Call me Case.
I always say it's because there were too many Chris's at my old school, and to some extent that's true. There was Chris T., called "Christy" by his friends, and ONLY his friends-- he was on the football and the wrestling team and could probably have ripped the arms off of any offending individual who dared utter his more friendly moniker. He was Irish, though, and they're more wont to apply nicknames like "Christy" or "Patty" to males, I guess. There was Cris with no "H", and Kris with a "K". I came to the conclusion that, when parents wait until middle age to have children, they tend to be more liberal when it comes to names. There was a guy named Jordan Casey, even, and there were as many Jordans as Chris's, who was called "Casey". He was on the baseball team, and hearkening back to some old poem, the saying went, "There was joy at St. Ignatius, when Casey was at bat." So, yeah, at St. Ignatius Academy, where I came from, there were a lot of Chris's.
I was a stutterer.
When I was three, I got lost in a museum. We had all gone as a family one weekend when my nonna was visiting from New York. She lives with us now, but my nonno was alive back then, and she came to Chicago to stay with us one summer. My sister Carrie, her real name is Carmela, but she hates that name, was supposed to watch me, but we got separated. I was lost for a long time, an hour, a day, you have no real understanding of time when you're three, and the museum security officers found me. I'll just say my memory's not real clear from that time, except of them asking my name. I was a scared little kid, and I said my name was "C-C-C-Christopher." From that day on, for a long time, whenever I was scared, or in some sort of confrontation, something as stupid as the first day of school and you have to stand up in class in front of everyone and say your name, I was "C-C-C-Christopher."
Eight years of speech therapy and counseling and that ghost still haunts me. "Case" is easier, far easier, to say. Even today. Carrie is still carrying the guilt from that day. My other sister, Luisa, or "Lulu" as we call her, hounds her mercilessly. Lulu's the middle child, and I think at the risk of being ignored, she's instead content to be the family gadfly.
Call me Case (PM for Invite)
Moderator: Student Council
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Christopher Casey
Call me Case (PM for Invite)
Last edited by Christopher Casey on Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Christopher Casey
Case File: Casey, Christopher Michael #90C7703-DN
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous
Log Entry: 20 February, 2007
Following are notes pertaining to an examination of subject Casey following initial interview and examination dated 4 February.
Since arriving at St. Joseph School, this patient's powers and abilities, as previously documented, have evidenced an increase in magnitude and intensity, concurrent with manifestation of new abilities previously unseen in this individual to date. Collaborating with my colleague on the faculty, Professor Hieronymous Ericius, who specializes in xenohematology, pt's DNA has been sequenced, catalogued, and cross-referenced against all previous known examples on file. We are, as of this writing, awaiting responses from Freedom Corps/Longbow Division and Hero Corps pursuant to our enquiries regarding DNA profiles in their databases.
Currently, patient Casey's DNA profile does not conform to any known DNA exemplar with respect to the origin of his extraordinary/supernatural abilities. DNA sequencing has, however, resulted in two genetic markers, one patrilineal and one matrilineal in origin, being "flagged" as possible causative agents. Results of comparisons with aforementioned agencies' records will be forthcoming.
S.O.
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous
Log Entry: 20 February, 2007
Following are notes pertaining to an examination of subject Casey following initial interview and examination dated 4 February.
Since arriving at St. Joseph School, this patient's powers and abilities, as previously documented, have evidenced an increase in magnitude and intensity, concurrent with manifestation of new abilities previously unseen in this individual to date. Collaborating with my colleague on the faculty, Professor Hieronymous Ericius, who specializes in xenohematology, pt's DNA has been sequenced, catalogued, and cross-referenced against all previous known examples on file. We are, as of this writing, awaiting responses from Freedom Corps/Longbow Division and Hero Corps pursuant to our enquiries regarding DNA profiles in their databases.
Currently, patient Casey's DNA profile does not conform to any known DNA exemplar with respect to the origin of his extraordinary/supernatural abilities. DNA sequencing has, however, resulted in two genetic markers, one patrilineal and one matrilineal in origin, being "flagged" as possible causative agents. Results of comparisons with aforementioned agencies' records will be forthcoming.
S.O.
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Christopher Casey
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Woke up on the ceiling today.
The nightmares are pretty much gone. All those nights in the last four months I woke up in bed screaming, or worse, blocks away from home in only boxers and a T-shirt, with no knowledge of how I got there, seem to be a thing of the past. Mother Mary watch over me. Doc Syl put me on a some prescription sleep aid a week ago. It's funny, because I thought the name was "Olestra", and talking with people over the commlink, they said it's some artificial fat substitute that causes anal leakage.
Haven't had any of that.
Whatever the name is, I call them my "butterfly pills", and for the first time since I turned sixteen, I feel like a human being again. So many nights of no more than four hours of sleep in a row, walking around feeling like I was on autopilot, my memory shot to hell, being short and flying off the handle for stupid reasons... It's gone now.
I can honestly say I don't know what to do with myself.
All the times I was sleepwalking, I would come to my senses to find this bubbling, shadowy mass surrounding me, a whispering cacophony resounding not just in my ears, but in my mind, in hissing voices I could almost, but not quite, make out. When I jolted awake from a nightmare, screaming bloody murder, I always had the feeling that someone was with me before I woke up. I never remember the nightmares. I have no memory of any of the times I sleepwalked up to the point where I "came to". Even still, no matter how terrifying whatever it was was, it was still a feeling of being a part of something, being together with someone. A feeling I can only describe as... family.
Whatever came through me, whatever was joined with me and manifested in my dreaming reality, as I have continued to sleep, is now finding outlets in other ways. I can only think that, when I woke from a nightmare or from sleepwalking, whatever infuses me dissipated, leaving me to go on about my business as Christopher Michael Casey. Now, as I sleep through the night, this otherworldly force has nowhere to go but to seep into my bones, muscle, and marrow. There is no release anymore. Only inevitable change. I hesitate to use the term "evolution".
So, yeah... When I woke up this morning everyone else had already gone to breakfast at "ciao hall"-- I'm Italian, it doesn't feel right spelling it "chow". Everything felt strangely hard and ungiving, mildly prickly. Some art deco snob did our Quad in this kind of stucco-dried-dripping-paint business and our ceiling looks like it was melting but got frozen before it fell to the floor. Yeah, yeah, stucco is an Italian word, I know. I'm a juggler and a magician, not an artist. So, yeah... I woke up on the ceiling. Instead of sleepwalking, instead of being jolted awake in a state of terror, I levitated from my bed upward. Not so cool, since I showed up to lunch with these little pinpoint welts on my face, and people probably think I had this massive breakout.
Best thing in the world, though, is I can use it, now. Not the welts on my face-- they went away an hour or so later. The levitation. The other day Flux sent me to Eastgate Heights to defuse a couple of bombs and take on a few Outcasts and some Trolls. No biggie, right? I'm still mystified why a Troll with an SMG would run up to you and start punching you in the ribs. Anyway, I can fly now! The downside is that, if I want to fly, that's all I can do. The one time I talked to someone on the commlink when I was in the air-- I think it was Sam-- I plummeted some four stories and smacked into the roof of a Cherry Hills brownstone. Could be worse, though. At least these changes seem to be making me tougher.
Woke up on the ceiling today.
The nightmares are pretty much gone. All those nights in the last four months I woke up in bed screaming, or worse, blocks away from home in only boxers and a T-shirt, with no knowledge of how I got there, seem to be a thing of the past. Mother Mary watch over me. Doc Syl put me on a some prescription sleep aid a week ago. It's funny, because I thought the name was "Olestra", and talking with people over the commlink, they said it's some artificial fat substitute that causes anal leakage.
Haven't had any of that.
Whatever the name is, I call them my "butterfly pills", and for the first time since I turned sixteen, I feel like a human being again. So many nights of no more than four hours of sleep in a row, walking around feeling like I was on autopilot, my memory shot to hell, being short and flying off the handle for stupid reasons... It's gone now.
I can honestly say I don't know what to do with myself.
All the times I was sleepwalking, I would come to my senses to find this bubbling, shadowy mass surrounding me, a whispering cacophony resounding not just in my ears, but in my mind, in hissing voices I could almost, but not quite, make out. When I jolted awake from a nightmare, screaming bloody murder, I always had the feeling that someone was with me before I woke up. I never remember the nightmares. I have no memory of any of the times I sleepwalked up to the point where I "came to". Even still, no matter how terrifying whatever it was was, it was still a feeling of being a part of something, being together with someone. A feeling I can only describe as... family.
Whatever came through me, whatever was joined with me and manifested in my dreaming reality, as I have continued to sleep, is now finding outlets in other ways. I can only think that, when I woke from a nightmare or from sleepwalking, whatever infuses me dissipated, leaving me to go on about my business as Christopher Michael Casey. Now, as I sleep through the night, this otherworldly force has nowhere to go but to seep into my bones, muscle, and marrow. There is no release anymore. Only inevitable change. I hesitate to use the term "evolution".
So, yeah... When I woke up this morning everyone else had already gone to breakfast at "ciao hall"-- I'm Italian, it doesn't feel right spelling it "chow". Everything felt strangely hard and ungiving, mildly prickly. Some art deco snob did our Quad in this kind of stucco-dried-dripping-paint business and our ceiling looks like it was melting but got frozen before it fell to the floor. Yeah, yeah, stucco is an Italian word, I know. I'm a juggler and a magician, not an artist. So, yeah... I woke up on the ceiling. Instead of sleepwalking, instead of being jolted awake in a state of terror, I levitated from my bed upward. Not so cool, since I showed up to lunch with these little pinpoint welts on my face, and people probably think I had this massive breakout.
Best thing in the world, though, is I can use it, now. Not the welts on my face-- they went away an hour or so later. The levitation. The other day Flux sent me to Eastgate Heights to defuse a couple of bombs and take on a few Outcasts and some Trolls. No biggie, right? I'm still mystified why a Troll with an SMG would run up to you and start punching you in the ribs. Anyway, I can fly now! The downside is that, if I want to fly, that's all I can do. The one time I talked to someone on the commlink when I was in the air-- I think it was Sam-- I plummeted some four stories and smacked into the roof of a Cherry Hills brownstone. Could be worse, though. At least these changes seem to be making me tougher.
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Christopher Casey
Case File: Casey, Christopher Michael #90C7703-DN
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Atwood, Valerie, MSW, LCSW; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 3 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a conference which took place 2 March, attended by myself and my aforementioned colleagues.
S.O.: Prescribed pt Lunesta 3mg po qd nocté, 17 February 2007. Pt's sleep patterns are now normal and regular, with no manifestations of nightmares/night terrors or somnambulism reported. Since that time, however, pt's rate of evidencing extraordinary abilities has increased. Relative magnitude of pre-existing extraordinary abilities has likewise increased at a commensurate rate. Examples include, but are by no means limited to: projection of psychic "noise" in an approximately sixty degree arc to damage multiple sentient minds, telekinetic manipulation of the personal gravitic field, telepathic stimulation of the "fight or flight" response of multiple targets at a distance of roughly twenty meters, negating the flight of others via tactile contact. Pt has manifested significantly reduced stimulus response time, increased overall speed, and improved gross motor dexterity since last examination.
H.E.: DNA profiles of patient Casey submitted to Hero Corps and Freedom Corps/Longbow Division have proven inconclusive. I have, however, taken the liberty of making comparisons with my own personal records of bioscans performed in the field, as well files I had previously downloaded from my tenure as Medical Officer of the 7/121 Special Warfare Battalion. This patient's matrilineal and patrilineal genetic markers, denoted in Dr. Orson's previous report, are analogous to markers found in members of the faction known as the Carnival of Shadows, Longbow Division Special Designation "Dark Ring Mistress", with 97.3% accuracy.
V.A.: In my session with "Case", as he prefers to be called, we spoke about his interest in juggling, stage magic, and gymnastics. He professed that such aptitudes seemed to come to him naturally, and not as a result of any outside influence. While his immediate family does seem to have an athletic background, this seems to take place in an organized team sport environment, such as soccer, field hockey, etc. My drawings, upon examination after our session, reveal the following insights: A motley pattern of black diamond checkers on a bright yellow background; two nines; a fossil skeleton of a tyrannosaur; and some sort of medal or decoration with which I am unfamiliar.
D.C.: Numerologically, two nines combine to form eighteen, which combines to make nine. A nine is a trinity of trinities. Case and his family all have a strong Roman Catholic background. I recognize the image of the fossil skeleton-- with permission from his parents, I placed Case in a state of hypnotic regression a week ago. There was a traumatic event in a museum which culminated in the manifestation of a speech impediment. The motley pattern seems to correlate with Professor Hieronymous's Carnival of Shadows angle. I am also convinced that, at certain points during the regressed interview, Case was speaking in the voice of an adult female.
H.E.: Nine-nine could be interpreted as September 9th, which this year falls on a Sunday. The first Sunday after Labor Day in America is regarded as National Grandparents Day. (brief pause) The military decoration you have depicted is referred to as the Ordine della Corona d'Italia, Knight Class, a medal which dates from 1868 to 1951, Terran calendar. This picture strongly correlates with Council/5th Column examples on file in my own personal database, as well as those on file with the 7/121 Special Warfare Battalion and Longbow.
S.O.: Both ELITE and GIFT have genealogists on retainer to examine the ancestral background of people who manifest extraordinary abilities. Each of your opinions and insights have shed a great deal of light on the case of this truly unique student. I intend to forward his case file and information to Rachel Davies, who has already worked with Case, to see if she or any of her colleagues can help to derive an explicable origin for this boy's powers.
S.O.
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Atwood, Valerie, MSW, LCSW; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 3 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a conference which took place 2 March, attended by myself and my aforementioned colleagues.
S.O.: Prescribed pt Lunesta 3mg po qd nocté, 17 February 2007. Pt's sleep patterns are now normal and regular, with no manifestations of nightmares/night terrors or somnambulism reported. Since that time, however, pt's rate of evidencing extraordinary abilities has increased. Relative magnitude of pre-existing extraordinary abilities has likewise increased at a commensurate rate. Examples include, but are by no means limited to: projection of psychic "noise" in an approximately sixty degree arc to damage multiple sentient minds, telekinetic manipulation of the personal gravitic field, telepathic stimulation of the "fight or flight" response of multiple targets at a distance of roughly twenty meters, negating the flight of others via tactile contact. Pt has manifested significantly reduced stimulus response time, increased overall speed, and improved gross motor dexterity since last examination.
H.E.: DNA profiles of patient Casey submitted to Hero Corps and Freedom Corps/Longbow Division have proven inconclusive. I have, however, taken the liberty of making comparisons with my own personal records of bioscans performed in the field, as well files I had previously downloaded from my tenure as Medical Officer of the 7/121 Special Warfare Battalion. This patient's matrilineal and patrilineal genetic markers, denoted in Dr. Orson's previous report, are analogous to markers found in members of the faction known as the Carnival of Shadows, Longbow Division Special Designation "Dark Ring Mistress", with 97.3% accuracy.
V.A.: In my session with "Case", as he prefers to be called, we spoke about his interest in juggling, stage magic, and gymnastics. He professed that such aptitudes seemed to come to him naturally, and not as a result of any outside influence. While his immediate family does seem to have an athletic background, this seems to take place in an organized team sport environment, such as soccer, field hockey, etc. My drawings, upon examination after our session, reveal the following insights: A motley pattern of black diamond checkers on a bright yellow background; two nines; a fossil skeleton of a tyrannosaur; and some sort of medal or decoration with which I am unfamiliar.
D.C.: Numerologically, two nines combine to form eighteen, which combines to make nine. A nine is a trinity of trinities. Case and his family all have a strong Roman Catholic background. I recognize the image of the fossil skeleton-- with permission from his parents, I placed Case in a state of hypnotic regression a week ago. There was a traumatic event in a museum which culminated in the manifestation of a speech impediment. The motley pattern seems to correlate with Professor Hieronymous's Carnival of Shadows angle. I am also convinced that, at certain points during the regressed interview, Case was speaking in the voice of an adult female.
H.E.: Nine-nine could be interpreted as September 9th, which this year falls on a Sunday. The first Sunday after Labor Day in America is regarded as National Grandparents Day. (brief pause) The military decoration you have depicted is referred to as the Ordine della Corona d'Italia, Knight Class, a medal which dates from 1868 to 1951, Terran calendar. This picture strongly correlates with Council/5th Column examples on file in my own personal database, as well as those on file with the 7/121 Special Warfare Battalion and Longbow.
S.O.: Both ELITE and GIFT have genealogists on retainer to examine the ancestral background of people who manifest extraordinary abilities. Each of your opinions and insights have shed a great deal of light on the case of this truly unique student. I intend to forward his case file and information to Rachel Davies, who has already worked with Case, to see if she or any of her colleagues can help to derive an explicable origin for this boy's powers.
S.O.
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Christopher Casey
Case File: Casey, Christopher Michael #90C7703-DN
School Counselor: Atwood, Valierie, MSW, LCSW
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Orson, Sylvia, M.D., Ph. D; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 18 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a session which took place 17 March, attended by myself and St. Joseph School student Christopher Casey.
Valerie Atwood: Case, I just wanted to follow up with you on some of the items which came to light at our session two weeks ago, and to touch base with you on how things have been going since you came here.
Christopher Casey: Okay. I noticed you had a sketchpad last time. I heard you can see things when you draw that no one else can.
V.A.: Something like that, yes.
C.C.: That's cool. I mean, I don't have anything to hide or anything.
V.A.: Case, do you recognize this image? (I showed him the drawing of the Ordine della Corona d'Italia medal from last session --V.A.)
C.C.: Oh, sure. That's the medal my nonno-- my grandfather-- gave me. It was a gift for my Confirmation. He was in the Italian army during World War II.
V.A.: He was your mother's father, right?
C.C.: Yeah.
V.A.: Did you ever know your grandmother on your father's side, your father's mother?
C.C.: No, Grandma Casey passed away before I was born.
V.A.: And your paternal grandfather?
C.C.: Grandpa Casey lived far away, like on the West Coast or something. I never met him. I think my dad went to his funeral when me and my sisters were to young to go with him. My mom and me and my sisters stayed in Chicago.
V.A.: Case, does this mean anything to you? (I showed him the motley pattern from the last session --V.A.)
C.C.: (His facial expression completely changed) Why are you asking so many questions? (The pitch and tone of his voice were dramatically different answering this question, like that of an adult female. --V.A.)
V.A.: To whom am I speaking now?
C.C.: (He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as if in disdain --V.A.) (a sigh) I'm very tired. May I go now?
V.A.: Of course. I'll be in touch in the next few days to schedule another session and we can touch base when you're feeling more rested .
(He left my office without another word.)
It is my professional opinion that the motley pattern represents some sort of triggering mechanism which activates a deep-seated dissociative psychosis of unknown origin. This student's body language and physical mannerisms, facial expressions, and tone of voice all underwent a dramatic metamorphosis upon being presented with this image. As an addendum to this, the sole result of my free drawing from this session presents as a mask, similar to the face of an antique porcelain doll, with deep red filigree designs, such as a mask worn by a medieval mime or mummer.
School Counselor: Atwood, Valierie, MSW, LCSW
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Orson, Sylvia, M.D., Ph. D; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 18 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a session which took place 17 March, attended by myself and St. Joseph School student Christopher Casey.
Valerie Atwood: Case, I just wanted to follow up with you on some of the items which came to light at our session two weeks ago, and to touch base with you on how things have been going since you came here.
Christopher Casey: Okay. I noticed you had a sketchpad last time. I heard you can see things when you draw that no one else can.
V.A.: Something like that, yes.
C.C.: That's cool. I mean, I don't have anything to hide or anything.
V.A.: Case, do you recognize this image? (I showed him the drawing of the Ordine della Corona d'Italia medal from last session --V.A.)
C.C.: Oh, sure. That's the medal my nonno-- my grandfather-- gave me. It was a gift for my Confirmation. He was in the Italian army during World War II.
V.A.: He was your mother's father, right?
C.C.: Yeah.
V.A.: Did you ever know your grandmother on your father's side, your father's mother?
C.C.: No, Grandma Casey passed away before I was born.
V.A.: And your paternal grandfather?
C.C.: Grandpa Casey lived far away, like on the West Coast or something. I never met him. I think my dad went to his funeral when me and my sisters were to young to go with him. My mom and me and my sisters stayed in Chicago.
V.A.: Case, does this mean anything to you? (I showed him the motley pattern from the last session --V.A.)
C.C.: (His facial expression completely changed) Why are you asking so many questions? (The pitch and tone of his voice were dramatically different answering this question, like that of an adult female. --V.A.)
V.A.: To whom am I speaking now?
C.C.: (He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as if in disdain --V.A.) (a sigh) I'm very tired. May I go now?
V.A.: Of course. I'll be in touch in the next few days to schedule another session and we can touch base when you're feeling more rested .
(He left my office without another word.)
It is my professional opinion that the motley pattern represents some sort of triggering mechanism which activates a deep-seated dissociative psychosis of unknown origin. This student's body language and physical mannerisms, facial expressions, and tone of voice all underwent a dramatic metamorphosis upon being presented with this image. As an addendum to this, the sole result of my free drawing from this session presents as a mask, similar to the face of an antique porcelain doll, with deep red filigree designs, such as a mask worn by a medieval mime or mummer.
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Christopher Casey
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
I'm getting a lot stronger lately. Haven't woken up on the ceiling in like a month, though.
Teamed up with some folks in Overbrook a couple weeks ago. They say this place was pretty much wiped out by an earthquake, but they're rebuilding it now. About half of it is kinda nice, the rest of it still has buildings tipped halfway over. Bunch of spider guys crawling all over the place here and there, and more Lost than you can shake a stick at. Been talking to this guy Jim Temblor. He dresses like a biker or a goth, but he's emo as hell. Wanted me to rescue this girlfriend of his because his life is a bottomless vessel of pain or whatever. So we go into this warehouse to find this chick Fusionette. What kind of a name is that? Anyway, we find her but she ends up flying off and doing her own thing, trying to take on like a hundred Lost by herself. We're trying to get the f*ck out of dodge but she goes down and her MedCom transponder goes off and sends her to the hospital.
I've never failed before. Not like that.
I mean, I'm just a kid, right? I'm not a hero, I'm just a high school student. Why did that guy Jim have to give me a job where someone's life is on the line like that? I haven't even taken my freakin SAT's yet. Here I'm worried about my grade in Pre-Calc and a girl nearly gets killed. And it's kinda my fault.
Maybe it's all my fault.
If I was as strong then as I am now it wouldn't have happened.
I took the PSAT's on the 10th and got my results back. I got a perfect score! I called mom and dad at home and they were so proud. It felt really good. Lulu asked me when I was leaving for Harvard. I asked her when she was leaving-- period. I think I got her back pretty good.
I got a package in the mail on Sunday from Nonna. There was a note in Italian-- she's lived in America all her life but still refuses to speak English unless it's absolutely necessary. It said, "I'm very proud of you and what you have become." Thank god for translation.langenberg.com. Eleven years of Catholic school, my mom, and all the Italian blood in my veins and I don't think it'll ever come naturally to me. It was kinda weird, though. Nonna sent me a mask. It looks really, really old. It's porcelain, like the really good china we use for Christmas and Easter at home, almost yellowish with age. Kinda black around the eyes, red lips, with this kinda blood red swirly design on the sides. I remember seeing pictures of performers wearing masks like this a long time ago in the Old Country, like hundreds of years ago. It must be an heirloom. I wonder why she sent it to me and not Carrie or Lulu. They're older than me. It's really nice, though. I just have to find someplace to put it, like a display case or something to put on a shelf. Gotta keep it safe-- when Kai shapeshifts it shakes the whole Earth and I don't want it falling and breaking.
I'm getting a lot stronger lately. Haven't woken up on the ceiling in like a month, though.
Teamed up with some folks in Overbrook a couple weeks ago. They say this place was pretty much wiped out by an earthquake, but they're rebuilding it now. About half of it is kinda nice, the rest of it still has buildings tipped halfway over. Bunch of spider guys crawling all over the place here and there, and more Lost than you can shake a stick at. Been talking to this guy Jim Temblor. He dresses like a biker or a goth, but he's emo as hell. Wanted me to rescue this girlfriend of his because his life is a bottomless vessel of pain or whatever. So we go into this warehouse to find this chick Fusionette. What kind of a name is that? Anyway, we find her but she ends up flying off and doing her own thing, trying to take on like a hundred Lost by herself. We're trying to get the f*ck out of dodge but she goes down and her MedCom transponder goes off and sends her to the hospital.
I've never failed before. Not like that.
I mean, I'm just a kid, right? I'm not a hero, I'm just a high school student. Why did that guy Jim have to give me a job where someone's life is on the line like that? I haven't even taken my freakin SAT's yet. Here I'm worried about my grade in Pre-Calc and a girl nearly gets killed. And it's kinda my fault.
Maybe it's all my fault.
If I was as strong then as I am now it wouldn't have happened.
I took the PSAT's on the 10th and got my results back. I got a perfect score! I called mom and dad at home and they were so proud. It felt really good. Lulu asked me when I was leaving for Harvard. I asked her when she was leaving-- period. I think I got her back pretty good.
I got a package in the mail on Sunday from Nonna. There was a note in Italian-- she's lived in America all her life but still refuses to speak English unless it's absolutely necessary. It said, "I'm very proud of you and what you have become." Thank god for translation.langenberg.com. Eleven years of Catholic school, my mom, and all the Italian blood in my veins and I don't think it'll ever come naturally to me. It was kinda weird, though. Nonna sent me a mask. It looks really, really old. It's porcelain, like the really good china we use for Christmas and Easter at home, almost yellowish with age. Kinda black around the eyes, red lips, with this kinda blood red swirly design on the sides. I remember seeing pictures of performers wearing masks like this a long time ago in the Old Country, like hundreds of years ago. It must be an heirloom. I wonder why she sent it to me and not Carrie or Lulu. They're older than me. It's really nice, though. I just have to find someplace to put it, like a display case or something to put on a shelf. Gotta keep it safe-- when Kai shapeshifts it shakes the whole Earth and I don't want it falling and breaking.
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Christopher Casey
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Called Nonna to thank her for the mask. No answer.
Called home to ask where she is. Mom says Nonna has been overseas visiting the Old Country for the past two weeks and won't be home until the end of the month.
Oh well. Maybe she sent it before she left and it's just now getting here. Sometimes the mail takes a long time.
About to take my test for my level 22 security clearance. I really feel like I've come a long way since I came to St. Joe's.
Called Nonna to thank her for the mask. No answer.
Called home to ask where she is. Mom says Nonna has been overseas visiting the Old Country for the past two weeks and won't be home until the end of the month.
Oh well. Maybe she sent it before she left and it's just now getting here. Sometimes the mail takes a long time.
About to take my test for my level 22 security clearance. I really feel like I've come a long way since I came to St. Joe's.
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Christopher Casey
Case File: Casey, Christopher Michael #90C7703-DN
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Atwood, Valerie, MSW, LCSW; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 21 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a conference which took place 21 March, attended by myself and my aforementioned colleagues.
S.O.: I have called you all here at the behest of Miss Atwood and Dr. Ericius, who have both recently obtained information highly pertinent to the case of this student.
H.E.: The genealogists at GIFT and ELITE have responded to my enquiries regarding Christopher Casey's ancestry. There is no doubt whatsoever that this student is the paternal grandson of Madeleine Casey, also known as the Madame of Mystery. There is also irrefutable proof that he is descended, on his mother's side, from Giovanna Scaldi. These two individuals are indelibly linked to the faction known as the Carnival of Shadows, the former as a leader of significant power in recent years, the latter reputed to be the founder of this organization some three centuries ago. I can only surmise that these familial origins are the causative agents for the genetic markers I uncovered in my examinations last month. It is, likewise, my professional opinion that the culmination of these two bloodlines in Christopher Casey have resulted in what might be termed as a "magical mutation", thereby granting us an insight into the origin of this student's extraordinary abilities.
D.C.: There has also been evidence, in sessions with both Miss Atwood and myself, that Case has manifested symptoms of a dissociative personality disorder.
V.A.: Absolutely. His mannerisms and tone of voice were that of an adult female on one occasion in session with me, and also once, while in a state of hypnotic regression, with Dr. Conrads. Both times, this personality manifested passive-aggressive traits when subjected to questions of a personal nature.
D.C.: The event in the museum, while traumatic, doesn't seem to be significant enough a factor to trigger any sort of mental schism that would result in D.I.D. The only theory I have to go off of is that this unique combination of ancestry has somehow made him into a kind of astral conduit for the spirits of these two formidable women to speak to him... perhaps, in some ways, even control him.
S.O.: That might explain the nightmares, the sleepwalking. Even the manifestation of his powers along their current lines. The medication I prescribed him has been shown to suppress REM sleep to some degree. Studies have suggested that contact with the astral plane only occurs in a state of rapid eye movement during sleep. If such energies are denied access into his conscious, or even subconscious mind, they may instead escape to be absorbed into his body, altering his musculature, his autonomic processes... I may have inadvertantly made this boy far more powerful than he would otherwise have become.
H.E.: With the alternative being continued psychological trauma and sleep deprivation, which would inevitably lead to an altogether different brand of psychosis. Do not be so hard on yourself, Sylvia. This is an entirely new realm for all of us.
(There is a knock on the door. A bald female student enters the room.)
Attending Physician: Orson, Sylvia, MD, Ph. D
CC: Ericius, Hieronymous; Atwood, Valerie, MSW, LCSW; Conrads, David, Ph. D
Log Entry: 21 March 2007
Following are notes made from transcripts of recordings made during a conference which took place 21 March, attended by myself and my aforementioned colleagues.
S.O.: I have called you all here at the behest of Miss Atwood and Dr. Ericius, who have both recently obtained information highly pertinent to the case of this student.
H.E.: The genealogists at GIFT and ELITE have responded to my enquiries regarding Christopher Casey's ancestry. There is no doubt whatsoever that this student is the paternal grandson of Madeleine Casey, also known as the Madame of Mystery. There is also irrefutable proof that he is descended, on his mother's side, from Giovanna Scaldi. These two individuals are indelibly linked to the faction known as the Carnival of Shadows, the former as a leader of significant power in recent years, the latter reputed to be the founder of this organization some three centuries ago. I can only surmise that these familial origins are the causative agents for the genetic markers I uncovered in my examinations last month. It is, likewise, my professional opinion that the culmination of these two bloodlines in Christopher Casey have resulted in what might be termed as a "magical mutation", thereby granting us an insight into the origin of this student's extraordinary abilities.
D.C.: There has also been evidence, in sessions with both Miss Atwood and myself, that Case has manifested symptoms of a dissociative personality disorder.
V.A.: Absolutely. His mannerisms and tone of voice were that of an adult female on one occasion in session with me, and also once, while in a state of hypnotic regression, with Dr. Conrads. Both times, this personality manifested passive-aggressive traits when subjected to questions of a personal nature.
D.C.: The event in the museum, while traumatic, doesn't seem to be significant enough a factor to trigger any sort of mental schism that would result in D.I.D. The only theory I have to go off of is that this unique combination of ancestry has somehow made him into a kind of astral conduit for the spirits of these two formidable women to speak to him... perhaps, in some ways, even control him.
S.O.: That might explain the nightmares, the sleepwalking. Even the manifestation of his powers along their current lines. The medication I prescribed him has been shown to suppress REM sleep to some degree. Studies have suggested that contact with the astral plane only occurs in a state of rapid eye movement during sleep. If such energies are denied access into his conscious, or even subconscious mind, they may instead escape to be absorbed into his body, altering his musculature, his autonomic processes... I may have inadvertantly made this boy far more powerful than he would otherwise have become.
H.E.: With the alternative being continued psychological trauma and sleep deprivation, which would inevitably lead to an altogether different brand of psychosis. Do not be so hard on yourself, Sylvia. This is an entirely new realm for all of us.
(There is a knock on the door. A bald female student enters the room.)
-
August DeVries
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Christopher Casey
D.C.: We need to scan for his comm signal via the school's central computer.
H.E.: I'm searching now, Doctor. My scans indicate his personal communication device is located in Quad 10, Men's Dormitory.
S.O.: Then let's get over there! He might need medical attention!
(The conference adjourns as the assembled staff make their way to Quad 10. Upon obtaining access to the quad it is apparent no student is within. Christopher Casey's communication unit is lying on the desk. Scattered on the bed and the floor in Christopher Casey's area are assorted boxes and books with such titles as "Dragon Rage: Harnessing the Force Within" and DVD's with such titles as "Military Speed: Embracing Personal Acceleration".)
V.A.: Someone went on a shopping binge at Future Dynamics!
H.E.: Affirmative. His transponder signal logged him at Luminary on Talos Island obtaining his level 22 security clearance. Records then indicate that he boarded the ferry to Peregrine Island. I see a sporadic flight pattern at an altitude of about twenty meters-- mostly on the eastern coast of the zone.
D.C.: That's where the Carnies usually hang out.
H.E.: He then shows up in the Overbrook area of the Faultline zone-- evidently some sort of astral apportation. His biomonitor records are very intense. His transponder logs defeats of multiple targets-- Council, Sky Raiders, Lost, Arachnos, and one particularly nasty event in the sewers with Freakshow. He logs two separate security clearance upgrades with Mirror Spirit in a five hour period, the last being level 24. After that... I'm going to have to run a search routine.
S.O.: His laptop is still on. There's a journal program open.
D.C.: Let's bring up his last entry. Hopefully it's not password protected.
H.E.: Under such extenuating circumstances, Dr. Conrads, that will not dissuade me. Accessing now.
H.E.: I'm searching now, Doctor. My scans indicate his personal communication device is located in Quad 10, Men's Dormitory.
S.O.: Then let's get over there! He might need medical attention!
(The conference adjourns as the assembled staff make their way to Quad 10. Upon obtaining access to the quad it is apparent no student is within. Christopher Casey's communication unit is lying on the desk. Scattered on the bed and the floor in Christopher Casey's area are assorted boxes and books with such titles as "Dragon Rage: Harnessing the Force Within" and DVD's with such titles as "Military Speed: Embracing Personal Acceleration".)
V.A.: Someone went on a shopping binge at Future Dynamics!
H.E.: Affirmative. His transponder signal logged him at Luminary on Talos Island obtaining his level 22 security clearance. Records then indicate that he boarded the ferry to Peregrine Island. I see a sporadic flight pattern at an altitude of about twenty meters-- mostly on the eastern coast of the zone.
D.C.: That's where the Carnies usually hang out.
H.E.: He then shows up in the Overbrook area of the Faultline zone-- evidently some sort of astral apportation. His biomonitor records are very intense. His transponder logs defeats of multiple targets-- Council, Sky Raiders, Lost, Arachnos, and one particularly nasty event in the sewers with Freakshow. He logs two separate security clearance upgrades with Mirror Spirit in a five hour period, the last being level 24. After that... I'm going to have to run a search routine.
S.O.: His laptop is still on. There's a journal program open.
D.C.: Let's bring up his last entry. Hopefully it's not password protected.
H.E.: Under such extenuating circumstances, Dr. Conrads, that will not dissuade me. Accessing now.
-
Christopher Casey
(A video journal entry comes up on the laptop's monitor, captured via webcam. The cam is configured for low-light boost-- the only illumination is provided by the monitor itself. Case can be seen wearing a bright yellow tunic, large flared white gloves, and breeches and a cape with a bright blue and green motley pattern. He turns slowly in a circle as if to model his new attire, and steps forward to sit in front of the computer.)
(Whispering)
It's Tuesday night.
I saw them. For the first time. (Sighs and smiles) I was in Talos and I felt... pulled towards that other ferry boat. I don't know what it was, but I just had to go. (Smiles and laughs quietly) They're just like me! I heard them! I heard their voices in my mind! I hovered over them, so scared, but still I felt like I didn't have to be afraid. I knew I had to wait. And work. Work hard. Practice. Practice not being seen.
(He bends down out of the camera's view and comes back up)
I know what this is for, now. Mistress with your mask of white, assaults the mind, controls the night. That's what they said to me.
(He holds up an antique porcelain mask)
Master with your mask of white.
(He puts the mask on his face. The opaque white material distends, warps, and shifts, extending tendrils into his ears, up his nose, and into his eye sockets. Case can be heard to moan in muffled horror as he writhes and tries to remove the mask from his face. He then topples over to the right, softly thudding to the floor out of view. Moments later a gloved right hand emerges into the camera's view and clenches into a fist. As it does so, the feed goes black.)
(Whispering)
It's Tuesday night.
I saw them. For the first time. (Sighs and smiles) I was in Talos and I felt... pulled towards that other ferry boat. I don't know what it was, but I just had to go. (Smiles and laughs quietly) They're just like me! I heard them! I heard their voices in my mind! I hovered over them, so scared, but still I felt like I didn't have to be afraid. I knew I had to wait. And work. Work hard. Practice. Practice not being seen.
(He bends down out of the camera's view and comes back up)
I know what this is for, now. Mistress with your mask of white, assaults the mind, controls the night. That's what they said to me.
(He holds up an antique porcelain mask)
Master with your mask of white.
(He puts the mask on his face. The opaque white material distends, warps, and shifts, extending tendrils into his ears, up his nose, and into his eye sockets. Case can be heard to moan in muffled horror as he writhes and tries to remove the mask from his face. He then topples over to the right, softly thudding to the floor out of view. Moments later a gloved right hand emerges into the camera's view and clenches into a fist. As it does so, the feed goes black.)
-
Christopher Casey
H.E.: Merciful Sons of Sima.
V.A.: Oh my God.
S.O.: That poor boy. Hieronymous, do you have a read on where he is yet?
H.E.: My scan indicates that, shortly after his last log-in with Mirror Spirit, he conducted an extensive transaction with Danny Lin in front of the Overbrook Hospital. He then shows up on police drone footage in Steel Canyon-- another direct astral apportation. Security checkpoint records then place him obtaining access to the Siren's Call free fire zone. After that, it's anybody's guess. Due to the breach in the War Wall in that zone, he could be nearly anywhere in the continental United States or Caribbean by now. On the plus side, though, his attire is extremely distinctive. Security camera and police drone images all show him as wearing that same bright yellow, green, and blue outfit you saw there. And he has the mask, too.
D.C.: You don't mean...
H.E.: Yes, Dr. Conrads. I think it's part of him now.
V.A.: Oh my God.
S.O.: That poor boy. Hieronymous, do you have a read on where he is yet?
H.E.: My scan indicates that, shortly after his last log-in with Mirror Spirit, he conducted an extensive transaction with Danny Lin in front of the Overbrook Hospital. He then shows up on police drone footage in Steel Canyon-- another direct astral apportation. Security checkpoint records then place him obtaining access to the Siren's Call free fire zone. After that, it's anybody's guess. Due to the breach in the War Wall in that zone, he could be nearly anywhere in the continental United States or Caribbean by now. On the plus side, though, his attire is extremely distinctive. Security camera and police drone images all show him as wearing that same bright yellow, green, and blue outfit you saw there. And he has the mask, too.
D.C.: You don't mean...
H.E.: Yes, Dr. Conrads. I think it's part of him now.