[!! TMA ROLEPLAY ACCOUNT INTRO, CW FOR UNREALITY AND STUFF !!]
[Please read the OOC part (below the cut) at least before interacting!]
--Why are we doing this again??
Because - it'll be fun! Plus, it might give us a chance to meet others that are... y'know.... Like us.
"Like us"?
Yeah. You know... avatars, people who deal with the supernatural, those kind of people. And before you say anything Sophia, I know you think we're fine just the four of us--
We are fine just the four of us.
I know. I just think it'll be nice to see that it's not only us. We can get advice and stuff, maybe even make some friends?
...
...Okay.... That... that does sound nice. Making friends. Just be careful - don't go trusting anyone too quickly, because this is pretty dangerous territory, and--
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be careful. Promise.
Good.
...Um, do I have to do this? It's not really my thing, I'll be honest...
Mhm. Same here.
Wait, what? But you said--
No one has to do anything, but I do think this will be helpful to you two. Dangerous as it is - putting ourselves out there like this - making other friends might not be so bad of an idea, like Chris said.
...
I don't want other friends. Things are fine as they are. I have you.
I won't always be around, you know. What will you do if something happens to me? I love you, Liza, but I do worry sometimes. You deserve more than just me.
I--
Uh, sorry to interrupt, but you should probably have this discussion another time. When we're not recording?
...
Right, sorry. Liza, can you please at least do an intro with us? For me? If you don't want to keep with it, fine, but I think you should try it first.
...Fine... I'll do the intro. That's it.
Great! Kes?
Sure.
Yay! Intro time!!!
Hey! I'm Chris Harris, 27, xey/them. Not currently affiliated with any Fears. I'm not a big fan of the Dark, so don't come near me if you're going to put me at risk of encountering that, please-and-thank-you. Also I enjoy fabric crafts, specifically making and sewing patches! Your turn Sophia.
Um- Sophia Allan, 28, uh- Okay, no, what the hell do you mean 'not currently'?
Oh, er, don't worry about it.
No, that's-- Chris, I'm being serious!
...I was joking. Do your intro.
Right... Sophia Allan, 28, she/her, Avatar of the Web. And before anyone asks, no I'm not manipulating anyone, I just want to keep my friends safe and being an Avatar is the easiest way to do that; I lean more into spiders than, you know, actual manipulation.
Oh! Uh, also, if anyone has anything that can hide or protect people from a Fear, let me know. I'm collecting stuff like that.
...
Kes?
Kestrel. Kes is fine. Don't have a last name, don't know how old I am, they/them.
If you serve the Stranger you're on thin ice.
...Liza, your turn.
What, that's it?
It's kinda hard to talk about yourself when you've quite literally had your identity and memories stolen from you. There's not much else I can say.
Hm. Okay. Liza Allan, 30, she/her or he/him - I don't really mind. I'm not sure if I'm an Avatar, but fog tends to follow me around, so take from that what you will, I guess. I like anything that gives me an excuse to be around water, especially diving.
...
That's everyone? Great! It'll be nice to meet some others, feel free to send us asks and what-have-you. Uh. Yeah! See you soon! Bye!!
Bye :)
OOC stuff!
Hey y'all, it's @paperrobins - you might recognise Sophia if you interacted with my old rp blog @/ink-and-webs! Just to clarify, this is a different version of her, so interactions from there aren't canon here.
Any interaction is welcomed and encouraged, including magic!anons! Gore and flirting are fine (just bear in mind that mod is a minor, and my characters all have different sexualities so reception may vary). Any asks that make me REALLY uncomfortable will just be deleted, but that probably won't happen, so go nuts!! Torture them as much as you like :P
Remember to specify who asks/rp starters are aimed at if you want someone specific!
(In the vein of asks and roleplays and stuff, I struggle to process interactions as quickly as others seem to, so please be patient if I take a while to respond. I love roleplaying and I promise I'll get around to it eventually! I just want to make sure I don't burn out like I did with my other accounts, so I'll be prioritising my wellbeing over speed. Thanks in advance for understanding <3 )
I look forward to interacting with y'all!!! :D
Tags (will add more later):
23/7/26 edit: Disclaimer, the words and actions of my OCs do not reflect my morals or beliefs! Also my OCs may not always be consistent. They will lie and they will contradict themselves. A lot. Look out for that because I won't always mention it at the time :P
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
"I'm Sasha! The Klein Institute is a branch of the Magnus Institute that my great great whatever many greats grandfather created!" She's beaming at the chance to yap. "And yeah... On the worse front... I've seen Nikola's skinned mannequins at least once" she sighs. "So how bout you?
"Oh! Sasha's a nice name. I knew a Sasha once. I know the Magnus Institute as well. That explains why you've 'seen worse'..."
She pauses. "Ah... I wouldn't say I've seen anything that gruesome - I mean, I've seen things that don't make sense, things that'd probably drive me mad if I let them, but surprisingly nothing too, um... gorey, I guess? I should consider myself lucky in that regard." A bit of a shudder runs down her spine, and she hastily changes the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you an avatar, like me? Or are you just really unlucky?"
"well when I was a teen the hunt sorta 'sank it's teeth into me', if you'll forgive my awful pun" she says, chuckling at her own joke. "I was 17 when I picked up photography as a hobby. From there it turned from a hobby into an obsession with... Well... Tracking down subjects. I'd sorta pick someone, and then hunt them down until I got the perfect shot" she explains. "Photographers call or something like that"
She smiles at the pun, appreciating the humour, though it's impossible to miss the way her shoulders raise a little; she must be wary of the Hunt. Even so, she continues in the same casual tone, "That's fair. I mean, tracking people down isn't my kind of thing, but I can understand the obsession with the 'perfect shot' - I used to do quite a bit of painting, when I was younger. Travelled the country looking for the best views. I can respect the art in it."
After a brief hesitation, she adds, "It's, uh... nice to meet a Hunt avatar who isn't actively trying to murder me. If that's, um, not a weird thing to say?"
"Nah that's fully understandable" she says, smiling softly. "Though not all Avatars end up being violent beasts, some of us are just... People with obsessions" she explains. "So what exactly do you do as an Avatar of the Web?"
She relaxes again, visibly relieved, and nods. "I know. I just try to be cautious, that's all."
At the question, she tilts her head slightly, considering her words carefully. "Well... mostly just the basic spider-y stuff, I guess? I used to lean into the manipulation a lot more - there's probably at least a handful of people out there whose lives were ruined because of me, poor sods... but I tend not to make it personal anymore. Not unless I find someone I really dislike, anyway..." she adds, barely loud enough to hear. Then she clears her throat and continues.
"Most of the time, I just let these guys wreak havoc on someone." She reaches into her hoodie pocket; when she brings her hand back out, cupped in her palm is a cluster of small, orange spiders. She holds them out with a grin, clearly proud of them.
She smiles wildly, you notice she has what appears to be small fangs instead of k9 teeth, "oh my gosh they're adorable!!!" She pokes one and it jumps on her finger before she puts it back. "So how does it work? Do you get like... Spider vision? Or can you walk on walls and stuff?"
"Thank you!" She laughs when one jumps on your finger. Once you're finished, she gently puts the spiders back into her pocket. "Ah, no walking on walls sadly - I kind of have spider vision though! These give me better peripheral vision," she explains, pointing to one of her extra eyes. "Also, you know how spiders know when something touches their web because of the vibrations? Well, if I want to keep an eye on a certain person or place, I can make a thread to connect them to me; then if anything disturbs the thread, I know to go and put it right again. That's always useful. And obviously I can compel people to do things, to a certain degree."
Her gaze flicks down to where she saw the fangs before, then back up again. "What about you? I noticed you have fangs - those are pretty cool!"
she smiles wider as you point out her fangs. "Oh! Yeah, I can sort of... Track someone regardless of where they are," she says. "It comes in handy when you're following up on statements," She continues. "Though sometimes I get this thing where I'll spot an interesting person and just NEED to track them down... Which is actually how I get most of my statements these days"
"That does sound useful," Sophia hums at the first part. At the second part, she cocks her head to one side and asks, "Does it ever get annoying, needing to find people like that? I can imagine it'd be pretty inconvenient if you were, I don't know, shopping for groceries or something and then all of a sudden you have to track someone down... but then again, I guess it would be worth it in the end?" She seems genuinely curious.
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
"I'm Sasha! The Klein Institute is a branch of the Magnus Institute that my great great whatever many greats grandfather created!" She's beaming at the chance to yap. "And yeah... On the worse front... I've seen Nikola's skinned mannequins at least once" she sighs. "So how bout you?
"Oh! Sasha's a nice name. I knew a Sasha once. I know the Magnus Institute as well. That explains why you've 'seen worse'..."
She pauses. "Ah... I wouldn't say I've seen anything that gruesome - I mean, I've seen things that don't make sense, things that'd probably drive me mad if I let them, but surprisingly nothing too, um... gorey, I guess? I should consider myself lucky in that regard." A bit of a shudder runs down her spine, and she hastily changes the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you an avatar, like me? Or are you just really unlucky?"
"well when I was a teen the hunt sorta 'sank it's teeth into me', if you'll forgive my awful pun" she says, chuckling at her own joke. "I was 17 when I picked up photography as a hobby. From there it turned from a hobby into an obsession with... Well... Tracking down subjects. I'd sorta pick someone, and then hunt them down until I got the perfect shot" she explains. "Photographers call or something like that"
She smiles at the pun, appreciating the humour, though it's impossible to miss the way her shoulders raise a little; she must be wary of the Hunt. Even so, she continues in the same casual tone, "That's fair. I mean, tracking people down isn't my kind of thing, but I can understand the obsession with the 'perfect shot' - I used to do quite a bit of painting, when I was younger. Travelled the country looking for the best views. I can respect the art in it."
After a brief hesitation, she adds, "It's, uh... nice to meet a Hunt avatar who isn't actively trying to murder me. If that's, um, not a weird thing to say?"
"Nah that's fully understandable" she says, smiling softly. "Though not all Avatars end up being violent beasts, some of us are just... People with obsessions" she explains. "So what exactly do you do as an Avatar of the Web?"
She relaxes again, visibly relieved, and nods. "I know. I just try to be cautious, that's all."
At the question, she tilts her head slightly, considering her words carefully. "Well... mostly just the basic spider-y stuff, I guess? I used to lean into the manipulation a lot more - there's probably at least a handful of people out there whose lives were ruined because of me, poor sods... but I tend not to make it personal anymore. Not unless I find someone I really dislike, anyway..." she adds, barely loud enough to hear. Then she clears her throat and continues.
"Most of the time, I just let these guys wreak havoc on someone." She reaches into her hoodie pocket; when she brings her hand back out, cupped in her palm is a cluster of small, orange spiders. She holds them out with a grin, clearly proud of them.
She smiles wildly, you notice she has what appears to be small fangs instead of k9 teeth, "oh my gosh they're adorable!!!" She pokes one and it jumps on her finger before she puts it back. "So how does it work? Do you get like... Spider vision? Or can you walk on walls and stuff?"
"Thank you!" She laughs when one jumps on your finger. Once you're finished, she gently puts the spiders back into her pocket. "Ah, no walking on walls sadly - I kind of have spider vision though! These give me better peripheral vision," she explains, pointing to one of her extra eyes. "Also, you know how spiders know when something touches their web because of the vibrations? Well, if I want to keep an eye on a certain person or place, I can make a thread to connect them to me; then if anything disturbs the thread, I know to go and put it right again. That's always useful. And obviously I can compel people to do things, to a certain degree."
Her gaze flicks down to where she saw the fangs before, then back up again. "What about you? I noticed you have fangs - those are pretty cool!"
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
"I'm Sasha! The Klein Institute is a branch of the Magnus Institute that my great great whatever many greats grandfather created!" She's beaming at the chance to yap. "And yeah... On the worse front... I've seen Nikola's skinned mannequins at least once" she sighs. "So how bout you?
"Oh! Sasha's a nice name. I knew a Sasha once. I know the Magnus Institute as well. That explains why you've 'seen worse'..."
She pauses. "Ah... I wouldn't say I've seen anything that gruesome - I mean, I've seen things that don't make sense, things that'd probably drive me mad if I let them, but surprisingly nothing too, um... gorey, I guess? I should consider myself lucky in that regard." A bit of a shudder runs down her spine, and she hastily changes the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you an avatar, like me? Or are you just really unlucky?"
"well when I was a teen the hunt sorta 'sank it's teeth into me', if you'll forgive my awful pun" she says, chuckling at her own joke. "I was 17 when I picked up photography as a hobby. From there it turned from a hobby into an obsession with... Well... Tracking down subjects. I'd sorta pick someone, and then hunt them down until I got the perfect shot" she explains. "Photographers call or something like that"
She smiles at the pun, appreciating the humour, though it's impossible to miss the way her shoulders raise a little; she must be wary of the Hunt. Even so, she continues in the same casual tone, "That's fair. I mean, tracking people down isn't my kind of thing, but I can understand the obsession with the 'perfect shot' - I used to do quite a bit of painting, when I was younger. Travelled the country looking for the best views. I can respect the art in it."
After a brief hesitation, she adds, "It's, uh... nice to meet a Hunt avatar who isn't actively trying to murder me. If that's, um, not a weird thing to say?"
"Nah that's fully understandable" she says, smiling softly. "Though not all Avatars end up being violent beasts, some of us are just... People with obsessions" she explains. "So what exactly do you do as an Avatar of the Web?"
She relaxes again, visibly relieved, and nods. "I know. I just try to be cautious, that's all."
At the question, she tilts her head slightly, considering her words carefully. "Well... mostly just the basic spider-y stuff, I guess? I used to lean into the manipulation a lot more - there's probably at least a handful of people out there whose lives were ruined because of me, poor sods... but I tend not to make it personal anymore. Not unless I find someone I really dislike, anyway..." she adds, barely loud enough to hear. Then she clears her throat and continues.
"Most of the time, I just let these guys wreak havoc on someone." She reaches into her hoodie pocket; when she brings her hand back out, cupped in her palm is a cluster of small, orange spiders. She holds them out with a grin, clearly proud of them.
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
"I'm Sasha! The Klein Institute is a branch of the Magnus Institute that my great great whatever many greats grandfather created!" She's beaming at the chance to yap. "And yeah... On the worse front... I've seen Nikola's skinned mannequins at least once" she sighs. "So how bout you?
"Oh! Sasha's a nice name. I knew a Sasha once. I know the Magnus Institute as well. That explains why you've 'seen worse'..."
She pauses. "Ah... I wouldn't say I've seen anything that gruesome - I mean, I've seen things that don't make sense, things that'd probably drive me mad if I let them, but surprisingly nothing too, um... gorey, I guess? I should consider myself lucky in that regard." A bit of a shudder runs down her spine, and she hastily changes the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you an avatar, like me? Or are you just really unlucky?"
"well when I was a teen the hunt sorta 'sank it's teeth into me', if you'll forgive my awful pun" she says, chuckling at her own joke. "I was 17 when I picked up photography as a hobby. From there it turned from a hobby into an obsession with... Well... Tracking down subjects. I'd sorta pick someone, and then hunt them down until I got the perfect shot" she explains. "Photographers call or something like that"
She smiles at the pun, appreciating the humour, though it's impossible to miss the way her shoulders raise a little; she must be wary of the Hunt. Even so, she continues in the same casual tone, "That's fair. I mean, tracking people down isn't my kind of thing, but I can understand the obsession with the 'perfect shot' - I used to do quite a bit of painting, when I was younger. Travelled the country looking for the best views. I can respect the art in it."
After a brief hesitation, she adds, "It's, uh... nice to meet a Hunt avatar who isn't actively trying to murder me. If that's, um, not a weird thing to say?"
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
"I'm Sasha! The Klein Institute is a branch of the Magnus Institute that my great great whatever many greats grandfather created!" She's beaming at the chance to yap. "And yeah... On the worse front... I've seen Nikola's skinned mannequins at least once" she sighs. "So how bout you?
"Oh! Sasha's a nice name. I knew a Sasha once. I know the Magnus Institute as well. That explains why you've 'seen worse'..."
She pauses. "Ah... I wouldn't say I've seen anything that gruesome - I mean, I've seen things that don't make sense, things that'd probably drive me mad if I let them, but surprisingly nothing too, um... gorey, I guess? I should consider myself lucky in that regard." A bit of a shudder runs down her spine, and she hastily changes the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you an avatar, like me? Or are you just really unlucky?"
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
"hm... I've seen worse..." She says quietly. She seems to inspect them for a moment. "Y'know the Klein Institute is an equal avatar employer if you're ever in need of a job" she smiles and keeps walking with you. "So tell me about yourself"
Her eyes widen at that. There's a slight hesitation before she asks, clearly surprised, "You've... 'seen worse'? That's, um..."
She laughs a little, revealing two large fang-like structures protruding from the top gum, just in front of her teeth, and returns the smile. "That's not something I hear a lot," she finishes finally. "And thank you - I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever out of a job. I'm Sophia. Avatar of the Web, if you couldn't tell from the, uh... you know." She motions to herself, presumably to the extra eyes.
"What about you? What's your name? And what's the Klein Institute?" She's remarkably eager, especially compared to how mysterious she was trying to come across as at first. Something about Ms Klein's response to her, maybe.
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
Ms Klein follows silently behind the woman, somewhat enthralled and somewhat having a lack of something to do after visiting her boss in London. "Excuse me Miss?" She says as she taps the woman on the shoulder.
At first, Sophia's only acknowledgement of the tap is that she stops humming; her silence leaves a lingering, staticky sort of absence in the air, lessening the compulsion somewhat. Then, she slows down to walk beside the other woman, opening her eyes as she does so.
As it turns out, she has more eyes than just two; six others open around the two that would normally be there. Eight total, like a spider. She doesn't reply - she just watches Ms Klein, likely waiting for a reaction.
Sophia wanders the streets of London, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her gaze wandering and her stride short and slow, like she has all the time in the world. She doesn't show any sense of urgency, even as the sun begins to set and the street lamps flicker on around her - even as the shadows darken and the streets empty of people, save for a few lurkers here and there.
She doesn't appear to be afraid of the dark, or of what could be in it: in fact, she seems to be deliberately sticking to the shadows more than the light, turning down alleyways and shortcuts that could be concealing anything and anyone, constructing her path to be as winding and risky as possible. You notice her turn out of a side-street ahead of you; she pauses, looks up at the now-soot-black sky for a brief moment, then... closes her eyes..? - and begins walking in your direction. As she passes you, you realise that she's humming, just loud enough for you to hear.
It doesn't sound like any song you've ever heard before. It doesn't even sound like a voice; not a human voice, anyway. The only thing you can liken it to is siren-song: monstrous yet heavenly, beautifully captivating, beckoning you to interact with her in some way. It awakens something in you - tugs at your very nature - and you're compelled to follow her, whether to question, to hurt, to observe, or to befriend. Whichever feels more natural to you.
