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[swtnsourkisses]

Nerves. is all she could feel upon receiving her gaudy invitation to the gala. she expected nothing less all things considered. The knowledge that they knew of her― classified her as an EO― was an incursion of her privacy. Forcefully they thrusted her into the spotlight; not for her work; or development in space science that she helmed. But rather what she could do with these unnatural abilities. For six years she kept a tight lip of her new, skills. The last three she delved into what she could do― how powerful she could be. It scared her- no person, no mortal should have this kind of dominion. How odd to hate the very thing that saved your life. her attendance was begrudging on. her part, dawn in white from head to toe she snatched up a champagne flute quickly. Emptying the contents about halfway finally feeling the coil tight in the pit of her stomach loosen. Her breathing labored. cautious eyes found a cursory gaze behind a mask and she offered a tight smile. " It's warm in here. Though I suppose chugging alcohol would exacerbate the heat," she said fanning herself with her clutch, trying to cool the overheated skin of her collarbone. Breathe Marion, just breathe.

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" You and about everyone else," Her sarcasm thickly laced her words. . Tonight had been more or less what she had assumed. A mingling of all sorts, singing the praises of Cerbrus and their newest acquisition. Though, if she were to play devil's advocate, the crab puffers were pretty stellar. She arrived early― mostly in the hopes that she would be able to stay for an hour or two and then make a polite exit. It was about that time to be sure, but those that came with her from GISS were still drinking, so she figured one more, she could call her car and head back home― to her sure her son Mateo was still awake― definitely.

She peaked at the line ahead of them both, letting out a puff of air. " you'd think they would have more than just three bars for all these people." she offered up additionally― not sure if he would even answer " Could be one outside of the ballroom maybe, have you checked?"

open to everyone / the gala, at approx. 8pm

REMI is not too proud to admit that he had anticipated that this night would go — well, badly isn't exactly the word he's searching for, but it's close. after talking to some colleagues at work earlier in the day, he had been under the impression that everyone would be more or less dreading the event. remi himself had to arrive a little late, as he had to rush to go and get ready in his apartment after work.

he's hovering near the bar, waiting for drinks, but since an hour has already passed since the event began, the bar is currently swarming with guests vying for their own orders. he's not surprised — it's more or less expected at an event that's offering free drinks on a friday night, especially when it's taking place at a location that's as nice as the ritz-carlson.

" i had expected fewer people to be so... thrilled to be here, " he says, more or less under his breath.

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Marion didn't make it a habit of wearing heels, or at least not for this long. The sides of her arches were throbbing by this point― she should have known was better than to wear these damn shoes but they were the only ones that matched her all-white ensemble. The structured dress was reminiscent of that of the space suit she had worn during her first space walk on the Atlas station. That was easier than treading through the waters of the luscious and powerful people that filled this room. She released a breath in relief, toes now free from their confinement, she started slightly before letting out a light chuckle towards the other femme. " I'm sure you aren't, I just needed a dark corner to sneak off my shoes." she offered, toes wiggling as they peeked out from the bottom of her gown. " Have you seen any interesting things? I could use the distraction." she hummed, already taking a seat as she palmed her sore soles.

Was coming all the way to New York City to rekindle a friendship the other person seemingly didn't want excessive? Probably, and she found herself lonely here - practically knowing no one in the room. That, along with her fear of crowds, left her in the corner to just watch. "I'm guessing I'm not the only people watcher here," she commented, noticing someone out of the corner of her eye

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Though she could do without the mask, the night has gone as well as one might expect. A part of her is ready to disappear altogether. Surely an hour or so of pleasantries was sufficient to allow her exodus. The splendor of evening festivities was not lost on her― and for all her misgivings of those associating themselves with Cerberus― she'd be remiss in saying that she hadn't enjoyed herself-- albeit begrudgingly. However, Marion was sure this had more to do with the companions she arrived with or those she found along the way.

Now she was just meandering through the sea of people. Some with their mask still on. Others, remove the facade altogether. Marion like the amenity― mostly because it meant there was no need for small talk. Almost laughable really, she had gone her whole life wanting recognition for her work.  For once, she want to be ignored. Allowed to weave in and out of conversation ...

Looking for him? Silly thoughts or a silly idea; Marion found it happening more often than not. Doe eyes scanned each room she entered over the three years believing he would be there knowing he wouldn't be. How could he? Another light snuffed out far too soon. Shuffling past a group; a familiar cadence halted her progression. No scenario, no circumstances could ready her for the visage of a ghost, or the swell of her heart at the sight of a friend― someone that had been of so much help to her. Only to lose it, to lose him shortly after. She's sure it's a hallucination. It's the only quantifiable explanation. However, the closer she gets the more she's certain- this isn't some apparition. He's real. Hadrian is alive. She stalked closer, cautious, looking for a trap and finding none. "It's a light spread, almost disappointing." she offered. Tentative but there is hope in her eyes behind her mask. A mask she keeps on if for no other reason than― if she is wrong if this is some sort of phantom. She can hide from the embarrassment and shame of hoping for the miraculous. Spoiled the extraordinary feats that are now an everyday occurrence. Shaking herself out of a stupor she overs a familiar smile― " I couldn't help but overhear, forgive me. But try the lemon tarts- they are worth the trip."

— WITHER & TIME WITCH // @swtnsourkisses WHERE: the grand opening of anderson laboratories. WHEN: towards the later evening. WHO: hadrian & ... an old acquaintance.

The evening grows hungry. & Hadrian grows tired of these masks. For all his false smiles and unnecessary pleasant tries, irritation blooms right there in the thick of his chest. It's one thing after another, one simple conversation after another. Hello's and how are you's and don't you recognize me's all start to blend together. He moves through the passing crowd, through the jumble of silks and taffeta and brocade towards the tables set up to supply food. He has made ... interesting connections this evening. ( there was something raw sitting in the mouths of all the agents he managed to identify. they didn't — like something. it bothered him that he didn't know what. ) He is going to have to look closer into it — start poking the beast and see what happens next.

He reaches up and pulls at the black ribbons that keeps his mask in place, taking it off. A few others have done the same — either not caring who saw their face or they truly had nothing to hide. What boring lives they must lead. He is taking a risk — there are people here who know him as one thing but not the other. & there are those who know more than that. A risk, however, makes it fun — and tells him who he needs to get rid of. The idea that Wither and Hadrian were one and the same would not survive the night — beyond those who already knew. Loose lips and all that, yes?

Besides, he's been dead for three years.

He steps through a small group, his thoughts not focusing. Their faces all blur with the masks they wear and their conversation cuts short. He nods politely. Masks and fake pleasantries would not remove his manners, he was raised better than that. ( well. he raised himself better than that. ) "Pardon, I didn't mean to interrupt. The invitation advertised free food and I'm curious to know what Anderson Laboratories lays out in a spread, hm?" One of the gentlemen in the group laughs and makes a remark about his alcohol. Hadrian gives a thin-lipped smile. About five-ten, unwieldy in the suit, more smoke blown up his ass than a chimney. The cadence tells him older, perhaps older than him. The snake motif of the mask giving away from than that he realized. Blue eyes with over-combed hair and a need to laugh. Hadrian knew that type. "Thank you."

He hadn't planned on signing someone's name on a dotted line but — well, the evening has grown hungry, hasn't it?

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" And have our gracious host miss the opportunity to flaunt their affluent as well-meaning and unassuming... not likely." she was on her third well-meaning drink that night. clad in white a white mask. She had no idea who most people were. The masked helped those wishing to keep their anonymity to do so. Marion was one of them, she came out of obligation -- representing GISS with a few other physicists. She would be making her escape soon enough. " Though I'm assuming you don't mean just any nightclub. Grandiloquent ballrooms in excessively priced hotels not your cup of tea?"

𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫

" i personally think a night club would have been a more thrilling venue. " lucien begins , glancing around at the splendor of the ball. would his conversation partner connect the dots that he was the owner of a prominent club in the city ? with his simple black mask , there was no telling. night club owner by ... night , villain by trade. lucien was enjoying this night of anonymity and curiosity.

[swtnsourkisses]

THE GRAND OPENING ( ATTIRE )

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐀𝐌

[swtnsourkisses]

❝  𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱𝖤 𝖨𝖲 𝖮𝖭𝖤 𝖪𝖨𝖭𝖣 𝖮𝖥 𝖱𝖮𝖡𝖡𝖤𝖱 𝖶𝖧𝖮𝖬 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖫𝖠𝖶 𝖣𝖮𝖤𝖲 𝖭𝖮𝖳 𝖲𝖳𝖱𝖨𝖪𝖤 𝖠𝖳, 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖶𝖧𝖮 𝖲𝖳𝖤𝖠𝖫𝖲 𝖶𝖧𝖠𝖳 𝖨𝖲 𝖬𝖮𝖲𝖳 𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖢𝖨𝖮𝖴𝖲 𝖳𝖮 𝖬𝖤𝖭: 𝖳𝖨𝖬𝖤. ❞

𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟⧸dossier : time witch  ›› marion cunningham ››  gugu mbatha-raw .

❛❛   aesthetic .  ❜❜   ―   ◜   . ―   black coffee and girl meals, threads of time constantly moving, early morning runs as the world spins, calm and tranquil as the moon, airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars . ⸻   .

001.  GENERAL

name  marion cummingham nicknames  mar age  43 date of birth  nov 18th zodiac  scorpiocurrent residence  new york gender  cis female pronouns  she/her sexuality  bisexual occupation  astronaut faceclaim  gugu mbatha-raw height  5'5 tattoos  four leaf clover behind right ear piercings two earing in each ear distinguishing features  a birthmark that kind of looks like a heart on left shoulder blade positive traits  intelligent, calm, persistent negative traits  resentful, obsessive, controlling labels / tropes  the interstellar likes strawberry and cream, rainy nights, warm fires, the laughter of her child dislikes  almonds, winter months, the smell of hospitals, frogs fears of loved one dying, mediocrity, running out of time, dying alone hobbies  pottery, writing habits  bitting her nails when nervous, going on runs in the morning to start her day.

002.  EXTRAORDINARY

near death experience… 

It was a routine expedition, up to the space station for three months to bring up supplies for those living aboard and aid in repairs of some of the solar panels. it was a trip she'd taken before easily. The readings on the board were wrong; she knew it⸻ years of knowing what to look for. So, she voiced her concerns to mission control. but they reassured her and her crew nothing was wrong. they had barely made out for the stratosphere when the explosion happened. it was slow motion, could feel her body heating up and freezing at once as she and her crew were ejected into space. images of her child flashing before her- the life she would miss- a life she could have had with Emilio. reconciliation with her sister.

So many possibilities. so much that could be changed just in reach. and she reached for it. her arm stiff as if rigor mortis had set in. but she touched the mot of possibility, and was pulled towards the light. Morion isn't sure how it was possible not in the moment, but in one instance she was dead or dying and in the next, she was back in her seat on the shuttle. going over the system check. was she losing her mind, had she hallucinated her death? it felt too real and she could see it... the wheel of time, the possibilities calling to her- thing golden strings of space and time at her fingertips. They didn't go on that mission, five lives had been saved that day including her own. But what would it mean for the future? She doesn't know, she's still trying to figure it out.

power… 

Marion has the ability to manipulate space and time. to see the possibilities of the future as you will which is ever-changing. the time wheel is her window to these fractions in time- which she can step into - not that she has but she could. To control space-time is to alter the fabrics of reality & the very existence itself, allowing one to erase existences and not just the flow of time, heavy stuff... and how she saved hers and her crew's lives.

drawbacks / vulnerabilities… 

There are consequences to everything. when you start to manipulate the strands of time- those consequences can be detrimental. for every change that Marion has made up to this point- there has been a catastrophic consequence though it might not be directed at her the effects ripple. So she doesn't go messing with space and time often only when dire when her conscience calls to it. it feels very much like playing god - and she hates it. during her accident, the crew was bringing up a new substance, or the space station team to experiment on a mineral called IRIDIUMS-163 - in the hopes of figuring out the possibilities and uses for the substance. however during the the explosion, Marion and possibly others were exposed to high heated levels of this mineral and it had negative effects on her. In close proximity, she starts to feel sick, but when she comes in physical contact it causes rippling pain. cause her to lose control of her time wheel- those strands of time lashing out in every which way but allowing another to travel through space and time with her as an unwilling conduit. Needless to say, she needs to run more tests to find out the scope of her power and the drawbacks and vulnerabilities she has. which she does in her private lab at home.

003.  EXTRA TDLR;

⸻ Marion hasn't been the most enthusiastic when it comes to her powers. She often tries hard not to use them; until she can understand them fully. It has very much been trial and error -- lots of tests in her own personal lab. she's seen what happens to those with these ' gifts'. she has yet to see an upside to them. the exception being her and her crew beating death. ⸻ She does not trust Cerberus corp, and not just because her ex-husband works there if anything she worries for him. there is an innate distrust of the organization and the image it promotes. they seem far too invested in the lives of the extraordinary and it comes off disingenuous. She doesn't want them to know about her or her abilities⸻ but she fears it is already too late for that. ⸻ Marion hates... hates CLEANING. Not that she won't do it but she does have a maid that comes twice a month for a deep cleaning. this being said, if you ever see Marion ⸻sleeves rolled up as she scrubs the floors, or the window and vigorously sweeps and or vacuuming? DEFCON 10 stay away.

WANTED CONNECTION

Team Scorpius: this is the team she was with during the explosion. They could have been affected and changed in ways like her or they could have. be living normal lives in their new reality. Maybe one of them is a villain now that could push her to become a hero... the possibilities are endless. playlist : coming soon !!

[swtnsourkisses]

Gugu Mbatha-Raw photographed by Nick Thompson for Interview Magazine (2022)