Talia

**Talia Marie Annemieke** is an Graelenncian Tuxedo cat hailed from the titular continent of Graelenncia, a continent that once hosted a kingdom that fell just a few years after Talia's birth.

## Backstory

### Early Life

Talia was born in a desert town in the Sandstream Flatlands to a noble family of felines, known as House Annemieke; however, as per familial tradition, she was not referred to by her surname except in extremely casual contexts, otherwise she was formally known as "Lady Talia of House Annemieke." Ever since her ears and eyes opened in her kitten days, Talia was raised to be a noble lady, as such, her education was rigorous. Having a knowledge of current events, as well as events of the past was imperative to her future as a noble, as she would serve the monarchy as part of its future Cabinet - a monarchy that didn't exist at the time, but was prophesized to exist by The Ancients.

When Talia turned seven, she was given the role of being the librarian for the House. With an almost limitless oversight of all the books in the library, she could refer to almost any book in the library for its contents. The books she couldn't get her paws on without permission were spell books.

### A New Friend

Talia ran away from her home in the middle of the night after a heartbreaking argument with both of her parents after she had decided that her quest for further education would lead her out of the Sandstream Flats, a decision that was forbidden, but nonetheless taken by the knowledge-thirsty tuxedo cat. Her journey took her into a nearby forest adjacent to the desert region, fully intending to cut through it and end up in Berylmine.

In her path, she heard the cries of a little girl being chased by the monsters that lived in the forest. Talia, putting her combat training and speedster ability to use, successfully fended off the monsters and cut her journey short to lead the little girl back to her home, wondering if her family of nobles could be of any help.

### The Adventure Begins/Growing the Team

The little girl lacked a name. She also lacked a family, and her only memory was waking up in the middle of the forest. She recounted being there for days when monsters attacked her, and subsequently being rescued by Talia. The little girl also spoke of having a feeling that was luring her to a place, which was why she was wandering through the forest to begin with in the direction of Berylmine before she was attacked. While Talia's family forbade the journey, the little girl went off on her own to this calling she had. Talia chased after her with the intent to bring her back to her senses, but also had this calling herself.

The two of them journeyed to Berylmine to an abandoned abode on its outskirts. The calling was sourced from an old computer monitor - advanced for its time, but primitive in today's world: a CRT monitor with a physical keyboard, mouse, and CPU tower. With the press of a button, a monumental discovery was made by the two friends, which was passed along to House Annemieke. To the sound of the physicists in Talia's family, the revelation showed them that Graelenncia was akin to a pocket dimension inside of a larger one. Furthermore, the vessel in which they were housed in had its own biological history, with a physical appearance that used all five senses to interact with its world and a name attached to it.

This calling made Talia and the little girl want to be part of this world, but there were implications that this alternate life was hard to maintain as a result of its upbringing. Even the name didn't match with the little girl's early concept of identity at the time, but she needed a name that sounded close to it. The two of them agreed on Kendra, a name Talia suggested. While Kendra wanted to be part of the world, the challenges she faced made the six year old girl not want to face them alone. Talia, knowing that she wanted an adventure herself, would have a travel partner if she accompanied Kendra. And so, the two of them set off to find themselves in this new world.

As the two of them journeyed together, they grew from travel companions looking to fulfill their own goals to best friends even as they made more friends in Chrysalis, a mute butterfly creature who communicated primarily by writing and body language (that Talia learned how to read). She had a knack for fighting for justice with the dream of becoming a hero. There was also Daisy, a happy-go-lucky reptilian who wanted nothing more than to make others around her laugh, even if she couldn't speak, much less laugh herself.

Over time, they met two reptilian brothers, Scales and Sheldon, two brothers working as merchants in Berylmine; however, business fluctuated so wildly that they and their family decided it would be best for them to be traveling merchants. Over in another desert region up north, the group found Levin, a vehicular being whose selfish, big-shot personality was off putting to the rest of the collective initially. They eventually proved themself to be a vital member after saving the group from newly discovered nightmare energy; energy that if touched, could give the person affected nightmares. Nobody knew how it worked or why the energy was so prevalent, but everyone knew to avoid it.

After Hans, the aspiring physicist and aspiring mage, heard about the nightmare energy, he started accompanying the group to research it and try to put a stop to the energy.

While others have joined the team over the years, these main eight friends would be known as the main group of the Graelenncia Collective.

### Graelenncia Falls/Talia gets Sealed Away

Despite everyone's best efforts, Kendra's challenges in life become too much for her to bear as she retaliates against her collective for simultaneously failing to protect her and protecting her too much from the information she *actually* needed to know about. Despite her friends begging her that they only did their best with what they knew and had, Kendra wasn't having it, and her betrayal and rage manifested itself in her destructive powers awakening.

She resolved that she would run her own life by herself as she wouldn't risk not having all the information she needed and wanted, and so she could have more control over herself as a person since she was about to be promoted from primary school to middle school, a place where, in her words, "can't take any of her imaginary friends with her."

Talia tried to get Kendra to see that it would've been a mistake to throw away the world and all of them in it, but as Talia traveled past her fallen friends who were slain in battle and found out those who didn't fight her went missing, she herself resolved to avenge their friends, their land, and take the world for herself as a means of protecting it. Talia was almost slain in battle with her former friend, and would have lost her life had anesthesia not sealed her away within Kendra for more than a decade.

### Reawakening/Etheridge Collective Life

Nearly a year after Kodachi and her team won freedom for Etheridge, the Etheridge Collective found ruins that washed ashore on one of the beaches. Bringing the main hosts along at the time, they entered the ruins to find it was decrepit room of a library. Inside the room was a crystal that glowed in a soft amber color - seeking to bring it home for money, Kodachi reached for it; however, touching it caused an energy burst. Within those moments, a tuxedo cat appeared before them. She's dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge and has proven to be a great friend to a collective, earning herself the title of being a host, alongside nine others.

## Personality

Despite Talia being born into a pompous family of noble felines, she has avoided the same pompous worldviews of her predecessors and relatives. She had a sense of patriotism before the fall of her birthplace, that same patriotism leading her to risk life and limb even in a battle with a slim to none chance of winning against a friend turned tyrant.

Talia's one of the more pragmatic members of her friends, but has a dose of idealism that rubbed off on her from the current leadership. Something that she took after her family, however, was having a disposition towards being attracted to the fancier things in life. She prefers a clean space and oft keeps her fur pristine and well groomed, and speaks with a posh accent often calling her closest friends, "Kitten." She prefers to stay busy, thus finding her idling outside of sleeping through the night is a rare occurrence. As part of her posh nature, she chooses to remain diplomatic and involving herself in a conflict as a fighter is a last ditch effort to protect those closest to her.

As a younger cat, Talia had a zest for adventure that couldn't easily be quenched, and adventure she did when she was part of the Graelenncia Collective as she met new friends and saw new places, both in Graelenncia and in Kendra's world. Now as an adult, her zest for adventure has been largely replaced by a desire to learn in general, as she retained her bookish personality and desire to learn about the world around her while also choosing to stay close to home.

## Relationships

### Early Life

#### Odessa Annemieke

*"Collecting history might be a serious thing to you, but I have better plans. I'm gonna have fun, big sis. I'll worry about my "purpose" later." - Talia to Odessa, 2007*

*"We might have not been able to succeed our original purpose, but we must keep going, as we have a new one. There is still much more work to do." - Talia to Odessa, 2023*

Talia and Odessa grew up together in the Sandstream Flats with their parents and their friend/butler, Hans. Their relationship when they were younger was strained by each sister's intent in life - one focused on being a historian and took her predestined role seriously, while the younger tuxedo cat only wanted to have fun and didn't care about her destiny, choosing to "deal with it later." The two of them were close otherwise, as Odessa took on the role of a teacher to her younger sister about House Annemieke's purpose and the world of Synaptum, and how The Ancients' failed mission made the world how it was today.

Odessa warned Talia against going after Kendra when she unlocked her destructive abilities, citing that fate dictated that they'd either be killed or sealed away. Talia disregarded her sister's advice, choosing to put her friendship and her world before her own fate. This was the last time they'd see each other for sixteen years, as Talia had been sealed away in Her Majesty's soul and Odessa would find herself sealed away in her home, refusing to leave Talia alone should she return when their parents beckoned them to escape with them.

Today, the two of them are still catching up after their reunion. Destiny is no longer a factor nor a strain on their relationship, as without the weight of needing to be Synaptum's ruler's advisors, they can focus on their own goals.

### Graelenncia Collective

#### Kendra

*"I swore to protect you; I'd do anything for you. I don't owe you anything now that I've found out that you've taken our friends out. Now that I know the world is next, I can't let you do any more harm!" - Talia before battle.*

To Talia, Kendra was her best friend and someone to protect from danger, real and perceived, even when it came to knowledge that she believed Kendra couldn't handle. To this, Talia would have been more like an overprotective parent than a friend, much less a peer to the little girl. Aside from that, Talia was more logical in the relationship and acted as a direct foil to Kendra's more reactive and emotional personality, being able to give her friend the perspective she needed to move past her worries at home and at school. She was her right-hand cat and used her speedster ability in multiple situations that involved needing to be fast, from avoiding being tardy to class to finishing a test with less than a few minutes left. With Talia's help, the group clutched good report cards and her professionalism endeared them to the teachers, if not to the students.

When she had to choose between Kendra and her home, it was a betrayal and a choice that proved difficult, but if she could keep her friends together, the world could have been restored. During her pursuit of Kendra, her heart sank as she found the remains of her friends, each discovery leading her to make her final choice. By the time she saw Kendra razing the land, she was dead-set on doing battle and winning, even if it meant getting sealed away for an indefinite time.

Despite everything, Talia couldn't help but be heartbroken when she learned of Kendra's passing, but doesn't hold it against Kodachi for acting in self defense and subsequently saving her own world and her own friends.

#### Daisy

*"Even though it's silent, her eyes can still be full of laughter."*

Talia's and Daisy's friendship was close and respectful, even if their personality differences and Daisy being mute led to issues with communication and perceiving the other party's intent at times. While Talia sometimes saw Daisy as being disruptive, or even disrespectful at times when her earlier methods of communication were distracting (as they weren't more organized or matched the context of the conversations, like sign language), it took some time for the friendship to develop to learn that what Daisy really wanted was to make others laugh - something she couldn't do herself. At some point, Talia knew Daisy well enough to know what she was thinking based on her facial expressions and body language.

Something the two of them bonded over aside from journeying to find themselves and protect Kendra, was their love of books - although Talia preferred nonfiction, Daisy enjoyed fictional children's books and fantasy - unsurprising, given that she was four years old. While Daisy didn't have Talia's speed, she had a lot of willpower and hope, which kept her going when times got tough.

When Talia found the remains of Daisy in a wheat field engulfed in flames after doing battle with Kendra, she nearly fainted from seeing such a lively soul ripped from her life. Daisy's death was actually one of the influencing factors that led Talia to decide to prioritize rebuilding the land over Kendra's life.

#### Chrysalis

*"The more you rebel, the worse things get for us. Would you stop rushing headlong into conflict?"*

Talia was often frustrated with Chrysalis's tendency to rush headlong into an argument with others when faced with injustice, and during their friendship, could never have taught her to control her rage. Although Chrysalis was mute in Graelenncia, she was able to use limited speech when speaking on Earth. Since she was so young (as young as, if not younger than Daisy), she couldn't form more mature arguments beyond plainly saying (truthful or not) that they were not responsible for whatever got them called into the principal's or a teacher's office. This led Talia to grow frustrated as it felt like she couldn't speak rationally to save their tails from unneeded discipline.

Chrysalis also had a rebellious streak, from deliberately leaving their glasses behind (reason being that they were uncomfortable) to refusing to go to the nurse's office after lunch to take their medicine for focus, much to the chagrin to the rest of the group whom were exhausted of being told off for their mischief. Chrysalis's more rebellious behaviors involved lying for pretty much no reason and trespassing.

Talia's and Chrysalis's relationship only got better during the end times where it was revealed that the young fighter only wanted to do as she pleased, as she felt stifled by the rules and social conventions that she didn't have to grow up with as a caterpillar in her own region of Graelenncia. Her own region's customs normalized, even outright encouraged, underhandedness in a society of unrest and a high crime rate; it was normal to take out one's rage on others to establish dominance.

Although Talia had initially blamed Chrysalis for being a bad influence, she had the time to reflect on her accusations after learning of Chrysalis's passing. Seeing her body was the first step in Talia's acceptance of her having to put the world first, not Kendra's life.

#### Levin

*"He's fast and cool, and they've got a crass sense of humor. He's an extra dose of personality - I just hope they're not much trouble." - Talia, 2007*

*"He seems like a big shot, but when you really get to know them, they're still a really big shot. I'm not impressed." - Talia, 2023*

Although they were a show off and had a big shot personality, Levin became the apple of a young Talia's eye, teaching him about how to maximize his own speed by using her speedster ability to justify being their teacher in this regard. She was one of the only members of the collective who accepted them. The two of them had more of a teacher/student relationship than the romantic relationship that she had thought she wanted from him as a younger cat.

During the end times, Talia protected him from a fatal blow during his fight with Kendra, picking up where he left off as he escaped, pressured by his feline teacher to do so.

In Etheridge, it was revealed that he not only survived the fall of the continent, but he also floats as a neutral party to the Etheridge Collective. He lost his ability to switch into his vehicular form, and gained another Badge during the process whilst also gaining a humanlike form. Although she believed for the longest time that this was just a descendant or reincarnation, he revealed that he stumbled upon some forbidden magic whilst helping Kendra usurp the previous monarchy to change his form so he could evade the law, as the coup and his presence were televised nationally. Knowing all of this, Talia chooses not to engage with a traitor and would rather he live his own life elsewhere.

#### Hans

*"Loyal, brave, and does pretty much everything he can to make sure your requests are fulfilled even if it kills him. Great for nobles, not so great for a cat who values his life, because he's her best friend, not her butler."*

Hans was instructed to be Talia's butler; however, he was more like a friend and an older brother to her despite the age difference. He was instrumental in keeping Kendra calm enough so that she could attempt to grow into her powers before they grew onto her; the two of them were more than happy to be equals outside the grounds of House Annemieke, even if it took him a while to get used to not having to do anything for Talia not because it was an order, but because friendship involved doing and returning favors.

The two of them bonded over books and tea and afternoon lunches together, and shared their exasperation for the drama they wanted no part of. When Talia discovered that Hans had lost his life during the fight with Kendra, his death filled her with so much grief that she couldn't stand on her own paws anymore and collapsed. She only got up to fight again when it turned out he was still clinging to life, and begged her to fight for her friends before actually slipping away - if she could save the world, her friends would return. Whether or not it was the truth or just a lie to keep her going, it restored Talia's motivation and led her to accept that her world and friends would need to be put first above Kendra's life.

### The Etheridge Collective

#### Kodachi Tsurugi

*"She's quite a host, and a host I wished I had ages ago. She's been swell and I admire her continued search for personal growth, even if she stumbles into days where it seems like stagnation is an inevitability."*

Kodachi and Talia have a respectful, enriching friendship where the two of them have learned various things from one another; Talia had taught Kodachi about the past, and how thinking through a problem logically doesn't always mean sacrificing the emotions that come with it. The two of them have bonded over education and their shared love for speed, notwithstanding their relationship as ancestor and descendant. Talia sees Kodachi as her grandchild of sorts given her abilities and similar personality traits. The two of them have an affinity for combat and fighting for what's right.

Although Talia knew Kodachi had not only usurped the kingdom, but also fell the queen of Etheridge - Talia's former friend, in self defense, she holds no ill will towards the drift car. In fact, she believes Kendra still exists in a saved state of some sort wandering the continent before her corruption in her youth; however, she has deemed it to be for the best that such a saved state should be left alone to live its own life.

If there's anything the two of them disagree on, it's initiative. It takes Kodachi a long time to initiate a task. Though Talia gets frustrated easily and even if she doesn't outright say it, sometimes her inaction is frustrating to the cat.

#### Chokuto Tsurugi

*"A chef, protector, and a fun loving person? No wonder he's so popular amongst the little ones."*

Talia and Chokuto's relationship is a respectful one, and full of laughs and enrichment. The two of them have bonded over watching the little ones of their team, whether attending to their needs or just watching them play. It's thanks to Chokuto that she knows how to cook a small range of meals and be a better protector for those younger than her. The two of them have clashed over their unique ways of parenting - Talia initially had wished to keep children sheltered from the harsh realities at such a young age, whether they were external or in memory. Chokuto, however in agreement he was about protecting kids from knowledge they're too young to learn, disagreed in that there are some memories should be used for education to prevent the past from being repeated.

While Talia has always loved books, she's amused by Chokuto playing video games as his frustration can be equally as understandable as it is humorous. While Chokuto introduced more complex games than the games she watched her friends play as kids, Talia has also introduced Chokuto to book reading as a hobby, rather than to get homework done or learn to resolve a specific issue.

#### Makibishi Tsurugi

*"Makibishi is so full of love, joy, and laughter even when things look rough ahead. She reminds me so much of an old friend; it's hard not to think Daisy came back in some way or another."*

Talia and Makibishi get along swimmingly - Talia admires the joy Makibishi radiates through her smile and laughter, much like a familiar old friend she once knew in her youth. Although Makibishi can sing the songs that her old friend couldn't sing, Talia often finds herself flattening her ears against her head when Makibishi becomes too loud or fails to stop herself from talking long enough to listen. The cat often finds herself in a position where she has to be the minder for the youngest Tsurugi sibling when her emotions boil over, both for Makibishi's own good and because Talia is sensitive to sound.

Talia enjoys helping Makibishi bake, and enjoys singing with her. The two of them have also bonded over writing and books, and have even bonded over writing their own stories together. Their love for literature goes so far as agreeing that physical media is better than fussing around with digital media for various reasons, which means they still disagree over genres, story structures, character archetypes, and so on. Talia won't hesitate to admit that Makibishi's positive influence is something that rubbed off on her, which she credits for being a protective factor against the effects of her past, which might have been arguably worse without her around, in her mind.

#### Arashi Tsurugi

*"I won't fail her like I failed Kendra."*

To Arashi, Talia is her best friend. To Talia, she felt like she had to once again retake the position of being a protector and being almost like a mother, despite Chokuto, her father, being a stable, kind presence in her life, and being surrounded by her aunts, her mother, and a circle of reliable friends. Despite this, Talia's unique way of looking after her and the other little ones in the ranks involves tastefully educating them about the less than ideal parts of the world, in spite of Chokuto's protests, as past sheltering had been an indirect way that caused the world to burn in the past. This had led to some strain between Talia and many members of the group, calling her approach tactless and paranoid, citing that Arashi (and the other kids at that) do not have those capabilities, physically or emotionally.

Talia and Arashi lean on each other nonetheless, for their friendship is built on a stable foundation of honesty and trust - just as Talia can be a little too honest with Arashi, Arashi has learned that honesty isn't always something to avoid when important matters are at hand, even if admitting one's mistakes can upset other people. When she questioned what the point was of being honest of her mistakes was when honesty was meant to *avoid* conflict, Talia had to be the one to teach her that honesty was less about getting in less trouble, and more about clearing one's moral debts because it was the right thing to do. Talia has taken a place in Arashi's life where she can impart advice, morals, and knowledge to her when she asks for it - there aren't any secrets to be found between the two of them (unless they're both sharing an innocent one).

#### Zeph

*"She's like Chrysalis if she grew into a bird, used swords, and actually got the chance to mature."*

Talia and Zeph see each other as reliable combatants and are in sync during fights - they're so in sync that they'll disagree on the same subject *even if they're both on the same page.* Despite being somewhat immature, defensive, and even somewhat loud and repetitive, Talia hasn't been hesitant to credit her for starting to show more maturity, growing into a more confident person, and understanding what it means to fight for justice. While Talia doesn't approve of her tendency to hold grudges, she also recognizes that it can be hard for her to even know how to begin letting go of them, much less keeping them away from her mind at the first sign of stress.

Even when Zeph's memories reveal her being almost like Chrysalis during her first few years in Kendra's Cabinet, Lumi's presence, coupled with her own life experience, has mellowed her out significantly. Even then, she still itches for a fight and has observed her going against her collective's wishes when it comes to sparking drama or trying to get the last word, which has led to strained relationships and Zeph's iffy self image, as confessed by her to Talia. In spite of this, the two of them trust each other. When asked about Zeph's propensity to rush headlong into a fight for justice, she adds that a dose of logic and emotional control could turn Zeph from a directionless warrior into someone who could potentially become a lawyer.

#### Lumi

*"Lumi's got the hospitality to bake a visitor an apple pie and send them on their merry way telling them not to be a stranger. I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that they might be Kodachi's ancestor."*

Talia has a soft spot for Lumi, and in spite of her admitting that she's uninterested in romance, she believes that if other timelines existed that there might be one where Lumi and Talia would potentially be more than friends. As friends, the two of them are respectful of one another. While the two of them mostly do their own things on their own time, Talia and Lumi's interactions are as enriching as the books Talia takes the time to read. Whilst she's not big on physical contact, she appreciates when Lumi can take the time out of their day to give Talia a chin scratch. She has admitted to being impressed by Lumi's strong will and capability to brush off most traumas, perhaps due to being around other supportive people to protect them from being affected by most of it.

She sees Lumi as perseverant and powered by their own positivity, much like Makibishi and her late friend, Daisy.

#### Axol Lotl

*"He's a reliable friend with a lot of creative prowess, and he's got the heart of a good leader. Aside from him being out of pocket time to time, that is."*

Talia and Axol have an amicable relationship, even if his mischief and out-of-pocket humor makes her fur stand on end. Like the other guys in the group, he's got a good heart even if she'll comment that he left his brain elsewhere - not to call him anything less than intelligent, but that he abandons his sense of logic for the sake of getting a quick laugh at times, such as when he knows not to stand in a dangerous place and still get hit by falling objects. Outside of his odd sense of humor, Axol knows when to be serious and protect his friends from danger, real and perceived.

Like Makibishi and Ledger, he has a clairvoyant ability to aid in being a protector. Talia also admires his creative prowess when it comes to problem solving and helping Kodachi with her own art, as well as dispensing ideas for bigger projects.

#### Wren Rose

*"At first, he was a troublemaker. Nowadays, he's still a bit lost even if he has his feet on the ground now. I hope he knows I'm here to answer his questions and protect him if need be."*

Talia holds Wren in high regard, showing immense respect for his development as a person since his time in his old life. She is slightly guarded around him, but only when he's tense about his past struggles or facing off against nightmare energies, otherwise, she treats her akin to how she treated Kendra - she looks out for him, sits on his head whilst she loafs, and even recommends books time to time for him to read that would be least likely to interfere with his atonement. At the same time, she doesn't keep secrets from him, and would rather answer his questions in a way he can understand rather than hide the memories. If it's anything Talia cannot relate to, it's Wren's use of vulgar humor and his tendency to become rather amorous with the others at inopportune times, leading her to either choose to leave or stand there until her ability to dampen those feelings if he needed to focus in the moment on something more pressing.

Nonetheless, she admires him as an example of how love can change a person for the better.

#### Skye Rose

"Her heart's in the right place, though she can't express it as well as she wants to. She's got a lot of strength and is task oriented, but she should cut loose every once in a while."

Talia places an immense amount of trust and respect in Skye, letting her deal with daily life whilst she is safe in the background. Although the cat doesn't accompany Skye in daily life, she sees how hard she works to keep others safe and happy, as well as financially stable as possible. Internally, the two of them are part of the same historian team and have insightful conversations with one another, as if they were two philosophers discussing what it means to be alive, although one approach is slightly more nihilistic, and another more optimistic. Even though their conflicting worldviews don't lend to any major conflicts between them, Talia has expressed concern at a few points about Skye's jaded viewpoint, and wishes she could cut loose with the others more. Aside from that, she finds Skye to be a treasured part of her life.

### Ledger

*"Such potential squandered by an iron fist since the early days of his inception. He's the way he is because he had to be that way to survive. Old habits die hard, after all."*

Talia and Ledger have similar posh, sophisticated interests and interact with one another as professionals, preferring to keep their relationship on professional terms. To this end, it's rare to see them fight, much less get too emotional with each other. This doesn't stop them from having a laugh over midafternoon tea, nor does this bar them from asking for personal favors time to time. The two of them put their heads together often over writing projects and research when they have a common goal.

Talia harbors a sense of condolence for Ledger, given how his potential was squandered by the idea that he had to aim for perfection to survive Her Majesty's reign, which significantly affected his work, relationships, and self-image. Years after the kingdom's fall, she's still helping him learn about himself. Despite knowing about his past and affiliation with Kendra's Cabinet, as well as his past actions including his vehement and violent opposition to the Etheridge Collective when the kingdom was being overthrown, she doesn't regret giving him a second chance to make things right. Like with Skye, she wishes he could cut loose a little more often with the rest of the collective.

### The Rest of the Etheridge Collective

Talia is seen as a teacher among the little ones, a reliable combatant in the eyes of the protectors and fighters, and a trustworthy friend to others who are closest to her. Talia has shown herself to be worthy as a leader of the Etheridge Collective, cementing herself as the latest member in a panel of eight leaders. In contrast to her role as just being seen as a tutor or a "know-it-all" during her tenure before being sealed away, she's now seen as her own individual and a source of a vast amount of knowledge, as well as a friend and a vital part of the community to the rest of the collective.

Whether she is revered, feared, or just a community member, there's no doubt that the Etheridge Collective has gotten far with her. Likewise, she respects everyone on the team and feels wary of a few of the newer members, but to Talia, a stranger is just a student she hasn't taught yet.

## Interests and Disinterests

### Interests

* Being a peacekeeper
* Being busy
* Reading books of different genres (mainly biology)
* Writing
* Keeping up with current Earthly events
* Being an archivist/historian
* Combat training
* Drama (arts)
* Preserving history to protect the future

### Disinterests

* Drama (social)
* Athletics
* Being treated like a cat
* Romance and physical intimacy
* Gossip/keeping secrets

## Abilities

* **Super Speed -** Talia looks like a cat through and through, but carries a unique ability among all animalian members of the Graelenncia and Etheridge Collectives; her super speed. She's able to travel 700MPH (roughly 1126KMH) with an acceleration speed of 0-60MPH in 7 seconds.
	+ **Speed Based Strength -** Talia's speed can be used to channel all of her strength into a single burst - she has been known to take on the constructs made from Nightmare Energy by rearing her head through their bodies so fast where she could make a hole where her body used to be, coming out the other side. While this won't work on organic life forms because of the density of a normal human, Nightmare Energy constructs and beings that can get Badged are susceptible to her one-hit kill.
	+ **Speedster Physiology -** It's easy to brush off Talia's super speed as her only ability, but being able to travel 700mph without suffering any ill effects in the short or long term aren't sub-abilities to sneeze at. Being a speedster, Talia's mind operates faster than a *normal human's,* so she can think clearly even when she's traveling faster than a car. Secondly, her cardiovascular system is optimized to where her blood isn't piling up in the back of her body ready to react like a popped balloon when she stops, and her heart and lungs function efficiently to keep her conscious and focused. Not to mention, her skin is extra durable as well as her fur, so her body isn't being injured when it comes into contact with small insects that might fly into her path.
	+ **Speed Combat -** Talia might not be able to travel at light speed, but she's so fast that her perception of time slows down. Despite Zeph's and Makibishi's jokes, Talia flat out refuses to pull any sort of pranks on her adversaries despite being in a position to do so.

* **Feline Physiology -** Talia is a cat, and has all of the traits of one although most, if not all of her traits are peak condition compared to an Earth born cat.
	+ **Superior Burrowing -** Talia can burrow through snow and soil like an Earth born cat, but while she can't burrow through more than soil and snow, her stamina can allow her to dig tunnels for minutes at a time when coupled with her super speed.
	+ **Jump Augmentation -** This cat can jump seven times the height of her tail and land on her feet like most Earth born cats, but there have been times where she can jump higher or just as high in spite of being in high gravity environments or under areas of effect induced by adversaries which should have made that impossible.

## Trivia

* Talia was often called Natalia by her family, despite Natalia not being in the official birth records.
* Due to the reputation her family had maintained, Talia never addresses herself with her full legal name.
* The origin of her ability to travel 700MPH is largely unknown, but some say it was bestowed upon her by either genetics, or speculate if her family had dabbled in a magical pastime.
* She shares a similar color scheme to Kodachi Tsurugi, raising questions about their relations despite the frequent debunking of such existing.
* Talia can run faster than the top speeds of every member of her group, but cannot outrun Kodachi Tsurugi's 7th Dimensional Phase Jump ability.
* As new information has come to light, it turns out that *Talia* was the first between her and Kendra to be born in Graelenncia, unlike the latter as previously thought. It's possible that Kendra still took on a central ruler role since she came upon the alternate world first between the two of them, however.