Realistic or Modern Esoteric [Open]

[Lux___Wolf]

Spoiler: Prologue

^{The story goes like this.} Once upon a time... The Lyon, the Wolfe, and the Drake ride until they find a magic lake. So enamored by its beauty, they discuss settling and building unity. Overhearing this, a strong man comes out of hiding and makes an offer. He'll grant them each a tangible wish. In return, they must leave this fragile and sacred place. Forever.

They all laugh. The Lyon asks this man if he is a witch.
The Wolfe asks if he is a djinn. The Drake asks if he is the devil.

All 3, he says. All of the above.

A twin comes out of the woods, and then a triplet, with the same haunted face to prove his point. So frightened by his power, they debate what tangible wish to ask for. Being the cleverest, the Lyon asks for 3 mountains of gold, 1 for each intruder. That wish will be granted in the morning, the man says, telling them to camp overnight. They do not sleep.

By dawn, the triplets haul 3 mountains of gold and drop them before them. Shocked and overjoyed, the Wolfe and the Drake celebrate the Lyon for sly thinking. Being the craziest, the Drake asks for 3 mountains of gold just for the Drake. That wish will be granted in the morning, the man says, if they'll camp another night. Outraged, the Lyon and the Wolfe this time spent the entire day detesting the Drake for greedy thinking. In the morning, the triplets haul 3 mountains of gold before the Drake. Just as before.

The Lyon demands the Wolfe use the final wish to fulfill the balance, and with the Drake trapped, 2 can each walk away with 6 mountains of gold. Being the cruelest, the Wolfe wishes death upon both. So 1 can walk away with 12. But to their relief, the man says he will never murder.

But he shall supply them with more gold should they stay one final night. And they do, but they are too upset to sleep a wink. Instead, fed up with their fate they venture out and find a humongous gold mine. They conclude this is precisely the reason the man didn't want them to stay.

By dawn, the triplets haul 6 mountains of gold so the Lyon and the Wolfe would be as rich as the Drake. When the wishes are granted, the 3 intruders never left. They moved in and capitalized the gold mine and the magic lake, to the man's sadness. With it, a town was born, a town they call Fortune.

And the witch, the djinn, the devil? His eyes burned black. He bit until he tasted blood. He retreated to the wild and swore that every wish he will ever grant for the Lyon, the Wolfe, and the Drake will never bring any of them fortune again. Good thing, it's just a story. Isn't it?

^{SUNDAY MORNING - APRIL 16}

Spoiler: The Lyons and the Witch

<sup>The sun hasn't come up yet, and already Sharon and Megan Lyons assist their bare-naked matriarch into the lake. Diane's left thigh jiggles, sloshing cold water the color of dawn. She pours a handful of the lake water over her small shoulder, running down her tattooed back. A wall of fog creeps towards them.

Megan's eyes bulge. She clasps Sharon's hand and checks her stone cold face. They survey the unusual amount of brewing fog. Their mother Diane walks further until the water comes up to her chin, and she stands on her toes. She closes her eyes and winces a smile, letting the warm fog envelop her.

They wait. The fog thickens. Megan's shoulders slowly rose. The fog brews. That crawling sensation... They wait, but not for long.

From the heart of the lake, deep in the fog, a hazy silhouette of a shrouded man standing tall on a boat looms. A ghoul.

Megan grips her throat, filled with dread from all those stories their mother told them since they were little girls. The story of how Fortune began, how the family feud grew worse with the power and influence of the Witch. She had forgotten that it was real. All of it. Sharon stares, tight-lipped.

The shrouded man kneels to see Diane closer. He can see her, but his face is too shadowed to be seen. This doesn't matter. She could see in her mind, clear as day, what his gorgeous and young face resembled under a bright blue sky. How his sky blues eyes would sparkle so!

"Madame Lyons," the man purrs. "What is your wish?"

Diane laughs and stammers, "I know you will never murder."

The man says, "You know it to be true."

"And I know you've done different curses. But the Lyons, we are not yet satisfied. The Wolfes and the Drakes endure. That said, I come to you, Witch, asking what is the worst curse that you can do?"

"It comes with an extreme price," he says carefully. They float in silence for a bit as Diane strains on her toes. "How much did you bring?"

"Five," Diane says.

The shrouded man shakes his head to her growing despair. The boat retreats from her and she gasps, as if Jesus Christ himself let go of her.

"Not nearly enough," he says, disappearing in the fog. "Not enough."

Megan and Sharon rush to help Diane get covered and dry. They wait for her to catch her breath. "Well, Mama?" Sharon says. Diane Lyons stares ahead with a hungry gaze. Her lips pucker sour as she growls each word.</sup>

"We need more." . . .

Spoiler: The Wolfes and the Djinn

In her white Sunday dress, Persephone drags a bleeding dog onto the island counter in the kitchen. Her dress is not as white anymore.

Baxter, Talbot's son from his first marriage, and Owen, their son from their happily cemented marriage, stand widely across in the room, divided with Persephone and the dog with its blooming gut in the middle. She scolds the boys with a voice of shock and disbelief, like they were more savage than she would have preferred. "Hunting in the National Forest Park, after all those times the police, the park rangers, and your father and myself we told you was against the law."

She grabs the crossbow.

"Watch it! It's sensitive!" Baxter's arms flounder to shield what they can.

"Exactly!" She snaps. "Rangers can arrest you for attempted manslaughter." She looks at the gruesome wound, some spillage of internal organs. She mutters angrily, "Then you shoot your father's hound in the stomach? His most loyal companion and consistent therapy. My god! "

Baxter snarls, "Accident."

"Baxter. What if you shoot a park ranger? Didn't you think of that?"

"Shut up. You're not my mother," Baxter seethes. Persephone recoils.

Owen's head jerks at what he hears. "That's my mom you're talking to."

Baxter sneers at her, "She isn't a Wolfe by blood, Owen. She's just a wife, like my mom."

Persephone stares at him, stunned and unable to react for a second. She glances down at the dog. She rips out a fistful of arrows and starts stabbing it into pulp. The dog screams something horrible that makes the boys start crying.

She growls and shouts, "I am! A Wolfe! Queen!" She slams her hands on the counter, gripping it, as she stares them down. "Don't forget, boys. You killed the dog. Not me." They shiver and buckle under the weight of damning guilt. She scoffs. "Now get your pimply asses in church clothes. We're leaving in fifteen. No later."

Owen storms out the room. Baxter doesn't stir a muscle as he stares at the bloody meat.

"Don't worry, son," Persephone taunts, turning on the exploding hot water and rinsing off the blood like it's merely paint. "We won't have dog for dinner."

Her cold eyes look out the window. She realizes the forever young man is staring back at her, at their house, from across the street in the plaza. Those unnerving sky blue eyes.

Spoiler

Persephone Wolfe slams off the faucet. She turns down the blinds, watching him disappear. She doesn't feel any better. She knows the one her husband gravely calls the Djinn is still there. The one who makes her heartless spouse wake up screaming of curses in the middle of the night. She whispers to herself.

"He's just a man. No such thing as djinns." . . .

Spoiler: The Drakes and the Devil

<sup>Betty Drake inhales her menthol slim like it's her last cigarette. She has done that anyway for the last forty years. She coughs out a smoky miasma, passing the cancer stick along to her grandnephew, Gregory. Her grandniece Valerie nonchalantly fixes her expensive hair, with bored eyes and a gray-rose lipsticked pout. Unconcerned with the elder lady hacking for air, she urges the conversation to happen, "You were saying, Betty?"

"Your father!" Betty grips her head like it's writhing in pain. "My own nephew! Likes to go messing with my mind. He nearly, um, convinced me the other day that I had, um, Alzheimer's. I raised my voice and stood my ground, I told him! I was pretty sure I hadn't forgotten anything, but um, he kept pushing. That discussion went on all night."

"Um, you're an idiot," says Gregory, stomping on the cigarette with a black boot. He scowls. "Stop engaging with him. Dad, he's batshit crazy. Oughta be locked up, with the key thrown in the lake."

"Honestly, Betty," Valerie shakes her head sadly, sparing a smirk of sympathy. "It's almost like you wanted an aneurysm." She whips her hair back and slings on a thousand-dollar bag. "I'm going doll shopping, cretins. Stay classy."

"Wait," Betty blurts. "So I didn't kill nobody?"

Gregory and Valerie goes silent, side-eyeing the other. She swallows in her lips. He speaks up though, "No. That's another lie."

"Oh," Betty says, lighting another cigarette, and sits back into her chair. "Is today Wednesday?" "It's Sunday," Gregory says. "We should be getting to church."

"Yes, we don't want the devil coming here no more," Betty says absent-mindedly, as if she were quoting someone. Smoke disperses from her nostrils.</sup>

"The devil wants to be your savior." . . .

E S O T E R I C
​

 

[JustAlexandra]

---Words
Mood: Tired/Bored
Location: Shopping center
Currently: Talking to Yvonne

--Mentions

coding by cychotic

[https://www.rpnation.com/threads/esoteric-move-in-today.326823/]character cs[/url]

Grant Laurel​

Parker was nearly done with his all-nighter shift at the hospital. Actually, it had been a 48 hour shift. He didn't mind long shifts, though, because he loved what it did and it kept his mind off his drowning popularity. You would think something like that wouldn't matter to a 30 year old man but it was human nature to be social. He had Yvonne but they often had opposite schedules, which was quite dissapointing considering that she may be the only person who genuinely liked Parker in this town. He couldn't consider himself unlucky though, he was well - off and had at least one friend, his family was alive, and he was a doctor. A friggin doctor! He didn't really expect to make it here, to be honest.

He was considered a baby in terms of doctor-hood, though, which didn't do anything to help the subtle popularity contest in Fortune. Although, the term "subtle" was used lightly, because it wasn't really subtle at all. People here were stuck up and secretive, and he was almost positive the whole town had some secret. Maybe everyone was drug trading over the border. He chuckled to himself. Now that would be funny.

Walking into his office, he took off his white jacket, hanging it over the back of his chair. He stretched. Parker didn't really like the whole white lab coat thing. It felt constricting to him and he liked to have his arms free, especially when he was working with patients. He sat down at his desk, planning to do some patient reports, but got distracted with his phone. He really didn't have to motivation to do them right now, and he had all his notes in case he forgot anything. But, at the same time, if he left them all here he would have twice as many later. He sighed, picking up his pen and starting to work on them.

30 minutes later he had made it through a few and was getting up to leave. He didn't finish them, but at least he wouldn't have as many to do when he came back two days from now. He grabbed his keys, wallet, phone charger and lunch box, walking out the door of his office and locking it. He waved to some of the other nurses and doctors as he walked out the door and to his car, getting in and driving down the street. A moment later, his phone dinged. Sighing, he picked it up, trying to text and drive at the same time. He knew he shouldn't he'd seen what had happened to people who had, but it was a tough habit to break.

Yvonne : Pick up dinner?

Parker sighed, typing a simple "k" and turning to go to a shopping center that had many restaurants. He knew Yvonne would want something from more than one - she always did. "So, what do you want?" he asked when he was parked.

-----------------------
Yvonne:

Yvonne was happy with the "k" text. She liked calling it dinner, even though it was Sunday morning. It was her thing with Parker. She would open Tarot Pub and Grill at lunch, which to her meant breakfast, then she would close midnight or a few hours after, and that was her lunch. The pub and grill was her everything, a second home but a nocturnal beast that satiated many dark souls in Fortune and in return made her money. At least it still left her with a soul, unlike Walter Kent, the owner of that Peacock casino.

The windows are open, and a zephyr dances with the white curtains. She swiftered the floor, lit cinnamon and vanilla candles, and holding the phone to her shoulder with her head, she rang Parker and began dishes in hot soapy water. Swanky music played in the background. "Heyyy Mr. 48 Hours!" Yvonne sang a little note and checked the time. "Maki Sushi should be open, can you get me a Rainbow special? And if you're stopping by Dawn Cafe, a breakfast burrito sounds sublime! Don't fall asleep!"

 

[Narcissy]

Eli yawned as he as he roughly extended his arm and slammed his hand around on his nightstand searching for the loudly blaring phone that announced to him that it was time to get up. He groaned as he silenced the alarm and let his eyes get used to the light of the screen as he scrolled through his various social media apps. It may have been barely morning but if left to his own devices Eli probably wouldn't have gotten up for work on time and then some, probably a habit of his privileged upbringing. Once he satisfied that he'd wasted enough time before having to get ready for the day, he tossed his phone onto his bed, and started his daily routine. A quick process of showering, brushing his teeth, and putting whatever clothes in his closet he deemed to be in the least need of cleaning. Today it was a red tank top, a ratty pair of black jeans, and a matching pair of red, high top, Converse sneakers. He may not exactly have cared about the state of his clothing but matching was one of the few things from his mother that stuck with him.

Now that he was ready for the day he decided to make a few preparations before work because even though he was a liar, a cheater, and for all intents and purposes, a dick, he still took pride in his job. It was something that he started doing because in the long run it worked out in his favor. He sauced people up real good and used his natural charm to get them to talk about things they wouldn't have talked about if their lives were in danger but he grew to like his job. He liked learning how to make and mix different drinks, he liked impressing people with his cocktails, but above all, he liked to see them enjoy them. Really enjoy them. There was something about those first few seconds when people sipped on his drinks and their eyes went wide and you could probably argue that when they said the words Sex on the Beach they weren't talking about the drink. Eli smiled at the thought, one of his only genuine pleasures, before climbing into his little black Audi. A stark contrast to the other vehicles in his neighborhood but he guessed that most of them didn't have parents that wouldn't notice a large amount of money suddenly disappearing around the same time their son decided to move out.

He whistled along to some pop song in the radio, nothing he particularly liked but it was catchy and it gave him something to do as he made his way to the north side of the town to the local market. He parked his car made his way through the market place, mentally checking off the things the bar needed. Limes, lemons, celery stalks, carrot stick, cherries, and other such garnishes, as well as some of his own personal shopping. He greeted a number of people he recognized, mostly regulars, smiling and making small talk. If only they knew what he was actually thinking, anyone who regularly got drunk at a bar and grille was a serious fucking sad case that, to him, their friendship meant he'd beat them over the head with a bat for two dollars.

After he was done with his shopping he decided to step into the Dawn Cafe for a little morning pick me up. He wasn't particularly a coffee person but when he had the inkling for caffeine it usually hit the spot a lot better than a can of diabetes juice. Of course, he wasn't one to talk, he'd been pumping ungodly amounts of alcohol through his liver since he was in his teens, he was honestly surprised he was still standing. He stood in line as he reminisced until it was his turn to order, black coffee with five teaspoons of sugar. The barista, usually a teenager, would always look at him like he was insane for not ordering some cafe macciccino frothy french pressed something or other. He was not a coffee person but if his drink was ninety percent milk with a dome lid on it that looked like a nipple then it was a fucking milkshake, not coffee. He paid for his drink but as he turned to leave he caught Valerie, of the infamous Drake clan, chatting it up with Sally Crest, the shopkeeper. He didn't know either of them particularly well, he chatted with Sally a few times when he first moved into town but outside of that they didn't have any extended conversation. Valerie just gave him the impression that she was better than everyone else. Under normal circumstanced he'd have just left them alone but their conversation looked rather heated and he was always one for gossip. He quickly and confidently made his way over to them, taking a seat at their table, and set down his cup.

"Now young miss Drake, what disagreement could you possibly be having with our wonderful gift shop owner?"

Was the conversation any of his business? Absolutely not but Eli had a way of putting his nose where it didn't belong under the guise of helping a friend. People with that assumption were usually half right, Eli was always looking to help Eli.

--

Army's day always started the same. He was up at five, out jogging until five-thirty, a quick workout until six, then showered and dressed and out of his house by six-fifteen. He got into his cruiser and radioed into the station with a quick 10-8 to let them know that he was in service before pulling out of his driveway. He was never really a fan of the uniform, he was a big guy and it just felt awkward but it was a part of the job so he never complained. While it was technically not allowed he usually made a point to visit his parents while on his way to the station because his mom always loved seeing him in the uniform but while he was starting to smile because he didn't have to pull anyone over that morning he got a call on the radio from Sheriff Stone. "Affirmative." He replied into the radio. A drunk shooter at the casino, fucking fantastic. Like with the uniform though, he couldn't complain, it's what he signed up for and he loved his job. If all went well he would keep someone from hurting themselves or someone else and that's what made him feel good. He could do without all the paperwork and reports though but they were an understandable necessity.

He sped towards the casino, lights on, wanting to arrive there as soon as possible before someone got shot. As he drove he thought about his first hostile situation. He'd graduated from the police academy and almost immediately moved out because he was just...tired of Fortune. He moved across the state, only because he didn't want to attend the academy again but wanted to get as far away from Fortune as possible. It was actually a similar situation to this most likely. He and his partner got called out to some meth head's house because he was waving a gun around because baby mama left him or some other such nonsense. Army and his partner were pretty close to the scene plus he was a pretty big guy which they could always use. When they arrived at the house the tweaker was in his front lawn with guns aimed at him from every direction but it was Army that finally got the guy down. It was very clearly against protocol and thinking back on it he saw how dumb of a decision it was but as soon as he saw that the guy wasn't looking in his direction he took off in a full sprint and took him to the ground, quickly wrestling the gun out of his hand. He broke one of his ribs when he landed on him and he got chewed out plenty but he got the guy.

An idiot decision that could have gotten someone hurt but he couldn't help but smile at the memory as he pulled up to the casino, quickly spotting the sheriff's car, and parking in front of him with a quick nod before exiting his vehicle and assessing the situation and sighed when he noticed that the shooter was Wiley Drake. "Oh, fantastic..."

 

[Lux___Wolf]

- - Maki Sushi - - next door to Dawn Cafe

Spoiler: Muggles the sushi cat

- - Dawn Cafe - - next door to Maki Sushi

Spoiler: Juggles the cafe cat

Sally Crest's little gift shop was perfectly across Anna Robert's doll shop, Anna's Atelier. Crest's Gifts had a glass storefront, so Fortune North was still a view from there. When Valerie Drake, with her gray-rose lips and her black sun-hat, stalked and spied from the street, Sally decided she had had enough. She pulled her hair back into the tightest ponytail she ever made in her life, stomped out her store in black pumps, and chased her on the street into Dawn Cafe, screaming "Valerie Drake!"

"A woman's got rights to look at a doll shop!" Valerie shouted back. Cornered into a table, they bickered in whispers about the previous shopkeeper who packed up in the middle of one night and left. Sally Crest leaned forward and gave Valerie a hard stare, warning in a low growl, to leave Anna Roberts alone. Valerie scoffed, "Innocent until proven guilty."

Eli interrupted them already on Sally's side, which excited Valerie as she licked her teeth and gasped in the air. "Elias Delaney! You're talking to me." She checked him out. "Does this mean free drinks, bartender?"

Val glanced at Sal and whipped back her hair. "Because if not, you aren't even worth a minute of my time." The young Drake stood, gave Eli an air kiss, and sauntered out Dawn Cafe. "Xoxo."

Sally Crest seethed, ^{"That bitch is going down."}

Once she's calm, she looked kindly at Eli. She was about to say something, but thought better of it, and sipped from her coffee. Sally scratched under the chin of Juggles, the cafe cat. "Yes, she is..."

-x-x-x-

TWENTY MINUTES EARLIER -- In Peacock Casino, the Colonel Wiley Drake drank his last glass of scotch, hunched over a vacant game table. He muttered into his drink, but stopped when he saw the devil. That blue-eyed and undying devil, watching him from the shadows of this room. He raised his drink at this esoteric man.

Then muttering into his drink again, Wiley looked at another corner of the room. He saw the blue-eyed man there. He looked back and forth, understanding that there were two of these men. Their predatory eyes locked on his. They made no faces. Their face was enigmatic, undecipherable. Breathtaken, blank, and ... knowing.

"Blast you!" Colonel Wiley Drake screamed at the entire casino.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER -- Sheriff Eric Stone was parked outside Peacock Casino when Officer Nieves arrived. Colonel Wiley Drake, drunkard with a gun in nothing but white undies, fired in the direction of the National Forest Park and the glittering Pan Lake. No one was shot or injured, as it read plainly on the Sheriff's disapproving and annoyed face.

But the Colonel was heard shouting, "Hiccup! Begone with ye, prince o' darkness! Hic ... mutter ... "

The Sheriff ordered Nieves to accompany him to pry that gun out of Wiley's hand. He lightly stepped, creeping up on the Colonel, before hooking around his elbows and grabbing his arms back. The gun fell to the asphalt. They found out it's just blanks. Eric Stone turned beet red, barking and scolding the Colonel for pulling another stunt.

The Colonel wailed to the skies. "You don't know ... you don't know!"

Two blue-eyed men watched them from the periphery of the woods before being joined by their triplet. Then just like that, they disappeared into the woods. Like they never lived in Fortune, at all.

E S O T E R I C
​

x

 

[verdantdreams]

Anna stared down into the swirling cup of white and brown, the low hum of the coffee machine filling her ears. A piece of soggy toast sat on a china plate, already gone cold and the butter pooling on the bread. The ticking of her clock echoed throughout the studio, the studio being her living room. A wooden table occupied the centre, where a coffee table and a couple of couches would be. An unfinished doll laid there, its empty glass eyes directed at its creator, legs missing and grey skin gleaming under the morning sun. Cupboards and shelves covered one wall; jars of paintbrushes, rolls of colourful cloth and lace, doll parts like heads and arms occupied the shelves.

A subtle ache throbbed at the nape of her neck. Anna gently massaged the spot with annoyance. She had fallen asleep at the table again in an uncomfortable position. Being too absorbed in her work always brought sleepless nights and aches. Those empty eyes would always watch her every move, their melancholic expressions unchanging as she dug small tools into their cold skin. Despite living alone, Anna had never felt alone surrounded by her creations. Still, a bore to have conversations with.

It being Sunday, she'd usually go to church and open up after the service. She was already dressed, donning a light floral blouse and a plain skirt. Her shoes waited idly by the door. The humming ceased and Anna took the cup and the plate, making her way towards the small balcony that overlooked the plaza. She breathed in the morning air, exhaling with a relaxed sigh.

'I'd better eat quickly,' she thought, biting into the soggy, spongy bread. 'Don't want to be late.'

She downed the rest of her coffee and eventually tossed aside the soggy, half-eaten toast. Anna hastily slipped into her shoes and grabbed her bag. She scurried out of her loft and down the stairs, throwing open the door and shutting it behind her. After locking the door (a large amount of keys hanging off her key ring along with a few keychains), the woman stopped to admire her store.

If not looked at close enough, it'd look something akin to an antique shop, the display dolls dressed in frills and lace. Not only dolls were showcased, but a few of her marionettes hung above the dolls. She indeed possesses skill, the dolls and marionettes so lifelike, almost past the uncanny valley. Still, to some, it may be unnerving. Anna felt pride swell up in her chest, knowing that it was she who made them.

Soon, Anna left her daze, something moving in her peripherals. She averted her stare to a woman who was approaching from the Dawn Cafe. Only opening a few weeks ago, (with the exception of vital outlets like grocery stores) Anna hadn't explored Fortune, busy trying to replace a few dolls that've been damaged during the move and handling online orders. Anna took a mental note of her attire, a scarlet dress and the dark hat that sat atop wavy locks. The woman had her held up high, her composure emitting an air of confidence.

'She appears well off, or important.' At the thought, Anna habitually pulled her lips into the best smile she could muster, despite her slightly worn state. She brushed her short hair behind her ears, a few locks stubbornly falling back into place.