The ‘spag,’ as referred to, was a man named Enzo. Enzo Borelli, days spent in doing petty cannabis deals with visiting foreigners. Trying to pass off cheap stuff as the Pride of Italy. Somehow, the idea of coming to America and becoming a drug lord had entered his head, and whether anyone would believe it or not, he had some savings which he drained to buy air tickets to America. The first thing he did on arriving was to try and buy some marijuana, but the guy he tried to buy it off was a cop posing as a dealer to catch just the likes of him. No matter how much he’d pretended to not know English and chanted ‘Italiano! Italiano!’ the cops took away his passport and held him in an interrogation room which was covered in mirrors on all four sides.
Sometime later, this lady officer had walked in and switched off the camera that had been following him everywhere throughout the room.
‘Borelli…. Enzo Borelli. Marijuana – pretty good.' There was something powerful about her voice. Her scanning gaze made Enzo shift uncomfortably. There was something hard about this woman, thought Enzo. Every word she spoke was like a slab of rock – it hit you hard. He had never seen such a hard-natured woman in his life. There weren’t many lady officers in the Polizia. And even those who were there, could hardly match this lady here. Attractive in every way imaginable, but a strong look about her as well. She held her stare at him as she continued to speak.
‘So, you thought you’d buy some pot huh? Smoke up, fuck a few whores. You think that Italian cheek works everywhere, do you?’
‘I no speek eenglish..’
‘Shut the fuck up. Don’t fucking try and pretend to be some spag who floors those stupid Malibu sluts with your NO SPEEK EENGLISHH!’
‘Baat I tell you I no speek eenglish!!’ stammered Enzo.
‘Oh yeah?’ Her stare at Enzo never broke and she narrowed her eyes as she spoke, ‘Then how the fuck are you saying all of this?’
Enzo snapped his mouth shut then. She had him where she wanted him and he realised this woman was too clever to outsmart. She meant business. He decided to not get on the wrong side anymore. He was in trouble as it is.
‘Now, I’ve been looking your records up. You’re not just a foolish tourist who just comes in for some pot and gets caught.’ She had a flash in her eyes as she said this. ‘You’re a dealer, aren’t you? You’ve been arrested twice, once in Ravenna, then Venice. You were caught selling powder to tourists which you were passing off as Class A coke but the cops did find other stuff in your bag, didn’t they huh? A little cannabis, some weed, a little grass.’
Enzo by now had his mouth gaping open. He had no idea so much could be found out with just a passport. How the hell did the lady know all this about him?
‘Well almost a dealer rather isn’t it?’ She continued, ‘Mostly your work includes cheating drug seeking tourists with cheap stuff and as in Napoli, powder for coke. What made you come to America then? Surely there’s enough gutter shit in Italy, isn’t there? Or ohh... should I say Italia?’
Enzo didn’t know what to say. He knew he was in trouble but he didn’t understand why this woman had been asking him all this. Surely, she should just have locked him away by now. There had to be more to just this here.
‘SPEAK!’
‘Yess, yess. I… I wanted to-to buy some pot to smoke aap.’
She pulled her gun out suddenly and shoved the barrel in his mouth. She was breathing hard and was quite annoyed at something. Even now though, her eyes were fixed just on him and no other part of him. It was amazing how she had slotted the gun in his mouth without knocking off any front teeth. After some minutes, she spoke again slowly.
‘If you don’t cut that stupid Italian accent and talk normally, then I’m going to put a bullet in your throat and trust me it’s gonna come out of your ass.’
‘Okkay okkay okkay, jast pleese don’t shoot. I will tell however you want me to, sorry talk... talk how you want me to.’
‘Much better. Now answer me. You are just a fake cheat dealer in Italy, you’ve no reason to leave the place, neither do you belong to the Mafia 'cause they don’t let in ballless bastards like you in, and you don’t have a gang of your own big enough to have to come to America for business. It’s not like you’ve got amazing guts like that kid Lorenzo who was hyped about a decade ago to be the next big thing in drug transactions, wherever the fuck he’s gone now. Anyway, why the fuck then are you here? Tell me or I’ll fucking blow your brains out!’
‘No, no no no don’t shoot pleese. I… I this toorist tell me I can make big profit in America if I get into drug bissness. That is why I try to buy marioana - to sell at higher price.’
‘Why should I believe you?’
‘I am telling tha trooth I swere to yu.’
‘You’re from Italy, trying to buy drugs here. You say you wanna sell 'em here and make a profit. How do I know you’re not just lying and that you were not gonna try and smuggle it back to Italy? Back to perhaps someone with better brains than you; though I don’t quite know what kind of a man sends YOU to do the job anyway!’
‘I am talking troo officar. Traast me!’
‘Trust you! Well you trust me, there’s gonna be way more than me trusting you, you spag.’ She came closer to her now, as if she wanted nobody else to hear it. ‘What the fuck do you think I switched off the camera when I came in for? I’m not here to make conversation, you fuck! I know your details. You operate mainly in the capital and even though the cheap skate you are, cheating holiday makers, you actually do have access to drug traffickers as well. Because of your father Alberto…’
Enzo’s eyes widened as he listened to this piece of information.
‘...yes, Alberto LaRusa, your father, once the chief dealer of cocaine transactions in Italy. He was shot dead in a raid 12 years ago, when he was handling this particular transaction between Blanc and…’
‘Francesco,' said Enzo quietly. His eyes had become bloodshot suddenly as he remembered the name and spoke it out, possibly the first time since the fateful day when he’d been orphaned.
‘There is a reason why you don’t go near the main drugs. It's because of your father and you want to stay away. But you still know what goes on, don’t you? You were a 20-year-old when your father died. Both Blanc and Francesco escaped but the Polizia busted your dad and shot him down when he tried to run.’
Enzo couldn’t say a word now. She had let off this flashback in his head and all he could now do was nod.
‘You were already helping him before this. You weren’t even called Enzo back then, were you? You are that young Lorenzo people were talking about, aren't you, just managed to help secure a massive deal between Blanc and an American dealer and a big pay-off for your middleman work before assisting your dad for the stuff to be transferred from Blanc to Francesco? The Polizia expected to hear more about you after they shot down your dad, they expected you to come back with a vengeance but you disappeared. WHY?’
‘Beecauz I was scered. When they shot down my papa, I was scered eet was going to happen to mee also. It isint like wee had frends in tha drug world either. We were only there cuz tha gangs never kneew where to find eech ather and they went thru us, so it was only us who knew all the contacts.’
Enzo paused here for some time. All this was more than he’d bargained for and going back to the past was straining him a bit. ‘I was in the meedle of nowhere. After papa was keeled the gangs wudnt have confidence in mee alone and one of them wud have had me keeled. Blanc deedint like me from the time I had negotiated more maney for us during the deal before. If the Polizia catch me then also I wud ave been keeled cuz the gangs had people in there as well.
‘So you decided to go undercover.’
‘I change my identiti. I went away for some time to ather side of Itaali.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I was hidden by a frend in Bologna. He risk his life to save me, I live for almost a yeaar in a hideout and he gave me food and water. Then I decide to come out.’
‘Why?’
‘Becuz I was going mad. I had to come out, it was crazzy. Lackily by then no one was bothered about me now cuz both gangs thought I was keeled by the uther.’
‘Go on.’
‘Then I started doing littil deals with tourists in Venezia, no one know me there and it stayed that way. Eet was most of the time for leetle packets of weed so tha Polizia deednt bother.’
‘So why did you come to America?’ She asked quietly as she kept her eye on Enzo.
‘I had manage to keep tab on what was going on with Blanc and Francesco. There was more argument between them now and eet was steel a bad time for mee to be seen by any of them. I wanted to bee reech. To be saxesful, but I knew I had no way of doing that in Italy becuz both Blanc and Francesco wud anderstand eet was me. So I decide to come here and be reech, after I have power and manpower, them knowing it was me was no problem.’
‘Hmm, well it was a good plan wasn’t it? You just forgot to take into account that you might be busted and fucked like you are now.’
‘I ave been pretending to be a fool officar but I know you want samthing from mee or do samthing. Atherwaise you wud ave put me in jale by now.’ It was now Enzo’s turn to stare back.
‘I see you’re back on track then. There’s only one choice for you and that is to agree to do what I ask you to even before I actually ask you to do the thing.’
‘What do yu meen?’
‘Well, you’re gonna have to go back Enzo. You’ll go back and keep a discreet watch on some of the people I tell you to follow. You will work for me and keep informing me regularly on new stuff going on through my chosen mode of communication.’
‘They weel find me out and keel me!’
‘Now that’s what I don’t think is gonna get you anywhere, like I said, you’ve got no choice whatsoever. You ARE gonna do this, else it’s gonna be a dark cellar somewhere in the many jails of the United States. No one will even know which corner of the country you’re rotting in and it’s gonna be even worse than your year long underground existence at your friend’s house. Take your pick.’
Realizing he really had no choice, Enzo nodded as a sign of acceptance of the terms.
‘Good. Now stay here while I go and make arrangements to get you out. You will be deported back to Italy to make it look like you’re being punished for attempted drug possession.’
‘Weel I get my passport back?’
‘It was a fake anyway, wasn’t it? How else do you think we realised it could have been you? Italy’s a happening country now my friend, we can’t just be daft and arrest the likes of you then and there now. Look what this trick has brought me – you. Lorenzo LaRusa, posing as Enzo Borelli.’
Enzo couldn’t help admiring this woman now. She seemed to know him inside out and from where, he didn't have a clue.
‘Bat, what am I to call you? I do not know your name.’
‘You don’t need to. You spags really think you can get around every woman, don’t you?’ She began to out of the room. Just before closing the door behind her, she turned back and said, ‘It’s Wilson by the way. Psyche Wilson.’
---
That was then, about 3 years ago now. Since then Enzo had managed to get right to the heart of the drug dealings without being seen or recognised. Wilson had trusted him to be still the slimy bugger he’d been when he’d come out of nowhere and bettered his dad Alberto’s work by threatening to throw away all the coke in the sea if they weren’t given double the amount agreed. Such skills at such a young age surely were backed by something special which she could use. She’d been right.
Enzo had managed to capitalize on his changed appearance over the space of 12 years and been present at transaction points as the driver of one of the vehicles or a cheap mechanic hired to fix a broken car (which Enzo had managed to jeopardise for the very purpose). His job was simple - just to get the picture of the current scenario. He didn’t need to hear the conversations, just catching a name or two or the mention of a place was enough to draw up a map now. It was he who had found out the emergence of this Marco Zabrinski all of a sudden out of nowhere, the man who was dealing for Francesco. It was this piece of news that he reported back constantly with instances of more deals being done, which got Wilson excited and led to the call to Enzo saying she was coming to Italy. He used some of his contacts to get a fake identity card for her as a student journalist from Universita' degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza." That gave her the chance to apply for an internship at Corriere della Sera and roam around the place pretending to gather news while trying to bust the drug racket, and in particular Marco Zabrinski.
Terriblog
Quicknotice 4
Last call before the removal of unused characters. Anyone wants to take up any of the following?
- Abeo Roux
- Exitium Morsque
- Rufeus
Last call before the removal of long-unwritten characters. Anyone wants to take up any of the following?
- Gordon
- Mala Das
- Psyche Wilson
(Adan Garcia, Ascronos Hell and Mer-Unta are already in use by active writers.)
Deadline for this would be one month from now. Write a chapter to claim your character.
[December 15, 2008]
- Abeo Roux
- Exitium Morsque
- Rufeus
Last call before the removal of long-unwritten characters. Anyone wants to take up any of the following?
- Gordon
- Mala Das
- Psyche Wilson
(Adan Garcia, Ascronos Hell and Mer-Unta are already in use by active writers.)
Deadline for this would be one month from now. Write a chapter to claim your character.
[December 15, 2008]
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The Game
Abeo Roux
Name: Abeo Roux
Sex: Female
Species: Human
Age: 24
Physical Description: Has blossomed into a lean, confident and supremely stylish young woman, with wavy red hair and sharp brown eyes.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Everything about Abeo is double-edged. Her strengths become her weaknesses and vice versa. There's something deeper about her, more sinister, more intense, than what is seen at first glance. Her Twin is inside her own self, and is rarely ever visible to someone who hasn't known/observed her for a long time, unless of course, the situation demands it.
Sex: Female
Species: Human
Age: 24
Physical Description: Has blossomed into a lean, confident and supremely stylish young woman, with wavy red hair and sharp brown eyes.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Everything about Abeo is double-edged. Her strengths become her weaknesses and vice versa. There's something deeper about her, more sinister, more intense, than what is seen at first glance. Her Twin is inside her own self, and is rarely ever visible to someone who hasn't known/observed her for a long time, unless of course, the situation demands it.
Adan Garcia
Sex: Male
Species: Unknown
Age: Looks about 38. But his real age is lost, even to himself.
Physical Description: Not too tall, not too short, but capable of appearing either. Brown hair highlighted by gold because of unending hours in the sun (which is weird, because, he wears a cowboy hat). He is stocky to look at, but is actually constructed out of pure muscle. Always dressed like an outlaw: trench coat, dusty boots, weird belt etc. But he also carries a black felt bag, very ancient and dusty and looks almost empty, slung to his sides.
Has a very easygoing smile above a square thread-barely goateed chin - capable of being both charming and sinister, but mostly the former. That’s until you look into his eyes, generally in the shadows of his hat, which cannot be mistaken for anything other than evil and dangerous. Gives off strange energy waves.
Weaknesses/ Strengths: Capable of fighting both with his brawns and brains, but prefers to fight with brawn, because brain's the last resort (he thinks of it as an act of charity to his adversaries). Has high manoeuvering skills and can appear to be at particular places and disappear from it at a random instance. Oh, he is also a time traveller (and doesn’t need flashy gadgets to do it, he just flicks a button in a dark little corner of his brains). Doesn’t talk much. Mostly observes from the shadows of street corners and backrooms.
Only weakness that he himself knows about is body odour. Carries a deodorant everywhere, which he never uses. The rest he prefers to keep secret at present because, he feels, it’ll ruin his style.
Al'skandar Phillips
Name: Al’skandar Phillips.
Sex: Male.
Species: He’s not very sure. Looks mostly human.
Age: Late teens.
Physical Description: Average height. Pale. Square jaw, aquiline nose, thin mouth. Longish hair, brown at the moment, used to have silver threading through it. One wouldn’t notice Al’skandar in a room with ten people in it, till he looks up. His eyes are silver… completely. Which explains his clothing choice of caps and hooded jackets. Shades help, but not indoors. The jeans and shirts he wears are ordinary, if rather faded. Also wears a leather wristband, which is broad enough to hide an intricate silver tattoo.
Strengths: The kid at the back of the class who seems to be sleeping but can quote his/her words back at the teacher, complete with mistakes. Well, figuratively, because Al’skandar was home-schooled. He’s easily ignored. And he can finish off people’s sentences… literally. Of course, he usually does it in the relative privacy of his mind. Wouldn’t want anyone to think him a freak or anything.
Weaknesses: Physical Strength. Well, the lack thereof. Al’skandar can throw a punch, but he’d much prefer not to. His usual MO is to run away when the other person/people think(s) about hitting him. Or just ducking, which course of action does not end well for his assailant(s). He also tends to arrogance. However, he’s a bit tensed right now about the prospect of starting college.
Sex: Male.
Species: He’s not very sure. Looks mostly human.
Age: Late teens.
Physical Description: Average height. Pale. Square jaw, aquiline nose, thin mouth. Longish hair, brown at the moment, used to have silver threading through it. One wouldn’t notice Al’skandar in a room with ten people in it, till he looks up. His eyes are silver… completely. Which explains his clothing choice of caps and hooded jackets. Shades help, but not indoors. The jeans and shirts he wears are ordinary, if rather faded. Also wears a leather wristband, which is broad enough to hide an intricate silver tattoo.
Strengths: The kid at the back of the class who seems to be sleeping but can quote his/her words back at the teacher, complete with mistakes. Well, figuratively, because Al’skandar was home-schooled. He’s easily ignored. And he can finish off people’s sentences… literally. Of course, he usually does it in the relative privacy of his mind. Wouldn’t want anyone to think him a freak or anything.
Weaknesses: Physical Strength. Well, the lack thereof. Al’skandar can throw a punch, but he’d much prefer not to. His usual MO is to run away when the other person/people think(s) about hitting him. Or just ducking, which course of action does not end well for his assailant(s). He also tends to arrogance. However, he’s a bit tensed right now about the prospect of starting college.
Ascronos Hell
Sex: Male
Species: Apparently human
Age: Undisclosed, but at least middle-aged
Physical Description: Very tall and sinewy. Long silver hair and haggard careworn face of a sorcerer obsessed with secret studies. Large eyes with great dark pupils, described as frightening and haunting by those who meet him. Long thin nose, slightly bent and crooked. Long scar on face, running in a vertical line above and below eyes, caused by experiment gone wrong. Fingers long and artistic, capable of great strength. Star-shaped mark upon a broad forehead, and strange runic symbols of unknown origin and meaning carved upon torso. Prefers simple clothing, black cloaks and fitting garments. Sometimes hooded, face in shadows. When in armour, menacing and imposing. Iron body armour with some ornamentation, also carries a massive rune-etched sword.
Strengths: Great intellect, scientific and necromantic curiousity, patience and belief in own abilities. Determination. A fair amount of physical strength. More to be found out.
Weaknesses: Overt self-reliance, hatred for the ordinary, cruelty.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Undisclosed, but at least middle-aged
Physical Description: Very tall and sinewy. Long silver hair and haggard careworn face of a sorcerer obsessed with secret studies. Large eyes with great dark pupils, described as frightening and haunting by those who meet him. Long thin nose, slightly bent and crooked. Long scar on face, running in a vertical line above and below eyes, caused by experiment gone wrong. Fingers long and artistic, capable of great strength. Star-shaped mark upon a broad forehead, and strange runic symbols of unknown origin and meaning carved upon torso. Prefers simple clothing, black cloaks and fitting garments. Sometimes hooded, face in shadows. When in armour, menacing and imposing. Iron body armour with some ornamentation, also carries a massive rune-etched sword.
Strengths: Great intellect, scientific and necromantic curiousity, patience and belief in own abilities. Determination. A fair amount of physical strength. More to be found out.
Weaknesses: Overt self-reliance, hatred for the ordinary, cruelty.
Cybele
Sex: Female.
Species: One of the Other Worldlies. Shall be talked about later.
Age: Does not really matter, does it, as long as she looks 24.
Physical Description: Black-haired, brown-eyed, she is visible in your average penthouse dreams. She possesses a vivid smile and a body to die for. Literally.
Strengths: Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
Weaknesses: Men.
Marital Status: Single (How, one may ask. Its just that no one's been able to keep up with her. Yet.)
Likes: Chocolates and Tarot Cards.
Dislikes: Bad breath.
Occupation: Currently engaged in seducing a high priest of the RHEUMATIC ORDER.
Species: One of the Other Worldlies. Shall be talked about later.
Age: Does not really matter, does it, as long as she looks 24.
Physical Description: Black-haired, brown-eyed, she is visible in your average penthouse dreams. She possesses a vivid smile and a body to die for. Literally.
Strengths: Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
Weaknesses: Men.
Marital Status: Single (How, one may ask. Its just that no one's been able to keep up with her. Yet.)
Likes: Chocolates and Tarot Cards.
Dislikes: Bad breath.
Occupation: Currently engaged in seducing a high priest of the RHEUMATIC ORDER.
Exitium Morsque
Sex: Apparently male
Species: Apparently human
Age: Late 40s-early 50s.
Physical Features: About 6 feet tall and very thin. Has bluish grey eyes and long, greying hair. Slight hunchback. Slight limp in the left leg. Wears an old army greatcoat and baggy trousers. Sports a small tattoo of a snake, on the back of his right hand.
Strengths: Can move very fast in spite of limp. Very good with the kobudō set of weapons. Carries a walking stick with him. Very piercing stare. Persuasive. Has an extensive knowledge of technology. Has a sense of humour. Seems to be able to take higher amount of damage than normal.
Weakness: Frequently disappears. Cannot be relied upon much. Has a tendency to believe the best of people. Still believes in values like honesty and patriotism (this could also be a strength). Has a tendency to play the devil's advocate.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Late 40s-early 50s.
Physical Features: About 6 feet tall and very thin. Has bluish grey eyes and long, greying hair. Slight hunchback. Slight limp in the left leg. Wears an old army greatcoat and baggy trousers. Sports a small tattoo of a snake, on the back of his right hand.
Strengths: Can move very fast in spite of limp. Very good with the kobudō set of weapons. Carries a walking stick with him. Very piercing stare. Persuasive. Has an extensive knowledge of technology. Has a sense of humour. Seems to be able to take higher amount of damage than normal.
Weakness: Frequently disappears. Cannot be relied upon much. Has a tendency to believe the best of people. Still believes in values like honesty and patriotism (this could also be a strength). Has a tendency to play the devil's advocate.
Gordon
Sex: Male
Species: Apparently human
Age: Unknown
Physical Description: Dirty ragged clothes, bony limbs, dirty claw-like nails. Head is hooded most of the time so face cannot be distinguished clearly. Long dirty brown hair, bearded, piercing and disturbing gaze. Has a box all the time - a blackish brown wooden box with a heavy lid and metal knobs, and strange engravings on the surface, dirty and dented. He stays in this box at some street-corner nearby a railway station, apparently a street sleeper.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Unknown
Physical Description: Dirty ragged clothes, bony limbs, dirty claw-like nails. Head is hooded most of the time so face cannot be distinguished clearly. Long dirty brown hair, bearded, piercing and disturbing gaze. Has a box all the time - a blackish brown wooden box with a heavy lid and metal knobs, and strange engravings on the surface, dirty and dented. He stays in this box at some street-corner nearby a railway station, apparently a street sleeper.
Himalaya alias Him
Sex: Female
Species: Apparently human
Age: Apparently 10-and-a-half
Physical Description: Smallish, coffee coloured, snub-nosed, brown-eyed. Unnoticeable and nondescript for most of the time. Crooked teeth giving way to a crooked smile that is both very rare and startlingly lovely. Sleek black hair, usually pulled into a ponytail. Grubby knees, faded clothes. Prefers being shoeless. Has had a tiny nosepin since birth, muted gold. It won’t come off. No dramatic scars, to her disappointment, just scabs.
Strengths: Non-prejudiced. Is a kid. Can keep quiet when required, can blend into the background if necessary. Self-reliant to an extent, therefore resourceful. Has an imagination that leans towards depravity.
Weaknesses: Same as above. Also a little nosy. If it had been a strength it would have been called inquisitiveness, but the plain truth is that she's nosy. In a covert way, of course.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Apparently 10-and-a-half
Physical Description: Smallish, coffee coloured, snub-nosed, brown-eyed. Unnoticeable and nondescript for most of the time. Crooked teeth giving way to a crooked smile that is both very rare and startlingly lovely. Sleek black hair, usually pulled into a ponytail. Grubby knees, faded clothes. Prefers being shoeless. Has had a tiny nosepin since birth, muted gold. It won’t come off. No dramatic scars, to her disappointment, just scabs.
Strengths: Non-prejudiced. Is a kid. Can keep quiet when required, can blend into the background if necessary. Self-reliant to an extent, therefore resourceful. Has an imagination that leans towards depravity.
Weaknesses: Same as above. Also a little nosy. If it had been a strength it would have been called inquisitiveness, but the plain truth is that she's nosy. In a covert way, of course.
Mala Das
Sex: Female
Species: Apparently human
Age: Around 27-29 years (she gets all flustered when asked)
Physical Description: Everbody knows a Mala Das (pronounced Daash), with different names perhaps. She is around 5’2”, neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, neither dark nor fair. Has medium-length black hair, usually well-oiled and braided. Oval nondescript face with a small pretty nose, calm peaceful rather large black eyes and a soft, slightly petulant mouth. All her features are rather ‘beautiful’ when considered separately, but when they come together in her face, no striking beauty is created. Her face is perhaps not plain, but neither beautiful - rather ordinary.
Strengths: Soft-spoken, reserved and shy. Has great persuasive power. Generally described with the vague “She’s nice.”
Weakness: The tendency to be inconspicuous, almost invisible. And not even remotely exciting.
Marital status: Unmarried. Reason 1. Does not want to leave old mother. 2. Never really liked somebody in that way (unless you consider Shah Rukh Khan, of course). Nevertheless, her mother is still on the lookout for respectable marriage ads.
Occupation: Receptionist at an average office (not a very well-known one perhaps, but "very respectable").
Quirks: The only thing not ordinary in her is her almost compulsive obsession with horror novels. They tend to make her laugh.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Around 27-29 years (she gets all flustered when asked)
Physical Description: Everbody knows a Mala Das (pronounced Daash), with different names perhaps. She is around 5’2”, neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, neither dark nor fair. Has medium-length black hair, usually well-oiled and braided. Oval nondescript face with a small pretty nose, calm peaceful rather large black eyes and a soft, slightly petulant mouth. All her features are rather ‘beautiful’ when considered separately, but when they come together in her face, no striking beauty is created. Her face is perhaps not plain, but neither beautiful - rather ordinary.
Strengths: Soft-spoken, reserved and shy. Has great persuasive power. Generally described with the vague “She’s nice.”
Weakness: The tendency to be inconspicuous, almost invisible. And not even remotely exciting.
Marital status: Unmarried. Reason 1. Does not want to leave old mother. 2. Never really liked somebody in that way (unless you consider Shah Rukh Khan, of course). Nevertheless, her mother is still on the lookout for respectable marriage ads.
Occupation: Receptionist at an average office (not a very well-known one perhaps, but "very respectable").
Quirks: The only thing not ordinary in her is her almost compulsive obsession with horror novels. They tend to make her laugh.
Marco Zabrinski
Sex: Male
Species: Human
Age: 23
Physical Description: Average height, slight tan, medium-length hair, slightly bony cheeks with a stubble which he never gets rid of. Clothing differs from time to time but normally a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt with a leather jacket over it. Has a tattoo of a dagger on his left arm and it peeks out of his sleeve.
Strengths: Mental toughness unmatched
Weaknesses: His past
Occupation: Climbing the stairs of success in the drug trafficking industry
Born in: Masovia, Poland
Stays at: Rome
Species: Human
Age: 23
Physical Description: Average height, slight tan, medium-length hair, slightly bony cheeks with a stubble which he never gets rid of. Clothing differs from time to time but normally a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt with a leather jacket over it. Has a tattoo of a dagger on his left arm and it peeks out of his sleeve.
Strengths: Mental toughness unmatched
Weaknesses: His past
Occupation: Climbing the stairs of success in the drug trafficking industry
Born in: Masovia, Poland
Stays at: Rome
Mark Middleton
Sex: Male
Species: Apparently human
Age: Apparently, late 30s.
Physical Features: Light built, medium height, casually dressed, does not stand out from a distance. Walks slowly, talks in a low voice, but the discerning eye will notice a casual grace to his movement of the kind imparted by restraint of a greater agility. Angular face, framed by flowing black hair streaked with a few grey strands. Prominent eyebrows, deep, calm, almost weary eyes. Nose would've been small and sharp if it didn't look like its left side had been smashed by a heavy blow. Overlooking that flaw, there is a mildly melancholy, worn-out charmingness about him. Only when he grins - which he does not do often - the person being grinned at realizes that the man looking at them is different, quite different from what they had taken him to be.
Strengths: Presence of mind. Learns/understands/reacts appropriately before others around him even realize he's working things out.
Weaknesses: Does not know who he is or why he is here. No friends, weapons or any other visible advantage. No apparent goal/ambition/purpose. Curious and easily tempted, but he's struggling to control that. Is likely to discover more of his strengths and weaknesses as he goes by.
Species: Apparently human
Age: Apparently, late 30s.
Physical Features: Light built, medium height, casually dressed, does not stand out from a distance. Walks slowly, talks in a low voice, but the discerning eye will notice a casual grace to his movement of the kind imparted by restraint of a greater agility. Angular face, framed by flowing black hair streaked with a few grey strands. Prominent eyebrows, deep, calm, almost weary eyes. Nose would've been small and sharp if it didn't look like its left side had been smashed by a heavy blow. Overlooking that flaw, there is a mildly melancholy, worn-out charmingness about him. Only when he grins - which he does not do often - the person being grinned at realizes that the man looking at them is different, quite different from what they had taken him to be.
Strengths: Presence of mind. Learns/understands/reacts appropriately before others around him even realize he's working things out.
Weaknesses: Does not know who he is or why he is here. No friends, weapons or any other visible advantage. No apparent goal/ambition/purpose. Curious and easily tempted, but he's struggling to control that. Is likely to discover more of his strengths and weaknesses as he goes by.
Mer-Unta
Sex: Female
Species: Mermaid
Age: 7 in Mer-years (21 in Human years)
Physical Description: Black wavy hair with brown highlights, waist length. Clear skin, slim figure, height 5 ft. Lower body is that of a fish, each scale a shiny bluish-green colour. Has startlingly green eyes, that seem to probe into the depths of your mind when she's looking at you. Wears a long chain of sea-shells strung together. Speaks a rare dialect of the Mer-people, called Mer-drinab, though she can also speak English. Walks on her hands when she is on the ground.
Weaknesses: Loses strength if she is not wearing her sea-shell necklace.
Strengths: Has fantastic strength in the lower 'fish' part of her body, one lash from it can make a dent in cement. Strong swimmer, can cover great distances in a few minutes or so. Mer-Unta can also change the colour of her eyes according to her mood.
Species: Mermaid
Age: 7 in Mer-years (21 in Human years)
Physical Description: Black wavy hair with brown highlights, waist length. Clear skin, slim figure, height 5 ft. Lower body is that of a fish, each scale a shiny bluish-green colour. Has startlingly green eyes, that seem to probe into the depths of your mind when she's looking at you. Wears a long chain of sea-shells strung together. Speaks a rare dialect of the Mer-people, called Mer-drinab, though she can also speak English. Walks on her hands when she is on the ground.
Weaknesses: Loses strength if she is not wearing her sea-shell necklace.
Strengths: Has fantastic strength in the lower 'fish' part of her body, one lash from it can make a dent in cement. Strong swimmer, can cover great distances in a few minutes or so. Mer-Unta can also change the colour of her eyes according to her mood.
Moses Putatunda
Sex: Male
Species: Human
Age: 22
Physical description: Average Joe looks. But looks kind of cute with ruffled hair. Piercing eyes. Worn out mountain shoes, likes to wear t-shirts with logos of his favorite bands. Unwashed jeans, worn out by heavy use, not by the brand manufacturer. The usual unkempt backpacker look.
Strengths: Above average intelligence, excellent intuition and perceptiveness, superior observation skills (sometimes over-rated) , very persuasive when needed. Can also cause bizarre and disastrous random events and affect random people randomly anywhere in the world with electromagnetic brain impulses. But he doesn't know it.
Weaknesses: Indecisive, sometimes impatient and given to fits of rage, weighs 48 kgs. Others will be unveiled progressively.
Species: Human
Age: 22
Physical description: Average Joe looks. But looks kind of cute with ruffled hair. Piercing eyes. Worn out mountain shoes, likes to wear t-shirts with logos of his favorite bands. Unwashed jeans, worn out by heavy use, not by the brand manufacturer. The usual unkempt backpacker look.
Strengths: Above average intelligence, excellent intuition and perceptiveness, superior observation skills (sometimes over-rated) , very persuasive when needed. Can also cause bizarre and disastrous random events and affect random people randomly anywhere in the world with electromagnetic brain impulses. But he doesn't know it.
Weaknesses: Indecisive, sometimes impatient and given to fits of rage, weighs 48 kgs. Others will be unveiled progressively.
Psyche Wilson
Sex: Female
Species: Homo sapien
Age: 23
Physical Description: Tall. Dark, slightly curly hair (below shoulder length). Coffee-coloured eyes. Broad frame. Slight tan. Wears black-rimmed, rectangular spectacles. Wears a mood ring on the middle finger of the left hand. Smart sense of dressing, although not too adventurous. Not unattractive.
Strengths: Sharp, courageous, calm, stoical, generous, loves children. More to be disclosed as story progresses.
Weaknesses: Short attention span, proud, unforgiving, slightly conservative or old-fashioned (however you may want to put it). More to be revealed. Also, has vertigo.
Marital Status: Unmarried
Likes: All the books her grandmother left her, children, dogs, pink carnations, alcohol.
Dislikes: Her father, her current job, cats.
Occupation: Does free-lance work for local newsapapers. Looking for another job.
Born in (place): Athens, Greece.
Stays at: Istanbul, Turkey.
Species: Homo sapien
Age: 23
Physical Description: Tall. Dark, slightly curly hair (below shoulder length). Coffee-coloured eyes. Broad frame. Slight tan. Wears black-rimmed, rectangular spectacles. Wears a mood ring on the middle finger of the left hand. Smart sense of dressing, although not too adventurous. Not unattractive.
Strengths: Sharp, courageous, calm, stoical, generous, loves children. More to be disclosed as story progresses.
Weaknesses: Short attention span, proud, unforgiving, slightly conservative or old-fashioned (however you may want to put it). More to be revealed. Also, has vertigo.
Marital Status: Unmarried
Likes: All the books her grandmother left her, children, dogs, pink carnations, alcohol.
Dislikes: Her father, her current job, cats.
Occupation: Does free-lance work for local newsapapers. Looking for another job.
Born in (place): Athens, Greece.
Stays at: Istanbul, Turkey.
Rufeus
Sex: Male
Species: Vampire
Age: 17-and-a-half
Physical Description: Medium height, thin, slightly hunched. Pale skinned, an almost triangular face, deep black hair. Bloodshot, intense eyes; a short, crooked nose, bat-like ears, a tapering chin and sharp, pointed teeth. Tiny, thin scratch below the right eye which always seems fresh. Long, slender fingers, like a pianist, with fingernails which look weathered, slightly yellowed. Speaks slowly and with an undertone of hostility, due to his embittered views about his existence, identity and spite for things in general. Dressed in a shabby, medieval black overcoat with specks of dry blood in the middle, a black, torn trouser.
Strengths: Extremely determined, has strong views about things,v alues his judgment which is more humanely relevant than riddled with savage desires. Possesses considerable strength and can turn extremely ruthless when he faces his enemies, especially if he's emotionally provoked. Has exceptionally controlled thirst for blood, which arises from immeasurable spite for his family and his identity.
Weaknesses: His disregard, contempt for his identity, his unwillingness to appreciate himself for who he really is which results in a rising discontent, an emotional imbalance within.
Species: Vampire
Age: 17-and-a-half
Physical Description: Medium height, thin, slightly hunched. Pale skinned, an almost triangular face, deep black hair. Bloodshot, intense eyes; a short, crooked nose, bat-like ears, a tapering chin and sharp, pointed teeth. Tiny, thin scratch below the right eye which always seems fresh. Long, slender fingers, like a pianist, with fingernails which look weathered, slightly yellowed. Speaks slowly and with an undertone of hostility, due to his embittered views about his existence, identity and spite for things in general. Dressed in a shabby, medieval black overcoat with specks of dry blood in the middle, a black, torn trouser.
Strengths: Extremely determined, has strong views about things,v alues his judgment which is more humanely relevant than riddled with savage desires. Possesses considerable strength and can turn extremely ruthless when he faces his enemies, especially if he's emotionally provoked. Has exceptionally controlled thirst for blood, which arises from immeasurable spite for his family and his identity.
Weaknesses: His disregard, contempt for his identity, his unwillingness to appreciate himself for who he really is which results in a rising discontent, an emotional imbalance within.
Saibalini Sen
Sex: Female
Species: Human
Age: 64
Physical Description: Tall and angular, white hair pulled back in a bun, usually clad in crisp white sarees and shawls to match.
Strengths: Agility and a voice that commands attention.
Weakness: High blood pressure.
Species: Human
Age: 64
Physical Description: Tall and angular, white hair pulled back in a bun, usually clad in crisp white sarees and shawls to match.
Strengths: Agility and a voice that commands attention.
Weakness: High blood pressure.
Zephyrus alias Henry White
Sex: Male
Species: Half-god
Age: Ageless
Physical Description: Long shiny raven black hair. A slim built. He is characterised by his flowing black robe and scars on his forearms. Looks like he is in his 20's (a major advantage when it comes to flirting). Mismatched blue and hazel eyes.
Strengths: Ageless good looks. Ruthless and cold. His heart has stopped beating long ago. Does not possess physical strengths as such but his "almost-immortality" protects him from being killed in the hands of any human.
Weaknesses: Overconfidence.
Species: Half-god
Age: Ageless
Physical Description: Long shiny raven black hair. A slim built. He is characterised by his flowing black robe and scars on his forearms. Looks like he is in his 20's (a major advantage when it comes to flirting). Mismatched blue and hazel eyes.
Strengths: Ageless good looks. Ruthless and cold. His heart has stopped beating long ago. Does not possess physical strengths as such but his "almost-immortality" protects him from being killed in the hands of any human.
Weaknesses: Overconfidence.
Quicknotice 3
It's already been way longer than the deadline, so here's the second wave of dropping authors. (The first wave included authors who had registered but never posted.)
This wave, will drop authors who had posted characters but never wrote a chapter. The characters remain, and will be free to be picked up by any active author who wants them.
(The third wave of dropping will be for authors who have written one chapter and haven't returned to carry ahead the story. Therefore, be warned and prepared.)
[Late September, 2008]
This wave, will drop authors who had posted characters but never wrote a chapter. The characters remain, and will be free to be picked up by any active author who wants them.
(The third wave of dropping will be for authors who have written one chapter and haven't returned to carry ahead the story. Therefore, be warned and prepared.)
[Late September, 2008]
Quicknotice 2
The characters gone pouf from the posts, yes. And no, nothing's been deleted. All the details have been sent to the sidebar, where they will stay for now on... since as the story progresses our characters' reactions to each other should not, ideally, be designed by our personal equations in life. All we need to know is who is who.
I haven't deleted any of your character posts either. They've been sent to the drafts and can be retrieved, if you want to.
And there are more than five characters now, so we jump into the story. Newcomers, however, please feel free to introduce yours characters. Make them a post (see the first post for further instructions). They'll arrive at the sidebar (and the drafts) in due course of time.
I haven't deleted any of your character posts either. They've been sent to the drafts and can be retrieved, if you want to.
And there are more than five characters now, so we jump into the story. Newcomers, however, please feel free to introduce yours characters. Make them a post (see the first post for further instructions). They'll arrive at the sidebar (and the drafts) in due course of time.
3 comments:
hmmm. Heating up.
pot boiler innit?
haha, naah, gotta make sure now it dont go cold after all this deniro style talk
*think yeh twat, think!!!*
:)
just read/edited this beauty. plotwise it's great, but since you asked for suggestions, here goes:
- your chapter lengths are becoming too great for too little that seems to be happening. i know the temptation to write each line in each dialogue in detail is too much, but there's an proportionate relationship of chapter speed (as in, how fast things happen in it) and reader attention, and that has to be maintained, otherwise our stories drag.
- for one, avoid repititions. the third paragraph emphasizes on the hardness of psyche's beauty too many times. choose one sentence that explains precisely, and cut the rest.
- cut smaller details. for example, emotion-sentences per five dialogues maybe, rather than with each.
- the fullstop is your friend. the shorter and simpler each sentence, the better. the reader shouldn't be forgetting by the end of a sentence how exactly it began.
- keep a mental word limit for each chapter. let's say start with 1500. when that becomes reachable, try 1000.
- also, all your characters-in-position-of-power seem to talk in the same way - same idioms, same "isn't it"s and "haven't you"s, same swearwords. i'm not telling you to cut the swearwords, but give each person a distinct style of speaking to their own, like in real life. psyche shouldn't sound the same as marco.
- in the first paragraph, i changed a "believe it or not." never used such direct addresses to the reader, it makes you sound like a storyteller, which is a feature of children's stories (or autobiographies or such). in adult writing, especially gangster narratives like yours, the writer entity should be invisible.
that's about all for now! great going =D
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