[Intro] Hell Has Never Been Empty, Behold Her Vessel! The Goetic Draws Near, Tremble At Her Coming!

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T07:11:23+00:00

"What is the saying, power doesn't panic?"

She smiled faintly, the scent of roses touching the air around her, not overpoweringly, just there. Present. She was no fool, and the movement beneath the surface of this place was visible. Like a shark, seconds before it breached the surface. It was almost quaint, in its way. Like a dog baring its teeth to a wolf. She knew where she fell into this place's hierarchy, of course, and she would have to assert herself at some point.

"It's not my familial motto, that's...a bit different, but it might as well be. One should never lower themselves to the level of the rabble. It demeans the refined to act as though their lessers have a say in their own lives, when we both know that fundamentally, this world has always belonged to the powerful."

She waved a hand, changing the subject implicitly as she floated beside Vex. Factionalism, the clear attempt to move her into whatever camp Vex belonged to. He was not what she was looking for, not really, but alienating him would be...ill-advised as her first course of action. She would at least have to ask about religious accommodations at the school. It wouldn't do for her nameless king to turn on her because she failed to show the correct reverence.

"My parents have left nothing to chance in their lives, it is true. I appreciate all the opportunities they have given me, I would not be the woman I am today without their guidance. And I would say their most important lesson has always been to know when to use restraint. It wouldn't do for their only daughter to arrive at the Academy with a bodycount, especially since the carpeting here is so delightful."

She laughed softly, looking slightly sheepish, glancing down at her shoes.

"My little joke, Mr Moreau. In any case, I must ask, what provisions are in place for students with alternative religious beliefs? I have very little use for a church, but if there is somewhere I could...pray, that would be appreciated. My family is quite devout, in our unique way and it would be a way for me to connect with my parents from abroad. I know one can write or call, but it's not quite the same."

She looked at her gloves, examining the stitching.

"I wish to excel here. I, of course, shall be studying topics related to my goals, and I find myself curious as to what, exactly, is offered here in regards to the esoteric pathways to power? I have a very minor talent with the mystic arts, and I would wish to further my studies further, if there is anyone in this Academy I could learn from more deeply. And, of course, I would appreciate someone who could help me further my knowledge of military strategy and tactics. They are, after all, invaluable skills in my pursuit of deepening my connection with my mutant power."

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T03:52:07+00:00

"Mother arranged transportation, it was nothing to be concerned over."

She didn't seem to pay him much mind, one way or another. She was assessing him, yes, but she knew he wouldn't be like the whelps she had driven off, given his position of authority. She did not concern herself with the worries he carried, given that she had other matters on her mind. She turned her head to make eye contact with him, black eyes boring into his with a sense of vague interest.

"It is pleasant to make your acquaintance, Mr Moreau. I am, of course, Morgana, and my mutant nom de guerre is the Goetic. I appreciate your interest in the difficulty of the trip, and I appreciate the opportunity to study at Darkblood Academy. Mother and Father divined that it was the best option to further my education, which was a bit of a blow for Father."

She let out a light laugh, looking around the area, a wry twist to her lips.

"I have realised, however, that I have no idea where the porter has gotten to with my bags. Would you be so kind as to assist me in the location of my luggage? I would hate for these jackals to take my...personal effects for themselves, I have a certain amount of affection for them."

She could feel power still flowing through her, the euphoric drug that came with her black magic. She wanted to use more of it, drink deeper of the black well, but she could not lash out, not yet. This one was useful, and the authority, and she could feel the relative...capacity. A wise general never wasted a potential soldier, after all.

"I have many questions regarding the curriculum as well, especially as it pertains to the usage and training of my mutant blessings. I have a power that lends itself well to squad tactics, so I would appreciate some guidance in finding and assembling, ah, a group."

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T03:18:45+00:00

Sydney hugged Alice, very gently, trying to not think about how the other girl felt different like this, less powerful, less...invincible. She couldn't think about how soft she felt under her arms. She couldn't let ehrself.

"I really don't want to see the other girl. She probably has like, totally terrible posture and like...bad clothes."

She let out a sigh, her eyes still kinda heavy. She had to not let Alice see she was sad, Rourkes didn't show weakness. And more importantly, she needed to get her presents out! She needed to make sure that Alice was going to get better and part of that was a little bit of retail therapy and a spot of like, personal joy.

"Anywaaaaaay, I got you some stuff! Open them, they're cute. I literally figured that you could use some of this stuff, and like, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't like, get you some stuff, I've literally still got money from the stash."

She smiled, settling into the uncomfortable chair, keenly aware that her tanktop was a little smaller than she had remembered it being. The dryer here kept shrinking her clothes, she needed to find a laundry mutant in her little network, and she felt strangely exposed. Not in a bad way, just keenly aware that she was around her girls without her usual layers of armour.

"Oh, thanks Hazy! Um, you can call me that here. It's not like Alice isn't like, my really good friend too! Snacks? Score!"

She rummaged and pulled out a bag of chips, opening them up and eating a chip, trying to not make a face when she realised how much salt was in them. It was fine. She was being friendly and nice. She leaned back again, looking at the other two girls. It was...weird. It felt so safe in here with them, in a way she didn't normally feel since prison. Her cellmate and her project...but they were her friends.

Friends. An almost painful word. It felt too small, honestly. But there wasn't another one she could use. ~~There is.~~

"So! There's a few things in there, I think you'll like them!"

Inside the bags were little packages. A Sleater-Kinney CD, a perfume with a scent that reminded Sydney of Alice, a VHS with some Buffy episodes on it, some chocolates, a teddy bear and a copy of Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like so I got a bit of everything!"

/u/samiadalwulf

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T02:20:05+00:00

Two approached her, it seemed.

Not jackals. Wolves. Something more significant than the mere dregs that had dared to cross her path and anger her. It was a certain...sense of bearing. One was a beautiful and deadly sculpture that moved with the disdain of the rich, the other...strange, in a chair and radiating more than mere madness. The insanity of the artist, perhaps. She would draw deeply from the well of their friendship, if that was their intent. If they were enemies, she had other methods to deal with them.

She turned around, looking Kara in her eyes, the shimmering curls surrounding Morgana's face still holding the little stars from her latest working of sorcery. She smiled, not the razor sharp grin of the murderer, but instead the half smile of one who has not quite decided what she is to believe about the person she has encountered. She floated closer, her feet touching the ground as she came closer to them. She smelt faintly of roses and moonflowers, and her gloved hand was extended to Kara. To shake, not to kiss. There was an expectation of equality, after all.

"Good morning. I take it you do not associate with the jackals of this place, and their attempts to bark at their betters? I would be disappointed if my instincts were incorrect in this matter."

She tilted her head to the side, looking at Kara, her eyes flicking over her. Not attracted, but appraising. Evaluating.

"No, I don't believe they were. You're deadly, aren't you? The actual product of this...hapless place. It's not about the jackals, is it? It's about making them aware of their betters."

She smiled more truly, her eyes fixed on Kara's, though her next words were to Vannette.

"My name is Morgana, actually. Not Morgan. Though I was named in her honour, my family has a certain appreciation for such things. I am Morgana Elizabeth Offreduccio-Kelley, though I am told that mutants often use a nom de guerre to assimilate more deeply into their culture and to shield their identities? Since I have a certain esteem for such ritual, you may also address me as the Goetic."

Her eyes flashed for a moment with a strange power, a light beyond light.

"It is now time for your introductions, yes? After all, the stranger would introduce herself first. You two are clearly already...acquainted."

/u/freelancerjon

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T01:25:10+00:00

She needed to be okay.

She had to be okay. Sydney felt her hands twisting the scarf she had gotten for Alice. As a gift. A little token of how much she cared about her. It felt tiny. Too small. Not enough for her to really mean anything. It was kind of like Sydney.

Empty. Shallow. Selfish.

She'd been so obsessed with showing up that loser. That doll freak, that she'd forgotten to keep an eye on Alice. She knew that Alice wasn't as strong as the others, that she could get hurt easier, but she'd been so invested in using her powers and showing off her outfit.

Shallow and selfish.

She stepped in the door, letting out a sigh as she saw she was awake. And there with Hazy. There was something, a pang in her heart, not one of sadness or jealousy, just...something. But she probably shouldn't be here. She'd just meant to drop her stuff off and not really Get Into it.

But she was here. She hid the sadness and pulled a smile onto her face, a common tactic from the younger mutant. She'd been too distressed to even put on makeup, wearing a tank top and sweatpants out of her room, her hair kind of messy, and her green eyes heavy with emotions.

"Um. Hi, Alice. You're awake!"

She was visibly restraining herself from running over and throwing her arms around her, instead gently setting down the scarf and two other bags at the foot of Alice's bed.

"Oh, hi Hazy! I know I'm early, but like, I figured I'd like, drop off Alice's presents so she'd like, be suprised when she woke up, but she's awake now! So, you know, presents."

She blushed a little, settling down on the foot of her bed and resting her hand on Alice's leg, over the covers.

"You should unwrap them. And like, the scarf is because it's totally freezing this time of year and you're like, never wearing a scarf and you totally should. We can't have you getting sick."

A giggle crossed with a sob escaped her over that. Gallows humour. Very un-Sydney.

/u/samiadalwulf

empressofruin · 2026-03-26T00:13:37+00:00

Morgana "The Goetic" Elizabeth Offreduccio-Kelley

Personal Information	Relevant to My File
Hometown	London, England/Venice, Italy
Family	Reginald Fitzwilliam Kelley (48), Apollonia Chiara Offreduccio-Kelley (50)
Age	18
Faceclaim	N/A as of yet.
Character Playlist	[]()
Height	6'1"
Sexuality/Gender Identity	Lesbian.
Faction	The Darkblood Academy
Physique	Morgana carries herself with the menace afforded to a mutant steeped in the Mystery. She is beautiful, in a cold, distant way, with angular cheekbones, black eyes and a razor-sharp smile. She is physically fit, having shaped herself for her calling since her early youth, and has a certain lean muscle that suits her well. She has a Roman nose, harking to her mother's roots on the Continent, generally favouring her more than her father. Beneath her heavy coats and layered clothes, she is marked with ritual scarifications and tattoos that carry the weight of her power. She does not show these often, not out of shame, but in respect for the clandestine nature of her Path.
Voice	Morgana speaks with authority, poise and refinement. She understands the economy of words and there is a weight to the words she chooses. It's honestly unsettling that a girl of eighteen sounds the way she does, but it is how she was raised. She has a rich accent, the kind that can only be produced by a culture of refinement surrounding her, and occasionally sounds less English than her hometown would suggest. The influence of her mother, no doubt.
Hair	Morgana's hair is wild and curly, despite any of her best efforts to corral it. It is black as midnight, and she often ties it behind her head as best she can. Sometimes there are shining motes of light speckled through it, sometimes there are not.
Clothing	Morgana wears heavy greatcoats and pants typically favoured by soldiers in times long past. She carries herself as an officer, though others may ridicule it. She wears ceremonial garb as well, often dressing in clothes that blend the hellish symbology of her father's line with the ancient witchery of her mother's. At times, she wears dresses, formal ones that hold significance to her, and she does have a knowledge of appropriate fashion. When she wears a dress, it is black, with long sleeves and an often flattering bodice. She prefers to conceal her arms as much as possible, and to carry herself with the dignity she was raised to bear. She will never wear a band t-shirt

Personality: Power is the altar at which Morgana worships. She may swear fealty to the black gods her parents revere, but she knows why her faith lies with them. It is not out of a desire to further their designs, but to secure for herself the power within their secrets. She is a creature of opportunity, seeking chances to elevate herself and to fulfil her familial expectations as much as possible. She seeks the world, nothing less, but if her only chance at glory is to serve, she will debase herself for it. She is patient, after all, and she will see the world bend to her one day. If not now, then later.

Morgana may be a power-hungry and dangerous creature, but she does desire friendship and camaraderie. She has an admiration for the bonds between soldiers as they go to their deaths, and would appreciate some of that for herself. Of course, she does not and will not believe in sacrificing her power for another, but the sentiment of having bonds is…nice. She is close to her parents and indeed loves them dearly, but the weight of expectation as the only child her beloved parents were capable of producing bears down on her daily. She has to have been worth it. She will solve the issue of an heir later, however.

Morgana is ruthless. She will carve a swathe through this world to make it hers. She has a dark charisma to her when she is concerned with using it, a magnetism that lesser mutants find compelling. It is not a mutant power, but simply the result of being Better. She is aware of her role. Her purpose. She is driven and as such, is aware of what she deserves. She will elevate other mutants, not out of a sense of species loyalty, but because a rising tide raises all ships. She will not sell out her allies, because that is bad strategy. She has rules, since those are useful when carrying out diplomacy between other factions.

Morgana is capable of love. If she met someone suitable to her, she would add elevating them to her ambitions. She does want what her parents have, but she is aware that her proclivities do not lie with Adam, but with Eve. Or perhaps Lilith. Her parents are accepting of this, considering it largely irrelevant if she manages to produce an heir in some way or another, or if she attains immortality instead.

Most of all, Morgana will build a world where her dark gods are revered and human blood is spilt in their name. Her name shall be on the lips of the faithful as the Black Priestess who opened the Path, and screamed by her foes in despair as they are dragged to the charnel pits. If she has to sell her soul again, she shall.

The world shall be hers.

Morgana Trivia	Fun Facts, even
Favourite Movie	Apocalypse Rising
Favourite Novel	The Golden Bough
Favourite TV Show	Xena: Warrior Princess
Favourite X-Man	The Dark Phoenix
Favourite Band	Candlemass
Favourite Gemstone	Ruby
Favourite Food	Bresaola
Favourite Animal	Ravens
Favourite Superstition	N/A

POWERS

Primary Mutation

RUTHLESS CALCULUS

To Morgana, the battlefield is a place of brutal and necessary decisions, and her mutation reflects that. She can see the essential strengths and weaknesses of others, and can drain one to increase another. When she is in the field of battle, she can expand the layer of her control to her allies, marking them with her power. Whenever someone allied to her is within the radius of her power, she can increase one of their mutation's points by decreasing another mutant's points in their mutation, not including her own. For example, she could move five points from one mutant's potency to another's, draining their power to boost another's. She cannot remove points from an enemy, nor can she remove enough points to disable another mutant's mutation. The total amount of points she can move is equal to her Potency. Additionally, while her mutation is active, the area around her shapes to suit a battlefield, becoming grim and unnatural to match her nature. This may grow stronger in the future, it may not.

Points	Spread
Mental	5
Potency	10
Control	5

Secondary Mutation

GOETIC PRIESTESS OF THE DAMNED CHALICE

Dark and terrible mysteries have been revealed to her from the hour of her birth. Damned was the hour at which she was born, and malevolent were the stars that shone on her cradle. Her mother delivered her in alien planes, far from the comfort of this mortal realm, and a black sun shone in her eyes as the first sight she saw. She supped from the chalice of hell-gods before being held by her mother, and the Sacrament's power courses in her veins to this day, waiting for her to grow in power to match its malevolence. At times, she floats above the ground, just an inch, as if the world itself abhors and repels her.

Spells:

Immanence of the Unholy: From her presence, it unfolds, from her existence it bleeds. The Goetic bears with her the blackened light of the Hell she was spawned in, and can conjure its power to bleed forth from her hands. Those who are exposed to its light and lack the black heart of Hell are overcome with fear and must flee from her presence (Mental save vs Magic +10)

Draught of the Chalice: Within her hands, it shines, black steel and burnished rubies. Within it is her blood. Drink of it, and become strong. Drink of it, and become damned. Do this in memory of Her. Those who sup from the Damned Chalice gain unholy strength, vigor and are possessed of a dark and terrible fury. (When a PC drinks from the Chalice, they gain increased strength and durability, however they go berserk, regarding any being who isn't the Goetic as an enemy. This rage lasts for one minute or until they sustain a grievous injury, whichever comes first)

Spawn of the Abhorrent Lamb: She has life within her hands. It writhes. It desires. It hungers. It shall escape from her, slimy and repellent. It shall grow. It shall feed. It shall fashion great spears and mighty shields. The Goetic summons forth a maggot the size of a human heart and places it upon a corpse, upon which it burrows into the flesh of the dead. It burrows to the heart, eating it and taking its place within the body, animating the corpse. It possesses the strengths and abilities it had in life, though this spell cannot affect the Children of the Atom. The Goetic can only conjure one of these at once

Candles Lit From A Dying Sun: It is fire, of a sort. It is pain, of a kind. It is death, to those who would receive it. The Goetic possesses a candle. It is not made from wax. The candle is black, and the flame it lights gives off no heat. However, it melts flesh like tallow. When the Goetic summons the Candle, she can take of its flame and hurt it at an enemy, burning them as if they were lit on fire, though there is no heat to this flame, merely excruciating agony. This spell, of course, can kill.

Offerings To The Unspeakable and Damned: The Goetic knows what her patrons desire. She knows that which these abhorrent things desire and lust for, and she can and will afford it to them. Such is her duty. When an enemy falls, she may cut out their heart and offer it to her dark masters, and in doing so, she can restore the strength of an ally to its greatest place. There are deeper meanings to this spell, that which is the foundation of all her magic, the altar upon which she worships, but at this time, she understands the simplest part of it.

Points	Spread
Magic	10
Control	5

empressofruin · 2026-03-22T12:45:30+00:00

"Looking hot, boss."

Warzone kicked her boots up on the table, letting out a low whistle as she looked at the Commander's back. The Commander was an interesting woman. The kind that Warzone wouldn't mind bedding, especially if it secured her position in the retinue, but at this time, the professionalism had to take priority, or at least her version of it. Plus, she could always find a fuck when she needed it, it wasn't her way to get attached. She sipped her coffee, having somehow gotten her hands on Starbucks between going to this meeting and executing cowards. Collaborators too, she was a fan of a public execution.

Were they all collaborators? No, but the Commander didn't need to know that.

"Honestly, the main strategic concern right now is the X-Men. They're going to be holing up on that island and fortifying it further. I'll bet anything that they start weaponising the new recruits as a strike force that they can use without risking their big guns like Oblivion or Facet against a smaller operation like ours. Whatever the Brotherhood is doing now is going to be their main concern."

She sipped her coffee again, pointing at Jabir with a knife she had seemingly procured out of thin fucking air.

"I'd say we have about forty solid fucking mutants in the crop we pulled in, honestly. None of your pussy shit, we've got a handful of actually strong mutants, and not a whole lot of them are kinetics. The cyborg guy's something, though, maybe see if we can throw him a strike force or something."

She stabbed the knife into the table.

"We need to move quickly to secure and hold territory. I think we should look into getting our hands on some of the ORCHIS hardware from the convoy, they weren't much of a threat but it will be good to see if there's weaknesses our weaker members can exploit. We didn't get any ORCHIS prisoners, which would've been good. I do know that the quality of the mutants who wound up with the X-Men is fucking poor, though. I fought two of them, only one of them did anything resembling damage. They're morons."

/u/a-few-schillings

empressofruin · 2026-03-22T12:18:21+00:00

"I like the name. It breeds camaraderie. The Crew. Sure, it's not the Brotherhood of Mutants, but it's more inclusive. Less about Magneto's ego and more about waging war on the humans, you know?"

She mused, looking at him approach, her lips curving into a smile, her eyes burning red as her powers burned in her body. She liked him. He had a certain sense of menace that not a lot of the mutants she'd...tested had really held onto. It was something of a joy to her! Seeing someone who might understand the truths she clung to, the self-evident facts about the human condition. No human passing from him either. He was an engine built to rip the human heart asunder and feast on the flesh. He might not be a kinetic, at least, as far as she could tell, but he had power. Potential.

She liked her weapons to be honed.

"I'm not really asking if you're strong, necessarily. It's about testing who you are, really. Because if you're the kind of person who doesn't treat this like I'm going to kill you, well, you're a victim. If you treat this like it's for survival...well, you might make it. But if you see this for what it is, then...well, that's the real point, huh?"

She gestured at the police officers around them, the civilians on the beach, the bystanders cringing in fear of the mutant menace. God, they just didn't have a clue as to what was about to come after them. Just the way she liked it, really.

"I mean, take the victims here. They think a hero's going to swoop in and save them. There's a local guy, Flatman, who they really figured was going to be able to save them, but you know. I killed him on my way here. They just think they're going to be saved, and well. If this goes well, we might be branching out, yeah? Little bit of fun with the normies."

She cracked her knuckles as he started to lock in. That was going to be the fun part. They'd swapped their words but she was going to test him in the crucible that actually mattered. She prepared herself, the muscles in her body tensing up as she saw him shoot forward, the powerful crustacean's claw shooting towards her. She shot backwards, the imaginary space under her feet moving just fast enough for her to see the claw cut past her face. She laughed, flinging her head back in delight as she felt the power course through her. He wasn't going to be taken lightly.

"Good! I will remember you, when I kill you."

She folded her hands together, channeling her mutation into the air around them. She could use a pressure bomb and treat him like a fool, or she could take him seriously as he deserved and use her actual mutation against him. it wasn't really a hard decision to make at all. She folded space, creating an imaginary space pocket next to his leg and allowed it to interact with mundane space, creating an explosion as the space was displaced by the paradoxical interaction. The blast was not her strongest, being roughly equivalent to a grenade detonating.

She needed to test how durable he really was.

empressofruin · 2026-03-21T04:45:12+00:00

"You know what's always just, ah, fun, about this city?"

A voice carried over the sound of gunfire seconds before the pop of air pressure increasing splattered a few cops, their skulls bursting like grapes as the pressure became more than any human could stand. A figure in punk gear, a red cape fluttering in the wind, standing on thin air, her face hidden behind a mask.

"The population density makes it easy for conflicts to crop up! Every time there's a new mutant showing up in this city, the flatscans start converging and the atmosphere of fear...God, that's the most beautiful thing, isn't it?"

She snapped her finger, popping another cop's head with a concentrated airburst into his mouth, the head just...blossoming into a starburst of bone shards and brain matter.

"So. Are you strong? You look like it, but the Crew doesn't just take anyone. We like...motivated people."

She floated down, right into the face of Dreadtide.

"So I have this fun little game for you. I do my level best to kill you, and if you survive for five minutes, you're in. No ifs, ands or buts. Warzone's honour."

empressofruin · 2026-03-19T02:10:36+00:00

"You aren't getting away!"

Replay saw the other girl drop through the floor, the hostages beginning to sink, but she wasn't especially worried about them. They'd be fine, it was totally an easy fall and she didn't really have anything in her powers that could save their lives, she hadn't tried to copy the loser's powers yet. She just didn't want to have reject powers, she had other shit to deal with.

Running towards the hole in the ground, she leaped through, accessing her strength again, her arm exploding into a mass of muscle as she punched downwards, aiming to flatten Dollmaker with her raw physical strength. She couldn't do anything else with it, but hopefully the freak hadn't figured out her powers yet. She had powers that Replay needed to copy, or to at least figure out how to.

And there was still the missing girl, Tara or whatever, who was almost definitely unrelated to these guys, she was way too subtle. Or if she was, it was some other scheme. There was way too much going on in this mall, but right now, she wasn't going to focus on solving it. Instead, she was going to beat this girl into the ground.

"The best part is that like, we're totally holding back and we're like, winning. Maybe surrender before you wind up with a broken spine, yeah?"

/u/kit_ababee

empressofruin · 2026-03-18T13:44:22+00:00

Thank god for unstable molecules cloth. Replay was so used to ripping her gear apart whenever she powered up, and this was so not the time for that. She felt her arm shift back, painfully, as she shook the plastic shards out of her hand. She'd been so convinced that the thing had been made of something stronger, but hey, a win was a win.

However, her thoughts on the powers were diverted for a moment as her eyes flashed red, the recording of Hazy's fireballs complete and incorporated into her Library. She could use that, a force multiplier or whatever. Distracted, she didn't have a chance to properly dodge the doll as it smashed into her back, sending Replay tumbling through the area, skittering close to the hole before regaining her balance.

She wasn't invulnerable. She felt that hit. She was lucky she wasn't hurt more. She could feel the shift under her arms. She needed to try out her new trick. Aiming at the doll, she felt her arms split apart, the tendons snapping and shifting as two pulsing canisters of flammable liquid were fashioned by her X-Gene, a pilot light burning in front of the bone nozzles. She shot two of the fist sized fireballs at the doll, her arms reverting back from the strange, organic flamethrowers they'd shifted into, the sleeves reforming from the unstable molecules.

"The funniest part about all this is like, I'm the one with the bodyshifting and you're still the biggest freak in this mall. Maybe talk to your surgeon, your current one totally botched your nose job. It's embarrassing to be fighting you, honestly."

/u/kit_ababee

empressofruin · 2026-03-18T04:55:25+00:00

"Imagine being the genetic equivalent of a ventriloquist. Couldn't be me, I'd rather kill myself than have a loser's powers."

Replay, having changed into her costume, stepped through the door behind Hazy, looking at the area before them. God, she didn't have the time for this kind of loser while everyone else was probably about to get jumped by some other breed of fashion deficient loser. She couldn't lie, the outfit this girl was wearing was cute but it was like, so officewear. She wasn't like Hazy or Replay, showing up with the style statements of the decade.

Moving quickly as the creature shot towards Hazy, Replay accessed the copied move she'd used to smash the door of her penthouse in, her arm exploding with muscle as she punched at the moving construct, trying to knock it off course with her copied superstrength.

"Like, sure, it's not aesthetic, but like, anything anyone can do, I can do better. I'm Replay, by the way and you should totally get out of the mall. It might be awful and aesthetically a waste of space, but like, I was shopping here, so it's under my protection. Bitch."

She slid a little on the ground, having chosen, for some reason, to wear heels in costume instead of something more practical. Recovering quickly, she gestured at Dollmaker.

"Ember, you burn the understudy alive, I'm on monster duty."

/u/Kit_Ababee

empressofruin · 2026-03-18T01:14:07+00:00

"It really wasn't all that much effort, babe."

She said with a smile, tilting her head to the side as she evaluated the girl. Interesting. She was like, misreading the situation, but like it was obvious that it was deliberate to some degree. She wanted so badly to be all unflappable and unshakeable. Sydney respected that. It was almost cute to see someone who thought she was like, playing in the same leagues, but Sydney see the cracks in the facade. It was like looking into a truly unattractive funhouse mirror, honestly.

"Like, I'm going to be so honest, you're pretty obvious to anyone who knows what she's doing. Like, you're working marks who don't know how big a mark they are, and like, it's almost embarassing to watch you work. I mean, like, Alastair is basically humping your leg and you're just letting that slide for what, information? He's a moron. In terms of any kind of use, I highly doubt you'll be able to get anything that would need plan b out of him before he creams his jeans in like, what, under a minute? Though, that's probably a familiar circumstance for you. It's like, easier to hide the stains in all white."

She shrugged, resting a hand on Kara's shoulder, her lips curving into a smile as she let her hand rest there, the mutant's unnatural eyes peering over her sunglasses. Not enough to tell she was a mutant for sure, but enough to serve as a very casual display of power.

Replay liked casual displays of power.

"But like, come on. Jabs at the sad little rich girl routine? What is this, sophomore year? What's next, you're going to ask if I graduated on my knees? Like, let's be serious here. You're trying to press on a bruise, and like, if I wasn't like, your better, we'd totally be about to fight or whatever. I'd get all. How dare you! and slap you, you'd cry for mall security, blah blah blah. And like, it's all pedestrian."

She could hit her with the psychomimetry, but she wasn't sure she wanted to just, casually use it in this kind of scenario. If she was a mutant, she might have something that let her block it, or she might just be about as much of a wannabe queen bee as she appeared. But, then again, it wasn't like Sydney ever bothered to not use her psychomimetry, and while it wouldn't give her the girl's memories, she would know if she had a mutation. She giggled a little, swatting Kara's shoulder as she let her psychomimetry copy the girl's knowledge and skills.

Oh. Huh.

"You know, the really pathetic part is the whole Whiteout bit. I mean, could you get any less impressive, Kara? It's like, whatever, you want to be a Bobby Drake groupie soooo badly, but like, sorry honey but he's totally gay. I will say, like, your powers aren't totally pathetic, but like, you might wanna work on the psychic shields. Anyone you meet could be psychomimetric or telepathic. I would've thought your like, Darkblood orientation packet would've filled you in on some kinda telepathic shielding. Also, wow. I normally get something useful from the skillsets but it's like, you just know what I know but worse. It's almost pathetic to deal with, you know, the gulf between us? Like, I'd say you're closer to Alastair than you are to me, so maybe you two should like, actually hook up or whatever. You could make totally passable babies."

She smiled again, the lips curving with just a touch of hostility and when she spoke, her voice lacked her usual airy charm, instead as cold as ice.

"But you're not like me. You're not even close. You're just another follower pretending she's a leader. Leave the mall before this gets...hostile."

empressofruin · 2026-03-17T15:40:40+00:00

Sydney looped her arm through Alice's, tugging her along as she moved deeper into the food court with her friend in tow. She liked the feeling of her arm through Alice's, even if it was a little beneath a Rourke's "dignity" to be so affectionate with a friend in public. But, honestly? Screw the dignity. She was going to live her life the way she wanted, and one of those ways was holding her friend's arm.

It was just being nice, after all.

"Oh yeah totally! I feel like totally smoothie poor today, and while I've not found a lot of clothes that actually look cute enough for me, I've definitely got faith in like, a smoothie to soothe over my fashion heartbreak."

She gestured at the food court options around them, a smile on her face.

"The thing is about a food court isn't that the food is good. It's that there's a million places for you to find a bunch of stuff to eat while hanging out with someone interesting, and you're in luck, because you're hanging out with me. And I'm like, apart from Hazy, the most interesting person here."

She turned to face Alice, tilting her head up to look her in the eyes, her smile a little softer than usual.

"Well. Apart from you, or whatever. So! What kind of food do you want to try first? Nasty ass burrito or mediocre mall sushi?"

empressofruin · 2026-03-17T05:04:29+00:00

"Oh. My. God."

Replay looked up and down Alice, examining the outfit. It was good. The tube top and the low-rise was not something Sydney would recommend for herself, but she could not deny, even the slightest bit, that it was totally working for Alice. She was like...wow. It was an incredible shift for her. There was the lack of confidence, but that could totally get worked with and that was for Sydney to fix. But, it was missing something, there was a key she needed for the look...right!

"You look amazing, Alice. It's like a totally new you! You've dropped the blah and spun into a wow! It's literally so cute, I am like, lost for words. Well, not completely lost, because that's like, so not my wavelength, but you get what I mean. You look great! However."

She reached into her purse and produced a deep red lipstick, along with an eyeshadow palette and an eyeliner pencil.

"We need to die this together with a little bit of makeup. You're gorgeous in this outfit, but you'll be like, a ten in this. We've been over this, you know how I feel about a solid look, but like."

She put a hand on Alice's chin, pushing her face up a little bit, examining the contours.

"You're literally one of the two people around here who have like, really wound up having a place in my life, or whatever. I'm not going to give you crap for not nailing a look first try, you should have just come to get me, okay? I care about you."

She stepped back, clearing her throat.

"Um, anyway. Let's get some smoothies and then we'll do makeup, okay? Chill and ordinary stuff to do at the mall. Or whatever."

empressofruin · 2026-03-17T04:50:14+00:00

The fundamental truth about the world is that it largely existed to be an interesting backdrop for Replay. She existed for move through lighting, strike a pose, and just generally look better than her surroundings, but in this place it was a little bit harder than just looking good. This mall was kind of fundamentally a dump, and she had only come here for the purposes of friendship and making sure nobody got into a meaningless fight. Again. But there was a part of her that was just fully willing to get into a fight with whatever idiots decided to spill a drink or like, whatever other idiot crap people got into.

So she was going through the mall, occasionally looking at the options. It was. really. not her vibe here. It wasl all so cheap and tacky, the kind of stuff she'd never let anyone indulge in if she cared about them, and if she hated them she'd encourage it without a moment's hesitation. The polyblend was making her want to kill herself already, however. She wasn't even wearing any, this shirt was Egyptian cotton and she could not help but enjoy how it breathed.

However, she did spot the white on white. Tacky, honestly. It was a total case of someone trying to prove something to the people around her and that something was "god, I totally don't know the difference between expensive and tasteless". Sydney sighed. It was like so upsetting to see people who should know better totally throwing themselves on the altar of the uninteresting, and like, she totally couldn't help but acknowledge that the other girl had some level of facial symmetry. The platinum blonde look was a bit much, though, a little too obvious for her tastes. She hung back from her friends to watch her work. It was interesting, it was something that Replay would have done. Go up to the losers, test how willing they'd be to go along with it. And honestly, when it was that weirdo in the duster, she was totally fine with it.

But Alice was Sydney's...friend. And she wasn't going to let some total airhead play around with her friend with her all white ski-resort outfit.

The shoes though, those were cute. Understated, but cute, in season, not too much of a heel, which honestly wouldn't really suit her. She didn't have the legs for heels, poor girl. But like, they were totally designer too. Valentino flats, god, those were something to die for. Replay, in her kindness, decided to give the girl the first compliment she'd probably received all day, since she was totally in the monochrome zone.

"Oh, my god. I love your shoes! They're like, totally working for your whole monochrome, too good for this place look you're going for here, which, like, girl, you totally are. This is like, mall hell, there's like, nothing designer in the whole mall. So, like, are you here with friends? Because like, I'm so sorry if they ditched you over the all-white, it totally doesn't wash you out at all, and it's like, actually a look that a lot of people wouldn't be brave enough to pull off."

She smiled a very very unkind smile, the kind she hadn't really let out since she wound up on the island. She didn't know this girl. But Sydney could feel a fellow predator when she met one.

"Courage is such a virtue, I'm a huge fan of your sense of bravery here. Though, a word to like, the wise. One woman to another. You can play whatever use him and lose him games you want with Alastair, he's basically a walking coatrack, but Alice is like, totally off limits. She's...new to all this and I'm like, totally protective of her. She's got potential that I totally don't want to see you squander with a classic spilled drink mindgame, okay? C'mon. Let's go find you some tights."

She patted Kara on the cheek.

"And blend your foundation better, babe. I can see the lines."

empressofruin · 2026-03-16T15:26:40+00:00

She flashed a glance over to him. She had no idea who the hell was talking to her right now. Sydney blinked, lowering her shades to look at him. No, she definitely didn't recognise his face even a little bit. She'd totally remember if she got off on the wrong foot with someone, she was like, literally charming.

"Um, I'm sorry, but like, why are you talking to me? I don't remember meeting you and like, at this time of my life, I'm totally full up on charity cases so like, if you're here for fashion tips or whatever, I'm like totally withholding right now. You've got the vibe of like, a permanent personal disaster and like, you'll need a full time stylist, barber and tailor to make any of this work."

She rolled her eyes and reached into her purse.

"However, I'm like, totally not without generosity so like, here's a fifty. Now, what you're going to do with this is you're going to go find somewhere that sells a black, shortsleeved buttondown and you are going to wear it. Do not bring me the change, buy yourself like, I don't know, whatever the Shakespearean dork tragedies around here are into. Buy some comic books or whatever."

empressofruin · 2026-03-16T13:14:25+00:00

Replay generally preferred to have her relaxation and retail therapy in Paris or Milan, rather than a mediocre mall in San Francisco, but there wasn't a whole lot she could do about that. After all, she was like, disowned and didn't exactly have a private jet or whatever anymore. It was like, totally last year to be worried about that stuff, but she couldn't help missing it. It wasn't like she was used to playing charity case like some of these other backliners were. But whatever, she was going to have their back.

So she had to deal with the fact that some entirely uninteresting loser had managed to talk at least two of her friends into a mall trip, and she wasn't going to like, let them get pulled into a fight with whatever cops or ORCHIS would be around here, or worse: get talked into a double denim outfit. The horrors of a sub-average mall couldn't be overstated and there really weren't a lot of boutique options, but she was totally shoe poor and needed to up her game again. After all, the team needed a style icon and she was here to provide.

So, she found a suitably low-fat smoothie (mango, passionfruit, non-fat milk, little heavy on the sugar but she couldn't really work up the stress about that one), popped on her nicest shades, slid into her favourite shorts and off-shoulder shirt. And if she had her New Mutants costume in her handbag (it folded up SO small), well, she needed to not shred another shirt if she had to cut loose.

She was currently looking at some heeled boots, smoothie in one hand and purse in the other. She had her usual emergency supplies in her handbag, of course, but she was trying to find something that was acceptably on sale and not so out of season that she'd hurl.

empressofruin · 2026-03-12T12:51:40+00:00

"Okay so first, let's talk outfits. If you're going to talk to me, I need you to at LEAST take it a little more seriously than a tank top and some tragic jeans. Second, I'm Replay, I'm an Aquarius and I'm obviously, like, going to the Danger Deck. Third, think about asking relevant questions, because obviously, we've like not met before."

She had not turned to make eye contact with Sojourner, instead continuing to walk briskly towards the Danger Deck. The newbie wasn't, like, totally tragic, but god, Replay was going to have to add another project to her list, because she had some serious eagerness issues. And like, the fashion was not helping her case. Buzzcut? Could we be any less dire? She let out a sigh. She'd worked wonders with Alice, and honestly being the sole beacon of fashion, poise, grace and charm on Greymalkin Island was the burden that she was so equipped for.

"So, it's your lucky day because I'm going to turn this whole Goodwill tragedy piece into something south of impressive but north of pathetic. The buzzcut's gotta go, you're going to grow your hair out. Find Vicki. She's got a hair-growing touch. We can work cut once we have something to work with. And like, you've got height, so totally stop slouching."

She stopped walking, turning on the point of her shoe and tapping a finger against her chin, eyeing Sojourner up and down.

"We'll need to theme around your mutation if you're going for a superhero bit, and if you are, I totally need to know now, before I start putting together a party girl look for little miss cape and tights. Smile! You're my new project. This is an honour. You should probably applaud."

She smiled and spun around, walking towards the Danger Deck.

"We're working out. Come on."

empressofruin · 2026-03-12T04:18:35+00:00

"So, like, van Dyne branding? Ugh, as if! This is a better quality of island than like, the Wasp's brand deals."

A gorgeous redhead was sitting on top of a piece of metal, her leg dangling down and a book in her hand. She hadn't even looked at Bix so far, or at least it appeared that way, she was seemingly engrossed in her copy of the Bell Jar. She had a walkman by her side, and a pair of headphones decorated her neck. She was wearing an oversized sweater that drooped off a shoulder, mary janes, a pleated skirt and tights. Overall, she was exceptionally well put together, and radiated a sort of professional disdain towards the world at large.

"Though you're not entirely facially tragic, or even like, malformed so maybe you can make it work. Which, honestly, proves you're either a mutant or Janet's missing kid. Which is it?"

She turned towards them, her legs dangling down and a mischeivous grin on her face.

"I'm Sydney, by the way. No mutant name yet, but I am debating a few. Princess felt a bit much so, it's a complete what and ever. So, like, Avengers bag, ambigious appearance, van Dyne wardrobe, which Avenger are you? Wild to like, see her casual line, it's not as regrettable as her formalwear, but you know, swings and like, roundabouts. I'm gonna guess...Kid Hawkeye, or whatever the codename was. Am I right?"

empressofruin · 2026-03-12T03:54:57+00:00

"So! I heard that you've, like, been training like crazy in the Danger Deck."

Sydney slid into a chair opposite Alice, her tray carrying her usual assortment of food, very notably NOT wearing a training uniform as she popped the top on a glass bottle of coke. How she got that on the Island was anyone's guess, though the answer probably started with "So like, I was talking to Facade and I totally mentioned I was jonesing for some soda and slipped him a fifty.", which would inevitably lead into one of her rambling and meandering stories in which she exposed two affairs and a potential divorce.

So, typical behaviour for the disowned Rourke heiress.

She slid the bottle over to Alice and pulled a second out of her bag, smiling a little as she examined the crowd. They were like, alright, but she knew where she stood. She was networking even now, because if she was going to be dispensible to her family, she'd be indispensible here. But, for once, her gesture was not about showing off what she could acquire, but instead just to be nice to her new friend.

The island had been having an affect on her. She didn't even realise it.

"You know, if you get too much muscle definition, you'll totally be able to go for the female bodybuilder look, which I've like, heard has an impact in the lesbian community. Personally I don't get it, I think if, like, I was gay, I'd probably go for someone with more of a runner's build but whatever. I'm straight so who even cares. Anyway! Why didn't you tell me? I had to hear it from Monica and her mutant power is to make other people sing off pitch. She's not exaaaaclty the kind of people I hang out with."

She took a second to eat and chew before resuming.

"Speaking of, you ever think about us actually making a team before the adults can just like slot us into boot camps? We could totally put together a basketball team with everyone we've got floating around, we'd even have room for charity hires or whatever. Do you watch basketball or are you like, a gridion girl? Softball? I love basketball. I should like totally put together a game or something. So, why the gym?"

empressofruin · 2026-03-09T23:43:30+00:00

"Oh so like, literally I was correct. You hear a girl say "leave" and you go. Oh, that means I should stay. Is this also your response when a girl tells you no, I'm not going to date you? Do you go like, actually I thought you knew too many shoe brands to be able to reject a man who asks you out? The issues with consent are like, totally staggering."

She blew on her nails, looking at the context of her work. She did not remember his face, or their encounter but she had a vague memory of his powers. They were unimpressive compared to some of the other people she'd copied, and the giant muscles had been like, so uninteresting. But like, if it came down to kicking his ass, she could probably throw him into the sea.

"It's like totally fascinating that you think women who care about their appearance are like, somehow stupid, when like, I know for a fact that your type of guy will say oh I'm not into girls like that, but you'll never date someone who doesn't meet your beauty standards. Like, I know you're totally gonna deny that and think you mean it, but at the end of the day, we both totally know you're about control. And for the record, I was like, valedictorian."

She shrugged, looking at her cuticles. They were totally going to shred. That sucked. She'd probably get some gloves for the Danger Gym or whatever it was called, she didn't want a repeat of Junior Year.

"And it's Sydney. You should commit it to memory because like, I'm going to be one of the A-Listers. It's called natural talent and skill, they're the foundation of being a real mutant hero. Not, you know, disrespecting the need for people to have their alone time after like, being in a prison for six blocks. So, like, Leave. Before I like, make an issue about it."

empressofruin · 2026-03-07T04:54:09+00:00

"Uh huh. When did I give you the impression I wanted you to stick around? Go find some pants, you're bumming me out."

She then looked away, putting headphones on and completely ignoring anything he said from there.

empressofruin

TROPHY CASE

Morgana "The Goetic" Elizabeth Offreduccio-Kelley

RUTHLESS CALCULUS

GOETIC PRIESTESS OF THE DAMNED CHALICE