Smoke & Mirrors: The Structure & Staff

Smoke & Mirrors, as a building, takes the form of a weathered and haunted-looking Spanish galleon wreck. The top half of the ship projects vertically from the ground, the bowsprit jutting upwards and forwards like a warped lightning rod or steeple. You enter through the midship hatch and find the first floor to be a large, open-concept sort of space that is lit by hanging wrought iron lanterns hung from the joists overhead. A rug of questionable Oriental origin occupies one corner, with assorted old chairs forming a waiting area around a flat-topped old chest that looks like it spent a good amount of time in Davy Jones’ Locker before being brought to the surface. Shipwreck chic seems to be the name of the game overall, actually, from the frames of the ultra-realistic portraits upon the walls to the water-faded wallpaper upon the walls. The shadows of a kraken’s tentacles are directly painted onto the wall behind the sail cloth-covered chaise lounge which serves as where the clients sit while Brenna plies her trade, the artist’s own seat a wheeled stool of well-worn ebony wood. Only a small section of the room--a corner furthest from the door and the staircase leading upward--is closed off by screens which is where one can only assume that she keeps her supplies. Anyone that peeks would find a massive armoire that is locked with numerous padlocks of age and size with shelving beside it, most of which hold canvases and various types of paper for those that would like a more traditional (and permanent, in theory) form of art to take home with them. Best not let the artist catch you peeking, though, so it’s best to move on before you’re caught… so go on.

Take a breathful of air that somehow tastes of oceans and incense as you head upstairs.

As you make the landing, the view shifts considerably. It looks as if the best-preserved part of this ship was the Captain's quarters, repurposed here to stunning effect. The floorboards are well-kept and waxed, but still creak as you walk into the lounge. The walls are paneled in rich carved wood with baroque carving and gilding detail. High shelves skirt the tops of the walls, filled with baubles and sculptures and prizes of a hundred journeys. These? These didn't come with the ship. They do belong to a captain of sorts, though. The incense scents here are heavier, dragon's blood and myrrh mingling with smoke from the patrons here. Portholes can be swung open to allow air to circulate if things get too foggy.

Along the front wall stands an ornately-carved mahogany canopied bar, the stained glass windows of the upper canopy radiating with light from cleverly placed oil lamps. All of the wood is antique in appearance, lovingly oiled. A row of padded leather and wrought iron captain swivel stools provide at-bar seating. The mirror-lined area at the rear has the primary offerings: shisha blends for the hookahs that stand ready to be rented on the starboard side of the bar, e-liquids for vapers, and an absinthe fountain. The port side of the bar holds a locked cabinet with no glass windows, and inside there are house specialty blends of non-tobacco add-ons for partaking with your shisha, or he could blend you up something custom just as easily. The captain that's manning these quarters can take you wherever you'd like to go without leaving this room.

The drink menu offers a small selection of chilled soft drinks, wines, beers, and meads. A chalkboard lists two or three food selections of the day, all low-prep or pre-prepared, erring towards cooler fare like sandwiches in the heat and heavier fare like stews, gumbos, and chilli in the cold. It's not a bar or restaurant, really, but it looks to accommodate the comfort of those spending a long amount of time here.

As you move away from the bar with your selection in hand, you're faced with a choice of seating. A long leather-topped table runs down the center towards the ship's keel, stools similar to those at the bar surrounding it, all mounted to the floorboards. The port and starboard walls feature small circular alcoves of plush red velvet booth seating, chests of a variety of designs and conditions forming a center table for each. Dark waxed canvas curtains are furled overhead, capable of being dropped for more intimacy. The far side wall, formed from the curved hull and keel, holds a version of these alcoves for a large group that is roped off for reserving. Oil lamps hang from the joists overhead, throwing illumination in patches.

If you know to request it, or have a certain look about you, or it just might be amusing to him in the moment? There's one more story to this building.

A locked door hidden behind a heavy drape leads to yet another staircase, spiraling up. If you've come this far, you're likely about to have an unforgettable experience. Whether it'll edge closer towards the side of ecstatic or horrific depends on who you really are.

The curve of the belly of the ship where it once met the bow is broken away, forming a rooftop patio. The ragged jutting edges of the hull, weathered ruins ringed with wooden benches, mostly project high enough to dissuade delirious guests from leaning too far out or testing gravity. More shallow areas, patched sturdily with fishing net for safety's sake, open up an elevated view of parts of the amusement park and the wilder areas beyond it. Two masts stand, broken off roughly a dozen feet overhead, supporting large torches safely out of reach. Brass censers hang from the remnants of their yards. A shack structure stands against the corner of the intact wall and the port-side hull, locked of course, storing who knows what.

An obsidian mirror has been mounted into the intact front wall formed from the deck. To each side of it, several Mayan hammocks are strung, their cotton left natural offwhite-beige. In the center stands a large stone brazier of Aztec design. The rest of the space stands open.

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Name: Kris. Atomic

Age: 32.

Years of Fed Experience: Almost a decade now.

Contact Info: PMs, and my AIM is DesecrationInc.



Real Name: Brenna Gordon.

D.O.B.: January 31st, 1991.

Hometown: Unknown by all but Berlin, and neither of them are about to divulge. A nomad's life is her current situation.

Pic Base: Paige.

Twitter: @bornofmyth


Nicknames: None that she'll let you use.

Height: 5'9".

Weight: 157 lbs.


Alignment: Neutral, though her leanings in more extreme instances are more to the darker side when compared to Berlin's.

Gimmick: The talented--almost too talented--artist of Smoke and Mirrors, Brenna is the less personable member of the pair of proprietors.

Character Biography: There's only snippets, bits and pieces that can be assembled from her brief tenures in other companies. Her father's an entirely unknown quantity, and her mother is an insane poet that is convinced that there is supernatural power in the family bloodline. Brenna herself has cut all ties, though the ones of blood are proving far harder to ignore. Such mental issues have the potential to be hereditary... though really? It's the potential for Moira Gordon's words to be true that should be of greatest concern. Aloof and distant to most, the only time she seems to thaw is for Berlin and for the occasional soul who has suffered through similar circumstances as she. Other artists also get some level of politeness.

Trained By: Unknown.

Fighting Style: Brenna's that speedy sort of technical that, outside of competition as she is now, is not remotely about to hesitate in using whatever unfair advantage she can find. That, of course, includes thundering for Berlin who is a dangerous foe in his own right.

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[Handler Information]

Name: Corey aka V

Age: 33

Years of Fed Experience: Started in August 2004.

Contact Info: Board PM, DM: @saintof_killers, AIM: nivisionproductions, Trillian Astra: nivision

[Character Personal Information]

Real Name: Berlin Anderson

D.O.B.: 03/17/1989

Hometown: Originally, Los Angeles, California. Currently? Been nomadic for quite a while now.

Pic Base: Finn Balor, including Prince Devitt era.

Twitter: @nomadberlin


Nicknames:

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 182 lbs.

Alignment: Neutral. Most times you'd think he was face, and most times you'd be right, but watch out for curveballs. His morals aren't standard issue, to understate.

Gimmick: Your genuinely friendly tour guide to the eldritch abyss. Also, the guy who handles the hookah bar.

Character Biography: How much do you really wanna know?

Let's stick with what you need to know.

Berlin has atypical narcolepsy. He sleeps, usually, around 12 hours a day and basically can't be woken up once he's out. You might think that losing huge chunks of time is disorienting, but oh, you'd only have the tip of that particular iceberg.

Like many parkour practitioners, he considers it an approach of life more than a sport, translating to finding ways to navigate mental and emotional obstacles philosophically-- the opposite of beating your head against metaphorical walls. He can be a good person to talk to when you're having a hard time. Just be careful you don't get more than you bargained for.


Trained By: Big Sonny Calhoun

Fighting Style: As a noncompetitor? Capoeira with a parkour practitioner's use of the environment. When he was a competitor? High-flying influenced by the aforementioned, blended with puro influenced technical wrestling.