The Occultists

My first non-one-shot story on 'Dox. I have been waiting to write this story for a while, but started recently, and am ready to present it (to hopefully, a willing audience.)
The story is about a group of occultists, at an university in England, in a steampunk setting (because all proper steampunk takes place in England).
A note on the structure:
This story isn't like most in that it's not told in chapters, but in short stories/vignettes. There are story arcs that contain an amount of short stories in them. However, for convenience, and because nobody likes reading really long short stories (they get bored) I will post the short stories in parts.
Okay! Here is the first installment of the first story:

Instincts Part 1
Venice put down the student-book pen, had her signature stamped and escorted herself into the library.
It was no doubt that the library was Venice’s favorite place on the campus. The high vaulted ceilings were mechanically adorned with all manner of heating and cooling pipes that sent steam into every nook and cranny of the school proper. Cedar and oak bookcases were lined with texts for study and recreation. A large glass window, sectioned off in metal grids, made up a large portion of the back wall of the library. It looked out to a serene man-made pond.
She walked through rows of books and students, careful not to disturb anyone studying. Her favorite seat was a wicker chair that sat close to the large back window. There she could enjoy both the inside and the outside at the same time. Not many students came to the back of the library, so her seat was reliably vacant. Venice sat down and rummaged through her rucksack. Among papers and textbooks she found the book she was reading for pleasure: a slim non-fiction of migratory patterns, specifically of the red knot and the monarch butterfly. Leisurely, she found her place in the book and resumed reading. The din of the steam pipes and of moving pencils and pens was calming and normal. She flicked a bit of her blond hair out of her face. Her blue eyes scanned the book, engrossed.
After reading for a while, Venice became aware of another noise. She scrunched her face in irritation. Tap-tap. Tap-tap. It wasn’t the clock or a pipe. It sounded more like the taping of a foot on carpet.
Venice looked up from her book. Standing at the side of her chair was a girl, most likely her age. The girl had brown hair that curled at the end, and one unusual red bang that stuck out over her sallow-tinted face. Her irises appeared invisible, blended with the dark pupil. She wore the school uniform – the white shirt, the checkered red-and-gold skirt, but instead of a scarlet vest, she wore a similarly colored short-sleeved jacket.
“Can I help you?” Venice asked, tentatively.
“God, it took you long enough to realize,” the girl said, loudly, but then smiled sheepishly when she realized she was at the library. She pulled a stool from a lounger and dragged it over to the wicker chair. “Is that material really so interesting?” she said, in a much quieter tone, gesturing to Venice’s book.
Venice frowned. “This isn’t very polite.”
“I’m usually not,” the girl said, smiling. Her red lock bobbed in a way that annoyed Venice. “My name’s Lux.”
“I’m Venice,” she said, a bit reluctantly.
The girl – Lux – smiled. “I like that. Is it really your name?”
“Why? Is ‘Lux’ really not your name?”
“Maybe,” she said.
Venice sighed. “It’s nice to meet you, Lux, but I would really like to get back to reading, and would appreciate it if you left me to read alone.”
“Hold on,” Lux said, pushing Venice’s book down as she attempted to bury herself in it. “I’m not going yet. I wanted to ask you something. May I?”
Lux’s eyes gleamed with intent, but also, mischief. Venice had a weird feeling that this look was familiar, like she had seen it before.
“Fine,” Venice said, and put her book down. “You can ask me something.”
Lux grinned and adjusted herself on the stool. She brushed her jacket down. Then she looked right at Venice and asked, “What do you believe in?”
“What kind of bloody question is that?” Venice said sharply. “I believe in God. Is that what you want?”
Lux held up her hands, warding off Venice’s cutting words. “No, no, not like that. I asked the wrong question. It’s more about personal belief, a unique philosophy.”
“Maybe we should continue this conversation in a place more appropriate for philosophical debate,” Venice said, again picking up her book. “And for talking in general.”
“Just listen!” Lux said, more loudly again. Venice, startled, put down the book. “Let me try again,” pleaded Lux. “I remember the right question now.”
Venice looked on with blank irritation, but gave no word of resistance.
“Have you ever believed you were meant to be something other than human?” Lux asked, calmly.
A cold shock passed through Venice’s body.
“Bird,” she responded immediately. She surprised herself and Lux at how fast she had answered the question. Her face reddened. “I mean…” but she had nothing to say. It was what she meant.
There was a strange silence after that. Venice was nervous and embarrassed. She looked down her chest, wondering what had come over her. Lux seemed to be pleasantly surprised.
“I can tell what you said is true. If you want, you should meet me tonight – around 8 – at the west courtyard,” Lux said. She got up from the stool. “You don’t have to come. But I think you should – you might find out something about yourself you didn’t know.”
And with that, she left Venice with a strange feeling in her gut and no appetite to read.

At around 8 that night, Venice arrived at the west courtyard. She had barely eaten dinner; too nervous to be hungry. She wasn’t sure what to expect. ‘You might find out something about yourself you didn’t know,” Lux had said. It brought up strange ideas about repressed memories. Or was it something she really hadn’t ever known, to be introduced to her at their meeting?
Four gas lamps lit the corners of the stone courtyard, surrounded by wheat colored stonewalls with rough cement counters. Trees grew outside the square, and the gas lamplight illuminated the leaves mysteriously.
“She’s here,” said a voice. Venice spun around. On top of the counter sat Lux and a scrawny young man she didn’t recognize. They both pushed off the counter and walked over to her.
Lux had that same mischievous look on her face. “Wonderful that you decided to come,” she smiled.
Venice nodded and turned to the young man. He looked glad as well, and shook her hand. “You can call me Bone,” he said. “And your name is…Venice, right?”
“Yes,” Venice said, feeling still a little nervous.
“Is that your real name?” Bone asked, just like Lux had earlier.
“It is,” she said. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
Bone smiled. He had curly hair, probably a dark blond but hard to tell in the light. He wore the boy’s uniform – a scarlet jacket and khaki slacks. Venice noted that he was only about her height, slim and unthreatening.
“It’s because not all of us are lucky to have interesting first names. Like Herbert, being my real name,” he explained. “Or Beatrice.”
“Shut up!” Lux suddenly exclaimed. “My name is Lux! Short for Luxembourg.” Then she pointed at Venice. “Never call me Beatrice.”
“Okay, okay,” Venice said, “I won’t.”
“Come,” Bone said, beckoning both girls back to where he and Lux had been sitting earlier, the south side of the courtyard. Venice walked carefully. They all took a seat on the cement counter. Lux was absentmindedly swinging her legs, and would occasionally look at Venice with that same mischievous face. Bone stared off into space, but Venice couldn’t help feeling like he was still watching her.
The prolonged silence and idleness only contributed to Venice’s anxiety. “Are we… waiting for someone?” she asked.
Lux nodded. “Exactly. He should be here soon. Only three of us could make it tonight.” She smiled.
Bone’s blank face snapped, and he blinked his eyes. “He’s here now, actually,” he said, softly. Then a little louder, “Paul!”
The branches of the tree to Venice’s left, which grew over into the courtyard, began to shake. Suddenly, a fuzzy creature fell out from the branch. Venice shrieked. The creature appeared to be an opossum, an animal she had seen before illustrated in textbooks but not native to England. The opossum was a bit startled by Venice’s reaction. Strangely, it had grey-green eyes and a notable scar on the right side of its muzzle.
But instead of running away, the opossum seemed to momentarily waver in form, and immediately it transformed into a man, with square shoulders and grayish hair. He dressed in a black tattered jacket and dark pants. The man stood up, and Venice could see that he had the same color eyes as the opossum, as well as a hideous scar on the right side of his face, running from his cheekbone to his jaw line.
Bone acted calmly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. “Venice, this is Paul Davíd –“
“No!” Venice yelped. Her body shook with fear. “That – that isn’t supposed to happen!” She frantically searched for a way out of the courtyard, but flanked by Lux and Bone and with the man in front of her, her only option was crawling through the trees and plants. This option she did briefly consider. Lux tried to hold her hand, but Venice batted it away. She couldn’t trust anyone. Blind panic had taken control of her body.
“Venice,” the once-opossum said to her, calmly. She looked at him.
“This is a perversion of nature,” Venice said, in a low accusatory voice. She was still shaking.
The man – Paul, as he had been introduced – ignored her comment. “You’re named after the port city, Venezia, in Italy, correct?”
Venice didn’t speak – her mouth had suddenly dried. So she nodded her head.
Paul smiled, and the scar on his face curved with the grin. “Venezia is shaped like a fish. That’s because it was built on top of the Leviathan,” he said, and Venice, along with Lux and Bone, shuddered at the mention of the demon. “The Leviathan’s powers are sealed by the foundation of the city, but it’s only temporary. It waits until Venezia is weak, and then it will wreak havoc until a worthy challenger steps up to defeat it.”
Venice shook her head. “That isn’t true. Nobody’s ever told me that, no book has ever accounted that.”
“Well, regular people aren’t supposed to know about it. I’m taking a risk, trusting you with that information,” Paul replied.
“…Regular people…” Venice mumbled. Suddenly she jumped from her sitting position, fueled by a new revelation. Standing in the southwest corner, she pointed an index finger and waved it at the three other people.
“I know who you are! You’re occultists!” she exclaimed. “Ooh, occultists are dangerous and dark! This is wrong.” She pointed at Lux. “You tricked me. I shouldn’t have come.”
Lux, frazzled, pushed off the counter. “Don’t leave,” she asked. “You were right to come, don’t doubt it.” Bone jumped off the counter as well. The three occultists had her cornered.
Venice gave an angry smile. Adrenaline rushed through her body, every signal telling her to flee, but she wasn’t totally blind to it – she resisted the urge to tackle Bone (although she was certain he would be easy to take down). It wasn’t civilized.
“That’s it. Calm down,” Lux said. Venice was still hyperventilating, but she attempted to slow down her breathing.
“How do you know about the occultists?” Bone asked. He briefly looked at Lux. “Have you ever met one?”
“I –“ Venice said. Something clicked in the back of her mind, and her eyes briefly illuminated. She shook it off. “I don’t need to meet an occultist to know about them. They make deals with demons and manipulate people and other things that they have no business in.” But even saying that, she felt it only a half-truth.
“We could chose to do some of those things,” Paul admitted.
“Look,” Lux said, approaching Venice. “You told me you thought you were meant to be a bird. That’s your dream, but it can be your reality. The occultists aren’t evil. ‘Occult’ means hidden. We protect the hidden world, and we benefit from that, something that normal people can’t ever do. And now, we’re coming to you. We need a fifth person. It’s an opportunity to get what you’ve always wanted.” She was now only steps away from Venice, but stopped moving.
“Think about it. Please,” she pleaded. Her voice reminded Venice of their encounter in the library, when Lux had apologized for asking the wrong question.
Venice looked passed her. She sprung from the corner, and dashed through the empty space in the bloc. As she rushed out of the courtyard, she heard the voices of the people she had left behind. But their words were lost to the wind, and Venice didn’t stop running until she reached her dorm house.


Aaa I hope you all like it! I already have the other half of the story written.

The Unusuals

It's been a while since I posted my first roleplay, and it didn't work so well because I lost some leadership. This time will be different, because this rp is being co-operated by myself and nya_chan. And our combined leadership will lead us to victory~! (possibly)

Story:
All your life, there’s always been something a bit… unusual about you. It’s far more than just a quirk or habit – it is something verging on the abnormal. No matter what, you never seem to be able to hide it from people. The world seems to know that you’re not like everyone else, and you stand out in crowds without even trying. Some people give you strange looks and others avoid looking at you. This unusual trait has caused you problems in public and in your social life, and you’ve always wished for it to go away.
Not too long ago – exactly on the first day of the New Year, 2010 – you received an envelope in the mail. It had no return address. Inside were a couple things. One was a letter. It invited you to join a secret club for people who were abnormal in some way. The letter was signed with the initials N.L. Your first reaction was suspicion, but then you noticed the second item in the envelope – a check for a nice amount of money. The sender intended you to use it to by a plane ticket to a big city from wherever you were. At the city, the sender was planning on holding a gathering in a nice hotel. Intrigued and maybe still a little suspicious, you decide to take the money and the membership.
Now, a couple days later, you are arriving or have arrived in the city at its largest airport, and getting a ride to the hotel. You’re perhaps a bit nervous, or very excited, and probably you have an idea of what this club is going to be like. But things have changed since the letter was sent, and you are now heading into something much more dangerous…


Setting:
Imagine it like a big city, with normal metropolitan staples like skyscrapers, taxicabs and lots and lots of people. There is probably a rail system too, subterranean or aboveground. The city is situated more in a warmer climate; because it's the middle of winter, the temperature here is around the 40-50'sF/4-10'sC. Anyone who wants to name this city may.
The hotel also is nameless, and a name can be suggested for that. We will be gathering in the main lobby when we reach the hotel, and then it will really begin...

Rules:
1. No godmoding or power plays
2. NO MARY SUES – perfect characters will be eaten by Rayquaza (the pokemon)
3. If you can, no swearing
4. Nothing too graphic – light violence is where it should be
5. If you write something in another language (I do this sometimes) then you must add a translation
6. Any other forum rule or role-play etiquette that I fail to print here should be adhered to, for good measure
7. Include somewhere “I was an awkward child” in your post so I know you read the rules

About the abnormalities:
Your abnormality will be something in three general categories. The first category is the physical abnormality. This would be a thing like extra limbs, tails, missing body parts – anything that has to do with the body. It can also be something minor like a strange eye color or really long fingernails (or moderately untrimmed toenails… sorry). The second category is the sensory abnormality. This is fairly straightforward – an unusually heightened or dull sense. Possibly you have one dull sense and one heightened sense as well (sense compensations?), but not necessarily. The third category is the mental abnormality. I’d imagine this to be the largest category. This could be anything ranging from mental genius to telekinesis, to mind control – as long as it is not too powerful or game breaking, and has to do with the mind (not spiritual). The purpose of categorizing things is because it makes it easier to choose, and easier to limit.
You can, if you endeavor, mix minor abnormalities together. If it's something that makes sense to be paired with something else, then it's accepted. Try to not abuse this too much as it can lead to a Mary Sue.
A final thing (this is important) is that you didn't inherit this abnormality. It's something completely random and unique to you and not to anyone in your family.

Okay? Ready for signup?

Name: [first and last]
Known as: [If your character has a name they go by that isn’t their real name]
Age: [self explanatory]
Gender: [boy or girl?]
Abnormality: [Read the bit above to help you choose. It’s also helpful to describe it]
Physical Description: [Detail, detail, detail! A picture should have some description as well]
Personality: [Include weakness and strengths as well]
Brief History: [Brevity is good! I don’t need your character’s whole life story as that will probably be discussed during the roleplay, but it’s helpful to know just a little bit about where they come from.]
Favorite Color: [Colors are nice. Just whatever you think your character’s favorite color would be you can put it here. If you don’t think they have a favorite color then you don’t need to say anything.]


I will post my character after the first poster. nya, feel free to edit this in ways you see fit.
-Scarlet

E4 (plat) team needs help!

I am getting ready to face the Elite 4 in Platinum! Except... My team isn't 100% complete yet <.<; I need some help with move-sets, items and a final team member.

MY TEAM:

The Special Tank
Pippi level 53 at the moment
Hardy nature (non affective) but likes to run
Item: Quick Claw (sub. for bubble plate/metal coat?)
Moves:
Drill Peck (want to sub for Ice beam)
Whirlpool
Surf
Flash Cannon
Best Stats: sp. Attack and Defense

The Electric Brute
Korinku level 53 at the moment, Intimidate
Docile Nature (non affective) but likes to run
Item: Zap Plate (sub?)
Moves:
Crunch
Roar
Charge
Thunder Fang
Best Stats: Attack + sp. Attack

The Quick Hitter
Epit level 52 at the moment
Lax nature (+ def - sp. def) but is somewhat vain
Item: None - suggestions?
Moves:
Brave Bird
Fly (what should I sub this with?)
Close Combat
Aerial Ace
Best Stats: attack + speed

The All-Purpose Fighter
Io level 52 at the moment, Hyper Cutter
Docile nature (non affective) but is strong willed
Item: None (I'm considering lum berry)
Moves:
Swords Dance
X-Scissor
Fire Fang
Earthquake
Best Stats: Defense and Attack

SKY FORME
Shaymin level 54 at the moment, Serene Grace
Modest Nature (+ sp. attack, - attack) but scatters things often
Item: Micle Berry (suggesting? This came with it
Moves: Shaymin came from the event so she knows:
Seed Flare
Energy ball
Aromatherapy
Substitute
Best Stats: sp. attack and speed

That's for my regular members. There's one more spot left on my team and I'm just not sure which of two pokemon should fill it

EITHER

Giratina level 47 at the moment
Jolly nature (+ speed, - sp. attack) and is alert to sounds
Item: Hard stone (for ancient power- suggest?)
Moves:
Ominous Wind ( replace with toxic)
Ancientpower
Dragon Claw
Shadow Force
Best Stats: Defence + special defence
WHY HIM: I need a good defensive pokemon who can take a few hits. Giratina has a HUGE HP advantage over my other pick, but lacks the power or versatility.

OR


Wit level 48 at the moment
Impish nature (+ def - sp. attack) and is very finicky
Item: Fist Plate
Moves:
Rock Smash (replace! with drain punch probably)
Double hit (sub?)
Screech
Strength (replace! with ??)
Best Stats: Speed and Attack
WHY HER: I've spent my whole journey with Wit, and can learn all the elemental punches - or at least one of them - making her a versatile fighter. However she's crippled defensively.

Thanks!
Scarlet

Some New Palettes

I haven't made new palettes in a while. The first one I made a while ago but haven't posted it till now:

Amplitude Palette, based of the version of Amplitude from the Basher physics book.


Soul Silver Palette, had to make one. I tried a new glow technique inspired by DA.

Please rate and CC

Scarlet

Scarlet Vs. BeS

Create a fusion of any three pokemon. Platinum and DP are both allowed.
Deadline is a week from today, or Monday the 1st of March.

Scarlet: a better skunk: Shaymin, Stunky and Riolu, with a few scratch bits.

BeS:

EDIT: Added my entry.