gohKamikaze

Old One Rising (A Lovecraftian adventure-horror RP) (Reboot)

Praise be to the Old Ones, I thought the RP had fizzled out!

The Whisperer in Darkness and The Dunwich Horror are my two personal favourites. I have a Lovecraft anthology that I've been reading through lately so I'm looking forward to finding out more about the mythos.

RWBY: Brilliant Horizon

@Zugzwang Daedalus' crossbow bolt is dust tipped, but I'll let you decide what type of dust in your next story/cinematic post. Might make it interesting not knowing what order Daedalus loaded the bolts in :P

Black Velvet Sky [Hard SF | Politics/Exploration | Character-Driven]

Dr. Adeline Carbier

Adeline Carbier

Adeline H. Carbier
[e-mail]
Age: 36 Hair: Auburn Eyes: Turquoise
Height: 5' 4" Weight: 145 lb

Re: Adeline's Picture (OOC note)

The picture's eyes and hair are unfortunately the wrong colour - I couldn't find an accurate photo of her appearance, real or otherwise. For all interactions, just assume her hair is Auburn and her eyes are Turquoise as listed above in her file.

Education
> PhD, 'Piercing the Fabric: An Analysis of Artificial Space-Time Distortion and the Feasibility of FTL Travel', École Normale Supérieure
> Masters, Recognising and Harnessing Variations in Quantam States: The Effects of Physical Objects on the Fabric of Space-Time, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
> Bachelor of Science (Physics) - École Polytechnique

Experience
> Former Senior Researcher, CERN Laboratories
> Associate Professor of Physics, MIT
>Senior Physicist in Applied Research, Sandia Corporation

Vignette
It was impossible to contain her joy. 'Yes!' she replied with excitement, like a child with a new puppy. 'Yes yes yes! A thousand times yes!'

Adeline had worked extensively with the Engineering team to design the drive, slogging through countless nights without rest and running on a mixture of cheap coffee and anxiety. Prototype after prototype was designed, built, tested, dismantled and redesigned in a seemingly inescapable cycle that took its toll on all the R&D staff, until one day their hard work and dedication payed off: The first workable flight drive capable of FTL travel.

She assumed that would be the end of it. That humanity would soar amongst the stars and that she would fade back into relative obscurity. But never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be invited to witness its maiden voyage.

'I had been saving this for a special occasion...' The bottle of wine she pulled from a cupboard looked old - very old. Her more cultured associates at CERN had bought it for the Frenchwoman as a going away present, and had assured her that the vintage was superb. '... I suppose this is as good a time as any. Would you care for a glass, Major?'

'Sorry ma'am, my orders are very clear.' Major Thames remained impassive. She supposed the man had an image to maintain, and a reputation to uphold. Her slender shoulders shrugged underneath her immaculate lab coat. 'Suit yourself; all the more for me.' She filled a glass with the deep burgundy liquid and took a sip. Her colleagues hadn't been wrong - it was a good vintage. 'So what's next moving forward from now?'

The Major stood to attention, clearly more in his element giving orders than receiving libations. 'A staff car will be around on the 27th to collect you and your personal effects at 0800 hours, sharp. You will then be escorted to an undisclosed location for a full physical and psychological evaluation by NATO-sanctioned staff. Once you are deemed in suitable physical and mental health, you will be issued a security clearance and the Lieutenant General will brief you on the details of the mission.'

'Sounds absolutely wonderful.' Adeline took another sip of the wine. 'Tell the Lieutenant General that he can count on my wholehearted support. Are you sure you don't want any of this? It's not every day that you come across a-' She looked carefully at the label through her glasses. '1987 Château Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux.'

Major Thames shook his head. 'No ma'am.' Adeline sighed. 'Your loss, Major. Wines like this don't come around very often. I suppose much like opportunities like this don't come around very often.' The Major nodded and gave a quick salute before exiting the office, leaving her and the wine alone.

---

Adeline's E-Assistant continued to ping the number. Her neural enhancement interface showed a HUD-like overlay across her vision as she scrambled to pack the last of her bags. The legality of her augmentation existed in a grey area - while not technically illegal, they were certainly frowned upon by a notable amount policy-makers within NATO. Unlike them, Adeline embraced the augmentation as soon as she was able: the enhancements gave her an edge up on the competition in her field. How on earth did anyone expect her to have written an award-winning thesis without a few tricks up her sleeve?

An amber alert popped up in her virtual vision. The diagnostics program which measured her vital signs had detected a greatly accelerated heart rate, and suggested deep breathing exercises to reduce it. With irritation she swiped it closed - she didn't need to be told by a computer that her heart was almost hammering out of her chest.

The number rang out for the second time. Adeline swore quietly in French. Why won't he pick up? Virtual fingers flashed in her vision as she gave the number a redial. Please, just answer...

The microphone implanted in her ear came to life as a man's voice spoke on the other end, and the HUD showed a red chain link icon next to the <unknown> ID tag: an indicator of a heavily encrypted channel. 'Mon Fleur? I never thought I'd see that name again...'

Adeline sighed with resignation. Perhaps this had been a bad idea. 'I told you not to call me that anymore.'

'Then what do I call you?' The tone was surprisingly calm, the speech slow and deliberate. He'd always been less fluent in English than she had been. 'I always thought Adeline was a stupid name. I liked it better when you called yourself-'

'Stop.' Adeline held up her hand as if to prevent the man from speaking, but quickly put it down in embarrassment at herself. This wasn't a visual link; her gestures would go unnoticed. 'I've called to say goodbye, Bastien. For good this time.'

The line went silent. An eternity seemed to pass in the space of a few seconds. Adeline was faintly aware that she had been holding her breath. 'I see,' came the reply, with more than a hint of sorrow. 'Why are you disappearing this time?'

Adeline spent a few moments trying to concoct a story without success. She sighed; Bastien knew her better than anyone else, and it had taken her the better part of 10 years to perfect the lie she'd been living since she'd left him - and the movement - behind. There was no way she could come up with something convincing on the spot. 'NATO has offered me a position on board one of their experimental ships.'

'You're working with the Enemy now?' Bastien's voice quickly turned from sadness into anger. 'Of all the stupid things you've done, this is at the top of the list. Have you forgotten what they did to our people?'

'Have you forgotten what we did to theirs?' She shouted back. Tears began to well in her eyes as she remembered the day the Armada arrived in Earth's orbit. 'You promised me that we were making the galaxy a better place! You promised me there would be no uneccessary bloodshed - and you lied! Maybe you were sitting comfortable in that bunker of yours, but I was on the ground. I saw the cities burned to dust, the bodies of Men, Women and Children - Jesus, Bastien, we helped them kill children!'

'Bien. Je suis désolé. I... I shouldn't have said that. I know that what we... What I did... It was despicable. But what's done is done. Our people are free.'

'Our people...' Adeline said the words slowly. A tear rolled down her cheek. 'Our people, or yours?'

'Maybe yours. Maybe mine. I don't know anymore. But the attack... I want you to know it wasn't your fault. I know you blame yourself, but you shouldn't. You've made the most of your fresh start, but me? I'll be running from them, carrying the weight of what I did to you until the day I die - and not a day goes by when I don't regret it.'

Adeline wiped her tears away. For all her conflicting feelings, Bastien always did have a way with words. 'So, I guess this is Adieu, then.'

'Adieu. Just... Be careful, okay? They'll kill you if they find out who you really are. Did you ever burn those old identity papers?'

'I know. The papers are long gone.' She said quietly. 'I'm just going to... Stick with the story - just like you taught me.'

'Oui, tenir au plan.' Bastien paused briefly. 'Hey... We had something good, didn't we?'

'We did.' Adeline smiled briefly, thoughts of a simpler time flooding back. 'Farewell, Bastien.' She closed the link. The blinking time in her overlay told her that the staff car was 15 minutes away - perhaps it was time to wait outside.

For the last time in a long time, Adeline took in the sight of her apartment, memorising every nook and cranny, every picture, every door, every window, every wall, truly taking in and appreciating every facet. Finally, she grabbed her bags and walked out the door - leaving her double life and her mistakes behind her for good.

Black Velvet Sky [Hard SF | Politics/Exploration | Character-Driven]

Adeline Carbier

Adeline H. Carbier
[e-mail]
Age: 36 Hair: Auburn Eyes: Turquoise
Height: 5' 4" Weight: 145 lb

Re: Adeline's Picture (OOC note)

The picture's eyes and hair are unfortunately the wrong colour - I couldn't find an accurate photo of her appearance, real or otherwise. For all interactions, just assume her hair is Auburn and her eyes are Turquoise as listed above in her file.

Education
> PhD, 'Piercing the Fabric: An Analysis of Artificial Space-Time Distortion and the Feasibility of FTL Travel', École Normale Supérieure
> Masters, Recognising and Harnessing Variations in Quantam States: The Effects of Physical Objects on the Fabric of Space-Time, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
> Bachelor of Science (Physics) - École Polytechnique

Experience
> Former Senior Researcher, CERN Laboratories
> Associate Professor of Physics, MIT
>Senior Physicist in Applied Research, Sandia Corporation

Vignette
It was impossible to contain her joy. 'Yes!' she replied with excitement, like a child with a new puppy. 'Yes yes yes! A thousand times yes!'

Adeline had worked extensively with the Engineering team to design the drive, slogging through countless nights without rest and running on a mixture of cheap coffee and anxiety. Prototype after prototype was designed, built, tested, dismantled and redesigned in a seemingly inescapable cycle that took its toll on all the R&D staff, until one day their hard work and dedication payed off: The first workable flight drive capable of FTL travel.

She assumed that would be the end of it. That humanity would soar amongst the stars and that she would fade back into relative obscurity. But never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be invited to witness its maiden voyage.

'I had been saving this for a special occasion...' The bottle of wine she pulled from a cupboard looked old - very old. Her more cultured associates at CERN had bought it for the Frenchwoman as a going away present, and had assured her that the vintage was superb. '... I suppose this is as good a time as any. Would you care for a glass, Major?'

'Sorry ma'am, my orders are very clear.' Major Thames remained impassive. She supposed the man had an image to maintain, and a reputation to uphold. Her slender shoulders shrugged underneath her immaculate lab coat. 'Suit yourself; all the more for me.' She filled a glass with the deep burgundy liquid and took a sip. Her colleagues hadn't been wrong - it was a good vintage. 'So what's next moving forward from now?'

The Major stood to attention, clearly more in his element giving orders than receiving libations. 'A staff car will be around on the 27th to collect you and your personal effects at 0800 hours, sharp. You will then be escorted to an undisclosed location for a full physical and psychological evaluation by NATO-sanctioned staff. Once you are deemed in suitable physical and mental health, you will be issued a security clearance and the Lieutenant General will brief you on the details of the mission.'

'Sounds absolutely wonderful.' Adeline took another sip of the wine. 'Tell the Lieutenant General that he can count on my wholehearted support. Are you sure you don't want any of this? It's not every day that you come across a-' She looked carefully at the label through her glasses. '1987 Château Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux.'

Major Thames shook his head. 'No ma'am.' Adeline sighed. 'Your loss, Major. Wines like this don't come around very often. I suppose much like opportunities like this don't come around very often.' The Major nodded and gave a quick salute before exiting the office, leaving her and the wine alone.

---

Adeline's E-Assistant continued to ping the number. Her neural enhancement interface showed a HUD-like overlay across her vision as she scrambled to pack the last of her bags. The legality of her augmentation existed in a grey area - while not technically illegal, they were certainly frowned upon by a notable amount policy-makers within NATO. Unlike them, Adeline embraced the augmentation as soon as she was able: the enhancements gave her an edge up on the competition in her field. How on earth did anyone expect her to have written an award-winning thesis without a few tricks up her sleeve?

An amber alert popped up in her virtual vision. The diagnostics program which measured her vital signs had detected a greatly accelerated heart rate, and suggested deep breathing exercises to reduce it. With irritation she swiped it closed - she didn't need to be told by a computer that her heart was almost hammering out of her chest.

The number rang out for the second time. Adeline swore quietly in French. Why won't he pick up? Virtual fingers flashed in her vision as she gave the number a redial. Please, just answer...

The microphone implanted in her ear came to life as a man's voice spoke on the other end, and the HUD showed a red chain link icon next to the <unknown> ID tag: an indicator of a heavily encrypted channel. 'Mon Fleur? I never thought I'd see that name again...'

Adeline sighed with resignation. Perhaps this had been a bad idea. 'I told you not to call me that anymore.'

'Then what do I call you?' The tone was surprisingly calm, the speech slow and deliberate. He'd always been less fluent in English than she had been. 'I always thought Adeline was a stupid name. I liked it better when you called yourself-'

'Stop.' Adeline held up her hand as if to prevent the man from speaking, but quickly put it down in embarrassment at herself. This wasn't a visual link; her gestures would go unnoticed. 'I've called to say goodbye, Bastien. For good this time.'

The line went silent. An eternity seemed to pass in the space of a few seconds. Adeline was faintly aware that she had been holding her breath. 'I see,' came the reply, with more than a hint of sorrow. 'Why are you disappearing this time?'

Adeline spent a few moments trying to concoct a story without success. She sighed; Bastien knew her better than anyone else, and it had taken her the better part of 10 years to perfect the lie she'd been living since she'd left him - and the movement - behind. There was no way she could come up with something convincing on the spot. 'NATO has offered me a position on board one of their experimental ships.'

'You're working with the Enemy now?' Bastien's voice quickly turned from sadness into anger. 'Of all the stupid things you've done, this is at the top of the list. Have you forgotten what they did to our people?'

'Have you forgotten what we did to theirs?' She shouted back. Tears began to well in her eyes as she remembered the day the Armada arrived in Earth's orbit. 'You promised me that we were making the galaxy a better place! You promised me there would be no uneccessary bloodshed - and you lied! Maybe you were sitting comfortable in that bunker of yours, but I was on the ground. I saw the cities burned to dust, the bodies of Men, Women and Children - Jesus, Bastien, we helped them kill children!'

'Bien. Je suis désolé. I... I shouldn't have said that. I know that what we... What I did... It was despicable. But what's done is done. Our people are free.'

'Our people...' Adeline said the words slowly. A tear rolled down her cheek. 'Our people, or yours?'

'Maybe yours. Maybe mine. I don't know anymore. But the attack... I want you to know it wasn't your fault. I know you blame yourself, but you shouldn't. You've made the most of your fresh start, but me? I'll be running from them, carrying the weight of what I did to you until the day I die - and not a day goes by when I don't regret it.'

Adeline wiped her tears away. For all her conflicting feelings, Bastien always did have a way with words. 'So, I guess this is Adieu, then.'

'Adieu. Just... Be careful, okay? They'll kill you if they find out who you really are. Did you ever burn those old identity papers?'

'I know. The papers are long gone.' She said quietly. 'I'm just going to... Stick with the story - just like you taught me.'

'Oui, tenir au plan.' Bastien paused briefly. 'Hey... We had something good, didn't we?'

'We did.' Adeline smiled briefly, thoughts of a simpler time flooding back. 'Farewell, Bastien.' She closed the link. The blinking time in her overlay told her that the staff car was 15 minutes away - perhaps it was time to wait outside.

For the last time in a long time, Adeline took in the sight of her apartment, memorising every nook and cranny, every picture, every door, every window, every wall, truly taking in and appreciating every facet. Finally, she grabbed her bags and walked out the door - leaving her double life and her mistakes behind her for good.

Character sheet is up! Sorry for the awful formatting, I'll go back, add a picture and make it a tad easier on the eyes later.

Black Velvet Sky [Hard SF | Politics/Exploration | Character-Driven]

@whist Sorry for the delay, I got a bit carried away with the Vignette. Aiming to have my sheet up in the next 12-24 hours.

Black Velvet Sky [Hard SF | Politics/Exploration | Character-Driven]

@Whist I'm hoping to apply for a Science position. I'll see if I can get a character sheet up and ready for you ASAP.

EDIT: Just a quick question to make sure my application is in tip-top shape: How long has it been since the colonisation of Mars and the Revolution respectively?

RWBY: Brilliant Horizon

Daedalus Ivory

Airfleet Street, 22:00

As the final piercing notes of the cantata slowly faded, the roar of the expectant crowd rose to fill the void left behind. Above the din came a chant, surprising in its clarity: War-ri-ors. War-ri-ors. They yearned for a spectacle, and Daedalus didn't intend to deprive them of one.

One of the other Hunters in the room looked around, the tell-tale signs of stress creasing his face. 'Do you think it's too late to just stand in the crowd?'

The others in the huddle offered words of encouragement, but before Daedalus could add his own the group was unceremoniously herded into a large steel cage at the far end of the stadium. For the first time that evening, Daedalus' wonder soured to trepidation - the history books had been very clear on how Faunus had been treated in the past, locked up in cells like common animals for the sadistic enjoyment of their human counterparts. There in that moment, he knew - he truly knew - what it felt like to be imprisoned and gawked at like the those that came before him.

But the feeling passed when a chipper voice broke through the melancholy and snapped him back to reality. 'Three, Two, One, go team!' Daedalus raised his hand in sync to the girl's rhythm, the metal plates of Fervent Sentinel clanking loudly. 'Go team.' His fists created hundreds of tiny sparks as he punched them together, a deliberate sign of strength and solidarity, but most importantly: of image. 'Let's give them a show they won't forget.'

As if ascending from the blackest depths of the Underworld, the Ursa rose slowly above the surface of the arena; all teeth and claws and primal snarling, their restraints barely holding the vicious beasts in place. The excitement of the crowd only enraged them further. There was little to satisfy their insatiable hunger for fear. For panic. For death.

Daedalus, on the other hand, was busy satisfying his own hunger. The bag of coated peanuts he'd bought from a street vendor earlier was still half full and he wasted no time finishing the last of them, much to the confusion of his fellow participants and the crowd. He shrugged apologetically. 'Shorry.' The words struggled from his mouth, now crammed full of the bag's contents. 'I jusht di'nt want 'em goin' cold, you know?' He finished the mouthful with a gulp. 'By the way, the name's Daedalus. Pleasure to be fighting alongside you all.'

There was only time for a few brief responses from the others. With a final 'Begin!' from Cardamom, both Warrior and Beast alike were released from their temporary imprisonment and barrelled into the arena. Daedalus stepped in front of the others and squared his feet, digging into the floor. The repeater embedded in the right half of Fervent Sentinel was already pointing at the Ursa that barrelled towards him like a train with no brakes. Time seemed to slow. His carefully trained eye lined up the gun with the skull of the beast, and the dust-tipped crossbow bolt hurtled from the gauntlet towards the Ursa at blinding speed.

RWBY: Brilliant Horizon

Fuck, sorry folks: my post will be delayed until tomorrow. I am busy AF, and classes start tomorrow. I gotta get a good measure of sleep. Please forgive me <3

@Zugzwang

Nope. Totally unacceptable. The punishment for such tardiness is death by Ursa. /s

It's all good man, real life is pretty important haha. We'll all be here when you get back :)

TNT - The Nameless Tavern. (Always Open)

@Pineappletumble @Song Book @Alisdragon911

Hardwick handed a few more dollars to Ayeka and nodded in thanks, grateful for the distraction. Still, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation taking place directly beside him. 'I've been trying to figure that out all night' He answered to the book-toting man. He noticed that the stranger had similar features to Ayeka. 'Detective James Hardwick, PI. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you two are...?'

Old One Rising (A Lovecraftian adventure-horror RP) (Reboot)

Argus Lichfield

Physical State: Normal
Mental State: Schadenfreude

Lexington was, understandably, furious. The grizzled veteran of both the municipal police force and armed forces had gone red in the face with seething rage. Argus, on the other hand, remained almost impossibly calm as he was assaulted with all manner of obscenities. Even after all these years, the stark contrast between the attitude of a Grunt and an Officer was unmistakable.

'Inspector Lexington.' The words came slowly and with poignant force behind them. Once upon a time, the tone would have been followed by countless whips to a recruits face with the butt of an Officer's pistol; a ceaseless onslaught of agonising strikes that would put a disrespectful Private back in his place. But there would be no bloodshed, not today. He still needed Lexington, as much as he loathed the idea of working with this sad sack of shit. 'First and foremost, you will refer to me as my correct title of 'Agent', as I'm sure my papers will verify if you find my story to be unsatisfactory. Second of all...'

He began pacing the office, taking in the accolades Lexington had acquired over the years. '... Second of all, by no means are you 'off' the case. But regrettably-' (And here he paused a moment and smiled condescendingly at the Inspector for effect) '- any future work on the case must be cleared by and referred back to myself. The Atkins case is hereby formally under federal jurisdiction. Of course, if you have any issues with this, I can always phone the commissioner and explain how you defied a direct order from a Federal Agent. Or perhaps I can ring the Bureau and explain to them that your refusal to cede the case is indirectly assisting our enemies?' A photo on the desk caught his eye; it was one of a much younger, much less angry Lexington standing proudly amongst his platoon before being shipped off to the Front.

He picked it up and looked at the smiling private, who stared unflinchingly back. He glanced at the man before him - these were not the same two men. The real Barry Lexington, it seemed, had died on the frontlines, and the soldier who came home was merely his shadow. It was funny how easily the flame of youthful innocence could be extinguished. He placed it back down.

'Now Inspector...' Argus produced a journal and pencil from his coat. The Inspector was speechless - while Argus had won the battle, but he had the feeling that his own personal war had just begun. For now though, he was safe to enjoy the sadistic pleasure that came from turning Lexington's tiny little world on its head. 'I'm going to need you to grant me access to the current case files, and a full list of known witnesses to Atkins' untimely death. Oh, and do think hard, because I'll find out if you're lying...