Friday, April 07, 2006
Character: Rhikki Ryan, City of Villains
Intro post for new arc (?)
Lunchtime at St. Raven's was, as always, a solitary affair for Rhikki. Sitting atop the ledge of a brick wall, she somberly took another bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In the distance, she watched with boredom as a pair of Arachnos' Fortunatas dealt their own brand of justice out on a group of protesting Luddites. The ragtag bunch crumpled under the mental strain while the red-robed women nodded approvingly at each other.
Rhikki set her sandwich aside and stood, balancing herself on the uneven bricks. As calmly as another child might consider the passing of a bird in the sky, the twelve year old blinked at one of the women and nodded once. Immediately, the Arachnos minion collasped to the pavement, hands at her temples as if she sought to rip the voices from her head. Her companion soon joined her, and the two were immediately set upon by one of the Luddites who savagely began to beat them with a wrench. His eyes were wide and glazed, his expression trancelike as the metal came down again and again.
The girl sighed and sat down again, considering whether or not the sandwich was worth finishing. The challenge posed by the headmaster had lost its appeal, as it had become less and less difficult to confuse the Arachnos. The Longbow officers presented no more of a challenge; just last week, she had convinced a lieutenant to turn on his brigade and roast a half dozen under his command with a flamethrower. And two nights before, she had managed to bring a fiery behemoth under her control to attack the Thorn Casters who had summoned it.
If an idle mind was the devil's playground, then the mind of Rhikki Ryan was comparable to Disney World. The newer programs at St. Raven's did not appeal to her; on the contrary, they simply confirmed the growing suspicion that she required a higher degree of instruction and mentorship. Rhikki found herself harboring a growing sense of disapproval and dislike fot the school's faculty. Were they so power-hungy that they never considered some might aspire to more than common thievery and the occassional quick and bloody disposal? Certainly, St. Raven's was awash with children and teenagers who would never be able to command others. Paula - Pale Walker - was proof enough of that. But among the students she had encountered, Rhikki had yet to find one who could match her in both stoic demeanor and raw talent.
[i]How profound,[/i] she thought. [i]And how disappointing.[/i]
Extracurricular activities had proven far more promising. More and more, Rhikki found herself accompanying a far more capable, if not exceptionally egotistical man by the name of Haruspex. The mage had tolerated her questions during their first few outings, often mistaking her blunt honesty for sarcasm. Rhikki realized this, pausing every so often to voice an unbiased yet carefully worded note of appreciation and genuine admiration for his abilities. In turn, Haruspex allowed her to accompany him on more dangerous outings. At times, he seemed to revel in the role of field professor, lecturing at length about their quarry and their surroundings.
In all of this, Rhikki never questioned his skill or prowess in the realms of magic. Instead, she would ask the man about the use of his minions, how they were controlled and why they followed their master blindly into any situation. Could anyone learn this sort of control? Was magic the only means available to achieve the permanent subservient state? Did the tactics require a certain amount of fear?
Was it necessary for them to be dead?
The last question had come up in recent days when she had accompanied a new professor and two of her classmates on an outing to seek out Circle mages. While Dr. Azur had expressed some concern as she had calmly approached a disgruntled Force mage, Rhikki had found little issue with reaching into the robed man's mind and giving it a good wrench. If it was becoming so simple for her to bend the minds of magicians, why couldn't she do the same thing with fellow students or even the wayward hero who wandered across her path?
Rhikki slid down from the wall and dusted off her hands. The bell had run, and it was time for the wicked little mentalist to hurry back to class.
Intro post for new arc (?)
Lunchtime at St. Raven's was, as always, a solitary affair for Rhikki. Sitting atop the ledge of a brick wall, she somberly took another bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In the distance, she watched with boredom as a pair of Arachnos' Fortunatas dealt their own brand of justice out on a group of protesting Luddites. The ragtag bunch crumpled under the mental strain while the red-robed women nodded approvingly at each other.
Rhikki set her sandwich aside and stood, balancing herself on the uneven bricks. As calmly as another child might consider the passing of a bird in the sky, the twelve year old blinked at one of the women and nodded once. Immediately, the Arachnos minion collasped to the pavement, hands at her temples as if she sought to rip the voices from her head. Her companion soon joined her, and the two were immediately set upon by one of the Luddites who savagely began to beat them with a wrench. His eyes were wide and glazed, his expression trancelike as the metal came down again and again.
The girl sighed and sat down again, considering whether or not the sandwich was worth finishing. The challenge posed by the headmaster had lost its appeal, as it had become less and less difficult to confuse the Arachnos. The Longbow officers presented no more of a challenge; just last week, she had convinced a lieutenant to turn on his brigade and roast a half dozen under his command with a flamethrower. And two nights before, she had managed to bring a fiery behemoth under her control to attack the Thorn Casters who had summoned it.
If an idle mind was the devil's playground, then the mind of Rhikki Ryan was comparable to Disney World. The newer programs at St. Raven's did not appeal to her; on the contrary, they simply confirmed the growing suspicion that she required a higher degree of instruction and mentorship. Rhikki found herself harboring a growing sense of disapproval and dislike fot the school's faculty. Were they so power-hungy that they never considered some might aspire to more than common thievery and the occassional quick and bloody disposal? Certainly, St. Raven's was awash with children and teenagers who would never be able to command others. Paula - Pale Walker - was proof enough of that. But among the students she had encountered, Rhikki had yet to find one who could match her in both stoic demeanor and raw talent.
[i]How profound,[/i] she thought. [i]And how disappointing.[/i]
Extracurricular activities had proven far more promising. More and more, Rhikki found herself accompanying a far more capable, if not exceptionally egotistical man by the name of Haruspex. The mage had tolerated her questions during their first few outings, often mistaking her blunt honesty for sarcasm. Rhikki realized this, pausing every so often to voice an unbiased yet carefully worded note of appreciation and genuine admiration for his abilities. In turn, Haruspex allowed her to accompany him on more dangerous outings. At times, he seemed to revel in the role of field professor, lecturing at length about their quarry and their surroundings.
In all of this, Rhikki never questioned his skill or prowess in the realms of magic. Instead, she would ask the man about the use of his minions, how they were controlled and why they followed their master blindly into any situation. Could anyone learn this sort of control? Was magic the only means available to achieve the permanent subservient state? Did the tactics require a certain amount of fear?
Was it necessary for them to be dead?
The last question had come up in recent days when she had accompanied a new professor and two of her classmates on an outing to seek out Circle mages. While Dr. Azur had expressed some concern as she had calmly approached a disgruntled Force mage, Rhikki had found little issue with reaching into the robed man's mind and giving it a good wrench. If it was becoming so simple for her to bend the minds of magicians, why couldn't she do the same thing with fellow students or even the wayward hero who wandered across her path?
Rhikki slid down from the wall and dusted off her hands. The bell had run, and it was time for the wicked little mentalist to hurry back to class.
