Mistress Dizzy

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

In the corner furthest from the unmanned bar, the action was picking up. A cheering circle of casually dressed adults marked off the makeshift battle ring. Most of them had drinks in their hand, and were either watching the fight or chatting. New faces and old staff enjoying themselves. A small marker board had been set up, with a paper taped to it. It read simply. “Rules – 1. No killing strikes. 2. No weapons. 3. Don’t fuck up the Lounge. – see Jake for More”

Underneath that, a pair of names were written in red marker.

Pim vs. Queen

A man’s Cajun accented voice floated above the rest. “3 minute mark! Can Pim turn things around, or is Queen gonna take the cash?” This came from Jake, who was marked as such by an absolutely ridiculous gold plated necklace that said “Jake” on it. He also had a microphone and was clearly having the time of his life narrating the makeshift match in a theatrical voice.

The crowd cheered and shifted as one as one of the combatants got shoved to the edge of the circle. Pim was tall, heavily built, and looked like he watched MMA breakdowns on his days off. White, mid-20s, arrogant, a dime a dozen in security and goon work. He was also losing – and not happy about it.

“Hold still!” He declared as he launched a vicious kick at the other occupant of the ring. It seemed that his opponent had other ideas. Monae Queen redirected his attack and momentum with a textbook application of Bagua Zhang, leaving her opponent half stumbling toward the other side. With a teasing smirk, she smacked Pim on the back of the head as he flailed.

“Nahhh!” Laughter echoed through the crowd. Her dreadlocks were pulled back in a ponytail, and she made a red fitted tee, and black leggings look like haute couture. In contrast, she looked calm and almost bored. Again and again, she gracefully dodged and drifted and parried him, to the building amusement of the assembly.

“Aww! You *almost* got me that time.” Nearly sending him to his knees on the floor seemed to be the last straw for Pim. Red-faced, he launched himself at Queen in a brutal sequence.

“Fight me, you bitch!”

“...Fine.” The mocking smile on her face dropped. Queen uncoiled, her counterattack so sudden it was invisible. One moment, Pim was on the attack. The next, he was getting a series of swift strikes in the ribs. The last sent him sailing, ass over ankles, out of the ring.

Jake quickly counted down. “One! Two! Three! Aaand The winner is Miss Queen!” He pulled out a roll of cash and tossed it to Monae, who caught and counted. “What’s the move, cherie? Calling it quits, or double or nothing?”

Monae pursed her lips, briefly, before tossing the cash back. “Double it!”

“OK, you bastards, bitches and baddies! Who wants some walking around money! Who’s got the guts to get the G’s and glory?!”

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Kalen Fiaccola was not having a good day.

In fact, the past 24 hours had been among the worst of his life. Not the absolute worst, mind. That distinction belonged to the day before his Magick awakened, when he was convinced he was having some kind of psychotic break. Then the church had burned down, which caused no small amount of relief – he wasn’t crazy – and then a subsequent wash of guilt that he’d been relieved by an event that had claimed multiple lives.

The only other day that had been even close to that awful was the time he was 14, went to Christopher Andretti’s birthday party and got busted smooching the birthday boy in the hall closet. In retrospect, that hadn’t ended too terribly. Once the teenage mortification died down anyway. He and Chris had gone to the junior prom together, he’d been an excellent first boyfriend. He and Jin had gone to Chris’ wedding last year and laughed about the whole thing.

So as far as the list of shitty days, this would be a solid second. Since he’d arrived in Las Vegas, he’d managed to lose his bags in the back of the Uber, dropped his phone in a gross puddle on the strip, and was already sporting a nasty sunburn on the back of his neck since his good sunscreen was in his bag, in the back of the aforementioned Uber, who had vanished to parts unknown. Thank God he hadn’t packed the ring in there, otherwise the whole trip would have been a very expensive disaster.

If things had gone properly, he would have met his beloved Jin at the top floor of the second fanciest hotel in Vegas. He’d gone over the words of his proposal so many times he could confess his undying love in his sleep. Everything had been ready. Not perfect, but as close as he could get it.

But Jin hadn’t shown up for dinner last night. Or answered his many calls since. It would be one thing if they was the type of person to flake on a moment’s notice, but no. They were probably one of the smartest, well organized people Kalen had ever met. One hour had turned into two, had turned into three, had turned into sympathetic glances and whispers from the servers, a comped bottle of unopened champagne, and a morning of subtle but increasing panic.

Something was wrong. His Magick had been whispering it since he got off the plane, buzzing at the back of his senses like a fly. But he’d honestly thought he was just nervous. Who wouldn’t be? After he’d given in and gone back to his hotel, he’d made a valiant attempt at a location spell. One tea candle, one precise thirty second alarm on his watch, one single question –

“Where is Jinayah Ifriti right now?”

He’d shielded the tiny flame while slipping out the back door of the hotel where it seemed to push opposite of the wind. Pointing him down the neon lit streets, down a dumpster alley, and suddenly - shoulder to shoulder with a stranger carrying two massive trash bags. To his shame, he’d dropped it. He’d dropped the candle upon contact, and after apologies given and waved off, picked it up again.

It was too late. The flame was snuffed. Nothing but a haze of smoke that his powers couldn’t grasp the direction of.

To his further shame, he’d tucked his back against the greasy brick and simply cried for a few minutes. He felt like he used to as a kid: overwhelmed with anxiety to a degree that made his vision narrow and skin prickle with panic.

Once he’d calmed enough to speak, he lifted his phone to his ear. His Avatar didn’t have a phone number, but no one looked at you weird when you talked to yourself with a device to your ear. “Alessandra… what am I supposed to do now? Should I go back and try again?”

She didn’t always answer, but it was useful advice when she did.

“Chin up. Look ahead.”

Usually useful, anyway.

“I appreciate the pep talk, I’m good now, but I really need to know what to-” The lightest pressure struck the back of his head, like a delicate smack to corral a misbehaving child.

“Look. Ahead.”

She wasn’t always a woman of words. Kalen took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his head as he straightened up. He figured that she was just telling him to man up, in so many words – until he caught the edge of a poker chip against the harsh city lights.

“What the hell… that’s a 10k chip, isn’t it?” He hadn’t bothered to step into any of the casinos yet. Jin – and the lack of Jin - had taken focus. “Damn.” He picked it up, and then looked around. Did the trash guy drop it? But that had been several minutes ago, and he had no idea where the stranger had come from or gone to.

“Well. Maybe I can get my screen replaced if I cash this.” Maybe his luck was turning around.

-

Or maybe he was going to die in some random drug deal in an alley. Kalen was facing a very random assortment of men. One of them looked strung out, one of them was dealing cards like a retiree on a Sunday morning, did that guy have a gun? - and all of them made his senses bristle.

This whole situation smelled, and it wasn’t the rust and rot that was doing it.

“Heh… This is not my hotel, Google Maps.” He found himself smiling in what he hoped was a placating way. Slowly, his fingernails clicked against the wood of his rosary, a calming motion. He’d dealt with weird before – he was from Chicago, cities were just like that sometimes. Best to not make any sudden moves.

"Any of you fine gents know where the nearest bus stop is?"

Young Justice

Further down in the water, Kassy sat beneath the waves in a meditative pose. She had dyed her white hair a brilliant auburn and was wearing a cute pastel blue bikini that left her movements unrestricted. The water was cool and clear and she could feel the busy lives in the current. She felt peaceful. It was perfect... almost. But there was still a weight on her chest.

It had been a long month. Her presence for Ja's shift and her naming of his third major alter had changed her life. Ro trusted her - and she guarded him with quiet care. Kilamanjaro needed her to be strong, and so she'd slowly built the sort of confidence that he showed her. His introduction to the rest of the team had been awkward, to say the least. She had taught the others the rules she knew - how to show their happiness to Ro without baring their teeth, how to approach him to not seem too weak. She'd apologized for her anger, and stepped up her therapy sessions.

Things were healing.

Still, something in her felt that words weren't enough to mend the rift. Words were just noise, without action to match.

For the way she'd hurt her family, something bigger had to be done. A surprised burst of bubbles escaped her lips as she suddenly knew exactly what. With a hearty splash, she burst to the surface and swam for the shore. With a wide grin, she strode up the beach, quite unaware of the lingering stares of strangers that followed. Admiration? Attraction? Who cared? Not Kassy. She only had eyes for one, and there he was.

"Ro! Come help me hunt a fish!"

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

I Hear Trouble Coming

”I have a bad feeling about this...”

youtu.be/nuYSarZXzrE

Tradition ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Silver Bridges (Cult of Ecstacy) Spheres ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Time Entropy Spirit ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	_______________________________________________ Full Name: Kalen Alessandro Fiaccola Age: 22 Outlook: Kalen is outwardly a social butterfly – polite and well-mannered, the sort that makes friends easily. He's got a sweet smile, classic charm and a firm handshake. In truth, he’s more or less an energetic introvert. People drain him. He counts the people he can truly trust outside of his direct family on one hand. The rest of his “friends” don’t get to see the moments when the smile comes off his face. He’s learned to bury his anxiety deep. Even though his awakening eased the burden of his gift to some degree, a busy crowd will overwhelm him. Sometimes he just wants to be alone. There are times when he stops being friendly, but usually someone has to really get under his skin to do that. Or bother his loved ones. His usual method of magic looks a lot like prayer. His family has been Catholic for a long time, and despite his newfound outlook, the trappings and practice are still a comfort. Praying to God and adjusting the world around him are not concepts that are at odds in his mind. Who's to say God didn't give him a blessing? Despite the strange twist his life has taken, his faith remains. He has a worn rosary of wooden beads, and a golden cross necklace as foci. He also has a very expensive watch that is… just a watch. But it does aid him in keeping his future sight intact. He also relies on Coincidental magic quite a bit. Many people will swallow a story from a friendly stranger with a “gut feeling”, and playing his skill off as just a happy sequence of events keeps him from unsettling reality too much. His Avatar looks a little bit like him, and a little bit like his mom. No one he’s been able to place on the family tree. She calls herself Alessandra, and Kalen takes her advice as one would a beloved aunt.	Personal History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ The Fiaccola has always been a little… sensitive. Certain skills run in his family, like intuition, prophecy, a sixth sense. So does a propensity toward certain illnesses, according to his father. Heartburn, ulcers, alcoholism. Ones that don't get discussed out loud, especially among the men: anxiety, depression, paranoia, and worse. Kalen was always an anxious kid. Jumping at shadows, hiding behind doors. Medication and therapy techniques helped to a point. He made friends, two of which he would bond with for life: Giovanni and Jin. The dreams didn’t start until his junior college year. His name being called, over and over, by someone he felt he should know. Things that hadn’t happened – couldn’t happen – until they did. Knowing his family history, he feared he was losing his mind. He went back home to his parents in Chicago, who welcomed him with the love they always did. They comforted him, and let him know that no matter what happened, they would always be there. “You can lose your mind, but you’re not losing us.” That night, he had one of the worst nightmares of his life. That morning, he begged his parents not to go to church, to stay home. He could not express why, through his panic, but he was so certain. That afternoon, they all watched the news as their beloved old neighborhood church burnt to ashes – century-work wiring sparking a fire that would have claimed their lives along with a dozen other parishioners. Kalen Awoke shortly after that. Plot Hooks ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Jin seems to have stood him up for dinner – and isn’t answering his calls. Kalen isn’t leaving the city until he finds out what’s going on.

<sub>Affiliations
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}




Character: Jin Ifriti – his brilliant beloved and (hopefully) future fiance. Works as a freelance software engineer.

Alvaro Fiaccola – his great uncle on his father’s side. Was institutionalized for schizophrenia before Kalen’s father was born. Presumed dead. (He Awakened – badly. Turned into a Marauder and started talking about nuclear bombs and ubermen that were secretly infiltrating society and replacing humans.)</sub>

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Alright it's done.

I Hear Trouble Coming

”I have a bad feeling about this...”

youtu.be/nuYSarZXzrE

Tradition ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Silver Bridges (Cult of Ecstacy) Spheres ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Time Entropy Spirit ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	_______________________________________________ Full Name: Kalen Alessandro Fiaccola Age: 22 Outlook: Kalen is outwardly a social butterfly – polite and well-mannered, the sort that makes friends easily. He's got a sweet smile, classic charm and a firm handshake. In truth, he’s more or less an energetic introvert. People drain him. He counts the people he can truly trust outside of his direct family on one hand. The rest of his “friends” don’t get to see the moments when the smile comes off his face. He’s learned to bury his anxiety deep. Even though his awakening eased the burden of his gift to some degree, a busy crowd will overwhelm him. Sometimes he just wants to be alone. There are times when he stops being friendly, but usually someone has to really get under his skin to do that. Or bother his loved ones. His usual method of magic looks a lot like prayer. His family has been Catholic for a long time, and despite his newfound outlook, the trappings and practice are still a comfort. Praying to God and adjusting the world around him are not concepts that are at odds in his mind. Who's to say God didn't give him a blessing? Despite the strange twist his life has taken, his faith remains. He has a worn rosary of wooden beads, and a golden cross necklace as foci. He also has a very expensive watch that is… just a watch. But it does aid him in keeping his future sight intact. He also relies on Coincidental magic quite a bit. Many people will swallow a story from a friendly stranger with a “gut feeling”, and playing his skill off as just a happy sequence of events keeps him from unsettling reality too much. His Avatar looks a little bit like him, and a little bit like his mom. No one he’s been able to place on the family tree. She calls herself Alessandra, and Kalen takes her advice as one would a beloved aunt.	Personal History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ The Fiaccola has always been a little… sensitive. Certain skills run in his family, like intuition, prophecy, a sixth sense. So does a propensity toward certain illnesses, according to his father. Heartburn, ulcers, alcoholism. Ones that don't get discussed out loud, especially among the men: anxiety, depression, paranoia, and worse. Kalen was always an anxious kid. Jumping at shadows, hiding behind doors. Medication and therapy techniques helped to a point. He made friends, two of which he would bond with for life: Giovanni and Jin. The dreams didn’t start until his junior college year. His name being called, over and over, by someone he felt he should know. Things that hadn’t happened – couldn’t happen – until they did. Knowing his family history, he feared he was losing his mind. He went back home to his parents in Chicago, who welcomed him with the love they always did. They comforted him, and let him know that no matter what happened, they would always be there. “You can lose your mind, but you’re not losing us.” That night, he had one of the worst nightmares of his life. That morning, he begged his parents not to go to church, to stay home. He could not express why, through his panic, but he was so certain. That afternoon, they all watched the news as their beloved old neighborhood church burnt to ashes – century-work wiring sparking a fire that would have claimed their lives along with a dozen other parishioners. Kalen Awoke shortly after that. Plot Hooks ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Jin seems to have stood him up for dinner – and isn’t answering his calls. Kalen isn’t leaving the city until he finds out what’s going on.

<sub>Affiliations
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}


Character: Jin Ifriti – his brilliant beloved and (hopefully) future fiance. Works as a freelance software engineer.

Alvaro Fiaccola – his great uncle on his father’s side. Was institutionalized for schizophrenia before Kalen’s father was born. Presumed dead. (He Awakened – badly. Turned into a Marauder and started talking about nuclear bombs and ubermen that were secretly infiltrating society and replacing humans.)</sub>

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

@Fiber *blank stare* For the newly Awoken... uhh...

whazzat mean?

Actually, speaking of new. I know you said you want us to be relatively new Mages. But how long is "new"? A year? 6 months?

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Working on a psychology grad student on a break...

Not sure about the Tradition though. Despite it seeming tailor made for Verbena, she's not happy with the current state of mental health medicine and seeks to bring about change.

She's just got so much more than she bargained for...

Anyway going wtih Mind, Life and possibly Correspondence. Not sure about the third.

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

Could I get a version of the cs skeleton with all the coding bits? Whenever I try to copy / paste stuff like that, it breaks in new and difficult ways.

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

If you're playing the orphan I'm switching ideas. @Shifter_Master

Mage The Ascension: Illusion and Reality in the City of Sin

I don't know one from the other, but the 2nd name sounds nice.