welcome
Two magical factions crash landed on Earth thirty years ago, bringing with them amazing powers and war. The nature based Elementals and the mind based ESP have set up their respective camps in the forest and the city. On the surface, a shaky peace reigns. Non-magical folk struggle to adjust to the new comers, and many maintain a strong distrust of all magic and the violence it brought. Others, however, have chosen sides, and Old and New Magic alike comb the streets seeking to recruit allies as an underground guerilla warfare rages. Another war is coming and now it needs to be known: Which side are you on?
Currently, we have a ban on male ESP's. Please take a look at the stats to see what needs to be balanced! Help us Guest, you're our only hope!
For the few next days, the money you earn from posting has doubled! (Wooo!) Also, the member (not staff) who shows the most activity can talk with Parrot and we can plan something special for you. It could be a quest, a PvP thing, a special character, or the keys to a brand new car! (That was a joke) And if that doesn't interest you then we can discuss something else. My mind is always open ;)
Stats
Elementals
ESP's
Non-magicals
Beasts
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3
2
1
0
6
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0
7
2
0
9
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Setting
Summer is here and with it comes the heat. The high is normally in the mid 90's- a blessing for some, a struggle for others. Those living in the city and town rely on air conditioning while the Elementals make due with the wind alone. Cicadas are starting to move out of the forest and into the town and they can be heard (quite loudly) every day.
Male OTM
Lynx If his charming half smile doesn't knock you off your feet than his witty one liners will. (That or he's going to trip you via Telekinesis.) Lynx is this month's winner for male OTM! A character who started off as an ass has actually turned out to be only kind of an ass. Lynx finds his pleasure in fast cars and even faster women, though this hasn't stopped him from protecting those he has reluctantly found himself caring for. Poor Lynx has spent more time being dragged through other people's mess that he hasn't had time to finish his car. Well, from all of us at WFM, we hope you get that time soon Lynx! Snarky Lynx is played by Devi.
Female OTM
Tabitha Holt Got hots for teacher? Well, who wouldn't when the teacher is Tabitha! This water Elemental has spent half of her time dragging Lynx around, recruiting him as an unlikely ally. Over the month Tabitha has seen her share of some grisly stuff- from drowning men (and women) to having her capture's head blown right off in front of her. She's no warrior but for some reason this little lady has been stuck fighting battles and running after kids instead of grading papers. Now with the FBI after her and the War Committee doubting her every move, we're pretty sure Tabitha's not going to get a break any time soon. Stubborn Tabitha is played by Parrot.
Thread OTM
Fanatically Fanatic If anyone says that WFM isn't action packed well they are wrong. Dead wrong. This thread is proof of that! We've got fanatics pulling people left and right off of the street, taking them hostage as they preach peace through violence. (Yeah, it works out as well as you think it would.) And soon four of our very own characters, who would normally never work together, have to overcome the fanatics and fight for their lives. Overcome they do, as Enzo blasts a guy's head off, Tabitha drowns a woman, Lynx throws chairs at people, and Asher shows off his acrobatic skills. In the end they make a getaway, but were they fast enough to avoid unwanted attention? Guess we'll find out when the site plot starts! Votes picked this thread for OTM due to its action and the fact that multiple players were involved. Thanks to all who contributed!
Member OTM
Dufflepud Congratulations to Duffle, our winner of member OTM! Duffle has been a great addition to WFM family as he brought with him the most awesome PvP factor to our site. Duffle has been great with his constructive ideas for the site and overall involvement. He is known to commoners as the Great and Powerful Arena Master but, humbly, prefers Duffle. He manages not only to run his own site, is active here, but he also goes on some pretty rockin' vacations. (Yes, we are very jealous. Thanks.) Duffle is always willing to give a helping hand to our guests and members, so, for that, we thank you. :)
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Guilty in the Eyes of Many // Gwyn
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Post by Parrot on Jul 25, 2013 17:32:15 GMT
What was she doing? More and more Tabitha found herself leaving the comforts of the forest to make trips to the neutral territory and, on one occasion, she had even been in Coho. It was very unlike the water Elemental to be so far from the Castle this much and she wondered what the ramifications would be like when people started to find out. Especially when they heard about Lynx, the ESP who’d helped her not once, not twice, but three times. If her parents ever found out they would surely disown her.
The teacher sighed, running a hand through her black hair as the wind blew around her face. She could see the outline of Mapleport from her perch near the outskirts of the forest, a little part of her wondering how the town was coping from the terrorist attack. Tabitha often thought about the people that had died during the hostage…more so Markus, the man who had searched her thoughts and picked at her brain.
She couldn’t get his eyes out of her head.
Frustrated, and ashamed she didn’t save the innocents, Tabitha plopped herself down onto the wet grass, placing her head in between her knees. She was dragging her guilt like a dead horse and Tabitha kept replaying the scene over and over again in her head. She was lucky to have Lynx there, and his friend too, but what if someone found out? What trouble has Tabitha brought to her people...to her students?
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Post by Devi on Jul 25, 2013 17:52:12 GMT
Gwyn couldn't imagine why Tabitha had gone to Mapleport, but after asking around and using the wind to maneuver the trees of the forest, she was quite certain that's the direction her friend had taken. She had been looking for the teacher for over an hour, and impatience was starting show on her face. Her strides through the trees were long and purposeful, and her lips were pursed in tight line. Although quite positive nobody else knew, Gwyn felt like time was working against her.
She had wanted to see Tabitha as soon as she had gotten back from Coho late last night, but barging into her friend's quarters at one in the morning would have looked suspicious, and so Gwyn had waited until morning, until after her debriefing (in which she conveniently left Atkinson out). Now she was determined to find the water Elemental, her best friend, Tabitha, who had been up to a lot more these days than she had let on last time they talked.
The line in which Gwyn's lips were set drew thinner at the thought.
At length, the trees began to thin, the sun got brighter and hotter, and Gwyn knew the road that led to Mapleport would not be far off. The road itself actually led to a parking lot for the entrance to a park of hiking trails and campsites, but the Elementals never took this route. They always took the road outside of the forest in order to avoid the hikers and campers. Gwyn was not sure where in Mapleport Tabitha would be, but she could always ask around. It wasn't a big town, after all.
Or then again, that might be unnecessary. Gwyn could feel Tabitha's presence in the air around her before she could see her, but a few steps farther and Gwyn could make out the form of her friend sitting hunched over in the grass. The defeated posture made Gwyn hesitate- did she already know? Had something happened?
"Tabitha?" Gwyn spoke softly in an attempt not to startle her, walking up and looking down at her friend with a slight frown.
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Post by Parrot on Jul 25, 2013 18:38:27 GMT
Drowning in her sorrows the way she was, Tabitha didn't hear Gwyn's approach till her friend called out. The teacher instantly recognized the diplomat's voice, after all, she'd been hearing it since she was a child. Knowing a person for so long made it easy to tell that Gwyn's face was both concerned and slightly annoyed, the first emotion, however, more pressing than the latter.
"Oh, hey Gwyn," the water Elemental replied, giving the other woman a forced smile. Even if Tabitha tried to hide her problems from her friend they would eventually be found out, sooner rather than later. Gwyn had a knack for reading people, especially Tabitha. She wondered what brought Gwyn out here, though truthfully that was a preposterous question. "You on your way to Coho?" the teacher inquired, jutting her chin out to the direction of the city.
Tabitha had been absent in the last War Committee meeting due to her illness and she had tried to come up with the best alibi for her whereabouts when they heard Tabitha had been away from the Castle during the terrorist attack. Some believed her lie but others, like the Head Chair and Shy, knew Tabitha wasn't telling the truth.
The woman had a feeling Gwyn would know about Tabitha's episodes as well...but just how much was left to be seen.
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Post by Devi on Jul 25, 2013 19:07:48 GMT
"What?" Gwyn responded, momentarily taken aback. The question was sensible, but Gwyn was so caught up in her concern for Tabitha and her curiosity for what exactly had been going on, that the question seemed out of left field. "Oh, no, no I'm not. I was looking for you, actually," she explained, slightly flustered.
She squatted down next to Tabitha, studying her friend's face for a moment before sighing and looking around at their surroundings, hey eyes squinting in the sun. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, balancing on the balls of her feet as she rested her forearms on her knees, hands clasped in front of her for balance. The question was curious, not accusatory, though Gwyn could take a pretty educated guess.
Tabitha had been sick the last time Gwyn had left for Coho, and she had heard about the terrorist attack. More specifically, she had heard rumors about Tabitha having gone into town that day, and Gwyn had nearly sent a thirteen year old girl into tears after she had overheard the teenager whispering to her friend that Tabitha was secretly one of the terrorists. Not that Gwyn thought anybody would believe that story, but the fact that anybody was thinking suspiciously of Tabitha made her bristle. Tabitha was the most loyal, steadfast, good person she knew, and while Gwyn would never be surprised to find out somebody had accused Shy or even herself of overly curious/borderline traitorous activities, she was floored that ANYBODY would harbor suspicious about Tabitha.
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Post by Parrot on Jul 25, 2013 21:38:21 GMT
The teacher's face started to turn red at Gwyn's question. Tabitha opened her mouth, struggling to come up with a believable response but nothing she thought of would've fooled Gwyn's keen mind. Eventually, Tabitha gave up with a sigh, deciding to side with the truth this time.
"Just thinking," Tabitha shrugged noncommittally, her answer about as solid as liquid's form.
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Post by Devi on Jul 25, 2013 21:45:48 GMT
Gwyn pursed her lips, a very teacher-ish "Hmmmmmmm" coming out. She didn't press the question, and instead began plucking grass absent-mindedly, wondering how she should bring everything up. "Do you think anybody could overhear us here? The trees are always listening, you know..."
She dusted her hands off and turned to look at Tabitha pointedly. "We need to talk. In absolute private."
Dark brows above gray eyes lifted coolly, leaving no room for argument. It was an almost Tabitha-teacher look in seriousness, and it did not fit Gwyn's typically smirking face.
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Post by Parrot on Jul 26, 2013 15:54:34 GMT
Gwyn was as light and airy as the element that inhabited her body and while she could be serious, it was not often that Tabitha saw in her in such mood, that job was usually occupied by the teacher. So when Gwyn's voice drop flat it felt like all the wind around Tabitha stopped moving. And maybe it did.
She knew what this was about.
Grimly, Tabitha stood up, offering her hand to help pull her old friend up. "Let's walk, we need to to go back into the forest a bit and avoid the patrols but we should be fine to talk after this. We aren't the ESP, Gwyn, no one is going to listen to you here." It was a joke but even Tabitha could tell it sounded forced.
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Post by Devi on Jul 26, 2013 17:48:43 GMT
Gwyn accepted her friend's hand and pushed herself to her feet, nodding in response to Tabitha's suggestion. The comment about the ESP did conjure up the ghost of a smile, but it was about as forced as the joke had been in the first place. Dusting off the backside of her shorts, Gwyn let Tabitha lead the way deeper into the trees, keeping quiet as they walked.
The day was warm and hazy and pleasant, the kind of lazy summer afternoon you'd want to spend floating on an inflatable raft in the pool. Cicadas buzzed and birds chirped, and there was a hot, earthy smell that hung in the air. Gwyn drew a slightly breeze, rustling their clothes and the ends of her short dark hair as it blew pleasantly past, keeping the heat from being too much.
"Maybe we could head to the river for a swim," she suggested suddenly, thinking that Tabitha might be more comfortable in her element (pun intended?). "Or any other little gem of a watering hole you might know about." She glanced sidelong at her friend, a small smile curving the corners of her lips. Whatever was going on with the teacher, Gwyn was going to make sure Tabitha got out of it unscathed.
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Post by Parrot on Jul 26, 2013 18:05:19 GMT
Tabitha was grateful for the breeze that her friend conjured. Dressing in jeans and a tank top wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do with summer's heat but, then again, Tabitha hadn't exactly been planning on walking through the forest all day. One minute she was grading papers in her home with the windows open and the wind rolling in and the next she had been drowning in self pity, itching to get away from it all. Tabitha's mother had warned her as child that the stronger an element was inside of a person the more they tended to act like it. The teacher believed it now more than ever as her emotions raged like the a stormy sea- one moment still and the next titanic. She could only imagine how restless Gwyn could become when stuck in one place for too long.
"I know a place," Tabitha smiled cryptically as she grabbed the diplomat's wrist and pulled her in a different direction. It was a short walk and eventually Tabitha led them to a small clearing with an offshoot of the main river pooled into a decent sized mini lake. It was more like a watering hole than anything else but the water was clear and the the area was canopied by large oak trees.
The water Elemental knelt down to take off her shoes, rolling up her pants so she could go and wade into the pool.
"Now what do you really want to ask me, Gwyn? I have a feeling you've been itching to since you've first saw me," Tabitha questioned as the water licked at her bare calves. It was almost like the liquid was rushing up to greet the woman as she entered.
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Post by Devi on Jul 26, 2013 18:18:20 GMT
Gwyn knew Tabitha could be relied upon to find a great little swimming hole. Unlike her friend who modestly waded in, Gwyn stripped of her shirt and wiggled out of her shorts (after all, a bra and undies weren't so different from a bathing suit!), sloshing into the water and floating out onto her back. The cool water felt especially marvelous on this hot summer day, and Gwyn expelled a contented sigh.
Tabitha's direct question, however, made Gwyn look slightly guilty, because of course it was true, she had been dying to ask her everything from the moment she had found her friend. She tucked her chin to look at her friend for a moment, letting her feet find the sloping bottom of the mini lake. It was squishy with silt and mud, and it felt strangely pleasant between Gwyn's toes.
"I think the Government is looking for you. The non-magic government...." Gwyn paused, pressing her lips together as a crease appeared in her brow. "Tabitha- what have you been up to in the City?"
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Post by Parrot on Jul 26, 2013 18:39:07 GMT
Even though they were old friends and as children would bathe together naked, Tabitha still adverted her eyes when Gwyn undressed. Prude, old prude, Tabitha could practically hear her students calling her. Tabitha registered the change in the water as Gwyn entered and the teacher looked back up. She smiled as she saw the relief on Gwyn's face. Wind was great but there was nothing more refreshing than jumping into water on a hot day.
Tabitha shuffled herself further into the small lake, deep enough that the liquid reached up to her hips. The teacher didn't even know why she bothered with rolling up her pants- Tabitha could always absorb the water out later.
"Oh," Tabitha managed to squeak out. She'd figured out that the conversation was going to be about the city...but the part about the non-magical government searching for Tabitha? Why would they even know about...
"Lynx," she whispered, looking up with a wince at Gwyn. The teacher seemed to deflate as she thought about her friend. Had he gotten into some trouble? She knew Lynx would never go willingly to the police, or any authority for that matter, so that must have meant they found him first.
The water around Tabitha started to churn restlessly as she thought about the wayward ESP. "There's something I need to tell you, Gwyn...and I probably should've told you a long time ago but..."
And so Tabitha told her everything. The spy, Lynx's help, getting arrested, the episode with Alyssa and how Lynx was there again, and eventually she got to the pharmacy with the fanatics.
"His eyes...my God, Gwyn, he just...exploded...." Tabitha sunk into the water, sliding into the muddy bank.
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Post by Devi on Jul 29, 2013 15:24:19 GMT
Lynx? What the hell was Lynx? Gwyn almost asked what Tabitha was talking about, but her friend began the story on her own accord. My oh my, Tabitha had certainly been busy. Gwyn listened without interrupting, her face surprisingly neutral despite the fact that Tabitha's story was the most shocking thing Gwyn had heard in...well, ever. It was most unlike the water Elemental to get caught up in such adventures, and it was quite unlike her to befriend an ESP. Not only did Tabitha harbor an innate prejudice against the ESP, but it was also unlike her to be such a rule breaker. Of course, Gwyn didn't judge. She did not dislike the ESP like most of her kind did; she thought they were arrogant and narrow minded, but she also thought they were a necessary part to an inevitable future.
The part about the pharmacy was the most distressing, and Gwyn shifted uncomfortably in the water, gliding over to sit next to Tabitha as she sank down into the mud. For awhile, even after Tabitha stopped talking, Gwyn stayed quiet, not really sure how to respond to all of it or even where to start. Perhaps she should exchange her own part of this story.
"This makes more sense now. I guess your arrest flagged the interest of the Government. I think- I think they're trying to spy on us, Tabitha- not just the Elementals, but the ESP, too; all magics. There are agents trying to hunt down magics. Usually they find them by criminal records, and... Tabitha, they have your name." Gwyn frowned, pressing her lips together as she turned to look at her friend. "They haven't been able to find you because you don't have any records- no address, no phone number, nothing like that. Now, I don't think they want to hurt you or anything, but I think they're trying to gather information. Inside, private information."
Gwyn paused, looking extremely hesitant about continuing. "Did- did anyone know you were at that pharmacy?"
She left out the fact that if they did know, Tabitha could be labeled as a threat to national security and used as a scapegoat for the whole event. The community wanted to blame somebody, but right now they didn't know who to blame.
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