Fantasy Dark World reboot RP

[Tyra]

-= KAIA WINTERS =-
Fugitive | Abnorm | Abandoned Base​

Interacts: Syphe Drook | Mentions: Thalia_Neko

At first, Kaia’s mind couldn’t really process what was happening. The young male started to assure her she was fine, but the sudden drop in his voice caused her spine to stiffen. As she followed his eyes down to her wrist, her heart rapidly began to pick up its pace. This was different than when Ryu had seen her marks. He’d noticed them, sure, but they didn’t mean anything to him. Obviously by this man’s immediate reaction, he knew a little too much. As he placed one hand gently on her arm and the other across the hand protecting her tattoo, she was afraid her heart might burst out of her chest with the speed it was going.

Rift. That was what the gang had grown to be called by the part of the public unfortunate enough to know of them, mostly due to the way they ripped families apart, especially young children from their parents. But what most people didn’t know was that Rift was merely a pawn in a much larger scheme. It all boiled down to basic logic. In order to have power, you need resources. To get those resources, you need something to trade. And in a broken, burning world such as theirs, paper money and rocks made of gold and silver had all but lost their value. Other than basic necessities like food, water, and shelter, there were two things that hadn’t lost their value…pleasure and free labor. The Prophets were definitely known and feared among the remaining population of the world, but not many people knew the true way they maintained such authority. Their resources were seemingly endless, and this was primarily due to their dirty little secret…the traffic of human slaves and sometimes…even their own Abnorm brothers and sisters. The Prophets were so cunning…so calculative…that they knew they couldn’t have as much of an influence or gain followers if the Abnorm population knew of their dirty work, so they took extreme care to practice separation and compartmentalization. It was extremely difficult if not impossible to trace Rift’s operations back to the Prophets. The only ones given such need-to-know information within the network were high-ranking, trusted members of the Prophets and the rare few officers of Rift’s upper management who handled the logistics of obtained goods and fresh recruits under upmost secrecy. The sole reason Kaia even knew about it was due to the fact that she’d been the favorite personal slave of Rift’s head of operations, thus she often overheard things from time to time or found documents when rummaging through her master’s desk in search of the best way to make an escape. The only time the Prophets would get involved directly was when their secrecy was at stake, such as an escaped slave knowing too much…like Kaia. Even then, they never handled anything themselves as to keep their hands clean. Instead, the council in charge of dictating Rift’s operations would discreetly pass down the direct orders to Rift itself, which would take care of the problem. If necessary, Rift would spread the word to bounty hunters if they needed extra man power to re-capture escaped slaves….or kill them if they were no longer of use to the organization. In fact, Kaia was probably still breathing only due to the fact that she was a prized slave of the gang’s commander; therefore, she was wanted alive.

“May I......please take a look at your wrist?”

She wanted to bolt. She wanted to run into the forest as fast as her bare feet would carry her, but Kaia knew all too well that she would never make it. The wound in her side was holding up with her patch job but wouldn’t hold up to that kind of exertion. As of right then, she couldn’t be sure if he was a Rift-employed bounty hunter or simply a kind soul sympathetic to the mistreatment of the enslaved. The latter wasn’t nearly as likely, as most of the time Rift was sort of an underground myth, a bedtime story you told your children to get them to behave, unless you’d actually experienced Rift first-hand. But her only option where she had any chance of survival was to play it cool and keep up her act. Putting on her best sheepish smile, despite her anxiety, she carefully but surely withdrew her wrist from his grasp, keeping a close eye on his body language the entire time. “O-oh it’s nothing really, just a stupid scar from when my brother decided to try and give us tattoos with some old, sketchy equipment he found in a dump,” she fibbed, also making sure to direct her answer toward Sera’s comment, “It’s dumb, I know, but I’m terribly self-conscious about it. Not really something I’d like people I just met to see.” She cringed inwardly, knowing Sera had been the one to take care of her while she was in a coma. And knowing Sera’s experience in the medical field, even if only some, she would know that the mark was too clean to be an accident. Locking eyes with the group’s medic, her irises were wide with apparent fear for just a moment, as she hoped Sera would get the silent message and not press the issue further. She then cleared her throat and looked toward one of the new group members, one particularly who was way too giggly. “She certainly looks like she could spare some extra cloth,” she mentioned with a hint of disdain in her voice, noting the girl’s lavish appearance. Every so often though, her violet eyes would flick back to the young man nervously, sometimes catching his gaze which forced her to quickly avert her own to something else. Who was he? What did he know? At first impression he didn't seem threatening...but the best bounty hunters never were. She'd learned that the hard way in the few months she'd been a fugitive.

 

[Kiroshiven]

Hector "Crow" Mendez
​

Crow could feel the sun against his back, the place he'd been branded stinging as he looked about the group. His eyes filled with body language and movements. Fashionista was acting naturally and it seemed many of them were plainly enjoying themselves. However, Crow picked up on a few things. Firstly, the little snow haired girl's eyes, thorns and hair. They changed and she seemed to be struggling with something. Based off the effect it had to do with her abnormality. Secondly, her eyes seemed....starved. It wasn't the right word for it, but the fact was that she wanted something and it was the group that was causing it. Whatever the case may be, she was a potential danger and honestly, Crow didn't want to deal with that kind of shit, but if he was to stay with this group, then he'd have to find out what he could from each of them. That's when he caught sight of the little blue haired girl. She was acting strange, though she was barely covered so the part about covering her feminine parts wasn't strange. It was how she gripped her wrist and seemed to want to avoid talking about it. Hector grabbed his shirt and jacket and walked over. "Here." He muttered, dropping both pieces of clothing onto the girl, covering up her torso and arms.

"If you need to hide something, it's best to hide it well." He spoke coldly as his shadow slowly created a box for her. "That should give you some privacy to change." He called out again while looking between the one who seemed to be a doctor and the big guy. "Didn't take you as the type to invade private matters." He spoke to the big guy. Sure, Hector hadn't been listening, but ultimately, he'd guessed based off their body language. Years of interrogating traitors and spies left you with some skills in that regard. The shadowy mass on his back leaped off onto his shoulder as a crow cawing to match his confrontational position. The deep scar of a second degree burn stung on his back as the sun hit it. The direct sunlight was something he didn't enjoy, part of the reason he wore so much clothing. "Oi, Tela. Has your arm stopped bleeding?" He called out to here pointing to the scarf. "I'd like it back, and if you could manage to get the blood off the material, I'd appreciate it." Hector couldn't remember how good the girl was at controlling fabrics, but eh. If it had a bit of blood on it he'd wash it out later.

Scarlett O'Hare
​

Scarlett followed along, quietly listening to Lucca, Kore and Delia, as she introduced herself. She held no opinion on the new woman other than she wasn't an enemy, so Scarlett didn't have to kill her. Not that Scarlett would've done it. Kore'd have beaten her to it first. So she walked, her mind picking up the words as her mind idled away at the forest around her. A small red blur catching her eye as it darted off ahead and into a window of the house as they entered. Shrugging her shoulders she stood by the door with the others, but as the knocks garnered no response, she decided to take her own try at it. She thumped her fist against the door and watched as it broke off the hinges and flew several feet inside. Her lack of focus had let her strength go unchecked. "Sorry." She muttered while looking at the now splintered entryway. "Go in?" She forced a chuckle as she stepped inside to look around at the, clearly, extravagant building there.

Ryuji Nakamoto
​

After his little "talk" with the silent watcher, Ryuji had gotten to moving again. He leapt from tree to tree much like during his training days years ago. He'd even noticed he'd caught up to Scarlett, the boy with the forgettable face, and Nightshade. But they'd also picked up what looked to be a daisy. However, he wasn't too focused on the group as he came upon a house. Infiltration. He quietly thought as he leapt onto the building, quietly pried open a window and stepped inside. The upstairs room looked to be a bit of a bedroom and quite beyond what he imagined. However, the fact remained that this was someplace to investigate. He slithered about in the upstairs until he heard a crash and cracking of wood. Scarlett. His thoughts growled as he readied his throwing needles. As he wandered he found himself in what seemed like a bathroom with a mirror in it. As Ryuji stood he looked at himself. His eyes looked heavy, his hair was a mess, his body, well that was still damn near flawless, but it looked like it had somehow managed to become leaner sense he last looked. He placed his palm against the mirror as two familiar figures seemed to appear behind him. "Hifumi. Fox." He muttered in recognition of the pair. "It feels like I'm getting old and too stressed."

"You need to relax. Stop pushing yourself so hard." Hifumi quietly embraced him; the lack of warmth or sense of her skin against his own reminded Ryuji that this was merely his imaginings: things he wanted to be true. "You're at least starting to accept the truth a bit better and your power is showing it." She pointed to the scars on his shoulder. They were slimmer than before, the necrotic touch of his master not feeling as pertinent. "But you're also starting to become a bit too aware of yourself. Your actions, your blood-lust, they all are apart of you and you're still trying to keep them separate." Ryuji lifted the mask and held it to the mirror. "You can break it, you know."

"I know." Ryuji chuckled to himself as he clutched the mask, hearing small chipping and breaking sounds. It had survived brutal attacks, bullets, being crushed, and yet his hand could easily break it into smithereens. Hifumi had been a talented, well the WG would've called her an S class, woman and he was thankful for her for protecting the mask. Now though? He just wished she hadn't. Tossing it to the side, Ryuji looked at Fox. The being, and part of him, that was sealed with the mask. "What do you think?"

"You want a murder's opinion?" Ryuji nodded. Since coming to New-America Ryuji had flirted, romanced, killed, drank, and acted like he hadn't a care in the world, but he felt empty now. And the life he had, the illusions he clung to, they were slipping through his fingers as the truth became apparent. "I think that you should kill me." The Fox spoke coldly. "Break the mask and let the truth of your life fill you. And grow." The fox moved to the door and motioned for Ryuji to shut it, to which he did. "And while you're at it." The Fox spoke coldly. "Break things off with the others. No more flowers. No more garden. You're a New-Asia assassin with a mission. If you have to, kill them all." Ryuji looked a bit torn at the thought of that, but as his mind felt drained he slumped to the floor right beside the mask. "The final choice is yours Ryuji. You asked for a monster's opinion. And you know the human's. But what about the hybrid's?" The fox smirked as both he and Hifumi vanished as quickly as they appeared.

Interactions: Drook Tyra littleberry FrostFire revior Thalia_Neko
Nearby: Syphe Clockwork Syringe Tetro Iamthemanfish ShadowBroker

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Vira

​

Hurried feet splashed through puddles, leaving no footprints, as they raced atop cobbled pavement. Two small girls running side by side. One with soft hair that gleamed white in this gloomy light, and the other with pitch-black hair, stretching out behind her like a menacing shadow. Today was another one of those days. Mission time. Their target? The mayor of this particular rising town. According to their father, he had refused to pay the tax this time and had actually shut the city gates in front of Caluun and Jaeveth. That's why they were sent in, to deal with the situation.

Vira leaped up and lithely landed on a thick brick fence. She ran up there while Ellie ran on the street beside her. Dark thunderclouds hung low overehead, with lightning zipping through them, flashing enough to light up their path. Rain had just ended, leaving everything wet and slippery, but Vira ran along the fence all the same. Rain would probably start up again soon. It was nothing but a lull in the storm.

City watch were out tonight, as the mayor knew he had pissed of 'The Devil'. However, this loon didn't realize just what that meant. You'd think with a name like 'The Devil', you'd get the idea, but hey, idiots were idiots. Too bad too, the city watch were just regular citizens trying to get by. They didn't want to get roped up in the war that this mayor had started. But they were. Such was the way of the world.

Vira landed right on one, and with a quick garble, he was out. Ellie bolted forward now, just as a guard coming around the corner to see the man on the ground was about to sound out in surprise, she got him, too. With a grin, Vira followed. Moments later, they both were sneaking right into the well-built house of the mayor. Vira looked around, "This place is fancy," she whispered. Ellie put her finger up to her lips, and Vira gave her a sour look. Nothing was sparking Vira's power, so she knew her whisper was fine.

Together the two rushed along, their bare feet softly plodding on the carpet. Vira shook her head thinking, 'Idiot. Makes enemies of us, but puts carpet down? Does he even understand anything going on'?

Moments later, just after Ellie was putting down yet another guard, the two burst into the mayors room. The pudgy man backed up, throwing his chair back, thunking against the wood. His room was lit up by lamps, and had a nice smell to it, with flowing incense, it was even decorated nicely. Just like a mayor's office would be. The man obviously had things, had riches, had supplies. "Huh, power," Vira noted, looking quickly around. "I smell perfumed incense," Ellie also noticed. "Plus he's fat," Vira rudely pointed out. The two walked in, and the man hurried to hide behind his desk, putting him in the center of it, with the two girls coming in on both sides.

"Do you know who we are?" Vira asked, unsheathing a knife for added effect.
"Y~y~yes~" his pitiful voice came out, as he cowered.
"Then why did you not pay?" Ellie asked. Her tone was..? Remorseful? Sorrowful? Sympathetic?
Vira tossed her a glance. "You know what happens to those who don't pay," the dark-haired little girl interjected, her tone much harsher. This time it was Ellie to throw a glance over, which Vira caught out of the corner of her eye.
"L~l~look!! I~it was that man! Th~th~th~th~that man!.."
"Which. Man?" Vira callously asked, tone sharp. She leaped up on the table, still so small that she needed a height boost. It was almost comical, the way this full-grown man was cowering before two 3 feet girls. But then you took in account the easily dispatched guards and...
"I.. I.. I.. Iduno~!!!!" he shouted out, whimpering, with Vira about to cut him.
Ellie's words stopped her just in time. "YES YOU DO! WHO!? TELL US! What. Man!" It was often Ellie rose her voice, before violence from her sister set in. Slightly hypocritical, considering the entire night's worth of violence, but hey. You had to have some sort of code; you had to draw the line somewhere.
"Uh~u~uh~uhhhhh~uh, K-Kovald!" the 'mayor' of this town announced. Whimpering on the floor, against the wall. "He told me to do it! Ahhunhnn...~ ohhh...~"
The two looked at each other, with Vira lowering her knife. "That name again," she said.
Ellie seemed to contemplate. "Hm. Yes. He's been getting in our way often," she stated, thinking.
"He's an enemy of the gang," Vira said matter-of-factly.
"Yes. Undoubtedly. But what's his game?.." Ellie mused to herself, still thinking. "He has to know going against us like this is suicide, right?"
Her thoughts were short-lived, her voice cut off, her eyes wide. For as soon as she ended that question, Vira slashed the throat of the cowering mayor. He garbled pathetically, holding at his neck, blood sloshing out like a river, before he collapsed. Ellie just stared.

"What? He knew what he did. He knew what it meant to go against The Devil," Vira said flatly to her sister, voice lacking emotion, eyes dull and blank. Thunder crashed, lightning took a violent picture of the scene through a window. Rain started bombarding the building once more. "Come, we have other business tonight." She hopped off the desk, then calmly walked out of the room, hand still holding her blood-dripping dagger.
Ellie stared for a moment longer, before blinking and shaking her head. She turned to see Vira disappearing out of sight around the doorframe. And not for the first time, did she think of how awful that was. Of how barbaric Vira killing their 'enemies' was. The man... She looked one last time at him. Was just trying to help his people. No matter what Kovald said. It was true, though, what Vira said. Betraying The Devil and his Demons meant death. Certain, unquestionable death. Ellie had considered sparing the man. Vira had no such considerations. Undoubtedly, working under The Devil meant you couldn't spare anyone. Even considering it was dubious. Ellie, still did, regardless. Vira, did not.

What did that say?

What did that say?

Ellie raced after her sister, trying to think no more of it. Putting her focus on the identity and motivations of this 'Kovald' mystery man.

~~~~~~~


"Maybe it is, ahuh.. *cough*.." He was saying about the ecosystem. All while the old man leaned back on the counter, sitting once more on the stool. He groaned and stretched some. He looked curiously at the man, then listened to what he had to say, his wrinkles lighting up with what appeared to be fascination. "Ah, is that so? Haha, I just assumed.. I should've asked if you wanted to fix up your own wounds before, I apologize." Pointing over at a drawer set into the counter, he said, "Those things sound quite nice, young man, but all I need is my medication, from there."

Suddenly three loud booms rang out from the heavy front door. Someone was banging the knocker! "Well now? Someone else is stopping by today?.." he mused to himself. "Heh, busy day!" Unusual, he rarely got visitors. Two -technically- in one day was an oddity, but more than that?? Sure, sometimes people came as a small group of two to five, or so, but never just like.. one after the other. He moved to once more get up, pushing off the counter with shaky arms and weak legs. It was a wonder he had carried Vira earlier; he was certainly paying for doing that now.

"I'm coming!" the man called out, when suddenly he heard this loud crashing sound. He wasn't within viewing distance, but he heard what had happened. His door had just been smashed in! -Which meant an Abnorm, oh great.- "H~HEY!" he called, followed by a cough due to the stress from his shout. Stepping out of the kitchen, clinging to the doorway, he looked down the hall. Sure enough there, laying on the floor in his entry way. Was the door, with a dent in it, the wood splintered. Actually the whole frame was splintered, and the hinges were mangled. "Oh.. oh gosh.. Hey! That was quite rude!" he grouchily reprimanded the people at the door, making his way over, leaning against the wall for support the entire way. As he noticed who they were, he made a sharp aside under his breath, "Lousy youngsters duno how to respect their elders.." He was frowning as he got up to all of them, towering over the little girl in the doorway, he growled out, "Who did this to my door?! Any of you ever heard of a thing called 'manners'? I was coming! But us old geezers don't move very fast! Anyone ever heard of patience, too? Ugh *cough cough*," he clenched his chest, then took a sec to compose himself. He really shouldn't let himself get all worked up like that. He straightened up, getting over that cough, "Now what do you want??" He demanded, wondering how on earth he was going to fix his door.


~*~

At the sound of the crashing door, Vira stirred from her slumber. "Unhn," she softly groaned, sitting up. "Ahhck ssha.." She rolled her shoulder, blinking in the gloom. Cracking her neck twice, Vira noticed she was all-but naked, save for the bandages all over. She touched a place on her arm, which she recalled having been burned by that Abnorm back in the base. The little burn mark was all but gone now. Just a little pinkish line on her arm. Not even worthy of a bandage. She recalled that blue-haired Abnorm helping her out about it.

She rubbed her forehead, not remembering the dream she was just having, but being able to tell it was stressful on her mind. Nope, she couldn't remember what it was she was dreaming about, but she did know it wasn't something she wanted to remember. "Ah!" she exclaimed, reaching around to her back, hand touching bare skin. Nope, no bandages there. Fingertips feeling the subtle protrusions on the skin. Indicating the scars there. She knew what was depicted there, not even needing a picture of it, or a mirror to see her back. Ugh, it was annoying how her back was bare.

Just like a stubborn patient would... She got up, and stumbled for just a bit, realizing too late, as she hit the floor with a wooden thunk, fumbling around on it. She was still a bit weak. After all, it had only been hours since she had taken the beating of a lifetime from freaking Big One. Powering through her weakness, she moved around the room. She pulled out a drawer, looking for clothes. A single glimpse inside said, 'nope, none in here'. She pulled out another drawer. Again nothing. She yanked out another drawer, getting impatient. Nope, nothing to wear. She yanked out another and another, impatience now at an all-time high. None of these drawers in the various dressers about the room had anything in them?! Then what was the point?!! "GAH!" she growled in frustration, throwing the last drawer across the room, venting. Thumps sounded out as it hit the floor.

Still very much annoyed, Vira threw off the covers of the bed, grabbing up the lightest one. She attempted to wrap it around herself as she left the room impatiently. The dark-haired woman looked up and down the hall, looking something of a comical sight, trying to maintain this entire bedsheet around her person as a covering. Grumbling to herself, she tried the door next to her room. Her hand turned the doorknob, but felt it lock up. "Locked?!" she hissed. Whatever for?! Vira then tried the next room over and got the same response. Another locked room. She tried the room across the hall. Again, locked. "What the fuck..? Ugh, that old man.. I'll have to give him a piece of my mind!" she cursed, stumbling down the hall, still searching for clothes.


Not Calm FrostFire Tall Bear revior Kiroshiven Tyra

Tela "Fashionista" Powers​

Tela glanced at him, then gave a shrug. She honestly didn't particularly care who he was. She introduced herself willy-nilly around, but when it came down to hearing the other person's introductions? Well let's just say Fashionista often was bounding away before they got a chance to speak. "Sure, mister!"

"OH! Hector-kun!" Tela squeaked when he came over to interact with her. "Sure thing lil bro-kun! Though I control clothsies, not blood, lil bro-kun!" She reminded him. Holding up her arm, her other hand came up and 'moved' the wrapping off of her arm. Her hand then did a little twirl, and the scarf twirled around like a towel, tightening itself. She then squeezed her hand closed, and the scarf squeezed down it hard like she was wringing it out. Some of the blood definitely left it, splashing down onto the grass. She squeezed it a few more times, until nothing else dripped off, but the bottom of the scarf was a dark reddish-black. "Blech, that's the best I could do, kun-kun!" She then waved it over, and set it into his hands. Then, tilting her head around him, to peer over at the group of people, Tela spoke up. "So, what's everyone doing? Some looked like they left the area. Are they going somewhere?"

Kiroshiven Kallo
@ everyone

A robed man moved outside, in the shadows of the giant structure beside him. A giant staircase that rose up to the sky. A palace sitting at the top, looming above. The Prophets's base.
Three men drew near something equally impressive. The aforementioned man in the robes. Another hulk of a man, three sizes too big. And a grey-haired man in a coat, with a set of spectacles on his nose.
"When Hidden kills the second doctor, we will finally be g-" Ezekiel was saying, catching himself. "-Ascended!" He finished, rounding the base. "Behold!!" he called loudly, holding up his hands.
The other two stepped out behind him, but one in particular was more wonderstruck. The man in glasses, who gawked. Peering over his glasses, as they nearly slid off his nose. He stood in utter awe. Out from his lips came a gasp, "The Godhand."
"Yes," Ezekiel confirmed, his voice laced with utter delight. As the group stared at the monolith before them. A beautiful, glorious, divine showpiece. It was literally shaped like a giant hand. But it was bent over. Dormant. Or dead.
The spectacled man drew in a breath, "I never thought I'd see it again." His voice was dripping with attachment. He stepped forward. "May I?"
"Of course."
He walked over to the massive base of the Godhand. It's incredible vastness looming over him. As if it were ready to cast judgment. However, he was brave, drawing near. He looked at the console there attached to it, then he walked around the console. He slapped himself right up against the Godhand and sighed in content, just... hugging it. "Ssssaaahhhhh, I missed this."
"Heh," Ezekiel snorted, a mild smirk on his lips. It wasn't apparent if he was amused, or irritated. Yet he still indulged the man. "Who wouldn't?"
"Heh, I can attest to that!"
After their jollies were shared, Ezekiel stepped forward. "Are you glad you took our offer then, Doctor?"
Ah. He pulled himself away from it in a giffy. He coughed once into his hand, placing his feet together, as he turned to Ezekiel and marched over, back extra-straight. It was like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That not-so-subtle reaction. Both his embracing of the Godhand, and the embarrassed way he reacted to Ezekiel's voice. "Indeed I am," he spoke up. "How did you manage to acquire.." he looked back at it.
"The Godhand?" Ezekiel offered to finish his question. "Heh heh, I have connections."
He seemed incredulous at first towards that answer, but then he said. "'Connections'? Heh, I'm familiar with the.. idea." He held up his hand, and little silver sparks zipped between his fingers.
"Hehe, oh yes, I'm aware," Ezekiel said, seeing the sparks. It was why this man was here, why his brothers were targets, and the whole reason for all of this.
"Hmp. So, you were saying," he broke into the thoughts of Ezekiel with his voice. "After your Hidden kills my brothers..."
"That won't be a problem will it?"
"..No. Of course not. We're not close."
"Good. Then you can control it?"
"I can start it up, yes. After that, naturally. -..Assuming you've done the appropriate repairs," he answered, bending to look at the console once more.
"Indeed I have. It's taken quite some time to repair this marvelous creation, I'm sure you understand."
"Oh yes, it isn't often you meet someone with the capabilities of fixing up a superweapon," the man stated, to the other man's nod. "Heh, if you had only called me sooner!"
Ezekiel's eye twitched. "You're a hard man to find," he reminded his current friend.
"Heh, you're right. Can't be too careful in this day and age, am I right?"
Ezekiel cocked his head with a smirk. "Of course." A second later he asked, in higher spirits, "So?! Are you ready to fire it again? Dr. Balthasar..?"​

 

[FrostFire]

Kore Dair

Spoiler: Image

Kore didn't care much for small talk, she tolerated it and acted along with it when it suited her, but when she strode up to the door she just logged what her current companions were saying, her focus entirely on the house and whatever could be inside. Despite her calm, relaxed exterior, internally she was on high alert, poised for an attack. Of course, she wasn't really close enough to any trees... She touched the wooden bangles around her wrists, looking as unassuming as a few common bracelets made out of twigs... Which they were, of course. But for her these bracelets were her weapons.
She half payed attention to the little lady, Delia, buzzing in her ear, and Lucca sounding like he was still grumpy. Well, she was sure he would grow out of it. If he didn't, she would make him... Yes, that would be fun~ A hint of a smile passed over her features as she imagined it. Yes... Her little mice would bend to her will whether they wanted to or not. Just like the other had...

Lost in thought, Kore didn't notice Scarlett going to knock again, but was jolted back to reality when the door was ripped from its hinges. "Scarlett!!", she hissed, shocked, worried and annoyed all at the same time, her voice urgent.
She heard the exclaim of who she presumed was the owner of the big house. "Well fuck.", she muttered under her breath as he approached them, her mind working overtime as she tried to think of a way out of their current situation. As he approached, Kore took note of him leaning against the wall... Huh, she watched him carefully, observing, committing little details to memory.
Once he had reached them, Kore let him speak until he was finished, before she carefully put a hand on each of Scarlett's shoulders, pulling the little girl away from the old man and side-stepping so that she was in front of the little girl, now directly in front of the angry grandpa.
"I'm really, really sorry Old Man.", her voice was apologetic and sincere, calm and quiet. "She doesn't know her own strength, please don't blame her for it, I'm sure we can make up for the damage Scarlett caused.", she paused, considering her options.
"Well,", she began diplomatically, "I should be able to help, although it won't exactly be a conventional door anymore...", she trailed off at the last bit, before shaking her head and smiling again, he tone and demeanour doing a 180 turn.
"Aaaanyway! Yeah. what we want.", she glanced quickly over at Lucca, an indescribable look in her eyes before she cleared her throat and turned her attention back onto the old man.
"Ya see, from what we can tell you happen to have carried a friend of ours to your house, someone in our group.", she glanced down at his brown trousers. Delia had been right... Kore would have to keep a closer eye on the little lady, maybe figure out how exactly she knew so much.
"She'll be pretty banged up, had a big fight with-", she cut herself off, "Someone.", she finished cautiously, wondering whom exactly this man had an alliance with. He seemed an interesting character, and wasn't attacking them which was always a bonus... Kore decided she could rule out any affiliation with the One, considering how he was living compared to how the gang had been living, she discerned that this man, whoever he was, must've been mixed up in something pretty big, much bigger than a gang like the One.
"She's pretty, long dark hair, and always grumpy.", she pursed her lips, looking the old man up and down again before grinning up at him with a friendly expression.
"Know her?"

Thalia_Neko littleberry revior Kiroshiven Not Calm Tall Bear

 

[Not Calm]

Te Akiri 'Kotiro' Matiu
// Thalia_Neko // Tall Bear revior FrostFire Kiroshiven littleberry

As the man stated that all he'd need was his medication, Kotiro's brow furrowed a bit. He'd heard many people give similar statements throughout his travels in the U.S., and although it wasn't something he'd become familiar with quite yet it wasn't something he approved of either. Before he could tell the old man his opinions, however, a loud banging froze them both in place for a moment. Kotiro was quick to assume it was some sort of threat, although the old man's jovial attitude told him otherwise, "What? It sounded like someone just fired a rifle at your door! Rather rude way of making oneself known, I'd say..." Regardless, Kotiro chose to stay in the kitchen while the old man went to investigate. Call it paranoia, but he had a feeling that staying hidden might do them both some favors. And, apparently, it might save him from getting pelted with shrapnel... It sounded like the front entryway had exploded! The old man had heard it too, and he was soon out giving the 'lousy youngsters' a piece of his mind.

Although part of him wanted to be out there defending the old man should things go wrong, his common sense told him it wasn't worth getting exploded over. Whatever it was that forcefully opened the door, Kotiro had no business defending someone from it. It was probably best to keep himself out of harm's way... Or out of sight, at least.

His mind was changed rather quickly, however, as a loud 'thump' emanated from the roof above him. Someone was on the second floor! Given that both him and the old man were in eyeshot of the stairwell that the old man came from when Kotiro showed up, Kotiro decided something needed to be done. If an abnorm got the drop on the old man, it was game over! Quickly, Kotiro began opening drawers to find potential weapons. A knife? Absolutely not! He'd hurt himself before hitting his target, undoubtedly. A rolling pin? Far too dull, and too hard to get a grip on. A handheld meat tenderizer? Perfect! One quick thwack on the back of the head would do an abnorm in, no problem!

Kotrio took the meat tenderizer in his right hand, its weight giving him confidence. As noises continued coming from the second floor, like things being thrown about and noises of frustration, Kotiro made his way to the staircase. He made sure his footsteps were quiet, ignoring the voices coming from the entryway as he climbed to the second floor. He felt his pulse quicken as he got to the top. A quick glance in either direction revealed little to nothing. There were several doors on either side of the hall, spanning down both directions, with t-shaped intersections at either end. The noises could've come from anywhere! But, still, being up here was better than being in the path of danger downstairs.

After a brief period of blind exploration, a few odd noises filled the hall from down the hall. Kotiro crouched down to keep himself more quiet as he approached the source of the noise. Turning the corner revealed a bandaged woman going from door to door, progressing down the hall in search of something. Thankfully, she was headed in the other direction. With a large house like this? She was likely looking to rob the poor old man! Damn Americans... Greedy as ever! Nothing but greed from the moment he'd arrived. Despicable. Disgusting. Downright atrocious! Blood fresh with adrenaline, Kotiro fought against the pain in his legs as he moved from the corner he was hiding behind to the center of the hallway. She'd see him coming, undoubtedly... So he wouldn't approach her. Instead, he slid his left foot back and bent his right knee, before reeling his right arm back as far as it'd go. As the woman got to the next door, he threw the meat tenderizer at the side of her head. Well, in that general direction... He'd never thrown a meat tenderizer before.

 

[revior]

Lucca Malkovich​

Lucca could not help palming himself in the face after helplessly watching Scarlett sent the door flying off its hinges.

"Oh boy. Another day and yet another property damage."

He was going to slip away, perhaps enter back door while the old man was distracted, but just as he was about to, he noticed Kore shooting him a glance. It was a strange look, as if she wanted something, perhaps from him. What could it be? What could she possibly want? It took Lucca a moment before coming to a conclusion. Ah, so that's what it is.

Alongside Kore, Lucca went up to the old man and apologized as well, backing her up as he thought she wanted. "Yes, we're very sorry. Though if you're looking for monetary compensation you're out of luck, cause I'm pretty sure all of us here are broke. Still if there's anything we can do, please let us know." There, that should be a sufficient follow up, he thought to himself, perhaps the old man will find it in his heart to forgive them.

Since when did this happen, he wondered, when did his first instinct when encountered with complications became that of avoidance, to avoid trouble, avoid responsibilities. From the moment he realized his Abnormality and that he could get away with it perhaps? Or perhaps he had always been like this, but never realized it. There was still that other thing with the caravan too, of which Lucca suddenly remembered that he hasn't apologized for. Compensation aside, he probably should have offered an apology first. Well, that he will have to get back to later.

While apologizing, Lucca had noted how naturally Kore had moved in front of Scarlett, and though he didn't thought much of it, it was committed to memory and added to his impression of the Kore he had known thus far. Though, he wasn't just going to let her spoil the girl.

"Come on Scarlett, you apologize to the nice old man too." he said while allowing Scarlett to remain behind Kore, not because he though it was particularly fine, but because he knew that he probably can't move her if she didn't wish to be moved herself.

Thalia_Neko FrostFire Kiroshiven littleberry Not Calm

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Vira

​

"Geezus, where does he keep any freaking clothes?!?" Vira was grumbling, still trying the doors. "He has wayyyy too many doors," she mused aloud irritably. All locked too, god knows why. Maybe cuz they weren't in use? That thought made her eyes slowly close, to think about the implication...

~A young little black-haired girl ran room to room. Surprisingly, she was laughing, throwing sheets and pillows and, yes, random clothes around. "Hahaha!" she laughed heartily, even tossing furniture and pictures and other assortment of things aside. She glanced down the hall at the man bending down to pick shit up. He looked over at her. "Yyrah!" She grinned widely, then chucked a knife at him. "WOAH!" he gasped, stepping aside as the knife flew directly at him. It expertly stabbed right into the wooden doorframe behind him. He glanced at it, then back at her. "I've been wondering where that knife went for a week!" he said, thinking about the missing knife from the knife rack down in the kitchen. She giggled darkly. "How long have you been planning this?" She laughed and sprinted down the hall, disappearing out of sight. "Vira! Vira!!" He sighed and shook his head, a grin on his face as well.~

A single tear rolled down her cheek, before her eyes opened slowly. Without moving an inch, her hand came up catching the meat tenderizer out of the air by its handle. She finely turned her head, rustic eyes catching sight of him. Spoken curtly, her tone was cold, "Who are you?"

...

He realized maybe the way he asked them that was him being a bit of an impatient old codger, so when the female moved in front of the small girl, he softened up. He coughed again, still awaiting his medicine, but it was understandable with all this commotion that he wasn't given it immediately. Some things just took too much precedence over something as mundane as daily medication.

"Ahh.. I see, I see," He sighed, running a hand through his gray hair. She was so small, so he hadn't thought it was her, but with abnormalities.. you could ever be so sure. Even a 10 year old like her could have super strength. "Still, it was not a nice thing to do, little lady."

He glanced once more at the woman, "You can help?" He asked, when she mentioned making it 'a conventional door anymore'. That must've meant she was an Abnorm, too.. How disconcerting. He really did not like dealing with too many Abnorms at once... Things were never good when too many gathered in one place. Not from his experience anyway.

Suddenly a third person poked their heads in. This time the boy. The old man smiled warmly to the group as he spoke. "Thank you for your apologies." He said having warmed up to them, regardless of his initial misgivings. He waved his hand, stepping aside. "Come in, come in," he offered, irrespective of the busted-in door, and the fact they were all practically in anyway. "Make yourselves at home! It's a large house, haha, as I'm sure you noticed! I've got food, medicine, places to put up your feet, or lay back, running water. You name it!" He seemed to suddenly be into the idea of having a bunch of guests. Hell, maybe he was. It was a rare thing indeed. Plus, he was already entertaining people, so why the heck not, huh?

As he waited for them to enter, he looked once more at the female speaking. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly behind his glasses. Friend? Group? The woman in bed upstairs?.. Did she even know who she was talking about? Or could it be..? That Vira had actually changed?! "Huh, is that so.." he responded to her, voice in a disbelieving tone. Or dismissive tone. "Really? A fight? With who?" he asked, making his way to the kitchen, seeking his medicine, and maybe to start cooking for all these people. They were hungry, he knew they were. He was deciding if he should humor them about Vira. "Possibly." Maybe play it off a little. "What do you know about the woman with dark-hair, then?" he ventured. Yep, she was always grumpy.. Haha.

FrostFire revior Not Calm littleberry Kiroshiven

 

[Not Calm]

Te Akiri 'Kotiro' Matiu
// Thalia_Neko // FrostFire revior littleberry Kiroshiven

His improvised throwing weapon was looking like it was going to work! It would most certainly make contact with some part of her head, even if it was just a graze. The doubt in the pit of his stomach was screaming at him, though, and it wouldn't calm until seeing the mallet hit its target. Which, amazingly, it had! Only, rather than connecting with her head, it connected with her hand. Oh boy...

The adrenaline in his blood left was replaced with regret in Kotiro's chest as the woman turned her head ever-so-slightly. He urged himself to hold on to the confidence he'd had just a moment before, if only for another moment, as the woman questioned him. His mind raced with potential answers; potential lies, really. This girl seemed perceptive. If he let the silence linger for too long she'd know he was lying... He needed something quick, basic and authoritative. Authoritative... It wouldn't work. She looked like she could crush him in an instant! And with reflexes like that? Where would confidence get him?

"E te Ariki, e tumanako ana ahau he angitu tenei." Kotiro spoke with fluidity, in a somewhat submissive and neutral tone, "Kei roto ahau i te raruraru?" His goal was to confuse her with phrases he knew of the Maori language. His tribe was mostly bilingual, in the sense that they used a mixture of both languages in their day-to-day life. Kotiro knew more English than Maori, though, as did the majority of his tribe. Life was much easier that way. Maori phrases for specific emotions, figures and common situations were subbed in for English from time-to-time, though.

"Eh... No English?" Kotiro shook his head, attempting to dig himself an exit by expressing that he couldn't speak her language. Maybe she'd just leave him be? Or at least he could keep her distracted for long enough to keep her upstairs... The old man was dealing with enough at the moment, he didn't need a petty thief to deal with as well!

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Vira

​

While she waited for a response, the sheet draped around her slid right off. With her unwavering, cold gaze still locked onto him, she bent down at the knee, and pulled it back up with one hand. It hung from her haphazardly, barely over her chest as she turned to him. She flipped the meat smashing mallet in her hand menacingly. She began walking towards him, one foot in front of the other. Scarily calmly, her feet carried her in his direction. "You know. You shouldn't throw things at people. They may get the wrong idea."

Not Calm

 

[Not Calm]

Te Akiri 'Kotiro' Matiu
// Thalia_Neko // FrostFire revior littleberry Kiroshiven

While he was confident in his tactics, he definitely lacked the confidence to stare at a naked woman anywhere but the eyes when the bandaged girl's sheet fell. Now, if she weren't glaring back at him maybe it'd be a different story... But he definitely wouldn't admit that. Besides, he was far too scared for his well-being to be distracted by something so trivial anyways. While he'd done right by avoiding conversation, he'd definitely overlooked something when considering his tactics: expression of fear is universal. Eye contact, body language and menacing metal mallets are all very universal. This woman seemed to have a fair grasp on all three.

"Oh. Damn," Kotiro took a step back as the woman drew closer, folding his hands in front of him, "Well, see, the issue is that you got the right idea, actually..." He stopped backing up, "I don't know about you, Ma'am, but I'm looking for a peaceful resolution. Does that sound okay? Now, I apologize for the mallet. That was uncalled for. Okay? To answer your question; I'm Kotiro. I was just passing through. I'm a friend of one of the residents here." He held out his hand, looking for a handshake. Or, y'know, something to signal that she wasn't going to kick the shit out of him. "I know that, as far as first impressions go, this is down there with the worst of 'em." De-escalating the situation was a fair goal.

 

[FrostFire]

Kore Dair

Spoiler: Image

Kore had to steel herself to keep a straight face at Lucca's comment. Indeed, their group certainly seemed to have a habit of wreaking havoc wherever they went... Lucca himself included. She was slightly irked that he didn't react to her glance like she would've hoped... The obliviousness of men... Really, if was a wonder any of them even found partners, they were either constantly hitting on you or completely ignorant to any hints. It didn't bring her down much though, if at all. She would have plenty of opportunities to catfish her little mouse... It all required patients, delicacy. Finesse, which she had a feeling would go over his head completely... No matter, there were plenty more mice lined up for the trap~
She couldn't help but momentarily ponder the hypocrisy in what Lucca was spouting - she didn't remember him apologising for Delia's caravan, not that she woud make a comment about it or stir up drama in their current situation... Although it was almost guaranteed she would bring it up later when she was in a playful, sadistic mood.

Muted relief filled her mind as the old man took their excuses well. She didn't fancy a fight that day... And anyway, brute force usually wasn't her style. No, she liked to stab people in the back, slaughter them either very quickly, or very slowly and painfully - she disliked charging in at her enemy head on, much preferring to take the element of surprise. And in her current situation that was impossible. So she was quite pleased when things went her way.
Kore considered his question, "I can certainly try. Not that I have much experience with fixing doors.", despite her tone being calm and relaxed, she was cautious about what she said exactly, not giving too much away.
Much more at ease than she had been before, Kore let go of Scarlett and stepped further into the house as she was invited, she wasn't entirely convinced that this man was friendly... But hey, if he was offering she wasn't one to turn up her nose at free things. Especially food, she definitely wanted some of his food.
"That's very kind of you, thank you~", she lilted happily, looking back at the others as she cocked her head, gesturing for them to follow her.
She took careful note of his body language when she mentioned Vira... He didn't believe her...? Did he... Did he know Vira...? The way he was acting made her suspicious that he was being coy - suspicions strengthened by his further questioning. She of course wouldn't let on her suspicions, they were tucked deep away in her thoughts, and unless someone in that room could read minds, her opinions were safe and well hidden.
"Heh.", she smirked, "I'll let Vira explain that one.", she chuckled. Taking over the One base, a fight was inevitable, and had indeed been spectacular.
"Let's just say for now that trouble likes to follow her around.", she pursed her lips to suppress another smirk. The other's life had been so peaceful, so tranquil before Vira had turned up and turned that life on its head - from what she could recollect from the other's memories, every single fight so far had been due to the deadly woman.
"Fights seem to follow her everywhere.", she stated matter-of-factly, still sounding calm and relaxed.
"So she's resting, I presume.", she stated casually, looking around at the house with mild interest. This man certainly knew how to decorate.
"Can we see her? Just so we can check in on her, make sure she's okay.", her voice was just as soft and composed as before, but there was a slight edge to it. Not quite threatening or menacing... But the hidden meaning behind it was clear; would he take them to their comrade or not? And was he actually as friendly as he was letting on? She wasn't sure, but she would play his game nonetheless.

Thalia_Neko revior Kiroshiven littleberry Not Calm

 

[Syphe]

Secrets kept are like timed bombs. Hopefully it isn't a big one with Kaia. Seems like that other guy was curious about it too, but with how she responded, it was clearly uncomfortable either way. As yet another shady person was vocal about. Sera glared after him for the false accusation, but turned back and began walking, calling Snow and Kale to follow where they were originally going; with Jackson following close behind. He was probably deep in thought.

"Wait, you found a tattoo device in a junkyard?!" Sera exclaimed, with an emphasis on 'junkyard'. She gave Kaia a hidden wink. "Don't you know what could have been on it? What if it was used recently on someone that bled... or by several people over and over again??"

As she spoke, she attempted some small talk about the plants before they approached what looks like - yup this is where the group came to. There was already (!) rubble by the front door and it seems like it was the work of Scarlett, the skeleton key. Kore was there, standing before Scarlett. There was a couple new faces there as well, and even the bounty hunter guy from before! Sera hailed them as they approached from the trees.

"Hey! Wow this is one nice place? Is this where Vira is?" Indeed, it was quite the sight for sore eyes. Stumbling upon here was an experience of itself. As she walked up to door, or what was left of it, she saw Kore walking in with someone. Guess that was there que to head on in?

It felt a bit odd, but she headed on in, giving a greeting to the lady. If Kore had her back turned to her, Sera assumed she isn't a threat as of now.

"Hello there, my name is Sera. Behind me are Jackson and Kaia. Sorry for the intrusion, we were looking for a friend of ours. Er... don't mind the sword."


Clockwork Syringe
Tyra
Drook
Thalia_Neko
FrostFire
Kiroshiven
littleberry
revior

 

[Kallo]

He simply sighed softly for a moment, glancing back at Tela for a moment before starting to follow the rest of the group. While passing by he nodded to her. Before speaking in an oddly calm though almost...tense tone. Almost as if two emotions where fighting for dominance at the moment. "The name's Kevin." His steps being oddly silent as he trails behind them, more or less focusing on half floating in between each step to allow him to silently move. His jacket seeming to twist slightly in an unseen wind as the force of his steps still had to go somewhere over his body for such a trivial use. Shifting slightly mid step as he noticed the mansion in the distance, making his way towards it, upon getting close enough though he noticed the lack of a door it now had as he looked half suspiciously at it. Deciding on using a more...practical entrance for avoiding detection, or at least maintaining silence for the most part. Focusing as a window slides open on the upper floor. Shifting a fair amount before jumping up, propelling himself before holding himself in place just near the now open window. Climbing through it before closing the window behind him. Taking a few moments to hold his head after his vision seemed to pitch and turn, while darkening for a slight bit. Taking advantage of the fact he seemed to have made his way into a room that likely hadn't been used for a while. Walking over to the door before tensing as he heard the duo of voices on the other side of it, stepping back while looking at the hinges, trying to figure out how the door would open while continuing to listen, waiting to hear them either leave or for someone to fall down and the other to simply leave before even trying to fiddle with the lock on the door.

Thalia_Neko
@ everyone I guess...If anyone was paying attention to the outside they might have noticed him for a few seconds.

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Vira

​

She paused middle of the hallway, raising her eyebrow and 'looking' down towards the lower floors where she assumed the old man was. They were friends? She had to think it over for a brief second, tapping her foot as she considered. True, this person was in his home, so that indicated something. What though?.. She narrowed her eyes, and began walking towards him once more, flipping the mallet in her hand. "Is that so? Or could you just be trying to save face? Maybe you broke in to steal, knocked him out, then saw an opportunity to down me, too? Only you don't know me, and you fucked up."

She stopped in front of him, still clad in that sheet, staring at him. She smirked, "Nah. I've experienced countless worse, I wouldn't even place that top 20. I'd say." She reached out, shook his hand once, then began walking down the hall, back the way he came from. "I need some clothes," she told him, her back already to him. "Any ideas where I can find any? All these infernal doors are locked, and I'm this close to breaking them down. Or maybe I'll just go naked." A 'threat' that she was joking about. -Yeah, Vira, joking! Who knew?- Since she would never go naked, not with that mark on her back.

Not Calm

The old man was listening to what the spunky female had to say. He cast his gaze away, mumbling in agreement under his breath, "Ain't that the truth." He led them into the kitchen, where his medication was, which he immediately went to get. Popping a pill into his mouth out of the little orange container, he showcased that running water by turning on the sink and pouring himself a glass of tap. After swishing it around he dumped the water in his mouth and swallowed it with the pill. His voice was gruff after swallowing, but he said, "Why don't we let her rest for now, while I make dinner? We can talk, I'm sure she'll be down when she's ready." Ultimately, he didn't want these strange people interacting with her at all. He had no idea if he could trust them, and in her condition...

Immediately he began moving around the kitchen, grabbing pots and pans, setting them on the counters. He flipped on the stove, then set a timer on the oven. He went to the fridge, yanking it open with his old-man strength, that caused him to huff and pause for a second. He had working water and electricity. He not only had a mansion, but it was furnished with services long gone to most in the world? How remarkable! He began gathering food portions too, setting them around the counter. It included many veggies, but meat. Yes meat as well. Which he pulled out of vacuum sealed containers from the freezer. "Oof, *cough cough*" he stopped as out came hoarse coughs.

He took a knife and began chopping up a carrot. He was pretty quick about it, too. Then he spoke up, "If you are as you say you are. -Vira's friends. Then prove it. Prove who you say you are. I can't believe.. That girl... " He closed his mouth, and ran his arm across his sweating forehead. "Just, prove it."


FrostFire Syphe revior littleberry Kiroshiven

 

[King Crimson]

Jeanne & Abigail​

"Tch. Dammit..." Jeanne spat under her breath as she warily spied the mansion's side from the concealing cover of the forest floor.
She could hear voices coming from the front of the house, telling her that a few of these newcomers at least seemed to be a more amicable lot, but the two shadowy-looking men sneaking in through the upstairs windows told a much more different tale of their intentions for entering.
Hopefully the old geezer living here would be alright.
Of course, none of that really mattered to Jeanne at the moment, not as much as the cellar door on the house's side. It was still closed, giving her hope that these mysterious newcomers had yet to go down there. They were safe, at least for the moment, anyway.

Jeanne took one last glance toward the house's main entrance. The group up front had entered, and from her vantage point, she couldn't see anyone coming from that direction that might see her.
She took another glance toward the house's rear, and found it devoid of any signs of life.
She then took one last glance towards the windows; she couldn't see anyone near the open window on the ground floor, and as she looked upwards, she heard the faint slam of a window being shut, and could faintly make out the outline of a figure walking the other way.
The coast was clear. Time to move.

Jeanne rushed out of the safety of the treeline, moving hastily, and as close to the ground as she could manage. Every step forward in the clearing played on her paranoia that someone may see her, and she fought the urge to make a mad dash for the cellar door.
At last, she reached it, pressing her body upon the old, angled wood.
She took one last look to her right, then to her left, then above, and then, with a sigh of relief, she looked down at the door's now broken lock, which remained in the same position as she had left it.
She was in the clear, and with a gentle, one-armed push, she lifted the door open, crawled into the dark pit hidden beneath, and sealed the door shut behind her. Removing any trace that she had been there in the first place.

Placing her hand on the cold, damp wall, Jeanne carefully felt her way down the stone staircase, until she bumped into an old, decrepit wooden door. Once she found the doorknob, she twisted it open, and was greeted by the now familiar smells of the mansion basement.
"Psst! Abby! Y'still here?" Jeanne whisper-shouted out to the darkness, her only response being the same, faint rumbling noise that came from some unknown source, and a faint, soft murmur coming from behind an old cabinet.
There she is. Jeanne thought to herself with a small smile, comfortable with the knowledge that they were still undiscovered.

Sure enough, as Jeanne walked towards the noise, she found Abigail, snoring softly in her sleep, using her backpack as a makeshift pillow.
Kneeling down beside her, Jeanne gently placed her hand on her forehead, only to grimace when it came back warm.
Dammit...She's still got a fever.
They'd been walking nonstop for weeks on end since they left the Mojave, and it was getting more and more obvious that the constant travelling was starting to have negative effects on Abigail's health. Worse still, medical supplies were getting harder and harder to come by. They were already on their last roll of gauze.
They were lucky enough to come across this old house, but not lucky enough for it to be abandoned.
Not the type to give her trust to a hermit in the middle of the woods, and Abigail wouldn't forgive her for taking the easy road by getting rid of him, Jeanne had planned to discreetly stay a week in the man's cellar to give her little sister time to recover, then leave before he could catch wise to the two "rats" living beneath his house.
Unfortunately, they would have to cut their stay short; too many people in one place was trouble, especially when those people were abnorms.

Lost in thought, Jeanne didn't notice her sister shifting around beneath her touch.
With a soft sniffle, Abigail sleepily yawned out, "Hey Sis, you're back. Did you find anything cool in the woods?"
As her sister sat up and stretched out the stiffness in her muscles, Jeanne reached her hand into her jacket pocket.
"Yeah, someone left a supply cache of food and some medicine behind, but it was in pretty bad shape."
Jeanne withdrew her hand, now filled with all of the wild berries that she could salvage from the mess. As she gave them Abigail, she apologetically explained,
"I know this ain't much, but it should do you for a small snack." With a smile, and a pat on the head, she adds, "Y'gotta keep your strength up, y'know?"
"Thanks Sis!" Abigail happily giggled, delighting in the small cornucopia that lay in her hands.
As she deposited a small berry into her mouth, Abigail concernedly asked, "But what about you Sis? Aren't you hungry?"
"Aw, I ate on the way here." It was Jeanne's first time trying wolf meat. Maybe it was the hunger talking, but she'd give it a solid 10/10.
"Okay." Abigail replied, gulping down the rest of her snack, and then wiping her mouth off on her sleeve.
"So how long are we gonna stay down here?"
Jeanne was afraid of that question, it was going to suck telling her the details later.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning, first light." Jeanne huffed. "It's starting to get too hot here, and we need to keep moving."
"Are we at least going to tell the nice man upstairs 'thank you'?"
"Nah, he won't miss us. Besides, it's not like we took anything from him."
He might also be dead Jeanne thought to herself, but she couldn't tell her sister that. Not yet, anyway.

As she got back onto her feet, and dusted off her pants, Jeanne took a deep breath, and abruptly states,
"Welp, I'm headin' out again."
"Already? Why?"
"We can't leave here if we don't know where we're goin'. I'm gonna try to scout us out a way out of these woods."
As she opens the wooden door, Jeanne turns back towards her sister, and warningly chides, "Stay here, and stay outta trouble. If anyone comes in here, you hide. If they find you, run, okay?"
"Okay..." Abigail grumbles, slightly upset that she was leaving her again in this stupid, boring cellar with nothing to do.

With a faint click, Jeanne disappeared behind the door, leaving Abigail alone, once again, in the dark.
Of course, the darkness didn't bother her, she was used to dark spaces. What she hated was how boring this stinky old cellar was! She'd already read all of her books, and the books down here were all too boring.
If only she hadn't gotten sick, then she could go on plenty of cool adventures and see the forest too! Just the thought of it made Abigail puff up in indignation!
However, the noises upstairs were interesting; there were a lot of voices that she didn't recognize, and a lot of sounds of shuffling feet.
Were there other people here besides the old man?
Abigail loosened up the bandages on her face, revealing the cavernous hole where her left eye should be. She willed her tendrils to move from their hiding spot. As they stretched and writhed, she was exposed to a wider range of scents and smells than she ever thought possible.
Delicious food! People!
Such amazing sensations almost left her feeling dizzy with glee, and she was glad her illness hadn't affected their ability to smell.
However, it also left her burning with insatiable curiosity. She just had to know what lie behind that forbidden door!
I know I'm supposed to stay out of sight...
As she climbed up the steps to the cellar's indoor entrance, she thought to herself, ...but I'm sure just a teeny-tiny little peek won't hurt!
Opening the door ever so slightly, she took a moment to let herself acclimate to the relatively harsh light of the kitchen.
Once she was prepared, she willed her left eye to slither between the door crack, letting her see the near entirety of the kitchen.
She spotted the old man, working furiously to cook a feast for his guests. His age showed in his actions, which left Abigail feeling a twinge of guilt for taking advantage of him. She should see if she could find something to make a thank-you note. But that had to come later
What she was really interested in now, was seeing his guests. Unfortunately, her view was limited from this angle. All she could see was the old man cooking.
Maybe if she stretched her eye out a little farther...

Thalia_Neko Syphe FrostFire revior Kiroshiven littleberry

Meanwhile...

Pushing the cellar door up just enough to give vision of the outside, Jean takes another small glance towards the mansion's main entrance, a glance towards the mansion's back exit, and then climbs out from beneath the cellar door, shutting it behind her.
Stalking her way back toward the woods, Jeanne quietly thinks to herself
I gotta find out where all of these people are coming from. It'll make it easier to keep out of their way.
With a smirk, she adds, Maybe they got a base somewhere? I'm sure if they're staying here, they won't be using it. Maybe we can have ourselves a little trade?
Once she reaches the treeline, she takes one last glance back at the mansion.
Wait just a little bit longer Abby. We'll be outta here before you know it.

@ everyone

 

[Not Calm]

Te Akiri 'Kotiro' Matiu
// Thalia_Neko // Kallo

Kotiro froze for a moment when the girl questioned the validity of his alibi, his somewhat confident and charismatic expression faltering for a moment. His mind wandered for a moment, wondering what this woman might do if she thought he was lying, and how he could defend against such things. The odds of him winning a fight were nonexistent, and would she even bother investigating further before attacking him? Luckily she put aside her doubts and shook his hand before his question became relevant.

When the woman asked about finding clothes, something he'd have suggested himself if she hadn't first, Kotiro was clueless. He followed behind her in silence for a moment or two, wracking his brain for anything he'd noticed around the house that might be of help. After she'd mentioned the idea of going naked, something he was against in every regard if this woman was to be in any sort of proximity to him, he decided to speak up, "I think you have the materials to make something nice right now, actually. People wear cloth robes all the time! You just need to wrap it better, that's all." He'd seen plenty of pictures of such things! Apparently, somewhere across the Atlanta Ocean (somewhere in Georgia, near Atlanta, presumably), there's a whole civilization of people who wear fancy sheets called togas. During his stay at the Nevada Museum of Art two-ish years ago, he saw a whole exhibit on them! The robes were the only interesting bit, though.

 

[Kallo]

He noticed the voices starting to trail away, taking a few moments of letting them travel before focusing on the many pins in the lock, shifting them into place with a gentle click, before he slowly opens the door, tensing at the creeking of the hinges. Glancing down the hall before sighing in relief as they where out of sight. Slipping from the door into the hallway, along with carefully closing it to make as little noise as possible. Finishing off with clicking the lock back in place. Making his way down to the end of the hall, taking a small shard of a mirror from his pocket before using it to look around the corner. Ducking away upon noticing the two of them. Making his way down the hallway to the other end. Growling softly at the end of it himself. Looking around once more before returning to the turn. Sitting and waiting for the voices to fade away once more.

Thalia_Neko Not Calm

 

[Tyra]

-= KAIA WINTERS =-
Fugitive | Abnorm | Mansion​

Interacts: Syphe Kiroshiven Thalia_Neko | Mentions: Drook

Kaia almost yelped in surprise as a jacket and shirt fell into her arms, as she didn’t notice the brown haired young man approaching until he spoke in a low tone. She gripped the clothing to her chest, her eyes glued to yet the second stranger she’d encountered at close range that day.

"If you need to hide something, it's best to hide it well."

Kaia’s lips pursed into a nervous line and she almost scowled slightly. “I DO hide it well when, y’know, I’m not fighting for my life against infection a coma,” she thought to herself in annoyance at his cold manner. However, she was unable to hold on to the bitter thought for very long as the young man, now obviously an Abnorm, formed a sort of box around her made of shadows, obscuring her from the rest of the group. "That should give you some privacy to change." Kaia took a deep breath then let her lungs deflate some of her stress. She had no clue who this guy was or why he was willing to help her, but in that moment, she decided to just appreciate being shielded from the prying eyes of everyone. With her newfound privacy, she did her best with the tattered remains of her bandages, untying them and re-tying them in an effort to keep her wound stable. However, she paused and raised an eyebrow as the thin young man spoke again, this time defending her in a way by implying the one she’d bumped into was meddling in matters that were none of his business. Her head still cloudy with confusion, Kaia quickened her pace and threw on first the shirt then the jacket. To her relief, both articles of clothing fit fairly well except the jacket being a little long in the arms. This was an added bonus, as it would help hide the glaring tattoo on her wrist.

“T-thank you…,” she stammered once finished, sheepishly rubbing her neck with the occasional glance toward the thinner man’s face. Her violet eyes flicked to his back at the discomfort in his expression, widening at the deep scar that marred his skin. It was obviously from a burn of some sort, which made Kaia wince. She had been one of the lucky ones of Rift’s slaves who had gotten a tattoo instead of a brand. Before the gang had obtained proper equipment for more sophisticated tattoo markings, they’d used a hot iron to classify slaves. Even still, the lower class slaves were marked that way, especially those sold off into hard labor. The higher class slaves meant for the pleasure business relied on their physical appearance, so Rift limited any actions that could “disfigure” them and thus harm sales. However, this particular scar wasn’t in the right spot nor was it the right shape to be Rift’s doing. She opened her mouth to inquire the name of her clothing donator, but was cut off by Sera's exclamation.

Thankfully, Sera seemed to pick up on Kaia’s silent message and played off of Kaia’s excuse for where the mark came from. When she called for Kaia to follow her, Kaia did so obediently, once more sticking close to her medic, though she intermittently looked over her shoulder to study the two new male strangers with a cautious gaze. She nodded quietly when Sera introduced her. “Poor old guy,” she thought to herself, “He has no idea what he’s getting into with our band of hooligans.”

 

[revior]

Lucca Malkovich
​

In the end, the old man let them off lightly. One would suppose being sincere naturally has its own rewards, or perhaps he let them off because Scarlett was but a child and it is hardly becoming to be mad at someone who hardly knows any better. Likely, it's a bit of both.

"Well, if you don't mind the intrusion." said Lucca as they were being invited in. How long as it been since he had been to someplace this cosy? Likely not since he had left home.

However, since this was still indeed a stranger's house, Lucca doesn't feel comfortable just laying around and opted to follow Kore and the old man and listen in on their conversation. But as he listens, the voices seemed to become less friendly as they went, and though Lucca can't quite put a finger on it, there appears to be some mistrust amongst them, as evident from the old man's demanding, perhaps little too harshly, proof of their relationship with Vira.

"Well now, that's a little harsh of you don't you think, mister? I understand that in times like this it's hard to trust anyone, but being asked so blatantly kinda hurts you know. As for proof, well, it's not like we carry a certificate of friendship wherever we go, so that's a little hard to proof, no? For everyone here. Even you, mister, and while I don't want to be rude, how do we know you're actually friendly. And though I'm sure a kindly old man like you can't possibly do anything harmful, appearances can be deceiving, especially in the days we live in. In the end, I'd say there's only one way to be sure, and that is to let Vira see us herself, and let her tell you how much of a friend we are."

So what will it be? Lucca readied himself. He wasn't reaching for his weapon yet, but he was ready to get a far away as possible as soon as something comes up. As harse and rude as it may sound, the old man was right about one thing, you just can't trust anybody nowadays, never fully.

Thalia_Neko FrostFire littleberry Kiroshiven Kallo Syphe Clockwork Syringe Not Calm Tyra King Crimson

 

[FrostFire]

Kore Dair

Spoiler: Image

As Kore followed the Old Man, she turned her head slightly to look behind her... Ah. The horde have arrived. She merely nodded to Sera before turning her head back to follow into the kitchen and promptly sit down. "Wow. Is that blood on your floor?", she asked nonchalantly, gesturing at the smears and drips around and under one of the chairs near her, the Old Man wasn't visibly hurt so she guessed it was Vira's... She must've been hurt pretty bad.
She looked back up to see him swallow a pill, something she assumed was medicine by his frail act... Not that she was buying a word of it, but she played along.
"Well sure, Old Man. If that's what you want.", she grinned, leaning back casually in her chair and swinging her legs like a bored child.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of food, she was hungry... She was always hungry. Meat was hard to come by but not eating it did mean she was at a disadvantage... She eyed up the raw carrots ravenously, hoping he would just give her one to eat now. "Hey... Mind if I have one of those now?", she questioned quietly, her stomach rumbling as if to back her up on her request.
Being a 'plant lady' came with it's perks, being able to find food easily was one of those, able to seek it out and find sustenance in minutes when others might be searching for hours - not that there was much in the forest, there was only so much wild foliage that one could eat, and getting by as a hermit in the woods was tough at the best of times... The other really did love suffering... Not that they would ever want to leave nature - in a city they would effectively be human, powerless and vulnerable. They were in agreement about one thing; cities were bad.

Kore cocked her head at the strange request he made. Prove it? How in the hell could they do that? She let Lucca try his bestest at diplomacy, which didn't really go so well in her mind, so she decided to step in... Again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that today, talking her way out of things.
"Heh. Well like Lucca said that's a pretty difficult request, she isn't here to vouch for us and if our word isn't enough-", she stopped abruptly, her cogs visibly turning as she swivelled in her chair to look back at the others, Sera and Jackson specifically.
"Wait wait. Didn't you mention a sword earlier? Vira's sword?", she studied them both, seeing an odd shape under Jackson's coat. Swivelling back to face the Old Man, she gestured at the couple. "Well there you are! We have Vira's sword and brought it back to her. Is that proof enough for you?", she crossed her arms and leaned back again, sighing. "Proving you're friends with someone when that someone isn't here is pretty difficult. Guess you'll just have to trust us.", she huffed. "Like we're trusting you that you're actually just some guy in the woods with a big house and not some gang leader with a grudge who already killed Vira and plans to kill us too.. Guess this is a two way thing, eh?", she chuckled, twisting a finger through her hair as she chilled out in the chair, swinging her legs as she waited for food.
Despite the obvious tension in the room, he was cooking and she intended to get something out of all the hard work she was doing. Hell, she deserved payment for babysitting this lot, making sure they didn't get into too much trouble was a full time occupation and hazard.

Thalia_Neko Syphe Clockwork Syringe @ everyone

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

As Jackson walked with Sera and Kaia, he mostly kept to himself, thinking about the events that had transpired. Soon the group had made their way to a house and a coughing old man met them. Sera did most of the talking as Jackson kept his arms crossed while listening intently. Of course he did take note of how large the house was and once they were led inside, he noticed everyone from before had made it there before they did. The old man began to ask why he should trust all of the group when he had only just met, Jackson kept his mouth shut and thought that the man was correct in his assessment. Strangers that had just entered claiming to know Vira could be anyone in the old man's eyes. However, Kore then spoke up about Vira's sword, which was hidden under Jackson's coat with the handle sticking up behind his head. "Well there you are! We have Vira's sword and brought it back to her. Is that proof enough for you?" Jackson sighed and then reached up to his gas mask helmet with both hands placing them on either side. a audible "ka-chunk" could be heard as it began to loosen at which point Jackson removed his mask exposing his true face beneath. "Indeed I have her sword Kore," he began and then turned to the old man. "She and I fought together before she was separated from us. I figured I should return Venom to her as it is one of her most prized possessions."
Thalia_Neko FrostFire Syphe littleberry Drook Kiroshiven Kallo Not Calm Tyra King Crimson

 

[Syphe]

'Is this place real?!' Ever a sponge to new environments, Sera gazed in wonder at every wall, every window -- just everything. It's been so long since she laid eyes on such luxury. The carpets! In awe, she nearly forgot about the current situation: a tense encounter. The older man was clearly not too keen on letting the strangers through, though he didn't quite have a choice now that his door is reduced to rubble. Taking note of that particular detail, Sera was a little disappointed that she didn't get soon enough to see what designs were carved into it.

Regardless, it was time to move forward. She agreed with the cowboy about how it complicated it could be to "prove" one's friendship. Though to be quite honest, if this man has even met the woman, he should know how ridiculous it is for people to claim to be her "friends."

"On second thought, do mind the sword! Jack...son? ..God I can never get used to you taking your mask off! Anyway keep that sword handy, it'll give Vira a reason to come down if she's really here, and alive."

The beauty of this place just keeps getting better and better, and it was getting to Sera. To her, and considering the circumstances earlier, it was like a story right out of one of the fictional books she's read in the past. In one of the chairs nearby, she helped Kaia sit down, and no doubt she would probably see the flustering all over her face. Finding a chair of her own, Sera was just about to take a load off when she heard a familar sound.
*sshhhhss*

"RUNNING WATER?" Sera leapt to her feet, hands on table and nearly shouting, but the impact with her arm brought a jolt that made her fall back down to her seat, where she quietly murmured, "This is heaven..."


Thalia_Neko
revior
Tyra
Clockwork Syringe
Kallo
Not Calm
FrostFire
littleberry
Kiroshiven

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Vira

​

She was joking about going naked. There was no way she'd risk someone (like this dude) seeing her back. --Yeah, that was the reason to not go naked. She frowned at the person. "What's it look like I'm doing???" she questioned him, keeping the sheet around her like the world's ugliest bunched up unflattering dress. By this point, she had neared the stairs down to the lower floor. "Ugh, where's that old man keep the clothes, or his goddamn keys? I'm about to tear down every door in this mansion!" she growled, storming down the stairs.


"Mind it? Oh, heavens no! It's a rare thing to have company! I'm actually rather excited!" the old man claimed, though he might've been a bit disingenuous about it. He was obviously wary of the group. He listened to the male's defense, and shook his head, setting a pan atop the stove, the heat beginning to boil the broth. "No no no, lets let her rest. We should all be mindful of the needs of others, even if they are enemies, or strangers." He said, hoping to explain some of his actions.

He froze for a moment, when she pointed out the blood, but then she didn't seem to focus too much on it. He wasn't sure if that particular blood was Vira's or the guy who showed up before this group. He heard her stomach growl, then chuckled, "You should be patient. I'm sure everyone is hungry, miss," he politely denied her.

"I understand it is a difficult request, but this is the era of difficulty, so it should not be that surprising to hear such a ridiculous request, hm?" He turned to them, flashing a dazzling old-man-smile, before getting back to chopping up vegetables for the stew he was making. He dropped the cut up carrot into it, with audible plops. The smell was already so intoxicating, and the stew was only just beginning to simmer. He paused when a sword was mentioned, looking over intrigued by this new development; certainly she did not have her sword on her when he found her, which had struck him as extremely odd.

He took a glance at the masked man, not too happy to see someone masked in his home. However, he heartily laughed at what the assertive young woman said. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Me? A gang leader? Do I look like a gang leader, miss?" He shook his head, "No, I assure you. I am but a humble old man." Then it struck him. "Ah! I suppose I forgot my manners! I have failed to introduce myself, have I not? Forgive me, everyone." He set aside the knife, and wiped his hands. He then bowed, "My name is Dr. Melchior. At your service."

He then turned his focus on the man who removed his mask. -Oh good, it was always better to talk face-to-face. The warm smile grew on his wrinkled features. "Interesting. May I see her blade? It has been a great many years since I've laid eyes on it. I would like to view it once more.."

He looked at the other girl, "Oh, I assure you she's.. -Oh! Yes! Haha, 'Heaven', I'm not sure I'd go that far.. - But I'm sure finding running water, electricity, air conditioning, is all nothing short of a miracle! And I can assert, that it is indeed, miraculous! Heh."

"OLD MAN!!!" the voice came from the hallway over, making Dr. Melchior's blood run cold.

Vira landed at the bottom of the stairs, yanking the blanket up around her. She took a single step, then winced, stumbling into the stair railing to keep herself upright. She grimaced, then shook her head. The dark-haired woman stormed into the kitchen. "Old man! Where are the damn clothes in this house!?!" She paused, when she entered, staring at the room of people. She blinked.

"What the fuck are you all doing here?" Vira asked out angrily, yanking up the sheet again.

"Heh heh.. Hello, Vira.. Shouldn't you be resting?..."

FrostFire Syphe revior littleberry Kiroshiven Syphe Tyra Kallo Clockwork Syringe Not Calm

 

[Not Calm]

Te Akiri 'Kotiro' Matiu
// Thalia_Neko // FrostFire Syphe revior littleberry Kiroshiven Tyra Clockwork Syringe

When the girl turned to frown at him, and subsequently question him, Kotiro froze for a moment. He figured it'd take him a while to get used to this girl's aggression, if he even bothered trying. Normally when someone was this pissed they'd sooner cave your face in than ask where to find clothing... It was just odd. Her and the doctor downstairs were polar opposites in that sense, really. The doctor seemed one-sided, wholly polite and unassuming, while this girl acted like some absolute powerhouse of rage. He definitely knew who he'd rather befriend, but, at the same time, he definitely knew who he'd rather have in a fight.

Kotiro followed the girl as she came near the stairs he'd climbed earlier, and was rather unsurprised by her yelling. He did pick out her mentioning the old man, though... The same old man as the one downstairs? Undoubtedly! Still, that didn't resolve Kotiro's doubt in the girl's intentions. She could still know who he was if she were robbing him, murdering him, etcetera.

As they arrived at the stairs, Kotiro dragging slightly behind the girl as the adrenaline from his earlier predicament began to fade and he developed a short limp, the girl yelled out for the old man with volume. He was about to tell the woman to quiet down, or to stay upstairs and let the old man handle the other visitors, but she was down the stairs before he could even open his mouth.

"Oh... boy." He half-heartedly mumbled to himself as the girl began yelling about clothes downstairs. He didn't bother trying to catch up; there was no stopping whatever was going to happen down there now. Still, he didn't really know what exactly he was running intervention for... For all he knew, those two could be related! Oh, but whatever... He might as well head down and see what's what.

It took him a good few seconds to stumble down the stairs, the pain in his legs now apparent, as were the wounds themselves... The doctor had bandaged over his khakis, likely to avoid a rather awkward encounter between the two, and the bandages stuck out quite a bit. Kotiro would have to rebandage himself at some point regardless, since the bandages the doctor had put on were already turning a lightish-red over the four leg wounds. His arm wound was looking no better. Still, he got down the stairs in one piece and slowly made his way towards a rather quiet kitchen; there was some dialogue going between the doctor and the girl, but not much else. Since the kitchen looked kinda packed, and painfully awkward, Kotiro wandered a little further down the hall to find some place to sit down. He passed a hole in the wall that looked like it used to house a door, which he found rather funny, before finding a large living area with plenty of space to rest. Perfect!

Kotiro had seen similar places before, rooms dedicated to rest with large cushioned chairs that took up whole sections of a room, and fluffy chairs that reclined... And fireplaces! He quickly stumbled his way over to a fireplace, kneeling down in front of it. It wasn't lit, but he could fix that! It'd work against the inexplicably cool air that filled the house, but indoor fires were totally worth it! He reached around for his backpack, where he'd kept all sorts of matchboxes and lighters in the event he'd need more than one, but was confused for a moment when it wasn't strapped onto his back. His face fell a little when he realized his bag was still out in the woods somewhere, being torn apart by the wildlife. He did a quick scan of the fireplace, looking for anything to light it with, but found nothing. Feeling defeated, he fell backwards and stared up at the ceiling.

 

[FrostFire]

Kore Dair

Spoiler: Image

Kore couldn't help but chuckle at Sera's reaction to the amenities of the house. Who cared about those things? She certainly didn't, the soft grass was her carpet, the river and streams were running water enough for her... The only recollection she had of water running from metal was pain. Never ending suffering. She had to admit having a stream in your house might be nice, but from what she knew getting something like that was reserved for the wealthiest of society.
She frowned slightly when he rejected her request... Watching him throw the vegetables in with the meat, she sighed. Fine. She would just get her own food later. And anyway, she had eaten a decent dinner the day before. She didn't need his stupid food.
She snorted when he suggested he didn't look like a gang leader. "Heh, appearances can be deceiving.", she jerked her thumb in Lucca's direction. "He doesn't look like a hunter, but here we are.", she smirked in Lucca's direction. "But sure, I'll take your word for it!", she grinned genuinely.
"Oh you're a Doctor? Huh, the only doctors I've met before sure as hell weren't as amicable as you, old man.", her eyes went dark as the memories coloured her vision. She could faintly hear shrill screams in her ears.
She shook her head, "But that was a long time ago.", she stated dully, dismissing the memories.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kore saw Jackson bring his hands up to his mask, and she turned around to see him take it off. She had to appreciate the eye candy there, he certainly was good looking... Not that that bothered her, Kore barely cared for looks, but after glancing very quickly at Sera she decided to test something.
"Wow Jackson. I never knew you were so handsome under that mask~", she purred playfully, gauging the reaction before she brightened up again as Sera shouted, properly laughing at her ally's reaction to such a trivial thing.
She heard another shout, and recognising the voice she turned to see the one they were here for - Vira. In all her... Sheet-y glory? Well, this was rather odd, and Kore couldn't help but snicker at Vira's current predicament.
"We're here for you, of course. Plus we brought your sword back.", she gestured to the sword in it's current location in whoever's hands, she didn't bother to check whose, as she studied Vira. "Well, it's nice to see you too- Ah.", her statement was cut short as she let the others take over.

Thalia_Neko Syphe revior Clockwork Syringe Tyra littleberry Not Calm @ everyone