Gwyar ‘Aries’ Ariethous Fraoch | Male | 17 | Demisexual | Ambi | Physical - Weapon Knowledge | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“That's alright, Aries, you've got nothing to apologize for. All those stories are good, I enjoy them as well. You're allowed to have your own opinions here, you don't have to feel bad about it, I promise. I'm never going to judge you for thinking differently.”

-

They weren’t… They weren’t mad? Gwyar blinked, and then barely kept a grimace off of his face. Of course they weren’t mad. Why would he think they were? They should be, if he wanted to think they were. They had every right to be. There was a tap against the back of his hand.

--

“You said you like stars as well, do you have a favorite star or planet? You can have multiple, of course.”

--

He bit his lip for a moment, thinking to try and decide. Not the first time he’d been asked, he could never decide on a single one… That was supposed to be fine though.. He paused, he could think of a few things to say… He should probably start actually working towards getting back enough to recognize who this was. They were familiar, definitely someone he knew the name of. “I like Polaris… Orion’s a good constellation, just in general. Aurora borealis is nice too, not sure if we’re counting that though. Perseus is a good constellation too… Mars is a good planet, Pluto is also cool. Which ones do you like though?”

*~*~*~*

Gorōta Sanae Ryuugo | Male | 16 | Demisexual | Ambi | Emotional/Healing - Heal Physical Wounds | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“I've seen soooo many Disney movies, I don't think I can even count them! Yeah, that one was weird, I mean, who would have thought they would have made an animated movie about WWII, with a duck, as a Nazi?! Honestly, a little fucked up, Disney. My favorite Disney princess? Uh, probably Merida from Brave, Repunzel's cool too though! Honestly, I was always fascinated by how she kept all that hair so nice, I get that she had all the time in the world, but it had to get a little gross sometimes right? I mean, how do you fit that much hair into a shower?! I'd love to help out where I can if you ever need it! I'd probably annoy your patients though.”

--

Gorōta smiled, nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, propaganda can get companies pretty far, I guess. So… Do what you got to do, Disney? Merida was really cool, I like her horse a lot. Very pretty. I envy Rapunzel’s ability to keep her hair completely clean. I don’t think they had showers back then though, so she had to wash it in a bath or sink… Which I guess could’ve worked, if she had multiple tubs and used buckets too. And please, talking to someone that’s injured can actually be very good for them. Keeps them awake while I figure out how to do what I need to do, keeps them distracted while I do whatever I have to do- I mean… Even if they’re slightly annoyed, better than them getting hurt more because they don’t sit still or fall unconscious before I can make sure they don’t have any deteriorating symptoms. Which you do by making sure they can hold a conversation and that their eyes stay focused.”

*~*~*~*

Revan Rafe-Hassen Rowland | Male | 18 | Gay | Ambi | Space - Alter Gravity | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

*~*~*~*

Gen’ya Hiei Hikari | AMAB Demi-Boy | 17 | Apresexual Demiromantic | Ambi | Trust/Truth - Lie Detection / Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Who knows, maybe Coral just sees you doing something super awesome in the future, so he chose to do it to you first? That'd be pretty cool!”

--

“Ooo, maybe you save everyone or something! Horatio said Coral has cool judgment powers, so maybe he can sense some stuff you'll do later on!”

--

Gen’ya smiled, slightly and softly shaking his head. He doubted that. But, ah well, it sounded cool. And like something he’d always wanted to do, not that he ever would and all- Still. Might be nice to pretend, as much as he could now.

--

“Yeah! It'd be really cool if Coral could talk, though, then he could just tell us. But, since he can't, I guess we'll just have to wait and see! I like surprises anyway.”

--

Gen’ya nodded in agreement at that, watching as the snake went back to Briar, and grinned. “Whatever it is, let’s just hope it isn’t one of the bad kinds of surprises. Because, obviously, they kind of suck.”

Gwyar ‘Aries’ Ariethous Fraoch | Male | 17 | Demisexual | Ambi | Physical - Weapon Knowledge | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“For stars, I think I'd have to go with Antares, for no particular reason, and for constellations, probably Aquila, though I enjoy Lyra as well. For planets, Saturn is probably my favorite.”

--

Gwyar nodded, blinking and glancing over at them again. Brown eyes, black hair, glasses… Somewhat close to his height… They leaned closer, he tensed for a moment before forcing himself to relax as much as possible.

--

“You want to know something cool I learned recently, though? And don't worry about keeping it a secret, I plan to tell the others as well, you'll just be the first to know. There are more planets out there, more than we humans could have ever imagined, and there's life too, and technology. Species that are more advanced than us. It's honestly fascinating.”

--

Again, somehow, he only flinched the second time. A minuscule one too, a definite improvement. Honestly, the thought was almost terrifying. But he supposed that the idea made sense, given how the group had powers and were supposed to use them against… Someone, Gwyar guessed.

--

“You can see part of it from the screens in my room, and there's a larger version in another room on the second floor. You all will get to see it today.”

--

He flinched both times. Small, but the amount being so close together was starting to jumble words in his brain. See part of what? See what today? The same thing as the second one? Something else? What was fascinating? The same stuff? He blinked, trying to focus. They couldn’t be talking about… They were talking about… About… Not him. Right? That wouldn’t make sense, after all… Right?

--

Regardless, he swallowed and nodded. “Sounds uh… Sounds interesting. Lot to take in but… Definitely interesting…” He paused, added quietly, because he probably needed to, just in case. “Sorry.”

*~*~*~*

Gorōta Sanae Ryuugo | Male | 16 | Demisexual | Ambi | Emotional/Healing - Heal Physical Wounds | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Oh, that's a good point, they probably didn't have showers. Still! I've only got shoulder-length hair and I can barely keep that clean! Hmm, I guess that's true. Maybe I can help by annoying them. Do you have a favorite Disney song? I personally like "A Friend Like Me" from "Aladdin" and "Go The Distance" from "Hercules." Really though, if Disney is good at one thing, it's consistently making good soundtracks, I'm in love with their music!”

--

Gorōta hummed in thought for a moment before answering. “I really like ‘I Got A Dream’ from ‘Rapunzel’. Oooh, ‘Someday’ from ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ is really good too. Any length of hair can be a pain to keep clean, I guess Rapunzel is just a different breed of person. Able to keep her hair clean with ease and all that. Annoyed patients may seem bad but in reality can sometimes be helpful, since anger is sometimes easier to deal with than panic and all… You know?”

*~*~*~*

Revan Rafe-Hassen Rowland | Male | 18 | Gay | Ambi | Space - Alter Gravity | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

*~*~*~*

Gen’ya Hiei Hikari | AMAB Demi-Boy | 17 | Apresexual Demiromantic | Ambi | Trust/Truth - Lie Detection / Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“True, the only surprise that isn't a good surprise is a bad surprise.”

--

“That's definitely factual.”

--

Gen’ya snickered in return, grinning while continuing to pet the snake. Adorable little thing, Coral had no right to be this darn cute.

--

“I know, I'm smart like that. Occasionally, I say something that's simply genius.”

--

“Right.”

--

A scoff and huff in the background, probably from ‘Mr. I’m Jealous of a Snake’. Was that guy seriously still listening to what they were saying? Gen’ya snickered again, almost a chuckle instead. “Everyone can sometimes say something genius. It just depends on whether or not they say it at the right moment. It’s all about timing. That’s the hard part.”

--

He glanced at the dude still staring at his phone. Then looked right back at Coral, petting the snake again. Incentives and hints didn’t work on everyone, it seemed… However unfortunate that may be. Or perhaps it was good ‘Mr. Too Good for You’ hadn’t had a change of heart right there. Who knew how long that would’ve lasted anyways, after all. Better for him to be a piece of shit from a distance, Gen’ya supposed.

Gwyar ‘Aries’ Ariethous Fraoch | Male | 17 | Demisexual | Ambi | Physical - Weapon Knowledge | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“No need to apologize! It is a lot to take in.”

--

He flinched again. Gwyar really needed to work on that. Probably. He still managed to nod, slow and steady. Trying to figure out what was being said was starting to get a bit harder to do. One thing kept popping up as to what he could be talking about, but then Gwyar would think about the sentence and the words didn’t make sense with what he could come up with.

--

Besides, he doubted the one keeping him from digging into his palms would actually… Would say stuff like that. At least not yet. They didn’t know him well enough.

--

“So, do you like to read, or… Well, are there activities or things that you're fond of?”

--

He looked over, blinking. Then he shrugged. “Uh, reading’s fun… Depends on what though, I guess.”

--

Gwyar paused. Frankly, he wasn’t that good at talking about himself. He preferred listening to other people talk, that was easier. He didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing that way either… Especially when the other person was talking about something that they enjoyed. “Can, uh- Can you tell me more about the…”

--

He paused again, eyes narrowing. The subject… The… “The… Species and planets..?” Was that right? Or had they been meaning him? Or- He bit his lip, swallowed, and hoped he was right. He tried to give a smile as he spoke next. “Do you know any, uh… Any of their history..?”

*~*~*~*

Gorōta Sanae Ryuugo | Male | 16 | Demisexual | Ambi | Emotional/Healing - Heal Physical Wounds | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Those songs are both awesome! Rapunzel is definitely a different breed of person, there's no other explanation. I guess I can see that, I would probably prefer to be angry over panicking. Of course, I'd prefer to just be happy, but, you know, you get what you get I guess. You're a medical student, right? Have you, like, worked with actual patients yet? Sorry if that's a weird question, just curious!”

--

Gorōta nodded and smiled, shrugging lightly. “I was supposed to be a medical student that dealt with patients next year, actually. Not sure if I’ll be able to go get a degree now and all though… I did get to do stuff with my friends back at home, they could be pretty darn crazy sometimes. Most patients prefer to be happy, but it’s harder to be a happy patient if you just experienced head trauma or need a blood transfusion, you know? You tend to react with either anger or severe anxiety with that kind of stuff. Anger is much easier to calm usually, so I’d rather my patients just be annoyed and all.”

*~*~*~*

Revan Rafe-Hassen Rowland | Male | 18 | Gay | Ambi | Space - Alter Gravity | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Timing is definitely hard to get right. Though, I choose to believe that my genius is simply natural and overflowing, a river, simply waiting to spill into the sea.”

--

Revan rolled his eyes, stared at his phone, dug his teeth into his tongue. He glanced over at where Mr. Caeso was standing and talking with the redhead. The one that had been waiting somewhere with no service. Which was stupid. He couldn’t just go over there, regardless of how much he wanted to just get whatever there was to do over with… He still understood how to respect other people’s conversations that didn’t involve him. It didn’t stop him from tapping his foot impatiently as he glared at his phone and typed out notes for his work.

--

“Of course it is. Who but a genius could come into possession of a magic snake? It seems perfectly accurate to me!”

--

Those three were way too loud. He huffed, dug deeper into his tongue as he glared at the screen. There was a slight sting, and he tasted something metallic. He took a sip of his coffee through his teeth, masking the taste as he bit his tongue harder.

--

“Exactly! See, Micha gets it!”

--

“Indeed, he does. Micha’s certainly smart. Perhaps a genius too, his snake must just be late on arrival.”

--

He tapped his foot a bit more insistently, glaring daggers at his screen. A screen that was at full brightness, showing work and notes. Notes he continued typing based off the work. He blinked, clenching his coffee cup a bit tighter as he opened his eyes, feeling almost as if he’d missed a few seconds. He really needed to figure out why he was this exhausted today. He took another sip of his coffee.

*~*~*~*

Gen’ya Hiei Hikari | AMAB Demi-Boy | 17 | Apresexual Demiromantic | Ambi | Trust/Truth - Lie Detection / Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Timing is definitely hard to get right. Though, I choose to believe that my genius is simply natural and overflowing, a river, simply waiting to spill into the sea.”

--

Gen’ya snickered, nodding as they thought. Definitely better to believe that one’s genius is constant instead of based upon timing alone. Way better for self esteem. The sound of a foot tapping impatiently in the background was tuned out.

--

“Of course it is. Who but a genius could come into possession of a magic snake? It seems perfectly accurate to me!”

--

Gen’ya heard a huff somewhere, and rolled his eyes. Frankly, the logic was sound to him. So who cared about what some spoiled, stuck up thought? Not like it mattered in the long run.

--

“Exactly! See, Micha gets it!”

--

They nodded again, factual with a grin. “Indeed, he does. Micha’s certainly smart. Perhaps a genius too, his snake must just be late on arrival.”

Gwyar ‘Aries’ Ariethous Fraoch | Male | 17 | Demisexual | Ambi | Physical - Weapon Knowledge | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Um, sure! There are several planets and species, but I only have full information for a few. The first to note is the planet called 'Tatius.' From what we know, its atmosphere is the most similar to Earth's, though their climate is extremely cold all the time. The planet is also relatively small, but it's peaceful.”

--

Gwyar flinched both times, but they were small, manageable. He was definitely listening more closely when they said the… Tatius was cold, and peaceful. That was only ever used as a description if there were others that weren’t. Then again, he already knew he’d be fighting someone. That seemed to be a given, regardless of where he was… He hoped he never had to fight any of them. He squished the hope immediately, he knew better than to do that. He better than to hope for that specifically. Look where that hope got him last time… The smell of blood hinted at his nose, he kept an ear out for what Horatio was saying. Any information about possible enemies was good information…

--

“The people of 'Tatius' live in a sort of tribe, following the lead of an individual that is chosen by majority vote after the previous passes away, they look mostly human, only with thicker and more hair to protect them from the harsh conditions of their planet. They have their own religion based around the moon and constellations, and they do their best to nurture everything they can, even the things they have to kill to eat.”

--

He flinched again, not bothering to question aloud the choice of word, and managed to nod along instead. At what point was something called someone? At what point would someone say animal or species instead of things?... At what point would his be revoked by them? And perhaps rightfully. Not like they’d be wrong to do so…

--

“They've actually helped the past protectors to defend Earth, believing all life is valuable, and they're a well liked group for being so welcoming and generous. Then there's the planet 'Astarte,' this planet is larger than 'Titius' and more diverse in its weather conditions, often getting hit with storms. It has water and several different species call it home, though none look as human as the people of 'Titius,' as the air is far thinner and the weather conditions, as I said, are much different.”

--

Gwyar flinched each time, three times. He nodded though, listening closely. Any information was good in the long run… He wished he had a way to better remember. Like a book, a book on these planets and species would be nice. He’d be able to cross out words, see what people meant in the long term, and take notes.

--

“The main species of 'Astarte' are called 'Hals.' They’re humanoid and speak our language, but they don't look much like us, and, unlike the 'Titius' people, they aren't friendly, plus they're smart. 'Hals' have longer limbs than most humans, larger eyes, and faces that are usually hidden by masks. They're typically large and are well adjusted to quick change. Basically they aren't friends. I don't know much about their religion or anything, though.”

--

He nodded, Astarte would be the potential enemies then. He’d have to look at the books in his room, Wiro said that the Physical was basically War… Any good war was at least half strategy and knowing the enemies. If any of the past holders had more information, he hoped they’d been smart enough to write them down for future reference. He’d look later though, the group had a lot to do right now.

--

“Then there's the planet 'Kabalol.' 'Kabalol' is only slightly larger than 'Tatius,' and its climate tends to be very humid and warm. 'Kabalol' is home to a species named 'Plies.' They're somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes they're welcoming enough, other times they're out for blood. They worship a god of chaos and sacrifice animals and people alike in order to please him. They're extremely sneaky, fast, and smart, they're probably the most technologically advanced of the well known planets, and they're dangerous when angry. The 'Plies' are humanoid as well, and they could pass for humans if they weren't a variation of colors including blue, purple, and gray. Their eyes are slightly larger than most peoples and their pupils tend to be slits rather than circular. That's all of the planets that I know well, though I've seen ships leaving from other planets too, so I know there's more.”

--

He managed to not flinch this time, a bit too preoccupied with trying to take in the information. Kabalol… Plies… If they were unfriendly this time around, Gwyar definitely would need more information on them. Though, he could probably already guess. Large eyes with slitted pupils usually meant either a shorter ambush predator or some sort of prey. Tall or short. Did Horatio mean vertical slits or horizontal? Vertical would mean predator, and short. Vertical slitted pupils were only good on shorter predators, after all. The eyes were too far off the ground on taller ones, so they usually had round pupils. The climate was humid and warm, slitted pupils, large eyes… Hyenas and reptiles were probably the most likely contenders then, for similar weaknesses, at least. Frankly, Gwyar probably had a height advantage on them.

--

He wondered if the water on Astarte was pure or not. Would they be able to drink the water without any problems? If the group ended up going from planet to planet without any trips back then the water on Astarte would be the only place to restock to have enough for the other planet or planets. Especially for Kabalol. Though, if the climate was humid there, that usually meant water, so if the water there was drinkable then Tatius would be the only place to worry about since Horatio never mentioned the planet having water…

--

Honestly, the most dangerous were probably going to be Hals from Astarte. He definitely needed to look for weaknesses or pictures in books in his room. And take another look at the pictures of battles on the wall, see if any of them were from battles of the previous holders, see if any of them were done on different planets.

--

Actually, he should probably say something in response… “Sorry- Kind of… Forgot to say anything, right there, for a moment. Uh… So, the Hals and Plies are going to be the ones to watch out for then? Uhm… Do you know if the Plies have vertical or horizontal slits for pupils? I was just thinking… If they have vertical slits then that would mean I might have the height advantage, since most animals here with those are on the shorter side, since the slits become more of a disadvantage if they’re taller. Which might be good for us, overall. I mean, big predators, like lions and tigers have round pupils instead of vertical slits. Bears have round pupils. Hyenas and reptiles have vertical slits, but tree frogs and house cats also have vertical slits. Humans have found ways to beat hyenas and reptiles, and house cats aren’t exactly threatening, those wouldn’t really be a problem in the long run. But if they’re horizontal…”

--

He paused, thinking about that for a second. If they were horizontal… That meant they were most likely prey, that there was another species that was hunting them. That would be worse, far worse. Gwyar could handle vertical slits, they were practically just the final boss that way. He’d have an advantage against them, and the group could find a way to counter their tech. But having another above that? Having one that hunted what could be the final boss? That would be harder, especially if they didn’t have any information. “If they’re horizontal,” He restated, “then that means they’re being hunted. By something, or someone, that’s even more dangerous. One that has vertical slit pupils. Or round, and round would be even worse. Are the Plies vertical or horizontal?”

--

Gwyar wasn’t exactly worried. He’d been in plenty of unfair fights, the Plies figured out ways to combat or, at least, counter their predator. If there was a predator, they found a way. The group would be fine, if anyone was threatened… If there was a way to make sure he was the only one that got hurt, that was threatened. That he was the only one that felt the repercussions of not being ready… He’d find that way, if there was one. He had to. That would be his job to do, to protect the group, to keep them all safe in times of threats to physical safety.

*~*~*~*

Gorōta Sanae Ryuugo | Male | 16 | Demisexual | Ambi | Emotional/Healing - Heal Physical Wounds | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Ooo, that's cool! I mean, not cool that people got hurt or anything, just cool that you were able to work with them. I guess that makes sense, though I have seen some people that just don't understand how to not be angry, which seems weird, I don't think I'd like being angry all the time, but suit yourself, I guess.”

--

Gorōta nodded, and shrugged. “Yeah… I know people like that too, I’ve had to work with a few of them.” He paused, biting his lip for a moment, fidgeting with his hands as he shrugged again. “I still liked being able to help though, even if their bedside manners could’ve used some work… I don’t think anyone shouldn’t get care. They’re still people, after all. Plus the ones I worked with were some of my friends, so they’re cool. They just tend towards anger… Which is fine, there’s ways to keep them at least slightly placated, you just have to be careful. But that’s kind of with everyone, you know? You just don’t know how to yet with strangers.”

*~*~*~*

Revan Rafe-Hassen Rowland | Male | 18 | Gay | Ambi | Space - Alter Gravity | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Must be, no other explanation.”

--

“Aw, you guys are too sweet. I think Gen’ya’s snake must be late too, though! They’re quite a genius as well, in my opinion.”

--

“I can agree with your opinion, Micha! And that means our shared opinion must be right, because two geniuses are rarely wrong!”

--

Revan tapped his foot impatiently, biting his tongue to keep himself from interrupting their conversation and explaining to them what a genius actually was. A genius was original, was clever, intelligent- Whether academically or artistically. They were not made by words alone, they were not made by one thing. They were molded, crafted expertly by society and life experiences and thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and goals of other people over a period of time. Or born. There was no in between. There would never be an in between. Someone who hadn’t been a genius yesterday would not be one today. That wasn’t how the world worked, it wouldn’t ever be how the world worked.

--

He glared at the bright screen of his phone, he’d almost finished the notes he’d be able to take right now. He glanced at the other people having conversations in the hallway. Mr. Caeso and the redhead seemed to be nearing the end of conversation, and the other two were certainly not an option for any discussions. He glanced back at Mr. Caeso, they were probably talking about something that would concern everyone at some point. He looked back at his phone, at the singular page he still had to go through of the report.

--

“I can’t argue with that, but please rethink this decision. When are there ever this many geniuses at once? Two is understandable but three is a bit much, isn’t it? We can’t all be geniuses, right? If everyone’s rich, then everyone’s poor. A lower class has to exist, right? Who’s the lower class within the world of geniuses?”

--

At least that one knew that everyone couldn’t be a genius… He sighed through his nose, and then turned off his phone, taking a sip of coffee through his teeth. He forced his teeth up, to stop biting his tongue. The metallic taste was covered up quite well with the aftertaste of coffee. He might as well as go over to Mr. Caeso and remind him that they were supposed to be on the move already. He took a second to make sure his feet were firm before walking over there. He was fairly certain that he’d just missed a reply that Mr. Caeso gave the tallest person there, he could ask later what it was all about though. If it did actually have any affect on him.

--

He took another sip of his coffee before speaking, tone purposefully arrogantly deadpan as he did so. He even plastered on a small smirk to truly sell it. A look he had mastered and perfected so it looked just the right amount of loose while still seeming coldly professional. The business world was great practice for hiding any kind of negativity. “Should we get moving, Mr. Caeso? I’m sure the rest of this group are just tripping over themselves to see the place. Though, if we’re going to stand in this hallway for a few more minutes, I can go back into my room and grab my laptop so I can at least be productive. Regardless, I’d like to know if I have time to do so before deciding to. So as to not hold everyone back longer and all.”

*~*~*~*

Gen’ya Hiei Hikari | AMAB Demi-Boy | 17 | Apresexual Demiromantic | Ambi | Trust/Truth - Lie Detection / Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Must be, no other explanation.”

--

Gen’ya nodded in agreement, grinning and petting Coral. Had to be what was happening, there was no other way.

--

“Aw, you guys are too sweet. I think Gen’ya’s snake must be late too, though! They’re quite a genius as well, in my opinion.”

--

Immediately, his head snapped towards Micha, raising an eyebrow in question. No way, nah, nope. He wasn’t a genius by any means, he could barely pass his classes other than english and band. No way was he a genius.

--

“I can agree with your opinion, Micha! And that means our shared opinion must be right, because two geniuses are rarely wrong!”

--

Gen’ya’s face was probably red by now, as they looked stubbornly back at Coral and continued petting the snake. They shook their head softly, shrugging their shoulders. “I can’t argue with that, but please rethink this decision. When are there ever this many geniuses at once? Two is understandable but three is a bit much, isn’t it? We can’t all be geniuses, right? If everyone’s rich, then everyone’s poor. A lower class has to exist, right? Who’s the lower class within the world of geniuses?”

Gwyar ‘Aries’ Ariethous Fraoch | Male | 17 | Demisexual | Ambi | Physical - Weapon Knowledge | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Don't worry about the late reply. I can't quite recall if their eyes are horizontal or vertical at the moment, though I can pull up a picture easily. One moment…”

--

Gwyar nodded, and went back half a step when Horatio let go of his hands. He didn’t clench them again, though he did rub one against his pant leg anxiously as he watched Horatio bring up his watch and do something. A second later, an image with a description underneath was in the air. Which was strange, but not the strangest he’d ever seen.

--

Species: Plies

Planet: 'Kabalol'

About: Plies are occasionally hostile and easily agitated, wickedly smart, sneaky, and fast. They should be avoided when possible. Worship the chaos god.

Attacks attempted on Earth: 19

--

The 19 hit him hard. The past physical holders better have some information on them with that number. Fair, less than the amount of fights he’d been in, and won, and people still didn’t always try and get information on him ahead of a scheduled fight. Still though, the past physical holders were supposed to protect the rest of the team. At least half of that would come from knowledge of previous holders.

--

The image was zoomed in on, revealing the eyes. The pupils which were, in fact, horizontally slitted. Gwyar breathed in, slow and steady. He was glad he had asked. Always good to know ahead of time that they weren’t facing a final boss. They were facing the mini boss.

--

“Interesting…”

--

He glanced at Horatio. Not the word he would’ve used, but close enough. He looked back at the floating screen as the file changed to different species from Kabalol instead. Was he really looking for the predator? Chances were they were a species that the group didn’t have on record yet. Still good to try and guess though, Gwyar could understand that. Plus, he’d have a better understanding of what else he might face at some point…

--

Species: Alow

Planet: 'Kabalol'

About: Alow are a supposedly domestic species that many Plies keep as pets and war animals. They're similar to the human-identified Ox and are extremely strong. Their horns can pierce through metal and their fur is bulletproof, but they're relatively slow. These are also the only species that the Plies refuse to kill as sacrifices, as they're considered sacred beasts to the god of chaos.

Attempted attacks on Earth: 19 (Under the direction of Plies)

--

Well. Those would be cool to see. Hopefully not be killed by, but see. Basically like the battle rams that the Norse Vikings had as pets, war animals, and food back during the Viking Era and all that. But way stronger, given their fur and horns… Definitely cool.

--

Species: Timbre

Planet: 'Kabalol'

About: Timbre are typically hostile beasts, but only when approached. They're named because of how they hunt, using sound frequency to startle and confuse their prey before attacking. They're flying animals with powerful claws and sharp teeth, they look similar to the human-identified bat, but are much larger. They are carnivores and will hunt anything that moves when hungry enough, though they don't go near the Alow. Not much else is known, avoid when possible.

Attempted attacks on Earth: 0

--

Timbres didn’t like Alows? And the Alows were sacred to the chaos god and thus safe from being sacrificed by Plies? The Timbres were ambush predators and were carnivores? Basically a very large bat with claws and teeth? Sounded like a species that would have vertical eyes. Then again though, bats typically had round eyes. Which would be even worse for the Plies. But they seemed less likely to have any conscious thoughts, especially with the hungry part. Maybe they were just one predator? Like how humans were once hunted by bears and lions but since then have become hunters? That seemed more likely…

--

Species: Nitles

Planet: 'Kabalol'

About: Not much is known about Nitles. They have been seen briefly in crevices and caves, and it's predicted that they're nocturnal. Those who have seen them report them to have thick fur and bright eyes, they're also reportedly very large, likely similar to the human-identified polar bear in size and fur coat.

Attempted attacks on Earth: 0

--

Nocturnal, thick fur, bright eyes, and polar bear size? Round eyes, probably. And most likely similar to a bear too in personality. Best not to mess with them but not any more dangerous than the Timbres… Whatever was hunting Plies had to be worse, otherwise the pupils would have eventually changed as they figured out ways to deal with these species. And given how Plies seemed to be the most advanced, that seemed to be the case. Timbres don’t come near Alows, and Nitles were nocturnal and bear-like. If humans had figured out bears, the Plies had figured out their equivalent by now. There 2-: some other type of species hunting them. There had to be. That was the only idea that made any semblance of sense.

--

Gwyar watched as Horatio closed the file, and the floating screen disappeared. The information was definitely good to have, but not anything that really helped.

--

“Well, thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will definitely be looking further into the other species of 'Kabalol' soon.”

--

He nodded, and saw as the one that he’d noticed on their phone constantly came over. He stepped back another half step.

--

“Should we get moving, Mr. Caeso? I’m sure the rest of this group are just tripping over themselves to see the place. Though, if we’re going to stand in this hallway for a few more minutes, I can go back into my room and grab my laptop so I can at least be productive. Regardless, I’d like to know if I have time to do so before deciding to. So as to not hold everyone back longer and all.”

--

Gwyar made sure not to look at the two as they spoke. That would just be awkward and no one wanted that. Besides, there was plenty of information to go over in his head now.

--

“Oh, yes, we should probably get moving if we want to see everything! Thank you, Mr. Rowland, and I'm sure you have time to go grab your laptop if you'd like.”

--

Such as how he had to make sure the group was safe. That was his job now. Completely. He couldn’t let anything happen to any of them. If something did, then that would be on him. He would have failed, and he couldn’t afford to do that here. But hey, he was undefeated in the Games. Surely, he could manage that here too… He hoped…

--

“Right. I’ll go grab that then and be right back out. If I’m not out in time, knock on my door.”

--

Gwyar glanced over as the man walked back to his room and went inside. Mr. Rowland? Was he a businessman or teacher or something? He looked back at Horatio. And then spoke, with a newfound sort of creeping dread and certainty. “The Timbres and Nitles are both out. The predator has to be some other species that isn’t on there. Domestication takes a long time, and the Plies have had Alows domesticated long enough to have done 19 different attacks on Earth. Their pupils would’ve changed to round by now. The Nitles would seem more likely, but they’re bear-like? Humans have already figured out bears, if Plies are more advanced than us… They definitely have a way to keep them away and at bay, and for a while now too, the pupils still wouldn’t add up. They have to be hunted by some other species, one that hasn’t been documented yet. Right?”

--

Gwyar paused, waiting for a response. He wasn’t being paranoid or jumping to conclusions too quickly… Right? Surely Horatio had already come to the same conclusion. The leader was always smarter, had more experience, and knew the answer before anyone else. Whether or not they decided to tell the group, they knew. So Horatio would tell him whether or not he was overthinking or overreacting here. He almost hoped he was, he was fairly certain he wasn’t though…

*~*~*~*

Gorōta Sanae Ryuugo | Male | 16 | Demisexual | Ambi | Emotional/Healing - Heal Physical Wounds | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Yeah, of course! I mean, helping people is awesome, I don't ever want to not help someone. I just find it hard to be good-humored with people who wanna punch my face in, y'know? Again, though, I'm always happy to help out if you ever need a hand! Just ask and I'll be there!”

--

Gorōta nodded, smiling softly. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks! And yeah… People that want to punch my face in usually aim for my eye, so… Definitely not good. I usually end up not being able to like, see for a day or two. Which sucks. But, well! It’s worth it, to help people.” He grinned, hopefully comforting despite the words.

--

Really, it was closer to at least a week that he wasn’t able to see, and even longer for him to feel like he could breathe again… But, well… Nico didn’t need to know the exact details. Especially when those just made people worry. He didn’t want people to worry, or get angry at him. Some of his friends got angry with him enough as it was. But that was fine! They were just preparing him.

*~*~*~*

Revan Rafe-Hassen Rowland | Male | 18 | Gay | Ambi | Space - Alter Gravity | Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Oh, yes, we should probably get moving if we want to see everything! Thank you, Mr. Rowland, and I'm sure you have time to go grab your laptop if you'd like.”

--

He blinked for a second, and nodded. “Right. I’ll go grab that then and be right back out. If I’m not out in time, knock on my door.”

--

Without another word, he turned and walked back to his room. Closing the door behind him, he forcefully moved his eyes to the desk and counter without looking at the bed at all.

--

The laptop was right where he had left it. Sitting on top of the desk, charging. He walked over, unplugged it, and picked it up. Then, he glanced at the coffee machine. His current cup certainly felt light already. He could go ahead and make some hot water, use one of the instant coffee packets instead of making more.

--

So he quickly made some hot water, finished what was left in his cup already, filled it back up with hot water, and then grabbed one of the instant coffee packets, pouring it into the cup. Mixing it was just as easy, and quick.

--

He was out of his room again, with the new coffee and his laptop, within two minutes. He could officially ignore everyone at the meal now. He hoped everyone moved fast enough for him to be able to finish everything his mother was wanting him to finish tonight.

*~*~*~*

Gen’ya Hiei Hikari | AMAB Demi-Boy | 17 | Apresexual Demiromantic | Ambi | Trust/Truth - Lie Detection / Mentions; Everyone(Dir/Ind).

--

“Well, sure, but there are different kinds of geniuses, right? You just have to think about it. A lower-class family can still be arguably richer than a higher-class family if they have a tighter bond. Where someone might have an abundance of wealth, another might have an abundance of love. Both have something valuable, and both have something that the other likely envies. One person can be a genius at math and not as great in English and vice versa, but they're still both geniuses. I don't think there's a limit to how many geniuses there are, I think it's just a matter of how they work together. No matter how smart you are in one field, you're likely lacking in another, no one is perfect at everything, so I think it's reasonable for people of differing skills to work together and make a group of coordinated geniuses that are collectively good at everything, right?”

--

Gen’ya looked at Micha for a moment, humming in thought as he stalled in petting the snake. The elemental holder made a valid point, and definitely believed what he said. But… Well, that didn’t mean there weren't some people that just didn’t have anything they were good at. And it wasn’t like he was really a genius at anything… Still, the words were profound. Hard to believe, but nevertheless profound.

--

“Damn, I was just gonna say something about trading off the genius title whenever someone did something smart or something, but that is... Wow. I never thought of any of that.”

--

They nodded in agreement, almost subconsciously. Frankly, Gen’ya wasn’t sure how much Micha said was actual fact and what was just philosophy but… Definitely profound, definitely inspiring.

--

“I'm just saying what I believe.”

--

He finally managed to break free of the stunned trance he was in long enough to softly shrug, continue to pet Coral, and say… “Well, the wording was awe inspiring. Certainly worthy of the genius title, further proof that your snake is late.”