and anger in the ram that he seemed to control only with iron resolve. Unfortunately, that wasn't the most worrying thing Laima saw. Underlying the aggression and anger, was a form of hostility that was far more vicious and cold-blooded. If past experience was anything to go by, it meant that Kincaid was fostering some seriously unpleasant ideas about his team-mates. Whether it was just idle speculation, or serious contemplation, Laima couldn't be certain- yet. But she would know soon enough. Celeste's aura also troubled her.

Though it wasn't present as Celeste spoke to Kite, at the briefing Laima had observed something unusual in Celeste's aura. A fluctuation, a discrepency an...anomaly. If it meant what Laima believed it did, then secrets couldn't be spoken around Celeste. Not because Celeste wasn't trustworthy- Laima was fairly sure that for all her open aggression, Celeste had no trouble with integrity- but because Celeste was being used by someone else who might not be trustworthy. Laima would have to see that anomaly again to be sure, but when it was there, it looked almost as though a sliver of someone else's conciousness was threaded through Celeste. Psychic espionage- difficult to detect and even harder to counter. And not a good start to a covert mission at all. Since Toby remained unfazed by Kincaid, and unchanged aura-wise, Laima believed that presently he was one of the team-members she could worry least about. Porche on the other hand...well, Laima remained undecided on Porche for now. Crazy perhaps, ditzy maybe, but unless she was also a brilliant actress, probably not a threat to anyone else on the team. As Celeste finished speaking, Laima turned her attention to Kite's aura.

Their leader seemed to have been further disheartened by Celeste's remarks. In fact, her spirits seemed to be going rapidly downhill. In light of what had just been said, that was understandable. Kite probably believed that that the seemingly less-reliable members of her team were showing her up just now, and making her and the remaining team members- Laima included- look bad. Laima personally wouldn't have cared if everyone else had got there before her, but the simple truth was that it mattered what a leader thought of her team- and what the team (and their overheads) thought of their team-leader. But things weren't quite as bad as they seemed. As Kincaid and Celeste began their little tete-a-tete by the elevator, Laima resolved to do something. Gently touching a hand to Kite's shoulder, Laima asked in her soft voice, "Miss Kite? May I speak with you privately for a moment?" 

The rabbit was already seated in a chair by that point in the lounge area, foot resting on the opposite knee.  "Tybalt right?"  He said pointing at the flamboyantly dressed hybrid, "Don't envy ya, bet that guy's pretty hard to keep in line.  Used to have one like him when I was younger."

"I suppose..." Kite stepped onto the elevator. She figured it would be better to speak with someone, rather than have every single emotion showing up on her face.

Tybalt looked over to Toby and raised his ski glasses up onto his head, giving a shrug. "That's just the way he is I guess. I'm not his keeper." *He smiled and took a seat next to his fellow rabbit. "You had somebody like him? You mean like, as a team-mate?"

The rabbit gave a sad smile and his peculiar speech vanished for a bit, "Of sorts."  He smirked,  "I suppose I've never been the type to keep my mouth shut when I should.  I have a older brother...  well had one.  I guess you could say he saved me from a life of wealth and pampering, course the same life was also full of superficiality and politics.  Lotta people think extremes on both sides of that one...  But they're all dead now."  The rabbit shook a distant look out of his eyes and leaned back,  "The guy was always in trouble, always upset, always in some state of extreme.   I don't think I remember a time he wasn't furious, crying, or laughing."  He shrugged and looked at the ceiling, as if trying to remember things, "People always said I keep him from really losing it."

(OOC: ACK! Sorry to have forgotten about this. I'm not doing a very good job of getting back into RPing. I HAD to go and pick a ditz for a character...she's so unlike me, that I'm having trouble getting into her head...but I think I have something...not much, but something. I should be asleep right now, but I HAVE to post SOMETHING. )

IC:

"Hi-guys,-I'm-back!" The poodle strolled in nonchalantly. Her previous garish hairdo was...while not completely gone, it was less eye catching. She had been somewhat dismayed at the fact that she had to change to a "traveling-do" so soon after having had her hair dyed for the holiday season, but the others had impressed to her the importance of subtlety. However, she had forgotten to do it before they left, and by some strange miracle had remembered just as she arrived at their destination. Therefore the trip to the salon to get her hair bleached had taken priority...after a tiny bit of shopping, of coarse. She had also allowed her fur to grow out a bit between the time of the meeting and now. It was less of a crazy combination of floof and close-cut patches, and more evenly fluffy now.

TBC

(OOC: Kinda disjointed, sorry. It's late and I should be sleeping, but my muse ambushed me and wouln't let me sleep until I posted that...)

OOC: Yay, VW. I love Porche! Keep her in! XD

IC

Athena, somewhat intimidated, took a half-inch step back.

She shifted her eyes uneasily amongst the somewhat confined surroundings of the lift- before staring back at the ram with an edge of defiance. She realised that Kite and Laima was there too. Still, the situation was infuriating.

She felt somewhat damned that he was taller than her. She had only noticed it now of all times!

Then again, she had only seen him sitting down, namely at the meeting, so the vertical discrepency had obviously been misleading.

She threw down her arms, balled in fists on either side of her as a rapid change in stance to stop herself from blushing.

“Ok!” she announced “for starters, kindly STOP calling me little missy! If we weren't working for the same damn team, I wouldn't hesitate to show you I'm a lot tougher than I really look!”

“Oh really? So stabbing tables is not 'as good as it gets?” he asked.

“Still haven't forgotten about that have you?” she said with a taunting grin “you're such a pansy if you're merely afraid of domestic objects!”

“Domestic objects in the hands of a crazy...” Kincaid paused “look, can we get back on track and just call a truce here?! I couldn't help but notice it seems me in particular you're picking on! What's with special attention?” he finished with a confrontational smirk.

“Oh for god's sakes! I really don't need to waste my breath on such an arrogant, narcissistic, shallow headed...”

PING!

“Fiend like you!” Athena yelled as the elevator doors opened.

As she walked out, she cast one final glare at the ensemble behind her, before storming off to her room. Her eyes all this time had flickered between blue, and an intense flare of green.

His confrontational smirk blossomed into a full-fledged Cheshire Cat grin. Standing there in the open lift with his hands half stuffed in his pockets, Kincaid bathed himself in his own smug satisfaction. It was hard not to be supercilious when vanquishing others in a battle of wits and wills was so easy.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he clucked, looking over his shoulder at Kite and Laima. "Rest assured, I have every intent of maintaining my focus on our duties here, Kite."

Not actually interested in whatever Kite might have had to say in response, Kincaid strolled out of the lift to fire his Parthian shot.

"Oh, little missy?" he called down to Athena. "I'll keep my room door open until we get our visitor, just in case you want to talk like a civilised being."

As he unlocked his door, he was delighted to hear her stomp her foot down on the floor in aggravation. She could either walk away, assault me here and now, or warn me that leaving my room door could be fatal. Doesn't matter; I'm just toying with this catch before I reel her--no, before I reel it--in...