mind & body ;

dany's multimuse for @invictushq

[herosillusion]

— loading for invictushq . . .

▶ 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴 -✴- Dr. Adhara Al-Refaie. (Yasmine Al-Bustami)

35 — she/her — A-Rank Valerian —Hallucination Inducement

Skeleton ✴ Profile ✴ Pinterest ✴ Playlist

↳ ❝ THE PERFECTIONIST ❞

▶ 𝙰𝙴𝙶𝙸𝚂 -⊙- Reina G. Romero. (Ash Santos)

33 — she/her — Unranked Vigilante, N.E.S.T. Volunteer — Immune System Manipulation

Skeleton ⊙ Profile ⊙ Pinterest ⊙ Playlist

↳ ❝ THE SHIELDED ❞ / OC

[desvus]

riel ➝ "adhara a.": oh. wow. hi riel ➝ "adhara a.": sorry, it's so good to hear from you riel ➝ "adhara a.": i've been okay, i guess riel ➝ "adhara a.": hi naya :) riel ➝ "adhara a.": i was just looking at my calendar the other day and i remembered her birthday's coming up so soon, and i guess i just wanted to... riel ➝ "adhara a.": say hello. and wish her a happy early birthday

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➝ "Dariel": I appreciate that, riel Adhara ➝ "Dariel": (deleted) *Dariel. yeah no that's just too obvious now. Adhara ➝ "Dariel": (deleted) Actually, Dariel, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I've got an upset preteen here who Adhara ➝ "Dariel": (deleted) Hey, do you think you

(There's a long moment of no replies, but the ". . ." keeps showing that she is typing.)

Adhara ➝ "Dariel": Would you be willing to meet us up for some ice cream and skating at Batdatnam skate park? Adhara ➝ "Dariel": Naya is asking. She's upset she hasn't seen the only other hero who knows her, and her school friends can't see her until a week after her birthday. Adhara ➝ "Dariel": I'd pay, of course. And you don't need to skate. Adhara ➝ "Dariel": She just wants extra company before her birthday and to ask about your new job. Adhara ➝ "Dariel": (deleted) She thinks ambulances are so cool. It's really cute, actually, even if Adhara ➝ "Dariel": I wouldn't ask if I didn't have her requesting it as one of her birthday presents. Adhara ➝ "Dariel": If you can't it's okay. I know your work must be busy.

[herosillusion]

Steward Persona : AEGIS ;

Aegis, the shield of the Greek god Zeus. The shield portrays a Gorgoneion on the front, its terrible visage meant to terrify the enemies of the wielder. Reina grew up on fairytales and stories in books because there was not much else to do on a farmland sequestered away from society. She was particularly fond of the mythology books her mother used to read to her. Athena, goddess of warcraft, famously wielded this shield, and the goddess herself was an inspiration to young Reina. When Reina realized she could manipulate the immune system, it only felt fitting to name herself for a shield. After all, the immune system is the greatest protection against the body’s “enemies”. It is, itself, a shield.

She wears a protective outfit made of leather and cloth, custom made after a year of saving up. The white is meant to allude to the body's white blood cells (WBC), or leukocytes. Her right arm has a military-grade shield; she saved years for it and found it on the dark web. It is painted white with a black symbol of a snake circling a spear over a shield. The design symbolizes Aegis's role as a vigilante, drawing inspiration from the traditional medical symbol while slightly reimagining it with a more martial aesthetic. The white gloves on her hand make it certain she won't leave finger prints, and still allow her to use her ability - as her ability only requires touch and not skin-to-skin.

Lastly, to hide her identity, she wears a securely fitted mask representing the gorgon Medusa, who is often thought to be the gorgon represented on Aegis the shield. The mask is cheaply 3D-printed, but carefully lined with white cloth and painted by hand. It is often hidden anyway due to the white cloak, an added consideration. The white cloak covers her head and comes with a turtle neck that comes up to her chin. Thanks to the mask, it is difficult for the cloak to come off of her head. Whenever she speaks her voice is lowered slightly. Being anonymous is an imperative part of her work as a vigilante.

Who Knows What?

No one except her closest friend(s) would know Reina is permuted, let alone a vigilante. Even most who work with the Velveteen Underground would have little to no idea that she has this alter ego. With the exception of her sibling, no one in her family is aware of this side work she does either.

[herosillusion]

Task 001. Character Profile.

{ ash santos. cisfemale, she/her/her’s. } hello agent, did you find the file on [ reina gabriela romero ] in the registry? hmm, i figured as much. don't repeat this to anyone else, as this is just a hunch, but isn't there something about them that reminds you of the video of the vigilante [ aegis ] [ stopping a fallen motorcyclist from bleeding out and running away when she heard the sirens ]? the running theory is that their permutation is most likely [ immune system manipulation ] and so their rank would be, what, an [ a ] if they were ranked. apparently some people are calling them [ the shielded ]. not sure if a [ 33 ] year old [ er nurse, volunteer at n.e.s.t. and legacy of the velveteen underground ] who has [ hidden tattoos, hair escaping messy ponytails, dark scrubs, clinking of medication bottles in the morning, clinking of beer bottles in the evening ] listed is their interests on alterego fits the suspect profile, but we should keep an eye on them, just in case.

— ( shielded by dany. 30. she/her/her’s. est. n/a. )

Power

How does that power manifest? (Reaction to danger, by thinking to activate it, it’s passively active, etc.)

It needs to be activated through will.

Please describe how your muse’s power works, and please be as specific as possible!

The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, organs, and processes that protect the body from harmful threats (pathogens, etc), removes damaged/abnormal cells, regulates inflammation, and helps to coordinate healing.

When touching someone, Reina can gain an understanding of their immune system and its state. It is necessary for her to touch someone in order to affect their immune system. Once she does, she can sense the body's immune activity from the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow to the inflammatory signals that coordinate healing.

Reina can manipulate the body's immune responses, allowing her to speed up or slow down healing, repair or worsen injuries, and help the body fight (or become more vulnerable to) infections, diseases, and other illnesses. 

What type of drawbacks and/or vulnerabilities does their power have, if any?

Reina cannot in any way affect her own immune system, though she can perfectly understand it. 

She cannot cause illness or trauma injuries, only exacerbate or improve any existing conditions, and make it easier or harder for someone to contract an illness/disease/infection from elsewhere. The significance of her power is limited by the scope of her knowledge on a body. For example, studied as a nurse, she is knowledgeable on the human body and can affect it rather well. It would be a lot more difficult to affect the immune system of a bird or reptile.

On traumatic injuries (abrasions/lacerations/avulsions/amputations, etc): Reina is coordinating the body's natural healing, not replacing it. If they are injured, she can help start, speed up, slow down, or stop the process… to an extent. She cannot directly make skin regrow faster or force bones to heal, because those depend on non-immune cells. Macrophages, which are part of the immune system, are the key in Reina’s ability to help with traumatic injuries. Macrophages are “the foremen” that direct the injury repair process, but they do not otherwise participate. They do the following: ask inflammation to calm down, ask to begin making collagen, ask to grow new blood vessels, say that skin cells should start diving and tell the stem cells to help. So if the body's basic machinery like clotting factors, platelets, circulation, etc, isn't working and can’t do what the macrophages ask, then there's nothing for her to work with. (IE. If they have hemophilia or similar disorders, she can’t do anything about it. And if someone already lost too much blood, there’s nothing she can do about it.) 

A shallow cut could close within a minute or two, but a gunshot wound would require much more energy and time. Healing too aggressively could also cause fibrosis, excessive scar tissue, autoimmune reactions, and even uncontrolled cell proliferation (which can then cause more issues, like minor mutations and cancer). 

If someone has a compromised or weak immune system, there is only so much she can do. Chronic medical conditions cannot be cured, though they might be controlled and maintained by her if the person is visited by her often. But the more their body is affected by Reina, the more likely it is to hurt itself or for Reina to accidentally hurt them. The body will, more often than not, attempt to revert to its natural state (even if it is a harmful state.) Thus, sometimes Reina’s healings or hurting, especially if they were very significant, can just be temporary. 

The immune system is incredibly complex and can be very overwhelming, so Reina can only concentrate on one part of the immune system’s function at a time. (This is why, at work, Reina rarely uses her power for more than simply reading the immune system of a sick patient.) If someone is both sick and injured, she can only address one issue at once. If she attempts to address another different part of the problem in too short of a time frame, she will exhaust herself.

Her exhaustion levels go from a 1. bloody nosy, 2. dizziness, 3. migraine with blurry vision, 4. unconsciousness. In the very worst case, 5. she can go unconscious and likely have heart failure. She will need many days to recover and not use her power if she enters the third stage of exhaustion. This works the same way if she tries to damage someone with her power. 

Stat Spread

Prominence - Forgettable (-2) 

Reputation - Guarded(-3) 

Threat - Hostile (3)

Do they see their permutation as a blessing or a curse?

Both, depending on the situation. Most of the time it feels like a curse because she learns things she doesn’t want to sometimes, and it is painfully difficult to hide her power for so long. But sometimes it’s a blessing when she can help people at work.

At what age did their permutation manifest? Was it at a National Stress Reflex Test?

There were hints of it at 9 years old but it didn’t fully realize until 12 years old. At 12, she was able to purposefully cure her father’s common cold after having some suspicions that she could if she tried hard enough.

What are their feelings on the “professional heroism” industry as a whole?

Reina was raised to fear the government and media. Her family consisted of two conspiracy theorist parents and a sibling that lived in rural USA. Reina brought a distrust of government and media with her when she moved away to the city, but left behind most of the conspiracy theories that had made her life with her family so difficult. She still does not believe in the innocence or usefulness of the professional heroism industry.

If your muse is a “hero”, do they have a steward alias? If your muse is signed to an agency, was this alias chosen for them by the company, or is it something they came up themselves?

She is anonymously known as “Aegis”, a name she got from a mythology book when she was little. It was a child-friendly version, and one her mother loved to read to her and her sibling when they were little. The Aegis being a shield is a nod to the immune system being a shield and protection against the body’s “enemies”.

MUSE’S HISTORY

(Tw: cow freeze branding, autoimmune illness, cancer)

Reina’s grandparents had endured extraordinary difficulties when they came to the USA. And when the irradiated sun event occurred, life went from bad to worse. No matter where they turned to for help, they would find disgrace or, worse, betrayal. Her grandparents were shunned to the country for her grandfather’s sudden mutation, a mutation that caused greenery to sprout and grow along his skin in frightening patches. They founded a farm and her grandfather used his newfound abilities to encourage the growth of crops for his family’s livelihood. Despite their initial struggles, the family found their footing and welcomed Reina’s father as their first and only child. Her father would meet Reina’s mother through his participation in The Velveteen Underground, and the two of them took over the farming business when it was their time. Her father was not as gifted as his grandfather with plants, but his penchant for reading the emotions of others and her mother’s ability for equations grew their business well. Their children, the third generation, were born into a flourishing small business. 

But the Romeros would never let their business get too large. They knew the selfishness and cruelty of others, the trauma having passed down through the generations into an inherent distrust of the public. They made their money, but only enough for the family to keep to themselves. Their children were homeschooled and Reina knew little of the world outside their countryside home and what information they received from the Velveteen Underground. Their education was riddled with conspiracy theories. An underground bunker was slowly but surely created throughout the years near their home, a place where her family would be safe should the worst ever occur again. Their children were permuted too, and Reina knew that this could mean that others would either shun them or, worse, use them for selfish benefit. Fear of the public was branded into Reina’s personality as deeply as the symbols freeze branded into the hides of the cattle that roamed their pastures. But fear did not stop her from caring. She spotted the kindness of others and longed to get a taste of it herself, even if it was supposedly as rare as her parents made it out to be.

She loved her family, but the struggles within their home and Reina’s natural curiosity for the world outside made her sheltered life unbearable. Despite her parent’s pleadings, she left for college and began working in the Bronx, eventually supporting herself throughout nursing school with the money she made as a waitress. She was able to use her permutation far better once she understood the bodies that it affected. For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of excitement rather than fear, and care for others rather than distrust. It was intoxicating in the best way, the way that made her see the beauty in the world that she had missed for so many years. Her rose-colored glasses only shattered when, in her first year as a nurse, Reina nearly caused a patient to develop a fatal autoimmune illness after trying so hard to save them from a different fatal illness. It was only then that she realized her powers could do great harm as well. She spiraled downward quickly into herself, suddenly wondering if it had been own fault that her grandmother had passed away from a sudden cancer so many years ago, back when Reina had begun to use her powers in earnest and in a naive attempt to help. She hadn’t known much about the body or her own power then, but the possibility haunted her. 

No matter how far she came on her own and how much she grew, she could not escape the childhood that she had known in the countryside. Reina knew she was a permuted individual, and no matter what the government and the media said, she felt that she would always be in some sort of danger. She could help others, she could comfort her guilt by helping, but she knew she must remain hidden at the same time. The Velveteen Underground helped with that, but she still had to be careful with her powers on her own. Reina would shield herself in every way that she could. Currently, Reina works 3 twelve hour shifts as a nurse in an ER, while also spending weekends with N.E.S.T.. Whenever she can find the time and energy, she also collaborates with other vigilantes from the Velveteen Society to continue protecting herself and others. Reina feels obligated to help the innocent with her power and feels a sense of self-satisfaction whenever she does, so she takes the chance to do so at times as her alter ego “Aegis,” whenever the opportunity arises. Though, due to her fear of being discovered as permuted, Reina does not officially work as a hero in any other capacity. 

001. General.

name: Reina Gabriela Romero

nickname/hero alias if applicable: Rei, Reinita (family only), “Aegis” 

faceclaim: Ash Santos

age/date of birth: 33 - July 11, 1993

gender & pronouns: Cis-Female & She/Her/Her’s

orientation/marital status: Bisexual, Single

distinguishing features: Medusa tattoo on her hip, climbing vines tattoo with lilies on the opposite hip, white circle tattoo behind her neck

occupation: ER Nurse, N.E.S.T. Volunteer, Velveteen Underground

power: Immune System Manipulation / Immunokinesis

height: 5’5”

place of birth: Countryside of northern New Everwick

family: Ismael Romero (paternal grandfather - deceased), Anna Romero (paternal grandmother - deceased) Silvia Reyes-Romero (mother - alive), Gabriel Romero (father - alive), WANTED CONNECTION FULL/HALF/STEP/ADOPTED SIBLING 

current residence: Torchlight Suites

002. Iconography.

character inspirations: Jessica Jones (Marvel), Vi (Arcane), Eleven (Stranger Things)

character tropes: Beware the Healer, Touch of Death / Healing Hands, Good Bad Girl, Blessed with Suck, Hidden in Plain Sight, Masquerade

zodiac sign: Cancer

mbti: INFJ, “The Defender”

positive traits: Careful, Compassionate, Curious

negative traits: Suspicious, Secretive, Sardonic

likes: Cities, her cats, drinking, privacy, books

dislikes: The media, the government, administration, nosy people, people that are mean to healthcare workers

fears: Being discovered as a permuted individual, her family being hurt, hurting others without meaning to

habits: Checking to see if the door is locked multiple times, distrusting people, being observant over her surroundings

hobbies: Feeding stray cats, going to parties, reading fantasy books

pets: 3 cats: Athena, Apollo and Ares

003. Extras.

Taken Connections.

N.E.S.T.: Co-volunteers!

SOMA First Responders: When they pick up patients too far from SOMA Medical Center and nearer to her public hospital, she gets to see them and get medical report on patients from them in the ER. She loves her diligent colleagues but wishes they weren't so stupid as to put themselves on TV

Sarah Smith: Ex girlfriend

Wanted Connections.

SIBLING: They grew up with Reina and they can be adopted step-sibling, half sibling or adopted sibling. I like to think they are very close and protect each other in the city.

HERO CONFIDANT: They accidentally learned that Reina is a permuted individual and are in the hero industry, but she got lucky that they are a really beautiful, trustworthy and kind person. She has since then relied on them for advice and friendship and learned that not all people in the hero business are inherently bad or arrogant.

BEST FRIEND: The first person that became her friend when she moved to the city. Most likely not famous, as she would not have trusted them. She is immensely loyal and treasures them more than most, as they have proven that they are ride-or-die for her, as she is for them. Maybe they also keep her from drinking too much on bad days.

FREQUENT FLYER: She sees this person come into the ER a lot, and now is kind of emotionally attached to their well-being because of it. She’ll check up on them at times but also implements a lot of tough love and scolding.

Memes...!!! (below!!)

[herosillusion]

reina g. romero tags ;

[herosillusion]

Date: July, post Fight Club mission Location: SOMA Medical Center Characters: Reverie & Atlas @retrocausalities Notes: we feeling real bad :(

The words echoed in her head: Severe Concussion from head trauma. Broken ribs. Minor lacerations. The ER PA explained her diagnosis and left Reverie to mull over the facts and the steps forward alone. She could hear him speaking with her mother outside the private hospital room, their voices growing fainter as the two moved farther down the hall and disappeared into another corridor. Reverie sat there, alone, listening to her heart rate on the monitor and the soft beeping of the IV pump. Nothing hurt, apparently because most of her pain had been taken away by both Atlas and medications.

Her eyes landed on the phone on her lap, her screen still on the message explaining what had happened. Tyler, who she started to believe she should promote to her assistant, had got the information for her when the hospital called him as her Emergency Contact. Atlas had been brought in with her... somehow, someway, the lower ranked steward had made his way to the fight and attempted to save her. In doing so, he'd gotten hurt himself.

She pushed the phone away with a huff, her breathing shaky as she lifted her hands to her face. "Fuck," she whispered quietly into her palms. It'd been so long since she used foul language out-loud, but this situation warranted it. It was as Reverie began counting down backwards - a form of controlling her anxiety - that she heard a soft knock on the door. "... Come in," she called out, taking in a deep breath and putting her hands down on her lap. She hadn't reapplied makeup or any disguise, not while she was in her private room. Reverie had asked if she could see Atlas, but she wasn't sure if he would be well enough to come. Hopefully, he hadn't been outright injured and had only taken away her pain.

"Hey, Atlas," she breathed out, straightening up the moment he walked in. For the first time, her fellow steward would be seeing Reverie without any disguise, but that fact wasn't on her mind. "I-I wanted to go see you but they won't let me leave until they print out the discharge papers, and Tyler still needs to reapply my makeup and... Just... I'm sorry, I just wanted to see you. Are you okay?"

[waywardlegacies]

Her trust had died the day the Judas betrayed her, buried beneath the shattered promises with the scars they left behind. For it was not something that she would allowed to fade with time. It had been ripped away, torn away when the person who stood beside her, in equal, was never truly the one to stay at her side. Since then, the door that she had been edging open was slammed shut. Every single promise made, came with a question mark. Each alliance, an experiation date. She would not be fooled again. Each person lied when they claimed that they had her back. Oh just another potential weakness waiting to be used.

Flare learned the hard way. No one was too be trusted.

However, out on the field, trust wasn't optional. Missions demanded it. Hesitation offered failure. And Flare refused to allow another's incompetency to be her undoing. She had no patience for it. And somehow Reverie proved that. Not because Flare liked her, oh it was certainly far from it. In actuality, she held very little regard for the woman herself. Reverie was too clean and polished for the camera, the Princess of Valerian as Flare dubbed her. Even as infuriating as that is, the Princess could fight.

Flare had watched enough battles to know the difference between someone who was attempting to look impressive and someone who actually knew their shit. Never one to waste a move. Everything seemed to be move effortlessly and with precision. Flare could admit she was impressed. Not enough to smile, but enough to say that the trust was warranted by her competence.

So willingly, Flare gave her the privilege to train along side her. On the off chance that they would be paired for a mission where success would surely be on their side. And then she hits, the princess mark was off yet still lethal to the liver. "Fuck," Flare curses loudly placing her hand on the mark that would destroy her on the field. "Lucky fucking shot." Flare says not wanting to admit defeat, blowing the loose strands out of her face.

Her eyes narrowed at the princess. Flare jumping to her beat, dusting herself off slamming the weapon into her hand. "Calling it already pfft," she says trying to sound tough even though she knew rest was needed. "Draw? Like I said lucky shot." Pacing over to take a swig her water grabbing her sweat towel to dab the sweat trickling down her body. "Fuck it, why not. But this rounds on you princess. I'll eat anything but spicy."

[herosillusion]

"Oh, shut it, you could have broken my rib," she scoffed, adjusting her shirt, then rubbing at her side. (Foreshadowing.) "I didn't say that was a lucky shot, did I?" Reverie couldn't spend even one moment as disheveled as she was. What if someone from administration walked into the training room? When it was just her and Flare, training, Reverie let loose completely. There was no worrying about her hair, her outfit, or even how good she looked when she fell. Now that they were just about to rest for a bit, though? Her real rest had been the training itself, now she was back on the clock. That was how it was every moment that Adhara was in the Valerian building as Reverie, or on a mission.

Adhara took out her phone. Before putting in the food order, however, she pressed on the camera app and used it as a mirror. There were many unkempt strands on the top of her head, all that she patted down carefully, and then tucked others behind her ear to hide them. "This round is on me. On me? The girl that doesn't have the fancy new UnderArmour campaign?" Adhara, grinned, grabbed her towel from a nearby chair and gently tapped at the beads of sweat she saw on her reflection. "But, sure, say no more, anything for our modelng star," she teased wryly. It wasn't jealously more than it was simply using the only bit of ammo she had. It brought Adhara many a giggle to picture Flare posing at the camera, probably being told to do one or two sultry looks. However, when all was said and done, it wasn't a competition in the A-ranks - at least for Reverie. They made it to the top already, all they had to do was support each other.

She didn't comment on Flare's food preferences. She remembered once, a few months ago, already making an incredulous face at her fellow Steward for refusing spicy food but biting her tongue. The irony of someone like Flare not liking the kind of food that matched her personality was almost enough to tease her about. But, for all she knew it was health reasons. And Adhara had never played with health, as maintaining a health lifestyle kept them all in tip-top shape for missions. "Okay so... half spicy chicken with veggies and... half plain," Reverie muttered, finally tapping open the food service application.

[desvus]

who: riel and adhara @herosillusion where: via texting when: early june, 2022

riel ➝ "adhara a.": hey [deleted] riel ➝ "adhara a.": hi [deleted] riel ➝ "adhara a.": what's [deleted] riel ➝ "adhara a.": hi, i was thinking about you and naya riel ➝ "adhara a.": and just wanted to say hello

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➝ "Fellow Dare(iel)": (unsent) Throwback. Almost got jumpscared seeing your contact on my notifications Adhara ➝ "Fellow Dare(iel)": (unsent) Hey, what's up? Naya is constantly bothering me about you. She's always talking about how she doesn't know any of my friends from work except Sarah lol Adhara ➝ "Fellow Dare(iel)": (unsent) Though I guess it's just Sarah now Adhara ➝ "Fellow Dare(iel)": Hello, Dariel Adhara ➝ "Dariel": We're doing well, thanks. How are you? Adhara ➝ "Dariel": dsghdg Adhara ➝ "Dariel": 79ds Adhara ➝ "Dariel": Sorry, that wasn't me. Naya is trying to take the phone, she saw the screen.

[herosillusion]

A letter arrives in Sarah Smith's @stcsis mailbox. The envelope is a regular white envelope, but the handwriting for the address is in a child's writing. A familiar handwriting. It's 9 year old Naya's. Once opened, Sarah would find small pink and yellow stationary. It looks like stationary made for a child so that they can write short letters and draw a picture on the side in a square. And it looks like Naya did just that, except she crammed as much writing as she possibly could into the lines... (Mentions of Flare @waywardlegacies, Phoenix, @mincedoaths, and Atlas @retrocausalities)

Dear Slapstick,

My mom got me these cool letters to write on for my birthday. I wanted to write letters to Atlas and Flare too, but mom says that I couldn't because they don't know who I am but you do. I wish I could. I am writing because my mom got a conccushion at the hospital and she is sleeping right now. They gave her medicashion. Nana says she is gonna be fine and she will send my letter. We are going home when mom wakes up because the nurses and doctor say she is OK! Thank you for helping her with Atlas. Your the best hero ever. Please tell Atlas I think he's also the best. They would have been more scared if you didn't come also. I am glad Pheaniks was able to get some bad guys on the mission but I hope he got the ones that hurt my mom. He always looks so cool too. I wish I could see but I am not allowed to watch a lot of Realhero TV but maybe I will see videos from friends at school again.

I heard my granny and nana talking about how they won't show the videos correct. I'm really sad about that. My mom does not tell me but I see her get sad sometimes about the TV too. I hope you don't get sad also so I drew you a picture with my letter as a precent. My art teacher Miss Nancy taught us how to draw comic characters last month so I hope it is OK. I'm sad you couldn't come to 4 of july because mom was busy. I hope you come for thanks giving, or maybe we will go to your mom's house! Thank you for being a hero. Everyone looks sad and serious but I hope I am both fun and kind like you when Im old. I love you :)

<3,

Naya

[herosillusion]

Date: June! Location: Streets of Manhatten, you choose what business <3 Characters: Adhara & Bastien (you choose which one!) @multimuz Notes: sorry for your shirt :(

There was a plan in the works, a plan that would require Adhara to be far from her daughter for at least a few weeks... Though it would be for the best, actions to make safer streets for her daughter, Adhara couldn't help but feel a heavy sense of sadness and guilt. It would be a dangerous mission, and she knew she continuously risked Naya not having a mother when she went on these. But it was all for her, and for all the children who were growing with her.

That was the reason why the day had been set aside from all events and responsibilities, a Saturday devoted entirely to taking Naya out around the city she loved. The summer sun was relentless, but the 9 year old didn't seem to mind at all. She raced around, pointing out all her favorite stores and giving coins to every single busker and unhoused person they passed.

"Oh! I want to go in here! Please, mom!" Naya cried out, ice-cream still in her hand. She ran ahead, rushing towards the door as a man stepped out in front of her.

Boom. Chocolate chip cookie dough on the man's shirt, a gasping child, and a suddenly pale mother.

"Oh. Oh sh-" Adhara jogged forward and gently pulled her daughter back. "I am so, so, sorry!" She gave the man a regretful frown before looking down at her daughter. "Naya, please, I told you to watch where you're going! What do we say?"

"I'm sorry, Mr," the little girl murmured, head bowed, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"I'm very sorry for your shirt," Adhara pleaded. "Can we buy you a new one, or something? On us."

[herosillusion]

Date: Before they got to go undercover? So perhaps early June as they are preparing Location: Valerian Towers, is there a training room? Characters: Reverie & Flare @waywardlegacies Notes: Just girly things ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

The paper came, heralding new anxieties and intrigues for the summer. Gravitas becoming the new featured Steward for Valerian was little of a surprise, and it did not pique Adhara's interest much. She didn't believe Reverie should make an opinion either, and instead carry on in supporting a coworker and teammate. A team was stronger when they rallied for each other's success. Hypocritical as she felt at times, mostly when she turned glares to Sangrieta's shenanigans, Reverie attempted to otherwise make nice with her fellow Valerian stewards, particularly the A-ranks. These were the people she worked with the most and the longest, many were friends, and many could seriously pack a punch... Those punches usually weren't at Reverie unless they were on the training mat. Ow.

Despite feeling natural gravity taking her down, Reverie wasted no time in reaching for the unloaded practice gun at her side. It flew out with dexterous speed, finger on the trigger and barrel pointed true just as her shoulder hit the mat. Boom. Gun went off, but nothing came from it. Going by its direction, it's likely she would have missed the heart and got Flare's liver. Lethal, but slow enough she might have recieved a hit too. Reverie winced from the impact, late, only relenting to the pain after she decided to give up for the day. "Okay, let's just call it!" Reverie called out wearily, her eyes landing on Zaya's weapon in a devastating position, ready for that final blow as well. Fortunately, this was just an exercise, or perhaps both of them would be dead by now. "Draw, or, whatever. Ughhh..." Her shoulder hurt. Reverie groaned as she drew herself up, holstering the practice gun and arching her back in a stretch. "Do you want to order pizza from ‘Za?"

[imanniewan47]

Anna ➝ "Dare - do not be mean to her bc ur n a bad mood anna i s2g" : hey that's so crazy I was just thinking about texting you someoen in the gc mentioned that u were doing the commencement at SB!!! thats aweome!! ur going 2 knock it out of hte parlk Anna ➝ "Dare - do not be mean to her bc ur n a bad mood anna i s2g" : *someone *that's *awesome *the *park sorry i'm at work anyway keep those girls in STEM!! Anna ➝ "Dare - do not be mean to her bc ur n a bad mood anna i s2g" : i haven't watched the news today i had to do a thing but i mean probably?? Anna ➝ "Dare - do not be mean to her bc ur n a bad mood anna i s2g" :

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺": Thanks! You know I couldn't pass up giving some love to our alma mater ☺️ It gave me you! And a bachelor's degree, I guess Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺": Hmmmm... that Garfield is sus Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺": You're always helping others, even if it's to your detriment and yknow I love that about you but I'm also worried Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺": Girl, as long as you're not hurt or in trouble! Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺": For all I know you weren't on the news because you just turned into a subway rat when the SOMA first responders got there 🙁

[waywardlegacies]

FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: That nickname doesn't even make sense! And again I FUCKING dare ya! FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: Damn new way to use your powers then hhmmm? FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: NOT. IN. THIS. LIFE.TIME. FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS:But yes, I look good in FUCKING anything! Don't you forget it!

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➙ "Flare": It makes more sense than PRINCESS! I don't even have a nice tiara, at least you can boom things Adhara ➙ "Flare": wait that's not a bad idea Adhara ➙ "Flare": Both things. The singing and the tiara Adhara ➙ "Flare": I gotta say, you do... Taxi is rounding the bend though, I'll try to avoid punching your face if you do the same 🙂!

[herosillusion]

Date: May 5th Location: - Texting - Characters: Adhara & Anna @imanniewan47

Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺" : Hey!! An, what happened?? I turned on the news this morning... Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺" : I hope you weren't involved in that craziness?! Adhara ➝ "🩶Anna🐺" : (unsent) fuck I bet you were

[herosillusion]

00.1.9: WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FIGURE IT OUT

When: May 8th Where: Adhara's private residence in Queens Characters: Adhara & her family (NPCs), mentions of Slapstick @stcsis, Anna @imanniewan47 and Joaquin @mincedoaths Notes: The Outro is her Intro

"So, you're not going overseas? I got you that connection with Doctors Without Borders, and they'll really appreciate the publicity."

"No, of course not," Adhara replies, her expression a torrential mixture of frustration and resignation. "I told you ma, I... I have to reschedule that for next year. I just don't have the time."

"Mama, mama, mama! Look!" Naya came barreling down the stairs, her long hair flying behind her like a cape. She jumped up and down, a prideful smirk on her face as she presented the figurine to Adhara's face. A figurine of Slapstick.

"Ah-" Adhara turned to her two mothers, both of them sipping tea at her dinner table. She raised her brows, accusation written into every line on her face. Both of them innocently turned away, unable to meet her eyes. Adhara sighed, mustering a smile down at the 9 year old.

"Naya, your nana and granny spoil you. And I love how much you love Slapstick. But I told you... no more new toys until you got rid of that C in math."

Naya frowned. "It's a C+ now... isn't that better, at least?"

Adhara knelt down, smiling wryly up at her daughter, pushing some of Naya's hair behind her ear. "It is... But I want to see at least a B+ before the end of the year, got it? You'll have an A soon enough. And no more toys until Christmas."

Naya stuck her tongue out, nodded, and rushed back upstairs, making Slapstick bounce up and down in the air as she did. Sprite, who had been lounging on the couch in the living room, now barked and excitedly ran to follow upstairs.

Adhara turned back to her mothers. "I'd love to go but ma, mom, the only reason I'm able to do any sort of philanthropy is because of Valerian. It's because of the publicity I get. That's what gives me the means to do good. So... I need to keep up with that. I haven't been on a mission in a while, or even been engaged online."

"Now that's not true, I see your posts!" Her mom piped up. "You know Professor Scotts from the English department? He thinks Reverie sounds so dignified."

"They're rare updates. Some photos," Adhara explained. "People don't care as much about research and charity if there's no real... fun behind it."

They both looked at her, confusion and concern on their faces.

"Also," Adhara added, perking up, "I heard Celeste and the rest of Valerian are excited about Reverie going on Dancing with the Super Stars! I think I might even take off my mask if they put enough make up on me... just for the shock value. It's been too long since I've been on TV and the whole thing will just do incredible things for our image."

"What about your image?" Mom asked.

Adhara looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean? Valerian's image is my image. I work there."

The two older woman looked at each other, both of them sharing in some unspoken conversation of a married couple. Their daughter simply scoffed, shaking her head. She could not make them understand this type of business if neither of them had ever been a part of it. "Anyway, I'm going to go make sure Naya gets ready for bed before-"

"Did you see the news on your friends? Anna? Joaquin? The news said he's in jail."

Adhara froze, her hand tightening on the stair railing.

"I know you still talk to Anna, but you haven't said anything about Joa-"

Anna was okay, and hopefully out of the woods. She'd text her. Joaquin? Physically fine now, but... Adhara cleared her throat, turning her head so they wouldn't see the way her skin paled. Her teeth grit, her eyes seemed to fill with the inexplicable pain of guilt. She began climbing up the stairs, and spoke with finality and composure. "Good night, ma. Good night, mom. Love you. If you're staying the night, please turn off the lights."

[waywardlegacies]

FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: We all know it is not, Princess! Then don't be so scared and do it! FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS:NOT THOSE SHITTY ASS SHOWS. FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: FUCK YOU 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕 FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: I don't dance. I don't sing. Never. Ever.

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➙ "Flare": Boomy Boomy Boomy 💥! And I'll say it again on the sparring mat! I can't be the only one with a ridiculous nickname! Adhara ➙ "Flare": Well I don't sing either, I sound like a scared cat Adhara ➙ "Flare": But, genuinely, I think you would look really great in a salsa gown 10/10

[waywardlegacies]

FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS:oh FFs! You're /also/ gonna be on that FUCKING twinkle toes show❓❓❓ Like the HELL❓❓❓ FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: MISSIONS > PR FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: THE FUCK EVERYONE IS ON FUCKING SHOW LATELY 🤬🤬🤬 FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: Come say that to my face in the training room. FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS:I. FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS:DARE. FLARE ➙ SPARKLE PRINCESS: YOU.

[herosillusion]

Adhara ➙ "Flare": Dare is my FIRST name, so I'll take it!!! 👊 💥💥 Adhara ➙ "Flare": PR can help people too, if you know how to use it!! Adhara ➙ "Flare": And yknow what, I think you could do with some music and dancing for that temper!🙂‍↕️💃