Mearcstapa

Mearcstapa "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." -- Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"      OVERVIEW Appearance: Mask: A lanky figure with strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. Mearcstapa's skin is covered in freckles--not only his face, but all across his body. He dresses simply, in dark colors or greys, usually with cargo pants and a pretty bulky brown leather messenger bag slung over a shoulder. Around one wrist is a neon pink paracord bracelet. Recently, he's grown his hair out almost to his shoulders, though it usually remains pinned out of his face with bobby pins or hair clips of some kind. Occasionally he trades out the casual attire for a dark leather hooded duster with a pattern like panther spots that's well-camouflaged. The coat is decorated with straps and buckles and looks vaguely like something out of a Final Fantasy character's closet, flaring around Mearcstapa's legs. The hood, when pulled up, gives the impression of ears and perhaps a maw covering the face - like the wearer is subsumed by the animal instinct to hunt like this. He pairs this, generally, with leather trousers or tight jeans, as the coat's hidden pockets eliminate the need for the cargo pants (though not the messenger bag). Mien: While Mearcstapa is still freckly, he goes from pale with brown dots to dark blue-black with perfectly square-shaped spots of red and green neon across his entire body. His eyes are pure, dead black without even eyeshine, as though they're holes straight into the abyss of his mind. His freckles have been known to shift in intensity from much more red to almost entirely green with a dithering effect, and on the rarest of occasions all of them dim at once. His teeth are sharp, and bring to mind the fangs of a large cat, like a panther. Mantle: The rhythmic susurration of someone running through a cornfield--chasing or being chased, paired with strong scopaesthesia: the rippling sensation up the back of the neck that indicates that someone, somewhere, is watching you. Sometimes, there's even a sensation of warm breath on the back of your neck, as if it's right behind you, whatever it is, the monster that's chasing and about to catch you. Personality: Mearcstapa is someone who has acquired a very distinctive set of skills, and feels most comfortable when he can lean back on them. He's clever, quick-fingered and somewhat slippery. What he is not, however, is violent, angry or hot-headed. He's the sort of man who will find a solution to a tough problem that another person might call 'cheating', and feel cleverer for having spent less time/energy/effort on the matter. However, some people might find him awkward socially. He's not the most emotionally intelligent Darkling in town, and has been known to infodump without warning or offer scathingly blunt suggestions to other people's problems. He tends to get wrapped up in work or resolving problems to the detriment of his relationships or well-being; the value he places on being "useful" is not strictly healthy. Public History April 2015: Returned from Arcadia, arriving in Chicago, Illinois June 2015: Began the MarchWalker613 YouTube channel March 2018: Left the Winter Court to become an Autumn October 2019: Left Chicago after the death of Queen Idlewild, arriving in Philadelphia shortly before Halloween Rumors: Called Sakima Saagochque "sweetheart" in public with no ill consequences. Involved in protest actions at the Museum of Modern Art during the Lux Obscura fashion show; told a story of the results of police brutality on their public image that was sufficient to scare bike police into not moving on the protestors. Once cowed Anna-Marie Cordray into silence and stillness simply by telling her to 'fuck off'. Supposedly was the one who Sealed a promise that Lux broke. Claimed responsibility for the Final Death of Anna-Marie Cordray. Was put in charge of coordinating the Shrouded Guard after the Hue and Cry was raised in May of 2020. Supposedly, he tapped a varied group, with members of every court, a few vampires, and even a mage for the duty. Totally did break into Tonetta Construction, but it was around Thanksgiving 2019, for work. Twice, he has gotten to watch the body of his enemy burn. Twice, he has claimed trophies.  RP HOOKS Paperworker - Mearcstapa has worked hard to earn the title of Scrivener, and has made his offer of aid not only to the Autumn Court, but to the whole Freehold: if you're in need of papers, a witness for Oaths, or other aid he can offer on the mundane end of things, just reach out. Ideally via an encrypted connection, please. Interestingly, Mearcstapa is the first person to hold the title of Scrivener in the Shackamaxon Freehold in over a year and a half. Whether this means expectations of him are lowered or heightened for him is a good question. Stop Giggling, It's Not THAT Kind of Penetration - The bulk of Mearcstapa's mundane work is actually doing physical penetration testing and social engineering for companies or individuals concerned about their security. This has led to him rubbing elbows with people in all sorts of business, and even wealthy individuals concerned about the safety of their own homes. He has friends all over the place who he's helped sure up their security. They're With Me, It's Okay - Mearcstapa is known to local law enforcement because of his security work--this makes him a great person to take along if you're about to actually break into a place on Freehold business, because he's great at mollifying the cops if something goes wrong. More than once, he's managed to make a potentially damning situation go away with a silver-tongued lie about someone being his partner on a red-teaming exercise. The Net is a Waste of Time - Perhaps you've fallen into a YouTube hole and seen recordings of talks from conferences like DEFCON or Wild West Hackin' Fest, where someone talks about what red-teaming, pen testing and other physical security testing entails. There's a good chance that someone was introduced on stage as Janus Mearcstapa. Or maybe you've even come across the much smaller MarchWalker613 channel, which does shorter videos about security--including recent videos on second-story entrances and how to secure them (guest starring Lux) and Locksport as Meditative Practice. Example of a conference talk Example of content on his channel The Belonging Kind - Recently, Mearcstapa's been expanding his circle of contacts beyond just the Freehold and what mundane friends he has. He's made contact with the local vampires, and left an apparently positive impression on their Sakima. While his understanding of Kindred society is rough, he's made a point of offering himself to them for computer literacy and security lessons, as well as his and Wren's usual services. He'll even make a point of using metaphors which someone from medieval times or before can parse. That said, not all his interactions have been positive. He did take responsibility for the Final Death of one of the local Invictus, after she repeatedly threatened changelings, and vampires he likes.  CONTACTS The Lost Charlie: - It's a thick layer of anxiety you have to get through in order to meet her for real. She is worth it, though, I think. "Mirror, mirror on the wall; her heart was broken long before she ever came to you." Glitch - And now we know how it really was, and what happens next is for us to figure out. "The fear was only momentary, but your role was never momentary. You know this was never meant to end." Jack - He's a mess. But he's my mess now, and I don't mind getting a little dirty to see what comes next. "Let me occupy your mind, as you do mine." Lux: - This is an active choice I'm making. It is every time. I'm not through here; I'm not through with this, with us. "Love, love is a verb. Love is a doing word." Sigrún: - There are people who have the capacity to make me want to live up to their expectations. Sigrún is definitely one of those. She sets the bar high, and I jump for it, because she isn't asking more of me than she deserves. "Bring me my bow of burning gold! Bring me my arrows of desire! Bring me my spear; o clouds unfold! Bring me my chariot of fire!" Sturm: - Sometimes I think I might be tiptoeing too much with her. We ought to talk about that at some point. "There were incidents and accidents. There were hints and allegations." Wren: - I'm glad she doesn't pretend, when it's just us; it means I get to know her for more than the surface layers. "Your fake name is not for everyone, good enough for me. Forgotten by the garden and your phone is ringing." The Found Lex: - I've heard it discussed before, the idea of people being able to pick up friendships after months and years apart. While I've always felt that way about what's between Alex and myself, I didn't need it to be tested quite so well. I'm glad to have her back, though. "Heard terabytes of perfect pitch, some universal elegance." Nevy: - Risk-reward analysis has never been so hard for me. "And if I should become a stranger, know that it would make me more than sad."  GALLERY  QUOTES "This is an example quote. You can leave a quote here, showing how your character would speak about Mearcstapa behind his back." - Your Name Here "Mearcstapa is... perceptive. Skilled. Insightful. Great at what he does, and even good at a few things he probably thinks he's bad at. Feels like I should dislike him for some of that shit, but... well. Y'know how it goes." - Sturm "What can I say about Two-Face? Sometimes I feel like he knows exactly what I'm thinking. Sometimes I think we'll never understand each other. Either way, I'll be there for him, and I trust he'll be there for me." - Nevy "He's clever and sweet, and he helped Vasha. We're going to be animals together. 10/10 would smooch." - Naika

PROFILE Legal Name: Janus Mearcstapa (Alternate Identity 3) Aliases: Mearcstapa Mearc MarchWalker613 Pronunciation Guide: may-ARK-stah-pah, permissible to shorten to may-ARK Apparent Age: 26 Venue: Changeling Seeming: Darkling Kith: Hunterheart Court: Autumn (Mantle 4) Title: Scrivener Keeper: The Queen of Mirrors Faceclaim: Kendall Cleveland (photographed by Nathan Dumlao) Character Web Link: 1st Degree Player: Solstice Public Effects: Allies 1 (High Society) Allies 2 (Law Enforcement) Allies 2 (Legal) Contacts 4 (Government, Hackers, High Society, Media) Court Goodwill 1 (Spring) Court Goodwill 1 (Winter) Fame 1 (Youtube/Security Conferences) Status 1 (Local Business) Soundtrack "Younger", The Mountain Goats Set the torch aflame Call the night by name Stake out your dark position Lie in wait By the gleaming city gate Try not to lose sight of the mission It never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones You had to use to build your ladder Moment close at hand Half of you will never understand And it doesn't really matter Big smile on my face Capsule just in case Underneath my tongue there Voices on the breeze I heard voices once like these when I was younger Blood rushing to my face I know that sweet warm taste And the bitter trace "Carousel", Flobots We are aliens and odd ones Orphaned by chosen boundaries Adorned in algorithms The schisms of hidden industries In the streets we all are strangers Gaze in the faces disconnect We form we click repeat deform And in defeat We disrespect We are all those orphans Who can't forgive our families A tribe that's not divided Just blinded By our realities Our scars are what bind us We toss and scream and lay awake The antidote of the in between Is to put our dreams on layaway "It's Alright", Mother Mother I don't wanna know who I am 'Cause heaven only knows what I'll find I don't wanna know I'm not capable of coming out alive I don't wanna see what's inside I think that I would rather be blind I don't wanna know I'm not capable, I'm capable I'm alright, I'm okay, I'm alright, I'm okay I'm not a monster, I'm a human And I've made a few mistakes I'm alright, I'm okay, I'm alright, I'm okay I'm not gruesome, just human And I've made a few  LOGS Logs Found Here