Andromeda

The X-Gene [Nyther & Andromeda]

"Shit!" a man called out, causing a small stir in the otherwise tranquil.

Iris' head snapped in the direction of the noise - which was barely noticeable in the quiet babble of everyday pedestrians - but to someone listening out for disturbances, it was exactly what she'd been waiting for. She cancelled the call before the receiver had picked up and slid her cellphone back into her pocket. She strolled closer, as casually as she could, keeping her hat pulled down low and watched with interest as a second man begun to apologize.

She recognized his face from the file photo. It had to be James. She smiled - today might be more productive than she'd have originally thought.

He was a good actor. If she hadn't been suspicious from the outset, she would have entirely bought the sincerity in his tone. The whole scene appeared like something out of movie, where the goofy hero is plagued by accident upon accident and Iris struggled to spot how exactly James was conning the man. She saw a flicker of motion as his hand disappeared behind him but a second later, he was using both hands to assist the bad-tempered cafe-goer.

He walked off and Iris followed his retreating form with eagle-like vigilance, keeping a measured distance behind the man. She saw him pause at the ATM but before she had caught up with him, he had darted into one of the alleyways. Breaking out into a barely-contained jog, she followed, rounding the corner with all intention of confronting the thief...but he had vanished. She skidded to a halt and ran a hand through her hair as her eyes desperately sought out the man's hiding place but he was nowhere to be seen. She flipped open the lid of a nearby trashcan but that was empty.

Damned mutant criminals.

She learnt back against the one of the alley's brick walls and banged her head back, frustrated. She was annoyed at herself. It was hard enough locating a lot of her cases - especially the mutant ones - but to let one slip away was virtually unforgivable.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are" she muttered, more to herself than the elusive, vanishing McCloud but she got the feeling that her efforts were now in vain. Surely - by now - he was long gone.

The X-Gene [Nyther & Andromeda]

The evening air was crisp and laden with the whispers of a light fog beginning to form. The streets were quiet, but not entirely empty, as the final remnants of the late afternoon rush hour was ebbing to its minimum and the overcast sky had darkened with the grey ink of dusk. The colorful host of shops and cafes lining the street were still open but no longer bustling with activity, as they had been previously. The shadows that cloaked the surrounding alleys were deepening.

Iris was settled into a far table, still donned in her smart work clothes - though, truth be told, she rarely wore anything else - whilst her trench coat lay draped across the vacant chair opposite her. A steaming teacup was nestled on a saucer besides her and she was stirring it absently, whilst her eyes browsed the newspaper laid out before her. But rather than any particular article, she was actually reading a classified case file that she had laid inside the page - if anything curious eyes joined her, it was easy enough to snap the pages short and claim an innocent interest in the daily news.

The case file detailed a Mr James McCloud, who was apparently aged 23 years old and not only suspected to be guilty of countless theft incidents which victimized many high status, notable members of society (whom, it appears, have been specifically targeted) but was also a suspected mutant. And this automatically - Iris noticed, with a hint of annoyance - made his crimes several times more serious and worthy of official, special branch investigation. She swiftly stifled her irritation. Bad things happened when she lost a handle on her emotion. In the background, she distinctly heard the jazz music drifting from a nearby radio stutter. She exhaled calmly and the music returned to normal.

Taking a tentative sip of her steaming tea, which thankfully did not burn her throat, she returned to the case file and committed the blurry, CCTV image of James McCloud to memory. The picture was unclear and limited by the fuzziness of low-res cameras but she was fairly certain she would be able to pick the guy out of a crowd. For one, he wasn't expecting her. People rarely expected people like her to be related to law enforcement.

She scanned the rest of his file but the detail on him were decidedly scarce. Mention of an orphanage, but there were no records. It was mild inconvenience but nothing she wouldn't be able to remedy once she caught the real thing. The only thing that made her thing twice was the lack of record on what his suspected mutant ability was. That could be a problem.

A headache began pulsing in the fore-front of her mind and she frowned. It was true that she had been working right through the week and would be doing so, right through the weekend, but this was no different from usual. She was a self-confessed workaholic and threw herself wholly into any case that was pushed her way, and that was the way she liked it. People only got in the way, controlled, expected. It was easier this way. A

The last thing that McCloud's case file detailed was where to find him. Though he had no registered address - presumably he had a property registered under a fake name somewhere - he had been sighted several times this week down this, and one other street. She taken a gamble, followed her gut and chosen this stretch. A quick tea break had been planned in order to refuel and brush up on her knowledge of this particular crook. After swallowing down the rest of the hot liquid, she'd left the drained cup on the saucer, along with a healthy tip, and slipped into her coat and gathered the files before leaving the quaint cafe. A faint chime signalled her exit.

The streets were darkening considerably and she figured these were probably better conditions for McCloud. Men and women clad in expensive, designer trench coats breezed past and Iris smiled, figuring she was in the right place. Her eyes darting around furtively, she jammed a smart, nondescript hat onto her brunette hair, currently tied back in a low bun, in an effort to obscure her face and scanned her surroundings. She could sense the hum of electricity coursing through nearby street lights, which were just starting to illuminate as night drew nearer and she found herself pausing against one, waiting.

Retrieving her cellphone out of her pocket, she dialed a number and listened patiently as it rang. Her eyes remained fixed on the passerbys.

The X-Gene [Nyther & Andromeda]

Awesome...I'll have an IC post up soon

The X-Gene [Nyther & Andromeda]

Name
Iris Whitfield

Age
24

Appearance


Abilities
Iris has the ability to control and manipulate electrical objects and technology, such as computers, phones etc. Anything that runs on electricity is vulnerable to her influences and she can act as a conductor within a circuit. When in contact with an electrical source, it has a 'charging' effect on her and, for short periods of time, her speed, stamina, senses and agility is enhanced - though this quickly drains, dependent on how much she draws from this energy reserve and how much she absorbed in the first place. On rare occasions (once), she managed to generate a raw 'lightning' bolt but it requires vast amounts of energy and would require intensive training to replicate. She also has the ability, when in contact with an electrical system, to explore in her mind how the system works and affect it, in resemblance to an extremely skilled IT hacker. She often feels more energetic in areas of high technology use i.e. urban areas.
Limits to her ability includes that she has to be in contact with the electrical system she is attempting to influence. If, when she is 'charged', she comes into contact with water, she will short-circuit, causing her to pass out and drain of power instantly. Denied of an electrical source, she quickly drains back to virtually a non-mutant.

Personality
If Iris had to be summed up in one word, it would be 'efficient'. She is as organised as a single person can get and she carries out each task - both academic and social - with a thoroughness, that could only be attributed to a perfectionist personality. Her mind is always working, thinking, and she struggles to do such things, as relax.
Despite this, she is quite empathetic and has a strong sense of right and wrong. Whilst not always vocal about her personal views, she has strong opinions and morals that she rarely strays from. Her career comes first. She is someone who people tend to respect and admire, and words like 'irresponsible' and 'careless' are foreign to her. For this reason, she has never taken drugs or allowed herself to drink in excess.
Despite this, people may describe her as a 'workaholic' and she has often been described as dull, despite harbouring a sharp, sarcastic sense of humour that she doesn't exhibit often due to the serious nature of her work. She likes to have control over many aspects of her life and so, being out of control can unnerve her.

History
Iris doesn't tend to disclose much about her past. Her parents were outwardly normal and she was a bright kid, ending up gaining a degree in Chemistry from Oxford, in the United Kingdom (thanks to her parent's plentiful funds, sourced from their cushy jobs as doctors). On paper, it would appear she had a relatively normal upbringing...apart from the death of her older brother at the age of 15 (when she was 12), due to cancer.

She joined the secret services as a forensic scientist and eventually graduated into fieldwork. Her mutation remains hidden from her co-workers and even her family. It's simply...easier.

The X-Gene [Nyther & Andromeda]

Voila.....the thread

-------------

I posted my CS in the character's thread...if I need to edit anything, to fit with your character, tell me.

Whenever you're ready, post your CS there too. If you want to keep any section secret for now...no problem.

@nyther

Fantasy/Sci-fi Fandoms (Looking for M)

[Fandom List Updated]

Currently only looking for 1 or 2 more RPs...

Fantasy/Sci-fi Fandoms (Looking for M)

[Fandom List Updated]

The Ace of Diamonds (Grim327 & Andromeda)

Good point....it's completely up to you.

It may be interesting to explore Holmes' character without his beloved sidekick... or/and then we could introduce him throughout the story

....but I honestly don't mind! I think this gonna be good either way.

Your call!

The Ace of Diamonds (Grim327 & Andromeda)

Here it is!

Sorry for the very ...lengthy post. I got carried away setting the scene...

If you want me to clarify anything, please ask!

By the way, I didn't know what ages we were starting at, so I just kept it vague.

The Ace of Diamonds (Grim327 & Andromeda)

The air was stifling and the streets of London – usually bustling with a cool, regal modesty - had morphed into a sweltering maze of congestion and red faced men. The working week was drawing sluggishly to a close and as Friday evening approached, the various offices of Cavendish Street began to empty of its workers. Eventually, only a handful of the most dedicated employees remained.

Including Karl Butler, a stout, balding man in his early fifties.

After a bad week with the boss, he was hoping to earn back some brownie points by working late. But unfortunately, Mr Hanson hadn’t appeared to notice his efforts and Karl’s temper was shortening by the minute. He finally admitted defeat with the latest tide of paperwork and swept them into a pile, before collecting his essentials and logging off his computer. Ten minutes later, Karl was marching out of the building, his hand still aching from a combination of rapid typing and writing. Rubbing his knuckles, he set off through the maze of streets as he headed back to his apartment where his wife would inevitably be waiting for him, ready to nag at him for something else he’d done wrong. He sighed, turning off to cut through Hyde park.

Caught up in the melodrama of his life, he didn’t even notice that he was being followed.

Halfway through, the footsteps behind him grew impossible to ignore. Wary but not yet alarmed, Karl swung around and found himself facing a man, mask obscuring his face.

“Nobody leaves, Karl”

Karl’s eyes bulged out of his head, as recognition dawned. He began to sweat, his neck slick beneath his wide collar.

“But you understand, right? I can’t keep it up these days. I told him – he understood. I have a wife, a good job-“

“Excuses, excuses,” the gravelly voice reprimanded him, edging forward, holding out a strange instrument. It was reminiscent of a large kitchen fork, but the ends buzzed, glowing a sharp yellow colour, “We’ve given you several chances to change your mind, to come back but you chose this. Don’t worry – it won’t hurt…too much.”

Karl’s scream lasted for less than a second. He keeled forward and collapsed on the grass into a lump of cold, heavy limbs and torso. The masked man inspected the large man to confirm whether or not he was dead before slipping his gloved hand into the depths of his pocket and retrieving a playing card. The four of clubs.

He crumpled it up into a ball as small as he could manage and placed it in the dead man’s mouth.

Satisfied, he disappeared – once again, becoming a shadow of the night.

* * * * *

“He’s dead,” the voice on the end of the phone confirmed and Irene Adler’s lower lip curled in instinctive distaste. She paused for a few seconds before speaking. Deaths were always such…messy businesses.

“Oh, I hate it when clients die on me,” she murmured evenly “It always makes for such…inconveniences. Karl, you say?”

“Yes. Heart attack, apparently – discovered in Hyde park, earlier this morning. Collapsed on his way home last night. This early into the investigation, they think it’s probably a combination of the heat and stress but the police are currently in the process of examining the body and the crime scene.”

Irene tutted mockingly, her unease fading.

“Such a shame,” she said serenely “I’m sure his poor wife must be distraught.”

“Indeed,” the caller’s response was devoid of emotion, “And don’t worry – I checked. Nobody can link you to him. I erased all of the phone records and ensured that the payments he made weren’t visible in his viewable accounts.”

“Very good,” she replied absently, “But I do wish they would warn me first, even if I don’t approve of their methods. They do like to cause trouble. We don’t want the good people of this area to think there’s a serial killer on the loose.”

“You want to tell them that?”

She laughed humourlessly.

“Well no – I do like the idea of having a heartbeat. Just make sure they don’t put the good officers on the jobs. I’m pretty sure they’ll have left a clue that could cause a stir.”

The voice on the end of the phone stuttered, coughing uncomfortably.

“You ever heard of Sherlock Holmes?”

She frowned. The name wasn’t immeadiately familiar to her - she didn't believe that she had come across this individiual before. Names weren't something she tended to forget.

“I don’t believe so-“

“Good. I have to go, now – the wife’s getting suspicious.”

“I’ll see you later.”

She ended the call without bothering to bid her informant farewell; not that he would expect one. She wasn’t, by any standard, considered caring nor affectionate. It had no place in her life, at present.

She had been walking down the pavement, heading to her favourite morning coffee establishment but in light of recent events, she decided that a change in plan was in order. She stopped and instead headed towards the road, hailing a taxi. One promptly drew to a halt for her and she slid inside, instructing the driver to take her to Hyde park.

“There’s this lovely breakfast place just outside of the entrance,” she specified, airily, “You should try it yourself, sometime.”

The cabbie merely nodded, his expression blank.

They arrived twenty minutes later and he deposited her quickly at the park entrance, before zooming off, eager for more business from a less chatty customer. She smiled and walked over to the café – she hadn’t been entirely lying – casually glancing over at the police cars parked haphazardly at the side of the road. Through the gates, in the depths of the park, she could see a crowd gathering by an enclosed area of police tape, whereby officers were swarming about the site and blocking her view. Without so much as another glance, she entered the café and ordered a coffee, taking a seat by the window which looked out over the park - not that the distance allowed for her to distinguish much detail. But she was curious by nature. She couldn't resist the urge to check up on the scene, especially with all this free time on her hands provided by one of her client's untimely passing.

She sipped her coffee, watching and waiting.