Fantasy Magic ☆ is Dead

[BlightGiver]

Franco Griy : Executioner


''I'd just like a frosted pastry!" Franco alerted the man behind the counter. A nearby chair was Franco's next destination, one which he'd rather enjoy after such an interesting day. The sun was high in the sky at this time. The bright rays flowing down directly onto the streets bringing a gift of warmth or a shot of searing heat depending upon whoever was roaming outside. Franco was one of those that disliked such direct sunlight, so the cool interior of this well established shop was the best place for him to be.


The seat was padded with some sort of leathery cushion; a sigh of relaxation escaped Franco's mouth as the comfort brought him to a state of mental peace. Poisoned water, Dr. Tale, incognito mages; all these troubles. Yet this simple chair allows me to forget them all for a wondrous moment... Franco held his eyes shut for a moment. From afar, any feeble person would think him a monster, napping after hunting for a meal. In a way, this allegory would be all too correct. Killing was most of what his job consisted of, hell, he just killed a convict not too long ago. And this moment of peaceful respite is a good way to work of the anxiety of such an act. But, the difference between a murderous monster and himself, Franco was getting tired of the killing. So much bloodshed so far, and yet, many people are still worse off from it. The mages? No, he still didn't care much for them, but killing them no longer seems like a good thing to do. In such a progressive society, imprisonment and torture should be enough to make the magic users pay for their crimes. It's been almost a century since then. Can we really say these mages have crimes to pay for?


Such thoughts usually left his trains of thought, but it seemed to Franco that day by day, he was starting to lose confidence in what he was "fighting" for (if you could call it that). Whether the mages still deserved the pain of living so poorly was not for Franco to decide at this point. Even if they were no longer evil or power hungry, that deep rooted prejudice rested happily and very strongly in Franco's heart. He could never forgive them, or maybe he could; it's just that he might have to fight himself to earn this ability.


The ding of the bell dragged Franco from his inner mind. He shot his eyes open and saw a young man, dressed in attire appropriate for warm weather, standing at the door. He was panting heavily and sweating profusely. Whether from the heat or physical exertion was up to anyone's guess. The man's eyes scanned the shop until they rested on Franco. "Mr. Franco," He took deep breaths. "Notice for you!" He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Griy. As soon as the parcel was taken by Franco, the young man bolted out the door.


The parcel was of formal letter, complete with the seal of the Supreme Commander. It was easy for Franco to rip it open and view its contents. Upon the high quality stationary, was a long...letter? No, more like a set of orders, most likely from someone high up in the PeaceGuard. "Dear Franco Griy," He read it out loud, but still quietly enough to not be heard. "It has come to our attention that the poisoned water plan was not completely full-proof. A few of the scientists are suspected of being magic users. This has brought up the possibility that they have avoided drinking the poisoned water. Your job is to go their marked residences and assess this possibility. If it appears that these scientists are secret magic users, or even magic sympathizers, their execution must be done on the spot forthwith." After this order was the Supreme Commander's signature (although, most likely just a stamp by a secretary working in the offices of the Supreme Commander) and a list of up to ten addresses.


Hi hands trembled as he held the note. Franco quickly reread the letter multiple times just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The very scientists responsible for this panic could be mages?! Well, maybe not ALL. Dr. Tale spearheaded this project; so I doubt he could be a mage. Nonetheless, if these mages are so cunning and good at hiding their powers, it's no wonder they could be in the PeaceGuard too. Franco gritted his teeth at the latter half of that thought. The line of justice was becoming more and more blurred to him; and this was infuriating, to say the least. "I'm going to need that pastry to-go, please!" he yelled to the shop worker.


@Namie (not mentioned, but still there) @Guydaguy @Saccharine Cyanide (not there, but mentioned)

 

[Auricula]

Elina Dalca :: Peaceguard




Answers? Elina blanked out briefly. Then her mind joined the dots after a few painfully silent moments. Did that mean the announcement wasn't all it seemed? She was confused. Very confused. Never mind, she would get around to that later. And Tale was right. The crowd was hardly the most trustworthy bunch around. She momentarily reflected if talking to Pallas this openly was a good decision but cast that apprehension aside. If anyone showed any signs of reacting to them, then it would just give them an opportunity to pounce on them.


She turned back to her partner and watched her calm herself. She really had to wonder about what went on in Pallas' head sometimes. It wasn't uncommon for there to be long silences with her and Elina wasn't too sure if that meant Pallas was thinking things through very thoroughly or just being...herself.


Elina nodded in agreement at Pallas' response to Tale. It was unfortunate she couldn't accurately assess someone's personality just from how they acted in front of her, at a distance at that. Then Tale stepped away and Pallas strode away.


Her gaze followed Tale and arched an eyebrow when she saw it was the same masked man from earlier. But Pallas was leaving her behind so she turned and hurried to catch up. The shortie certainly could be fast when she wanted to be.


"Do you have anymore information or some such about him?" she asked once she caught up with Pallas.


@HeartsAbyss @Saccharine Cyanide (just a brief mention though)

 

[Namie]

Svana browsed through the menu and eventually settled on an apple turnover. A simple pastry rather but so full of flavor and while it was medium-priced, she felt today was a pleasurable day to splurge. Right as her mouth opened to tell the large baker what she wanted, the bell ringed over the door. She startled and turned towards the sound, peering at the newcomer who had come in. The man appeared mysterious and more than that, dark. He held about him an air of experience with troublesome things and those things had come to wear on him over the years but he did not seem old. Perhaps older than Svana by a few years but it was hard to tell because his face was scarred so deeply that one might think him inhuman.


Svana realized she had been staring and lowered her eyes blushing. She did not feel fear or disgust but didn't want him to misunderstand her gaze. She was simply fascinated by his appearance. What had caused such wounds? What had made him look so weary to the world. Was he mistaken as a mage often? Svana mulled over these questions before realizing the baker had addressed her. "Oh. I'm so sorry. Well I'll have an apple turnover." She smiled.


Turning her gaze discreetly back to the fascinating human in front of her, she watched him as he received a letter. He read it over, his gaunt face seeming troubled before he seemed angry. Or at least it seemed like anger. It was hard to say. She noticed the tremble in his hands and almost desired to go over him. Her mother taught her to care for others...well before the paranoia set in. She stood and approached the man, uncaring about his appearance or that she may seem meddling. "Are you okay sir? Allow me to buy this meal for you. You seem to be having a rough day." She smiled, tucking some loose blonde strands behind her ear. She might miss a meal later, but she hoped that he might smile perhaps or even go about his day with renewed vigor. Then again, she mused, Maybe its just me who likes food this much. I'd smile if someone got me food. He might not feel the same.


Interacting With

@Guydaguy @BlightGiver

 

[BlightGiver]

The soft voice asking a question dragged Franco back to reality. Out of habit, he crumpled up the confidential orders; albeit in a way so that the list of addresses was neither torn nor rendered illegible. His gaze traveled up to see a dark skinned, blonde haired girl. She maintained a smile on her face and kept a steady eye contact with him. "No thanks, citizen." His voice sounded a bit scratchy, a quick clearing of his throat fixed that. "And I'm fine. I've just got some work to do. No time to dillydally." Franco told her.





Not often would Franco find a citizen willingly converse with him. Most people would recoil in fear or disgust; moreso the latter nowadays. With the new generation, less people feared him, but as long as he still had that "gross factor" up his sleeve, it's all the more advantageous to him. Nonetheless, this situation is not one Franco could ever hope to be prepared for, so the best thing for him to do is answer hastily in a stereotypical PeaceGuard manner.


Just what could I find at these houses that would hint at the scientists being mages? One of the things Franco was best at was keeping his mind focused on his work, even when in a vastly different setting. Something tells me that engaging these suspects in fights would be a bad option. Although, it would be a chance to see if they have powers. Wait, no! If I end up being wrong, I'd just be beating up an innocent. Gah! There must be something I could do... Franco got up from his seat and briskly walked past the girl without so much as a second glance. "Is my order ready?" he asked the shop worker.


@Namie @Guydaguy

 

[Guydaguy]

Remi nodded to both the orders, and right when he entered the threshold of his kitchen, he looked to see a man running in, and handing the skeleton-looking man a formal looking letter. The Baker didn't investigate further, he simply just started to make the pastries. Remi started with the frosted pastry first; Remi didn't want to keep the executioner waiting.


The Baker wasn't naturally born with the talent to bake, it just took a lot of practice and mistakes.


Remi heard the executioner shouting for it to go. "On it!" Remi called out. After a minute more, he finished and packaged the pastry in a small, white cardboard box. "Is my order ready?" the Executioner asked just as he exited the kitchen with the box in hand. "100%," Remi replied, setting the box down on the counter. " That'll be A bit of a silver, and 4 nickel pieces."


@BlightGiver @Namie

 

[Spazzycat101]

Celia Graye



​

At the far edge of the central district in her little house of sorts-- expensive, but with all the people of this city that found themselves with mechanical issues and without the education to fix them, it was affordable for her-- in her small house, Leah had slept too late and ignored the metallic clicking and cracking of the homemade wake-up call. When she did blearily blink herself away from the land of the dreaming, she suddenly jolted, recalling something... something important.... There was an execution today! Wasn't it today? It was. If they were using the gillotine, she'd be called out later to give it a once-over, make sure the new model had survived its first trial run. It was an odd relationship between a mage and the Peaceguard, but then again, they weren't aware she was a mage. As far as the Mage herself knew. She was unskilled at keeping secrets and butchering the truth, but she managed.


Nevertheless, late! Late was a bitter way to start a day, especially one for which someone had scheduled her to fix something that had gone wrong somewhere. While trying to scrub the grease stains off her face, she deemed it pointless after about five minutes and went out on her way. There was a bid black smudge. In nothing less than her typical, stained garb, she heaved a leather bag over her shoulder before pushing open her door. As she passed the center of the city, the crowds were gathered somewhat thickly, lingering after the execution. Their conversation nagged at her ears. She glanced at the 'stage' upon which the death took place, and noticed that the guillotine remained unused. Well, at least she was late for nothing.


It took a double-take for Leah to notice the second body lying on the ground, one clad in not in the prisoner's uniform, but that of the government and it's Peaceguard. It was then that it occurred to her how the crowd was milling about with less chatter and more tension than was usual. Leah cleared her throat, trying unsucessfully to hinder the sudden stab of alarm. Had something gone wrong? Probably. There was a Peaceguard's corpse up there too, after all. It was a curiosity why it hadn't been cleaned up immediately, too...


From the mostly grim and anxious crowd around her, she heard a few words, though none of them very important. What had gone wrong? Had the poor mage taken someone down with him? Celia couldn't tell. The dense crowd of whispered words was too difficult to discern, so her mind only speculated in spirals that went nowhere at a record rate.


When a small 'gang' of citizens who sided more anti-magic approached, the mechanical mage found her bearings.


‘Why d'you look so worried?’ One of the two people commented with a sneer.


‘You a mage? You're actin' like it,’ The older of the two was probably a year older than Leah was, at the most. They sounded like Peaceguard.





‘A-a mage? Now just how does a mage act?’


‘All nervous, a-fidgety and freakin' out!'’ Here, they gave a bit of laughter. Celia was worried though, if their oblivious speculations could land her in Blackgate. She knew the Peaceguard better than most mages, knew that they could be paranoid. These pests were beginning to grow more annoying than threatening though, and heads were beginning to turn with dismissive and resentful expressions. But whether directed to the two or to the alleged user of magic, neither party could tell.





’What ever would a mage have to be nervous about?‘ It was a stupid question, she was well aware. It was also the best retaliation that manifested in her mind at the moment.


‘The poison! What, you dumb 'r somethin'?’


’Blackgate's out to kill all the mages with poison water.‘


So that's what the tension was about? Poison? Of course, that would send half the city into a ridiculous panic, wondering if they were mages and they didn't know it. Although it did send another bolt of panic through her brain, after a second Leah managed to fake disappointment. Her shoulders fell, and she scoffed and rolled her eyes. She could only hope it was convincing; she was a bad liar, after all.


‘Poison?’ Here she paused to shake her head, ’Hopefully they haven't put us all on our deathbeds. I have a feeling they'd accidentally do something like that...‘


Here, seeing that he hadn't made the little girl cry, both boy's faces fell and one yelled something indiscernible before rearing back his fist and aiming for Celia's face. Although she flinched, the blow landed and the second moved to hold her in place by the shoulders before she retaliated. By now, the crowd had taken notice again and was backing away.


’Off! Off off off, get off!‘





Leah managed to use the person crushing her to an advantage. She brought both feet up and kicked back the first of the two, sending him to the ground with a bloody, broken nose. The second didn't relent though, and she was struggling to try and shake him off. Unfortunately, he was about seven inches taller than her and had a hellish grip that was making it very tough to breathe.


@ Anyone wishing to interfere~~

 

[ChiaRoseKuro]

Pallas Katsaros :: Peaceguard




When Pallas had been merely another obstacle in the crowd's hunger for an execution, the going had been incredibly slow between the execution platform and the outskirts of said crowd; most likely, they had seen her but prioritized the public spectacle more than their innate fear (or respect, if she was being overly optimistic) often conjured up by her uniform. She supposed she couldn't blame them, though-- executions, commonly infrequent but sometimes a near-daily spectacle in times of successful purges, were fascinating no matter how many one had gone to before, not only because one got to see a criminal publicly condemned but because death, in itself, was often unseen but for those few moments before the gallows-- but it was good to see that, because of the panic, things were different now. Rather than standing together, packed and far too sullen to move aside and risk getting their viewing spots taken by some other opportunistic member of the crowd, the people parted easily before her. Perhaps the pandemonium caused by the announcement had granted additional incentives for the crowd to obey the Peaceguard-- or perhaps she was finally looking intimidating enough to become the figure of authority she was supposed to be.


That latter hope got dashed as soon as Pallas noticed Elina falling into step beside her, though.


She wasn't entirely surprised, though, and nor was she exactly upset at the disproving of her latter assumption, so it was with relatively good grace that Pallas nodded to Elina and continued onwards. It did not cross her mind to slow down in case her current partner couldn't keep up with her-- Elina's legs were longer, for one, and for all of Pallas' quick pace she was hardly considered fast in regards to the average individual-- so she kept to her even pace, glaring a little at some to ensure that they moved out of the way fast enough and physically ushering others on their way if they were a little slower in their movements. The fact that her billowing cloak kept getting caught up with some of the panicking citizens in the crowd (were they mages? She noted them down, but it was hard to remember tens of faces in her limited working memory) only made progress all the more slower, and the more obstacles got in their way, the more she began to fret internally.


But this was no time for fretting, not when Pallas and Elina were making relatively good progress through the crowd, and especially not when Elina had asked her a question as soon as she'd caught up to her. Speaking of said unanswered question, though...


"Apart from his name and general appearance, I could not ascertain any other concrete details about this Dante de la Cruz individual-- but I do have certain suspicions which, I believe, are grounded and may lead to more concrete details." Holding back the relieved sigh she wanted to give at the sight of the crowd's edge, Pallas swept past a few arguing members of the public and turned back to Elina. "For instance, he was assaulted by a drunken man claiming that his wife had been stolen away by him; this leads me to believe that he has a job which places him favourably before a female's eyes, though what sort of occupation he might possess would be beyond my reasoning--"


Before she could continue listing her ideas, though, Pallas found herself stopping when the same group of individuals she had just swept past began getting into a physical altercation. Why they were fighting were beyond her-- indeed, she had been so embroiled in her own thoughts and words that she had hardly bothered to pay much attention to the crowd-- but it was clear that there was someone getting assaulted. Yet if she stayed to help, what were the possibilities of her losing her grip on someone who could, potentially, lead her to a mage, if not a whole group of mages? It was her duty to aid the citizen in times of distress, but when there was a future arrest that could safeguard all citizens... which one was she supposed to prioritize.


Without meaning to, Pallas stopped in her tracks and turned back to the brawling group, assessing them with a neutral expression on her face. To stay or to help? That was the question indeed...


@Oreocookies // @Spazzycat101 (not quite directly, but not quite obliquely either)

 

[One Mean Ghost]

“It is quite obvious that you were not looking where you were going. Yes I am new to town. Yes I am looking for something...actually several somethings now that you mention it. And no..I doubt you are ‘terribly sorry’ as, lets face it, no human is truly concerned with the feelings, pain, or thoughts of a complete stranger...if we were there would be no such thing as war. I can assure you though, that you are going to be ‘terribly sorry’ once you personally escort me through this man made dizzying jungle of rock, noise, and flesh.





I need a place to sell the furs I have collected. I need a place that sells maps. I also need a place to eat, drink, and rest that is out of the way of all this continual loop of unending noise. My name is Mirage, I am 'terribly sorry' for the time you will lose in helping me.”


She most certainly had a lot to say. He couldn't help a soft laugh when she finished. "Such a nihilistic view of everything... I have to disagree, there are many humans that are concerned with the goings on of strangers, the fault of this world is that such humans are few and far between, and becoming fewer all the time." He remarked thoughtfully, as if she had gotten him into a philosophical discussion rather than been trying to lecture him.


"Though you are wrong. I'm not 'terribly sorry' to escort you. I asked if you were looking for something because my next question was going to be what you were looking for so that I might help you find it to make up for my rudeness at bumping into you like I did." He smiled kindly as he watched her. "And of course, your food, drink and lodgings, at least for tonight, will be on me. It is the least I can do to make up for so rudely knocking into you. And as you have given me your name, I shall give you mine. Dante. Dante de la Cruz, at your service." He bowed once more to her. In his line of work, it was always wise to respect the customers. Given all of his customers were female, it was only natural that he would always show respect and courtesy to females until such a time as they proved themselves unworthy of the courtesy.


His head turned at the sounds of a scuffle breaking out, and what he saw made his blood boil... A man, no, two men, assaulting a woman. And one went so far as to dare to punch her right in the face! Sure, the world was basically going to hell in a handbasket, but was chivalry lost on all the men of this generation?! Perhaps the reason Dante was different was due in large part to his Sensei being a female that raised him to show respect. Whatever the cause, Dante's sense of chivalry wouldn't allow this transgression to go on...


"I am afraid I have something to attend to before I can serve as your Escort, Miss Mirage.... Forgive me, but I cannot stand by and watch a woman get beaten in the streets. Stand nearby and find me once I have dealt with these bastards. I will make good on the debt I owe to you then." he bowed once more, turning on his heel and weaving through the crowd towards the fight. As he got close, he watched as the girl quite brilliantly put one of her attackers on his ass. As far as he was concerned, the bloody bastard got what he deserved. Now there was the question of the one restraining her. He was preoccupied enough with her that it didn't take much for him to walk right up behind him. "I've seen enough. Give it a rest. "Dante remarked, punctuating the word 'rest' with a well placed strike to the side of the man's neck. It was the same strike he had used to incapacitate the drunkard before.


Yes, some could call him a bit predictable in his attacks. However, a wise man never revealed all of his tricks in one go.


"This is why I try to avoid the Central District on Execution days... The sight of death makes idiots want to cause more of it.... " Dante muttered as he adjusted the fingerless gloves on his hands. "Are you alright, Miss?" Dante asked, coming around to the front of her to examine her for any serious injuries. He was starting to wonder just how many more scuffles he'd have to break up before the day was over.... Sometimes he felt like he had to take care of the Peaceguard's job FOR them because they were never around when they were really needed.... Little did he know that a certain Peaceguard duo were looking for him, and he had just meandered right into their line of sight....


@Falling Nebula @HeartsAbyss @Spazzycat101 @Oreocookies

 

[sorrow made you]

So Uriellys hadn’t been swept away by the crowd. The man with glasses that framed his face in fact did see Urie from amongst the taller people around him. And it seemed like an instant before the man encountered the fair haired mute. Urie glanced up at Tale and blinked. What was he to say? What was he going to ask again…?


Oh right! Blackgate!


Jumping slightly as Urie’s memory reared back up, he took a step closer to Tale. How...should he approach this? He couldn’t exactly speak with the mask on, and with all the commotion around, even if Urie did speak, the peaceguard man probably wouldn’t have been able to hear him. Visibly frowning (by arms and his head drooping), he tried to think of a way to communicate. Drawing his head back up, he brought his hands up to make the same motion he had to the peaceguard woman. The gesture for a pen and paper.


Speaking of that woman… Where had she gone? Urie’s eyes flickered away from the male before him for a moment in search of the woman. She had left the area with that other woman. For some reason, Urie was saddened by this. Maybe it was because he knew that at some point soon he would forget the woman. She was very pretty, and even though they really didn’t get a chance to actually talk considering the situation, Urie somehow established that they were to become friends. Or at least, he thought they should be. But how long would it be before he saw her again? Would he even remember her? Would she remember him?


His attention turned back to the male with the glasses. Did he have a pen and paper?


The crowd a slight distance away started to stir once more. There was a commotion. Again? Was it that man from earlier? Urie wouldn’t have been too surprised if he was causing a fuss again. He stretched his neck in an attempt to see, but being too short, his efforts were futile. Even standing on the tips of his boots didn’t help. With a huff escaping from behind his mask, he reached out for Tale’s sleeve, tugging on it slightly, egging the peaceguard to follow him further into the crowd. He wanted to see, but he didn’t want to lose his potential friend.


@Saccharine Cyanide

 

[ChiaRoseKuro]

Altair Payne :: Peaceguard




So much panic, so much turmoil. It seethed like a live beast in the groups milling about on the streets, whispered rumours flying hither and thither to make one more mouth fall open and one more voice gasp, and if Altair had gone up to every panicking individual to arrest them for acting suspicious (or whatever that trumped-up charge was) he would've been left with a string of people trailing behind him, like ducklings obediently following their mother. If he hadn't been out in public, where anyone could see his carefully constructed facade shattering into unsalvageable pieces, he would've probably threw his head back and laughed. As it was, though, he couldn't help the way his lip quirked up at the raw fear he could feel coursing through the air and jumping from one citizen to the next.


Thank goodness all his smiles looked like cheeriness, no matter what his intentions were behind it.


There wasn't much else that seemed to be going on in Highmere, though, despite the whole execution and poisoned water shebang. Although Altair could obviously see more signs of unrest with every step he took towards the Central District, the majority of people he could see were... peaceful. At ease. Smiling faces, warm eyes, unshadowed hearts, light steps; he could see evidence of it everywhere, and... what did he think about it? What was the expression in his eyes when he saw a mother calling merrily to a child examining weeds poking up in the cobblestones? What was the thing pooling in his stomach at the sound of laughter bouncing off high walls and uneven floors as children raced each other to an imaginary finish line? All they could see was the lower face of a Peaceguard traipsing through town, presumably on a mission to do something or another. They could not see what emotions flashed across his overly expressive eyes, nor feel the things twisting and turning in his stomach.


But that all changed when Altair turned the corner and found himself within sight of the gallows, standing tall and proud in its mockery of the human life around it. Here was a person casting fearful glances back as they hurried along and turned the corner, passing by him in a chill rush. Here, too, was a mother, but this mother was chivying their children along with almost harsh movements, whites showing clearly in her too-wide eyes. This was clearly the source of the panic, then, the birthplace of the insidious thing that made people baulk where they normally wouldn't and heighten once-slumbering tempers; this was where he wanted to be. And, oh, did he love all the sights and sounds he could see and hear, all the welcome sensory overload pouring into his orifices like so many dead worms into a meaty, freshly-dead carcass.


Altair's face was as impassive as ever-- or, well, as impassive as his genial smile allowed-- as he passed by the tumultuous masses and drifted closer to the execution platform. More and more signs appeared before him as the panic grew with each forward step, but his expression didn't change to reflect it at all; rather, it stayed fixed, genial smile in place and eyes carefully shielded from view. The merry sound of his cane tap-tap-tapping on the cobble beneath was lost in the waves of noise, shouts and screams and yells and roars, but it was no loss to him. Indeed, he minded it even less when he saw a man dart into a rather packed crowd and whack a guy into unconsciousness.


And all for a poor little lady in distress, too! Oh, what chivalry I see before me today~


Rather than going forward and doing his job as a Peaceguard by, well, bringing peace to that particular patch of crowd, Altair drifted sideways and found himself standing beside a woman who looked most amusedly out of place with everything, what with her furs and strangely-coloured eyes. Bestowing a friendly nod upon her, he greeted her with a cheery "Dear citizen, mind telling me what happened in that brawl over there?" before he closed his eyes and smiled brightly at her. Even if she did look decidedly strange for a Highmere citizen-- which probably meant that she was either a tourist or some other drifting individual in the capital for whatever reason-- she had been present.


And if someone accused him of slacking off on the job... well, at least Altair could pull up a witness and say he was collecting incident reports. Or whatever they were called, really; whatever could get him out of trouble and all was good enough.


@Falling Nebula // @One Mean Ghost (obliquely, but sorta there)

 

[sorrow made you]

Ahh, so the lad had revealed the toxin in the water. And at an execution of all places? Brilliant, how brilliant of the Commander. A crowded public area where everyone could see and hear. If that wasn’t a good scare tactic, Cassandra didn’t know what was. Oh wait.


Duchess Cassandra Grimlow had arrived in Highermere a few days ago, but had decided to not announce her appearance quite yet. The idea of scouting to see how the peaceguard were doing was just far too strong. While in her dukedom, wind had carried word that the peaceguards in the capital were… what were the words her messenger told her? Lacking in discipline? Such a pity, really. A lot created in order to protect, now bullying the very people they were protecting? How pitiful. How unjust.


With arms crossed under her breast, Cassandra watched the scene take place from above. On a high building, her eyes were as sharp as a hawk. With the reactions of the crowd to the peaceguard’s lab junkie’s announcement, Cassandra could only assume that the threat had gone through. But how did Cassandra know of the toxin? Easy when one had informants. Little birds were lovely, weren’t they?


“Look what you’ve done. The city’s in a rut now, hm?” People started to scatter. She already knew there would be an influx of people heading to Blackgate. How many of them would actually be mages? If this was a way to weed out the mages from the citizens… well… it was certainly a gamble. Cassandra could only assume two directions this situation could go. Non-mages would help turn in their mage neighbors, or there would be complete and utter chaos as non-mages and mages right amongst one another. Either way, this aggressive approach would seem unjustified. But then agin…


“Maybe I should have taken the position of Supreme Commander myself.” the Duchess huffed, stepping away from the edge of the building and turning her back to the scene below. The square was starting to thin out, meaning Cassandra had seen enough of what she needed. Now was time to investigate head-on.


Cassandra made her way to the streets.

 

[Auricula]

Elina Dalca :: Peaceguard




Without missing a beat, Elina confidently replied, "He's a prostitute."


She almost crashed into Pallas and toppled her over. The black-haired Peaceguard caught herself just in time, surprise flashing in her eyes then she followed her partner's gaze. Elina sighed. Without much effort, she could tell what her friend was thinking. Just as she was about to enter the fray and split things up, someone reached there before her. And that someone so happened to be their target.


She snorted.


"Well Pallas dearest, I say it's time for us to show our pretty faces," she gestured to Dante. Though they couldn't just outright attack him or risk turning public opinion against them even more. Curse this uniform. But on second thought...


"What do you think is the best course of action?" she asked Pallas.


@HeartsAbyss

 

[M03M03]

Mirage Aradd

​

Turning her attention back to her “victim” Mirage was flustered at his reply, so smooth and lilting, as he once again managed to slip in a insult while at the same time managing to imply his whole purpose, from the minute he bumbled into her, was to help. The short woman could not tell if his kind attitude was real or just a facade. The former was improbable and dangerous in such a city as this, where it was likely that the kind and helpful were often used for personal gain...the latter was almost certainly the true case, a perfect snare for the unsuspecting. Either way Mirage was shocked speechless as the tall man once again made a graceful bow before suddenly turning his head with a suddenness that reminded the woman of a bloodhound who had just caught the scent he was searching for.


Looking toward the source of his attention Mirage could barely see, through the crowd of people, a young woman being assaulted by two men. At this point all the sound, color, and smells of the city had combined into one constant stream of information, overpowering to a person who was used to the gentle sound of rain, the trod of feet, the moaning of the wind, and perhaps just a few voices thrown in once in awhile. Mirage had no intention of trying form a picture out of the jumble of puzzle pieces her senses was throwing at her. Dante, as he introduced himself, gave another practiced bow before he stalked over to the scene to help the young woman. Mirage took one step toward the fight intending to add her help...she vividly remembered how powerless one could feel at the hands of a stronger person...but caution held her back. This was the nest, the den of the peaceguard and sure enough, after looking around with piercing silver blue eyes, Mirage spotted the unifying colors and shapes of her predators. How could one forget the game of cat and mouse she had played with those uniforms? Being prey, running until cornered because she had been taught to only fight in self defense. Becoming predator when the uniforms inevitably found a way to trap her between a rock and a hard place.


Two of the uniforms were taking a keen interest in her escort...damn it, the minute she had found a person to show her around, he was being noted in a fight. The man may be charming but he certainly did not know the concept of caution.


Apparently another uniform was taking interest in her as well.


Turning her dark gaze toward the man as he approached with a cheerful smile and a winning attitude. (What was it with this city?...Was it crammed high with gentleman who always approached as a friend? It was getting a little creepy.) Looking the man up and down before turning her gaze back toward the fight as she listened to the uniform’s question, Mirage felt her heart settle its frantically beating pace. Ironically, despite the fact that the uniform’s would gladly kill her if they realized her power, the one constant in Mirage’s life was the peaceguard. It had become a game to her, hiding, running, chasing. A game of life and death, but that just made each day so much more interesting. It was highly probable that Mirage had spoken to more peacegaurd than any other type of person, may they be thief, noble, or mage. She knew them better than any friend she had ever had, knew them better than perhaps even herself.


So in response Mirage settled down, folded her arms over her chest and answered the question, a spark of humor in her eyes. “I do not know the details, sir, but I can tell you that the young women there was being assaulted by the two brutes you see on the ground. Perhaps she provoked them, perhaps not, but I can tell you that the man about to be my guide rushed to her rescue like the silver tongued, chivalrous devil, he seemed to be when I met him a few minutes ago. Your two female uniforms have seemed to have taken an interest in the man...He was being a perfect gentleman in offering me free food as an apology...which I never turn down...and I swear if they arrest my ticket to finding my way around and getting a free meal I will not be happy.”


@One Mean Ghost @HeartsAbyss @Oreocookies

 

[ChiaRoseKuro]

Pallas Katsaros :: Peaceguard




For five blessed seconds, Pallas was allowed to stare at the mess unfolding before her. For five blessed seconds, she took in the details of the kerfuffle, the woman kicking a man flat onto his backside before a much taller man (and wasn't it frustrating that men were always taller? It just made her feel smaller and less powerful whenever she was around them) practically strangled her from behind, and ruminated upon the best strategy to break it up. Should she shout or should she draw her sword? Would it be risky if she jumped straight in and executed her usual flashy displays of 'scare into submission while hoping that someone would assist'? She had barely chanced upon those trains of thought, barely had the chance to unwind them from their delicate tangles and tease them out, when a harsh jolt stopped her and she almost plummeted to the cobblestone beneath.


Thank goodness for her good sense of balance, really.


Unfortunately for Pallas, though, Elina wasn't done sending her off-kilter in more ways than one, because no sooner had she adjusted herself and stood prim and proper again did she get a response to her vague trains of thought. Granted, it took her a few seconds to process it all, especially since her partner had the unsettling tendency of sugarcoating things or blurting them out as she pleased, but that didn't make her feel any better about what she heard when she finally got her head around it all. If anything, it just made the realization worse. Not only was it blunt, but it was confident and somewhat audible, too!


"...Pardon me? I don't think I heard you quite right," Pallas uttered a bit faintly, hoping that Elina hadn't just said what she'd just said (but about 95% sure that she had, indeed, just insinuated their quarry was a... p-prostitute). Turning away from the fight before her for all about two moments, it so happened that she completely missed the knight in shining armour who'd gone and incapacitated the assailant before she could do so herself, so when Elina talked about showing their pretty faces in the crowd she almost choked from her wording. As it was, though, she couldn't help the undignified way her eyes widened when she did an about-face and saw none other than her quarry standing before the man who'd once been restraining his victim.


Not that it should've surprised her to see him joining a fray again, considering her high opinion of him, but Pallas could dream. Just as she dreamt of getting respect rather than fear whenever she patrolled Highmere's streets.


"A course of action, huh..." Pallas echoed thoughtfully, as soon as she'd pulled herself out of her cloudy air castles and focused on Elina's query regarding their next movements. Now that their quarry was before them, it would be easy to approach him-- but he'd very obviously placed himself as the saviour in this particular situation and, as much as it would be possible to use her and her partner's authority to suppress the crowd and order this Dante character away, the Peaceguard's public image was something she quite cared about. What to do, then? "There is always the option of accosting him as a witness and taking him away for queries on the incident, which we could then steer to queries upon the other incidents," she started slowly, absentmindedly stroking the hilt of her sword and gazing in Dante's direction, "but that would waste time on other superfluous talk, when we could get to the heart of the matter with a direct confrontation. Yet we cannot simply rush in headfirst and attack him when he has clearly established himself as a 'good' figure in the public's eye. Perhaps tailing him would be another option we could fall back on, but again, time concerns are an issue..."


Dawdling would do them no good, though, and Pallas didn't need to be a genius to figure that out-- so, with a muted sigh and a final pat of her sheathed sword, she turned to Elina and curtly added, "With your leave, though, I would like to propose that we accost him as a witness for the time being. Perhaps congratulating him will be in order, as is the removal of the perpetrators and an assessment of the victim for any physical injuries-- but, at the very least, it should waste the least amount of time."


Now she just needed to hope that Elina was on board with her idea-- even if, like herself, a part of her rebelled against flattering and playing friendly with a potential danger to society.


@Oreocookies // @One Mean Ghost (mentioned) // @Spazzycat101 (obliquely)

 

[Auricula]

Elina Dalca :: Peaceguard




Pallas was adorable. Had she been any less of a stiff, Elina would have taken more of a romantic (or sexual) interest in her. But as it were, she only saw Pallas purely as a friend. They were too different to be compatible in any other way.


She smiled fondly at Pallas and gestured crudely. "A prostitute." Admittedly, half the time she said and did certain things were just to see what kind of reaction she could get out of her white-haired friend. It was too much fun to pass up. Pallas was a little mouse sometimes, but that comparison could hardly be called accurate.


Watching Pallas carefully, Elina turned her attention back to their target and folded her arms across her chest. Whatever her partner suggested, she would listen to it. Pallas was better with diplomacy than her and they sorely needed that now. She listened quietly to her and hummed her assent.


"No congratulating," she corrected. "But a simple thanks would do." She fell silent briefly, running over the instances she had seen him in direct confrontation with others and her own suspicion. "Avoid touching him. We're not sure what he's capable of." Plus she highly doubted he would out himself as a mage were he one.


Taking the lead, Elina strode forward, the crowd easily parting before her. She scanned the crowd as she walked ensuring there would be no sudden attacks or the like, and her gaze landed on Altair. She highly doubted he would bother but still, she inclined her head to Dante as a request for help.


"Miss," Elina began once she reached the duo then she faltered. She recognised the woman's face somewhat having seen her around a few times. Though any other information about the woman escaped her. "I apologise on the behalf of your attackers." Unfortunately as Peaceguard Stupid as they come. Elina was glad she maintained a rather abashed expression because she felt like throwing up in her mouth from all the honeyed words she spoke.


She turned to Dante and gave him a once over. Her skin crawled but her expression didn't betray her.


"Thank you for helping her. I'll have to bring in both of you as witnesses if you don't mind." The 'if you don't mind' had been tacked on for politeness but her tone clearly didn't leave room for any arguments. She prayed silently for Pallas to back her up.


@HeartsAbyss @Spazzycat101 @One Mean Ghost

 

[Spazzycat101]

Celia Graye

​

Celia was refusing to quit her struggle until the person nearly strangling her collapsed rather suddenly. She'd be sore and bruised for a while, she could tell already. Her feet found grip on the ground again, and as soon as she was able she jerked away. Being very out of breath, it was hardly the fluid motion of leaping forward that it was meant to be and was more akin to a stumble and a turn on her heel followed by a loud moment of coughing to find air. She recovered within a few seconds though, her face red underneath the perpetually present smudges that came from mechanical work.


'I'm fine. They thought I was a mage.' Her words caught in her throat, like she had to remind her lungs how to breathe and her voice how to work. She crossed her arms stiffly and scowled at the ground. Leah could already feel bruises forming beneath her jacket.


'I think they thought that if they found a mage, or even faked it, they could get into the Peaceguard? Even a false accusation can stir paranoia, though... I'm not keen on seeing the wrong side of my own gillotine.'





Leah, at the moment, had been churning out words as the thoughts came to her, not managing to stop until she simply ran out of them. She made no mention of the allegedly poisoned water; she had already forgotten the attackers' brief statement of it.


Her slightly shocked and temporarily clumsy mind had only now realized that she hadn't thanked the person who had come to her aid in the small brawl. Celia looked up to address him, but had she still been speaking, that was where she would have tumbled to an ungraceful stop.


Daaaaaamn... He was... erm... better-looking than she had assumed. Leah thought she felt her face tgo red, but then she remembered it already was red from her short coughing fit earlier.


Fortunately, someone else came to help her in not being the least eloquent with words, and it gave her an excuse to look someplace else. A couple of Peaceguard split the crowd, but her still-lingering fog of bitterness from being late that morning hazed her usually neutral opinion of them to a vaguely miffed feeling. What a shock that they hadn't made their way over sooner.


'I think victim might be more applicable than witness.' Her words didn't carry much intentional venom, but Celia probably looked even less pleased than she really meant to with her arms crossed and a frown plastered onto her face.


@ Everybody, really...


More like


@One Mean Ghost @Oreocookies @HeartsAbyss


And also @Falling Nebula @CRiTiCAL ERR0R

 

[One Mean Ghost]

"Thank you for helping her. I'll have to bring in both of you as witnesses if you don't mind."


Dante sighed. He did NOT have time for this.. He had several appointments to keep, not the least of which showing Mirage around town. He had given his word that he would do so after he had helped the as-of-yet unnamed victim. He watched Elina calmly, noting that the Peaceguard girl from before was with her. Given the news of the poison was still fresh in his mind, he wasn't too inclined to go with them.


"I am afraid I do mind, ma'am... I just got off work not long ago, and I have some appointments to keep before I can get some well deserved rest..." He held a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn as he managed to keep his tone cordial and polite. It was the curse of working nights... Normally, he'd already be home resting by now, but it seemed that he was stuck doing laps in the Central District today. Truth be told, he didn't exactly need to sleep just yet thanks to his magic ability, but it was an excellent excuse to get him out of here. He didn't need to be a genius to know that there was a vendetta here...


"For your records, this is my statement on the matter: I noted a confrontation between this young lady and these two gentlemen. Yes, I use the term gentlemen lightly. Suspect A struck the victim in the face, while Suspect B restrained her so she could not escape. As I saw no one moving to aid her, I came to provide assistance. While I approached, the Victim managed to kick Suspect A in the face and incapacitate him. As Suspect B continued to stifle her air supply and restrain her, I came up behind him and incapacitated him with a single strike to the side of the neck. The Peaceguard still teaches that technique, right? Anyway, at that point, the victim was safe, and you ladies arrived. That is all I can say on the matter, no more, and no less. I cannot say for certain what started the altercation, but I could not stand by regardless while two men tried to bludgeon a young lady nowhere near their own size." he covered his mouth to stifle another yawn.


"My account can be verified by just about anyone in this crowd. Now, am sorry, but I must take my leave" He bowed respectfully to Elina. "I have an appointment that I gave my word I would keep. I know a man's word doesn't usually stand for much, but I take promises on my honor quite seriously. Is there anything else you need before I depart?" He asked calmly, his head tilting just a little bit as he watched her.


The absolute last thing he wanted to do today was see the inside of Blackgate. They could say they were taking him in as a witness, but given what had happened, he knew if he was brought in as a witness, he would face interrogation and would likely be forced into revealing his abilities. As he had yet to figure out a way to turn off his magic absorption, all it would take is for one of them to accidentally touch his exposed skin with their exposed skin and he'd be in deep trouble...


Thankfully he kept himself covered up, save for his face and fingertips...

 

[Auricula]

Orpheus Izar-Hatysa




It was always interesting to see how the citizens of Highmere lived. The daily hustle and bustle was just slightly edged with tension and apprehension, few able to fully trust the other person they were interacting with. Of course, some of it were purely imagined by Orpheus. But he always liked adding needless tension in his head when things got too boring.


But today, today, he had no such need to do so.


To many, he was a nondescript character. Only the patrolling Peaceguards recognised him but otherwise, he seemed like one of the many citizens. He was out of uniform and had found himself a nice bench to sit in to watch the people milling about. His ears were pricked up, gaze cold and calculating as he listened in on people's conversations. Uneasiness rippled through the crowd and the barest hint of a smile graced Orpheus' still lips. Hopefully there would be fools heading over to Blackgate, he thought as he stood.


Perhaps the plan needed more refinement, he thought. It hadn't entirely been his brainchild but he had some input here and there. He did marvel at the brute force of the plan though. But the best way to judge its effectiveness would be to immerse himself with the populace which was what he was doing now.


His eyes easily sought out his best friend and he observed Altair for a few moments as he harassed some poor girl. Orpheus looked away to where a couple of Peaceguards were trying to sort out some sort of mess. His curiosity piqued, he decided to squeeze his way through the constrictive crowd but he only managed as far as a few steps before bumping into someone.


"Apologies," the word smoothly spilled from his lips as he stepped back to look at the person he had walked into while distracted. Auburn hair and blue eyes...a distinctive aura... His lips curled into a warm smile though it didn't reach his eyes. "Duchess, you've returned."


@CRiTiCAL ERR0R

 

[ChiaRoseKuro]

Altair Payne :: Peaceguard




When most people were approached by Peaceguards, they tended to show a range of reactions-- surprise, unease, annoyance and (arguably his favourite) fear-- but this, Altair reckoned, was the first time he'd been faced with... well, absolutely nothing at all, if he were to be frank. Feeling his smile increase a little in volume as the girl he'd picked to be his conversation partner looked him up and down without showing anything on her face, he couldn't help the euphoria that sparked in his chest. How intriguing, indeed, to find someone with such an abnormal reaction to Peaceguards in this day and age! He clearly needed to go out a little more into Highmere's streets if this was the typical reaction from citizens, even if it was clear that this one, at least, didn't look a lot like a native of the capital. Or perhaps this was just some sort of foreign naivety that he'd yet to experience in his admittedly sheltered life. Whatever it was, though, it was definitely piquing his interest.


Then she gave him her version of the now-terminated brawl, along with a little about her connection to the noble fellow he'd seen plunging into the fray, and that just made Altair perk up even more.


"Dear me, the world's going to hell in a handbasket these days," Altair laughed delicately, hiding his open mouth with a sleeve and leaning a little on his cane. The idea of going up to the so-called 'silver-tongued, chivalrous devil' to ask him a few questions crossed his mind, if only so he could see how this girl might react in said devil's presence, but the appearance of two Peaceguards engaging him in conversation quickly pushed that idea out of the way-- he hated working with his colleagues on a regular basis, and the person who was his sole exception wasn't among that pair. "I must say, though, my dear young lady, that I think your would-be guide might be a little... pre-occupied with things now. As much as it pains me to say this, I don't feel as though my... colleagues... over there are the lenient sort."


It was no secret among the Peaceguards that Altair didn't get along with practically any of them-- not when they were all idiots and just another obstacle on his way to the top-- so it wouldn't make him sleep less at night to say such terrible things about his so-called colleagues. If this woman found it weird, then what was it to him? He wasn't here to make friends, but to scope out the scene. At least he had his evidence that he was 'doing work', like he was probably supposed to. Pity that she'd lose her guide and a free meal because of his colleagues, really.


Not that his terribly lacking humanity would ever make him help her, though.


"Even if I were to put in a good word for your guide over there, I doubt that Peaceguard duo over there would listen to me." Sighing and shrugging a little as he dropped his arm from his mouth and smiled sadly at her, Altair gave her a pat on her back and leant his other hand on his cane. As much as he wanted to leave, there wasn't really much else to go; the main commotion had subsided, the crowd seemed to be settling a little with the sight of Peaceguards milling about, and he was quickly getting bored by the normalcy settling over the Central District again. Stifling his boredom as best as he could, he turned to the woman and asked a polite "So, what do you propose to do if he can't help you out, then?" just so he could pass the time.


Because honestly, life was boring when there wasn't chaos and unrest, and Altair desperately needed that right now-- regardless of what his nice, calming smile tried to convey to the rest of the world.


Seriously, where was Orphy when he needed him...?


@Falling Nebula // @One Mean Ghost (obliquely, a passing mention) // @Oreocookies (obliquely, a passing mention) // @Spazzycat101 (obliquely)

 

[sorrow made you]

And here Cassandra though she was being discreet enough to be ignored. It couldn’t be helped, she supposed, when someone bumped into her shoulder. Any normal woman might have been lurched back, maybe have even fallen. Cassandra, however, acted like it may have been a leaf that had rammed into her shoulder. Pausing when she heard her title muttered from the male’s lips, she turned her eyes to him.


“Let’s not speak too loudly, shall we?” She said, humming slightly in amusement. Who else would pinpoint the duchess in the middle of a crowd? Surely this male had to have some kind of position in order to accurately identify her. She wasn’t a native to Highmere, and surely not everyone knew her appearance in contrast to her name. “I don’t want to make a fuss out of my return just yet.”


“Now it seems that you know who I am, so let’s not beat around the mulberry.” She turned now, facing the man head on now. That curl on his lips caught her attention. It was as if he was holding onto a slippery little secret. Cassandra wasn’t trying to hide, but at the same time she wasn’t trying to catch anyone’s attention either.


“What might your name be, hmm?”

 

[ChiaRoseKuro]

Pallas Katsaros :: Peaceguard




If Pallas had been any less professional about her job and her reactions to anything on said job, she might've groaned aloud and covered her eyes when Elina made a most... crude motion with her hands as she repeated her previous statement. The underground trade for certain things, like sexual services and shady enhancements, was always a bit of a sore point for her, and talking obliquely about them (let alone referring to them explicitly, in public no less) was always enough to unbalance her a little... or a lot, as it were. Thankfully for the shorter Peaceguard, though, her composure was second to none and the only thing that expressed her discomfort was the slight pinch to her lips and a strange tightness around her eyes. Knowing her partner, though, she'd probably pick up on both slight tells and find infinite amusement from it. As much as she knew that Elina insisted on being so very unprofessional about her because of her unfortunately comical reactions-- which she didn't find comical in the least; but then again, whoever found themselves comical was probably delusional or pitiful-- she just couldn't help herself in times like this. Keeping a stoic face around such things was only possible if one had features of stone. Alternately, they were made of stone-- but that would just be a statue, and not a person.


What a conundrum indeed, Pallas mused to herself, throttling the slight blush that came up with Elina's fond smile and evident amusement at her discomfort. Yet not even her thoughts were distraction enough, and it was with relatively bad grace that she listened to her partner's thoughts on her plan.


Being sound and practical (unlike half the things Elina liked to say in her [unfortunately successful] attempts to shatter her composure), though, Pallas found herself nodding along to her comrade's suggestions and followed in the other's wake. As much as she would've liked to take charge herself, having a more than unfortunate run-in with their quarry earlier on would do her no favours-- and the fact that she couldn't part the crowd as effortlessly as Elina did was just another strike against her. Fuming silently to herself, though her face only gave away a distinct air of sternness, she ignored her more unprofessional colleague hovering around some female like a lovestruck fool (which Altair certainly wasn't; he just happened to play the part too well, not that she would ever fall for someone as disturbing as he) and stood beside her partner as she went about doing damage control. For someone who could be incredibly crude and unsubtle, she sure did manage to pull off the professional veneer when it counted-- even if she herself had picked up on slight falters and overly careful wording that told of a conflicted opinion within. Hell, if Elina really could suppress all her emotions around someone who'd been working with her for years, she'd be incredibly surprised-- though it was only expected that she'd be able to pull of nice and composed around people who didn't know her as well.


Bowing to the slightly miffed-looking victim of the attack, a rather pretty-looking female who stood a few inches taller than her, Pallas gave a heartfelt "We apologize for not preventing more of the damage these two perpetrators inflicted upon you, miss," (which was true enough, considering that she did feel rather badly about not stepping in sooner), before she added a somewhat more emotionless "but in recompense, we would be more than happy to escort you to the nearest medical clinic for an inspection of your injuries. It's the least we, as Peaceguards, can do for our valued citizens." Before she could continue on with her attempts at smoothing over the victim's ruffled feathers, though, a loud sigh alerted her to the puzzling enigma that was her-- or, rather, her and Elina's-- quarry.


Somehow, it didn't surprise her to see that he was unwilling to co-operate with Elina's thinly-veiled order.


Eyeing his rather rude yawn (yes, it was stifled, but one didn't address someone with a yawn!) with a spark of something only someone familiar with her would see as disdain, but to everyone else would appear as slightly more intensity, Pallas listened to his statement without deigning to remember any of it. So he was looking down on the Peaceguards by insinuating they didn't know basic combat techniques, techniques that she'd learnt through countless hours spent bloodying her hands over and over again? He dared to suggest that they were useless and negligent by saying that nobody was capable of coming to her rescue, when she had been ready to do just that?? He gets bolder with every subsequent encounter, she coldly thought to herself, noting the way he bowed to Elina but practically ignored her. Even if he were not a suspected mage sympathiser, the discrepancies in his conduct indicate a certain level of suspicion about his character. Perhaps he might be the sort to engage in the behaviour comrade Elina had insinuated...


But this was no time to dwell upon her thoughts, especially when it looked like their quarry was eager to bolt to whatever imaginary task he'd surely concocted for the expressed purpose of making his getaway. It didn't take a genius to realize that he had some reservations regarding the Peaceguards, notwithstanding the rather memorable outburst directly after the waterborne toxin announcement, and she was no idiot to begin with. Yet it wouldn't do to simply hope that whatever logical argument she'd make would convince this citizen to come along quietly; she had a niggling suspicion that he would most probably go away and have a bit of a nervous breakdown about all the times he'd ran in with the Peaceguards, if his burgeoning distaste for them was anything to go by. Or have a violent punch-out with someone to vent his feelings, if she were being more realistic. But first, he would use his gilded tongue to no doubt try and weasel his way out of the situation, and she wasn't going to stand for it.


"Citizen, witness statements cannot simply be given out on the street, for all and sundry to hear, and be expected to be recorded down as evidence; our job requires us to formally catalogue all statements made, and as such it will be necessary to escort you to our nearest station in order to obtain official eyewitness accounts. Furthermore, as you were involved in two further incidents that have come to our interest, including an altercation with some of my colleagues, we may have to detain you for a little longer to obtain accounts of those incidents, too." Bowing shortly to the man, she added a level, "We apologize for this inconvenience, but you must accompany us back to our station for the sake of maintaining peace within Highmere. Statements like yours would be incredibly beneficial to preventing any further incidents of the same or similar types, and maintaining law an order is my and my comrades' solemn duties in our fair capital. Furthermore, should you be worried about any potential losses, we will do our best to recompense your lost time." It was probably unwise to throw such an offer on the table right away, but she felt as though it would be a lot easier to make him see the error of his way (or, at the very least, comply with their demands obediently) if she provided a sweetener for this admittedly unsavoury turn of events.


Now that she had said her piece to this Dante character, though, it was high time to attended to the other three individuals caught up in this kerfuffle. With a brusque nod to Elina, she stooped and hooked the smaller assailant's arm over her shoulders, before she added, "Firstly, however, we should attend to the wounded. If you would be kind enough to accompany us, citizens, we must first escort all wounded individuals to a medical clinic, before we discuss any legal ramifications for the events that have occurred."


And that, hopefully, would be more than enough to shut everyone up and delay any overly public incidents.


@One Mean Ghost // @Oreocookies // @Spazzycat101


Apologies for the long-ass post, I got too excited and wrote too much in response ||D

 

[M03M03]

It was always either curiosity or suspicion with the peaceguard, that had been the first lesson Mirage had learned in the younger years of running from them. It did not matter if you were young, old, middle aged, fat, skinny, short, tall, or average….It did not matter if you acted afraid, respectful, or indifferent. Each and every time you were under suspicion...or...if you were lucky...just curiosity.


So it did not surprise her that the male peacegaurd stayed by her side.


Blowing a strand of pale blond hair out of her eyes, Mirage was able to glean enough information from the broken words that emanated from the group that held her guide. The message she was able to construct was disappointing….those woman really wanted Dante, it was hinted at in their body language. Take into account that they were peacegaurd and Mirage mentally winced….Dante fell under the suspicion catalog and it was likely he would not be guiding her around the city any time soon.


When the uniform next to her laughed and commented on the state of the world Mirage had to nod her head in absent minded agreement while trying to think of a way to salvage the situation that had looked so promising just a few minutes before. Her biggest regret was the loss of free food. Even the uniform was commenting on how unlikely it was that her guide would be showing her around. Letting out a huff of breath Mirage looked around the street she was on with a lazy gaze that was meant to slow her racing mind.


The peaceguard’s next comment sparked an idea in Mirage’s mind...which quickly froze (Along with her whole body) when the man gave her a friendly pat on the back. Every emotion, all her focus, was on the hand the moment in made contact with her back. Flight or fight was the state of Mirage’s mind….should she run or should she slap away his hand? This time it was not fear...this time it was an impotent rage mixed with fear, the same rage she had felt, after just the fear, when she had woken up to her two guests holding her down so long ago. Silver blue eyes zeroed in on the uniform’s face, an almost feral glint in them, as she stepped back. “Let’s get this out of the way right now….I do not like being touched...by anyone...even peacegaurd...at all.”


Closing her eyes Mirage just stood there for a minute, hand going to her dragon shaped necklace, before opening them once again. “Before you touched me I had the most interesting idea...perhaps you could escort me...or at least give me directions, to the nearest store that would buy the furs I have collected along with a place to buy a map and a place to eat and drink. It would be the least you could do as your female friends over there have snagged my guide.” Silver blue eyes bored into the man with dark intensity not in the least due to the spark of anger that still lingered there.


@HeartsAbyss @One Mean Ghost

 

[Auricula]

Orpheus Izar-Hatysa




Orpheus' crystal blue eyes brightened. Her stately composure, the way she spoke-- everything was all so charming.


He processed her words and his smile turned a little more genuine. It looked like she wanted to keep out of the public eye for just a little more. Or perhaps to observe what was going on with the Peaceguard? He gave a little more thought to her intentions before deciding that he didn't have to try and decipher what she wanted to do right now.


"As you wish," he answered languidly. "I'm Orpheus Izar-Hatysa." For a moment, he debated giving her his position before deciding against it. He wasn't too fond of parting with much information and he wanted to see what Cassandra would do next. Though...


"What are you doing blending with the crowd?" he asked. "Observing the people?"


@CRiTiCAL ERR0R


Elina Dalca :: Peaceguard




Elina could already hear Larisa's voice inside her head. Larisa with her mocking expression, voice dripping with disdain, as she dismissed men like Dante de la Cruz while her sharp tools carved ornate marks on dolls because "Unlike you, sister, I can't kill people and get away with it." Had Elina been any less composed, she would have let loose a wild smirk. Silver-tongued men who acted chivalrous yet threw obvious insults... She entertained the thought of gutting him while keeping her attention on the duo before her.


First, she had to tend to this lady and Elina replied with an apologetic, "Of course. Victim. I stand corrected." When personally she could care less.


But now, back to this Dante character who seemed rather intent on escaping being brought to Blackgate. She had to resist the urge to backhand him from the way he was yawning, coupled with the not even thinly veiled insult he had tossed at the Peaceguard. Thank gods she had more self-control now.


Elina couldn't believe his audacity, frankly speaking. No, not audacity. He was an actual idiot. But that was alright. She had run into plenty of them in her time and each infuriated her greatly. Not always could she just do away with them.


Thank goodness Pallas came to the rescue though. Elina was busy picking through the ways she could force them into coming with her when her partner spoke.


"My colleague is right," Elina tacked on, addressing Dante mostly. "Cooperate with us and the process will go much faster." She threw in a kind smile at Dante and Celia and a part of her died.


Unfortunately, there wasn't really much of a way she could just casually throw in 'Resist coming and you'll be placed under high suspicion as a mage or mage sympathiser' without it being an outright threat but hopefully the implication was hanging in the air.


She stooped and brought another attacker's arm over shoulders. Dead weights were awful and if Elina could, she would just left their bodies for (the metaphorical) vultures.


@HeartsAbyss, @One Mean Ghost, @Spazzycat101

 

[Spazzycat101]

Celia Graye

​

Celia's still sore and stiff posture fell a bit and her arms dropped to her sides in an undisguised show of disappointment. There went on feathered wings her freedom today, even if all she would be doing would have amounted to hopping from place to place that had contacted her about menial technical difficulties that they had very likely tried to fix themselves, only to make a mess of wires and switches.


For a moment, Leah considered using her correalation to the Peaceguard and their higher-ups to walk away simply for her convenience. She tried to balance and weight in which case her reputation would protect her more; explaining that she was 'mistakenly' accused of magical practice, or to exploit her place and get out altogether. Today had started unpleasantly and hadcontinued to plummet into the worse, and the negativity that brewed from that already gave her half a mind to leave her rescuer at the mercy of the merciless.


'Useless to persist at doing nothing. Wastes more time that way, and I hear time is something you have a limited quantity of.'





Leah addressed the most reluctant of the four of them, although she sympathized with his stalwart desire to keep from accompanying the government's guardians of peace, before she begrudgingly followed the two to the nearest place resembling a hospital. Celia was very inclined to insist that she was fine though, if anything out of spite. If only to lessen the waste of her time, she went to help the darker-haired of the two with dragging around her incapacitated assailant, though her shoulders ached and the bruise across her cheekbone was fading into visibility. It looked like another oil stain.





@One Mean Ghost @Oreocookies @HeartsAbyss


Nearby~ @Falling Nebula @CRiTiCAL ERR0R

 

[BlightGiver]

Franco Griy: Executioner


With a hasty and swift motion, Franco pulled out the correct amount and slammed it onto the counter. He grabbed the pastry and ran out into the street. "Geez, talk about an uneasy atmosphere. I hate when young brats are that nosy!" Luckily, Franco's increasing anger was sated by the delicious snack he had just purchased. "Too much is going on today, I have to admit. I hope this sort of suspense won't become the norm in my days ahead."





The most-important list of addresses was still in Franco's tightly clenched left hand. Such a tight grasp, almost as if his life was on the line. But who could say whether or not this was truth? Change is coming; in fact, it's already happening; to the PeaceGuard, the mages, the citizens, everyone will be impacted one way or another. Franco may not know it; hell, mostly everyone in Highmere probably doesn't know it, but within the coming hours, lies the catalyst for something huge.


...........................................................................................................................................................


Despite the earlier "excitement" with the execution and all, the central district was still quite abuzz with people yelling and conversing. Not too oddly, quite a few skirmishes broke out between normal civilians and PeaceGuard. "Nothing out of the ordinary here. Now what was the first address again!?" His eyes remained affixed to the paper, only leaving to look at various street signs and building numbers. "For such an important scientist, this district seems like the worst place they'd live." A huff of frustration could be heard from Franco every now and again. Much to the annoyance of people standing around, Franco waltzed right into the large crowd, bumping into people one after the other.


Of course these citizens would turn to deal with the ungrateful ingrate that keeps bumping into everyone. But one look at Franco would make them rethink their actions. PeaceGuard officers were not as meek though. They'd happily push back, unknowingly annoying even more people. "Aha! There it is!" A joyous proclamation was released from the irritated executioner. Many steps he took forward, still neglecting the fact he was being quite a nuisance to everyone around him. Albeit for one person he bumped into, 'nuisance' would be an understatement. This person was a woman of clearly high social status; such elegant attire and luxurious accessories adorned her. Perhaps this would be a mistake Franco would soon regret...


@CRiTiCAL ERR0R @Oreocookies @Guydaguy @Namie (not there, but acknowledged from before)