Estylwen

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@Estylwen Oh I'm rapt with anticipation as to where this is going. We'll hit the collab board again to talk about it more once the meeting's done!

@AtomicEmperor

Yeses, me too! That sounds good to me!

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

The House on the Hill

Interactions: Leon (@AtomicEmperor), Sully (@Atrophy), Nora (@Shin Ghost Note)

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"-The whole point, really was you having rowdy uncontrolled spirits! You're learning, we're trying to improve your control, right!?”

Leon

Layla sweated a bit, a sheepish smile on her face. She had terribly wanted to skip the work and get straight to practicing with Void. But, she had to play by the Temple's rules this time. They knew what they were doing, specializing in apparitions and all.

So a new Charge? Layla made a face, staring at Leon. She had always had apparitions following her around. Now it would be the other way around: she would be the one seeking out an apparition. But who could she ask?

She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Luna, leaning across the counter to shake her a little.

“Talk to me after this, I can help you with that.” Luna said with a wink.

Aislin immediately flattened her gaze at Luna. “I dislike everything you just said, girl. What if Layla doesn't like your brand of demon?”

Luna gave a shrug. “Can't be worse than the violent bloodsuckers she's dealing with now.”

Layla just gave a grateful smile. Yes, anything was better than Mr. Riil and his sisters. Well, sister. Having their numbers reduced by one had made her days just that much better. And she was happy to see it reduce to zero. She was happy to switch them out for something she could maybe tackle better.

Which raised the question, just what apparitions did the House of Cards have…?

Layla pursed her lips. It wasn't a question to ask here and now. She felt slightly admonished, staring at Leon as he hushed her. Void was a sensitive topic. Obviously, with how quickly Luna blew a fuse at it, and her mixed feelings towards Jack…

When Sully came out of nowhere, and shot her in the face with water. At least, she thought it was water, until she unintentionally swallowed some, and realized the delicious liquid was healing elixir. Immediately, like a baby chick seeing it's mama, she opened her mouth to take in the full flow of the elixr. With a satisfied sigh, she wiped her mouth, removing bandages and rolling her shoulders. She felt perfect.

“Sully, you're my knight in shining armour. Just give me a heads up next time!” She said, laughing after Leon.

Gesturing to Luna, Layla gave Leon an enthusiastic nod. “Sounds like I'll have a new Charge after this. So, no worries there!”

Aislin playfully rolled her eyes. “Hey, aren't we suppose to be thinking about what Nora's gonna make for us?”

Layla smiled smugly, looking like a prideful child. “I've already put in my request. Now it’s your guys turn.”

Aislin puzzled over it for a moment, before she turned to Nora with a smile. “A never-ending metal staff! You can just keep extending it, and extending it. Imagine all the people I'd be able to restrain with easy material like that…”

Luna hummed as she pressed her glass to her lips again, before she spoke, “No gadget for me. Wouldn't feel right. At least, not yet…”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@Estylwen is there any specific categorization or organization you want them in the HoC NPC post?

@Shin Ghost Note

Thank you for asking. Is it okay if I re-organize the HoC post a little bit? Here is how I would like it to be organized:

NPC List

Leadership
- Valencia
- Isabella

Capos
- Demos
- Lee
- Alexander

Staff
- Fox

Others
- Mr. Roosevelt
- "Lancy"

Deceased
- Phantasia
- Bruno

Thank you!

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Alexander

Alexander.Aetos

28 | Alexander Aetos | He/him [hr//]"Too hot to handle."

Description:

Alexander is the cousin of Demos Castles, and served in his mafia as a made man until they were assimilated by Phantasia Vorpal and the House of Cards. Under the watchful eye of Phantasia, he was promoted to capo, mainly due to his abstraction.

Energetic, bold and hot-blooded, Alexander is a perfect mirror to his abstraction, often appearing with little patience and always wanting to be on the move. Or, on the ‘hunt’ as he likes to call it. He loves his work, and has a penchant for toying with his victims, be it opposing mafia members or rats, before killing them.

He has a wife and kids hidden within St. Portwell. He loves them dearly, but tries to shield them from most of the mafia ongoings as possible. He's satisfied as he earns good coin for them to live comfortable lives.

Abstraction: Black Speed Breaker

Alexander's Black Speed Breaker is a variation of black lightning with a speed effect, red lux, and channeled by the four knuckle duster rings on his right hand.

Black Burst

Alexander creates and gathers black electricity around him, and then shoots forward at flurrying speeds, barely discernible by the naked eye. He can clear distances of up to 40 or so feet, or the distance between two buildings across an intersection. He moves so fast that gravity has little chance to work on him. If he's touched while moving in the Black Burst, the person touching him will be electrocuted as if they stuck a fork in a socket. He can do these in quick succession to be a harder target to hit.

Black Lightning

Alexander is able to create black lightning in his hands and across his body. If gathered in a hand, he can shoot it out to hit a target at lightning fast speeds. He can increase or decrease the voltage, so it can feel like a buzzing numbness, or a painful jolt that causes convulsing.

"Fox"

Elias ”Fox”.Castles

30 | Elias “Fox” Castles (Kastellos) | He/him [hr//]"Don't try me."

Description:

The enforcer and internal affairs agent of the Castles family, and younger brother to Demos Castles. This role was maintained when the Castles Family was defeated and assimilated into the House of Cards. Fox's role is similar to IA agents of corporate businesses where sensitive information is a daily use. He ensures there are no moles, or moles are carefully monitored, interrogated, and snuffed out. He stamps out any dissention, or people talking bad about leadership under any circumstances. And when he stamps this talk out, men are left with horrifying memories and trauma. He ensures men are quick to obey any order from leadership, pulling his puppet strings from the shadows.

Fox himself is fiercely loyal to his brother, and in turn, the House of Cards. They may not always see eye to eye, but he’d glady lay down his life for his kin.

And yes, the back part of his hair is dyed. He doesn't want to be mistaken for an old man.

Abstraction: Shadow Puppeteer

A mix of red and pink lux, the Shadow Puppeteer abstraction allows Fox to puppet any body or sentient entity. His channeler is a ring on his hand.

The Puppet Strings

The strings themselves are a mix of red and pink lux, translucent pink as they are cast, and fading into intangibility and invisibility once sunk into flesh. There are hooks on the end that make the string notoriously hard to pull out. And, once sunk in, turning intangible, they become impossible to physically pull out.

The strings with their hooks don't hurt as they sink into flesh. At least, not yet.

Attacking with the Strings

Fox can cast these strings with a thought, emanating from his being and flying in straight or curved lines towards his chosen target. He can cast upwards of twenty strings at a time.

String Subjugation

One string lodged in a limb controls the muscle group of that entire area. So, if Fox were to attach a string to a forearm, he would be able to control the entire muscle group, including the upper arm, shoulder, and fingers.

These strings connect Fox's mind with another being, be it person, entity, or animal, and allow his will to take over.

To fully take over, say, a person, strings would need to be attached to each forearm, each shin, the chest, and the back of the neck. Six strings in total to fully exert his mind over another and puppet them to his will. More strings may need to be added for beings of different sizes and shapes, or if they are resistant to mind control.

Senses Through the Puppet Strings

Each string, when embedded into flesh or ghostly wisps, relays sensations back to Fox’s mind. He can control a subjugated hand like it was his own, able to feel the sensations of the hand as if it were his own.

A fully subjugated body allows Fox to simply close his eyes, and ‘see’ through the eyes of the subjugated target, feeling as they feel. He can get bodily sensations, and he is able to determine the emotional state of the target.

Pulling the Puppet Strings

Due to the shape of the hook that digs into the flesh of a target, pulling on it causes immense pain. Fox is able to pull on any number of strings he has, as uses this as his favoured torture method.

Detaching the Puppet Strings

When Fox is done with the subjugation, with a thought, the strings become tangible once more, and the hooks disintegrate, the strings slipping from the target. The target will then slowly begin to regain control of their own body again.

"Lancy"

”Lancy”.Zhu

23 | “Lancy” Zhu | She/her [hr//]"What's my next project?"

Description:

Like her father who was friends with the House of Cards before dying in gang attack - House of Cards enemies wanting to finish their ability to forge magical weapons - Lancy is a “special friend” of the Family. Not an official, or even made member of the mafia, but special exceptions and protections are given to her due to her special craft. Her existence is kept under wraps as much as possible for her own protection.

The House of Cards takes very good care of Lancy, employing her to create artifacts on an as-needed basis. However, due to their price and time taken to make, very few artifacts are produced and handed over.

Abstraction: Teal-Tinted Imbuement

By channeling her orange lux through her sunglasses, Lancy is able to imbue objects with a specific purpose, or singular focus. The bigger or heavier the object is, the more lux is required to fill the crevices of the object. This is why she prefers lighter objects, like imbuing sunglasses and parasols. Sunglass imbuement only take a few days, where a steel butcher knife could take weeks to fill with intent.

Her imbuements are purposefully simple to ensure they work. A single line of code, if you will. Imbuements with more lines of code are known to backfire, and can cause harm to the wielder.

A few examples of her imbuements include creating an umbrella that amplifies a person's lux over an area like rain. Another example is creating a pair of sunglasses that force magic to be still, or deactivate.

"What Did They Do To Us?" - A Mysterious Supernatural Escape RP!!

New post is up! We will likely be moving to the surgery room in my next post.

"What Did They Do To Us?" - A Mysterious Supernatural Escape RP!!

VV

D-Class Wing, Cell Hallway

_@Wayward

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"What is the Abyssal Connection Project? And what makes us 'special' to it?"

D

The guards standing beside the scientist immediately noticed the aggression in D's stance, and the way he spoke. Hands clenched rifles, taking half steps forward. Before the scientist raised a hand, thin lips curved into a smirk.

“Relax, gentleman. The subject is only seeking answers.”

The guards leveled a glare at D through their visors, before stepping back. The scientist just chuckled, before answering D's question with one of his own.

“You sure you want know? We’ve discontinued memory wipes for you and your fellow test mates, so anything you learn now will stay with you… And haunt you for the rest of your days.”

The scientist grinned, before tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Yes, perhaps I'll share a little something with you.”

He leaned in, speaking in a low whisper to D and VV. “Your horrors. Your nightmares. The demons that haunt you… All of this is fuel for the Abyssal Connection Project. And it's my job…” He raised a hand, plucking the air in front of them. “To pull that out of you in as many horrifying ways possible…”

He checked his watch and smiled. Five minutes left until it was time for their surgeries.

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Cellmate in Cell 2.4

D-Class Wing, Cell 2.4

_{@Qia, @Silver Carrot}

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“We need to know what you remember. Anything could help us get out of here.”

A

The cellmate, still gripping his head, looked on at A.

“Memories? Ah, memories. The ethereal wisp that they- th- they take from us!” He moaned, gripping his head tighter.

“What did you mean by…the darkness? What…did they do to you?”

A

The man grunted, before momentary clarity entered his eyes. His hands fell limp, and he stared at A with wide eyes.

“They harvest it. All the darkness a person has. It makes you… ‘special’ here. To more than one person. To more than one th-th-thing! I only remember slivers… of a Voice… a Voice in the darkness, calling out my name!”

"And, do you know what they did to us?"

Pia

“They did the same to you as they do to us, but you're special. You're back! Back from the dead! They empower the darkness in you, and bring you closer to the hellish darkness where they come from. The monsters. The demons.

“For you is a fate, I fear, is far worse than all of us…”

The man moaned and muttered, shivering as he stood there, trying his best to answer them with the shattered mind he had.

There were five minutes left until it would be time for their surgeries. It would be wise indeed to make their way over to the scientist before time ran out…

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

The House on the Hill

Interactions: Luca (@FernStone), everyone gathered.

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"Yeah, I mean it's great that you all want proof that she's not lying and stuff."

Greyson

Luna felt Greyson wrap an arm around her, and the tension she'd been unconsciously holding onto melted.

Now would the coven finally believe her…?

"I... Have reason to believe they're involved with a lot more than just them."

Greyson

Luna's eyes bugged out, and she spluttered a bit on her drink. A lot more? This was news to her. Mother never said anything about the strippers being associated with anything other than 8th Street.

That was worrying. Just who else were they associated with?

"I'd say someone like Anya is the perfect choice; get into the guy's head, convince him you're the one who can solve his problem?"

Greyson

Luna could feel the conversation drift away from her, and she smiled. It had worked. All the efforts the new Mother had done for her, despite having little care for this Coven… It'd paid off. They weren't chasing her out.

Luna took a sip of her drink, satisfaction written in her face, and continued to listen to the developing conversation.

"If it helps, I vouch for her too. I'm not as good at it as Greyson, but I've seen her mind. She's sincere in wanting back in and doesn't have intentions to fuck us over. If she ever gets any, we'll see it."

Tayla

Her gaze settled on Tayla, setting her drink down on the counter. Huh. Tayla had, in fact, been sincere when she said she would support her, help ease the process of coming back into the coven. A small smile graced her lips, re-affirming to herself that she'd hold up her end of the deal, when the time came.

That was when Sully came in with water guns, and shot Layla directly in the mouth. Luna watched the girl splutter for a moment before holding her mouth open, trying to drink. Already, vitality seemed to etch itself into every feature of the girl, and Luna watched Layla begin to remove her bandages, revealing healed skin underneath.

”8th Street may be actively reporting to him, they could attack us again in the meantime.”

Jack

”What if we can get them to turn against Emily? At least some of them? Would make all of this easier, wouldn't it?”

Adora

Luna considered their words for a moment, before her eyes latched onto Luca. Yes, poor little Luca. She was aware they had a history with 8th Street. Perhaps they could use that.

“Luca, how comfortable would you be inciting the 8th Street to mutiny. You and Adora would be best suited for it, given your… friendships.”

Iris Ascendis

It's been four days since Sifr's been online...

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Mm, excellent…

Anyhow, Est, how many more rounds would you say that we have until the gala ends?

@ERode

Since we've reached the climax of the gala, I would say one more round, if that works for everyone. Any extra dialogue can be taken care of through collaborations.