So I was wondering what was the policy here on solo threads, meaning a post that you just do yourself. I'm pretty sure I've seen a few of them with a person going back and forth between their own alts, but I don't think I've seen anyone by themselves. I ask because I want to have Cain do a little practicing with the power. I could of course just have it happen off screen and mod it, but I'd like to have it posted somewhere so that I can reference it and go back to review what he should and shouldn't know.

[[Continued from here.]]

When she emerged at all, it was almost as though she were translucent. Her existence shrank to the blink of an eye. And how often she awoke here in tears! The dread followed, a thread that tied her to her other self, and in her flashes of cognisance she began to worry.

Something had shifted, and slowly the tendrils of it pushed into Nimeda's world. She tried to follow the insidiousness back to its source - to try and contact her Other for the first time in aeons.

It only seemed to make her snatches of consciousness more fleeting. Until finally Nimeda began to panic.

Who could help?

Her first thought was Little Bird, Little Bird. Jon Little Bird. He would help, she knew that deep in her ancient roots, with a warmth and familiarity that she could not explain. But she also knew - and remembered! What novelty! - that her other self feared him, and fear was the thorny problem. Nimeda could not take the risk of making things worse. They were separate, she and the Other, but intrinsic to each other.

There was the girl she sometimes watched. Mundane dreams, to be sure, but how fondly she lingered anyway. But the girl could not walk freely in Nimeda's world, and there was no guarantee that she would remember or take seriously a dream.

Who did that leave? This turning was still young, and so many of the familiar faces slept or wandered in ignorance.

How she longed for a father's guidance. A name on the tip of her tongue, then lost to darkness.

There had to be someone else.

The thoughts that formed this plan were fragmentary. Strewn out over long distances. Wound together so desperately. It was the yellow eyes of the wolves that sometimes watched her that finally stirred the idea.

Calvin. The wolfbrother. Hardly an acquaintance, really, but Nimeda knew where to find him.

More time passed while she searched for his dream. Each snatched second precious.

Until she found him.

Damien is using the OP to hide his identity. Marcus knows this and sees through this (I'm assuming I only skimmed the threads I missed this weekend)... Marcus mentions that Damien's presence would have been noted.

We've had the discussion already that OP threads weaves etc can't be seen by camera's and tech. So in theory would they see Manix as Manix when he was disguising himself? Same with Damien?

It's not a physical transformation but how far do we go into the fact that camera's can't see weaves...

A camera can see fireballs as it's a physical manifestation of power. How does the mask of mirrors and other such illusions translate to the camera?

Since we have many writers who write for multiple characters, I thought this might be a handy reference for new members (especially for marrying up characters with their chat handles).

Note: Some people are open about who they write, and some choose to keep it to themselves - either way is fine. It's up to the individual player if they want to make it known or not. Likewise, some people use the chatroom and some don't, so this won't be an exhaustive list. Those people who stick to writing one character and also use chat tend to use that character's name. I can't think of any exceptions, but if there are I will add them to the list.

I have added ALL characters, including retired, deceased, PPC (part time) and inactive.

If you want to be added to the list, post below. Also any amendments, in case I get anything wrong.

Characters: Ascendancy, Daiyu, Danika, Julie Reed, Lawrence Monday, Patricius I, Seven, Kemala, Grym, Colette Moreau, Kaelan, Carter de Volthström, Daniil, Matias, Quillon Hawke, Luminar (Theron Finnegren), Nora Saint-Clair, Daphne Du Cadeau, Constantine Harroway, Seraphis
Chat handle: Ascendancy or Asc or Nik

Characters: Hood, Drayson, Jacques.
Chat handle: NumberTwo

Characters: Jaxen Marveet, Dane Gregory (deceased), Jay Carpenter, Evelyn, Ryker, Tristan, Andre DuBois, Adrian Kane, Kiyohito, Zixin, Maksim Marveet, Sámiel, Ezvin Marveet, Zholdin Gregorovich, Narariy Moroz, Ozymandius Kassim, Marek 
Chat handle: Jax or Jaxen, Jay or Jai, or Ryker

Characters: Thalia, Tehya, Oriena, Natalie Grey, Soren, Asha, Morven, Raffe, Tenzin, Sesuna, Vena (PPC), Nhysa, Zhenya, Ekeziel, Eidolon, Kota, Noémi Jourdain, Visha, Helena Asquith, Sofia Vasilieva, Esper, Nesrin Aziz, Gideon, Bastian, Lore Dearborn, Calliope (Callista Haart), Lucien, Jia Xin Kao, Lalitha Vero, Eve, Faith, Seren, Dominik Vas
Chat handle: thal 

Characters: Michael Vellas, Tony, Damien.
Chat handle: MV

Characters: Ayden, Sierra, Alex (PPC), Nox, Dorian, Ilesha, Sage, Methos, Tan Li, Cruz, Yun Kao, Xander, Jerry, Ilesha, Sterling, Angelicka, Allan, Zephyr, Roza Vas, Jacob, Ashton, Christian, Liam H, Hayden, Mia Wolf, Cade, Sasha, Eliot, Lyra
Deceased characters: Vladmir, Katya, Aurora,  Borovsky, Aria
Chat handle: Nox

Characters: Giovanni Cavellli, Calvin, Pytor Grigory, Jared Vanders, Emily Shale, Enrique, Elyse, Anton, Kiriena, Anna Rodriquez, Rachel Shale, Cor, Marisol, Edwin, Marta, Cadence, Claude Saint-Clair, Tatyana, Anita, Elend, Casey, Ghost, Grace, Olivier de Volthstrom
Deceased Characters: Yoshimura
Chat handle: Gio

Characters: Connor Kent, Marcus DuBois, Ivan Sarkozy, Jacinda, Beto, Regus (Armande Nicodemus), Mikhail, Idris, Rena, Liv, Jarissa, Jaap
Deceased Characters: Lucas, Sebastian
Chat handle: ck or bas

Character: Katya Alokhin
Chat handle: Tamy

Character: Victoria Wolff
Chat handle: justinkayce

Characters: Jon Little Bird, Yuri Obrechennyy, Katchina Makawee, Gwendolyn Peterson, Noah Crow's Eye, Toni Perez
Chat Handle: jlb or Jon Little Bird

Characters: Nolan Trace, Seth Marx, Andrew Koehler, Carolyne Weber
Chat Handle: Trano, Freedom, Liberty (or any of their character names, often at the same time)

Characters: Cain Belasis,
Chat Handle: Cain

Characters: Akantha, Zoya Bocharov, Camila
Chat Handle: Zo

Characters: Nika, Akari 
Chat Handle: Nika

Characters: Aiden Finnegan, Rowan Finnegan, Siobhan West, Meera Alam
Chat Handle: Aiden Finnegan

Characters: Lih, Nina
Chat Handle: Lih

Characters: Alistair James
Chat Handle: Alistair


Also, if you're a social media-ite, there's the facebook page and the Twitter one too.

Being shot had sucked. He wished for Aurora's healing talent by the time he finished the care at the Atharim Infirmary. It had required stitches and a lot of burn cream thanks to the cauterization he'd done himself, but at least he hadn't bled to death from it with the amount of time it took to seek care.

Nox had brought home yet another stray - Cain was a decent enough man and Nox had a soft spot for people a little down on their luck. Aurora would say it was just strays he had a soft sport for - she was probably right. Nox sighed. He missed his sister. She had been his everything before Moscow. They hadn't gotten along all the time, but she was his sister. His world was broken without her. The only bright side to things was he still had Aria - not his sister by blood more by choice now. But it wasn't the same. The bond he'd shared with Aurora was missing.

While he'd been hunting with Dane and Cain a strange text had arrived on his wallet. With a little bit of research Nox realized it was the cop Atharim they'd met when the warehouse blew to kingdom-come. He wanted to meet. Nox sighed - he was having far too many of these meetings without Aria. He wasn't sure he liked this.

Nox replied the morning before he left to go hunting with Elyse Sorry for the delay been hunting. Going hunting again. Tomorrow? Send me time and place and I'll be there. Something public and with lots of people. You better not be setting me up. I don't want to have to defend myself. He didn't wait for Dorian's before loading up his wallet with the mapping software.

Nox had sent a text to Elyse yesterday to have her meet him at a location near the Market, someplace loitering while waiting wouldn't look out of place but still close enough to a tunnel entrance that they could slip in easily. He was mentally going over the gear he had with him. He couldn't use his gift, so he had a cross bow, his old go-to weapon. He was also packing two handguns and and a few flash bangs, just in case they got in deep shit. But if they got in deep shit Nox wouldn't let anything happen if he could prevent it - Atharim or not, he wasn't going to die because of their stupid rules.

Nox had grabbed a pair of landwarriors for his and Dane's hunt and hoped Elyse had her own. They weren't as good as his last set, Aria hadn't had time to get the latest and greatest from her source. And she wouldn't give him the details. She claimed it was so he'd have a reason to keep her around. Which was mostly a joke - he hoped.

Nox made sure he was 20 minutes early to calm his frazzled nerves. Nox paced back and forth once he got to the meeting point. He was still freaking out. Why the hell had he said he'd cook for Elyse, or take her dancing. He didn't date girls yet it had felt completely natural. Nox stopped his nervous pacing and embraced his power as he leaned against the wall. Just because he was with another Atharim didn't mean he wasn't going to use every advantage he could. He focused on the call of the power and the struggle to keep the black light in his grasp while he waited. It was oddly soothing as he let his power extend into the earth while he waited. Something felt oddly familiar and strangely like home in the mere extension of his power into the ground beneath him. He hoped he didn't have to wait long for Elyse, he wasn't sure how long this new found peace would last.

Rachel was coming over. Cruz was elated and having a panic attack. What if she figured out why he was sick? What would she do? What would his father do? Ivan had said to keep practicing, but the moment he'd texted Rachel he couldn't touch the source of his power it kept slipping through his fingers.

There was a knock at the door and Cruz rushed to straighten his room from the disheveled (<del>decapitated </del>- so not the word) state it had become while he'd been sick. Not that he expected to bring Rachel to his room - but, it was the idea of her seeing his room a mess if she did.

Cruz could hear Pavlo walking to answer the door and he shut the door to his room with a loud bang as he heard Pavlo open the ugly wooden door for Rachel. Cruz tried not to look paniced as he raced down the stairs to greet her. "I got this Pavlo. I'm sure you've better things to do." Cruz turned to Rachel with a wide smile. "Come on in, Rachel." Cruz didn't know whether to hug her or kiss her. He hated feeling uncertain but there was so much to think about with this new found ability and the revelation about his father. He didn't even want to think about that.

Cruz offered to take Rachel's coat and escorted her into the study - the least offensive room in the house. He couldn't wait for his mother to get her hooks into the decor. He was certain his father felt the same way. "Can I get you something to drink?"


Edited by Dorian, Jul 28 2016, 01:31 PM.

Manifesto wasn't really her type of club. Emily enjoyed more laid back places mostly, but here she felt she could think better, and Ayden wasn't responding to her messages, so she had to be alone. She sat at the bar, wondering about Ascendancy's proclamation. Emily needed a drink.

Everything would change now, and of course it would happen just as Emily was starting to figure things out. Emily was stressed. With the announcement, the board had questioned the safety of having the Gala still, but Emily had pushed for it. Additional security might be need for the event, but people here could use the release. It was all still up in the air though.

A text came through her wallet, and Emily hoped it was Ayden finally responding. Emily could use a friend right now, but it was just her sister. Rachel was still worried about Cruz. Emily replied back and told her she would ask Dorian about it. Emily sighed, and rubbed at her temple.

"Can I help you?"
the bartender asked.

"Long Island,"
she said. She wanted something a little stronger.

As the bartender made her drink, she sent Dorian a message.

Quote:<dl>
<dt>Outgoing Message</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>


Hey Dorian,

Rachel hasn't heard from Cruz in awhile, and is getting concerned because of everything that is going on. She just wants to know if he's okay. I'm sorry about this.

ES

Silence.

Pure and beautiful silence.

For months there had never been a moment's silence in the hell hole Nikolai had thrown him into. If it was not the sound of his students working on their art, it was the persistent hum of the White-Cloaks' machines, forever working to find an answer to the one question everyone wanted to know.

What manner of power did he wield?

Michael had not been a good subject. Some of the others like Im Seung Jun, the meticulous former surgeon and Karim al'Shadis provided them with much better answers. They wondered at their power, they wanted to know how and why.

Michael cared little for such things. He was a bonfire in a storm that could snuff him out at any moment. It was enough.

His eight students stood in a line like soldiers. Perfectly still and blessedly silent. Michael himself stood across from them in the main training room, scanning the line.

They had come far in the preceding months. Very far. Some were even talented. All were dangerous.

And now the time had come to unleash the beasts he had created.

Some would stay, men like Sanjay Ramanujan, men who would do well at teaching other prospective ascendants. The others... he would take them to the surface.

Petrovic and Taichechski in particular. Those two were dangerous. They hated him. He could see it in their eyes. So he would keep them close, and if the day came when they mustered their courage to defy him, he would be ready.

"Ascendants,"
he began in a soft, cool voice. "Today you are no longer students. Today you become more than infants. You have done well to survive, and now you will be rewarded for it."


Michael hardly saw what was to come as a reward, but they didn't know what they were getting into. They did not know Nikolai, the man who sought to play God.

"Stand proud. Today, the Ascendancy will welcome you as brothers."


As slaves...

The radio played loud guitar riffs in the background with screaming voices over top. It wasn't what Ilesha called music but it was what Rick was fond of and it was Rick's shop. Ilesha sat across the seat of a new intake - the bike was goregous, the chrome was perfectly polished, the paint job was buffed to a perfect shine, but most importantly it was well taken care of. Everything about the machine was perfect - it was in for it's three month maintenance - like it was every three months.

Danny was not your regular joe who owned bikes, Danny was a collector - but this one he loved - he rode it every weekend. Ilesha knew when Danny pulled into the garage, the hum was perfect. One day maybe Danny would let her take it for a spin.

The radio blurted out the breaking news beeps that alerted the world to changes - usually weather related but this one wasn't. The tyrant across the sea - one Nikolia Brandon was giving yet another one of his famed speeches. Ilesha rolled her eyes - the man was too powerful for his own good and should be taken down a notch. Someday someone would - but really it wasn't Ilesha's concern - at least not until the moment he declared magic real.

Sure Ilesha had heard of Nicholas Trano and his declaration of magic. The entire current event thing had been the only talk around the dinner table for months after it's end. Ilesha didn't really care - it wasn't mechanical in nature but magic - she knew magic. The very man she'd disliked was now kin. A man like herself. It wasn't surprising to hear really - it explained so much of history and how this man looked as good as he did for his age.

Ilesha had graduated having had to take a history class which covered current events and of course their enemy Ascendancy was part of the curriculum but now she saw so many things that could be explained by one word - magic.

The sickness linked to magic. Magic people like herself were about to become targets. The world was about to become a boiling pot of rage and fear. Ilesha tried to tune everything out - she wasn't going to out herself by reacting to the news. Fear and anger were going to rip the world apart. It always did. There had to be something she could do about it. It would just take time to think of a solution that worked for her.

Ilesha Fisher

Age: 2022 (23 years old in 2045)

Origin: New York, New York, USA

Occupation: Mechanic/Engineer

Supernatural Powers: Channeler
Current Strength: 15
Potential Strength: 20
Skill Level: Adept
Reborn god: Ki (Sumerian)

Personality:

Ilesha is a mechanical prodigy. She often displays an aloft/arrogant nature, but she is not trying to look down upon the other person, she doesn't understand human interactions as well as she should. She is often shunned because of her aptitude with understanding things on a different level and is often found sitting alone instead of mingling with others. Ilesha's greatest desire is to find someone who understands her on an intellectual level as well as personal. Her parents have instilled in her a great need for family and friends in her life though she finds it hard to accomplish that. Her biggest fear is failing. Ilesha's only non-mechanical outlet is music - she loves to sing, hum, etc.

Description:

Ilesha is 5' 7" with raven black hair and near black eyes. Her skin is sun-kissed year round and almost always splattered and smeared with grease. Her fingernails are kept short and clean despite her work. Ilesha's long hair is pulled back into a high ponytail under most circumstances. She prefers to wear dark colors to hide the grease and dirt stains of her career and her clothes are lose and baggy for comfort rather than flattering.

History:

It was a particularly difficult assembly Ilesha was studying. Each piece was carefully crafted to fit together just perfectly but one was cracked. The instructor told her everything was fine, but Ilesha knew better. She could see the tiny fine line in the part that would make the assembly fail upon testing. It was that perfect - almost hand crafted into disaster.

Ilesha's thoughts raced, how could she fix this without compromising the assembly and wasting anymore time. Absently Ilesha hummed a pretty little song that her mother sang to her as a child while she tempered her thoughts. A faint warmth spread across her fingers. The metal in her hands grew warm. Ilesha dropped the piece on the floor accidentally. Fear bubbled up into her throat as she bent down to pick up the part. She searched for more damage. But there was none there. The hair line fracture she'd seen so clearly before was gone. Had she imagined it?

Ilesha shook her head and cleared her worries from her mind and finished the assembly. By the end of the day her professor was congratulating her on winning the fasted assembly time, and the only assembly that preformed exceptionally on the tests. But something still nagged at Ilesha.

****

Ilesha was alone in the shop - she was working an old motorcycle. It was her pet project - an oldie but goodie. Her father had found an old school gasoline injection motorcycle from the early part of the this century - a 2016 Harley Davidson Forty-Eight. Ilesha was restoring it to mint condition but some of the parts were completely rusted out.

Or that was what she had assumed. The first piece she'd taken off had come away in her hand and she felt the rust just rub away as it warmed in her hand. It was like magic, Ilesha hummed away the hours it took to restore the cycle to it's mint condition. It was a months worth of free time if not more before she was cracking up the engine. And that month of time had punctuated with a severe cold as well. She'd not made any of her classes or to work at all. She was 16 and had never missed a day of school before then. Now she was missing days at a time - fever and chills and completely unable to get out of bed. Her parents never even noticed that she wasn't well. No one expected her to slack of so no one checked up on her.

****

Graduating had been one of the greatest feelings in the world. The cap and the gown were dark against her already tanned skin making it look darker than it truly was. The golden collar made her parents proud as did the golden cords hanging around her neck. Her master's degree in mechanical engineering made her parents proud. They hadn't even been disappointed when Ilesha told them that she was going to stay on at Rick's working on bikes. She wasn't after money - though she had turned down three jobs around the world for high end mechanical engineering firms looking to recruit her. She just wanted to work on bikes and do her own thing. They had been proud of her - her parents. They supported her. And Ilesha was grateful.

****

Ilesha remembered her first dollhouse. It was her only dollhouse. Her parents had gotten it for her for her 5th birthday. It still sat on a table in her room. It had started out as a cardboard box to look like a house. But over the years Ilesha had started restoring it with real wood, and designing the house as it should be.

As Ilesha looked back at the dollhouse, she remembered carving the little wooden handrails for the stairs. The lights had been the most fun to install. She'd cannibalized other toys to get enough lights and wire to string inside her fake house. It was her dream house. Ilesha imagined it talked back to her - lights on.

It truly functioned now when she turned the app on she'd written to control the small tiny house. It wasn't much to do now, but it was her brother's help that made it all possible - her dream home.

Now her pet projects were much larger and more grand. Somewhere along the course of her schooling Ilesha realized that humming was key to power. A power she knew nothing about, but it allowed her to do things that she couldn't master otherwise - it fixed cracks in metal - it could strength a brittle piece - clean rush from a bolt - and even grease a lug on a tire. It was wonderful and her ideas were grand. That's why she'd stayed with Rick. It was why she'd turned down every new job that came her way. Without the freedom of the shop she could never pursue her dream - and that was what she wanted.