POWER DESCRIPTIONS

Natural Power ::: Cryokinesis ::: Advanced
Having discovered his natural ability when he was twelve years of age, it is safe to say that, with six years’ worth of experience as a result of school oriented training as well as personal training, Dennis is versatile with his cryokinetic abilities. With the capability of both producing and manipulating ice at will, he is often enabled the ability to do so for extensive yet reasonable periods of time before he begins to feel a physical strain upon his being. As of this current moment in time, he has trained enough at Semora Hall ever since enrolling at Aurora Academy to be capable of forging ice based structures that are somewhat larger and much greater in mass than he is, and can hold a larger and thick wall of ice in place and be capable of preventing it from shattering for several strikes if it was struck by an intermediate or possibly even advanced student with enhanced strength- though not without being forced to allow the wall to give in to several, thicker cracks here and there all the while. Should enough time pass, however, he will begin to grow strained in both mental and physical regards, and if he pushes himself far enough, such strain could possibly linger over the course of a few days, similar to how muscles grow sore after a workout. Alongside this, this most experienced power of his can also prove to be his bane should he stress himself too much due to the fact that, after some time, his Cryokinesis will actually begin to affect his standard body temperature. The more worn out he is, the quicker his temperature will drop, and if he doesn’t take care of himself or receive aid from another past a certain point, he does run the risk of quickened sickness, frostbite, or possibly even death if he takes things too far.

Secondary Power ::: Enhanced Strength ::: Advanced
Discovered approximately a year after his Cryokinesis Dennis’ capabilities as far exhibiting his enhanced strength go as far as enabling him the ability to lift things that are many times his weight on a normal basis with a reasonable amount of effort exerted, and few extra hundreds of pounds on top of that- though only if he strains himself excessively, and could only lift objects of this weight for shorter amounts of time before overexerting himself too much and being forced to swiftly put the object down. Put in direct and easier terms, he could easily lift the weight of about sixty to seventy-five percent of a single ton (one thousand and two hundred pounds to about one thousand and five hundred pounds), and if an object weighed more than that, he would likely use said object to train in a similar way that athletes build their muscles by flipping tires. Such a degree of strength would also enable him to easily puncture a sheet of steel that is a few inches thick with a single punch, and to completely blow a hole through a brick wall. Should he continue training or consistently lifting forms of these more excessive weights on a normal basis without allowing himself the necessary time for recovery, the pain that he experiences would simply be increased and prolonged through the days. Enhanced and ongoing stress and abuse of this power could potentially lead to muscle tears and tendon rips, so he often never chooses to strain himself excessively and push himself extremely far past his limits in a swift, unprepared burst unless it’s absolutely necessary.

APPEARANCE

As a result of several factors that are to be accounted for, Dennis Kenji Korikawa holds a rather prominent and well built form that had been gradually affected and maintained through the years as a result of a few major events that had occurred within his past. The product of primarily Japanese and British blood alike; Dennis holds the standard, black hair that those of Asian ethnic backgrounds would have, though as a result of his mother’s British influence, as well as the recessive gene that had happened to have been contributed by his father, as well, he had also been born would strikingly bold and bright eyes of azure, with the faintest hue of green dwelling within their glows. Having taken more or less equally from either one of his parents, his natural skin tone had been ever so slightly tanned, though nowadays, he is only slightly more darker than his initial tone as a result of spending a copious amount of time outdoors- though if the truth had to be spoken, he would be much darker if his genetics hadn’t been influenced by British blood. While his skin is more or less fair in comparison to most others of his gender, it remains vaguely scarred as a result of two primary phases that had occurred within his life, and he also holds a well toned physique due to partaking within constant exercise in the form of sports in the last several years. He stands at a height of approximately six foot three and weighs in at about two hundred and seventeen pounds- with said weight having been accumulated over years of his aforementioned sports, as well as his personal gym visits in relation to honing his secondary ability.

Often times, he can be caught wearing one of two of his school oriented attires: the common uniform designated for students of his according year, or his common swim attire, which consists of a pair of black buoyancy swim shorts that have navy blue marks, and either his swim captain jacket, or his varsity jacket; both of which could more or less be described as two of his most important representations of his interests and personal accomplishments within life. However, when taking his common attire into account, it’s safe to say that it’s actually on the comfortable and casual side. Save for when the weather is cooler, he can often be caught with a simple, graphic tank top as a first layer on his upper body, with a vest or short sleeved hoodie over it. For his lower body, he’ll often wear a pair of cargo shorts, alongside a pair of calf high athletic socks, as well as a pair of athletic running shoes.

He does wear a few things that could be considered as accessories, with the primary three being a Gemini necklace and pendant that his parents had gotten for him, a black and elastic customized wristband that they had also given him, and a shark tooth pendant that his elder sister had given him; all three of which had been handed down to him as gifts in celebration of his twelfth birthday. Both the Gemini pendant and the chain with it are composed of silver, with the chain itself being slightly smaller than would be recommended for an older person due to the fact that it had initially been forged for a child. The same applies to his wristband, though it can be worn more comfortable as a result of it maintaining a degree of elasticity. On the other hand, his sister had made sure to buy him a larger necklace than was appropriate for him at the time, that way he could still use it in his latter years. In addition to these main accessories - which he would likely become frantic and anxious over if he ever lost either one of them - he also wears bandages from his right wrist across towards about halfway up his forearm. The same could be seen on the left, though the bandages end closer to the lower bend of his elbow, rather than halfway up the forearm. The reason as to why he wears these bandages should be fairly obvious, though nowadays, they’re often more commonly used to cover up both the metaphorical and physical scars of the past.

PERSONALITY

As fluid as the water that he enjoys, and as calm as the element of his own starsign, Dennis has come to be a man of a common, go with the flow type of demeanor when interacting with most other surrounding objects, as well as his fellow acquaintances and companions alike. Often times, he prefers to exhibit a kind and laid back persona when conversing with those around him, allowing them to catch an ongoing and normal glimpse of an amused grin in good humor as he interacts and talks with them. For the most part, he has a rather laid back and passive persona; commonly the type to see all sides of a circumstance, and to not make too much of a big deal about something unless a dire amount of attention was absolutely needed to be applied to a situation. Possibly able to be considered a borderline social butterfly, he’s rather swift and easy to exhibit acceptance and leisure towards another individual so long as their morals and desires prove to be just, and can be caught lending a helping hand and advising eye towards most that request it of him- though has been seen most often helping underclassmen and new members of the school’s swim team, as a result of being the swim captain himself.

However, it shouldn’t go without saying that, despite his leisurely attitude, the truth of the matter is that Dennis is actually a rather sharp and cunning man. While he does enjoy casual conversations over serious, and is the farthest from afraid of making a fool out of himself if it meant the good humored amusement of his friends and peers, to perceive him as something like an overly submissive and accepting character would be one of the worst mistakes that one would be able to make. Truth be told, he’s excessively keen on the finer details, and such a factor simply isn’t exhibited unless in the most crucial moments. He’s somewhat of a joking and casual type of guy in most scenarios, though he could easily take a one eighty turn personality wise if need be, inheriting a spontaneously mature and logical demeanor when assessing select events and individuals. While he doesn’t quite prefer to undergo this type of mentality, he will do so when needed- and it’s in this state of mind that he tends to be much more blunt and critical, and wouldn’t even consider sugarcoating the facts in the least, so his words and thoughts in this state of mind may or may not come out to be much harsher and straightforward than how he normally is.

BIOGRAPHY

”I’ve come so far. Sometimes I wonder how...and other times, I wonder why.”

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Mmm? Oh, hi. So...I guess you’re here for that interview thing, huh? To see where exactly I come from...and where exactly my roots are and stuff. Haha, it’s understandable. I mean, I remember already doing this at the beginning of my first year here, actually. I also remember how much more awkward and stuff I was back then, so...I guess it’ll be refreshing to revisit it with less stuttering and whatnot. And...to give all the updates that have happened so far since freshman year. Mainly since I feel like I’ve-... ...Well...because I feel like I’ve actually come really far from where I was when I first got here.

...Haha. But...I guess you either don’t know about that, or maybe don’t remember from all the way back then.
So...I guess let’s get started, then.

Well, to start things off… I’m Dennis. Dennis Kenji Korikawa, if...you wanna get formal with it, I guess. My father, Takashi Korikawa, was born in Japan, where he eventually met my mother, Eden Korikawa- who had formerly been Eden Collins at the time. Mom was originally a university teacher and lecturer who had moved to Japan from Britain to handle the English lessons at one of the schools that she was offered a new job at after taking up a major in Japanese, and Dad happened to be the guy who was tasked with the responsibility of showing her around. He was the guy that picked her up from the airport on her first day in Japan, and was also the guy that she went to whenever she had questions about basically anything. Good restaurants to go to, nearby convenience stores...basically everything trivial and not so trivial alike. That was their main connection aside from the place where they worked, and they connected pretty easily from day one.

...Or so the story goes, at least. Heh~.

From there, the days turned into months; months into years; so on and so forth. While keeping their jobs as university teachers as their priorities at the time so they could get professor status, they also started to hang out a bit more during their free time. They started going out together - but not, like…”together” together just yet - to restaurants and stuff. Went to see some shows... Even hung out at each others’ places on occasion, and when the school year wasn’t nearly as hectic.

Dad was about...I think twenty-seven when he first met Mom. I think Mom was about the same age. And then...four years and multiple trips back and forth to Britain and Japan, they got married. A little bit after that, they each got their respective PhD’s, and a bit after that, they had their first kid while they were still in Japan at the time.

A pretty bright, bubbly, and curious girl by the name of Vivienne Keiko Korikawa. In other words...my older sister. Five years after they got married, and five years after she was born, I was the next kid. Specifically on June sixteenth, I was born a Gemini, a subtle nerd for astronomy, and...honestly...really different from how I am now.

Back then, I was easily considered a major introvert. Only had a few really close friends- but even then, I was always normally too awkward to start and keep a conversation with them. The only people that I ever felt the most comfortable around was my family. When I couldn’t bring myself to tell or ask my friends something - which honestly really happened way more often than I’d like to admit - I’d go to my parents or my sister for tips, guidance, and just...casual conversation. My friends knew the surface facts about me. They knew I was quiet, and they knew that I was somewhat of a nerd. My family, on the other hand… They knew almost everything about me. They knew specifically that I was a specific nerd for astronomy, and they took me out on a lot of nighttime outings because of it. They knew how much I loved stars and the skies. They knew how I could flesh out the descriptions and legends according to most constellations. They knew how much of a nerd I was with star signs, and how I could list all of them in order from first to twelfth; the cardinal, fixed, and mutable signs; the signs according to their elements. Hell...I was even a nerd for tarot. Not necessarily the readings, but, like...just researching the meanings of each card. How Lovers means balance and crossroads. How the Hanged Man represents general sacrifice and letting go… Stuff like that.

...They also knew how I was scared shitless of water and the ocean in general, too. Ironic since I’m actually the swim captain for our school, now, right? It was definitely a thing in the past, though.

But...yeah. They knew everything about me; Vivienne even more so. She was always the person I ran to when I had a bad day, since I was kinda bullied a bit as a kid for being that one, stereotypically and metaphorically invisible kid in the class, or even when I just had a simple question about anything. Even when she didn’t have an exact answer, she’d talk things over with me, and she’d eventually just turn the conversation into something weird and stupid, but...still really fun. It was one of the things I loved about her. She...always knew how to deal and interact with me. She always knew how to make me smile and laugh. She always knew what to say, regardless of my mood.

...As cliched as it sounds, she-...
...She was just...the best sister I could’ve ever asked for, really.

It was weird, though. Back then, we were polar opposites for the most part. She was energetic; I was really mellow. She...focused more on her direct surroundings and living in the moment, while I sat on the sidelines and focused more on things in the distance, like the stars and stuff. ...And the more major thing...I was more attuned and attached to land. She was extremely into water sports in general.

Again, ironic, right? She was the one who was always into swimming, and she was even into surfing… She entered a lot of surfing competitions at the beach, which was why we were constant visitors back then. Most of the time, I’d stay the farthest I could from the water, but when she was out there…? Hah… I’d always run over to the shoreline with my parents to cheer her on from a distance, even if she couldn’t hear me.

Which...leads me to where and when things started to gradually spiral downwards.

She was young and extremely gung-ho. Specifically with surfing, she pushed herself really hard. Like…really hard. As far as I know, she was one of the youngest contestants to enter most of the surfing competitions that she entered- and she normally placed in the top five above all of the other people who are normally at least a decade older than her. She’d go for the more extreme contests that guaranteed bigger waves and stronger currents. That’s how good she was.

Her skill led the four of us over to the Ilocos Norte one year; a little after my twelfth birthday, and as a replacement for our common trip from Britain to Japan whenever we visited. We went there in particular to catch a surfing competition for her; one where the waves were supposedly generated by a hefty storm a long while from the shoreline, so said waves ended up being pretty damn big. She was seventeen at the time, and with the approval from our parents ahead of time, was again one of the youngest participants in that particular competition. Attending matches like that was something that she got into a constant habit of since one of her main goals was to get good enough to take on, like...the really big waves. Not just twenty-footers- which are actually already pretty big as they are. Nah...she had her sights set on waves way bigger. She wanted to eventually ride her way up onto thirty-footers, forty-footers, and fifty-footers. There’s a guy named Garett McNamara. Guy holds a record for riding a wave about, like...eighty feet tall- give or take a few feet. Wave killed about two hundred thousand people, and he survived.

...And she wanted to surpass that.
Since she started so young, she actually might’ve been able to if she survived long enough.

See...that competition that I mentioned earlier was the last competition that she ever competed in. By the shorelines of the Ilocos Norte beaches, my parents and I cheered her on from the sidelines as she did her thing. The days of her competition, the waves apparently ranged from about thirty to thirty-seven feet or so depending on the time. Lots of wipeouts happened, but she stayed on top of her game- and guess what? She actually won. She didn’t come out in the top five. Not the top three. Not second.

She came first.
She won her last competition.

The reward was a week-long cruise in the Southern Chinese Seas; one that had also been extended to us since we were her family, and one that we were quick to jump on from a nearby port in the country. The main problem was admittedly me because of my aquaphobia, but I was convinced to go on in the end. I was scared, yeah, but by then, Vivienne had taken me out to the water every so often to gradually try and help me get over my fears. So long as she was there, she promised that nothing would happen to me- and I trusted her, so I basically put the entirety into my safety into her hands. That, and there was apparently an indoor wave machine on the cruise ship, too. Fears aside, I honestly was a curious little bugger that always wanted to know what it would be like to ride the waves. Also wanted to learn how to that way I could tag along with my sister, but...y’know. Fears kinda prevent you from doing a lot of things.

Hah… It was something that Vivi-chan knew from the start, so it was also why she promised to teach me if I was fine with going along. So...again, after a lot of consideration and indecisiveness on my part, I decided it would be fine.

A few days after the event, we boarded the cruise ship. I remember clearly how much of a shaky and hyperventilating mess I was at the time, but my sister stuck by my side every moment of the trip because of it. She’d be there to calm me down, and during the first nights, she’d sneak me out onto the deck to help me get some fresh air after I freaked out too much at the indoor pools and wave machines. While Mom and Dad were sleeping, we’d sit on deck and look at the stars since there was less light pollution out there, and since she knew how much I loved to do that. ...Those conversations were what calmed me down the most, and by the morning after, I was always willing to give the waters and waves another try for the sole purpose of spending more time with her.

Honestly…? Those first few days actually did help me handle my fears. It was a short time, but...since she was the one guiding and helping me along, I was able to comfortably and gradually let go. By the third day, I was actually feeling more fun and enjoyment instead of fear whenever I went to the pools and stuff, and would actually be the one willingly and excitedly asking her when the next swim or surf session was.

Days four and five of the cruise went by as I gained more confidence along her side, though I was never really able to experience the rest of day six, or even start day seven of the cruise. You see...on the morning of day six, my family and I spent our time out on the deck. We decided to claim a table outside to overlook everything as we ate breakfast; something that would’ve scared me so much more if Vivienne hadn’t stuck by me for the few days beforehand. Oddly enough, I felt...calm. So much calmer than I ever had been when looking out onto the ocean. On normal occasion, I would’ve just started shaking and hyperventilating if I caught a glimpse of the ocean over the horizon. That morning, though...I actually felt at ease. I had Vivienne to thank for it, of course, since...she was really the reason that I had been able to handle it up until then.

After we ate, Mom and Dad stayed out on deck while Vivienne and I went back indoors to the wave simulators. The two of us met up after changing into our wetsuits and went in line after grabbing our boards. By the time we were near the end of the line, we had been talking about what we would do later that night. Y’know… When we’d sneak out again. What we’d talk about. Where on deck we’d be that night. That kinda stuff. The line moved along as it normally did, and as I started getting a bit nervous and anxious again, Vivi-chan did her normal thing and calmed me down as we were gonna be the next people up for the surf. It took a few moments, but I managed to pull myself together.

...I remember the smile that she gave me when I did. We laughed over it. She told me she was proud of me.

Didn’t take too long for us to get to the very front after that, but just as we were about to set our boards down and settle on the waves, I remember the ship just...suddenly shift. It jolted really sharply. I stumbled, and while I heard a few other people around me kinda yelp on instinct from the abruptness, Vivienne stepped over and caught me before I fell. We’d both dropped our boards, of course, but she didn’t mind and asked me if I was fine either way. I said I was fine, but before either of us could do much more, the ship rocked again; that time much stronger. The two of us actually fell over, and a third jolt happened before we felt ourselves falling back against the wall itself. I hadn’t realized it at the time until it was a bit too late, but there was another wave that struck us before the boat itself capsized and completely flipped over. There were a few screams here and there that were literally drowned out as the water flooded in and crashed over all of us.

The next few minutes after that went hazy for me after that. For the most part, I couldn’t tell what was happening with all the water rushing in around me and crap. Couldn’t hear anything, since everything was muffled. What little I could see, I couldn’t really see for that long since the salt water stung my eyes. I felt myself drowning, and the water filling my lungs, and it wasn’t until I found myself resurfaced a little while after with Vivienne that I pulled myself together. She swam through the water while hauling me along, and after she managed to get me to hack some water back up, I could tell that she had shouldered through a bit of pain navigating through the water as I looked at her eyes. Again, it was a blur, but I could’ve sworn that her eyes were pretty damn red from the salt.

She managed to find some kinda plank or something, because that’s what we were on as he floated off. Probably chipped off of the boat we were on, but I dunno. What mattered the most, though, was that she was there, but not much longer after I was conscious again as we felt another wave begin to wind up. At around the same time, I heard her curse in Japanese as some kinda shadow loomed over us. Naturally, I looked over my shoulder and followed her gaze, and-... Uh…

…

...Well, honestly...I-... ...I...don’t know what I saw, exactly. It was...this...thing. This...serpent. Kind of a serpent, at least. Like-... I-...

…
...I… God-... Like I said, I-I-... I don’t...even know.

All I did know was that...it was huge. It was huge, and...it was undoubtedly the reason why the boat tipped over. Another wave came for us, and all I could see before it hit was, like...a lot of other ships around us. Battleships, by the looks of it. Probably the navy of one of the nearby countries. Could’ve been the Chinese Navy. Could’ve been the Filipino Navy. Either way, there was a lot happening, and besides those ships, all we could really focus on was mainly the wave. I felt Vivienne grab onto me the closer it got, telling me to hold on as best as I could- and I did. A little bit before the wave hit, though, my, uh… My...first power surfaced for the first time.

In...the form of basically freezing us both.

I didn’t know it at the time, but...that was when it...did trigger for the first time. It just...solidified us both in place. It was cold, but...it did protect us from that wave. After a lot of tumbling and being unable to talk, we came back to the water’s surface, but...past that, I have no idea what happened. That must’ve been when the ice got to me, and I went unconscious again.

I don’t know how long it was afterwards, but...I woke back up again. It was in a hospital bed that time around. Apparently, I had been in a coma for a few days after they thawed both my sister and I out from the crystal I accidentally made from the sea water. Both of us were taken to the ER at around the same time, and...well, I obviously made it out safely after a while.

...Vivienne, on the other hand, didn’t.

They told me a little while after I woke back up and was a bit more stable, which...was smart on their parts. I don’t know what would’ve happened if they told me right off the bat. My condition probably would’ve gotten worse from the shock of it all. But...they told me either way. It was bad enough that she died, but...you know the thing that made it even worse?


It was my fault.

You know how I said that I accidentally froze the two of us? And...how the ice crystal actually saved us from the wave? Yeah...it...saved us from the wave, but it was just a matter of how long our bodies could withstand the chill. Somehow, a kid’s frailer body held up better than a girl’s who was damn near fully developed. ...Her body suffered too much from the chills, and they couldn’t revive her after thawing her out.

I took that, on top of the fact that Mom and Dad’s bodies were never found, extremely hard. Like...really hard. Hard enough to...fall into a really bad depression. I spent a month recovering, and a bit after that, I was adopted by another, kind woman. Single, but wholesome. She couldn’t have children of her own, so I think she spent most of her life adopting other kids and raising them as if they were her own, which is noble. I’m just sorry that she picked me out of all kids, because she had to deal with a really…really distant and aloof kid. One that...kinda...took his depression out in some really bad ways.

Long story short, I originally used self harm as a means of coping. The moment I was out of the hospital and was introduced to my adoptive mom and her house, it only took a matter of weeks before I ended up sneaking a few things into my room. It started off with scissors, and then I snuck some bandage rolls away from the first aid kit in the bathroom. Cut up my arms and whatnot. Bandaged them up, and hid them for as long as I could beneath the longsleeve shirts that she got for me- which was admittedly really suspicious since it was still summer, but she didn’t exactly question me too much about it. Not, uh...not...until I tried to kick the bucket a bit too soon, at least.

To be blunt, I tried to kill myself one day after she was out for a while. She told me that she’d be back a bit later on, so I spent an overly long while debating over whether or not I should take one of the kitchen knives and just...go at it. In the end, I decided to do it and plunged one of them straight into my gut. I was planning to let myself bleed out and let time do its toll afterwards, but I apparently waited a bit too long, because literally a minute or two after, she came home. I heard her call my name and ask where I was, and...well, the next thing I heard was her scream when she found me on the kitchen floor. She called the paramedics, and they dropped by in record time before rushing me over to the ER for the second time in my life. It took a bit of effort, but they managed to patch me up. I was hospitalized again for a few weeks, and was discharged. Honestly, though...even after she found out about my cutting habits, and even after I noticed her start to keep a better eye on me, I just jumped straight back into it. Scars for days. Bandages gone missing day after day. It got to the point where she had to take me to see a therapist, and not too long after our sessions began, he managed to scratch a lot from the surface. Enough to get me to reveal a bit about my past, and why I was doing what I did. He was particularly interested in the fact that I had aquaphobia, so...with my adoptive mom’s permission, he took me out on a trip one day. Specifically to a pool.

They both saw for the first time just how bad I was. Vivienne managed to help me overcome my fears a little bit, but all of the trauma from that day caused me to regress so much. All I had to do was stare at the pool from beyond the gates before I started crying and hyperventilating. I couldn’t even set foot near it.

Much to my chagrin and suffering at the time, my therapist decided to try and kill two birds with one stone. For sake of coping and stress relief, as well as attempting to get me to gradually gain the progress with my aquaphobia back, he decided to assign me the task of using swimming as a physical means of stress relief. He happened to be a bit of a swimmer himself, so after I showed no progress with the first few visits to the pool, he offered to personally help me out. After a few more weeks, he managed to get me into the water, and it was then that the actual…’healing’, per say began. I still cut a lot at the time, and there were a lot of times that I didn’t attend therapy sessions or swim practices with him because I was too much of a sad sack to get myself out of bed after school, but he was patient with me. In time, he ran me through the swim strokes. Freestyle. Breast. Back. He ran me through all of them, and after several months, I managed to become comfortable enough to swim on my own as he supervised by the poolside. Swimming around brought back memories and was pretty much a PTSD trigger a lot in the beginning. It also made me feel a bit empty the more used to it I got since it was a reminder of my sister, but as far as physical coping went, I...guess it kinda worked. It helped me keep active, for what it was worth. By the time a year had passed, I was idly and distantly swimming on my own, and had actually showed a lot of talent as a swimmer. The only problem was that I wasn’t really motivated since my mind was still so dulled out from everything else.

One day, my therapist and my adoptive mother took me to the pool for our normal rounds during the day. School felt like even more of a burden at the time, and a lot of the kids did their normal, insensitive kid thing and harassed me like they normally did in regards to my scars and bandages. They kept asking me why I did what I did. Asked me why I bothered living, and why I just didn’t try and kill myself right off.

I wanted to shoot back and tell them that I already tried, but I guess that would’ve just added fuel to the fire.

So, I held it in up until we got to the pool. A little while after my therapist guided me through our normal exercises, I noticed that a few of the kids that had actually put me down that day entered with their other friends. They noticed me almost instantly, and even as I tried to look away, they went out of their ways to come over and spit more shit my way. Mom and my therapist noticed, and they took me out of the water while trying to intervene. They tried to calm the other kids down, but to no avail. He and Mom tried to hold some of them back, but the rest of them just circled around me and came face to face with me. The other people that were there watched on as they basically pushed me around, and I could more or less feel myself getting pissed the longer they did it. I tried to hold myself as best as I could, but...lo and behold, I decided that enough was enough.

Up until then, I’d managed to keep my cryokinesis a secret from my adoptive mom for sake of letting her stress less over me, and also partially because I was scared of how she’d react. It was actually still kept a secret up until then, but...my second power decided to flare up for the first time right there and then. The other kids shoved me around a few times while weaving around my therapist and mom, and it got to a point when I basically snapped the moment one of them put their hand on my shoulder again. Instead of just taking it, I grabbed onto his arm and just...clenched onto it. Before I could realize what happened, I felt something snap against my palm and fingers, and the other kid started screaming and crying as he backed away and held his forearm. A second kid didn’t really realize what had happened, so he threw himself at me. ...And then I threw him into the first kid as he still screamed. The two of them crashed into the fence that barricaded the pool.

Word got out pretty quickly. The paramedics showed up and took the kids I injured away. Cops showed up, too, for interrogations. Everyone else filtered out as Mom and my therapist stuck around to answer some questions before the cops came up to me. Eventually, they took me over to the station to question me a bit more, but a little while after that, there were these other people that came around. Scouts for Aurora, actually. After a bit of negotiating with the police, they took over the interrogations and asked me their own questions. They gathered their own information, but a little while after they got the main answers they were looking for, they talked it over with the police again before coming back to me. They had me stay with my adoptive mother after explaining the deal with my apparent powers before coming back and taking me to the academy a year later when I was fourteen. Through that year they were gone, I kept to myself and was checked up on to make sure I didn’t do any rash shit, but that honestly didn’t stop me from giving suicide another try partway into my first official year as a student. About a month or so after classes began, I kept my swimming sessions constant out of habit, but I specifically chose to hit the pool late at night when no one else was around that way I could have a better time to think on my own. One night, though, I guess I thought a bit too much on everything in general. Back to that one day. Back to when Vivi-chan died, and how I was the main cause of it. Back to the times when I tried to stab myself to death. Back when I sent those kids to the hospital.

For a few minutes that night, I thought about how much damage I had caused.
Then I thought to myself.
“Maybe it really is better if I was just...gone.”

And there you go. ...Suicide attempt number two, right there in the school pool. I was floating on my back, but in the span of a second, I floated face down and let myself breathe some water in. It burned and it hurt, but I kept doing it until I went unconscious- but both damn and bless my timing at the same time, ‘cause I apparently chose to do it just a few minutes before someone else decided to make their night time swimming rounds. He dove right in and pulled me out, did some CPR, and took me straight to the infirmary as soon as I was awake and able to tell what was happening around me.

From then on, the staff contacted my therapist again, and I ended up getting a surprise visit from him. Despite how it wasn’t advised by the staff, he actually took me to another off campus public pool in the city, but specifically when everyone else was filtered out so we could talk while having a swim. Partway into the stay, we both stopped swimming and just sat around. He asked me more questions about everything.

“Are you still using self harm?”
“Why did you try to drown yourself?”

There was a lot more questions, but for one of the only times in my life aside from the pool incident with the other kids, I snapped and yelled at him after finding myself annoyed and stressed out by his curiosity. I just...yelled. Yelled, and yelled, and yelled some more as I went on a rant about how I thought it would just be better if I were gone, and how it was stupid of him to ask the questions he did.

After I calmed down, he reminded me of a few more things. He addressed Vivi’s matter to me. Or...at least what would’ve been her matter if she was still around. He managed to set my mind straight one last time, and made me realize that, even if I lost everything, it didn’t necessarily mean that I could gain more things to forge into my new everything, if...that makes sense. After a long conversation, he manage to remind me that it was still my life and my choices. I could’ve tried another go at suicide, or I could’ve sucked it up and made the most out of my life.

...Since I’m here explaining all of this to you, it’s safe to say that I chose the latter, right~?

Uh-huh~. So...after that whole fiasco...he visited me through the month after his business hours. Helped me out after I got back to my classes, and kept track of my progress. It took a while, but...I managed to gradually get to where I am now. In the end, I dedicated myself to improving my swimming skills, and even got into surfing, too; both of which were partially to maintain a good physical outlet instead of cutting, though were first and foremost a tribute to my sister. My therapist made it clear that...again. This is my life to live. My choices.

And I decided to live for not only my parents’ sakes, but also for my sister’s.

So...here I am. Multiple years later. Much more dedication to swimming and surfing alike later.
A couple years as the school’s swim team captain later.

I’m living for both my sake and hers, and you can be damn sure that I’ll be doing my best to make her proud up there.

> Free! Iwatobi Swim Club; Sousuke Yamazaki <