cass3ndra

[cass3ndra]

" what? " she repeats foolishly, and then catches herself, cheeks heating. " i mean, no, i -- i haven't seen a ghost. " she would rather that she had; she had seen spirits before, before portum, and they had always frightened her less than her unpredictable foresight. most of them don't want to hurt the living; her visions, though they don't always come true, are so often filled with hurt. " not this time, at least. "

Whatever she seems to have made itself known within that split second of Ophelia's own pocket-reality escapes Pandora's third eye; she sees blackness and nothing else. A void. Emptiness like nothing else, shrouded in the steely resolve not to be witnessed by prying eyes. How strange, she thinks. It was often these things drifted to her like messages in bottles lost at sea, seeking to be found, but not this one. She felt... strangely empty today; as if an unsettling quiet had settled inside . "I said you look like you've seen a ghost." the girl repeats in an effort to be heard, her lilt soft and docile, not wishing to startle her further. "...You haven't, have you?" she asks, as though it's the most natural thing in the world, and her pupils swell with curiosity like a cat's. "You can tell me... I'm really good with the spooky stuff."

[cass3ndra]

ophelia is still coming back to herself, but she is so caught off guard by the clicking of the shutter that she momentarily forgets her distress. she stares for just a beat too long, mind still catching up, and then she shakes her head a little. " don't delete it. i don't mind. " she isn't sure how she had looked cool, but she lacks the energy to ask. " keep it. "

mei  had  never  been  the  best  at  managing  her  power,  about  being  able  to  work  with  the  peaks  and  the  lulls  of  her  abilities,  but  that  morning  everything  had  been  thrown  into  turmoil  —  her  fingers  had  sparked  like  matchsticks  against  everything  she  touched,  and  when  she  had  attempted  to  close  the  door  and  lock  her  apartment  the  bolt  had  dropped  seemingly  without  her  telling  it  to.  they  were  gifts  that  she  had  never  known  —  gifts  that,  if  anything,  were  annoying  as  hell.  if  she  couldn't  find  a  way  to  reverse  the  locking  charm  she  had  put  on  her  front  door  that  morning,  mei  would  need  to  call  out  the  magical  equivalent  of  a  locksmith.  if  there  was  one  thing  that  would  distract  her  from  whatever  the  hell  was  happening,  it  was  photography.  her  camera,  as  always,  swung  around  her  neck,  and  the  moment  the  witch  saw  the  other  she  couldn't  help  but  softly  click  against  the  shutter.  “sorry,  you  just  looked  so  cool.  do  you  mind ?  i  can  delete  it.”

[cass3ndra]

" i'm fine. " a trembling hand lifts, swiping dark curls back from her face, mostly for the sake of having something to do with her hands, some release for the nervous energy building inside her. " it's nothing. just -- seeing things. " in a sense, anyway.

         (    ↻    )    valeria  has  to  practically  swerve  around  the  woman  who’d  just  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  sidewalk  out  of  nowhere  .  brows  furrow  ,  catching  sight  of  ophelia’s  trance-like  state  .  should  they  just  walk  away  and  mind  their  own  business  ?  absolutely  .  are  they  going  to  ?  apparently  not  .  “  is  everything  okay  ?  i  mean  obviously  not  but  worth  an  ask  since  you’re  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  sidewalk  looking  like  you’ve  just  greeted  death  .  ”  it’s  a  small  attempt  at  a  joke  from  the  reaper  .  but  it  falls  flat  .

[cass3ndra]

the kindness is unexpected. the residents of portum are not unkind, but she doesn't know them well, and she knows by now that many would just look at her in bewilderment. it causes her to offer him a tremulous little smile. " that's sweet of you. " she hesitates, unsure if she wants to elaborate further. " whatever is happening in town, it's making me have... frightening visions. it's hard to pull myself out. "

“are you feeling off this day too?” so far, fergal had been okay, today. he was surprised. things have been going well for him lately. too well. he has felt the need to help where it is needed. “do you, need to sit down?” fergal offers, gesturing to the bench on the town square near by. technically he was working right now. technically, his job was to help those of portum. “i am right here, if you need someone to talk to,” though really fergal was not sure what he was getting involved with the well known oracle around town. “do not be afraid to reach out, if you need it.” he offers calmly.

[cass3ndra]

and that, well, that's a fair point. ophelia moves to the side of the road and then turns back to the stranger. it's difficult to read her; ophelia can't tell if she had helped out of concern or... entertainment, but she supposes it doesn't really matter. " it's... no. it's not regular. it's making my visions more... intense. "

she flicks a glance down the road ⸺ still clear, for now ⸺ then back at the medium, who zehra thinks looks like someone rebooting from a channeling error. “ there's no need to thank me, ” she clicks her tongue and shrugs. “ i'd just prefer not to have to scrape you off the asphalt in front of witnesses, that's all. ” pulling a lollipop from her coat pocket, she unwraps it and pops it into her mouth. cherry, of course. “ but seriously, ” she continues around the candy, “ is getting stuck like that a regular thing for you or is it part of the madness this town has decided to embrace lately ? ” red irises glint behind her shades as femme demon tilts her head again, like she's trying to decide if the oracle is interesting or just unstable. could go either way.

[cass3ndra]

" i don't think so. " ophelia blinks, reaching for her hair and surprised to find bits of pottery there. she tugs the indicated shard from her curls, scrutinizing the other woman's injury briefly. " it's just a scrape, i think, but i don't have anything for it on me. well -- i think i might have a napkin, in my bag. here. " but as for not having bled in centuries, she doesn't quite know what to say. there is so much happening at once, all of it wrong.

“Are you?” Catalina responded without thinking, her eyes narrowing as she took in the other women. “Pardon me, is that -- is that a piece of pottery in your hair?” Not wanting to touch another without permission, she gestured to her own hair, indicating where the piece of pottery was tucked in among the locks. “Oh--” She pulled her hand away from her forehead, wincing a little. “I have not bled in…” She tried to think. “Centuries,” she admitted. “I did not even realize I still could.”

[cass3ndra]

ophelia flushes a little, as she realizes that xe is right -- she had been standing in the street, and were it not for xyr intervention, she likely would have been struck. " i know, i was ... i was trying to get home when it started. it hasn't happened like that, before. " it had, actually. it had once been relatively frequent to have them at all hours, but these days they tend to be worse at night.

“ that does not exactly sound alright, ” cris says. because if xe were in that situation, xe would be hiding at home, terrified of what could happen to xem — or what xe could do. not that cris would ever admit that to someone, of course. “ especially not if it is causing you to be functionally deaf and blind in the middle of a busy street. ” but he has learned over time that if someone isn't willing to admit they need help, there's not much that can be done. ( and yes, he did learn that from the other side of the equation. )

[cass3ndra]

" i didn't hear you, " she says, although that much is obvious, mostly because it takes her a few beats to register the question. " i'm -- i'm alright. i... " she almost stops herself, but she can say it; this isn't like the outside world. her visions are not something to be gawked at here. " my sight has been a little out of control. "

cristian knows xe has it easier than most — xyr powers are less capable of going haywire in a way that is dangerous or mega-inconvenient — but the hunger gnawing at xem is reminiscent of certain years cris would prefer not to remember. it is hard to dwell on that, though, when he encounters an oracle stood motionless in the middle of the footpath. “ i asked if you were alright, ” he says again. “ though i suppose the lack of response was an answer in itself ... ”

[cass3ndra]

is she on the road? disoriented, ophelia looks around and is unsettled to discover that yes, she is standing in the middle of the street. she can't remember where she had been going, but that is not uncommon when she is coming back to the present. there's a fair chance that she'll remember, she reminds herself, taking a deep breath. " yes, of course, i should... i should move off the road. thank you. " had it not been for the stranger, she could very well have been struck. " i got... stuck. for a moment. "

the demon stands a few steps away, her usual lopsided smirk replaced by a raised brow as she observes the woman, noting her disoriented state. with all the strange happenings around town lately, zehra wouldn't be surprised if the oracle claimed she woke up feeling like a traffic cone. it would at least explain why she's standing in the middle of the road, doing whatever she's doing. “ i said, for your sake, you should perhaps move off the road, ” tilting her head slightly, she tips her chin toward the street as if to highlight the potential danger. “ as a bystander, i'm not legally obligated to do anything if you get hit by a car, ” she says, nudging her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. she's been wearing them to conceal the red irises that refuse to return to their normal brown. “ i suppose i could swoop in out of the goodness of my cold, demonic heart, ” she continues with a mock sigh, though there's a trace of genuine concern underneath the sarcasm, “ but you look like you're already having a bit of a tough time as it is. surely, you don't want to add a little road mishap to your troubles. ”

[cass3ndra]

gaze shifts briefly to the paw in question, and then away, not wanting to be rude and stare. ophelia offers a wavering little smile. " it's okay. you're not the first person i've seen today with... a similar issue. " she shrugs lamely, unsure how else to describe it. the question rather catches her off guard; with so many others' powers spiraling into absolute chaos, no one has asked her if she is okay. she is, after all, only an oracle. not a vampire, or a shifter. " i... yes. my visions, they... they're not right. like everyone. "

               she  is  not  as  out  of  control  as  others  ,  not  as  fucked  up  .  still  ,  the  fact  only  her  hands  work  ,  turning  into  beautiful  paws  of  silky  fur  one  second  just  to  return  to  human  limbs  the  next  is  frustrating  enough  to  form  a  knot  in  the  middle  of  her  throat  ,  and  gather  tears  of  desperation  in  the  corner  of  her  eyes  .  she  swears  under  her  breath  ,  then  ,  as  she  walks  down  the  street  ,  frustrated  ,  shaking  her  arms  when  one  of  her  glitching  paws  almost  reaches  someone  .     "  oh  ,  shit   !   i’m  sorry  ,  "     but  the  person—ophelia  ,  is  too  out  of  this  world  to  notice  ,  pale  as  a  paper  sheet  ,  barely  coming  back  when  andromeda  speaks  .     "  uhm  ,  nothing  ,  i  was  …  apologizing  .  i  almost  hit  you  with  my—  "     it’s  so  humiliating  she  has  to  take  a  breath  to  continue  .     "  with  my  paw  .  my  ,  uhm  ,  my  shifting  form  is  glitching  ,  i’m  sorry  .  "     her  brown  orbs  are  sharp  on  the  fair  features  of  the  woman  in  front  of  them  when  she  questions  next  ,     "  are  you  okay  ,  ophelia  ?  " 

[cass3ndra]

location: anywhere who: open to everyone!

ophelia is still as stone where she stands, gaze locked on nothing at all. she is not looking at a spirit, nor is she in the throes of a vision; no, that had come moments before, and she is still coming out of it now, head tilted slightly to the side. when she finally returns to himself, blinking rapidly, she realizes that someone is speaking to her. she startles badly. " what? " she asks, voice still tremulous.

[cass3ndra]

" there's no need to apologize. there's... a lot going on, for everyone. " ophelia is sure she herself doesn't look much better, face pale and lips bitten. no one seems to know what is causing the chaos, but it hadn't taken long for ophelia's own visions to go haywire, seemingly hitting her either all at once or vanishing entirely, leaving her in a dizzying silence. she has never had a great deal of control over them, but it has not been like this since she was a child. " just a small coffee. lots of cream -- please. "

LOCATION: hallowed grounds. FOR: open!

DESPITE HAVING A RATHER obvious aversion to people -- dakota enjoyed working the morning shift. there was the moments before the madness, as they quietly cleaned with their earbuds in as the sun began to rise. while the social interaction had initially been difficult to handle -- they had become quite accustomed to their regulars, some who's company always brought a smile to his face. however, this particular morning had been rough, and they not only wore their emotions on their face -- but he now appeared to be wearing the day on his apron as made their way to the register. " sorry about that... a small child decided to pick up his mom's matcha and launch it across the room.. my apron was an unfortunate casualty. " while he wears his exhaustion, his face blossoms into a genuine but sheepish smile. " what can i get ya? "

[cass3ndra]

ophelia has been taking a ceramics class at the university; it's good for her, gives her something to do with her hands and occupies her mind. that's where she had been when it had started, seemingly all at once; someone's pottery had shattered, sending shards flying across the room. ghosts had begun to wink out of sight. from there, it hadn't taken long for things to spiral. ophelia's nails are pressed into her palms, eyes huge as she stares out at the continuing chaos. " i - i don't know, " she manages, and then her gaze finds the hand pressed to the other woman's eye. given something to focus on, some of the panic dissipates. " are you hurt? "

location: near portum university in honor of the event - no limit!

“Querido dios--!” Catalina did not revert to her native tongue often, but she was shocked by the pain and by the flood of events that had burst the banks of her classroom, flowing out into the hall and carrying her with it. Students were losing control of their magic, in ways big and small, and others were simply as shocked as she was. Or frightened. Or, of course, taking advantage of the situation to flee the classroom. Catalina herself was reeling from a blow to the face, which, frankly, she wasn’t even sure how she had gotten. A cut had opened up over her eye, and for the first time in years, she was bleeding. She managed to get outside, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead, looking around. “What in the name of God is going on?” she asked, her eye happening to alight on a person nearby. 

[cass3ndra]

( carla gugino . female. she/her) — blasting CASSANDRA by taylor swift down main street we’ve spotted OPHELIA MUIR sporting their chiastolite pendant. the FORTY-FIVE year old ORACLE who’s been in town for three months often can be seen painting, reading, wandering the shore, or working as a/n FLORIST at WHITE OLEANDER. people say they display compassionate and anxious traits. also, we’ve heard they love COLLECTING AND DRYING FLOWERS ! aren’t they fascinating ?

⸺ written by CASSIDY ( 27 . she/her . est . )

this is a quick version to get an intro up. i'll probably post a fuller one later.

BASICS.

full name: ophelia grace muir age: 45 pronouns: she/her orientation: demisexual

ophelia would be a powerful oracle if she really embraced her powers, but she does not. as it is, whatever grants individuals these abilities seems to love her; from a very young age she has been plagued with visions, more often than not frightening ones. she was only a little older when she began to see ghosts.

she is very much on the anxious side, and at some point when she was young, she began dissociating to cope with her sight. she is prone to this still, and even if she isn't actively doing so, it isn't uncommon to find her staring into space lost to her thoughts or to a vision, but doesn't often like to discuss details when she comes out of it. she is very sweet-natured but was never taught how to properly deal with her gifts and they get the better of her.

ophelia's parents were not overall bad; in many ways they were very loving, but neither of them ever accepted her abilities for what they were, instead pressing for a diagnosis. she would go through a number of doctors, medications, and specialists as a child and teenager, all in the name of helping her.

when she was a teenager she was admitted to a series of psychiatric facilities. she was in a hospital the majority of years 15-18. this caused her relationship with her parents to become distant, and was a result of her having had a vision of a cousin's death. the cousin died a year after the vision, and of course in the same wa.

she has continued to go through her life plagued by visions and ghosts. the ghosts don't bother her as much as the visions; it's rare that the ones she sees are malevolent.