Origin: A Night to Remember

Magic is Real.

We fly over oceans, hold the sum of all recorded knowledge in our hands, and speak with relatives halfway across the world without leaving our chairs. Magic isn't just flying on broomsticks or calling down fire from the Heavens. Magic is limited only by your Imagination, and your Will to make it manifest. There's a battle going on over the nature of Reality and Mankind itself. Pretend it isn't there, or get involved and forge the Future you envision.

Welcome to the Ascension War.

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:36 pm

The light from the Wheel of Fortune extends from the table, flowing through the rest of the Nightclub. Everyone outside seems to be frozen in time, illuminated by the Tarot. Brief flashes of minor truths can be seen all around, a collage of revelations. "DEXTER ARMITAGE. TRUTH HAS A PRICE. CAN YOU PAY IT?" The light reaches the random businessman sitting in a far corner, tapping away at his smartphone.

Almost undetected, Dexter's hand moves another card to the table. What is seen, is The Emperor.
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Power. Structure. Control. Unquestionable Authority. Under the light of the Tarot, pieces of the past and future of this man can be seen. His induction into a Government Agency. Walking through halls of power, changing the minds of those in positions of authority, monitoring the whims of the populace. You see him not just idly tapping away at a phone, but actively running spy programs, rooting out signs of dissatisfaction or rebellion. A man so bland and uninteresting, he was barely noticeable in a crowd. But a representative of power so obvious, he almost blazes in the Sight.

"TO LIVE, FALSEHOODS MUST DIE. CAN YOU BEAR IT?" Dexter's eyes blur ever so slightly as the Voice of the Wheel stuns his senses. And in that blur, he sees an even deeper truth hidden beneath The Emperor. A Truth even harder to face than simply an agent of control in so casual a setting. That a democracy, even one so deeply flawed as this one, spying so intimately upon its populace. The deeper Truth is The Hierophant, inverted.
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An undeserved Priest, sitting upon a Stolen Throne. A perversion of Enlightenment. A false path to Truth. The veil of misdirection around the man is pierced. What your mind interpreted as Google Glasses, are in fact Mirrorshades, reflecting back whatever your assumptions were. Tapping away at the smartphone is another deception, as the information is displayed to the Man in Black directly from his shades. The spying is not simply some mundane hacking into cellphones, or amplifying sound to hear voices, but something far more powerful. Thoughts are directly tapped. Timelines analyzed for past transgressions. Probability forecasts calculated for future discontent. Behind this Agent is no government by the people and for the people, but something more powerful, and far more sinister. A Black Tower rises behind the man, it's shadow attempting to veil the whole earth.

The light of the Wheel draws attention back to itself, the illumination painful to look at. "IN MOMENTS OF TRIAL, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF. CAN YOU FACE IT? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
Yeah, that's a Man In Black in the corner. You're welcome.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hermit » Wed Sep 07, 2016 12:24 am

Though his lips remain immobile, it seems the Wheel is more than able to read the determination writ across his face and very thoughts. Truth in all its horrific beauty is worth any price. That is the thought that blazes in his eyes, the radiance expanding its sphere of influence as his hand reveals the next card in the spread, the imperious visage of the Emperor Arcana.

Scenes and stills of the previously undistinctive businessman from before etch themselves into his mind like fire in the snow. At its conclusion, Dexter is shocked that he paid this figure so little heed, the power that radiates from him like a shining beacon a stark contrast to his innocuous appearance.

Senses both basic and newfound come unhinged to accomodate the additional insights and queries transplanted into his being by the Wheel. An acute feeling of trepidation overcomes Dexter as his hand lays upon the smooth surface of the next card on top of the deck. A casual draw discloses this trepidation in the form of the Inverted Hierophant arcana.

Dexter's attention is brought back to the man in the suit. A third inspection reveals something different than the previous times, something that instantly fills the half-Romani with an impassioned, all-consuming abhorrence that eclipses any petty misgivings or grudges he might have held against those who have wronged him in some way or another throughout his entire life.

From the very beginning when his late mother had introduced him with the enticing power and mystique of magick as a bright and wide eyed child, it had always been with the intention to use it as a means to aid others, to make the world a better place. This man...No, he doesn't deserve to be called a man. Monster would be more appropriate, was like peering into a looking glass and seeing a sinister distortion, an absolute corruption of his own noble intentions. The Black Tower that emerges from behind the man seems to radiate oppression and control, its rapacious shadow desiring nothing more than to envelop the world in its tyrannical embrace.

It takes both all of his self-restraint and the compelling light of the Wheel for Dexter not to act on his impulsive desire to extinguish such a vile presence. The illumination of the Wheel of Fate becomes incandescent to the point where it becomes as painful as staring directly into the sun for too long.
"IN MOMENTS OF TRIAL, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF. CAN YOU FACE IT? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Barely a sliver of silence transpires before Dexter responds, a rare smile brimming with confidence to match the conviction in his voice.

"I can. For I am a Mage, and I want to... Awaken."
Admittedly a bit corny on that last line there, but it felt fitting all things considered. Also, I had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to that 'businessman' than met the eye, heh.
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hayabusa » Wed Sep 07, 2016 12:18 pm

Going to wait and see how it this is going down... ^^
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"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Sep 09, 2016 7:15 pm

The vision seems to pause after Dexter's clear Declaration of Will. The voice is subdued somewhat, a clear voice rather than a clarion call. "SO BE IT, MAGI. AWAKE!" Without realizing it, his hand flips over the seventh Tarot Card, The Magician.
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Power. Mastery. Directed Willpower. An image of might and freedom, to shape Reality as you see fit. After having spoken the truth about June and then the stranger, the Cards are now speaking about Dexter. Confirming a truth, revealing a depth of power he never experienced before. The light of the Wheel brightens yet again, and an older form of The Magician is visible beneath the artistic version of Dexter's. Again, the voice of the Wheel resounds in his mind. "AWAKE!"
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The ancient symbols speak to the Romani. The Lemniscate, symbolizing the infinite nature of knowledge, power, and consequence. The Uroboros, swallowing its tail in the infinite cycle of rebirth. The table completely disappears, and the Wheel of Fortune makes the pattern of the cards clear. Instead of a Cross, the five surrounding cards have instead formed the shape of the Pentagram, with the Wheel of Fortune making its bounds. The four Elements along with Spirit, bound in control and safety by Will. A symbol of Magic from ages past.

The brass of the Wheel of Fortune shifts into glass, and Dexter sees himself reflected in the Pentagram. Together they speak about him. His past, his present, and who he really is. His depression and malaise put into the perspective that before, he did not know who he was. What he was meant to be. Now it is all so clear. DEXTER ARMITAGE. AWAKE!

The Images swirl, and one last vision is seen faintly through them all. An image of The World. Not the Tarot Card, but of the World itself. Of Fulfillment, Possibilities, Enlightenment, Unity. A potential future of Oneness.
Image
Slowly, the Vision fades. First the table comes back into view, then June, then the rest of the room. The shining clarity goes as well, Dexter's mundane eyes seeing his surroundings just as before, but knowing, this time, that there are deeper meanings beneath what his eyes see. Hidden truths. Untapped powers. A world of wonder and possibility. Finally the Wheel of Fortune fades as well, but it does not fade into nothingness. He feels instead that it has simply stepped back behind the Veil. A patient Teacher. Watching and waiting for an appropriate time to Speak again.

... Dexter is also positioned to notice a small icon begin blinking on the Agent's device.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hermit » Fri Sep 09, 2016 7:44 pm

Just going to cut to the chase this time since I feel the moment of Awakening was excellently captured in your post, @ManWithDoor. No need for further embellishment on my part, heh.
Not bothering to even take the time to consider the exact cause of the blinking icon, Dexter wastes little time in gathering up the cards and hastily stowing them away, first within his silk pouch, then frantically stuffing the pouch within his pant pocket. Certain all of his personal effects are accounted for, he stands up. "I need to go." He says to June curtly. Wincing at the callousness of the statement, he adds gently, "You should too. We'll talk later, okay?"

Not standing idly by a moment longer, Dexter swiftly begins making his way towards the exit in a manner both brisk yet inconspicuous, not even sparing a second glance back to June and least of all the man in black. I really hope she's not sticking around.
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hayabusa » Fri Sep 09, 2016 9:51 pm

Watching Dexter act and speaking to a voice that she herself cannot her, June follows it with grande curiosity. While she is oblivious to anything happening to him it does make her eager to know what he has seen. However, before she can inquire as he comes to his senses he is already back in action.

"Sure, we can. But try the landline because my phone might not work," the stage magician replies. Could it be he has become a magi and not notice she is one too? As Dexter is on his feet and heading out but she's a step behind and leaves a few crumbled notes back on the table for any clean up when Dexter departs. You are not letting him go alone, are you? Go! A glance over to the bartender and then to another man before she takes the first step and follows Dexter with a quick pace. She puts a hand on his elbow to get his attention. "You didn't say where or whom so I'll just stick with you for now. May I ask why we're getting out so fast?"
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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:18 pm

Dexter rushes out the door into the cool night. The fog has rolled in, giving a ghostly look to the world. He feels a hand on his elbow, and his Cane flips upwards in his hand, ready to strike. The cold steel hidden inside is also a reassurance. He immediately realizes it is just June, and sure he always forgives her ignoring of his personal space, but he is clearly on edge. His grip relaxes somewhat, as she is clearly not a threat, but won't taken silence for an answer either. He'll have to figure out what to say, although how can you put a Vision into mundane words? Can you even share it without sounding nuts, or completely losing the person? Or perhaps worst of all, failing to capture the majesty, intimacy, and power of it all.

As Dexter thinks on the past few moments, his mind replays the last images from the Nightclub. He sees the Agent's gaze lingering on the two of them, the glow from the Icon brightening.
Dexter Perception+Alertness (TN 8): 5,7,9,10,10 = 3 Successes. Notice the Agent's interest.
June Perception+Alertness (TN 7): 4,6,6 = 0 Successes. Yeah, Perception isn't your strong point.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hermit » Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:05 am

Actually I never mentioned at any point having had my cane with me, but I'll simply wave it off by saying that I had left it in some umbrella stand inside the club and picked it up on the way out if that's alright, heh. Also I'm not familiar with what kind of weather Californians normally get, but would it be safe to assume that fog isn't a common weather phenomenon? Just asking since I'm not sure whether I should describe Dexter seeing this as odd or not.
Worrying into his bottom lip, Dexter's mind races. Although he is glad that June is not sharing close proximity with that bespectacled creep in the suit, the fact that she has decided to tag-along with him so quickly after his hasty departure raises concerns. Still only barely coming to grips with recently crossing the threshold into a much... stranger reality, for lack of a better word at the moment, Dexter finds himself at a loss for words.

Am I the only one who has experienced this, or are there others? Who can I tell, if anyone at all? Would they even understand? Attempting to reconcile with these burning questions is too much for the young man to handle as of this moment, especially with the worrisome recollection of the suit's gaze having fixated on the two of them as the flashing on his device intensified.

Still keeping his body in constant motion to put as much distance between himself and the club, it takes a few seconds for Dexter to sort through an array of potential answers with which to provide June before finally answering. "There was somebody back at the club... really suspicious looking, was keeping tabs on us too closely for my liking." Not the absolute truth, but not a total lie either.
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hayabusa » Wed Sep 14, 2016 9:52 pm

Holy shit, yeah... I know what I have to tweak after this part of the story if that's allowed. If not, I know where to spend points!
Not the best idea to just let him walk around alone, June thinks to herself as she stays with Dexter on the way out. Her eyes and ears are on him, not anything around them. "Not someone you'd recognize then," she replies to him. "And I cannot say I noticed much there anyway. Do you know if he just saw you or did he see or rather notice something else. Something not as obvious at it would be for simpler eyes." The woman takes a quick glance back. "More of a threat or just observing us?"
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Re: Origin: A Night to Remember

Post by Hermit » Wed Sep 14, 2016 10:18 pm

Maintaining a brisk walking pace, green eyes survey the shrouded urban landscape, knuckles whitening minutely along the cane's polished brass handle. "Not at all," says Dexter with a distracted tone to his voice. Coming across an intersection, he looks behind to ascertain any signs that they are currently being followed.

Again he considers June's observations and for a passing moment finds some of her choices of words to be rather odd. His mind plays back to the events that have transpired in the club, vividly recalling the threads of Fate and how they seemed to avoid touching June. Before pondering further, Dexter decides to answer her queries now and keep moving rather than prolong the awkward silence. "He was definitely looking our way. As for why he was doing it... I'm guessing it may have been the latter at first, but something tells me that would change very quickly had we stuck around to find out."
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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