Main Role-Play Thread [Adventure 1]

"'kay, guys, I figured out our mystery already!  It's all coincidence.  I don't see anything worth looking at in this town...,"  Collin muttered.  He had really been hoping for some nice scenery;  half the reason he had signed up for this was to get away from Psydrium for a bit.  The other half involved having to find something to put on a resume for Justicars, but that probably wouldn't be worth anything, either, if nothing happened on this mission.


Collin then stepped away from the window to lean against the wall and cross his arms, opting to go ahead and listen in on the plan and get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible.  He silently listened as the group went around putting in their two cents until finally it came Collin's time to speak up.  "No offense to you, Mademoiselle,"  he began, putting so much emphasis on that last word as to make it a slur, "but if we all stick to one group, this mission will take forever.  We've got mind readers, so splitting into two groups shouldn't be too much of a problem."
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Novalie & Leon
​





Novalie took a moment to gather her thoughts as they spoke. It was clear from the banter that they had disparate reactions to the situation or their approaches. One of their party had already all but abandoned them to do an investigation of his own- something he might have to explain later that evening when they all reported to Psydrium proper on the advances they had made (or lack thereof). She was slightly fearful of voicing her own opinion for two reasons: she did not want to create a heated disagreement and she didn't want to force her thoughts on others as the 'correct' ones. If she did not temper herself properly then she risked festering bitterness from those she did not indulge and others that would simply fail to make suggestions. Combing back some of her hair she shifted her weight from one leg to another before she spoke.


"I'm not certain what good would come of investigating the town by itself just yet," Novalie ventured calmly in an even tone. Every word and syllable was so measured, so patient, and so practiced it drew attention to the fact Novalie was a polished person. Her most genuine and inner emotions had been carefully tucked away, hidden and obscured. "There might be something of value to learn in Black Rock, but we don't know where or with whom to speak. I think the best start is talking to the new psions themselves to try to pinpoint when they felt a change, find out more about them, and try to root out a commonality. We could divide into two groups with our psions, but the authors will only be able to speak with the psions using telepathy." She took a deep breath and then looked towards Sophie. "I do think it is wise to proceed with caution, but we have no reason to suspect anything malicious is at play. The town itself might be less than friendly, though, and we'll have to be careful using our powers."


Leon wandered over to where Madison had rooted out a chocolate bar and dug through the bag himself. Selecting a pastry he stuffed at least half in his mouth, chewed a couple times, and then wandered into the bathroom for a cup of water. By the time he had returned his sister had completed her little righteous leader speech. He swallowed, swished around some water to get a few flaky tidbits out of his teeth, and then spoke himself. "You know, if you really don't care about what's going on here, I can take you home." He shrugged his shoulders casually and then chomped down the rest of the delicious food like a true glutton. It seemed stupid to have so many people on this adventure especially when some of them didn't even care to be here. Well, it was their problem and not his. Anyone with half a brain would know The Preservers and the council of Psydrium wouldn't send them anywhere that was scenic and relaxing. Not on their dime anyway. "Or I could take you somewhere else for a price," he continued thoughtfully.


"Leon," Novalie began. Her voice sounded slightly displeased but her face did not lose its pleasant expression. Leon sighed a little to himself, finished his water, and put the glass down on one of the shoddy little tables their room had.


"'Course we all have to report in what we did today later since Psydrium's paying for our rooms, food, and other expenses, as well as providing us cover if we unintentionally expose ourselves, so if you report you did jack shit it might not give a great impression." Leon found it likely that at least a few of them were trying to climb the social ladder in Psydrium- to be either a Justicar, to become a sage or one of their assistants, to be a hero, to have more status in the Preservers, or just show their school how important they were. Leon lacked that sort of ambition but he acknowledged others might possess it. He smirked a little as he looked at the list of names and thought of Matthew's commentary. It was a lot less frustrating and a lot more amusing if you didn't try to pronounce a damn thing. That guy probably had ambitions- that was his problem. He'd be a lot happier if he did without them.


"Smaller town and we're obviously foreigners, so it can't hurt to just ask at the front desk if the staff knows anyone on our list. If they don't, ask around some local businesses?" Novalie suggested. She'd wait to see who wanted to actually partake in interviewing anyone before she stepped outside the door. If they wanted to split up, and some people didn't care about heading to the front desk, she'd not make them follow her. With any luck no one took Leon up on his offer to travel them away from this place either.
 
Doctor Athens sighed into his empty bag of jerky and glanced at the readings from his scanner again. Theories marched through his head in orderly processions, ranging from logical yet utterly unhelpful to profound and entirely speculative. They all boiled down to one thing: his data didn't make sense. 


The scanner worked, at least it had, in a laborator, under controlled conditions. There weren't any signs of damage, at least nothing he could readily observe, and he'd been careful with it. The most likely conclusion was that it simply wasn't ready for use in the field. It needed more testing, more development. Better sensitivity, better accuracy...the list went on. In short, it wasn't going to be useful to him at all. At least not on this mission.


He returned to the hotel to write up his report. He was used to writing reports on his research projects. The backers wanted to know that he was spending their time and money wisely, but the Preserver's policies annoyed him. A report every day? Mysteries weren't solved overnight. Time spent chasing down dead ends was annoying enough without some desk jockey breathing down his back. But these leads had to be pursued, otherwise, they'd never know if they were missing a vital clue. 

Doctor Percival Athens, day 1. Performed feasibility study on analyzing potential environmental factors. Conclusion: cannot analyze environmental factors with available resources. Recommend deferring further investigation in this direction until further notice, to be resumed when and if other leads turn out to be dead ends.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Matthew Ronan
​




Matt retrieved a pencil from his pack and began rifling through the phone book as Novalie spoke, sitting on the floor and glancing between the directory and his list of names. The directory was in immaculate condition, as if it had never been opened before. Every time he took his hand away to write on his list, the directory sprung closed again. He ended up simply shoving one foot between the pages as a makeshift bookmark, cursing under his breath as he glanced back and forth. The spelling and peculiar accents gave him more trouble than he cared for.


"Alright ... I got some names for you, boss." Matt climbed to his feet and kicked the phone directory under the bed, slapping his list down on the bed next to Novalie. "Found an address for Silla, old lady. Or man, hell if I know. Got three possible addresses for this "L. Durica" lady ... or boy. Whatever. Didn't look for the kids, and couldn't find anything for the rest."


The edited list was crumpled where Matt's hand had squashed it against the bedspread, but the handwriting was still neat and readable, and even had certainly an artistic touch to it.

"Can copy it yourselves, because I'm sure as hell not writing it out another ten times." Matt approached the window and swung his head back and forth, taking in everything there was to see. That direction didn't look promising. "Stick me in either group, but I'm going to take some photos of town as we go around. Find some sneaky hidden spots to travel between in case we need to act fast." He turned to cast a shallow smirk at Leon. The bloody idiot wasn't doing much for group enthusiasm. "If pretty-boy manages to pull his thumb out of his ass, I can take him between them, too. You can write that on your resume, really impress the brass."
 
Angeline Wilkinson


Changer


Explorer






Angeline listened to everyone as she leaned next to the greasy window against the plain wall. She picked up a piece similarly dull curtains and started to trace the many shapes on it with one finger. The cloth was rough and Angeline felt her skin on her finger be scratched as she continued to follow the pattern, wondering about the mission. One of the BREG members had already gone off and done his own research, making Angeline assume that he isn't a team player as he hasn't said anything so far. But of course he could be shy, perhaps he was amazing in a team but simply needed to be befriended, who knows? 


She continued to ponder about what he might be like until Matt announced that he manged to find possible addresses for two people. As Matt set the crumpled piece of paper down onto the bed Angeline set off to the two massive bags containing the supplies and  took out a black notepad and a pen. Then she walked back to where the paper with the addresses and jotted them down. "Matt you sure do have some nice handwriting, good job with getting the addresses by the way." Angeline said as she noticed the elegant writing. "Anyway, we should probably split up into groups now to check these addresses. There are nine of us so there'll be one group that's bigger than the rest, and I would like to be in that group of five." she explained, moving back over to the small table. Angeline set the notepad and pen down, replacing them with the encyclopaedia and opened it up once again to carry on reading it. Once in a while a quiet crinkling sound could be heard each time Angeline turned to the next page.
 

Collin Walsh
​


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Collin kept a vague attention to the conversation, as not to miss anything important, but Collin's mind was wandering all over the place by now with his own ideas.  We already had one member off on his own, maybe Collin could go find someone by himself too;  then he wouldn't have to worry about the rest of his team messing everything up and the mission could be done quicker.  Collin was by far the most well-equipped in case anything went wrong, and surely someone around here could understand English...



Reluctantly, Collin forced himself to let that thought die out.  For one thing, his navigation skills weren't that great and he'd probably end up getting lost pretty quick.  And for another, his team would probably whine in the reports if he refused to bodyguard one of the two teams.  Three, if something violent happened and Collin wasn't there, being the only Agitator he'd probably loose any hope of becoming a Justicar if someone got hurt.



That being said, though, Collin really didn't want to have to deal with people.  After whats-her-face pointed out teams would be unbalanced, he immediately spoke up.  "I'll be going with the smaller of the two groups.  They'll be the ones more in need of an agitator in case something goes wrong."
 

/monthly_2016_09/tumblr_oa2urj7MmD1t39jfto1_1280.jpg.c72ab02f717c182c7b82985e09a63cb6_1.jpg.14846178733c559b9e49f96dd1d5d22c.jpg​


Madison Garland
​




"Oy. I don't appreciate your tone with the nice miss." She had finished her chocolate bar, and was in the process of depositing the wrapper in the bin, but thought better of it when the lad across from her made a remark to the Frenchie that stung even her, and chucked it in his general direction instead. Though the wrapper missed its mark by a whole feet, she continued. "You know, for a guy, you're kind of a little bitch, ain't you? I can see it in your ruddy face. If you don't want to play at being friends, then I suggest you make like a tree and take a hike. This ain't a school trip for you to snark on everythin'."


She left it at that, and strode over to the list Matt, or that was what she supposed his name was, had written, and, quick as a flash from a camera, the picture had been taken. Writing was too much effort for her. The journalists that bought her photos were the ones that did the writing. And she had to admit, though not aloud, Matt's handwriting WAS pretty neat. She would have hardly expected that from a man like he was. She slung her camera back around her neck, and straightened up.


"I'm tagging along with the Frenchie, wherever she's goin'. That alright with you?" She nudged the French girl in the arm with her elbow. "Mainly because some lad might take out his frustrations on her if someone's not with her."
 

Novalie & Leon
​





Novalie pressed her lips together as she considered their dynamic. It made the most sense to split the two travelers so that they had an easier route back to the hotel if there were any complications such as uncooperative townspeople, an unintentional exposure of powers, or one of the new psions using their powers out of control. It also made sense to split up the authors so they had a confidential way to communicate with one another. An author in either group could telepathically send messages to the other group without any worries as to cell signals, speaking in code, or even just looking damn suspicious. It also probably made sense to put the changers in different groups as well just to make them well-rounded. She resisted the urge to bite her lip or show any indication of her inward doubt. Leading was not something she wished to do and now she was being pushed further and further into the role. Honestly Leon would have been more suitable had he not been so incredibly opposed to the notion and abrasively apathetic on the exterior. Novalie was sorely tempted to keep herself in the same group as her brother but it seemed folly; she was better suited to talk to the older lady and she trusted his reflexes best to jettison the other group out of trouble if the younger newly minted psion's emotions culminated in an explosive burst of power.


"I propose that myself, Matthew, Angeline, and Minerva go talk to Csilla Ševčík, the elderly lady. Leon, Madison, Sophie, and Collin can go talk to Lenka Ďurica but... please be careful. Since she's a young adult it's very possible her emotions are making her powers flare up, which only feeds into her fear and makes them flare up more. We'll keep in contact through Minerva and Sophie and meet back up here after we've spoken to each psion to determine how best to proceed. Remember while we are investigating, we are also offering them refuge in Psydrium if they decide they don't want to stay in Black Rock. I'm sure most of us know what the decision to move to Psydrium is like." Novalie and Leon were born in Psydrium so that decision had been made for them, but after the death of their mother and the departure of their father on his travels, the opportunity to leave was enticing. One of their elder brothers had almost relocated to a South American country until he realized how ferociously religious some of the country was. Had he unintentionally exposed his powers in front of a zealot he would have been met with violence almost certainly. Novalie had never had the urge to leave. The dreamers that favored astral projection were so few even in Psydrium she barely felt understood where she was. Had she moved abroad the chance that anyone would see her as anything but a freak, even among other psions, was small.


"Let me just make one phone call first," she added before she moved towards the door. Novalie picked up the off-white phone from the receiver, the curled cord twisting as she pulled it up to her ear. She pressed the "0" button and waited patiently to be connected to the front desk. Matthew and anyone else who had picked up a few Slovak phrases would gleam she was talking to the front desk and inquiring about the address of Lenka Ďurica. She spoke quickly and with a sweet voice that must have been persuasive to some degree because the masculine voice on the other side answered in sentences rather than singular words. After a few exchanges she hung up and took Matthew's list in her hand. With a thick black pen she circled one of the addresses for Lenka Ďurica and crossed out the other two. "If anyone asks, I told him we're investigating if Lenka Ďurica is the same as one listed in a will from a gentleman of the same last name residing in Switzerland. Is everyone ready to depart?"


Leon did not envy Matthew. It might, at a glance, seem like a blessing to be grouped with three single young ladies but in his mind there were few things less threatening. For those in his group Madison seemed a bit "spunky" and he hoped to fly low enough under her radar he didn't fall prey to her jabs. She didn't seem like the sort to put up with any 'shit' and Novalie frequently reminded Leon that's exactly what he was full of. Sophie by contrast was a quiet and more diplomatic. Had she been a little more cynical and withdrawn he might have considered her a kindred spirit. Collin was a little surly but who could blame him? Guarding the twenty-seventh in line to the throne of Nowhere, Europe was probably twice as thrilling as standing in a hotel room making responsible decisions. It was a little sad to be away from sister dearest but her choice was sensible as always. They didn't need to be joined at the hip but it was nice to have her around. Did this brief separation mean she trusted him to behave himself? How positively reckless of Novalie!


His phone vibrated in his pocket and as the others were (hopefully) distracted he withdrew it, unlocked the screen with his thumbprint, and scrolled through his message. After swiping a quick reply he deposited it back into his pocket and shuffled towards the door before the overeager beavers thought to use a physical stimulus. Or his sister started scolding. Or Matthew started complaining and making curt comments on his attitude any more than he already was. Leon's feelings might have been hurt if he didn't already believe that most people assumed the worst of him and barely tolerated his existence. When they returned later maybe he'd make use of the laptops or tablets to write up his report but it wasn't exactly necessary now except.... Leon doubled back and snagged up a candy bar before returning back to the door. With a melancholic sigh he swung it open and gestured for the ladies to go ahead of him. Might as well be chivalrous. He'd live a little longer that way he wagered.
 


Sophie Bordeaux
​


Author
​


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


After her suggestion, Sophie mostly kept herself quiet, even with Collin's comments about her. Sophie was concerned when Madison spoke out, and gestured slightly to her hoping that she would calm down. Then there was Matthew, jotting more information into the list of psions the group responsible to investigate. Sophie managed to take a long good look at it. After Collin and Angeline voicing out their thoughts on Novalie's plan...


"I'm tagging along with the Frenchie, wherever she's goin'. That alright with you?"


Madison nudged Sophie's arm with her elbow. Sophie simply looked at her with a surprised look.


"Mainly because some lad might take out his frustrations on her if someone's not with her."


"Uhh..." Sophie's eyebrows furrowed, as she considers Madison's idea. "Sure, I guess.."


Then Novalie proceeded to propose the 2 groups and its group members, and Sophie was assigned with the 4-man group who was tasked to find a young adult. The French girl was somewhat concerned with her group members, as at least two of them, namely Madison and Collin, are most likely at odds now. After a sigh, Sophie went to the bags and grabbed herself a pen and a notepad, just in case she needs to jot something down. Just when she was approaching the door, Leon has already opened it. He gestured at Madison and Sophie to go first, acting in a chivalrous manner. Sophie simply bowed at him and left the room.

@simj22


@Syrenrei
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Matthew Ronan
​




A chuckle bubbled up Matt's throat and he gave a swift nod to Angeline. "You sound so surprised, malady. Did you expect something else from such a classy and sophisticated gentleman like me?" He smiled broadly and shot her a wink. He'd have to thank his dad when he returned home someday - maybe the old man was right all along. Birds loved fancy letters. Shit, maybe he should have tried passing notes back in high school.

Then again - perhaps it was just Angeline. She seemed to like her books and words, from the look of things.


Note to self. The prim brunette likes words.


Matt moved back into his corner and sat on the floor, legs folded and his propped up against the wall. He absently flicked through the pictures he'd taken on his phone, but looked back and forth between present company between images, only pausing when their illustrious de-facto leader spoke up. He smiled shallowly as he listened - it all sounded good to him. The groups were balanced and he'd be surrounded by women. And not the "punch you in the dick" kind of women - he glanced at Madison from the corner of his eye. Yeah, she was definitely one of those.


Sounds good to me.


"Sure thing, boss." Matt climbed to his feet again - he had a habit of doing that - and moved toward the door. He'd initially planned on waiting around at the door, but spotting Leon holding the door open, his plans abruptly changed. He sauntered across to the doorway and stood on the side opposite to Leon, flanking the doorframe between the two of them. With a curt smile and a short bow, he gestured to the open doorway, turning his head to the rest of the group. "Ladies first." His eyes shifted back to Leon, lips still curled into a smirk.
 
Angeline Wilkinson


Changer



Explorer




 


"I suppose I did, my mistake." Angeline retorted. The ever familiar words echoed in her head, Never judge a book by its cover. A small smile crept onto her face before remembering that there was no tie for fun and games, somebody could get hurt, especially with them prowling around Black Rock. She remembered how when Preservers came to look for her when she was but a little girl she thought it was the end. It was a good they got her before the townsmen got to her, it was all thanks to the one author.


 


Not looking up from the book, Angeline reached out to grab the notepad and pen to jot down some notes on who she's with, who she's searching for and some little notes on what she should look out for. For a brief moment a peaceful melody of a lark entered the room through the open window. This made her pause to listen to the song before beginning to roughly sketch a small bird.


 


She wasn't really a drawer, her real passion was in painting. However to paint Angeline needed a general outline of what the object or scene was like, so it was always a good idea for her to practice sketching from time to time. The notepad may have been lined paper but that didn't particularly matter to Angeline, she wanted to put down her idea before it passed away to be lost forever like every other thought she has had. For her there was no rush to exit the room into the burning heat, it was better to take a moment to understand the nature of the nature around them as it was unlikely they would ever go back here again. And so she sat there sketching her vision of a lark perched on a branch, tail raised in the air as it prepared to fly off.
 

Collin Walsh
​




Honestly, Collin was unsure how he felt about the apparent group divisions.  He really didn't care for children, but the kid would definitely be the better conduit for some excitement.  And disregarding his personal feelings, it was Collin's duty as the only Agitator to follow alongside his thrill-seeking nature.


As for the measures taken with his companions for the team, that guy, Leon, seemed just fine, and the French girl wasn't all that noteworthy, but a spark had already formed between Collin and that annoying camera girl, and it was doubtful they'd find any middle ground throughout this mission.  But Collin wasn't willing to give her the satisfaction of stating he'd rather not deal with her;  besides, with her around Collin would at least have someone to vent his obnoxious notes and sly comments to.  Maybe he could even throw in a few more half-hearted insults at the French girl to really get under camera girl's skin.


Pondering all the various ways he could keep up a petty feud with that annoying, childish, bratty girl, Collin yawned pointedly as he began his slow walk over to the door, sticking to the back of his team to hide his eagerness to get this thing started.
 

Leon
​







Leon led 'his' small group out of the hotel. There was nothing of interest in the hotel anyway; it was only a couple stories tall with a few dozen rooms at best. The walls were painted a bland tan color and the carpeting a tightly woven brown speckled with flecks of black. Had there been some interspersed paintings or other visual interest he might have tarried just a little. The function of the hotel was almost certainly to be nothing more exciting than a place to sleep while visiting the town either for personal matters or business. The single vending and ice machine they passed on their way out looked to be clean enough but at least twenty years old from the visible wear and tear. Leon purposefully took them out a side door inside of the front; he didn't want to be approached by any more people than necessary that spoke Slovak that he couldn't understand a lick of.


After consulting the maps on their phones they had an easy enough time navigating to the house of Lenka Ďurica. Leon gave up the 'lead' of the tiny quartet to whomever wanted it- probably Collin or Madison. His gait slowed considerably after the first block but he offered no explanation nor did he ask anyone to slow their own pace. Even if they requested him to speed up it was simply impossible to do so. Leon had no intentions of broadcasting his physical limitations but they certainly affected his travel on foot. His left leg in particular was a touch stiff today but he forced it to behave as well as the right. His physical therapist, a brute of a man who alternated between probing questions and motivational speeches regarding mind over matter, had warned him that it may be years before he was back to the strength and stamina of his teenage years. That was fine. It was important to hurry towards Lenka Ďurica but a few minutes of delay wouldn't result in disaster, would it?


As they reached Lenka Ďurica's home he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket but did his best to ignore it. Madison and Collin both struck him as aggressive personalities that would undoubtedly question him if he seemed too interesting or odd. It was better to keep as low a profile as possible- a lesson he learned years ago. Novalie disagreed, of course, but she was the sort of person that enjoyed recognition. "I think Sophie should knock," he advised with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. Collin wasn't as congenial as the two women were and Madison might just pop a camera in the poor woman's face once she answered the door. Sophie was the most reasonable suggestion that kept him from having the responsibility. Besides, she could read the mind of Lenka Ďurica or whomever else answered the door and communicate a little bit better than anyone else present.


The home itself was an older stucco and wooden dwelling two stories tall. The neighboring homes were so close that a resident could lean out their window and touch the window of their neighbor with relative ease. There was a somewhat overgrown and brown front yard that was no more than a couple meters wide between the street and front door. A few evergreen bushes edged where the yard met that of the neighbors but were similarly ill-tended and were lopsided in their growth. A small, compact pale yellow car was in the narrow driveway indicating someone was home. The perfectly squared windows were covered with curtains and it was impossible to see inside.


@simj22 @Emiya Shin @Collinbu98
 

Novalie
​







Novalie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Matthew. To his credit Leon completely ignored the smug look of the other traveler and had let it slide off his back like just about everything else, but she was annoyed. There were people who disliked her brother (or all her brothers for that matter) but she couldn't pinpoint this weird, prickly competition Matthew had. Leon was so dour and pessimistic that he'd concede if there was any sort of formal competition and he had very little ego to speak of. "Please, just call me Novalie," she said as she painted a pleasant expression and smile across her features. Hopefully a little distance between Matthew and Leon would be better for the group, though she worried about putting Collin and Madison together. Would her brother properly referee them if there was a fight?


She glided through the door and waited for Angeline to join her. Surely the woman noticed that they were departing and would not want to stay in the hotel room to sketch while there was so much to accomplish. Novalie was hardly going to force anyone to participate- she wasn't that sort of person- but she would enjoy the changer's company. After they collected themselves in the hall she pulled out her phone (like her sibling had) to have an appropriate map of Black Rock. Csilla Ševčík's home was on the outskirts of town which meant they'd have a little more of a hike than the others did. It was just as well. Leon couldn't cover as much ground physically as she could so it had unexpectedly been a blessing to be going farther.


"Ah, this way," she gestured as she set out. When they walked through the main lobby of the hotel it was as plain and uninspired as they might have expected. A few pastoral art pieces were strewn about and chandelier with electric candle lights were the only decor to speak of. The couches and armchairs looked surprisingly plush and comfortable and may have very well been the most expensive items they had seen thus far. A single man stood behind the long, dark wooden front desk and looked up when they passed by. He raised his hand in greeting to Novalie, but she was so focused on her map that she breezed on by without a glance. More than one person had called her intense and it certainly applied now. Novalie was determined to not only get there in the most efficient way possible, she also wanted to have every single question possible answered by the elderly lady. She craved a conclusion to this mystery.


Intermittently she stopped residents of the town to clarify she was on the right path. With each she flashed a charming smile and spoke in such a way that Angeline and Matthew, despite not knowing the language, would realize that she was being extremely courteous. Her posture and visage were carefully controlled to express the respect and gratitude she wanted to relay for assistance. Fortunately each of the three she stopped confirmed they were on the right path.


After passing several homes and small shops that were just opening for the day, they followed a short stone path of perhaps a hundred yards to what could only be described as a cottage. It looked twice as old as its resident and was constructed out of stone and mortar. The tiny square windows were cracked open to allow fresh air into the petite domicile. Lace white curtains prevented them from peeking inside. To both sides of the path were gardens that had been carefully maintained with fencing to keep wild animals from snacking on the spoils. Squash, potatoes, cabbage, clove, garlic, paprika, nutmeg, lentils, turnips, carrots, parsley, kale, and celery were visible, but it appeared that behind the residence might be more gardening areas. As they approached the front door Angeline would notice much newer additions to the garden that were not labeled but identifiable by someone with botany experience: oleander and yew.


@Collidias Rex  @Cheryl  @Kiroshiven
 


Sophie Bordeaux
​


After making their exit from the mundane hotel through a side door, Sophie followed Leon and the others to their destination without much banter. The introverted woman figured that she will get her fair share of dialogues with her fellow psions once they are done with their investigation on Lenka Ďurica. Instead of maintaining her cautious temperament back in the hotel, Sophie adopted a relaxed stance as she walked, her eyes scanning around the rural environment of Black Rock. She actually enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, though she thought that it would be even better if the place was more populated. After passing the first block, Sophie noticed that Leon has slowed down his walking. It has piqued her interest, but once again pushed her curiosity back as the others walked without expressing any concern about it. Maybe she might bring it up during their next banter.


The group eventually stopped at an aged two-story wooden house. Sophie felt slightly uncomfortable when she realized that the neighboring houses were so close to it. She would choose to live in another house if she were to present a choice of houses to live here.


"I think Sophie should knock."


Leon spoke for the first time after leaving the hotel as Sophie turned to him just in time to see him shrugging his shoulders. At first, the young French woman frowned at Leon, but went away moments later when she realized his motives.


"Okay."


Sophie agreed, while letting out a quick sigh. After mentally preparing herself for a human interaction, the black haired girl walked towards the wooden door. She then straightened herself, and knocked on the door, 3 times.


@Syrenrei@simj22@Collinbu98
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Matthew Ronan
​



 
​





 
​


Matthew's grin faltered as Leon moved past him - not so much as a smirk.  His eyes followed the other traveler out the door, and he frowned once the man was out of sight.


What a bloody stick-in-the-mud.


Well, there went his impromptu plans for entertainment. Matt reminded himself why he avoided most other travelers. Too many ditzes and weirdos. At least agitators could have a bit of fun without losing their hea- ... perhaps that wasn't the best choice of phrasing.


"O'course ... Novalie." He sighed as the woman strode past. Novalie ... yeah, that wouldn't stick. Too long. Too flowery. Couldn't her parents have stuck her with an easy nickname? Nova? Nah, too weird.Valee? God, that was even worse. He idled in the doorway for a moment in thought. Yeah, fine, he wasn't getting anywhere - maybe "Novalie" was the best course of action.


... or maybe he'd just conveniently "forget" and hope Novalie didn't mind whatever Matt called her. That would be easiest.


Matt leaned back into the room and glanced back and forth. Empty - everyone had vacated. He abruptly leaped out the doorway and dragged the door shut behind him, racing along to catch up with the rest of the group - raising a hand to wave briefly to the receptionist as he caught up near the front desk. Bad manner not to return a gesture like that - but Novalie seemed too absorbed in whateverthehell she was reading to notice.


Novalie seemed to be taking the quiet approach - whatever, then. Matt resigned to following along quietly. To be fair, he didn't exactly have a lot to say to the locals. Not a lot they'd understand, anyway. He simply trailed a few feet behind Novalie and stood at an awkward silence when she stopped to ask questions. She was all very prim and proper about it, much to Matt's discomfort. He tried uncertainly to match her behavior. He tried folding his arms in front of his chest, but he wondered if that was too intimidating and "thug like". He tried clasping his hands behind his back, but that felt unnatural. He tried clasping his hands in front of him, but that again felt uncomfortable. Fortunately, Novalie didn't seem to need any more chit-chat after the third stop.


Reaching what seemed to be the outskirts of town, Matt fished his phone out of his pocket and took a few pictures. In the middle of town it would look awfully suspicious to be poking around dark corners with a camera, but in the sparse town outskirts there were fewer prying eyes to watch him. He picked out a few spots where he stopped to take pictures, but they were all open to some degree - that meant there would be chance someone would see him traveling back and forth. They'd be good for emergency way-points and nothing more - anything less would be too risky.


He squashed his phone back into his coat pocket and sighed as the group approached the house. Well, he assumed it to be the house, given how Novalie had abruptly turned off.


"I'm gonna wait back a little. You ladies can chit-chat with our psion. I'll try not to look like a grumpy shithead."










@Syrenrei @Cheryl
 

Lenka Ďurica's Home
​


 
​


Immediately after Sophie knocked they could hear the sound of feet pitter-pattering against the floor as they rushed to the door. It was flung open by an older woman who, judging by appearances alone, was at least fifty years old with hair that was more gray than brown. Her wide eyes were a mottled combination of green and brown. She rubbed flour off her hands onto an apron that had slightly yellowed in age but her clothes themselves were new and modern. Upon seeing Sophie she took the younger female by the shoulders and exclaimed something loudly in Slovak. Leon drew closer out of concern for Sophie but it was not an aggressive move- she looked scared, worried, sad, desperate, but not hostile. The older lady's eyes filled with tears as she rambled on for another minute in Slovak, holding back sobs, looking at Madison, Collin, and Leon for the answers she did not find in Sophie's face. The anguish this woman felt aged her by the minute.


Using telepathy, Sophie could see the woman was mentally a hysterical mess. She was speaking of her youngest daughter being seized by a madness that she kept praying would go away but nothing had worked. She had taken her daughter to the church and begged for an exorcism but they did not believe she was possessed. The woman's mind was meddled on exactly what the nature of her illness because she was focused on trying to cure it, but if Sophie cared to push past conscious thoughts she could discern how the psion powers had manifested. The woman believed that the four of them had been sent by the divine, an answer to her prayer, and that they would cleanse Lenka- or at least try to. Although she had faith in them, unusual as they might be, she could not help but be frantic. Her daughter had been spiraling out of control in manic episodes and the other day had almost hurt her mother, however unintentionally.


And then there was a scream from the upstairs of the residence. A piercing, howling, crazed scream.


@Emiya Shin  @simj22  @Collinbu98
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Collin Walsh
​




As they finally began their travels across the small town, Collin found himself almost forget about the camera girl as his thoughts wandered off to what exactly would happen when they reached this volatile little brat.  Maybe the mission as a whole wouldn't be worth the time he was putting into it, but at least this part should be exciting.  Hopefully.  Collin was actually so deep into his pondering of various violent scenarios in which he would get some action that he didn't seem to notice as the other guy in their group began to slow to the back.  His pace slowed to stay within reach of the rest of the group as he remained oblivious to the whole ordeal.  When they finally approached their destination, though, Collin cleared his mind.


Now that they had arrived, Collin quickly found himself impatient as the guy suggested Frenchie was the one who knocked.  Collin would've been much more comfortable taking the lead for the action part of things, but he relented to let the girl take care of it, as he realized whoever knocked would likely be the one to do the talking.  As soon as the Slovak woman came out and begin rambling on in gibberish, she was dismissed by Collin without another thought as entirely un-noteworthy. He craned his neck to look past her into the house, trying to spot the girl they needed.  When he heard scream coming from upstairs, he immediately leaped into action, using his abilities to gently knock the woman out of his way (possibly quick enough for her not to notice, but honestly it shouldn't matter to Collin; she had clearly already seen something of Psionics) as he rushed up the stairs, three steps at a time.
 

Sophie Bordeaux
​


Sophie prepared herself for an interaction as rushing footsteps can be heard beyond the door. It was then opened by a middle-aged woman with an apron. Upon noticing the girl's appearance, the woman instantly grabbed Sophie's shoulders and began speaking loudly in a foreign language. Startled by her sudden actions, Sophie can only looked at her. The woman continued on with her ramble while being teary eyed for another minute. Since she was unable to understand her, Sophie decided to use her telepathy skill as an Author and reads her mind. The French girl frowned and eventually portrayed a sympathetic expression as she looked at the desperate woman.


Then a howling scream from upstairs pierced through Sophie's ears, causing her to flinch in response. After letting out a sigh, Sophie turned to her group members only to notice that Collin sprinted past them, and within seconds he was inside the house. Seeing this, the dark-haired girl shook her head and gave the summarized version of what she got to Leon and Madison.


"Long story short, the mother thought that her youngest daughter got possessed and neither prayers nor church worked. I could gain more info about her powers from her mother. But with Collin rushed in, I think we need to follow him since Lenka has been spiraling out of control and even attempted to hurt her mother."


@Syrenrei
 

/monthly_2016_09/tumblr_oa2urj7MmD1t39jfto1_1280.jpg.c72ab02f717c182c7b82985e09a63cb6_1.jpg.14846178733c559b9e49f96dd1d5d22c.jpg​


Madison Garland
​


Madison had not spoken much for the most of the journey, mostly just muttering slight, ambiguous comments to herself as she passed building by building, as she snapped one or two pictures at every block they passed. Knowledge was power, after all, and memory of man was best not left to rely on too much. The power of photography lay there. She duly ignored the Collin lad. He did not bother her nor the Frenchie, and that was all she asked for.


When they finally arrived at their destination, Madison allowed the Frenchie to take the point, under the reasoning that she was an Author. She could read whatever was in the heads of these foreigners without need of a translator. What she had not expected, though, was the sudden appearance of the occupant, and her hysteric actions after, gripping the Frenchie by her shoulders. Just as her pouting superstar moved, so did she, taking the older woman by her shoulders with a firm, but not painful, grip, and shushing her soothingly. “It’s going to be okay. O. K. Yes?” She spoke softly, trying to assuage the woman. The language barrier was not easily broken, but it was all she could do to try.



Collin had already sprinted past her and the others, up the stairs, to the source of a scream she was suddenly aware of. She gave a curt nod to Leon and Sophie, said nothing about the Frenchie's explanation, and only gazed into the eyes of the older woman again, before patting her shoulder reassuringly and darting up the stairwell, after Collin.
 

Leon
​




Leon had hung back behind Sophie, Madison, and even Collin after they had approached the house. While he had maintained a relaxed demeanor this mission was reminding him more and more of times past. The past did not hold him captive emotionally, but the shadow it cast on his present was indisputable. Is that when his cynicism had started? He wasn't certain but he felt that it had become more amplified recently rather than tempered. Even now he stared at the stone and wondered what sort of terrible situation these psions could be in all awakening in such proximity to one another, at such disparate ages, and how ill-equipped he was personally to deal with it. Leon let out a soft sigh and tried to imagine that he'd be of use and this would be a happy ending. Once he had been spectacularly heroic in the worst of circumstances... but how often did lightning strike twice?


His legs ached as he watched the door open and the woman inside hurriedly speak at Sophie in Slovak. It wasn't really a conversation. Even Novalie would have struggled to interject as the lady ranted about what Leon could only hope was the psion in question, Lenka. After listening to the odd syllables pressed together in innovative ways, frantic facial expressions, and desperate gestures, there was a scream in the upstairs of the home. Collin, like a stereotypical agitator, let his hot-blooded nature take over as he dashed inside and leapt up the stairs a few at a time. Sophie turned to translate but Leon barely registered her words. The scream continued to echo and reverberate in his ears.


Leon shook his head to try to erase the phantom sound and then ambled up after Madison. The poor girl was trying to reassure the mother but Leon wasn't sure where her confidence came from. It was kind to try to instill the belief everything would be fine but only if it was actually going to be. The shriek had not been one of someone who was 'fine.' His feet faltered slightly on the steps behind the others as he braced himself for the worst. Leon had courage in spades but that did not mean he was immune to the grit of the world... and something was horribly, wretchedly wrong in Black Rock. Did he really want the answers no matter the cost? He had a feeling he was about to find out.


@Collinbu98  @Emiya Shin  @simj22
 

Lenka Ďurica's Home
​


Lenka had once been a beautiful woman with long, thick, dark hair and high cheekbones; a natural beauty even. Had any of the psions had the time to look at the framed pictures on the walls, mantel, and tables they would have seen evidence of Lenka's charismatic smile. They might have even guessed she was one of the best looking people in this town that was recently plagued by psions awakening with no control over their abilities. Was.


When Collin arrived upstairs he found a short hallway with doors leading to a bathroom, a master bedroom, Lenka's room, and an office. The door to Lenka's room was ajar as she had been listening in on the conversation below to find out who the strangers were and the reason they had arrived. The curtains to her room had been drawn tightly over the windows, leaving it rather dark and only illuminated by the single overhead light, a computer screen on her desk that was positioned adjacent to the opposite wall, and Lenka herself. The ungodly scream they had heard downstairs was Lenka's howl as she set herself ablaze. Fires consumed her body but since a considerable amount of her had been incinerated in a short time, her ability to continue making any noise had been mitigated.


It was a horrendous sight. Clearly she was either a changer or agitator to inflict to commit suicide in such a gruesome way- and it was definitely suicide. With her curtains so tightly drawn and no one else in sight there was no possibility of it being a murder. The temperature she had reached in such a short period of time, the extensive damage done, indicated that this flaring of powers was both unstable and potent. Clothes had already been consumed or melted away along with skin and flesh. If Collin, Sophie, Madison, or Leon wanted to attempt to extinguish the flames it was uncertain if she would survive with her injuries but they could try; she was not dead. Sophie could feel Lenka's mind if she so chose to try to read it in its possibly last moments of consciousness. The carpeting under her feet had been set ablaze as well and was just beginning to spread though it had only moved a couple feet away from her person in a radius and had not yet touched any furniture.


@Collinbu98  @Emiya Shin  @simj22
 

Novalie
​








Novalie stared at Matthew a moment when he said he was going to 'stay back a bit' while she and Angeline talked to the older Slovak woman. Was he serious? The person they were visiting was a little old lady but any psion with flaring powers was inherently slightly dangerous. "Oh no, that won't do," she said before she even realized she had spoken. Novalie turned on her heel and walked back to Matthew, hooked her arm around his, and attempted to pull him towards the door. Given the difference in their stature and gender there was little chance she could do by force but she hoped he'd do the sensible thing and not have her make a fool of herself. "If there's one thing I've learned from my brothers is to always prepare for things to go sideways when you're about to spring on someone the existence of psionics and Psydrium as a whole. You can be as grumpy as you like," she offered sincerely.


Of course what she didn't admit was that this independent image she projected was bigger than actuality. On most of her Preserver missions Leon had been there or someone else had taken the lead and been by her side the entire time. The burden of being in charge felt incredibly heavy on her shoulders and without her emotional crutch of a brother nearby she felt vulnerable. It was silly and embarrassing but yet she knew it was true. The more that stood next to her and provided strength by proximity the better she'd feel. Some of her siblings preferred isolation in moderate doses. They'd do their jobs, come home, and quietly retire to a place by themselves saying it helped them "recharge." They relished being alone. Novalie liked being around people better even when they were self-proclaimed grumpy shitheads. "Besides, some elderly women are more hospitable when they are in the presence of an attractive young man."


She left out the part where she spent a ridiculous, pain-staking amount of time each and every day grooming herself to be presentable. Her hair was carefully styled, make-up applied to be subtle yet flattering (since she was not naturally blessed with high cheekbones, long lashes, or the perfect petite nose), and speaking in a soft and pleasant voice. It was unlikely Csilla would find her disagreeable but some people were dedicated to misery. Leon was devoted to be a sullen cynic after all. Perhaps Csilla was curmudgeonly by nature and Matthew would mellow her. Who truly knew?
 

Collin Walsh
​




As the rash Irish man finished his instinctual dash to the scream, he set himself in such a furious rush he only half-analyzed the scene before he set a new standard in reckless behavior as he immediately tackled the girl to the ground, attempting to roll them both across the ground in an effort to squelch the savage flames.  At the same time, he set loose his psionics with the only real guidelines being to cool the room with a poorly controlled wave of cryokinesis.  It was only after this Collin allowed himself to consciously comprehend this mess.


His first thought, to his great surprise, was an overwhelming surge of concern towards the girl he had now pulled himself against.  Given the large difference in size between the two, his tackle could have put her in even more pain, and maybe even broken something.  But then, it probably wouldn't have done nearly as much as the fire that was now beginning to spread across him as well.


Which leads us to thought number two:  Collin was now beginning to ignite, and it hurt.  Few people can say they've been doused in flames and before today, neither could he.  But nothing much could help that for now, besides hoping the rolling across the floor with Lenka and the very haphazard use of cryokinesis would extinguish the flames before any lasting damage could be done.  


The cryokinesis was the third point to note in this very sudden moment of regretful clarity.  Collin had trained himself ever since his powers had first begun to manifest to- more or less- manage them in such a way that he could always take care of.  Apparently, the sight of a burning girl threw out that poorly ingrained rule and his decision to closen his proximity to said flames only worsened the effects even further.  On the one hand, Collin had always had the most trouble with conjuring up cryokinesis, but on the other, he had never tried to catch himself on fire, either, so Collin really wasn't all to sure as to what degree of a problem that might be.  All in all, best case scenario it cancels out with the fire and that's a double win, worst case scenario it either doesn't work at all and he burns a bit longer or it works too well and the house is going to become a serious hypothermia risk for a few moments.  But Collin would probably be able to stop it if it gets too far out of hand... probably.
 

Matthew Ronan
​






Matthew quietly muttered as Novalie swung back to fetch him, but flinched a little as her arm looped around his, even going as far as to let his resting bitch face break momentarily. The initial tug didn't register immediately, but after a delay he stumbled forward once his brain clicked into gear, trailing Novalie toward the open doorway.


In his moment of stupor, he managed a brief smirk as Novalie's concerns registered. It seemed that Novalie didn't share the same understanding of "stay back" that Matt did. Perhaps several years ago he could have seen it her way, but teleporting across physical space had a way of changing one's perceptions of "nearby" and "far away". He could have moved to the doorway in a moment's not-


... well, no. That was lie. If he had been focused and anticipating something, perhaps he could have jumped in close to assist. But no - his mind had wandered, and what brain function that remained was focused on ... well, other things.


And then she dropped "attractive young man" on him. He almost broke into laughter at that one, but his free hand came up to wipe his mouth, squashing back down the laughter before it came. Hah! Attractive young man ... he tried to crumple his face into a frown, but a difficult smile fought back against him. Novalie sounded like his mother. Always "young man" this and "young man" that.


"Yeah, and elderly women just love a big shit-eating grin, don'they?" He shot her a smirk, but shook his head slowly as he turned to face the doorway. "You're a crack-up, boss." He commented beneath his breath.


He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, swallowing and committing himself to pushing back the stupid grin on his face. He returned to the word with one long exhalation, leveling his face and straightening up as best he could, coming to a stop next to Novalie in front of the door and giving a small bow of his head in greeting.


Enough silliness - it was business time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Similar threads

Brianne13
ISO of RP Partner
Replies
2
Views
328
Brianne13
Brianne13
Back
Top