RPG Esper Jam!

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][I]Great, a mind reader.[/I]

Tasha just winced at that thought from Shayla even as she took her food and found a seat, motioning for Shayla to join her, who after a moment's hesitation did. [I]I'd better explain or else she'll think I deliberately read her mind.[/I]

"[B]Actually Shayla,[/B]" Tasha said with a kind smile. "[B]I try to avoid reading people's minds since I think it's rather rude. It's hardly fair, especially when the person can't read mine in return.[/B]"

Tasha sighed a bit, she just couldn't help it, "[B]Normally I tend to keep my own barrier up to keep from accidentally hearing other's thoughts, but I've got another ability that's completely out of control. Joe called it a charm ability and basically what it means is that people near me become infatuated with me.[/B]"

She paused to see Shayla's reaction but she seemed too surprised by what Tasha had just said to respond.

"[B]Sorry for being so direct, but until they help me get that under control, it makes it difficult to keep my barrier up and as a result I hear people's thoughts. I did not mean to intrude on your privacy.[/B]" Tasha said apologetically. "[B]Also, if my other ability has affected you, please accept my apology for that as well. It's no trouble for me since I'm bisexual, but others are not and it seems to affect both genders.[/B]"

Shayla gave her the oddest look and then laughed a little nervously. "[B]Well that explains it.[/B]"

Tasha smiled again, "[B]I hope we can be friends, and I promise, I intend to get my ability under control, it's why I'm here. And even though you're quite pretty.[/B]" She smiled a bit more when Shayla blushed a tiny bit. "[B]I also promise I would never use the ability to make someone like me in that manner. Because I want someone to like me for who I am. Not because of some silly power.[/B]"

"[B]I can understand that[/B]." Shayla responded in turn.

"[B]Anyway, perhaps you could tell me a bit about this place? I just got here in the last hour, so I've no idea what to do or where to go.[/B]"[/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[COLOR=seagreen]Treana got her food, found an empty table, and took a seat. While she ate, she listened to the conversations around her, both what was spoken and what was in the minds of those whose minds were open. It was from this that she learned of the common Esper views about God.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]It was a discussion between two people at a nearby table. They were engaging in the standard debate of creation versus evolution. There was no hostility; the two were friends who just happened to have different beliefs. Treana'd heard similar discussions before, but the topic under discussion wasn't what interested her. Both of them had open minds, and whenever god was mentioned, Treana was able to pick up an association. It seemed that to both of them, the mention of God suggested not a supernatural being, but an esper. From their minds, she learned that it was common among espers to view god as simply the most powerful esper ever to exist.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]Treana found this fascinating. She'd never believed in any supernatural beings, not even after she discovered her abilities. She didn't see the abilities of espers as supernatural. To her, the supernatural was something completely outside the natural world, which espers' abilities were clearly not. So although she never believed in god as a supernatural being, the idea of god as an esper was different.[/COLOR]

[I][COLOR=#2e8b57]God as someone like us? Fascinating. If an esper is the creator, than that would explain a lot. some sort of temporal control would be necessary, of course, as would a general level of ability that was extremely high. But could anyone possibly be able to create everything? [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]No, but this person wouldn't have to. They'd already know what the universe is like. They'd already know what the creation is. With the universe's current state as a template, all that would be necessary would be to copy everything to the origin point. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]It's still hard to imagine. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]Of course, we didn't pick up anything referring to the esper god as the creator of everything, just as the most powerful esper ever. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]Still, I have to wonder if it's possible to achieve such a state. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]It is a fascinating idea.[/COLOR][/I]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=seagreen]The tow depating espers were still talking, and Treana's internal dialouge hadn't fully taken her attention away from the pair. [/COLOR][COLOR=gray]"But you're right about one thing," one of them said. "That bastard is not a messenger of God"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"I never said that. I just said I wouldn't expect God to choose someone like Liam. To be honest, I'm not sure what to think about him."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"Oh, come on! He's clearly nuts."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]The two continued talking, but neither Treana was paying attention anymore. [I]This Liam may know something about concept of an esper god. We should try to find him tomorow.[COLOR=royalblue] If anyone here would know how an esper would reach such a state, he certainly seems a likely candidate.[/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen] He probably doesn't know how to do it, though. If he did, he would've attained that state himself. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]Unless there's some reason he can't. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]That's certainly a possibility, but it's more likely that he doesn't know. Still, speaking to him couldn't hurt. We'll find him tomorrow.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=#2e8b57]Treana hadn't expected to come across something like the idea of god as an esper. It was a concept she found fascinating, and she intended to look into it more tomorrow. For now, however, she returned to her room. It was earlier than she usually went to bed, but she didn't have anything else to do. She'd explore Esper Hall and find this Liam tomorrow. For now, she lay down on her bed and went to sleep.[/COLOR]

[Skye]

[size=1][color=blue]She'd been sitting on that step too long. The pain in her tailbone had turned into numbness. Dusty closed the book with a snap and used the rail as a way to pull herself to her feet. She trudged back to her room in complete silence, ignoring the pitying looks people were giving her.

The door opened at her touch, and she slipped in. CLosing and locking it behind her, Dusty didn't even bother turning the light on or taking off her clothes. She flopped into the beanbag, refusing to touch the bed until she'd changed the sheets. Curled up in a fetal position, Dusty tried desperately to fall asleep.

Just as she succeeded, tears flowed down her face. It hurt to think about Shayla. Gods above, it hurt. Why did it hurt so much? Damn her.

Darkness washed over her, and with it, oblivion. Still, as she slipped into an almost dreamless sleep, all Dusty could hear was her voice and the injured expression on the older girls face kept slipping into view.

[i]What is wrong with me?[/i]

Then nothing.[/size][/color]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]After a few smiled Thomas lay down to sleep. H heard the pitter patter of feet around his bed. He looked below to see one of his creatures.[B] "What are you doing out?" [/B]Thomas asked. The monster jumped onto his bed. the creature's beety little eyes staring into Thomas' soul. Or maybe it was the melted chocolate on his lips from a candy bar that night. The monster licked Thomas'' face clean. Then he jumped into Thomas' head.

[B]"What the hell was that about?"[/B] Thomas asked himself. Maybe a monster had came out so it could replace chocolate. As long as that thing was out, and licking things, Thomas would have to keep it in. Maybe it was just some random event that just happened to happen.

Thomas fell asleep, not realizing the hole on his head. he must have got it after using his powers, they could have possibly put a strain on him, thus, causing a mental hole on the outside of his head. All he needs to do is wear a headband, and no one will notice. or tomorrow his had could go haywire and all the creatures could come out ad agitate the hell out of the students.

Who knows. As long as Thomas keeps his head straight. thmas just shrugged and went to bed.

((OoC:Don't worry, his powers won't go koo-cooo, that tounge monster will just embarrass him!))[/COLOR]

[Jiazu]

[font="System"][center][b]7:38[/b][/center][/font]
[SIZE="1"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Cho lay on her bed in a pink chenille robe, staring up at the sky and mulling over the events of the past day. [i]This place is so completely not what I expected...The people here actually seem pretty decent, except for that old whatshisname guy... creepy... I need to find out how to keep that pompous old freak out of my head. Hey...[/i] she bounced up off of her bed [i]This place has a library, right? Maybe there's something there that can help me![/i] Quickly changing into a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a halter top, Cho grabbed her map from the desk and slipped out her door.

[center]*************[/center]

[i]My, my, what a small library...[/i] Cho thought, looking around for some kind of directory or map to find her way through the rows and rows of books. She didn't see anyone at what looked to be the checkout counter, so after a moment's thought, she pulled her map from her pocket. [i]Maybe this'll work in here too...[/i] She looked down at the map, which, thankfully, was now covered with a detailed rendering of the library. [i]This map is a lifesaver... now, where are the books about mind-barrier-type stuff?[/i] A little path of arrows appeared on the map, leading up the main staircase and off into the library. [i]That way, huh?[/i]...

After more than a few twists and turns, some tightly-curving spiral staircases and a surprisingly sturdy ladder, Cho's trail of arrows ran out. She found herself standing in a small alcove, the walls lined with books of all shapes and sizes. [i]This better be what I was looking for...[/i] Cho thought, walking over to the nearest shelf. [i]Let's see... 'Your Mind & You'... sounds like it's got potential... 'What To Expect Whan You're Expecting A Mental Attack'?? Whoever named this had a strange sense of humor...[/i] Browsing the rest of the first shelf produced a stack of interesting-looking books, so Cho, seeing only some random pillows and such piled in a corner, dumped the books in the corner of the room with the most light, and dragged some of the cushions over, making herself comfortable. [i]I hope I can find something useful in here... That bloody idiot won't get in my head so easily next time![/i][/FONT]

[COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]OOC: She ain't going anywhere else today...[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Claire]

[FONT="Arial"][CENTER]7:45[/CENTER]

The food selection was just as gross as it had been the day he arrived. Julian stood at the table, his stomach throbbing with hunger. [I]Don't eat yourself[/I], he thought. But he began to wonder if he would have to survive off his own organs the entire time he stayed here. He hadn't eaten since he left home, and he foolishly didn't think to bring any vegan foods with him.

He backed away from the table, defeated. Thoughts of starvation entered his mind, but he walked out of the cafeteria very quickly.

Then there was Joe, once again.

[I]What the hell[/I], Julian thought, [I]why is he always where I am?[/I]

"Have you eaten?" Joe asked, arms akimbo. Julian's stomach let out a ferocious growl, and Joe arched his eyebrows. "It doesn't sound like you have."

"I'm not--" his stomach roared once more, and he sighed. "...hungry."

Joe wasn't convinced. "You have to eat something. You're going to need your health."

Julian frowned, his eyes avoiding Joe's. "There's nothing in there I can eat. And what do you mean, my health?"

The man pursed his lips and peered at his clipboard. Julian wanted to grab that thing and toss it out a window. "Nevermind. Just try to find something, okay?" He moved past Julian into the cafeteria.

Julian sighed and followed him, his stomach rumbling viciously.[/FONT]

[SIZE="1"]OOC: I really need to get Julian out of this loner mindset, hah.[/SIZE]

[Fyxe]

[size=1][b]"Anyway, perhaps you could tell me a bit about this place? I just got here in the last hour, so I've no idea what to do or where to go."[/b] Tasha asked politely. Shayla had the strongest urge to say yes, but she wasn't so sure she could trust herself. She was a sucker enough for pretty girls, throw a supernatural power to make the attraction ten times stronger... that would make it impossible. Plus, the constant thought of Dusty was nagging at the back of her mind.
[b]"I'm sorry. Maybe some other time? It is getting... a bit... late. I would get some sleep if I were you, before you take too much in. You'll need it," [/b] Shayla replied, telling herself that declining was the most reasonable thing for her to do.
She pushed up from her seat, giving Tasha one last apologetic look. But the way Tasha looked at her, it told Shayla that she understood. They exchanged final small smiles, and Shayla forced herself to tear her eyes away.

She walked away, somewhat shakily. Not paying much attention, she brushed against a very pale boy that had been walking by. A sudden series of images invaded Shayla's mind, making her grab his wrist, so she could concentrate on them. A disturbing vision of a dissection made her shudder. She quickly looked up at the boy and released his wrist, realizing that she had just read his memory on accident. He raised his eyebrow slightly at her, and Shayla realized how odd this must have been for him.
[b]"Uh, sorry..."[/b] She spoke, but was interrupted by his stomach growling. [b]"Dude... you are going to have a hard time finding vegge burgers around here."[/b]

[b]"How did you..? Oh... right. Nothing around here is private,"[/b] He replied somewhat bitterly.

[b]"Only your name,"[/b] She paused. [b]"I'm Shayla."[/b]

[b]"Julian,"[/b] He mumbled. Shayla grinned.

[b]"I like your eyeliner, by the way. Well, anyway, see you around."[/b] Shayla left the cafeteria, laughing at how awkward she was.
[i]Ahhh... time for bed, I think...[/i]

OOC: There, Julian made a friend, Clurr. :p[/size]

[Darren]

[size=1][color=SlateGray]It was [I]finally[/I] midnight! Chloe had been waiting for the better part of the day, completely on end about what she should expect at "Twilight," and even more excited about who was going to be there.

Since it was night time, and it was probably going to get cold flying around for an hour or so, Chloe dressed conservatively in a pair of jeans and an over-sized gray good that her mother had given her a few years back.After making sure Xander was taken care of, she grapped her map and made her way to the roof of Esper Hall.

Just like the Library, the roof also seemed to be larger than what the building or any laws of physics allowed. The was even more breathtaking. It was manipulated to appear several thousand feet above the ground. Chloe stepped up to the edge and peered out to the forest and the lake just beyond that. It seemed that she coulds see forever from the room.

[B]"Good thing you're not afraid of heights."[/B] Jake's voice whispered in her ear throwing her off balance and nearly causing her to fall. He seemed like he wanted to laugh, but helped Chloe up instead.

She figured that he must have teleported to the roof since that's what most of the others were doing. The only person who Chloe saw emerge from the door was Dante. He looked out of breath and figured that he got lost and had to run the whole way.

[B]"Alright. Now that everyone's here,[/B] he said signaling to Dante, [B]"We can finally start. Chloe and Dante are new. You guys know the drill."[/B]

All of the members seemed to smirk viciously as they stared at the two newcomers. And then each of them took a spot on the ledge of the roof. Dante and Chloe were instruced to stand by one of the leaders of the club, Chloe choosing Jake and Dante standing next to a rather small and weak-looking brunette. One by one they dove off the building, the young woman grabbing onto Dante's wrist and pulling over the ledge.

Jake and Chloe were the last ones on the roof.

[B]"After you."[/B] He said.

[B]"Are you crazy?"[/B]

He laughed a bit and then took off into the night, displaying several flips before return just inches away from the ledge. [B]"Trust me."[/B] His voice was so calming and Chloe grabbed his hand before realizing what she was doing.

The force of him taking off was so powerful, she felt like her shoulder had pulled out of place. And then, when she had time to readjust, she was flying faster than she could have ever imagined. Jake held only onto her hand as they sped towards the lake, the other Twilight members scattered all around them. And then they slowed down, Jake grabbing hold of both of her arms and holding her just below his body.

It seemed like forever that they had flown in silence, but then Chloe heard a loud scream followed by a body falling towards the lake. She recognized it as Dante, and looked up at his carrier to see the amused and giggling face of that skinny weak girl. Chloe thought Dante was going to be swimming, but the another flyer appeared and grabbed his arm, using that momentum to throw him a good 100 feet to the left. It was all some kind of game to them.

Chloe looked up at Jake, realizing what was about to happen, [B]"Jake, don't you dare..."[/B] she thought she was about to cry. Several curse words were running through her head and Chloe really wished that she had the ability to make heads blow up.

[B]"Sorry babe. Initiation."[/B] And he let go. This was going to be a long night.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[HellsMinion6676]

The only thing running through Dante's mind as he was thrown around the airspace above the lake was his lesson from teleporting class and the pain he felt when he hit the ground after falling off that cliff. The only thing Dante knew was he didn't want to feel that kind of pain again. He could see Chloe suffering the same fate as he was.

Dante was falling fast straight down towards the lake when the next person grabed him and threw him inches from the surface of the water, he could feel a mist from the water's surface as he went flying past it just to be thrown again into the air.

Finally he was caught by the guy he had seen take Chloe to begin with.

[B]"Okay, now that you have been initiated into our little club its time for you to learn how to fly. It is kind of like floating in water, you have to relax first and let the air grab ahold of you otherwise you will fall like a rock. So, first off relax and clear you mind. Now focus on the air around you, imagine it being like a solid surface for you to just lay on."[/B]

Dante cleared his mind of all his thoughts. He took a deep breath and relaxed every part of his body. After feeling that he had relaxed completely Dante focused on the the air, focusing as hard as he could on it being solid and being able to hold him up.

[B]'When ever you are ready let me know and I will let you give it a shot."[/B]

Dante was barely listening to what Jake was saying, he wouldn't let anything break his concentration. He simply just noded that he was ready. He felt Jake let go and felt himself fall momentarily, then he could feel what seemed to be solid ground below him. He looked down and saw that he was floating 300 feet above the lake.

[B]"I did it!"[/B] Dante screamed, throwing his fist into the air in enthusiasim. When he did this it broke his concentration and he began to fall towards the lake, quickly he began to refocus on the air and try to slow himself down. After falling about 40 feet or so he finally maneged to slow down and stop again.

[B]"Not bad new guy."[/B] Jake yelled down to him. [B]"But now lets see how fast you can go, to get going you need to just make the air move you. Like you made it be solid to hold you up, now make it propel you.[/B]

Dante looked around and saw in the distance Chloe, she seemed to be making good progress so far she was already flying around not as fast as the others but she was moving at least. Dante determined to not let her get ahead of him started himself moving, slowly at first untill he could get the hang of changing direction, he went in a few simple flight paths at first making sure that he could make his body go the direction he wanted. After feeling confident that he knew what he was doing he decided to see just how fast he could go.

The change of speed was nearly instant, he had just started thinking about going faster and it happened. The sudden jerk nearly gave him whiplash but he wasn't going to stop now. He tookoff the the surface of the lake barely skimming the surface leaving a huge wake in his path. Then he went straight up trying to go as high as he could, he could feel the temperature droping rapidly as he continued higher. It was becoming increasingly harder for him to breath, Dante couldn't maintain his concentration anymore, he began to fall back towards the lake picking up speed every second. He could se the ground getting ever closer to him. He was about 2 feet away from hitting the ground when he managed to teleport himself, he was still falling but now he hit his bed not the ground, Dante was amazed as to how far he had teleported but he doubted he could manage to teleport that far again without more practice or another near death experiance. Dante lay on his bed for awhile thinking on all that he had learned in the past day, controling elements, teleporting, flying, then there was those strange things that had happened earlier, how had he seen that girl ask him that question before she did, and what about all those voices he had heard before the teleporting class. [I]This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder.[/I] He seemed to have somehow developed slight precognision and telepathy. Just one of the many mysteries that he would probably never find an answer to here at Esper Hall.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="Magenta"][B]Day 2[/B]

Julian woke up at 8 AM feeling slightly groggy. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, remembering where he was. It felt like being in a hotel on vacation - the fact that he was living here now had yet to really sink in. It seemed a bit dark in his room, but only because of the black drapes hanging over the windows. He pulled them open to let the light come in. [I]I need a bath…[/I]

Julian lay in the warm water, running things by in his head. [I]Ah… breakfast… I wonder if the menu is just as bad…[/I] At least the water in his bath was crystal clear. Julian wondered if the water might have come from some kind of spring under the hall. He set his iPod beside the tub and had the headphones in his ears. He tilted his head back and let the music wash over him like the water.

[B][I]“This is what I brought you, this you can keep… this is what I brought, you may forget me… I promise you a heart, just promise to sing… kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep…”[/I][/B]

---

Julian found himself once more in the cafeteria, moaning at the sight of the food options. [I]Why don’t they just put a sign on the door saying ‘vegetarians can go to hell?…’ [/I]

[B]“Oh god, I’m so tired of hearing you whine…” [/B]Julian turned at the sound of this voice coming from a petite boy behind him. He blushed slightly. This boy was absolutely beautiful. His hair was stylish and tossed in a way that it sat sideways on his face, and it was dyed silver with pink streaks going through it. Adding onto that, he wore slim fit clothes and a silver collar around his neck. On top of all that, he had beautiful blue eyes… wait, what did he just say?!

“H-hey… keep out of my head,”

[B]“Oh, come off it. I know you’re not as stuck up as you act, so just be honest. Anyway, see those buttons on the wall?”[/B] Julian turned to the wall behind him to see an up and down button like those used to call an elevator. [B]“Press one.” [/B]Julian reached his finger out and pushed the up button. Suddenly all the lights in the room were blue. Julian raised an eyebrow.[I] Ooookayyy…[/I]. [B]“Now turn around,” [/B]the other boy said. Julian turned to find that the entire food selection was different. And… it was all great looking!

[B]“Thought you might like that. Anyway, see ya around, Jules,”[/B] and with that the younger boy left the line with his tray. Julian thought to correct him real quick, but it would have been pointless with the guy reading his mind. He was mildly annoyed, but his stomach cut him off…

[CENTER][B]***[/B][/CENTER]

Joe Deadrien woke up in another dimension. Everywhere around him was gray and there were giant blue gears turning soundlessly all around. For a brief moment, he didn’t know what was going on, but he immediately assumed it was a prank. Ugh… Joe focused his mind and surged his power on a reality-smashing scale - a move that would break the small reality instantly, allowing him to return to his desired plane of existence. Unfortunately, the space proved too large for him to shatter. What the hell? Suddenly, an image began to materialize as it moved toward him. Seconds later, it was clearly the old man.

[B]“Hello, Joe.”[/B]

[B]“I cannot begin to describe how much I’d like to punch you right in the face right now…”[/B] The old man only smiled and began pacing as he spoke.

[B]“Joseph, let me tell you something. I’m old, and I’m a bastard. I don’t have too many years left in me at one hundred and ten, even if I look not a day over sixty. I must say… I don’t intend on dying any time soon, and rumor has it… that a mage can live for eternity. Now I know you want to yell at me and how with my prospects, I will never be a mage, bla bla bla, how I have no soul, and I need to hurry up and die, whatever you damn kids want to say about me. I’m going to be outright with you, I think something’s going on. The same day that I was told something major was supposed to happen at the most spiritually significant location on Earth, eleven new students come to my school. The majority of which are beholders of a latent talent I have never witnessed in anyone before. Treana has two minds that she can consciously alternate between; Tasha has an attraction ability that I have seen as a precursor to spiritual manipulation techniques; with a year’s training, Julian could have his head blown off and recover instantly; Shayla can make other people view her as she wishes, though she has yet to realize it; Chora can speak to the souls of any creature; Thomas can create from nothing; Chloe and Damien have an incredible learning capacity and can master skills at an unreal rate; Dustin can erase her own emotions; Vanyel may be the most important of all. She has an ability lying dormant that could shake the very foundation of this world. Of all eleven new students, only one of them lacks a hidden, immense ability.

These children were meant for something far more than you seem to realize, Joseph. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let those talents go to waste and do nothing. I am taking them with me to Stonehenge as soon as the last of them has gotten up for the day. First I am going to run them through a brief training exercise manipulating time so that they can come out just in time for the big event.”[/B]

Joe stood up. What he did them couldn’t be seen by a human eye, but Joe suddenly went flying backward. He’d mentally assaulted the old man, but the bastard’s retaliation was too strong. Liam raised his fist and laughed. [B]“You can’t beat me, Joe. I’m going to leave you here, and you cannot escape. It will take your precious little girlfriend hours to find you when she finally realizes you’re missing, and by then it will be too late to stop me. Don’t count on you’re two little friends helping you either, because I’m speaking with them currently as well. No one else can oppose me, and you know it, so they will live in blissful ignorance of my leaving. This is the last time we will meet, Joe Deadrien. Best of luck on getting out as fast as possible. See you.” [/B]And with that, Liam left the younger esper in the universe he created.

[CENTER][B]***[/B][/CENTER]

Julian could’ve sworn he was putting up his tray after a good meal and about to leave the cafeteria. Apparently he was completely stupid or something, though, since he was obviously standing in the ruins of an ancient civilization. There were walls and roofs and pillars all around in disarray and moss and grass had grown over everything around. The semblance to a video game or story struck him, though this was quite obviously real, or at least realistic. His own image wasn’t changed at all - Davey Havoc was still singing into his ears, and his hair was still a bit wet, which made the slight chill of the outdoors tickle his scalp.

For a moment he was rooted I place, his eyes wandering about with a million questions that he wasn’t even sure how to formulate. Just then, an omnipresent-sounding voice entered his mind rather abruptly.

[B]“Welcome, Julian. Sorry for putting you here so suddenly - you should probably find the other nine as soon as possible, since things should be much easier if you’re all together. You ought to have a look around as well - you could be here for a few minutes or a few hours depending on how it goes. I’ll explain more soon enough, jut find your way to someone else for now.”[/B][/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[COLOR=seagreen]Treana had no idea what had happened. One minute, she was finishing her breakfast in the cafeteria, and the next she was in the middle of some kind of ruins. [I]What the hell just happened? [COLOR=#4169e1]I felt a mental presence just before it happened. Someone moved us to wherever this is.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=gray]"That's correct," someone said. A man had suddenly appeared in front of Treana. "Greetings," he said. "I am Liam Eldrin."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"You're Liam?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"That's right, Treana. I am Liam. I see you wanted to meet me."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Yes, I did. I assume, then, that you also know why."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Essentially, though I haven't been able to get the whole thing. Even after getting past your mental shield-which, by the way, is pretty impressive for a newcomer-it's far from easy to read your mind. Or should I say minds?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"So you know about my... unique mental situation."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Yes," Liam said. "I was able to figure it out, even though it's something I've never seen before. Anyways, there is a reason I brought you here."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"I assumed as much, and I'd like to hear it. First, though, I'd like you to tell me what you know about the concept of an esper god. We heard that you claim to be a messenger of god, so we figured you would be a good person to go to."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"I'm not sure I can be of much help. I really don't know much. Why do you seek this knowledge?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Because we find the idea of an esper god fascinating," Treana said. "We learned that the most powerful esper is thought of as 'God'. We want to know if an esper could actually be god."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Anything is possible, but why do you want to know this? Do you desire it for yourself?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"We do not want to be God. However, it would seem that there's only one way we can truly know if such a thing is possible, and that is to try for the state ourselves. We do not want the position of god, just to know if an esper can actually attain that status."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"I see. Well, I can only say to overlook no possibility Now, on to other things. As I said, there's a reason I brought you here, but I will not yet tell you what it is. See, you are not the only one I brought here. You were one of eleven espers to arrive at Esper Hall yesterday. All eleven of you are here. When you are all together, I shall say more."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Before Treana could speak again, Liam was gone. [I]Well, that didn't tell us much. [COLOR=royalblue]I do think an esper as god is possible, though, and I think that Liam knows this. He certainly knows more than he said. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]Most likely. It is possible that he doesn't know anything more, of course, but I doubt that's the case. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]I wish he'd said more. How could someone like us reach the state of being a god? [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]It is incredible. Even if the esper god just used the universe as it is to create it, that would take an enormous mental capacity. I doubt any mind could stand anything even remotely close to that level. Even combined, our capacity is likely nowhere close to that level.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=#2e8b57]And then she had it. [I]Of course. One person has a finite capacity. We are two, so we have twice the capacity. More of us would mean an even greate capacity. [COLOR=royalblue]But that many selves would be almost impossible to deal with. There has to be someway to combine the capacity of multiple selves into a single self. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]Yes. Having two selves doubles mental capacity. Perhaps two selves could be merged into one self that still has the doubled capacity. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]And then the new self is duplicated into two, each with the doubled capacty, for a total of four times the capacity. Then those two are combined into one with the four times capacity, which duplicates itself, etc. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]Okay, so that's a method. It's probably not the only possible method, but it's one we can use. It won't be easy though. First, we'll have to know how to merge ourselves into one self with our combined capacity. We'll also have to know how to cause the duplication effect again.[/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue] Yeah, but we can just repeat the action that let to it happening in the first place. And since it's happened before, getting it to happen again should be quite possible. We'll also need to develop our abilities as an esper. A boosted capacity won't do much if we're still learning the basics. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]Not to mention that the mind can only handle so much. We'll have to figure out how to expand those limits. Okay, now we know what we need to know. It may not be much, but it's enough to get us started. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]Yes, but first let's find the others Liam brought here.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=seagreen]Treana's interior dialouge ceased, and she began wandering through the ruins, searching with both her eyes and her mind for any sign of the others.[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"]Vanyel was feeling a bit better the next morning. Even if things had been quite startling at least it seemed like those who ran Esper Hall were going to help her understand her unique powers. And though she had only gotten to start on learning how to teleport herself she couldn't help but feel more excited about getting signed up for more classes. There were a lot of other strange things that she had done when her life had been in danger and she was curious to know if those too were abilities.

In no time she was up and dressed in her usual jeans, sneakers and a plain short sleeved shirt, pausing only to take a moment to tie her hair back in a loose ponytail by virtue of tying a small sash in place at the back of her neck. Then once again she tucked the map in her pocket and took off to get some breakfast first. There was no reason to carry her books around when she had to pass by her room to get back to the library anyway.

For the first time Vanyel realized that there were more choices for food after seeing some of the students messing around with a button on the wall by the selection. But part of her really didn't care. It was nice, but all she really cared about was not going hungry. That was the drawback about having to go from town to town. If there was no food to steal, then one just went hungry. It was why she simply ate the ham sandwich last night. She had learned long ago that being picky was pointless.

Still since the current choice was more of a vegetarian nature she was happy to see it. Vanyel had always preferred foods that were not greasy. Since they didn't make you feel weighed down or tired. And when she was finished and putting the tray away, the thought crossed her mind that so long as they didn't mind she'd probably take advantage of what was available.

But then all thoughts of food was cut short when she turned, felt the familiar twist that she had the first time she had been transported against her will, and found herself in another location altogether. [I]What? Not again![/I] This time Vanyel found herself all alone. It looked like an old run down ruin. Something she had seen in a book in a library once. Ancient pillars and crumbling walls with moss and other vegetation growing on them.

But there was one thing that did not fit and that was a feeling as if she was not in real time. But it made no sense to her. She looked around again but other than the hint of a breeze and utter silence there was nothing else. Who had brought her here? Vanyel knew that she could not do it.

"[B]I brought you here.[/B]" Liam spoke even as he appeared in front of Vanyel.

"[B]Why? You know I hate that.[/B]"

"[B]Because it's necessary. You wanted to understand why a place like Esper Hall existed right?[/B]"

Well, that was true, she had wondered why someone would pay for a place like that as well as for the needs of people like herself, but still. [I]Transporting someone against.. [/I]

"[B]Their will isn't right? I thought we covered that already.[/B]" Liam held up a hand to stop Vanyel's reply. "[B]Just as we already discussed how you hate having others read your mind. Your objections make no sense. Try to be patient, you'll see what I mean.[/B]"

"[B]But...[/B]"

"[B]No buts.[/B]" Liam said firmly. "[B]I brought you here because you like nine of the other new arrivals posses great potential. So I've brought each of you here. For now you need to find each other. Once you've done that I'll explain more.[/B]"

Liam paused and then gave Vanyel an almost stern look. "[B]You have no idea what's waiting inside you for you to unlock. I'll be watching for that more than anything else here. So don't disappoint me.[/B]" And with that Liam vanished.

Vanyel stepped forward the moment Liam vanished, reaching out entreatingly with her right hand. "[B]Wait! I don't understand![/B]" But it was no use he was gone. With a curse she kicked some rocks out of the way. Frustrated.

"[B]Dammit! Why the hell can't that idiot simply tell me what's going on instead of pulling some melodramatic stunt? Gahhhh![/B]"

Vanyel threw her hands up in disgust before looking around to choose a path to take. But if she was to find the others, how would she even know how to begin? She didn't even know which direction to take in this bizarre place. [I]If I go the wrong way I'll wander forever and miss them. [/I] But then it hit her. All she had to do was lower her barrier and listen for other people's thoughts.

With a sigh she found a huge flat rock and sat down to concentrate. It was one thing to think about it but to actually do it? Vanyel had spent so much time making her barrier stronger that she had never tried to learn how to lower it. And as she started to examine it she wondered if it would even be possible. At least without anyone to show her how.

But then another thought occurred to her. The map! Quickly she pulled it out of her pocket, but instead of something showing her where she was it was blank. So much for what the librarian Sara had told her. The map was supposedly designed to display a map of wherever you were within a certain radius. [I]Does this mean I'm no where?[/I] [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[HellsMinion6676]

Dante awoke to feeling of cold stone on his face. He jumped up and looked around at his surroundings, he could see ruins everywhere. [I]Where the hell am I now?[/I] he thought to himself.

[B]"I have brought you to this place."[/B] stated a disembodied voice.

[B]"You sound familiar, Liam is that you?[/B]

Liam appeared on the other side of the large rock that Dante had found himself on top of.

[B]"You posses a unique ability for learning Dante, I have brought you here along with nine other new arrivals. All will be explained later, for now you must find the others."[/B] With that Liam vanished. Dante went and sat and the edge of the large rock, from this spot he could see a vast distance, he decided to put his new powers to use. Dante stood up and walked out onto the air, he stood there for a few moments and then took off into the distance to begin his search for the others.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"]Tasha hadn't done anything else after Shayla had left besides finishing her dinner. She had simply retired to her room and took a moment to read one of the books she had brought with her until she was ready to get some sleep. It was tiring attempting to keep her ability in check and even though she was glad to have finally found Esper Hall, it bothered her that she was still affecting people.

The next morning however, she had felt better about it. Getting dressed in jeans that flared out at the bottom with flower patterns embroidered down the sides in pink. Her favorite sneakers along with a shirt with frilled edges like she had worn before only this time in pink. Tasha took a moment to check herself in the mirror in the bathroom and then using the map Joe had given her the other day she went and got some breakfast.

She had been planning on asking around to find a class to help her with her ability, but the moment she finished her breakfast she was completely surprised to realize that a stranger was entering her mind and then a second later she felt whoever it was transport her to an ancient ruin. And then before she could even think to attempt to force the stranger out of her mind, they withdrew on their own and a stranger appeared before her.

"[B]Who the hell are you? And by what right did you bring me here.[/B]" Tasha snapped, uncertain as to what to do. She had heard that people at Esper Hall were unbelievably powerful. But for someone to rudely take her elsewhere, alone at that, had all sorts of wild ideas running through her mind. Making her wish she had never come.

"[B]I am Liam Eldren and I brought you here since you do wish to learn to control that charm ability of yours do you not?[/B]"

Tasha had heard of Liam, indirectly from overhearing others thoughts when she arrived. A mixture of 'that bastard' to some in awe of his ability. But more importantly, that he was in many ways considered to be the one in charge of Esper Hall. She relaxed a tiny bit. Though it still made no sense why he had brought her here.

"[B]There are nine others here as well, all new to Esper Hall like yourself. For now find one another, once you've done so I'll explain more.[/B]" He vanished before Tasha could object.

A thousand questions ran through her mind, or so it seemed. [I]Nine others? New like me?[/I] As far as she could see, there was no one. But due to the crumbling walls and ancient pillars in ruins. To be fair she couldn't see very far at all. Which left her wondering just which way to go. [I]I guess I'll have to do like I did when I searched for Esper Hall. Listen for people's thoughts. [/I]

Tasha lowered her mental barrier but to her surprise there were no thoughts near her, none whatsoever. Carefully she extended her reach and then halted. No there was someone, but their thoughts were so quiet that she had missed it. Which meant whoever it was had the ability to shield their mind as well.

It didn't take her long to find the person, since it helped that they were staying put. The girl her back to Tasha as she entered the large open room she was in was sitting on a huge flat rock attempting to lower her mental barriers and failing. Now that she was closer Tasha could clearly hear what few thoughts escaped. She started to open her mouth to greet her but the girl stiffened and whirled around instantly getting to her feet and backing away.

"[B]You![/B]" She said accusingly. "[B]You're that girl from the cafeteria last night.[/B]"

Tasha winced, noting the near panic in her eyes as well as the plain clothing she was wearing, even the sash tying her black hair back was painfully plain. [I]Gods I wish this damn charm ability was easier to control.[/I] Just for once she'd like to get a normal response instead of the instant infatuation or fear.

"[B]Well since I was at the cafeteria I guess I am. But you and I have never met.[/B]" She took a few steps forward and then stopped when the girl took another cautious step backwards. "[B]I'm Tasha. I arrived at Esper Hall last night. I came here to learn to control an ability I have that makes people want to be near me. Anyway, you must be one of the other new people that Liam was talking about.[/B]"

Tasha waited for her to respond, she seemed to be thinking things though before finally she spoke. "[B]I'm Vanyel.[/B]"

"[B]Nice to meet you Vanyel,[/B]" Tasha said with a slight bow. "[B]Now I hate to be so blunt, but since we are suppose to find the others shall we get going? I've been listening for people's thoughts and there is a slight echo coming from that direction.[/B]" She pointed off to the right.[/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]Thomas awoke from his sleep. His head was back to normal. Yet he felt a sight energy disturbance from Esper Hall. Joe's energy wasn't in the building. Something must've been wrong. Liam's power was also gone. Thomas got dressed and exited his room.

[][]

Suddenly the whole budding was gone and the only thing there was a group of ruins sitting ever so gently on the ground. Thomas looked around then he heard an oh so familiar voice. he looked ahead and saw that old man, Liam.

[B]"What am I doing here?" [/B]Thomas asked Liam.

[B]"Why your here about your powers are you not?" [/B]Liam asked. he stood next to the buildings looking even more suspicious. [B]"No, why am I in this place with you?" [/B]Thomas asked aggravated. Liam took a few steps to his right. [B]"You could create a whole other planet with your powers. Truly remarkable. But if you want to learn more, meet up with the others."[/B] with those last words Liam left without a trace.

[B]"What did he mean by "create a whole other planet?" I've never thought of doing that in my life."[/B] Thomas wondered looking for someone, he could feel a faint energy. And soon others came into view. It was the other nine students.

[I]Well, there they are. [/i] Thomas thought. He looked inside his mind and thought about those words. If he could create another planet using his powers, what would he do with it? Maybe he could save humans from extinction with his powers. besides that the rest just put Thomas at awe. finally he had reached the others.

Thomas looked at his black clothes and thought a bit more. but he didn't want to waste his time. Liam was still bugging him hough. what does Liam want? why does he need me? Those questions flew across Thomas' head like images on a movie. he had thought of chocolate. he had never really thought of Chocolate's hidden powers.

Chocolate was always able to sense benevolence within a human. recently Chocolate grew sick after meeting Liam. Could Chocolate's powers have awakened, this sensing Liam's mysterious goals? Only Chocolate would know. But he as dead, now Thomas would never know if Liam's intentions were good or not. But he had a idea.

Anyways, now would be the chanch to find out more about the other nine students. [/COLOR]

[COLOR="Navy"]((OoC: Thomas made chocolate so Thomas can give them esper powers. No, I won't go too far with that when creating his monsters. BTW if anybody wishes to talk to him, you may! sorry if my grammer is shaky, I'm very tired.))[/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[COLOR=seagreen]The ten new arrivals slowly found each other. Treana was facinated by the variety of abilities they had, from Tasha's charm ability to Thomas's creation ability. It was Thomas who Treana was most interested in. His creation ability was something that an esper god would have to have. And from his mind, Treana learned that Liam told him he had the potential to create entire worlds. Okay, I think this confirms it. [I]Liam definitely knows more than he told us.[/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=#2e8b57]Though Tasha and Treana didn't know any of the others, it seemed that the other eight had at least briefly met each other previously. So Tasha and Treana introduced themselves to the others.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Now that you're all together, allow me to welcome you to Stonehenge." Liam appeared in front of the group.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Stonehenge?" Chloe said.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]Liam nodded. "That's correct. This is Stonehenge. You may be familiar with this place already, but there is still much about it you do not know. First of all, this is not Stonehenge as you know it. Some of you have noticed a strange temporal sensation. This is because where we are right now is outside of normal time flow. Though you may be spending a while here, you will return to normal time not long after I brought you here."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Yeah, that's all well and good," Treana said, "but why did you bring us here in the first place?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"There's a certain issue I will require aid for. Unfortunately, most of Esper Hall hates me, and of those who don't, none of them are really suited for this task. You all are much better choices, but as you are now you won't be of much help. And unfortunately, there isn't time for you to learn what you need to. At least, not within the normal flow of time. So I brought you here, where you will have ample time to learn what is needed."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"And just what is that?" Vanyel said. "And what the hell do you want us to do, anyways?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"I will reveal your role in due time. What this will require is a specific ability that none of you currently have. You will need the ability to create what is essentially a psychic shield around yourself. This shield will help you defend from attacks. It's a very useful ability to have, and one almost all espers learn eventually. It's the best means of defense against other espers. Though espers more powerful than you will be able to break your shields, any others will find themselves unable to directly manipulate you. For example, I know that some of you do not appreciate being teleported against your will. With a shield in effect, anyone who can't break it would be unable to teleport you."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"Now that's something I'd like," Julian said. "How do I do it?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]Liam indicated an odd-colored stone. The method has been imprinted on this stone. How that works is rather complicated, so I won't bother trying to explain it. Just know that is you open your minds and touch the stone, you will see the method for creating your shield. From there, you'll just have to try it until you get it right. Once you all have the ability down, I will return. Until then, just keep practicing. I advise those of you who get it down before the others to practice with the abilty, or with your other abilities. The more capable you are, the better." And with that , Liam vanished.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Well, no point in just standing here," Treana said. "We don't like it, but it seems that the only way we'll be able to leave here is by doing what Liam wants." She stepped forward and touched the stone, opening her mind as she did so. The effect was just like reading someone's mind. She saw the basic method for creating the shield. She stepped away from the stone, walked a few steps away from the others, sat down, and began attempting to make her own shield.[/COLOR]

[HellsMinion6676]

Dante walked up and touched the stone, he had a strange sensation, like reading a book only without the book. [I]This must be what it is like to read minds.[/I] he thought. Dante walked aver to a small rock and sat down, he closed his eyes and started to try and create his own sheild. He began by trying it on a small region of his body first. He attempted to try create a sheild around his hand. it took nearly half an hour and intense concentration but he finally managed to create a sheild on his hand. Feeling very proud of himself Dante decided to take anap while the others where attemting to create their sheilds. Dante laid back on the rock. The stone was very warm, the sun must have been on it all day, it wasn't long before Dante was asleep.

Dante awoke to a crash of thunder, obviously the temperal displacement didn't the the weather from changing, or it was another obstacle for the group to over come. Dante decided to try out the sheild, he concentrated on creating one on his entire body. About an hour or so later he had succeded but by then it ddn't matter he was soaked and he was trying to create the sheild so that he could stay dry. The others seemed to be talking to each other, but Dante just stayed off to the side by himself.

Dante decided to go and check out the other ruins around the area while the others were working on the sheild. There was a small group of pillars off to the right of where everyone was, Dante decided that they would be a good place to start.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][I]You've got to be kidding me! [/I]Vanyel thought as she watched the others touch the stone, opening their minds as they did so. At that moment she wanted to cry from frustration since her attempt to touch the stone and read it met with her own barrier refusing to lower. [I]Great! Just great! Leave it to that fool to give me a task I can't do yet![/I] Vanyel stalked off a bit, furious at Liam. If he was so powerful, surely he knew she had yet to figure out how to lower her barrier. Vanyel was sure it was similar to the teleportation, a matter of understanding what to do. But in this case she literally didn't know how. She had already tried to do so when she first arrived at this strange place.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that Vanyel didn't even realize someone had approached her until a hand touched her right shoulder from behind and a voice asked her if she was okay. With a startled shriek she whirled around backing up, tripping over her own feet and falling hard on her rear. It was only the woman Tasha who she had met earlier.

"[B]I'm sorry, I did call out your name[/B]" she said apologetically. "[B]Didn't you hear me?[/B]"

Vanyel got back up, taking a moment to brush her clothes off before responding. "[B]No I did not hear you.[/B]"

"[B]I figured as much. Since your thoughts were a tad incoherent as well as being quite angry.[/B]"

Vanyel stepped back, instantly angry. "[B]Why the hell does everyone think it's okay to read other people's mind? Gods! Just stop it already![/B]" She turned to stalk off again but stopped when Tasha spoke again.

"[B]You don't understand, I only heard the thoughts that escaped your barrier, I did not read your mind.[/B]" Tasha found a large stone to sit down on before continuing. "[B]Now again, I'm sorry for being blunt, but the truth is I do know how to lower one's shield, if you like I'll show you how. Especially since I noticed when we first met that you were unable to lower your barrier[/B]."

[I]But... what about that ability of hers? The one she said that makes people want to be near her? If my barrier is lowered won't that leave me open to it?[/I] Vanyel stood there, torn between leaving and accepting her help. She shifted from one foot to the other, [I]I don't know what to do![/I]

Tasha sighed a bit. "[B]I can understand why you are reluctant, but look at this way. Once you figure it out, your barrier will be even stronger. Part of your problem now is that it's not set up very well. You're relying on brute strength instead of proper training. I may not have been at Esper Hall for long but I did met a telepath before I came here who showed me the basics.[/B]"

Vanyel finally sighed. "[B]Fine, just promise me that you'll stay out of my mind as much as possible.[/B]" In the end, what choice did she have? She was stuck here until she learned what Liam expected of her. And though she didn't hate him, Vanyel was beginning to understand why she kept hearing others refer to him as '[I]that bastard[/I]'

[CENTER]************************[/CENTER][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[B]OCC: [/B]It's all yours at this point Aaryanna

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="Red"][CENTER][B]Red[/B][/CENTER]

[B]?God damn it!?[/B] [I]Joe [/I]howled in rage as he stood up, having been knocked to the ground by the force of rushing the barrier of his current prison. This tiny universe was intensely strong - by not making it too vast, [I]Liam [/I]had been able to concentrate more power on making it durable. [I]Joe [/I]had concentrated amounts of energy incomparable to the limits of human imagination on breaking free, but his efforts were in vain. In a fit of rage, he attacked haphazardly and with full force over and over.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Blue"][CENTER][B]Blue[/B][/CENTER]

[I]Joe [/I]eventually tired of beating on the walls and began to assure himself that he?d be freed soon enough when [I]Shiana [/I]or someone else figured out he was missing. It?s not like they?d go [U]an entire day [/U]without looking. After all, [I]Joe [/I]could last [U]a few hours [/U]anyway and probably undo whatever mischief the [I]old bastard [/I]was reeking. The minute he was out, he?d rally the [I]troops[/I]?[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][CENTER][B]Orange[/B][/CENTER]

A placid boredom was holding onto [B]Joe [/B]now. He cursed [B]Liam [/B]for leaving him here for so long. He became more and more determined to thwart the [I]old man[/I], having nothing else to distract his thoughts. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep back on his bed.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Indigo"][CENTER][B]Purple[/B][/CENTER]

Something wasn?t right here. It?d been [U]so many hours [/U]now? he?d even had a thorough sleep. Had no one come to look for him for [U]18 hours[/U]?! What if [I]they [/I]weren?t able to find him? Was this place in fact not an alternate version of his room, but somewhere else entirely? What if he wasn?t even on earth anymore?! Just how powerful was [I]Liam [/I]anyway?![/COLOR]

[CENTER][B]Black[/B][/CENTER]

[I]Joe [/I]felt like a carcass. He?d calmed down after realizing that the space existed in [U]a much faster time [/U]than the outside world, so while he had been there [U]22 hours[/U], it hadn?t been more than [U]3[/U] in the outside world. He was so devoid of energy that he didn?t even roll about in his bed. He simply stared off into the gears and the backdrop that had continually reflected his emotions.

[B]?Black, eh? You?re right? I feel dead?? [/B]He rolled over and fell back to sleep.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"]"[B]All right, come and take a seat,[/B]" Tasha motioned to Vanyel, encouraging her to sit on the same rock. Once she had done so Tasha held her right hand out. "[B]Now take my hand. I'm going to simply let you see how it's done by having you watch me lower my shield okay?[/B]"

She waiting patiently for Vanyel to finally put her hand in hers. "[B]Now close your eyes and watch. Even if you can't lower your barrier, if you allow your mind to follow the physical connection from my hand you'll be able to see what I'm doing.[/B]"

Tasha waited until she felt Vanyel attempt to see into her mind and then with slow deliberation she lowered the shield. Smiling inwardly at the tiny start of surprise form Vanyel. [I]Just as I thought,[/I] Tasha told her. [I]You don't know how to ground or center your shields. Now look into yourself and do what I just did. [/I]

She watched as Vanyel tried to do what she did and then hesitated at the last moment when she realized what it would mean. [I]Yes, that's correct, the moment you lower that shield you will not be able to put it back up. Trust me, it won't matter. The new psychic shield will temporarily work to shield both until I show you how to ground and center your own talent. But more importantly, without the other barrier, picking up on the new technique will be far easier.[/I]

Vanyel started to pull away and stopped. [I]But what if I can't learn how to ground and center? [/I]Tasha felt her shudder in fear of being back in the position of hearing others thoughts without being able to turn it off. And without meaning to she caught just what that fear was from the rush of emotion from Vanyel, before Vanyel ruthless crushed it. At the last second Tasha caught herself from showing her surprise, keeping her startled thought private. [I]Gods, no wonder she's afraid of lowering her barrier...[/I]

Tasha took a deep breath, [I]please just do it. I promise, if you can't get the barrier back up I'll help you shield other thoughts out until you do.[/I] For a long moment she thought Vanyel was going to back out and then finally she did it, her shields collapsing completely. And for one moment Tasha caught a glimpse of her mind without meaning too, startling her yet again. [I]Now go and touch the stone, quickly! [/I] She watched as Vanyel stumbled to the stone, her own thoughts in turmoil as she kept her next thought private. [I]Gods, I wonder if she even realizes what she's capable of doing. [/I]

A thought that was confirmed as minutes later Vanyel managed to snap a psychic shield in place, it was fairly weak and it was extremely difficult for her to do so, something that Tasha could clearly see as moments later she took it down. But at the same time as Vanyel came back over and sat down she couldn't help but smile.

"[B]There you see? Now it's only a matter of practice until you can maintain that barrier at any time, as well as making it stronger."[/B] Tasha motioned to the rock again. "[B]Now lets start on grounding and centering your other shield shall we? Thanks to the instructions for the psychic shield it should be much easier since it's very similar.[/B]"

She waited for Vanyel to take a seat again, once again taking her hand. Until she grasped her power a little better, that physical contact would make it easier for Vanyel to see mentally what she was trying to show her. It took several hours, but finally Vanyel grasped the concept. Pulling her hand free and simply sitting on the rock, ignoring that she was soaked to the skin.

"[B]Hell, even if that did work, I can't even come close to blocking things out like I did before.[/B]"

"[B]Don't worry about it.[/B]" Tasha said reassuringly. "[B]Now that you've got them properly grounded and centered, this time building the shield up will be more permanent. And with the foundation being firmly in place, in time, no one will be able to get into your mind unless you wish it.[/B]"

Vanyel smiled at the thought of being able to shut everyone out. "[B]Thank you.[/B]"

Tasha just smiled some more. "[B]You're welcome. Now I suggest practicing some more or resting a bit while everyone else is practicing their shield as well.[/B]" But Vanyel surprised her by simply stretching out on the rock in spite of the rain and simply falling asleep. That is until she remembered what she had caught from her mind, [I]what a hard life she's had.[/I] Something that baffled her since Tasha had never done without, had never had to... She shook her head and simply got up and left her lying there, keeping an eye on her while she slowly looked around. And then while continuing to sort of keep an eye on Vanyel she continued practicing the psychic shield for herself.[/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[COLOR=seagreen]Treana looked around. Everyone seemed to have learned to make the shield. [I]Liam should return soon, then. [COLOR=royalblue]But what does he want with us? [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]It certainly involves some sort of danger. Why else would we need the shield ability? [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]There will most likely be danger, yes. So why are we the ones to face it? Liam surley has people more appropriate for whatever he has in mind, despite his claim to the contrary. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]The only one who knows is Liam, and it's not likely he'll tell us. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]Then we can learn only by penetrating his mind. [/COLOR][COLOR=seagreen]His shield's too much for us. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]We'll just have to get stronger, then. As soon as we're back at Esper Hall, we start working on how to properly merge ourselves. For now, we focus on the current situation.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[I][/I]
[COLOR=gray]"Well, I see you've all learned the shield ability," Liam said, appearing in the middle of the group. "It's time to move to the next step."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"And what's that?" Julian said. "What the hell do you want with us?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#808080]"When we return to normal time," Liam said, "we will be at the real Stonehenge. Moments after our arrival, an interesting phenominon will begin. It's hard to explain, but all you need to know is that there will be a surge of spiritual energy. Without your shields, this surge will be lethal. I'v[/COLOR][COLOR=#808080]e seen your progress, though, and all of you are capable of creating shields sufficient to protect you."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Okay," Treana said, "so just why the hell do you need us?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"You don't need to do much, actually. Just survive. Oh, and I should warn you that surges such as this have somewhat unpredictable effects. Even with your shields, you may experience anything from disorientation to hallucinations. Just know that whatever happens, do not drop your shields. Keep your shields up, and you'll come out alive."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Liam returned everyone to normal time, and vanished. Treana looked around. They were in the exact same place, but it felt normal now. There was no trace of the strange sensation that had presumably come from being outside of normal time flow.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]"Okay," Treana said, "looks like we're straded here. I don't know what Liam wants, and there's certainly a shitload he didn't tell us, but what he did say is likely accurate. So we should probably do just what he said."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Yeah, and who out you in charge?" Vanyel said.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"Oh, we're not in charge or anything like that. However, we do have an advantage. We have a much easier time dealing with the unexpected than most people."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]"Who's 'we'?" Tasha said.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]"I doubt there's time for a detailed explination, but essentially, there are two of me in this body. Two minds. The situation has its advantages. Anyways, we're out of time. I can feel something, and I'm guessing it's the spiritual surge. Shields up."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]Treana raised her shield as the surge began, and saw that the others had done the same. The spiritual energy itself wasn't visible, but it was certainly having an effect on the surroundings, causing a significant wind. Dust was kicked up into the air, and small rocks were flying everywhere. Treana could barely see. She didn't try to do anything. She just sat down and focused on her shield. [/COLOR][COLOR=royalblue]Her other self was ready for any potential complications, such as the disorientation or hallucinations Liam mentioned. Now, there was nothing to do but wait and see what happened.[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][I]Without your shields, this surge will be lethal.[/I] ... [I]Keep your shields up, and you'll come out alive[/I] ...

Vanyel couldn't get that part of what Liam had said out of her mind. Everything else was meaningless. [I]I should have known there was a catch to all of this.[/I] She thought with disgust, even as she tried to hide her fear. It was no different than being on the street, people did not help you without expecting something in return. And other than to briefly snap at Treana out of frustration instead of any real concern over anyone being in charge she had no time to think any more about it.

The surge of spiritual energy Liam was talking about had arrived. Within seconds dust, debris and small rocks were obscuring her view of the others and only the newly learned psychic shield was keeping her from being battered. [I]Hell! How long is this going to last?[/I] Vanyel didn't know how long she could hold it and it didn't help that she could hear some of the other's thoughts. Ever since she had done what Tasha had said, even though her other mental shields did feel more '[I]attached[/I]' for lack of a better word, she still couldn't block things out like she could before. And now on top of that she was sensing others fear as well.

Vanyel had never been able to sense other's emotions before. Or, was that what Liam meant when he had said, '[I]you may experience anything from disorientation to hallucinations[/I]' Vanyel couldn't tell if those emotions were real or not. It didn't make them any less painful though and within a few minutes she was on her knees, grasping her head with her hands, clenching her teeth in pain.

[B]"Get out of my mind![/B]"

"[B]If you hadn't killed me I wouldn't be stuck in your mind.[/B]" A voice whispered in her ear.

Shocked Vanyel looked around wildly for whoever had spoken, but other than the brief space between her and her shield, there was no one in sight. [I]What?[/I]

"[B]Who's there?[/B]"

"[B]Have you forgotten me already Vanyel? I was the first one you killed after all.[/B]"

Shocked, Vanyel nearly lost control of her shield at that moment. [I]It can't be! How could he be here?[/I]

"[B]You're not real![/B]"

"[B]Oh but I am, and until you pay for what you did I won't go away.[/B]"

Vanyel choked on what the voice said. [I]Pay? He was the one who... [/I] Vanyel hunched over, closing her eyes tightly. [I]You're not real! You can't be! [/I] But the voice continued to mock her just the same. Just as the painful emotions of fear continued to batter her senses.[I] Hell![/I] she thought desperately as she began to feel faint. [I]If this doesn't end soon... [/I][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"]Tasha wanted to keep an eye on Vanyel but the confusion that resulted prevented her from doing so. Even though using the shield was fairly easy, it wasn't much different from her mental shields after all, but still Liam had not been lying about them experiencing disorientation to hallucinations. She knew the feelings as well as the strange images were not real and yet she ended up having to sit down and simply concentrate on the shield, closing her eyes to what was before her.

The hardest part was the sensation of being outside of her own body, it was making her feel as if she was losing her connection to the real world. And she knew that if she opened her eyes it was possible that the shock of seeing where she thought she was, could result in the shield collapsing. Tasha did know the basics of shielding like she had told Vanyel, but she did not know how to keep track or separate the difference between being in her own mind or outside it.

Her teacher, or rather friend who had taught her had explained how losing one's connection could result in your mind being separated from your body for good. At least if one did so before they were trained to understand and not be affected by what was happening. With an inward sigh Tasha closed her eyes even tighter, ignoring how even the sensation of her hands touching the ground, the sound of the dust being kicked up in the air faded to silence.

Tasha would not drop her shield, no matter what. She knew that Liam was not lying about doing so being lethal. And when it reached the point that she could no longer feel her own body, she simply continued to concentrate on the shield. Until the spiritual energy dispersed there was little else she could do. [I]I hope Vanyel is all right. [/I][/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]Thomas wanted to know if all was okay. If he wasn't the only one who was able to use this shield. Thomas was keeping his energy in flow better than any other time of his life. He knew the key to surviving the surge was to keep his energy flow in check making sure nothing was imbalanced. but he still had his mind set onpersevering though this. Whatever te future held for Thomas, he would get through it, he had to live... for his mother.

The fact that she died always pulled at him. There was a gash in his heart, and only he could fill it. He felt is energy short, almost as if he was about finished. But Thomas couldn't give up, the surge would get him if he wasn't careful. He let it all out, but is head started to hurt, the pain stung. But Thomas kept thorugh, he wouldn't let his shield down, otherwise...

[i]Well Tommy boy, you have gone a long way![/i] Thomas thought to himself. hename Chocolate gave him was really fitting. But he started worring about teh toehres, if they were all right. And he thought about Joe for a few seconds. whatever was going on here, Joe had something to do with it.[i]Don't worry though, he's alright...[/i][/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="Magenta"][I]It?s beyond anything I?ve ever felt? the raw energy?[/I] Liam soaked in the energy swelling from the druids, feeling his mind open and spread. It was as if an entire universe were opening up inside of his head. A universe full of power. The magnitude was amazing, even for the powerful esper, but suddenly everything went quiet.

[B]?Liam. What are you doing? Why did you bring those children here?? [/B][I]Is this a hallucination? [/I]Liam suddenly realized that he was floating in an endless void of white. He turned his head about but couldn?t find anyone there. [I]Amazing! The power is so great, even I am being fooled![/I]

[B]?You may be a fool, but this is no trick, young one.?[/B]

[B]?Who are you??[/B]

[B]?That is inconsequential. Please answer my questions.?[/B]

[B]?I came here on my quest to become a mage. With this much power, I can surely raise my mental status to a new height! As for the children; they are all fresh minds that I will mould into my own army!?[/B] As these words left Liam?s mouth, even himself seemed puzzled by his honesty and the severity of his use of words. Still, the voice responded.

[B]?You?re a damn fool, indeed. To think that a mage could be created through power. You truly believed you were a messenger of god, didn?t you. But in the end, you?re nothing but a bastard child.?[/B] The words [I]?in the end? [/I]rang in Liam?s mind and brought about a tinge of fear. [B]?A mage is one who is at peace with existence and weaves himself into the fabric of being. You are nothing but a man who?s mind is riddled with thoughts of power and has been driven to madness. Power only brings corruption in the minds of mortal men.?[/B]

There was a brief silence, then Liam slowly began to laugh. Louder and louder his voice boomed as he cackled maniacally. [B]?Power! Corrupting the minds of mortal men! But I am no mortal man! I AM IMMORTAL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!? [/B]

??????????[B]?So be it?.?[/B]

Liam?s field of vision slowly shifted from white to pink - the color becoming darker and darker. Suddenly he started to choke and couldn?t find any oxygen in his lungs. [I]My shield![/I] Liam tried to erect his mental shield, but it didn?t stop his suffocation. The old man?s vision became black as his mind failed his physical form. [I]?In the end? you?re nothing but an old bastard?.?[/I]

[CENTER]---[/CENTER]

When the power surge ended, Liam was nowhere to be found. Instead, in the center of the circle of stones, another large stone stood. When they were finished with their initial pissed-offedness at Liam, the young espers found their way back to Esper Hall. When they found Shiana, they explained to her what happened, and Joe was found and freed from the dimension in which he was being kept; he was almost fatally ill and was sent to the hospital. Meanwhile, Shiana figured out that the 9 kids had been dramatically increased in power. Their capacity for mastering esper techniques was much higher than normal, and with luck, they?d be able to reach new heights of esper power. When Joe was released from the hospital, he got to work on writing and publishing a new book on esper studies based around the incident.

[CENTER]---

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/ch3yatahaze.jpg[/IMG]

[B]Chapter 3: Yatahaze[/B]

---6 weeks later---[/CENTER]

[B]Movement One: Tell[/B]

Well, time flies when you?re creating a work of? okay, so fact and art rarely coincide, but in any case, my novel was complete and added to the infinite shelves of knowledge that some like to call a library. I call it the book place. The kids who got hit with the energy blast have all come along nicely and become regular citizens of Esper Hall. There?s been a few new members since then as well, though it really must have been fate that dragged so many here on those fateful days.

I gotta say, I?m glad those kids came, because Liam disappeared shortly after they arrived. I?ve seen what they believe to be his remains - the added stone was removed rather quickly, as it would have been dangerous to be left alone.

Anyway, there are more important matters to be brought up. The energy surge at Stonehenge is a phenomena like I nor anyone at Esper hall has ever been around when recorded. The entire thing was only a split-second long in our time, but the wave of it?s influence was universal. This, of course, sent people out studying Stonehenge, though nothing was discovered.

What we did find out from the results of the energy implosion was that it?s impact was both beneficial and negative on the universal scale.

[B]Movement Two: Energy[/B]

[B]?Joe! Did you see the news yet?!? [/B]Shiana burst into my office like a storm with an excited tone. I knew this had to be important - I hopped up and followed Shiana hurriedly to her room.

Stonehenge had disappeared. Entirely. [B]?And look at this!? [/B]Shiana handed me a clipboard with a paper attached and a list of around 20 names.[B] ?these are all known, powerful espers who have died suddenly in the last 24 hours! Something?s going on Joe!? [/B]

Indeed, ?something? was. Apparently the surge of energy had caused a universal disturbance which had caused the energy flow of space to increase in certain parts of space. This increased energy flow would have the power to suck in other high-energy frequencies. Anyone or anything with a high amount of energy would be flattened against the surface of an energy cloud and carried off on it?s journey.

[B]Movement Three: Information[/B]

I stood before a crowd of all of esper hall on a podium. This was the most annoying feeling in the world - like a principal preaching to his school. And yet, I knew the importance of this. Many of the recently disappeared espers were significant community figures as well as our friends. And here I stood - currently the most powerful of us all. I know I usually seem modest, but were I to boast I could say that Shiana, the next on the ladder of power from me, pales in comparison.

[B]??the way it works is, the cloud spent the past 6 weeks or so gathering energy from the galaxy it currently inhabits - ours. As it did so, it gradually increased to a frequency that would allow it to travel. By my estimate, it has reached that level in the past 24 hours. The places and people who?s energy radiates at a similar frequency would become a part of this energy cloud and carried with it as it embarks. This cloud may travel our own universe, or possibly seep into other universes depending on the energy it gathers.

If one were to follow this energy being, they might be able to operate within it and free the people and things it has absorbed. Alternately, if the cloud were to come back to this galaxy, it would drop of whatever it left, though the amount of time before it does so is impossible to determine. The final possibility is that the cloud would eventually dissipate and release everything it has captured. Are there any questions??[/B]

[B]?Joe!? [/B]Shiana called from aside. [B]?You look pale?? [/B]I looked down at my palm and found it a ghostly white. Suddenly I heard the sound of a visceral tear. My mind was flung from his body.

[B]Movement Four: Rally[/B]

The cloud gaped in horror as Joe?s lifeless body fell to the ground on the stage. Immediately the entire room went into an uproar. Shiana rushed to Joe?s side, yelling and shaking him there was a temporary panic until a young man with blonde hair took to the stand.

[B]?Calm down everyone! You?re behaving like children! Listen. This field is going to leave us very soon. I don?t know about you all, but I do not intend to let my best friend and many more of my friends be taken away from me when I cannot even join them! It will be extremely dangerous, but I intend to follow this energy cloud and retrieve them! If you want to come along with me, that?s fine, but do not come unless you have a lot of skill and if you have mastered the shield technique. Once again, this is very dangerous, but it is also a great opportunity for you to enhance your skill and get our friends back! Who?s with me?!?[/B]

[B]Movement Five: Yatahaze[/B]

[CENTER][I]?Climbing? building us up? tearing me down? lifted back up we are climbing all of this time, drifting right back to the ground? suddenly??[/I][/CENTER]

A group of twenty stood in a circle; their minds concentrated as one and their hands joined together.

[B]?Are you all ready??[/B] A unanimous ?yes? was spoken between the circle, though some bore a mark of trepidation or inner turmoil. Some were determined, others scared, but all ready. Seconds later, the soil of the earth - the coils of reason, were left behind, as the true journey began.[/COLOR]