Fantasy Z O D I A C | Umbra [Currently CLOSED]

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac Niadh Lane

Ok, maybe James could have handled the test a wee bit better. But he wasn't exactly himself lately. He was much grumpier and seemed to get agitated easier. Which is why he preferred the kind of test that let him rely on his physical abilities more. He had things that he'd rather not think about, and the test had brought up those very thoughts.

James would have felt bad for getting the test taken up. But anyone who was slower than him at taking any kind of test obviously didn't have much chance of passing. But it seemed the others didn't see things that way. As they walked to the locker room James began to contemplate his own answers. In all honesty half of them, he wasn't so sure about himself. He had pondered what he'd do in those situations. But he really couldn't know unless he was placed in them. James wasn't the plan ahead kind of guy. Hell, the only kind of schedule he ever really kept was his work out schedule. Which he had been swapping it with this new training regimen. He wondered what had become of the others. He knew they were still being held prisoner last he saw them. Aside from Lexi, and himself. Last he saw Lexi was taking therapy the Dominion insisted on it. James, on the other hand, had done everything in his power to join up. Passing up any therapy. He preferred to keep the fact he was screwed up to himself. Of course, he didn't expect those who didn't finish their test to be all to happy with James. But he didn't have even half a mind to care about what they wanted. The tiny purple haired woman began saying something to him. Although he was much to distracted to pay her any mind. Although he was snapped out of his daze when she poked his chest. It almost tickled him. He looked down at her a cold scowl resting on his face. One that said he clearly wasn't impressed by her. Suddenly she would find herself lifted into the air by his two massive paws. High enough so that she was staring right into the eyes of James." I'm, sorry. I couldn't hear you all the way down there. Mind repeating that." He asked. His voice showing great levels of restraint. Almost warning, although it was mostly just an act. The worse he'd do is drop her flat on her ass." I'm sorry you couldn't finish your meaningless test. Even if you had finished it. Do you really think it would have made a difference? If you're not decisive enough to make up your mind on a bunch of hypothetical questions. Then how are you going to do in a real situation?" Suddenly James lowered her back down to the ground. Turning back and leaning against a wall glaring down at her."If I'm being honest. I don't think any of us would really do everything we wrote down if put in that situation. But if you want to blame me for your failing go ahead. Hell, I'll probably fail as well. But until I find that out myself I'm going to sit her try to ignore these nagging thoughts on the back of my head. Then hope I somehow managed to pass. Although if teach thinks its so easy I'd hope it won't affect our passing all that much. Now leave me be unless you actually have something useful to say. That goes to all of you" He said his glare moving across the room.


He really didn't see anyone in here he couldn't take if it came to it. Maybe he'd have to worry if they teamed up on him. But even then it wasn't the first time he'd been jumped. Besides, only a few actually managed to be slower than him. Although he seriously doubted it would come down to that. Unless they suddenly decided they wanted to have a battle royal of some sort to decide the graduates. James let out a groan the stress really tensing him up. He took out a pack of his cigarettes and lighted it up taking a long drag before eyeing Justine."On a friendlier note. Want a drag? I'm sure we're all stressed, and I can spare a few. So come on, merry fucking Christmas." He sarcastically put holding a cigarette out to Justine first.

Skaggon Boss

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Host Villa-... Home​

Spoiler: Tune

How many had died? Innocents? Hollows? It was thick in the air that day. Lucy said nothing... Nothing at all as the beast fell, at the commotion that followed, she simply stared at it. It wasn't fear that had stopped her, no, that feeling had been drilled into her to such an extent that day that only the strange feeling within her remained. No, it was that feeling that froze her. She had thought she wanted to just help when she spoke to Ben, yet as that giant blade split the beast in twain, only one thought remained. She wished it had been her hand.

Lucy wasn't any closer to finding her parents, hell, look at where she was now. Every night she dreamt of them, and of that dreadful encounter, and every morning she had contemplated it. Did she even want to see them again? With all of her heart, no, all of her being, she hoped they would be okay, that they would be safe, she needed to find them, but... How could she let them see what she had become?

Slowly, the young woman's eyes fluttered open, her body slowly waking, until she noticed what rested just above her."AHH!" A slight shriek, perhaps more of a squeal, erupted from Lucy's room, followed by a light *thud*. "I... I'm fine." The girl muttered toward the door, hearing Camilla on the other end of it, before slowly picking herself up.

It was her own fault, at least that's what she kept telling herself. Most of the hosts here had been so nice, welcoming, accepting. Yet Lucy had barely said a word to any of them, even after all this time, she still really only spoke to Samantha and Camilla, the latter of which she seemed to shadow like a scared child would with their mother. It didn't help that her feelings on hosts had regressed after their run-in with Lilith. Still, the host she feared the most, was the one she was the closest to.

It had been months since the girl had laid her hands on another living thing, often she would sit alone, staring at her palms, which slightly shook in place. The idea of someone suffering the fate of the device Len had given her, or the stones which she practised on... It was something she would have avoided at all costs. By now she knew when the energy was stored, that intense feeling of pent up energy could eat away at her if built up enough, but even still, she refused to even try.

Grabbing the hand of the door, Lucy slowly pulled it upon, her body behind it as her head poked around to stare up at Camilla, a frown covering it which seemed to be permanently glued in place. "Don't worry, it was just a..." Lucy's timid tone spoke up as she glanced back to the bed, the spider still calmly sitting there, even the sight of it sent a chill through her spine. It couldn't even hurt her if it tried, Lucy knew that, the creature's fangs would just add to the energy stored within her, and yet, pathetically, she still took a deep gulp at the sight of it. "spider." She eventually added, it seemed her memories of their time in limbo would never subside.

Slowly moving her noodles for legs toward the chair, Lucy sat, staring up toward Camilla, doing her best to show some sort of joy, the girl had brought her here to keep her safe, after all. "Have you seen Samantha?" Lucy's face seemed to drop from the act as soon as she mentioned the named, her voice drowning into a pit of worry as her face followed. After all she seemed to be going through, Lucy couldn't help but feel bad for her, and the fact that she had no idea how to help only exacerbated the feeling. Lucy glanced downward as she spoke, before looking back up at the girl, noticing the scabbard on her back. "What's that?" She wondered out-loud, a tiny dollop of her concern turning to intrigue as a finger weakly pointed at the strapped item on Camilla's back.

Boss

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma Boss

In an instant, the arena was thrust into chaos. Sam and the crew were locked into combat with Fushinsetsu, all while Colt remained traumatized by the events of her daughters' death. For so few people, it was a hapless situation to fight against the Ravenwood leader himself, yet at the end of the day, none of their heroic efforts actually seemed to matter. In an instant, the world suddenly froze and countless glitches began to form throughout the arena. There is a saying that time is nothing but an illusion--and for Colt and Sam, nothing was closer to the truth. Piece by piece, the surrounding world began to fall apart, up until the point that the illusion was shattered in a manner akin to glass. In a near instant, Colt and Sam's crew were returned to reality--the dirt floor of the forest clearing from wince they came. The gatekeeper was still present; however, it stood in a passive stance that emanated little hostility towards those it once deemed as enemies. "Ah...you've...come...back."

The voice which spoke was slow and stuttered, but still audible enough for anyone to hear. It came from behind the gatekeeper's position, where a purple haired man soon hobbled out into the open. He was dressed in a lengthy overcoat that was embedded with numerous chromatic tubes, both of which drug behind him as he walked. He was obviously nervous, based on the violent shudders that coursed through his body; though it didn't prevent him from continuing his speech. "I've...come...to...free...you. I...don't...know...how...you...found...this...place...but...you...should...leave." He snapped his fingers which triggered immediate movement from the Gatekeeper. Each of its tentacle-like arms spread outward, which sent a flurry of its floating eyeballs in every direction around the island. In particular, one eyeball flew in the direction of Colt and the crew; sinking into the ground where it spawned a magic circle of sorts. Within seconds, the circle began to glow with growing levels of hollow energy that emanated from its core. And like that, they were gone.

----

It was a relatively ordinary day in the village--at least until a burst of hollow energy formed in the skies directly above the castle. A purple and black rift began to form; splitting the very sky with enough width to fit the entirety of Cetus' ship. Colt, the crew, their ship, and any surviving creatures had all been transported away from island and were now plummeting down towards the castle.

 

[Boss]

| NIKKY VIOLE |

​

Morning
Wilderness
A forest?
​

The force from Nikky's uprighting maneuver pushed everything below her outwards in a perfect circular motion, but it did virtually nothing to the boy, not even enough to rustle the school uniform he wore, which really began to show just how out of place he was. His face was expressionless as he listened to Nikky's banter. Her question was ultimately ignored as he skipped the pleasantries. "And you think your niece is out here?" The boy questioned with sass only a grown individual could give off. For a moment he stared into Nikky's eyes for any signs of deception, but so far the woman was honest.

"You're not lying about not being affiliated with the Dominion. Scouts are supposed to report their status every ten minutes, but you lack even a radio... Very well."

The boy walked past Nikky's tree a little ways north before raising an open palm towards the foresty. Like a fluid, there was a sudden ripple in the air that expanded along an invisible wall in the forest that revealed a great stone wall sitting in Nikky's path. Referring back to the map, it DID tell her to keep going in that general direction until something happened. The illusion of the woods to the north had melted away to reveal that Nikky had actually arrived at the village's great stone borders, though the wall itself was twice as high as the forest that surrounded it, making climbing it a tricky task.

Looking back at the boy, his true nature was beginning to show, as half of his body had grown transparent after revealing the hidden village. Turns out the boy was just an illusionary look-out. "I'll take you to the front gates where you can plead your case inside."

Morning
Host Village
Front Gates​

Judging by how long they had been walking along the length of the wall, it was safe to assume that Dominic's hideout was more like a well-guarded society. There had been more than one occasion already that the boy had to stop Nikky from walking into another trap.

"If Dominic is one of those other people you plan to meet with, you're wasting your time. Nobody has seen him in two months." The boy explained as they reached a large, wooden gate. Without giving any indication of their arrival, both doors slowly swung open, creaking with age. On the other side was a group of armed guards surrounding a much bulkier figure that stood roughly 8 feet high. Aside from his exposed upper body and layers of muscle, many parts of his skin were actually hardened scales. His fully grown beard only emphasized his permanent scowl and bald head.

As the large host approached Nikky, the ground trembled. "I am the temporary Captain of the guard, Johnny. Welcome to our village."

BOOM


Before anything could be said, the ground rumbled following an intense crash. Behind the large man, Nikky could see the tail-end of a pirate ship poking out of a castle built on a hill. Rather than panic, the large man simply gazed at the sudden destruction and sighed in response before returning his attention to Nikky. By now, the illusion of the boy had faded away with his job as a guide completed. "Why don't you follow me inside and tell me about your missing relative?" Johnny offered. As she entered, Nikky would have been able to see to the full scale of the village. The now damaged castle overlooked a vast village built between two larger hills. Hundreds of buildings and several farms dotted the open landscape. Even from where she stood, Nikky could feel intense supernatural energy that radiated throughout the place. Having dismissed the guards to the gate, Johnny listened attentively to whatever Nikky said as they traveled down the path to the town center.

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown​

Morning
Brookfield | Downtown
Local Cafe | Streets
(Color Code - Clown & Kruz) (Mentions - Boss )​

Outside of the local downtown ‘cheap’ cafe, among the assortment of stools one of which Eli and Kruz occupied, loungingeither side of the small rounded table with an umbrella sticking out through its center. Eli had had been drinking all the coffee Kruz was willing to buy, currently on his fourth and ranting on about the more notable things he had been up to before reuniting. Kruz on the other hand, was completely fixated on the book he was reading and paying little attention or interest in anything Elijah was going on about..

“And then just like that, BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!” Eli shouted, sitting up from his chair and making gun gestures with his hands with little concern for heard him “He went and shot the place up, and you DON’T want to know what the guy’s face looked like afterwards either..” Eli shivered, Kruz still showing little signs of response and flipping the page of his book.

“Are you even listening?” Eli asked, pressing his eyes as he peered across towards Kruz, who kept his focus solely on his book “Uhuh, sounds like a great guy to work for, better than me I’d say..Why even stick around?” Kruz said still not paying any attention, and half hoping that Elijah would just leave him to leave his book in peace.

“....I KNOW YOU AREN’T LISTENING! I COULD HAVE DIED Y’KNOW!?!” Elijah cried out, flailing his arms about in the air which this time caught a glimpse of Kruz’s attention “Wow..You caught me.” Kruz said, and Elijah’s only response was an agitated glare shot his way “Anyway, on a more serious note there was something I wanted to ask, a favor.” A big reason Elijah had been working Kruz for this time was to raise money to owe back Tom, but as two months passed he only felt the anger Tom would have when they next meet would be even greater, and out of interest for his own well being had developed a scheme that could perhaps accumulate enough money to owe back Tom with interest, the ‘interest’ to not strangle him to death with his new ‘friend’ Spike.

“Huh, another favor? What is it?” Kruz’s attention had been caught, and Elijah continued while he still held Kruz’s interest “I want -” before he could even ask he was cut off by the sound of a message coming through his phone “One second..” Eli paused and took out his phone to check it, the name of the messenger making his guilt crawl up his throat.​

Hinako

them

Come by Brookfield General. Room 404. I have a favor I need to ask you.

Putting his phone away, his facial expression completely changing and causing Kruz to take pause “Woah, what? Someone send you an image of a dead puppy or something?” Kruz said “I want to borrow the car.” Eli said, swiping the keys and dangling them in the air from his fingertips with a fake smile “Pleeasseee?” Eli added and Kruz frowned “Not a chance, I maybe wasn’t listening to all your stories but I heard enough to realize you don’t have a good record with cars. So I’ll drive.” Kruz said with a stern tone and swiped the keys back from Eli, who was left with a bitter look on his face “Psh, Whatever, let’s just go..”

Kruz called for a waiter, paying for their check, grabbing their things and getting into Kruz’s car. Eli riding shotgun, he directed Kruz to the Hospital Hinako was staying in. ​

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young & Tom B. Stone
( Collab Post - Solemn Jester )
( Tags - Boss )
Time had seemed to pass quickly over the last two months. Many things had changed in the short amount of time, the hotel that she now controlled was given an extra layer, and another added factor was that she was looking for Hosts to integrate into her business. The few she had found were quite special, but they were few and far between, especially since a lot were afraid of the Dominion cracking down on them if they dared show their faces.

She had obtained property outside of Brookfield as well, maybe an hour or two drive but it was enough that people weren’t around. It was a small farm area that had been abandoned for a while and she bought it while the property was cheap. But she still didn’t come here usually unless it was with Tom to train. The two of them were almost there as she smiled lightly over at Tom while feeling the annoying sensation of Axel judging her. She expressed how she really didn’t like Tom considering the first time they met was after he came out of the beast naked.

Thinking over what had happened over the past two months she let out a sigh of annoyance as she leaned her head against the glass of the window to the left of her, the black plastic reflecting some sunlight as it held onto the steering wheel, “Hard to believe only 2 months have passed, seems some people have already forgotten just how much shit went down.” Saying that she gave another look to Tom smiling once again, “Just glad you didn’t end up as dog food, honestly was a bit surprised to learn they used you like a cannonball, but then again that’s exactly like you,” Saying that she let out a small laugh.

Tom had almost forgotten his short vacation into a demon dog’s gut...almost. But it took a while. He smelled horrible for the first week, or two. Then once he had gotten the stink off he had to deal with Diana constantly reminding him of the situation. Honestly, he was glad she was awake, and she seemed to be genuinely joyous that Tom was alive...even if he had slightly more appendages than she previously remembered. Which took some time to get used to, but they seemed to pass it. But damned if he couldn't go a few hours without being reminded that he was almost a pile in the neighbor's yard. He simply leaned against the door staring out at the wide open fields of the country like area they were driving through. Only to let out a sigh once he heard Diana’s comment. ”It wasn't exactly my idea. Nor was it my choice. Damn brat took it upon herself to hurl me at the damn beast. But let's forget about all that. I’d rather look forward towards the future.” Tom told Diana placing a hand on her leg and gently squeezing it in an affectionate manner. ”So how about you? Does the Stray intend on dragging you back to that manor place anytime soon?” He asked referring to Axel. Her new tag along who he had met upon reuniting with Diana.

It seemed she had dragged her into a suicide mission to some place called Limbo. Tom imagined it was the same place he had met the Robed figure when he died. He really didn't care for Axel either, beyond her being useful to their cause. She was kind of annoying and kept watching them like some kind of creepy stalker. He was honestly glad for moments with just himself and Diana. Axel unnerved him about as much as Spike did others. Of course simply because she was an unknown entity that Tom couldn't trust beyond the normal standards of distrust he usually gave mortal people. After the incident things had gotten a bit hectic. Which only made sense considering a giant monster had wrecked a good portion of the city. But it also caused a slight bit of aggression in some who were hit the hardest by the attack. People seemed a bit more desperate, and suspicious of others now. Which suited Tom just fine. He didn't trust anyone anyway. Speaking of which. That bastard Clown had run off with his money. This thought caused a noticeable change in Toms demeanor. His hands clutched the arm of his seat, nails digging in as his jaw squeezed his teeth together in an attempt to crush them.

Diana looked at Tom out of the corner of her eye looking at him digging his nails into the seat she let out a task, “You know your paying to fix that. This is real leather you know?” Saying that she let out a sigh as the car turned down a dirt path, “Still pissed about Clown being a no-show?” Saying that she had the slightest pang of pain for Clown once Tom got ahold of the masked bastard. Tom shot a glare towards Diana, not in the mood for her jokes. “I don’t know, hmm, let me think. I gave him my suitcase filled with money. Hoping he would at the least come back with some useful new tech. Only for him to completely disappear on me for two months without even the slightest sign of him trying to contact me. So yeah, I’m still pissed. The bastard best is dead, or he's going to wish he was when I see him.” Tom finished turning back to the window and leaning onto it letting out a frustrated breath, frustrated from Clowns lack of presence.

Letting out an annoyed sigh of her own the car began to slow as they arrived near a large 2 story house with a large clearing next to it, the house was worn down and looked like it could collapse at any second if given even the slightest push. The car coming to a halt as she leaned across and gave a light punch to his arm with a smile, “Chill, he wouldn’t have left Brookfield I don’t think, unless he’s got nothing tying him here, he’s staying here, so we can go find him together, just relax ok?” Saying that her smile turned into a heartfelt one before leaning back and clicking the seat belt off and stepping out of the car stretching her legs.

The area around them was a large clearing of sorts, oval in shape and large trees going very high, large craters and scrapes were across the area as well as large chunks of trees completely missing from the area around them, noticing this she rubbed the back of her neck giving a look towards the house, wondering how the hell it’s still standing after this place has taken poundings from the both of them.

Across from the house was a small barn-like building, it seemingly blending in with the area around it the amount the color had faded. It's painted already chipping and everything looking dull, but it still looked like it would stand, and this was a place they couldn’t destroy, at least not until they clear out the large amounts of gym equipment as well as other equipment.

Smiling lightly at the place it was sort of a home away from home, and they could beat the shit out of each other without causing the Dominion to freak. At least not as much. Smirking evilly at the thought of the times she had beaten Tom, literally and metaphorically. ”Wipe that smile off your face. You've only beaten me a handful more times than I have you. Besides, training is much more than just a mock homicide attempt. We actually managed to make some improvements even when we weren't sparring.” Tom pointed out. Mainly referring to the little test they put themselves through in order to improve their skills. Tom had used all ten tentacles in the form of claws to balance wooden platters with apples on them. He then used them for target practice. Something that he found enjoyable, due to its dangerous intense nature. There was every chance he could have blown off one of his tentacles. Although it would just regrow after a bit. They had lots of other tests. Like Diana seeing if she could focus her beam into something other than a massive earth-shattering blast. The jury was still out on that one. In all honesty, it had been fun. Tom was glad he hadn’t taken Lorenzo’s deal. Because now he was the leader...er co-leader of the gang. As well as having a girlfriend who could probably crush Lorenzo's pathetic excuse for manhood by flexing her pinky. ”Yeah, it's been fun. I guess our training might be put on hold here soon. With Dominic gone our preparation to take control of the whole crime, world should be in order. So let's try to make the best of these final moments of peace we have to ourselves.” He told her coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her nuzzling her affectionately as he did so. Just another perk of him almost dying and her being out for as long as she was. Their relationship was stronger than a Royally pissed off Diana.

Getting caught off guard she blushed lightly trying to hold down the shakiness in her voice as she could picture Axel shaking her head in annoyance, “E-Eh y-yeah… P-practice! Right!” Saying that she let out a sigh calming down a bit before smiling, “Try not to destroy the car this time alright? Those types of cars don’t grow on trees.” Saying that she felt a pang of pain in her heart after they had gone all out on eachother and turned the car into a pile of scrap, half the car being flung somewhere into the forest which they were yet to find, as well as the fact they had to either run or walk all the way back home.

Turning around she wrapped her arms around Tom letting out a tired sigh before smirking and moving back. Reaching into her back pocket she took out the four small shards and threw them into the air, them becoming just as tall as Diana before she gave an innocent smile, "Don't start going soft and get hurt now." Tom smirked at Diana. Slowly removing his shirt to show his toned physique. A result of the past two months training. Now he was still no match for someone like Diana. Who could literally go hulk on him! But he had definitely improved. ”I think you should take your own advice. Don't get squeamish now, Spikes hungry.” He taunted as four pitch black smiling tentacles emerged from his back. He didn't really care to spare with Diana. He was always a little hesitant to really go all out on her at first. Worried Spike might suddenly take action into his own hands and hurt her. But then he remembered she had a massive cannon for a arm. So he quickly changed his tune. He stood two of his tentacles rising him into the air ready to start another one of their sparring matches.​

 

[Kiosk]

JANAIYA WILKINSON​

Janaiya marveled at the artchitecture of the court house, particularly, the carvings of the zodiac's. It was pretty grand like just about everything on the mountain. However it really just made her feel out of place, luckily she could just ask Yue about most things and annoy the shit outta her.

"Tch, we're late."

Before Janaiya could get a closer look they were zipping into the courtroom and somehow they still managed to be late, nothing she wasn't use to. She was just personally impressed with herself at how well she could keep up with rabbit girl in this dress. All the movement brought back the soreness from the previous training with Rabbit girl though. Trix was no joke when it came to training.

The next thing that happened was too stupid to comprehend. The trial was here, and just like that it was over. If it wasn't for the venomous fangs deep in her neck she'd be laughing. She wasn't afraid of snakes or anything but who wouldn't be tensed to have a literal snake judge whether or not you're 'resisting'. This was the trial everyone seemed to stress over? Janaiya was more than unimpressed, but hearing Devan freak out seemed to put all this back into perspective. This was the trial to determine their fates, her own as well.

"Your honor we aren't bad people! This has to do with Brookfield, right? If that's the case than those girls standing beside Tùzǐ can testify on our behalf."

"We both risked our lives to save them from that Hollow, I nearly died because of it."

This was honestly pretty pathetic, watching Devan literally grovel. Janaiya glanced at the Judge, she could see on his face how done he was. The herald and Devan might not come back from this one. It was a good run...
Oh fine.
Janaiya took a deep breath.
"Hey, your honor, Listen. They really did help us out back there, I'd be a real bitch if I didn't at least say that. We would have been dead otherwise. You know we're just humans, if those two were really evil or some shit why waste their time trying to help out two random people? That's fucking stupid. Plus, look at that guy!" she motioned towards Devan though every slight movement was the ache of snake's fangs reminding her of the situation. The lovely smell from Herald's nice vomit pile was starting to waft over their way making her pause, these two were more trouble than they were worth still, the giantess steeled her resolve looking upwards towards the judge.
"They aren't bad people in the slightest but if you decide to kill them, I'll put in the effort to save them if needed. I'm good for it. Besides, they saved my life and I don't like debts." she furrowed her brows, "Also, I wanna go the hell home. Alright?"
If they did get the death penalty, Her and Yue won't be affected right? She really didn't want to risk that chance. Then again, if they die she won't have to feel obligated to fulfil some stupid debt... They were really more trouble than hey were worth.

Azukai hwayi SidTheSkid
*
*
*

NIKKY VIOLE
​

"And you think your niece is out here?"

Nikky raised an eyebrow at the 'boy's' sarcasm, "You remind me of my niece." Nikky hopped out the tree having gotten the rope off her ankle. She landed quietly, making virtually no sound. "You're both little shits." Seeing as the kid wasn't very kid-like or even real, she dropped the friendliness.

"You're not lying about not being affiliated with the Dominion. Scouts are supposed to report their status every ten minutes, but you lack even a radio... Very well."

Nikky said nothing, though to base trust ability on just a radio is silly.

"If Dominic is one of those other people you plan to meet with, you're wasting your time. Nobody has seen him in two months."

"Figures." that wasn't surprising, it was like her search had reset. With added complications. The forest melted away to find herself at the Host village, she knew she was in the right place. She whistled at the sight, Dominic made quite a home for himself. It was actually incredible, he really did it.
She chuckled looking at the walls that towered over the pair, he really did it.

As she approached the wall, the old doors swung open in protest to meet face to chest with a very buff guy , maybe it was hopefulness or even the exhaustion catching up with her but for a moment she saw James. As she blinked the scaled man's visage became clearer. Honestly, what are you thinking? They looked nothing alike. She hadn't seen James in a while, he seemed to disappear as well after the incident. She could feel it though, James wasn't someone who would just die she had fought along side him after all. She could feel he wasn't dead but she was worried.
She could really use a pat on the shoulder.

"I am the temporary Captain of the guard, Johnny. Welcome to our village."

BOOM

It was like being taken back two months ago only very much closer, but seeing as how Johnny only seemed inconvenienced by this she followed suit and relaxed a bit, or tried very hard to. Eying the large ship stuck in the castle.
"I'm Nikky, nice to meetcha."

"Why don't you follow me inside and tell me about your missing relative?"

Nikky took a moment and sighed, "Well you probably know about the Cerberus incident." the afro woman looked over at the land, losing her train of thought as they walked passed the scenery. Seeing the agriculture and people that came here to make this all possible it was slightly overwhelming. "And uh, my niece went missing that night. I know she's not dead though." she placed her hand over her heart, "I can feel it, she's somewhere out there. I just... I don't know where else to go." she looked from the damaged castle towards the bald man, "That girl was my responsibility and I dragged her here trying to relive my glory days. I just want to make it right, with my niece, Dominic and.. shit, James..." it was all starting to hit her at how much of a fuck up she was two people vanished because of her, she never should of brought James along... She swallowed the lump in her throat, and smiled, not willing to look down for longer than a second in front of a stranger.
"I'm going to work to find everyone I'm looking for." her determined looked faded for a second as the supernatural energy hit her a bit harder than before, she had been trying not to address it but she couldn't help it now.
"Where is all that energy coming from?" It unsettled her a bit.

Boss

 

[hwayi]

Yue Chen​

Yue had hated the last two months with a burning, fiery passion. Being woken up early every damn day to train. Train for what? She wasn't even entirely sure. She had just obeyed the rabbit girl in attempts to stay alive. To Yue, their training had been like some cheesy montage from one of those old Hong Kong action movies that she liked to watch as a kid. She could almost hear the distant screams of Bruce Lee accompanied by the theme song from 'Fist of Fury'. She hated herself for knowing exactly how that piece went. Yue had never envisioned herself as someone who could do something else than hold a gun, aim, and shoot. Okay, maybe figure skate. She was better than most people at that too. But some ridiculous ninja-ish action accompanied by a Giantess and a girl with rabbit ears literally named rabbit? Ehhh, not really what she had expected.


She struggled to catch up with the rabbit girl. When they stopped the race against time, Yue was lightly panting. As they arrived, Yue became painfully aware of her surroundings. They were late, that was already one point lost. Oh, how she hated everyone in this room. The rabbit, the stupid elder that had dragged two innocent people into his Bruce Lee fantasy world, guards. Even trash and drunkard were here, albeit in an awful shape apparently. Wait, trash and drunkard? What were they doing in here from all the places? Yue blamed them the most out of anyone. She firmly believed that they were the reason that she was stuck in this weird Ancient China-wannabe time. Had she not been under the watchful eyes of the Elder, she would have beat them with her shoes, or maybe a broom. Perhaps chopsticks or a rice-spoon, just like in the ol’ Ming dynasty...Tang dynasty...Han dynasty… whatever this was. Yue really should have paid attention in history class.


She shot daggers at the comical duo before looking back at her feet to control her boiling rage. She was almost growling like some cornered animal. Rabbit girl’s pat on the shoulder wasn’t the best comfort right now. It wasn't enough to give her a safe feeling. She couldn’t help but hate her too for training them like this just for them to be slaughtered like pigs. Soon all of them were restrained by four snakes each. They bit her porcelain pale skin around her neck, she couldn’t help but let out a sharp exhale filled with pain. Yue thanked the Gods that she wasn’t very afraid of snakes. Yo-han used to own two corn snakes along with many other animals when they were kids, she had many fond memories of them.


Her thoughts traveled to Yo-han and her family in general. How would her parents cope with losing another child? Wasn't one already enough? Were they even searching for her now? Was Yue missed in the shooting world, or had someone already snatched her place as the most promising shooter? Did her fans already abandon her or was someone still posting about her in social media? Did mom and dad even miss her? Probably not, they were busy people themselves with their own lives. Where had she gone wrong? Where did Yue take the wrong turn? She lazily shifted her eyes towards Janaiya. Her aunt was probably somewhere out there, searching for her. Janaiya deserved this shit the least out of all of them. She had just wanted her phone back. Yue should have gone alone, she regretted not leaving the girl there.


The young woman listened as the hooded man next to the elder started reading her fate from a scroll. If Yue would be sentenced to death, she’d fight back. She wouldn’t die a death like this. Not being eaten by a hollow, nor executed by some old man who just did not like her being in the wrong place at a wrong time. With new determination in her eyes, she looked up from her feet towards the hooded man. He was quickly interrupted by a loud burp from the drunkard. The rotten stench reached even Yue across the room who felt like she was going to throw up any moment now. Ah, but of course. The universe wanted to pair them with the biggest idiot it could find. You could pinpoint the moment Herald rose to the first place in Yue’s list of ‘people to strangle when you have free time’. And she dared to defy the elder. That was it, they were doomed. She would never see the light again. Goodbye, cruel and unfair world!


The trash from two months before immediately started begging. Yue hated nothing just as much as dishonorable acts like these. But what could they do, other than beg? They had no other choice than to hope that they would be forgiven and their lives spared. Her face was still flat and expressionless, but her body language was much more restless and fidgety than before. She tried to say something but was interrupted by the darker girl. Janaiya's words were full of disrespect, even if Yue agreed with every single thing she said. She could have constructed her sentences a bit better, in a more polite manner! You could see the cringe display on Yue’s face as she struggled to keep herself calm and collected. She was very well aware of what would happen if she moved around too much. After all, she literally had a snake ready to kill her any moment now. As much as she didn’t care for trash and drunkard, Giantess was worth saving. She'd try to appease to the elder and maybe invoke some kind of emotion in him.


“Please, honorary elder! Spare them, spare us, for they are innocent and good people. I beg you for your forgiveness! We had nothing to do with those vicious creatures. I plead you, please just give us enough time to redeem ourselves,” her words didn’t make much sense, but Yue was still speaking. Even in her shaky voice, she was trying her best to clean their terribly tarnished reputation. The girl hung her head low to show her obedience, her raven hair hiding her face. She was about to cry and sob from frustration, just like she always did. Chewing on her chapped lips, she vowed to haunt the drunkard in whatever afterlife there was, if it existed and if they'd die here and now.

 

[Azukai]

D U H

Any follow up that Kayden had was lost to the wind. Without hesitation, the manager sprung for his phone and dialed his contact. In a matter of seconds, Kayden's acceptance was a done deal--the initial money was on its way to his account, just as the tickets for a same-day flight were now sitting in his email. "I am so proud of your decision today, Kayd." Finished with his phone call, the manager was in an ecstatic mood. He practically burst from his desk, seconds before ushering Kayden out of his office. "We must get you ready. You are flying to China asap."

--------

True to his manager's words, Kayden was standing on Chinese soil within twenty hours of his decision to accept. It was a relatively straightforward flight, with only a minor layover in Shanghai, which then routed him through a smaller flight to Dayong Airport. There was nothing special about his final destination; not to mention its size gave it the appearance of a train station, more-so than an airport. Nonetheless, it was the correct destination as a single man, holding a sign depicting his name, was waiting outside of the plane. The man introduced himself as John, albeit in a heavy Chinese accent that did little to convince anyone of his supposed English descent. Regardless, there wasn't much time for conversation as he directed Kayden to a nearby Porsche that was destined for the distant mountains. All together, the drive took an additional hour--one that was spent in relative silence given John's lack of desire to facilitate conversation. If anything, he was more focused on drifting the numerous winding roads that proved hazardous given the speeds they were traveling at.

Nonetheless, John was an obvious expert at what he did--a testament to the fact that they arrived at their destination without a single incident. From first glance, the surrounding environment was obviously a set. Complex props and other equipment littered the surrounding area; however, what proved eerie was the fact that everything was dead. Even in the early stages of television production, crew members would have normally been bustling around the set--all of them desperately attempting to achieve the perfection that the director would expect from his crew. Yet in this case, not a single individual apart from Kayden and John was present in the surrounding area.

"Shénme?" John muttered with obvious confusion furrowing his brow. He placed the car into park, and immediately reached for the pistol that was holstered on his belt. "Wait here." He added, right before exiting the vehicle. In a wary stance with his firearm at the ready, he began inching towards the set, up until he eventually faded from view.

Fives minutes passed...soon ten...then fifteen...nobody returned...

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Sam Sarith | Samantha
​

Morning
Host Village
Lucy's House​

In any other case, hearing Lucy shriek without knowing the context would have freaked Camilla out too, but even the speedster knew that Lucy was still being 'broken in' by the younger, more mischievous hosts. It was only a matter of figuring out who was messing with her this time. Timid eyes peeked out from behind the barely opened door. Camilla opened her mouth to ask, but-

"Don't worry, it was just a...spider."

Both girls stared at the dangling spider, which immediately began to reel itself back towards the ceiling having been spotted by Camilla. Of all the children, it had to be the shapeshifter. She could recall a few times in the past when that exact same trick was played on her. In a way, it helped her get over her initial fear of arachnids. Shaking her head in disapproval, Camilla strolled into Lucy's house to get out of the sun's rays. Thanks to some clever design and supernatural tampering on behalf of the building crew, Lucy's house was one of many that could stay at any desired temperature. "You'll get used to it." she replied regarding the spider that by now, had crawled out of an open window to escape.

"Have you seen Samantha?"

Samantha. Things had been strange with the spirit-turned-.. host? Sam nor Colt had been seen in two months, despite people being sent to look for them. Camilla would have gone herself, but the last time she left the village, she not only put it in danger but the entirety of Brookfield, as well. Exhaling, she finally gave the girl an answer. "Actually, I was hoping you'd walk with me to go check on her." A smile formed on her face as she glanced over to Lucy. Walks were life's best meditation, especially now that the village was surrounded by an unnaturally natural forest. The wilderness beyond the gates was beautiful and quiet. Camilla would often spend time outside the gates and run into other hosts looking to clear their mind. Samantha had taken a liking to a clearing that housed a lake in its center. Out of respect for the spirit, it was deemed Samantha's own abode - at least until Sam returned and consulted with her. "I'm... worried about her." The speedster admitted. Her thoughts were nearly about to take a freefall down guilt lane, until-..

"What's that?"

Perking up, Camilla was momentarily freaked out when she saw Lucy pointing at her body. Was there something on her? Was it that child again? Where was he?! Wha-

"-Oh, this?" Camilla finally realized that Lucy was referring to the bag on her back. Has Lucy never seen her carry it? "It's-.. uh, my dad's sword." Her thoughts raised questions. Was it technically hers now? "He gave it to me for safekeeping. It is-.. was very special to him. It was given to him by a host named Cecil-.. I think? It all happened back when dad was my age." Maybe it was her father's message to her - one that told her that it was her turn to make her own stories to tell. The thought lingered in her head for a little, but again it was interrupted by something.

BOOM

The ground rumbled violently with what sounded like an explosion. Fear and adrenaline filled her chest as Camilla ran outside - like many other hosts - to see what the cause of the noise was. Dozens, if not hundreds of hosts all laid eyes on the massive end of a ship that poked out of the top of the castle. Murmurs of concern rose within the growing crowds of people. "Are we getting attacked?" "Is it the Dominion?" "I knew we weren't safe here!" all began to bounce between host to host, yet nobody dared to investigate the crash. After all, it was only Camilla that lived in the castle at this point.

It didn't feel like the Dominion's style to launch a broken ship at the castle - besides, they had a deal, after all! "Wait-.. is that.." Camilla narrowed her eyes to focus on the actual ship itself. The sun was not helping. There was something oddly familiar with that ship. Her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and excitement. "SAM!" In an instant, Camilla shot up the trail leading to the castle.

Morning
Host Village
Castle | Throne Room
​

Because of the angle in which the ship landed, Colt - along with probably other members of the crew - had rolled off to collapse on the stone flooring in front of the throne. Smoke and dust permeated the castle's interior, filling the lungs of the living, being Colt and Sam. However, the smoke was the smallest concern on Colt's mind. The vision of life leaving Camilla's eyes hadn't left her. If anything, the intense smoke only helped to isolate Colt in her thoughts and intensify this-.. lost emotion. Colt didn't even want to get up. Laying sideways on the ground, her expression was unmoving.

Fushensetsu.. She had finally had a taste of the insanity which that man brought. Hearing about him from Dominic and Sam was one thing, but having been at the mercy of the bastard himself?

Flashes of yellow light from Camilla's lightning barely penetrated the film of dust. "Sam?! Colt?!" Oh, now Colt was hallucinating. She could barely make out an adult's figure beginning to emerge from the smoke. Was this supposed to be Colt's vision of her? The woman had Camilla's taste in clothing... The same hair, yet longer-...

"Colt!" Camilla ran into a slide and scooped Colt up into a tight embrace.

Now this wasn't funny. Who was this woman pretending to be her unofficial daughter? The perfume she used was even the same-...

"I missed you so much-..! I thought you would never come back!"

Come back..? Wait-..

Tears finally began to stain Colt's face. There were too many similarities. The 'illusion' felt too real. There was actual warmth behind the hug, and Colt found herself squeezing Camilla as hard as she could.

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam Sarith/Cetus, Zodiac/Jericho, Eldest Sibling​

Anger and rage swirled around Sam as he had darted into combat with Fushinsetsu. Filled with a fury and rage, he had kept up his assault. Yet quickly the world changed. The guardian was pacified, a strange man appeared, spoke words that fell on deaf ears to Sam, and then air.

Everyone was falling

~~~~

Suddenly being flung into the air wasn't really a problem for anyone in Cetus' crew, nor for the zodiac herself. Being spirits, they didn't need to answer to silly things like the laws of physics, and gravity was one of the laws they regularly ignored. The crew tried to stop the ship, but unfortunately it was traveling far too fast...and was also now very much real. The hands of crew members trying to save what they could of their beloved vessel sadly fell to nothingness, and collided with the castle. Cetus brought her remaining in siblings together for a quick consultation, and the trio split. Oliver and Jericho took small squads of spirits to go and scout the area, while Cetus landed to secure the castle. She figured Sam could make sure Colt was alright. The zodiac collected what harpoons she could and stood as a guardian, preventing any approach.

Sam himself handled the fall just fine. He could fly on a technicality, using moisture in the air to "swim" through. It was one of his more advanced mobility techniques, and given his enraged attitude, he couldn't focus very well. It functioned more as a slow fall instead of actual flight. He landed in a haze of smokey clouds, coughing as he tried to find his bearings. The fight was over? He didn't want to believe it. With unsteady legs, he pushed himself to his feet. What had happened? He was fighting with Cetus and Colt and...


"Colt? COLT! Are you there!? Call out!" He swore loudly and tried to wave more smoke away from himself. He coughed and continued to move through the smoke. Eventually, he broke through to Colt and...someone else embracing her. Sam coughed as he escaped the worst of the smoke, trying to find words.

"C-colt, are you okay? You can't fl-C..ca.." Sam's words failed him as he saw who she was hugging. His long term partner was hugging...her. Camilla. The person he'd been looking for. Sam just stared for a few seconds as a whirlwind of emotions assaulted his mind. He felt relief, gratefulness. A large part of him wanted to just leap into the hug and hold her. Never letting her go again. But Sam was nothing if not perceptive. As the emotional shock started to wane, he noticed things that were...off. It was almost everything right. The clothes, the voice, the way she held herself...as he took a breath, his keen sense of smell even picked up her perfume. But she was older. A woman...not a girl. A sword on her back. Things didn't add up.

Tears threatening to spring from his eyes, Sam's pistol found itself pointed at Camilla. He'd been through too much to know that one layer was all it would take. Fushinsetsu was a devious bastard, and setting them into another dimension with something that could replicate the girl they loved. But Sam had seen her body. He...he knew. But had that all been an illusion? What if this was real? He wanted to believe it so bad. Sam's hands shook as he held out his gun. "Step...step away from her Colt. I can't lose you too." Emotion crackled at the end of his voice, threatening to break him down. Though his gun was firmly pointed, he looked...unsure. A painful look of mourning was plastered across Sam's face.

"Our girl is gone Colt...she's gone. We saw the body. I want her to be here too. So. damn. Bad. But she's..she's dead." His last words were painful whispers as the man kept his gun trained on Camilla. He finally addressed the woman who resembled the child he so loved. "So..so what is it? Shape-shifting? Memory Projection? Just your way of tormenting us? STEP BACK DAMMIT." He leaned forward slightly to get a better angle with his pistol. He couldn't lose Colt. He'd lost so many...and he knew Dom wasn't long for this world. With Camilla gone, Colt was one of the few he had left.

As he held the gun, tears streamed down his face, and Sam looked like he was on the verge of sobbing.

~~~~

Jericho, Eldest Sibling​

With a folded laptop under his arm, Jericho flew through the air. He'd fanned out his men to save on time, so was just him gliding through the air as he neared a resident of some nearby community. He moved with an ethereal grace. Every movement intended. He'd look...strangely familiar to Samantha, if Lucy was one to recognize familial resemblance. He had black har, but where the protective spirit had donned long hair to her waist, his was short. Barely coming past the ears. His eyes shone bright blue, and there was an intelligence hiding behind simple glasses. He landed in front of Lucy, happy to finally have made contact...but still on guard. He waved a hand, bringing the laptop open into the air beside him as he spoke, the sound of keys clacking against his hand could be audibly heard. When he spoke, his voice was deep. Samantha's age could be placed somewhere in her late teens or early twenties by apperance alone. It was easy to tell he was older.

"Hello there, girl." He peered as if looking past her. "My name is Jericho, I believe we dropped our ship into your castle accidentally. However, we really do need to know where we are." He adjusted his glasses as he peered at her, before his eyes looked over to the screen. "Host presence is significant...But recently acquired. Are you a host? I hope your a kind one." He gave a kind smile and nodded to her. "A pleasure to meet you."

 

[Kisaki]

Akano Tsubaki (Diamond)

Thanks to the recent activity with zodiacs and hollows, hundreds of people within the town have been killed or hurt. Amelia would have loved to pack her bags and move to some place far away from the chaos. However, she had family, the bakery, and the children she needed to look after. Then there was Hideo Ozaki. He was a nice guy, but she didn't need a 'darn guard dog' following her everywhere. She wanted to knock the teeth out of her father who left her and her mother for years not to only return suddenly without notice. He had no right to dictate what happens in her life. Thankfully Hideo never followed her within the school. It was one of the few times where she could be free.

Akano greeted each staff member within the cafeteria, asking 'how was your day?'. They usually responded with, 'It has been better'. It was understandable. Several of the staff members had been killed by monsters running rampant in the city. Oddly, the school's principle was among the staff members, conversing with a man with a suitcase.​

Diamond walked over to the duo and gave a quick bow. "Good morning, sir-s" Akano greeted the two. She then turned to her boss. She noted the tired tone of his voice. He was worn out by his wife death. Since the accident, he had been cooped up in his office for hours. "Ethan Falls?" She repeated the name. Akano kept a straight face, unhindered by the terrible tragedy that happened to the boy. She couldn't imagine living without her mother. There was no time for pity, though. "So where is he?"Akano asked, brushing the long strands of hair behind her ears. There was so many orphans within the school. It might as well be called an orphanage since the left over staff members keep bringing children who roam the streets alone. She estimated she at least taught 300 students from her school and from others.
Boss

 

[Skaggon]

Mason had no issues waiting in the locker room. He had learned a great deal about patience. He planned to wait quietly with the other for his results. After the altercation between two of the more colorful looking people he let out a sigh. It seemed very childish to Mason the way the girl had started messing with him. After seeing the guy pick her up did he get anxious. This room was not big enough for a fight to break out and Mason didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Thankfully he put her back down after his little display of dominance. After the cigarette offering he decided he wasnt much of a fan of the two. He was displaying way to much desire to be the alpha of the room and even scanned them to see if he would win in any fights that broke out. The cigarette just looked like a shitty way to ease the tension and let the other naturally fall in behind their new leader. "You are aware that lighting a cigarette in a small room is very rude to every else. Some of us my hate the smell of the smoke and will have issues breathing it. That's very inconsiderate of you." He knew his comment might cause aggression but he didn't care. He spoke the truth and he personally did not enjoy the smell. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to him. "I guess you just weren't raised with basic manners." At this point he was hoping the big guy would start something. It seemed fun enough to help kill the time. Solemn Jester solem Boss

 

[Azukai]

SidTheSkid Kiosk hwayi

The subsequent outbursts from each defendant were enough to halt the elder's departure. He was halfway out of his seat, when he paused to listen to the desperation on the floor; though at the end of the day, it wasn't him who made the first response. An overwhelming voice exploded from the stands, where an armor-clad man stood with obvious rage defining his composure. "To the hell with their pleas. I'm not so foolish as to make the same mistake twice. Fool me once and I lose my familia; you demons will not fool me again." Much to the dismay of the defendants, the man's words spurred a sudden wave of agreement across the various members of the court--whatever mistake he had mentioned in his speech, had been enough to rally them under a single cause. That being said, not every member of the court was convinced; many of them remained neutral to the issue, while others, in particular Tuzi, were suddenly livid towards the claim. Without hesitation, Tuzi rose from her seat; her body shaking from anger as she began her counter to the prior claim. "I cannot speak for the demons, themselves, but what crimes have the girl's committed? We gave them their terms for clemency, and they did as we asked. Have they not proven themselves innocent; mere bystanders to an unfortunate happening."

The man simply scoffed, his emotions unswayed by the words that had been spoken. "Ludicrous, you are showing signs of Stockholm, Tuzi. Should I summon my guard that observed your girls? I hear they were less than cooperative at every point. I beg to evaluate your definition of success." A snarl immediately erupted in Tuzi's throat, seconds before flashing of lightning began to spark from her body. "Children...Lóng...they are ordinary children for fuck's sake. Taken from their homes, forced to labor in an separate continent. Were you expecting joy from them?" Tuzi's choice of words and sudden display of power was seen as a challenge to the man. Flames began to burst from the crevices of his armor, all while the general air temperature of the room began to rise. "Shall we decide their fate with a duel? Though, we both know the outcome for them would be the same." He said in a mocking tone that gloated his prowess in battle. Tuzi took the bait--her body hurtling forward in a sudden burst of lightning. Yet before she could initiate the fight with Lóng, her body became suddenly visible; her speed no longer present. Similarly, the flames surrounding her opponent's body were gone as well.

"Intriguing." The elder suddenly announced--his eyes fixated on the sizable orb of fire and lightning that now hovered in front of his face. "To call others children when your actions are as such." He suddenly reached for the orb and swallowed it whole. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips following the consumption of his meal; and soon after, his attention returned to the floor. "I shall deliver the verdict. I have heard both sides and in response, I declare Yue and Janiaya are void of all charge. However, their knowledge of our organization is not light. As such, they will be inducted into the Si Xiang--houses shall be determined." Immediately following his declaration, he flashed Tuzi a sly grin. Her face remained furious at the amendment of servitude, yet she was still relieved that the worst had not come to pass...at least not for the girls. "As for the demons...I agree with Long; they are a risk to all society, human or not. As such, they shall be sentenced to execution and their bodies serviced for research. For now, return them to isolation..."

All around the room, the guards sprung into action. Similar to before, they began a sudden mantra that first removed the snakes, then formed a portal which engulfed the bodies of Devan and the Herald. Almost instantaneously, they were deposited back into the limbo from before. Meanwhile, back on the court floor, the elder turned his attention towards Yue and Janaiya, to whom he asked a simple question. "Each of you, speak your mind--your answer will determine your trial."

 

[Boss]

| Clown |

​

Morning
Brookfield General
Floor 4 | Patient Room 04
​

Elijah could feel the change in the atmosphere almost immediately after stepping into Hinako's assigned room. The way Hinako's gaze fixated on the rising sun beyond the large window set the mood for their encounter. From her upright position on the hospital bed, Hinako had a perfect view of the city from where she laid. Oddly enough, her usually cold exterior was gone, replaced by a strange peace that hadn't changed even when Elijah arrived. "Today is the day I die, Eli." Were Hinako's opening words. Her tone showed confidence rather than fear or sadness despite the conclusion she had arrived at. "The nurses transferred me to this room just an hour ago. I have a beautiful view of the city. I can see the harbor, the red light district, and even a piece of Combine, too." Hinako's hands fidgeted with one another. "The city has a perfect view of me, too. More specifically, the sniper does."

"Lorenzo's sent number 7, his best long-range assassin, to kill me. My guess is that he's caught wind that I'm no longer serving your buddy 'Diablo'. 7 is kind enough to reveal the glimmer of her scope to notify me beforehand." Hinako finally turned to look at Elijah. "7 knows why I'm in this business - why I kill for men like Lorenzo. The truth is-... My younger sister, Anzu, has been captured by the Dominion. Normally they would execute her for the damage she's done against their operations, but Lorenzo has powerful connections - people who can keep Anzu alive so long as I obey." Her eyes lowered to her hands. "... I'm just a lame horse now. I haven't been able to move my legs since the incident. I'm no use to anyone anymore, and I can't protect Anzu any longer."

"Ever since I came to Brookfield, I've never met someone accepting of hosts who haven't tried to kill or take advantage of them first. Even hosts are hostile to one another to a certain degree - nobody's trustworthy. But then, I met you." Hinako glanced back up to Elijah. "Eli, I want you to look after my little sister, and if possible - bring down Lorenzo's entire organization. He has dirt on every assassin in his arsenal. If that dirt is erased, there will be no place on this earth that could hide him from us." The mere thought of Lorenzo's assassins turning on him brought a smile to Hinako's face. "Frankly, if you were to simply break Anzu out of Dominion custody, I would be grateful. I'd have done so myself long ago, but the moment I step out of line is the moment Anzu dies, and I don't even know where she's being held."

 

[SidTheSkid]

.

Spoiler: Devan Eldridge "

[IMG='width:428px;']https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eGi95RhiKVU/WuJ3VYO4m3I/AAAAAAAAOGk/Ck-QaxyXDT8oCHiIQ38PxWpKruY3hLFEQCJoC/w530-h795-n/16%2B-%2B1[/IMG]

[IMG='width:552px;']https://i.postimg.cc/xjGDq8wn/le.png[/IMG]
. ​

(Location: Eastern Asia, Kunlun Mountains. )
(Mood: Insane )
(Interactions: Herald)
(Mentions: )

To believe that he'd spend his whole career helping out ordinary people as a member of law enforcement and now after losing just about everything in his life held precious to him, including his own humanity, he himself would be the one needing support from those he had never properly met. There'd been a side of him that was unable to not think of it as a cruel irony, favorably even with voluntarily submitting his own life to the likes of two strangers, both of them were more than willing to oppose the impulsive judgment with each argument explaining their innocence to some degree. "Hey what's that suppose to mean!?" Sharply retorting back to Janaiya's first concluding statement, Devan couldn't help but be considerably offended as she tried to point out in a way how 'pathetic' of a person he was, the nerve of that girl! Nevertheless, her unpleasant remark had been forgiven and forgotten about once the living embodiment of an 'aluminum can' had garishly presented itself to the tribunal while spouting out its hateful rhetoric almost causing Devan to lose his mannerly composure but before he could so much as vividly explain as to how much he wanted to tumble that iron-ass hat into an open furnace there'd been another person who had interjected, except this time it was someone he had least expected to interfere, Tuzi's resentful words spoke volumes as she verbally lashed out against 'tin-man' and continued to ferociously argue him with him until they proceeded in solving things in a different way, not with their persuasive exchanges but rather with a physical duel! It nearly put Devan back into high-spirits as the climactic unfolding of violence spilled out around him, envisioning that pompous jackass having his jaw spun around like a carousel would've been a captivating experience and probably would've given him a fairly large opportunity to work out a clever scheme to escape from this mountainous purgatory, even the teensiest window of convenience would've given him enough time to calculate a seemingly decent plan during the scuffle but as expected from his Devil's luck this didn't go according to plan, if anything it backfired tremendously. Thanks to his misfortune they'd been spared a ceaseless life in the realm of boredom which was all fine and dandy if it weren't for the fact that it was replaced with Herald and Devan being sentenced to death.

"No fucking way." Scrunching his scraped forehead against the unforgiving bricked floor, his mien had been masked with bewilderment and excessive wrath after begrudgingly listening to the clearly absurd verdict that had been bestowed upon him. Honestly, he would've preferred living in that damned realm compared to being killed off without a care in the world, at least he would've had Herald to accompany him through the many years of solitude but instead this so-called 'judge' saught out a deranged sense of mercy by having them put down like there were nothing more than rabid animals and then having their lifeless bodies toyed with for their amusement, he could feel every muscle fiber and vein vigorously tensing itself inside of him as the onlooking spell-casters had performed their mantra which had unwisely given him just enough leeway to adjust himself from off the ground, fully making himself able to lurch his way up from his stony seating and into a standing position all the while riveting his 'fuming' eyes to the Elder. "You will come to regret this path you've chosen." Bitterly gritting his teeth after he furiously spoke, it came somewhat as a startling surprise to those hearing his ordinary timbre becoming replaced with something far less woeful and significantly more delirious, traces of his pitiful former self had apparently vanished along with the non-threatening ambiance that was presently being consumed by his supernatural presence. Visible tension was evident in his tottering bodily movement as he was becoming engulfed by the swirling vortex, this ominous sensation of outward rage had kept trying to push his rigid body forward during his recapture but it proved to be useless against the overwhelming attraction that this mystical portal had on his feeble human body, before he knew it he'd once more found himself unconsciously staring into the abyss of the harrowing realm instead with sheer disbelief at the forlorn demise his future held for him and the drunkard, his now former self temporarily returning as he questions the meaning of his own existence inside of his mind, some of which slipping out of his thoughts and within earshot of Herald.

"Why do you do this to me?! Haven't I suffered enough?!" His vocal cords tightened in agony as he bawled his lungs out to the vast openness of the void, still no matter how much he continued to 'scream' out into the darkness of the realm there'd been no response, only silence that furthered his inner desolation. "It's because of what I did, isn't it? You know I cannot control that side of me!" He let one last final bellow out from his strained throat before crunching up into a fetal position with his arms wrapped around the front of his knees and his face buried in between them as he softly wept to himself, although facing away from Herald so she couldn't see him completely losing it. He kept thinking about if his life of debauchery, drugs, and so forth was enough to deserve being continuously tortured, maybe he'd warranted being kicked in the ribs or even obtaining a scar for the rest of his life but being treated as a joke? A play-thing for this creator's warped amusement?! Whatever the case, he understood that this wasn't entirely his own fault, he believed above all else that he tried his damned hardest to find absolution for his past deeds but even when he'd submitted his own independence it still wasn't enough, did they expect him to tear his own heart out before the jury? No, this wasn't his fault at all, Devan had been considering that his inevitable death had been provoked due to none other than Herald for her ill-advised antics throughout the proceedings. "You..." Unshielded his head from the comfort of his legs, only to direct a grimace at the woman while he conveyed his animosity. "You're the reason why we're going to die, all because you had to act like some boozed-up moron! How is it that you screw things up this badly?" He paused, his face now transitioning into a pinkish-hue as his insides boiled with rage, it didn't take him long to erupt in an episode of rage leading him to suspend himself next to Herald and grab ahold of both her shoulders, his tear-stricken expression now a mere foot away from hers. "I would've preferred dying back in that shit-hole of a bar, only if it meant sparing me from the likes of you." His frown furthered as his hate intensified, eventually, his tightened grip had released from her body along with the menacing glare that had subsided after gently floating back away to his normal reclusive spot where he'd begun irritably snatching away rocks from the floating pile he had, now flicking away the insignificant pebbles into the nothingness that accompanied him.

Aggravated was an understatement, if she hadn't even shown up to the Night's Owl that day he would've ended that meeting with Nikky and went back home to that crappy run-down apartment he considered his home. A pitiful scoff drew from him as he imagined how he probably had already been evicted after the absent payments, even with the wide stretch of pandemonium happening throughout Brookfield they would still find a way to make him even more miserable, fuckers probably gave away all of his belongings to an auction-house including his pet lizard. "Bastards." He mumbled, nonchalantly he had thrown away his last rock and had nothing to do other than stare boringly at the levitating kegs of sake fluttering a good distance away from him. Watching those sentient breweries go about their daily commute kinda reminded him of Herald except without the addition of contempt he had in regards to what she had done in the past but preferably the admirable side of her, the one that had saved him and made his existence during their months of captivity mildly entertaining during the random conversations they'd share with one another, his guilty had basically surfaced when he came to realize that she was probably the closest thing to a 'friend' he's ever had. "Those things that I said earlier, I didn't mean them you know?" Devan's voice wandered aimlessly, his choking words full of many emotions as he concluded his response. "I'm just so scared..." Admittedly, he'd never truly mentioned it or revealed his unease for the purpose of pretending to be someone he wasn't, someone that wasn't afraid of death or simply someone who had already lived his life to the fullest potential yet this was far from the truth. Every waking moment of his existence reminded him of constant failure but frankly, it was largely in part to seeing friends, colleagues, and just about everyone around him having the times of their lives while he 'wasted' away, like dust in the wind.

Suddenly like a bolt of lightning, a resolution to all of his problems had struck him.
[IMG='width:316px;']https://66.media.tumblr.com/08a7f1d3056e7382993edcdcfb277c30/tumblr_ovbz23PdH41scdpb5o1_540.png[/IMG][IMG='width:491px;']https://i.postimg.cc/MH03g42h/we.png[/IMG]
Ridiculous fits of fiendish snickering rumbled from the trembling 'detective' as his latched onto a part of his side, his other hand concealing his face as he tried desperately regaining his composure nonetheless he couldn't keep himself from barreling out into a burst of full-on maniacal laughter. "Ha-Hahahaha! How could I have been so naive?" All of this time he was thinking that he was the one to blame for the continuous lack of success that had befallen him but instead those background voices, those people who had been mocking them all this time, they were the prime issue of his failures! They were the ones that needed to be punished for their unforgiving actions, not him! Devan's former innocence had left him as he approached Herald, a disturbed mannerism slightly twitching on his face as he announced his 'revelation'. "Humanity's disease, corruption. That's why we're being punished, for those who do not understand! Call it a stretch but I believe 'fate' has chosen us to correct these ignorant wrongdoings." For once he actually believed that he'd found 'clarity', given his newfound madness he discovered that akin to any ordinary sickness it must be purged any other in order for it to stop spreading, he suspected that Dominion and all those gullible fools who were in support of them were the ones making Brookfield inhabitable! Without these disgusting wretches polluting their society, he and all those like him would be able to prosper in a new world, untouched by those that seek to harm it. "Even if it means through a trial of pain." Stretching out his hand before him gave him an idea, it would've been foolish to place a Host into a completely solid realm where there'd be a chance that they could create some kind of weapon but unknowingly to these Chinese Dominion they had given Devan complete access to an arsenal of blades that could be used at his disposal. "I'd suggest looking away." Acquiring his index finger in his other hand, he gave one last look to Herald before enduring the first gruesome step of his strategy.

Spoiler: Gore Warning

Without a moment to spare he had managed to snap his index finger almost all the way to the back of his hand, a sickening 'pop' echoed as the joint separated from his hand. Adrenaline vigorously spiked through his epicenter as he felt the torrent of pain flowing through him, he had expected this to be a feeling of complete agony but was glad to figure out that his unnatural abilities had suppressed the amount of pain he could feel, it felt no worse than feather gracing his bare skin although it was nothing compared to when he started tugging onto the dangling finger with all of his might, an excruciating 'yelp' followed as his muscles, tendons, and veins all twisted in an unnerving sequence making a visible pool of red blemish the breaking point until it steadily leaked through the unsightly tears beginning to shred apart his lower knuckle. By this point it had been too late to stop, his finger was an absolute wreck of its former self and he had no other choice than to remain diligent in his efforts! His wound had acted as a faucet as it poured weakily down his hand, covering most of it in crimson as he stretched the wound causing each muscle and tendon to be exposed to the atmosphere and split apart from one another and at long last he'd literally severed his index finger from his own hand, he didn't know what to think of seeing an appendage separated from his own body other than finding it kinda surreal!

Just when he thought he could configure some kind of weapon it hadn't worked as there was no visible bone present to him even when he fumbled around his torn finger and looked at the tear, no bone! How was he going to create some kind of fandangled bone cleaver if he couldn't reach it? A sickening idea came to mind when Devan blundered attempting to claw his way through the remains with his fingernails without any success. Bearing his teeth, he had no clue what to expect as he dug his front chompers into his own flesh aside from being slightly disgusted... Soft gagging came from each munch as he chewed on his own muscles, hints of blood squirted from his bottom lip as he made his way through to the exposed veins, it was unnerving feeling a stringy sensation go down his throat by accident but before he could so much as hurl from the traumatic experience had had clanged his teeth with a hard material, an exposed bone.

At long last, the ordeal was over and Devan had finished severing his finger from his hand, chewing through it, and lastly exposing the bone that he could work with! "Interesting..." He knew that one of his feats involved regeneration, it was discovered when he had messed up his arm during one of his many training 'episodes' but was able to disregard it once they had allowed him to partake in prepared meals. However, it came as a 'shock' witnessing another finger replacing itself on the bloodied stump! "They're going to be in for quite the treat once they summon us back." He let out a cruel snicker as the bone he had been holding constructed itself into a shortened cleaver, it'd been about the size of your average butcher knife except it had been covered in irregular fixed points, resembling that of the ends of the distal bones in his fingers, it may have not been the most appealing weapon but it was more than enough to end someone's life.
Azukai , hwayi , Kiosk

.

 

[Boss]

Lexi Caiheart
​

Morning
Brookfield | Downtown
Therapist's Office | Session Room
​

For the last time, Lexi tried her best to recall the events of that night, going so far as to add a little more detail than she did in her previous attempt. The therapist remained silent, jotting down notable changes in how she worded the attack. At this rate, Lexi could be considered as a recovering victim, although there was much more to the mystery of Lexi Caiheart than she let on.

"Doc... I've answered as honestly as I could... So could you tell me this... Am I going crazy?"

"No, not at all." The therapist set down his notebook and pen to shift all of his attention to his client. "Three decades ago and I wouldn't have a single clue as to what you were talking about, but certain pockets of the world - including this city - has been repeatedly exposed to monsters like the ones you describe. Suffice it to say, what you've experienced is actually quite common in Brookfield. We live in times where seeing the boogeyman is just about as frequent as getting mugged. So no, you aren't going crazy." Reaching back over to his notebook, the elder glanced through his notes before retrieving a separated piece of paper hidden between the pages and scribbling down on it.

That's when the therapist handed that paper to Lexi and continued. "You may be subject to hallucinations over the course of the next two weeks. I'm no scientist, but I've been told it has something to do with the amount of.. 'negative energy' you've been exposed to. Take that slip of paper to any pharmacy and they'll give you something that looks like a bracelet or a necklace which will negate those visions." That marked the end of Lexi's two-month therapeutic sessions. The process of obtaining the item described by her therapist went without a hitch, and Lexi soon donned a bracelet that glowed a faint blue. There was no telling what it actually did to help, other than it could.

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Host Village​

Lucy's head simply nodded in response to Camilla, her thoughts on the spirit seemingly the same. The girl continued to stare at the sheath as Camilla spoke, her mouth slightly opening to respond, a finger rising to emphasise some sort of point, until.
*BOOM*
Following Camilla outside with rushed breaths, Lucy stood behind her, watching as the ship crashed into the castle fearfully, before staring back at the young woman. Before the girl could even react to the scene, however, Camilla was gone, Lucy's mouth left half-way open once more, in preparation to speak before she was interrupted. "...Bye." Lucy un-enthusiastically mumbled, raising her hand in the air toward the trail that the young woman had left behind, a slight, worried frown stretched across her visage.

"Sam?" The girl wondered to herself. What did this have to do with the spirit? Camilla sounded more excited than anything... The whole thing confused Lucy, though concern still existed within her as she stared up toward the crash. She couldn't just leave this alone, despite her desire to do so.

Preparing her body to move, Lucy's leg rose to take a step toward the castle, until a figure suddenly appeared before her, resulting in a soft, audible squeak from the girl, her body recoil backward. "Sa-..." Lucy began to call out as her eyes met their face, though she quickly stopped as her eyes better adjusted to the man's attributes, forcing her into a tense silence, her body following suit.

Lucy simply stared toward the man's chest as he spoke, her breaths slightly rapid, a bead of sweat slipping from her brow, her face couldn't hide the discomfort the sudden stranger brought forward. She had no idea if she could trust the man, even enough to tell him where they were, though in truth the notion of silence was far more comfortable. As brought up her host presence, Lucy's entire being seemed to jolt for a split second. The girl's eyes glanced back and forth from the castle, the worry building within her, as her face slowly distorted further.

"I-... I ha- have to g...." The soft squeak of Lucy's voice was more of a whispered mumble than actual words, her head slowly moving further down as she spoke, though her eyes still glanced upward. Slowly, her legs began to creep forward, attempting to step around the man, though she couldn't gather the courage to simply sprint away rudely. As her body did move, her neck seeming to shrink into her shoulders, Lucy continued to glance at Jericho's visage, and at the castle ahead.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Boss]

James Mac niadh Lane | Mason Mendella

​

Morning
Brookfield | the mountain shrine
Brookfield Branch | Classroom 3B => Locker Room
​

James' dismissive attitude only added more fuel to the eventual fire. Their argument soon became the center attraction of the locker room with a mixed reception. Some were visibly engaged, silently praying that James and Justine would duke it out while others were simply hoping they wouldn't get caught up in it. Things would have escalated, but the offer of a cigarette defused the situation as quickly as it came. "Tch, 'least you're good for somethin'." hissed the woman as she snatched the offered cancer stick and dug around in her pockets for something to light the end with.

"You are aware that lighting a cigarette in a small room is very rude to every else. Some of us may hate the smell of the smoke and will have issues breathing it. That's very inconsiderate of you."

Justine froze just before she had ignited the lighter under the cigarette. Was this dude talking to her?

"I guess you just weren't raised with basic manners."

Eyes shifted back to James, then back to Mason. Surely he was talking to the big guy, but Justine felt the need to speak up after hearing that. "I hate to break it to you, but.." She paused to light the end and take a short drag to get the cigarette started. "If smoke bothers you then you're in the wrong field, princess. Templars don't operate on cloud nine." Justine faced away from the group as if that was going to end the back and forth slander. "Mason's only saying that because there's no telling how long we're going to be waiting here for." Leaning against a nearby locker, a rugged, bearded man spoke up in defense of Mason's statement. It was odd realizing how the man already knew Mason's name without him giving it to anyone. "That's great, now go back to your corner." Justine retorted.

The man simply chuckled and pushed himself off of the locker door. "You know, weapons are prohibited to applicants until graduation. For someone who's failed the final phase of the process three times, you'd think you'd know by now." The man referred to Justine's previous history and how it wasn't her first, second or even third time applying. "You could always ask your boyfriend Jakob to bring you in-... Well, I'd call it more of a one-sided relationship if anything." Justine began to boil over with rage and embarrassment at having her own personal information outed. Her mouth opened to spew forbidden words, but was ultimately overshadowed by the man's introduction. "You may all refer to me as Felix, a retired freelance hacker who specializes in information gathering. -- No need to introduce yourselves, I already know who you all are. For example," Felix's finger poked out of the cloak that covered his upper body and directed it at James. "Former boxer with a successful career until you were utterly humiliated by a host. No surprise why you're standing in here right now, but one thing still bogles me - Is Lexi your long-lost daughter, or-..."

 

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac niadh Lane
James was surprised to hear someone else speak up against his cigarette. Although not so surprised when Justine snatched it. He frowned glaring daggers at the pretty boy who had made such a big deal about them smoking in here. Of course, James had offered the cigarette so he assumed the man was talking to him. Although apparently so did Justine, who replied before James could get a word out edgewise. But her response brought something out of James. That he hadn't done in two whole months. The giant man suddenly roared with laughter. Unable to control himself as a wide sparkling grin came over his usually stern, or grim expression."Hahaha! Oh god, maybe his delicate sensibilities can't handle the smoke. Although you'd think after surviving as long as we did being hunted in the Amazon he wouldn't be so high maintenance." James joked, staying leaned back on his wall just chuckling and grinning like a man who just had the best ride of his life. It seemed this little interaction melted the stress off of him. His good vibes could most definitely be felt through the room. Most likely affecting others. It probably would have made their little hangout a lot more pleasant. If one them hadn't decided to start airing people's dirty laundry. James smile immediately fell from his face at the mention of his past failures. Just talking about that match brought back the terror of the fight. Being unable to do anything, his foes shadow seemingly looming over him like a colossus. Over course it wasn't nearly that bad. It was more like some kind of mental attack as far as James could tell. He blushed, turning his head away and crossing his arms almost defensively."Didn't your mother ever teach you not to dig in other peoples dirty laundry. Some people prefer to keep that stuff to themselves." He said going noticeably silent, and just starring off towards his past. Stuck in the nightmare of his last fight. The battle replaying in his mind over and over again. Like a reoccurring nightmare. His massive frame just crouched against the wall as he quietly contemplated his life choices.



Boss Skaggon

 

[Jackaboi]

Lexi Caiheart
A cool bracelet, a runaway dog and a large man with big problems​

The atmosphere was silent, broken only by the ticking and the sound of pen scribbling on paper, but as Lexi asked her question, the doctor put his notebook down and calmly answered her. She listened closely as the words escaped the elder's mouth, it was hard to say whether his explanation calmed her or just served to worry the girl further. Guess the truth ain't ever so pretty. The fact she remained oblivious to the existence of these monsters astounded her. Especially considering they're no rarer than the common criminal. Still, it's better knowing than not knowing. The doctor picked up his notebook again and tore out what looked to be a prescription. "D-don't tell me I have to take pills or something..." Thankfully she was wrong, it was not a drug she was being prescribed, but rather a piece of jewellery that would apparently stop the hallucinations. It was true she was seeing the odd shadow creep up in the corner of her vision which of course once she looked there was nothing there. Plus maybe this "negative energy" could be attributed to her numerous nightmares so this could probably help.

This being the end of Lexi's therapy sessions, she thanked the doctor for giving the time to help her through the trauma of that horrible night, sure she was fully aware it was his job to do it but she felt workers aren't appreciated enough by the public for the effort they put in for modern society. Lexi had assumed she would have to go to a pharmacy to pick up this accessory considering it was a piece of prescription paper and she was right. Upon showing the clerk the piece of paper and signing her name on a few places she was given a bracelet that glowed with beautiful blue light. One could even say it was magic. However, once she tried it on she didn't notice much difference apart from the fact she felt a little more stylish. However, she didn't like how just wearing it basically screamed out to people saying 'Hey! I was part of that disaster two months ago!' But it wasn't like she had a choice. She didn't want any more nightmares of that night again... Assuming the bracelet worked for that too.

Lexi left the pharmacy and gave Champ a soft pat before untieing his leash from the lamp post that prevented him from running away anywhere. Yeah, Lexi is taking care of Champ while James is away trying to sign up for the Dominion in Brookfield. Of course, she wanted to go with him to cheer him on but she doubted they didn't have time to treat guests, plus someone had to take care of the old fart while he was gone. Still, she sincerely hoped he'd make it in. Lexi could just imagine him patrolling the streets one day, armed to the teeth and ridding the city of those godforsaken monstrosities that prowled the alleyways. Maybe if Lexi wasn't so small, feeble and cowardly she might have considered applying herself. Back on the topic of Champ, Lexi couldn't believe she was able to convince her dad to let her take care of him, it helped that it was only temporary while her friend was away but it was amazing nonetheless.

On the way back home a garbage truck had passed by, leaving behind a very unpleasant odour in the air. Someone clearly forgot to close the back of the container before driving off, the smell was like flesh that had been rotting for ages. Is that really how they were transporting the bodies? Sure there was a lot but it just seemed a little... Disrespectful. Suddenly Champ had been pulling on the leash really hard. The smell of garbage had caught his nose and immediately wanted to chase after it. Champ was a lazy dog but he was immensely strong when he wanted to be. In this case, champ pulled so hard he actually pulled Lexi to the ground, winded she accidentally let go of the leash and the super dog bolted off. "Champ! Ugh... I don't understand that dog at all..." Wasting no time she got up and started chasing him down, it was a good thing that Champ was disciplined enough to stick to the pavement throughout the pursuit, albeit there is a few near misses when he had to cross the road.

They both ended up at some sort of building where all the garbage was being taken to be shipped off to landfill. Lexi sincerely hoped the bodies weren't being sent to the same place, no these trucks were filled with rubble and bodies, not trash, this is just probably where they get separated or something. Unsurprisingly Champ ended up bolting inside, this was definitely not a dog-friendly building, if she didn't find him he could end up getting hurt. Lexi navigated the halls, following the familiar yapping from Champ until she found him trying to get the attention of a large man. "AH! Sorry sorry sorry!" She repeated the word several times until she ran up and picked up the disobedient hound, holding him tightly to make sure he didn't escape again. "Again I'm really sorry for the trouble! It's not like him to run away like that..." She had thought she was already in trouble at this point, she would understand too considering these people were working to clean up... That mess... As Lexi thought about that night the bracelet glowed slightly brighter. However, she herself failed to notice it while she was deep in thought.

Solemn Jester Boss

 

[Boss]

NIKKY VIOLE | Lucy Black

​

Morning = > Noon
Host Village
Fields = > Marketplace
​

The trail connecting the frontal gates to the village ran deep into the center of town. Although they kept moving along despite the abrupt arrival of a broken ship, they weren't even close to reaching the heart of the settlement by the time Nikky had finished her reasonings for showing up. "An old friend of Dominic, then." Johnny pointed out, laughing away the ridiculousness that came with the situation. "You're two months late, unfortunately. He's out on a 'business trip' as he calls it." For a moment the walking juggernaut of a host wondered if he should've brought up Dominic's ill-health considering Nikky was an old friend. Such thoughts were washed away when Nikky finally asked the question.

"Where is all that energy coming from?"

​

"You talking about supernatural energy? Well, we don't hide what we are here. Hosts and Zodiacs exist in the open in this village." That concept became increasingly apparent when they began to disappear deeper into town, where a number of hosts were openly conversing with their ethereal counterparts of many shapes and sizes. It made Nikky's tall tour guide look like normality. "We have a school near here where we encourage the young ones to control their abilities." That being said, their path was suddenly cut by a pair of children bolting between houses. "..-In moderation, of course."

Eventually, they arrived at the marketplace where the severity of the energy was at its densest. The marketplace was at the core of the village and was primarily a large clearing used for setting up stalls. However, it was also used for events like fairs, contests, and holiday festivities. The marketplace was largely empty with most people concerned about the ship. Regardless, Johnny wasn't phased at all by the event. "Over here is the town hall. Over there is the inn, where you'll be staying if you plan on waiting for Dominic to return." Johnny pointed to two large, wooden buildings built along the outer circle of the clearing. There were plenty of other buildings around, but he merely covered the most important ones. "The big man himself resides in that old castle." Finally, he turned his attention to the castle, where both he and Nikky could see a brief trail of lightning bolt up the path leading to the fortification. "...-And that right there was his daughter, Camilla. If anyone knows where Dominic is, you may as well start with asking his little girl." Now that the castle was back in sight, Johnny realized he couldn't ignore the town's shenanigans any longer. "Well, I'm headed up that way anyway. You can come with me if you want to talk to her."

Host Village
Outside Lucy's Home
​

"My name is Jericho, I believe we dropped our ship into your castle accidentally. However, we really do need to know where we are."

"Host village - least that's what we're calling it until it actually gets a name."

A third voice boomed from behind Lucy. Accompanied by Nikky, Johnny made himself known from seemingly out of the blue. "Name's Johnny, no last name. I'm the temporary head of security here. I assume that's your ship?" He asked, nodding his head towards the destruction on the castle.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Sam Sarith


​

Morning => Noon
Host Village
Castle | Throne Room
​

"Step...step away from her Colt. I can't lose you too."

The sudden threat of a weapon shifted the atmosphere. From behind a now sobbing Colt, the smoke dissipated to a point where Sam's figure could be seen. The reflection of light off of the barrel of his gun only emphasized the reality of his hostility towards Camilla as she stared down the chamber. His words didn't reach Colt, forcing Camilla to practically pry the woman off of herself as she rose up to her feet slowly. This left Colt confused - tears streaming down her face uncontrollably as she finally realized the situation. "Sa-..s-.. N-no-.. wait-"

"Our girl is gone Colt."

A flash of confusion befell Camilla as she now stood in front of Sam's gun. Gone? That didn't make any sense... "Bu-.."

"She's gone. We saw the body. I want her to be here too. So. damn. Bad. But she's..she's dead."

It didn't take much for the girl to figure out what had happened. Somehow, the two had been tricked into thinking that she died. A guess told her that her recent absence didn't help matters any, either. If that were the case, Camilla couldn't think of a way that would convince them that she was indeed real. Slowly, she took step after step towards the trembling Sam.

"So..so what is it? Shape-shifting? Memory Projection? Just your way of tormenting us? STEP BACK DAMMIT."

Camilla froze her advance, her eyes locked onto Sam's with a tense expression. Camilla had to admit - feeling Sam's unfiltered hostility was awful, even if it was purely out of confusion. There was a part of her that wouldn't forget the sensation of being seen as an enemy. It almost made her want to cry considering what she had done in the last two or three months. "No." Camilla declared, shaking her head. If Sam truly knew Camilla, he'd know that a gun was completely useless against a speedster like her -- especially now. The girl continued her advance, palms up, until the next step she took suddenly closed the remainder of the distance in an instant, her arms wrapped around Sam in a hug. "It's over, Sam. It's really me this time." She had no clue what had transpired with these two and why it concluded with half of his Zodiac's ship being dropped out of the sky, but she DID know the feeling of being completely and utterly lost with no incentive to believe anything anymore. She knew that what Sam needed was a genuine hug -- someone to tell him that the nightmare was over. Lord knows she needed that at one point too.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Melman Dobson

Melman was waddling away as fast as he could. He felt the burn of his meaty thighs rubbing against one another in an aggressive attempt to push one another out of the way as they fled from danger. Then right as he was about to be free from danger he heard something that made him pause in terror."Ruff!" Melman's eyes widened his pupils dilating as his pulse began to race. His breathing growing light and rapid."Eeehh! Oh no, how did a dog get in here! Run for your life it's going to kill us all!!" He dropped to the floor, covering his head as if an earthquake was happening. He closed his eyelids tightly, bracing for the worse the beast could deliver.

But it wasn't the vicious bites of a rabid beast he felt. Oh no! On the contrary, it was little licks on his round plump face. He opened his eyes hearing a timid and pleasant voice apologizing to him for the adorable little beasties actions. He sat up popping down on his rear laughing as the dog leaped onto his chest licking at his face affectionately."Aww, he's fine little miss. He must have smelled the hot cake crumbs I had on me from breakfast. Mhmm, hotcakes." He purred rubbing his tummy at the memory of one of his ten favorite breakfast meals. He stood to his feet, picking up his glasses which had fallen to his lap upon the dog pouncing on his face. Luckily not broken, he really couldn't afford to buy some new ones. He was already struggling to make due as is. Thankfully his mother also got disability checks now. Which helped a lot. He stared down at the person to whom he had been addressing. Unsure as to what they were doing here. No one had dogs in this building. So it must have been another case of a dog chase down. It happened a lot when you drove around in garbage trucks. Dog's just couldn't help but chase you down. Melman had even adapted to it, developing a defensive position to take in the case of more aggressive dogs. He stared down at the little girl, who had quite the sense of style it seemed. He was in awe at her. She was adorable! Of course, he could tell she was only a teen. So it was basically just an observation as to her being a cutie patootie."Oh well aren't you two the most precious duo I've ever seen." He said but quickly put on a concerned expression."But what are y'all doing in a place like this? We don't allow animals. You best skedaddled before someone see's ya and you get in trouble. We're awfully busy with all that terrible chicanery that happened two months ago. I know I was plum frightened to my squishy core. I hid in my room for two weeks used up all my vacation days and sick days." He said starting to go on a rant as he usually did when he met someone he wasn't totally terrified of.

Jackaboi Boss

 

[Skaggon]

Mason felt they got the wrong impression of him. He didnt mind cigarettes his parents smoked then all of his life. He just didnt think the others were used to the smoke. He was going to defend himself and set things straight when the random guy decided it was his time to shine. After hearing him spew about his hacker nonsense Mason shrugged. "I'm guessing friendship isnt his strong suit. Guy why don't you mind your own business and stop talking about unnecessary shit. No gives a fuck what happened in his past. He could have been a prostitute and I still wouldn't give to shots. Same for her. Or him. Or that person." As he said this he pointed at random people. "The point is that you arent impressing anyone because you know how to use a search engine on you laptop like college students do." He turned toward the girl. "And you. I dont care if you smoke. Others might so you should probably see if it bothers them. Then again they should be able to speak up if it does. Doesn't matter I guess. Just trying not to blow into people faces your breath alone can kill brain cells and cause cancer." He realized he went into a bit of a rant but it didn't bother him. The big looked like he got his balls stomped on and the girl was a bit of a nuisance but the random guy is what really annoyed him. He had no buisness in that conversation but decided to attack them personally. It was a little uncalled for.