Mirandae

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

_{SOUNDTRACK 《》 AMBIENCE}

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_{DAY 1 《》 STEELWATER [RD-PRS] 《》 After Noon 《》 @DeadDrop@Exit}

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The Research Division Portable Research Station (RD-PRS) was a lot more sophisticated than one would expect looking at the dome from the outside. The dome itself was but a protective layer of advanced plastic material for whatever purposes that Emilia could never think of. Inside, the station was what could only be described as large shipping containers stacked upon each other, because it was possible to descend two levels below ground. Emilia was rather baffled as to how they had put this thing in place so fast. It eventually hit her that the station had likely already been there for a long time before the attack this morning. The equipment inside the station was state-of-the-art. Emilia had not spent much time inside anything even remotely related to the Research Division, so all of the fancy tech was impressive to her. The tiny bleeps and sounds from all the machines and instruments mixed well with the faint smattering of rain outside. The soundscape was soothing, which was a much needed change of pace compared to the hectic entrance they had experienced roughly fifteen minutes ago. On the other hand, the moaning from injured soldiers and occasional bickering among the ResDiv personnel balanced things out in the atmosphere of the station. Isolde Featherswallow was hard at work, doing what she did best and managing the odd rebel here and there when needed. The ground-level interior of the PRS was the trauma unit. This is where all things medical of the Research Division were kept and conducted. The second level, one below ground, had all manner of convenience for personnel—cafeteria, beds, showers, and so on. It was all a bit cramped and compact, but it was functional. The third and last level below ground was the Research Wing. Not even Guardian Corps were allowed in there without a myriad of bizarre security clearances only known to the Research Division. Emilia left the girl she had carried to the professionals. The nice looking guy who appeared to have found her in the woods would surely close any remaining question marks concerning the girl's health. He was clearly Guardian Corps, she thought, but out here alone? Aeon always had a team with them. Emilia would have to speak with him in a moment to see if he was what she suspected him to be, as well as the BlackRock operator. For now, her attention was on the rest of the team that had taken down the Stigma monstrosity. Emilia did not have to be a detective to know that Robert had caused that flashing sun on the ground. Aaron and Scylla likely had more than one hand in the thing's demise. These individuals were all extremely capable and high-threat Aeon. If they ever decided to go rogue, the UDF would certainly have a serious problem. "You are going to kill yourself one day if you keep doing that." Emilia said and handed Robert a bottle of water she had haphazardly found and snatched inside the station. "We probably have long ways to go still, so try not to burn yourself out right away... that goes for everyone." She glanced at Scylla and Aaron, who were close by, regardless of whether they actually heard Emilia or not. "I'm sorry I left you guys like that, but I noticed those two in the woods close by." Emilia nodded at Christina and Peter further down the interior space. "I had to make sure that we were not about to get ambushed or something. We just want to get the job done and go home, right? Back to the goode olde farm." A light chuckle escaped her modest smile. Emilia had no problem with explaining herself to people, but this one was a bit different. She felt obligated to do it, not only to Robert but to Scylla and Aaron as well. These were the individuals Emilia knew on and off before SWARG. Perhaps she was a bit sentimental about it. ▇ 》》》 LATER 《《《 ▇ I should probably check on the other two, soon, and Eun-Ji perhaps... she is probably distracted by Isolde or some ResDiv things, though. Emilia thought to herself. After speaking with the combat team for a while, Emilia found herself wherever Peter and Christina were held up. Despite having endured fairly daring adventures already, they had not even had proper introductions yet or spoken more than a couple of words. However, a distracting thought kept lingering in Emilia's head. They would need all the manpower that they could get if they were about to do what she feared that they would have to do with Benjamin. Every ounce of her mind and body tried to resist that scenario from playing out in her imagination. Nonetheless, it was a possibility and so far the Group had already been stripped of several members. UDF High Command either did not appreciate the severity of the situation or simply did not care, as with most things. So, the question was whether or not they should ask the BlackRock operator to assist. "So, what happened? Why are you here?" Emilia asked Christina and sat down on a stool nearby. It was not a hostile tone, but neither was it friendly. Emilia caught a glimpse of Errikos just as she began her 'interrogation'. They had not even said a word to each other yet, which only affirmed what a chaotic morning it had been. Emilia would have to speak with him as soon as she was done with Christina and Peter, unless he would approach them himself.

Summary

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Everyone gathers at the Research Division PRS. Emilia leaves the injured girl she carried for Peter in the trauma unit, but checks up on the combat team right away to explain herself. She takes several mental notes of what she should do and who to speak to. She eventually gets around to asking the BlackRock operator, Christina, some questions.

Quest Steps

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This scene is meant for character interaction, so posts might and may be shorter than usual. You can also collaborate with someone if you want a more in-depth conversation. Other things to do with your character include freshening up, tending to wounded soldiers, checking on gear or personal injuries, and speaking to NPCs that @Aeolian created. @Aeolian has GM 'powers' over those NPCs, so I won't speak for them at all.

I'd say that the 'Chapter 2' image at the top is of the Research Wing of the PRS. However, the other two levels would have the same aesthetic. For dimensions, each level is about 3 meters high, 3 meters wide, and 15 meters deep (length)—give or take, just for some manner of reference. That being said, our characters can move about at ground level and sub-level 1. Sub-level 2, the Research Wing, is accessible to Isolde @Aeolian and Eun-Ji @Salsa Verde only. However, I'd say that they can grant temporary permission to others of Guardian Corps.

Note the time change from 'late morning' to 'after noon'. I also added a clear indication of weather.

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

Very cool image! Much on point.

@DeadDrop@Rockette@Archangel89@Aeolian@Krash@Salsa Verde@Exit
I'll move us forward in my next post and mark it 'chapter 2'. The post will assume that everyone gathered up at the Mobile Research Station. They recover there for an hour or so, and then they get ready to enter the city proper once Navigation has cleared out the last bits of Stiggies from bombing runs. As always, any previous notes can be taken care of in a Flashback or just briefly mention in your narrative.

We are also going to revisit our character sheets and add a couple of new sections. All the updates for that are ready soon, so I'll tag everyone again at that point.

I usually don't promise posts, but for the sake of planning and mental prep, I'll get this post out this week.

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

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Location ⋗ The Patch [food tent]. Interactions ⋗ Kelly McDaniel @Bartimaeus, Manon D'aureville [mentioned]. School of Magic ⋗ Conjuration & Enchantment. Items ⋗ Kitchen knife.	_______

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The new piece of pie was better than the one that had a visit in the dirt. Hanna topped it off with some creamy vanilla mousse that someone else had made and presented at the tables. Seeing as the cut was so perfect and she was able to keep her clumsy self together for two seconds, Hanna figured she would just slice the whole pie right away. It was during the surgical acrobatics with the kitchen knife that Kelly McDaniel showed her pretty self at the food tents. The gal had joined the coven not long before Hanna, so the two of them sort of made their way into the Shipden Peak witch scene at the same time. However, Kelly was a bit of an antithesis to Hanna in that she had a tendency to be reserved about personal details, or most things.

"Dani! Come here, have some of this." Hanna eagerly called the girl over. The nickname for Kelly was a play on her surname, McDaniel. "I made this Apple Pie for tonight that I'd like to get everyone's opinion on." Hanna began to twitter like a bird desperate for attention, continuing to cut the rest of the pie, not even looking to see if Kelly came closer. "I'm paranoid about the apple slices. They're too damn big. I should've made them smaller. Or, maybe they're good like this. I thought it was nice, but what I think is nice is never nice for anyone else, so who am I kidding, really? God, this fucking dress keeps crawling up my ass as if someone is actually controlling it." Hanna momentarily let go of the kitchen knife and metal spatula to pull her dress down a notch. "Anyway, did you hear Lina's speech? She is so good at that, I don't get it. Well, I do get it, but like, I get way too excited about stuff like that. I think it's just because of this event." Hanna put a piece of the apple pie on a paper plate and finished it off with that creamy mousse, and then set it aside for Kelly.

In the haze of the sound of her own voice, Hanna's mind began to wander towards other things far removed from what was right in front of her nose. It had been difficult to not notice the recent news plaster all over social media. There were shorts about the crops, Delaware, and even of the fungi. Although, there was a whole slew of people trying to fake the videos for likes and impressions—as one would suspect. Some digital artists had even made a few mock-ups of the Dretch thing, imaginary or not. It was quite impossible to hide things from the internet or even keep it quiet. Hanna was rather attuned to the hive mind of that place, browsing even the vilest shitholes.

Maybe I should do that fortune thing... Her thoughts interrupted themselves. Hanna had never cared much for the politics of it all—the witch thing that is. However, it had become exceedingly hard to stay out of it on a daily basis. It invaded even the most mundane, boring conversations about anything, especially when conversing with regular people. They seemed more concerned with it than some witches, naturally. Hanna could totally understand their perspective. In fact, she was not so sure if she always sided with other witches on all issues. Back in the mid and late school years, Hanna wished for nothing more than to just be normal. In her head, being a witch was a curse in every sense and all of them should just have been killed right away. It was an extreme thought in the head of a crypto bully obsessed with being popular and pretty.

Good God, did I really think like that? Good thing I don't anymore... right? Nope, you don't, hopefully. What do you mean by 'hopefully'? Nothing, you... eh, I'm on team Witch now. Of course, we are. The thoughts continued to wander. Hanna carefully cast a few glimpses around the outside of the food tent to see if some other willing subject for the tasting was close by. Hanna did spot Manon, the new girl, and tried a subtle wave to call her over, but she was headed towards the fire. If she did not see the calling, Hanna would certainly hunt her down later and make her have some apple pie. Although, Lina had to have hers first.

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

<Snipped quote by Prisk>

By time range do you mean like the same amount of time the thread has occurred? I think it often depends on the genre and the GM style. Often RP’s are just close knit groups that have a standard for posting or deadlines are used effectively. I don’t mind this one being a bit more lax. I also feel partially to blame for speed posting in the beginning and then making that massive post. Anyways I’m back and in the writing mood.

@Salsa Verde

It is what it is. Although, I think certain liberties are infectious. If one starts to do something, the rest will follow.

Gonna try and crank out a post soon (within the next few days)

Was just laid off from my job a few days ago, so I haven't been able to focus on anything other than finding a new position.

Anyways, cheers!

@Aeolian

I currently know how it feels! It's very shit, indeed, but just keep up with every other routine in your life, so things don't fall apart entirely.

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

Ok I've FINALLY found a rthym to write with and I'll have a response ASAP.

@Archangel89

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

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Location ⋗ The Patch. Interactions ⋗ Lina Calvo @Prosaic School of Magic ⋗ Conjuration & Enchantment. Items ⋗ Black dress / nothing.	_______

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Hanna spectated someone she had grown to love with immense enthusiasm. Every syllable that poured from the woman's lips rang true. The edges of Hanna's mouth stretched as wide as they could with a brightening smile. Not only did Lina's words elate the atmosphere all around them, but this was the Spring Equinox. It was Hanna's absolute favorite time of the year. She had certainly dressed up for the occasion—a tightly fitted black dress with fur accents put her tantalizing shapes on full display, luscious hair bundled together in a flowy tail at her back, and dusky fox eyes to finalize the canine look. It was perhaps a bit chilly, but it would surely be worth it in the end.

The pause did not go unnoticed. Hanna wanted to think that she had a unique connection with the Coven Head, but she also knew that half a year of knowing someone was fairly short. Regardless, the minuscule moment of respite in Lina's words did register with Hanna at a subconscious level, although clueless of any cause. On the surface of the event, however, things went by so fast in a haze of dopamine-riddled emotions, a cocktail of every feel-good chemical the brain could possibly produce, that Hanna thought nothing of it. She simply kept on smiling like the dimwit she was at times, fervently clapping her hands at the conclusion of the speech. The following show of light and dark was equally mesmerizing, but Hanna was drawn elsewhere.

"Oh-My-Ghawd, Lina, that was AM-azing! You're so good with words, I don't get it." Hanna began with her endless blabbering, as usual, reaching with both hands to touch Lina's. "I did the solitary ritual this morning, and there was something special about this year, this particular spring. I could feel it in every inch of my body. You know, that buzzing feeling you get after fasting for a day? It was sooo intense, and my vision of the Spring Maiden was like a psychedelic trip! Not that I've ever taken mushrooms before. Do you think I should though? Isn't there some recipe for that? Anyway, BUT, my calling of the Green Man was a bit strange. He appeared all rotten, almost burnt in a way, as well—do you know what that means? Oh, I almost forgot, I made Apple Pie for tonight! You've got to taste some. Let me fix you a plate." She said and scurried away to one of the tents. Talking with Hanna was like talking to a talking wall. One could ask if there was even a point or if she ever truly stopped. Either way, off she went before any questions could be answered and heard. Hanna had likely already forgotten what she had asked, but at some point, she would think of the questions again, and then proceed to pester the subject once more. She did not mean any ill will by it. This was the way the girl was as a person. Her mind rushed a thousand miles an hour in all directions at the same time.

Hanna trotted along amidst the attendees. The tent with all the food was likely Hanna's sanctuary and the place she would spend the rest of the evening if she could freely choose and ignore all other social obligations. She grabbed a clean kitchen knife to cut the apple pie with and a narrow spatula made out of metal to scoop the piece up. It was the first cut of the evening, at least for Hanna's pie. She would surely bother everyone she knew and every other person present with a tasting, but the big gal was first. However, after scooping the piece up and putting it on one of those throw-away paper plates, Hanna manage to hit the thing over while putting the tools away, and down all of it went onto the ground. "Oh fucking Hell, you donkey." Hanna muttered to herself, spitting out typical Gordon Ramsay slurs. She picked the plate up and removed some strings of grass and other things that had stuck onto the piece of the pie. She put it to the side while cutting a new piece for Lina.

Hmm... I wonder if someone still wants that piece. I should throw it away, right? Maybe it can be used for something—perhaps a potion that makes you less clumsy. She thought to herself.

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

I'll rally everyone up in my next post, or the post after that, and move on to 'chapter 2'. This will move time forward a bit.

I'll strive for a post every weekend as long as I'm not outpacing others. If only life was chill to let me randomly muse on stories non stop and be productive creatively. XD

@Krash

I didn't mean to sound antagonistic about anything taking "10 years". Although, it feels like I'm doing something wrong.

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

Hanna Whittle

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hanna Samantha Whittle ⋖ Female ⋖ 23 / 5'4" ⋖ Bisexual ⋖ Bachelor's Degree in Literature ⋖ English ⋖ Cooking, Talking, & Sex ⋖	___________________

"Let's talk. You hungry? I'll fix something up."
Sociable ⋗ Benevolent ⋗ Sensual ⋗ Esoteric

MAGICAL ABILITIES ___________________ Years of Magical Education: ⋗ 6 Schools of Magic: ⋗ Conjuration & Enchantment CONJURATION (7) ⋗ Geri & Freki Hanna can conjure two distinct wolves after a few ceremonial gestures. One of them has black fur and the other white, both with red eyes. A faint shadowy, smokey feature trails wherever they go, which indicates that they are not of this dimension. Hanna can keep these animal companions materialized for less than half an hour, longer if things are calm around her and devoid of distractions. These creatures came about after much time experimenting with this school of magic. There is something about these particular wolves that Hanna is quite fond of, and they seem to take to her in the same way. ⋗ Domain Hanna has a pocket dimension. It is large enough to store certain items that she uses every day. She has not bothered with trying to expand it for a long time, mostly out of laziness. It is there for one thing and one thing only—the ultimate handbag. She cannot fit everything in there, of course, but items no larger than a cell phone are good to go. ENCHANTMENT (6) ⋗ Pheromones This almost passive ability can create physical attraction in another person toward Hanna. When it is her focus, the effect becomes much stronger. If a person is already attracted to her, without this effect being present, the ability itself will settle easier and affect the person faster. The downside of this is that the effect can be difficult to get rid of once it has snowballed. Hanna had a guy in college follow her around for a couple of hours after trying this out on him too much. Luckily, the guy already had feelings for her and either did not notice anything or he spared Hanna a call to the authorities. ⋗ Suggestion Hanna can strongly suggest a course of action or intention. This has its effect through physical contact or clear verbal interaction. The person she speaks to can choose to not do it, but the thought will certainly linger for some time and cause an internal argument. The suggestion may become part of a person's life for a time, or even their identity. This is a long-range, strategic kind of ability that can grow stronger in tandem with her other Enchantment ability, Pheromones.

PERSONALITY ⋗ Sociable Hanna is straightforwardly chatty. She talks in the same way that a machine does its job without any hidden agenda or egocentric intent. Hanna is the kind of person that can have a solo conversation with another person for hours and call it an interaction. It has its pros and cons to it. Her mind is not an empty shell, so the chattiness does not come from being airheaded. There are moments when Hanna wished that she could shut up, but her mouth just keeps going like a leg moving when a person walks. ⋗ Benevolent Hanna is a friendly soul. Or, well, in the sense of decorum. One must not mistake her for being naively affable. She will conduct herself properly, dress properly, bring gifts, and mind her language in all the appropriate settings and events. Call it a personal hobby of hers. Hanna knows quite a bit about customs, manners, and gestures. Another interest that adds to this trait is her love for cooking and baking. Good food is always a safe bet when all other things fail in the pursuit of social cookie points. ⋗ Sensual Hanna has a way with touch. It can infuse a sense of comfort and trust in certain situations when Hanna speaks with people. This kind of idiosyncrasy goes hand in hand with her other traits related to interaction. It is the glue or bridge that ties them together. Hanna was born with a potent measure of empathy, which can be awfully intense at times but also helpful in feeling the state of mind of another person. ⋗ Esoteric There is an inner dialog in Hanna. From the outside, it does not always seem like she thinks about much at all. Her thoughts can be philosophically profound in many ways, but there is a lingering fear of revealing it all. Having always been in circles of people utterly fanatical about social value, there has not been much room to express an individual perspective that deviates from what is 'normal'. Every now and then Hanna will crack and reveal something, but she will equally fast brush it off.

HISTORY

Hanna was born and raised near Providence, Rhode Island. It was a household of the nuclear family with a spruce of siblings. These were as ordinary working-class people as you could ever find. When those critical years came about, Hanna discovered that her place in the social pecking order was drenched in an obsession with physical appearance, status, and doing 'normal' things. The witch business eventually caught up and put plenty of wrenches in the works. By that point, Hanna had already been part of that somewhat plastic social circle for a while, so promptly excluding her would do more harm than good. The eventual solution was that Hanna had to sneak around with the witch studies and practice, even if most people knew.

The tours around questionable ethics and practices in the 'mean girls' squad came to an end with High School graduation. In Hanna's defense, she never really did anything nasty to other students, as such, but neither did she stop others from doing things. It was a moral gray area that she ponders to this day. Interactions were much better and relaxed at Rhode Island College, in Providence, where she got her Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. Hanna never was the academic type, but her parents insisted that she took care of this part of life, which was infinitely more important now than in their day. Not to mention, Hanna's parents had wanted her to take care of her magical schooling, properly, so that she did not do anything stupid with it.

Hanna did her best to socialize with other witches. Life's tremendous irony was that Hanna had once been the pinnacle of social status, but now she was the oddity among brooders, rejects, weirdos, and tragic pasts. The problem was not that she did not like them. It was rather the other way around. Hanna enjoyed moments where she could glue some manner of cohesion together among awkward personality types, but that was not always—if ever—welcomed. So, she jumped around different gatherings and 'covens' in search of something permanent. Alas, it was harder than it looked or sounded. There was so much politics, squabbling, petty grievances, and other such things, which made Hanna realize that the things that had triggered the plastics were the same things that triggered the rejects as well. There was almost no difference except flavor in the argument, which was mind-blowing to Hanna.

There were clear answers in Hanna's head to all the issues that surfaced during this time, but she had no way or confidence to express them. She simply shrugged her shoulders and kept on grinding a day job at Starbucks. Who was going to listen to a dumb bimbo barely past her teens, anyway? Hanna began to take an active interest in all things occult and esoteric by listening to podcasts, watching videos, and checking out a few books. The ceremonial side of it all caught her attention. All the things about proper clothing, specific colors, gestures, and mannerisms were interesting to her on a whole different level. It sort of made sense, given her social history, that she would be into it. These interests also meshed with her chosen or perhaps given schools of magic, conjuration and enchantment.

Hanna came in contact with Lina Calvo, head of the Shipden Peak coven, by recommendation from some random person in the comment section of an Instagram post. The apparent similarity in empathic blessing or curse between the two quickly became a talking point and deeper connection. Hanna's interest was earnestly peaked. Her parents made all the necessary arrangements for the relocation to happen, as well as paid for several expenses and any dent Hanna would feel in her own income. Since then, Hanna has been in Shipden Peak for about half a year.

ᵀʰᵉ Spirits Within/Aeon

Aaron's Final Form

So I think I've found his "Final Form" as it were. I can't remember what the next step for us Aeons but this is what I think that Aaron will look like.

@Archangel89

Aye, the Archon form. Indeed, that's where this is supposed to go. But, at this posting speed, it will take about 10 years before we get there. I'm going with 'Garuda' from Final Fantasy 16 myself. It looks pretty cool!

Hider

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

Okay, one thing I had problems with was gauging the skill level of the 'ability' itself. For example, I have no idea what skill level fits each of the abilities that I've described. The actual skill level seems to be somewhat in line with what was said in the Q&A. The only skill that I'm a bit paranoid about is 'wolf pack' in conjuration. I hope it's alright and not too over the top.

I had already started on this sheet before I posted my previous post. I'm not this fast. The character concept is a 'social glue' kind of character, a bridge between the ordinary non-tragic and rejected misery with a bit of irony thrown in there. I suppose you could call it a 'support' character, as well, in the sense of relief for both mental and physical strain.

I tried to find gifs, but the gifs for this chick are just terrible.

edit. Changes based on feedback

Hanna Whittle

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hanna Samantha Whittle ⋖ Female ⋖ 23 / 5'4" ⋖ Bisexual ⋖ Bachelor's Degree in Literature ⋖ English ⋖ Cooking, Talking, & Sex ⋖	___________________

"Let's talk. You hungry? I'll fix something up."
Sociable ⋗ Benevolent ⋗ Sensual ⋗ Esoteric

MAGICAL ABILITIES ___________________ Years of Magical Education: ⋗ 6 Schools of Magic: ⋗ Conjuration & Enchantment CONJURATION (7) ⋗ Geri & Freki Hanna can conjure two distinct wolves after a few ceremonial gestures. One of them has black fur and the other white, both with red eyes. A faint shadowy, smokey feature trails wherever they go, which indicates that they are not of this dimension. Hanna can keep these animal companions materialized for less than half an hour, longer if things are calm around her and devoid of distractions. These creatures came about after much time experimenting with this school of magic. There is something about these particular wolves that Hanna is quite fond of, and they seem to take to her in the same way. ⋗ Domain Hanna has a pocket dimension. It is large enough to store certain items that she uses every day. She has not bothered with trying to expand it for a long time, mostly out of laziness. It is there for one thing and one thing only—the ultimate handbag. She cannot fit everything in there, of course, but items no larger than a cell phone are good to go. ENCHANTMENT (6) ⋗ Pheromones This almost passive ability can create physical attraction in another person toward Hanna. When it is her focus, the effect becomes much stronger. If a person is already attracted to her, without this effect being present, the ability itself will settle easier and affect the person faster. The downside of this is that the effect can be difficult to get rid of once it has snowballed. Hanna had a guy in college follow her around for a couple of hours after trying this out on him too much. Luckily, the guy already had feelings for her and either did not notice anything or he spared Hanna a call to the authorities. ⋗ Suggestion Hanna can strongly suggest a course of action or intention. This has its effect through physical contact or clear verbal interaction. The person she speaks to can choose to not do it, but the thought will certainly linger for some time and cause an internal argument. The suggestion may become part of a person's life for a time, or even their identity. This is a long-range, strategic kind of ability that can grow stronger in tandem with her other Enchantment ability, Pheromones.

PERSONALITY ⋗ Sociable Hanna is straightforwardly chatty. She talks in the same way that a machine does its job without any hidden agenda or egocentric intent. Hanna is the kind of person that can have a solo conversation with another person for hours and call it an interaction. It has its pros and cons to it. Her mind is not an empty shell, so the chattiness does not come from being airheaded. There are moments when Hanna wished that she could shut up, but her mouth just keeps going like a leg moving when a person walks. ⋗ Benevolent Hanna is a friendly soul. Or, well, in the sense of decorum. One must not mistake her for being naively affable. She will conduct herself properly, dress properly, bring gifts, and mind her language in all the appropriate settings and events. Call it a personal hobby of hers. Hanna knows quite a bit about customs, manners, and gestures. Another interest that adds to this trait is her love for cooking and baking. Good food is always a safe bet when all other things fail in the pursuit of social cookie points. ⋗ Sensual Hanna has a way with touch. It can infuse a sense of comfort and trust in certain situations when Hanna speaks with people. This kind of idiosyncrasy goes hand in hand with her other traits related to interaction. It is the glue or bridge that ties them together. Hanna was born with a potent measure of empathy, which can be awfully intense at times but also helpful in feeling the state of mind of another person. ⋗ Esoteric There is an inner dialog in Hanna. From the outside, it does not always seem like she thinks about much at all. Her thoughts can be philosophically profound in many ways, but there is a lingering fear of revealing it all. Having always been in circles of people utterly fanatical about social value, there has not been much room to express an individual perspective that deviates from what is 'normal'. Every now and then Hanna will crack and reveal something, but she will equally fast brush it off.

HISTORY

Hanna was born and raised near Providence, Rhode Island. It was a household of the nuclear family with a spruce of siblings. These were as ordinary working-class people as you could ever find. When those critical years came about, Hanna discovered that her place in the social pecking order was drenched in an obsession with physical appearance, status, and doing 'normal' things. The witch business eventually caught up and put plenty of wrenches in the works. By that point, Hanna had already been part of that somewhat plastic social circle for a while, so promptly excluding her would do more harm than good. The eventual solution was that Hanna had to sneak around with the witch studies and practice, even if most people knew.

The tours around questionable ethics and practices in the 'mean girls' squad came to an end with High School graduation. In Hanna's defense, she never really did anything nasty to other students, as such, but neither did she stop others from doing things. It was a moral gray area that she ponders to this day. Interactions were much better and relaxed at Rhode Island College, in Providence, where she got her Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. Hanna never was the academic type, but her parents insisted that she took care of this part of life, which was infinitely more important now than in their day. Not to mention, Hanna's parents had wanted her to take care of her magical schooling, properly, so that she did not do anything stupid with it.

Hanna did her best to socialize with other witches. Life's tremendous irony was that Hanna had once been the pinnacle of social status, but now she was the oddity among brooders, rejects, weirdos, and tragic pasts. The problem was not that she did not like them. It was rather the other way around. Hanna enjoyed moments where she could glue some manner of cohesion together among awkward personality types, but that was not always—if ever—welcomed. So, she jumped around different gatherings and 'covens' in search of something permanent. Alas, it was harder than it looked or sounded. There was so much politics, squabbling, petty grievances, and other such things, which made Hanna realize that the things that had triggered the plastics were the same things that triggered the rejects as well. There was almost no difference except flavor in the argument, which was mind-blowing to Hanna.

There were clear answers in Hanna's head to all the issues that surfaced during this time, but she had no way or confidence to express them. She simply shrugged her shoulders and kept on grinding a day job at Starbucks. Who was going to listen to a dumb bimbo barely past her teens, anyway? Hanna began to take an active interest in all things occult and esoteric by listening to podcasts, watching videos, and checking out a few books. The ceremonial side of it all caught her attention. All the things about proper clothing, specific colors, gestures, and mannerisms were interesting to her on a whole different level. It sort of made sense, given her social history, that she would be into it. These interests also meshed with her chosen or perhaps given schools of magic, conjuration and enchantment.

Hanna came in contact with Lina Calvo, head of the Shipden Peak coven, by recommendation from some random person in the comment section of an Instagram post. The apparent similarity in empathic blessing or curse between the two quickly became a talking point and deeper connection. Hanna's interest was earnestly peaked. Her parents made all the necessary arrangements for the relocation to happen, as well as paid for several expenses and any dent Hanna would feel in her own income.