Private Monster of a Project

[Chasianna]

Location: Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

Chasianna regarded the flimsiplast sheet on the desk in front of her with a wide, unblinking stare. Typed on it in a neat, pristine font were the meticulously-detailed instructions to a two-part project that would likely make or break her grade for the class—Introduction to Advanced Alchemical Bioengineering, taught by none other than Lady Aresella Moonblade (better known as Darth Melera). And indeed, the name seemed to match the subject matter and the nature of the class itself. While she had known upon signing up that the class was a weed-out course, very little of her prior Sith training had prepared her for a project of this particular type. Not because of its demands, potential risk, or technical hurdles, but due to another challenge entirely which had gone unforeseen.

Situated at the middle of the sheet, on the second line of the fourth paragraph, were the words “Group Project” emblazoned in bold type. Chasianna read them again. And again. And again, until its implications had fully dawned on her.

Nevertheless, the project itself was relatively straightforward. The first part was essentially a monster hunt. Students were tasked with capturing or killing an engineered creature of any type, before writing a report on its abilities and a basic overview of its anatomy. The second portion tasked students with creating something of value and utility out of that creature. Or alternatively, modifying the creature to fulfill a unique, yet different purpose from the original design.

Of particular note, the instructions did not explicitly forbid or discourage students from going after weaker creatures. However, they seemed to imply that more ambitious, comprehensive submissions would be looked upon with more favor, barring any notable or exemplary details in the work itself.

Ambition, which might be interpreted to mean great danger and risk.

“And of course, you are responsible for choosing your own partners. In addition, you are required to have a partner or partners in order to pass. I will not accept submissions that are done by a single student, unless there are extenuating circumstances at play. This is non-negotiable,” Melera said, her tone leaving no room for dispute in turn. “I will be limiting group sizes to a maximum of three students each. So you may work with one partner or two,” she continued. “Also, please note again the due dates for both components of the project. Missing one of these without proper excuse will result in the failure of the entire project and very likely, failure of the class for all students involved,” the professor finished.

“Now, are there any questions, before I leave you all to assemble groups?”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus sat always at the same desk in the far right corner of the front row. If anyone dared to try and take his place, usually all it took to remove them from his seat was a flex of his muscular arms and a warning twitch in his eye. Perhaps anyone else wouldn't have bothered making a big deal about where they sat, but for him it was one of the few things he could choose for himself at the academy. He had to exercise whatever control he could, or else where would he be?

They had a new assignment today, a group project. He read through the packet, the faintest hint of a smile curling his lips. They had to catch a beast and either write up a report on it or create something new from its flesh.

His choice was clear. Screw writing a report—he wanted to practice alchemy, his favorite subject. So much of this class had been about studying; he was itching to stretch his legs and practice making Sithspawn again.

But then there was the matter of finding a partner. He'd made a few acquaintances, but none of them were in his class. He scanned the room, looking for the least intimidating of his peers—a very daunting task when one was attending school with Sith. Eventually his green eyes honed in on a pale young woman with doll-like features. She was unusually small in stature and her head was crowned by a single long horn which, while sharp, looked more decorative than defensive. It took him only a moment to decide she was the one.

As soon as they were dismissed, he got up out of his seat and quickly headed her way, intent on catching her before she had a chance to escape. "Hey," he greeted casually, his head angled down to look at the tiny figure. "Do you have a partner yet?"

Chasianna​

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

Chasianna glanced around the room as the other students moved to form groups. Naturally, most looked over her, instead opting to link up with those of more prominent stature. However, the Qilin saw one student approach her from the periphery of her vision—a hulk of a man who seemed to carry himself with a calculating confidence. She turned to regard him, her gaze first shifting up to study a shock of slightly untidy red hair and a visage composed of sharp features, then down to take in practical black robes that hung to his muscular form in such a way as to maximize efficiency and mobility.

Fortunately, Chasianna could not find any offense in what she saw, her pale features betraying little of her thoughts in the process. Though if she had, the small-statured Qilin doubted that she would have been able to procure a different partner. For all intents and purposes, this man was to be her partner and it seemed that they would—

“Do you have a partner yet?”

"Do you have a partner yet?"

Two distinct voices spoke the same words at nearly the exact same time, one from the front—booming and masculine—and one from behind—sultry, feminine, and arrogant. Chasianna silently chided herself for the lapse in focus which had allowed someone to come up behind her without her knowing. Regardless, the tiny Qilin quickly turned around to find herself staring up at a winged, statuesque figure that nearly caused her jaw to go slack with shock. The figure, who towered over Chasianna and Marcus, bore an expression of mild contempt struck across her too pulchritudinous features, which were wholly focused on the red-haired man while ignoring the Qilin in turn.

To which Chasianna could not help but to pout.

“Yes, he does in fact,” Chasianna piped up immediately. “Right here!” She added, waving to draw the Angel’s attention in the process. “He’s taken,” the tiny Qilin declared.

And with a slightly annoyed expression flickering over her visage, the Angel deigned to look down until her gaze briefly met Chasianna’s.

“How cute.” The Angel sucked her teeth. “It seems that we’ll have a third, then.”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus blinked then tipped his head back to look up at the Sithspawn standing behind the tiny woman. It wasn’t every day he encountered someone taller than himself. Moreover, she was talking to him.

To him?

His mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Yes, he does in fact,” Chasianna piped up immediately. “Right here!” She added, waving to draw the Angel’s attention in the process. “He’s taken,” the tiny Qilin declared.

The giant angel almost didn’t even bother to look down at her. But Marcus saw her expression flicker with annoyance. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Yes,” he said. “We have an established arrangement. Isn’t that right, uh…”

He stared down at the Qilin, trying to will himself to recall her name. They had all introduced themselves on the first day of school. He was certain he would have remembered her. She had such enormous… ears.

“... Charissa?”

No sooner had the name left his lips, he knew it was wrong. Oh well. Craven though he was, Marcus at least knew how to act like he had all the answers, giving the angel a confident smile. For now she would just have to be Charissa.

The angel seemed none the wiser and went along with it. With their group now consisting of three members, he addressed both women.

“We’ll need to decide on a monster to catch. Any ideas?”

Chasianna​

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Classroom -> Private Study Room, Hall of Histories - Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

He stared down at the Qilin, trying to will himself to recall her name. They had all introduced themselves on the first day of school. He was certain he would have remembered her. She had such enormous… ears.

“... Charissa?”

Chasianna blinked, very, very slowly, holding back the urge to palm a hand over her face (so as to avoid ruining her makeup) and instead giving a heavy sigh instead.

“Clarissa and Marcus, then,” the towering angel said as she looked down on the two. “I am called Eden,” she added, introducing herself. “It is lovely to meet both of you. Now, where shall we begin?”

“We’ll need to decide on a monster to catch. Any ideas?”

“A secluded area in the Hall of Histories is where we should begin, before we do anything else.” Chasianna piped up immediately after the redhead, before casting him a sharp look. “We should not discuss our ideas or plans...” The tiny Qilin proceeded to shift her gaze around the classroom, casting brief glances at the students who were not members of their group for emphasis regarding her (hopefully) implied point. “Here.” She finished.

The angel looked to Marcus for assent, then back towards Chasianna.

“A most prudent suggestion, Clarissa. Let us do that then. I will rent a private study room for us.”

​

Twenty Minutes Later

Chasianna gave a deep exhalation of pent-up breath as she sat down in her chair, which was thankfully high enough to accommodate her height. In much the same fashion, Eden’s alabaster pale features seemed to lose much of the tension which had seized them since their arrival at the library. While traveling to the library and obtaining the private study room had taken all of five minutes, 15 more minutes had been spent procuring chairs—a larger, lower one for Eden and a smaller, higher one for Chasianna. As neither of the two women had been able to suffer the slight to their persons that sitting on the floor would have represented, the task had taken priority above all other considerations.

“Now that we finally have chairs and privacy, where were we?” Eden said as she pulled out what appeared to be an aurodium-plated datapad engraved with floral arrangements and an equally gold-hued stylus. “Oh right. Monsters, of course!” She added, briefly clearing her throat. “I will put up the first proposal, then.” The angel tapped a few times on her datapad’s screen, before turning the device around so that it faced Marcus and Chasianna. An image of a particularly regal looking woman with fiery red hair (adorned with a headdress) and striking brown eyes stared back at them, her gaze seeming to remain in perpetual eye contact with the viewer in spite of any efforts to avoid it.

Moreover, even knowing that it was just the woman’s image projected through the screen (and not something more sinister), Chasianna felt an eerie chill settle inside her bones.

 

[Marcus Dinn]

At Charisa's urging, they left the classroom and the earshot of their peers for the secluded quiet of the Hall of Histories, better known as the academy's library. Eden was courteous enough to rent a private study room for extra security. Once the trio were inside the room with the door shut, Marcus watched in bewilderment as Eden and Calista spent the next fifteen minutes or so hunting down chairs that would put them at equal height.

He chose a seat next to Charlize purely to use her as a buffer between him and the winged giantess. While Eden pulled out her datapad and stylus, his brow furrowed and he scratched his head, sensing that something was wrong with the timestream. Leaning toward the little horned acolyte, he whispered, "... Did I get your name right?"

“I will put up the first proposal, then.” The angel tapped a few times on her datapad’s screen, before turning the device around so that it faced Marcus and Chasianna. An image of a particularly regal looking woman with fiery red hair (adorned with a headdress) and striking brown eyes stared back at them, her gaze seeming to remain in perpetual eye contact with the viewer in spite of any efforts to avoid it.

Moreover, even knowing that it was just the woman’s image projected through the screen (and not something more sinister), Chasianna felt an eerie chill settle inside her bones.

Marcus froze at the sight of the woman, equally unsettled by her piercing gaze. "I don't think we should—" He began in a squeak, then cleared his throat before continuing, "Ahem, I mean, she looks too easy. I'm sure half the class will be going after her. Perhaps we should hunt something a little more... unique?"

Chasianna​

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Private Study Room, Hall of Histories - Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

While Eden pulled out her datapad and stylus, his brow furrowed and he scratched his head, sensing that something was wrong with the timestream. Leaning toward the little horned acolyte, he whispered, "... Did I get your name right?"

“Cha-see-on-uh.” Chasianna sounded out. “I was tempted to let you keep guessing, though.” She added with a slightly coy expression struck across her features.

Marcus froze at the sight of the woman, equally unsettled by her piercing gaze. "I don't think we should—" He began in a squeak, then cleared his throat before continuing, "Ahem, I mean, she looks too easy. I'm sure half the class will be going after her. Perhaps we should hunt something a little more... unique?"

Chasianna only just managed to hold back a sigh of relief, instead mirroring Marcus’ actions by clearing her throat before nodding her head in agreement. Even so, the natural paleness of her features exposed the truth. What little color her skin had was totally blanched out, leaving her visage appearing almost husk-like, even with the makeup.

“I agree. Let’s...not do that one! She’s just a regular woman, after all.” Chasianna added in a de-emphasizing tone, frantically bobbing her head up and down as she spoke. Seeking something to distract herself, the Qilin proceeded to fish her own datapad out from her bag, which was a less luxurious model (though still quite advanced) than Eden’s. Then, she moved to turn it on, shaking fingers making the task almost embarrassingly difficult.

All the while, Eden narrowed her eyes, piercing black sclera lending her gaze an aura of menace. She opened her mouth to speak, at which point the air inside the room might have seemed to turn cold for a flash of a second.

Then, the angel smiled—a coy, ladylike upturning of heart-shaped lips as the corner of her mouth gave a slight twitch.

“Okay. Well then, how about you tell me your suggestion...” Eden’s eyes bored in towards Chasianna, before suddenly shifting to the left.

“Marcus Dinn.”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

“Cha-see-on-uh. I was tempted to let you keep guessing, though.”

Marcus silently mouthed the name, then gave her a little side-eyed glance. He smirked and wrinkled his freckled nose good-humoredly before turning his attention back to his datapad.

Thank the Force, Chasianna backed him up. Eden seemed a bit annoyed. Marcus suddenly found himself paralyzed with fear at the thought of displeasing her—but not even the angel's siren song could match the primal terror Phyre's image had conjured in his craven heart. He would not budge on this matter.

“Okay. Well then, how about you tell me your suggestion...” Eden’s eyes bored in towards Chasianna, before suddenly shifting to the left.

“Marcus Dinn.”

"Oh? Um..." Marcus picked up his datapad and flicked through their options. He didn't really have an alternative in mind, but if there was anything he was good at, it was improvising on the spot. "... What about a Starseer Jellyfish?"

It would certainly be the easiest creature to capture. Realizing how that sounded, he quickly added, "What could be more Sith-like than to take a passive, non-threatening creature and reshape it into a fierce combatant in service to our ends?"

Chasianna​

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Private Study Room, Hall of Histories - Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

A narrowed, focused gaze struck Chasianna’s features as Marcus gave his suggestion—the Starseer Jellyfish. Keying the name into her datapad, the Qilin searched an entry on the species in the virtual Hall of Histories database and pulled it up. After plugging her device into a port on the wall, the encyclopedia article that she had brought up appeared on the large vidscreen at the head of the room, allowing everyone to read it.

“It’s...” Chasianna paused, her brows raised in a quizzical expression as she studied the screen. “Small.” She stated in a plain tone before awkwardly clearing her throat, the irony of her words suddenly dawning on her. “I mean, ummm...it’s cute! Really cute!” The Qilin clarified, frantically nodding her head as she turned back towards the other two.

“We can do it but...the expectations will be high. Very high.” Chasianna continued. “I heard from a few students who took the class before that if you go for an ‘easy’ creature, she will expect more detail to be put into the report. We might need to do a full anatomical study, or something akin to that. That would cover the first part of the project.” She explained.

“For the second part, I don’t quite see the feasibility of us turning this into a war beast, unless Marcus can explain his thought process. However, I may have another idea...”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

“It’s... Small.”

Marcus side-eyed her again, the beginnings of a smirk curling the corners of his mouth.

“I mean, ummm...it’s cute! Really cute!”

Marcus looked away, the smirk lingering.

“We can do it but...the expectations will be high. Very high.” Chasianna continued. “I heard from a few students who took the class before that if you go for an ‘easy’ creature, she will expect more detail to be put into the report. We might need to do a full anatomical study, or something akin to that. That would cover the first part of the project.”

Feth. Marcus' cheeks flamed. He could practically feel Eden's eyes burning holes in his forehead. What to do, what to do...?

“For the second part, I don’t quite see the feasibility of us turning this into a war beast, unless Marcus can explain his thought process. However, I may have another idea...”

"Ooh, let's hear it." Marcus tried not to sound over-enthusiastic, though his body language gave him away. He completely turned toward Chasianna, thankful for a save on his lousy creature suggestion.

Chasianna​

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Private Study Room, Hall of Histories - Kor'ethyr Academy
Time: Morning
Tag: Marcus Dinn

Chasianna paused, giving a few moments for Eden to weigh in. The angel was initially silent, her expression unreadable save for a piercing, onyx gaze staring daggers into Marcus’s forehead. However, after the redhead asked to hear more, she turned her attention back towards the Qilin, a quizzical smile set across her features even as her nose wrinkled with veiled contempt.

"Ooh, let's hear it." Marcus tried not to sound over-enthusiastic, though his body language gave him away. He completely turned toward Chasianna, thankful for a save on his lousy creature suggestion.

“I agree with Marcus, then. Let’s.” She said in a tone that seemed just as gracious as it was pretentious.

“A symbiote.” Chasianna continued. “A Sithspawn symbiote.” She clarified. “Akin to an Atsak, which is basically a bio-engineered Sithspawn prosthesis designed to replace lost limbs. You might describe it as a...dark side-enhanced prosthetic lifeform.” The Qilin explained as she keyed in a search into her datapad, at which point an encyclopedia entry regarding the Atsak appeared on the vidscreen. “Ideally, our symbiote could be done without the parasitism, but we don’t exactly need perfection. We only need to showcase our ability to engineer life through the dark side.” She stated. “Regardless, the Jellyfish is small enough that we could feasibly work it into a symbiote that would then be implanted directly onto the brain or spine. There functioning in a more direct capacity to enhance the subject’s overall Force-sensitivity, while also boosting telepathy and capacity for mentalist Force powers.”

“And of course, there are other things we could do with it as well. However, what I just described would be enough to get us a good grade.” She finished.

 

[Marcus Dinn]

“I agree with Marcus, then. Let’s.”

Oh thank feth. Marcus released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, unaware that he had fallen under Eden's sway.

“A symbiote. A Sithspawn symbiote. Akin to an Atsak, which is basically a bio-engineered Sithspawn prosthesis designed to replace lost limbs. You might describe it as a...dark side-enhanced prosthetic lifeform. Ideally, our symbiote could be done without the parasitism, but we don’t exactly need perfection. We only need to showcase our ability to engineer life through the dark side. Regardless, the Jellyfish is small enough that we could feasibly work it into a symbiote that would then be implanted directly onto the brain or spine. There functioning in a more direct capacity to enhance the subject’s overall Force-sensitivity, while also boosting telepathy and capacity for mentalist Force powers.”

Ooh. Ooooooh. As Chasianna's presentation progressed, growing more ambitious and creative, Marcus looked at the little Qilin with an intrigue he hadn't felt before. Admittedly he hadn't expected much from her, but she had surprised him. She had a solid plan, the clever girl. Clever woman. This might actually work...

“And of course, there are other things we could do with it as well. However, what I just described would be enough to get us a good grade.”

"I'm already sold." Marcus grinned. "This is the best idea any of us has had so far." Yet even as he spoke, his gaze inevitably flicked toward the towering angel, seeking her approval like a dog to its master. "Uh... In my opinion, that is."

Chasianna​