Fantasy Pax- The Taste of Corruption

[seasonedcat]

​

There was a light drizzle over Digensis as the sun still had yet to rise. It was 4 am and the streets were empty except for the police tape and officers. A group of bodies lay on the ground, only three though it was still a sight to see. The strangest thing was the gaping hole in their chest where their heart had been removed. Their faces were peaceful, their eyes closed as if they were resting. Of course, the removal of the heart was not the cause of their death. Several bruises were could be seen on their bodies to indicate a fight, as well as different wounds depending on how they died. One had their head bashed in with an object, another had large bruises around their neck from being strangled. The last one, which was the worst, had their eye's ripped out. This was done in a careless manner and appeared to be what killed them.

The strangest thing about this though is that they weren't one group. No, two were human and one was Supernatural. There was no connection between them, nor would it be likely that the humans attempted to protect the supernatural. This was just another murder, however, the Pax team had been called. Woken up from their sleep at the complex and should be here at any moment. The head detective from the police glances around anxiously as he waited for them to take this off his hands.

 

[Siren77]

One of the benefits of typically restless nights was that the early calls never seemed to be that much of a bother.

Tæven Saavdra was wide awake as usual at this time, having gotten his typical two to three hours of rest a couple hours previously. He’d gone to bed early in an attempt to get a “good nights rest”, but that was just the hopeless dream of a fucking insomniac. Sure enough he’d wake up in a haze at two in the morning nearly on the dot, with no hope of falling back asleep. He’d stopped bothering to even try years ago. It’d just become a fact that once he was awake, the day had started.

Far from in a rush, the “day” had begun with a long and refreshing shower in a piping hot temperature. He liked the way the water singed his skin. Not enough to leave a mark or cause any serious pain, but enough to get that nice itchy feeling that had a satisfying edge on his skin. Besides it merely being a preference, It also helped wake him up. One could argue a cold shower would do the exact same thing, but being cold was nothing short of miserable. Tæven was a tropical person who hated the cold, so why on this fucked up earth would he put himself through that?

He didn’t time it, he never did. He just let the water keep rolling until his brain decided to get out. In his head it felt like a solid twenty minutes, but when he stepped back into his room, he’d see only five minutes had passed since his last time looking at the clock. Time was always a funky thing in the shower. Now he just had more time to pad out until it was finally time to work. Fifteen extra minutes wasn’t a lot of time, but when you have nothing to do it’s an eternity.

After a quick dry, Tæven slipped on some grey boxers before filing through his predictable wardrobe. Tons of dull colored shirts that were light and fit snug against his frame, plenty of pairs of thicker fabric cargo pants that held the same variety in color, and nothing but black socks. He liked to keep thing simple, which he chalked up to a force of habit. Dressing to impress just wasn’t his thing, never was. He liked what he wore and that’s all that mattered. So he picked out a black t-shirt with silkier material, a pair of grey pants that had extra pockets at the sides of the calves in addition to the cargo ones, and one of the many rolled up pairs of black socks in stock for him.

It was the same process every morning. Socks first, then the shirt, followed by the pants that would be secured by a black leather belt. After that, a familiar pair of black combat boots would be slipped and laced on. They weren’t originally his, human ground troops always wore tan boots if not a dull green set of boots that looked fuckin’ stupid in his opinion. These black ones he’d hustled out of a human naval troop in a game of Hearts. That was always one of his favorite stories to tell.

After he was dressed, his regular grooming procedures were handled as well. His hair was lazily lathered in pomade and combed loosely to the left side of his head. Then he’d brush his teeth thoroughly, almost forgetting to floss as he so often did. Lastly he’d run through a quick but well practiced shave. He preferred to stay clean shaven, primarily because his facial hair had a lot to be desired. It was super patchy, and never looked quite right to him. So a smooth face was the better option.

With the basic morning routine complete, Tæven retreated to his kitchen to grab a quick bowl of cereal. Lucky Charms, just enough left in the box for one last bowl. What a pain. Looks like he’d have to go do some grocery shopping after work.

To help bide more time while he ate and even after, he pulled up the audio book he’d been listening to for the last little while. He didn’t like reading, but having a story told to him was actually pretty okay. There was a lot of boring crap on the app he used, but there was a few hidden gems here and there that appeased his picky appetite for literature. Was that the right word for it still? Who knows, who cares, he’d use it even if it wasn’t. The current story he’d been listening to lately was this weird one about Space Pirates. It was some confusing and nerdy shit, but he actually enjoyed it more than what he’d listened to in the past. He’d have to look into more material by this specific author later.

It was assumed he’d have to wait until the standard time of six in the morning, but much to his pleasure he’d get a call around four that interrupted his book. Tucking his headphones away, Tæven answered. Apparently three dead bodies had been found in northern part of Digensis. This was just the call to action he needed for today. As much as he liked the book, he liked his job a lot more. So shortly after the call ended, Tæven threw on his leather jacket and headed out, eager to hear more details about what had been found.

Given he’d undoubtedly been the only one awake and dressed at the time of the call, he’d be the first to stroll onto the crime scene where the Head Detective was already waiting for him and the others.

“Mornin’” He’d say with a smirk.

There was no point interrogating him for info just yet, he knew damn well he’d had to wait for the others. Bunch of slow asses. Ah well, he couldn’t complain too much.

Things could always be much worse.

 

[Juju]

Ai YomawariThis city was diseased.

Ai glanced out the window of the car, the tinted glass casting a muted shade upon the passing city lights, broken by streaks of dark windows and alleys. It was hours before the world would awake to the horror that awaited them. They would say it was a tragedy, an outlier, but there was simply one cause; supernaturals.The politicians and activists dared to rise them up to the level of humans, to act as if they were civil enough to live in society.

Her nails fell upon the black leather seat, one after the other. It was only a matter of time before people began to notice the truth; they were the disease, and Ai would cut it away if she had to.

---​

The sleek car rolled to a stop near the police tape, its windows dark enough to allow only one's reflection to be seen. The back door opened and out stepped a tall lady wearing a wide brimmed hat and long, pleated coat with a symbol embroidered onto its back. Her black hair was cut sharply above her shoulders, with her bangs swept over one eye. The other regarded the awaiting individuals coldly as she approached, resting on both the head detective and Tæven for only a heartbeat before falling on the corpses. Her heels made steady clips against the concrete, stopping just before the bloodstains.

Seeming to ignore anything the other two might say, she stared at the bodies for a time. The cause of death for each was unique; blunt trauma, strangulation, and the other had their eyes ripped out. The only thing that connected them was the lack of a heart. Ai knew more than a few heart-eaters out there, but more evidence would be needed to distinguish which one. There was also the problem that the bodies were so close together. It was unlikely that they were killed all at once... suggesting there might have been more than one attacker... or they were killed at different times and brought back here.

It was sloppy and in the open, likely a message of sorts. Or perhaps the work of something mindless. There was always the possibility of very powerful sorcery, but that was rare. Ai crouched down beside the eyeless body and inspected it closer. Though hidden by her bangs, her Evil Eye glowed blue as she scanned for the presence of demons. After finding no traces of the , she seemed to be content and stood back up. Then, and only then, did she acknowledge the presence of the other two.

She looked at the head detective and sighed. "Can you tell us anything about what happened here."

 

[kasigi]

Felix Kersey

The nip in the air was more than enough to get someone ready for the day. This particular early-morning chill struck a chord of resemblance to the frigid shower he took just minutes earlier, especially when considering the light drizzle, pitter-pattering against the pavement Felix has just stepped onto. Felix loved cold showers, considering them to be the perfect way to get up in the morning, even if it was a little uncomfortable. Before he'd came here, showers were definitely considered somewhat of a luxury for him, so he made it a point to abuse the free water at the complex as much as possible. With such a well-kept, formal appearance, it may appear deceiving when compared to his other living conditions. Felix had no car, no T.Vs, nothing that the more well-off would spend their money on to entertain themselves. Even though joining the task force gave him a push in the right direction, he didn't really own anything besides his own clothes. With that said, Felix was gonna have to walk.

A day like this, Felix probably would've tried to *hopelessly* keep a cigarette lit while staring up at the sky, watching as the deep darkness was slowly engulfed by the overwhelming rays of the sun. Not anymore. No more tobacco, no more standing around. He didn't think he'd get his first job so early, but he decided he wouldn't make it a habit to be too late. Felix was pretty serious about joining this task force, and being thrown to the curb after only one day would be a titanic waste of potential. Making his way through the streets, he made it a point to enjoy the ambiance of the barren cityscape.

Luckily for Felix, he wasn't going to be the last one to arrive. As Felix approached, dress shoes kicked up freshly fallen water droplets as his hands adjusted the undone collar of his jacket, revealing the white undershirt he wore beneath. His locks of blonde hair were maintained as a long ponytail, reaching for down his back - nearly to his waist. To those who saw his approach, he didn't appear to be wielding anything out-of-the-ordinary other than his attire. With that said, the girl's outfit appeared to be the most flamboyant out of everyone there, piquing Felix's interest. He wasn't sure if it'd be rude to ask about it, considering the possibility of clashing cultures. Either way, he liked the big hat.

Approaching the bodies as the woman had engaged in conversation with the detective, he flashed a quick smile, trying not to interrupt them with an exuberant greeting. Squatting over the body without eyes, Felix cringed at the sight, scrunching up his nose as his eyes adjusted to the grizzly sight. "Gross." He whispered to himself. What possibly could've been the point of doing something like this? Was it just a random murder? If the bodies had no association with one another, were they killed separately and brought together? After examining the body that was missing eyes, he moved onto the next one, squatting next to the corpse and reminding himself not to put any fingerprints on it.​

 

[seasonedcat]

~Spot~
The sound of a loud crack was the first audible recognition of the living being in the pitch-black room. The curtains were closed, and to add to that the windows had been painted black, getting rid of every ounce of natural light. Of course, that was far from the strangest thing in this room. Walls were shredded, wallpaper peeling and the floor was torn and covered in its share of feathers and ripped fabric. Amidst this mess of a room, lay a small form he wore nothing other than a sheet, torn and shredded, tangled up amidst the limbs.

This lump had been the source of the noise, once again, throwing his phone against the wall after being notified of yet another job during the precious hours of sleep. Muttering curses of all sources Spot untangled himself and stared at the ceiling for a moment. He let out an annoyed noise as another notification sounded on his specially reinforced phone. He slipped into one of the clothing left on the ground. A white dress shirt, stained with red in places and torn as well. He put on the short like pants he had and didn't bother with shoes. He did destroy them all this time of course. This was about as much prep in the morning he had as he exited the room and soon began to make his way to the meeting site, his extremely cracked phone sitting carelessly in his back pocket.

As he came upon the site he ignored the many disgusted and uncomfortable looks he received from police as he hopped over the tape joyfully and skipped his way over to the bodies. He hummed as he looked over them, not flinching as he stared into the holeless pits where the eyes should be, "The eye's really? Such poor taste in meat." he spoke out sadly, clicking his tongue at the waste of so much good meat, just sitting here on the sidewalk.
---

~Rook~
A cigarette lolled on her lips as the sleek black car drove. Her window was down slightly to provide a path for the smoke that exited her lungs. She had her usual dead inside look on as she read over the files on her lap. As usual with the police force, they were lacklustre. She tossed them aside to the seat next to her as she waited for the drive to be over. If she wanted real evidence she was going to have to record it herself.

As the car pulled in she noticed the gang was all here, thankfully she was last. As she exited she heard the question from Ai and interjected before the police could, "You would test your luck better figuring it out yourself, they know less than you do." She spoke out before taking a final drag of her cig before dropping it and stomping on it with her shoe. She entered the tape elegantly as if she had(which she has) done this a thousand times.

Taking a swing of her flask she offered a wink to the furious head investigator, who while wanted nothing to do with this case, was not going to let himself be made a fool of. "On the contrary, we think this is connected to the recent brawl fight homicides that have been happening-" he was cut off by a curt laugh from Rook. "Yeah, nothing like good old brawl fights that end with the mutilation as severe as this. Just because you want a case to be related, doesn't mean it is," she spoke dully as she stuck her gloved hand into the eye sockets of one of them, feeling around for a bit before humming in satisfaction and standing up, whipping the blood on her coat. The officer cursed before storming away, leaving it to them.

"So, now that the buzzkill's gone, what do you guys think this is," Rook spoke simply as if it wasn't expected of her to know this.
Juju Siren77 kasigi

 

[Siren77]

Tæven mused more and more as the situation unfolded. The other members of the Pax all arrived in their own time, joining the gaggle of personal decorating that crime scene, all with their own fixations and glances. Each had their own thoughts and opinions about it, with the gears turning in their heads behind the scenes. Their inputs would be a decent spectrum, with it looking to be half human and half supernatural with their numbers. Though, with his experience of deceptive appearances, it could very well just be him as the sole human or even the other way around. Not that it mattered too much, multiple minds still made for multiple angles. Hell, there was even a kid here. An odd choice for this sort of group, but Tæven took it with comedic intent.

The one named Rook was the last to arrive, finally dismissing the basic police force that had been the first to respond. They’d done their job of taking care of the light work, it was up to them now to do the critical thinking. They were clearly focused on fist fucking the cheap answer into the reports, just to make their time here light so they can go back to doing nothing. But the woman was right. This went far deeper than mere brawls and tense altercations, and with her prodding them of answers, Tæven had a theory of his own to share.

“Y’know, the little twerp here just might have an unintentional point to be made. Cuts of meat. Two of the casualties are missing body parts, whether or not that’s the cause of their deaths I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we looked at their bodies a little closer and found stitches or gaping holes elsewhere. Maybe even mass chunks of flesh taken out of ‘em. Cuts of meat, like stock being processed. They could’ve harvested what they wanted and been on their way. The only error with this theory is why not take all of it? Why would they only take a few select parts and dumped the rest, especially so carelessly?”

He was thinking aloud at this point, hoping to get some input from the others. But he’d carry on regardless of if anyone spoke up just yet.

“Could also be a basic case of black market dealings with organs and such. Putting them under, doing a quick autopsy, deciding what’s most valuable, taking it and dumping the rest. But the flaws all tie back to being so careless, and again, why not take more?”

The ex-militant had to scratch at his chin as his mind processed what he’d brought up. They were plausible theories with what they knew right now. Being out under and harvested for meat or for a profit would explain why none of them looked to be in pain in their final moments. But autopsies, potential witness statements, and any recordings or videos they might be able to find will point them in a better direction. Evidence was a good place to start getting some footing in this.

“Do we know if there are any security cameras around this area? Who found the bodies first?”