Everyone, Two Weeks Ago

Whether through smartphones or ordinary letters, the members of the group would recieve Gavin's message, a message telling them that:

If you have had visions of winged beings, telling you that the world is about to be worse, and that you can stop it; if you've manifested powers that cannot be normally explained, find a way to come to me, to Brightwell Illinois, where answers await. My name is Gavin Prince, and I am gathering those who have seen what I've seen, people who have power and might need help and support in wielding that power. A pause, or rather, a space.

But be warned, people are already after you, with motives both good and ill. It is time for us, who have been given the powers of Magic, to stand in solidarity with one another, so that we would not become pawns in the great struggles that the return of this power would engulf the world in. So, come to Brightwell two weeks from now, using whatever means you have that won't be too obvious - and be careful.

Brightwell, Illinois, Feduary 201X*

Gavin's stay in Brightwell had been uneventful, except for a trip or two to the old Native American Burial Grounds to see if there were any more secrets he can find out. No such luck; the local Indian Tribes had existed long after Magic had faded away into myth - 1000 BC/BCE, was it? Nevertheless, today, he was at the motel room's lobby, waiting for his 'invitees' to arrive...including the US Government's 'mole', their spy in the ranks. But Gavin knew he could 'turn' him, or rather, he hoped that.

He wasn't blind, of course. The real reason he chose Brightwell, Illinois, was because Sparrow Freemark, the motel owner, was a Mage as well, one whose spells were all Mind, even, filling a niche that was needed. This gave him a way to keep people out from his business for a while.

Nevertheless, as the people he had signalled began to arrive in the small town, they would feel a subtle signal, a 'twitch' in their brains that would direct them towards the Garfield Motel, where Gavin had spent a lot of money - the price of one ceremonial sword - reserving all the rooms for his 'meeting'. The Garfield Motel was a small, rectangular establishment whose architectural style dated from the 50s, able to fit at least a dozen people. Gavin expected half of that.

Things are going well...too well, the eighteen-year old boy thought. He suspected that things were going to go wrong, given time. But he refused to think that whatever was coming would be too much for the group he was mustering.

The doors to the motel opened; were the first Mages he had called coming soon? Well, best to greet them, then.

Getting up, the young adult would say:

"Hello there, my name is Gavin Prince. You've received my message, I take it?"

He scanned the group; it seemed that they were all strong and already somewhat experienced with their powers...

((*I left the year vague, in this case))

@ManoftheNorth@Fenris123@Detritus@Zelosse@LetMeDoStuff@13org

Morgana stepped into the motel nervously somewhat at the back of the group walking in. They were immediately greeted by a boy that looked about as young as she was. She was bundled in a pulled up hoodie and sweatpants that obscured pretty much any details about her except for her face and how short she was. If one could see her hands hiding in her sleeves they would be covered in cheap, plastic looking rings, bracelets of similar quality lined her arms, and more of the same were stored in the dull gray backpack she had on, making chinking noises from time to time. Rather than say anything Morgana decided to let somebody else answer the boy's obvious question. Her arms were wrapped around a thick notebook and she immediately retreated to the nearest wall, finding the solid presence at her back comforting. At least there weren't that many people here. Coming here alone had been stressful enough. Every-time she'd seen someone even look at her for more than a few seconds her heart-rate shot up and she mentally recited the protections she had in place to comfort herself.

On the other side of the state however, in a different city. A young blonde man was currently in the midst of his shift, his mind racked and wrapped around what was going on. But, right now his main focus was to get through his shift before continuing on. He was currently in his office, one of few rare times he ever was during the day. He never could stand them, he felt so secluded from the others and felt like he wasn't helping his employees do their work. But, they were an understanding bunch and all knew that paper work had to be done for where they work to get anything pushed through or approved. They were nearing the end of their orders, a few retail stores and a mass production plant were left with products and supplies that needed to be shipped. All he had to do now was punch their numbers, inventory amount, and destinations into the company's computer system and he could go on out to work alongside his men.

There was one continuous thing that plagued his mind that he was not able to figure out what had happened to Gavin. He had just randomly up and disappeared two weeks ago. He had try calling over and over again, and even went to his parents and other friends to try and find out where he had gone. All efforts ended up with no results. He didn't believe that Gavin would've gone to England for University without at least telling him about it. He even asked around the university, and all accounts were he didn't inform them until a few days before he vanished. He was going to go another search as soon as he got off work, and luckily the weekend was the next day, so that would give him more time to search. As he exhaled and finished up his typing he hit entered and put on his necessary equipment before heading out back onto the floor to help finish up the orders.

He had to look outside the city he guessed, he had to find Gavin.

Marcus stared down at the text message, surrounded by figures dressed to please, others dressed to scare. Two individuals, so thickly covered in riot-gear that it was almost impossible to make out their gender. Each had access to a weapon, and Marcus knew exactly why they would. Deep down, they were probably scared, especially after hearing of his accident in the Police Station. But who was he to blame? Marcus was scared as well. This wasn't what he asked for, but the distorted figure in his visions told him why it was him, something about a purpose. Everything's been kept under the radar to the public, and not a word was ushered towards the Police about spreading these details.

His eyes darted around the room, looking towards the man across the table to himself. Marcus' handcuffs were released before he came into the room, indicating some sort of negotiation or friendly interrogation. Marcus had seen it all before, during training. A sort of way to play with the mind into giving you what you wanted, friendliness always had its perks. The man slid the phone towards him, pushing his glasses up his nose once more.

"So there's more, Nickleson? More that you didn't know about? I'm surprised that this message actually reached you considering what Terrible reception you must be having in here..." The two stared at the phone as he slid it across to Marcus. "Marcus, if what is said about you is true, then I propose that you go and meet with these individuals...This Gavin...If they are facing the same difficulties as yourself...Perhaps we should contact them directly?"

Marcus looked up towards the smartly, sharply dressed man. His eyes darted between him, the armed personnel at the door and the interrogation mirror, where clearly multiple people would be sitting down and writing notes about this disastrous discovery. He flashed a glimpse into his superior's eyes, as if screaming to him what he was implying. His emotions spoke loud and clear, as he discovered. The man handed him a small folder, with information written from a higher-authority. The Military? Secret Services? Congress? He was out of ideas of who'd authorise these, but it wasn't his position to find out. Marcus had trained all his life to follow orders, right?

His hands picked it up, reading the notes. They read about plans for sending investigation teams towards locations of other reported suspects nation-wide. There were only a few reported that linked to these cases, but it was quick work since New Year's Eve. Marcus knew that by reading this, he was asking for his assistance with this project. After-all, why would it matter? He's one of these suspects, isn't he? Treason wasn't his highest bidding point, even if he wasn't strictly American with blood or bred.

"But what about my Job? My family? My friends? What about my life that I live?"

"Mr Nickleson, we regret to bring this to the table, but you left those all behind once you were contacted by whatever this...Being was? I'm afraid it's one of the few options, possibly the only option, if you wish to continue your service...We'll relieve you of your duty, inform your family that you are in our hands and are undergoing a strict programme completely made up for them and yourself. It's what we have to offer, and we hope you can learn as much as you can about them to us, in case they are hostiles or friendlies to our nation, and the world..." He stared blankly at where the contract held a position for his name. It was waiting, begging in his mind to be scribbled on with black ink to appoint him as part of a new service. His life was gone. His accidental demonstration towards the Police, as well as controlled ones in front of his peers here, proved he would be the soul candidate for this task...But what should he do?

---

He pulled up in his Land-Rover Defender, reaching the right place at the right time. He was nervous. Why wouldn't he be? Whether it was a cult of killing, covetous murderers or a friendly bunch of hippies, it was his duty to at least report what he could back to his taskers. Nothing bad had to come out of it. Nothing good had to either; but he hoped for the latter. A gathering of individuals were hanging around one door as an individual opened up. Marcus' rolled down window allowed him to faintly hear greetings, even mentions of familiar names from the text. That being said, he slowly slid out of his car and nervously stood by the open door of his vehicle. This was the location. The two-weeks of preparation and practice to see if he could master his abilities alone proved difficult and straining, but worthwhile. He'd covered at least six separate powers, and the choices he made within his visions made it clear he'd found them all.

He pulled on his green jacket and dragged his feet slowly towards the area, fixing his mixed-emotional glances towards the gathering as they chatted away, some even making their way inside. What he was doing didn't look suspicious, not that there was any reason to be. It was just difficult to process. Processing was usually a strong point, until the last few weeks went by. His hiking boots clunked as they ascended the wooden steps, slowly reaching a far-flank of the group. The Motel wasn't 100% amazing, but it was better than any other he'd seen laying around in a place so desolate like this one. Marcus moved closer to the group, noticing him being fully in view and appearance. His voice was low, but awkward to some extent, his accent different from the regular nation's.

"Gavin...Price? Guy or...person who messaged me?" His eyes darted towards the group that were crowding the door. He was the last one to arrive, which made it far worse for him. "Quite a...uhh...Distance to get out to here, am I right? Or...Ahem...Marcus, Marcus Nickleson...You...sent me a message...I guess you knew that, bu-. Y'know...Meeting and stuff, hello."

Fenrir turned down the radio in his older Ford F-150 as he pulled into Brightwell, Illinois. Two weeks earlier he had received a text from someone named Gavin Prince telling him he should come he if he wanted answers to his winged Valkyrie and his 'magic'. As his truck passed over the city limits he started getting a migraine and a throbbing pain behind his right eye. The Garfield Motel was where the pain seemed to lead him and as Fenrir parked his silver Ford the pain died away and seemed to be subtly telling him to go inside.
The giant of a man looked around as he entered and noticed no one, but an employee, Sparrow Freemark, was present. "Huh must be the first one here." He thought as he took a seat and started watching others arrive. He watched a young boy not much older than his second youngest brother stand and greet everyone, "Hello there, my name is Gavin Prince. You've received my message, I take it?"
"So that's our little leader." Thought Fen as he stood up and looked over the others. One person caught his eye, she was a youngling like Mr. Prince bundled in a pulled up hoodie and sweatpants that obscured most of her features minus her face and by the gods she was a tiny little thing only 5 foot at his best guess, but Fen would still give her his friendliest smile.
He would then look at Gavin, "Why have you called us all together young sir? You do realize some of us are currently being hunted."

The appearance of magic in Kira's life did not change things for the better or for the worse, it was simply one of those things that just happened. She adapted easily in this new situation, especially given that she could be any more conspicuous. She proceeded in those two weeks the same as she had always, getting groceries at night and completing the orders for the articles in the day. These daily assignments were always such satisfying problems now that she had gotten into her groove, that she had hesitated at first over whether to leave for Brightwell. For her the joy of solving the problem itself is most always of greater concern than the resulting consequences, something she could not see herself saying about this saving the world business. In the end she swayed in the affirmative, deciding that if she went, heard them out and decided it wasn't for her, she could remain a person of good judgment. This how it was with Kira's friends where even though she had difficulty expressing herself, Kira had made time to investigate them, to decide if those people who had made her a fool were really worthy of such a sacrifice. Ultimately, they were found wanting, and Kira took leave of their presence. It is in this way, when all doubts are cast aside for certain knowledge, that regret passes.

And it is with this attitude that Kira set out for Brightwell, Illinois from her home in Anchorage, that place where, long before she ever seriously contemplated death, she decided would be the place she'd die. Kira doesn't always have the firmest grasp on concepts that most people take for granted, but home is definitely not one of them. It was there that her father made him himself the most absolute of certainties, something that had scared Kira from selecting the school of underworld magic as one of the sources of power to draw from lest she be tempted to bring back her father, and so doing corrupt that vital essence that made him so special. No, what a man needs after so much work is rest, and whoever doesn't understand that is the worst kind of coward. It is with this steadfast resolve that Kira finally left for the airport.

With great effort Kira could probably make her way to Brightwell without the use of an airplace, and even without the use of the taxi she had taken to motel, but it just felt better to observe everything before making a move. That was why she trailed behind Marcus invisibly and silently, even getting off and leaving her stuff a block away. Under the awning of the Motel entrance Kira waited for Marcus to finish then divested herself of Bend Light's protection and muttered sleepily, "Kira, here".

Eric had spent a little under two weeks in Brightwell. He was one of the earliest arrivals in the town, but he figured there would be more. He spent this time to focus on what it all meant. The email he received was very specific and very determined. However it was worded as if it went to multiple people. A working man like never would have imagined such things would happen to him, but the New Year was certainly crazy. Everything for him had changed, originally for the worse, and then all of this began to happen. Eric's mind went all-around when it came to making sense of it all. He tried numerous times to ideally explain the logic behind it all to himself, however he never truly could do such a thing.

He quickly decided that he might like to focus on the words given to him, rather than the reason why he needs to understand it all. The world would be made worse. That was what he harnessed his mental power for, to understanding that the future was going to become bleaker than it was currently. He knew he needed to prevent that, the gilded woman said so herself. He pressed his mind, heart, and body to this nature. The ideal of stopping that which seeks to set the world wrong. Whatever it might be, he vowed to thwart it where it rose. This was Eric Maynard's Vow.

His Vow now sat heart-steady and he used the remaining days before the meeting to practice, to practice that which he believed fiction. Magic. This power he wielded a few days ago to transform, it was still in him. He could feel it's echo and power within his soul. He tried all manner of things for his magic, most of which were stereotypical of movies and books. Those of course failed, things such as: Meditating, Chanting, Lighting Candles and using a Crystal Ball, whipping around a long piece of wood like a staff or wand, he even bought a novelty Magic Book trying to use it. However none of these worked and they would never work for him. He didn't entirely learn this lesson until he went for a walk into the woods. They were his safe place, the place where he could be at ease, and it was at this point that he realized his magic was his own. It was as easy as swimming, a riding a bike, as pulling the string on a bow. When he passed through the trees, he could feel his magic pulse like a heartbeat inside of him, it was soothing and calming and with the closing of his eyes he let it envelope him. His body quickly shifted into that of a bird, it changed and snapped, growing long feathers and forcing him into a winged creature. Where Eric Maynard once stood, he now flew as a Griffon Vulture. The bird was massive compared to most of the American airs. He flew through the trees and ascended to the sky, and as soon as he crested the canopy of the trees he hovered. He could see for miles on end, a literal bird's eye view of the world around him. He was amazed by the freedom he now possessed. The power, the ability, the way it flowed through him, the way he somehow instinctively knew what to do as a bird. It amazed him beyond all belief, but he quickly landed and practicing changing back, letting it happen naturally once more.

He practiced his magic in this way for the remainder of his time, up until the day came for the meeting. By this time, he had practiced and nearly mastered four spells to their fullest, but he had no more time to try and garner more. The others were arriving.

Eric found himself catching up with a few of the new arrivals, he certainly wasn't the last one to arrive, but he did let the others speak and mingle before Gavin came out to address them. He had seen Gavin a time or two, but never really put two and two together due to the lack of a name and the fact that Eric had been staying somewhere other than the Email's directed Hotel. Eric listened to several of them speak to Gavin, as they all pressed into the main room of the Hotel. There Eric reviewed the actions of many of the people. He only spoke once the last fella had finished, the fella who had came in behind the rest of them.

"Aye. An Email, the name is Eric. What is it exactly, that we're doin' here?" Eric quickly asked before too much of a ramble could go on. "I notice a fair amount of us are all here, and if my idea is right, it is all do the fact we aren't exactly normal anymore, of'course?" Eric added with a momentary smile. "Now, you'll have to excuse me, I am not tryin' to be rude, I am just more blunt than some of these other fella's are it seems."

Kasumi

Kasumi closed her eye and as she did, she faded from the world. She didn't exist, there was no trace of her. No sound, no smell, no sight. She was gone. When she received these powers, she wasn't sure what to think of them, but now that she learned to use her magic, it was a blessing. She looked at her Iphone and read the message, once she read it she slowly placed it away. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to think of the message. It would be nice to get answers, but she didn't trust it, she felt uneasy about it all. She didn't liked going in a situation blind. She teleported down to the floor silently, then walked to the edge of the city, she stared out to sea for a few minutes thinking to herself. The place that was mentioned was across sea. It would be difficult to get there, she would need a clear path, otherwise she would have to use natural means of getting there. She sighed and looked at the message on her phone again, before looking back out to sea. Was it worth going? She looked to her left, and there was an exact copy of herself, one that wasn't invisible. She could put both copies invisible, but there was no point to it, the copy was meant to be a distraction only, and it put too much strain on her. Kasumi wondered for a moment. If she went, she could hide and use her copy to interact, but then people would still know she was there and she had no idea what abilities they had. No, she looked away from the copy, and it disappeared. No, he would jut hide and stay in the shadows until she knew it safe to come out. There was no way she could be seen while she was invisible. In two weeks time, she would travel any way she could but first, she had to be ready.

Master Grey

Master Grey was reading a physics book whist writing on a large black board equations and theories about his powers, about the creature he had seen, about the dreams. He didn't understand it. None of it should be physically possible, but it was real! He wanted, no, needed answers! It was then a sound of his letterbox caught his attention, and he looked over to his door to see a single letter on the floor. He sighed, before placing down the pen and book before walking up to the letter. He picked it up and read it slowly. After reading it, he froze, he couldn't move. It was about a minute before he reread the letter to make sure he hadn't misread it. When he had finished again he immediately placed the letter on the table and walked upstairs. He grabbed his suitcase and opened it immediately. Then he began to neatly pack everything he would need for the journey. Research books, his old pointing stick which he now used for his magic, a few extra robes, as well as day to day things. Once he had everything he needed he stored the suitcase ready in the wardrobe. He didn't want to be late. After he went downstairs again, he grabbed the letter and placed it beside his bedside table. Now, he was all ready to leave when the time came. He would gain all the answers he needed. He looked to the letter, and read it one more time. Brightwell Illinois, that was on the other side of the world, but he would get there, somehow, some way.



Kasumi

Kasumi checked the date on her phone and gave a soft nod. Today was the day. She would have to cross over sea to get to her destination. She was currently on the roof once more, invisible. She was thinking about trying to beat her Kendo Master but she hadn't mastered her powers yet. She wasn't ready. She needed a little bit more time. She teleported down and walked over to the edge of the city again. There she saw several indicators across the sea, they would get her so far but not all the way. She would have to change the probability to make her journey. The probability that there was a cruiser or boats headed over there. She took a deep breath and gave herself a nod. Then she looked at the first Sea Mark and teleported on top of it, then she teleported to the next, to the next to the next, until she was far in to the sea and there were no more Sea Marks around. She looked around, wondering if she could find anything else she could teleport to when she saw a boat in the distance, just within range. The probability worked, but barely! She teleported again onto the boat, and landed swiftly. It was a bit of a bad land due to the range, and she almost didn't make it, but she was lucky. She wasn't too far away from the city now, all she could do was wait.

After waiting a few hours of hiding on the ship, she drew close to the city and she could start to see a few points that she could teleport to. She teleported off the ship and closer to the city. She kept teleporting until she was in the city itself. Once she was, she felt something in her head, a twitch one might say, indicating to Garfield Motel. She teleported over to it and watched as people were heading in. Of course, Kasumi had never been invisible to other magi. She had no idea they would be able to see her, even if it was just a little. They would know somebody was there. She teleported inside and crouched low to the ground near the back of the place where she could keep out the way from everyone and watch them at the same time. She spoke not a word, silent as ever. Maybe here, she would understand her powers more, gain answers that was needed to use them better and find out who everyone was here, and who she was competing against.

Master Grey

Master Grey grabbed his suitcase and walked out the door. He had everything he needed, including the letter. He walked towards the seaport of the city and looked around slowly. Nobody was watching it seemed. Good, he had to be subtle. He couldn't be seen. He quickly jumped in the water, and as he did he manipulated it, making sure it didn't splash. Master Grey formed a small bubble around him allowing him to breath while he travelled. It was then that the bubble began to move underwater quickly. He wouldn't be able to see much from underwater, but he knew the general direction he was heading. Every so often he would pop up to see where he was quickly. It didn't take him all too long to reach the city, and when he did, he slowly came up and stepped onto the Sea Port.

Master Grey then walked into the city at which point he felt an urge to go to Garfield Motel. This most be somebody's magic, and that must be the meeting location. Without hesitation, he walked towards the Motel and smiled when it came into sight. There, he saw quite a few people. From the looks of it, he was one of the oldest people here but that was no surprise to him. He walked up to Gavin who was welcoming everyone. He stepped up to him and held out his letter of acceptance.

"Greting sir. My name is Master Grey, and I retrieved a letter of invitation to come here two weeks ago on Monday 24th March 2017. I was told there would be answers, and knowledge is what I seek. I cannot comprehend how this is all possible. Theoretically it shouldn't be possible. That is why I have come here today to expand my understanding of my situation at hand and come to know how this is all become possible."

When he finished speaking, he continued to hold the letter out while he stood in front of him. Master Grey showed nothing but respect for the man, even if he didn't know him. In his mind, every being deserved respect until proven otherwise.

As the train came to a stop Charles hopped out of one of the train cars before any of the workers could do their rounds. As he rushed out of the train yard before he could be found he felt the signal calling him. He would sigh some shaking his head as he soon made his way onto the streets and walked along looking like a very out of place gothic boy. He watched the expressions of those who passed him, most had expressions of disgust, while others of worry. Not many had expressions of kindness, it made him sick how people treated him after the incident, it was like a ghost constantly hanged on his shoulder, though he knows there isn't one.

Charles would activate his spirit vision to get a good look at his surroundings. One can learn a lot from another's spirit after all. His vision would darken as he would see what first seemed like a flame of various colors would then form into shape of humans. Most of the ones he seen was overlapped with the people that passed him. There was a few that simply floated about but he decided to ignore them for the time being. He hurried along to the Hotel entering within an hour of arriving to the city. He would glance at the various people who be spread about the room. He would simply move to a corner and stay quiet, watching the other. He would release his spirit vision and close his eyes rubbing them, though it is useful overuse can strain his eyes. after resting his eyes for a few seconds he'd open them and looked apon the person he assumed was the one who called them all here. Judging by their positions. Charles had more than enough plans in order to learn control over his abilities, though he wanted to first learn what exactly is going on between all these people and their gifts.

...

Arrival

Desmond had received his message, he had indeed seen visions of the change to be, and felt a change in his own genetics more thoroughly with the coming of magic than likely anyone else had so far. Every last inch of flesh, blood, and bone, replaced with what could only be described as the universe. The infinite cosmos shimmered in a form that remained human in silhouette alone. The mysteries of the deep space danced across the glossy sheen of stillness that was considered his 'skin'. The change had been quick but mind numbingly painful, to the point that he barely remembered it happening.

One moment he was human. Normal. Now he was.. something else entirely.

Desmond had entered the motel wrapped in many layers. Shoes, socks, thick pants, T-shirt, a thick Sweater with the hood up, a scarf wrapped around a majority of his face, leather gloves. A coat that reached to his knees was draped over it all, obscuring every inch of his body lest he be seen. A moment he feared above all else. A group had already begun to form around a young looking man barely at his 20s it seemed, one such individual mentioning the name 'Gavin', confirming that Desmond had indeed found his way without incident.
Desmond was concerned about what he could do with the power given, willingly or accidentally, and chose to merely wave at the group before taking a position a tad further away.

"So Mr. Whitaker, this is the academic probation contract. I need you to sign here..and here and initial here." the counselor said with indifference while she sipped her coffee and pointed out the different sections.

"Is this really necessary, I have just been dealing with some....changes in my life right now, and I only messed up this semester because I-" Neil was cut off by the slam of her cup.

"That is irrelevant Mr. Whitaker, your GPA as exceedingly low this semester and we expect academic excellence from all our students, now if you have some kind of personal problem them maybe your should have lightened your load when you could have but now is not he time. So please just sign the contract so we both can go on about our day." She said with a scowl and then looked back at her computer.

Neil did not say anything else and simply clenched his fist under the desk and starred holes into the contract. If he wanted to continue with school he needed to get this signed before the start of the new semester which was in too days. But he could not just tell her he spent most of the semester holed up in his room learning how to control this 'magic' he now has before he did something bad. But NOOOOOOO!! This old hag wants to make things even harder for him, and now he has some things to decide. Instead he grabbed the contract and got up.

"Well you know what, I will tun in this fricking contract when I want to, so you can go pile sand." He said with anger as he stormed out.

"You still only have to days to turn it in Mr.Whitaker." She said unfazed as he left.

Neil has been trying to fix his first semester all winter break and his 'academic advisers' have not been helping at all so now he is stuck with a dilemma; either find a way to pay for a whole year of college or drop out and save up by getting a job. He was walking back to his dorm and when he got to the first floor of his hall he checked his mail. There was a letter addressed to him with no return address, so he took it back up stairs with him. When he got to his room and opened the letter, Neil had to read it 3 times before he believed this "Gavin" guy was real and if what he said was true then Neil needed to leave school any ways. Neil did what was necessary to drop out and then packed one bag and left the school. He would miss Vegas, but whoever might be after him could have already been waiting for the perfect chance.

Is Illinois cold this time a year. He thought to himself as he waited to board his plane.

---

Brightwell, Illinois, the flight was not to bad but now he was here in this noting of town and he already missed home. He knew that he was running late to meet whoever this guy was and he assumed some others. The moment his cab got into the city, he felt a pull, towards something. So he had been guiding the cabby by instinct to a motel, The Garfield Motel to be exact. He stepped out and paid the man his money, grabbed his bag and stepped inside. There where other people already here and he could tell they where all mages as well, just a hunch he was having and he could also tell who Gavin was and he walked over to greet him.

"Hey...ummm my names is Neil Whitaker and I got your letter, along with some others so I am here yeah." He said this and then stepped off to the side, his awkward introduction. and set his bag next to him.

Gavin looked at the throng of Magi that had come to his 'conference', and moved to address their questions.

"You are all right. I called you all because one, you all are like me, in possession of abilities that cannot be explained by Science, abilities that can only be called Magic." He then cupped his right hand and conjured up a small, silvery-white light; a cantrip.

"Don't worry about this display of power, I have...a friend keeping people from snooping," and indeed, Sparrow Freemark was keeping people from being too curious about the gathering of people in the Garfield Motel." Not that it was a barrier for the infiltrator already there, though, but Gavin allowed that.

"Anyway, you are curious about the winged beings who gave us our powers, right?" The boy was still standing.

"Well, it's a long story," Gavin activated another cantrip, creating a small screen of raw mana and distorted space, one that would show what the group needed to see, and that was a vision of Earth a few millenia ago, a pristine, beautiful wonderland dotted with shining cities of crystal spires and people in bright togas. "Basically, this universe is governed by a cycle, a cycle where Magic flows and ebbs, and sapient civilization with it. This was a law of the Universe, that Magic and Science should alternate with each other." Gavin then pursed his lips, before showing another vision, a vision of two cities, one in the middle of the Atlantic, with three walls of metal that did not rust, and a high tower-settlement in the middle of desert.

"But, the rulers of Atlantis and Babel did not want to make a seamless transition from Magic, which had allowed them to grow fat, and Science, which would oblige them to learn new things. And so, they attempted to alter the laws of the Universe itself, and draw power form the Combined Heavens - aka the heaven of every major religion that has existed and will exist. This was hubris, and they shot themselves in the foot." The screen then showed Atlantis setting itself on fire, and Babel falling down, and taking the magical civilizations of Earth, all the glittering cities, down with them.

"But this wasn't the end of Magic, no, it hung on until 1000 BC, or BCE for those who nitpick. But by then, the Tablets of Ararat were written, a magical relic made by the remnants of ancient civilizations that prohibited any use of magic temporarily, aka for a few centuries."

"Those centuries have now passed," Gavin continued, "but not the prohibition on magic in several major religions - I won't name names. The Tablets of Ararat, however, contain the authority of the Combined Heavens and the Divine, and it is not just a legal document, it is a legal document that can open a path or liason to God or The Gods and their servants, who, before this meeting, have told me in dreams that they are revising the laws of the Universe so that Magic won't just exist again, it will exist as long as this Universe stands. However, the Tablets of Ararat themselves are needed to make sure that the authority that can clairfy that the ban on the use of Magic no longer applies can speak clearly to Humanity."

"And before you ask why can't the Combined Heavens just speak directly to Humans...they already tried. I will not invoke religious controversy by saying specifics. Either way, the Tablets of Ararat won't just repeal the ban on magic, but it will create a source of 'objective' spiritual and philosophical truth. Aka, actual, tangible Good can now be perceived." Gavin trembled at that.

"And so, our job is to learn about our powers, as well as, if you are willing, help find the Tablets." He then paused, as if remembering something.

"Oh, and we really are going to be hunted for this. We are powerful, and we can teach others how to use this power. We can wreak a lot of damage if we really want to, or even if we don't want it. The US Government is already hunting for us, and their forces will appear in three days, whether to negotiate or capture is...something I don't know yet, but be prepared." Marcus would know that a force was being prepared just in case his mission goes awry, but he wasn't apprised of the exact details.

@ManoftheNorth@Fenris123@Detritus@Zelosse@LetMeDoStuff@13org@LightningLynx89@Eklispe@The One@olcharlieboi@Queentze

@Double

Charles watched Gavin as begun what was pretty much a history lesson. It made him shake his head hearing it, as Gavin begun to explain everything, both things from legends, and what seemed to be happening right now. "You know we didn't come here for history or anything like that" he would state out loud "To cut the story short you want us to band together because of our powers and find these tablets to change the rules of the universe and make our powers a permanent thing available to anyone forever" Charles would state quick and simple. He would shake his head some "I intend to fully use these abilities given to me so I will help out.. for now..." he says "How many tablets are there supposedly, and do you have any leads for the first one already?" he asks.

Even though Charles was clearly the youngest among them all, he was talking in a serious and dark voice. It was clear he wasn't one for small talk, or the long explanations. "There is no point in sitting around and talking about pointless things if we are being chased" he states out to them all. "So it's best to cut to the chase and lets get to work" Charles would say outright.

Morgana let out a shy smile and a little wave in return to Fenrir smiling at her. He was very big but he had nice eyes. Most everyone else ignored her to focus on Gavin, much to her relief. A few late arrivals came in and then- hm? Morgana turned to look better at the ripple she'd seen out of the corner of her eye. A gleam came into her green eyes and she opened her notebook, a pen somehow appearing in her hands and scribbling something with furious speed into the notebook. She blinked in surprise as though she'd just realized what had happened and looked at the book, oh, an invisibility spell. That could come in handy. Morgana then turned to the presentation that Gavin was starting. The cantrips he used subconsciously noted within her notebook as well. It was an interesting enough story. Idiots wanted too much power, magic got a timeout, and now it was coming back. The tablets were needed cause... Divine lawyers needed to rewrite them. Okay. Morgana frowned. So what was the real point of going after the tablets? There was no downside, no driving force. The tablets wouldn't help them escape the government, nor help anyone it seemed. So why bother. This troubled Morgana but she remained quiet. Surely someone else would come to the same realization. Somehow while Gavin had been speaking Morgana had slowly navigated around the room until she was standing behind Fenrir like he was some kind of shield, or another wall to hide next to. Unintentionally of course, Morgana seemed to find herself doing many things unintentionally of late. It was disconcerting.

Eric listened to the ongoing story, the visual queue and it's elaboration of these historical myths being true rather than fiction. It was surprising and to anyone it would be a tall tale hyped up with computer animation. Yet.. it was all too real and just as it concluded the youngest of the group seemed to pipe up from their spot. His attitude was rather absurd and irritated Eric to the point where simply shoving down and ignoring it wouldn't be an option immediately. He couldn't let such rude and unruly behavior persist at this time, especially with how this was going for them all.

Eric closed his eyes, his mind calmed as he listened to the room and the people for a moment. He focused on their magic and their bodies, that which made them unique and themselves. He harnessed this focus and traced them all inside the room like a mental imprint of their magic. It presented him an exact count of everyone and what they were currently doing. It was easier than he thought outside of the forest, and unlike before he didn't need his anger to do some magic. This opportunity was marvelous for him as he could get a feel for everyone, however something was off. Eric was use to keeping track of people and he had counted those who had entered the room and yet there was an extra body now. It was magical in nature, and it was hiding.

"Hiding?" He asked himself mentally as he surveyed the auras again as the seconds ticked by, he focused on the count one more time. He ran through it several times before growing very angered, his nature was rather blunt and he simply couldn't hold it back anymore. Between the brat and the hidden body he was growing ever more furious with their childish actions.

"Twelve!" Eric let out with a short growl. "There are twelve of us present. Yet only Eleven of us are visible. Tell me, young man, you speak of rushing off and making haste. However you are barely capable of slowing down long enough to find out we have someone hidden in the room! Mind your manners boy, before you go spitting off your opinions like law." Eric made himself voiced heavily, he spoke sternly and his accent weighed heavily on his words before he shook his head and then directed his gaze to the female in the back of the room. He stared at her with an evident pair of eyes. She couldn't avoid his statement and his pointing her out to the room.

"Lass, we all know you are there now, so come on out and make yourself known. We don't have time for games." Eric pushed through a few of the people and he stood tall, his stature wasn't to be easily mocked for a male among this group. He watched her with wary eyes. He wasn't sure who she was or why she was present and he despised making enemies. However he couldn't afford to play too nice with the recent changes in his life.

O'Ryan all the while had jut gotten off of work and was currently on the drive back to his apartment, he had to do some more searching before he even thought about accepting outside help. Plus, he just couldn't call on the aid o the police help search, they had much more important thing to worry about than simply looking for Gavin. He had to do this is on his own. He could see his index finger twitch quickly, the noticeable tick instantly stopping as soon as he looked at it. A conscious sign of is uneasiness. He just needed to get home and relax for a bit, get some food, and then he could start is search again. As O'Ryan pulled into the driveway his apartment complex he had an idea that could work. Maybe instead of looking outside where Gavin could've possibly gone, maybe search internally for some clues. He didn't want to search through his partner's stuff, but he would have to, to find Gavin. As he finished the thought O'Ryan finally stepped out of the car and headed into their locked apartment. He definitely needed some food in him to do this.

After a short dinner O'Ryan immediately began his search, digging through Gavin's stuff, he had to find a clue somewhere amongst Gavin's personal items.

.

...

Kasumi

Kasumi stayed hidden, listening to Gavin, nodding as he spoke. She didn't understand everything he said, something about tablets and god? It was all greek to her but they would apparently allow her to keep her powers, so it seemed anyway. She mentally laughed when he explained they were being chased. That didn't affect her, she couldn't be seen. Suddenly a man called out.

"Twelve! There are twelve of us present. Yet only Eleven of us are visible."

Kasumi suddenly went up in alarm, surely, they couldn't mean her right? She looked around counting the people, eleven without counting her. Then, the man came up to her and spoke directly to her. She stood up slowly, unsure what to do. She thought to herself for a few seconds before allowing herself to be seen. Then she raised and waved her hand in front of his face.

"You never saw me. I am not here."

Immediately, she turned invisible again and watched closely, wondering if the power of suggestion would work. Although if it did work, she would have to deal with everyone else too. She doubted it would work on everyone, but she could hope.

Master Grey

Master Grey listened to Gavin with disbelieve. He found this very hard to believe without full evidence, theoretically Gavin was simply creating all of this to trick them, however with solid evidence Master Grey would not be able to argue. After Gavin was finished, a man pointed out a woman who was hiding by the corner. He listened to Eric and Mitsuki before he looked to Gavin.

"Sir, I must ask for proper evidence for I find this very hard to believe. In all my years I have never heard of such tales, or even theories, nor have I ever seen any evidence to suggest that any of this is real. As much as it is hard to believe, we are living in a world of magic now. Theoretically you could be creating this scenario with your magic."

Master Grey looked around the room for a moment, wondering how many would believe this man without hard, solid evidence. Right now, he didn't care about the girl, he was too focused on this new information that had been thrown at him.