Echo, No

Echo Aphrodite Vanderbilt Mutant Twenty-two year old College Senior at Weatherford's Gifted Film Major Empathic Mimicry Pansexual Adopted daughter of Professor Casey Vanderbilt Biological daughter of mutant war heroes Fluke and Adonis Vandrziel Social niece of Professors Benedict Bluestone and Ralumae Peters ESTP Creator and Persuader Chaotic Neutral Primary Protector Secondary Lover Enneagram Type 7 sx/so/sp Gryffindor Explorer and Rulebreaker

[echono-blog]

"I'm going to do you a favor and strongly advise against entering that room."

[youthinkinwhatimthinkin]

Maddie smiled and grasped the other’s hand. Together they stepped in beat to the music, “I’ll lead, I’ll lead.” she muttered, as their first few steps were a bit awkward. She cleared her throat, and after a few steps stole a glance at her last asker, he had moved on to some one else now. “Hey, thanks for this. That guy just couldn’t take a hint.” She said, shaking her head.

[echono-blog]

Echo had been dancing ballroom since she learned how to walk- first for her biological father's amusement and then for her adoptive father's pride. Still, the way she figured it, Casey would be happiest seeing her follow rather than lead; besides, the other girl seemed quiet confident in herself, and Echo wanted to see that justified. So, she relinquished the task to Maddie, following the girl's steps gracefully with her hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you'll never see me object to dancing with a pretty girl. Especially not one being harassed by such a sleazeball." 

[sassafrassmachine-deactivated20]

Biron tried to act calmly, but the truth is his heart was about to pound out of his chest. Killing him instantly, probably. He’d thought going stag wouldn’t be so bad… but now, looking around at all the couples with their matching outfits. He almost felt sick to his stomach. “Why am I acting like a school girl? Jesus Christ.” He muttered bitterly.

[echono-blog]

Echo smirked, not even looking over before teasing the guy. "Especially when the school girls aren't. Must be rough." Slowly, she peered over her shoulder at him. After looking over him a couple times, she turned completely, cocking her head to the side. "Hey, I know you." 

[echono-blog]

Echo looked around until she was absolutely sure that neither her father nor her date was anywhere near her, and that she was shielded from the prying eyes of anyone of consequence. Someone else had already spiked the punch, no doubt, but year after year that just didn't seem to be enough to make all these stuffy people loosen up. Leave it to Echo to pour the contents of her flask into an already alcoholic beverage. 

When the deed was done, she twisted the cap back on and lifted her skirt as demurely as she could without drawing attention, and returned the flask to its spot, strapped to her thigh. After dropping the tulle, she suppressed the urge to smirk, knowing full well that someone had been watching her. It just wasn't her father or her date- which meant that she was about to have a lot of fun. 

She turned her head, face mostly hid from other by her hair, and looked the person in the eye. "Enjoying the show?" 

[gregory-bernstein]

Invisible man

[gregory-bernstein]

It had been a while now since Jonathan, his “date” for the evening and roommate, had parted ways with him to talk to classmates and it had become obvious to Gregory that he probably never would become skilled in socializing. Despite his general content at being the introvert that he was, a part of him regretted he wasn’t out there like the others, talking… dancing… making friends.

Gregory leaned against a wall and sipped at his cup, overlooking the event. Lost in his observation, he started to slip into a trance but was soon pulled back into the real world as someone accosted him as people usually do whenever he was aside like this. Gregory hoped that, this time, he could get the other to stay. "Hi. How-uh… how are you liking the ball?"

[echono-blog]

A smile spread across Echo's face. She noticed how he seemed to stumble over his words, but that didn't mean she understood it. Still, it was always a pleasure to see him, for one reason or another. Perhaps she shouldn't have shouted at him from so close. 

Her date had been specially chosen to please her father, in all honesty, which of course meant that she'd grown tense and about died of boredom about ten minutes into the dance. The woman wasn't sure where her date was anymore, but that was kind of the point of slipping off into the crowd, wasn't it? Hopefully, she thought, her date would be distracted long enough that she might actually get to have some fun at this thing. 

"It's about the same as every other year. All the interesting people are preoccupied- either with people who are not their dates, or with seeing how long they can cling to the wall without being noticed." Echo arched an eyebrow pointedly at Gregory, her smile gone lopsided. 

[youthinkinwhatimthinkin]

"Sorry, I’d love to dance but… I’ve already been asked by this lovely lady." Maddie said to the older guy, dismissing him quickly. She turned now to the girl she was hugging, "Just one dance so that guy will stop pestering me. Please?" She was not a big fan of asking favors, but it was a party after all.

[echono-blog]

Echo waved coyly at the fellow as he backed off, although she didn't miss the suspicious glint in his eye. She leaned a little closer to Maddie, sure to keep her voice low and the young man in her sights. "Anything for you, stranger," she teased, and settled one hand on Maddie's hip, while the other moved to press against her palm. 

[echono-blog]

Echo's outfit for the Winter Ball

[wfcbarrymorgan]

He shook his head and smiled. “Fair enough…” He picked up the cup of coffee, and looked over at her. Usually, he would require his hands to touch the  ground, but only because it was easier to control his powers using his more sensitive nerve endings of his fingers. His feet would do just fine. He stomped a feet on the floor, and a root of a tree burst up, a fast as he could make a plant grow, and it wrapped around the arm she was using to hold the book. He lifted the coffee cup a bit. “See? No spilling.”

[echono-blog]

Echo gave a small gasp, before her lips curled up at the corners. She stood there silently. No way was she about to go all out on him yet. If she was going to make sure he didn't get them all killed, she had to avoid the pigheaded puppydog thing he had going on, which meant babysteps. Still, just getting this much progress, and something about how the root burst up... That small bit of aggression gave her an almost sick satisfaction. Only because of her vast past experience was she able to keep it from reaching her face. "Come and get it," she instructed sweetly. 

[theycallmenauti]

Nautica stood from the bench and with a stern smile and polite shake introduced herself as, “I’m Nathan, last name classified.” This was mostly because she hadn’t fabricated one yet.

[echono-blog]

"See, now I'm intrigued." 

[midori-kim]

[arabellecrane-archive]

[theycallmenauti]

Nautica could recognize her in this form,but she wasn’t prepared to expose to anyone what her gender role was. So she was making things up as she went, luckily no specific details about this “new person” she was, were asked. “My appologies, you’ll have to forgive my manners. Hello.” He nodded as if tipping a hat to her and then looked her over again. “Who might I have the pleasure of meeting?”

[echono-blog]

A slow smile spread across her lips. "Echo Vanderbilt." She turned, and walked back toward the boy. She held her hand out politely to shake. "And you might be..?" 

[theycallmenauti]

This was Nauti’s first time out and about in her male form and gave her a new found confidence that was foreign to her. “Well, you look very nice today.” He voiced to a passing person.

[echono-blog]

Echo was particularly dressed up today because she was supposed to be having dinner with one of her father's friends; however, they had 'regrettably' canceled, so she was left to wander campus in an evening gown. Still, she was on her way to change, and didn't expect anyone to speak up. The young woman turned toward the voice, and her interest was immediately piqued when she didn't recognize the boy it belonged to. "Well hello to you too.." 

[wfcbarrymorgan]

Barry rolled his eyes. “Fine…” He paused for a moment, thinking about what would be the best approach. Barry sighed, as he looked down at his coffee. He tossed the cup to the side, as he crouched down to teh floor, touching it with his now free hand. The grass on the cracks of the sidewalk under Echo’s feet moved, growing and interlacing, wrapping around her legs, to keep her from moving from where she was standing. The grass hardened, turning into actual branches, mutating into something more similar to vines. When her legs were mostly covered in them, he approached her, and extended his arm to reach fro the book. 

[echono-blog]

Echo lifted her arm, leaning back. She gave a proud smile, but sighed. "Nice try, but," she said, teleporting away, "I said without spilling the coffee. Come on." She took a deep breath, focusing on switching powers, so she could conjure up another cup of coffee. It floated in front of Barry's hand, about where the book had been. "Complete the task, and I'll give you your book back, and buy you another coffee. Try again. Don't spill, and don't drop the books. Come and get it." 

[wfcbarrymorgan]

She came out of nowhere. Barry had to make an effort not to yelp with surprise. The book that she had rescued - and then kidnapped - was one of his many encyclopedia about plants. “Please… Give it back…” He tried to resort to pleading at first, but something told him that in a place like this, it wouldn’t work.

[echono-blog]

Echo blinked at Barry like he'd just grown three extra heads from each knee. "If you think 'please don't kill me' is a good technique against massive armies, this is going to be harder than I thought." She shook her head. "This is a training exercise, okay? I'm not being mean, I'm not attacking you. Just take it back, with your power."

[gregory-bernstein]

Gregory sat at a table, shuffling a pack of cards. He had been playing solitary for a while now which is what he usually had to settle with being he was a generally, well, solitary man. Upon seeing the girl he had briefly met the other night as she was skinny dipping, the boy offered her to join him, hoping to learn more about her other than the fact she likes to swim in the nude. Although Gregory enjoyed being alone, it became clear to him that making friends, or at least attempting to, was in order.

"Well alright. Looks like no matter what I win something pretty pleasant." He smiled.

[echono-blog]

Echo's eyes flicked over his face. If only she'd been around Noah's father after her abilities manifested, she thought. Then she'd be able to read Gregory's mind- or, well, minds in general. The man's death made that kind of difficult, though. She could copy Auntie Mae's ability, but after a very brief consideration of that option, she decided it wasn't worth the headache. Besides, that'd be cheating, and Echo sure did love a good gamble.

The girl cast the thoughts aside, going with a more difficult but hopefully more entertaining way to get to know the boy: actually making an effort. "Mhm.." she smiled warmly, then pather palm against the tabletop. "So. What're we playing, again?" 

[gregory-bernstein]

It was difficult for Gregory to bring himself to look at her but fearing of being impolite by not looking at her when she spoke, his blue marbles shifted to her and other parts of nature around her to prevent himself from letting his eye wander. He nodded his head.

"I just got here this week… I needed some air. Lots of things on my mind." the boy quietly responded. A silence settled and so did an element of awkwardness. "So um… I’m guessing you often go skinny dipping?"

[echono-blog]

The way he kept looking around like that.. she assumed it was because of the whole nude stranger thing, and that just made the situation all the more amusing. The young woman swam closer to him, peering up at his face while he spoke. With a slow curve, her lips turned up into a smirk. "Maybe. ...When I need some air."

Suppressing the urge to wink, or laugh, Echo rose from the water to stand in front of the young man. "Mind handing me that?" she asked in a vaguely teasing tone, gesturing to her dress, which was draped over a rock behind Gregory.