Maria Stone stood on the front steps of the main house at the Ardelean estate on the outskirts of Titan City, waiting after she rang the doorbell. Shortly, a young man opened the door. “Can I help you?” he asked quietly.
“You must be Andrei. I’m Maria Stone, I have an appointment to interview your sister?”
Andrei nodded. “Come in. And please, be as quiet as possible. Sounds that for us are a comfortable volume can be intensely painful for her. She’s still working on the dampeners she needs to survive in a normal environment. Take off your shoes and follow me.”
Maria slipped off her shoes, placing them with the other shoes next to the door and followed Andrei through the house. He led her to a heavy-looking door. Picking up a set of headphones from the table next to the door, he held them out to her. “You’ll need these to hear her clearly, and you mustn't speak louder than the softest whisper. To her, even a loud whisper’s like shouting in her ears.”
“How did she end up like this?” the woman whispered.
“She’ll explain it better than I could.” He held a set of headphones to his own ear and raised his voice slightly, though still spoke quietly. “Elena, the reporter is here to speak with you.” The woman quickly put the headphones to her ears and listened closely.
A soft whisper, obviously amplified, came through the headphones. “Already, Andrei? Does she know to be as quiet as possible?”
“Yes, Elena, I’ve told her.”
“You’ve set up the recorder for her?” came the whispered reply.
“Yes Elena.” Andrei looked at Maria, gestured toward the laptop sitting on the table, and whispered, “the sounds of writing hurt her ears if she’s in the same room, so we’ve set up a recorder out here for your interview. The microphone built into the headphones will pick up your voice.” She nodded.
“She can come in, then.”
Andrei nodded and carefully, as quietly as possible, opened the door. “Be careful you don’t get tangled in the blankets we’ve set up to block the light,” he whispered. Maria nodded and stepped through the door. Before Andrei silently closed it behind her and left her in near-total darkness, she was able to see that several heavy blankets had been stapled to the ceiling and hung to the floor, separating the doorway from the room. Carefully she felt for the space she’d glimpsed before the door closed, where the blankets overlapped. Finding the edge of a blanket, she cautiously made her way through.
The room was large and dark, lit only by a small, very dim lamp in the near left corner with a chair next to it. There was a bed to the right, and directly across the room from her stood a woman in front of a workbench that was covered in objects that she couldn’t make out in the dim light. The woman leaned over one of the objects on the corner of the workbench, and the whispered voice came through her headphones. Obviously, that particular object was the microphone.
“Hello, Miss Stone. The chair by the lamp is for you.”
“Hello, Elena. Please call me Maria,” Maria whispered. She frowned as she saw Elena noticeably wince in the dim light, and tried to whisper even more quietly. “Was that too loud?”
“Yes, but your second try was much better.”
“Alright.” She moved to the chair as quietly as she could and sat down. “Exactly how sensitive is your hearing?”
“This room is very heavily soundproofed, but I can still hear a pin drop on the carpet in the hallway.”
“I’m guessing this started when your parents died two years ago? And is why nobody’s seen you since then?”
“Yes, though it’s not just my hearing. It’s all of my senses. A month ago, I couldn’t even have that lamp in here. Six months ago, anything touching my skin that wasn’t as smooth as glass was almost painful. Even now, I can’t stand to wear anything but the softest silk for longer than an hour or so. But I’m making progress. Hopefully the next set of hearing dampeners I enchant will be effective enough to let Andrei play his guitar without worrying about it hurting my ears. Eventually I hope to have improved the dampeners enough to have a normal life again, but I’ll most likely always be extremely sensitive now matter how much I improve them. So far I’ve only been able to reduce the impact of sensations so that they’re more tolerable. I haven’t been able to reduce my sensitivity at all.”
“Do you know what did this to you?”
“It was backlash from a disrupted spell. Sometimes, when you’re interrupted while casting a spell, the energies can’t just dissipate the way they normally do, and they either rebound back on the caster or expend themselves in some other way. In either case it can be very dangerous and have chaotic and unpredictable effects. Mom was in the middle of showing me how to create a privacy ward when she was killed, and the backlashing energies latched on to me. Usually the effects of backlash don’t last longer than a week or two, but...” she let out a nearly silent sigh that the microphone barely picked up. “In every known case where it’s lasted longer than a month, the effects have been permanent.”
“You have my sympathy. I hope you’re able to return to a more normal life soon.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, you’ve been talking about magic. You said that your mother was teaching you before she was killed. In fiction, characters with magic often have a family history of it. How far back in your family line does using magic go?”
“That’s more of a question for Andrei - he’s more interested in the history. I know it goes back to centuries ago in Romania, but I can’t be much more specific than that. I’ve always focused more on practical knowledge.”
“Does Andrei use magic also?”
“He can do a little, but not much. If he tries summoning fire, for example, he’s the equal of a wooden match, but a zippo lighter would have him beat. That’s one thing I do know about the family line - the power is passed down through the daughters.”
“That seems a bit unusual.”
“According to my grandmother, Kali herself made it work that way as a sort of counterbalance for how families were becoming more and more patriarchical over time, and supposedly Kali will turn her back on us and our power will fade away if we stop honoring her. Obviously, honoring her has been a very important part of our lives since we were too little to remember.”
“Kali as in the Hindu goddess?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting...but as fascinating as all this is, what I’d really like to hear about most, at least for this interview, is what you can tell me about what happened that night at The Gypsy Cauldron.”
“I can’t really tell you much. Mom was teaching one of her regular classes on magic that evening. I remember the theme for the night was wards. Dad had just showed up with pizza for everyone, and mom was demonstrating how to cast a privacy ward before we took a break to eat. Before she finished casting it, there was a flash of light, and then - for me, at least - the world exploded. The next thing I knew was waking up in what was essentially an enchanted sensory deprivation tank. It wasn’t until later that we were able to confirm that my condition was caused by backlash and not a spell from whoever attacked the shop...by then it had lasted long enough that we knew it was probably permanent. Why are you so interested in what happened?”
“My own mother disappeared in the explosion at the Center For the Study Of Magic And Science ten years ago. I’m hoping to find any information that might help me learn what happened and maybe even get her back if it’s possible.”
“So you thought that what happened to our parents might be similar?”
“Yes.”
“I see. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more than I already have. Maybe if you spoke to some of the others who were there that night...like I said, for me, the world exploded as soon as whatever that flash of light was interrupted my mother’s spellcasting.”
Maria nodded. “What causes spells to backlash like that?”
“That’s...a complicated question. Please sit perfectly still for just a moment.” Elena turned her head, looking over the workbench, and it was only then that Maria realized that, other than turning to speak into the microphone, Elena had been absolutely, almost unnaturally, motionless the entire time she was in the room. She watched as Elena picked a bowl up from the workbench and placed it upside down in another spot, then slid a sheet of paper under it, wincing at the noise it made as she did so, then returned to the microphone.
“Sorry. As I said, that’s a complicated question. I’m not sure I have the energy to explain it adequately right now.”
“Maybe another interview later?”
“I think that would work better, yes.”
“Alright. We’ll save that one for later, then. How did you learn to stand so still? I didn’t even realize it until you did whatever you did just now.”
“When your tiniest movement sounds like a herd of stampeding elephants to your own ears...”
“Ah. Right.” Maria fought down the urge to squirm in her seat. “How noisy am I to you?”
In the dim light Maria could just barely make out a smile on Elena’s face. “You’re like a bull in a china shop to me. Your tiny movements, your breathing, your heartbeat...and that’s not even considering my other senses. Thank you for not wearing perfume or even scented deodorant. The scent of your shampoo and body wash is really strong but mixes well with your personal scent. I’ve always liked strawberries and vanilla.”
Maria blushed, swallowed, and then blushed deeper when she realized how loud that must have been to Elena. “Umm. Thank you, and you’re welcome. Am I really that noisy to you?”
“Yes, though I think it was worth it, just to not be alone for a while. Even Andrei still avoids coming in longer than needed to bring me food despite the improvements I’ve been making to the dampeners. But I’m getting tired. Would three days from now be a good time to continue?”
Maria thought for a moment, then barely stopped herself from nodding. “Yes. Will that be enough time for you to recover from however badly my presence has been hammering at your senses?”
“Yes, and also it will give me time to prepare some spells that will work to temporarily supplement my dampeners.”
“Well, then, perhaps I should get going and let you rest for now.” As quietly as she could, which she supposed sounded like a major industrial construction site to Elena, Maria rose to her feet.
“Just a moment. Please give this to Andrei. I’ll help you with the blankets over the door.” Elena turned again and picked up the bowl and paper. Turning them so the bowl was right side up and held the paper - which turned out to be cardstock - in place over it, she held it out to Maria, who took it and held it the same way. Elena then moved to the blankets and pulled them open, taking care to stand where the light coming from around the door wouldn’t be reaching her eyes directly. Maria stepped through and Elena closed them again. A moment later she heard through the headphones, “Thank you for coming to see me.”
As quietly as she could, Maria opened the door and stepped into the hallway, to find Andrei sitting in a chair nearby. “Did it go well?” he whispered.
“Yes, and we agreed to meet again in three days. She asked me to give you this.” She held out the bowl to him.
Andrei picked up the headphones next to the laptop and softly said, “Elena, what’s this bowl?”
“A spider that was on my workbench. I think it got lost. Please set it free in the garden, would you?” Maria immediately shuddered and stiffened, and held the bowl as far away from herself as she could. Andrei took it and set it on the table, cardstock still in place on top of it.
“Spiders don’t bother you?” She asked quietly.
“I used to think they were really creepy until I learned that they actually do make noise,” came through the headphones.
“Oh. I guess having your senses changes your perspective quite a bit.”
“More than you can imagine.”
Andrei quietly shut down the recording software and held out a thumb drive to Maria, who took it.
“I’ll see you in a few days,” came Elena’s voice through the headphones.
“I’ll see you then.” Maria looked at Andrei, who had picked the bowl back up, and whispered, “I can find my way to the door, you just go take care of that...that...thing.” She shuddered again as she looked at the bowl.
Andrei nodded and walked off, and she showed herself out.
————
A/N: Interview complete! Also, by the time the game goes live, she will have improved the dampeners to the point she can function in the city :)
Wow this was a great read! Poor Elena, I really hope she finds away to cancel out the enchantment or at least reduce the severity of it. I hope you are planning on posting more!
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
I am, but it’s going to take some time to work out a lot of details about her and her brother. This was actually completely off the cuff, and I’m still working on the next chapter of my story over on the DCUO forums as well.
(Note, if anyone wants to detail out Maria Stone, feel free, she’s a newspaper/magazine reporter, I don’t have any details other than her name, and no real plans of doing anything with her beyond facilitating this interview that introduces Elena and Andrei.)
I do most of my composing and decomposing on Google-docs, or in Word, before posting on forums. That allows me better grammar and spell-checking and leaves me a more permanent record of my 'brilliant' writing. *grin* Also, that lets me share, more easily with friends and first-editors, so the story is more often 'brilliant'.
I agree, this is an interesting take on origins and powers. I also hope that the Ardeleans can work out a way to overcome these handicaps, so they can take their places among the 'super' families of Titan City.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Ok here goes:
Maria Stone is not your regular reporter. Her passion on the material she covers goes beyond what others report on. She doesn't go after the politics, the local event in Titan City, or even the cat who was rescued from a tree by a super.
Her mother was Elizabeth Mary Stone, and she was one of the leading scientists tasked with finding a better understanding of how magic and science work together in order to find a way to prevent magic from being dangerously unstable or unreliable. One of the first nationally read articles released by her and her team at the Center for the study of Magic and Science, dug deep into how magic often followed its own laws, much like the laws found in nature. And for every spell or enchantment that is not performed a certain way it could unleash forces that could affect others or even the person casting it.
Elizabeth was a great mother to Maria. And Maria was always curious in learning from her mother when it came to the curiosities of magic.
One night, when Maria was only 13 years old, her life took a terrible turn. Her mother had stayed late at the Center apparently working on a great discovery. It was rumored that the brilliant minds at the Center made a finding that would completely change the way magic was used.
It was around 9PM when Elizabeth called in to check on Maria and her babysitter and to wish Maria a good night and tell her she loved her. It was the last time she would hear her mothers words. There was a huge explosion at the Center. Witnesses say what they saw that night was one of the most beautiful, bizarre, and horrific things they had ever seen.
Some witnesses say there were fireworks shooting out of the building of all different colors. The fireworks seemed to explode and expand as they surrounded the building. The beautiful sparkles of light turned into a raging fire that consumed everyone and everything inside. The bodies of all the scientists were never recovered. And investigations concluded that it was an accident. But Maria never forgot those events. And to this day she believes her mother may still be alive. Ever since she has dedicated her life at finding out more about magic, and how it really works in hopes to finding her mother.
Ok so feel free to use any of what I wrote or none of it lol. Im not the best at grammar, but your story really inspired me to write something to explain why Maria is who she is and when you asked for ideas I immediately started writing LOL.
Anyway, I hope to read more from these characters, I truly enjoyed it.
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
I usually work in the Notes app on my iPad (more convenient than pulling out my laptop on the road) and then transfer it to my laptop as a text file via Dropbox when I’m at home. In this case, the basic idea was bouncing around in my head for a couple of days and I needed to get it ‘out there’ both so I could get clear my head to get some more work done on my DCUO story and to motivate myself to actually keep working on this.
Wolfgang, I was more offering an open invitation to both flesh her out as a character and for people to use her in their own stories LOL. I was thinking she was just a generic rookie reporter or a cape-chasing blogger. But I like what you’ve got there. Only question is, what does she look like? (Notice I haven’t included anyone’s appearance in this initial draft - I’m planning to edit the post to add details like that later) :)
Mild spoiler here: Andrei is pretty much normal (he wasn’t present at the time to be hit by the backlash - Elena got hit with the full force of it), but with a bare smidgeon of power. Like Elena said, he’s powerful enough to be useful for lighting a candle or a cigarette, but a Zippo makes a bigger flame than he could.
An entertaining read indeed! I see a lot of potential there!
"A sad spectacle. If they be inhabited, what a scope for misery and folly. If they be not inhabited, what a waste of space." ~ Thomas Carlyle
Andrei knew that his sister didn't necessarily expect him to have much knowledge of magic due to his relative lack of power compared to her, and why should she. In all other respects he was average, from his mousy brown hair an eyes, to his height and build, he could disappear in almost any crowd anywhere in the world.
While she did know that he was more interested in the family history, she didn't realize that it was part and parcel of his desire to learn more about magic in order to try and help his sister. Even a match, applied correctly, can be a devastating thing, and he was learning how to most effectively use his limited power. In fact, he had recently used a cantrip his sister and mother had poopooed as weak to stop a robbery at a local convenience store by making them feel uneasy and nervous, and with a light suggestion, the would-be robbers fled the scene before any capes could arrive. Nothing powerful, more like setting up a subsonic frequency that instilled a sense of dread, and then mentioning that he thought he saw a bystander outside calling the cops. Heck, either of the thugs could have been more frightening than what he did, but no one was expecting it and allowed him to capitalize on the low-level effect.
He really hoped that Elena would continue to talk to Maria Stone, partly for her own sake, she needed friends and contact with others beside himself. She might also be able to help Elena with her contacts in the world of mysticism. He also wanted Maria to keep coming around for purely selfish reasons, namely, he found her highly attractive. Her auburn hair, green eyes, and alabaster skin (with a light dusting of freckles) would have caused her to stand out in any crown, but her intelligence and personality catapulted her to another level, at least in his eyes. Too bad she would never notice an average Joe like himself.
It was Blues Night at the local, maybe he would take his guitar and verbalize his heavy thoughts. He'd let Elena and Maria know before he left.
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OMG you guys are awesome! I’ll fill in a tiny bit of the family history I was planning here: as Elena said, the family line goes back to centuries ago in Romania. What she hasn’t said is that it began with a Romany (gypsy) girl who was taken in by a nobleman (haven’t determined which one - need more lore info on the history of that region) after her caravan was destroyed by the Ottomans during one of their invasions. Another key piece of info she hasn’t mentioned is where in Romania (the family name gives that away if you do some googling): Transylvania.
The family is third generation immigrants, they moved to Titan City fleeing the Nazis, and managed to retain much of the family wealth in the process. Investments have maintained what they kept, though they’re not quite 1%ers. Elena is 20 in this scene, Andrei 23. Elena is 5’4, with pale skin (she hasn’t seen the sun in two years), black hair and eyes, with a build between slender and medium, and is thin at this point in time. Slightly underweight, but healthy. Andrei’s not quite so pale (but still light-skinned) but Elena’s looks are a distinct throwback to the gypsy heritage in the family line, so once she gets out and about again, her complexion will quickly return to being noticeably darker than his. ;)
Andrei was away at college when their parents were killed. I still haven’t figured out who did it or why yet.
Some more info on Elena’s condition: as she said, it’s *all* of her senses that were affected. She actually smelled *and* heard Maria in the hallway. As far as touching things, she can touch, grip, and hold things normally, but she can feel even the tiniest imperfection, bump, and ridge in the surface she’s touching. Anything sliding across her skin feels like sandpaper as a result. Her vision is effectively similar to Riddick’s (yes, I’m referring to the Vin Diesel character) though until she improves her dampeners some more she won’t be able to compensate for that with welding goggles the way he does. Normally she leaves the lamp off during daylight hours - it’s currently on for Maria’s sake.
Through the generations, more often than not the daughters of the family have married Rom men who are able to accept that they aren’t conventional in attitude and behavior as well as the reasons for it. This means that Elena and Andrei are mostly Rom in ancestry, though Andrei’s looks come from their father (who was only half Rom) while Elena’s come from their mother.
Edit: reworked Elena’s description slightly and added info about her condition. Also, I’m throwing what we’ve got so far about Maria Stone up on the contacts request thread. I’ll delete that if you want to make her into a PC :)
Edit 2: A detail change based on some small but important tidbits I learned about Rom history in my digging, and added more info.
Heya, I actually like the idea of the three of them developing into some form of team. Andrei and Elena have magical power but are in an interesting gender-reversed power dynamic with her being the more powerful and him being the more subtle. Maria would bring an investigative component to the team.
I could see Elena as either a Hunter(Blaster) or Partisan(Corruptor), showing her raw power in her use of magic.
Andrei would almost fit, as per your original description, as a Director(Controller) or a Sentinel(Defender), showing his more subtle uses of magic.
Maria would fit best as a Ringleader or Brigadier(Mastermind), showing that she is pulling in contacts to help the group achieve their ends.
What they lack is the direct physical power of a Stalwart or Enforcer type.
I would also recommend, for poor Elena's sake, that either Andre or Maria overhear some engineering types discussing the properties of [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbothane]Sorbothane[/url]. The stuff is supposed to be the best vibration and sound (a form of vibration) dampening material around.
Check this Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwziSvLXLUE
I might add a bit more in a few places to this story, but I would like to see any 'seed' additions you might want to supply that move the characters along.
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What do you think they used to soundproof her room? The problem is that her senses are severely magically amplified in a way that can’t be directly countered. The dampeners she’s developing are magic-based. Once she’s perfected them the dampening effect will be based on the intensity of the sensation - the stronger the sensation (louder sounds, brighter light, etc) before amplification, the more effectively it’ll be dampened to a manageable level. She’ll still hear a pin drop on the hallway carpet, but standing next to a jet engine will be no worse than it would be for you or me (and let me tell you, those things are insanely loud - you do *not* want to be around when an A-10 does a flyby :D)
I’m pretty fuzzy on the various powersets/types at this point (not to mention the lore, thanks to it being scattered all over the place instead of compiled into the equivalent of a player’s handbook like for a tabletop RPG)
A team, huh? Interesting. But whose characters would Maria and Andrei be?
1. Ok, if Sorbothane doesn't dampen sound and vibration for her, or she is still 'hearing and feeling vibration' through walls and floors covered in the stuff, I would posit that she isn't actually taking in real-world sensory information, but instead has a permanent "Scrying" type effect (with a range of 'personal') on her with all the sensory inputs cranked to maximum settings. This also means that things like a sensory deprivation tank won't work for her. If this is what is going on, she is essentially a Daredevil/Zatanna cross, which is pretty powerful. And her senses would not have the same limits that Daredevil's do.
2. [url=https://cityoftitans.com/sites/default/files/CoTats_0.png]This[/url] is the latest chart I have been able to find indicating the archetypes (the underlined being the ones that should be available at launch), and [url=https://cityoftitans.com/content/power-sets]here[/url] is the overall list of powersets. I see Elena as a Partisan due to things she says and what she is doing, with her emphasis being on [url=https://cityoftitans.com/content/ranged-sets]Blasts[/url] (Force and Lethality being most likely, due to her emphasis on Andrei's offensive potential) and [url=https://cityoftitans.com/content/support-sets]Support[/url] (Barrier Generation and Preservation are her best choices due to her need to protect herself from sensory input). Andrei would most likely have a [url=https://cityoftitans.com/content/control-sets]Control[/url] set (most likely Psychic as it is more subtle) with a Support set (likely Strategy due to his thinking things through, or Devices as he most likely is the one that designed the physical protections for his sister). I indicated that I thought Maria would be a Commander of some type, most likely a Ringleader, but the powersets for the primary and secondary are not out yet, but Mitigation will most likely be buffs and debuffs (explained as information she is feeding her allies based on her research) filling a hole the team will have. The only thing they truly lack is a Frontline, but the Ringleader can cover that with her contacts (minions).
3. Why should they be somebody else's team? Culach, Jennie Frost, Abramelin, and Mighty Mite are all a team in my head, though they are all my characters. They work together by doing the things the others can't at the moment because they are doing something else. They have team dialogues in my head, meetings, mini-adventures not seen in game, things like that. If you don't like that idea, Andrei has become interesting to me.
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I agree, even though they are not teamed with each other, My characters are MIne! Although, I admit to sharing Starchild with Culach, through her twin sister. Starchild and Starchild almost always run together.
I encourage making heroes of your characters. A team, or at least a hero-group is a good idea. It would help to keep them closely related, thus, what one knows, they all might know, which helps keep your RP easier.
If not for my supergroup, none of my sorceresses would know each other and I'm just not ready to be schizophrenic, yet.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Ok, let’s see...
Culach:
1: There are gaps. Particularly around the edges of the door. And the blankets over the doorway are just that: blankets hung up to block light coming in from the doorway. And the door happens to open into the hallway. :P
2: I was thinking Elena’s magical specialty would be sensory manipulation (illusions, basically), since the technique she’s having to use for her dampeners is to, well, essentially intercept the light/sound/etc before it reaches the relevant sensory organ (eyes, ears, etc) and ‘turn down the volume’, so to speak. But she’s getting a diminishing returns effect on that, which is why her comment about always being extremely sensitive. The softer the sound, dimmer the light, etc, *initially* is, the less effect her dampening spells have on it.
As for Andrei, she wasn’t emphasizing ‘offensive potential’, she was looking for a comparison/analogy that would convey what she means to someone who (she assumes) doesn’t know anything about magic or how it works.
3: What do you mean ‘somebody else’s team’? My thought was essentially “Gaming group! Yay!” I come from old-school: AD&D, Shadowrun, Rifts, GURPS, etc. And it’s been far, far too long since I’ve had a chance at some real gaming :)
Maria Stone was at her local coffee shop working on her latest submission when the file dropped next to her laptop. She looked briefly at the file and then looked up, saw Andrei, and she nearly stopped breathing as she lost herself in his brown eyes. She had no idea why he had that effect on her, she had numerous handsome men, and celebrities in some cases, hitting on her, and this unassuming man, with a nearly forgettable appearance, just hit her between the eyes. It had nearly caused her problems when she went to interview Elena.
“I thought I might find you here,” he said as he smiled that charming smile.
“Are you stalking me?” she asked, nervously flattered if he was, but concerned as well. She saw her cousin Bruno, a low level magical brick, starting their way. Still behind the counter, he was headed towards their end of it. He seemed to believe it was his job to protect Maria, but he never really explained why. “Should I be concerned?”
“Curiosity, mostly,” Andrei replied as he nodded towards Bruno, indicating he saw him and understood that she was protected. “There may be a small amount of stalking, but I’m sure I could get off with mitigating circumstances. Any judge would look at you and wonder why you don’t have more.”
He was flirting with her, and it shocked them both. Him because he rarely did such a thing, believing women that looked the least like Maria were so far out of his league that she would turn him down automatically, and he didn’t think he could take the blow to his ego. Maria was shocked because he didn’t seem the type based on her few interactions, but secretly it pleased her. She thought that maybe there might be something there to work with, especially when she realized that he was just as shocked as she was at his comment. She smiled enigmatically at him.
Bruno Pietra was close enough to hear, and was about to get up and move this guy when he saw the smile on Maria’s face. She never smiled when she was hit on. He looked at the guy again, but didn’t see what she was interested in, but he realized everyone had different preferences. He preferred Paul Walker looking guys.
“As much as I appreciate the flattery,” she said with her smile still in evidence, “I don’t think that it’s the reason you came to see me today.” Andrei clutched desperately at the out that Maria had given him.
“True,” he said nervously, “I actually came by for two reasons. The first is that file. It contains details of what happened to Elena that weren’t in the interview recording. Yes, two were made and I listened, and I realized that you were trying to find some information, looking for something. A connection to something else it seemed.”
“I did a bit more research on you and found out what happened to your mother,” he said looking into her eyes and nearly stumbling, “and found what you were looking for. The similarities between the disappearance of your mother, and the death of ours.” He watched the stunned look on Maria’s face as she grabbed at the file and started reading. Her eyes grew wide and started to tear up as she continued to read. The appearance of the tissue box over his shoulder nearly made him jump, but looking up he saw Bruno holding it out to him and pointedly looked from Andrei to Maria. Andrei instantly understood and took the box, nodding in appreciation.
Eventually Maria put down the file, and Andrei handed her the box of tissues. Maria took them and used them to wipe away the tears that had formed, and she realized that she would have to touch up her make-up after this impromptu meeting. The effects of reading what happened to Elena, with descriptions eerily similar to the disappearance of her mother had affected her more than she thought they would.
“You said there were two reasons you came to see me today,” said Maria when she finally got control of her emotions.
“I think we need each other,” started Andrei and groaned at his word choice as he watched Maria’s eyebrow rise as she smirked through her tears, as well as a snort from Bruno. “Ok, poor word choice. What I mean is, I believe that you need Elena and I, and we need you. You need Elena and I for our knowledge of magic and power, and Elena and I need your research abilities and contacts. I also think there is strength in numbers, and I think that when whoever, or whatever, is behind what happened to our families realizes that we are looking deeper, they will come for us.” He looked pointedly at Maria and saw that she recognized the truth in what he was saying.
“Also, your interview with Elena went better than I had expected,” he continued. “I think she needs a friend who isn’t me, and what I know from researching you, I think you could use her as a friend as well.”
“And what about you?” she asked him outright. “Do you want me around more?”
He sighed and replied, “I’m not going to try to hide it. If nothing else, my previous slips should already be an indication that I would like to see more of you, with or without my sister involved. I know that you probably already have some ultra-handsome wealthy boyfriend, so I understand if you don’t really want to associate with me.” His shoulders slumped.
“Please don’t shut out Elena though,” he nearly whispered. “She needs you more than I think she realizes.”
Whatever resistance she had just melted away when she looked on his pitiful demeanor and her heart went out to him. She rose from her seat and stepped around the table and pulled him up from his seat. As he rose she took his face in her hands and pulled his head down and kissed him on the forehead, before taking him in a hug. He tentatively, at first, hugged her back. After a few minutes she stepped back while holding his hands and looked him in the eyes.
“Ok,” she said to him with a smile, “Friday night, at seven pm pick me up at my place. I want to go someplace where we have to dress up, but after that it’s up to you. Surprise me.” The smile that slowly spread across his face brightened her day, and left her wondering.
“Friday night, seven pm, dress up, got it!” The excitement on his face was contagious.
“Oh,” she said as she remembered something, “I have a friend that thinks he might be able to come up with a mystical item that can help your sister. I’ll bring it to her when he gets it to me, but let’s keep it secret until then.”
“Yeah,” he replied, “I wouldn’t want to get her hopes up if he isn’t able to come through, but I appreciate it, more than I can ever tell you. Unfortunately, I have to go. I have a few more errands to run today.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Thank you, and I will see you Friday.” Turning around he headed towards the door. He waved as he passed in front of the windows on the front.
Bruno stepped over to Maria as Andrei passed from sight.
“That was new. You’ve never been interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone,” he said with a light Italian accent.
Maria looked up at her cousin and said, “I know, but something about him seems ‘right’. Whatever that means. I have to admit though, I am scared. What if I’m not good enough for him?”
Bruno looked at her incredulously. “Really? Were you here for the same conversation I overheard? He is thinking the same thing and is probably a nervous wreck trying to think of how to impress you on Friday night. When he sees you dressed up, he is going to probably lose the ability to think for a bit.” Her eyes seemed to glaze over and a smile spread as she thought about it, she’d probably be the same way. He should probably be there to slap them both and wake them up when it happened.
“What about his idea of working together?” he asked, bringing her out of her reverie.
“I agree with him on that, and not just because I want to be near him,” she replied, her eyes hardening. “After reading that file, I believe he is right in thinking that there may be danger ahead for us, and working together is probably our best means of staying safe.”
“Then I am going to get some friends to help protect you too,” Bruno said, “He doesn’t look like he is much of a fighter.”
“I think that everyone underestimates him,” she replied with a smile. “Even his sister. I found out about a convenience store robbery that was aborted and went and watched the recording.” She turned and looked at Bruno. “It showed the robbers enter full of bravado and courage, but I could also see Andrei whispering something. Then there was a shift in the attitude of the robbers before Andrei addressed them directly and fled. The cashier said she heard Andrei mutter something before he told them that he had seen someone outside calling the cops. I think he may not be as outright powerful as his sister, but he is more subtle in the use of his power.”
“Is that the one that Piscone and Brandt were picked up for?”
“Yes,” was her response and she watched as he got a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Ok,” he said, “but I still think he might not be the greatest in a mix-up fight and sometimes, no matter how good you are with magic, that is what it comes down to. So you are still getting some back-up.”
“Fine,” she sighed in resignation as she sat back in her seat. “I need to get back to work.”
“So do I,” Bruno said. “You also have a date to get ready for.” He smiled as he watched her eyes glaze over again. It was another ten minutes before he heard her typing away again, with a smile on her face that she had never had before.
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Ok, thanks for the clarifications. I was just operating based on what I had previously read in the story and your comments. Maybe I just misinterpreted.
I too am a long-time PnP RPG player, going back so far as to once having the ChainMail (Dungeons & Dragons before taking the D&D name) pamphlets. I have also played all of the games you mentioned there, and have a regular weekly Pathfinder gathering on Mondays. I also REALLY want to find a group to play Wearing the Cape with, it being based on the FATE system.
If you don't like the new addition to the story, please let me know. The scene just erupted full blown into my head and I felt a need to get it out. I can delete the entirety of the post if you need.
And the bit with Bruno at the end is her starting to build her minions as a Commander.
BTW, I hope the chart and links helped.
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I have a tendency to catch subtle details that other people don’t think of like that. My story over on the DCUO forums...my pre-reader called me on a whole pile of things that I had to explain, and on every single one it was basically “oh. I didn’t think of that. See, that’s why you’re the writer and I just proofread.”
I’m not familiar with that game system. I did get a little bit of some superhero system or other in, Champions maybe? I don’t remember at this point, it only lasted a couple of sessions because the GM was an idiot who thought his job was to kill off the PCs.
We’re keeping that scene, that was awesome.
What I was thinking for the final form of Elena’s dampeners (once she gets the enchantments perfected) was a set of piercings: earrings for hearing, tongue for taste, a nose stud for smell, bellybutton for touch, and an eyebrow hoop for vision (or she could go Riddick on that and just wear welding goggles, once the others are in place).
Yeah, the links helped some, I need to poke some more and think things through a bit and see where this particular rabbit hole leads. I would like to finish the interview at least, I have a feeling it will give a clearer picture of quite a few things, but I’m a bit stuck on what questions Maria would ask. Perhaps RPing it out would help (does someone want to claim Maria as their character?). I also don’t have any answers as to the details of exactly what happened or what was going on behind the scenes when their parents were killed beyond what I’ve already said: their mother was in the middle of demonstrating how to create a privacy ward, the spell was disrupted at the crucial instant where the energies would backlash instead of dissipating, and they latched on to Elena with a particularly debilitating effect that could become a serious advantage if the negative aspects are mitigated. And Andrei wasn’t there, he was somewhere else (in class? Studying with a friend? College party? Athletics practice? Maybe practicing with the garage band he put together with other students? Not even sure what his major is, since you’ve claimed him, Culach, I’ll let you decide)
Glad you enjoyed the scene.
I really like that idea you have for her items, but maybe the one for her eyes should be a dark blindfold (color?) with a rune in the center. Also, maybe, because the sense of touch covers so much of the body, she needs more than a belly ring. The belly ring only works on protecting her torso, she wears special bracelets and anklets for her arms and legs and a necklace for her head and face. Really run at her old world Rom heritage.
As for what Maria asks, it could be as simple as "Can you walk me through what happened the night of the accident?" That lets Elena govern the flow of the story and puts her in the driver's seat for the narrative, something we haven't really seen yet, so we don't know her voice.
As for what happened, you can describe the positioning of her parents, the knowledge that there were others watching, a flash of light, and then the energies her mother had been handling latching on to her and putting her in the middle of what is essentially the opposite of the privacy spell. As she gets to her waking, she can let Maria know that she can't really continue the interview because her ears are in pain from so much talking. That sets up the scene in the coffee shop.
For what happened that caused the problem, Elena didn't see it, but one of the observers did. A bolt of magic came from somewhere and struck her mother at the crucial point and their father rushed to help, causing them both to vanish. The observer reported that the initial explosion looked a lot like multi-colored fireworks. (This could imply they may not be dead either, but in the same situation as Maria's mother)
For Maria, I would nominate Wolfgang (who has already added some input on her) or Fireheart (who I have worked with on other stories in the past).
I can work on What Andrei was doing, but give me some time, I don't like half-done stories in that way. Ask Fireheart about that.
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I’m not sure about the blindfold, completely opaque objects block her vision just like they do for everyone else. Some form of goggles are really the best option. And I agree on the navel piercing not being enough, I just hadn’t taken the time to think through the rest yet. Your suggestion there is probably what I would’ve come up with. I do like the idea of playing up the gypsy origins of the family line.
It wouldn’t be just her ears that bring her to end the interview; Maria’s scent, the lamp, her throat/vocal chords (they do play a part in even whispering - even Maria’s throat might end up feeling a little scratchy, especially due to not being used to whispering so softly for an extended time)... Over time it would all leave Elena utterly exhausted and drained from the strain of all the stimuli.
One thing to note: when it happened, Elena collapsed, catatonic from all the sudden painfully extreme intensity of her senses. It took Andrei convincing a mage to examine her to figure out what was going on and devise a means of temporarily blocking everything (via sensory deprivation) enough for her to recover from the catatonic state.
Whatever you want to go with for what Andrei was up to works, as long as it puts him in a different location at the time of the event. ;)
Also, I haven’t decided on what their parents did for a living. Much of their money is from investments, originating way back when a Romanian nobleman took in an orphaned gypsy girl. I’m thinking maybe their mother either taught dancing classes (belly dancing and the like), or else ran an arcane/occult/new age/etc shop and occasionally gave magic lessons. Most likely their father was there bringing dinner...
The concept came from old Romani fortune tellers who were blindfolded, but could "see" their visitors and get around with ease, and of course they could still tell fortunes using their crystal balls or tarot cards. The main idea is that it works a bit like Iron Man's helmet, he doesn't see the world through the lenses people looking at him see, he has a HUD that shows him what he needs. In essence, the side of the blindfold towards her eyes acts like a HUD and only provides the sensory input that she needs, but could also have other enchantments laid upon it, maybe it also allows her to see magical auras without having to cast a spell or spend extra time in meditation. Conceptually, it fits better than a pair of goggles on a traditionally garbed Gypsy Mystic, they would look out of place...Anachronistic.
I merely mentioned the hearing issue as a shorthand for "her senses are being overwhelmed by Maria's proximity."
I kinda figured something like that happened to Elena, that is why I said she "woke up." Otherwise she might have immediately started asking what happened. The catatonia makes sense within the narrative, and some who have recovered from that state have described it like 'waking up'.
Oh, I will come up with some short story where he is somewhere else, perhaps running late, he was "supposed to be there." When he does arrive, everything is in chaos, his parents are missing, and his sister is locked inside her own mind.
As for what their parents did: I figure that, yeah, mom probably worked as a fortune-teller or some-such, but only got to the real stuff for people who were already clued in. For dad, a different idea came to mind, but it fits the nomadic nature of the family history. He owned a chain of motels around the country, and now Andrei is not only responsible for his sister, but the family business. He'd rather be playing Blues guitar. However, the initial days after the tragedy, he was tapping heavily into the family trust and investments in order to secure the cash to get the care needed for his sister.
Edit: I also sent you a PM.
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Ahhh, ok, I see what you’re saying now. Not a bad idea, actually.
Shorthand. Got it. :)
Everything fits. I like the hotel chain idea. We just need to come up with a good name for it that isn’t already taken LOL. I’ve already had several go through my head, but they’d only work as a Halloween gimmick.
Ok. Their mother ran a mystical/new age shop as I said. The back room was divided into several areas. One was her workshop/laboratory where she crafted some of the items she sold (often giving them minor enchantments, such as good luck or love charms and the like) and studied/researched the occasional artifact that came across her hands as well as occasional work for ‘special’ clients who are ‘in the know’ (local witches/mages/etc who’ve cultivated a good working relationship with her - it was one of these who examined Elena). Other areas include(d) a space for the whole ‘gypsy fortuneteller’ schtick, a ritual space she allowed local pagan groups to use for a fee (there’s a calendar on the door showing available dates/times and schedules), a space where she gave a weekly belly dance class (gypsy dancing tends to look a lot like a combination of belly dancing and flamenco to the uninformed if you really need a tie-in justification there), and, of course, the storage area.
Wow, just re-read what I wrote in my last post, and I need to apologize, it looks to me like I was dictating to you about characters and scenarios you created.
Sorry.
Edit: I do tend to use shorthand or conceptual ideas that aren't fully formed when outlining, but get much more specific when actually writing. Fireheart can attest to that.
I will try to think of some names that might work for the Chain.
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It’s ok. I’m looking at this right now as a team/group effort to brainstorm and work out the details and such. It’s a big help. :)
As I said, my initial post was off-the-cuff and I really only had the minimal barebones basics needed to write the part of the interview scene I posted. Almost everything beyond that and what all of us who’ve posted here have worked out and locked in is still up in the air. :)
Edited my last post to add details about the shop, also.
If you're in the L.A./OC/Inland Empire area, or if you decide to do it online, please let me know; I'd like to join that game, too!
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
My job makes it iffy as to whether I could reliably participate in an online game other than Saturday nights and Sundays, but I’d love to give it a try if a group gets together.
unfortunately not in CA, I live in WA.
I also have never done an online RPG, so not entirely sure how to go about that, but we would need someone familiar with either WtC or the FATE system in general who could run it for us. My ability to concentrate for extended periods of time is iffy at best, I was recently pulled from my university studies because I could no longer stay focused long enough to get through a single class session, much less complete homework.
My Pathfinder Society games, what I play on Monday night, the other players in the game actively work with me to keep me as focused as possible to get through the game. Sometimes things get a bit surreal due to my erratic actions.
Even the writing that I did above was done in a burst of inspiration and would not have been completed had I needed to focus for longer I wouldn't have been able to finish.
IF there is a way to work around that, I generally have plenty of time for play.
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IRC was the original way to do gaming online using a mIRC script for rolling dice - I spent quite a bit of time in undernet’s #shadowrun and #shadowrun-game (the former was chat, the latter where actual game sessions took place). I wrote the script for the dicebot and would just open up another copy of mIRC to park in the channel and make the dice rolls for us.
Nowadays there are many options. I know people who go into second life and have their avatars sitting around a table that has clicky spots for rolling dice. Discord and Skype are also options (though I’m not sure how to handle dice in those to make sure nobody cheats).
I'm actually writing/running a Pathfinder-based module for Culach and his wife and I can attest to the difficulty in catching, holding, and maintaining the interest. Culach sometimes 'hummingbirds' off on the trail of another character, or loses focus on the current action. Sometimes I wish I could throw peanuts at him, but he's very good at spotting and developing connections - particularly if they're historical, geographical, linguistic, or mythological. I enjoy those, too, so we tend to spin off of each other. He's often my 'first reader' for background stories and such. Those similarities of interest are probably why we became friends in CoH and have remained such, ever since.
I would probably enjoy some WtC, as well, though I'm in Albuquerque now.
Be Well!
Fireheart
As it happens, two of our [i]Storm King's Thunder[/i] (a published D&D campaign book) players moved to TX recently, and our DM is getting ready to start using a program called Fantasy Grounds (augmented by Discord for voice) to continue the campaign. Fantasy Grounds, it turns out, supports Fate system...
I will report more on Fantasy Grounds in a couple of weeks, unless someone beats me to it. ^_^
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Ooh, didn’t know Fantasy Grounds had support for that...they don’t even have support for Shadowrun! Or at least, last time I looked they didn’t.
If someone wanted to run the game I would be amenable to that, as long as everyone understood my limitations.
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Duuuuuude, I used to live on U-net back in high school in the various FFRP chans, like #SilverBladeInn, and we had a solid dicebot for the rare occasions you needed a roll on something. Man, that takes me back. I was also in #rpg, #dragonlance, and #dnd when I was first mIRCing it up. Later on, I haunted #VampireCity and #GraylandAcademy.
The Shadowrun channels were the only ones I really spent any time in. Especially with the way we kept having impromptu RPing of downtime activities in the primary game I played in (TimB was the GM, in case you’re familiar with that crowd). It was nuts. It could’ve been a regular TV drama with enough material to run for ten years, just from that one campaign.
The name of their mother’s shop is The Gypsy Cauldron.
The Gypsy Cauldron
A small occult/new age/magic shop in Titan City
Owner: Mirela Ardelean (missing, presumed dead)
Currently being voluntarily operated by Anika Eswari Singh, a dark-skinned, four-armed Indian woman who visited often and assisted in the shop part-time before Mirela’s disappearance, and the magical items are currently being made by Wolf Moon Circle, a local pagan coven that has been regularly using the ritual space in the back room for the last several years (the only such group that Mirela considered trustworthy enough to use the space when she wasn’t in the shop.)
This small shop has much in common with other, similar pagan/new age shops, but stands out from others in a number of ways: visitors to the shop, if they are sensitive to magical energies, when entering, will notice the elaborate wards and magics woven throughout the shop itself. They would also notice that many, if not most, of the crafted items on display are highly charged with actual power and contain legitimate spellwork in their crafting. Those labeled as providing various types of protection, for instance, are actually subtly and powerfully enchanted with the appropriate spells to provide the indicated type of protection, while love charms possess spells that will draw a compatible partner to the wearer.
The books sold on the shelves in the front corner, while the selection is much smaller than many shops, have been carefully chosen for the accuracy and legitimacy of the magical information they contain. (Books with more dangerous information are kept in the storage room and not advertised or displayed, but certain trusted customers know to ask if they have a need for those.) Near the books are a couch and a couple of comfortable chairs with a small table offering coffee and cookies.
The clothing on the racks to one side all has a subtle but distinctive flair that makes people think of gypsies, and there is a preponderance of both gypsy and Kali imagery throughout the decor of the shop, though the usual selection of pagan deity imagery, icons, and symbols is on display for sale.
The air in the shop is lightly scented with a magically charged incense that discourages shoplifting, and gypsy music is playing on a stereo, softly enough to not penetrate the back rooms or interfere with conversation.
The doorway to the back room next to the checkout counter is covered with hanging beads and leads to several areas: one door opens to a ritual space that customers can sign up to use for a modest fee (sign up sheet is by the cash register and the scheduled groups/events are posted on the door - Mirela also taught twice-weekly classes on magic and spellcasting in here), one leads to an open space with mirrors on the walls where Mirela taught a weekly bellydancing class, one is the shop’s storage room, and one marked ‘private’ contains Mirela’s lab/workspace.
Another bead-curtained alcove is decorated to play up all of the gypsy fortune-teller stereotypes, and Mirela actually did at times read fortunes for paying customers - depending on the customer, this might include the whole elaborate ‘mystical fortuneteller’ act or she might skip most of the act and simply give the best advice and information she could based on her interpretation of the results of whichever method of divination/scrying she chose to use (tarot, crystal ball, etc).
Great description of the shop. I could really imagine it. I loved the part about "The air in the shop is lightly scented with a magically charged incense that discourages shoplifting"
One thing I wonder, is if having all these items that are fully charged around the shop is like having loaded guns lying around. Anyone could easily grab an item and cause damage or hurt themselves if they don't handle it properly?
I wonder if there is a spell that suppresses the power in these items until the customer purchases it or at least exits the shop first. I might be thinking too much but it popped up in my head lol
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
Anything that’s not in a locked display case isn’t going to be dangerous on its own (candles, for instance, are only dangerous if basic fire safety precautions aren’t followed, or if someone is stupid enough to, oh, say, use them as part of a demon summoning ritual. But on their own? Pretty harmless). And the spells most of the items not under lock and key are enchanted with are specifically designed with the whole “an’ it harm none” creed at their core. Cursed or monkey’s paw type stuff, not for sale. Items without a specific enchantment already in place are purified/cleansed/etc to prepare them for use, but it’s the buyer’s responsibility to not do anything stupid with them. It’s not a car dealership’s fault if that brand new sports car they just sold is used to rob a bank, after all.
Now, if Hijinx were to walk into the shop...all bets are off :P
Ahh I see..
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
Added a little more to the initial post and also post #9 (small edit plus more info added)
Don't know why I didn't pick up this before, but they would most likely use a digital recorder rather than a 'tape recorder' in this instance. Less actual noise produced, therefore better for Elena. They also tend to have longer recording times, and are more sensitive to sound so they can pick up lower volume noise to be processed later to enhance for actual listening. This part of the reason that 911 in most locations, particularly larger cities, has switched to digital format. Also, most reporters carry, and many authors, carry such devices themselves so they can record interviews.
I like the additional information at the end of the initial entry. It actually makes it feel more likely that Elena and Andrei will help her. Though I feel that Andrei would have helped her anyway, but that is more apparent in the later pieces I wrote.
Sorry, I haven't gotten back with more, life keeps getting in my way, and I refuse to just post something. I need to feel what I write, otherwise it just dies right there. I also have an attention issue, so please be patient with me.
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Yeah, I used ‘tape recorder’ because I wasn’t sure what to actually call it. Maybe just ‘recorder’? One of the reasons I had them set one up outside of the room is my own hearing: on hearing tests, I have to struggle not to get distracted by actually hearing the electronic circuits operating. My results consistently show that I can hear all the way down to 0 decibels across most of the tested range - and that’s the lowest volume the tests cover. If they went down into negative decibels, they’d probably show that I do actually hear the electronics, if the electronics aren’t louder than the beep I’m listening for. (The circuits operating sound a lot like the handshake of a dial-up modem, but really really quiet since it’s not being deliberately amplified/converted to conventionally audible sound.)
I’m planning to extend the initial entry to the end of the interview session. It’s getting there, bit by bit. :)
No worries, I understand attention issues *and* real life interfering. Not to mention the desire for quality in what you write. ;)
Usually, they are just called Digital Recorders, and while you may be able to hear them, as would Elena probably, they are orders of magnitude quieter than pretty much anything else. Recorder would probably work just as well.
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Gotcha. Made the change and also added a laptop sitting on the table where the headphones were to do the recording. Maria’s copy was put onto a thumb drive for her to take with her. ;)
Not really sure how well this is working at the end here, and not sure how to massage it to get it to continue to the next logical scene, which is where Andrei finds Maria at the coffee shop...think I need a bit of help.
'You could try, Andrei walked into the coffee shop and looked around, he looked good in 'clothes', then strolled over to Maria's table, "Hello again," he said, "May I sit with you?"
Sometimes there's just no plot-driven segue, but the writer has to seize control of their pieces and rearrange the board for the next 'play'. It's often easier to move the 'NPCs' around than the PCs. PCs are more 'plot driven', while NPCs can be moved by 'sub-plots'. Perhaps Andrei is attracted to Maria? Enough to motivate him into extended (adult) social interaction. Perhaps he'll invite her to the Sock-Hop, or a theatre-thing?
Be Well!
Fireheart
No, no, no. I don’t mean that. I mean my initial post, ending the interview.
If you need help ending the interview, I think now that Maria has learned about what happened in more detail, she could proceed to ask more questions about if there is a way to find out exactly what happens when a spell backlashes and how to counteract it. Or maybe Elena gets uncomfortable or she is too exhausted to continue so she tells Maria to maybe come back and that's when Andrei offers to meet with her and give his side of the story, maybe over some coffee?
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
I think that I should be the one to actually hit that, I can re-edit the end of the part where Andrei goes off to play the blues while Maria is in with Elena. When he gets back he listens to the recording and realizes that what Maria needs isn't going to come directly from Elena.
conversely, Elena could tell her that she needs to talk to Andrei, and then I re-edit making it seem more like he knew she would be calling back eventually anyway.
Just a thought
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Or we could save that part for Maria’s next visit ;)
Andrei would probably guess that Elena wouldn’t be able to handle Maria’s presence for very long at this point, especially on Maria’s first visit/interview.
Made an edit to my post describing the shop.
Interview complete! Next is probably the coffee shop scene, unless someone wants to expand or add to things with a new scene :)
Culach, I’ve finished the interview. Coffee shop scene would be next, if you want to expand or rework that at all based on the ending of the interview...
give me a bit, I'll look at it tomorrow...
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I don't know why, but I suddenly had an Idea for the name of the Hotel Chain... The Chaucer.
It also has a Pub in the old-world sense of "public house" with a stage where someone can tell their tale of the road in exchange for a free beer or wine.
Just a thought...
I also have the glimmerings of an idea to explain not only what happened the night of the accident, but the first date...
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Sounds intriguing. Go for it. Did you ever look over the coffee shop scene for any changes it needed?