Description
Basic InfoRace Shapeshifter
Occupation Dimensional Traveler Director; Independently Wealthy trouble maker. Tends to play the stock market very well, and makes plenty of money that way.
Class Warrior/Traveler
Social Class Lesser Nobility
Preferred Physical Appearance:Age 259
Appears 24
Eye color blue almond shaped
Hair color blond and messy
Height 5'2" tall
Type of body Lightly muscled, lithe. She's very graceful in appearance if not action.
Skin tone and type Pale skin with the lightest of tans, not easily burned or particularly sensitive
Shape of face Hope has a classical heart shape face.
Distinguishing marks Two scars encircling her left wrist like bracelets
Predominant feature Large almond shaped eyes
Actual Form
Equipment
A Small charm bracelet on which each weapon has a charm to summon it from.
Offense
Plasma Pistol
Hope recently replaced her old plasma pistol, with a bright pink one with a heart sticker on it, having given her daisy covered one to a friend. Isn't it pretty?
Spetum
It consists of a long pole some 6-8 feet long which was mounted with a spear head with two projections at its base. The design of a spetum is very efficient for combat. The main blade is long enough to destroy any significant organ in the human body with one quick thrust. The blunt backs of the side blades make the spetum extremely useful for a variety of uses such as tripping and knocking aside shields, but more importantly they provide far more strength to the sharpened side and points than is possible with any dual-edged construction. The sharpened front ends are useful for piercing or chopping in situations where precision is difficult. For example, one quick thrust of a spetum can easily remove the lower foreleg, ankle, and foot of an opponent with a side blade. Trying to do this with only a single spear point is incomparably more difficult. Similarly throat-level thrusts with a spetum can miss a direct hit by a huge distance and still completely impale the victim's neck.
Saif
A curved Arabian double edged sabre, meant for one-handed use. Hope fondly calls hers 'á¸Ĩalaam or Dreams. This sword has the unique ability to induce hallucinations one half of the time it cuts the skin. It is her secondary weapon, as she prefers not to use it at all.
Browning Hi-Power Practical 9 mm
Holding 13 rounds a cartridge, Hope decided it would be foolish of her just to know the low tech weapons of her home world. As a result, she learned how to shoot a basic pistol. She particularly enjoys using this weapon and her Saif together, though she does consider it a tertiary weapon. Hope managed to have hers made in a very cheery turquoise color.
Defense
Buckler
For use with her saif, Hope had a buckler shield, It is a small shield about 18 inches in diameter gripped in the fist and is meant to be used as a companion weapon. The round shield has her fist positioned directly behind the boss and has the sun on the front, with the boss forming the body of the sun, and rays going outwards from it. It's primary use is to protect her sword hand of course, but it also serves well as a deflector, (which allows her a rapid counter attack) a blinder (allowing her to shield her sword hands position form view to keep her opponent from guessing her next strike), a "metal fist" (to attack to opponent with the flat face or the rim), and a binder (to bind an opponents sword hand and weapon against their body.)
Magic armor suit
Up against her skin, the armor suit conforms to whatever shape she has taken and is completely invisible. She is never without it, and it has the hardness of titanium but weighs about as much as a feather. This armor suit is using magic and technology weaved together carefully, though they can act separate in case of any jammer fields.
Traveler Facts
Eyes when Transporting:
Random Things to Know
âĒ Hope can only carry two other when transporting. This is a strong indication of magic levels in a Traveler. The strongest of mage's could only carry three passengers at once.
âĒ Hope wears her aviator's goggles when porting to keep herself completely enshrouded in her armor, just in case she lands somewhere in the middle of a battle.
âĒ Travelers use a mix of the technology of their Implant and their armor, along with their own individual magic to Transport between dimensions.
âĒ Transporting is instantaneous and near instantaneous travel between dimensions. Teleportation is instantaneous or near instantaneous travel planetside. Warp is the fastest speed once in space, and utilizes generated wormholes so to be possible.
Standard Traveler Equipment
Aviator's Goggles
Lightweight, this are on her no matter her form. She hasn't been separated from her goggles for even a day since she became a Traveler and tends to bath with the precious things on. The reason for this is relatively simple. Inside the stitching of the goggles lay every item she actually owns. Each of the multitude of tiny stitches can carry up to 200 lbs in it, thanks to magic laid in the goggles at the time of stitching. As a result, while Hope always seems prepared, that simply isn't true. She just literally carries her home with her.
Implant
This allows Hope to quickly and easily speak and understand any language she comes across. It also contains both Tornsten's and Jorgenson's maps. When Hope is accessing her implant for anything other than language her eyes turn teal and remain that way until she ceases accessing it.
Tornsten's Map
Maps the various planets in each dimension as discovered. Uses x,y,z coordinates, along with Planet name, or location name search. One on planet, latitude and longitude search can be commenced in order to find civilization of some sort, or a specific location.
Jorgenson's Map
Maps the many dimensions in existence that have been explored by shapeshifters. Includes possible planets held within, planets marked for exploration, and often the names of the explorers checking the dimension out at that time. Uses x,y,z,u coordinates. For instance, according to Jorgensen's map, the dimension Wing City is in is coordinates (x395, y52134, z182, u34) while Hope's home world coordinates are (x34,y76,z2,u53)
Weaknesses
Electricity in any form, including ambient electricity. This can cause her to lose the ability to understand a language and speak it. Luckily it self repairs, but until it's fixed, Hope is often stranded where ever she was at the time, as she can't access the maps and isn't confident rattling off coordinates.
Having the implant has also destroyed an capacity Hope once had to learn a language, including runes, so while she can use them, and recognize what rune is a trigger, she can't write or do any magic with runes.
During thunderstorms, it has a tendency to pick up on any messages sent via pretty much any wavelength, confusing Hope greatly as she can't tell the difference between these messages and people speaking.
First Aid Kit
History
Personal History
Two hundred and sixty years ago, the High Priestess of Eiateila warned that her chosen one would be born shortly. She mentioned no else, knowing that was all that was needed. Three short months later, two twinsets were born to Feather and Stone. Rain and Thunder, and Snow and Hope. The High Priestess smiled and passed on the orders, and from ear to ear, it made it's way down to the Alcolyte who named Hope, different from her siblings, if only to mark her out.
The Queen soon knew of this anticipated birth, and, praying to Eiateila, and seeking the advice of the other High Priestesses and all her advisers, and unprecedented decision was made. They would separate the two, knowing that the change the Goddess sought to create would only happen if change was first taught.
Their society was broken, half of it so heavily dependent on the other that it stopped them from advancing further. Parents were having new children with every season, casually abandoning the children they had just had to the care of older kids, if they even cared that far.
Abandoned children raised themselves, til they were older enough to make it to the public Academies. During this bad stretch of time, it's not uncommon for the Light twin to depends entirely on the Dark twin to provide, furthering their interdependence rather than trying themselves.
Academies only teach further interdependence, refusing to teach the entirty of both subjects to both sides of the twinset. Light's often know nothing of birth control, and Darks often do not care to inform them. Indeed, Lights are often taught sewing, and lace making, along with a variety of other topics meant to encourage nuturing. They often know no advanced maths or science.
Abuse is all too common, against children and in future relationships, though it is normally viewed as 'showing love' and 'protecting the Light from themselves.' Unfortunately, this social norm is highly distressing on the society itself. With the constant influx of new cultural information due to the colonization efforts, Lights are quietly beginning to question if this is right, while the Darks remain oblivious. But they are too frightened and timid to instigate the change.
Enter Hope, a Light without a Dark. Alone since childhood, she chose not to depend entirely on her brother Thunder to provide for her and her other brother Rain. Instead, she worked hard to provide for herself, and help provide for Rain as well. It was rough going, but she and the other two made it in much better state than most twinsets would.
The shocked matrons of the Light Academy had no 'extra-nurturing' or even healing programs to put the children on, and so Thunder was quickly shunted off to Dark Academy. However when Hope tried to follow, Thunder quickly advised them as her status as a Light, if an unorthodox one.
She fought for respect every step of the way as a child, as without a Dark, many Lights did not see her purpose in the world. The only support she had came in the form of Madam Gregor who encouraged her every step of the way. As the time for graduation grew closer, representatives came from every major and minor field in existence to the great Fari held in between the two Academies. As Light and Dark twinsets strolled throughout, each looking to the other for approval over every choice, Hope looked around and her loneliness hit her hard. Catching up to her brother, she spoke, ever so briefly, to them. Thunder and Rain would take the Warrior and Healer path. She was welcome to take the Healer path as well.
No. She realized as she looked around the fair in growing dismay. Thunder, Rain, most of her age mates had all already selected another twinset ot mate into. She was alone, and she took a step back from them with a smile. She'd find something else. Thanks though.
As she wandered about the fair alone, garnering many strange looks for the simple fact that she had no Dark by her side, she made up her mind. Her twin was still out there, alive. She didn't know where. She couldn't possibly know where.
But there was a way to find out. So the young Light approached the Traveler's table and looked hem dead in the eye. âMy name's Hope. I'm joining.â
There were arguments, and many attempt to dissuade her, but there was nothing against it in the rules. So upon her graduation at age 15 from the Light Academy, Hope promptly went to the Warrior Academy. Ten years. Ten years she would have to endure just to become a Traveler.
Separated from Thunder the majority of the time, Hope endured the lack of friendship and the Darks either going ridiculously easy on her, or trying to bully her out of the Warrior Academy 'for her own good.'
Ten years of people falling silent as she got near, or being called not good enough, not strong enough and she was tired of the attitude of Darks. She refused to be molly coddled and when graduation came around, she gave herself no recovery time before heading direct to Traveler Academy.
There is was proven that Hope was not only good enough, she was more than a bit of a natural. The very first day, she not only had her implant placed inside her, she was up and moving, unlike the Darks she was surrounded by.
There were few Lights here, mostly to see to the comfort of the Traveler students, but none of them would have anything to do with this strange Light who refused to simply settle into the background.
Instead, Traveler's goggles on head, she flourished, as she found that both planetary teleportation and dimensional transportation came to her with an ease she had not expected. She learned new weapons, new tactics, even how to pilot a spaceship under her instructors hard gazes and as graduation came the woman, who had many friends among the Dark though they wouldn't let their Lights near her, realized that she no longer needed her twin. She was a Light among Darks, and doing amazingly just so.
Forty years of education had all been focused to one goal only, and she had just realized she didn't need it at all. This seemed to lighten the load on her shoulder tremendously, as the hardheaded woman realized that her search for her Dark would now take secondary status in her life. She had a job to do, and a life to live!
Rather than try and make friends and settle down in her own world, Hope threw herself whole heartedly into work, often staying I a dimension for many week, checking for more than one habitable planet as she did so. This dimensional explorer enjoyed her work and made friends in many many world, though all the friendships would be short lived, as she could never stay anywhere long.
As she rose rapidly through the ranks, she caught the attention of Darks who were appalled by her behavior as a Light, and sought to limit her as best they could. Finally, at 220 years of age, the happy go lucky woman took the position of Director of the Travelers.
The position quickly became in name only, as she was surrounded by old school Darks who didn't appreciate this Light leading them. These advisers ran the organization as Hope was told to stay in the field, they needed her there the most, to inspire cadets and Travelers alike.
So the Director continued to Travel and Explore, never taking a break, though her longing for her twin had grown steadily more intense. She was convinced she had been moved to some off-world unknown dimension to separate the two and quietly including a search for her sister in all her dealings.
It wasn't until she had come to her final dimension that she discovered a place to stay from more than a handful of weeks. And while there her twin Snowfound her.
The two compared notes on growing up, and discovered that there had been quite a bit of work done to keep the separate, and while Snow believed it meant that together they were fated to greatness, Hope herself wasn't too positive. She began to sniff around her network of discontented Lights, hoping that more information would fall into the ears of Light's who were too 'innocent' to understand the situation at hand.
Unfortunately by that time, Hope was already mired deeply in a dangerous conflict known as the Artifact War, and happily mired too. So as she and her twin adjust to each other, Hope takes part in a deadly War against Snow's wishes. She gave her word she would help, going so far as to carry an Artifact for a time to keep it safe. She would gladly do whatever it took to prevent such a travesty from occurring as having such an ultimate evil unleashed upon the Dimensions.
She cared for too many people to let that happen.
~~~~~~
Society
Education
It is generally held that the Dark, as the stronger, more protective, and also more sedate 'leader' of the two is to provide physically for the weaker more excitable Light twin, thought the Light twin often acts almost as a caregiver to the Dark, cooking, cleaning and generally seeing to the Darks more emotional needs. In this way the two balance each other, and really do not understand how to live without the other.
Thus, the Dark Academy of a sector is never more than a half mile away from the Light Academy, and though separate dorms are available, and encouraged, during these years, it is not uncommon to find Light twins making their way to the Dark's room at night, as Lights do not like being left alone.
However, in the event a Dark takes a Warrior job, or a Traveler job, there are dorms available for the Light half of the twinset. This is provided so the Dark twin may never need to worry of the safety of his/her light twin as the Light Compounds and Light Dorms are some of the heaviest guarded places in a Shapeshifter world/colony.
Each shapeshifter is required to take ten years of Basic Education at an Academy and past that will take an apprenticeship to learn a job field if not going in one of the Academy fields.
There are of course as many fields of education in their culture as there are in their culture. However there are several distinct fields that use the Academy system rather than the standard mentorship system used after Basic Education. These fields are as follows:
Medical
Healers are an integral part of any society, but especially the accident prone Shapeshifters one. This field is almost exclusively dominated by Lights, though there is the occasional Dark working with his/her Light twin out of devotion. It takes 10 years to master.
Warrior
Warriors are integral to any society, but especially one that is as large and rambunctious as Shapeshifters. Each colony and settlement has a large percentage of warriors to ensure the Laws are followed. This is an exclusively Dark field, with one exception in the form of Hope. She is obviously a fairly recent exception and is never actually used in this field. This class includes everything from the Queen's Elite Guard to the common guardsman on the street. It takes from 5-20 years to master, depending on job field.
Traveler
Travelers are the dimensional explorers of the shapeshifter society and the vanguard of the colonization efforts. It is there job to locate suitable worlds that already have a society set up so that Shapeshifters may infiltrate and slowly overwhelm the native inhabitants by sheer numbers. Though they have their own special Compound in Erutino, the Homeworld of Shapeshifter society, most Travelers rarely even settle in a place for more than two weeks. These are mostly Darks as well. Only after having completed the Warrior Academy can a Shifter go on to become a Traveler. It takes 20 years to master.
Colonists
These shifters are trained to blend in in a variety of worlds with a large variety of different tech levels and environments. Often the world they will travel to is picked at the start of their education, so that they may become highly familiar with their world. Both Lights and Darks enter into the field, often as pairs, and many times after being mated as well. It is the largest Academy and the easiest to enter. The government encourages as many shifters as possible to go there, to the point where it is the only Academy in which you get paid to go. However, because it wouldn't do for shapeshifter to stick out on their new world, they are often limited to the birthing cycle of whatever the dominant species is in that world. It takes ten years to master.
Other fields, are often populated heavily by Lights as many Darks go off the the Warrior class. The Lights however are happy to support their Darks, knowing that each has it's place in society.
Government
The Shapeshifter society is a monarchy, with and elected not inherited Noble class, though the Royal family does inherit to the eldest Light. The Queen of Shapeshifters is always the Light of the eldest surviving twinset at the previous Queen's death.
Religion
Shapeshifters have a full pantheon of twenty Goddesses, though religion plays a small role in their lifestyles. Still, they do observe a Holy Day on each equinox and solstice, along with a Feast Day for each Goddess.
List of Goddesses
âĒ Hinthu - Goddess of light. With Sarllah, she is the mother of Yudh, the sun; Othugli, the moon; and Eiateila, the dawn.
âĒ Asihkan - Goddess of intellect and the axis of heaven around which the constellations revolved. Patron Goddess of Light twins.
âĒ Shamotulsyne - Goddess of memory and remembrance, and mother of the arts and creative thought.
âĒ Sarsail - Goddess of the Earth-encircling river Sarsail, the font of all the Earth's fresh-water.
âĒ Urlo - Wife of Sarsail, and the mother of the rivers, springs, streams, fountains and clouds.
âĒ Sarllah - Goddess of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky. She is the mate of Hinthu, and mother of Yudh, Othugli and Eiateila.
âĒ Skrona - Goddess of divine law and order. Patron Goddess of Dark twins.
âĒ Yshane - Goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars.
âĒ Matepha - Goddess of stars and planets, and the art of astrology.
âĒ Eiateila - Goddess of the dawn.
âĒ Kelabha - Goddess of afterthought and the mother of excuses.
âĒ Pharaoi - Goddess of the mastery of the seas.
âĒ Yudh - Goddess of the sun and guardian of oaths.
âĒ Aurnotho - Goddess of renown, fame and infamy, and wife of Nareho.
âĒ Pholo - Goddess of air and wind and the hunter's skill of stalking prey.
âĒ Phate - Goddess of violent anger, rash action.
âĒ Kiathot - Goddess of good counsel, advise, planning, cunning, craftiness and wisdom.
âĒ Bostaua - Goddess of destruction and warcraft.
âĒ Lona - Goddess of forethought and crafty counsel, and creator of Shapeshifters.
âĒ Othugli - Goddess of the moon.
Technology level
Shapeshifters have found a way to combine technology with their magic and have space-age technology with the ability to colonize and cross lightyears in short amounts of time. However, they have never seen the point of robots, so have a very small robot population.
They do have Implants used with Travelers exclusively that allow the Travelers to understand and speak in any language as long as the implant is functioning. electricity of any level can knock it out though ambient electricity and static electricity often only destroy the ability to speak and understand a handful of languages. These implants are self repairing and planted onto the brain itself, where it proceeds to integrate with the brain on it's own.
On Lights and Darks
Birth
Shapeshifters are never born without a twin. These twins are separated into half, with one named the Dark and the other named the Light. This distinguishment is established solely by birth order. During the birthing process the Dark is birthed first, but the Light is grasping the Dark by the heel as s/he is born.
They are raised together for the first twenty years of their life, before being put in formal education in separate, but always close by, Academies.
It is rare that just one twinset will be born. Shapeshifter produce in litters of up to eight kits or four twinsets. Hope was more in a litter of two twinsets, herself and Snow, and her 'brothers' the Light twin Rain, and the Dark twin Thunder.
Hope's mother, a flighty woman named Feather, gave birth to 747 twinsets before her death in her 98th year of living having given birth from age 23 to age 98, though she died shortly after her last litter was born do to a shifting accident involving a goose form and a hunter. Hope has never met all of her many, many siblings, and doesn't actually know who they may be outside of her own litter.
Relationships
Between Light and Dark
The Light very much is taught that the needs of the Dark go before the needs of the Light, while the Dark is taught the opposite is true. This means that each is highly concerned that the other's needs are well met and so always strives, not for themselves, but for their twin.
A Light will follow her Dark to the end of the Earths if need be, and often follows her Dark's commands without a seconds thought, knowing that her Dark would never order anything that could cause a Light harm. She will back away from any relationship her Dark even vaguely hints at disapproving of.
A Dark on the other hand, often will go out of her way to fulfill any wish of her Light, especially the little reasonable ones. She will defend the Light from all the harder parts of life and cushion her life's journey to the best of her ability, refusing to allow the Light's hand to go to anyone who can not defend the Light well form life's hardships.
Friendships
In this, the Light often has a great deal of control, as Dark's tend to be withdrawn creatures. The outgoing Light will cheerfully make friends with Light and Dark alike, dragging her Dark behind her with an unmitigated glee. The only stopping force in this would be a subtle glance, or a word from her Dark which may slow her down or stop her completely, though never for long.
Family
Shapeshifter families are not close at all, with the only bond normally being one of blood to the sheer size. While yearmates and littermates may know eachother well enough to jump to each others defense, mostly close family bonds are only formed between the littermates of a season, with a more cousinly bond to the other yearmates.
Romance
A Light may seek younger than her Dark would like, but she will not do more than glance at, smile happily, and perhaps make lighthearted conversation unless her Dark allows her too. Often, due to the over-protectiveness of Darks, a Light will have never even kissed until she settles in on her final and normally only relationship. This has led to a very persistent myth among Lights that no one thinks to dispel: A Light can only be with one person their entire lifetime.
Mating
Mating is the permanent marriage bond between to shapeshifters. It allows each to maintain a supernaturally level of awareness with each other, always aware of how the other is doing physical and emotionally as well as establishing a telepathic bond between the two. Light's consider this highly sacred, and while Darks appreciate it highly, they don't take the same religious view of the act of mating as Light do, though they tend to agree strongly on the ceremony of mating.
Shapeshifters mate only in pairs, twinset marrying twinset. Because of Hope and Snow's unique situation however, Hope long ago resolved to marry a non-shapeshifter without a twin, as she hadn't found her twin. Now that she has, that may or may not change, depending on her twin almost entirely.
Death
An all too common problem, this species has an average lifespan of 95, despite being capable of living well until their 3,000s. Unfortunately, due to the mating bond and the twinbond, the death of just one Shapeshifter takes down their twin, their mate, and often their twin's mate as well.
I do not own any of the pictures in this profile, minus the photo manipulation of Hope's true form. The image of the saif is from Wikipedia, the Armor is found here. The various weapons were found using Google search engine and the image of Hope was found using Google, then TwistedBrush Open Studio to Photo manipulate it.
So begins...
Hope Anona grins happily at her twins hugs, returning it quickly, before squeezing Kendra's hand in response to the hand holding. Oh tonight was absolutely perfect! "Thanks! And you were too eavesdropping. You eavesdropper." She teases, staying close to her fiance happily.
Hope Anona grins happily. "I'd love it." She tells Snow happily. "You're an amazing cook." Seeing their interaction made Hope positively beam.
"And men of your psecies obviously lack Steph. the woman however..." she strails off, smiling lovingly at Kendra.
Hope Anona slips into the apartment with a smile, wrapping her arms around Kendra quietly. With a pleased, "Boo!" She kisses Kendra's cheek.
It was wonderful to have such a beautiful person like Kendra as her love.
Hope Anona grins slightly. "Cat's paws. Or rather, I pad my feet like a cat's paw and walk quickly and quietly. It seems to work." She tells the other girl highly amused. "Don't let Snow know."
She had to be able to one-up her sister in the sneaking department after all. It was essential to her sanity.
Hope Anona frowns slightly. "What'd you hear? Nothing too bad I hope." As long as it didn't put her family in danger she could handle it, but still. Alarming did not equal good. Not by a long shot.
Hope Anona blushes bright read and shakes her head, highly embaraased. She couldn't believe she had! Oh... "I don't know anything. They don't teach us any of this at Light Academy, and at Warrior and Traveler, the Darks just didn't discuss that!"
Her cheeks are a rather vivid shade of pink.
Hope Anona turns bright red. "I...I think I heard it mentioned, once or twice. I really don't know what it is though." She bites her bottom lip and looks to Kendra.
"Could you tell me?"
Hope Anona frowns slightly. "There are some problems with our culture, I will admit. But is it really that important Kendra?" She is curious now, still uncertain over it all.
Hope Anona frowns slightly. "Abuse? Like...when people hit each other? No Dark would ever hurt a Light Kendra. It just isn't done." She is clearly highly confused. "I mean, even in Warrior Academy, they barely tapped me if I did get hit. Most of them keps the blows from hitting me though."
"And I didn't know Sex is how children were made. I thought the goddess jsut put them in your belly after you had been mated."
Hope Anona frowns slightly, but nods, uncertain. As far as she knew, her society was truly like that, but she hadn't been allowed near many twinsets, not truly. Still she kisses Kendra back gently, and smiles. "Biology? Like...plant cells and stuff?" Lights were not taught a whit of science, not really. Math Hope had taught herself, strugglign the entire way. it was partly why Kendra's drawing fascinated ehr so much.
"You have to explain."
Hope Anona nods happily. "Anything!" She promises Kendra happily. "You know I'd do anything for you." She meant it too.
Hope Anona bites her bottom lip then nods slwoly. "I...I can. You'll have to give me a few moments afterwards though. It's...not the easiest of shifts." It wasn't either. It required a level of skill and dedication most didn't have, as well as an intimiate understanding of anatomy. Slowly, carefully, Hope changes forms, growing taller, her breast changing to a muscled chest. Her hips disappears into a man's hips and she loooks to Kendra, hair shorter but eyes still blue.
As she speaks, it's obvious her voice is deeper as well. "In...in this gender, I am known as Halo...but...you can still call me Hope." It was awkward for her to be a him, but she could manage it.
Hope Anona relaxes the control she has on that shape quickly, happily, and returns to her Hope form much sooner. "I...thank you. Being Halo is draining."
Hope Anona blushes brightly and nods. "I...I'd like that. Yes." She would like it quite a bit too. "C-Can we?" She stutters, nervous as to Kendra's reaction.
Hope Anona follows Snow into Stephs' apartment, taking full advantage of the smashed doors her eyes wide. Why were they coming here? Kendra hadn't minded her leaving too badly and-
Then sh caught sight of Steph holding a gun to Kendra's head, fury in every ounce of her being. Oh. Oh no he did not. With a snarl she launches herself between Stpeh and Kendra, protecting the woman as best she cane.
"Get the hell away from my girl!" she orders, glaring at Steph as the false Kendra smirks and wraps her arms around Hope, faking a sob rather loudly.
"Hope! It's horrible, he just started threatening me." She sobs again, burying her face into the very protective Light's back.
Hope Anona snarls at them both staying protectively in front of the sobbing and clearly frightened Kendra. Guns. She hated guns. Why did Darks all seem to want to solve the world's problems with guns. She hisses at Blade and Steph, reaching behind her to gently touch her girlfriend.
The false Kendra immediately clings to the hand, nuzzling it. Unfortunately, that was thw wrong move to make. Hope's eyes flashed an unholy red as she pulls away from the false Kendra her own gun drawn and aimed in seconds.
This close not even Bad Aim Hope could miss and she shot, blasting the false Kendra's arm off. Oh dear. She was pissed. "Where is my mate." She demands of the other, now screaming in pain, shifter.
Hope Anona The false Kendra snarls and struggles dispite the excruciating pain she's in. "That bitch isn't mated at all!" She snarls to Blade.
Hope snarls back, snapping her teeth at the imposter in warning. Still, she lowers her gun, though only to avoid shooting her sister. Instead, she aims to take out thr imposters foot. As she shoot, the imposter struggles, causign the bolt of plasma to only tak off about half the foot. Still Hope snarled in plasure at that hit.
The imposter however, screams in pains once more. "Don't know! don't know!"
Hope Anona The Imposter is shivering in pain and fear as Blade describes the effects of the shoots and spills her guts. The council had sent her, though she didn't know for sure whcich members. They're ahdns were covered. Kendra could be foudn right where she had been left, cornered as 'Rain.' She had an amulet on her, disguising her as Rain in the imposter's presence, but once she was gone, simply causing there to be a strong aversion to go near her.
Hope listens in stony silence to this painfileld an babbled confession and nods. "Blade. Give her the shot." She orders, completely heartlessly. "The we're talking about your intel's voyearistic tendencies."
Hope Anona appears in the apartment's living room, and immediately forges ahead to the bedroom. "Kendra!" She calls out, not botherign to check her passeneger as she normally did. Blade could take care of himself as far as she was concerned.
The Light had been, unfortunately, un avoidably detains, somethign she was not pleased with. Someone up there had a serious death wish, and Hope was highly upset over their interference. No matter though. The woman made her way to Kendra's side, pushing by Steph and Snow to get there. "Oh Kendra, heart, please forgive me."
Her fingers hover above where she pistol whipped her fiance and she sobs, obviously about to break down. Too much! It was all too much.
Hope Anona sobs, into her hands, at the site of Kendra. A broken arm, a concussion...what had she done? Hope touched the slit in Kendra shirt where the shifters own knife had cut into her and begins shaking violently. Never again. Never again would shw allow anything like this to happen.
There was, to the Light's knowledge, only one way to accomplish this. A mate bond would prevent this misunderstanding from ever happening again. As soon as Kendra was ready then. Hope refused to allow herself to be frightened over the idea.
"Blade!" She snarls, still remaining protectively by Kendra's side. "Get your ass in here!" She had censored herself heavily, just saying that. But still. Manners. She chided herself, almost reflexively.
Hope Anona snarls at him, warning him not to get too close. As far as she was concerned, no one was allowed too close to Kendra right now. "Equipment." She rumbles, everything about her showing how tense she is.
"So that I will be able to identify shifters on sight, no matter what form they're in. guns. and Lots of those little needles you used on the bastard back at Steph's." She lists, gently petting Kendra's head, even though the unconscious woman wouldn't know, and the action was almost directly opposite of her voice.
This would never happen again.
Hope Anona nods satisfied, and climbs into the bad, curled protectively around Kendra. "Go fetch a healer, Blade. We'll be safe enough here, for now." She shoos him away, having figured out that he would, apparently, do whatever she ordered. "I won't have Kendra heal so slowly. I want he better within the hour."
Impatient, impertinent and rude, but Hope was too angry for anything else right now. "And..." She pauses, looking a bit embarrassed. "Could you, possibly, have Snow and Steph come in. I need a hug or two."
Hope Anona shakes her head, looking upset. "No! I didn't want that man to die. I was just so upset and I lost my temper, and then I made Blade kill him." But this point she's cryign hard enough she can't go on, obviously highly upset by her own actions.
Between finding out that she was the one who had hurt Kendra, and helping kill a man, Hope was torn to pieces. At Snow's gentle touch, Hope leans into her twin, clearly feeling better with the touch. "Snow, how do I make them stop?"
Hope Anona shivers again, keeping her hed touchign Kendra's gently. "I...I don't want to have to kill again Snow. Please don't let me." She says, knowing her temper will no doubt get the worst of her again, soon enough. It had been doing it so often lately she was beginning to wonder what was wrong with her.
Poor Hope. She knew little enough about her own biology that she would continue to have no clue. (Bwahahahahahahahaha!)
Hope Anona slips into the passenger seat and nods. "It's not as if I can't afford it. We still need a big place though, despite the cheap prices. That might make it a bit pricier." She smiles slightly and looks at him. "I insist on a yard at least, for the kids. Because we will have more than jsu tRachel, eventually."
Hope Anona grins slightly. Definitely huge them/ Let's see. Wing, Blade, you and Snow, me and Kendra, Bow. Rachel. That's...six already. So...ten rooms? Maybe more." She says calmly. "After all, I plan on actually carign for children I have, not jsut abandoning them to their fate." She says firmly, seriously.
Hope Anona grins at Steph. "I can put in half if you will. And That's an awful lot to spend on a house." She tells him. "And...Please keep in mind we want it to be kid friendly. I've alrady got Rachel cursing. So no tanks."
Hope Anona glances up at the door and smiles brightly, placing the lingerie she was holding back into her suitcase. she had been so busy unpacking all else, she had only just gotten to the clothes! Ah well, at least she was fast and organizaed enough her room was fast looking like it was hers again.
"Come in!" She calls out, smiling brightly.
Hope Anona asks if you can see this?
Hope Anona notes ou weresuccesful!
Hope Anona opens the double doors that lead to the bedroom wing and smiles slightly. "Come on Rachel! You can pick any of these rooms out, and we'll decorate it however you want." She promises with a smile. They would too. Money was no issue here. "I'll let you choose your room before everyone else, okay?"
Hope Anona grins and follows her daughter at a trot. Of course. Pink and green. Sheshould have known. "Alright." She says with a smile as her daughter dashes about in search of the perfect room. "Pink and green it is."
Hope Anona grins widely and nods happily. Hers and Kendra's room wouldn't be too far away then, and with All the fortifications Rachel would be safe. The woman glances out of the bay widnow and grins. "And look! You can see aunt Snow's Ice Cream truck out your window." She says happily, looking at the giant pink tank. When Steph and Snow saw that, they'd half die.
Hope Anona grins and nods happily. "Forever and ever." She promises brightly pickign her daughter up and swinging ehr in the air. "As long was we choose to." She promises with a happy smile.
Hope Anona hugs Rachel tightly and nods. "Of course! A big one, and a tree house too. How's that sound?" She says happily. Anything for her little girl. After all the family went through, it was the least she could do after all.
Hope Anona beams happily, pleased at the statement. "You're so sweet@ My darling little Rachel." She says, hugging her daughter and smiling. This child would be spoiled rotten. Though Hope doubted the girl could ever be rottne.
Um. I should be able. Kendra and I aren't busy. And Kendra wouldn't mind if she has to watch Rachel. Not too much.
Hope Anona looks up, sees Rachel with the ice cream and in Steph's presence and groans. "Rachel! Come here, you naughty child. Where ddi you go, and what did you do this time?" She demands. "And who gave you ice cream for doing it!"
Rachel looks immediately contrite. "I took Uncle Steph's telo-port thingy and went to the place where Unca Sassin works." She says, sniffling.
Hope Anona looks to Steph. "Oh yes. He gets to play 'Hostage' with Rachel when he needs to, and in return I receiced a vial full of some concotion that when put in water or juice will turn Talon into a vegetable. I merely need a chance to use it." She turns her attention back to Rachel and begins to scolds the child for stealing and disappearing like that. With a sigh, she ends the lecture by shakign her head. "Rachel, I love you dearling. But please, please don't do that again. You could have been hurt super bad."
Rachel looks horribly upset now and hugs her mom tightly. "I coulda died?"
"You coulda died."
Hope Anona sends Rachel to her room to think over what she did and winces. "Well, he won't actually hurt her. If some one even tries, he's promised to take her to a safe place before going back to deal with the issue." She points out.
"He knew she was safe, and..." She shrugs sheepishly. "Was probably trying to be a good uncle, in his own way. His way is just a bit different."
Hope Anona raises an eyebrow and pulls a small device out of her goggles. "Override, duh. I pull her to me, and Get out of there." She points out calmly. "She's safe with him. He's one fo my best friends." She points out, looking annoyed.
"Listen, he won't hurt her or let her get hurt. Even if he tries to use her agaisnt us, he won't."
Hope Anona sighs. "Did she tell you about her wrist watch. The green button summons me there, no matter what I am doing. But the red button." she grisn sadistically. "If she's ever in danger, she needs to hit the red button and she'll be encased in a super hard, magic proof, bullet proof shield." She tells him, slightly annoyed her thought her so iresponsible. "Besides which, it also sommons a dragon to guard her. A huge one." She shrugs.
"More than that seemed overdone for the protection of one four year old girl, no matter how precious."
Hope Anona shrugs slightly. "Not really sure. But it works. I would suggest not testing it though. She knows not to touch the button unless she has no other choice." She pointed out calmly.
"I'll talk to the Assassin about suitable tiems to provide the child with weapons." She grumbles.
Hope Anona grins slightly. "Check the tank. There should be an unopened box there." She waves a hand. "If not, Snow owes me more1"
Hope Anona nods and stretches. "Go meditate. I'll go let Rachel know i forgive her and to go play." she says with a grin. "She's a sweet child, but her insatiable curiosity is going to kill us one day."
Hope Anona walks in through the gates, carrying a small confused looking child on her shoulders. The little boy has lond hair and blue eyes and looks and smells as if he hasn't bathed in a month.
That doesn't stop Hope from being entirely pleased.
Hope Anona looked about the house for Kendra, almost dreading this confrontation. But she hadn't been able to sleep last night, and knew she needed to talk to her lady love.
Hope Anona founds her and smiled slightly, the scene touchign her heart. The woman wrapped her arms around her wife and smiled. "Hey. We have to talk, love. And what I'm going to say is gonna land me on the couch."
Hope Anona winced. "Not quite. More like...Well." She mutters, rapid-fire, what she was confessing, obviously feeling horrible "IsortakindakissedNorrington."
Hope Anona blushed. "Well, he kissed me. But I sorta kissed back..." she looks highly ashamed of herself. "I disappeared mid kiss. I couldn't believe I did that! I just...reacted.
Hope Anona sniffed. "A few days ago. It was raining, and he took me for a swim. He has this trick wiht an umbrella. I didn't mean to! I just...responded." Tears were in her eyes and the woman looked truly sad.
Hope Anona looked up at Kendra, wide eyes, and hugged her mate desperately. "I'm sorry! i though he was my friend. I never meant to!" She clung to Kendra, tears in her eyes.
Hope Anona forces back the tears and hugged ehr mate. "I'm nto in trouble for it?"
Hope Anona clung to her mate, trying to balance herself. "Thank you. I'm so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry." At this point, she's slipped into her native tongue, though Kendra's implant was no doubt translating it.
Hope Anona calmed down in her mate's hands. "Thank you. My beautiful mate."
Hope Anona made her way out to the back garden, knowing she'd ifnd ehr sister there, and hoping her sister would be fine. The woman glanced around and spotted Snow immediately. She couldn't help herself.
Hope raced over to Snow as fast as she could and half tackled her sister in a tight hug, tears streaming down her face. "Snow!"
Hope Anona cried tears of relief as she clung to ehr sister. It was a few moments before she was able to regain control over herself, and even then, she held on tight. "There's nothign to forgive. Are you okay? All in one piece?" She asked, clearly concerend. "I'll kill him! kill him, kill him kill him!"
Hope Anona went perfectly still at the instruction, thinking it over, though she clung desperately for her sister. Slowly, she nodded, holding tightly to her sister. "Okay. I'll stick close to you guys." she said quietly, agreeing. She sniffed and clung tightly to her sister.
"Never again, mmkay? I was so scared the entire time, and thent hey went off and elft em here and-" She bursts into tears once more.
Hope Anona hugged her twin tighter, shivering slightly. "I'm glad you're save. I-" She winced, knowing Snow would shoot the plan down. "I think I know how to end it all, Snow." She said quietly, hiding her face. "You wont' like it. At all."
Hope Anona winced and clung to her sister. "I. I still have one meeting with Talon. I'm going to let him go with me. Norrington gave me some coma-juice, to send him straight into a coma. If we get Winnie on the throne again, while I deal with Talon..." She said quietly.
"As long as Blade and Winnie are mated, once Winnie sits on the throne again. Blade becomes First Dark. The mix shouldn't effect Winnie at all, jsut Talon."
Hope Anona clung tightly to her sister, curling up in her lap and nodding. "Okay. You better not." she murmured quietly. "I don't want to lose you. Not again." She murmured, slowly calming down.
Her mind focuses and she clung even tighter to her twin, no doubt bruising her at this point. "He gassed you? She asked, not liking the sound of that. "Maybe...maybe if Whistle did it. Blade needs to be with Winnie, to get her to the throne room, and you aren't doing it." she said, very firmly. "I won't let you!"
Hope Anona smiled lightly. "I'll ask Norrington to protect Kendra and the kids. With the defenses we have here, he should be able to handle it on his own." She said quietly. "Whistle may know someone willing, if she says no, and you're right. I wouldn't stay behind." She thought it over quickly. "If Whistle agrees, I'll go with Blade and Winnie, to help out there." She said quietly.
She relaxed her grip slightly. "Is that okay?"
Hope Anona beamed brightly, not telling her sister that she intended to send her double with Blade and Winnie, rather than go herself. She. She had to do this, just had to. It was the only way. The woman hugged her sister happily. "I'm glad you're back Snow. Everything is crazy here. Between the stupid revolution and Norrington, everythign is insane!"
Hope Anona grinned slightly. "You should hear him! He wants to be wiht Kendra and I. Not in a sexual way, but kind of like a pet cat, s'far as I can tell. Or as he puts it, better than best friend, but not as much as lover." He was a nutter in her mind, but a harmless one.
"He said he wanted to share a bed wiht Kendra and I, but not in a sexual way. It's very confusing!"
Hope Anona snickered. "No. I'm...coping, but I still freak out occasionally. He wants kisses included, and doesn't hesitate to kiss us. Unfortunately." Twice now, he had kissed Hope, though she was so high the second time, she coudln't recall it.
Hope Anona clung tightly to her twin and smiled. "Yeah. Kendra is my heart and soul. she's my reason for living. I. I wouldn't never betray her in anyway." She said quietly, a peaceful loving smile on ehr face at the thought of Kendra
Hope Anona had a doll in hand, putting the clothes back on the little thing. Near her, Rachel was fast asleep in her princess sleeping bag a doll in her arms, and Henry lay next to her, snuggle with a teddy and wrapped up in his own Power Rangers bag. The two were fast asleep, and is was clear Hope was merely re-dressing the little girl's nude dolls.
How they all ended up naked, she never knew. Children were so confusing. Adorable, but confusing.
Hope Anona glanced up at the doorway and smiled brightly, placing the doll on the ground and heading straight to her love. Unable to help herself, she greeted Kendra with a kiss, if allowed.
"What do you need, my heart?" She murmured, so as to not wake the children. She held Henry's transporter in her pocket, so at least she didn't have to worry about that.
Hope Anona smiled gently, and kissed her mate's forehead. Was that it? Oh Kendra. She smiled down at her, her gentlest most loving smile, and pushed the issue of who Lucian was out of her mind.
"Than consider it done. I'll let Norrington know it won't work out, okay?" She was actually thoroughly touched the Kendra was so possessive over her. "I promise, my feelings aren't hurt, and I don't mind at all."
"You're happiness is more important to me than anything else, my heart. If there is ever a problem, just let me know." Norrington would be upset, but he could deal with it.
Hope Anona grinned. "Norrington is more like a brother to me. You are my own and only. I think he just has me and you both all confused as to what he wants. Or maybe I'm just too dense, yeah?" She smiled and shook her head. "You have my heart Kendra. Just you."
Norrington was more her best friend, then anything else.
Hope Anona was just more confused by this fact, but shrugged it off and accepted it. Kendra would surely know. Humans were far too confusing. The woman returned the kiss and smiled slightly. Everything was good in her world once more. Most definitely.
Hope Anona sat in the rocker chair, lap covered and stared at the window longingly. She sighed slightly and looked down at her hands, before resuming staring. Kendra, her heart cried. Alone, cried her soul.
Hope Anona thought a moment. "Kendra. She can't remember me." She pointed out slowly. "She doesn't miss me. I'm just a stranger." she murmured. "I guess I pissed Othugli off." she murmured.
Hope Anona stood slowly and walked over to him. "Steph. I think this msut be grief. I. I don't want to go to Erutino. But..." The woman shook her head and sighed. "I highed soem detectives. Shifters. They'll find her. Until then, I want to go far away. This place. It has too many memories." She looked to him uncertain, and hugged herself.
"But I don't want to go either."
Hope Anona nodded slowly. "I don't want to see the doctors. But I won't press the issue. Kendra. She's he own person. She has her own life. The kids don't remember. I guess. I guess I'll heal."
Hope Anona nodded slowly. "Bummer. I liked this place." She murmured, and held onto him. "You're a good brother Steph." She said quietly. With a hollow laugh, she released him. "Want to know a secret?"
Hope Anona smiled. "Talon began courting me in year 221 of Wing's Reing. It's year 303." She revealed quietly. "We never met til recently, but I've got an entire filign cabinet full of letters."
Hope Anona grinned. "The tank did not help. Henry loved it. I think he'll adore all the guns waiting for him." She admitted. The woman paused and looked to Steph. "I'll get you an implant. So you can speak to everyonr there. We don't exactly speak common." She was trying hard to stay bright, though it was hard.
"Do you...Do you think Kendra will be okay?"
Hope Anona laughed and nodded. "I didn't know that. I don't know any shifter that married anyone not a shifter, though I guess they must be out there. If you like, I can try and find them for you?" She offered.
"Do you. I. They're gonna put a new implant in me soon. An entirely new one. It's real hard, but the healer said that now is the best time. Do you think I should ask to see if they can induce amnesia or soemthing?"
Hope Anona cautiously sat down next to him. "Not really. Why?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her. She was still too thin, in all her forms. Not eating enough, according to Bow and hte healers.
Hope Anona sighed and looked away. "What could I learn form this? Henry and Rachel aren't even being raised, not really. Rachel's a good girl, but Henry is wild."
Hope Anona smiled weakly. "I guess. It'll all be okay, won't it." She laughed, a bitter pain-filled mockery of a laugh. "At least I knew her. She was a ray of sunshine in my world, and at least I knew her."
Hope Anona covered her face in her hands and wept, leaning against her brother-in-law. She simply leaned against him and wept. It was all too much. She couldn't still be happy, not now.
Hope Anona appeared outside the door and beams, knocking and entering pleased. "Snow! Snow, are you in here?" She was fairly certain her twin was. After all, there weren't too many places the other could have gone. "Snow! I have somethign to talk to you about."
Snow was indeed there, picking up the last few boxes of her belongings to transfer over to the new residence in the palace. It seemed wasteful to hold two lodgings and thus had downsized to a smaller, private studio apartment elsewhere in the city when Steph and she wanted to get away from it all.
Her sister's voice brought a soft, but sad smile to her lips. Hope wanting to talk was hardly ever good these days but she straightened and turned to face her regardless. "Hello to you too, my Light. What is it?"
Hope Anona smiled happily and hugged her twin pleased, finding her quickly. She smiled slightly and then made herself beam in happiness as she stuck her tongue out at Snow to try and get her to really smile.
"So. I was thinking about moving! There's this small place. It's great for me and the kids, and Henry really isn't adjusting well to Erutino at all." Bullies at the school. Arguements with the principal over where to put her some. She didn't have time to teach him. He had been pulled out of the school and tutored, but even that was a nightmare.
She was pretty sure this amount of rebellion wasn't supposed to happen until he was a teenager.
Hope Anona smiled slightly. "There's no coping and then there's what Henry is doing. Rahcel is a flexible little girl, inclined to happiness and joy. Henry, well..." She shook her head, unimpressed. "Norry would help out. He thinks he can help Henry out a lot, and we'd be crashing with him."
Hope Anona smiled slightly. "He's got a private tutor now, but that's only appeared to give him free time. I'm goign to try and fins a different school. The problem is placement."
The principals and her could never agree what type of child Henry was. Light or Dark. Hope tried pointing out that he was a child, but nothing had worked yet. Truth told, she'd be supplementing Rachel's education as it was.
"And it doesn't help that none of the little Darks will accept him. Brats."
Hope Anona smiled slightly. "I'd rather move there entirely. I. I think I'm ready now. I think I could see Kendra without, you know, trying anything, or crying or anything like that." She wasn't certain to tell the turht. "And Norry is blind now. He needs to be taken care of too. I mean, he can still take care of himself. But, well. He's having a hard time."
No one wanted to hire a blind assassin.
