Mage - The Spiral [IC]

"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:

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."

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

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

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?"

Click to expand...

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?"

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

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.

Click to expand...

"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!

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

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

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