| suspense | modern | urban fantasy | co-created with Mage
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“If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character... Would you slow down? Or speed up?"[break][break]
― Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
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Death is only the beginning. We don’t know how we died or why we're still on this Earth, but we're all just doing the only thing there's left to do: Existing.[break][break]
Living in the commune of the apartment complex Park 3025, by day the Drifters walk unbeknownst amongst us – delivering our papers, panhandling on street corners, or pouring our morning coffee. At night, they do their best to avoid us, for fear of being recognized for what they are: Shadow People.[break][break]
If humanity’s rejection isn’t enough, the greater alienation is the rejection of oneself. As time wears on, the Drifters begin to lose the remaining parts of their humanity in a process known as the Fading. In order to delay this inevitable end, the Drifters band together. Because death isn’t the final end for the Drifters, for what comes after the ‘life’ of a Drifter is a far more terrifying prospect for all of them.[break][break][break][break]
Modern day Seattle, Washington. Some refer to it as ‘Rain City’. The Drifters just call it home. While the Drifters are welcomed to leave Seattle’s borders at any time, something always draws them back into it. For the living, home is where the heart is. For the dead, it’s nothing more than their haunting ground.[break][break]
Most drifters are squatters, claiming squatters’ rights over Park 3025, a rundown apartment complex on the outskirts of Seattle’s southwest borders. Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean that they don’t need to keep a roof over their head – unfortunately, dying doesn’t free them entirely from needing one of the basic necessities of life.[break][break][break][break]
Drifters are the dead. Except rather than going on to some lofty land in the sky, or to a fiery pit below, they have remained on earth. Neither have they become incorporeal entities rooted to the location of their demise. Though drawn, or compelled, to gather and remain in certain locations, Drifters are otherwise able to come and go as they please. Drifters have physical human forms, and are perfectly capable of interacting with the living world. By appearance, there is no way to distinguish between a drifting soul and a living human. They are utterly corporeal, complete with warm skin that can tan and burn in the sunlight. Drifters do not need to eat, however. They do not need to drink or to breathe; they have no pulse and no blood. They are incapable of sleep, and they cannot change. Attempts to alter their appearance (tattoos, piercings, haircuts, shaves, etc.), as well as any wounds inflicted to their bodies, always revert to their normal unchanged state by morning of the following day. A Drifter’s physical body is not the same as the one they had when living. The reason for this is not known, but it allows them to interact with old family or friends without causing a problem. Unfortunately, this also leads to many Drifters attempting to reintegrate themselves back into their old family units or friend groups, often with disastrous results.[break][break]
Drifters often refer to themselves as Shadow People. While they appear normal in sunlight, or while exposed to an artificial light source, their appearance changes in dark or heavily shaded areas. Drifters become seamless black human shaped silhouettes, devoid of any defining features or characteristics except for a large pair of luminous eyes. In this form they can move in complete silence, and leave no tracks or impression in their wake. They gain the ability to douse natural and artificial lights, and can walk through shadows and dark spaces, essentially allowing them to teleport between sufficiently darkened areas.[break][break]
When encountering a Drifter in their dark form, humans suffer an inexplicable and uncontrollable fear. Often times the trauma of the encounter is so great that the minds of the living completely block out the event, and the human continues through life completely oblivious to what they have just experienced.[break][break]
Drifters cannot remember the moment, or the nature, of their deaths. Much like someone who suddenly becomes aware of being in a dream, Drifters suddenly gain awareness, and then must decide what to do from that point. They can remember their past lives, but typically only in fragments. Many Drifters have come to believe that this existence is unnatural, and that they are victims to some form of cosmological fluke. One reason for this conclusion is the sheer number of Drifters that exist. For all the people who die every day, it is believed that the barest percent of a percent return as a Drifter. They are so few and far between, in fact, that despite the compulsion to gather together in certain areas, many Drifters travel alone for years before encountering another like them. The other big reason many Drifters believe that their state is unnatural is an occurrence known as the Fading (see The Fading). Once the soul deteriorates to the point where there is essentially nothing human left, the Drifter ceases to exist, and transforms into something else.[break][break][break]
Bedlam. (noun, plural Bedlam)[break][break]
A Bedlam is born when a Drifter succumbs to the Fading and loses its humanity. Though there are minor variations between individuals, nearly all Bedlam have a tall, wraith-like, appearance. Much like a Drifter’s dark form, the Bedlam appears as a black silhouette lacking any distinctive features except for a pair of large luminous eyes. Their shape is less defined, however, as though they have been covered with a shroud. It is incredibly rare for a human to encounter a Bedlam. When they do, the sense of fear caused by the Bedlam is strong enough to send the mortal into shock. Even when hidden or unseen, the living are often uneasy in areas where a Bedlam is lurking[break][break]
Bedlam move slowly and deliberately, seeming to glide low across the ground rather than walk. They can move through shadows, just as Drifters do, allowing them to ambush and pursue swift moving prey. It does not appear that they have the ability to speak, as the only sound they have been heard to make is a quiet hissing as they search for prey. Bedlam do not appear to be capable of higher thought at all, and are driven purely by the hunger for what they have lost. If a Bedlam encounters an obstacle that it cannot move or shadow walk around, it will simply remain stationary until something else catches its attention, or it ceases to exist.[break][break]
The Bedlam are thought to subsist purely on Drifters. It is possible they could hunt for other entities as well, but there is so far no documentation to prove that they have a prey variety. They hunt constantly, scenting out drifting souls in order to tear away and devour what the Bedlam has already lost. A Bedlam has long spindly arms, and powerful hands, which are held close and hidden under the shroud of its body. Long and slender nails, or claws, top each of the Bedlam’s fingers. These weapons are only partly corporeal, and as they are driven into a Drifters body they simultaneously tear into the soul. The Bedlam feeds on the Drifter’s humanity, leaving behind a ragged emptiness. The victim will then quickly turn into a Bedlam themselves. Once sufficiently fed, the Bedlam reverts to their human form. They have no memory of what has happened to them, or what they have been doing. The effect rarely lasts longer than a couple of hours before the Bedlam returns to its mindless monstrous state.[break][break]
In much same way that Drifters are compelled to gather together, Bedlam are attracted to the presence of other Bedlam. They have even been seen moving in groups, though there is not yet any proof to suggest that Bedlam are pack hunters. Instead, it's thought that their compulsion to come together is a residual instinct left over from their time as a Drifter.[break][break]
The Bedlam are sensitive to their environment, and can be repelled or driven off by certain minerals, plants, and environmental conditions. The Bedlam will not cross natural streams of flowing water. They have an aversion to certain plants; such as sage, birch, rosemary, and angelica. Bedlam will not cross certain stones. Black tourmaline, in particular, is effective at creating barriers that a Bedlam will avoid. A polished silver mirror will paralyze a Bedlam, but will not otherwise deter or harm one. Bedlam also have an aversion to light. When caught in sunlight, or in the glow of an electric bulb, the Bedlam becomes invisible, intangible, and utterly immobilized. They remain this way until the light is turned off, or the sun sets. Firelight, for some unknown reason, does not appear to affect them at all.[break][break]
Bedlam succumb to the Fading in the same way Drifters do. They continue to diminish, and sustain themselves purely by devouring the humanity of drifting souls. If a Bedlam cannot feed regularly, it eventually loses its physical form and is reduced to a harmless residual presence. Most Drifters prefer to avoid the Bedlam rather than confront them directly. If it is known that a Bedlam is stalking a particular area, then most Drifters will simply uproot themselves and move to another city or town. There are occasions, however, when moving isn't an option. In those cases, there are a few methods known for dealing with a Bedlam, though none are easy. A Bedlam is already dead, and therefore cannot be killed, but it's form can be damaged and it's spirit reduced to residual energy. One method is to trap a Bedlam, either with the use of silver mirrors, or by creating a space with herbs and stones that the Bedlam cannot cross. The Bedlam can then be left in the trap until it simply fades. The danger is that, should the trap fail or become damaged, the Bedlam will be released and can escape.[break][break]
Another method is to impale the Bedlam with a shaft of birch wood. It is unknown whether this physically hurts the Bedlam, but the entity's aversion to birch will cause the Bedlam to flee the area in an attempt to escape the presence of the wood. If the birch cannot be dislodged, the Bedlam will continue to mindlessly flee until it eventually succumbs to fading. Arrows and bolts made of birch are not as effective as one might think, as they do not penetrate deep enough to keep the Bedlam from removing them. A spear, or stake, is more effective, but requires that the attacker be well within range of the Bedlam’s claws.[break][break]
Lastly, it has been rumored that there is a ritual which can be performed in order to excise a Bedlam completely. It would be the most effective and guaranteed method of getting rid of the monster. Unfortunately, it would appear that the rite requires energy from three sources in order to activate. Limited source material detailing such a ritual also hints that the Bedlam appear to sense such rituals, and will avoid an area that has been prepared for one. Therefore the only way to bring the Bedlam into the area to be excised would be to lure it in. Using the right would ensure the Bedlam’s destruction, but requires four Drifters to perform: three to enact the right, and one to be bait.[break][break][break]
The Fading. (noun, singular)[break][break]
The Fading begins from the moment a Drifter first becomes aware of its existence. It is the gradual deterioration of a soul’s humanity. The first signs of fading are the sudden absence of tactile sensation. Drifters lose the ability to feel changes in temperature, and eventually the ability to feel pain. Emotions grow more and more distant, more difficult to manifest, until they disappear altogether. Fading cannot be prevented, but by finding a sense of purpose, something spurs a Drifter’s desire and willpower, it can be staved off for years. It is believed that this is why Drifters instinctively feel the need to group together, so that through the group’s support, each individual soul can last longer than it would on its own.[break][break][break]
[attr="class","scroll"] [break][break][break] ANTHONY ALBORN[break] née ISAAC ARTHUR[break][break]
Age at Death: 27[break] Death Years: 21[break] Birthplace: Astoria, OR[break] Deathplace: Seattle, WA[break] Apartment: 304[break] Occupation: Street Performer[break]
"The only advantage of being dead is there's one less mystery to solve about the afterlife. Unfortunately, it comes with its own baggage of uncertainty for you to figure out."[break][break]
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BACKGROUND[break][break]
Anthony moved to Seattle during the rise of Grunge to follow in the footsteps of the genre's forefather Nirvana. But like most dreams of this nature, his dream never came to fruition. Never quite making it out of the bar scene, he retired from his musical career and took a job in sales for a copier company in downtown Seattle.[break][break]
Succumbing to the perils of quarter life crisis, things got further complicated following the birth of his daughter, Lucky. Anthony's relationship with Lucky's mother was precarious. After a recurrent argument, Samantha stormed out with Lucky in tow and fled to her mother's in Tacoma. When Anthony never called Sam back, Sam sought him out instead, and came home to find Anthony dead on the floor in the middle of living room of their small one bedroom apartment—at least, that's what he heard at his memorial.[break][break]
He was twenty-seven.[break][break]
The irony of dying at the same age as his idol two years later would have been comical if he wasn't—of course—dead.[break][break]
How he came to as a Drifter is a different story—behind a dumpster being prodded in the gut with a nightstick by one of Seattle's finest disorientated, confused; and also, naked. Needless to say, his entrance into the afterlife wasn't a welcoming one.[break][break]
For three years he floundered, trying to find a way to reintegrate himself into his former life only to be crushed by the overwhelming reality of his situation. For five more years he faded, until he met another Drifter named Agnes who shed some insight on his situation. At Agnes' behest, he took up residence in Park 3025 and feigned a newfound interest in street magic. He doesn't make much, but it keeps him interacting with humanity and manages to delay the Fading. At least, for the time being.[break][break][break][break]
PERSONALITY[break][break]
Anthony is a cynic. He doesn't trust any Drifter who believes they've somehow been given a second chance at life. He smokes like a chimney, eats at whatever food stand (truck, shop, or restaurant) happens to cross his path, and abuses his 'immortality' for the sole purpose of flipping the bird at whatever divine power decided to leave him stranded in this dual existence. Making a mockery of his situation seems to be the only way he knows how to survive. He does, however, embrace the Seattle life; day, night, or early hours of the morning he can tell you where to get the best taco in the city and how an accursed Drifter can keep himself or herself entertained for the next foreseeable hundred years or more. He often hangs out in Westlake Park playing chess with retirees when he isn't busking to pay for all his 'bad habits'. He likes sangria, Spanish soap operas, and occasionally feeding the ducks in Golden Gardens Park.[break][break][break][break]
RELATIONSHIPS[break][break]
Logan (foe). Maybe foe is a strong word, but Anthony doesn't trust Logan as far as he could throw him. He is put off by Logan's kind, cheery demeanour; no one is that nice after being reborn into a Drifter. Not unless they want something. Unfortunately, Anthony tends to be shortsighted in nature and doesn't know how close to the truth that is; he's still too fixated on that atrocity Logan tried to pass off as a steak dinner the first time they met. Steak well done... might as well have ate rubber. [break][break]
Occupation in Death: Independent Entrepreneur / Paranormal Investigator
Personality
Logan likes to portray himself as carefree, jovial, and mischievous. He laughs easy and often, can be quite outspoken, and typically has to get the last word in any verbal exchange. He tends to walk the line where the secrecy of the commune is concerned. He has been known, at certain times of the year, to run an independent daytime ghost tour. The tour basically consists of Logan leading a disappointed group of tourists around Park 3025, telling spooky stories that he usually makes up out of thin air. He advertises that visitors will be guaranteed to come into contact with something "not of this living world", and finds it incredibly ironic that these people can wander all day among the dead and not have a clue.
In spite of how Logan portrays himself, he prefers solitude to the company of others. Unless approached directly and offered and invitation for company, friendship, or friendly activities, Logan will keep to himself, and has been known to hide away in his room, or disappear from the premises, for days at a time. When outside of the public eye, his attitude flips on it's head. When he doesn't have to pretend, Logan is moody, short tempered, paranoid, and prone to violence, particularly against himself.
Biography
I am the Dark, and I am in the dark with you.
There was another commune once, but nobody knows about that. And there was a girl, a girl that I loved, but nobody knows about that either.
I was born in a small coastal town, and sought my fortunes out west. The coroner's report on my death says that I was mauled by a large predator. I was thought to have been hitch hiking outside the town of Dunsmuir in northern California, as my remains were found just off the highway. A black bear was the most likely suspect, though the official report still lists the culprit as “unknown”.
I do not know what happened after that, but my soul wandered far. In desperation, it sought out the closest reminder to home that it could find, and I regained awareness somewhere on the Pacific shoreline with the roar of the ocean in my ears. There was a man waiting for me with his toes buried in the sand. He picked me up, and took me to meet my new family.
I met a woman, and we fell in love. It was hard and fast, the sort of all consuming romance that anchors two lives together. In the end, it wasn't enough to sustain her, but it was enough to imprison me. After she faded, I learned of a trick using mirrors that could trap a Bedlam. I caught her, and I contained her, and over the course of ten years, I fed her. The great irony of our relationship was that she was the one who lost her humanity, but I was the one who became the monster. I had to be methodical, patient, and adaptive, but I tricked them all. I lead them all, and gave them all to her. After each feeding she would regain herself, and for a couple of hours we would be together again. That was enough for me, enough motivation to keep me going, to keep bringing them to her no matter how deeply it made me hate what I was.
“I am the Dark, and I am in the dark with you.” She whispered each time, in the last moments before I lost her again. I don't know where she heard those words, but she spoke them like a prayer, her personal mantra.
I had always known that, inevitably, I'd either get caught, or I'd run out of options. I hoped for the former, but I got the latter. With the commune destroyed, I considered giving myself over to her. Wouldn't you know it, though? I'm a goddamned coward. I couldn't bring myself to do it, and instead I left her there, trapped between the mirrors. I knew the Fading would continue, until she was truly gone forever. I thought that, without her, I would fade away too, but I was wrong.
Long after I lost my ability to taste or smell. Even after I lost the comprehension of hot, or cold, or pain, I still had my hate.
Hate...
That wild emotion which burns like acid. My hate sustains me.
I traveled the coast, aimless, moving north. It was only a matter of time before I found my way into Washington, and into the grip of Seattle's siren call. As hard as I tried to avoid it, I fell in with others, and we began to form a family, a commune. It's essential to stay together, for protection and for purpose. Together we share information and experiences, and watch for the Bedlam. We keep each other safe.
I put on the brave face. I smile, and I laugh, and I joke, but on the inside, none of it registers. My joy has no root, and my laughter rings hollow. Inside, I am seething.
There is a monster living in Park 3025, but nobody knows about that.
I am the Dark, and I am in the dark with you.
Relationships
(In Progress)
Anthony (Nemesis): This man will try to poison you with raw meat if you let him. And if you tell him that you prefer a little more char with your food, he acts like you just spat on his girlfriend. What kind of person makes snap decisions about people based on what they eat? The same kind that feeds rice to pigeons, that's who. He likes to pretend that he's all edgy and nonchalant. Really, though, I think he's wound about as tightly as a guitar string. Not even a guitar; more like a ukulele. You can gracefully strum a guitar. Anthony’s just a dull twang.
[attr="class","scroll"] [break][break][break] SALEM, AKA SAL[break] née CHARLOTTE POTTER[break][break]
Age at Death: 21[break] Death Years: 23[break] Birthplace: Sacramento, California, USA[break] Deathplace: Eldorado National Forest, California, USA[break] Apartment: 303[break] Occupation: “Psychic”/ “Exorcist” (con artist) for hire[break][break] Appearance: 5’5” tall, slim figure, long hair currently dyed ombre from dark brown to light brown, brown eyes[break]
"The only thing worse than death is life after death."[break][break]
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BACKGROUND[break][break]
If one were to google “Potter + Eldorado National Forest”, once you sort past the children’s book groups of Harry Potter, a few articles would pop up relating to a Charlotte Potter of Sacramento. The details are grim, outlining that there had been a serial killer who kidnapped teenagers, driving them to the forest before killing them. Charlotte was an unfortunate victim.[break][break]
That’s what the news articles say. Charlotte was actually an active member of a Wiccan cult who recruited naive teenage girls. Charlotte didn’t join because she believed though--she joined for the laugh. She was always a troublemaker; a manipulator. She never got along with her family, joining the cult and running away at age sixteen. She could often be considered mean, almost heartless, but she would just shrug and move along.[break][break]
Her death followed the same suit of jokes. After going out with some of the girls from the group to see the movie The Craft, they all wanted to try some manipulation spells. Charlotte expected it to be a riot and just laugh about it later, but in a bizarre accident, she ended up dead.[break][break]
Now as a drifter, she still enjoys the manipulation of people. She claims her business as a ‘psychic/exorcist’, taking only cash from hapless, desperate people looking for answers. Some call it heartless; she calls it karma.[break][break][break]
RELATIONSHIPS[break][break]
Anthony -- Sal is so comfortable with her next door neighbour that it borders on the discomfort of others around. She'll walk into his place without knocking, erasing those boundaries. She'll steal his food, his shower if his is hoarding the hot water, or just his futon if her own furniture isn't comfortable enough for her. He seems to take all her shit in stride and it creates a bit of a challenge in her eyes, seeing how far she could go before Anthony finally tells her to back off.[break][break]
Logan -- Another partner in crime, Sal will share the profits of the exorcist cons Logan brings to her from his haunted walks. Though she also tries to evade his space, as she does with almost all tenants, she knows Logan has a limit, and she has crossed it a few times with nothing more than an innocent shrug and a sense of accomplishment.
Deathplace: Bull Mountain County Area (Washington/Oregon USA)
Apartment Number: Floor 2: 201
Appearance:
See Attachment.
Occupation in Death:
Fiona is a wonderful thief, and an under the radar street fighter. She’s quiet and fairly invisible to most people. She doesn’t really need money, but she needs the thrill and success that comes with either occupation. The two come naturally for her, and she enjoys it too. When she’s numb, she’s hired to steal, and when she feels overwhelmed by anger, she gets into the ring. She’s fairly lithe and skilled with blades, which she uses to her advantage but occasionally loses to brute strength. She doesn’t usually give out her name for jobs or fights and tends to go by “Wraith”.
Biography:
Fiona barely remembers her old life, or even how she died. She was born in Marysville, Washington and hitchhiked frequently around the area. She is one of the first victims of the Green River Killer, but it’s still highly speculated among the community so she was never listed as one of his victims. She has her suspicions about this… Usually vague memories of hands around her throat or dirt filling her lungs gave her the inclination that the speculation could be true. Because of this, Fiona experiences extreme sorrow when she comes across missing persons posters or ads.
She is distrustful, quiet, and rarely puts herself out there for others to see. Not attracting attention was practically her job as a thief, but she did frequent dive bars and biker dens.
Fiona could handle the reality of her new life, mostly. Though her feelings remained tangled, she could sometimes coax them out with impulsivity.
A sorrowful anger weighs heavy in her heart, desperately wanting someone or something to call home. If something could make her feel safe from the terror that consumes her, she’d hang onto it for dear life.
Relationships: TBA although, she loves the stray animals that tend to frequent her area.
Henry Samson | 78 | Human Created by Endgame. PM for permission.
Henry is one of the few humans aware of Drifters that hasn't fallen victim to the overriding fear that typically erases knowledge of their existence. Although not clear on how or why, he believes that his strange ability to sense the Drifters is related to his blindness. Like Drifters, he can also consequently sense Bedlam and when a Drifter is about to give into the fading, or what he refers to as "give up the ghost". He, however, cannot be harm by Bedlam, and in turn, cannot harm them.
On a personal level Henry is intelligent and perceptive, and prone to give worldly advice in the form of either literary and movie quotes. He spends most of his time playing chess in one of Seattle's many public parks when he can't be found in one of its lesser known and "under-appreciated" diners. Brought together by Agnes thirteen years ago, Henry and Anthony became friends, both looking for a form of superficial companionship and neither one realizing just how close and reliant on one another they've become.
Sina Hanai | 19 (Died in 1985) | Drifter Created by Endgame. PM for permission.
Despite her age, Sina has taken on a rather motherly role in the Drifter community, due in part to her former life as the oldest of seven children. Another wayward Drifter taken under Agnes' wing, she has a sisterly relationship with Anthony and manages to overlook some of his more unpopular attributes. In turn, Anthony is more receptive to fulfilling her requests than any of the other Drifters in Seattle.
She is sharp, outspoken, and assertive, despite her small stature, and well-liked by most. Sina takes it upon herself to worry about the others, especially the ones who don't seem to have any concerns about themselves.
Agnes Collier | 52 (Died 1977) | Drifter Created by Endgame. PM for permission.
A former resident of the Seattle Drifter community, she left after her late husband died (three months prior to the start of the story). A surrogate mother of sorts to Anthony (and several others), she was a heavy smoker, a gambler with a love for cheap scotch, and a firmly grounded realist who'd tell it like it is, especially when the cold hard truth was needed. Despite their unfortunately circumstances, Agnes knew how to make the best of it. Growing up during the depression, a wife to a war vet, and a mother of three, she's known hardship, but was strengthened by it instead of beaten.
Of all the Drifters Anthony is loyal to, Agnes is at the top of that list. Her departure from the community unsettled many of the Drifters but especially Anthony, making him more restless than usual though he'd never admit it.
Cole Woxell | 23 (Died in 1970) | Drifter Created by Endgame. PM for permission.
A former child of the flower power era, he left England on a student visa and later joined the anti-war movement in the United States where he was one of the four unfortunate students killed during the Kent State Riot of May 4th 1970.
Now a recluse with paranoid personality disorder, Cole is generally mistrusting and withdrawn from others. Whether he was previously suffering from PPD or his experimentation with drugs permanently fractured his spirit during his formative years is unknown. It has been speculated by Drifters that the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol, along with the circumstances surrounding one's death can have a permanent, irreparable impact on one's spirit in the "afterlife". Cole is known for being very particular about his apartment and doesn't generally like he stuff being touched. In recent years, there has been notable signs of the Fading in Cole, but not at a rate that would be any cause for alarm.
Due to his disorder, Cole keeps to himself with only a select few of the Drifters being able to engage him and even less who can claim they are close to him. Despite this, he is still drawn to the Drifter community creating a disparity between his prior life and Drifter self. Remaining out of sight for days at a time is not unusual for Cole, but it very uncommon for him to be completely offline for a significant length of time.
At the start of the story, no one has seen Cole or been able to contact him either via mobile or online for three days. Efforts to reach him at his apartment have also proved unsuccessful causing Selema to seek out Anthony and enlist help in finding Cole.
Personality: Oykai is a man of faith and so isn't what many would class as cynical or jaded in almost any sense of the world but he is quite unsettled at the 'second chance' at life he has seemingly been given. To him it is unnatural as many of the otherworldly forces that inhabit the world, still he believes this the will of the kami and so does the best he can with what he has been given until his true time of passing comes. In general he understands that the world is a messy place with pushing and pulling so has quite a lot of patience especially when it comes to the misconstrued notions of his faith or culture and so tries to help educate people the best he can. In life he was a servant to the kami wanting nothing more that to make the world a better place and that hasn't changed in the least as he still lives humbly within his apartment though when requested will still do rites, rituals, prayers and blessings that would normally be associated with his faith. That being said when his patience is broken he has been known to be blunt with how he goes around things.
Biography: Oykai was born prematurely with white hair and golden amber eyes, his parents believed him an omen of bad luck and had even tried to drown him at only an hour old in the hopes to lift what they seen as a curse from them. Though weak Oykai clung onto life, but barely, it was after this his parents abandoned him at a forgotten rundown shrine and told everyone that their child had been stillborn. It was only by chance that a priest going to that same shrine to give an offering to its kami heard his crying and found him upon the altar with a note that said 'Yokai' as he was some sort of offering. He decided then and there that this child was a gift from the kami and that it was his job to raise him to be a good and honourable man. The priest named his son Oykai as to keep close to what he guessed his parents called him but make it seem more loving and endearing to the boy that would have to hold it for the rest of his life and there after. He was raised as a priest but also apothecary and herbology as he believed it may come in handy if he were ever to get lost and need food or medicine. When he was sixteen the man he had called father was on his deathbed and told him about his origin but not of his true name believing it cruel to know such a thing. He told him not to get angry at the ones who done that to him because the kami had watched over him and kept him safe until he had the chance to be found by his true family. It wasn't like he couldn't get angry because he did, he already got ridiculed by some of the others that were raised alongside him often finding charms and banishings on his door. Oykai honesty got angry, upset and cursed the very gods that he was a servant to because of his abandonment, the abuse from others, the truth being hidden from him, being born so different and even his adoptive fathers death.
Leaving the temple he was raised in two years after his adoptive fathers death he travelled to Beijing to balance himself once more, hoping to put the past where it belonged while learning more about himself and teaching others about his faith. The latter was for understanding between cultures and faiths in the hopes to bridge misunderstandings, resentments and the likes. There were of course a few hiccups but on the whole it went smoothly at least for the first two years he was there. On his twentieth birthday he didn't feel so well and so went to see a doctor but they couldn't find anything wrong with him, it steadily got worse and it was clear to see that he was sick but no matter the test it came back with no definite answer with what was going on with him. The doctors started drawing at straws when they gave him medicines and treatments and nothing seemed to be working irregardless of how it had affected others. He finally gave up believing that this was his punishment for getting angry and cursing the kami eventually passing away from whatever ailed him. Soon enough he woke up not feeling the symptoms that he had before and inside a buddhist temple he looked around in the hopes to find someone who could give him some answers but all he could find was a letter. It told him that he had passed three years prior the mysterious author of the letter told him that he had died of a mysterious illness that couldn't be identified and so they believed it divine punishment for a sin he had committed against the ones he served in life. It went on to tell him he should look at this as a second chance to get things right and atone for whatever sins he may have committed but given the news of his passing had been classed as a mystery he couldn't stay in China and it would be unwise for him to return home for the same reason. Within the envelope of the letter laid a plane ticket for Seattle from what the letter said was a benefactor that wished to remain anonymous, he had to admit this put up more than a few red flags but he thought it might be better to get out of the country as soon as possible. Perhaps it would be the first step of his atonement or just a waste of what seemed like an immortality of suffering either way he wouldn't know if he didn't at least try.
[attr="class","scroll"] [break][break][break] Jamie[break] née James Harper[break][break]
Age at Death: 20[break] Death Years: 6[break] Birthplace: Seattle, WA[break] Deathplace: Seattle, WA[break] Apartment: 305[break] Occupation: Music Store Clerk / Vigilante[break]
"It’s not so bad, being the thing that goes bump in the night."[break][break]
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BACKGROUND[break][break]
In life, Jamie was a regular guy, if one with a tragic childhood. He grew up in inner-city Seattle, in a rough neighbourhood. His family always had to contend with high crime rates, street gangs, and underfunded schools. The younger of two brothers, Jamie’s youngest years were still happy- his parents were financially stable, even if only just, and had prospects lined up that would see them living a better life some ways down the line.[break][break]
Things didn’t go to plan. Jamie’s older brother was killed by a drug dealer he couldn’t pay, and less than a year later, his parents died in a burglary gone wrong. After that, Jamie fell into the city’s foster system, bouncing from home to home and growing more and more frustrated. He acted out, lashed out, and generally made a nuisance of himself. He was lucky enough to maintain a stable base of friends throughout this, especially in his teen years, that kept him from being a complete lost cause. What’s more, he maintained a determination not to be like the lowlifes who had killed his parents, and to make something of himself.[break][break]
Eventually, he found a foster home he could tolerate and who in turn would put up with him, and started on the track to a better life. He worked hard enough to get a place in a local college studying engineering, and seemed to be heading for a bright future. Right up until he was mugged while drunk after a party, and shot in the chest for trying to fight back.[break][break]
When he next woke up, he was dead. That took some getting used to.[break][break]
To begin with, a lot of the anger of his younger years came back. The injustice of it all, losing everything he’d worked for. He was frustrated, and there was nothing he could do.[break][break]
That was, until he figured out that in his new life, no matter what happened to him he’d wake up the next day unharmed. An idea grew in his mind. As an unkillable shadow, he could stalk the underbelly of the city, take risks that nobody in their right mind ever would, and fight back against the kinds of people that killed his family, and later him.[break][break]
Now he’s a real-life superhero, or that’s how he puts it, and he’s got a new lease on life (on death?). He takes a great deal of satisfaction out of using his strange abilities to stalk the worst Seattle has to offer in the dead of night, and has a lot of fun playing the witty one-line spitting vigilante for whom dying is little more than an inconvenience.[break][break]
PERSONALITY[break][break]
Jamie is irreverant, cocky, and doesn’t take anything seriously. As far as he’s concerned, being dead just means a chance to get some payback on the bad side of the world, and rather than worry too much about it all ending, he should just make the most of it while it lasts.[break][break]
A friendly and generally charming young man, he has a lot of friends among the other Drifters for his generally positive and funny demeanour- he has a joke and a witty one-liner for most situations, which can sometimes backfire when a situation demands a little more sensitivity. [break][break]
When he’s not out playing at vigilante hero, Jamie enjoys playing guitar, shooting noobs on the latest popular FPS game, and watching too many action movies.[break][break]
RELATIONSHIPS[break][break]
Anthony: Jamie thinks Anthony is a bit of a grouch, but enjoys ribbing him, and the two get along well enough despite their differing perspectives - at least as far as Jamie is concerned.[break][break]
Logan: Jamie gets along well with Logan’s projected persona, and the two often exchange some well-meaning banter when they cross paths. Still, it hasn’t escaped Jamie altogether that Logan sometimes just up and vanishes into solitude for days at a time, and he can’t shake the feeling there’s something more to the jovial man than what he lets everyone else see.[break][break]
Sal: Jamie thinks Sal is kind of a bitch, but a fun bitch, so she’s alright. He’s not altogether comfortable with her taking advantage of desperate people, and finds her habit of pushing boundaries eye-rollingly irritating, but he’s happy to give as good as he gets when it comes to being a pain in her neck - after all, that’s karma![break][break]
Fiona: Sure, Fiona might be a criminal, but she’s not one of the bad ones, so Jamie doesn’t really care that she plays the other side of the vigilante-criminal game to him. As long as her crimes only hurt the pockets of the 1%, she’s alright by him. Their shared love of adrenaline gives them something in common, and he’s happy to have someone in the complex to train with who actually knows their way around a fight.[break][break]
Sina: Jamie appreciates what Sina does for the other Drifters, and tries to do for him, but as far as he’s concerned he doesn’t need another mother figure in his life. He’s still happy to lend her a hand whenever she needs it, especially when it comes to keeping the community safe.[break][break]
Cole: Jamie was never a fan of Cole - the jittery, unstable drifter gave him the heebie-jeebies and seemed a little like a ticking time bomb. What exactly he was ticking down to, Jamie was never sure, but the two definitely got on each others’ nerves. Now that he’s missing, Jamie gets the feeling that he’s about to be proved right… much as he hopes he’s not.[break][break]
Oykai: Jamie doesn’t ‘get’ Oykai. He’s never been a spiritual person to any degree, and finds it extra odd that someone would cling to their religious beliefs even after finding out that seemingly everyone got it wrong about the afterlife to some degree. The guy seems guilty over something that Jamie can’t wrap his head around, but he’s also nice enough, so Jamie’s happy to just smile and nod along to whatever spiritual mumbo jumbo he comes out with.
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