Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Part 1 – 1983 to 1996 (age 0 to age 13)
1983 – Just after Thanksgiving. Intro at diner to set up relationship between Maya and Ciro; diner is run by Ciro’s parents (Isabella and Eddie); Theo has just started at the police academy but still works nights to keep Ciro company and keep up with the family; Maya is barely 18, Ciro is 20, Theo is 19.
1987 – February/March. Maya takes Miranda to an urgent-care clinic for a bad case of what turns out to be strep; Miranda’s first encounter with a hero is with the empathy healer on duty; during the exam, Miranda pushes back slightly with her mind and surprises the hero; the hero mentions this to Maya, who dismisses it gently and politely. If Miranda –does- have any abilities, she wants them to develop on their own and not with some crazy intervention.
1990 – June/July. Miranda is outside with her friends, playing near the front of the diner. Other kids come by and start making fun of her in Spanish, but she answers back rather quickly; they’re surprised that some little half-Japanese girl can match them word for word and begin to tease her about being a mutt of sorts; a few of her friends stick up for her.
1991 – April/May. Miranda is beginning to help out in the diner, running the register and bussing tables when it’s not too busy in the evenings; when she heads out to the alley to take out the trash, she sees some of the older kids dealing with a group of Skulls. After talking to them and being threatened, she ducks inside and says something to her father, who calls Theo before heading outside.
1994 – March/April – Similar altercation, except Miranda gets accosted on her way home from school the day after and one of the cops has to walk her home. Maya and Ciro are talking to her about homeschooling, and Theo disagrees on the grounds that she can’t be so sheltered because it would do her more harm than good. Miranda finally interrupts and says that she’s lived in the Row and therefore, it’s impossible to be sheltered when you walk in on drug deals in your backyard.
1996 – February – Miranda watches her mother do a tarot reading for a friend’s older brother and sees him blow off the advice. He winds up in the hospital, and Miranda begins to see that her mother has a special talent.
Part 2 – 1996 to 2000 (age 13 to age 16)
1997 – December . Miranda is working full-time in the diner doing cashier and waitress duty. She recognizes the regulars at the diner, especially the cops and detectives. This includes Officer Rayne, Theo’s partner Vince, and a few others. Not all of her friends still go to school, but she still keeps up with them during the day.
1998 – March. Miranda is outside the diner with her friends, talking and joking around. They walk past a group of Skulls who start to approach them, but one of them recognizes Mira and stops the group. Miranda is somewhat stunned, but keeps walking. The next day, her friend stops inside to let her know that she’s safe as long as she stays out of the way. Theo overhears the conversation and confronts her about the exchange.
1998 – August. Summer evening, air conditioning is broken, she and friends are out walking and they witness the robbery of the Leibowitz’ jewelry store; she yells out across the street and gets rushed by several Skulls who are about to beat them into a pulp, but she is spared a more severe beating when she hears a familiar voice telling the others to get out before the cops get there.
1998 – August, a few days later. Theo and Ciro confront her about the robbery and her friends’ involvement with the Skulls. Once Miranda leaves, Maya suggests that she begin to teach her some of the tarot stuff because it would be unfortunate for Miranda’s latent ability to be compromised by the Skulls. Theo and Ciro are confused, and Maya says nothing more about it.
1999 – February, before Valentine’s Day. Miranda is working in the diner while her parents are out for their wedding anniversary and is practicing her tarot during lulls in activity. One of her childhood friends meets her out back in the alley when she takes the trash out, the conversation leans towards him looking for a more romantic involvement with her, but she keeps him at a distance due to what her father and Theo have said.
1999 – October, her birthday. The conversations between her friends have been odd, but she’s still hanging out with them and casually seeing Skull-boy on the side because she figures that she can take care of herself and he was her friend before the whole gang thing. She gets a bouquet of flowers sent to her at the diner, with a small candy skull attached. A screaming fight commences with her parents over the incident. Later that night, while out on the fire escape, she witnesses the same boy (along with several other guys) savagely beat someone before yelling into the alley and confronting them. Theo intervenes and she’s relatively safe, but he gives her an even sterner talking-to (very cop-like).
1999 – December. Three weeks before Christmas. Miranda and her mother are decorating the diner, when Miranda’s friends come in and see her practicing her tarot stuff. They ask if she’ll do readings for them, and she agrees but lies on a few. Her mother later calls her on that, telling her that it’s not her job to hide the truth. Two weeks later, a high-ranking Skull comes in and demands a reading from Miranda, but Maya does it instead. He doesn’t like the interpretation and offers her money to do it again, but she declines the money and tells him to accept it and leave. The reading basically says that he’s terrible and will die before the next summer, which makes him pretty upset.
1999 – December 23. Miranda is cleaning up and taking the trash out late at night. In the alley, she’s distracted by the former boyfriend who’s all painted up and is talking trash to her. She hears gunshots and starts to run inside, but he catches her and holds her back. She breaks free and runs inside, hearing her father yelling for both her and her mother, as well as other people yelling and screaming.. Immediately, the front of the store goes up in flames and she’s thrown back under a counter where she can’t get out. Someone pulls her out, and the rescue squad has to hold her back from running in. Theo gets there to hold her just as they start pulling out bodies, including Maya, Ciro, and Officer Rayne.
2000 – February. A break in the case leads to an arrest; Miranda’s been numbly doing filing work at the precinct with Molly to fill her days. She takes a walk outside when she’s approached by some Skull’s girlfriend who threatens her if she testifies; some of Miranda’s magic surfaces and the girl abruptly leaves with a big ol’ headache.
2000 – August. Case goes to court and Miranda sees the few Skulls who were arrested; she hears “voices” in her head and finally leaves because it’s too disturbing. During the sentencing phase, Miranda tells the judge that she doesn’t want the state to seek the death penalty; her entire demeanor is very low-toned but passionate when she tells the judge how they don’t deserve the death penalty as a reward for their actions because it’s a sort of glory in that culture, and if the judge doesn’t understand that, then they shouldn’t be in the Row in the first place; after this, Miranda more or less retreats to the apartment above Theo’s where she’s been staying.
Part 3 – 2002 (age 18)
March - Miranda is still hearing voices in her head, while she walks through Kings Row to and from the precinct, and she begins to think that she’s crazy. She avoids the Skulls. Theo arranges an interview with the cop psychologist who tries to tell her that it’s PTSD, but Miranda begins to mindspeak with her without realizing it.
After a weekend spent holed up in her apartment sitting in the floor of her closet with her hands over her ears, she goes to the clinic expecting to be committed. Instead, they send her to MAGI for a diagnosis. She refuses training with Hero Corps, choosing instead to do the bare minimum to shield most of the voices. She declines registering with Hero Corps.
During the Rikti attack, she is knocked back with horrific migraines that finally send her into a sort of stasis. She is taken to Crowne Memorial for observation and wakes up a few weeks later to a very concerned but relieved Theo who’s been checking on her.
Miranda does her own tarot reading and she comes up as the Sun, finally decides to register.
1983 – Just after Thanksgiving. Intro at diner to set up relationship between Maya and Ciro; diner is run by Ciro’s parents (Isabella and Eddie); Theo has just started at the police academy but still works nights to keep Ciro company and keep up with the family; Maya is barely 18, Ciro is 20, Theo is 19.
1987 – February/March. Maya takes Miranda to an urgent-care clinic for a bad case of what turns out to be strep; Miranda’s first encounter with a hero is with the empathy healer on duty; during the exam, Miranda pushes back slightly with her mind and surprises the hero; the hero mentions this to Maya, who dismisses it gently and politely. If Miranda –does- have any abilities, she wants them to develop on their own and not with some crazy intervention.
1990 – June/July. Miranda is outside with her friends, playing near the front of the diner. Other kids come by and start making fun of her in Spanish, but she answers back rather quickly; they’re surprised that some little half-Japanese girl can match them word for word and begin to tease her about being a mutt of sorts; a few of her friends stick up for her.
1991 – April/May. Miranda is beginning to help out in the diner, running the register and bussing tables when it’s not too busy in the evenings; when she heads out to the alley to take out the trash, she sees some of the older kids dealing with a group of Skulls. After talking to them and being threatened, she ducks inside and says something to her father, who calls Theo before heading outside.
1994 – March/April – Similar altercation, except Miranda gets accosted on her way home from school the day after and one of the cops has to walk her home. Maya and Ciro are talking to her about homeschooling, and Theo disagrees on the grounds that she can’t be so sheltered because it would do her more harm than good. Miranda finally interrupts and says that she’s lived in the Row and therefore, it’s impossible to be sheltered when you walk in on drug deals in your backyard.
1996 – February – Miranda watches her mother do a tarot reading for a friend’s older brother and sees him blow off the advice. He winds up in the hospital, and Miranda begins to see that her mother has a special talent.
Part 2 – 1996 to 2000 (age 13 to age 16)
1997 – December . Miranda is working full-time in the diner doing cashier and waitress duty. She recognizes the regulars at the diner, especially the cops and detectives. This includes Officer Rayne, Theo’s partner Vince, and a few others. Not all of her friends still go to school, but she still keeps up with them during the day.
1998 – March. Miranda is outside the diner with her friends, talking and joking around. They walk past a group of Skulls who start to approach them, but one of them recognizes Mira and stops the group. Miranda is somewhat stunned, but keeps walking. The next day, her friend stops inside to let her know that she’s safe as long as she stays out of the way. Theo overhears the conversation and confronts her about the exchange.
1998 – August. Summer evening, air conditioning is broken, she and friends are out walking and they witness the robbery of the Leibowitz’ jewelry store; she yells out across the street and gets rushed by several Skulls who are about to beat them into a pulp, but she is spared a more severe beating when she hears a familiar voice telling the others to get out before the cops get there.
1998 – August, a few days later. Theo and Ciro confront her about the robbery and her friends’ involvement with the Skulls. Once Miranda leaves, Maya suggests that she begin to teach her some of the tarot stuff because it would be unfortunate for Miranda’s latent ability to be compromised by the Skulls. Theo and Ciro are confused, and Maya says nothing more about it.
1999 – February, before Valentine’s Day. Miranda is working in the diner while her parents are out for their wedding anniversary and is practicing her tarot during lulls in activity. One of her childhood friends meets her out back in the alley when she takes the trash out, the conversation leans towards him looking for a more romantic involvement with her, but she keeps him at a distance due to what her father and Theo have said.
1999 – October, her birthday. The conversations between her friends have been odd, but she’s still hanging out with them and casually seeing Skull-boy on the side because she figures that she can take care of herself and he was her friend before the whole gang thing. She gets a bouquet of flowers sent to her at the diner, with a small candy skull attached. A screaming fight commences with her parents over the incident. Later that night, while out on the fire escape, she witnesses the same boy (along with several other guys) savagely beat someone before yelling into the alley and confronting them. Theo intervenes and she’s relatively safe, but he gives her an even sterner talking-to (very cop-like).
1999 – December. Three weeks before Christmas. Miranda and her mother are decorating the diner, when Miranda’s friends come in and see her practicing her tarot stuff. They ask if she’ll do readings for them, and she agrees but lies on a few. Her mother later calls her on that, telling her that it’s not her job to hide the truth. Two weeks later, a high-ranking Skull comes in and demands a reading from Miranda, but Maya does it instead. He doesn’t like the interpretation and offers her money to do it again, but she declines the money and tells him to accept it and leave. The reading basically says that he’s terrible and will die before the next summer, which makes him pretty upset.
1999 – December 23. Miranda is cleaning up and taking the trash out late at night. In the alley, she’s distracted by the former boyfriend who’s all painted up and is talking trash to her. She hears gunshots and starts to run inside, but he catches her and holds her back. She breaks free and runs inside, hearing her father yelling for both her and her mother, as well as other people yelling and screaming.. Immediately, the front of the store goes up in flames and she’s thrown back under a counter where she can’t get out. Someone pulls her out, and the rescue squad has to hold her back from running in. Theo gets there to hold her just as they start pulling out bodies, including Maya, Ciro, and Officer Rayne.
2000 – February. A break in the case leads to an arrest; Miranda’s been numbly doing filing work at the precinct with Molly to fill her days. She takes a walk outside when she’s approached by some Skull’s girlfriend who threatens her if she testifies; some of Miranda’s magic surfaces and the girl abruptly leaves with a big ol’ headache.
2000 – August. Case goes to court and Miranda sees the few Skulls who were arrested; she hears “voices” in her head and finally leaves because it’s too disturbing. During the sentencing phase, Miranda tells the judge that she doesn’t want the state to seek the death penalty; her entire demeanor is very low-toned but passionate when she tells the judge how they don’t deserve the death penalty as a reward for their actions because it’s a sort of glory in that culture, and if the judge doesn’t understand that, then they shouldn’t be in the Row in the first place; after this, Miranda more or less retreats to the apartment above Theo’s where she’s been staying.
Part 3 – 2002 (age 18)
March - Miranda is still hearing voices in her head, while she walks through Kings Row to and from the precinct, and she begins to think that she’s crazy. She avoids the Skulls. Theo arranges an interview with the cop psychologist who tries to tell her that it’s PTSD, but Miranda begins to mindspeak with her without realizing it.
After a weekend spent holed up in her apartment sitting in the floor of her closet with her hands over her ears, she goes to the clinic expecting to be committed. Instead, they send her to MAGI for a diagnosis. She refuses training with Hero Corps, choosing instead to do the bare minimum to shield most of the voices. She declines registering with Hero Corps.
During the Rikti attack, she is knocked back with horrific migraines that finally send her into a sort of stasis. She is taken to Crowne Memorial for observation and wakes up a few weeks later to a very concerned but relieved Theo who’s been checking on her.
Miranda does her own tarot reading and she comes up as the Sun, finally decides to register.
