Ice

## Description

Ice has icy blue eyes and they're on the shorter side (5'6'') with a slimmer, more agile build. He has spot/stripe patterns from his cheetah form scattered on his skin and the signature teardrop pattern. He also has the ears and tail and more feline-like legs and retractable claws.

In his cheetah form, he is a bit larger than your average cheetah and maintains a thick mane of fur that starts at his head and runs like a mohawk down his neck to between his shoulders. He carries the mutation that "stripes" cheetahs and has a white underbelly that forms an almost lightning bolt shape at his stomach. His paws are white

## Personality

Ice is an improver, tending to read people and fret over what they want with him and how he's perceived. With his background as an orphan lying his way into better schools, he hasn't really had anything stable in his life and it's among what he wants the most. He is a thief, and quick with his hands and good at distracting others. He's a dreamer all things considered, and can be a bit more childish and a cringefail. He uses self deprecating humor as a toxic coping mechanism in order to connect with others.

## Story

### Pre-Rp

Ice doesn't remember much of his young childhood other than it was pretty average. He knows he had loving parents until their deaths where he found himself pretty alone and without the skills or age to make it out on his own. He wasn't old enough to get himself a job and turned to thieving after an accidental shoplift where he realized it solved most of his problems and he was pretty good at it. He'd continue to do this before going to the library and trying to get himself some bit of an education. But then he got an idea. Why not try deceiving his way into a school and fully test his abilities? Ice managed, after trial and error and building up, getting into one of the better academies, stealing himself a uniform and eventually meeting Ilya and Rayne here. He lied about his status as a foreign exchange student, but found himself actually finding a bit of stability with this friend group though knowing it wouldn't last. Eventually his new friends would return to their home countries and he was on borrowed time as it was sneaking his way in. He regretted stealing from Rayne during one of their first encounters and it was one of the first times he set off to return something and make up for it...though ironically, partially with stolen goods. He was close with this friend group and left the school only when they went home, carrying the lie of who he was with him and realizing that maybe his life was a bit too good to be true.

Ice's next ventures into schools mostly had him staying for short periods, seeing anything longer and stable as unachievable for now. He'd learn and steal resources, stealing anything to actually paid fully for college. This led him to steal from whom he assumed was wealthy at one of the finest schools. This was his crowning achievement for getting in. However, he was caught this time, his luck catching up with him as the one he stole from was none other than Ignatius Orcheska. He was reprehended for this and was sent to Milgram Academy after a powerful man became his guardian, getting him out of juvenile detention.

### Rp

Ice didn't expect to see Rayne and Ilya again when he finally awoke, most of his past memories and what happened to him left for his mind alone. He was confused, yet horrified to see them here of all places, joining their group out of familiarity but hesitant to reveal too much of past him and why he was here. He added his thieving and espionage credit and used it to help gather information for Ilya about Kiemo.

Ice is first really shown delivering a report about Kiemo to Ilya, greeting him warmly and it seems this group is the most stable thing going for him and Ice's greatest comfort currently, though he fears losing or disappointing them again. He puts himself on a desk, offering more information about what he's heard of Niccolo's group worsening and claims brain aliens are responsible. He doesn't really know why but figures the researchers must have their ways. Ilya hasn't heard of brain aliens though and he assumes that's for the better. Ilya worries more about their fate and he's at least relieved that Niccolo's issues will give them more time. Ice tells Ilya not to act like he's never heard of brain aliens and continues with him thinking a tiny brain alien must be responsible, figuring it's like the voice in his head. He explains it's lucky that the aliens have been quiet for now and that he's at least onto them. He's appreciative of Rayne's creativity, and agrees that she'd be the best choice to help them plan because of it. When Rayne herself interrupts, Ice explains that he was just informing Ilya of the true dangers they're up against. Ice is somewhat smug toward Ilya, remarking that at least someone else understands what he's talking about.

Ice notes that he was once part of the group that went Missing and brings up that's why he suspects the brain aliens. He notes that Rayne seems alien free though and there's always time for something else to invade. Rayne scolds Ilya for being snappy with Ice and argues that any plan could work in this place. She likes the look of danger and Ice seems pleased with this, but corrects her and says it's not an issue of snapping but an issue of Ilya not having faith in him. Ice recognizes Kiemo as their biggest threat and remarks if they have to walk through fire, he just hopes they look cool as they do so. Ice expresses worry for both his friends after they left the academy and says that school wasn't meant to handle him alone. He notably doesn't remember their old trio name, but remarks he still has an issue with thieving, though remarks he doesn't really remember doing it. Ice is appreciative of seeing Jeremy the frog again and he mimics the frog's ribbit. He admits it's hard not to miss him and he's glad he wasn't forgotten. He suddenly feels something start in his chest though, remembering a man named Berris said something about it. He again reflects on him not knowing what happened to him, just that he must conceal it. He seems to think another tiger, not Rayne, had something to do with more of his experimentation.

Rayne pulls him from his thoughts, confessing that he looks like he's thinking pretty hard, tapping her fingers against his forehead. She tells him he should probably relax, knowing there's probably brain eating animals around but they should just live in the moment. Ice tries saying more words but feels a battle inside him, his fingers flexing on the desk. He starts panting heavily and more fluff starts to wrap around him. He tried to swallow while his eyes lose most traces of humanity. A clenched furry hand dives for his gut. The gesture feels unnatural though, the bend becoming impossible if he wished to prevent breakage. Hissing, he releases his grip, half falling back as his form continued to betray him, his body soon becoming unrecognizable as he shrank enough in size, his hair becoming a forming mane draping over a tawny striped and spotted canvas. He can hardly breathe or focus on much of anything, terror spilling into his belly as his thoughts ebbed into bursts of instinct. Ice can feel his demeanor peel away and out of his grip, ears flattening as he can only stare, an animalistic drive trying to claw its way into his brain. To take over.

Rayne panics and she nervously reaches out to him. Ice can only see faint, flashing glimpses of the present, two different perspectives slamming together and destabilizing him as he loses his footing, crashing to the ground. His head tosses back, blurred vision making him nauseous. Despite the pride he carries about himself, that crisp aura of knowing, he couldn't be more bewildered. He doesn't know why everything seems so bright and why sounds and scent overwhelm him. Furiously he slashes at the floor, the movement disconnected from his own mind and belonging to another. As if a rope had hauled it into motion. Ice fails to see its wielder. He lays there now, spotted and striped sides panting as the luscious scent of wilderness, of instinct tried to seduce his mind. He squeezes his eyes weakly shut. He needs to speak. But if the rest of him is sinking into fatigue though he recognizes the sound of Rayne, realizing he's moments from lashing out at her. Rayne jolts her hand back and she cries before trying to hug him, hoping that he's okay. Ice can feel her hesitation and part of his mind also thinks of her as a threat like the researchers. The rational side of him knows otherwise, he shudders, feeling like snakes slither under his skin. He recoils and notes that she's his friend and he almost hurt her. He's shocked it was his first instinct and wonders what happened to him. As Rayne hugs him, something cries deep within him, joining her tears. With this hug, he calms down enough to restabilize and transform back.

Rayne asks again if he's okay and tells him he went a little "grr woof bark there". She flicks his forehead. Ice sees a flash of his memories before he answers, thinking back to the labs and how he had an out of body feeling there. He wonders how much Kiemo knew and remembers their first encounter where Kiemo told him that he understood him and could help him with what was to come. Ice had no idea what he was talking about but wonders if this was something Kiemo knew about or could sense. He also thinks back to the other tiger, remembering that now two tigers had protected him. But as he comes back to his senses, he realizes a mental tapestry of a cheetah is always there for some reason, the look of it always sketchy and static. All he tells Rayne is that he doesn't know what happened, nor does he want to go back to it. Rayne tells him it's not something he can control, but that it still is something that never happened to her. Ice tells her he felt more like an observer in his own body and that he was fighting something within him. Ice is still shaken as he thanks Rayne again, but also mentions Kiemo again. He wants to kill him, but not before he answers some of his questions about what he meant and why Ice remembers him.

Ilya voices concern too at this point and admits that killing Kiemo is their best case scenario, but also wants to know why Ice wants to question a tiger he remembers too. Ice explains what he remembers again and that the tiger was there and possibly was linked to what happened to him. Rayne breaks some of his tension up as she insists murder isn't their first option but torture could be fun. Ice isn't sure about the torture plan, wondering if they're five if that's their idea. He lies and says yes, they have little to lose knowing with the return of his friends, he now has everything. And that will only get worse as Niccolo appears to join them.

Ice appears in the subplot of Change in the Wind, where he notes he's been avoiding most of his friends to varying degrees as his transformations have worsened. He remembers nearly hurting Rayne the first time and doesn't want to lose his old friends either and stays away. His plan fails though as Rayne finds him and he reunites with Jeremy. With his hands shaking from stress, he spills his water and laments while letting it happen. However things get more eventful for him as a newcomer appears and he feels the itch of his transformation. Iggy also looks familiar to him and he starts piecing together who he is. This is enough to cause Ice to transform when he can't get away and Ice fights to control himself while the voice of someone continues to whisper in his ear.