Main Role-Play Thread [Adventure 1]

[Syrenrei]

This is the main role-playing thread.
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Once the role-play is ready to begin, I will post here to kick it off. Please only reply if you have an approved character for this role-play. If you wish to simply read the role-play and comment in the OOC thread you are free to do so, so long as you do not post in this thread or impeded the role-play in any way.
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Thank you!
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[Syrenrei]

Adventure 1:
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The Mystery of Černá Skála, Slovakia
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The Preservers are worried. They have found an unusual number of psions residing in Černá Skála ("Black Rock") Slovakia. The rather remote town is not unusual in any way except the sudden appearance of several psions. Psionic abilities can present spontaneously in a family but it's also well-established it's passed through genetic lineage. A cluster of psions would usually denote that there are at least a few families with psion heritage contributing to the cluster, but there is no evidence of this in Černá Skála. Psionic powers also usually present or awaken at a young age but the psions in Černá Skála range from children to an elderly woman that is bedridden.
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The Preservers have notified The Ruling Council of this strange activity, who endorsed sending a small group of volunteers to investigate and retrieve the psions (since the Preservers are understaffed and would need assistance). Each sage is a little interested in what might be going on but doesn't want to sacrifice a member of their school that has more important duties. They and the Preservers have asked for volunteers to travel to Černá Skála.
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You are one of those people.
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Maybe you volunteered out of curiosity. Maybe you're a member of The Preservers that are concerned about the well-being of the new psions. Perhaps you are related to another volunteer or Preserver that is going. Why you are going is entirely up to you. As you prepare for your travel you feel the hairs on your arms rise and you're certain that something more than the average psion awaits you.
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[Syrenrei]

 


As of today's date the following are suspected to be psions in Černá Skála Slovakia.

• Mishko Janosik, Age 13, Male
  
• 
  Csilla Ševčík, Age 87, Female
  
• 
  Lenka Ďurica, Age 22, Female
  
• 
  Tomáš Poliačik, Age 36, Male
  
• 
  Jožko Smrek, Age 43, Male
  
• 
  Kaja Vodička, Age 9, Female
  

 
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[Syrenrei]

Day 1
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Local Time: 8:30 AM
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Location: Meeting Room 302, LORE, in Psydrium, Switzerland
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Psydrium's library, which is almost exclusively referred to by its acronym of LORE, is a focal point of the city. Contained within its walls are the more 'mundane' books one can expect to find in any well-stocked library of repute. Fiction, non-fiction, glossy indexed copies of scientific magazines, records of newspapers for historical value, study references for most major college courses, and the like line the sturdy wooden shelves. What is slightly more unusual is the robust selection of materials that pertain only to psions: autobiographies and biographies on major psions (or suspected psions) throughout history, philosophical tomes about the origin and use of psionic powers, studies on the practices of specific schools and applications, historical accounts of the birth of psions, and educational resources for those learning how to use their abilities. A special selection behind a locked door even houses copies of all the journals that were meticulously kept by Celes and Ceres over the years. Not many have the inclination to read every sordid detail of their lives, but should anyone elect to it is available. Flyers taped to the walls and ends of the bookshelves advertise meetings to go meet famous authors for book signings across the world utilizing the traveling network, meetings for psions of different ethnicities, book clubs, and an assortment of social events around the city.


Like any building that has endured for many years it has its eccentricities. No more than two chairs in any part of the library match and have been lovingly collected from across the globe with the only criteria for use being comfort. The flooring is wooden and of a substantially darker stain than the shelving and covered by sporadically placed rugs of varying colors and designs. The corners of each floor have a few tables for residents to use for study and reading should they chose, but almost none of the chairs match the tables much less each other. It is something of a bizarre spectacle but the decor manages to feel warm, inviting, and worn in a well-loved manner. The librarians and a crew of city staff help ensure that the library is kept meticulously cleaned and polished.


The third floor has a few meeting rooms for general use. Today one such room is occupied by the "Black Rock Expedition Group" or BREG. It's not the most attractive abbreviation but at least the four letters do not spell anything profane. Someone with less than impressive handwriting has scrawled Black Rock Expedition Group on a plain piece of copy paper in black ink and taped it to the door. Whomever taped it got overzealous with the tape. There is no less than 38 tiny fingernail-length pieces of tape adhering it to the door.

Warning: Tense change below may be jarring!
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"Welcome to the briefing for the Black Rock Expedition Group," the man greeted as he fidgeted. The room he had been assigned for use had chairs that by his estimation were no less than twenty years old and in an alarming range of colors. He didn't know a single person before him and, most importantly, he wasn't used to giving speeches. His shaggy brown hair, spectacles, and clothes belied his true area of expertise. His slacks were rumpled, his shoes loafers that appeared to have been used daily for years, his button-up shirt had more than a few ink smudges, and his jacket was a wool blend with a plaid pattern and elbow patches. Researchers didn't normally get roped into this sort of thing but he was one of the youngest researchers that dabbled in Slovakian psionic families and their history in the region. His seniors had insisted he be the one to talk to the 'naive volunteers' venturing to Black Rock.


"My name is Kamil Dvorak," he greeted and glanced around for a board of some sort to write his name on before deciding against it. They were all adults here, so there was hardly a reason to treat them like school children. He cleared his throat and continued before anyone started asking any questions he could not give answers to; hopefully they didn't have too high of expectations of him. "The Council and Preservers are glad you have taken an interest in researching the cause of the Black Rock abnormality. There are six people in particular we have identified that may be showing psionic abilities, but given the strange surge in psionic appearances in this location we assume this is not the full extent of the... epidemic. I've given a copy of the names to Miss Novalie, but I have additional copies if any of you should want it," he said before waving around a small printed stack of papers. One of the papers went flying out of his hand and he scrambled to get it before passing the stack through the rows. He didn't wait to see who would pass on the opportunity and who would seize it. "I've been instructed to give you a few directives," he said as he returned to the front of the room. "At your discretion you may use your abilities so long as you do not cause harm to the populace including, but not limited to, mind control, assault, murder, or impersonating another for the purposes of committing a violent crime. You may, of course, use your abilities to read minds, gain entry to an area of investigation, defend yourselves, protect an innocent from bodily harm, and what is legally permitted within Psydrium. Please make every effort not to expose the psion society as a whole. If you do so, you have the permission of Psydrium to erase, negate, obscure, and/or redirect the memories and beliefs of a member of the normal populace. An author will establish contact with your group every night to monitor your progress, coordinate any aid that you may need sent, and coordinate your return to Psydrium when you have completed your investigation or if the need otherwise arises."


A woman entered the room who had a hawk tattooed in bright cerulean blue on her left cheek. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and, with the severity of her expression, gave the impression of someone who was here about business and business only. Kamil jumped at her appearance and looked intimidated by her presence despite being of larger stature than she was. He slumped his shoulders slightly forward and flashed her a sheepish grin that she did not reciprocate. "This is Addisu and she will be taking you to Black Rock with the assistance of Leon," he explained. Addisu's lips flattened into a straight line as she counted the people she was transporting. She looked even less enthused when she spotted Leon casually reclining in his chair and his lids drooping slightly as if he might fall asleep any moment. "Do you have any questions? I can... try to answer them," he said with not even the slightest hint of confidence. "I suggest you be on your way as quickly as possible. Yes, yes, let's just do that. I leave them in your hands, Addisu." Kamil veritably bolted past her and flew threw the top floor of the library before retreating down a distant staircase.

*****
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You may introduce yourself to one another and/or Addisu before you depart. Once everyone has done so, we will immediately travel to Black Rock.
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*****
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[Cheryl]

The moment Angeline's eyes fell upon Kamil she lost a bit of respect for him due to his sloppy clothing. She knew that he was a researcher and they usually don't care about what they wear, but surely he could've gotten something a bit more formal for the occasion? Angeline silently told herself to never judge a book by its cover like her mother always told her, it doesn't matter if someone wears stained clothes if they had good points and a great personality. Besides she doubted that she would ever see Kamil again after he dashed off. There was no need to worry about something as small as that when she was about to be teleported off to Black Rock on an important mission.


Angeline took the moment after Kamil made his speech to lean back in her chair and stare at the ceiling. She contemplated on whether to take a sheet with the names of the psions on it while her fingers played with her hazel hair. It would be useful to know the basic information of the people, and so Angeline decided to get up from her wooden chair and get a sheet. Her hair reached the bottom of her back when she stood up, falling from her shoulder. She strolled over to where the stack of papers were and took one delicately. She read it, and while she read it she tried to pronounce their names in her head, failing miserably. 

 

[Syrenrei]

Leon & Novalie
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Both siblings were well-dressed despite the fact they would be visiting a place later that day that couldn't appreciate their attire. They had two different reasons for their clothing choices: Novalie had a certain standard for her appearances she absolutely refused to allow slip even minimally for any reason whatsoever and Leon viewed this as a professional endeavor and had flung things out of his section of his closet haphazardly. Novalie wore a slacks that were fitted at the waist but loose and flowing at the ankle in a plain grey color and a cream linen blouse that had a grey silken tie under the bust. Leon had on navy blue slacks that were much less extravagant than his sister's, a pale blue button-up shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, and a navy blue vest. The matching formality might have made them look like a couple had they had possessed such a striking familial resemblance. Of course, the occasional exchange of annoyed glances and petty bickering also helped to clear up any confusion.


Throughout the presentation they had both been quiet.


Novalie was attentive and sat with perfect posture: her legs crossed, her hands folded delicately in her lap, and her back straight. Her gaze had not wavered from the skittish Kamil even though he said nothing particularly insightful or new to her. The rules for the Preservers were basic and common sense. She was fairly certain any psion abroad could deduce what they should and should not do. What little information they had on Black Rock was vague, so she hadn't expected Kamil to offer up details she knew they didn't have. If things were known this briefing would be given to much more important individuals instead of a motley assortment of Psydrium volunteers... and it wouldn't have warranted an expedition. Still, Novalie was a creature of etiquette and poise. It was only polite to give Kamil her undivided attention.


Leon didn't share his sister's sentiment. He had chosen one of the older chairs and slid his legs forward and his angled his back to be slightly reclined. He was tall enough his legs went underneath the seat in front of him but not far enough to bother its occupant. Kamil had said a few words before Leon decided this was the standard boring spiel he always received and he let his head roll back slightly to get more comfortable. It wasn't as if his speaker even noticed the overly relaxed attitude he had taken. Kamil was so wrapped up in his anxiety that he hadn't looked at the traveler even one time- perhaps if he had he might have noticed that he didn't need to take himself quite so seriously. This wasn't everyone's first proverbial rodeo. Why panic? Why get so flustered stating simple rules everyone should know? When Kamil bolted out the door he had let his lids droop slightly towards closed. It had been an early morning with Addisu arriving at five to take him to the Black Rock teleport spot so he had enough familiarity to teleport half of his group there later.


Once Kamil had departed Novalie rose and made her way towards the door though she didn't intend to exit. It was likely that others would congregate there. Belatedly she noticed her lazy brother still sitting in his seat as if he was preparing to take a nap and scolded him in Swedish. She was fairly confident no one could understand what she said except Leon; if they did she might very well be humiliated. Leon groaned opened his eyes, slowly got up, and ambled over towards Novalie and Addisu as they both gave him displeased looks. He was already pessimistic enough without their sour expressions.


"I'm Novalie Ekström," said to no one in particular as she inclined her head in a reverent greeting. None of the faces before her were particularly familiar though she thought she recognized some in passing from seeing them about in Psydrium. "This is my brother, Leon Ekström. It is very nice to meet all of you." Leon kept his mouth shut for the time being since he figured his cynical sense of humor would go unappreciated as it usually was. And he also wasn't certain Addisu would refrain from hurting him given an opportunity and the right catalyst.

 

[shatteredxfrost]

CHANGER「  ASAMI KIM  」ROGUE  


Speeches were not new to her having spent a good portion of her life listening to her father, Saki spout the same nonsense over and over when new recruits arrived at the Dojo. The typical rules that Kamil had barely gotten through, Asami felt herself lose interest as she had heard it all before - it was drilled into Psions. Although she was certain that the need to repeat these rules was warranted should any Agitators be present. 


After Kamil's less than graceful departure, Asami reached back to touch the turtle - or, Kappa - tattoo behind her left ear. Nerves did not usually affect her, but she had yet to be in a room with people seemingly as talented as she was and given the overwhelming intimidation of the one woman who broke the silence, it was hard not to fidget. 


"Annyeonghasaeyo," She greeted, head tipping forward in respect. "My name is Asami Kim. Pleasure to meet you." Traditionally, Asian culture dictates that you introduce yourself last name first but it had become very tedious to explain that no, her name was not Kim. 

 

[Emiya Shin]

Sophie Bordeaux
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Author
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N/A
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Meeting Room 302, LORE, in Psydrium, Switzerland
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Sophie sat attentively as the unkempt man in front of her greeted the group nervously, before introducing himself as Kamil Dvorak. However, he did not state his role nor position, leaving Sophie wondering about it. But the curiosity's grip did not last long on her as Kamil started his briefing on the Black Rock expedition, and passed copies of a list that contains the name of six people possessing psionic abilities to everyone. After Sophie got her copy, she began reading on it as Kamil continued on with his briefing, stating the rules of engagement and other important rules. Once he was done, a woman with a bright blue hawk tattoo on her left cheek entered the room, signalling that she is a Traveler. Possessing a stern expression, it intimidated Kamil who was previously fidgeting around during the briefing.


"This is Addisu and she will be taking you to Black Rock with the assistance of Leon."


Kamil introduced the woman, along with the mention of a Leon person, probably another Traveler as well in this room. For Sophie, she was not affected by the serious aura that Addisu exuded as she counted everyone. Then Kamil asked everyone whether they have questions with lack of confidence. Before Sophie can start picking apart the Black Rock expedition for questions, the timid man quickly told the group to be on their way, before bolting out from the room, leaving Addisu to handle the current situation. Upon noticing the sudden turn of events, Sophie cannot help but letting out a sigh, feeling disappointed that Kamil was too timid.


Sophie took another look into the list that Kamil provided, until a blonde with a classy business outfit walked towards the door. The woman then scolded someone in a foreign language that Sophie did not understand, forcing her to shift her attention to the blonde.


"I'm Novalie Ekström."


Novalie introduced herself politely. Sophie frowned for a bit as she tried to grasp on how to pronounce Novalie's last name.


"This is my brother, Leon Ekström. It is very nice to meet all of you."


The French woman turned to the blue-eyed blond who leaned on his seat, as if he was taking a nap earlier. So this is Leon, Sophie thought to herself, while glancing at his features. Something tells her that Leon probably a hard person to read. Then again, that could be a good thing, no?


"Annyeonghasaeyo, My name is Asami Kim. Pleasure to meet you."


A woman with a white jacket possessing black hair that reaches her waist, introduced herself with a polite bow and a distinctive mix of Asian accent. Sophie wanted to have her hairstyle, but knowing that maintaining her own neck length hair is already causing her much trouble, she decided not to.


Thinking that it is her time to introduce herself, Sophie stood up from her seat while holding the namelist of the Black Rock psions. After taking a glance at everyone, she introduced herself.


"Bonjour, I'm Sophie Bordeaux." She said with a relaxed tone. "I hope my French accent isn't too overbearing."


Once again Sophie realized that she blurted out that French accent thing while she did a quick bow after her introduction. She would have probably ruined her intro even more if she said that she is an Author.

 

[Collinbu98]

Ugh, the boring parts always came first.  Collin tried his hardest to keep his focus on the fidgeting dweeb, though it quickly became a pointless endeavor; he had nothing interesting to say and he had no idea on how to say it.  Instead, Collin found his eyes wandering about the room at all the others who had signed up for this little adventure.  They seemed to be quite the diverse little bunch.  Hopefully not too diverse, though.  The last thing Collin wanted was a squad of psions bickering about nonsense while we needed a mission done.


Finally, Collin gave another glance at the scientist and noticed the papers being passed out.  Finding an opportunity to practice his powers, Collin gave a cursory glance at the names before setting to work mentally folding the paper into the desired shape.  Not even bothering to look up as Kamil fled the room a moment later, Collin creased his eyebrows in concentration as he finished the paper plane.  It was so sloppily folded and crumbled it was doubtful the plane would fly at all on its own.  Thankfully, though, the paperweight's flying ability was of minute importance.


Just as the french girl finished her introduction, Collin gave the plane a gentle nudge and allowed his powers to take over from there.  It soared around the room twice, swirling and looping and nose-diving about stylishly before inevitably crashing into the wall as Collin lost focus.  After a muttered curse under his breath, Collin decided he might as well join in the introductions.  "I'm Collin Walsh,"  he introduced with a sigh, "and I'm sure you can all guess my school."

 

[Collidias Rex]

Matthew Ronan
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Matt had rolled up early and picked a seat in the front of the room. It was a wide fluffy thing, like something outta the 60s. Looked like it had been draped in a shag carpet and dragged through a paint factory. He'd suited up in a coat and cargo trousers, navy blues and greys. Not bright enough to draw attention, but not dark enough to look suspicious. Thick, warm and practical. A heavy pack sat at the foot of his chair - he'd spend the last two hours prepping. His pack was full, his pockets were full, he'd arranged a spread of odds and ends he might need on his "novelty cabinet" at the foot of his bed, ready to be teleported in if need be. He was set.


Just ten minutes ago he'd been excited for this job, but the sad little man in front of him wasn't doing much for his enthusiasm.  The scrawny bitch looked like he'd been dragged out of the gutter and chucked wide-eyed onto stage in front of a thousand people.


Fucking inspiring. Matt thought bitterly. What a shitshow. His thoughts drifted as he shot a glance at the room behind him, momentarily picking out any familiar faces and any "would bang"s, but he didn't let his gaze linger. Fucking mind-readers might get onto him. He knew he could block it out, but he wasn't sure how effective it was.


Then Addisu happened. The name didn't ring a bell, but she caught Matt's attention quickly as she arrived. She had that look about her. That "I will throw you out the fucking window" look that his mates had warned him about. And if anyone knew about throwing people out windows, it was the agi lads. The upright posture, the stern look that could stop a bull in mid-charge, the uncanny focus ...


Fuck me, she's like Keenan. Matt realized. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing - Eileen had her shit together, for sure - but it wasn't necessarily a good thing either. Regardless, it caught his attention and held it. The little man fled shortly after, leaving them to the mercy of Addisu's steely gaze. It idly occurred to Matt that he had barely heard a word the man said. Did the man even mention his name? Matt couldn't remember.


One of the team moved to the front. It took a second, but it hit him when she turned around.

Chick-Leon ... right ... which means. Matt turned his gaze to follow Novalie's. Sure enough, the prissy prick himself was laid back in one seat, going unnoticed by Matt until now. An exchange occurred between the two. Matt tried to follow it. He picked up the occasional simple word, but didn't get much out of it - his Swedish was limited to a few exclamations and telling people to "get out of the way" or "come here". Even then, the pronunciation gave him trouble.

He sat by and let people introduce themselves, taking note of faces and names. Collin he'd seen about, but they hadn't spoken before - the others were strangers. He waited for a pause, then took the opportunity to stand up after Collin had spoken.


"As long as you're not a pilot." Matt smirked at Colin and flicked an arm, scooping the paper plane from the ground and teleporting it into Collin's lap, then moving another sheet to his own hand. "Matt." He said with a small nod, glancing to his sheet. "Trav-ship. Not my first rodeo, but first time at these fairgrounds. Don't expect me to talk much with the locals, coz' I ain't got a fucking clue how to pronounce these names."

With that, he dropped heavily into his seat and turned back to face Addisu.

 

[Cheryl]

Angeline Wilkinson
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Changer
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Explorer
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Angeline stayed in place whilst staring into space reciting the names from the paper, her chestnut eyes zoning out. Her feet stayed rooted in place for a few minutes while she let her mind wander on freely for a while. She was sure that Addisu and Leon would warn them before they would be transported over to Black Rock, so there was time for calming her nerves. The fact that they were about to go into a mostly psion-free zone made her stomach sick, all because of an incident that happened many years ago. Hopefully this mission would help her irrational fear.


When the people around the room started introducing themselves Angeline woke up from her slight daydream and listened. She made an effort to learn their names, only remembering the traveler and french woman. Angeline waited for a bit to see if anyone else would speak up before introducing herself to everyone. "I am Angeline Wilkinson. A Changer with the specialization of Explorer. It is good to meet you all." . She looked at each of the people in the room while standing where Kamil once was before he ran off. 


After seeming content with knowing how everyone looked like, Angeline started to slowly walk back to her seat. She only made it halfway there before her eyes caught sight of a book that interested her. It had a bland cover that was a non-fiction about plants around the world. Normally this kind of book would bore people to death, but as Angeline was a botanist it was always interesting to know more about plants in certain countries. It was her main hobby to garden and to collect flora from around the globe. You could say she had a green thumb. And that was why Angeline stood there like a statue flipping through the contents of the book, making sure to take her time in case she missed any important details.

 

[Kiroshiven]

Minerva Lupei
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Author
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Wilderness Guide
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Minerva had been sitting quietly in the corner with Felicia at her side. She was thankful to have such a well behaved cat despite the 50% feral nature of her breeding. How her grandfather had weaseled his way into getting a cat worth 25k was beyond her, but Felicia had always been a great cat. Her hands ran along the short furn without second thought as she watched the person speak endlessly about the rules and regulations of leaving Psydriu. That alone was irritating enough for her. This was the OUTSIDE WORLD, there shouldn't be all these kinds of restrictions. It should be about fun and excitement, of course getting the job done was important, but she wanted to learn and see firsthand what life outside Psydrium was like. Her eyes moved about the group in a nervous fashion as each introduced themselves.


First were the siblings that seemed to be the ones put in charge of the operation. They were dressed in their best and made Minerva look like a wanderer by comparison. Minerva instantly took hold of her hair that had slipped out from under her cowl and started to play with it. It was only until she felt something pecking her shoulder and heard a responsive hiss from within her hood that she started to calm down. Reaching out to her pets she calmed both Talos and Svenn down to make sure they didn't start a squabble before Minerva could introduce herself. Her eyes fixated on Novalie and Leon. They were a pair of attractive people and she felt out of place.


Receiving the list of the names, Minerva took a quick look at the sheet and identified the two that she'd have the easiest time talking to. The nine year old and the thirteen year old. The girl would probably like to meet Felicia and Svenn or Talos could interest the boy. Those would be good people to start with. She smiled as she slid the note into one of her pockets before noticing the asian girl introduce herself. "Asami." She muttered to herself to make sure that she didn't forget or accidentally call her Kim. That would be important for her to remember. The girl seemed a bit of a quiet type and although she couldn't tell what school she was from she guessed it wasn't the Author's school. She'd have remembered someone like her.


Next came the French girl. This was an author that she recognized. It was only in passing and she never caught her name, but she did remember the face. At least she'd be able to hopefully cover the other three areas outside of control. Minerva was pretty terrible at the others, though she did graduate. The french accent was honestly cute and Minerva had to hold back a small laugh when she hoped that it wouldn't be a problem. Romania had its own weirdish accent, but Minerva thought that those kinds of things made them unique. Leavning aside her the next two people somewhat irritated her.


First was the agitator. Showing off by flying a paper airplane around the room was not much of a feet, it just showed that you were somewhat arrogant or pompous. It wasn't a good way to start off with her. He could've just said something instead. Felicia and Svenn reciprocated her thoughts with a quiet hiss from both. It was impressive that the dog-sized cat held back such a normally loud sound. "Good girl Feli." Minerva scratched under the cat's chin before looking to the next person to speak as Collin had already started off on her bad foot. Albeit, it did spark her curiosity about when his powers manifested.


Next was the guy that held no filter despite the mixed company. Matt was direct and vulgar Minerva would've sent Talos to mess up his hair if it wasn't for the fact that the snowy owl would've caused a problem for everyone by flying over to him and causing a squabble. Minerva took her free hand to pet the bird and keep herself calm before just rolling her eyes at the introduction.


Lastly was the scholarly looking woman that spoke.She openly stated she was a changer that would be able to answer a lot of Minerva's curiosity. Explorers were always the kind that she liked to talk to. They answered questions without getting putt off and that made Minerva feel like she wasn't too weird. Ultimately though, Minerva liked the group and couldn't help but nearly jump up form her seat to introduce herself next.


"Pleasure to meet everyone. My name's Minerva and I'm an Author. I hope you don't mind the extra bodies coming with us on this trip." She motioned to Felicia and Talos. "Felicia is my Savannah and she's a great cat, just don't be surprised if she jumps up and somehow manages to get in your face. These cats really can jump. Talos here will generally be quiet so no need to worry. There's a third here, but Svenn doesn't really leave from under my hood. Ah!" Flipping her hood down and revealing her bright red hair, Minerva pointed to the deadly black mamba on her shoulders. The snake seemed dazed by the sudden light shining down on it before she covered it back up with her hood. "That's everyone. And from what I can tell from the list, I'll have the easiest time talking to the little girl and boy. Animals are a great way to get their attention and start conversation." Minerva smiled at everyone before realizing she was coming off as too eager. "Sorry." She barely managed to mutter before sitting down and getting consoled by her three pets.

 

[simj26]

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Madison Garland
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Shutters clicked from the side where the pink-haired photographer had been sitting. Now, she was contorted in what seemed to be a rather painful posture, half-crouching, half-kneeling, and one leg propped atop a seat, and really straining to get all of the gathered in one shot. She apparently succeeded given by how pleased she was when she straightened up to examine her handiwork. With the kind of expertise expected of a veteran in her line of work, she unscrewed the wide-shot lens from her camera, capped it, jammed it into her bag beside her, and replaced it with the regular lenses with ond almost fluid motion. Examining the picture on the display of her camera in one hand, she scribbled several words on her open notebook with the other, muttering to herself as she went.


“Leon and Novalee Echstorm, Asamikim, Colin Wash, Sofie Boudoir, Map, Angelene Wilkinson, and Minerva. Right.” She examined the butchered names on her book, then shrugged, and shut it. Good enough, she supposed. She was a photographer, not a reporter. With a louder and clearer voice, she turned to the others and spoke, offering a confident grin to go with it. “Madison Garland. Freelance photographer. Pictures speak a thousand words, so for me, quality’s quantity, and I’ve got a lot of quality.” She waved her camera in her hand about before letting it rest and tug at her nape by its strap.


She viewed the other members of the expedition group again, this time outside of a viewfinder. All of them were, to some extent, pleasant and easy on the eyes, though she can't quite say the same about their personalities. The Leon lad, for instance, was a perfect focus for just about anything at all. A real, photogenic, foreground prima uomo. Center stage was his place. And yet, he didn't seem to see that. The one that she would have placed at the background, however, seemed to be the louder one of the group, both in his command of the English language and his mannerisms. She had wanted to point out that he shouldn't have signed up for an expedition all the way up in this part of the world if he couldn't be arsed to do some research on saying the names right, but deigned to keep her mouth shut. For the mean time, anyway. The ladies, and the other gentleman were, par the course, generic beauties. Generic, in that, Maddy realised, at least ONE out of them was a Changer, and she had learned not to take a Changer by their appearances. Magazine front page features, of course, these ladies, as long as she didn't directly mention that they were Changers. Those didn't sell well, much due to the whole 'natural beauty' debate sparked by a certain blogger some months ago. 


Having studied her temporary colleagues for this journey, she clicked her tongue, attempting to catch the attention of the animals that covered the Minerva lass, and raised the viewfinder to her eye, and snapped a few casual shots.

 

[Syrenrei]

Leon, Novalie, & Addisu
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The passive, the assertive, and the horribly grumpy
​

Leon listened quietly at the introductions, inclining his head slightly in greeting to Asami Kim as this was generally a sign of respect exchanged between certain Eastern cultures. He wasn't eager to insert himself in conversation but that didn't mean he'd ignore etiquette completely. Sophie had an adorable French accent and seemed concerned that it might affect her ability to be understood, but Leon found this patently ridiculous. He regularly had his hair trimmed by a woman who spoke English with such muddled pronunciations he couldn't tell from her rambling if she had a son or daughter. He returned her bow as well. Collin made a little spectacle of a paper airplane and gave his name with slightly more enthusiasm than Leon might have produced his. He didn't blame Collin. This wasn't exactly the most exciting mission in Preserver history and it'd probably turn into a disaster since groups usually were. Matt he knew in passing but, given their different concentrations in their school, he hadn't really spoken with. Angeline, an apparent book worm, Minerva, the author equivalent of a crazy cat lady, and Madison, their own personal paparazzi, were completely unknown to him. What a bizarre combination of people. Had the Preservers simply picked their names out of a hat? He supposed with other important rescue operations underway, a limited roster, and a list of unknown volunteers they had done their best.


Leon shoved his hands in his pockets and dipped his head in thought. He didn't mind Madison taking pictures of him but found it a touch odd. It was a relief when she focused her attention on the animals that Minerva was trying to handle. With any luck it'd keep the creatures away from him as well- he wasn't exactly a Dr. DooLittle himself and all three of the companions were predators. One of them he was pretty sure could take him out faster than all of his older brothers combined.


Novalie was a more gracious 'host' if she could be considered one at all. Whereas Leon stood there with a passive, unmoved expression for the duration of the introductions she made direct eye contact and smiled. She also bowed her head towards Asami Kim and, thinking to herself it was a superior way to show respect to the other members as well, continued with each subsequent introduction even despite their less refined appearances and words. It was true that some of them seemed a bit innocent for any expedition and others were a touch rough around the edges, but she was optimistic about their success. Diversity encouraged different approaches to difficult situations; they wouldn't have a narrow view that would limit their perceived options. There was also something to be said about strength in numbers. With so many of them they should be able to cover more distance more efficiently and be home quickly. Trying to lead them would be challenging- Novalie had been thrust into the role only by virtue of being the only Slavic translator- but she wouldn't shirk the responsibility.


Madison's camera made her a touch nervous as she was always anxious about her appearance, but she suppressed her concerns as she always did and smoothed them over with a smile. The edges of her mouth had not dipped down for the entirety of the time she had been standing there. Novalie yearned for a cup of coffee, a quiet cafe, and a pastry loaded with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, but this moment wasn't about her. She was needed, nay, required to perform this task for this Preservers and bring back answers to the Dreamer school as to how psions suddenly emerged outside of the normal parameters. And she must be a leader or else this amalgamation of people would surely dissolve. Who else would take it upon themselves? Who could? A smiling, pretty, pleasant leader she must be and so she was.


"I think that animals may be a good way to approach the younger two, but they might be in school at this hour. Perhaps we can introduce them to the owl or cat first," Novalie said, trying to be encouraging towards the younger Minerva. It was nice to see someone was eager for their journey rather than apathetic or pessimistic. In a show of good will she knelt down on the floor and extended her hand, palm side up, for the feline to approach should it decide to.


Leon thought it was a rather nice gesture to make but stayed where he was. Crowding dangerous things that could pierce flesh seemed like a bad idea. Then again, so did traveling with several pretty girls and a couple guys around Novalie's age range. His brothers has told him several times in the last twenty-four hours that he was to protect Novalie's virtue (as if she couldn't defend herself), to not let herself become smitten with either a normal man or psion (unlikely anyway), that he had to act in their stead (just what he always wanted), and it was his brotherly duty to keep suitors away (how archaic and smothering). He grimaced slightly. Couldn't they have found uglier people? Maybe a guy happily married and in his fifties? He studied his peers- one so absorbed in a book he doubted she was paying any attention to them anymore, most sitting down with the conviction that they had a long wait, Addisu glaring.


"We should get going," Addisu remarked briskly just she judged they had finished their haphazard introductions. Truth be told she had not paid any real attention to their names or supposed credentials as she was simply to ferry them to their destination. Addisu turned her gaze towards Leon but it was not full of contempt. Much as she felt that Leon failed to live up to his full potential and was too laid back to ever amount to anything she knew that he did have skill in transporting people at least. He was quite popular with the business crowd for keeping to himself, not prying into their affairs, and being approachable. She did not. At first she had been bitter at the clients he had inadvertently stolen from her, but she had found they had different kinds of clients these days. Her no-nonsense attitude and gruff demeanor made her a good 'assistant' or 'bodyguard' when the situations warranted.


"Sure boss," Leon replied with a roll of the shoulders. Addisu was obviously not his boss but the snarky comment didn't have a malicious streak to it. Without waiting for her reply he, Novalie, Collin, Matt, and Minerva all disappeared.


"Fucking punk," Addisu muttered under her breath barely audible. A second later she, Madison, Sophie, Asami, and Angeline vanished out of the room, leaving only a few of Kamil's printed pages of names behind.

*****
​

Descriptor post for Black Rock arrival will be posted later this evening.
​

 

[Syrenrei]

New Location: Room 203, Kuzma Inn, in Černá Skála, Slovakia
​

 
​

The hotel room was hardly what anyone would consider luxurious but it was clean. Leon and his troupe arrived closer to the window with those transported with Addisu arriving closer to the door. Between them were two beds with white linens and comforters of a maroon variety that had been freshly laundered and folded. There was not much space between the beds, nor on either side, but the room managed to have a small table and single armchair near the window and a dresser with a TV atop it on the wall opposite the two beds. A simple bathroom was next to Addisu's group, the door to which was slightly ajar, and filled with the typical accouterments such as shampoo, soap, and incredibly cheap shower caps. There was no refrigerator, microwave, or any superfluous amenities that they may have liked. The walls were a simple pale brown covering and the curtains had an aged geometric pattern that matched their hue, the duvet's maroon, and the color of the wooden floors. Despite the curtains being drawn the sunlight still pierced through them, albeit subdued, speaking to their quality.


"We'll be in contact later tonight," Addisu grumbled before disappearing, leaving the four she had brought with her behind. It was unlikely that she would need to remember their names; she'd pick them up at a later date when the expedition was over if necessary.


A few bags were on the bed, one containing clothing and necessities for Novalie and another for Leon, but others had provisions that the BREG might find of use. One bag had five laptops and five tablets for them to make notes, conduct research, and utilize in their investigation as well as more mundane writing supplies such as paper notepads, pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, and manila envelopes for shipping documents. Another had food that might be of some comfort for the duration of their stay including preserves, bread, muesli, dried meat, pretzels, crackers, Swiss chocolate, and the like. The last bag of interest had toiletries and extra pairs of clothes in case they were needed; these came in all shapes and sizes to accommodate as many people as possible though the garments were not exactly "fashion forward" and were plain by nature.


With Addisu departed the BREG was left to their own devices- to explore the hotel they were in, to venture out further into Černá Skála, or simply to discuss the next course of action. With only Novalie to translate it would likely be difficult to split into more than two groups. Authors could get past the language barrier with telepathy, but projecting thoughts or words to a non-psion would be a major breach of conduct so they would need to all use a touch of discretion and subtlety.

 

[Collinbu98]

Well, Collin supposed the Australian seemed cool enough.  Collin gave him a half-hearted smirk before going back to twiddling with his plane as it reappeared in his lap, unfolding it to the best of his psionic ability;  Collin had developed a "no touching" game with it just for the sake of a bored practice of his telekinesis.  After about seven seconds, though, he grew bored of even that and attempted to make use of his lesser used ability: combustion.  That he was much slower about, and it took several moments before it began to work.  Just as a corner began to smolder, the shutter of a camera broke his concentration, sending the paper gently floating to the floor and leaving it considerably not burnt.


Collin looked up just long enough to shoot an agitated glance at the woman with the camera.  Madison Garland.  Out of everyone here, she was probably the only one who's name Collin wouldn't forget the second they left this room, because she was officially on his bad side.  Not even the crazy animal lady had held Collin's attention long enough to bother him, so this girl better know how to deal with a petty grudge long enough for someone else to annoy Collin.  Which wouldn't likely be a problem, with the party they seemed to be dealing with.


Sullenly, Collin turned his attention to the rest of the group, finally paying attention now that his fun with the paper was done.  Which wasn't all bad, as he otherwise would've been caught quite off-guard when the scenery suddenly changed as they were transported to a sub-par hotel room.  Collin looked around for a moment before deciding to swipe back the curtains (with his hands, this time; he had exhausted his abilities for now with his earlier shenanigans.)  to take his first peek at Slovakia.

 

[Syrenrei]

"One more late arrival," Addisu appeared in the small space between the beds. She looked quite annoyed, her face creased in unpleasant ways that almost made her menacing. Beside her was the 'late arrival' in question, a man that had been a touch late to the meeting and thus also been late in transport. Perhaps she should have done an introduction but she had already forgotten his name as well as everyone else's (except Leon's much to her chagrin). The dark-skinned woman pressed her lips together, gave a final glance about the tiny hotel room, and disappeared once more- this time without any intention or reason to return further.


((This is just to allow the insertion of @Wixard's character, but please continue to post!))

 

[Wixard]

"Apologies for my tardiness," Doctor Athens said. He stood straight, which emphasized his height. He was in his mid-twenties, clean shaven, and had short, brown hair. He wore something which seemed to blend the design and functions of a white lab-coat and a business suit, with complete with matching gloves and boots.


"Doctor Percival Athens, PhD. Urban Planning, PhD. Theoretical Physics. Author, Therapist," he said, introducing himself briskly. "I hope nobody minds if I get straight down to business. Supplies?" Someone glanced in the direction of the bags on the bed, an involuntary reaction telling him everything he needed to know. He selected a tablet, notepad, two pens, and a bag of jerky. He slipped the jerky, tablet, and one of the pens into separate pockets, turned and strode out the door. He paused on his way out to pick up a poorly constructed paper airplane that had come along for the ride when the first group had teleported in. He copied the information onto his notepad as he walked down the hall and deposited the airplane into the trash can in the lobby.


He had stayed in much nicer hotels, but he'd also stayed in pits worse than this one. There was no point waiting around and chatting when he could be laying the groundwork for a more thorough investigation. He glanced at his notepad.


Day 1: Černá Skála Slovakia.


Mishko Janosik, Age 13, Male


Csilla Ševčík, Age 87, Female


Lenka Ďurica, Age 22, Female


Tomáš Poliačik, Age 36, Male


Jožko Smrek, Age 43, Male


Kaja Vodička, Age 9, Female


Not a lot to go on, but enough to start. He made a few notes, then went to find some local maps, and someone who could tell him about the town's history.

 

[simj26]

View attachment 179496


Madison Garland



“More like a PhD in ditching.” Madison shattered the awkward silence in the room after the esteemed doctor had entered, snatched some of their stuff, and exited. “What’s his deal anyway? Just cuz ‘e’s some bloody doctor in everything unimportant ever don’t make him king. In any case,” she picked up the piece of paper with the names on them, took a moment to register the eligible names again, and set it down, “what’s your opinion on who should go where, eh?”


“Now, I’m not trying to mouth off here, but going by logical assumption, though I might be wrong,” Madison thought to add the fact that she had assumed wrong three times already and had been arrested these three times, but stopped herself, “the old guy and the young ‘un might've got entirely no English experience. One’s too old, and the other’s too young. Unless, of course, one of 'em's an Author. Mischka, Lenka, Thomas, and Sm...Srm…” her face contorted in one of pained confusion, before she continued in exasperation, “Shrek, are within reasonable age to have at least minor English exposure. Enough to talk to them. Well, in theory based off experience anyway.”


She sat herself on the bed, and helped herself to a chocolate bar. In between chews, she offered her opinion again. “Well, that’s the general gist of it. I suppose we ought to draw lots or volunteer for who goes for whom. What do you think, Ms...uh...Boudoir?” She directed her half-eaten chocolate bar at the French lass, hoping that she could force some audience participation from the other psions.



@Emiya Shin

 

[Cheryl]

Angeline Wilkinson


Changer


Explorer





As Angeline was about to turn over another page she was transported with Addisu in the hotel. She dropped the book in surprise before picking it back up as if it had never slipped from her hands. Angeline decided that it would be best if she left the book on the table since she doesn't need it for the mission. But before she did that she seated herself on a maroon armchair and looked at a couple more plants as some people came and went. The pages looked old and the writing was oddly worded, as if it was written from a person who's first language wasn't English. Still she could more or less understand the writing. 


Looking up from the encyclopaedia Angeline listened to the pink haired photographer talk about what they should do. Deciding to speak up Angeline shut the book and placed it on the table next to her before saying "Perhaps he wanted to have a good look around before coming back to us." . She took out the folded piece of paper in her coat pocket before answering Madison's question "I don't mind who I meet, as long as I'm with somebody I'll be fine." . Angeline remembered that they were now in an environment where most people weren't psions, reminding her a memory from long ago. She would prefer to be in a group of two or more, but she supposed that if they were to be efficient then they would most likely be in pairs. "I would prefer to look for somebody that will probably speak English though. I only know English and a little bit of Spanish, not enough for me to be fluent though, still learning it." Angeline added quickly after her last sentence.

 

[Kiroshiven]

Minerva had barely gotten a grip on all the introductions when they were warped to the hotel. She felt the pressure of three minds going crazy from the sudden jump. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled as loud as she could to contain her companions. "Felicia sit! Talos" Minerva pointed to one of the beds "Perch and Sven if you so much as THINK of biting anyone, I'll cage you." Her eyes darted between the animals as she guided them with words and thoughts. The animals had never traveled in any way other than on their own. However, Minerva was scolding them like children and they were listening. "Now," Minerva's cold gaze turned toward Leon. "Next time you plan on jumping us, give me at LEAST thirty seconds to prepare them. Animals don't do well with warping." She would've said more if her eyes didn't finally catch a glimpse of outside. She didn't even notice when Addisu came back, nor really focused on the doctor whom barely introduced himself before running off.


"So this is the world outside Psydrium huh? It's beautiful." She smiled to herself as she got lost in her pondering. She turned to Talos and opened the window. "Talos, get a lay of the land and report it to me, okay?" She smiled sweetly to the bird before sending it off into the sky. Luckily, owls weren't exactly hunted by people so she didn't feel AS worried. She kept her mind connected to the owl as it flew over the city. "That'll give me an idea of how this town looks generally from above." She smiled as she looked to her comrades. "So, I'm going to go explore. It's best to learn the lay out of this town on the off chance we end up in a worst case scenario, right? Though having at least one traveler and Collin along wouldn't hurt." As much as she hated to admit it to herself, the agitator could be useful if things got a bit rough. And a traveler could at least get them out of there.


She looked to Leon and Collin and then to Angeline. "I have to agree, we should learn the area." Minerva was antsy to get out and learn, but her own job was influencing her greatly as well. The first rule to guiding someone through the wilderness was knowing the environment. Also, if anyone they met knew something and ran, she wanted to be able to track them. Her eyes which normally shone with curiosity looked to the others. "If we break off into a team that learns the area while another starts the investigation, we may be able to meet up and come to a better understanding or get a good lead even. What do you save Novalie? You're in charge here."


@Cheryl @Collinbu98 @Syrenrei

 

[Emiya Shin]

​

Sophie Bordeaux
​

Author
​

Room 203, Kuzma Inn, in Černá Skála, Slovakia
​

After everyone introduced themselves plus a few banters in-between by Novalie, Addisu quickly remarked that they should get going. Sophie noticed the stern female Traveler moving towards her, and Leon placed himself beside his sister. Both of the Travelers gazed at each other, with Leon giving out a snarky comment and disappeared from the room. Addisu with an irritated expression, whispered a curse to Leon as she stood beside Sophie. A second later, Sophie felt her body faded away and lost her sensation...

* * *
​

Like a gust of wind, Sophie found herself transported to a generic hotel room, decorated with white and maroon colors on the curtains and beds. She preferred blue or some other brighter decorations instead of those dark, washed out colors. Then again, she is in an expedition, not on vacation. Sophie gently shook her head and looked around, trying to accustom to the new environment around her. The temperature remains the same, though probably slightly hotter than the climate in Psydrium. So far, her long sleeved black sweater and white blouse combo remained comfortable for her.


"We'll be in contact later tonight."


Addisu grumbled at the group, before promptly disappeared from the room, leaving them to their own accord without whatsoever guidance. Sophie lightly exhaled a breath, before checking the bags nearby as Collin moved to the windows. After identifying the contents inside, Sophie once again heard Addisu's voice. She promptly turned to her, only to find out that she brought another person to the hotel room: a man with a square hair and tinted round spectacles that reminded Sophie of a weird lecturer that she stumbled upon in her college. She stared at him with a puzzled gaze as Addisu exasperatedly blurted that he was a latecomer, and disappeared soon afterwards.

* * *
​

After Dr. Athens introduced himself, he began preparations to start the investigation on his own with the French girl maintaining her puzzled stare. After grabbing a few things, including a paper plane that Collin had made back in Psydrium, he quickly made his way to the door and exited the room. Sophie's shoulders slumped and sighed in response, thinking that he is just as weird as her college lecturer who taught her in philosophy. As she scratched her head, wondering what she has to do next, Madison the obnoxious freelance photographer was the first one to talk, complaining on Dr. Athens's lack of team player attitude. Sophie turned to her as she began on giving her input about the names in the list given by Kamil.


Then Madison sat one of the beds nearby and grabbed a chocolate bar. As she was eating it, she turned to Sophie who was standing in front of her.


“Well, that’s the general gist of it. I suppose we ought to draw lots or volunteer for who goes for whom. What do you think, Ms...uh...Boudoir?”


She pointed at Sophie with her bar of chocolate.

"Hmmm... "

The French girl grunted with her hands on her hips and looked at the sides as if she was trying to think of a suggestion. Then Angeline, the one who has been reading on a book ever since she joined the group, commented on Dr. Athens's attitude before adding that she did not mind meeting anyone in the list as long someone accompanies her, and quickly added that she preferred to meet someone with some level of English proficiency. As for Minerva, the Controller Author that Sophie crossed paths with, also decided that she wants to explore the land of Black Rock as she announced her plan to everyone.


"If we break off into a team that learns the area while another starts the investigation, we may be able to meet up and come to a better understanding or get a good lead even. What do you say Novalie? You're in charge here."


Splitting the group apart. Sophie was not keen on her idea, as they are on an uncharted land. Unless the expedition has a time limit, the group should take everything carefully, even it means slow progress. The fact they got transported into an empty room with only bags of supplies should be a cause of concern. At least in Sophie's understanding, there should someone in the room they are in to guide them around Black Rock. Probably a local psion or a friendly normal human that accepts the existence of psions. Then again, this is her first expedition outside from Psydrium. But that does not mean that they should not plan their actions first.


"I think we should travel in one group." Sophie said in her usual composed tone, her eyes glanced at everyone. "We don't know what lies beyond this room. The lack of a local guide to help us and provide information about Black Rock aside from the names in the list are kind of upsetting me."


A pause.


"At least when we face an opposition, we will stand a better chance in keeping ourselves safe in a large group." Then her eyes moved to the bag of supplies behind her and commented in a somewhat lower tone. "Then again, it's not like the bags of supplies have weapons anyway."


Once she was done, Sophie turned to Madison.


"Oh, by the way, just call me Sophie, Mademoiselle Garland."


Her French accent went full blown in action as she continued, slightly smiling.


"As I know, not many is able to pronounce my last name..."


Her expression turned into her usual, composed on as she turned her attention to the others.


"But, yeah. I hope we should be more extra careful..."


@simj22 @Syrenrei @_others

 
​

 

[Wixard]

All things considered, it was going rather well. Doctor Athens didn't speak a lick of the local language, but as long as he only needed to communicate simple ideas, he didn't need to. He'd chosen a tablet with cell service, and using Google translate he was able to look up various word and phrases with a fair degree of accuracy. There were some awkward mispronunciations on his part, but all he really needed was to get people thinking in the right direction so he could skim the information he needed from their minds. Using the tablet to look up and display images of what he wanted was arguably more helpful than the words.


It took significantly longer than it would have had he had a translator, but this way the translator was available for the rest of the group to use. Divide and conquer. There was no reason not to split up the work. This was scientific venture. Nothing in the briefing had indicated the new psions were under any sort of distress. At least, not beyond the usual disorientation of learning to cope with new psychic powers.


He idly wondered what was going on while sitting on a bench outside the library. Without a better theory to work with, he suspected there might be environmental factors at work. Still, that struck him as rather thin. A lot of research had been done regarding environmental causes to psionic development. Not much had come of it. Perhaps there was a better clue waiting with the psionics themselves. No, people skills weren't his strong suit. He'd let the rest of the team handle that, for now. The more angles they covered, the more likely they were to uncover connections.


By now, he'd acquired the local maps he'd wanted and was busy making notes on the town's infrastructure. Tucked away in one of his pockets was a long, cylindrical object vaguely resembling a stun baton. It was his research application project for theoretical physics. Psions, particularly agitators and travelers, effected the world in some very real ways. There had to be some underlying force they manipulated, some form of energy given off by their actions. A cause without an effect was simply impossible. The research of others had ruled out things like heat, kinetic force, and electricity. Certain agitators could produce all those effects, but the power to do that had to come from somewhere, and the concept of energy changing forms was nothing new to the scientific community. 


Something was happening on the subatomic level, something that humanity didn't fully understand, at least not yet. And that made psions tantamount to wizards. It had almost eluded him, but he'd found a way to detect the quantum energies controlled by psions. Problem was, he only had one scanner. He was hoping to get a grant towards developing it further, but that was still up in the air. For now, mapping out the town would help him find the most efficient way to use it.


He stood and began to walk from point to point, jotting down the scanner's readings at each of the interest areas he'd marked on the map, and whenever it displayed something weird. Theoretically, concentrations of psionic energy would be highest in the homes of the new psions. Excluding the hotel room, of course. He should get the scans quickly, before the rest of the team started moving about and using their powers everywhere. He knew where he'd been, and he could work backwards to eliminate and anomalies in the data he generated.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Matthew Ronan
​

Shouldering his pack as they moved, Matt made sure to squint his eyes half-closed in preparation. Fortunately, the destination's lighting was softer on the eyes than that of the pysdrium. Habitually, he kept his hands close to his sides and made a slow turn around, taking in the area. Walls, interior, furniture ... home? No, too neat. Motel room. Sparse - but more than he usually expected from a motel.


He hauled his backpack to an empty corner and dumped it down, crouching alongside to tear into the pack and fish out supplies. Two large zip-lock bags of sandwiches, four one-liter bottles of water, two first-aid kits, one spare mobile phone and a rolled-up sleeping bag. He sat cross-legged in the corner and set about meticulously arranging his possessions there, stacking and orienting them. Once he was satisfied, he fished his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the arrangement. It was nothing flash or detailed, as the thing was an old model, but it would serve to help his memory all the same. He remained in his corner, studying it alongside the image on his phone for reference, listening to the others over his shoulder. He kept his face to the wall, hiding the dismay that tugged his expression downward. As expected - communication would be difficult.


"I brushed up on my Slovk ... my Slovak." He commented in a pause. "I mean, I can only tell you my name and tell you to fuck off ... but that's still something, ain'it?"

This wasn't necessarily the truth, but it might as well have been for all the good it would do him. Forty minutes spend using Google Translate didn't exactly qualify him as designated translator,. You know - unless the fate of the mission hinged on his ability to hurriedly introduce himself or ask for the nearest train station through slurred, fragmented speech. But in a desperate situation with an attentive listener, he'd be able to get something very simple across.

He stood up for a moment and glanced about the room. Spotting his target, he strolled over and collected a telephone directory off a small table near the doorway before returning to his corner with it and flicking it open. Getting the lay of the town was one thing - but working out addresses shouldn't be too difficult. He figured they were holed up in a little town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere - they probably had most of the adult population jotted down in the registry pages. ...

"... ah, fuck me. Hey, does pointy-down-S come before or after slanty-left-S?"

 

[Syrenrei]

Outside the Window
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​

The view from their room was less than inspiring. They presumably had other rooms since there were ten of them and only two beds, but it was unlikely that they had any better scenery to behold. The second story overlooked a cracked parking lot that had faded with age and neglect. A few cars were strewn about but none of them looked less than a decade old and one was at least thirty years old. If the cars were any indication the people that lived and visited here not affluent in the least. Of the three lights over the parking lot that were visible one was crooked and it was dubious it illuminated anything when darkness fell.


The hotel was located on the eastern edge of town. Beyond the parking lot, which faced eastwards, there was farmland and livestock that were dots on the landscape. It was impossible to discern how many there much less what type. To the northeast, bordering some of the farmland, was a long, wide factory that was churning out dark smoke but at this distance and with trees in the way it was hard to tell what the name on the side was or what they could be making. The size of the factory implied that it employed a considerable amount of Black Rock's population.

Black Rock at Large
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​

Black Rock was not an overly large town; there were less than 10,000 residents. The town had six restaurants, one cafe, a library, a town all that was abandoned by all but the most basic staff on most days, and a smattering of other businesses like a novelty bakery. There was a singular main street through the town with the roads that intersected or branched off becoming less and less substantial the more they strayed from the town centre. A few of the roads were basic dirt roads to some rustic houses on the more rural outskirts. The tallest buildings were no more than three stories tall but most were only a couple stories including the houses.


The residents that were on the streets seemed to know each other; after all, it wasn't an overly large town. Several men and women greeted each other and stopped to chat. People blended together as well. Madison's pink hair was sure to stick out in a place where there weren't enough people to experience diversity and a lot of experimentation with self-image. Most of the men wore shirts and slacks and the women wore more dresses and skirts than you would find in Psydrium (which had always been a very progressive place). Everyone seemed so homogeneous the chances that they would 'blend in' somehow were slim to none.