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Mage - The Spiral [IC]

Byrons_Ghost

First Post
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

First Post
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.
 

Fanog

First Post
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
 

loxmyth

First Post
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!"
 

Fanog

First Post
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
 

kuroshidaku

First Post
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.
 

Fanog

First Post
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
 

Keia

I aim to misbehave
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!
 

Fanog

First Post
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
 

Mickerus

First Post
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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