# Mage - The Spiral [IC]



## Fanog (May 27, 2003)

_"With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
between the sounds and open wide to suck it in,
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out,
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.

Spiral out. Keep going, going...."_

*Mage - The Spiral* 
A game about modern-day magic, endless possibilities, philosophy, power and pride. 

This is the in-character thread for The Spiral, a game of Mage: The Ascension, set in White Wolf's World of Darkness. Please only post in this thread if you are currently playing in the game. Readers are more than welcome to stop by in the OoC thread to share their opinions and thoughts on the story.

For my players, please wait with posting until your character is introduced. OoC comments in this thread are okay with me, as long as they are short and to the point. If you would be so kind, please make them Small and preferably in a not-too-obvious color.
For more extensive OoC discussion, please use the other thread.

I don't have a problem with signature files per se, but please consider turning them off in this thread if your sig is large and/or contains pictures. Thanks.

Happy game everyone. Let's see where this takes us. 

*Other Threads:*








*OOC:*


http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49471
[profiles] http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51110


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## Fanog (May 27, 2003)

*Prologue*

A booming voice speaks:
"WHAT do you think you are doing? Did you think I would not NOTICE? Do you not know that you can hide NOTHING from me?" 
A calm voice responds:
  [COLOR=sky blue]"I am fully aware that you know, you do not have to remind me. I know what you are trying to do... Still, it will not stop me."[/COLOR] 

"WILL it not? Truely? Do you honestly think you can FACE me?"

[COLOR=sky blue]"I will not have to... You have no part of what I will do. I have chosen carefully, they will prove me right."[/COLOR] 

"I have no part in this? FOOL! What makes you so sure that it was not ME who MADE you think of this plan?" 

[COLOR=sky blue]"..."[/COLOR] 

"do you SEE? For all your magicks and knowledge, you are POWERLESS against me." 

[COLOR=sky blue]"You may know all, but you do not have any power over me. You can not stop me. Try if you can... I will seek them out out and teach them."[/COLOR] 

"Very well then. Find them, _instruct_ them, and face your OWN undoing."


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## Fanog (May 27, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Still feeling a little wierd in his new outfit, Leo Sykes walked through the catacombs of the arena with the other players, all of them getting ready for the first preseason game of this year. It was in fact, his first game 'for real'. And man, did he feel awful...

He hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before. It wasn't just nerves though, or the weather. It had been something else. He had been tossing all night, always on the verge of drifting away, but not really finding any rest. Around dawn he had briefly slept, for about half an hour. It had been the kind of nap that only made one feel worse, not better.

So he found himself here for his first game for the Nuggets, with legs feeling like jelly and a head like someone was bouncing a basketball on it. He was so far away that he didn't even realise someone stood before him, until the man started speaking to him.

"Ah, Mister Sykes. I am a real big fan of you, can I please have your autograph?"

It was an odd figure, standing there. The man was in his late fifties probably. He looked of oriental eastern descent, which his accent confirmed. The man was wearing a rather smart suit and a stylish coat, the style clashing _violently_ with the red-and-white baseball cap on his head.

He held out a notebook and a pen up to Leo, and held his dark eyes firmly fixed on Leo's face, a look of anticipation clearly showing in them.

OoC: Leo


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## Fanog (May 27, 2003)

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, in the morning_

Tyrone Gystalf sat at his desk, looking out the window. He did miss his view of the river Cam, which he had had during his years at St. John's College. Still, his new position at the Laboratory had brought him some good things too. As a researcher, he enjoyed more freedom, and a larger budget for his projects.

Before him on his desk was a pile of articles, dealing with the research topic he had chosen to commit to for the next few years. He had applied for a grant to do an experiment at CERN, in Geneva. It was a bit on of a long-shot, but the glowing recommendation from Professor Kalantar must have helped quite a bit in pulling in the money. So here he was, going over all of the articles, getting a feel for what had been tried earlier.

A knock on his door shook Ty from his dreaming. It was Kalantar himself, in a good mood as always.

"Ah, good morning, Tyrone. I trust you're going fine? I just met a man down the hall who said he had something that belonged to you. He asked me to give it to you, you'd know what it was about..."

He held out his hand, trusting forward a small package, wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with rope. The wrapping seemed like it contained a book; a book which he would recognize, even had he been sleeping, drunk and dizzy. It couldn't be anything but _his_ Book...

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (May 27, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> * "Ah, Mister Sykes. I am a real big fan of you, can I please have your autograph?"*




Leo smiled, hoping his smile didn't betray the way his body felt inside.  _Maybe I just need to vomit and be done with it.  I've read that even some of the greats have had to do it, including Bill Russell,_ thought Leo.  He high stepped over to the man, trying to get the muscles pumping, hoping to release the endorphines and get his body feeling better.

"Call me Leo, sir, everybody does," Leo said as he took the pen and notebook.  'Leo the Hero' they called him back at college . . . _shake it off!!_ he told himself.  He looked at the notebook briefly to make sure nothing was written on it already, then looked up at the man and said, "Who should I make this out to?"


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## Fanog (May 27, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

"Ah, yes. Leo. So very honored to meet you. Please, 'Mister Masuda'," he says as he hands you the empty notebook. He makes a slight bow as he introduces himself.

The other players walk past you, talking amonst each other or mentally preparing in silence. It's quite crowded in the catacombs, with players, reporters, fans, assistents and personnel. Everyone and everything seems to be gearing up for the start of a new season.

"This must be a very exciting game for you. I will watch from the stands, I am very interested to see how you will do. Do you think you are ready for a professional carrier?" The man seems quite emphatic and enthousiastic, his head with the cap bobbing as he speaks.

OoC: Leo


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## Keia (May 27, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *"This must be a very exciting game for you. I will watch from the stands, I am very interested to see how you will do. Do you think you are ready for a professional career?" The man seems quite emphatic and enthusiastic, his head with the cap bobbing as he speaks.*




"Absolutely, Mr. Masuda," Leo said confidently, knowing the man didn't want to know how he really felt.  He signed the notebook 'To Mister Mastuda, Enjoy the game, All the best, Leo Sykes' then handed both it and the pen back to the man.  "You enjoy the game, sir.  I've got to get ready for the game," Leo said as he headed out to catch up with the rest of his team.

Leo shook his head right to left as he jogged to the rest of the team.  Passing a ball rack, he grabbed a ball and began bouncing on the floor and passing it between in hands, trying to become comfortable with the feel and trying to get his body to respond.

_Come on, adrenaline rush,_ Leo thought.  He tried to find his center, as both his boxing and his martial arts instructors had taught.  He closed his eyes, _Focus, concentration, and discipline . . .(inhale) . . . let the game come to you . . . (exhale) . . . Focus, concentration, and discipline . . ._ Leo thought.  _It's showtime!_


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## Fanog (May 28, 2003)

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
friday night, October 2002_

Charles Arctor's travels had brought him to Seattle, Washington of all places. So here he was at a small bar, bearing the dreadful name of "Bad Albert's Tap and Grill." It was said that the place had been named after the owner's cat.
The place itself wasn't as bad as its name implied, though. Friday night was open stage, and the owner was a pretty good fellow. If he liked your performance, and the crowd did as well, you could usually get by on free drinks for the rest of the evening.

Charles' performance _had_ been quite good that evening, and the drinks promised to be equally plentiful. He sat at a table, and listened to the others performers. They were of varying quality, to say the least... He had talked with several people over the course of the evening. Some just gave their compliments, others spilled their entire life's story over him. He had that kind of effect on people.

Charles saw a man rising up from his chair and walking over to him. He had seen the man earlier while he was playing, sitting alone at a table and listening intently to his songs. He seemed almost proud at something. The man was oriental-looking and had short hair that was grayed, almost white. He looked rather out of place in the dark pub, dressed in his stylish suit. As the man arrived at Arctor's table, he tried to get his attention, speaking with quite a bit of accent.

"Hello, Mister Arctor. I wanted to compliment you on your play. You really know how to get to the hearts of people. Most extraordinary. Could I please sit with you and talk for a while? I have heard a lot about you, and would like to ask you some things... "

OoC: Charles


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## Fanog (May 28, 2003)

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

Jason Siddique was leaning against a tree, trying to keep his eyes from falling shut. He had been working late last night, and classes had started early today. The day had mostly been spent attending lectures on theory, hour after hour in a dimmed room watching slides.

It had made him a bit drowsy, but he would have to be at work in an hour or so, waiting at the Pomodoro, an Italian restaurant. He was enjoying his five minutes of rest, hoping that the chill of fall would get him awake and refreshed. He closed his eyes, wishing he were someplace else and that he didn't need three jobs just to pay the rent and food.

When he opened his eyes, Jason saw a short man standing right before him. The sight startled him, he had never heard the man approaching. The man was of eastern descent, and was dressed in a good suit with a grey raincoat. He had a look in his eyes that was friendly, but determined.

"Good afternoon, Mister Siddique. Did you know that today it is _exactly_ three months ago that the accident with the Siddique familiy residence occured? Do you want to know what _really_ happened?"

OoC: Jason


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## Fanog (May 28, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

The man took the notebook and pen back from Leo, following it up with another bob of his head.

"Ah, thank you. Good luck with the game. I hear that the, er... Mavericks-? are quite a good team." 

He bows as Leo walks on. The young star-to-be forgets about the man, trying to focus on the game ahead and getting in the right frame on mind. That is, until he hears the accented voice again, behind him.

"I  hope you slept well last night, Mister Sykes. You will need it with the things that are ahead of you."

Leo turns back, but he doesn't see the man anymore, just a mass of other people. One of his team mates slaps him on his back, and urges him forward, into the arena. Leo feels the control of his legs coming back to him, the ball feels solid in his hands. It's just his head that won't seem to cooperate. For all of the breathing exercised he knows, he can't get his head clear of all that's happened. The sleeping, the strange man, his comments...

Leo is taken into the arena by the flow of people behind him. It is packed with fans, cheering and applause fill Leo's ears while the team walks over to the bench. Leo takes a look at the mass of people, trying to spot Gus. He thinks he can see him on the front row near the bench, but his eyes can't seem to make anything out, his vision blurring all of the whites and reds together.

He hears the coach behind him, and feels a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you doing ok?"

OoC: Leo


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## Keia (May 28, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *"I  hope you slept well last night, Mister Sykes. You will need it with the things that are ahead of you." *




Leo spun around at the words.  _Weird, how did he know . . . I wonder if he had something to do with me not getting any sleep.  Was he the room service guy - did he slip me something? . . . Nah, that wasn't him, _Leo thought, getting slightly paranoid from his lack of sleep.



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *He thinks he can see him on the front row near the bench, but his eyes can't seem to make anything out, his vision blurring all of the whites and reds together. He hears the coach behind him, and feels a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you doing ok?" *




"Coach!" Leo said, jumping slightly, "Yes, sir . . . doing fine, sir.  Eyes are just bugging me a bit, must be the lighting compared to the catacombs.  I'm ready though whenever you need me, coach."

_Focus, dammit!  At least Dallas is wearing blue.  If it was someone like the Hawks, I'd really be in trouble._ Leo thought with a slight grin to himself.


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## loxmyth (May 28, 2003)

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

Jason hadn't even gotten a chance to get over his startle before being bombarded by the man's questions.  Who the heck _was_ this guy?  The total incongruity of it all totally stunned the young man into a shocked silence.

Rubbing his eyes vigourously, he muttered a string of curses and then stepped away from the sturdy oak that had been supporting him.  Blinking with lashes that were too large for his aristocratic features, he opened his eyes to find that the man was still there.

The accident... He remembered it too vividly.  In fact, in his memories it was more vivid than it had been in real-life.  The fire that haunted his reveries and nightmares was a colossal thing, a towering, raging inferno composed of roaring furls of crimson and scarlet and unbearable heat.  This great titanic monster that was all-devouring in its anger, its impossible anger, and Jason knew somehow that anger was his own.  An anger that was larger than life and couldn't be quenched because it was just too strong -

The man was still there.

Jason shook his head to clear it of the images.  "I'm sorry, what?"


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## Mickerus (May 28, 2003)

> "Hello, Mister Arctor. I wanted to compliment you on your play. You really know how to get to the hearts of people. Most extraordinary. Could I please sit with you and talk for a while? I have heard a lot about you, and would like to ask you some things... "




Charles looks up and offers the man a seat with a slight smile, saying "Ah, sure, have a seat.  And please, call me Charles.  Or Charlie.  Or Chuck.  Or anything, really.  'Mister Arctor' seems too formal for me these days, you know?  Makes me think of people I'd rather not be reminded of, I guess."

He notices one of the other night's performers getting ready to leave, pulls a small, worn-looking notepad out of his back pocket, rips out a page at the back, and quickly scrawls a number on it, then looks at his visitor and says "Oh, sorry, excuse me just a quick second..."

Charles gets up and goes to the other performer and hands her the piece of papers, saying "Hey!  Your name was Carrie, right?  I just wanted to say I thought you had a good set there.  You've got a great voice.  Anyways, ah, I'm going to be in town a couple of nights, if you want, give me a call at my motel, maybe hang out, or try playing something."

Charles returns to his table, picks up his beer bottle and points to the girl while looking at his visitor, and says "Sorry about that.  Kid's got talent, though.  No way she should be playing joints like this.  I don't think so, 'least."

He taps a cigarette out of his pack and lights it, takes a long drag and exhales, offers his visitor one as well, and then asks "So, you wanted to talk about something?"


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## kuroshidaku (May 29, 2003)

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, in the morning
_

Ty shakes himself out of his startled pause. His hand shook as he reached for the Book. His fingers carressed the wrapping, yearning to tear it open, yearning to stare at every letter it contained. With a suppreme effort of will, Ty's gaze went back to the waiting proffessor.

"Thank you, proffessor. I was wondering where this got to."

His fingernail was already starting to rip into the package.

"Yes, please give the man my most sincere thanks."

He did not wonder where the book had come from. He was too consumed by its power. The wrapping slipped off, revealing a plain brown leather covered book, bound with copper wire down the right side. Ty couldn't resrain himself. He opened the book, shifted his glasses and began to fantacly read, not knowing or caring if the proffessor was still there.


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## Fanog (May 29, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

The coach gives Leo a big, almost fatherly, grin.

"Say, kid - first time nerves bugging you? That's alright, they've all had them, before the first game." He tightens his grip on Leo's shoulder in a an encouraging squeeze. "You'll do fine, I'm sure. Well, there's only one way to get rid of those nerves, and that's by going out there. Better get yourself ready, you just made the  starting six."

Leo's vision seems to return, and a look at the stands confirm that Gus is indeed there. He has a bit of a grim look, but that's probably because he's not allowed to smoke in the arena. As they make eye contact, a small smile reaches Gus' eyes and he gives a shake of his head, as if to say 'Well, get out there, and kick some butt!'

The sounds in the arena were hushed as the referee called the starting players from both teams to the court, ready to begin the game.  Leo's new career was about to begin.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

The man stood patiently before Jason, waiting for the student to regain his bearing. His arms rested in front of his body, one hand folded in the other.

"I am sorry to have scared you so. I am sure that all of this must come as quite a surprise to you. I can see that you have not come to peace with the events of that night, and with the fire." It might just have been the man's accent, but there was a strange emphasis on the last word, an emphasis that seemed to suggest that there was a deeped meaning to the word.

" I am here because I want to help you understand. Please, if you would accompany me for a walk through the gardens, I will try to explain."

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
friday night, October 2002_

The young woman with the dark curls happily takes the note from Charles. "Oh, wow. That would be great, I'd love to get together sometimes. Wow, er.. great." The smile on her face is radiating, she looks a bit abashed at begin invited by a man whom she felt was quite out of her league. Grabbing her guitar case, she waves her goodbys to some friends and the owner behind the bar, and left.

Back at Charles' table, the older man had taken a chair. Charles could tell that he had been watching him, possibly overhearing the short conversation with Carrie. The man's gaze follows the girl as she leaves the bar. He mumbles to himself, but the words are more than loud enough for Charles to hear.

"She sings very lovely. I think that she will have a good life ahead of herself, if she is encouraged to follow her dreams. I think this bar is a very good place to start one's career. I do not think it is a good place to end it, though..."

The man turns his attention back to Charles. He rejects the offer of the cigarette, instead takes a small drink from his soda.

"Ah, yes... I was just thinking that this was an excellent place to start one's career. You, Mister Actors," either the man already forgot about Charles' request to call him by his first name, or he had simply chosen to ignore it, "have you never aspired a real career, some goal to strive towards?

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, in the morning_

Kalantar looked a bit surprised at the speed with which his student grabbed the book from his hands.

"I think he turned to leave after he gave me the parcel. But it was only just ago. If you hurry, you might still catch him. Well, I've got some things to do, I'll see you at lunch?" With that, the professor left the room and sped across the hall in his familiar hurried pace.

Ty ripped open the paper and finally felt the familiar touch of the leather again. As he turned the book, Ty noticed a small card, which had been wrapped in with the book, fall to the floor.

He gave in to the overwhelming urge to open the book, and found its pages exactly as he knew them, although he didn't truely _remember_ what had been written in it.

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (May 29, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Upon seeing Gus, Leo felt relief and relaxed a little bit, knowing that at least one person was his friend here.  Sure, everybody loved him right now, he was drafted high and could do some incredible things on the court (and on the football field, boxing ring, soccer field, etc. but that wasn't important to the fans in the stands right now).

Leo worked through his pre-game rituals and stretching, limpering the body and the mind.  _So darn tired, though,_ Leo thought, _Well, I just play hard and really exhaust myself, I'll sleep like a baby tonight.  Adreneline should be kicking in any time now anyway._

Leo joked around with his teammates and listened to the coaches final instructions in preparation for the game to begin.


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## loxmyth (May 29, 2003)

"What is there to come to peace with?" Jason demanded, his features taking on a harder edge.  But only for a moment, as his natural tendencies took over and softened them.  "Look buddy, It was an accident.  There's nothing to understand.  Someone left the fireplace unattended, or some lamb in the oven or something."  He yawned suddenly, bringing a hand to cover up his gaping mouth.  "I'm tired, confused, and I've got to get to work.  Maybe some other time."

But he found himself walking with the little man regardless.  Over the initial shock and confusion, over the denial, there was curiosity.  _Is he speaking about what I think he is?_


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## Mickerus (May 29, 2003)

Charles sighs heavily, causing trails of smoke to drift up into the dark air of the bar, then slumps forward, planting his elbows on the table in front of him.

"A real career?  Yeah, I did have those kind of dreams.  Hell, maybe I still do.  Almost happened, in fact.  Was about to get signed up to make an album, but ah, that didn't turn out so well.  Things happened, then more things happened, and before I knew it, I didn't have legs any more - so to speak.  Me, I could never stand without legs.  Some people manage it, use crutches, get those plastic legs, peg legs, whatever.  Well, not me."

Charles sits back up, takes a swig of his beer, then continues.

"You ever heard that story about the Capistrano swallows?  Some spanish mission, it was famous for these swallows that would leave and return to it every year.  I think it's in San Juan; I may be wrong, though.  Hell, the whole story might be wrong.  Only heard it once, to be honest."

"So, let's just say, as a hypothetical situation, you were here to offer me a contract, a record deal, something like that.  I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't interested.  But I don't think it's for me.  This kind of life, hell this bar, this _table_," Charles says, pausing to rap his knuckles on the top of the table in front of him, "and all the others like them...  They might _my_ Capistrano you know?  I could only get away from it so far before the wiring in my pointy little beak had me booking right on back."

Charles finishes his beer with a slightly troubled look on his face, then checks his watch.  "It's getting late," he says, "I should probably head out of here pretty soon.  Look, I'm sorry to cut the conversation short.  Oh, but I didn't even catch your name..."


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## kuroshidaku (May 30, 2003)

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, in the morning_

Ty's lust for the book overwhelmed his desire to know where it had been. That did not matter now. It was here, the cold leather caressing his fingers, filling him with being, a feeling that had avoided him for much too long. 

It was not unusual for a researcher such as him to be absorbed in a book, so none of his colleagues disturbed him as he flicked through the pages.

Eventually his hunger for knowledge was significantly sated. His thoughts then turned to the fallen card. He stooped and picked it up, then read its message.


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## Fanog (May 31, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo's preparations were finally seeming to pay off, the nearer he came to the start of the match. When he finally stood on the court waiting for the first buzzer, he was at last feeling comfortable with his body. His head was a bit heavy but it wasn't as bad as it had been.

The signal pushed him just that much farther, excitement and pace pushing aside all other concerns. The Nuggets had an excellent start, pulling a few points ahead by the end of the first period. Just seconds before the buzzer, Leo made an unexpected steal. He dove past the guard, crossed the distance to the basket in three giant leaps, and took off for what should have become a powerful slam dunk. All of it went perfect, until he was flying through the air and noticed the odd man sitting in the stands, still wearing his red-white cap.

Leo's vision wavered until all of it went white, noise fading along with the colors. He felt the control of his limbs slipping away, like they weren't his anymore. All he felt was cold...

The athlete opened his eyes to find that he sat, cross-legged, on a snow-topped mountain. Behind him he heard a voice. The words sounded strange, but he found that he could understand them regardless.

"Yes, that is good. Now stand, and jump. Breathe, feel yourself become lighter until the point where you take off."

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

The man stood fixed during Jason's words, his face showing only calm. As Jason turned to leave, the old man accompanied him and soon took a turn deeper into the gardens, taking Jason with him.

"For you it was, indeed, an accident. You did nothing delibrate, you are not to blame."
The man's voice takes on a different quality, as if he were teaching more then holding a conversation.

"You call the fire an accident because you don't understand what happened, but I can tell you that everything had a reason. One thing leads to another, even though we often don't intend such consequences."

"Mister Siddique," the man says as he stops and turns to look at Jason, "you have great potential and I think it is important for you to learn what you can do with it. I want you to _understand_ what happened when your parent's house went up in flames."

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
friday night, October 2002_

The man watches Charles intently while listening, occasionaly taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh no," he says while giving a little smile. "I'm not in the music business. I can not offer you a record deal, but I can give you a chance - a new start, so to say..."

He seems caught up in thought for a moment, but catches Charles before the man has a chance to stand up from his chair. His eyes take on a piercing quality, as if they would crush trough any response he would make. "These swallows. Have you ever wondered _why_ they would return each year? Do they even think about it? Do they return because they are perfectly content in the mission, or simply because they are afraid to go some place else? Do they even have a choice?"

The man releases Charles and drains the last of his soda. "Mister Arctor, I'm offering you the _choice_ to do something different with your life. Please think it over, I will be here again tomorrow. Good night." The man sits back in his chair, seemingly not about to go anywhere soon.

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The young scientist read, and read, and read some more. He waved away his collegues coming his pick him up for lunch, and didn't respond to the cleaner's request to leave the room for five minutes.

As he read through the book, Ty wondered how he had ever managed to think that he had actually _comprehended_ what was written in it. The book was a sort of 'what-if' treatment of the implications of quantum mechanics, going off of the assumption that quantum aspects could be applied to macroscopic entities. The text was frighteningly detailed for a work that could only be labeled as _spielerei_. Still, it was that level of detail that _almost_ lent the treatise credibility.

As Ty looked up from the book, he noticed that dusk has started to set in, annd that he had missed two meals over the course of the day. He remebered the card again, and went to pick it up. The car was index-sized and made from high-quality beige paper. A few lines of text were written with black ink, in a flowing hand. 

"Mr. Gustalf, I apologize that I have had to take this book from you. You would not have been able to grasp the importance of the words within. You are ready now."

OoC: Ty


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## Fanog (May 31, 2003)

_Taylor's townhouse
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Taylor was getting tired reading the same rubbish. He had pretty much known as soon as he bought the book from Philip, but you could never know for sure.

All of them went about it the same way, the writer declaring in bold words that he had found the 'truth', or a 'new' thought pattern that would 'enlighten' those who followed his teachings. in the end, they all offered the same: absolutely nothing.

Still, he knew that there had to be something. Someone must have felt the same that he did, there must be texts concerning what he was looking for. Taylor was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the  doorbell. In the door opening stands a broad-shouldered man in a dark suit. Taylor could see a black car on the curb in front of his house.

"Good evening. Mister Taylor Willoughby? We have come to learn that you are in search of some - shall we say - _unusual_ theories regarding the working of man, and nature. Would you be interested in speaking with someone who has this same interest, and who might be able  to help you on your search?"

OoC: Taylor


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (May 31, 2003)

Taylor blinks, then rubs his eyes. He pauses to regard the man for a moment.

_Very strange, he thinks. It must be someone associated with the Pilgrims, I suppose. Or perhaps Phillip mentioned my name. Let's see if we can't find out something more..._

"Well of course, I might be interested. But I'm afraid I'd need some more information before we leave... who is this person, and where do they wish to meet?"

Taylor smiles slightly, almost apologetically, as if he had to ask these questions in spite of himself.


----------



## Mickerus (Jun 1, 2003)

"Yeah, I'll... uh... I'll be thinking about it."

Arctor stands up and heads out the door without a word to anybody else, a confused expression on his face keeping anybody from inquiring.  The cool air is refreshing but chills him to the bone, forcing him to shiver as he zips up his coat.  He lights another cigarette and smokes as he walks back to his motel, having almost forgotten the conversation he had just had.

_Almost._

When he arrives at his room, Charles barely remembers to even close the door before setting down his guitar case and flopping down face-first on his bed, and he falls asleep with the lights still on.


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 1, 2003)

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Ready now?" Ty wondered, flicking the card over to see if there was another side. "Ready for what?". He managed to find a pocket in his jacket with enough room for the card and squeezed it in. He carried so much junk round with him these days. He slid the book into the small carry bag he always dragged with him, put away his glasses and headed out to search for his car.

He sat in the car for a few minutes, wondering about how the book had returned. Who had brought it? Why? How did they know him, and how did they know he was 'ready'? He needed some answers. Frustrated that he had not paused to look for the courier, he flicked the ignition on. "I'll ask Kalantar tomorrow. Hopefully i'll have some time before the next experiment. i should ask some of the other guys too. See if anyone saw him."

With that he pulled the car out and headed into the crowded streets on his way home.


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## Keia (Jun 1, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *The athlete opened his eyes to find that he sat, cross-legged, on a snow-topped mountain. Behind him he heard a voice. The words sounded strange, but he found that he could understand them regardless.
> 
> "Yes, that is good. Now stand, and jump. Breathe, feel yourself become lighter until the point where you take off."*




_Okay, I'm sure there's a thousand explanations for what just happened - most of them not very logical - the question is, is this in my mind or did I really just go somewhere,_ Leo thought. _And do I turn around to see who is talking, do as the voice suggests, or tell the voice to go spit.

I need to get back to where I was, whether back from my mental trip or . . . worse.  So the easiest way hopefully would be to do as the voice said in the language I don't recognize but understand.  Ah, heck, who ever thought I do things the easy way._

Leo started to do as instructed, standing from his semi-lotus position, then turned to face the voice and jumped.  He breathed in the cold mountain air looking to become lighter, but Leo wanted to know who the voice was. . .


----------



## Fanog (Jun 1, 2003)

_Taylor's townhouse
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

The man before Taylor, blonde-haired and with a rather square jaw, looks at him and nods.

"Of course. The person I'm talking about is called Dr. Franks, he's active in the field of 'applied philosophy'." Taylor isn't really sure if he has ever heard that term before, but he can make quite some guesses as to what it _might_ entail. In his field of interest, it isn't all that rare to see new terms coined at every possibility.

"You can meet him right now, he is waiting for you in the car," The man takes a step to the side, raising his arm to the vehicle in front of Taylor's house and making way for Taylor, "...if you are still interested."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Cavendish Laboratory, room 13.114
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Ty flipped over the card hoping for more explanations, but didn't find any other writing on it. He made his way through the near-empty building, needing his key card to exit the building.

As he was halfway on his trip home, Ty suddenly found that he couldn't quite remember how the drive had been so far. He _knew_ that he had stepped into his car and had driven the few first streets on the way home, but it all just seemed a blur. It gave him the feeling like he had when he had drank too much, or when he was just realy engrossed in thinking of some theory or experiment during lunch; the feeling that his mind wasn't anywhere _near_ the task he was currently doing.

It just then hit him that he was actually still thinking about the theories detailed in the book. He had taken his eyes of the pages, but his mind had never left the thought experiments and theorems that were written on them, as clear as if he _were_ still reading.

The loud sound of a car horn shook Ty awake once again. A reflexive step on the brakes was all that seperated him from a run-in with a rather large pick-up truck coming from the left, his car halting with screeching tires.

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_On the Court, Pepsi Center (?)
Denver, Colorado (?)
October 2002 (?)_

Leo unfolded his legs and stood up, turning around. His actions felt weird, as if someone else were performing the movements at the same time that Leo thought about them.

Not surprisingly - or maybe most surprisingly - the man that had adressed Leo was none other than the off man that he had encountered in the catacombs. Only this time, the man was dressed in white flowing pants and bare-chested. The man had no hat of car, his grayish-white haur flowing freely in the chilling mountain wind.

Even while Leo pushed off of the ground for his jump, the man shook his head and spoke again in the same foreign, but understandable, words. "No, that is not good. Not yet... But you are close. Run up and down the mountain again, and _then_ you will succeed..."

In his jump, Leo vision changed to white again. The whites made way for  the sight of big lamp, and shadows coming from the side of his vision.  "Hey, Leo. Leo! Wake up.... Come on guys, give him some room to breathe."

His vision cleared up, revealing several people hunched over him: the team medic, the referee and some of his team mates. All of them had quite worried looks on their faces.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_3 Bears Motel
Seattle, Washington
early saturday morning, October 2002_

Dreams are plagueing Charles Arctor's sleep that night.

He found himself in the bar from that night, ready to leave. He stepped out the door, only to enter another bar, quite similar to the one he just left.  He recognized it as being some bar that he had visited a few months earlier, somewhere down south. He kept leaving bars, only to enter another that he had visited at some time during his wanderings.

And every once in a while, he found himself back at Bad Albert's Tap and Grill... A six-foot tall, bipedal cat was standing behind the bar pourig beers for the customers, while a young woman with dark curls sat on the stage, singing forlorn songs...

OoC: Charles


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## Mickerus (Jun 2, 2003)

Charles awakens with a start and slowly rises, wiping the bit of drool off his mouth as he blinks against the light he left on.  Without bothering to check the time, he heads to the bathroom to relieve himself, then comes back out and sits down on the edge of his bed.

Thinking for a moment, he goes over the details in his dream, and decides that some of it would make for good parts to a song.  He pulls out his old notepad and a pen and starts scribbling a note here and there, then lays back down, picks up the remote, and turns on the tv.

For the rest of the morning he does this, flipping channels, mostly watching cartoons, and definitely not sitting through anything involving characters named Sylvester or Tom.


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## Keia (Jun 2, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center (?)
Denver, Colorado (?)
October 2002 (?)_

Leo squinted his eyes against the brightness of the lamp on him.  _That was the weirdest trip to Oz that I can remember,_ Leo thought.

"Man, I'm alright - I'm alright.  What just happened?  It's October, I'm playing basketball with the Nuggets, I'm in the Pepsi Center, I can feel my fingers and toes," Leo spouted, then he added - remembering the correct buzz words for the medic, "I'm coherent and mobile, so I can play."

Leo continued to blink and flexed his muscles, testing all of his motor skills to make sure he didn't embarass himself when he tried to get up.  Leo looked to the Jumbotron (the big television above the court that shows replays) to see if they are replaying what happened to him.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 2, 2003)

Taylor's eyes glance over to the car, looking curiously for signs of a figure beyond the windows.

"I see," he says. Then his smile broadens somewhat, testing the waters. "Well, I'm always interested in conversing with like- minded individuals. Why don't you tell Dr. Franks to come in, and I'll see about getting some tea on?"


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## Fanog (Jun 2, 2003)

_3 Bears Motel
Seattle, Washington
early saturday morning, October 2002_

As Charles makes the first few notes of what will probably become a song one day, he finds that the lyrics almost seems to write themselves. The more he puts down on paper, the better he can recall his dream. The vision seems to draw him in, ever deeper, leading to some inexirable ending.

_The cat-like bartender behind the counter calls out to Charles and puts down a beer on the counter. 

"Hi, there. It's nice to see you again. Tell me, how have you been lately?"_

OoC: Charles


----------



## Fanog (Jun 2, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo felt the medic's fingers on his eyelids, and saw him staring in his eyes. "Hmm, you seem to be okay, but you made a pretty ugly dive. Can you remember what just happened? Did you eat and drink enough today?"

Leo just then noticed that it was abnormally quiet in the stadium, all of the fans worried about what had happened to the rookie. He watched past the medic and saw the big screen, showing himself in action.

While watching, he relived the last few moments he could remember, all in slow-motion; the steal, the large paces and the jump towards the basket. He saw himself on the screen, hovering towards it, ball ready in his right hand. However, the guy on the screen never made the slam. He just glided idly past the blanket, time seeming to stretch due to the slow-motion. The athlele glided past the basket, and over the boarding, body hanging limp in the air. His feet touched the ground but did nothing to support his weight, causing him to drop flat, rolling a few more feet before coming to a halt. His head made a nasty thump on the ground, and the body halted at the exact spot that Leo was now holding.

OoC: Leo


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 2, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening
_

Ty's pulse thumped in his head as the car screamed to a halt. The sound of some car's horn drummed into his ears. He pulled the car over, to give him time to think.

What had it been? He was close to something he was sure. But what?

The run-in with the truck had shaken him badly. How close to a crash had he been? Getting out of the car, Ty planned to clear his thoughts with a brisk walk in the night.


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## Fanog (Jun 2, 2003)

_Taylor's townhouse
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Taylor doesn't spot any movement in the car, but he thinks that he can see the silhouette of someone sitting in the back seat.

The broad-shouldered man seems to think for a moment, as if he had expected something different. "Dr. Franks is a pretty busy man. He had hoped to have a conversation with you while he drove to his next appointment, but I can see if he would like to take the time to come in. A moment please." The man walks back to the car, where the back-seat window is being rolled down.

In the light of a nearby street lantern, Taylor can get a glimpse of the the man inside. He looks to be in his fourties, his hairline having receded quite a bit. His remaining black hair has been combed back sharply and a hooked nose supports thin glasses. The two men have a short conversation, after which the blonde one returns to Taylor. The man with the glasses looks from within the car, following the happenings at the door.

"I am sorry, but Dr. Franks doesn't have the time to come in at this moment. He kindly invites you to join him in the car. I will of return you here after I have driven Dr. Franks to his appointment. Is that acceptable?"

OoC: Taylor


----------



## Fanog (Jun 2, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Still a bit shaken from his near-accident, Ty puts the car to the side of the road. He hears some curses from the driver of the pick-up, but the man soon decided that it isn't worth his time.

Ty locks the car and starts his walk, knowing that he has a good hour before he'll reach his small house in the old city centre of Cambridge. As if to taunt him, the wind picks up and drops of rain begin to fall down. Before long, it's raining pretty hard.

A beige sportscar pulls up to the side of the road where Tyrone is walking, the window being rolled down. Inside is a man in his early thirties, a thick neck and chubby round head sticking out of his white shirt. Slightly ruffled short hair and a black-and-yellow stiped tie complete the outfit of the 'young succesful business man'.

"Hey, tonight is no night to be out walking... - Need a ride?"

OoC: Ty


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 2, 2003)

_Interesting, thinks Taylor. Quite determined to get me in the car. Well, what's life without a little risk?_

Taylor nods and says, "Very well, give me a moment." Closing the door, he collects some odds and ends such as his billfold and keys. He then locks up and follows the driver down to the car.


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## Mickerus (Jun 2, 2003)

Charles picks up the offered beer and drinks, then with a curious look responds.

"I think," he says at length, "I think I was probably doing _much_ better before I started having a conversation with an imaginary talking cat.  But then, I bet you hear that a lot."

Charles scratches his head, then asks "Well anyways, and I feel very odd asking this of a hallucination, but you mind if I smoke?"


----------



## Keia (Jun 3, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *Leo felt the medic's fingers on his eyelids, and saw him staring in his eyes. "Hmm, you seem to be okay, but you made a pretty ugly dive. Can you remember what just happened? Did you eat and drink enough today?"*




Seeing the crowd's concern, Leo thrust his right arm high into the air and gave the thumbs up.  Then Leo moved to get up, and allow his tall frame rise above the others.

Leo looked to the medic and said, "Yeah, I ate okay, I have a nutritionist who prepares my meals for me and I'm pretty sure I'm properly hydrated.  Only thing I didn't do is get much sleep last night - I'm sure it was just nerves.  When I went up for the slam, I thought I saw a light or something in the crowd.  It distracted me and the next thing I knew I was here."

Leo looked in the direction of where the old man was, looking for him again, to point him out to the medic. _I don't know what the heck happened there, or what that old man did to me, but I can't let it affect my game,_ Leo thought.  He looked to Gus to let him know everything was okay.


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 3, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening
_
Eager to get out of the rain, Ty accept's the man's offer.

"Thanks for the offer. I just about got wiped out by a truck a few minutes ago. Guess I was just too tired. Hope you don't mind me being a tad wet" he says with a small smile, getting into the car.

Ty tells the driver where he lives, hoping it's not too far out of the generous man's way. He needed time to think on what had happened today.


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## Fanog (Jun 3, 2003)

Charles shakes his head at remembering the absurdity of his dream. However, at the seems time it seems quite vivid and real, similar to the dreams he sometimes had of how his life _could_ have turned out...

_"Yeah sure," the bartender replies to Charles' question. "Of course you can smoke here. This is a bar, it's not like we're in a health club or something." The cat does't seem to talk or act anything different that the owner of the bar, who Charles met that evening.

"Are you up to play another set tonight, or just here for the steak?", he asks. The woman on the small stage finishes her last song, which is followed by a round of applause from the patrons. "Well, isn't she something." the cat says, more to himself than anyone else..._

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

A burst of cheering breaks out as soon as the fans notice Leo's thumb, which is magnified in close-up on the Jumbotron.

The medic shakes his head. He doesn't seem quite pleased with having to let Leo go, but he knows that there _are_ more concerns than just the health of his players. "Okay, I'm clearing you for play, but take it easy. I'll be keeping an eye out, hear?"

While getting helped up by one of his team mates, Leo spots Gus. The man has quite a number of frowns in his forehead, but slowly nods to Leo in a gesture that might indicate his conscent, or acknowledgement of the fact that Leo's back up again. Leo doesn't notice the man from the catacombs, but he can still hear the words repeating in his mind. _"...you are close. Run up and down the mountain again, and _then_ you will succeed..."_

The medic and referee have a short conversation, after which play seems to be ready to recommence. The fans give another round of cheers, happy to see the rookie able to continue.

OoC: Leo


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 3, 2003)

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

Jason stared at the man for a long while, unable to speak.  It seemed like days passed before he could even clear his throat and lick his lips.  Almost every part of his being was railing against this man.  _No!  You don't want to know!  Just walk away, dammit!  It *was* an accident!  I don't want to understand!_

But under all that turmoil and inner struggle, he knew there was something inside him that really, really wanted to know.  No, needed to know,  like a drowning man needed air.

His face betrayed his thoughts, reflecting the inner struggle through the creases and folds of his forehead the way his mouth compacted into a scowl.

"I'm listening."


----------



## Fanog (Jun 3, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Nah, get in. It's just a car..." As soon as Ty has shut the door, the man pushes the gas and lets the sports car zoom off. He seems to drive quite a bit faster than allowed.

The mention of a truck seems to strike a nerve with the young business man. Before Ty has the chance, the man has launched on a rant. He barely acknowledges where Ty has to go, but he seems to head in the right direction. "Ah yeah, I totally know what you mean. These truckers think that, just 'cause they earn their living through driving, they _own_ the road. And then on the freeway, they just block both lanes with their snail's pace. Damnit, I worked hard for this car, and I want to _use_ it." As if to give his words more meaning he pushes the gas down even deeper, sending the car forward with increased speed. Something about his demeanor gives Ty the impression that he can't really have worked all that hard to buy the vehicle. 

"You know, I've got business to run, and meetings to catch. And then I'm stuck in another traffic jam, just because those stupid pigs won't let me through, lurking their smokes and listening radio in their cabins, refusing to let people  with a hurry pass. Damn, they don't appreciate who's paying them! ...don't you say?"

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

The old man takes generous looks about him as they walk and Jason thinks. He takes in all of the plants and trees that are in the gardens. As Jason tells him that he's willing to listen, the man takes a deep breath in through his nose, as if mentally preparing for what he's about to say.

"Mister Siddique, you are an exceptional man. The depth and breath of your emotions as you experience them is quite remarkable. What is more is that your talent and interest for art have allowed you to _focus_ those emotions... That is what allows you to make such extraordinary works of art."

Jason doesn't miss the fact that those are a whole lot of superlatives, even though the man doesn't seem quite as impressed as his amount praise would indicate.

"However, this focussing of your emotions has its side effects. They draw the attention of certain _entities_, call them the embodiment of your emotions. Three months ago, they picked up on your feeling of animosity towards your family. Your channeling of this feeling _called_ them, so to speak. They acted on your drawing, even though you did not wish that which you drew to _actually_ happen..."

The man takes a look sideways, looking Jason in the eye. "I can help you to deal with your emotions and with the entities that are drawn to them - to you..."

OoC: Jason


----------



## Keia (Jun 3, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo headed over to the others on the team, ready for the ribbing he was certain to receive for blowing the layup. _What kind of crap is *"...you are close. Run up and down the mountain again, and then you will succeed..."*?  What's that supposed to mean?_ Leo thought.

_All I know is that for the rest of the game, I'm only looking at the crowd with unfocused eyes.  No way do I want to see that old man again,_ Leo thought.  He continued to prepare himself to re-enter the game when the coach was ready for him.


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## Fanog (Jun 3, 2003)

_Taylor's townhouse
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

The man preceeds Taylor to the car, holding the rear door open for him. As Taylor gets in the car, he gets a closer look at the person sitting there. The man has a quite wirey frame, and is dressed in a pinstripe that makes him look even thinner. His light-colored eyes seem to dart and pierce, taking in everything going on around him.

"Well hello, Mister Willoughby." The man has an obviously American accent, the 'l'-sounds rolling thick from his tongue. "I am pleased that you could join me for a while."

Taylor can feel the door being closed to the side of him, the broad-shoudered man walking over to the driver's seat and getting in.

"Tell me," the man next to Taylor continues, "have you ever had the feeling that there is a bigger picture? That you could see something that those around you cannot? Have you ever noticed that they just live their lives according to the rules, going through the motions, while you have _vision_?" The rhythm of his speech is strong, leading up to the final word which he stresses even more, as if to impress the importance of the concept upon Taylor.

OoC: Taylor


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 4, 2003)

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

Jason shakes his head in disbelief.  "This is... it's just crazy.  Do you know what you're saying?"  He puts a fist to his temple, trying to quell the sudden migraine that's pounding in his brain.  "You're trying to blame this whole fire thing on me.  Or trying to get me committed to a hospital or something.  Either way, I'm not liking it."

He starts to outpace the man, pulling ahead for a few moments before abruptly stopping and turning.  His face was a mask of indecision.  "My _emotions_?  This doesn't make any sense!  _Entities_?  Are you high or something?"  A sudden light of understanding appears in his eyes.  "My parents!  They must've sent you, right?  Can't butt out of my life, so they send some new-age psychologist to come mess with my head.  No thanks."

Once he's said his peace, Jason starts to cut through the park and off for a bar or something.  There was a rancid taste in his mouth that he knew from experience only liquour could get out.


----------



## Mickerus (Jun 4, 2003)

Charles looks over his shoulder at the girl for a moment.  "Something?  I guess that's _a_ word for "it".  Don't think I'd say it quite that way, myself.  She's good; a lot better than she realises, I think.  With a few more years, more experience with, you know, _life_, she could turn out better than...  Well, that's not really important, I guess."

Turning back to the bartending cat, Charles thinks to himself for a moment, then shrugs and lights a cigarette.

"I suppose I could play a set myself, though.  Don't know if I could resist the urge to turn the whole thing into a mini jam session.  I was working on a song when, uh... when _something_ happened.  I think... I think it's stuck in my head, you know?  Don't even know the tune yet, but apparently it's catchy as hell."


----------



## Fanog (Jun 4, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo returns to the bench, where he receives an encouraging pat from the coach. The rest of the team is pretty silent, not quite knowing how to react. His fall had looked pretty bad, they probably weren't sure whether this was something to harass him over.

Leo focusses on following the game, which is pretty exciting. Both teams are about equal in force today, causing the score to be rarely out of balance by more than a few points. He doesn't notice anything else that strikes him as odd, but the memory of his experience on he mountain keeps bugging him.

About halfway through the second period, the visitors seem to be getting the upper hand, taking an eight point lead. Leo hears the coach to his right. "Sykes, you're back in. Remember, we're only in pre-season. I'll expect a signal if you're not feeling well, I _won't_ be pleased at seeing you take another of those dives again. Now, get in there."

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Gardens outside Devlin Hall, BC Fine Arts Department
Boston, Massachussets
late afternoon, October 2002_

The man stops to listen to the struggling student before him. After Jason's outburst, the man's calm voice must be almost as agonizing as his words to the angry Jason.

"I can understand that this must be difficult for you no accept, but I am telling you the truth. No one sent me here, I will teach you for your own benefit."

As Jason storms off, he hears the last of the man's words. He doesn't seem to follow, at least. "Mister Siddique, you can not out-run or out-drink them... Fleeing in fantasy will only bring them closer. I will be here when you want to speak to me again."

OoC: Jason


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 4, 2003)

"Well..." Taylor says, "Dr. Franks, was it? I suppose I could say that all that is true. I have some... unusual ideas as to how the world might work. But I suppose it's natural for everyone to see themselves as the center of the world. The human condition, I suppose...."

Taylor leans back, relaxing somewhat. "Well, solipsism aside, I'm sure that you're leading up to something. What do you have in mind?"


----------



## Fanog (Jun 4, 2003)

Sitting on the bed and only vaguely recognizing the tv in front of him, Charles has trouble trying to identify what is happening. Initially, it just seemed that he was remembering more of the dream that he just woke from, but the vision also seemed to stretch out _now_, growing as he writes.

_"Oh, haven't you heard? She got her big break just yesterday. Got offered the chance and grabbed it both hands. Tonight was her 'goodbye' performance, sort of. I'm pretty proud of her, you know... - She just about started in here, my very bar, and now she's going out, making it for herself."

The cat sticks up one massive paw, waving the young woman over to him and Charles. "Come on, I'll introduce you to her. She might even help you on your way, now that she's got some connections." He looks back to her with an admiring look as she walks over to the bar, getting stopped occasionally by some of the locals, exchanging a few words with them now and then._

OoC: Charles


----------



## Mickerus (Jun 5, 2003)

"Sure, I wouldn't mind meeting her at all.  If I didn't know better, I'd almost say I already did..."

Charles leans back against the bar with his beer in hand and drinks as he watches the girl on her way over.


----------



## Keia (Jun 5, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

_Coach won't be pleased - heck, I won't be pleased either,_ Leo thought.  Leo slapped hands with his teammates on the bench on his way to the scorer's table to check in.  Leo limbered up waiting for the okay from the scorer's table and the referee, then joined the game.

_Only me, the ball, my team, and the opponents - no crowd, no looking in the crowd.  Concentrate on the game, let your natural God given abilities flow,_ Leo thought, pumping himself up.  _They've got no shot against me - I won't let them._


----------



## Fanog (Jun 5, 2003)

_Taylor's townhouse
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

The man next to Taylor slowly raises an eyebrow at his comments. Taylor can feel the car begin to move, the engine giving a soft humming as they make their way through the streets of his neighbourhood, possibly heading for the ringway.

The man's voice is slow, giving the impression that he is weighing each word to make his point. "It's interesting that you should mention that. I can relate to what you mention, and I guess you could say that it is at least partly the reason why we are talking. All of these people live their lives caring only about themselves, _obllivious_ to the fact that they are ultimately _not_ the centre of the universe. Do you know where this would _lead_, each and every person on this planet caring only about themselves, and not recognizing the need for _cooperation_ and a _strategy_? ...I can tell you - It would lead to total chaos."

He takes a moment to let the words sink into the young man next to him, but continues before Taylor has a chance to interject him. "It is this _chaos_ that we are here to prevent, this is the task of the organisation that I represent. Humanity has demonstrated on quite a number of occasions that they need some _guidance_. It is this that we provide. Our organization is always on the lookout for like-minded individuals, those who can see _beyond_ their own needs and the needs of the individual, those who have _vision_ and are willing to develop a _course_ for humanity. Are you interested?"

OoC: Taylor


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 5, 2003)

Jason Siddique was angry.  The man's words had echoed in his brain for a while after that; even the sweet, sweet liquour couldn't totally erase the man's words.  Tucked away in some obscure corner of the city, the little Irish pub he'd sought out carried his current poison of choice, and it was here he came for refuge against the deluge of the outer world.

"I'm not crazy, you are," he whispered into his beer, imagining the small man was the reflection that stared back at him at the bottom of his mug.  His reflection, distorted into a horrible mask of caprice and cruelty in the golden liquid, remained silent.

_"Mister Siddique, you can not out-run or out-drink them... Fleeing in fantasy will only bring them closer"_

Snorting, he tried to shake his head for the umpteenth time in an attempt to clear it.  "Can't remember my own phone number most days... but some nut on the street spouts off craziness and it's like I got an eidetic memory or something."

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he set it down and looked at the resultant little stain.  No, an apple tree, that's what it was, tall proud and strong.  Fishing out a pen from the depths of his pockets, he started fleshing out what he saw in his mind's eye on the scrap of paper.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 5, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

The rest of the Nuggets player's give Leo a quick greeting as he steps onto the court again, some of them with a take-it-easy look in their eyes. But those looks are pretty soon forgotten after the game starts again... The tension picks up again, the fans cheering while the home team breaks even by the start of the third period.

Leo plays okay, he's scoring his points and doing his job. He just can't shake that nagging feeling that he's _missing_ something...

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
night, October 2002_

Night finds Jason in an alley somewhere in Boston. He doesn't recognize where he is, but it looks to be somewhere in the not-so-good neighboorhoud. What's more, he doesn't even remember how he got there in the first place. 

He has had black spots before, caused by too much to drink. That fuzzy feeling that the memories became dimmer and dimmer until the moment that they just seem to stop. Jason gets the distinct impression that this is somehow different. He can perfectly recall everything that happened, up unto some point. And he hadn't had _that_ much to drink. He was just sitting in the bar, draining another glass and setting pen to paper to draw something. From that moment on...
_nothing_.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_As the young woman walks, her darks curls bounce around her face. She is wearing a brilliant smile, sparks can almost be seen twinkling in her eyes. "Hi, Albert. How did I do? Kind of sad I think, this probably being my last one here for a while."

The cat gives her an affectionate smile and pours her a glass of wine. "You did just fine, and I sure hope I'll see you back her some time. I'd like you to meet Charles Arctor. Charles, Carrie."

The woman shakes Charles hand, a look of recognition coming upon her face. "Oh yeah, I think I saw you playing here a while ago. Yeah, I think you had a good set there. You've got a great voice. Say, I'm going to go east tomorrow, finally got myself a big break. If you're ever around, give me a call, maybe hang out, or try playing something."

She hands Charles a piece of paper with a phone number scribbled upon it. Charles recognizes the piece of paper as the one he gave her at the bar that night. It even has his own phone number on it...

"Hey, I could introduce you to the man who made my dream come true. Maybe he can also do somthing for you? - What do you say?"_

OoC: Charles


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 5, 2003)

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
night, October 2002_

"I am slowly going crazy..." Jason sings to himself softly, a simple jingle from his childhood.  He feels unimaginably tired, like he's aged four decades or run a marathon or had his puppy die.  He feels physically, mentally and emotionally... exhausted.

What was going on today?  He really couldn't say.  All he knew was that things had been getting stranger and stranger as the day wound on.  And he could trace it all back to that strange little man.  He knew he should be even more confused and put out by the whole experience, but frankly, he was beyond that at the moment.

He put a hand against the wall to steady himself, put a hand to his temple.  "One-two-three-four-five-six switch."

Lurching forward, he emerged at the head of the alleyway and peered around in the deep darkness.  "Crazy going slowly am I,"  He straightens with effort, and then strides out into the middle of the street giggling insanely.  "Six-five-four-three-two-one switch."

He scans the horizon, trying to gain his bearings and head towards a main street or at least some place familiar.  Someplace to go to sleep so he can wake up from this dream.


----------



## Mickerus (Jun 6, 2003)

Charles accepts the note and looks it over before pocketing it hastily at the realisation that not only is it his number, but is in his own handwriting as well.

"Ah, pleased to meet you.  Sure, I'll have a talk with the guy, though I don't really know what good it would do.  How long were you planning on hanging back, anyway?  I think this cat was wanting me to play something tonight."

As he stands, Charles takes a quick glance downwards, and sighs in relief at the affirmation.  _That's a relief; I *hate* the no-pants dreams..._


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 6, 2003)

Taylor looks somewhat puzzled by the end of the doctor's speech. "I'm sorry, but I'm rather curious as to why you've come to me. I don't have any real interest in politics, I'm committed to my studies."

He's silent for a moment, then continues, "Your driver mentioned your field as being 'applied philosophy.' What did he mean by that?"


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 6, 2003)

Ty raises his eyes at the driver's tirade.

_Sheesh, this guy's a looney. Oh well, at least this is sorta the right direction._

He hangs on, enjoying the ride as best he can.

"Yeah, they should really learn their place" Ty agrees, not really comprehending the man's anger. However, having just escaped being run over, he was happy to accept the man's comments.

Ty's gaze wanders around the sports car, trying to find some clues about who this this maniac driver was. He prayed he wasn't just going to end up in a worse accident.


----------



## Keia (Jun 6, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo played through the quarter, faking the opponent out, making his shots, playing defense - but something didn't feel right.  _Not surprising considering what's been going on today,_ Leo pondered.

As he played and when he rested on the bench, Leo tried to figure out what was missing.  He checked himself physically, flexing and tensing muscles to make sure they all still worked and had the appropriate pop.  He checked his vision, but didn't look into the crowd.  _Was it my *edge*?_ Leo thought, _Nah, I'm still as aggressive as ever._

_'Only when I run up and down the mountain again' . . . does that mean I've done it already before?  Was it my slam?_ Leo thought. _Well, let's see if it was . . _ he thought as he went for another slam.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 6, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

Leo soon found a moment for another slam dunk, and went up with great agility. Just as he pushed off, it struck him... _He was actually holding back_. 

At the beginning of the game he had been so tense, so desperately looking to shake the fatigue from his muscles. He had to give everthing to perform despite the fuzz in his head, had to go all-out.

As Leo flew to the basket and slammed the ball in, he could tell that he was really holding back now, he wasn't pushing nearly as hard as he had done the first minutes of the game.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Carrie takes a look at her watch before answering. "Well, he was supposed to pick me up here, so I guess he'll be here any minute. I'll just introduce you to him, and see if I can persuade him to listen to you play. You seem like a great guy, and I think you deserve that. Mind you, I can't promise anything..."

The woman looks beyond Charles, noticing something at the entrance. "Oh there he is. I'll be back in a moment."

Charles takes a look around, seeing a short asian-looking man with graying hair, standing in the door opening._

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The young fellow knows how to drive, and he seems to handle the speed quite well. There is one quite close call where he doesn't quite see a pedastrian trying to cross, but the woman gets out of the way just in time.

Ty looks around the car, spotting a file folder thrown on the dashboard. There's a logo in white and green and the name "Brewer Investments" written in grey blocky letters.

The driver turns his face to Ty, his staring look seems like he only really sees Tyrone for the first time just now. "So, what is it that you do, normally?"

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_en route to the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

"Right, we know that you are more of an _independent researcher_ than you are a politician. You must know that we are not engaged in politics. See, people have the tendency to respond awkwardly if they know that they are being governed. They like to have a _choice_, and _freedom_. This is why we rarely intervene _directly_."

"Our work is more subtle than that. We are more focused on the _contraints_ of human society. This is what I like to call _applied philosophy_. It will become clearer to you later on, I am sure. We use global innovations to _steer_ humanity along its course. To lay this course and to bring it to the people, we need person like yourself."

OoC: Taylor


----------



## Fanog (Jun 6, 2003)

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

Jason stumbles through some alleys and small streets, receiving little attention from the few people still on the streets. A church bell lazily informs him that it's two in the morning.

As he makes another turn, Jason finally comes across a street he recognizes, one that cuts through most of the city. As he reaches the street, he spots a city bus some hundred yards off. It's heading in his direction and will soon pass him. The bus appears to be empty save for the driver, but the sign tells Jason that the bus is heading for the city centre, where his room is located.

OoC: Jason


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 7, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening
_
"I'm a researcher at the university. Quantum physics. It's pretty interesting once you get your head around the crazy stuff."

Taking note of the folder, Ty return's the stranger's question. "So what do you do for a living?" he says.

"oh, by the way my name's Ty."


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## Fanog (Jun 7, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Oh, quantum physics?" His round face has a look that says that he doesn't understand hard science and isn't particularly interested in it. "That's with electrons and _quarks_ and stuff, right? Isn't that all theory, like a lot of research just for the sake of knowing?"

Seeing Ty look at the folder, his eyes light up a bit. "Yeah, that's my own company. I'm Brewer, Nick Brewer. I handle investments for other people, stock market and stuff like that. My clients put their assets into my care, and I make them a profit. - And a tidy one, I might say. I began not less than _two_ years ago, started with nothing. And now? Well this," he lovingly pats the dashboard of the car, "is my ninth."

OoC: Ty


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## Mickerus (Jun 7, 2003)

Charles sits back with an amused expression on his face and watches Carrie and the man talk to each other by the entrance.  After a minute or two, he turns back to the catman.

"Hey, how about another round here?" he asks, holding up his glass.


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 8, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening
_

*Ty*

_Sheesh, this guy's loaded. Nine cars?! That can't be right. And in two years? Something's not right._

"So how did you manage that? You must have some sort of secret to get all that cash. Pitty I don't have that much money to invest."


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 8, 2003)

Taylor notes the car heading toward the motorway, but pays it no mind for now. He is more interested in getting information from his mysterious host.

"I see. So your group fancies themselves as a sort of Illuminati?  What is this course that you are supposedly guiding humanity toward? And what does it have to do with me?"


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## Keia (Jun 9, 2003)

_On the Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
October 2002_

_I'm not going all out?!?  I suppose I'm pressing a little bit, but that must be it . . . _Leo thought, _The question is if I go all out again will I have another incident?  That's somethingI don't need right now._

Leo thinks a bit more about his situation, wondering if he can go all out in practice, perhaps late tonite with only Gus around. _Gus is going to crap his pants when I tell him this - assuming he believes me._  Or, does there need to be a level of competition there to allow himself to go all out. . .

All the while, Leo was playing one of the games that he loved and wondering about the source of what was going on.


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## loxmyth (Jun 9, 2003)

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

"First bit of good news all day," Jason says to himself, nursing his throbbing head.  He jogs awkwardly toward the bus, waving in grand motions to catch the driver's attention.

"Hey!  Slow down!  I want on!"


----------



## Fanog (Jun 10, 2003)

_The bartender pours Charles another beer, before leaving to take the order of another man at the bar.

Charles sees Carrie walking back over to him, escorting the old man. "Charles, I'd like you to meet Mister Masuda. - Mister Masuda, this is the man I told you about..."

The man bows to Charles by way of greeting before giving him a long look. When he speaks, his words are surprisingly decisive. "No, he is no good. Not ambitious, and too scared to try. I am sorry, dear lady, but he would never make it." 

With that, he turns to the bar where he picks up his soda. Carrie watches Charles with a look of pity in her eyes, not really knowing what to say._

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Well, you just need some guts. And you have to know the right kind of people. It's all about knowing what's going on in the business. And you can never really slack. Never. Sometimes, the difference is in a few seconds, mere _moments_ that seperate between tons of profit, or loss." As he speaks about his work, the man gets awfully enthousiastic, gesturing with his hands to add to his words.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to do a desk job too. It doesn't really pay, but all those people are just too hung up on the security of a contract. They sell their whole lives just to be able to sit comfortable. But the truth is, you are never really going to make a buck that way, you'll always be stuck on your lowly wage while you could get so much more. And that's what I did, and what I'm good at - taking risks and just going for it!" 

"It brought me all this", he adds with a proud smile.

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_en route to the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

"I do not think that I can _explain_ to you what our goal for mankind is. You would have to _see_ for yourself. But I will try to give you an impression of what we are trying to do."

He seats himself a little more comfortable, making sure that Taylor is listening and won't interrupt him. "As I told you, there are elements of chaos. These spring _naturally_ from the human mind. It is this chaos that has troubled mankind since their first days. These elements are usually generated by _uncertainty_. You must know that it is *fear* that drives man to rash actions. Fear of the unknown mostly, but also fear for his own well-being. You see, this completes the circle... The unknown breeds fear, which causes people to act without thinking. The result of these actions is quite unpredictable, which leads to uncertainty for _other_ people. It is this circle that has dominated human history."

Turning to Taylor, he adds "Our group uses its resources to remove the fear and uncertainty from people's lives. We wish to create a world where people won't have to _dread_ the day that comes, where they can live _without_ having to worry about what lies ahead. We will take these worries _from_ them, so that humanity can truely advance."

The man seems to remember Taylor's second questions, and concludes. "To remove fear and _rash action_ from the minds of mankind, we need people who can intimately understand these concepts. You must work with the concepts on a _higher_ level than mere psychology can describe. It is my belief that you can _come_ to understand this, with the proper education."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

Leo had played without really straining himself, until he was replaced early in the fourth. He followed the rest of the game from the bench, seeing the Mavericks take the game with 91 to 82. At one time during the game, he had thought he could see the odd man on the stands. He looked kind of sad, defeated. As Leo blinked, the man was gone again, as far as Leo could tell. 

After the game, Leo had taken a shower and listened to the coach speak, but wasn't really there with his thoughts. He desperately needed to talk to Gus. After they got the rest of the day off, Leo left the dressing room looking for Gus. Of course, the man was already standing there, waiting for the athele which he had known for so many years.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

The bus pulled over next to Jason and the driver pushed the button to open the door. The large man behind the wheel looked kind of wary of the stranger at this hour. "Hey, what's up? Do you know what time it is?! The last regular line was over an hour ago..."

The man takes a second look at Jason. "Damn, you look like . What happened to you?"

OoC: Jason


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 10, 2003)

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

Jason giggled at the bus driver's question, and he lurched up the steps and dropped into the closest seat to stop his head from swimming away from his body.  "I don't know," he answers solemnly, before being momentarily overcome by another fit of giggles.  Wiping tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes and then digging into his pockets, he fishes around for some change to deposit in the coinbox.

"Look, I neeeed ta get back to the... the whazzit?"  Hmmm, his brain felt like wet putty and he could hear static in his ears.  It was going to be one of those long nights, and a hell of a morning.  "City centre.  Y'know, that way?"  He points in the direction he wants to go, hoping the bus driver will start the bus up.  "Don't you worry - you drive down this street and I'll tell ya when to stop, right?"


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## Mickerus (Jun 10, 2003)

Charles half-coughs, half-chuckles as he turns to look at Mr. Masuda.

"No _ambition_?  Mister, you really don't know the first thing about me to say something like that.  It's all a matter of perspective, you know?  To get a record deal, make tons of loot, get fat...  That's what people see as success any more, and I don't want any part of it.  Me, I just want to meet my potential.  Getting comfortable and complacent, that's not the way to do it.  When you start raking in cash nothing matters any more, right?  Life just become something you take for granted, not something you actively experience.  All that's left then is to become jaded and in the end, as far as I'm concerned, to destroy yourself trying to remember what _life_ was."

"Sure, I could still write emotional songs, even make money doing it.  But I'm not that transparent.  How could I even consider singing about _real_ pain when the most stress I have is worrying about whether or not the pool boy did a good job cleaning?"

Charles stands up straight and lights another cigarette, then continues. "I had a pretty good friend that made it big.  Name was Jimmy Durand.  Had a couple of big hits on the radio, you might have heard of him.  He died two years ago from a drug overdose, you know?  He had this song I loved, called 'But I'll Be Free'.  It was about his mother dying from cancer.  Well, just last week I see a truck commercial that's playing that song.  Now when I hear that song, I don't think about struggling to be strong enough to overcome the depression of dying a slow death, I think about driving a fricking 4X4 across Colorado.  And if achieving something like _that_ is something akin to the way _you_ see ambition," Charles takes a long drag from his cigarette then exhales a line of smoke upwards towards the ceiling fans, "Well then, chief, I don't want any part of it."


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 10, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Guts hey" Ty replies with a grin. "Pitty, but I don't have too much of those. Rather just cut my losses and be happy."

"Anyway, i'm happy with my job. Never know what's gonna pop up next."


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 11, 2003)

Taylor shifts around, growing more uncomfortable. _I'm not sure I really like where this is leading..._

"Perhaps I've led a sheltered existence, but I've never considered the average person to live in fear on a daily basis. What is this chaos and fear that you'll be removing, and what is this special education that is needed to do so?"


----------



## Fanog (Jun 11, 2003)

_The man suppresses a slight smile, as if he had known what was coming all along. "I am quite sure that I never said I could offer you a _record deal_. Far from it, I believe." He emphasises and his accent twists the words a bit, as if he isn't really familiar pronouncing them. "I think you have proven my point. Even before you knew what I had to offer, you assumed that it could not be good and rejected it..."

The man takes a sip of his soda and turns to Charles. "I think I met someone once who was quite a lot like you. He was so caught up in his own life, so terrified of the unknown, that he kept returning to familiar grounds. This was his entire life, to go over places and emotions already experienced... Even though he did not realise it, he was getting quite 'comfortable and complacent' in his life, as you put it."

The man seems to think for a moment before continuing. "Do you honestly think that this is the best you can do... Are you 'meeting you potential' now, running across the land without goal or purpose? There is no other way that I can see this then as a lack of ambition. I am sorry..."_

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

The man makes no move as Jason enters the bus, even though he never lays his eyes off the student. "Hey, are you on drugs?" he asks. Jason can hear him muttering to himself "Ah, damnit, he's probably not safe here at this hour." The man closes the front doors and lets the bus take off. 

He twists his head to regard Jason again. "Do you still know your adress? ...Well, I've got to tell you - You're lucky that I was still around. No buses normally drive around this hour. It broke down, took me over an hour to fix the bloody thing. Well, you just sit right here and I'll get you home, let you sleep it off. Okay...?"

OoC: Jason


----------



## Fanog (Jun 11, 2003)

_Cambridge Streets
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Well sure, but it's still a shame. But hey, it's your loss..." The car turns the corner into the small street where Ty lives and stops when Nick is directed to his house. "Just be sure you know who to blame when you're out walking in the rain instead of driving in one of these", he adds with a smile, half-mocking. 

Even as Taylor gets out and closes the door, he sees Nick grabbing a cell phone from his jacket. The car speeds away at even higher speed than before, leaving Ty standing in the rain. As he turns around to enter his house, Ty notices an old man sitting on a bench across the street, holding a black umbrella against the rain. The man gets up to walk, staring intently in Ty's direction.

OoC: Ty


----------



## Keia (Jun 11, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

Tired wasn't the word for it . . . exhausting was closer but not quite there.  Almost no sleep for 40+ hours, practice and a game - his first professional game, dealing with reporters, plus some rather weird experiences had left Leo bone tired.  Still, the need to talk to Gus and explain what happened as well as to test his theory on what the old man had said drove him on.

Leo made his way out of the dressing room and into the arena area, already locked up with the spectators on their way home.  Seeing Gus there, Leo made his to him and sat heavily on a seat nearby.  Leo looked around to make sure no one was listening or watching, then turned to talk to Gus.

"Gus, some weird stuff went down tonight - really weird.  I don't know what to make of it, but I've got to test a theory and I'll need some help to do it," Leo said.  He proceeded to tell Gus about meeting the strange man, the problems with his limbs and vision, and what happened on the slam dunk, and what the strange oriental man said in the vision.

"So, I want to go all out and test the theory.  But I wanted to do it here after the game and everyone left, 'cause this is just too weird to share except with someone I trust.  We can put a couple of mats down to cushion my fall so if it happens again, I won't get hurt (or at least there's less chance of it) - plus I won't have to think about getting hurt.  I can just let go and see what happens," Leo said.  "So, what do you think?  Should we do it now or wait a while longer?"


----------



## Fanog (Jun 11, 2003)

_on the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

"Well, the problem is that most people do not even _realise_ that they live in fear. Nevertheless, it in _engrained_ in them, from early age. It goes so _deep_ and is so all-encompassing that they do not even _see_ it anymore. It all begins so early... Children are told stories of _demons_ and _bogeymen_. They are afraid of monsters under their beds, performing _rituals_ to ward of danger. And even though no one would ever know it or admit it, this fear sticks to everyone, the unknown keeps _haunting_ them." The man's voice is increasingly thick and slow, forcing Taylor to think on every words that is being said.

"What do you think of all the people who have claimed to have been _abducted_, or those who see _conspiracies_ in every government. Is it _coincidence_ that these stores keep coming up? - *No*, it is the _fear_ of the unknown that makes people disregard all rational thought. The stories of _horror_ that are being retold time and again *prey* on people's minds, making them _vulnerable_ and rash." Something starts tugging on the back of Taylor's mind, like he _almost_ remembers something, something important...

The man with the thin glasses takes a breath, regaining his calm before speaking again. "Our group has been around for _many_ centuries. We have given mankind _knowledge_ of the world, a set of _rules_ by which they can live and can _understand_ what is going on around them. This pursuit of _scientific knowledge_ is one espect of our dealings.
The _other_ deals with the understanding of these _myths_, the _archetypes_ that drive fear into people's minds. We have studied these for a _long_ time, and they have _helped_ us understand the human mind. It is this that we are willing to teach you. We believe that you have the insight to learn the nature of these _stories_, and the skill to _treat_ them."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

Gus strikes a hand through his graying hair as he listens to Leo speak. He seems quite concerned but waits silently until Leo has finished speaking.

"Holy , Leo. You're basically saying that you'll play till you drop? I don't know, I've got a bad feeling 'bout this." Gus strikes a hand through his hair again and lights up one of his thick cigars. "It wasn't pretty seeing you go down like that during the game. It damn well wasn't..." He takes a long draw from the cigar and heavy creases appear in his forehead.

"So what is it exactly that you expect to happen? Other than you dropping from exhaution..." He turns to look into Leo's eyes. "Leo, I'm not really comfortable with this, but I can see that you aren't either, with this whole situation. If you really want to try this, you know that I'll watch over you. What did you have in mind?"

OoC: Leo


----------



## Keia (Jun 11, 2003)

_Catacombs, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_



> *"So what is it exactly that you expect to happen? Other than you dropping from exhaution..." He turns to look into Leo's eyes. "Leo, I'm not really comfortable with this, but I can see that you aren't either, with this whole situation. If you really want to try this, you know that I'll watch over you. What did you have in mind?"*




"I honestly don't know what to expect.  I mean I was on a fraking mountaintop in the middle of a game - and you saw what happened to my body.  If that happened again, the coach would freak and I'd be testing until there's no tomorrow.  I've got to find out what happens when I 'run up the mountain,' and I'd rather find out under my own control rather than someone else's," Leo said.

"All I really need Gus is for you to watch out for anyone else, stand in the way every now and then (just as another obstacle for me to get around), but mostly just for support.  I 've read some things about exhaustion and playing, about your mind and body operating on another level when you let go, but nothing prepares you for it.  And, I thought I'd never get to a state like that because I don't use drugs or alcohol.  You know what I always say 'My body is a temple,' it's definitely helped to keep me clean - then this comes along. . . . Thanks, Gus, for being there and helping me out."

Leo got a ball and started running and dribbling, burning off the energy he had from the _excitement?_ of exploring and trying this.  Then, as the sweat and fatigue set in he started shooting, spinning, dunking on occasion, trying to let his mind go and just let the natural body moves take over.  Running all out, as if each shoot was made ad the clock was running down.  Heck, as tired as he was, Leo wasn't certain through the haze that the clock was running down and he had to make this play.


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 11, 2003)

_Streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
2 am, October 2002_

Jason leans back to stretch out on the seats, muttering incoherently to the driver.  "Lucky me, huh?"  With a crooked grin, the young man drapes an arm over his shoulder, and takes a deep breath.  Through some sheer act of will, he managed to coalesce his thoughts together long enough to spit out his address.  "That's where I'm going, man.  Damn, do you have any tylenol?"

He's grateful for the bus that shouldn't be here, this late at night.  _Must be those whacky entities,_ he thought to himself with a roll of his eyes.


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 11, 2003)

Taylor is silent for some time while he considers the doctor's words...

_It almost seems ridiculous to compare childhood stories to adult concerns. But there do seem to be a great amount of "monsters" floating around the adult psyche. Even if things like abduction stories can be passed off as sleep paralysis, there's a lot of stories to explain away out there.

Assume that there are reasonable explanations for, say, 99% of reported phenomena in the world. Even so, doesn't the fact that we interpret such things in terms of the supernatural, the "Other" indicative of some sort of dark, underlying current in human thought? Even if I don't agree to join Dr. Franks' group, this merits further study. Speaking of conspiracy theories..._

Taylor finally speaks again. "Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that I more or less agree with your assessments of the human state. Let us also pretend that I accept your group's claim of being solely responsible for most scientific advances."

"I'm not a scientist, and have no particular interest in it except as when it relates to my own studies. What would this training be, and what would I be doing for you? And how, exactly, does your group 'treat stories'? "


----------



## Fanog (Jun 11, 2003)

_Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

"Hmm, you know how I feel about that. If it weren't you, I'd say all this mountain-stuff was just a load of horse-crap." Gus puts away his cigar and starts rolling up his sleeves. "Let's get going then."

Just as Leo makes his first moves on the court one of the arena attendents drops by, but Gus quickly takes care of the young man. For a moment, Leo has the vague feeling that he's being observed, but he doesn't see anyone. The feeling vanishes as quickly as it came, although it doesn't disappear entirely.

Gus enters the court and starts throwing Leo some balls, long passes that are off by a few yards or short balls that he throws with quite high velocity. He doesn't talk, but just watches Leo intently.

While Leo works it out, he tries to ignore anything going on around him, just focussing on his body and on the motions he's putting it through, exhausted as it is. The sweat makes his hands slippery and sometimes gets in his eyes, but Gus is quite relentless and keeps on pushing the young athlete. A few times he can actually feel like he's being pulled into the mountain landscape again, until the moment that Gus aims a ball just a foot astray from the basket and Leo goes up to tip it in.

_A cold wind runs past Leo's bare torso, making him shiver from his own sweat. He can hear the sound of his own heavy breathing, but not much else. His surroundings are pure white at first, and then take on the shapes of sky, mountain and robes. Flowing white robes, wrapped around a small, old man whom Leo recognised. The man's composure is perfectly calm, unhindered by the cold. "Yes, that is much better... Stand and breathe, catch your breath for a while."_

OoC: Leo


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## Fanog (Jun 12, 2003)

_Jason's home
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

The big man driving the bus shakes his head while driving. "Damn, you're seriously screwed up. Just sleep up off okay, get some help in the morning." The bus doors open and Jason stumbles out. He drags himself into his street and to the building where he lives. After succeeding in opening the door, he crawls up the stairs and into his room, disregarding the note that the Pomodoro had called to ask if he was still going to show up for work. With clothes still on, Jason falls onto his bed and into a deep slumber. Even in sleeping, though, Jason is not safe from his own imagination.

_Jason is in his parent's house. He's performing some ritual, calling forth a flaming monster, an efreeti of sorts. The monster slams into the house and it starts to burn wherever he touches. The only problem is that Jason is locked into his room, and flames are creeping in from under door. Outside he can hear his parents calling vengeance upon him, shouting encouragements to the burning beast. Jason looks out the window only to see it coming straight at him, threatening to consume him in the flame._

Jason wakes with a startle, the rays of the October sun shining on his face. He smells of sweat, his clothes stink of smoke and drink. His head is heavy from the alcohol, slowly the events of last evening come back into thought.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_on the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

While Taylor thinks, the man takes a look out of the window, regarding the city and the cars. Light from streets lanterns zoom by while the car makes its way through the light traffic.

"Well, not _all_ of them, but it is safe to say that we are one of the _greater_ thrusts behind the continued exploration of the sciences. I understand that this must be hard for you to accept, but I can _show_ you what we are capable of at the moment. That should convince you."

"Throughout our history, we have learned quite a lot about the rules that govern the universe, and those that govern people's behaviour. Most of this, we make public so that mankind may _benefit_ from this. Think about medicine, and consumer technology. _However_, there have also been discoveries that would not have been understood or accepted by the general populace. Among these are quite _numerous_ discoveries in the _working_ of the human mind. We can _share_ these with you, so that you may _explore_ what the nature and origin of these _archetypes_ and myths are. In the past, this understanding has been _enormously_ important for understanding human behaviour, for reasons I explained earlier. To better _guide_ mankind, we continue to explore the depths of these aspects of the human psyche."

OoC: Taylor


----------



## Keia (Jun 12, 2003)

_Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *A cold wind runs past Leo's bare torso, making him shiver from his own sweat. He can hear the sound of his own heavy breathing, but not much else. His surroundings are pure white at first, and then take on the shapes of sky, mountain and robes. Flowing white robes, wrapped around a small, old man whom Leo recognised. The man's composure is perfectly calm, unhindered by the cold. "Yes, that is much better... Stand and breathe, catch your breath for a while."*




Leo paused for a moment took in a breath, about to unlease a flurry of questions, but then decided to follow the old man's instructions.  He breathed in the cold mountain air, allowing it to fill his lungs.  Leo tried to remain calm, remembering his meditation classes, but had to ask some of the questions that were threatening to disrupt his thoughts.

"I have many questions but I feel the most important is 'Does time pass where I am now the same as where I was?'  I've got someone watching over me and I don't want them to worry, unnecessarily," Leo said as calmly as he could. "If I have time to ask more questions then I will."

If Leo has the time, he'll ask the following questions (in no specific order): How did I get here? Who are you really? Where or what is this place?  What happens to my body when my consciousness (or at least I assume it is my consciousness that moved) is here?  What do you want with me?

There are more but these are the most relevant?


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## Fanog (Jun 12, 2003)

As Leo takes his time before asking his first question, the man before him stands silently and unmoving. At the question, he makes a small nod and answers. "Do not worry, please. Everything will be all right... Everything you experience here is mere memory. You are still where you were. Your mind can experience these memories fast enough that it won't lose sense of your surrounding for very long. Be comforted, take the time to explore here."

When he is comforted that nothing will happen to his body, Leo can't hold much longer and unleashes the full torrent of questions he has. The man gives an encouraging smile.

"Yes, I understand that you have a lot of questions. You seperate the mind from the concerns of the body. That is good, it will make that which will follow easier to accept." 

The man takes a few steps towards Leo, taking in a deep breath of cold mountain air through his nose. "You already understand that your mind is a seperate entity from your body. Know that there is another entity still, the soul. The mind is merely what links the soul to your body. Soul gives power to the mind, power that is sometimes stronger than the body... I can tell you that this is because the soul is much _older_. It has life-times of experiences and memories to draw on, and you are currently experiencing one of these memories. In your case, this was more or less accidental, but by realising what the soul holds, one can consciously delve into these memories and use them."

Making a sweeping gesture with one arm, the man continues. "What you see here are the Himalayas, where students have been trained in the secrets of the mind, body and soul. Your _soul_ has undergone this training, and you _mind_ is now reliving certain moments of that training."

He gazes intently in your eyes, focussing on your reaction. "Do you _know_ what I tell you to be true?"

OoC: Leo


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 12, 2003)

Taylor frowns slightly and shakes his head. "Yes doctor, I can follow the theories and thrust of your argument well enough, but you still haven't given me any _specifics_ on what would be happening. For instance, what sort of techniques does this training use? And what would a typical project consist of- what would be the activities, and the goals?"


----------



## Keia (Jun 12, 2003)

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *He gazes intently in your eyes, focussing on your reaction. "Do you know what I tell you to be true?"*




Leo thought for a moment before answering, seeking within his mind to see if he really did _know_ what the old man was talking about.  Leo in the past had used force of will to overcome opponents, whether it was in boxing, football, basketball or track.  But what if that 'force of will' or 'sheer determination' was actually Leo tapping into prior soul knowledge, power, or training.  An interesting thought - thought perhaps not a pleasant one.

Leo felt that there was some truth in what the old man said, though verification at this point may be difficult. "I think what you say is the truth, it feels right, but I don't _know_ it is the truth," Leo told the old man. "So what you're saying is that I've tapped into the prior knowledge and/or power of my soul, at certain points in the past."

"I was right, what answers you have given has created many more questions for me.  But for the moment, I'll stick with two you didn't answer from before.  Who are you really? and What do you want with me?"


----------



## Mickerus (Jun 12, 2003)

Charles slowly shakes his head and looks away.

"Wrong again.  Listen, when some suit who knows me starts talking to me after I play, odds are it's about a record deal.  I _know_ that's not what I want, and if you recall, that's what I turned down.  As far as meeting my potential goes, I'm getting closer every day.  I think my music's only getting better, and as long as I continue to improve, then I've got no complaints."

Looking back to Masuda, Charles picks up his glass and drinks more of his beer.  "The reason I keep walking this path is simply because it's the best road I know to get where I'm going.  If you know a better way to go about it, then hell, I'm all ears.  By all means, enlighten me, chief."


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 13, 2003)

Keeping an eye on the old man, Ty fumbles for his keys in the rain. "Gonna be a pain getting to my car in the morning" he thought with a sigh. "Oh well. Least i have something interesting to read." he thinks to himself, patting the lump in his pocket.

The door finally creaks open, and Ty crashes inside, glad to be out of the rain. Throwing off his coat he stretches out his tired body. 

"Enough weird stuff has happened today."


----------



## Fanog (Jun 13, 2003)

_on the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

"Hmm, yes..." The man sitting next to Taylor slowly lifts both eyebrows behind his glasses. "You must know that our group values its privacy, hence I have kept the _details_ until the end. _However,_ I have good hopes and will try to give you an _impression_ of the specifics."

"Most of our knowledge regarding the human mind and behaviour has been gathered by _experiments_ with people, mostly _psychological_ in nature. You wil review these experiments and the conclusions that _prior_ researchers have drawn from them. This will give you insight in the way in which we gather knowledge about the human mind. Also, you will be instructed into he use of several _instruments_ which we have developed precisely for this research."

"Once you know enough you will be allowed to set up your _own_ investigations, but in many cases you will be _directed_ to persons who are _suitable_ for study. We have _many_ agents among the globe who are watching for people who show behaviour _indicative_ of these 'subconscious drives' I described earlier.

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_

The man's gaze in Leo's eyes holds while he nods, sunken in thought.

"Yes, I think that it has happened to you before, but never as strong as this... Earlier, the memories must always have been weak, perceived only subconsciously. You have experienced that the reliving of these memories can be hazardous if the mind does not know how to handle them. It takes too long to react, and is in that period unable to perceive the needs of the body. That is why I am here now, and why I want to teach you."

He takes some distance and looks Leo up and down, amost gazing _through_ him. "You are not the first to experience the memories of the soul. Many before you have explored its wonders. I am a student and master of an ancient tradition, and I am here to pass my knowledge on to you. _I_ do not necessarily want anything from you, except that you listen to me and take my lessons to heart..."

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_The old man looks slightly puzzled by Charles' words, and responds defensive, in an apologizing tone. "I am sorry, but I just got here. I did not see you play yet, and I do not think I have to, necessarily..."

He strokes a hand to his chin as he thinks about Charles' latter words. "I think I have a better way, yes... At least, Miss Carrie here also seems to think so. But I really have to ask - Where _are_ you going?"_

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

As Ty opens his front door, the old man catches up to him. He makes a small bow as he speaks to Ty, in a rather heavy asian-sounding accent.

"Excuse me, Mister Gustalf...? Today I left a book to be delivered to you. I hope you have received it in good order? I thought that you might have some questions regarding the text... To be honest, I hadn't expected you home so early."

Despite the apparent oddness of his words, the man's face looks quite stern and serious.

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (Jun 13, 2003)

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_

"Okay, that doesn't seem unreasonable.  As for the knowledge, knowledge doesn't hurt near as much as a lack of knowledge," Leo replied. _I noticed he said he didn't want anything but it sounded like others may - typical, story of my life.  Have to be careful what I agree to . . . this is really different,_ Leo thought.

"Well, I've always been a quick study, what can you tell me," Leo asked.


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 14, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Ty steps back from the man in surprise, water dripping onto the concrete step. 

"You're the person who brought the book to Proffessor Kalantar? I must say that I was surprised to see it. Almost thought that I would never get it back."

"Yes, the book came to me as perfect as it ever was. I'm assuming you're the one who left the note with it?"

"So why did you take the book in the fist place, and how come I'm ready for it now?"


----------



## Fanog (Jun 14, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Yes, I was", the man says as he nods his head. "The book contains many interesting ideas, and much can be learned from it... But, this can only happen if the reader has enough prior knowledge. Without that knowledge, the text could not be appreciated"

The short man takes a step forward so that Ty is also sheltered under his umbrella. "If was very important that you learned the going theories before delving further into book. Otherwise, its meaning would have been lost on you... Remember, you can only get a first impression once. Beyond that, everything is colored by what you already know, or do not know..."

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_

"The man gives a slight smile to Leo. "I can teach you, but I can not _tell_ you much... Everything you need to know, you already know. Your soul still has memories of all of the training it has had. In time, it will reveal everything you must know."

"I can not delve into your soul, you must do that yourself. My task is to guide you on that path... There are many ways of coming closer to the soul, exercises and meditations... The path will be demanding, the tasks I set you may be hard at times. If you have the will to complete your studies and the strength to face your soul, you will be able to do the unimaginable..."

OoC: Leo


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 14, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Ty is mistified by the man's words. _What is he on about? What has my work got to do with this? What's so significant about now?_

"So i've gone through enough in my studies to tryly appreciate this work hey?" He starts to fidgit, making sure that his book is still there.

"Perhaps we should go inside out of the rain to talk, Mr?" he says in an effort to learn who this mystery man is.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 14, 2003)

"I see. And once you find these people with these... 'subconcious drives', then what? Observation,  or perhaps even experimentation? And what sort of things would you be using as criteria? I assume you aren't sending me out to look for phobics or anything of that sort..."


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## Mickerus (Jun 15, 2003)

Charles smiles and shrugs.

"That's the real beauty of it, I suppose.  Or the tragedy, whichever way you look at it.  Not too many people really _know_ for sure where the road's going, do they?  I know it will eventually end with the dirt nap.  That's where we're all headed, sooner or later.  I guess I'm more interested in the scenery on the side."

After taking another drink and thinking a moment, Arctor grunts.

"Actually, I think maybe what I'm _really_ into is seeing other people's roads.  Building new ones, pointing out places they can turn.  I guess that's why I do the music thing; it's all about what I've done, and people who get into it can see where it's lead me."

Charles looks at Masuda and smiles.  "Sorry, it's not much like me to get into philosophical ramblings.  Maybe I should save it for a book, huh?  Zen and the Art of Guitar Tuning, something like that, I guess.  Are you _sure_ that you didn't hear me play before?"


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## Keia (Jun 16, 2003)

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *"I can not delve into your soul, you must do that yourself. My task is to guide you on that path... There are many ways of coming closer to the soul, exercises and meditations... The path will be demanding, the tasks I set you may be hard at times. If you have the will to complete your studies and the strength to face your soul, you will be able to do the unimaginable..."*




Leo smiled - he could 'imagine' quite a bit, and no one, *no one* ever questioned his will.  The problem was, he couldn't have another incident like what happened at the game tonight . . . at least not anytime soon.  Otherwise, there'd be doctors and who knows what else.

"Alright," Leo said, "I'm willing to learn, but you've gotta stop pulling stuff in public on me.  That thing in the Pepsi Center was definitely uncomfortable."

"What's the first step?" Leo asked.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 16, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Masuda", the man introduces himself with a formal bow. "I would be most grateful to come in, thank you." he says with his rather stiff accent. "I am most interested to hear what you have read in the book so far, and what you have learned of it."

He gives a small smile, thought Ty isn't really sure what it is about.
_______________________

_on the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

"These feeling and emotions take on _many_ appearances in behaviour. However, the most _obvious_ manifestations are also the most _dangerous_, since they will allow the myths and stories to _grow_."

"In _most_ cases, only a series of talking sessions might be necessary, coupled with some basic experiments. However, there are also cases - _severe_ ones - where these _delusions_ in people's mind might prove to be a _danger_ to themselves, of others. In that case, you might have to escort these people to one of our _facilities_, where you can take the time for more _extensive_ experiments."

The feeling at the back of Taylor's head is still there, stirring at the mention of delusions and manifestations...

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_3 Bears Motel
Seattle, Washington
early saturday morning, October 2002_

_The man gives Charles a quizzical smile. "Hmm, I _might_ have... I think you do quite well on you philosophical ramblings, we seem to be getting somewhere. If I may give some advice though - I would not write the book, it would lead you over ground that was already trodden..."

The set of his face drops into something more serious. "I can tell that you see into the lives of other people, thought not too much into your own. I can tell, because I can do the same, more of less... Now has come the time for me to show you the place where _you_ can turn. That place is right here... Turning now will bring you insights you always longed for, and will allow you to guide people better than you ever have. I wish you the best with your decision. Goodbye..." The old men takes Carrie by the arm and walks out the door, leaving Charles behind._

Opening his eyes, Charles finds he is staring at the moving images on tv, a brown mouse being chased by a gray cat.

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_

The man in the white robes looks a bit guilty. "I am sorry for that, but what happened was not _entirely_ my doing... It would have happened eventually, and I rather had it happen when I was present to explain things to you. Because of this, I have _helped_ you overcome the 'barrier'."

"It seems like your natural defenses are weak when you are tired, allowing your soul to appear to your mind. We will start from there, and build downwards. I will meet you at noon, outside your house."

After he answers the last questions Leo may have, the man makes a bow in salutation. "Very well. Now... Breathe, and jump..."

OoC: Leo


----------



## Keia (Jun 16, 2003)

_Someplace in the Mountains?
The Himalayas?
Sometime now but in the past?_

Leo nodded his head in understanding and bowed slightly in return to the old man, keeping his eyes on the man.  Regardless of what the man may have done to Leo to get him to this state, he had been helpful and deserved a measure of respect.

"I'll talk with you more tomorrow, then," Leo replied.  He inhaled deeply of the cold mountain air, tensed his legs, then jumped.


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 16, 2003)

_Jason's home
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason sat up slowly in his bed, tasting the alcohol on his breath.  He still felt exhausted, of course, like he'd been running a marathon in his sleep and had only stopped long enough to wake up.  Beads of sweat coat his face, his heavily heaving chest, his palms.  He blinks as the brilliant shafts of sunlight flood his face with blinding warmth, lurches to his feet.  His head still throbbed, and the inside of his mouth felt like sandpaper.  _First things first,_ he thought with an inward sigh, struggling to exercise his will over his reluctant body.

Shrugging out of his dirty, dishevelled clothing, he headed for the small dirty closet-sized place he called his bathroom.  Turning the cold water tap full on, he cupped his hands under the faucet while staring at his reflection.  _Man, I need a shave.  And some more sleep.  And a beautiful woman to sweep me off my feet, while I'm at it._  Finally he lowered his face into his waiting hands, lapping thirstily.  He drank deeply and for a long time from the pool of clear refreshing water he held in his hands, then straightened up and pulled the cabinet open.  Row upon row of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals stared back at him.

"Let's see," he wondered aloud, "there's gotta be some Tylenol in here somewhere."  He shuffled through the forest of squat plastic bottles, looking for the cure to his migraine.  _Damn._ he thought bitterly.  _Damn damn!_

Four minutes later he was hastily dressed and heading down the street to find the pharmacy and a strong pot of black coffee.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 16, 2003)

_Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

_Leo feels the snow crunch under his feet as he shifts his feet for better grip. He takes a breath and feels somehow... empowered. Pushing off of the ground, he takes a last look at the odd man in white before giving his all and jumping. He can feels the ground give way beneath him an he speeds up away from the snow-covered ground, higher and higher into the blue..._

Leo feels himself gliding through the air, intercepting the ball in his flight. He glides up, past the ring and ever upwards. His hand glides over the _topside_ of the back-board, taking a trail of dust with it. After that, he descends, Back to the ground, ball still firmly clutched in one hand. 

Leo's feet connect to the ground with a firm 'thud' and he smoothly bends through his knees to absorb his momentum. Crouched on one knee, he stares at the ground beneath him, marvelling at what just happened.

OoC: Leo


----------



## Fanog (Jun 16, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Half an hour and a trip to the drug store later finds Jason in a bar near to where he lives. It looks more like a cavern than anything else, some benches near the walls and a few chairs, almost all of them hidden in shadow. Several tables, most of them inscribed with all sorts of graffiti. The smell of smoke and drink never leaves the place, hitting Jason full in the face as he enters.

At this hour, Jason is the only one present in the bar save for the owner, a broad-shouldered man with dark matted hair and a big tattoo on his forearm. The man behind the bar greets Jason with an indistinguished grunt.

"Well, don't you look lively today... The usual?"

As Jason sits there, one memory after another spring to his mind, all of them vying for Jason's attention. The Tylenol clears his head of the pain, but does little to remove Jason's bleak thoughts.

OoC: Jason


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 16, 2003)

[OOC It's a good thing you mentioned the memory thing, I'd somehow missed it the first time...]

Taylor tunes out his surroundings for a moment, attempting to recall whatever it is tugging at the back of his mind. If he has no success, then he will begin thinking about how he can get out of this car and back home, as he's sure by now that he wants nothing to do with the sorts of things Dr. Franks is describing to him.


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## Mickerus (Jun 17, 2003)

Charles sits on the edge of the bed for a minute or two as he stares blankly at the screen, then mumbles to himself "God, I hate that cartoon."

Snapping himself back to reality, he gets up and takes a shower.


----------



## Keia (Jun 17, 2003)

_Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *Leo's feet connect to the ground with a firm 'thud' and he smoothly bends through his knees to absorb his momentum. Crouched on one knee, he stares at the ground beneath him, marvelling at what just happened.*




"Ummm . . . wow," Leo said quite eloquently.  He looked at the dirt on his fingers - dust from the _top_ of the backboard.  Leo then stood and looked around, making sure that no one saw what just happened - no one but Gus, that is.

"Don't say anything, Gus.  We'll talk somewhere else. . . I think I'm done practicing for tonight," Leo said. "What do you say we head out and either grab something to drink or . . . on second thought, I think I should head home and rest a bit."


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jun 17, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Coffee?" Ty asks as he steps inside, taking off his sodden coat.

Turning on the kettle, he makes his way over to the table, and gestures for the man to sit.

"The book is different now from when I last had it. It's strange. It's like the contents are gone from my mind from when I last saw it. My memories are all blured. This time it's different though. It's clear, precise. I have no trouble reading the words."

A thought strikes him.

"The book changes depending on what you know, doesn't it. Before I didn't have much experience, so I couldn't understand it. Now i've learned so much the book has adapted to suit me. That's why I feel it can help me with my work, isn't it?"

His gaze focuses on Masuda, hungering for an answer to his theory.


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## Fanog (Jun 17, 2003)

_on the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Watching the street light zoom by, Taylor replays his conversation with Dr. Franks, hoping to jog the memories loose. He has the distinct feeling that he had missed something vital, something that the Doctor had said. Archetypes, subconscious drives, manifestations... There must have been something. And then it hits him, thoughts coming to him almost faster than he could work them...

_It was in the things that the Doctor _hadn't_ said. 'Treating' stories... He hadn't answered the question, kept talking about experiments and research. Which would mean that the phenomenon _can't_ be 'treated', if they really are interested in purging them from the human mind. If the Doctor know what he's talking about, that must mean that these archetypes are an inherent part of humanity, _not_ something that is learned.

Global... If these thoughts and drives are inherent, they must be coming from somewhere, but they're not stemming from culture. They're doing global research; are these archetypes really universal?_

Even though there are several odd conjuctions and weird leaps in his thought, Taylor knows that he is on the right course. He _knows_, somehow...

"Well, Mister Willoughby" the man next to Taylor says as the car leaves the freeway heading for an industrial area. "What are your thought so far?"

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_3 Bears Motel
Seattle, Washington
early saturday morning, October 2002_

The hot water gets some of the fog out of Charles' head. He's still not totally sure what happened; did he remember a dream, was it a vision happening just as he got up, was he still sleeping perhaps?

Regardless, the turn of events have left Charles with a strange feeling of anticipation, like great things are waiting to happen. His mind wanders off as he lets the hot water pour over him, it is just like he's waiting for something.

But nothing happens...

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Court, Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

The arena was empty, and completely silent. Leo saw Gus standing near the center of the court. His mouth was hanging open, one hand lay on his head as if it had stopped dead in its motion. "Damn...!"

Gus walked towards Leo. From the look on his face it was obvious that he didn't believe, much less understood what had just happened. "Damn...!"

Gus looked around, a bit bewildered. "Yeah sure. I'll drop you off at home, I think I could use a drink after that. Come on..."

Gus and Leo walked out of the stadium together. They were greeted by the doorman, who reminded Leo that he was still clutching a ball. After he handed it over, the two were let out of the building and into the cool evening air. The two men walked over to Gus' old jeep. Once they were inside, Gus turned to regard Leo.

"Damn... What kind of crap just happened in there, Leo?"

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"No, thank you. I don't drink coffee" the man says as he takes place in the chair that Ty points to.

He listens intently as Ty explain his theory, watching Ty as he does so, almost seeming to peer _through_ him.

"No, I am afraid that that is not entirely correct" he says with a slight smile. "It is just an ordinary book, it does not have any ability to change its content. The letters are still the same... but you are not. The nature of the book is not so much in the content, as it is in the way in which it makes the reader think. Before, you did not know the field that the book details, so you couldn't think about it. Now, you can..."

He tilts his head ever so slighty. "Tell me, what _do_ you think of the theories explained within? Do they hold credibility to you?"

OoC: Ty


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 17, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason smiles weakly at the bartender.  "Nah, just a coffee," he decides, "my liver can only take so much in one night."  He leans back in his stool, rotates his head once to get out all the kinks, and cracks each of his knuckles in turn.  "Make it black, no sugar."  With the ordering done, he turns inward until his coffee arrives, musing on his dreams.

_Nightmares is more like it,_ he thought bitterly.  _Why can't I ever get a good night's sleep anymore?  Why are all these weird things happening to me?  What's with all this fire imagery?  I'm sure Freud would have a thing or two to say about it all.  Guess it means that I need a woman.  Or something._


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## Keia (Jun 17, 2003)

_Outside the Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

"Gus, I really don't know where to start. . . I had another one of those episodes, though I controlled this one better," Leo said.  He proceeded to tell Gus of what the old man said and that there was a meeting tomorrow.  "You saw what I was able to do, and I was dead tired and not feeling my best.  Imagine what I could once I learn how to control what I can do."

"What do you think?  Obviously, I'm not crazy - at least I hope not - 'cause you saw what I did.  Now I just have to rest and see if there are any after-effects of what happened," Leo finished.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 17, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

The big man, clothed in old jeans and a stained black T-shirt, raises an eyebrow at the order, but soon returns with a large mug of coffee that's almost fresh.

"So, what's bugging you today... The usual?" The man gives a slight smile at himself, remembering his words from just a few moments earlier.

OoC: Jason


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 18, 2003)

Taylor continues pondering the situation:

_There must be something that they're onto here. He's already said that they came to me because they believed I was working along similar lines. So they must sense something else out there as well. Only they're not really trying to reach it; it's more like they're trying to study, or perhaps even supress it.

Then there's been mention of these archetypes, these myths, manifesting in people. It certainly makes sense- anything this powerful would have to manifest sometimes. There could be ebbs and flows, like a current, and the high tides could come up into the human conciousness, and perhaps even the physical environment.

But what people? He's spoken of "treating" and "experimentation", as if they're also attempting to supress those who have tapped into this force. He's compared it to childhood fears, mental disorders, all sorts of things which clearly indicate he considers such people to be abnormal. How can something be an aberration if it's common to everyone?_

Seeking to buy himself some more time, Taylor asks, "How exactly do these archetypes manifest in people? I understand you can't give me specific details, but I thought perhaps an analogy or hypothetical situation.

"I'm curious about the people I'd be dealing with, you see. I don't want to spend my time chasing middle schoolers with ouija boards or anything like that." Taylor smiles placatingly.

_I've definately got to get some more information from him before I leave. I want to find the same things, but not as a part of his organization. And I have a feeling that joining just to discover things would be... complicated. So I need to get enough information to allow me to pursue leads on my own.

Hmm... we seem to be getting away from the more common areas of the city. I wonder if there's an actual destination here? Seeing where we're going might give me a clue as to who it is I'm dealing with..._


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 18, 2003)

Double post     |
                       \/


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 18, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Ty is dissapointed at his mistake, but doesn't dwell on it.

"Well the theory certainly is strange. I'd have to work with it for a while before I can be sure, but I guess it could work if you put the time into it."

He lays the book on the table, finger running down its spine.

"Is there anything in particular that I should look for in this, or is it all up to me?"


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## Fanog (Jun 18, 2003)

_Outside the Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

Gus turns to Leo with a weird look in his eye. "Come on, Leo, hear yourself talk... So this guy was actually the same that you met in the catacombs, but he talked in a language that oyu didn't understand. Or did... Couldn't it just have been your tiredness, and excitiment from the game."

"Damn, did you actually jump that high? I mean - I was _there_, but I'm starting to have doubts. For some reason, I don't really trust this guy. But if he shows up tomorrow, at least you can be sure that there's _something_ going on. Do you think it's wise to do as he says? I don't know - I think you're messing with some strange  here, Leo."

Gus strikes a hand through his head one more time before starting the car and driving to Leo's home.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Dr. Franks leans in ever so slightly to Taylor, looking him straight in the eye and speaking in his slow and thick voice. "Well, Mister Willougby. Most of these people actually _believe_ that these myths are _real_. It gives them the illusion that they are somehow different from others, _important_ individuals, a cut _above_ the rest. This is what makes them so _dangerous_, you see...These people will believe they have _seen_ the light, _know_ the truth, their search for more leads them to actions that _endanger_ themselves and others." Even though his voice has changed little from before, the words sound menacing, especially when considering how close they strike to Taylor's thoughts from moments before.

Taylor's thoughts are still spinning, working their way ever closer to some kind of 'solution', but only in bits and pieces. _Real. Coming from childhood stories. "...completes the circle"._ There's something _there_, he knows it, feels it coming closer.

"But, Mister _Willoughby_. You haven't answered my question. What do you _think_ so far of what it is we do?" The man watches Taylor like a hawk, waiting for his reply...

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The man raises an eyebrow, it seems as if he isn't entirely pleased with the answer, of was hoping for something else. The man's voice is rather soft and non-confrontational as he speaks.

"Well, I can only assume that you took today to read through the book. From what I know, the theory is pretty detailed, but simple in its concept. As a researcher, you should have some knowledge of the matter, and an opinion on the concept of the theory. Do you not...?"

As an after-thought, he adds "Well, what you read is mostly defined by your expectations and assumptions. You should look for what appeals to you, and what you think is interesting..."

OoC: Ty


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## loxmyth (Jun 18, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

"Women," Jason replies reflexively, fixing the bartender with an exasperated smile.  "I think I need one."  He paused a few measured beats to gulp down some of the hot black liquid, turned back to the man.

"I'm not sleeping well," he confides, shaking his head in disappointment.  "I get maybe two-three full hours of shut eye a night these days.  I'm haunted by nightmares of monsters made of living fire that want to consume me, and they answer my parent's bidding.  So I guess it's the usual... in a certain point of view."

He paws at his breast pocket for a moment before realizing it's empty.  "Got a cigarette?  Man, I could really use a cigarette right now."


----------



## Fanog (Jun 18, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

"Yeah, sure", the man says as he grbas a box from his pocket and offers it to Jason.

"A woman, huh? I'd almost say that you'd need to cut down on drinking, if I didn't think that would hurt my business." He smiles a broad smile, putting back the box of smokes.

"Serious, though. If you're that afraid, you've got to stand up, prove that youyu can handle yourself. Drowning your fears won't help. I've seen many try, and they all fail... Take it from me, I've seen it happen."

The man's eyes glaze over a bit. "Well hear me, talking like the shrink. Part of the territory., I guess."

OoC: Jason


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## Keia (Jun 18, 2003)

_Outside the Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

"Trust me, Gus, I'm skeptical.  Maybe it's nothing but some hallucinations, but what if it's not. . . . I've got to explore that possibility.  Perhaps with some sleep this will all go away and we'll laugh over beers about it some day. . . . though my hand is still dirty from the top of the backboard," Leo said.

"I don't trust that man.  Anyone that would do something like that to someone without consent cannot be trusted.  But if he can teach me to unlock what I already have within me . . . well, I've got to see it through . . . or at least start it," Leo said.


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## loxmyth (Jun 18, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Slowly, Jason taps out a cigarette from the pack, then slides it along the bar back at the bartender, nodding in thanks.

"Yeah, I was mostly kidding about the woman thing, Teddy.  Picked up way too many disgusting habits to subject to anyone I supposedly dug, you know?"  From his back pocket he removes a lighter.

"Afraid?"  Jason surveys the bartender with a critical eye as he lights the stick, inhales the smoke.  "I'm terrified.  And it's ruining me, buddy, it's ruining me.  I can't think, I can't concentrate, I wake up in cold sweats.  I can't do my job properly..." his eyes widen in recollection, "oh , the Pomodoro!"  He bangs the heel of his hand against his forehead.  "Wonder if I still have a job."  He seems to consider for a moment, then shrugs and takes another draw.  "Customers tip crappy anyway."



> "Well hear me, talking like the shrink. Part of the territory., I guess."




"Don't worry about the shrink thing.  It's cute," he says with a slight grin.


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 19, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Ok, well I suppose that I didn't want to jump to conclusions. The theory is detailed, yes, but as a scientist I cannot believe it works after just reading about it, however much I want to."

"What it seems to be saying is quantum mechanics can work on a large scale, so that we can recognise it. If this is true it will revolutionise my field, even if it is kept quiet. I suppose what I really need is an opportunity to work on it, test the boundaries if you will."

Ty opens the book to a random page.

"If someone was to look into these theories, all you would need is time, either to prove or disprove it. The university has most of the equipment needed. I would have to seek permission to go off on this tangent to my work though, but if you think it's important I'll give it a shot. The worst that can happen is a no."


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## Fanog (Jun 19, 2003)

_in front of Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

Gus is mostly thinking on the drive home, he isn't sure if there's a lot more to be said.

"Okay, here we are. I'll head on home and get myself a stiff drink, you take it easy and get some sleep, 'kay? - Leo, it just doesn't really sit well with me. Do you want me to be there tomorrow, keep an eye out for you?"

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

"Cute, huh? Well, at least I'm not the one messed up here." There's a grin on his face, but Jason can't really tell if that's all there is to the comment.

The man pours Jason another cup of coffee, and then heads for one of the doors behind the bar. "I've got to take care of some things for a few minutes, you'll manage around here, right?"

The man walks off, leaving Jason in the dark and empty room.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Ty opens the book and starts to read. The man just sits and waits while Ty does so. The page that the book opened to details one of the consequences of the basic premise. It deals with tunneling of large object and theorizes that, as electron are able to pass through high potential barriers, so could a large object be able to tunnel _through_ other objects without interacting with them. Images appear in Ty's mind of a cannonball flying through a conrete wall without damaging it. It would be the closest analogy to what's in the book...

Looking up from the book, Ty sees the old man watching him. "I do not think that much equipment would be needed for an experiment. If the book deals with large object, would you really need all of it? Could you not test it right here?"

"The man takes a moment, it looks like he's thinking. "From what I know, the basic idea is preposterous, but it is from the detail that it takes credibility. Do you agree?"

OoC: Ty


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## loxmyth (Jun 19, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason ignores the bartender's parting jab, not really registering what he said.  Instead, he gazed into the black depths of his coffee, studying the haggard, rippling visage that stared right back.

He leaned back, pulled the cigarette from his mouth and tapped it against the ashtray, exhaling a steady stream of curling white smoke as he sat there.  His mind felt sluggish, slow and his eyelids heavy.  Did he have classes to attend today?  Right now?  Later in the afternoon?  He couldn't recall - and worse, he didn't care right now.  He'd probably end up at the studio at some point today, but other than that, he was in no mood for higher learning.

Then he heard soft footfalls behind him, and turned to see who had entered.


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## Keia (Jun 20, 2003)

_In front of Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
after the game, October 2002_

"Yeah, I'd like to have you there, if you're able.  Thanks for being there tonight, I wouldn't have even tried anything if you hadn't been there," Leo said as he got out of the car.  He closed the door and said, "I'll catch ya tomorrow."

Leo wandered into his house, too tired to rush anything.  After entering and locking up, Leo headed directly for his bed.  Sleep would be a welcome change.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 20, 2003)

Taylor's head felt like it was spinning, his thoughts cascading in circles, jumping from one to another around a single, central point. One that he felt he could close in on.

Realizing that Franks had asked another question, Taylor casts about for an answer. "Yes, well.... hm. I'd have to think about it..."

His thoughts come faster, as disparate pieces of information weave themselves together:

_Myths, archetypes, thought elementals, manifesting themselves through people- and these others trying to remove them, almost like exorcists... where was that mass exorcism several years ago? Chile, or perhaps Brazil? Tribal beliefs have survived as Santeria down there- same as voudoun in the Caribbean. Believers willingly give themselves to possession, like the spirit mediums of the previous century. 

But most mediums were fakes. So, perhaps, more in lines of Sufi ecstatics- and the Sufis have a distinct mind/body architecture- their rites are designed to put the mind in touch with different patterns. So are many of the Tibetan schools, Buddhist and Bon... their practices are quite similar to Sufis, but we've known for some time there was probably a cultural exchange somewhere along the line. Jung did studies of Tibetan mythology for some of his theories, and modern western theories of thought elementals and sentient desires have their roots in eastern philosophy. Some seekers even picture themselves as gods, living as their mythological heros..._

As Taylor rapidly considers one trancendental path after another, he begins to perceive things in an odd way. The sense of both calm and excitement that flows through him reminds him of the feeling left him by his recent dreams, in which he was sure that he was putting together elements of the puzzle that he couldn't retain upon waking. But now he is aware of what he is going through, and of his situation, even if not his surroundings.

Like seeing a picture from a new angle, it suddenly occurs to Taylor that there are even mythic overtones in his current situation: his own uncertainty, and risk in coming here to seek knowledge; his mysterious guide, who seems more and more to becoming some spiritual adversary; their unknown destination, as they hurtle in a sepulcher car along the highways, the lifelines, of a great city, surrounded by humanity and yet totally cut off from it. 

Taylor sees that the things happening around him physically, in the *now*, are a type of ritual in themselves. He thinks of legends of initiates, those who have pulled aside the veil themselves to see the truth of things. He begins to search for the missing piece to complete this puzzle before him, the trial or ordeal that will complete the process and bring him through to the other side...


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 20, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"It would certainly seem that way, but let's give it a shot."

Ty picks up a cup from the kichen bench and, reading the passage carefully, very slightly _leans_ on it, pressing it into the bench to see what happens.


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## Fanog (Jun 20, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

In the door opening was the man that Jason had met yesterday. He stood there, his short grey hair in disarray from the wind outside. The calm expression that the man had had yesterday was gone, there was only cold determination in his eyes.

"Mister Siddique, I had hoped that you would see what was right for yourself. I gave you an opportunity to escape your fears. Instead, you flee only further... I am truely sorry for having to do this, but you leave me no choice... You _will_ learn, whether you want to or not. "

The man walks toward Jason at quite a brisk pace, not revealing any of his further intentions just yet.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday, around 8 AM, October 2002_

As soon as Leo enters his own home, fatigue sets in. Fast... He manages to get undresses and drops to bed exhausted. He has dreams of flying over mountain ranges, crashing into the ball court over and over, flashes of Wu Xia movies, all of his fears and hopes put into the blender that is the subconscious.

Despite this, Leo feels quite refreshed as he awakens the next morning, early as always. A milky morning sun lights his bed room. As he sits up, he looks at the alarm clock. Still four hours to go until his meeting...

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Dr. Franks gives Taylor a piercing look, his brows arching close together as his gaze intensifies. "Mister Willoughby, I _wouldn't_ do that if I were you. This is _just_ the kind of thing I was talking about. But, you should know that by now... Be _assured_ when I say, that this road leads _no where_."

Taylor can hear the words only barely, caught up in a maelstrom of thought. More and more of the dots get connected as he notes that every story conceived of, every action taken can be reduced to a few elementals. And that all of these must be real, in some form. They must make up the building blocks of reality. _But how is reality formed from these building blocks? What detemines the stacking of the elementals?_

Dr. Franks briefly turns his attention to the driver. "Mark, we have a _problem_. Park the car." Almost immediately, the car takes a sharp turn, entering an empty parking lot in front of a warehouse.

OoC: Taylor


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## loxmyth (Jun 20, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason sputters on his coffee, shocked at seeing the crazy old man again.  "What the hell do you want with me?" he cries out in equal measures of fear, frustration and fury.  He scrambles up from his chair and starts slowly backing away, trying to interpose a chair between himself and the man.

"Teddy!" he hollered over his shoulder as it became aparent the man would not go away.  "There's some psycho out here!  I think he wants to kill me!"


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## Fanog (Jun 20, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

Mister Masuda slides to the edge of his seat, watching with interest as Ty performs the 'experiment'. Ty pushes on the cup, but nothing happens...

The old man slowly shakes his head, a bit disappointed. "That is a shame, but I guess that it was to be expected. I must assume that many people have leaned on their cups, but it has never fallen through the table... But you are ready to try, which is a good thing..."

The man holds a moment, before continuing. "I am afraid that you are forgetting something... Quantum effects happen due to the wave nature of particles. But that wave collapses once you do a measurement. Now, what would happen to the cup, according to the theory that it would have a wave function?"

Ty thinks about the simulations that he saw during the first few years of his study. _Wave packets that expanded with time... With added time, it was increasingly unknown where the particle was, until you made a measurement. Then, the particle had to choose, so to speak. The measurement thing was never fully understood._

OoC: Ty


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 21, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Well it's not going to move if we just stand here, but maybe, just maybe,"

"is the cat alive or dead? Is the cup above or below? No, that wouldn't work. Schrondinger's cat relies on there being a poison in the box. We can't just drill a hole in the table and balance the cup on the edge. That defeats the purpose."

"How can we stop measuring the cup is the mystery. If it became totally wave-like it would slide right through. I somehow don't think that if we imagine it's not there it won't be."

Ty flicks through the next few pages, looking for more insight into his problem.


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## Fanog (Jun 21, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

The man speaks as he advances, pushing away the chair with ease considering his age and build. He holds out one hand before him, making intricate weaving motions with it as he comes closer.

"No, I would cause you no harm... You have many problems, and I will help you face them. You are plagued by dreams and visions, entities you do not control. They act on your wishes... They have already made you forget, before long they will act on your self-misery. The danger comes not from me, but from them. See, and remember..."

Images are pushed to the front of Jason's thoughts. The burning beast crashing into his parent's house and the bar he was in yesterday, before he woke up in the alley. He had drawn something, but his memories had abandonded him fromt hat point on.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"The problem is not in the book, nor in the theory... The problem is you, the observer." the man educates.

"As long as you watch the cup, its wave form will be in a state of continual collapse. Because of that, it does not qualify as a particle in the sense of the theory. You will have to stop observing, it seems..." The man raises an eye brow in seeming surpise.

The man stand up from his chair and walks over to Ty, taking the cup from him. "Please, allow me... Close you eyes, so that you will no longer be an observer."

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (Jun 23, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday, around 8 AM, October 2002_

_That's more like it,_ Leo thought as he woke up.  Tempted to roll over and sleep for a few more hours, Leo shook it off and got up out of bed, stretching the morning tightness away.  His mornings typically consisted of a warm shower, more to limber and wake up than to clean, followed closely by a heavy workout in the fitness room - either arobically or through weight training.

Saturday was weight training (except on game days), then shooting drills.  Leo worked hard in practice, knowing that success on the court, field or ring came more on the days the public didn't see you than on the days they did.  Leo worked out for a couple of hours, then showered again to fully clean himself and prepare for the rest of the day.  

Leo then headed out to the mailbox to see if one of the assistant coaches had dropped a game disk for last night's game off or previews for the upcoming game.  If so, Leo reviewed the film or watched Sportscenter as he fixed a small well-balanced meal and checked the time.  Minutes to spare!


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## Fanog (Jun 23, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 11:45 AM, October 2002_

Leo finds the tape with the game footage, along with a note from the coach. It told Leo to take it easy in the weekend, he'd rather like to avoid any other incidents due to stess or fatigue. The next game wasn't until Tuesday, when the team had to visit Washington.

Sports Channel has a summary of last night's games, including Leo's awkward dive. The commentary explains that the official lecture was a distraction, but conjectures that it may have been nerves for the rookie player. All in all, Leo's performance is deemed very good for a first game, but the dive keeps coming up...

The door bell rings and Leo lets in Gus, who doesn't look like he's been awake for very long. Gus makes straight for the kitchen, hoping to find some hot coffee. "Hey Leo, how're you doing? I hope that nothing crazy happened since last night...? So, what's the plan for today?"

OoC: Leo


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## Mickerus (Jun 24, 2003)

Charles gets out of the shower and dresses with his mind preoccupied.  After three attempts to get his shirt on facing the _right_ way and not inside out, he decides to take a walk.

Before heading out, he stops by the clerk and asks for him to take any calls for him along with a message.

Afterwards, he starts walking around town, and quickly regains his composure.  He takes his time as he wanders the streets, stopping to talk with anybody that seems interesting, idly wondering what this run-down building or that was once like, occasionally sitting down on a curb to relax, and generally just soaking in the city.

(Assuming nothing happens) As evening draws near, he heads back to the motel to pick up his guitar, checks to see if there's any messages for him, then heads back over to the bar, if only driven by curiosity.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 24, 2003)

Many people- artists, mystics, redeemers and the redeemed- believe that there are times in life when perceptions shift and one is in some way altered. For some, these are transitory things, fleeting glimpses of something larger than themselves, or perhaps the true workings of the world. Others focus more on these moments and make them into life-changing events: they are saved, or reformed, or born again, and they are never the same.

None of these analogies is sufficient to describe what was happening to Taylor at this moment. It was as everything around him halted in a single, eternal instant. He experienced a sudden, startling jolt in perceptions, as if suddenly regaining his hearing in the midst of a concert. If a person's remaining senses can become stronger to compensate for other, lost senses, then Taylor's inner perception took over completely from his lesser, mundane senses.

Everything of the past few hours- indeed in the past few days- had been leading up to this one moment. While everything around him became physically blurry and indistinct, he nonetheless was totally aware of his surroundings on a deep, intuitive level. He didn't need to perceive what was happening around him because it was already known. He could feel an energy pulsing around him- flowing through everything and everyone. It was unmeasurably powerful: primal, terrifying and exhilarating all at once. It flowed through everything and everyone around him, and seemed to be the very essence of what made up his surroundings.

_This is it, he thought. This is the force behind it all. Everything in every story, or sermon, or spell in the world has been an attempt to access and understand what I'm experiencing right now._

As he saw the energy, and the chain of events which had led here, so to did he see the energy leading him away. A path of golden light was forming outside the car, leading off into the darkness. He didn't know where, but he knew that it had to be safer than his current position.

The moment coalesced into it's ultimate shape. The car stopped, the path emerged, a light rain began to fall, and Taylor bolted through the door.


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 24, 2003)

Ty closes his eyes, watching the man's shadow moving towards the cup before the room fades to black.

"But surely if you were touching it it would still be under observation, wouldn't it?"


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## Fanog (Jun 24, 2003)

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
saturday evening ,October 2002_

Charles has a fine day in the city. He's done this quite often, just watching and conversing with people. That's what it's really all about. People...

At the motel, Charles finds that there are no messages for him and heads to the bar. There are about a dozen people there, most of them enjoying their dinners. The owner looks a bit surprised and waves at him from behind the bar, he probably didn't expect to see Charles back so soon.

The old man is present, sitting at the same table as yesterday and eating a light meal. He has probably noticed Charles entering the bar, but doesn't look like he's about to move or speak to him.

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Yes, but as long as you are not observing _me_, I am merely a part of the experiment. If the cup should be a wave, why could I not?"

The man is silent for a moment. With his eyes closed, Ty can only notice the sound of the heater and the cars outside. A lone bird sings outside. Within moments, he can hear the man's accented voice again.

"Done. You can open your eyes now..." As Ty opens his eyes, he sees the man standing near him. The cup is now in his left hand, _under_ the table.

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (Jun 24, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 11:45 AM, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *The door bell rings and Leo lets in Gus, who doesn't look like he's been awake for very long. Gus makes straight for the kitchen, hoping to find some hot coffee. "Hey Leo, how're you doing? I hope that nothing crazy happened since last night...? So, what's the plan for today?"*




"The coffee's still there, Gus.  It's not going anywhere but into you," Leo said with a smile.  He didn't drink coffee in the morning, because he felt the caffiene messed up his routine and made him too hyper.  He did enjoy the smell though, so Leo was satisfied to brew coffee for Gus even though he had no desire for it himself.

"Well, let's see . . . I slept, worked out, studied film, and ate - mostly I slept," Leo said.  "I thnk to plan today is to hear the man out, be on guard, and learn what we can in a private environment rather than on national tv."  Leo finished with a motion to the sports channel still playing in the background.  

"They just can't seem to stop analyzing that fall.  I don't suppose I would either if I was on the other side, but it doesn't make me feel any better."


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## Fanog (Jun 24, 2003)

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Taylor doesn't see individual events, but patterns and elements. Things aren't only connected, but composed of a finite number of repeating elements. As he dashes away, he looks back to the car, seeing not the two men, but categories and types: _Nemesis, thug_.

The driver immediately gets out of the car and starts a sprint chasing Taylor. Between blinks of an eye, the man has some sort of metal eye patch, emitting a thin beam of red light. A weapon springs from his sleeve into his hand, some kind of gun.

Taylor looks ahead of him, to the exit of the parking lot and the small building next to it. It looks empty and calm, but things connect in his mind, and somehow he knows. _Trouble_.

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 11:45 AM, October 2002_

Gus gulped down the hot coffee, looking better by the minute. He looked at the tv with a disapproving scowl. "Damn reporters, vulture scum. Big accomplishments vanish with a single accident. Sensationalists. Buh! Don't let 'em get to you, Leo..."

Gus went back to the kitchen, pouring himself another cup. He talked from over there. "Do you think that he'll agree with just talking, or would he have you 'do' some more things? And where do you want me - should I keep out of sight, or do you want him to know that I'll be keeping an eye on ya?"

Gus walked back into the living room, drained the mug in one and coughed because is had still been too hot.

OoC: Leo


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## loxmyth (Jun 24, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason wobbled as the images flooded his consciousness.  "Wh-what's going on?" he asked stupidly, trying to excise the jumbled mental pictures of a demon of fire and destruction laid waste to the imaginary constructs within his mind.

What was it that he was recalling, exactly?  Because he was now sure that he was recalling something, something that had happened earlier.  What had he been drawing?  He tried to recall, but it was difficult to remember.  He drew pictures like other people drew breath: it was reflexive and something he hardly ever really thought much about.

Wracking his brain to remember a past fogged in forgetfulness, Jason had almost forgotten about the little man.  He was here, now and somehow, he had caused the recovery of these memories.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 25, 2003)

Suspecting that the building at the front of the lot may be a trap, Taylor turns and begins to run toward the fence at an angle, hoping to find a way through or over it. His path is erratic, seemingly random, his new sight showing him the best route to dodge any gunfire.


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## Fanog (Jun 25, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

The man's accented voice is clipped with determination, maybe anger. "I did not do anything to you. I am now undoing what you put upon yourself... *Watch*, and learn..."

The man advances and is about to drive Jason into a corner. The rest of the bar is still deserted and quiet. As the man waves with his hand, his eyes stare hard, in concentration. The fingers of his outstretched hand make intricate patterns, seeming to grab, slide and push. Somewhere in his mind, Jason can feel like dust is being blown off his memories, a heavy seal is broken. As clear as if it was happening now, he can remember the events of the night before.

_The table, the glass of booze, and the paper. A drawing of the old man, of ghosts and fire. Jason takes a last shot of his drink and grabs an eraser, clearing the paper in furious strokes. He hears himself cursing and ranting, wishing all this had never happened._

Jason is pulled back to the present. The man has stopped his advance, is now only a few feet away from Jason. His hands are held loosely by his side, the calm has reappeared on his face. "It is done... Do you see?"


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 26, 2003)

Ty raises his eyebrows. 

"But that still wasn't a conclusive experiment. You could have swapped the hand the cup was in. But, i suppose, that is the whole point. You could be holding it above the table, you could be holding it below. While it might prove the theory, it has no practical application. Or have you thought of that too?"


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## Keia (Jun 26, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 11:45 AM, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *Gus went back to the kitchen, pouring himself another cup. He talked from over there. "Do you think that he'll agree with just talking, or would he have you 'do' some more things? And where do you want me - should I keep out of sight, or do you want him to know that I'll be keeping an eye on ya?"*




"Well, I would say that we play this above the board.  I want him to know that you'll be around and I really don't know what to expect from him or how long it will take.  I just want to know how to control what I did, how to access it without having to prepare for it for a couple of days, and perhaps most importantly, to understand what's inside of me," Leo commented as he walked over and turned off the television.

"I've spent all of my life, trying to be in peak physical and mental shape, competing against others in various sports to be the very best that I could.  I've always known that I've had an edge, and until now I thought that edge was mental toughness, willpower, or the fact that I wanted, no needed it more than the other guy.  I still believe I have that mental edge.  But if there's something else, I need to know about it and come to grips with it."


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## Fanog (Jun 26, 2003)

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Almost as soon as Taylor has changed his course, the door of the dark building opens. Two men in security jackets come out, taking a moment to take stock of the situation.

Taylor is strafing and dodging to avoid any bullets, but there aren't any. Instead, Taylor notices little bolts of orange light hitting the ground next to his feet, several times. While running, he takes a look behind him. The man is still in pursuit and gaining fast. The man is quite fast for his bulk, almost extraordinarily so.

When Taylor is only several feet away from the wire fence, he feels a jolt of pain racking his left leg. The limb cramps up and the speed of his run causes Taylor to drop to the ground, rolling over and crashing into the metal wiring of the fence. Desperate for a way out, Taylor spots a hole in the fence, probably where a dog or other animal wormed its way through.

Somewhere off, he hears the sounds of a heavy motorcycle...

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The man smiles as he puts the cup back on the table. "Very good... An open mind, but not gullible."

"It has no practical application, because you were not really involved... As with everything in quantum physics, the observer is very important. You must know that you cannot seperate the experiment from the person conducting it, in a sense. If you want to change the way things work, you do not really have to change the theory - as the book tries to do. All you have to do is change the way you look at it."

The man looks triumphantly, as if he has just reached the punch line of his story.

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

"Huh, okay. I'll keep an eye on him, you leave that up to me. This guy isn't going to mess around with you as long as I'm here. Not like what he did yesterday, son of a -"

Ten minutes pass with Gus pacing around the room restlessly. He doesn't really know what to expect, or how he'll react once he faces the man who was responsible for Leo's dive. Probably because of that, Gus doesn't rush to the door when the bell rings at noon, exactly. He settles himself in the door opening of the living room, ready to meet the man.

Leo walks up to the front door and opens it. Outside stands the old man from yesterday, dressed in a simple suit and a black raincoat.

OoC: Leo


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## loxmyth (Jun 26, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason pushed back until his back was against the wall, and then wordlessly slid down to sit on the ground.  It was damp and unhygenic, but he didnt' really care right at this moment.  And he'd suffered worse indignities in his life than a few stains on the seats of his pants, regardless.  His mind was racing with all that was happening, and with the memories of yesterday.  Of the giant whose skin was flame and whose eyes were smouldering embers.  Of his drawings, and how they would sometimes seem to take on a life of their own.  Of the small asian man before him.

"So... tell me about the entities," he muttered, covering his head with his hands.  "Help me to understand what the heck's been happening to me, because I was there, and I remember, but I have no clue what's going on."


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 27, 2003)

Silently cursing his twisted leg, Taylor worms his way through the hole in the fence. In addition to escape, his hope is that the wire mesh might help block against the taser, or whatever weapon "Mark" is using against him. 

Getting back up as quickly as possible, he heads for a shadowed patch on the sidewalk in the direction of the motorcycle sound, his mind racing.

_Don't really want to involve someone else in this, but I don't think I have a choice. The motorbike may get me out of here. Or at least the presence of a witness might give these men pause. Though they are American, so it's difficult to say...

Funny thing about that leg, though... usually I don't have any problems with exercise at all..._


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## Keia (Jun 27, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

For the moment, Leo didn't know what to say. . . _Should I invite him in, should I ask if the name he gave me was his real name, should I ask what he wants?_  Finally, his mother's early training on proper etiquette and respecting elders took hold.  His mother had taught him many things before she passed on while Leo was in his early teens.

"Please come in . . . can I take your coat and/or get you something to drink?" Leo asked. _How did he know where I lived, I didn't give him directions . . . I suppose he could have found out - I think I'm listed._


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 27, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"So the observer is important, but it is useless because I am not involved. Are you saying I need to become part of the wave? Just how do I do that?"


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## Fanog (Jun 27, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

The man approaches Jason, now gently. "Yes, I will... I helped you remember. You have an extraordinary gift and it will greatly help you in time. For now, I will guide you. You do not have to worry."

The man offers Jason a hand to help him get up. "Please, come. I am afraid that this environment is not very pleasent for conversation, and for taking in new ideas. I think we had better go outside, it is much better there. Take a moment to collect your thoughts, and regain your calm. I will explain all to you..."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

The man stops behind the fence, the red light from his eye piece targeted at Taylor. He shoots his weapons several times. The orange pulses don't penetrate the wire fence, instead dissipating along the mesh.

As Taylor gets up and limps away, the sound of someone pulling at the fence makes him look back. He see the man gripping the fence, trying in vain to rip the wire apart. He walks on as fast as he can, trying to put distance between himself and his attacker. Further up the road, he sees the motorcycle round the corner, now driving in his direction. Driving the heavy vehicle is a rather short man, his short white hair dancing in the wind.

_Not a coincidence_, is the first thing that pops in Taylor's mind.

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

The man waits politely until he is let in. "Thank you very much." He lets Leo take off his coat, but declines the offer for something to drink.

The man follows where Leo leads him, curiously looking about himself and taking in the mood of the apartment. He seems a little surprised at seeing Gus, but quickly composes himself. "Ah... Hello, good afternoon to you."

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"You might call it that." The man seems quite content with the the way the conversation has shaped up.

"The true 'trick' is to be able to be near enough to exert influence, while being far enough away to not observe... you have probably guessed that ths has nothing to do with distance... Everyone has learned to observe, as an automatism. It is so common that you do not even realize that you have a choice. You will have to learn to stop being an observer. Then you will be able to see the true value of your theories."

"You will probably ask how you will be able to do this. I will help you with this. In the meantime, you will have to construct your own theory on what will be possible, once you are no longer observing."

He seems to ponder for a moment, then speaks again. "what do you think of all this, does it not sound unbelievable to you?"

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (Jun 27, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

Noticing the reaction that the man had to Gus, Leo introduced the two, "Sir, this is Augustus Turball - a close family friend, and Gus this is . . . hmmm, sir, was the name you used last evening before the game your name?"


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 28, 2003)

Hugging a wall and limping toward the motorbike, Taylor breathes a sigh of relief and mutters a quick thank you to- _someone._ Whomever has it coming, really. Waiting until the last possible moment, he steps out and tries to flag down the motorist.


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## kuroshidaku (Jun 28, 2003)

"Speaking scientifically, I'd say this whole thing is pretty implausable. However, I would be willing to look into it further. What harm can it do?" Ty replies with a smile.

"Stop being an observer, hey. I'd say that would take a bit of effort."


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## Mickerus (Jun 29, 2003)

Charles glances briefly at the man then heads towards the bar and orders a beer, which he drinks from briefly.  He then walks over to the table and seats himself uninvited, and while looking away asks "Mr. Masuda, I presume?"


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## loxmyth (Jun 30, 2003)

_The Vault
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 10 AM_

Jason took the offered hand and used it to pull himself to his feet, his shoulders slumped and eyebrows drooped in defeat.  He dusted the crusty substance on his behind off, then took a deep breath as if starved for air.  "Where are we going?" he asked meekly, as he followed the man's lead out of the bar.

The hot golden shafts of the morning sun lanced into his eyes as they left the comfortable darkness of the Vault, painfully blinding him for a moment as he tried to get his bearings.  Now purple spots swam over his vision.  Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he tried to follow the shape of the man who would be his instructor.


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## Fanog (Jun 30, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

"Ah, how nice to meet you. Masuda." The man takes a deep bow as he introduces himself. Beyond that, he doesn't answer the question that Leo posed. Gus stands there a bit awkward, not sure how to respond to the bow. He end up with a slightly gruff "Uh, hello. Leo told me about you." He keeps a close eye to the odd man, but lets Leo do the talking.

Mr. Masuda turns to Leo. "Mr. Sykes, I hope you are ready for today's exercise? We shall be going out to walk, or run... I hope that you will be able to open up earlier than you did yesterday, it would be good if you did not have to exhaust yourself totally. Or do you have any questions from yesterday, perhaps?"

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

The asian-looking man riding the black motorcycle looks quite old and is dressed in a plain suit with a dark raincoat. Even though he looks totally out of place on the heavy vehicle, he seems to do reasonable well in driving it. 

Checking back behind him, Taylor notices that his assailant has given up on the fence and is now running to the entrance at high speed, hoping to round the fence in time to catch Taylor. The two men who had emerged from the small building are already out on the road, both of them running towards Taylor.

The man on the motorcycle stops about two feet short of Taylor's position, and motions his head for Taylor to hop on the vehicle as well, speaking in a heavily accented voice. "Get on... I will deal with those two."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The man sets down the cup on the table and sits back into his chair. "Yes, it is quite a daunting task, but I can tell you that it is possible. Many have succeeded before you, and their experience can help you attain this. There are quite some exercises and practices that will help you clear you mind and detatch from reality."

The man's eyes glaze over a bit, just as if he is thinking about something from long ago. "Once you attain this, the possibilies are many. Chinese monks have used it to push through the boundaries of their bodies, not hindered by their shells. You would be able to give these possibilites your own twist. Many theories become valid once your mind is no longer there to witness the result. Because, if you cannot see what occured, how could you claim that the impossible happened?"

He smiles, awaiting Ty's reaction to _that_.

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
saturday evening ,October 2002_

The man simply nods while chewing the food in his mouth. He swallows and takes a sip from his soda.

"Yes, I am... I must say that I am very pleased to see you again. Have you thought about my offer from last night? At least, I assume that that is what you are here for?"

OoC: Charles
_______________________


_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11 AM_

The man puts a hand on Jason's shoulder, guiding him out into the streets that were still quite empty. As they they walked in the morning sun, Jason seems to regain some of his strength, calmed by the soothing presence of the old man.

"We will just take a walk through the town. Try to see what happens around us, where you live. I am sure that this must be hard to understand for you. Let me try by giving an example... Maybe artists and students speak of a muse, inspriration that seems to come out of nowhere. Even though most think it is just their talent showing, some artists come to revere this source of inspiration as something real, speaking as if they are guided by the whims of some real creature."

"Some of these people go through rituals, thet go through all kinds of things to appease their muse trying to get on her good side, allowing the artist to create. Many of the great artists of old have held this belief, you must know many from your own circle who do, you might even do yourself... Now, if all of these great minds look to something external to help them, how odd would it be to suppose that there _is_ indeed something that guides their hands as they create?"

OoC: Jason


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jun 30, 2003)

Curious in spite of himself, Taylor gets onto the motorcycle and then turns to see how the men will be "dealt with".


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## Mickerus (Jul 1, 2003)

Charles smiles wryly and snorts before responding.

"Well, you could say that I've thought about your offer.  I'm at least curious to know what it is you're actually offering.  But I do have one question first.  Do you have any idea why I should know your name?"


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 1, 2003)

"Many have succeded before? What's that supposed to mean? Is this some kind of cult thing?" Ty replies with a slight frown. "Just how many are we talking about?"

"You seem to be offering a lot. Being able to exist outside your body, wow. Assuming it's possible, I'm interested. But who are you to offer these miracles? How do you know of it?"


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## Fanog (Jul 1, 2003)

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

As soon as Taylor has hefted himself on the backseat of the motorcycle, the man hits the gas and speeds off right into the duo of guards, who have their sidearms drawn and ready to hit the tires.

Steering with one hand, the old man waves his other hand in some intricate patterns, mumbling strange words to accompany it. Taylor can feel something tugging and shifting, as if a bunch of bricks were being realigned to close up any windows in a house. After a powerful stoke of the man's hand, both men drop their guns and stand motionless, letting the vehicle pass unhindered.

The cycle speeds by at increasing speed, but the driver with the strange weapon doesn't stop his pursuit. He runs out in the street and with every step, his speed increases until he is gaining steadily in the motorcycle.

The asian-looking man takes a short look over his shoulder, but keeps both eyes on the steer. "You! You must stop him. You can see the patterns, close his mind..."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
saturday evening ,October 2002_

"That is very interesting indeed..." The man thinks for a moment before answering. "It must be another manifestation of your talent. From what I know, you are very good in dealing with people. You can feel their mood, peer in the soul and help them with what you see. Is that right? If you can see deep inside people, you can probably also get a feeling for their name."

He takes a moment to sit a bit staighter in his chair. "This is in line with what I am offering... You are capable of even more, much more... You could do many things for the people around you, if you really took the time to ge to know your talents. I can help you achieve this. I am not only talking about music, but about _people_. Music is just an expression, a means to an end. And in the end, it is all about people..."

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"I have studied these mysteries for a long time, far away from here. The idea originated in the east, among the monestaries up in the mountains. The monks lived peaceful and quiet lives, delving into these studies for their own stake. I was one of those, a long time ago. A lot has happened since then..."

The old man blinks, seeming to bring him back to the present. "There is no cult. No one will tell you what you must learn, or how to do it. I will simply guide you on the path to not-seeing reality. What you do with that is entirely up to you. What _would_ you like to be able to achieve?"

OoC: Taylor


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## Keia (Jul 1, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

Leo shrugged.  He didn't have any questions because he didn't fully understand what happened last night.  Leo was determined however, to try and reach the state he was in last eve without exhaustion.  

"The sooner we get started, the sooner I make sense of it all," Leo said.


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 2, 2003)

Taylor looks back and focuses on their pursuer. What the driver had said seemed reasonable to him- he *was* able to see the energy propelling the man, the patterns of his movement and actions, the routes that they had all followed and would be following. He could see the patterns flowing into the man from the surroundings, converting to motion and then being directed toward them.

When the time seemed right, Taylor reached out with his hand toward the man and gave a little shove. He visualized the man slipping and falling over, and mentally rearranged the patterns into the form they would take around his desired outcome...


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## Mickerus (Jul 2, 2003)

"Read people?  I don't know about that.  Sure, I can usually guess people's names, you know, look at a guy and say 'That's definitely a Jim' or 'She looks like a Kate to me', but that's something a lot of people say.  Well, I tend to be right a lot more often, that's for sure.  But that's not what did it this time.  We... had a conversation earlier today.  Or at least, I daydreamed that we did."

Charles slows down and recedes back into thought before speaking again.

"Well, I guess I'm interested in this offer, though I wish you wouldn't be so vague about it."


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 2, 2003)

Ty leans back in his chair to think.

"That's a hard question to ask in so short a time" he says with a grin. "I would like to learn as much as I can I suppose. Are there specialties in this thing or something?"


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## Fanog (Jul 2, 2003)

_Bad Albert's Tap and Grill
Seattle, Washington
October 2002, saturday evening_

The old man nods, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "I am sorry that I cannot tell you much more. This is really because things are not fixed yet. I can only teach you how to grow to your full potential, but even I do not know where that will lead you."

He thinks a moment before switching back to the previous topic that Charles had breached. "I can tell you that I was not involved in that conversation... It sounds like you felt that our conversation from yesterday was not really finished yet, even though you left. Because of this, you continued it in your mind, even though I was technically not present. Does it seem reasonable that you _extrapolated_", he stumbles a bit over the word, "the conversation based on what we had discucced? You probably knew more about me than you realizes and filled in what you did not know..."

He looks at Charles expectantly, obviously hoping for some more exposition on his part.

OoC: Charles
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The old man simply smiles. "That is okay you do not have to figure out everything in one night. As much as you can? Hmm, that is pretty dangerous, you had better stick wuth a few things first. Otherwise, you might get so caught up in everything that you will not truely understand. That is what nearly went wrong when you first read the book..."

The man shifts position while he thinks. "And yes, there are of course specialities. As I said, many things are possible once you can take distance. You could study waves in materials particles, or you could study the time aspect, or place, or dimensions in general. Once you have learned about waves, you could apply them to virtually anything. Is that not right?"

OoC: Ty


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## loxmyth (Jul 2, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11 AM_



> "Now, if all of these great minds look to something external to help them, how odd would it be to suppose that there _is_ indeed something that guides their hands as they create?"




Jason shook his head with uncertainty.  "Pretty odd, actually.  I don't deny that an artist is affected by external forces; but that's sort of what art is: taking the external and internalizing it.  Or it's reverse, I guess.  Sometimes I have something I see, in my mind's eye -" he pauses as he taps his temple with index and fore-finger, "- and I need to express it... try to let other people understand that idea, or emotion, or whatever it is.  I want to share my experience with others.  But my experience is based on my surrounding environment... that's what I mean when I talk about external.  I want to let you know what I feel and why I smile when I look at that tree, or feel sad at the sight of water running down that drainpipe.  I'm not talking about space aliens beaming mind-screwing stuff into my brain."


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 3, 2003)

"I suppose it would be."

"Yes, indeed. So can you tell me more about the wave theory? It is getting rather late."


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## Fanog (Jul 4, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

"Ah yes, then let us start. Today, we will try running. I believe that you will not have to fatigue yourself so, by choosing a specific movement for you to focus on. This amount of concentration should allow the soul to manifest."

The man takes on a teacher-like voice as he explains what wants Leo to do. "Pick a place somewhere, not too far away. You should be able to run there in fifteen minutes at a reasonable pace. While running to that location - and this is _very_ important - you should count the exact number of steps it takes you. It is very important that you not lose count."

The man turns ninety degrees as if to illustrate his point: "Once you get there, you should turn around and run back here. Now, you should take _twice_ as many paces, and run the exact same route. Try to make it back here in fifteen minutes again."

He regards Leo, and Gus for a while. "Do you understand?"

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 9 PM_

Taylor tried to focus as best as he could, sitting on the motorcycle. He could not really see any of the man's individual long paces anymore, but could only see the fluid motion of his body, following the path of the motorcycle. He could see every part of the man working in union to increase his speed and catch up to vehicle. He saw the distance between them as almost a real entity, and _pushed_ right alongside it...

Taylor could feel the resistence of the man's motion as he pushed, but did not succeed in unbalancing him. Even though the man never missed a pace or slowed his run, he was nevertheless not catching up anymore. As Taylor continued pushing, the distance to the man even increased.

Suddenly, the man gave up his pursuit, stopping almost dead in his tracks. Aiming the red light of his eye piece at Taylor, he hefted the arm with the weapons, ready to fire.

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

The old man looks a bit surprised and smiles. "Ah, me? I am afraid that I can not really help you with that. This is what I was trying to make clear earlier. _You_ will have to create the theory. You could start with that book as a starting point, but even that is not necessary. As you will learn to free yourself of observing the world around you, you will also find that your theories need not match that which happens around you. Once you're no longer bound by your observation of reality, you could make any theory work, as long as it is consistent."

The man's words seem to shape strange worlds in Ty's mind. He finally begins to understand the vastness of what the man offers, and is pretty usre that what he tells is truth. _Every theory that has been created thus far by science, has only been an extension of the previous ones. Quantum mechanics does not tell you what really happens, but only what the end result is. No theory has ever succeeded in describing what really happens, simply because they can only ever hope to desribe what man _observes_. Once that condition falls away, any theory could explain what is actually happening._

OoC: Ty


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 6, 2003)

Ty blinks as the recognition dawns on him. "oh." he says simply.

"Well then, I must thank you for your help. You have been most generous in telling me all this. Is there some way I can contact you when I discover something important, or will you be there then too?" he says with a smile. "I must say I am eager to start experimenting, but it is late."


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## Fanog (Jul 7, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11 AM_

The old man chuckles at the notion of aliens. "You are much closer than you know, and no; There are no 'space aliens' involved. Have you ever pondered why some things stir emotions, while others do not? What is it that made you look at _that_ tree specifically, and why would you smile at it?"

Before Jason can answer all of these questions, the man continues speaking. "I can tell you that it is because you recognize something that others do not. You can translate this quality to others who do not see it, through the art that you create. You, like many other artists, have the ability to view this quality, the _essence_ of things. These essences, or spirits, are the entities with which you have interacted. They are embodiments of specific concepts, manifesting in everything that you see around you."

He takes a breath and looks at Jason, giving him some time to digest the information.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Ah yes, it is getting late. I am sorry for keeping you up." The man stands up from his chair, getting ready to leave.

"You do not have to experiment yet... Remember, first you must learn how to stop observing. As I said, I will help you with this. It will probably takes some time, but I am sure that you will master it. In the meantime you must make your theory, think about your _focus_. For your training, is it possible for us to start tomorrow evening?"

OoC: Ty


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## Keia (Jul 7, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

"Yeah, I think I understand," Leo replied, "Though it sounds odd, I'll give it a shot.  Worst thing that could happen is I'm out 30 minutes of a Saturday afternoon."

Leo stretched and limbered up a bit before setting out.  As he did so he added, "I've jogged quite a bit through my neightborhood in the past.  There's a gas station about 15 minutes of good jogging from here, that's where I'm headed."

With a nod toward Gus that everything was okay, Leo started off at a moderate jogging pace, counting his steps along the way.


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 8, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Yes, very good" Ty replies as he shows the man to the door. "Thank-you for your time."


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## Fanog (Jul 8, 2003)

_Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday Noon, October 2002_

Leo jogs to the gas station, counting paces. Even though it is a bit chilly, the weather is nice and the fresh air clears Leo's head. His thoughts sometimes wander off for a bit, thinking about the vision he had yesterday and things that might become possible, but the counting keeps Leo firmly rooted in the now.

As he reaches the gas station, Leo stops and takes a short moment to rest and shake his muscles. He then sets off towards home again, intent on making twice as many paces while still making it home in fifteen minutes.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, late evening_

"Thank you as well. Till tomorrow." The man walks to the front door and steps back into the rain, casually walking away.

Ty closes the door and is alone in his apartment, left pondering what the odd man had told him. Tomorrow evening he'd meet the man again, to start his training on not-observing. Whatever that meant...

OoC: Ty


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## loxmyth (Jul 8, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11 AM_

Jason chews his lower lip as he tries to understand what's going on.  "Okay, let's say I see these entities," he grants, shrugging his thin shoulders noncomittally.  "Let's say I actually believe this all.  There are entities.  They're all around me, and they affect my emotions.  What now?  Where do we go from here?  What does this have to do with... with the fire?"  He closes his eyes for a moment, grinds the heel of his hand into his brow ridge.  "They're connected, aren't they?  I feel it."


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## Fanog (Jul 8, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The old man gives Jason an empathic looks at the mention of the fire. "Yes they are. Just as they can influence _you_ by their presence, so can your presence affect _them_. As I told you, not everyone is aware of them, most people are oblivious to the true essence of things. Because so little people can feel them, these entities draw to those that can - to you."

He takes a looks at Jason, trying to prepare him for what's next. "These entities draw to you and can feel things about you, your emotions. They have the power to act upon these emotions and have done so in the past. When you wanted to forget, they removed you memories. And when you wanted revenge, they saw to that too." Jason gets the nagging feeling that the man might just be right. In retrospect, he has often felt something, or somethings. Things happened some times, if he felt desperate enough. Those things weren't always what he really wanted, but they did seems to follow some of his most basic wishes, at that time. The fire, the forgetting, the bus? And there were other instances as well, earlier...

"I hope that you will see that it is only for the best that you learn more about this. These entities do what they do because you want them to. In the past they have also done things that you did not really want, but you can learn how to avoid that... It is possible to control this by learning more about these spirits, and to learn how to commune with them. You must learn of the pact: you are their guide to this world and in return they grant you their power..."

OoC: Jason


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 8, 2003)

Taylor gets more apprehensive when he sees the man aiming his weapon. He tenses on the back of the bike, waiting for the man to fire.

At the right moment, Taylor again reaches out with his mind, this time focusing on the energy pattern of the weapon's shot. He pictures it crumbling apart as it travels toward him, loosing coherence until it dissolves harmlessly in the air...


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## Keia (Jul 9, 2003)

_Returning to Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:15, October 2002_

As Leo returned from the gas station, Leo decided that the best way to accomplish the task was to shorten his stride, effectively halving it.  Shortly the pace by half would require Leo to double his speed to arrive at the same time in the same number of steps.  He concentrated on the task, not wanting to lose count nor travel too far to quickly.  He controlled his body, regulating his breathing to accompany the faster rhythm his steps had started.

Leo thought briefly on the words of Mr. Masuda about running the exact same route . . . _How is that possible if I'm starting from a different location and ending at a different point from the first path.  Is it possible that I really never left or is this exact return route the goal?_ 

Now that Leo's body, rhythm and counting had been firmly established, Leo worked on not holding back - guidance given or learned from the night before.


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## Fanog (Jul 10, 2003)

_industrial area off of the M6
London, England
October 2002, around 10 PM_

As a rapid steam of orange projectiles of light speed towards Taylor, he can almost see the energy holding them together. Focussing first on one, he follows the knots of energy, pulling away the strands one by one until the bolt dissipates in a few trails of harmless orange light. However, more of the bolts are on their way, closing in on him. His mind works ever faster in dissolving the bolts, but a few manage to fly by. Some of them miss due to the zigging motion of the bike, but one manages to nick Taylor on the shoulder, leaving a burning feeling, than numbness.

The motorcycle rounds a corner, leaving the broad-shouldered man with the strange eye-piece behind. Taylor hangs on to the old man driving the motorcycle, while he takes them away from the industrial area and somewhere near the outskirts of the city, a quiet place off of the motorway.

The old man pulls over to the side of the road and gets off of the vehicle. He regards Taylor by the yellowish light of a street lantern. "Yes you are a quick learner. That is most fortunate... You did well..."

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:15, October 2002_

Leo's thoughts are occupied on the way home, with counting and trying to figure out what the running is supposed to do. He find that the running is quite tiresome by only taking half paces. His tempo is high enough, but the stride is just really awkward. 

He makes it home in a good fifteen minutes, only about twenty paces short of what he should have taken. As he approaches his house, Leo sees Gus and Mr. Masuda standing in front of it. The two men stand a couple of feet away from each other, seemingly not really comfortable in each other's presence.  Gus is peeking at his watch, his face a bit worried but proud when he spots Leo. "Hey, there. Seems like you did an excellent job. Good work, how are you feeling?" His face shows that he's not really sure how Leo is _supposed_ to be feeling...

Mr. Masuda hooks on to Gus' question as he approaches Leo. "Yes, it seems you did well. Please tell me how it went... What did you think about the walk, do you know yet why I asked you to do this?" The man stands there, obviously quite excited to hear Leo's answer.

OoC: Leo


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 11, 2003)

Taylor studies the man, trying to garner some sort of clue as to who, or what, he may be.

"Yes, well, thank you... and for the ride as well. I gather that you were expecting to find me there- can you tell me what is happening?"

Frowning at his shoulder, Taylor twirls and massages his arm, trying to get some feeling back into the limb.


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 11, 2003)

Ty goes to the coffee maker and pours himself a cup, listening to the rain drumming on the roof. All the talking had made his head spin. Finding some pizza in the fridge, he zapped it in the microwave for dinner.

"Well this is going to be an interesting experience, but what do i have to lose?" biting into the pizza. Nothing else of intrest happend in the night (ooC: I hope  ), and he lay in bed wondering about all that had transpired today.


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## Fanog (Jul 11, 2003)

_outskirts of London
London, England
October 2002, around 10 PM_

To Taylor, the man seems exceptionally calm considering what just happened. All of his new-found senses tell Taylor that the man's presence is very strong, and that he is very much in balance with his surroundings. 

Even his calm voice seems to reinforce this picture, once he speaks again, in his accented English. "I had _hoped_ not to find you there... I was at your house today, but found out that they had already gotten to you first. It was good that you did not accompany them any further that you did, otherwise I might not have been able to help you. Please, let me help you with that shoulder..."

The man regards Taylor for a moment more, eying him in just the same way that Taylor had looked at the man, before focussing on his shoulder. The old man rubs his hands together for a moment and then, quite rapidly, grabs Taylor shoulder and applies pressure with his fingers. Taylor feels a momentary jolt of pain as the man's fingers dig in his flesh, but the sensation is gone as soon as he releases the shoulder. His arm feels pretty good again after that.

"There, that should help... I can tell that you have come to an understanding concerning the world around us, this must have happened only just ago... Tell me, what do you already know about these people you were just with?"

OoC: Taylor
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, early morning_

Ty has a quiet evening and has very little difficulty finding sleep. When he wakes the next morning, he feels quite energetic, ready to start working. He finds that yesterday's conversation has had the time to sink in, and that most of it has found its place.

_Practice with the man this evening, and begin with a theory until then. A theory that allows me to do things. _Any_ theory?_

As he sits on the side of his bed, Ty begins to wonder. _What kind of things would I like to be able to do? Start small, I guess. Take one or two common things and make a plausible theory for those. I'd better have something to show him tonight..._

Ooc: Ty


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## loxmyth (Jul 11, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Jason shakes his head, still reeling from the enormity of it all.  What this man was saying was flying in the face of all the rules he knew about how the universe worked.  But if he was correct...

"So how do I control these things?  What's this pact?  How do I stop it from doing things I don't want it to?"  His heart is beating and his breathing shallow from the anticipation of understanding why the world has always seemed... _off_ to him somehow.  "I mean, you said I would be a guide, so what does that entail?  What do I have to do?"


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## Keia (Jul 11, 2003)

_back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *Mr. Masuda hooks on to Gus' question as he approaches Leo. "Yes, it seems you did well. Please tell me how it went... What did you think about the walk, do you know yet why I asked you to do this?" The man stands there, obviously quite excited to hear Leo's answer.*




Leo walked around as he spoke, getting his muscles to wind down from the 30 minutes of running.

"Well, actually I had some question as to the wording of the instructions.  To follow my 'exact path', I would have had to start again from my home to the gas station.  I didn't do that but I did get awfully close on the number of paces," Leo said.  "Other than that, I tried to maintain my concentration during the run and let the rhythm of the run work for me."

"There were some other things I thought about as well, but I really don' know what is important to you," Leo offered.  "As for the why, I'm thinking it either had to do with paths and distances, or that some people have to work twice as hard to get where they're going in the same amount of time, or even that you wanted me to understand the formula to accomplish the task even though the formula involved my body and rhythm rather than numbers."


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## Fanog (Jul 11, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

"This pact is an agreement you come to with these entities. Once you are fully aware of their existence, you will not not only be able to _feel_ their presence, as you did earlier. You will also be able to interact with them, communicate.Then you will be able to negotiate with the spirits who are close to you, and settle the pact."

"One of the main reasons that there have been accidents, is that they can only pick up on your basic impulses. By learning more about them, you will be able to control what they do. However, as always, there is a price... As payment for their powers, these creatures will want things from you. What exactly, depends on the spirit. There are as many diferent ones as their are leaves on all of the city's trees, and even more. All of them are different, too. Some are fickle, or generous, others are shrewd and greedy. You will learn about some of them, and get to know them better. Others, you will learn how to avoid and to protect against. Awknowledging that they are indeed real is a great step in learning how to interact with them..."

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

The old man laughs as if he was just explained a joke. "Oh, I am terrible sorry. You must have read too much into my words." He straightens his face. "I meant the exact same route, so you would actually walk the same distance. Same route, but in reverse. The exact same path for both 'to' and 'fro'; interesting...." Gus just looks at him from a distance, trying his best to convince himself that the old man was _not_ a lunatic.

"As for the things that you thought about... It is not about what is important for _me_, but what is important for you. Remember, you already know everything you need, I am just here to guide you to that. In the end, it is _you_ that has to decide what you have learned. I will give you one more direction, though... You have now figured out how to do the same path with twice as much work. Now try to find some way to make that knowledge useful. It might help if you repeat the exercise first; run to the station in three times the paces, if that will help... Good luck."

Ooc: Leo


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 12, 2003)

Taylor flexes his arm, feeling the control returning, and nods his thanks to the man.

"Well, it all seemed sort of odd, even the start of the visit. I suppose I should know better than to go riding off in cars with strangers, but I honestly believed that it would get me somewhere. It just _seemed_ like the thing to do at the moment. And it appears that I was right..."

"Anyhow, this 'Dr. Franks' person was attempting to recruit me into some sort of organization he belongs to. From the sound of things, they consider themselves some sort of pseudo-scientific illuminati: granting funds, overseeing advances, manipulating governments, that sort of thing. I very much doubt that Franks and his associates have as much influence as he claimed.

"The thing is, he was always quite vague about what the group did, and especially about what they taught, what they believed in. He made some mentions of archetypical forces, thought patterns, the sorts of topics that I've been pursuing. But it sounded more and more like they wished to quash these things instead of pursue them. When he finally got around to hinting that they sought to suppress people in whom these abilities manifested, I'd heard enough."

Taylor pauses for a moment, glancing around the street to make sure that no one has followed them. "Are you familiar with this group, or any of their concepts?"


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## Fanog (Jul 13, 2003)

_outskirts of London
London, England
October 2002, around 10 PM_

The man's face grows dead-serious. "Unfortunately, I am. They are called the Technocracy and, also unfortunately, most of their claims are correct. You have just begun to understand these archetypical forces. You have found that this knowledge grants power, and choice for people. The truth is that anyone can, in principle, come to understand this, and use that power. This will grant these people the freedom to govern their own lives. It is this freedom that they oppose... They will remove any sign of free will, or of individual thought from mankind, so as to be able to control the fate of humanity."

"They have been working for many centuries now, and have made progress... A lot of progress in pushing their views on mankind. They have driven from thought the idea that people can have power, can control their own destiny. By giving everyone the securities of everyday life, they have removed any desire for people to look beyond what's given them."

"It is up to you to think for yourself, learn what this power entails, and to oppose the work of the Technocrats."

Ooc: Taylor


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## kuroshidaku (Jul 14, 2003)

Chuckling nervosly, Ty thinks up an experiment.

_What if I put a fork in the spoon bin, and try to pick it out? That shouldn't be too hard._

He puts the fork with all the spoons and shuffles them around, arranging them so the handles all pointed the same way, trying not to look. He then closes his eyes and picks up a utensil, _knowing_ that it is a fork, and nothing else.

_After all, it's completely possible that i've picked it up. They have the same handles, and the same weight, so why shouldn't it be. It's a fork and a spoon in one._ he thinks with a smile, before he opens his eyes.


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## Fanog (Jul 14, 2003)

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, around 2 PM_

With fingers slightly trembling, Ty picks up one of the eating utensils. He's almost afraid to open his eyes, but curiosity take over and slowly he lifts his eye lids. Lo and behold, there's a fork in his hand. The initial sense of victory is squashed by his scientific training though, as he realizes that it could have been mere chance.

Ty repeats the experiment again and finds, to his disappointment, a spoon in his hand. He repeats the experiment again, and again, and again. After an entire morning of shuffling cutlery and several hundred retries of the experiment, Ty is confident that he has ruled out all chance. _Or did I just work *off* of chance? Well, anyway..._ Out of all his experiments, he draws a fork exactly half the time, even though regular statistics would predict a result of slightly over fourteen percent. He was definately on to something here.

His mind races with the possibilities. _Theory for this first, of another experiment?_ He checks his watch, noting with amazement that ist is already well past noon.

OoC: Ty


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## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 14, 2003)

Taylor looks thoughtful. "I see... so what happens now? I suspect that I'll be having more trouble from these men in the future, how do I avoid them?"


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## Keia (Jul 15, 2003)

_Back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_



> _Originally posted by Fanog _*
> "... You have now figured out how to do the same path with twice as much work. Now try to find some way to make that knowledge useful. It might help if you repeat the exercise first; run to the station in three times the paces, if that will help... Good luck."*




"Well, if I can make the journey with twice or three time the effort, then the converse should be true as well.  I should be able to make the journey with half as much or a third as much effort," Leo suggested looking to Masuda to see if his line of thought was getting anywhere. 

If not, Leo agrees to the triple effort run and will set off for the station again.


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## Fanog (Jul 15, 2003)

_outskirts of London
London, England
October 2002, around 10 PM_

"You avoid them by using what you have learned, and will learn. You could try to fight them, but you are not strong enough yet. If you see one, you run..."

People like you, Mister Willoughby, are their prime targets. You have knowledge and understanding and can spread that knowledge to others. They will do whatever they can to stop you from doing that... Their resources are considerable, but not endless. If you are careful, you have a good chance of learning enough to keep yourself safe from them. You know all that you need to know, the only thing you must do is hone your skills, and learn the boundaries they have. You could learn this for yourself, or you could trust me to aid you..."

OoC: Taylor

_______________________

_Back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

Mr. Masuda looks quite pleased. "Yes, that might very well be the case..." Something in his voice seems to tell Leo that the man is quite a bit more sure of the result than that, even though he won't tell...

"Maybe you could still try triple paces on the way over, and then you would have the return trip, to take however you would like... You could try out any ideas you have come up with."

OoC: Leo


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## Keia (Jul 15, 2003)

_Back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

"Okay, let's give this bad boy a shot, then," Leo said.  "Gus, I'm gonna try this again, make yourself at home.   I'll be back in a half an hour."

Leo, who was jogging and stretching while talking with Mr. Masuda, practicing his stepping for a couple of seconds before setting out.  Actually, Leo was more comfortable with high-stepping the jog - it would burn more energy but the steps would be naturally shorter and Leo felt that he could continue the activity for fifteen minutes.

Once his counting of the paces and his breathing rhythm were set, Leo thought of benefits of using half the energy to accomplish a task - or even using full energy and effort to get two, three or even four times the result.  He let his mind dwell on the possibilities.


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## loxmyth (Jul 15, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

"Ok," Jason breathed, calming himself down.  What the man was saying was crazy, impossible - if this was true, surely science would have discovered this by now.  But there was truth in the words as well, Jason could feel it.  The causes of all those weird coincidences and accidents seemed to fit when explained in this animistic worldview.  _Spirits everywhere,_ was the thought whispering in his mind, and the world began to spin dizzily, as more and more whispers where added to the chorus.

All around him the world was a swirl of vibrant colours - the verdant greens of the tree leaves, yellow and red of the tulips that lined the pathway they walked, the bright azure of the mid-morning sky.  And all around him was an unceasing susurrus of hushed voices all around him.  He felt hot, like a sudden fever was on him, and his eyes fluttered open and closed involuntarily.

"Ok," he said again, and the words seemed to rumble inside of him.  "How do I control my impulses?  How do I become, fully aware?"


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## Fanog (Jul 15, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The old man watches Jason as he walks, never missing a pace while seeming to gaze straight into his soul.

"That is the easy part, you are doing it right now. Simply _watch_, and know... See all that is around you, see with the detail that only an artist's eye can appreciate. I will protect you for now, simply let yourself be immerged in the vastness of the world around you. Feel their presence, and _hear_ their words..."

The man places a firm hand on Jason's shoulder, just as he had done earlier. It feels comforting, like an anchor keeping him in place, allowing him to drift with the assurance that he won't get lost.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_Back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

As Leo walked his fast pace, his legs moving exactly thrice as fast as they would normally move, his thought were already with the walk back home. The speed of his thinking seems to match the speed of his feet, switching back and fro between counting his current paces and thinking about the way back, how he would be able to actually use _less_ energy.

While he was thinking about this, he found that his legs seemed to take on a will of their own... With each step, the distance between his feet seemed to shorten, until each pace was now only a few inches long. Leo could tell _exactly_ what his pace distance was when the burning sun in the sky seemed to come closer and the air was getting thinner.

He found himself walking stairs, taking each of the tiny rough-cut steps with exactly one pace, heaving himself up the side of a snow-topped mountain. He looked up while his feet continued his fast pace, noting a wooden structure up ahead, a chinese-style building.

OoC: Leo


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## loxmyth (Jul 17, 2003)

_streets of Boston
Boston, Massachussets
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Around him, the world began to open up to his sight like a rose unfurling its petals.  In his mind, the susurrus had become a dull low roar.  Ghostly, gauzy shapes began to materialize into existence, blended in with the environment around him.  The shrubbery on the pathway held little green men with leafy green hair in them, giggling inanely as they peered out at him.  The upper half of angelic little red-headed women stuck emerged from the red tulips to chatter with their blonde sisters in the yellow ones.  Dwarfin faces gazed at him from the rocks and pavement, and boys and girls made of nothing floated through the air above him playfully.

"Oh.  My.  God," Jason breathed, almost swooning as the world revealing itself around him seemed to spring from nowhere.  He touched the hand on his shoulder, drawing comfort from it.  "Can you... can you see all this?" he asked the man, his voice full of awe.

Before him on the road stood a living statue, a woman who seemed to be carved from marble in the classical renaissance style.  But her face was both unlike any he'd ever seen before, and the only one he'd ever known.  That was the face he'd seen before all his best works.  It courted him often, filling his waking hours and dreams for days at a time and then retreating to give him respite.  No, he had never seen this particular face before, but he recognized it immediately, nonetheless.

_Could this be... my muse?_

The woman smiled.


----------



## Keia (Jul 17, 2003)

_Back at Leo's home
Denver, Colorado
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

The change in location was almost becoming old hat though it still was surprising.  Leo tried to maintain his pace and head toward the chinese-looking building.

Leo listened briefly at the door before opening it.


----------



## kuroshidaku (Jul 19, 2003)

_Well that certainly shows something, but what i'm not sure. And there maust be better uses for this than sorting cutlery. i should be able to move things, but maybe that's getting ahead of myself. Spose I might as well give it a try._

Ty opens the cutlery draw, picks up a spoon, closes his eyes, and spins around. _There. I can't possibly be observing the path of the spoon._ He then drops it, _knowing_ that it will fall into the spoon compartment.


----------



## Byrons_Ghost (Jul 27, 2003)

Taylor says, "Well, I'd certainly be grateful for any help you can give me. I'm feeling a bit out of my depth."


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## Fanog (Jul 28, 2003)

_streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Jason looks behind him to adress the old man. To his surprise and initial shock, he seems to be gone. Jason can still feel the sensation of the man's hand firmly on his shoulder, even though ther is no one there. It takes a moment for Jason to him that the street he was just in, seems to have vanished or has become quite 'unreal'. The general layout is still the same, but everything seems to have been replaced by living, talking beings in all sizes and varieties. And then he sees her...

She opens her delicate, perfect mouth and speaks in melody. She utters words in tunes that Jason has always thought he heard, but could never place. They were the fragments that lingered as he woke up, or the tones that he thought he heard when all was silent. The tune of inspiration sung by his muse, for him.

"Welcome Jason... I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you finally. I had feared that you would never hear my pleadings, even though you dreamed of me. At last, you have come to unite with me and let me express my feelings. All will be different from now on. Trust me..."

The woman smiled a perfect smile and spread out her arms, motioning for Jason to come closer. As soon as he tried though, he found that he was rooted to his place, held there by the pressure on his shoulder.

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

Leo runs up the stairs in his fast pace and quickly reaches the square building, about fourty feet across. It is built in typical eastern style, wood painted in several reds and greens. There is no door, the stairs lead right up to the entrance. Leo can see into the building and notes that it is mostly empty. Its only features are straw mats covering all of the floor, and several wall hangings.

Straight across from the entrance stands a man, looking straight at Leo. He has fair skin, drawn tight over an exceptionally thin frame. His arms show small but lean muscles, and not a sliver of fat. The man wears only black flowing pants, his bare chest clearly showing his ribs. The palms of his hands are pressed together, held in front of his chest.

The man speaks as soon as Leo sees him. He speaks in English, his voice tinged with eagerness, anticipation... "You've made it. Good... You seem quite strong, a _real_ challenge."

The man's hands drop from their position as he rolls his shoulders. He knacks his knuckles, exposing the white bone beneath his thin pale skin even more then before. "We fight." He makes it seem like a simply statement of fact. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't like the others. Like me... You know you're here to beat me. So, show me what you've learned." The man stands silent, though alert, waiting for Leo to act...

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Ty's home, city centre
Cambridge, England
October 2002, around 4 PM_

Ty completes his spin and drops the spoon, hoping for the best. His heart leaps as he hears the sounds of iron hitting iron, instead of the kitchen floor. Opening his eyes, he finds that the spoon has indeed landed neatly in the compartment with the other spoons. He repeats the test again, and finds again that he is succesfull in exactly half of the experiments.

His trained scientific mind tries to find a reason why both experiments give the same result, a succes rate of 50 percent. _Even though the experiment are different, there are really only two outcomes of each; hit or miss. There are of course more states of outcome, the spoon could land anywhere on the kitchen floor. It would seem almost like I've managed to condense all of these into _one_ outcome only; the spoon landing on the floor. If that's reallt the case, then it _would_ act like elementary particles! But then, how do I know if the states are bosons or fermions, and can I ever do better then fifty percent?_

Puzzled, Ty sits down for a moment. His stomach alerts him that he's skipped lunch, and the clock tells him that it's nearly four.

OoC: Ty
_______________________

_outskirts of London
London, England
October 2002, around 10 PM_

The man seems pleased with Taylor's answer. His face relaxes a bit. "Very well, please follow me then." The man walks over to a wooden bench and table within sight, taking the opportunity to stretch his legs.

He sits down and motions Taylor to do the same. "You can see patterns, can you not? You have just shown that you can also manipulate them, even though you probably do not know what you did exactly. The truth is that most people can get an intuitive feel for these patterns, the lines and shapes that guide us. The amount of things around each person is so vast that he cannot perceive each thing individually. Instead, the mind selects that to retain, based on interest and patterns. People do not see leaves, but they see a tree. They do not see bricks, but the see a wall. Sometimes, people will even fill in the blanks and see things that are not there." The old man leans back, stretching his back. He quickly resumes talking.

"This must of course all be familiar and boring to you, but it is important to realise, I think. Once you can adjust the patterns themselves, many things are possible. For one, it is possible to hide yourself within them, simply by shaping patterns so that you will blend in. No, I have feeling what you will ask. You will not be able to turn yourself invisible... yet. For now, I can teach you how to act and how to fold just enough to escape notice. You will simply seem part of the pattern..."

OoC: Taylor


----------



## Keia (Aug 4, 2003)

The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002

Leo looked the man over. _This was different,_ he thought, _ someone that I don't recognize - is he an ally or an enemy?  I've never had trouble with handling myself in a fight, though I prefer to pick my moments._ 

Leo cracked his neck as he bent his head from side to side, not taking his eyes off of the man.  He extended his fingers and made fists in succession, preparing his hands for the fight, if there would be a fight.  Leo wasn't certain that was what should happen.

"So, you've had others challenge you, have you?" Leo asked, "What happened to them?  And by the way, who the heck are you?  I guess I want to know that last bit so I can tell everyone who's @ss I kicked . . ."


----------



## Fanog (Aug 4, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

The skinny man's face turns into a sarcastic scowl. "You don't know? You manage to come here and challenge me without knowing? Heavens, this will be easy..." He seems quite disappointed by the observation.

Raising his hands in fighting position, the man slowly advances on Leo, talking as he walks. "Don't try to deny it, I know what it's like. I was there once." With a little feigned surprise, he adds "I'm _still_ here. As for all the others, those who challenged me... *Failed!*" He seems to take delight in building up pressure, then springing the yelled word right in Leo's face.

"They all wanted to be the best, just like you. It's what made you explore... So, you're here to test yourself, are you really good enough? You want to know, don't you? Well, go ahead, find out..." There's an obivous dare, but somehow Leo's not exactly sure which one of them is issuing the challenge. 

The man has nearly reached Leo and locks eyes with him. He grins and makes a lazy punch. There's no real force behind it, easy to deflect. 

OoC: Leo


----------



## Keia (Aug 8, 2003)

The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002

Leo was content to assume to the punch seemed to have very little force behind didn't actually have a great deal of force, but he also had to be prepared for a feint.  As such, Leo attempted to block the attack in such a way as to be a 'hard block' and allow Leo the opportunity to step to the side of the attack and potential follow-up.

"Dude, only two words to say . . . 'Breath Mints.'  Jeez man, no tooth brush up here in the mountains?" Leo quipped hoping to move the blood from the man's muscles to his face.

Leo wasn't about to be daring, he was here to learn, and had no problem retreating if the situation called for it.


----------



## loxmyth (Aug 13, 2003)

_streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

_I'm still here,_ Jason wonders to himself.  And it was true; even though the world had shifted and morphed into a new animate world of living beings.

But one held his attention, now.  His muse.  "I dreamed of you," he told her, weakly, and then reached out an unsteady arm towards her.  Somehow he seemed glued to the spot and unable to move, fastened by the memory of the hand on his shoulder.  He wiggled and wrenched his upper body in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail.

Frustrated, he looked to the woman.  "How can I come to you?  I'm stuck here."  Again, he extended his arm, holding his hand palm up, offering it to her.


----------



## Fanog (Aug 14, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

Leo made a smooth parry of the thin man's mock blow and stepped to the side. There was no follow-up to the punch. The man only took a lazy step, bringing him closer to Leo again.

"Cheap tricks won't work here, not on me..." He smiles a thin smile, showing clearly his feeling of superiority. "Buying time won't help you either. You entered _my_ realm, no way out except through me. Guess you didn't know that, now did you? Sheesh, you really are clueless, are you not? Do you have _any_ idea where you are?"

The stream of taunts and insults doesn't stop as the man keeps advancing on Leo, this time without even taking the effort of throwing a punch. As if there were a rope strung between them, the two men circled through the room.

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The smile disappears from her face as the woman notices Jason's situation. Her eyes open wide, are then cast down in a display of first shock, then grief. Her melodious voice is slow, composed of pure sorrow.. "Can you not come to me? Have I waited this long for us to be together, only to find that we must remain seperated? Oh, I see it now. You are here, but not complete. Held back, and shielded..." Hope shines in her eyes, as clear as a beacon. 

"Jason, you must let go for us to be together. You can join me, if you are strong enough to shed the ties that bind you still. Break loose, and come to me. You can if you want to. Join me and we shall be together, as was meant to be." Her voice is crystal clear, sliding without effort through the space between them. It sounds desperate with longing, wraps around Jason as a tempting light. _To be in her arms, finally..._

OoC: Jason


----------



## loxmyth (Aug 18, 2003)

_streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

_Held back?  Shielded?_ Jason didn't quite understand what she was talking about, but he knew he had to join her.  There was only one thing holding him in that place, the unrelenting pressure that rested on his shoulder and kept him rooted to the spot.  He tried to grab hold of the force he could not see, to wrest it away from his person, but his hands slid off of it as if repelled by the very presence.

Panic rose in his throat as he realized he was stuck here, would be stuck here forever.  _This can't be happening,_ he thought to himself, hands curled by fear and mania into claws that scrabbled futilely against his unseen restraints.

Then he looked to the Muse.  The object of his expression, the one who sang to him of life in his dreams.  She who put the stars in his eyes and the warmth of the sun in his heart.  The one who comforted him when he was inconsolable.  And he was being kept from her.

Resolve hardened in his heart, and his expression became determined.  "These restraints aren't going to stop me."  He told her, "We _will_ meet."  And focusing all his determination into one singular instant, he wrenched himself away as hard as he could...


----------



## Keia (Aug 18, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> *"Cheap tricks won't work here, not on me..." He smiles a thin smile, showing clearly his feeling of superiority. "Buying time won't help you either. You entered my realm, no way out except through me. Guess you didn't know that, now did you? Sheesh, you really are clueless, are you not? Do you have any idea where you are?"*




"Clueless? Maybe . . . Why don't you enlighten me?  But from a few more paces away . . . really . . . not kidding about the breath mints," Leo said.

Leo used some of his running back elusiveness to fade back toward the center of the room.  He looked around his surroundings for some clues as to his location (both time and place) - but only glanced.  He focus remained on the wiry man, and looked to defend against any attack while trying to judge what the man might be capable of.


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## Fanog (Aug 19, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Jason twists under the pressure on his shoulde. He can practically feel the old man's fingers digging in his flesh, trying to keep his hold. Jason finally feels the grip weakening, when the expression on the woman's face makes him stop. Her eyes are opened wide, she throws her arms about herself as if to protect herself. Here gaze is fixated on something that must be _behind_ Jason. This is confirmed by the booming voice that comes from behind him.

"*Fool! Stop that, you are killing yourself. What good are you to her if you are dead?*"

As he spins his head, Jason sees the beast from his nightmares. A horned beast, sheathed in flame. Its hind hooves carry it along the air as swift as if it were firm land, two tusks protrude visously from its mouth as it runs forward. "*Stand still now, lest you fall into oblivion!*"

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

The man lets Leo move to the center of the room, as he moves along the wall, circling Leo's position. Leo can gain a good look at his surroundings as he turns to keep facing the thin man. The building can't be anything except for an old dojo. The wood looks weathered, but everything looks decidedly clean. There are several banners along the wall, each of them bearing several signs in black paint. They look like Chinese writing to Leo, although it could be any of a number of oriental languages. While turning, Leo also notes several weapons hanging on the wall: Swords, spears, staves and daggers, all hanging in pairs.

"Enlightenment? Very well, let me _show_ you, then... I am what makes you tick, what makes you go on when you are tired. How can you ever hope to defeat _that_?" The man takes only one quick pace before he pushes himself away from the ground. He jumps impossibly high, almost halfway up to the roof, his arc appearing to bring him right next to Leo. His left arm is stretched up to land a solid blow from above...

OoC: Leo


----------



## Keia (Aug 19, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

Leo looked through the room, noting the writings, and thought_Chinese? Figures. . . one language I don't know.  But what if I did know it at one point.  Could I tap into that knowledge, much like I'm tapping into the physical training. _

Leo watched for an instant as the man leaped into the air.  As the man descended, Leo thought, _Death from above, neat._

"I don't intend to defeat you.  If you're a part of me, perhaps someone who originally received the training I carry, then that makes things easier," Leo commented as he tried to back flip out of the way of the strike.


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## Fanog (Aug 20, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

Due to the height of the man's jump, Leo has enough time to flip away. He is already standing again by the time that the man lands. He bends through his knees to lessen the impact, but Leo can still feel the floor shiver lightly under the shock of the thin man's landing.

"Me? A part of you? Nearly correct, but in all the wrong ways." The man makes a menacing grimace while standing up again. "The knowledge you seek is here, alright. But it's not yours for the taking... It's been mine for countless years, and it will continue to be. The training of many students is locked in this realm. Each one has come here hoping for more than their own knowledge, seeking the knowledge of those who came before. Now, you didn't think I would give that up willingly, would you?"

The man suddenly shifts into a higher gear, advancing on Leo in a flurry of strikes and kicks. Left, right, left, low, right, left. Leo can parry each of them, but the man definately has the advantage of attack, and is pressing forward.

OoC: Leo


----------



## loxmyth (Aug 22, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Eyes widening with fear, Jason tries to take an involuntary step back - and stopped abruptly as he found himself held fast by the pressure.  His breath caught in his throat as the flamed monstrosity approached, bellowing its command.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" he stuttered, his body trembling at the sight of fury manifested.  "Who are you?"  His gaze found his Muse again, and as he remembered who he was, he clarified his question.  "What are you?"


----------



## Fanog (Aug 22, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The beast holds a few feet before the shaking Jason, making his presence unavoidable. Thin tendrils of smoke escape from its tusked mouth as it speaks. "*I am Bachnur, demon of rage and fire. Many times I have helped you yet. And it seems that, once more, you need my aid.*" The beast opens its mouth and howls, the sound may even be something akin to laughter. "*If I had not come here, you would have left your world for good. Only, the trade would not have been for the better. Trapped between your world and ours, eternally questing. Be thankful that I saved you from that fate.*"

The flaming creature spins its head, looking at the frightened young woman. "*Be careful. not all that is nice and 'pretty', is desirable...*" The beast howls again, leaning even closer to Jason, almost over the shivering young man. "*It is good that you have found your way here, but do not assume that you belong here. This is our realm.*"

OoC: Jason


----------



## loxmyth (Aug 26, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Jason stared up in awe at this monster made of fire and rage, that stood before him boldly and confidently.  Those taunting words goaded something inside the young man, made him angry enough not to care if this thing could cleave him in half without a second thought.  "Well then, where do I belong?  'Cause it sure as hell ain't back in the so-called real world.  I don't fully understand this, or exactly what you are or what you want, but I know I've dreamed about her from the moment I _could_ dream.  I realize that seeing her is like finally being able to express some concept that I intuitively knew deep in my soul but up until now was absent from my vocabulary.  I just want to figure my world out, man.  And you come along to screw that all up.  Why does it have to be so hard?  *Why?*"

Jason realized he was trembling again, but this time from anger, not from fear.  He was surprised at the strength and vividness of the emotion, and the way the fire demon before him seemed to swell and grow brighter, like an ember being fuelled by more oxygen.  At that moment, the fight went out of him and his shoulders slumped, deflated of all passion.

"What am I supposed to do?"


----------



## Keia (Aug 26, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

"Give up? No . . . I didn't expect that, you . . .wouldn't be whatever you are with an attitude . . . like that.  But aren't you tired . . . of being here just sitting around . . . waiting for challengers?  Have you thought . . . that if you work with someone there may be some . . . benefit to you as well?" Leo asked.  The pauses in Leo's speech were a result of his need to block an incoming attack.

Leo had been trained before in fighting: boxing, martial arts . . even a little fencing.  He understood the value an experienced teacher could bring, though he wasn't going to wait around for long for the answer.  

Leo continued to block the attacks, looking for an opening.  Also, Leo was trying to vary the power behind each of his blocked, trying to determine whether the process governing his steps worked for this as well.

Once that was determined, Leo started to let himself go a little clearing his mind and concentrating on the task at hand.  He ws going to free his mind.


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## Fanog (Aug 26, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The beast's voice takes on a gentler tone. "Now, now... Don't admit defeat so soon. Chin up." The concern might be genuine, or just a joke on Jason. It's hard to tell...

"It's good to let it all out every now and then. Just remember that *I* am not the enemy. You've got plenty of guts, just not too much common sense." The beast roars a short burst of laughter. "You have found _her_, are you not grateful for that? There she is, you can talk, sing, cry or laugh together. Yup, it's _terrible_ that you don't actually get to touch here, and that might piss you off real good. Now, you can whine about it, or you can use that anger for something useful. Now, that's where I come in." Jason could swear that he sees the beast lift a huge furred eye brow shortly, as if winking.

"Look at yourself now, slumped and defeated. I must say that I liked you better just a while ago. You've got plenty of life in you, except that you won't admit it. It only comes out when you're tricked into giving in. Now _here_... life and sense of self are everything. You leave you shell behind, taking only that which really counts. You refuse to accept everything you are, and leavy behind what you don't like. If you had taken that step towards her, you would have left half of you behind. The half that's actually the strongest part of you."

The beast crosses its arms. "So, you _can_ reach her one day. And you _can_ leave your world if you so choose. However, you should first learn all there is to learn about yourself so you won't accidentaly leave anything behind. Learn all there is to you, and to life, and you'll be able to leave it behind. I'll start, by teaching you anger and *rage*." The beast winks both eye brows this time. "Up for it?"

OoC: Jason
_______________________

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

The man's flurry continues, and the punches follow each other faster and faster. The pace does remind Leo of his steps while he was running. _if shorter strides cost more energy, then longer should yield more result with equal effort._ The effort felt a bit counter-intuitive as Leo made his parries wider and fathers away from his body. Stil, he found that the length of his gestures made them flow easier. It seemed as though his arms began moving slower, but he also found that was actually intercepting the punches and kicks earlier. Somehow, his slow moves had less difficulty in defeating the rapid array of incoming attacks. 

"Hmm, so you _do_ know something. Interesting." The thin man takes a step down from the grueling pace of his strikes to give him time to speak. "Yes, I'm tired of doing nothing. It's been too long for someone to dare seek me out. Lazy, most of them... And then you come here. So, I _might_ work with you. That's what this is all about now, is it? Will I work _with you_, or will you work _for me_? Both teacher and student should know their place..."

Suddenly he stops the barrage of attacks, smirking at Leo. Sensing his opportunity, Leo takes a moment off of the defensive and makes a sideward strike at the boney chest of the man.  Taken off guard momentarily, the man is unable to block and only barely able to dodge aside. Leo's hand brushes the man's bare torso, feeling just slight resistance as the man backs away from the strike at the last moment.

"Finally. Do you see what this is all about?" The man takes a slight moment to recompose, motioning Leo forward with his hand.

OoC: Leo


----------



## Keia (Aug 26, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:30, October 2002_

"Yeah, I'm starting to get the hang of it.  As to our place . . . I would propose a partnership - student and teacher would chafe both of us after a while," Leo said.  

He advanced on the bony man, using the long strides of his run and began to attack as well as defense in equal quantities.  Leo allowed the longer swings and blocks to take hold as he opened his mind to the possibilities.


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## Fanog (Aug 27, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:35, October 2002_

The man standing in front of Leo shakes his head. His face has a grim expression that might indicate frustration.  "Nah, I think that even a partnership might chafe for me. I'm not really a team-player, you know. Besides, isn't it rather early to propose a draw?"

As Leo opens the attack, he finds that the man's blocks are quite solid. Dancing about each other, the two men engage in their dance across the mat. With each strike or block, Leo begins to feel more and more accustomed to his strange environment. And he hasthe feeling that he is going the need it... After his initial brush, he hasn't been able to land a solid strike. He is getting better, but if the thin man's expresion is any indication, the man has a lot of reserve, both for offense and defense.

OoC: Leo


----------



## loxmyth (Aug 27, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The beast's words flamed the fire within Jason once more, but this time he tried to control it, keeping it to a low simmer.  Slowly, as if measuring each word, he asked, "What do you get out of this?  What more of anger and rage do I need to know to make sense of it all?  I'm angry, you're angry, we're all angry.  I _don't_ need to learn any more about it."

He turned to offer only his profile to the beast before him, glanced back at the Muse who stood there silently watching, waiting.  _What exactly am I getting myself into,_ he wondered for a moment.  _I don't know if I'm going crazy or not, but this feels too real.  Of course, I doubt most of the mentally ill think their psychoses are any less a part of reality than anything else._

"What do you think?" he asked the Muse.  "You haven't spoken to me for a while now.  Do you trust this guy?"


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## Fanog (Sep 3, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

The woman slowly shakes her head. "He.. He scares me", she says, still hugging herself. She seems to have recomposed herself a bit, but is still shying away from the flaming creature. "I have seen him skulking about, following you. He is powerful, but quick to anger." She trembles a bit, hoping she doesn't upset him. The beast is quiet though, having turned to hear the lady speak. "If what he says is true, though... I don't know. I can feel that you're not here, not really."

The beast Bachnur speaks again from besides Jason. His voice sounds sly, goading. "Well, if you don't need to learn more, then that's your good right isn't it? I'll just leave you be and let you return from where you came. Really, in that case, does it matter that _I_ should get out of it? It seems like you don't care about what I have to say." 

Jason's muse looks at him with a lost looks in here eyes, unsure of what to say.

OoC: Jason


----------



## loxmyth (Sep 4, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Slowly, carefully, Jason returns his focus to Bachnur.  "I'm listening, aren't I?  Just because I'm not rushing headlong into... whatever this is without thinking about the consequences, doesn't mean I'm not interested.  And I want to know what you get out of it because I know that there's nothing free in life.  You sure don't seem to be here out of the kindness of your heart, so what's the reason?"  He paws at his shirt pocket and then his jeans for a box of cigarettes that isn't there.


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## Fanog (Sep 4, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

"Well, _you_ were the one who said he didn't need to learn any more about anger", the beast offers as a retort. He throws his head back and shakes his neck, sending little tendrils of flame up into the air.

"And what I am getting out of this..." He waits for a moment. "Just as you can't cross into here, I can't really reach your world. The void between them throws me off. You have been like a beacon to me, your clear emotion a lighthouse to guide me." He smiles a broad grin, showing large teeth. "I live by emotion, and you provide it. _That_'s what I get out of all this. Now, that was rather straightforward of me, don't you think? Satisfied?"

OoC: Jason


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## Fanog (Sep 5, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

Max sits in the car looking at his feet, which he can't move or feel. The car is speeding over the highway, lit by the reddish light of the late summer afternoon. Besides Max sits the old man, Chinese probably. He had looked quite friendly, and yet this is where he was stuck now: sitting in an unknown car with an unknown man, paralysed from the neck down. His sharp mind went over the event of the last few minutes, trying to piece everything together.

He had been to the research facility out of town and had been driving back home to his father's condo. After about ten minutes, his car's engine had broken down and he had pulled over. Despite his way with all things mechanical, Max hadn't been able to even locate the problem. Everything should have been working just fine. He was just about to make a call and have things taken care of, when an old man with graying hair had pulled up his car alongside Max'. From his looks and heavy accent, he appeared to be chinese. He had offered to give Max a ride, which had seemed quite reasonable at that time.
Max distinctly remembers locking his car and getting into the old man's car, ready to make some calls and have his car picked up. The man at the wheel made some strange gesture with his hand, and Max had held out his hand to shake it and introduce himself. All of a sudden, the gray old man had lunged for his shoulder and pinched his neck. Max still doesn't know what had happened, but it had caused him to lose all control over his body. About all he could do was breathe, turn his head and speak. Except that he had been quite speechless by the entire situation, dumb-struck by what had happened.

Max is taken out of his memories as the old man begins to speak, slow and gentile. "Please relax, Mister Cogswell. I as deeply sorry to have to do this to you, the feeling must not be very comfortable to you. However, I assure you that I mean you no harm. I have some things to tell and show you, which are very important. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to do so..."

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 5, 2003)

Sweat was trickling down Max's face as he turned to look at the old man. "I can understand what's happening. I have money. I'll gladly pay for my freedom if you just don't hurt me." Max remembers back to when his mother was kidknapped and held for ransom. Eventhough his father paid the money they still found her dead. _Now it would seem it's my turn._ Max thought to himself.

"Wait... Did you say you have something to show me?" Max suddenly feels like he might survive as long as they don't want to show him his heart or any other organs he should have inside his body.


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## Fanog (Sep 5, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

The man nods his head. "Yes, I did. I have no interest in seeing you harmed, or in money. What I have to show you is much more important than that. For years, you have worked without seeing the result of you actions. Locked up in science in technology. Today, I will show you the world... After that, you are free to decide as you wish." He takes a short break and continues in a slightly different tone. "That is what this is all about, really. Freedom and the ability to shape your own path. Please tell me, do you value these concepts?" The man regard Max with a serene look upon his face. He doesn't seem dangerous, but then... the really dangerous people seldom do.

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 5, 2003)

Fanog said:
			
		

> _Outskirts of New York City
> NYC, New York
> thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_
> "That is what this is all about, really. Freedom and the ability to shape your own path. Please tell me, do you value these concepts?"




Max thinks to himself for a moment. "Honestly? My father would never approve of my stepping out from his shadow long enough for me to understand freedom. But I do value the concepts. One day I want to own my own computer gaming company. From there the sky's the limit." Max looks at the man and his driver. "You know you really didn't need to go to these extreems for an interview."


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## Fanog (Sep 6, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

"This is not going to be an interview", the man answers in his heavy acccent. "I need all I need to know about you, now it is time for you to learn some things. You may not like all of them, so I took the liberty to assure me of your attention for a moment. Please believe me when I say that I am sincerely sorry for that." It seems to mean much to the man to imprint this on Max, as he already mentioned it twice...

"I am going to show you that you do not _need_ you own company. You can already reach the sky, but you need a reason to do so. Please start by telling me... Why do you want your own company? What do you think this company can accomplish?"

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 6, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

It's obvious that Max is put on the spot with the question but he answers immediately and from his heart, "I want the world to be a better place. War, diease, famine, poverty.. All of this can be avoided if there were only a person or group of people strong enough to take the world by the hand and show them where the wealth is. Money and politics are ghosts of a bygone age. We are living in a time when distances are becoming true illusions and Knowledge and wisdom are flowing through the very air we breath." Max clears his throat and looks for understanding in the mans eyes. "I have these dreams where the world is about to shatter and behind the facade is a utopia where we can use technology and philosophy to cure all of the worlds ills. I will have all the money I will ever need in my lifetime, My company would be a charitible organisation that would be working to better the lives of all people. Not just those who could afford it. My dad says I'm nuts but I have to believe in hope not in capitalism."


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## Fanog (Sep 7, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

The man is obviously taken aback by Max' fast and straight answer. He thinks for the moment, nodding his head slowly. "Well, that is something at least. Dangerous, but with ideals..."

He turns his head partially to Max, keeping an eye on the traffic with one eye. His face is quite severe. "Mister Cogswell, your world _is_ about to shatter, but there is no utopia behind the facade. There is something there quite akin to what you describe. A group of people that has _already_ taken over large parts of the world... They have used money and politics to do so - money, politics, _and technology_. They also wanted to make the world better for humanity. The dangerous question, though, is... Who decides what is _better_ for man. Will _you_ make that decision, once you would have your own company?"

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 7, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

Max takes for a few minutes lost in thought, "I would have to say the group leading the world needs to have the whole world and all people held in their best interest. Could I be one of those people? Not at the moment. I'm too young and full of crazy ideas about personal jet packs and cities on the moon. Are there others I feel are worthy? Not that I have met, but I've lead a fairly sheltered life so far." Max looks at his capture with a bit of awe. He has always wanted to talk to some one like this but been to shy and his father was too practicle. "What is your name by the way? You have me at your whim. I might as well know your name."


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## Fanog (Sep 7, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

The old man is silent while Max thinks. Upon Max' question, the man turns towards him and makes a half-bow. The gesture ends up quite awkward since the man is driving, but that doesn't seem to bother him. "I am Masuda."

Turning his attention back to the road, the man continues the conversation. "Yes, in their best interest... But in _who's_ best interest - each and every man, or mankind in its entirety? Those in power now try to help man_kind_, which is a distaster for _each_ and _every_ individual alive. You have the gift to do something about that, if you believe that that is indeed a problem." Despite the man's gently tone, Max can read the passion in his voice. He doesn't seem to be entirely open, though. Almost as if he's drawing Max out, perhaps hoping for a certain response. 

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 7, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

Max sees the look on the mans face and grasps what he is trying to get at, "For someone so interested in personal freedom you have a strange way of showing it." Max laughs nervously. "Of course the whole of Mankind can't outweigh the cost of individual freedom. Dr. Mengele proved that quite well. I'm all for the rights of the individual. I hope to create a utopia based on betterment of all people, not just the ruleing class and not at the expense of any person or group of people"


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## Fanog (Sep 8, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_



			
				Max said:
			
		

> "For someone so interested in personal freedom you have a strange way of showing it." Max laughs nervously.



 Mr. Masuda holds for a moment in an uncomfortable silence, his head bent quite a bit. He's obviously embarrassed by the remark.

The man mutters something to the effect of "Hmm, clever one, he is at least." to break the tension. He then continues with renewed effort. "Well, that sounds quite good, betterment for all people without harming anyone or any group... But where does technology fit into all of this? Would there not always be people that would suffer from it, even by accident?
I am going to show you what it would lead to... Are you sure that it is even possible to help _everyone_ at the same time?"

OoC: Max


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 8, 2003)

"Mr. Masuda, The easiest way to add technology tothe world is Organically. Biotechnology and Nano technology are wonders of the very near future. I'm not talking _Cyborgs_ like in Sci/fi films but a type of technology that augments humanity but replaces it. The swiss are working on a bed that you would lay in and the lights in it would stimulate the natural healing process. That'as what I see. That and more." Max is feeling very liberated by this kind of talk. He has never dreamed of actualy discussing his dreams to another person. _Masuda must think I'm crazy_ he thinks to himself.
"I know this type of science sounds like a magical experience. I mean the old witches and warlocks of legend were just scientists using tech way ahead of the rest of the world. But It can happen. Imagine food banks where we take refuse and convert it into edible food and feed starving nations. Of teraforming the Sahara desert and making new ranching land. The Possibilities are endless as the imagination."


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## loxmyth (Sep 10, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_


Jason shrugs his shoulders noncommitedly.  "It'll do."  As strange as he feels standing here before a giant flame-haloed demon, he forces himself to lock eyes with the fearsome thing.

"Alright Bachnur, you've got my attention.  Show me what you got."  He raised both hands and beckoned the creature forward.  At this point Jason was not looking forward to being trained in the ways of anger, and his rather despondent attitude shone through in his voice.  Only a hint of rebelliousness made his demeanour stand out from that of a few minutes ago.


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## Fanog (Sep 10, 2003)

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

"Hmm, that is interesting." The man smiles as if having a personal joke. "Say, these old _witches_ and _warlocks_... they did not need a 'company' to do good and work on technology, now did they? Really, what did they have that would allow them to provide for the people around them? A large company, lots of money and employees? - or something else entirely maybe?"

Smiling, Mister Masuda looks at Max, obviously quite content with the way the conversation is going.

OoC: Max
_______________________

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

"Now, _that's_ the spirit", replies the beast, quite obviously picking up on the presence of Jason's slumbering rebellion. From the corner of his eye, Jason can see his muse watching him, only barely overcoming her fear of what might happen to Jason.

"Now, the first part is real easy, especially in here. You know how they always say you should look at yourself first? That's a load of crap. If you were meant to look at yourself, your eyes wouldn't have pointed outwards." A low howl emerges from the creature's throat.
"So, look at me. I'm sure you've noticed the flames. Right? They're not just decoration, they actually _mean_ something. You can tell a book by its cover, if you know where to look... You see those faeries over there, the small chattering ones? That's a bit of wind you see flowing about them. They look nice, but there's nothing really _there_, no substance. These flames, they mean something. You would have them too, if you could only bring yourself to actually carry them here. So, look at me, _closely_. What do these flames tell you?"

OoC: Jason


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 10, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

Max looks at Mr. Masuda as if he had asked a question too simple to be real. "Well they had Knowledge and the force of will to make changes in the world around them. They had an understanding of the forces of nature and the natural world that those around them didn't. You could say that they really had magic. Individuals are a power unto them selves but a group of individuals working toword the same goal are very powerful. Isn't that the whole point of the Witches' Coven?"


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## Fanog (Sep 11, 2003)

_Coffeebar Daybreak
Boston, Massachussets
tuesday, October 2002, around 12:30 PM_

Todd is enjoying a cup of coffee and lunch in the small bar that he usually frequents. The new year has just kicked in a few weeks ago and he is still trying to adjust. The new year has been quite a bit more challenging than the last one. He goes over his college notes as he sips the last of his coffee. Alice is pretty alert, as always, and is already standing at his table. "Refill?" She takes a look at the door and spots an old man walking in. He looks to be from chinese descent, his gray hair laying wild on his head from the autumn wind outside. The man takes a look around and walkes directly to Todd's table.

"Professor of yours?", Alice asks as she poured his coffee. "Well, I'll leave you two. Just call when you need anything."

The old man halts next to Todd's table and lowers his head a bit. "Good afternoon, Mister Whitford. We haven't met, but would you mind if I joined you for a moment? I think that there are some things you should know..." The man's voice carries a thick accent, and is quite severe. Whatever it is that the man wants to talk about, it must be _something_...

OoC: Todd
_______________________

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

The man nods slowly, still carrying a smile on his face. "So, you would want your company to be like a coven? Still, that doesn't mean that these warlocks _needed_ the company. It helped because each of them had knowledge and will. Do you think that all of your employees would have that? And shouldn't you be able to do things _before_ entering the coven-company?" The man lifts his graying eyebrows high, adding to his odd demeanor.

"It seems to me that the idea of the company is all about _volume_. Doing more, and helping _everyone_... Is there not enough good to be done right here? Why not start small, and take it from there. It seems like you would not really need your company for that, now would you?"

OoC: Max


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## Keia (Sep 12, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:35, October 2002_



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> The man standing in front of Leo shakes his head. His face has a grim expression that might indicate frustration.  "Nah, I think that even a partnership might chafe for me. I'm not really a team-player, you know. Besides, isn't it rather early to propose a draw?"




"Hey, now, Sticks - who said anything about a draw?" Leo asked as he smiled.  Competition, even one as dangerous as this, was something that Leo relished.  He kept aware of his surroundings and tried to learn anything that the man would reveal - never verbally but in his actions and style that would give Leo the clues necessary to gain an advantage.

As far as his own skills, Leo varied his attack and defense times.  At one point he would defend for almost a minute, then attack, then defend again, then go on the offense.  He tried to keep his combat varied so that no pattern would hopefully emerge.  He will continue at this for a while to determine the man's limits as well as his own.


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 12, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

"I apologize if I didn't make myself clear. The individual has infinate potential. You asked me about groups. The concept of the gestalt is that the power of the 1 is great but even more magnified as a part of a collective. The power of the Individual should never be overlooked. You can't make the great strides with out taking the first initial steps, this you always start small and work your way to the greater good." Max seems a bit iritated by the question. "When will this paralysis be over. I'm not going to be amused if I loose bladder control."


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## WizWrm (Sep 12, 2003)

Fanog said:
			
		

> _Coffeebar Daybreak
> Boston, Massachussets
> Tuesday, October 2002, around 12:30 PM_




Todd sits at the table alone, carefully eating a sandwich. Dark circles lie under his eyes like thunderclouds, clearly indicatng a deficiency in either the quantity or quality of his sleep.

_Another dream - why can't I just rest?_ Todd thinks, taking a sip of coffee. _Maybe I'm reading into this too much - it's causing me too much stress, and I have enough of that already. I need to relax. Perhaps a change of surroundings would do me some good._ Todd scans over a page of notes that hold a genetics chart. _Even meditation isn't helping this time - just more flashbacks. I know it's supposed to help you order your mind, but this is getting ridiculous._

A tall, lanky young man wearing a red-and-white jacket enters the bar, and, glancing around, spots Todd. _Hm, there's Oliver._ Before Todd has a chance to acknowledge his presence, however, Oliver takes up a seat across the room, opposite Todd. _Avoiding me._

He finishes his cup of coffee, and Alice comes over to refill it, drawing his attention to the new arrival.

As the man walks over, Todd quickly sits up from his slouch, pushing his notes to one side. "Good afternoon, sir. Feel free to sit down. I was just finishing, but if you'd like to talk about something I can stay a bit longer."


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## Fanog (Sep 12, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:45, October 2002_

The boney man tilts his head and bares his teeth in a peevish grin as he blocks the first of Leo's strike. Leo can feel his muscles warming up as he pours himself into the fight more and more. The man with him must also feel it, for he has finally stopped talking.

Both man slide along the room as try to size each other up, varying pace and style. Leo notes that the man must have training isn a myriad of different arts, and can vary fluently between each of them. As Leo and the skinny man become more accustomed to each other, and Leo gets a feel for his odd surroundings, the momentum of their fight increases, taking on a life of their own. After Leo makes a rapid advances, he spots a weakness in the man's defense. Taking immediate advantage of the opportunity, Leo dives in and plants a solid blow in the man's side, feeling the man's ribs below his fist. Only a split second later does Leo find out why the hole in the defense was there, as the man's knee retaliates and knocks the wind out of his lungs. The force leaves him staggered for a moment, but so is his opponent recovering from punch in his ribs.

_In front of Leo's house, two man stand waiting. An awkard silence hangs between them as one smokes a cigar and the other gazes off into the distance. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, the old gazing man twists about, looking at the other. "Mister Turnbull, do you now where the gas station is that Mister Sykes is heading? I suggest we get in the car _now_ and drive there." The smoking one looks confused for the slightest moment, but springs into action. "Damnit, I knew it... You're gonna regret it if something has happened to him, old man." Gus hurries to his car, the old man following on his heels._

OoC: Leo
_______________________

_Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM_

"Hmm..." The man is silent for a moment, caught in doubt. "I understand that you place the power of individuals very highly, but it seems to me that you then underestimate yourself. You are right about a lot of things, and there _is_ magic to be found in new uses of technology. I was trying to figure out why you would wait until you had a company before you would make use of that full potential. If you realize what you can do with knowledge and understanding, then why the wait?"

The man makes a nod, as if coming to a decision. "Very well. I hope that I have caught your attention, and that you will hear me out." The man releases one hand from the wheel, and places it in Max' neck. He pinches slightly, after which the feeling in his body starts to return.

OoC: Max
_______________________

_Coffeebar Daybreak
Boston, Massachussets
tuesday, October 2002, around 12:30 PM_

"Yes, I would. Thank you very much." The old man slowly takes place on the bench opposite Todd. "Mister Whitford, I think that I have come here to give you guidance. It seems like you are ready, but unsure of what is expected of you. I am aware that you have been having dreams, and that these have been more frequent lately. I can teach you what these dreams mean, they are a manifstation of searching for your destiny. You are standing on the brink of realizing what it is that you were meant to do. I do not know what this is, but I can help you find out."

The man looks at Todd closely, waiting to see how the words fall with the youg man.

OoC Todd


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 12, 2003)

Outskirts of New York City
NYC, New York
thursday, October 2002, around 8 PM

"ugh... Pins and needles. I hate that feeling when your nerves reactivate. You know Mr. Masuda. You never asked me what I do. It seems that your dealing with the preconcieved notion that I just putter around with things never actualy finishing anything. I'm in the process of developing a set of leg braces that will allow a parapalegic to walk. I have all these ideas in my head and just need the time to work on them all. And of course there are the dream designs." Max says under his breath. 
Max streaches his legs and arms making sure there is movement there and continues. "You say that you have something to show me. I would very much like to see it. I belive in expanding the human potential and I've a feeling this will be dramatic.


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## WizWrm (Sep 13, 2003)

_Coffeebar Daybreak
Boston, Massachussets
tuesday, October 2002, around 12:30 PM_

Todd looks at the old man carefully as he talks.  "Sir, I mean no offense, but that sounds a lot like a recruitment speech. I'm not particularly interested in discovering my destiny right now. I will admit I've had some odd dreams, but it's only because I need to relax."

_Ugh, I never should have asked Jake about that dream last month._ Todd thinks, _A rehabilitated ex-convict looking for explanations and a new life... add a couple unusual dreams and a meditation class to the mix, and I'm a walking cult magnet. I'm going to need to be cautious with this fellow; don't want to get him angry at me._


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## Keia (Sep 13, 2003)

_The mountains (?)
Saturday 12:45, October 2002_

". . . nice one . . . ," Leo said as he tried to bring the breath back into his lungs and stop the little birdies from floating around his head.  Leo concentrated on breathing deep and being aware of his surroundings - and his opponent.  If he could move fast and more powerfully with less energy, could he heal under the same principles?  Now was the time to find out.

". . . how's . . . the rib?" Leo asked with a grin as he relaxed and let his body work its own magic.  His eyes remained on is opponent and Leo went on the defensive, willing his body to work his blood to flow, oxygen to get where it was needed.


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## loxmyth (Sep 17, 2003)

_Streets of Boston (?)
Boston, Massachussets (?)
October 2002, around 11:30 AM_

Perplexed at Bachnur's request, Jason shrugs helplessly.  "That you're on fire?  Honestly, I don't really know what you want from me."  His eyes followed the contour of the demon's body, the thickly corded muscles, those bestial features.  He swallowed slowly, then tried another stab at figuring out exactly what it wanted from him.  What did fire signify, to _him_?

Well, destruction and anger, of course.  But there was also the stories of djinn he'd heard as a child.  It was elemental, necessary but sometimes unpleasant.  And there was a regality to it too.  Hadn't God created the angels from fire?  He related these thoughts to Bachnur, still unsure how to fully communicate his feelings to the spirit before him.


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