Power Keys

[ValidEmotions]

Hello there!

 

Yes, I'm talking to you.

 

Are you tired with the way of the world, with how it works? Frustrated with the limitations of your dimension and the expectations that Society has of you? Well, be angry no more! Why? Well my friend, because you no longer have to adhere to such laws and binding regulations.

 

Don't believe me?

 

Why don't you take a look inside?

 

Plot

 

You thought you were a normal human being, living a normal life, until you were sent a strange package with an equally strange message. With the message came a key but, you don't have any idea what it's for, what it unlocks. Yet, instead of throwing the package out, something compelled you to keep it. It's constantly warm to the touch, even after it's been on a cold surface for a long time.

 

It's inexplicable and you can't get rid of your curiosity. So you finally look at the back of the message and discover a map. 'X' marks the spot. Right?

 

Will you follow the map and discover what the key unlocks?

 

If you do, you're in for some surprises. There will be tasks for you to do. Maybe creatures to fight or jobs to complete. It's all in the air right now and subplots are more than welcome (but they shouldn't override the main plot I've got planned).

 

Setting

 

Modern day society. You live in an average city, in a First World country. For simplicity, let's assume something like Pangea where all sorts of cultures are combined and mingle. You're an average human about to embark on a strange quest to an unknown location. Some exploration will be required.

 

Rules

I only have three:

 

1. Follow DC forum rules. There is actually a rule about minimum post length; go learn what it is. I guess there isn't one anymore? I remember there being a forum rule that minimum post length was four sentences. Anyways, let's do that: 4 sentences at the minimum. It is possible to write that much.

2. Be active. If you've been quiet for too long, you're out but free to reapply.

3. I am God here. If I say "no", I mean it.

 

Form

 

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b] First and Last [No "unknown" please and must be their real name. Nicknames are fine to add.]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] [You're a regular human. Nothing crazy please without sound reasoning (i.e. colored contacts for unnatural eye colors). Pictures are to be linked but must have a written description incase the image doesn't work later.]
[b]Personality:[/b] [No "to be RP'd". Flesh it out a little bit with complete sentences.]
[b]History:[/b] [Have some common sense here, please. If you want something particularly tragic, make sure you have done the proper research about such situations and how it affects the people involved.]
[b]Unlocked Power:[/b] [This can be whatever but don't get insane. Again, if I say "no", you need to change it. If you shapeshift, no hybrids please. Physical mutations are allowed so long as they have a purpose.]
[b]Unlocked Trinket:[/b] [This can be whatever but nothing huge. I'd prefer if this wasn't something like a type of weapon as it needs to be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.]
[b]Strengths:[/b] [No more than three.]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b] [No less than two.]
[b]Other:[/b]

Edited September 24, 2015 by Narvix

[ValidEmotions]

Recent Events

• Those who received a strange message in the mail and have decided to follow the map are just arriving at the indicated location and unlocking their powers.
• The group has arrived at the Training Hub for Salvation Hive.

Discovered Information

• The map leads to a building owned by SR Graphics. The basement is the actual location of the 'x'. Inside is a row of lockers, all unlocked. Inside each is a locked jewelry box which a key is needed to open.
• Save the world? There are similar groups of people around the world who have unlocked powers in order to complete some unknown tasks and save the Earth from a grim fate.
• Any type of damage to your wooden box is felt by you. If your box breaks, you die.
• An enemy known as Imperium is trying to stop our heroes from saving the world. Created by traitors with their own powers, they have been growing in number by recruiting supports. Similarly spread across the globe, their numbers might be a bit larger and it is certain that a small hub is located in our starting city.
• The organization is named Salvation Hive. Their Training Hub is an impressive size but it isn't outrageously massive.

Discovered NPC Information

• A man who appears to be in his early thirties with red hair and green eyes. Build uncertain. Known to wear dark clothing that conceals details of his appearance. Has pale skin and a short beard. Estimated to be closer to 6' tall. Named Kevin, he is Kara's brother.
  • He seems to have the power of super speed.
• A woman who appears to be in her early thirties. Tall with what might be a commanding presence. Named Kara, she has warm red hair, green eyes, and a willowy frame. Sharp features, manicured nails, and a delicate appearance, she is Kevin's sister. Seemingly, she is known to wear formal clothing in stark contrast to her brother's baggy appearance.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Narvix

[ValidEmotions]

Accepted Characters

 

Username: Narvix

Name: Tamara "Tony" Larp

Age: 18 years

Gender: Female

Appearance: Tony likes to wear pleated or layered skirts with a blouse or collared shirt underneath a lightweight sweater. She keeps her long brown hair free, allowing the curls and waves to drape over her shoulders and down to the small of her back. Her eyes are hazel in color naturally but she likes to wear grey, non-prescription contacts. Standing at about 5'4", she has darkened, olive skin and a slender build and angled facial features. Her hands are soft with delicate fingers. On her feet she usually wears flats that match the range of colors in her outfits.

Personality: Tony is always smiling, always giving off the impression that she's a happy-go-lucky type of girl. And, for the most part, she is. She enjoys having fun and being around friends or family. She likes to move around, to go out and do something like bowling or just a trip around the city. She's usually always at ease. Though, when she's tired or in need of food, she'll often get grumpy and short tempered. So long as she isn't grumpy, she's a friendly person who will almost always approach first and strike up the conversation.

She has arachnophobia and will not take kindly to someone who wants to pull a prank based on this fear. She doesn't tolerate being picked on and isn't afraid to give her blunt opinion about someone who thinks they can get away with bullying her. She's developed into a loud and bold personality, giving her the appearance that she just might go looking for trouble to have fun.

Tony avoids stress as best as she can with her laid-back behavior. However, this has turned into her simply stuffing down what's troubling her into a mental bottle until it breaks, resulting in a torrent of thoughts and emotions that haven't been dealt with.

History: She grew up with her uncle as her parents were always moving to other places for their work and she was happy with her current home. Her uncle, not really knowledgable in proper childrearing, let her have a good amount of freedom so long as she didn't get into any trouble or do anything her parents might frown upon. Fortunately, she wasn't the type of child to give her family any significant headaches. Though not striving for the best grades, she didn't fall below any C's during her school years and graduated high school without major incident. The typical drama happened here or there (friends parting ways, crushing on the same boy, sharing secrets, etc) as is really expected. Now she's decided to take a year-long break from classes before jumping into college. She wants to take the time to just have fun without any major responsibilities beyond chores and a part-time job.

Unlocked Power: The invoked spirit of Anubis. She has a connection with the afterlife that allows her to communicate with dead people and speed up the process of decomposition or mummification. Additionally, and the most taxing, she is able to guide a dying person's soul into the afterlife.

Unlocked Trinket: A golden Ankh pendent that she put on a necklace chain.

Strengths:

- Able to hold her ground in a verbal argument.

- Able to manage her time well.

- Able to ride a skateboard pretty good and pull a few tricks.

Weaknesses:

- Greatly afraid of spiders and anything that looks like them.

- Doesn't know when to stop making jokes most of the time.

- Afraid of water to some degree.

Other: After unlocking her power, she has taken to wearing a black coat with gold thread hemming. It has a hood she likes to keep up with pointed ears like a Jackal.

 

Username: Aroara Angelwolf

Name: Alexander (Alex) “Fish” Sarkk

Age: 18

Gender: male

Appearance: Picture Alex is 6’2” medium long, always tussled white blond hair. He is fair, but with a nice golden tan. Fit but not muscle bound, more like a active scrawny teen male. His eyes are naturally a brilliant blue, but he likes to wear non-prescription yellow contacts. He always has on a pair of swim trunks with pockets, flip-flops or sandals, and some tee shirt (mostly floral print but he dose have normal colors, all bright and summery)

Personality: He likes anything that has to do with water; scuba diving/Snorkeling, water/jet skiing, surfing, swimming (mostly those two) ect. He can also snowboard and skate board.

He’s hyper and always gets- (oh something shinny!)- off task often. He’s all smiles and a natural team leader. Always on the go, optimistic kind of guy. Alex loves the rain and thunderstorms and would often run out in the rain to splash in puddles.

If by now he seems like a child at heart, he is. He suffers from ophidiophobia, an irrational fear of snakes. He isn’t known to have a temper, but throw a rubber snake at him, he’d do one of two things 1) Whack you in the face with his fist or whatever he can grab first or 2) run away as fast as he can.

History: Alex grew up with a single mother and his grandfather, his father was a invisible man. His mother always liked to tell him he learned how to swim before walking and his first word was “wave”. He always rocked at school, his grades never dipping below a C+, mostly to show an example to the other kids, and being the youngest captain of the swim team he had to keep them up. He wasn’t the most popular guy at the school, but he was “That guy” everyone liked. Alex lettered in Swimming, coming in to cheer his team on during practice, even when he had a broken arm. He still works at his first job, a surf shop. He gives snorkeling/ scuba lessons, and teaches swimming classes to younger kids and adults too. He snowboards and skate boards in the off season, and is pretty good at both, but is better on a surf board. He currently isn’t going to school, focusing on work and play at the time.

Unlocked Power: Invokes the power of Poseidon. Breathing under water, forming a bubble around people and manipulating currents while in water to move him can go down far, but most taxing is actually making the water do something (a smooth lake into a large wave, that's hard ) fish don't bother him.. they mostly ignore him (sharks and such) He’d only form a bubble around people who are drowning to help them

Unlocked Trinket: Ring A titanium ring with a intricate realistic wave pattern etched on it and painted blue and green to look like water. The wave part spins, and is framed by two thin twisted gold bands. Inside the band a trident is stamped into the medal

Strengths:

-Swimming

-fishing and camping

-really good at climbing trees (mostly from the snake thing)

Weaknesses:

-fear of snakes

- Gets distracted easily.

-can never figure out how to get out of the trees without falling

Other: He carries round a pair of goggles and a snorkel in his pocket.

 

Username: padfoot

Name: Roxanne Locus

Age: 24

Gender: female

Appearance: Roxy Tends to wear whatever she can find. Whether it's from a thrift store or a trash can behind a thrift store, she makes it work. She has a mohawk that stands almost a foot off the top of her head and it's color seems to change faster than the weather.

Personality: Roxy, despite her powers, is a very down to earth girl, stubborn as all hell, but she has a good head on her shoulders. She prefers to be on her own woman, never taking help when it is offered, even if she desperately needs it. due to this, she tends to drift alone, moving from phases of being able to afford steak to living off ramin she stole from the super market.

History: Roxy didn't grow up with abusive parents or have a tragic childhood. Her dad was never really in the picture but that was ok, her mom did a great job caring for her. People always told her mom that Roxy seemed to be longing to move on, even when she was a kid. As she got older, she dropped out of college to wander. Ever since she had been sleeping and working wherever she could find.

Unlocked Power:Space manipulation. Roxy can fiddle with the elements of density, location, gravity and weight.

Unlocked Trinket: a penndent of a exotic color, depicting an unknown planet

Strengths:

-can go a while without food for a while

-Has a "skeleton key" for restricted areas

-Oh, she can fly

Weaknesses:

-Allergic to citrus

-addicted to cigarettes

-has a bad attitude

Other:

 

Username: Skypool

Name: Bailey Flynn

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Appearance:

• x

• Bailey has honey-colored hair that sweeps around his head in a perpetually untidy manner; he's constantly combing it, but the ends of strands always find a way to curve in the manner of stray feathers.

• His eyes are hazel and narrow in shape. His nose is narrow and pointed as well.

• He stands at the average height for guys his age; his physique is slender and fit. Dancing gives him a slightly toned figure. His complexion is fair, contrasting vividly with his dark hair and eyebrows, which are rather thin and almost wispy. Same goes for his lips.

• Dang, but those eyelashes though. They're really gorgeous.

• Finally, as far as typical apparel goes, he likes tight-fitting shirts (darkly toned) and baggy jackets. His pants are loosely fitted, cinched only to his rear by a belt most of the time. He likes jewelry such as simple chains and metal earrings.

Personality: Bailey's personality can be described by an oxymoron: he's a laid-back perfectionist. He's easygoing and amiable—quite charming, too—but driven by his history and inner compulsions to be the best at what he does. There is a quiet intensity under his crooked smile. You get the sense that he's had to overcome an obstacle or two or many to be who he is today.

 

In correlation to that perception, it's pretty easy to guess that he's a little guarded with his feelings at times. His interactions with people rarely go beyond surface deep friendliness, except when he's on stage, this is.

 

There, Bailey Flynn is truly alive.

History: His father is a celebrated trauma surgeon, his mother is a published professor of Psychology, and both of his older siblings—a brother and a sister—are pursuing careers as a physical therapist and a nurse practitioner, respectively.

 

Oh, yeah, and Bailey wants to be an actor.

 

He grew up in a highly competitive household where everyone wished to work in the same vein of thinking. It was a shock to Bailey's father especially when he alone, an outlier in such a perfect, successful family, expressed the desire to become something different, to not want to work with broken bones or twisted consciences.

 

Though Bailey is extremely good at what he does, it's never enough for his father, who lavishes his praises on Jeremiah and Diana, the older Flynns, the less disappointing Flynns, and reserves long lectures on a happy, home-owning future to his youngest son.

 

After high school, Bailey sought to move far away from his hometown to pursue his own dreams without the pressures of an entire legacy breathing down his neck; even so, inklings of that heritage remain. He strives to become to best performer he can be, he wants to make his father proud, and most importantly, he needs to know that his mother had been right when she had lovingly told him that it was okay to be different from the rest of them, that she supported and believed in him no matter what.

 

Bailey received a full scholarship to attend a liberal arts college. Theater is his major.

Unlocked Power: Whenever Bailey sings or modulates his voice to a certain, almost lyrical pitch (the kind one would use to be persuasive or eloquent), he can sway or even change the emotions and thoughts of others. He can also invoke images or illusions. His power is reminiscent of that of a Siren.

Unlocked Trinket: Bailey's trinket comes in the form of a silver earring shaped like a musical clef; he wears it in his right ear.

Strengths:

- Bailey is a talented performer.

- Having had to perfect the art of assuming different facial expressions, Bailey is acute when it comes to observing people and then perceiving their feelings.

- He has an eye for organization.

Weaknesses:

- Bailey is a crippling germaphobe. Touch him with something he perceives to be dirty, and before you know it, the boy is lathering both of you with hand sanitizer.

- His dyslexia still trips up his academic endeavors from time to time. This is coupled with the fact that he could employ the system he uses to memorize scripts for it, but he chooses not to out of apathy for education. In other words, he's a lazy pig, but no, not really. He makes excellent grades anyways because he's a people pleaser.

- In regards to and in consideration of his more successful older siblings, Bailey has an inferiority complex. He craves validation and will do anything to get it. This trait can manifest itself in quite a few unpleasant ways, including overtaxing himself or becoming needy for the verbal accolade he so desires. "Did I do well? Did I? Did I?"

Other:

• When he was eight-years old, Bailey was diagnosed with dyslexia.

• As of currently, he works at the on-campus Starbucks to pay bills and whatnot.

 

Username: KoalaNoob

Name: Kate Hollins

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Appearance: Kate has a small build, standing around 5'1". She has a pale complexion and large brown eyes framed by glasses. Her hair is dark brown and reaches a few inches past her shoulder. She usually wears a plain hoodie or loose shirt over a t-shirt with black track pants. Because she doesn't spend much time on appearance, she generally looks messy and ungroomed.

Personality: Kate was brought up by very protective parents and it shows. She is immature and innocent even at her age, knowing very little about life outside of school. However, she doesn't realize this, and constantly acts like she knows more than everyone else. Her naivety also causes her to not understand when others are emotionally hurt, and occasionally comments things that are morally wrong to most. That's not to say that she is haughty and self-centered, though. She will constantly go out of her way to help others, and respects those who grow close to her greatly.

She is clever and intelligent because of how school is essentially her entire life. She is a problem-solver who loves to use unique and off-the-wall methods to get through life. Kate believes that this is a spark that makes her stand out, though that's not the truth for many people.

History: An only child born to loving parents, Kate's early life was uneventful. Throughout elementary school, she was the loner who sat in a corner and read or did work without caring about her social status.

When she reached high school, she met people like herself and began to make friends. Though nobody in her group of friends was social or talked a lot, they got along well. As time went by, her friends all left the school she went to. She misses them immensely, but is able to function as a solitary person. Her attention became entirely focused on maintaining and improving her grade, but this tired her out quickly and she now wonders if there is anything to life other than school and work.

Unlocked Power: Kate can manipulate light by tampering with travelling light waves. This power allows her to do things like blinding a person or distorting what they see. Making things that don't really exist tires her out immensely. She can only target one person at a time.

Unlocked Trinket: A thick piece of yarn tied into an intricate and sturdy knot. Untying it was originally meant to be a puzzle, but Kate enjoys it as a keepsake instead.

Strengths:

-intelligent and quick-witted problem-solver

-excellent in arguments

-fast runner, though she prefers sprinting over long-distance

Weaknesses:

-stubborn, has a hard time accepting other peoples' ideas

-inept socially

-easy to scare, numerous phobias (i.e. water, spiders, fire, etc.)

Other: N/A

 

Username: Anak

Name: Gemma Adu

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Appearance: Gemma's skin is a rich, sandy beige (and satisfyingly smooth). Her eyes are deeply and darkly brown, shining like a choclately gemstone, and are framed in her soft and rectangular-ish face. Her brown hair is naturally curled into wild ringlets, and stays above her shoulders. She usually wears comfortable clothing, like a sweater and baggy sweatpeants, and will probably just wear a pair of Converse's if she's going out.

Personality: Gemma gives off a welcoming and warm air, like some good sips of hot chocolate. She relishes peace and quiet, and feels her best in a comfy, calm environment. Oddly enough, though, Gemma is both introverted and extroverted. Under all of the nice and friendly attitude, Gemma is upbeat and angry. She'll often let off the pressure by ripping apart a dollar store plush toy or throwing cheap porcelain plates at the wall. She loves the silence, and then she loves to break it.

Whilst living alone, Gemma craves friendship and physical contact, and constantly worries that she isn't getting enough (part of the reason why she's throwing those plates). She longs to feel the warmth of another human being, and to fill the empty spaces beside her. Making plans out with her friends makes her feel loved beyond limit, yet she can never shake the feeling that she's being a nuisance to whoever she's inviting.

Gemma has a beautiful singing voice that she is reluctant to share (part of the reason why she's living alone). She is self-taught at singing and reading musical notation, and will often compose songs just for herself, songs that no one else will hear.

History: Gemma learned very quickly that she would never get what she wanted with other people. Many responses to her wishes, from her parents mainly, were a resounding "no". As she grew up, her parents grew more lenient with her, and allowed her to do more things, but there was always an atmosphere that they didn't like what she was doing. She was always monitored, as if they thought she was doing something shifty (she wasn't).

School didn't prove to be much of an issue to Gemma. She excelled at the main subjects, was passionate at her vocational ones, had a lot of friends... If you looked more closely, however, you would see bouts of low grades, loneliness/arguments with friends. It was quite clear that Gemma was unhappy with where she was, but since the end result turned out to be great grades, her negativity went unnoticed.

As soon as she could, Gemma moved house. She grabbed a nice apartment that she made cosy, and lived alone, away from family, from old friends, from people who would deny her of what she needed. She got herself a low-effort job in a clothing store in town, and just... relaxed. She left behind the stress and expectations of other people, and sought out to just be herself for once.

Unlocked Power: Gemma can manipulate technology, meaning she can control computers and such without even being near them. From electrical technolgoy, she is able to give small, low-energy electrical shocks. As a subset of controlling technology, Gemma can also browse the interent and go about a desktop in her head as if she were a computer. Although, there is only so much memory this can take up.

Unlocked Trinket: A flat, long, red tuning fork, which is silver at the sides.

Strengths:

• She can be very sneaky, small, and quiet when she wants to be.
• Quick to process things.
• Great at lying.

Weaknesses:

• It can be very difficult for Gemma to find motivation to do things a lot of the time.
• Can be very shy at times.
• Has pretty much no concept of height, weight, money, etc.

Other:

 

Username: TehUltimateMage

Name: Skye Dumont-Lebel

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: Tall and lanky, Skye's long black hair capitalizes on her height. Her limbs are long and wiry and bony in places, though her thin figure isn't really apparent under the stiff fabric of her dark green trenchcoat-style jacket and baggy jeans. Her face is angular and her skin is on the fairer side with some, but not many, apparent freckles, and headphones usually sit on her head or around her neck. Both her ears are pierced on the lobe and on the cartilage (with the left one bearing a second cartilage piercing through the top of the ear) though her earrings are simply small silver rings. Her eyes are a natural greyish blue.

Personality: A troublemaker by nature, Skye loves to test the limits of whatever she does. Brimming with overconfidence, Skye trusts her own instincts and luck to keep her out of serious trouble and her quick thinking to wiggle out of tight situations.

Fiercely independent despite not having completed high school, Skye thinks of herself as an independent worker and traveler. She's a smooth talker who finds joy in pushing other's buttons (such as triggering phobias or bringing up sensitive subjects), though she quickly gets bored of it and as a result keeps to herself when the drama she caused has lost its entertainment value. Suffice to say, Skye doesn't plan too much for the future, finding it exciting enough to live in the present.

History: Raised by a young single mother who was perhaps too lenient in her opinion, Skye might have turned out less than adequate in some people's eyes. While it may have been mistaken for naivety, she liked to try new experiences and judge them for herself rather than let rules and society dictate what's good and bad for her. Only just recently, she dropped out of high school but still hasn't told her mother, spending the day instead roaming the streets.

Unlocked Power: Gone with the wind: Skye gains a pair of black wings, short but slender and tapered for speed and agility like a tern's. They sprout out of her back, about two meters in either direction when fully outstretched, and connect below her shoulderblades. Downy black feathers cover the rest of her back, fading away before they reach her neck and the base of her spine. They can fold to a surprisingly small size, able to be concealed under her jacket. The wings alone cannot fully power her flight, but her control over wind (such as making whirlwinds or blades of air as sharp as knives) allows her to lift off and even hover.

Unlocked Trinket: What appears to be a sparrow skull carved out of a reddish wood. It carries a faint nutty scent and has been sanded smooth and coated with matte varnish.

Strengths:

- A smooth talker. Skye is good with words, and even better at slipping in lies without skipping a beat.

- Good intuition and acute awareness of her surroundings.

Weaknesses:

- Book dumb. Doesn't have the patience to work with theory, only things that may be useful later.

- Likes to mess with other people and can be generally unpleasant.

- Can't plan ahead and doesn't get much done as a result.

Other:

 

Username: psyshock

Name: Ethan Chance

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Appearance: Ethan has short auburn hair and bright green eyes. He is usually spotted with what could be described as a mischievous grin. Given that he has a bit of a pranking history, this has people keeping their eyes open. Standing at about 5’7’’ with a slim build, he is typically seen wearing jeans along with t-shirts and zippered hoodies.

Personality: Ethan tends to bore easily when topics don’t interest him (e.g. lectures in class). He is driven by his current interests and whims, which also prompted him to study sleight of hand techniques when he was younger. He had always been a bit fidgety and playing with sleight of hand gave him something fun to do while fidgeting. He loves chance-based activities as there is a certain thrill that comes out of not knowing what will happen. He even bases some of his decisions of what to do on the outcome of a coin flip or a die roll.

History: He had a pretty normal childhood, an only child born to a middle-class family. He hasn’t moved around much so he has been living here for his whole life. His parents got a divorce when he was seven and his father moved away. His mom remarried seven years later and they now live with his step-father and step-sister. Valerie, his step-sister, is around the same age as him and they get along as well as any other pair of siblings.

Unlocked Power: Luck/Probability manipulation. He can alter the probability of things occurring or simply bless objects or people with good luck, to increase the likeliness of a positive event happening to the object sometime in the future, and jinx them with bad luck, to increase the likeliness of a negative event occurring. He has no control over what actually happens, simply the odds of something happening; Ethan messing with things can possibly cause many crazy things to happen. He can also use his powers when making choices, for example if he were in a maze, he could increase the likelihood that he will guess the correct path to take.

Unlocked Trinket: A golden coin that is slightly larger than a quarter. On the heads side of the coin is a balanced scale and on the tails face of the coin is a rabbit.

Strengths:

-He likes to be aware of his surroundings

-He can be pretty resourceful

Weaknesses:

-He can be dangerously reckless, at times forgetting he isn’t invincible, just extremely lucky.

-Isn’t the best at following directions, more so when they don’t have enough excitement or interest attached

Other: Whatever you do under no circumstances should you play poker or any card/board/luck-based game with or around him — unless you want the game to involve nothing but mad luck or misfortune going all around.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Narvix

[ValidEmotions]

One last reserve just in case.

[ValidEmotions]

Well, this was the place. Wasn't it?

 

Looking down at the map then at the building in front of her, Tony frowned. She glanced left and then right, gray eyes locating the street signs at either end of the block and confirming that she was in the correct place.

 

But, why a business building? Shifting her gaze back upon the three-story building, she memorized the name and logo of who owned it. It was some name she'd never heard before. SR Graphics. Shaking her head, she folded the piece of paper and stuffed it back into her pocket, walking through the front entrance.

 

As the glass door slowly shut behind her, Tony was met by the soft sounds of ringing phones and talking employees, most busy with their jobs. A few walked about in silence, carrying various packages or nothing at all. One made use of a nearby water dispenser, the jug complaining as air bubbles forced their way inside from the machine while water was poured out. No one seemed to notice the young woman. All the better.

 

Okay, now where to? she asked herself. Looking around, she froze when she spotted someone staring at her from the other side of the room. They were dressed suspiciously in dark clothes that hid a lot of physical details. Even wore a hood over their head and too-large jeans. But, they were clearly male if the man's bearded face was any testament to his sex. After a moment, the man motioned to her, signaling for her to come and follow him. Yeah, right. As if that's going to happen. I've seen the movies and TV shows to know better!

 

Subconsciously, Tony tried to stretch her pleated skirt down, willing the grey fabric to grow an extra inch or two to reach her knees better. Her cream, knitted sweater suddenly seemed to trap in a lot more heat as she grew uncomfortable. However, she left it on for the baggy purpose of preventing the man from possibly eying any of her curves.

 

The man continued to motion for her to follow him, pointing at the stairwell behind one of the doors with an Exit sign above it. She shook her head quickly in response, causing the man to roll his eyes and stride toward her. Immediately, she turned heal and left the building. Hands grabbed her shoulders as an older voice tried to sooth her. "Hey, relax. You came here willingly. I'm just showing you the rest of the way to go to find out about your key."

 

The way the man said "key" made Tony pause. "Is it down in the basement or on the rooftop?" she asked him, feeling his hands release her shoulders. Turning around, she saw him smile as he pushed down his hood.

 

"Down the stairs. Just head to the stairwell," the man replied, green eyes glinting. He moved to lean against the wall by the doorway, folding his arms across his chest. His skin was pale and his unkempt hair red like crimson. He didn't seem as if he'd be going back inside for awhile.

 

Tony tilted her head, hand on the door. "You're not going to show me the way?" she asked him.

 

"What's to show? You'll see it as soon as you get down there." Another smile.

 

Shaking her head, Tony went back inside and made for the stairwell, her footsteps soft. As she descended to the basement, it got darker in the stairway until she could see a faint light shining through the small window set in the door. Stepping through and into the basement, she was met by a row of lamps hanging from the ceiling, most of them turned on to illuminate the room. At the opposite wall stood a row of lockers. Each one was numbered.

 

Feeling for the key in her pocket, she pulled out the warm bit of metal and stared at it for a moment. Finally, she stepped forward and (she thought) randomly picked a locker to try. The metallic door was already unlocked and, inside, rested a small box. Probably a jewelry box or a music box. It was simple looking, made of oak wood with no designs on it. Picking it up, she tried to open it but, unlike the locker, it was locked.

 

So she tried the key.

 

A flash of light blinded her the moment she unlocked the box, filling the room. It died away just as quickly as it had flashed, leaving her to blink away the after images left in her eyes. Curious, she opened the box and found a small item within. A gold-colored Ankh.

 

"You have unlocked the power of Anubis." The voice startled her and she whirled around, finding a tall woman standing beside an empty table. "I will answer your questions once the rest have gathered."

[Skypool]

One of the light techs from The Lion King had been the first to ask him, had done so with such an engrossed inflection that Bailey was once again reminded that his disorder wasn't the norm for children his age; it made him an outlier, a deviance, but at least that was familiar to him. It'd been middle school. Eighth grade. The seven o'clock show had just ended; they were preparing for the nine. His long fingers were positioned at the nose of a water bottle, he irrelevantly remembered. The association made the memory all the more real.

 

"How is it like to be dyslexic, Bailey?"

 

He had paused for a moment—only one—to collect his thoughts. When they formed, he flashed his trademark grin, so easy and charming, but at the same time, so concealing. His friendliness was surface deep at best, and he was loved for it.

 

"Glad you asked, Eddie." He slung his arm around the kid's shoulder, rammed his waist into Eddie's own. Eddie laughed loudly, made at ease by the physical contact. "It's like walking into a room half-naked when everyone else has clothes on. For me, some of the letters are half-naked."

 

And in that moment, half-naked became a metaphor for his life. He was the half-naked Flynn; while his brother and sister were taking any science classes they could get their hands on, he was in the local acting troupe. While his peers could read the literature assignment with perfect ease, he was seeing half-naked As and malformed Bs.

 

He felt half-naked in this very moment as a pair of verdant eyes peered at him from the other side of the crosswalk. They belonged to a man of an average stature, though his appearance could easily be considered striking. His hair, like his eyes, were tucked under a baggy hood, though wisps of rusty strands fell from from behind the curtain. Red-haired he was and green eyed, and those green eyes were pinpointed straight at him.

 

"X marks the spot, kid." Red pointed to the map clenched tightly, almost crumpled, in Bailey's fist. His knowledge of it startled him; he flinched, his chin jutting upward awkwardly.

 

Red chuckled. "You're nervous, aren't you? There isn't a need to be." Even though there was still a crosswalk's distance between them, Bailey could hear him perfectly. He had the kind of voice most actors would kill to even emulate. "See this building behind me?"

 

He jerked a thumb towards it. A brightly lit sign that said SB Graphics (or was it SR?) was stapled across its front. "Go inside and take the stairwell down."

 

Bailey spoke for the first time; his question trembled a bit at the end; the ends of his fingers folded and unfolded in habitual, palliative rhythm as he tried to forget every lecture his parents had told about talking to shady strangers. He could have slapped himself for leaving his phone at the dorm. "And why should I trust you enough to do that?"

 

"You're the one who trusted a piece of paper to this building in the first place."

 

Touché.

 

He walked hurriedly across the street and passed the man. A pair of revolving doors greeted him into an ordinary lobby. A stretch of dark, creaking stairs took him down to a narrow basement. Lantern light splashed the black walls in dim intervals; the lockers on the opposite end of the room were bathed in the flickering glow. Stephen King could have a ball in this type of atmosphere.

 

Bailey took a deep breath and slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, grappling around for the small key he had stuffed in it earlier that morning. It was warm to touch. It almost felt alive. He even had the strangest sensation that it was attracted to something within the confines of a locker. So forward he walked, only vaguely observant of the other people who seemed to be in the room as well. His fingers found themselves on the handle of the first locker he reached. He pulled it open to reveal a simple, wooden box inside.

 

It was fairly obvious what he needed to do now. He plunged. He twisted. Silver light engulfed his vision, transporting him away from the dark basement, and then it was over just as quickly as it begun. The box was open now, revealing something curious inside. It was a metal earring sculpted in the shape of a musical clef. He took it between his index and his thumb, rolling it carefully, as though it were made of fragile glass. His eyes continued to blink to adjust to the forced dimness of the room.

 

"You have invoked the powers of a Siren."

 

What in the—?

 

Bailey pivoted on his heel, his heart caught somewhere between his lips and throat. The sudden voice belonged to a woman, one of the two people who had also been in the basement with him before. She was tall and magnificent for it; she seemed to command an air of inherent solemnity, uncaring of and ultimately above his shock. "I will tell you all that you need to know with the arrival of the others."

Edited June 13, 2015 by Skypool

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Alex…… was confused. He walked into the building holding the map. Outside in the front, he had turned around a half dozen times holding his compass his grandfather made him take along with him- as well as matches, kindling and a small pocket sized box of fishing line and hooks…with of course his snorkel and goggles- Just to make sure this was indeed the correct location.

 

Once again inside, the boy turned on his toes looking lost and confused. He spotted a man waving to him and pointed to himself after making sure no one was behind him to make sure he meant him before trotting over to him. “Downstairs kid, don’t worry, you’re in the right place.” The man said. “Oookay…..” Alex drawled. He slowly made his way down the steps, flip flops clapping his heels as he headed down.

 

Once down he saw the two women and the man. He blinked and did another about turn before the lockers caught his eye. He frowned at the people in the room as he slid closer to the third locker, unopened by the looks of it and dug out his key. It was a plan key, one that could have been his house key... or more like the key to the shed of the shop he worked at. It was small and ordinary looking. He opened the locker looking around again before picking up the box and inspecting it.

 

After two failed attempts of opening it, he finally tried the key and whipped open the top. A pale blue light spread around him and he got the feeling he was under water for only a moment, before it faded. Alex let out a breath he had been holding. A habit of his when he feels like his head is below water. Surprising how many times that feeling happened out of water.

 

He found himself looking at a sweet ring. When he plucked it out of the box the tall woman spoke up. “You have unlocked the power of Poseidon.” She said. “Sweet! The water god from the Greeks? ...... Wait... What dose that mean?” Alex briefly fist pumped the air, then realized…. He had no clue what she meant by that.

 

“I’ll explain when the others arrive.”

 

Okay Miss. Stoic. Alex thought. “Others? Well don’t I feel special, I not the only one tramping about with a map that leads to a strange building in the middle of nowhere with a key that unlocks a jewelry box.” Was Alex’s witty retort as he took a spot next to the girl and looked at his ring in a manor that resembled Sméagol, until he found out the band spins, then he was entertained himself much like a cat.

 

((don’t get used to these.. this is only the beginning posts for me. I suck at text walls unless inspiration hits me. ))

Edited June 13, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[padfoot]

Roxy jerked forward when the pickup she was riding in stopped suddenly on the side of a semi crowded road in front of a a bland three story building. The sign hanging above the door read, SR Graphics in loud yellow on orange font. Ironic that a graphic design business has such a ** sign. Roxy climbed out of the bed of the truck and walked around the driver side window. The plump Hispanic man leaned out the window and smiled with a half finished row of yellowing teeth. "(.... uh ... are you sure this is the right place ... ?)" she asked in broken Spanish. It had been a while since she lived in a Spanish speaking area but she knew enough to get rides and places to sleep. The man nodded and gestured to the building with a wave of his hand, "(Yeah, yeah , SR Graphics. Just as you requested)", his eyes scanned down the girls body and popped back up to her eyes, "(Now , how will you pay for the to ride?)". Roxy forced a smile, "(Sorry , I do not speak English)" She said before walking across the street and up to the front door.

 

Right before entering the building, a hand clamped over Roxy's upper arm. Her first reaction was to give him a blow to his self image as well as his face but she paused. Sure this guy liked like the regular creep, baggy cloths, dark hoodie, hooded face. The man was not giving off the normal air of intimidation and booze like most men that grab her arm, this man was softer.

"Don't panic. I was just trying to catch you before you walked in and started wandering aimlessly", the man said with a smile.

Roxy nodded and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the man

"Go down the stairs, all the way down to the basement. There you will find the others and what your key opens"

"Wait, others? How did you know about my key?"

The man just rolled his eyes and started walking away. Roxy half wanted to chase him down and demand answers but thought otherwise. All the answers would be in the basement, right?

 

Roxy received her fair share of weird looks as she walked through the lobby. Nothing she hadn't gotten before. She didn't exactly look like she was looking for a quality sign printed at a fair price. She ignored the stares and pushed the door open.

 

The basement was not what she expected to be under a graphic company. The room seemed too big, the ceiling too high to be under the business. It was almost like they built the building on top of the old room. Roxy paused in the doorway once inside, looking to each person lingering in the room. These must be the others the guy upstairs was talking about. Did they all get keys in the mail too? Across the room there was a row of numbered lockers, some were already ajar. That must be what the key is for. She glanced at the other woman before crossing the space and opening the first locker she came too.

 

Roxy was surprised to find that the locker wasn't even locked. What was the key for then? She had the answer less that a second later when she saw the small jewelry box sitting in the vast space. Hesitantly, she grabbed the box and brought it into the light. The exterior of the box was warm colored wood. Dead center was a polished copper keyhole that looked like it would fit the key in her pocket. She tucked the box under her arm while she searched her person for the key, finding it in the breast pocket of her ripped jean jacket. She inserted it into the slot and the box clicked open.

 

As soon as the lid flipped open, she was surprised to be greeted with a flash of dazzling light, so surprised that she nearly dropped her gift. The light died out as quickly as it began and left in it's place was a small object at the bottom of the box. She reached in and grabbed the item.

 

What she pulled back was a strangely colored planet dangling from a gold neck chain. She looked at it puzzled as it swung lazily on the end of the chain, "You have unlocked the power of space", a voice from behind Roxy nearly made her jump out of her skin, "I will explain further once the others arrive".

Others. There was that word again. How many others where there?

 

Please use English so that our moderators can moderate your post.

Edited June 17, 2015 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Anak]

Someone's got to be messing with me today, I'm thinking. A weird key and a map leading to a downtown graphic design company building. How am I supposed to find some sort of adventure or lawlessness here? Either this is some really offbeat advertisement campaign, or some kids are sending fake packages to my door. Whichever it is, it makes no sense. Actually, it's completely stupid. I have work to do. I'm wasting my time here. I didn't wake up early today to stand around meaninglessly, shuddering every time a pedestrian brushes against my body. There's no reason for me to continue being here, so I turn to walk towards where I work. Instead, I am pushed away as I walk into the wall of some man's chest.

 

"Where do you think you're going?" He demands. I look up at him. He's significantly taller than me, has deeply red hair, green eyes, and a thinnish beard. I wasn't exactly expecting to find a man on the street today, but whatever, I'll take it.

"T-To work," I stutter out. Ok, not a good first impression, but I can work on that.

"No you're not," he denies me quickly, and spirals me back to face SR Graphics, gripping my shoulders. "You're going in that building, down the stairs, and to the basement, like the map says."

"Um, am I?" He doesn't reply to that one. I look back to him, scrunching my face up in annoyance. He stares into my eyes, as if words have no purpose. I look back to the building.

"Alright," I sigh. He releases me, still silent. Ugh, I really shouldn't be doing this. He could have at least let me call in sick for work first. I might as well tell my boss that I'm getting murdered today, instead of selling overpriced jackets to needy customers. Oh well, can't be too bad.

 

I take my first steps into the building. The rampant hustle and bustle of job and business means that no one notices me, as per usual. I make my way past the elevators and to the stairwell that will surely lead me to my doom, and climb down to the basement. Less and less people accompany me as I go lower and lower, until soon enough, it's dark, musty, and devoid of any lifeforms but myself. Today isn't really going as I hoped it would, but it's a change from the normal routine of life, so I'll welcome it.

At the lowest floor, the basement, is just a single door. My destination, assumably. As I open it, I find to my surprise a bunch of people already inside. A mixed group, not one I would generally see outside, and they're all staring at me. They seem to grow bored of analysing as I don't move for a minute or two, and turn away, back to... whatever they're doing. They're all holding something, and they all share the same face. Dazed and confused. Looks like none of us have any idea of what's going on. How long have they been here? Were they sent here with a map and a key as well? Such a mysterious day it is today.

 

On the other side of the room is a wall of lockers, most of which (on the left side) are already open. I go for the next unopened locker, finding that it's not even locked. It creaks open, and all that sits inside is a small, oak box. There's no dust anywhere on it, so it must be newly placed. Odd, who put it here? This must be where that weird key comes in. I take it out of my jeans pocket, get it in the lock, twist, and open.

"Jesus!" I shout, shielding my eyes as a ridiculously bright ray of light nails me right in the face. I didn't blow off low pay to be blinded today. When the light dies down, I peek open my eyes. And, what's in the box is...

 

A tuning fork? It's flat, long, and smooth, and it's a calm shade of red, with silver at the sides. Yeah, someone is definitely messing with me today.

"You have invoked the power of technology," a soft voice behind me speaks out. I turn around, seeing a tall woman looking at me. Is she... smiling?

"Huh?" Is all I can get out.

"I will reveal more when everyone is present."

 

...What?

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Alexander quickly lost interest and decided to break the silence around the table to introduce himself. "Sooooo..... I'm guessing we're waiting for a few more... anyway I'm Alexander Sarkk call me Alex or fish, whatever comes to mind first. I also answer to "hey you".... that was pretty much my high school name." He said to anyone who would listen.

 

"So i got this ring..... that's a really cool looking pendant..." He said to the girl with the unusual grunge style clothes and the Mohawk. He looked at the small girl next to him tilting his head. "Thats the Egyptian symbol of life. It's seen being carried by every important Egyptian deities more so on pharaohs and the gods of the dead for it ment eternal life.... " He flushed red. "Er....... my mom was a archeologist before she had me and still works at a museum..... so I also know the trident of Poseidon was forged by the elder Cyclopies in Tarturus in three separate parts to avoid suspicion from their jailer kempe the Dragon woman from chaos.... or so the story goes...." He coughed, embarrassed. He really should know when to keep his mouth shut.

Edited June 15, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[psyshock]

Ethan turned to corner, walking a bit farther down the street before finally finding the location that he had been looking for. He took longer than he would have due to a few wrong turns, but otherwise he found this place alright. Why the wrong turns when he had a map? Well if he were to follow the directions like stated that would take all of the fun out of this adventure. He made sure to spice things up a bit by flipping his coin at certain intersections to decide if he should cross or at corners to determine which way he should turn, if he should turn at all. Sure it slowed him down a bit, but what was the point in even coming here if he didn’t get to enjoy himself on the way? He took his time to look at the building, fiddling with the spare quarter he had with his fingers. The place looked like any old business building, with the sign labelling it as SR Graphics. Why some mysterious instructions that contained an equally mysterious key had told him to come here of all places? He had no idea. Did he care why? Not exactly, he just wanted to get in there and see what it was all about.

 

Ethan confidently walked up to the building and automatic doors opened. He scanned the lobby area, looking for some kind of clue as to why he was supposed to be here. There were some people walking about, presumably employees, and more desks further back where people were working. A man who looked quite unfitting compared to everyone else present soon caught his eye, he couldn’t tell much about them, considering that they were wearing dark clothes and had a hood up, shrouding most of his face, but it looked like the man was beckoning him. He gave the man a questioning look, pointing at himself, just to make sure. The man nodded, continuing to motion for Ethan to go towards him.

 

Now Ethan was faced with two options. Go to the man, or leave. He opened his left palm, looking at the coin in his hand. One final flip unit he made it to his destination seemed good. Heads he would go see what the man wanted and tails he would leave, yet somehow he had a feeling that it wouldn’t land on tails. The coin was sent spinning up into the air with a flick of his fingers. He caught it without much trouble and placed it on the top of his right hand, covering it with his left before dramatically (to him at least) revealing the result. Heads. Just as he suspected. He palmed the coin once again, walking up to the man, who seemed to have a twinkle in his green eyes after watching what Ethan had just done.

 

“You seem awfully relaxed,” the man said to him. Being closer Ethan could identify more features, like the messy red hair, green eyes and beard.

 

Ethan shrugged responding the man’s observation, “Worrying takes the fun out of things. So I’m here, what now?” There must be more to it than seeing this man, considering he was given a key to something.

 

He smiled at Ethan’s reply. “Go down the stairs. You will need your key down there.”

 

“Alright,” Ethan walked to the door, stopping when the man’s voice called to him from behind.

 

“You’re not going to flip on it first?” The man was still smiling, but his gaze was directed at Ethan’s left hand, where the quarter was concealed. Ethan turned, following the man’s gaze to his hand.

 

“I have the feeling that it wants me to go down too,” a smile played on his face as well. He opened the door, following the staircase as it descended into the basement. Lamps lit the way as he approached a single door. The door was already unlocked, so no need to use the key yet. There were several people already in the room, but right now he had more important matters than to try conversing with them.

 

He walked up to a locker and grabbed the key from his pocket. Strangely the locker had no lock on it, so it simply opened easily on its own, but a small, plain oak box was resting inside. The box had a keyhole in it, so experimentally Ethan placed the key in the lock and twisted it. Sure enough, the lock clicked and he could open the box. The blinding light that came next was quite unexpected, but it soon came to an end. Sitting inside the box was a well polished coin that looked as if it were made of gold.

 

“You have unlocked the power of luck,” one of the women present in the room said to him. “I shall tell you more when the others arrive.”

 

“Sweet,” Ethan let out a breath. He had absolutely no idea what this lady was talking about, but did he really care? Power over luck sounded great! Luck was one of the things he loved most after all. He placed his quarter back in his pocket and reached inside the box to pick up the coin. On the side that was facing up while it was sitting in the box was a balance scale with both sides sitting evenly. He flipped the coin over in his hand, examining the other side which displayed a rabbit. This thing was just a bit larger than his quarter, but not by too much, he would have no difficulty handling it. He flipped it experimentally a few times, before rolling the coin through his knuckles, bringing his attention back to surveying the people present, “anyone have any ideas on how many we’re waiting for?"

[ValidEmotions]

Anubis, sirens, space, technology... Tony's head spun with confusion and curiosity, her gaze flicking from person to person. She lingered her attention upon the tall woman, watching as the stranger just stood there. Was she evaluating the gathered group? Trying to gauge what sort of people they were?

 

"Sooooo..... I'm guessing we're waiting for a few more... anyway I'm Alexander Sarkk call me Alex or fish, whatever comes to mind first. I also answer to "hey you".... that was pretty much my high school name."

 

Blinking, Tony glanced at the boy who had spoken, her contact-gray gaze shifting upward to see his face. After introducing himself, he started complimenting the other woman's item before looking down and noting her own. As he prattled on about the Ankh, what it meant to the Egyptians, and why he knew of such information (then going on about Poseidon), Tony only frowned slightly. Should she tell him that she didn't care?

 

Nah, probably too mean. Instead, "I already know this," was her response. He was rather the nervous wreck, wasn't he? "Call me Tony," she stated, idly closing the wooden box in her hands and concealing the golden Ankh pendent from further notice. Looking towards the tall woman who had stated what their abilities were, she opened her mouth to speak again. "Hey, what oth-"

 

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" The interruption caused Tony to whirl and she frowned at the red-haired man as he came to the center of the room. Two others were with him and making for the lockers as everyone else had. "Ladies and gentlemen," he cooed, grinning widely. "You're probably wondering why you're all here, why we summoned you. I'm Kevin and the lovely missus over there is Kara. Please, direct your attention towards her and she'll begin explaining things," Kevin said, an extravagant flourish to his movement as he bowed. Certainly a dramatic type of guy who seemed to enjoy a bit of flair.

 

The woman, Kara, simply smiled but there wasn't true humor behind it. She nodded her head in acknowledgement before she started speaking. "You were all asked here and you have all come willingly," she said, stepping more into the light. Like Kevin, her hair was a warm shade of red and her eyes a brilliant green. Her skin was darker though and her frame was willowy, sharp and delicate features adding to her frail appearance. Manicured nails briefly tapped against the table beside her, as if she were thinking on what to say next.

 

In stark contrast to Kevin and his baggy attire (surely, they had to be fraternal twins), she wore an elegant, simple dress - dominantly the same shade of red as her hair - with no straps and a heart-shaped top. The fabric hugged her torso, showing the curve of her waist and chest. The color, however, was broken up by the two decretive streaks of cream that ran down the sides. The bottom swayed around her ankles, a slit on her right side traveling up to her mid-thigh and exposing a suggestive view of her leg. Red and cream heels clicked against the ground as she started to walk towards them.

 

"My brother and I have been surveying countries across the globe, finding people like yourselves scattered throughout the regions. Each of them have been able to invoke certain powers. We don't particularly know why but we did learn how to differentiate you, and others like you, from the rest. With these powers manifesting, we've taken it as a sign. Many lament about the world and its current, flailing state. Now, we have found the manner in which that state can be reversed and the world put back into a healthy one," Kara explained.

 

More questions bubbled into Tony's mind and she opened her mouth to speak. However, Kara silenced her with the wave of a hand. "Please, I'm not finished. Each of you, if you agree, will be sent on various tasks or jobs that will, once completed, aid the Earth in avoiding destruction. If you decide not to help us, then you have that choice but, you will be required to lock away the power you invoked and set the box, and its key, here on the table. After that, you will be free to leave," she stated.

 

Glancing at all of them, she clasped her hands behind her back. "Before I explain any more or answer any questions, those who do not wish to complete the tasks Kevin and I will issue please, lock up your box now and return them here with their key." She fell silent.

 

Tony looked at the others, seeing if anyone planned on giving back their box. Looking down at her own, she swallowed. Help the world? From destruction? Was Earth really heading in that way? If so, given the power she held now (if any of this were to be believed), would it be right for her to turn her back? Worrying her lower lip as she thought, she finally inhaled deeply and shook her head.

 

She would stay.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"So.... we get to save the world? So many aquatic animals have been affected by this climate change thing, and I've seen it in the extensive algae in the lakes....." He slipped his ring on his middle finger in his left hand and closed the box. "Count me in. I've been trying to get people to do something, but they won't listen to me. If this... power means I can make a actual difference, then I'm aboard this ship." Wow... He actually sounded serious....

 

"Plus if i get to play in water, I'm definitely in!" He added cheerfully. Much better, he sounds like himself now.

Edited June 18, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[psyshock]

The man who directed him to the stairs decided to make his reappearance once again, this time with some oomph. Ethan decided he liked this Kevin guy already. He then directed his attention over to the one Kevin introduced as Kara, who began to explain the situation. He listened to her speak about how they have found other people with powers before them in other places and that they would be using their powers to save the world. As amazing as all of this stuff sounded, she was extremely good at making it sound boring in her explanation.

 

“Sounds like fun, count me in,” Ethan supplied his answer, flipping his coin high into the air and catching it effortlessly in his other hand after giving his answer. It didn’t seem like anyone else was putting their items back into their boxes and leaving so far, and two others had already made it clear that they were staying. He was left to wait and wonder what everyone else would do.

[padfoot]

What did space even do? That was the question that kept buzzing around Roxy's head ever since that woman told her that was her power, whatever that meant. She glanced at the boy who had just introduced himself as Alex. She grunted in response to his complement about her pendant. She knew it was cool, she didn't need his confirmation.

 

Her attention shifted to the brother and sister duo commanding attention in the middle of the room. Roxy took this opportunity to get a good look at the other people in the room with her. Besides they were suppose to "Save the world" together, might at least know what they look like. She listened to the Kevin guys rant as well as what his sister had to say. Tasks? What kind of tasks? she was beginning to grow suspicious. Roxy's wasn't one for trusting people right off the bat and even though these people didn't seem to mean her harm, she couldn't help her growing curiosity. Roxy glanced at the other party goers and sighed. She let the oak box fall from her hand with a clatter and raised the pendent to dangle around her neck. It was her own little way of silently saying that she was in.

Edited June 22, 2015 by padfoot

[ValidEmotions]

[[Padfoot. They're tasks. Not tests.]]

 

So far, it seemed like a majority were staying. Tony noted everyone's - well, mostly everyone's - silent responses. She rolled her eyes at Alex's "self-proclaimed" attempt to fix things. She almost snorted at the idea. He's a kid her age and she was to believe he was trying? The boy was likely lazier than a sloth!

 

Shaking her head, Tony caught movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see Rocker Chick putting her pendent around her neck, the wooden box carelessly dropped from her hand. Apparently, she had no care, nor any desire to care. Starting to open her mouth to scold the arrogant-looking girl for being reckless with someone else's property, more movement cut her off.

 

Kevin was a blur, standing across the room one moment and scooping the falling box out of the air in the next. He swayed to a stop beside Tony, a sigh of relief - and annoyance? - escaping his lips. "Don't do that again. Okay, kid?" he said, shoving the box back into Rocker Chick's hands. "It's important. Any damage dealt to your box happens to you. If it breaks, you're dead."

 

Well, that was a chilling thought. Stupefied by what just happened, Tony stared at Kevin with a gaping mouth, watching as he walked back to where he had been by the stairs and leaned against the wall. She hadn't really thought about the possibility of the siblings having unique powers as well but, it made sense.

 

Kara cleared her throat, frowning likely at what had just transpired. Maybe she'd wanted to keep their own powers a secret for awhile? "Yes. Now that the interruption has passed... While the rest of you decide on whether you wish to stay or not, I will indulge more details," the woman started. "You will undergo several weeks of training, working to understand the full extent of your powers. Once training is completed, you will work in various teams to complete several tasks. These teams will be comprised of the choices best suited for the task at hand. So, while you may work frequently with a certain person, they will not always be your partner. I highly suggest that you learn how to work well with everyone around you; your life may depend on it.

 

"The tasks will range from rescues to disaster responses, from sabotage to support. Yes, laws are likely to be broken but, I assure you, you won't be discovered as long as you are smart. I also assure you that any family and friends you may have will remain safe from any harm. We do have enemies but they won't be able to discover who you are unless you let the." Kara's words seemed as equally of a warning as they were meant to be informative. Tony swallowed hard, suddenly nervous about whether she decided right after all.

 

Break the law? Enemies?

 

Raising her hand, Kara blinked and nodded at her, signaling for her to speak. "Uh... Who are these enemies?" she asked quickly.

 

"Our enemies are people in a small organization known as Imperium. Imperium is comprised of traitors of our cause and non-powered beings they managed to recruit. As of right now, it's estimated that their numbers are slightly larger than our own and it is known that they have a minor hub located somewhere in this city. Where that exact location is, is unknown," Kara replied.

[Skypool]

Bailey listened with rapt attention as the duo—the woman called Kara expressly—drummed out an explanation that seemed vague at best to him. He had been raised by dialogue and stage directions far longer than he had his parents; he based the most of his extracurricular life on foundation, something the simple task of, you know, saving the world hardly provided even when it did come with assigned tasks. Kara spoke of it as easily and assuredly as she would an item on the grocery list, as though it was her routine, where grabbing discounted Starbucks on the way to a lecture was his. Thoughtful and anxious, he examined the earring again, letting the sharp tip of the clef press into the flesh of his thumb as the red-haired sister finished her speech with considerable aplomb. She gave the group an ultimatum.

 

Lock up your powers or use them.

 

Help save the world or don't.

 

There was a fine distinction between what he should do and what he needed to do; he chose what he wanted to do.

 

Bailey deftly unclasped the earring that had already been in his left ear and replaced it with the clef. It was quick. It was irresponsible. It felt warm. It felt right. Besides, no one else has chickened out yet, so neither would he. His fingers clenched themselves over the old piece of jewelry almost emphatically.

 

He chose what he wanted to do, and what he wanted do was take part in saving the world.

 

(Shakespeare's mother. That sounded so cliché.)

 

In the few moments that followed, the girl who sported a punk haircut and style dropped her box to the exasperation of Kevin, who, up until that point, had kept a casual, rather nonchalant front—an easy smirk was seemingly a habit to his lips. His quick save and subsequent sigh spoke of an internalized sort of panic though; with a gruffness that was quickly become trademark, he succinctly explained that the boxes were somehow tied to their life forces now. Dent the box, and you deal damage to yourself. Break the box, and you die.

 

Wonderful. Bailey gripped his all the tighter.

 

Kara, decidedly fazed but less keen about showing it, went on to establish some ground rules for the next few weeks. They would be training and getting their assignments and so-on-and-so-forth. She talked around the fact that they would be facing enemies and then clarified who they were when a pretty girl with curly hair asked.

 

"Our enemies are people in a small organization known as Imperium. Imperium is comprised of traitors of our cause and non-powered beings they managed to recruit. As of right now, it's estimated that their numbers are slightly larger than our own and it is known that they have a minor hub located somewhere in this city. Where that exact location is, is unknown," she said.

 

He frowned. Traitors implied that they had powers of their own as well. In the back of his mind—he didn't dare consider it as a viable thought—he wondered what had disillusioned them.

[Anak]

This box is my life? Gemma pondered. Um, ok. She decided, in that case, that she should probably keep it. They'd probably kill her for 'knowing too much' anyways, if she left. She didn't dare say it though, or they might've just done it there and then.

Plus, there was an itching in her body to know what that tuning fork did, and what technology meant to her at all. She'd much rather find out before training began.

 

"I highly suggest that you learn how to work well with everyone around you; your life may depend on it," that Kara woman explained to everyone. Oh. Working with people. Not by myself. Gemma was hoping it would've have been a singular experience. How would she get to know all of these people? She looked around, properly taking them in this time. Everything was rather... mismatched. How at all anyone would function in a partnership here was a wonder to her.

 

And, wait a second, enemies? Traitors? This was sounding less and less appealing, but, well, she was already too far in.

"If they're traitors, you know who they are, right?" Gemma finally spoke out, and felt a little embarrassed as everyone looked at her to go on. Speaking 'out of turn' wasn't too good either, but no one seemed to mind. This was a pretty ragtag group anyways, so there was going to be probably a lot of things done out of turn.

"I mean, you've gotta have some info on them?" Then again, those traitors will have just as much info too.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Anak

[padfoot]

Roxy blinked in surprise when the shady guy caught her box. She didn't even see this guy move and suddenly he was next to her, scolding her about her butter fingers. She smirked, "Noted", was all she said in response. She stashed her box in her runner bag strapped across her back. She watched the man closely, trying to figure out how he caught her box. She had two explanations: He had anticipated she would do that and moved as soon as he noticed or that these powers were not a big of a joke as she originally thought. Powers or no powers, Roxy would hear them out.

 

Roxy cringed when she mentioned working in teams. Ever since she dropped out of college she hasn't been one for human interaction. Sure she needed help with almost every step of her journey but those were passing strangers, not long term partnerships. She glanced at the others, her eyes lingering on the self righteous Eco-terrorist preaching about saving the wildlife and the too school for cool guy with the coin. The others hadn't said much so Roxy liked them already. Regardless, she wasn't enthused about working with them.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Alex ......... was half listening. He only caught the following conversation. He mentally reviewed the list in his head: There are people going to try and stop them. Work as a team....he's good at that, captain of the swim team and what not. Other bad bad people have powers, box broken equals death, and training before tasks begin.....

He had a feeling he got the majority of the conversation anyway. He jumped when the guy moved fast. That's awesome! Like Dash or the Flash....

 

He casually slipped the box in his pocket with everything else in side it and took out the little fishing kit he had and started rearranging things in it. Idle hands do the devil's work and he had to keep busy to focus. He was by nature a excellent multitasker....that is.... if nothing else distracted him from his current two tasks. "Soooooo.....let me get this clear... Other people with powers want to keep us from saving the world, so we got to watch each others backs to keep each other safe. We get lessons on our power and if we broke the box we die. Am I missing anything?"

Edited June 22, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[psyshock]

Ethan was caught off guard with the sudden speed that Kevin moved with. Did this mean that everything they were saying so far was true and that both of them, well at least Kevin, had powers too? He put his hand back into his locker, from which he had yet to move too far from, and grabbed the box that he had left inside. If this truly was linked so close to his life, perhaps he should keep it with him along with the coin. As much as Ethan would have liked to just run head first into things, he had to admit that training to better understand their powers sounded like a good idea as well. The range of tasks Kara told them about all sounded quite exciting however. He did have one question regarding the Imperium when they came up however.

 

“What is the Imperium’s goal?” Ethan asked his question after some of the other people present asked their questions regarding the opposing group. If they were trying to save the world, than obviously Imperium would be trying to do something opposite to that, but what exactly was it?

[KoalaNoob]

Though she had remained silent and unexpressed throughout Kevin and Kara's explanation, Kate pulled her box closer to her chest when she heard of their life-linking properties. "Just a second. Can't we find a safe place to store our boxes, like bank safe or something? I know it looks suspicious, but it could be done in secret. They're too big to comfortably fit in pockets and backpacks aren't always convenient. I don't want to risk my life wih this thing while carrying out any of the tasks you mentioned." As soon as she finished talking, Kate resumed to staring at the others, spending a few moments on each person before moving on to another. She wasn't enthusiastic about the team system, and desparately hoped for some sort of choice in teammates.

 

And then, all of a sudden, Kate realized something.

 

She could be a hero.

 

All her life, she had never considered anything outside of school. Even though she was a planner, Kate hadn't gone any farther than planning on which universities to apply to. She hadn't particularly liked the idea that she would be following the beaten path, but she thought she would have to in order to achieve something greater.

 

But maybe it wasn't necessary? Maybe she could shine in a way she had never imagined? Already, delusionally unrealistic fantasies of saving lives and being special, someone above the rest were floating into her mind.

[ValidEmotions]

[[bumping this up so it's easier to find later. (And for anyone still needing to post.)]]

[ValidEmotions]

"You may use the lockers here to keep your boxes safe. It's heavily advised as no one else knows this location and is less likely to discover it than a bank vault," Kara responded, motioning towards the lockers in emphasis. "Imperium's goal is to prevent us from protecting the world from destruction. They have, in a sense, begun to believe that we shouldn't bother, that the world should be allowed to continue in its set path and let the human race tear our home into pieces. However, we feel it is important that we cut that path off and veer humanity into a more beneficial one. We obtained these powers. It's our duty to use them constructively," the woman stated.

 

"It is true that Imperium knows has some information about us and we, them. There is nothing to worry about, however, as they do not know who we have recruited since they're separation from us nor have they managed to keep track of our activity as well as they would like. Unfortunately, the same holds true on our side. We know a few faces, specifically the ones who are in charge, and what they can do but, beyond that, we don't know. They've relocated themselves and repeatedly do so when we manage to get close enough." Kara nodded once, as if deciding on something she'd been thinking about. "Shall we get going then? Everyone, place your boxes back into the lockers you grabbed them from and then make your way upstairs to the roof. There should be a helicopter waiting for us with a second one on the way."

 

Tony hesitated before stepping towards the row of lockers and gently placing her box inside before closing the metal door with a click. Her thoughts spun slightly with the prospect of everything that was happening. Enemies, powers, training, information.... She couldn't steady her heartbeat and worried her lower lip, wondering if she might still be able to back out. However, Kevin was ushering everyone up the stairs once they left their box where instructed. His hand pressed warmly against her back, between her shoulder blades, as he urged her upwards. Going as insisted, she climbed the steps and exited the basement, continuing past the doorway leading into the lobby area of the business building.

 

She passed the second floor and the third, her hand clasping the metal bar on the door to the roof access. Pushing against it, she swung the metal door open and was greeted by the wind generated by the propellers of a helicopter. The engine was roaring, filling her ears in addition to the stirred wind. Holding her hair to keep it from flying into her face, she hurried towards the helicopter and waited for the rest. Kevin ushered her into one of the seats and she buckled herself in, awkwardly putting on the headphones and microphone that he passed her.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"What if the building burned down? We'll all die.... ... I trust the bottom of the Atlantic with the titanic better than these lockers... but.. if we have too.." He said as he put the box in the locker carefully and locked it.

 

After that, he headed upstairs to the roof. Instinctively he ducked his head and squinting his eyes as he headed to the chopper door. He knew some of the shorter blade choppers, you don't need to duck but most of them you do. He got in and slipped on the headphones and adjusted the microphone so it was near his mouth. With it there wasn't any need to shout.

 

"Hope you don't get air sick." Alex seemed calm and collected. Like strange things like this always happens to him. He shook his hand lightly, the one with the ring on it. "Gotta get used to this thing. "