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| Mantega-Barrett, Sofia; Wind Dancer | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 30 2013, 09:55 PM (687 Views) | |
| Wind Dancer | Dec 30 2013, 09:55 PM Post #1 |
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[align=center]PLAYER INFORMATION[/align] NAME: Hannah CONTACT: PM would be best, or I’m AKAtheHannah on AIM HOW YOU FOUND US: A google search OTHER CHARACTERS ON THE SITE None RULES CODE: ‘Blackbird’ CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE: Marvel Wikia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Dancer#Powers_and_abilities]Wikipedia X-Men Wikia Comic Vine A previous Wind Dancer profile in XMR Another Previous profile And another profile [align=center]CHARACTER INFORMATION[/align] [align=center] ![]() Ana de Armas[/align] BASIC INFORMATION CANON OR ORIGINAL: Canon AFFILIATION: Xavier’s, Student Senior-Level Training FULL NAME: Sofia Mercedes Mantega-Barrett CODENAME: Wind Dancer NICKNAMES: Sofia Mantega (the name she goes by when not at home with her father, for secret-identity reasons) CURRENT AGE: 21 DATE OF BIRTH: May 14, 1992 MARITAL STATUS: Single SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual BASE OF OPERATIONS: Xavier Institute TIME AT INSTITUTE: Since she was sixteen, Summer 2008 REGISTERED WITH SHIELD? Yes HOMETOWN: Caracas, Venezuela (In the U.S. her father lives in Boulder, Colorado) KNOWN RELATIVES: Walter Barrett (father), Miranda Mantega (mother, deceased), Paolo Mantega (maternal uncle), also three younger cousins (Lupe, Maria, and Jose) on her mother’s side but she hasn’t seen them since she was fifteen. The paternal figure that she most associates with is her father’s butler, Derek Newton, whom she keeps in touch with on a regular basis. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE HEIGHT: 5’8 BUILD: Thin and athletic EYES: Dark hazel HAIR: Dark and naturally curly, she usually straightens it or wears it in a ponytail. Currently Sofia has dark blonde highlights in her hair. DISTINGUISHING MARKS: She has a slight Spanish accent that increases with emotional excitement CLOTHING STYLE: Sofia has a pretty casual clothing style. When she isn’t leaving Xavier’s she prefers to wear some combination of running shorts/yoga pants and a t-shirt/sweatshirt with simple tennis shoes. When she’s going out into the world she likes to be put together but not too fussy—think a cardigan, dark wash jeans, a t-shirt, and ballet flats. The only piece of jewelry that she wears on a regular basis is a gold pendant of the Virgin Mary that was her mother’s and she wears it almost every day. On special occasions Sofia has been known to bust out a few cocktail dresses, but in general she prefers pants. UNIFORM: Her usual uniform consists of a yellow turtleneck top with cutouts and a white underlay. Her pants are matching white material that end in short yellow boots. She added a yellow sash to her uniform because she enjoyed the way it moved when she uses her powers. Sofia also uses a basic black and yellow uniform on occasion, but she finds it a bit boring. POWERS GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Aerokinesis Sofia’s mutation gives her the ability to manipulate the air around her. Usually her mutation manifests itself in winds that she creates. She can use that wind power to lift objects, cut through material, create whirlwinds, and shoot concentrated blasts of high pressure. [Note: Her powers should not be confused with telekinesis in that her ability to move and cut objects is organic in nature. Her control over where an object moves, for example, is not as delicate as someone with telekinesis and instead takes the form of the imperfect wind.] These powers are seated in Sofia’s mind, meaning she doesn’t need to physically move to control the air around her. She has found, however, that her mutation is easier to control if she synchronizes mental commands with physical movement. Those movements are fluid and often make it seem like Sofia is dancing. When Sofia is not focused her mutation occasionally kicks up breezes that reflect her emotional state. Flight Sofia can use existing air currents as well as winds that she creates to lift herself off of the ground. While in flight it is still possible for Sofia to use other techniques such as wind slices. The height that Sofia can reach is dependent upon the atmosphere—the less air that exists to manipulate the more difficult it is to maintain altitude. The speeds that she can reach are below 30 mph, which is the fastest speed that she can force air to move. Long-Distance Eavesdropping The wind carries sound and Sofia can tap into this ability with her mutation. Within half a mile of the sound she can direct airwaves towards her ears. This ability does not amplify the volume of the sound, meaning that a whispered conversation remains whispered. This ability is only possible with concentration. Balance Disruption Sofia can use compressed air directed towards people’s ears to disrupt their centers of balance. In order to use this technique she must be within 3 feet of her target and she can only direct compressed air at one target at a time. Sofia likes to use this technique while in close combat or when she is trying to sneak to distract enemies. Defensive Shielding Sofia is able to create a barrier of wind between herself and attacks. This shield is best used for avoidance of pathogens, small particles, and objects hurled at her with normal physical force. It does not protect against high velocity projectiles such as bullets and close range physical attacks are effective. Note that this shield makes it impossible for Sofia to attack, but she can still use her flight abilities while it is up. WEAKNESS: The weaknesses of this mutation are related to the availability and stability of the air, the physical strength of Sofia, the distance that her powers extended, and the amount of time that she can use them. There is obvious danger in Sofia unleashing the stronger elements of her powers within closed spaces. It should be noted that she is unable to create air; it must exist before she can manipulate it. It is impossible for her powers to operate within a vacuum. Drastic changes in atmospheric pressure can make it difficult for Sofia to control her powers, making their use dangerous during sudden storms or in places where the atmosphere is different from Earth’s. Also, she cannot manipulate the temperature of the air around her. Many of her weaknesses relate to her physical strength, despite the fact that her mutation is seated in her mind. In order to lift an object, it must weigh less than 200 pounds, which is approximately double the amount that she can bench press. Objects with less tensile yield strength than 250 (that of structural steel) can be cut through by Sofia’s wind slices. In terms of the radius of Sofia’s powers, in order to eavesdrop Sofia must be within half a mile of the air that she wants to pull towards her. In order to do other techniques like cutting, moving, or flight she must use the wind within a 3-yard radius. Disruptive balance techniques can only be used within 3 feet. The maximum speed of wind that she can summon is 30 miles per hour. When she is mentally or physically fatigued it is more difficult for Sofia to focus on control, decreasing all of these stats. Also while she is focusing on using her powers it is impossible for Sofia to guard herself from psychic attacks. PERSONALITY Sofia has a big She’s a very emotional person who rarely has room for more than one feeling within her heart at a time. This trait is especially obvious when her violent temper is ignited. With her powers seated in her mind it can be difficult for Sofia to resist the temptation to use them while she is angry. Often this temper takes a long time to fester, so once it is unleashed it takes a long time for Sofia to reign herself back in. It takes a calm, rational person to calm her down. Negative emotions make Sofia isolate herself, which is one of the reasons that they get bottled up. She dislikes talking about her problems and instead prefers to push through them on her own. Similarly, Sofia’s positive passions are explosive—when she’s in a good mood it’s contagious. Unlike when she’s upset, Sofia likes to be in the company of large groups of people when she’s feeling good. She has a keen interest in others and many consider her to be very outgoing (or nosey, depending on the opinion). Many of the pressing questions that she asks are focused on trying to find ‘good’ traits in people—she wants to like them. Leadership comes naturally to someone like Sofia. She has high levels of determination. Once she sets her mind to a task she doesn’t rest until it is accomplished (just like she doesn’t let go of her anger until it has run its course). A quick wit and battle plans do not come naturally to her. Sofia knows that she is not the most strategically minded person (she has the will, not the way) and seeks the advice of others when faced with a challenge. That determination is also a detriment to Sofia because it makes her a very stubborn person. She does not compromise easily within a team setting, which is why she often volunteers to take on leadership roles. Although she seeks out advice she does not always follow it, instead preferring to rely on her gut feelings. The most conflicting elements of Sofia’s personality are her compulsion to constantly be in the company of others (when she’s not upset) and her desire to live independently. She has a lingering sense of abandonment and rejection caused by her father’s disinterest and the loss of her mother, which makes Sofia hyper-aware of the relationships that she keeps with people. She wants to be liked and included and greatly dislikes being alone for long periods of time. This can come off as emotionally needy. On the other hand, her entire life has been spent on the charity of others—her mother, her uncle for a short time, her father, and the staff of Xavier’s Institute. She longs to feel like she’s living life on her terms, not those set down by her estranged father or the leadership of the X-Men. Occasionally this desire makes her push people away, especially when they offer her solace during rough times. Her mutation is often reflective of her personality. Regardless of the season, Sofia likes to open windows whenever she enters a room. Her ego dictates that this practice is acceptable, despite the impact it may have on other people. The apartment that Sofia lives in is constantly open to the elements so that her powers can have free reign. This is also partially done out of fear of the destruction that her breezes and winds can cause within small spaces. An interesting element of Sofia’s identity is her bilingualism. She was forced by her father to learn English in a short period of time. Although she accomplished this feat, true mastery came years later. Sofia still forgets words with regularity and emotional stress causes her to speak in her own brand of Spanglish. To some it may seem odd, but despite her loud personality Sofia has a soft spot for the quiet pastime of reading. Books helped her learn (and continue to master) English. She can often be seen absently reading aloud books, signs, or labels of things. As far as other interests go, Sofia is pretty open to new experiences. She also enjoys physical activity like dancing or practicing hand to hand combat as such activities help her release excess feeling. Spicy food, dance music, and being with friends are some of her favorite things. The only thing that Sofia has a true hatred for is flying in airplanes because they’re too restrictive to her powers and she has negative memories associated with commercial flights (she remembers leaving Venezuela every time she flies). Also, her faith is an important element of Sofia’s life and she often feels supported and betrayed by her Catholic beliefs. Despite her insecurities about her place within the church, Sofia still looks to God when she is troubled or thankful. [Note: this element of herself isn’t broadcast beyond her Virgin Mary pendant and attendance of regular services—she doesn’t push her beliefs on others.] HISTORY: PRE-APOCALYPSE Sofia grew up with her mother in a small apartment in Caracas, Venezuela. She spent much of her childhood with her mother’s brother and his family in the countryside just outside of the city. Before her mother’s death Sofia attended a girl’s Catholic school in Caracas on a scholarship and was captain of the school football team. While her mother was never very wealthy the two were happy and Miranda taught her daughter to be happy with the things that they had. Many of Sofia’s fondest memories come from this period of her life—she had many friends, a family that loved her, and did fairly well in school. When Sofia was fourteen her mutation manifested slowly through subconscious creation of small breezes when she was upset. It became apparent that she was not like other girls when she accidentally sent a destructive wind through the apartment during a teenage tantrum—her mother wouldn’t let her out to see her friends because she was grounded. Unlike some mutants, her life did not initially change all that much when her mother found out. Her control over air was minimal when she was that age, so it was fairly easy to hide it from the girls at school. Playing football proved to be more difficult with her powers as her natural instincts were to use them to win games. Her uncle Paolo was fearful of Sofia’s newfound powers but his sister was able to convince him that Sofia wasn’t dangerous. His feelings were never fully dissolved however, which would become important the next year. Sofia’s fifteenth birthday brought political unrest to the city. Miranda needed to stay in their apartment in order to maintain her government job, but she sent Sofia out to her uncle’s home in the countryside in the name of safety. Initially the teenager resented being sent away and her phone calls to her mother were bitter. Eventually she settled into life with her younger cousins. It was playing outside with them that Sofia learned of her mother’s death. She’d recently discovered her ability to manipulate sound and had used it when a man in a suit surprised the family one afternoon. What she heard made Sofia drop the ball she’d been hovering in the air before she ran into the house. Her mother was dead and Uncle Paolo wasn’t going to keep her. She’d be sent to her father in Colorado. Sofia didn’t know anything about the man, not even his name. She could barely remember the stories her mother told her about falling in love with a handsome American while he was in Caracas on business. Somehow Sofia managed to be excited about meeting the mystery man her mother had fallen in love with all those years ago. Her hopes of a positive reunion were dashed however when Walter Barrett turned out to be less interested in his new daughter than his grocery store chain. He didn’t want a daughter, much less an illegitimate, Venezuelan mutant girl. An ultimatum was set: Sofia needed to learn English, she needed to get good grades, and she would not let anyone know that she was a mutant. In three weeks the new bilingual Sofia started school in Boulder. Life in America was initially very difficult for the young mutant. She made no friends at her new high school, her father barely paid her any mind, and she was still full of grief from her mother. Her father’s butler Derek offered the most kindness Sofia had seen since her mother was alive at this time but all of the pressure of assimilating and gaining her father’s approval still overwhelmed her. One of the main reasons (beyond her father’s aloofness) that Sofia was so uncomfortable in her new life was the lifestyle change. She and her mother had been poor but happy in Caracas in their tiny, one bedroom apartment. With her mother’s death Sofia was transplanted to a large house full of expensive things and little emotion. She was uncomfortable with the gifts that her father pushed her to use and wear in order to “fit in”. Walter Barrett had apparently worked hard for his money and the image that he presented to the world—he wanted his daughter to compliment that image as much as her...imperfections could. The issues that Sofia was having with her father were pushed to the fore during the war between ShadowX and the human government. Sofia and her father followed the news stories coming from the East Coast separately, but the tension within the house was palpable. This tension pushed Sofia further into her solitude and depression. That April the only reason Walter spoke to his daughter was to remind her how important it was to keep her mutation a secret. This was one of the few things that he and his daughter ever agreed upon. When May brought Sofia’s ignored birthday the two still weren’t speaking regularly. Before the end of the school year Sofia had had enough. When the cops found her the store grocery she’d broken into was destroyed (no one was harmed). Her father dropped the charges against her, but not until she’d spent two days in jail. He’d intended on keeping her under improvised house arrest until she turned eighteen or sending her back to Venezuela, but he was approached by the faculty of Xavier’s and convinced (barely) to ship Sofia out to New York State. Convincing Sofia to go was even more difficult than convincing her father (stubbornness was apparently genetic) but the staff and Derek eventually whittled away her fear of further rejection. The scandal was covered up in Colorado through extensive bribes paid for by Walter and he still maintains that Sofia was sent to an impressive and exclusive boarding school in New York. Despite some issues in the summer of 2008, Sofia took to her new school very well. Her outgoing personality and freedom of power expression pulled her out of her depression. She began to be the girl she’d been before her mother died by making friends and attempting to be involved in as many school activities as possible. This did not include, however, use of the drug KICK. She was afraid of the amount of power that other students gained through its use and instead tried to focus her energies on controlling her naturally progressing mutation (at this point her talents for flying were manifesting, as were her more destructive abilities like wind slices). DURING APOCALYPSE (April 7th through April 12th, 2009) The next year brought with it one the most trying period of Sofia’s life since her mother’s murder. Inklings of what was to come were barely felt by Sofia, newly rechristened Wind Dancer (she learned to fly that January and began combat training). She was emotionally unprepared for the events of the end of the world and she reacted with shock and terror to what befell the United States during April 2009. Who could really blame her? For the first time in her life she’d been completely free to be herself—what could possible shatter that? Apocalypse, that’s what. After the Horsemen began their ride her tendency to fall into herself while under stress once again became apparent, the previously outgoing and bossy girl becoming complacent and quiet. She remained locked in her room to avoid the news about the fate of the world that spread through the student body in rumors. She didn’t want to know how her family in Venezuela fared or how her father and the kind Derek were dealing with Famine or what the X-Men were doing about it. It was all too much. Worry incapacitated Sofia for several days, even after the Horseman of War came to the school. Unlike some brave students she did nothing to help her newfound community, instead allowing herself to be an inconsolable burden upon her friends and schoolmates. She barely noticed when she was evacuated with the other students. POST-APOCALYPSE Ashamed of her weakness during the events in April, Sofia threw herself into her studies once things began to normalize at the school. Her training became especially important to her, matching her desire to be of use the next time that something threatened to destroy the world. For the first time she began to view her mutation as a duty, not a simple gift or talent. To Wind Dancer being a mutant was slowly becoming something to be viewed in its relationship to the Greater Good and all of that vaguely heroic language. She spent two months (July and August) with her father and Derek, both of whom noticed the change in her. While she hoped that her father would appreciate her newfound dedication to school, Walter, as usual, made no comment on her grades or discipline. Instead he chose to focus on the fact that mutants had ‘almost caused the end of the world’ and otherwise ignored his daughter. Their relationship remained as strained as ever. Derek, on the other hand, encouraged her interest but warned against burning herself out. His concerns for her wellbeing were not unfounded—the stress caused by her new regimen was as apparent to him as her passion for it. In November of 2009 Sofia watched the Pope’s assassination as it was broadcast live. While her faith had been something she struggled to mesh with her genetics, watching a fellow mutant murder the representative of God on Earth was still horrifically traumatic (anti-Mutant Pope or no anti-mutant Pope). She was disgusted at the way that he was treated and the message sent by the Brotherhood, cementing her beliefs related to the proper use of mutant gifts. After this event she went to the local cathedral daily for a week straight, lighting candles and praying for the correct path to open before her. Sofia wasn’t involved with many events at the end of 2009 due to her still early training status. Although Derek asked her to come to Colorado for Christmas she refused her father’s plane ticket and opted to remain at Xavier’s over the holidays. Early 2010 brought with it the flickering of worlds. Rumors concerning the ‘new’ Scott and other members of the staff circulated through the student body. Sofia ate these right up in her quest to understand what the adults were doing. It should be noted that she was never directly involved in this struggle. She merely talked to anyone who would give her information about the merging and the monster Onslaught. When things went back to normal Sofia’s curiosity and concern still hadn’t been abated. Her desire to be involved with the X-Men took a giant leap forward at this point—she was sick of being treated like a child and being kept in the dark. If such a thing were possible she pushed herself even harder in her studies, although it was quickly becoming apparent that she didn’t have the same skill for calm strategy or organization as other students. This realization frustrated her to no end and still bothers her. One positive addition to Sofia’s life after Apocalypse furthered her academics. She was accepted into an independent study college credit program through NYU and began working towards a liberal arts degree. With her father’s urging she took several economics and business classes, but her interests seemed to lie in communications and global studies. While it is still difficult for her to balance school, friends, and being a mutant, Sofia enjoys the challenge. PURIFIERS Sofia turned nineteen just in time for the Church of Humanity to get rolling. Happy birthday! As things heated up in New York and the rest of the country, so did Sofia’s temper. While traditionally a tolerant person concerning mutantkind and humankind, being faced with open bigotry crossed all of her lines. She was unafraid to stare down the rioters that she faced or call back insults to them. During this period Wind Dancer lost control of some of her powers, especially her flight ability, due to her bottled up frustration. Eventually this frustration bubbled over when her father visited Xavier’s—she almost used her powers against him. They’d gotten into an argument over something stupid and she’d sent a blast of wind right past him. He wouldn’t even return her emails for several months after that incident…except to remind her to keep her mutant identity a secret from the consumers. The Purifier attack on X-Corps shocked Sofia and further fanned the flames for her hatred of the group. She was in the school when it was later attacked, and since she was in the senior level of training was called to aid the fight—she finally got what she wanted, but it came at a price. Being useful helped relieve some of Sofia’s stress and she was able to control her powers once more (by that time she had at least basic knowledge of all of her current techniques). Also, when the factions (including the Brotherhood) stood together against the Purifiers Sofia had to suppress her resentment of the group for the good of their cause. Like usual, this silent resentment caused her to be short with her friends and uncivilly cooperative with everyone not an X-Man. When everyone was evacuated Sofia helped move the remaining students to the Utopia base in the Savage Lands. She enjoyed feeling that she had a clear place and objective despite the negative situation. SKRULLS Once in Utopia Sofia personally struggled with her feelings of displacement. It wasn’t the move or the destruction of the school she’d fondly called home that triggered these feelings. She felt as if she were trapped between two worlds—the end of a childhood spent studying and preparing for a (hopeful) future as an X-Man and an adult who’d had a taste of responsibility, but only for a moment. After things got settled at the new location it felt to the young woman that she no longer had a clear job to fill her longings for usefulness. When Utopia went into lock-down mode Sofia was just as confused and concerned as the rest of the inhabitants. While she wanted to investigate and help fix things, she didn’t push the issue, trusting instead that if she were needed (as she’d had been against the Purifiers) she’d be summoned. As things in Utopia went from strange to stranger (think future children time travel strange) and parts of the Skrull plot of world domination were uncovered, those feelings of longed for responsibility grew stronger. Thus when the school needed to come together as a Brood to battle the Brood Queen she dutifully took part…not that she really had a choice. Once cured of the virus she (perhaps over eagerly) volunteered to do what she could to help those still battling the Skrull invasion in New York. She was denied this chance to help, however and remained at the Utopia base. When would she finally be officially part of a team, she wondered? CURRENT HISTORY Eventually, perhaps that time would come. But not before it seemed someone else’s time was up. When the school was locked-down after the assault of Cyclops in April of 2013, Sofia confirmed the rumors with a member of the faculty and then promptly locked herself in her room to mourn in peace. What she wanted to do was go to the cathedral and light a candle for the fallen leader, but with the school shutdown she made do with a candle in front of her shrine to the Virgin in her room. It was difficult to keep the candle lit—she’d opened a window and her powers reacted just as strongly as she did to the news. Unlike her isolation during the Apocalypse, Sofia’s private mourning only lasted the day. Dressed in black she left her room the next morning to try and console the younger students. At this point she had some experience with grief, and her shame at seeming useless pushed her to act. A year prior she would have sulked alone in her room after such an event. The escapades of the Illuminati became more solid for Sofia after the video of Daredevil’s death went viral. Cyclops’ death and the succeeding chaos at the school had held much of Wind Dancer’s attention until she watched the video for herself on YouTube. Of course, Xavier’s school was never to be outdone, so her attention was soon focused back on the events caused by Prodigy (later that focus would narrow again as the dead leader of the X-Men began his mission for the Hand). Like many other members of the school Sofia was locked on the first floor. Using her powers within a confined building wasn’t usually the best idea, so instead of attempting to be involved in combat she helped move students to the makeshift safe room in the living room—mainly by yelling at them in frantic Spanglish and pushing them out of danger with her wind gusts. During the Global Nightmare Sofia didn’t fare so well. She’s had never been the type of person to do well on low amounts of sleep and so combining sleep deprivation with might terrors did nothing for her mood. She avoided sleeping like it was the plague—her determined nature making this possible for long periods. That determination was detrimental to her health and during this period Sofia’s workout regimen was disrupted (which also did nothing for her mood). The nightmare’s that Sofia faced when she slept involved flight (something she’d come to love); in them she would be flying with her angelic mother towards Heaven. The two would almost reach the horizon of clouds when Miranda would begin to fall—Sofia always dove after her mother. When she dove Sofia would lose her powers too, freefalling to the earth face first so that she could watch her mother’s body shatter on the ground. Right before she was going to hit the ground she would wake up and promptly fall out of bed crying. When the X-Men who’d been converted to ‘Dark X-Men’, including Cyclops, returned to Xavier’s Sofia had a lot of questions but didn’t want answers. What she wanted was everything to settle back in to…some semblance of stability. Despite her desire to be treated as an adult she wanted the leaders she’d looked up to since she was a sixteen year old to make the world right again. No one could do this for her, of course, and the world was covered in darkness. It was clear to Sofia at that time that she wasn’t ready to be an X-Man, despite her posturing and eagerness for involvement. Although Sofia had manages to avoid spending Christmas with her father and Derek in Boulder for several years, her presence was demanded in December 2013. A plane ticket was ordered and Sofia returned to Colorado for the last week of December. Her father wanted the young woman to stick around for the parties of New Year’s Eve, but she managed to convince him that a change of plans was acceptable. Surprising anyone who’d expected her in January, Sofia took a midnight flight back to New York on the 28th. SAMPLE RP POST: [[I wanted to use this sample post to explore Sofia’s dynamics at home.]] Time: 10:30 am Date: December 23rd, 2013 “Has it ever occurred to you that you should be…dressing the part a bit more?” Derek held up a cheap, holey white t-shirt that Sofia had forgotten she’d packed as evidence. Big mistake. Here we go… She thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. If Derek had been anyone else she wouldn’t have tolerated little lectures on how she dressed but Derek was…Derek. He was the only person in the entire state of Colorado that actually cared about her, so she let him get away with old arguments. It was hard to explain in words their relationship—he was like a surrogate father…who also worked and defended her biological father’s ways…it was complicated. “You know what I’m going to say so why don’t you just get on with it—what part should I be playing? What’s wrong with my tee-shirts?” Her tone was blatantly sarcastic but Sofia was smiling, ruining any credibility. She expected the follow up to be something along the lines of ”You’re an heiress, even if your father is…busy. People talk…blah blah blah.” Instead, Derek threw a curveball. “He,” They both knew he meant her father. “Had a poor relationship with his father you know. Your father’s father was, if you can believe it, more involved in business than yours—but it was all for a cause. He pushed your father into becoming independent and look where it got him.” Derek tossed the tee-shirt unceremoniously into the trash drawer with a prim flick of his wrist. He then looked up at Sofia, who was lounging on the laundry room counter, and gave her a conspiratorial look. “Master Barrett Senior was grooming your father to take over the company—he always said that coddling children made them weak.” The butler’s curveball hit Sofia square in the face. In a moment of startled gracelessness she jerked and then slid painfully into the white countertop. Despite herself she snorted. Derek remained the picture of innocent composure as he tossed a pair of her sweatpants into the trash. This was so not something that she wanted to be worried about. The twenty-one year old had enough on her plate between trying to get in college credits while working on her combat training. There was no room in her schedule for board meetings and ass kissing city council members in the name of her father’s grocery chain. Not, of course, that Derek needed to know what kept her schedule so full. Cue the long awaited eye roll. “Are you saying that he’s grooming me? To be CEO? I’m not exactly daddy’s little business princess, Derek.” Once she got over the initial shock Sofia could see the humor—Derek was obviously being funny. They’d always joked around when she was younger. She grinned at the elderly man. She’d never been the apple of her father’s eye and Derek knew that. There was no way that he was serious. He was old, but not so much so that she was worried about senility yet. Derek didn’t even deign to shrug or look apologetic for the bomb he’d dropped into their conversation. The serenity on his wrinkled face remained set in place as he folded a small pile of her clothing he deemed ‘acceptable’ to wear during her stay in Boulder. The familiarity of the movement calmed Sofia’s confusion. “What I’m saying is that he’s always been concerned about your grades—remember those economics classes he pushed you into? And that the Barrett’s show their love in ways that not everyone finds…endearing.” Derek’s voice was so calm and reasonable. She tried not to see the logic, she really did. This shut Sofia’s usually quick mouth. She chewed her lip as she watched Derek move on to sorting her father’s laundry. Finally, after a few minutes of contemplative silence, in which the Butler offered no more insight, she’d collected her thoughts enough to say: “Well…I guess I prefer my own way of showing love.” She pushed herself off the counter and trotted over to Derek to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He patted her arm kindly. The argument, it seemed, had ended for the moment. “I love you too, dear. I’ve taken the liberty of ordering more suitable outfits for you; they’ll be arriving later this afternoon. In the meantime your father had a new punching bag hook installed in the gym, perhaps you’d like to test it out?” She wondered if Derek had pushed her father into buying it—probably, she used the gym far more than her father when she visited. Successfully distracted, Wind Dancer flounced out of the laundry room, her mind already imagining the workout she was about to start. --- While the gym of her father’s home wasn’t much compared to the facilities she was used to at Xavier’s, there was something to be said about going back to the basics. No matter what part of the world she was in Sofia always took a little animalistic pleasure in punching the snot out of an inanimate object. The punching bag didn’t stand a chance. Despite the seasonal chill, Sofia had opened the windows to allow her powers some room to move and the result was, as always, rather destructive. The room looked like a small cyclone had rattled it up…which wasn’t all that far from the truth. The temperature in the converted sun porch was approaching freezing, but Sofia forced herself to move fast enough to beat the cold…sorta, she certainly wasn’t feeling comfortable as goosebumps rippled across her arms. Her father’s house was far enough back from the road that she felt comfortable using her powers in the gym—especially when he wasn’t home to see her. Her workouts were the only time she was able to let loose a little while in Colorado—Walter Barrett’s neighbors wouldn’t have appreciated the sight of his reclusive, elite boarding school attending daughter flying over their hedges and pine trees. Besides, messing up the local topiary with her wind currents would have bothered more than her neighbors. Ever since their first meeting her father had made it clear how he felt about her mutation. Speaking of whom… The combination of the wind tunnel that Sofia had created and her workout playlist made it rather difficult for the young woman to hear anything…unexpected. She was so wrapped up in her jab-jab-jab-hook-uppercut combination that she didn’t even notice the figure that came into the frame of the nearest wall mirror. Had she looked up she would have seen her father leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed, with a scowl on his face. Unluckily for the punching bag, she didn’t. A slew of insults in Spanish were directed towards the bag. In a last burst of effort Sofia combined a jab with a gust of cold wind that gave her punch just the push it needed to slam the bag to the floor. The resounding thwap was satisfying and a smile turned up the corners of her mouth. Finally, she glanced at the mirror and locked eyes with her father. As quickly as it appeared, the smile vanished. Another cold gust swept through the gym before Sofia got control over her emotions and everything went still. Her father walked to the wall mounted iPod dock and muted the thumping music. The scilence made her ears ring for a moment before Walter spoke. “I was wondering what all that noise was.” His voice was neither cold nor heated with anger. Sofia absolutely hated that tone—it was impossible to know what he was thinking. “Papi—Dad, I…I’m sorry.” A step was taken towards him, but when Walter didn’t react she backtracked until she was standing over the bag. With a grunt she lifted it up and struggled to put it back on its hook. A flush painted her chest to her forehead with a guilty pink when she turned back to him. Walter Barrett was probably the only person on the planet that could make Sofia feel so insecure with herself and he did it well. Not a flicker of feeling crossed his handsome features. Not a dark hair or wrinkle quivered in indication of his mood. “Hmph. When you’re home in the winter keep the windows closed.” Sofia felt like melting into the floor as the imposing figure turned his back and walked out as casually and quietly as he’d come in. Before he was two feet down the hallway he turned back and added, as if in an afterthought: “Wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.” |
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| Surge | Dec 31 2013, 02:11 AM Post #2 |
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1.) YAY WIND DANCER I DEMAND A THREAD WHEN YOU ARE ACCEPTED. 2) I say when, not if, because this is a really impressive application, you have just about everything covered in the history in a concise and organized manner, the powers are well defined, and you seem to really care for and have a handle on Sofia at the core, and I don't see any issues here, so here's my... [S T A M P] Halfway there! You'll need one other stamp to send you on your merry way to gameplay. Another Staffer may request edits that I have not. As a sidenote; I am very sorry I missed your PM to Marrow's account. It got lost in the holiday buzz and I deeply apologize for that. For future reference, this is the account I check the most often (i.e. daily) so send further inquiries/thread ideas that way. |
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| Songbird | Dec 31 2013, 05:15 AM Post #3 |
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Welcome to XMR, Hannah. Be sure to post in the list updater so I can get you on the lists the next time I update them. It's a great looking app. :) [S T A M P] |
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7:32 PM Jul 11