Almalthia

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

@TwilightShadow@sorenI was thinking that she's the one that Tonic reaches out to when she needs a new identity. Or Finnlay could know her.

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

Yo, this looks interesting. Got room for another??

@Zaxter996

Hey hunny!!! Pretty sure Twi would love to have ya. I know I would!!

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

Jocelyn Victoria Beatrice Harmon AKA Tonic

Jocelyn

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Location: Boston

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Interaction: Finnlay MacTyre @sly13

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May 6th, 2012
I started up my bike as he drove away. Wondering where I would sleep or if I would at his place would be the problem. That was going to keep me up for a little bit. At least till my head hit the pillow at home. It was not much to look at but the grounds were massive. I did not have a neighbor for at least a mile. I paid dearly for that piece of land and it was a sanctuary for me. Thankfully my obsession was locked in the basement and no one but I had the key.

Genetics and I have had an on again off again relationship. In my youth it definitely hated me and was out to kill me, as much as a subject could try to kill an unwitting student. I was almost laughable how easy it was to acquire old technology and even new once you branched into the medical field. My stint as a genetic researcher helped and I stayed unnoticed by the professors and leaders in the field. I was out to get information not cure cancer. As noble a quest that is, that was not why I was there. Buying the equipment I tested my cells over and over to see if there was a way to leech out the poison in my system.

That was what was in a side room in my basement. Lab equipment. It looked like a scientist lived there and the room was not on the blueprints for the house. It looked like an old door to a root cellar but that was just the first door. It was five point biometrically coded to me so that I have to be alive to open the door. Courtesy of black market Stark material. I have connections. I ask they get. In turn I do not ask. I was getting really tired of the cloak and dagger bullshit. I spent most of my life running from people who abused me or the people who absorbed the people who abused me. I was ready to come out of the shadows and live my life.

I pulled up to the house only to see that apparently I was not as careful as I thought I was. Windows were broken in my front door was wide open and I could hear what sounded like fighting inside. I circled around back quietly. If no one had taken the rapier from the back hallway it was still there.

My back door was wide open and I could hear clearly that there was a pitched battle going on upstairs. Great. I moved quickly and quietly down the back hallway reaching for the rapier that...was not there. Well that's just my luck. Fine off come the gloves. It had been a while since I would had to use any of the martial arts that I knew but I practiced daily so I was pretty confident that I could hold my own.

As I shed my gloves and putting them in my jacket pocket which I also divest myself of placing it in the hallway. I hear and loud thud from the front of the house. I hope that's not my antique Louis XIV end table. I will be so pissed if it is.

I creep up to see Lenora being held up by some guy in a mask. She's clawing at his hand, arm anywhere because he's choking her. I wince as he stabs her in the thigh. Yeah that has to hurt I think as she cries out. And just as I ready myself to launch a flying kick at him I see something under Lenora's hand. His arm turns blue and there is an explosion. I manage to dodge most of the flying shrapnel but am missing my jacket as a few pieces come in contact with my arms that I threw over my face in reflex.

I pull the pieces out my healing factor making it almost instant that the wounds are not apparent anymore. Although it does not stop the pain. That freaking hurt. I look back over and watch as he turns and round houses Lenora in the head and she goes down hard. He bends down to grab her and I quickly take off my helmet and viciously aim for his head. The helmet clips him in the side of his head right on the ear.

I am moving from where I was when I threw the helmet within the space of a heartbeat. Something about him seems familiar. I will analyse it later. He shakes it off and looks down the hallway and sees me out the corner of his mask. He turns on me like a viper his left arm apparently robotic and that's what exploded. “And Jocelyn Victoria Beatrice Harmon, the missing Weapon X Project. Mister Sinister would love to see you he's been looking for you. He misses you. Has your picture and everything. Come quietly and I might even spare your friends. Well except her. She failed. She knows the price of failure.”

“Not till Hell freezes over. Then I might consider it. If you know who I am then you know that if I touch you or you touch me, you die. I will not be healing you so I believe I have the upper hand here. Leave and I will not kill you. Stay...and you put your life in my hands. I am done running.”

“I'll take my chances.” He lunges at me and I realise my mistake. He's pretty well covered except for the forehead and scalp.

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

@TwilightShadow Room for another?

@soren

Yes. Half of us are in Boston and the others are in NYC.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Ethan Aster

Location: The Coffee Pot

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Interaction: Thomas @Conscripts; Victoria @PrinceAlexus

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Ethan grinned at Victoria after she kissed his cheek and told him not to check his pocket till later. Still holding out his hand for the wheelchair bound man he whispered in Victoria’s ear. “I'd rather like to know you more Victoria. Plus I have some important information for you. I'll call you and set up a time to get together.”

Ethan looked up and Giovanni raised one finger. One minute. “Till then I'll be thinking about you. Not all of them as pure as you skin but most of them involving it. And my tongue. Think on that for a bit.” He reached out and shook Thomas’ hand. “A pleasure to see you again no worse for the ware but I must be off. Duty calls and all that. Good day.” With that Ethan winked at Victoria and headed out to meet up with Giovanni.

“You waited too long. Had them bring a car round.” Giovanni informed him as Ethan just nodded. He felt the pocket and felt the card grinning.

“Worth it.”

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Siobhan

Location: Corona Park

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Interaction: Capella @Tenma Tendo; Ash @LostBrotherGrimm

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Siobhan caught the tail end of the conversation between the two. Something about lunch. Then she laughed at the cute blonde man's description of the fluffy little puppy. He was the same height as her as well as age it seemed and very friendly. Her blue eyes twinkled as he asked where they could all get lunch and if she'd been here a while. She decided to be a bit cheeky.

“Oh I've been here since about eight this morning.” Siobhan grinned winningly. “But I've been in town a couple of months now. Old Starboard is pretty good but the only thing is that it's across the water. You could always get a taxi. I'm so rude!!! I haven't even introduced myself!!! I'm Siobhan Murphy. Pleased to meet you three.” She held out her hand to them first for them to shake.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Siobhan

Location: Corona Park

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Interaction: Capella @Tenma Tendo; Ash @LostBrotherGrimm; Milo @RoccanIronclad

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Siobhan had apparently fallen asleep on the grass. She sat up and tilted her head as she heard a commotion farther behind her. What is that?

Getting up she stretched and looked around. There was some sort of scuffle involving a puppy, a blonde man and a little blonde boy? There were a few other people in the park as well. I keep getting lucky. My last name is Murphy how does that work?!? Wait is that Milo? He moves like Milo but I'm not sure. I'll ask Paige...Paige oh man!! I missed our workout!!!

Gathering up her paints and brushes she grumbled about not having set the alarm but thank goodness she wore sunscreen. Gingerly she touched the corner of her painting. If course it was dry she'd been asleep for about two hours. Packing everything away except for the watercolor painting she had started on. With her camera around her neck she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and shot Paige a text. <Sorry about this morning!! I got caught up with the start of a new collection. Love to make it up to you. You name it we'll do it!!>

Putting the phone in her pocket she picked up the case, which held her paints and collapsible easel, then her painting. She walked over to the trio that she had noticed earlier. “Not to be rude but does anyone need some help?”

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Ethan Aster

Location: The Coffee Pot

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Interaction: Thomas @Conscripts; Victoria @PrinceAlexus

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Ethan was up bright and early for his run with Giovanni keeping him in sight but back far enough not to be a distraction. He was just working up a sweat as his phone went off. It was his alarm for the morning and he looked around seeing The Coffee Pot he strolled in. It was early enough that he only saw one person in the shop. A man in a wheelchair...he had seen at the club? Maybe.

The welcome smell of roasted beans and pastries he sat down in a corner table where he could keep an eye on the door. He pulled out his phone and was typing away on it as Victoria walked in. He smiled she hadn't seen him yet. He watched her interact with the man in the wheelchair who he passed by on his beeline for a quiet out of the way table. Not many people here but he knew it would be busy soon.

Ethan looked up and saw Giovanni loitering across the street looking like he was reading the paper. They made eye contact and Giovanni looked down at his watch. A signal that he had just a few minutes before he needed to move on. Radio spot and all that jazz. He sighed and got up. He strolled over to Victoria and the man in the wheelchair. “Hello there little Victoria. Looks like you made it through the weekend just fine. As well as you sir.” Ethan fluffed her hair as he leaned over her holding his hand out for the gentleman to shake. He leaned into her as he did so. He smiled knowing that he hadn't worked up a sweat yet so he wasn't wet.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Siobhan

Location: Corona Park

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Interaction:

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Siobhan was finally done with the anatomy project she had been working on. As she called an Uber she got all of her paints, brushes, canvas, easel and folding chair. She was celebrating by painting in the park. She was tired of musculoskeletal system, nervous system, just tired of it all. She was doing a landscape. No people to worry about or paint. Just trees or ocean maybe the lighthouse. She pulled on socks, fleece lined black leggings, a long sleeved dark blue undershirt, a dark gray baggy knit sweater, an old jean jacket and a pair of white converse.

The Uber arrived and she went down to meet it. Putting all her tools in the trunk she hopped in and told the driver where she wanted to go. The light was perfect and she wandered past the middle of the park and appreciated the cool weather. She picked a spot where she could see the lighthouse in the distance but still had a view of the trees. The water was not calm but choppy which made it more interesting to paint.

Siobhan set up the easel and took out her camera in case she needed to work on it from home. Which was a possibility. Snapping a few pictures she put away the camera. She got her pallet set up and started on the sky.

The cool gray sky flowed across the canvas. Letting it dry she played with the color she had. She added a touch of black to darken it and just a dab of blue to the mixture for the water. Water met sky and blended. It was a little rough but coming together nicely.

Then her mind started to wander to a tall dark haired mechanic/race car driver and she knew that it was time to pack it up. She had given him some space and herself some time off to work on some things. She wanted to get some painting done and contact the galleria to see if they'd wanted to sell some of her work.

She needed to get a charity event taken care of as well. She thought about what she was going to paint and suddenly she had a brilliant idea. She would paint settings in Sol City. There were plenty of areas she could do. She do them at night and at different times of the day.

Snapping a few more pictures of the park she sat down on the grass and planned in her head her next line of work.

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

Jocelyn Victoria Beatrice Harmon AKA Tonic & Finnlay MacTyre AKA Smoke Screen

Jocelyn & Finnlay

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Location: Boston

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Interaction: Finnlay MacTyre @sly13

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May 6th, 2012
Damn. Not fair. He has changed. Beard is new. As well as that look in his eyes. Now he's leery of me. Well that is what I get for running off. I can lie to myself and say it was because of my rule of not staying in one place to long but I know that is a lie. Now I get to do all the talking. And I have got a lot to say. I walk over to him and hear him ask what he got himself into.

I look up and those blue eyes. Damn. “A long explanation for one, plus an apology.”

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Finnlay kept his eyes on her the whole time as she walked towards him. She had not changed a bit from the last time he saw her. Hearing her words Finnlay snapped out of his daze. “That would be a start.”. He tried his best to keep his voice hard but he could feel it waver with every word. “Why?”

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I closed my eyes briefly. “Why apologize? Why explain? Because well first off I am not what you think. I did not think you would want the kind of trouble that keeps following me around. I have been looking over my shoulder too long. I was, am, terrified that I would do something to cock this up. Besides what I have already bloody well done, and I am sorry, Quiet Man.” I fidget and play with my hair. I cannot help being nervous. Serious conversation does that to me. Puts me off balance and I would bet all the tea in Britain that he knows it.

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Finnlay took in all that Jocelyn had said. His mind was trying to process it all. He let a small laugh out of his lips at hearing her call him Quiet man. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time.” He looked at her again, studying her and trying to figure out what she meant by ‘I am not what you think.’ He had felt a little insulted that she thought he wouldn’t understand the whole looking over your shoulder life, but then again she didn’t know everything he had gone through so he couldn’t hold that against her. “You know playing with your hair always gave away that you were nervous.” Taking Another breath he thought how best to continue with her. “If you were in trouble or something why didn’t you talk to me? Ask for help anything. You just wandered off and I had no idea what happened to you.” He could his temper starting to flair as he continued talking. “Bloody hell I thought you had died until I found out you had gone to New York.” He paused for a moment in shock. He wasn’t supposed to mention the part where he had tracked her down and found she had gone to New York. He just hoped that she wouldn’t notice but he knew she had caught that especially with the look on her face.

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I quit fiddling with my hair stunned. I couldn't believe it. “You tracked me down? Why?”

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Finnlay let out a sigh. He hoped he could have kept that a secret but of course his temper had Royally screwed him once again. “Because I didn’t know what had happened to you. I thought had been killed or kidnapped or worse. Once I found you in New York and knew that you were safe I left. It seemed like you clearly wanted nothing left to do with me or anyone else here so I left and acted like I had no clue what happened. if he thought about it, it was probably weird that he had spent all the time it took to make sure she was safe from her point of view. But he was fine if that made her mad, it was worth it in his book. He just hoped she wouldn’t start trying to figure out how he had done it. That was a long list of barrier secrets that he did not want to start unburying.

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I was stunned and worried. I had people try to follow me and had lost them. Was I losing my touch? Is that how SHIELD and Hydra had found me? “You might want to sit down for this. I am a mutant. And I took off because I did not want to burden you with that knowledge. Now I really have no choice and need somewhere safe to lay low. Apparently my cover has been blown. And I have no idea how bad it really is.” I had pulled my hair across my shoulder and was fidgeting with it realizing finally what I was doing flipped it back over my shoulder. I was nervous and rightly so. I had pretty much bailed on him two years ago. I still wanted to know how he'd managed to find me but it was always better to not drag it out of him. He clammed up if he thought you were forcing it from him.

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Finnlay just kept his eyes locked on her. He had not been expecting that to come from her. He had always had his suspicions about her being a mutant as well but was never sure. He wasn't sure what to say back to her after that. He had asked her about her past before but she had always dodged the question somehow. “What happened to you that would make you not trust me? I mean I get not wanting to trust others but I thought I always made it clear I would watch out for you.” He was doing his best to dance around how he had found her or how he could understand. Even if she had just confessed to him about something like that there was no way he could. No matter what danger she was in there the danger that followed him would be far worse. “Why have you been running? And more importantly what could be so bad that you would open up about being a mutant to me.” Looking at her seriously he said “Just what kind of trouble are you in love.”

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Just like that I felt like a heel. One bloody word and I feel like a right get. I blow out a breath. I hate feeling like this but he deserves an answer. “It is not that I do not trust you, if I did not trust you I would not be here now Quiet Man.” I sighed deeply. “I have a hard time losing people I care about and I have learned that distance is better than hurting. Please believe me when I say that leaving tore out a piece of me. Which is still here in your hands.” I laugh humorlessly. “I was twenty over sixty years ago, and have lost too many friends to lose someone more important than that. Ever heard of something called Weapon X?” I looked at him imploringly.

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He looked shocked by everything that was happening. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. If she had problems with weapon X then that could lead to big conflicts later on. “Yes I’ve heard of them and I know what they do.” He was trying his best to piece together how she fit into this. Given her being 20 60 years ago according to her he figured her power must have been healing or immortality. He had heard stories of someone with a similar ability in China though it was never proven as far as he was aware. ‘They probably want to duplicate that power for their beloved super soldiers.’ “Why are you asking about Weapon X?” He asked as he could feel himself ready for a fight. He didn’t think she would be with them given how she was acting but he never knew and as far as he new they could have tracked her all the way here.

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“That is what my parents turned me over to at the age of six. The torture and experimentation I underwent changed my original mutation of just healing touch to add in regeneration. Then when they could prove that took they pumped me full of every organic and man made toxin, poison and venom they could. That was horrific. I have worked to purge the toxins but they are a part of me. I can isolate it to my left hand hence why I wear gloves. Spent some time running and I am done with that for now.” I sigh heavily and shudder reliving my memories.

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Finnlay stared into her eyes before she closed them at reliving the horrible past she had just described. “I’m so sorry Hálainn. I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like to go through all those experiments. But trust me when I say I know what it’s like to live like this.” He paused for a brief second “On the run I mean of course.” He said to quickly trying to cover up the major slip he had just made. He was usually much more calm and collected than this but he was nervous and she could see it. He wasn’t worried about her thinking he was a freak or something considering she was a mutant as well. He was more scared of what would happen she put the other pieces together.

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Shaking off the past I look up at Finnlay. “That is the short version. I am not up for the long version tonight.” I tilt my head back closing my eyes. Stretching like a cat I open my eyes and look right at him. “You keep clarifying your statements. You can either tell me or not, Quiet Man. This is about reaching out to you and letting you decide what happens. As for trouble, that I have in spades.”

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Finnlay sighed giving a look of defeat to Jocelyn. “I suppose it was inevitable. Though I guess showing you would be faster and easier.” He could see Jocelyn was giving him a questioning look, but something in her eyes said that she already knew what was coming. Finnlay took a step back as so that he would be easy to see. Then he let his body slowly turn completely into a black cloud of smoke. After a few seconds passed he reformed his body just as it had been prior. He looked at her with a ting of guilt in his eyes. “I’m afraid that’s all your gonna hear tonight. The rest of it is to dangerous for you to know as thugs are now.” With that he started to walk back towards his bike. “Follow me. I have your money in my bike. If you need a place to lay low you can come by my apartment, no one should find you there.” He stopped for a minute before adding. “And as for the job you can either work at the boxing gym as a sort of Assistant or at the Black Rose as a bartender.” Finnlay stopped for a moment before adding “Don’t tell a soul about what you saw under any circumstance. Not to a friend, dog, or to a boyfriend.” He had hesitated with the last part of that request but he had chalked it up to it being late.

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I had to laugh at that last part. I answered after I could breathe. “Right boyfriend. That is rich. How do you keep something like what I am from a boyfriend? It was hard enough keeping it from you. So secrets on both sides. I am fine keeping it. Bartender is probably too much exposure. Assistant will do fine. I am exhausted and I have more to tell you but I need sleep.”

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Finnlay and Jocelyn had made it back to their bikes. Reaching into the bag on the back of his bike he grabbed an envelope. “There should be 600 dollars in there. Hopefully that’s enough to get you started before you get paid for helping at the gym.” He said as he handed over the envelope with a smile. “Like I said I have room at my apartment if you need a place to lay low. If not I’ll see you 8:00 tomorrow at the gym.” By the time he was done he had already put on his helmet and glasses. Once he new that she heard him he stared up the motorcycle and began to drive away.