A city that never sleeps
The world isn't as it seems, and New Yorkers certainly know that well. While the element Asterium is not widely understood, those in the city's underground know better. For millenia, humans have known of this energy. They called those born with it in their bones changelings and mutants. Legends have told of werewolves and vampires for centuries. Those who can harness it became witches and warlocks. All they know now is that some things are better kept secret, and where else can you hide a secret better than New York City?
NEW YORK TIMES
07/07/2020 It's been (technically) our first month! Thanks to everyone who's joined us, and for more announcements, please check HERE for in-game and new developments!
17/06/2020There are staff & RP position tryouts here!
23/05/2020 Trying to gauge interest right now! If you want to help out and potentially take one of the leadership positions, please message me! (either on achromatic#7519 on discord or if you have my skype!)
A SUPERNATURAL ROLEPLAY SITE
Modus Operandi achromatic
Blueprint is a premade Proboards v5 theme designed and built by punki of Adoxography and Pixel Perfect. MODUS OPERANDI is the work of the mind of achromatic. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. All images belong to their original owners.
coincidentia oppositorum
CURRENT PLOT
We are currently starting up, and trialing some of the groups right now! There will be an upcoming plot in regards to some city shenanigans soon, but for now, we're simply fixing up the kinks and establishing roles/groups/characters. Feel free to join us! The community and the lore is still being built, and we're always open to new suggestions.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The strange Fourth of July groundhog day event is coming up! Please sign up HERE!
I feel the mountains shifting under me
nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 6, 2020 5:21:29 GMT
Secretkit || # gildedhand
Declan pushed a hand through his hair, the curly strands tangling for a moment before he could work his fingers through. He came to the Gilded Hand to let his hair down - literally - quite often. Though it was kinda classy for him, the atmosphere was pleasant, there weren't too many drunken brawls, and happy hour kept the prices to something he could afford. He raised his hand at the bartender, intending to order another shot, when he caught sight of a young woman sitting to his right, looking for all the world like she couldn't belong there. "Something sweet for the lady," he added, shooting his whiskey before sliding off his stood to walk over to her. She looked like she was alone, and no woman that pretty should be alone at a bar. "Hey," he said with a bite-me smile, leaning against the bar with one big forearm. "You come here often?" He laughed at the cheesy pick-up line, hoping to break the tension. "But forreal, I'm Declan. You mind if I hop up here and sit with you for a minute? You're certainly better to look at than this god-awful wallpaper."
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Secretkit
Member
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Post by Secretkit on Jul 6, 2020 6:55:05 GMT
Something sweet for the lady. The words brought her sharply back into reality and the dim lights and music seemed to swell in the moments it took her to fully comprehend what had happened. She didn’t even know what she’d been thinking about, only that she’d apparently zoned out long enough for someone to assume she was easy prey. Plastering a wide smile onto her face and assuming she’d find some disgusting minded drunk behind her, Laila rotated on her stool to refuse the drink. Her voice caught in her throat and faded at the sight of him. “Ah…” What a specimen, she thought. He fit the tall dark and handsome vibe nicely.
Not wanting to seem totally caught off guard Laila leaned her elbows back against the bar and tilted her chin coyly up at him, her expression melting into a genuine smile. “Why Declan, I’d be heartbroken if you didn’t!” She winked and patted the stool beside her, tossing strands of blonde hair over her shoulder and giving him a quick once-over. She liked what she saw, as clearly did he. “Name’s Laila. I've known the area for a while but this is my first time here. Looks like I picked the right night." Her blue eyes twinkled.
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nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 6, 2020 7:39:36 GMT
"I can't have you heartbroken, not on my watch at least," he laughed, relieved she seemed in a good mood and accepted his lame attempt at a convo starter so easily. He slid onto the stool, asking the waiter for a beer when he brought Laila's drink. "Strawberry daiquiri," he mused, looking at the bright pink drink with a thoughtful expression. "I can't say that's what I would've picked, but there ya have it." He raised his beer in the air for a toast, a teasing glint in his eyes. "To budding friendships?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Truth be told, it'd been too long since he'd had an easy conversation like this one. This was only one of the many bars he trolled night after night, looking and never finding his mate. His friends at the station and back at the Pack both liked to make fun of him for his romantic heart, but he figured it was a waste of time to date girls that weren't his lifemate. Of course he had his requisite list of hookups when he was younger, sure, but as he aged his desire for easy, one-night-stands lessened and instead a desire for a more deep-abiding love grew. Looking at Laila sitting in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder if she was that girl to fill that role.
He inhaled, the smell of alcohol and lust so strong in the bar that he could barely catch the delicate perfume Laila wore, but he stiffened slightly when he realized what scent hid under that. Other. He looked at her in a way he hadn't before, scrutinizing her features. What was she? Wolf? Big cat? He knew she had a shifter's blood in her, but was unsure if she knew herself. Regardless, this bar wasn't the place to talk about it.
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Secretkit
Member
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Post by Secretkit on Jul 6, 2020 22:17:54 GMT
Thanking the waiter with a nod, Laila accepted the daiquiri and swivelled her barstool slightly to better face Declan. It wasn’t what she’d have chosen either – her days of daiquiris with the girls were long over, but she wouldn’t say no to a blast from the past. Besides, she quite enjoyed the lime. She flashed him another wide smile and raised the cocktail glass to clink it against his. “To budding friendships,” she affirmed. “Thank you for this, the gesture alone is even sweeter than the drink.” She took a sip and blew out a deep breath as the chill from the iced strawberries swept through her body. “Ooh, that’s quite good.”
Drawing back, Laila studied his face and his long hair a moment. There was something about him that was very alluring, much more so than even his appearance, but she couldn’t quite hit the nail on the head. The bartender must have been heavy on the rum because she could feel her body responding and her ears growing red. It was a trait she’d inherited from her father’s side. “So, Declan. It’s a Friday night and unlike most of the men in this city who are out partying and getting into trouble, you’re buying sweets for a sweetie at the Guilded Hand.” She jerked her thumb up at herself. “So what’s your deal? Long week of work? No friends? Are you heartbroken? Misery looking for company?” Laila teased lightly. “Or are you just… Different?”
She hadn’t meant any offense and leaned forward to place a hand on his arm to placate him in advance in case her questions had been insensitive. Not to apologize of course - she was allowed to ask questions, but who knew what was happening to him in his life outside of the bar? Beneath her fingers the warmth of Declan’s flesh was more than what she’d expected, and she arched an eyebrow in surprise.
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nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 7, 2020 3:56:41 GMT
"You could say all of the above?" he chuckled, taking a sip from his beer. "I don't suppose you want to hear my sob story when there are so many more pleasant things to talk about." His answer was evasive, but so was pretty much everything about the man. Easy-going, a flirt, and only capable of surface level interactions. "Like you, for example. What is someone as cute as you doing at a place like this? You could get free entry to any of the clubs in the city, and a horde of guys buying drinks for you. Why here?"
He felt the hair on his arms stand on end as he drew closer to the girl in front of him, and after a moment of confusion, recognition dawned. "Just on the prowl, or are you hunting for something in particular?" While the Pack didn't have any formal way of identifying themselves in public, Declan's goofy attempt at sly subtext would probably either make it abundantly clear he was aware of her identity or that he was a freak that was just a little too much into dogs. He allowed his eyes to sliver and grow more canine for a brief moment, only shifting enough for him to blame it on the weird lights, before reverting back.
"Can't believe I haven't seen you around before," he added, seeming much more relaxed and interested in her now. "I thought I knew just about everyone, but it looks like I'm lucky. You said you're name was Laila? What do you say we head back to the Van Cortlandt Park and talk more there? We can slip into something more comfortable?" He laughed, clearly joking, and took another long swallow from his drink, eyes glowing with familiar mirth. He clearly felt more at home talking to a shifter like himself, and that she was easy on the eyes and sweet as southern tea did little to curb his enthusiasm to see if further introductions might reveal them to be mates.
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Secretkit
Member
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Post by Secretkit on Jul 8, 2020 4:10:53 GMT
“The Guilded Hand offered me a chance to relax without your aforementioned ‘horde’ of guys,” she responded, placing her drink on the bar and using air quotes with her now free hand. “My days of clubs and dancing on the table until late in the morning are far over.” She smothered a giggle at the memory and unknowingly traced her opposite thumb over Declan’s arm.
At the flaring of his irises, her pulse quickened. I knew it, she thought. She observed his next changes in both mannerism and comfort with great interest, and at his last words a lopsided smirk slipped onto her face. She could feel the heat of the rum bolstering her nerves. Normally Laila wouldn’t have acted so familiar with somebody she’d only just met – despite appearances - however the thought of having met another Shifter ‘out in the wild’ so to speak, mingled with the alcohol in her blood, spurred her on.
Downing her daiquiri she hopped off of her bar stool and proffered her hand. “I haven’t lived here long. My sister and I moved here about a month ago, and I’ve been busy with renovations.” She motioned to her jeans which indeed upon closer inspection bore light spots of white paint. “But let’s go, some time spent at Van Cortlandt park sounds as though it would do us both well.” She winked.
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nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 15, 2020 5:04:12 GMT
Declan admired her form as she slid off the stool, but pulled his gaze to her face when she began to speak. "Oh, you're new to town? That explains why I haven't noticed someone as fine as you yet." He took a bill out of his wallet and placed it on the bar, giving the bartender a nod before turning back to Laila. "Where did y'all move from?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested. "Let me call us a cab really quick," he added, pulling out his cellphone and tapping the screen to summon a ride to their location.
"And have you introduced yourself to ___ (the alpha of the pack) yet? He doesn't like to be left out of the loop when more of the family move into town, if you catch my drift." He shrugged off his jacket and offered it to Laila, unsure if she'd want it on the temperate evening but asking anyway. The night was full of sounds, still quite early for the city-dwellers of New York. Back at his childhood home, Declan would be able to look up and see a hundred stars at this time of night, but the lights of the city washed out every single one of them.
He felt a low-current charge run under his skin as he stood next to Laila, finding himself gravitating towards her as they stood on the sidewalk waiting for their ride. Their Shifter blood called to one another as any supernatural creature's blood sings to each other, but something about her pulled him towards her. Maybe it was the cute mess of hair on her head or the way her nose wrinkled when she smiled, but Declan found himself entranced by Laila.
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Secretkit
Member
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Jul 17, 2020 10:09:14 GMT
Post by Secretkit on Jul 17, 2020 10:09:14 GMT
"My sister and I are due to meet with him on Monday. Can't say I'm pleased to have to bare throat after being free to do what I wanted in Canada. I grew up on the outskirts of the city here but moved away after I was bitten. We only moved back because we'd learned our father's health was failing, but that's a story for another time." She'd given the waiter a quick wave of thanks before they'd left the bar, and Laila declined the offer of Declan's jacket with a shake of her head. She was plenty warm enough. Looking up at him, she felt a sense of safety wash over her that she had't felt in some time. Strange how life threw you into people you never imagined you'd meet. Here she thought she'd have to be driving off those droves of men Declan'd mentioned before.
"So, out of all the possible reasons I listed for you to be at the bar alone, you chose.... All of them. Care to elaborate?" She raised a cheeky eyebrow at him and reached out to take his elbow. It wasn't that she was chilly, she'd just turned down an offer for warmth, but somehow the action felt as natural as though she'd done it a hundred times, slipping her arm around his and pulling him close. To any stranger on the street the pair would have looked as much of a couple as any could beneath the glimmering city lights.
Suddenly, she wondered what Catriona was up to. They'd parted ways at the apartment after a bit of a tiff and she hadn't heard from her since. Laila pursed her lips slightly. The argument had been her fault in reality, but she'd been irritated by one thing or another, spilled paint, broken ladder, on and on. Perhaps she'd text her later on and apologize. For now though she was quite eager to get to know more about the handsome man on her right.
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nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 22, 2020 4:03:13 GMT
Declan listened as she spoke, enjoying the way her mouth formed her words, and accepted her arm in his as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Those in the Pack were very touchy-feely, especially when compared to non-shifter folk. He enjoyed feeling her body against his side and the way their scents began to entwine. "Ah, so you weren't part of a pack back in Canada, huh? What was it like? Didn't you get lonely?"
After being secreted away from his childhood pack by his parents, he had felt the loss acutely and couldn't imagine willingly choosing to live outside of a pack. Before she answered, however, she threw another question at him, one he might rather ignore. "Not particularly," he chuckled, but acquiesced. At that moment, a cab pulled up and Declan appreciated the reprieve.
Opening the door for Laila, he waited until she was safely inside before going to his own side. "Van Cortland Park, please," he said to the driver, then leaned back to continue their conversation. "As for why I was at the Gilded Hand, let's just say I was looking for someone, and it seems that I've found her." He winked at Laila, placing his hand palm-up on the armrest between them as a subtle offering.
"I don't really have any super mysterious reason for being at the bar other than just looking for some company and to keep the shadows at bay." That might have been too much. Working as a firefighter, he saw his fair share of terrible things every day and had seen an especially tragic fire only the night before. The idea of spending another night alone at his place with only the memories of pained cries to keep him company wasn't something he was willing to do so he found somewhere to be.
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Secretkit
Member
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Post by Secretkit on Jul 25, 2020 22:02:00 GMT
"Well, I had Catriona with me..." The words faded away momentarily. "I suppose I wouldn't have known whether I was lonely or not. There was a new normal to learn, we didn't learn to have anyone but each other. It's a part of why I was excited to join the pack here, the chance to get out and hunt with people you can count on besides one other person." She leaned into the sticky seat back of the cab as they drove off into the dark, not before having given Declan a bright smile for holding the door for her. Grounded and courteous, two things she wasn't quite used to in the men she'd had in her life. She felt more than a trophy girl for once. "Well, I'm glad you found what you were looking for."
Her gaze flit momentarily over his silently proffered hand and a part of her instinctively wanted to reach out for it, but she wanted to extend the wait a little longer. She instead rested her hand on his arm and as the taxi drove on, slowly slid her fingers down his sleeve towards it every few minutes. At his mention of shadows though, Laila looked up to his face. His expression had hardened and she pretended not to see it in the dark, instead smoothing the wrinkles of his jacket and then reaching out to take his hand, as some way of comfort. Her fingers interlocked with his and her pulse quickened to a flutter she couldn't master even if she'd tried to.
They rode in silence from there, her soaking in the excitement of both being close to him and the knowledge that she was sitting beside someone who understood the life of a Shifter as intimately as she did. Someone she could share the experience with outside of the bond she shared with her sister. Someone who knew.
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nom_de_plume
Member
She / Her
GMT-5
Always_Player_2#9104
I know a trick to make a man's colors show / If he sees something he wants, tell him no
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Post by nom_de_plume on Jul 27, 2020 7:00:42 GMT
"Catriona...your sister?" he asked, his large hand engulfing hers. "You two sound close. I wish I had been lucky enough to have a big brother or sister, but I was an only child and no, before you ask, I was not spoiled rotten." He laughed, preemptively cutting off the go-to question everyone had for him when he told them his history. "Well, as bad as I feel for Canada at losing you, I'm glad you found New York. We're lucky to have you."
He didn't hide his glance at her, a smile curving his mouth. She was beautiful, illuminated by the passing streetlights in such a way that she looked almost ethereal. The ride wasn't too long, though the distance they had to drive to get out of town was a fair stretch. Something about just being in her presence soothed him, and the idea of shedding his human form to run under the moon made his skin itch.
The cab pulled to a stop at the front gates of the park, which were swung shut to visitors, and the driver gave the two people in the back of the cab a funny look. "You sure this is where you wanna go?" he asked, his tone questioning. "This is it," replied Declan, giving Laila's hand a squeeze before hopping out to grab her door. "Here," he said, leaning in to pass the driver a bill. "Keep the rest as a tip, and have a good night."
He patted the hood of the car when they were out and clear, and waited while the taillights of the cab disappeared. "Now..." he said with a mischievous grin, "What say we go for a little run?" He slid past the simple gate and into the park, wanting to drop off their clothes at the clubhouse in the lodge before shifting. "The pack has a sorta communal area we use to hang out and chill in, with lockers for our stuff when we shift. I'm sure you'll get yours assigned when you meet with Maddox, but for the time being you can use mine. Sound good?"
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