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

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Host Village​

A minuscule smile forced itself up towards Sam as he spoke, Lucy's face looked up toward him for a short second before his attention turned toward Nikky, a slight huff of relief escaping the girl as she returned to stare toward the ground. That was until the topic of Samantha came up, forcing the girl's gaze up toward Sam, before she looked to Camilla. A slightly depressive nod followed the taller girl's words from Lucy, followed by a sombre expression.

Lucy said nothing, beside letting out a short, uncomfortable hum at the mention of the spirit's continuing problems, as they continued toward Samantha's abode, sticking close to Camilla as she led the way, moving awkwardly due to the tension of the 'strangers' that followed them. As they arrived, the girl stared toward Camilla after she pressed her finger to the water, brought on by a mixture of her concern of Samantha, and the obvious worry of those with them, an expression she had surely seen countless times over during their time together in the village.

"She's been..." The quiet whisper of Lucy's tone began, barely audible before being interrupted by the 'spirit' herself. "S-Samantha!" Though she was still somewhat quiet, the girl's tone seemed to change from worry to relief as she emerged, running toward the bank of the shore until Samantha came within reach. As soon as she could, Lucy wrapped her arms around Samantha tightly, ignoring the water which drenched her body, clearly glad that she was safe. A small tear joined the abundance of water covering Samantha as Lucy's body relaxed itself.

Boss TerraBooma Kiosk

 

[Boss]

Lexi Caiheart

​

Noon
Brookfield | Residental
Caiheart Residence
​

Henry's glare bored holes into Lexi's body as she distanced herself after the beer was given. Her father hadn't once glanced at the television filling the tense air. "You're home late." The silence that followed his accusation was only broken after he had found a spot to place his beer on the already overcrowded and messy coffee table in front of him. "Have you been talking to that James guy again? You don't have any reason to be anywhere else. C'mere." Henry swept his hand across a now empty spot on the sofa, clearing it of a few cans of beer and an old-fashioned newspaper. "Now sit."

Lexi's father didn't say much after popping open his favorite beverage and devoting most of his attention to the game. "I specifically told you not to speak to him again, didn't I?" Scoffing, he downed a portion of the beer and continued. "He's not your father, I am. If you listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't have that fucking thing on your wrist." The more his mind wrapped around the thought of another man, the more he drank from the bottle. "Try and steal my daughter from me, huh?" Henry murmured to himself with rage swelling in his voice. "I'll take something from you too, asshole." Suddenly, the man downed the last of his beer, turned it upside down, and smashed the end against the corner of the coffee table, creating a weapon out of it. With intoxicated anger, Henry rose up from the stained sofa and marched for Lexi's room, where Champ could be heard barking from inside.

 

[Azukai]

SidTheSkid

Returning to the confines of their prison was something the Herald had expected as a result of her ludicrous actions. Devan's sudden outburst was also an expected outcome, and one that she sustained through a calm, neutral expression that had replaced her former drunken antics. The man had obviously gone off the deep end--a combination of his former confinement mixed with the sudden announcement of his oncoming death. If anything, she took pity on him. He was truly a broken man--scared and angry at the changes that had overtaken his life. But at the end of the day, so was life in a world tainted by the machinations of the supernatural. At the conclusion of his outburst, the Herald's mouth parted with the start of a reply; however, she bit her tongue and waited for the conclusion of his emotions. Albeit surprising as they were. Devan warned her to look away, moments before he ripped through the bone and flesh that defined his index finger. To the Herald, it was an intriguing experience watching a minuscule bone convert into a weapon. Unlike the cleaver from before, the new weapon that Devan held in his hands was a lengthy needle-like object that had two lines of serrated fangs that defined the weapon's blade.

They're going to be in for quite the treat once they summon us back.

Gone were Devan's negative emotions from before--replaced by a sudden spark of confidence that brought a grin to the Herald's face. "About time your not a whining, powerless child." She said in a cocky tone that was a total one eighty from her prior idiocy. In fact, there was little, if any sign of her former, drunken stupor. Her expression was now sly and cunning as she swirled her finger through the air and formed a wisp of blue flame that began circling around its source. "I'm not going to apologize to you, but I will be honest." She began with an air of unexpected solemnity. "The last two months could have been avoided from the start--of course had I done so, you would be in a pitiful state, unfit to survive your cursed future." The flame around her finger flickered, seconds before it molded into the shape of an arrow that was flung Devan's way. In the past, it was something that had been likely to hit; however, given his last two months of acrobatic training, the Herald was confident her test was nothing more than a minor nuisance.

"Show me you haven't wasted two months of my time."

 

[Boss]

​

Noon
Brookfield | Red Light District
The Pleasure Palace | Basement
​

As Lorenzo observed the mistress pass him by, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of foothold Pelagius planned to have in Brookfield. Had it been a casual occupancy within the red light district, there wouldn't be a need to interrogate an overly curious person. The reality in that legitimate torture was being conducted underneath the otherwise peaceful party proved too big of a risk to take for no reason. In any case, Lorenzo could practically sense the frustration behind the host's tone.

"Hm, as much as I'd love to believe you're only here for the festivities. I have my suspicions that your presence here is on behalf of an ulterior motive, am I not mistaken?"

Lorenzo feined shock in response to his suspicions. "Pelagius! Do I not get the benefit of the doubt? Surely the talk of us being rivals hasn't gotten to your head, right?" The gangster let out an infectious laugh. "I'm only kidding. Let's talk elsewhere - I don't want that smell of blood sticking to my new suit."

The Pleasure Palace | Main Floor
​

Pelagius and Lorenzo retired to a lofty booth among the dozens that were already occupied. To his left, number 5 casually drank from a glass of wine under the grasp of Lorenzo. She had no problems avoiding Pelagius' many patrons on the main floor despite being blindfolded, nor was she visually phased at all by the number of eyes that glued to her on their journey to the booth. "You know, when I heard you were coming into town, I initially took you for a madman what with all the hollows and such." Lorenzo scanned the masses that indulged themselves in their primitive desires. "Then I thought; 'Wait a minute, the Crimson Hand's gone!' And as such, business is booming once again. No more taxation, no more ceasefires, no more rules - the underworld is free to do as they please, just like good old times." Lorenzo nodded toward Pelagius. "It was a smart move setting up shop here when you did, but how long do you honestly expect this to last without-.. you know, protection?"

 

[Jackaboi]

​

Lexi's father looked less than pleased at her attempt to back away to safety as his glare fixated onto the scared girl. Then three words escaped his mouth "Your home late." Those same three words that when put together turned into an alarm for danger. As for the reason for her lateness, it was hard to explain, that on top of Henry's intimidating presence, Lexi opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. "I... ah..." Then the man accused her of seeing James again, despite being told specifically not to. However this was far from the truth. James had gone away to train for the Dominion and probably wouldn't be back for a good while. But even then. Truth or not, she could not find the strength to say anything that would make a coherent sentance. "N-no... I Wasn..." Henry wiped away the beer bottles that littered the couch, creating enough space for another individual to sit on. Then ordered Lexi to take a seat. The girl hesitated of course. She was unsure of what he would do if she obeyed his orders. But then again she was even more scared of what will happen if she tried to get away. Lexi did as she was told and sat on the couch. Eyes fixated on any place that would keep Henry out of her vision. Refusing to look even while her father spoke. However despite this she could hear every word he said, especially the part when he mentioned her bracelet. Lexi really badly wanted to say how she'd still have both her eyes if it wasn't for him. Of course she remained in silence with her eyes staring at the T.V yet not focused on the content of the device.

Then Henry started talking to himself. Lexi could just barely make out what he was saying, but she heard enough. It sounded like he was threatening James. Wait what was he going to do? Worried she turned her head towards her father right before she smashed an empty bottle on the table, creating a very crude weapon. Lexi shielded her face from the shards of glass that hurled towards her hoping to avoid losing her other eye. Luckily she came out unscathed but now Henry had a weapon. As he stood tall all Lexi could do was stare in fear. "W-What a-are you doing!?" Lexi was finally able to barely speak again. Due to the desparate situation she seems to have found herself in. Henry started marching towards Lexi's room. Why was he going there? Lexi froze in place, ultimately succumbing to her fears once she heard Champ barking. "N-no way... That's too f-far... Even for him..." It was as if time froze for her. A million thoughts crossing her mind at once. It was hard to make sense of any of it. She had to save Champ but what could she do? She was just a weak little girl who can't do anything but hide and watch in fear whenever something goes bad. Hoping someone else will come round to save the day. She had flashbacks to the moment James saved her from a bunch of muggers in the street and back to when Nikki hid her from danger with that invisibilty power. None of that was going to happen. She didn't want Champ to get hurt, but she was scared of being hurt herself. Remembering the pain from when she lost her eye. Even now the scar that was left behind sent jolts of pain through her system whenever she remembered that moment. Then once again she heard Champ bark. At that very moment, she felt a turn. There's no way she could stand by and watch anymore while others suffered due to her actions.

There wasn't much time before Henry reached her room, thankfully his drunken stupor had slowed his pace, giving Lexi time to steel her newfound resolve and shout. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!" Then picked up another empty bottle of beer and lobbed it right at her Fathers head. She wasn't strong enough for the bottle to smash on impact but she at least hoped there was enough power to daze him as she raced past Henry and made it to her room, where she blockaded the door with a well positioned chair. It probably wouldn't keep him out for long but she needed what time she could get to ensure Champs safety. Now that she had a brief moment of respite, Lexi started to think about the horrible position she found herself in. After all she... Just attacked her Father and she's cornered now. No escape. Lexi pulled out her mobile, maybe she could phone the police. But how long until they get here? Not that it mattered anyway. Because her phone had just died. As if the timing couldn't be any better. Lexi picked up Champ and sat in the corner, holding him close with tears streaming down her face. "I won't let anyone hurt you Champ... (sniff) I promise!"

Boss
Mentioned: Kiosk Solemn Jester

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari| Sam Sarith | Lucy Black | NIKKY VIOLE

​

Noon
Host Village
The Lake
​

When Lucy shot past Camilla to practically tackle Samathana, it was quite the surprise to her. What was even more surprising was finding out that Samantha didn't initially recognize Sam or Jericho had he followed along too. It was a good thing Lucy kept her busy since Camilla couldn't even find a suitable reaction to this development. She waited until she was free of Lucy's clutches before she even attempted at mending this new issue. "You remember Sam, don't you? And Cetus?" Legs crossed on the ground, she gestured to Sam, who was probably confused at this point. That was all the effort Camilla assumingly had to put in for the two to reconnect, but she couldn't help but add in a few comments. "She and I have been through quite a lot..."

The stories would have to wait. For the moment, Camilla just wanted to witness Sam and Samantha's reunion.

 

[TerraBooma]

A...hug? Samantha staggered back from the force of Lucy embracing her. She nearly fell back into the water, only staying standing through what limited control she had left. It was a weird feeling...when was the last time she had had a hug? As a spirit, such physical connection was impossible. And she'd spent so much time at the bottom of the lake once she had been forced into a material body. Still, it was something she had done once...so long ago, when she was still alive. Samantha's arms instinctively wrapped around the other girl. Holding her with shaking arms. It was a sense of vulnerability that she hadn't felt in so long. She felt herself breaking dow-


"You remember Sam, don't you? And Cetus?"

Samantha's head snapped up as Camilla mentioned the people she felt closest to. Stepping out of the woods behind them was Sam, and that meant Cetus was close behind. Another wave of emotions hit Samantha like a truck. The woman reached out a hand behind lucy's back, a desperate, shaking hand. Ever since this whole mess started- Being assigned to Camilla, the fights she was in, then almost vanishing into thin seafoam. Being...cursed or blessed with a physical body, the terrible nightmares that she had to deal with now. All she had wanted was to be back with Sam and her family again...and here he was. She pulled herself away from lucy slowly, the waves churning beneath her. She tried to speak, but the words died in her mouth and sat heavy like ash upon her toungue. She had to move...had to do something. With a silent cry as tears began to move down her cheek, she leapt towards Sam for a hug. She had been so scared, but things would be okay now right? As Sam caught her in his arms, she began to sob. She couldn't find the words, what needed to be said. She simply held onto Sam as her tears mixed fell to the ground.


~~~

Sam was in shock. The sight of Samantha had been reassuring, and on one hand, he felt relieved that she remembered him and wanted to go for the hug. But...the spirits weren't supposed to be able to interact with much on the physical world. It passed quickly, and Sam transitioned to the role he knew she needed. He was a big brother in a way, so he was going to be there. He let Samantha cry into his shoulder, bawling out tears. From behind him, Cetus floated out of the trees, the sharky woman spying her sister immediately. She also went for a hug, but to her dismay simply slipped through the one she called sister. She kept trying, growing increasingly frustrated, until she found the will to force herself to manifest for a fraction of a second. She managed to place a reassuring hand on Samantha's shoulder. For a few moments, that was all the trip did. Cetus silently trying to find the words while manifesting something physical to help her sister with, and Sam holding her close. Samantha continued to cry into Sam's shoulder.

After a few minutes, Sam placed a hand on the back of her head and looked up to the group.

"What...happened to her? The connection is...gone. It's like she's a completely isolated person..."

 

[SidTheSkid]

.

​

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

Examining his weapon in detail, it was far from his ordinary blade that he was carrying! Perhaps this was another instance of the Demon's power, changing attributes of weapons based on the structure of bone that is being used? As Devan adequately fixed his unique blade to his leather belt a part of him could only depict the numerous possibilities that could be successfully achieved through the further manipulation of different types of bones, he made sure to keep a mental note of this in mind if he'd ever come across a tricky situation that involved a different style of weapon. Unexpectedly letting out a sigh after sheathing his weapon, a part of him couldn't help but find himself utterly fatigued at the idea of continuously waiting for something interesting to happen all the while feeling as if his physical form is slowly rotting away inside a desolate void. "I wonder if they find this amusing?" He asked silently asked himself, an enduring sigh eventually escaping his dried throat as he tapped his digits boringly against his own thigh in anticipation of both of them being returned to that mountainous domain they were previously in. Devan's appetite for retribution soon became that of a ferocious hunger, reliving those past events of court and envisioning those disdainful fools mindlessly chirping away at their contorted interpretation of 'justice' was unquestionably chewing away at his former humanity, there was no justice at that court! Those that acted in favor of the prisoner's freedom became the minority, basically silenced by the biased masses that instead undertook the roles of Judge, Jury, and Executioner without so much as giving a second-thought at the conception of ruining a person's life based on their distorted principles of what is 'corrupt' and what isn't. He didn't hesitate to make up his mind before Herald made herself become known to him, he was completely steadfast on making the miserable lives of those involved in their sentencing a living nightmare especially when it came to that iron-clad 'knight' whose self-righteousness and thirst for executing a 'demon' was enough to convince the Elder. Frankly, he found it a bit 'humorous' that he was labeled as such, in spite of that he soon became 'understanding' of his title and felt that it was necessary to become attuned with it moreover to reveal to this 'holier than thou' figure what a 'demon' actually was, alike his own, their judgment would soon come to fruition.

"Hrm?" Taken out from his trance-esque condition, he now was fixated on the lingering words of Herald whom had a complete change of personality after his own little mental breakdown incident. "What do you mean, powerless child?!" Confused by her insulting remark, it didn't take much for him to become infuriated enough to raise himself from a sitting position and confront her but being still infatuated with what she had to say, he reluctantly halted himself from attempting to chastise the girl albeit it was difficult with the prior transpired events still fresh in his mind but as she further explained it became all to clear as to what she had been doing for the past few months even though the true meaning behind it was a bit obscured when it came to Devan's headstrong mentality which of course made him get even more upset at the fact this whole thing could've been avoided but instead of going along with everything she'd decided to jeopardize their judicial proceedings and land them in even more trouble! But for what? Did she just find it entertaining to watch him break? He still couldn't get behind the reasoning that she had for this, what sort of survivability would he have now that he recognizes that he's beyond that of caring for his own life? "This was all just a sick joke?!" phrasing his words in an emotionless tone, he held back the choking anger that swelled his throat at least until he managed to step away from Herald with a pain-stricken look, his whole form was now beginning to quake with uncertainty as he felt himself now dwelling again back inside the depths of his own mind while still trying his darndest to unravel the true reasoning behind why she would do go out of her way just to have him suffer even further in isolation, all the while having his mind deteriorate with the continuing months he'd spent inside this mundane realm and having his freedoms torn apart by her own shenanigans by acting like a mumbling-bumbling fool in court.

He would've never been able to solve the reasoning behind this if he didn't have past experience with solving 'complicated' situations such as these, any normal person would've been stuck in a fit of outrage at being tricked and having a small chunk of their life taken away from them along with their precious humanity although being the former detective he was it only took minutes to assess the entirety of the situation which had lead him up to the conclusion that this whole time she'd been constantly saving both of them from being executed to begin with! Those interruptions that she was creating were simply diversions that would prolong the case from being concluded, this whole trial was actually rigged from the start and that damned judge must've been planning to deal with them from the very beginning with the illusion of court pretending that they would have a 'fair' chance but in reality their deaths would've been the conclusion no matter what, not only this but these deviations had given him enough time to become fairly integrated with these abilities that he's been bestowed. Surely, Herald probably didn't believe that those feathered barrels of alcohol would've done much of anything at first until she realized they made good practice for Devan knowing they couldn't exactly fight back but with their supple speed it still made them a difficult challenge for him to keep up with, at least until he figured out what he was capable of! Thankfully those two whole months of training were enough to keep him preoccupied but unfortunately, it would've been even better to have an extra month but because of his own interruptions in court and gaining the 'mercy' of the judge, it resulted in them being sentenced. "This whole time, you were giving us ample time to prepare." Relaxing after figuring it all out, he turned to face the girl while thoroughly ruffling his own fingers through the bangs of his verdant-colored hair as his face gradually turned a pinkish-red with humiliation. "Thank you for saving us from me, I still can't believe how foolish I was to consider that we had a chance of being excused from this execution of ours! To think that I use to be a former detective, guess I have to apologize now that my head is out of my ass." Seeing such a different side of Herald almost made him baffled at how well she was able to disguise this second-side she had, that reserved and cunning nature of hers was enough to make him admire her even more and if anything he felt a slight connection to Herald, he'd found it rather strange as to why he'd this feeling but he decided to ignore it considering the situation that they were in now required concentrating on a means of an escape.

Now that he wasn't a wreck of a person, Devan had felt fully competent when it came to thinking up of a strategy even though it still utterly reeked of his absolutely reckless nature but that wasn't something that could be really helped too much. "Seeing as we're both running out of time, I believe we should come up with a strategy." A conniving mien emerged as he 'swished' his eyes from side to side before carefully approaching Herald and whispering his plans of breaking free inside of her right ear, of course, he probably should've done this with all of the conversations he'd had with her but inside this vacuum of a prison he doubted that they would have it bugged so they could hear what they were saying, especially if the equipment could just simply float away! After discussing his plans he backed away with a combined expression of satisfaction and determination flowing through his posture, he was certain that this scheme would work. "Reckless, I know but it's something they'd not expect and as you've shown me, Herald, sometimes even the brashest of things are the wisest... Hrm, aside from that something has been bothering me for quite some time." Rubbing his bottom-lip with deep curiosity he momentarily tilted his head with a hint of confusion at her, his soft glare scanning her from top to bottom before promptly staring back at her face. "For someone going by the moniker of 'Herald' you definitely do not look like a sixty-year-old man, we've known each other for a couple of months now and i'm sure you already know my name but yet I haven't come across yours at all... Who are you really?" He questioned, hoping to get some sort of actual answer from the girl he knows as 'Herald of the Underworld'.


Azukai

.

 

[Boss]

Lexi Caiheart

​

Noon
Brookfield | Residental
Caiheart Residence
​

Heavy fists shook the bedroom door with the wrath of Lexi's father. The knob spun tirelessly, yet thanks to the barricade, it never swung open. "Lexi god damn it, open this fucking door now!" cried Henry in his slurred tone. The bottle left a visible mark on his head which was no doubt due to swell in the following hour. He continued his bout of banging and yelling until a knock from the front door doused his flames. Oh, right. Today was the day of the big game as well as an official statement from the Dominion later on, and Henry had invited some of his like-minded co-workers to spend their off-day drowning in beer in front of the television.

Clicking his teeth in frustration, Henry abandoned his siege on Lexi's door and tossed the broken bottle into a trashcan as he passed by it on his way to the front door. From Lexi's perspective, there was a sudden silence - a pause in what was sure-felt to be Lexi's demise. She could have felt her father's heavy footsteps pounding farther and farther away from her door. Was she safe? Listening in closely, she could perhaps make out some vaguely familiar voices. It was the men her father hung around. Compared to Henry, they were much nicer given that they carried themselves in a decent manner. With the tension between her and her father, there was never a real introduction between Lexi and Henry's friends. To them, she was just a 'shut-in kid' who never came out of her room.

At the very least, Henry was distracted by his forgotten company, granting Lexi that brief moment of somber peace.

 

[Boss]

James Mac niadh Lane | Mason Mendella

​

Noon
Brookfield | The Mountain Shrine
Brookfield Branch | Simulation Room
​

After watching the fight Mason was nervous. His fighting style revolved around getting the enemy onto the ground with him and this clearly wasn't going to work. He was already annoyed with the guy from earlier. Clearly, his intel isn't that great; he was Army and Jarheads are the Marines. 'He's all talk' Mason thought to himself. He shook the thoughts from his mind and planned out his fight. All his training would do him no good since being on the ground disqualifies you. Weapons are allowed but he wasn't just going to shoot her on the spot. He also carried a knife but that was mostly used as a tool and he felt she wouldn't be intimidated by it in the slightest. His best bet was to play defensive and use her attacks against her and go for a grapple. If all goes well he'll catch her off guard and throw her to the ground. Mason had his pistol concealed and the magazine in a different easy to access location. He did this to prevent an enemy from grabbing it and firing upon him. In his side pouches, he held tools but nothing to help him in this type of fight. Mason left his weapons at home thinking he didn't need anything on him.


He stepped up to the mat and prepared himself for the fight. Mason cleared his mind and stood in his fighting stance. Left foot forward, right foot back with his arms doing the same. His fists were held out level with his eyes to block any punches aimed toward his face. His legs were spread out to give him a stable position and he was on the balls of his feet. Mason started by circling counterclockwise around his enemy waiting for her to strike. From what Mason had observed in Len’s previous fight was that the style had been reactive to her opponent. Even when she charged in the only time she dealt the opponent damage was countering their attack. This meant that Mason would have zero insight on what her offense style would be. In a way, they were equally blind to each other's tactics


James had been brought out of his funk by the promise of a fight. Just the thought of fist flying and blood splattering brought ease to the battle-hardened giant. He was excited to see what the others could do, and oh boy he sure wasn't disappointed. The first up was the fire pixie known as Justine. According to the privacy-invading know it all. This had been her third attempt. He didn't really know what it felt like to fail at something so much. He usually gave up after his first attempt. But that was only because he didn't really believe in half-assing something. If he couldn’t manage something after putting his all into it the first time. He wasn't going to fool himself into thinking the next time might be better. So far it had done him well enough. But apparently, Justine didn't think the same. Which seemed to be working out for her. As after a beautiful display of the two ladies having the catfight to end all catfights. She was passed. This cause a smirk to form on James and he couldn't help but send a thumbs up her way when she looked towards him. He could appreciate a fighter's spirit. Even if what was driving her wasn't exactly a love for battle. All during the battle James had become noticeably more relaxed. Confident amped up even. Hell without his saying or doing anything it was evident that the man was ready to do battle. His solemn expression only giving away his thirst for battle due to the predatory gaze from his eyes. But he wasn't stupid. He had observed Len's moves once. But that wouldn't be enough. So when they asked for the next person James sat back. Letting the “considerate lad” as he now called him. Take a step forward. As much as he hated it. His best bet was to go last if at all possible. So he could absorb as much of her tactics as possible into his mind. Although he hoped she got a break before they fought. Regardless of experience, the human body could only take so much abuse before it was useless. James had found this out the hard way, and he was someone who could take one hell of a beating.


Kasim had just enough time to usher himself and Justine off of the mat before Mason had answered Len’s call. The recently appointed Templar rejoined the ranks of the crowd in curiosity to see just how far the veteran host-hunter could go. With Kasim’s arm raised, it was mere seconds before the beginning of the next match. “Ready, start!” The man shouted, throwing his arm down and getting things underway.

Collaboration Post 1/3
Boss Solemn Jester Skaggon ​

 

[Boss]

James Mac niadh Lane | Mason Mendella

​

Noon
Brookfield | The Mountain Shrine
Brookfield Branch | Simulation Room
​

Neither side had charged for one another just yet, but with every second that passed, Len was visibly getting fired up once more. The effects of the poison weren’t completely gone, but it had faded to a degree where she felt comfortable in a fight against a newbie. She spoke up to break the silence between them. “Have you ever personally fought a host before, Mendella?”

Mason kept his eyes on his opponent still circling her. “There were few occasions where a host would attack my squad in the military. Our first plan of attack always creates a distance and nail them down but sometimes you have to do what is necessary. I've seen several comrades be torn apart by host like tissue paper. I was lucky to not be the first target. We eventually adapted to their usual tactics and started countermeasures and integrated anti-host technique in our combative courses. But those never truly prepare you for a real fight. I've only had to fight a host 4 times. Two were surprise attacks with the other in my squad. One was when I arrived a little late and my friend lost his leg. The last was after my buddy had just been killed and I needed to fight the host off until reinforcements arrived. I only survived because of experience, training, and my backup was there in less than a minute to fire at the host.” He pointed to his shirt to show where he had scars from his fight. “On my right pectoral muscles, it looks like I was cut by flaming knives. It was a shallow wound so it healed and left some burn scars.” He used the same tactic here with that host. He waited for the attack and countered, but he had underestimated his opponent's ability and could have lost his life for it. He learned his lesson.


James couldn't help raising an eyebrow in admiration at the man's story. He had figured he had just been one of those snipers, air force. Something that didn't have to get to close to actual combat. But he had been through plenty of battles, even taking on host. A task James still thought only a fool would take on. He'd have ran or stood paralyzed in fear if he went face to face against a host. Well, at least that was how he felt before this whole ordeal. Now he felt a little closer to being able to smite the wicked sonnofabitches who would use such divine abilities to hurt innocence.”C'mom fella! Show her what ya can do! Lil fighter you are.” He called in a tone that conveyed his genuine feeling of admiration and confidence in Mason. Although with someone like Len he was just rooting for the guy to pass.

“You make them sound like wild animals,” Len returned. “but the majority of hosts are every bit competent and capable of rational thought. That’s why we have to be smarter. What we lack in firepower, we make up for with effective planning and cutting-edge technology. However, there’s one weakness many of them share, and it’s that they rely on that power far too much.” Without warning, Len quickly closed the distance between them to a mere 4 feet, where she winded up what looked like a kick to Mason’s right side.

Mason dashed forward and grab her shoulder with his left hand and placed his right foot on the outside of her right. Len used the gathering momentum of her initial kick to twirl around as she bounced off of the mat with her other leg and sunk it into Mason’s gut, creating another gap between the two. Mason wasn't shaken by the hit; one kick wasn't going to take him down. This time he took to the offensive. He noticed that the majority of her moves had been feints and kept that in mind. If she were to kick at him again he would catch her and break her leg.

He dashed forward closing the distance as fast as she had before. He threw his fist into her gut using his momentum for damage, but the straight-forward fist only found air as the woman turned to the side with her stomach tucked back. He turned almost immediately towards her jabbing with his left fist and swinging a power uppercut below her jaw. Once more, Mason’s fist barely glanced the underside of Len’s chin just after she threw her head back in the nick of time.

“Oh, cutting it close there, Templar!” Kasim shouted alongside the dozens of spectators with their eyes locked onto the fast-paced slugfest.

Mason ignored the comment. He bent his legs and pushed off rocketing his head towards her nose. The room echoed with an audible smack from their collision, and Len found herself stumbling back with a bloodied nose. She dabbed her nose with her wrist and stared at her own blood in surprise. A headbutt was the last thing she had expected from Mason, but it was apparent even he’d resort to more underhanded tactics if he had to.

With a new look of determination, Len beckoned Mason to come at her. Masons tactic had paid off he cracked his knuckles and charged back in. This time he would treat her as an enemy on the battlefield and not an instructor evaluating him. He knew she would become more aggressive and wanted it to look like he was falling for her taunts. He attacked her in a fury of punches waiting for an opening, but Mason the only one waiting for the golden opportunity. Len shifted to the side of Mason’s jabs and ducked under the eventual hook. All it took diverting Mason’s attention to his top side to leave his lower half open. With a clean sweep of her leg, Mason tilted horizontally and came crashing down to the mat in a sudden thud that silenced the room.

“The match is over!” Kasim shouted with a raised hand. A round of applause for Mason’s effort began to fill the room while Kasim approached the two fighters. “‘Second round was a lot closer this time. You sure you don’t want a break?” He advised the female who was visibly heaving at this point. “I’m fine, Proctor…” Len insisted as she extended a hand to help Mason up. “..You fought well,”

Mason took her hand. “I should have just shot you. Would have made the match go a lot quicker.” He walked off the mat together with Len and Kasim at either side. “Today wasn’t the day to hold back, You are undoubtedly a capable fighter, Menella,” Len came to a stop once they had rejoined the other applicants. “But you lost the moment you underestimated your opponent. In the future, give it your all or nothing.” Len’s ending phrase was more or less directed towards the group of applicants as a whole with how she stood in front of them all. “It’s said that you only truly get to know someone once you’ve exchanged blows. What’s your verdict on Mendella now that you’ve gotten a feel for him?” Kasim glanced at Len, who eyed Mason in silent contemplation.

“Mendella, grab your stuff. You’re regrouping with Justine for team assortments when this is all said and done.” As Len turned away to step back onto the mat, Kasim let out a hearty laugh and gave Mason’s shoulder a squeeze. “Welcome to the Templar life, kid.”

Collaboration Post 2/3
Boss Solemn Jester Skaggon ​

 

[Boss]

James Mac niadh Lane | Mason Mendella

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Noon
Brookfield | The Mountain Shrine
Brookfield Branch | Simulation Room​

“Next!” shouted Len, who had just enough time to stretch and recover for the next fight. The massive figure of James stepped up before anyone else could so much as consider it. He seemed different from before. Not so much amused, or impressed. He wasn't moody, he seemed to be in some sort of zone all his own. He strutted up to the mat immediately pulling off his shirt, and doing a few of his own stretches. He cracked his neck before looking down at Len with a hunger.”Don’t worry. I've fought long enough to know a worthy opponent when I see one. Just hope ya aren't to beat up from those last fights. I'll try my best not to insult someone as capable as you. So please, make this fight exhilarating for me.” He asked raising both his arms at his side. His massive arms acting like barriers on each side of his face. A pose he had used many times before in boxing matches. It didn't leave his face all that protected, but he really didn't need to worry about defense. His only concern now was passing.

“The match begins in three, two, one, start!” shouted Kasim, who signaled the start of the third match. Unlike the other two matches, Len simply stood there, eyes locked into a pensive stare at James. It was hard to read what she had thought of the former boxer based off of how she looked at him. “Mac niadh Lane, I want to ask you a question. What brought you here?” Titus was caught off guard by the question. But kept his guard up nonetheless. He scowled towards her, his eyes locked onto her figure.”I thought we had already finished all the questions. Are we going to fight, or are you just wasting time so you can recover more?” He asked taking a single step forward. His legs firmly planted on the ground.”I've fought all my life. For the thrill of it, ” he suddenly sent a left Jab Lens way.”For the glory of it.” He began sending more jabs and strikes at her. Not holding back with his heavy flurry of strikes.” Fighting is all I know. Even once I quit, I still couldn't get over how it all ended. How helpless I was against that inhuman freak.” He continued not relenting with his strikes.”But something snapped in me when those hollows attacked. I realized that if someone like me could barely manage to fight back against monsters like that. Then how could my loved ones ever hope to survive an encounter with them.” Titus was getting noticeably more upset at the thought of Lexi, and the others dead before him. But he pushed the thoughts from his head.”I’m here to grow stronger. Strong enough to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Strong enough to rid the world of these demons that wreak havoc in it.” Suddenly James charged forward attempting an uppercut on Len, but she kept the distance by leaping back to the other end of the mat with ease. “A cause like that is exactly what the supernatural prey on. Protecting the weak..” Len had seen the same drive in many that served the Dominion. Young and full of hate, those aspiring to be heroes only ended up broken in the end one way or another. “..If you care about your loved ones, you’ll cut them off. The Dominion isn’t exactly a public favorite, and once you become a Templar, you plant a target not only on yourself but those you associate yourself with.” James smirked at how presumptuous she was of him.”You're mistaken. True I hate these demons. But I'm not going to be fighting out of hatred. I’m also prepared to accept the deaths of my loved ones. But at least this way...I can cleanse the earth of that filth, and with one more person out there fighting the demons, they'll be safer, if only slightly. Now stop dancing around, If you want to know who I try taking a blow from my fist.” He taunted, keeping his fighting position. It was suddenly a lot clearer in his mind. At this point, he had accepted he was helpless to save everyone. But that didn't mean he couldn’t try his best, and even if someone he cared about died. He could still avenge them by crushing the inhuman foes responsible.

Len nodded her head in agreement. Despite James’ motives for becoming a Templar, he had to prove he was capable physically. She broke into a sprint towards James and threw her weight into a jumping kick aimed for his chest. Despite all the questions, and mental probing James hadn't let his guard down. He was prepared for a counter of some sort. But rather than counter she went in heavy. James using his surprisingly quick footwork barely avoiding the kick, and holding his arm out to clothesline Len. James’ strength was more than enough to halt her forward momentum alone, and that’s exactly what happened. Instead of an attempted dodge or block, Len absorbed the clothesline counter into her upper body while her lower half swung her up and over James’ arm like it was an gymnastic pole. Righting herself on the mat after her flip, Len twirled herself behind his arm whilst keeping a grip on it. She would’ve already broken it at the elbow if it weren’t for that fact that James’ strength make it nearly impossible to fight against. James had dealt with plenty of holds before. Very few having the strength to actually do him much harm. Even so, it was difficult to actually retaliate with Len behind him using his arm as leverage. James suddenly began walking backwards. Using his strength and large back to push Len closer and closer to the edge if possible. Once close to the edge he would attempt to kick Lens feet out from beneath her by basically mule kicking her legs with a single of his own, and attempt to swing around should that fail, and deliver a hard hook to her body.

It was tough grounding herself after pulling off a maneuver like that, and it didn’t help that she wasn’t expecting James to actually push her off like he was some kind of sumo wrestler. With his weight and size she’d lose that battle. However, it didn’t stop her from digging in and pushing back in an effort to simply get out of her current predicament. Once more, she was taken by surprise when he used a leg to knock Len off balance. Blocked or not, the woman found herself shattering back quite a distance.

The crowd went silent. Off-put by this, Len looked down to notice that she wasn’t standing in allowable bounds anymore, officially losing to the rookie James. “The match is over!” Kasim announced nonetheless, and a wave of applause erupted for the applicant in successfully taking down someone who seemed nearly impossible to best. “The winner is James Mac niadh Lane!” It was a phrase almost nobody was expecting to hear. Even James was surprised by his victory. Being so easy. But the cheers of the others caused James to grin and give a triumphant roar. He felt brighter than the sun itself. Dropping her shoulders with an exhale, Len approached James from one side while Kasim came in from the other. “Well ain’t this a sight. The mighty Len actually loses for once! A short spar too!” Kasim gave James a comradely pat just before Len had the energy to contribute to the conversation. “..Not bad-..” she stated in-between breaths. The back-to-back fighting fatigue began to catch up to her. It left some to wonder how she had been suppressing that amount of exhaustion this entire time -- not to mention the damage taken to her body. “‘Not bad’? You actually lose fair and square to someone and that’s all you can say?” Kasim teased Len, who predictably shot a glare in response. “Heh, alright. So because you’ve actually managed to beat ‘er, you’re officially a Templar now.” James smiled crossing his arms as if sheathing his weapons after a battle.”Well I'm not fool. I simply used my size and power to my advantage. She was also quite exhausted. I'm sure if it was a real fight things would have gone differently. Thank you, I'm glad to join.” He said moving to join the others who passed a slightly smug smirk on his face as he glanced at Justine, and Mason.

After James had been given his congratulations, there were still two other applicants for Len to evaluate, with only one having failed her judgement call. This left James, Mason, and the others that passed to simply watch Len reboot herself like a machine to continue fighting.

Collaboration Post 3/3
Boss Solemn Jester Skaggon ​

 

[Solemn Jester]

Diana Young & Tom B. Stone


Making the first move Diana threw the four small diamond shaped items towards Tom before they rapidly grew to car size not losing speed before they aimed to hit Tom. ”So predictable,” Tom said rolling his eyes at Diana’s pathetic first move. They had been training long enough that they basically knew most of each other moves. With only a few exceptions. Obviously, the shards came as no surprise to the Octo-armed man. Spike slammed into the ground sending the tall lanky figure of Tom flying high above the sky like some sort of giant raven. He then armored up, positioning himself for a falling tackled towards Diana. His added weight adding to the speed and power of the impact.


Letting a smirk come to her face she quickly pulled her arm up into the air facing Tom as the large cannon exploded from nothing, it already glowing with a bright yellow light as she was going to fire it directly at him, obviously hoping not to kill him and him dodging but he was a big boy, he could take a little death laser couldn’t he? Having that thought she let the cannons light explode out at Tom. To which Tom irritatedly thought to himself, ”How many times must I say no death canons. It's not like I can use all my trump cards in battle. Otherwise, this would be over in a matter of seconds with my girlfriend being turned into a hollow. Not a very good prize in my opinion.” Suddenly several tentacles rose into the air in front of Tom. Each seemingly growing a hook where the grotesque heads had once been. Tom turn the others to Shields, using them as some form of defense while the others hooked whatever was heavy enough to pull him out of the path of the blast. Luckily a tractor was nearby, and once he had crashed next to it he turned all his tentacles into hands. Using every single one of them to lift the tractor, a slight struggle. But with all his tentacles he managed to heave the big green tractor at Diana.


Laying atop stone fencing that bordered the property was the green-eyed rouge Maiden, Axel. Watching the tractor arch over the land like a rainbow elicited an impressed whistle out of the Zodiac. While she didn’t particularly like Diana’s companion, even the sassy pickpocket of the past had to admire the man’s display of strength in that instance.


Quickly getting a bit pissed at the fact he hadn’t just given up already she dodged out of the way of the giant chunk of metal that now was the tractor, “Seriously!? How much more shit are you going to break!?” Yelling that out at him she made the four giant diamonds launch at Tom, two of them becoming smaller to bullet size all launching at Tom in quick succession while Diana herself pulled out a smaller version of her cannon and fired balls of plasma instead. All aiming to hit Tom head on.


Tom raised four tentacles, using his shields to block the plasma balls. While using his other tentacles to lift himself into the air. Growing several scythe-like blades from them mid-air. Before doing a quick spin while still in the air using all 6 of his free tentacles to strike down on Diana like a massive scythe.”I really hate your bullshit projectiles! You wanna be turned hollow! Aim one more fucking death beam at me and see what happens!” He yelled, not giving two shits about destroying anything.


Gritting her teeth she quickly leaped back into the air landing on top of the desolate house as she almost lost her footing before finding a slightly stable spot, turning her arm into Axels dagger she made it large enough to be considered a sword as she sliced some of the building around her to try and make Tom fall if he tried to follow her up here. Thinking that she could already imagine the complaints she was going to get from Axel that she had to resort to this. Tom’s attack came down hard. Digging into the ground as Diana avoided his blades. Pulling them from the dirt he turned his shields into claws, and leapt into the air towards Diana. While still in air he sent several claws at Diana, aiming to strike her from the roof.


Forming her arm into a riot shield like object she held it in front of her, lacking the see through ability it looked like shiny metal. But she tried to steady herself on uneven ground as the roof beneath her feet broke almost instantly, trying to quickly grab onto anything before she fell into the pile of spikes beneath her from the jagged pieces of wood that would act like blades if she fell on them. To Tom, she would look for a couple seconds like a fish out of water as she was about to fall. Tom was quick to react. His claws went from an attacking maneuver to a grabbing one. Quickly swooping down to catch Diana before she was impaled. Tom smiled as he had his tentacles carry her over to him.”Looks like I went and saved you. Who's your hero?” He teased dropping her into his arms..


She quickly turned her head to the side not looking at him as a blush was pretty evident, accompanied by the scowl she was wearing she wasn’t too happy that her plan to mess Tom up turned out to be her downfall instead. Which only made her more pissed at herself, “My hero…” She said in a sort of singing mocking tone before quickly pecking him on the lips and relaxing in his arms, “So I guess this means you won by default right?” Saying that she tried with all her might to hide the anger that screamed for her to punch Tom behind her carefree smile.


Tom laughed giving his own carefree laugh at his psycho sparring mate. She sure hated losing. Although Tom could totally relate. He had been utterly infuriated everytime he lost one of their spouts. None the less he hadn't stop trying. That would have defeated the purpose of training in the first place."Yeah, that's right it's me. I'm your hero. Come on then. Let's go rest a bit. Maybe Axel has some pointers for you." He teased letting her down onto her feet as he gently floated down to the ground.

Depresso Espresso Boss

 

[SidTheSkid]

.

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(Location: Brookfield, The 'Pleasure' Palace', Undergound Arena.)
(Mood: Satisfied. )
(Interactions: Lorenzo. )
(Mentions: )

There'd been a concise exchange when it came to their conversations relating to Brookfield's latest development, frivolous business affairs and discussions of background were spoke about prior to their impulsive 'retreat' to the illustrious entresol that suspended a considerable amount of feet just above the first floor of the vast banquet hall where there'd already been an abundance of bodies gathering themselves around the extending dining table that was almost unparalleled in its own length, it's ornamental marble surface was absolutely brimming with scrumptious food that continued to be replenished by the roaming waiters/waitresses, alluring a few hundred in attendance to its delicious presence. "What a splendid change of scenery wouldn't you agree?" That'd probably been an understatement coming from him, considering their preceding location reeked of a sort foul musky smelling odor in addition to its barbaric styling of layered concrete walls that'd gave the contained atmosphere a sort of desperate feeling although what could you really expect from a constructed dungeon area solely created to harbor some of the world's most appalling and dangerous creatures? Speaking of which, Lorenzo didn't hesitate to reinform Pelagius of this fact by bringing up the subject, furthering it by initially taking him for a common deranged fool which hearing that from someone who was a deplorable individual such as himself wasn't exactly 'flattery' but being the impassive person that he was, someone like Le'compte only sought out this disgusting idea as a wealthy business opportunity that would also potentially advance his own efforts in successfully achieving his own goals, clinging onto the social conception of morality would only extract weakness as he believed playing by 'rules' of society was something that he couldn't get by, neither would it help him in the end of all things. Unbeknownst to his 'associate', Lorenzo regarded that this came from the Crimson Hand's departure from Brookfield due to supposedly unexpected reasons, of course, because of their unannounced removal, underground marketing had flourished beyond everyone's wildest dreams but in return it had ripped apart the foundation of regulations set in place to avoid those involved going at each other's throats like a bunch of feral dogs.

This, however, was only a partial truth, Pelagius didn't have any personal concerns for someone like Dominic or his silly organization attempting to get in the way of anything he had in store for this 'beloved' city, in fact, he was a bit disheartened that he and his syndicate had disappeared from this world alike a ghost specter as this left him without any real enjoyment for breaking the boundaries of the underground, aside from Lorenzo, he would've been perfect for 'spicing' up his stay in this wretched city. "Ha!" Hearing the last part of his statement about expecting to last 'without protection' was undoubtedly the most comical thing he's heard all day, Pelagius couldn't help himself from clutching the balustrade mere feet away from him just to let out a gut-busting 'howl' at the feeling of needing extra-security along with undergoing the impression of extortion! Eventually, Pelagius had flicked the tears away from his face once he'd gained his composure, luckily he wasn't wearing any of his make-up from earlier aside from the puffs of white powder plastered on his cheeks, only leaving faint markings of wet streams flowing down his face. "My, to meander into my carnal paradise and attempt to extort me? I do say, that lady-friend of yours must be a treat if she's given you that much confidence." Pelagius felt humored, never has anyone actually tried to squeeze money out of him like this and to his face too, he knew before-hand of Lorenzo's devilish deeds throughout the underground, a man believed to be feared by almost everyone that knew of him, his very presence demanded respect from anyone, at least anyone who wasn't insane enough to question it. "Mind if I show you something? Trust me, you'll love this." Gitty in his rejoinder, he revealed nothing but excitement as he squirmed his hand near his belt-loop, soon retrieving a simple walkie-talkie that he eagerly brought next to his face, almost pressing his bare lips against the integrated microphone as he clicked a button causing the surrounding speakers to resonate his flamboyant tone throughout his palace as he let out a faint hum. Surprisingly, it came as a very surreal moment once there'd been people beginning to turn in the direction of Pelagius and Lorenzo, it'd almost felt like he'd paused the festivities by a simple hum of his voice, background conversations had been halted and a few nearby bystanders witnessing the event had been looking around nervously, wondering what was happening as half the guests and staff in the dining hall were now gawking at the two in a frightening mannerism that had complimented their now deadpan facial expressions that had materialized on their faces.

Then with the twist of a knob, Pelagius had turned off the walkie-talkie he had been holding onto which had made the speakers fall dead silent in return making most of those that had been looking at them return to their 'normal' routine with the banquet hall filling up with mindless chatter as it once was. "Strange, it's as if the world had stopped for but a moment." Snapping the radio back onto his belt he resumed his conversation with a heart-filled sigh, his face now donning but a frown as he aimlessly looked back at the Lorenzo and his bodyguard. "Surely, you didn't truly believe that last statement of yours, did you? I'm sincerely saddened that you'd insult me by saying such a thing." Shrugging his shoulders backward, Pelagius momentarily looked away with a feeling of disappointment surrounding him as he now had begun crossing his arms defensively in a way that exuded his offended demeanor. He didn't believe it, did this hunk in front of him mistake him for just some common richer than life fool?! "Even if with if the Crimson Hand were here, It would make little to no difference! Whatever shithole I step my lovely foot into is always going to be my paradise and there's not a damn thing anyone can do otherwise...Hehehe, I'll humor you though, I'm in demand for people just like that girl you're standing beside which it doesn't matter their age or gender, i'm the least to discriminate in that regard!" For only a brief moment was Pelagius's true side revealed as his tongue curled seductively around his bottom lip, his darkened timbre a haunting quality that gave a slight glimpse behind the mask of his 'guise' that was for but a second as he'd shuffled himself to the edge of the balcony, just enough so he could peer over the countless number of dribble he thought no more as sheep to collect money with. "Money isn't an issue, i'm sure you're completely aware of this so feel free to go ahead and ring me an offer and i'll see what I can do! Oh and by the way." There was a minor pause after handing his business card to Lorenzo, a strong feeling of satisfaction overcame Pelagius once gleefully stretched his arms outward as if welcoming a large embrace from the sky as he dramatically spun himself around and turned his back to the man and his minion. "Try not to miss the late-night performance! I'm sure it'll be simply ravishing, ta-ta!" He would've stayed to tell more about this 'odd' performance that he had in store but he figured why spoil the entertainment? Besides he was far too busy, there was things that needed to be done, additionally men and women that needed arousing! By the time he'd removed himself from the lofty balcony and had said his farewells to Lorenzo, Pelagius was already deep in thought about the series of activities that would be in store for his lovely new audience, surely these adoring citizens of Brookfield expected a lot from their new visitor, this meant that he had to step up to the plate and give them a performance of a lifetime! He just hoped that his costume was properly dry-cleaned, ever since that one erotically forced roleplay he had with that one staff member he didn't believe anything could get those stains out, that lovely fellow sure knew how to give phenomenal massages while dressed as a kangaroo, surely someone as talented as him was born for such a role but unfortunately he had to suffer his fate after it'd been realized he was dipping his greasy fingers into other people's wallets.

Still, he wasn't able to stop himself from giggling at seeing the sight of a person being strangled to death with a coat-hanger all the while them being dressed as a marsupial. "Oh, good times." He happily mumbled as he leisurely strolled his way back behind the bar once more to enter the dungeon area, only to make a convenient shortstop to his private office that'd been situated just at the far end of the dimly lit hall, eventually, Pelagius barged his way through and came face to face with his freshly steamed costume just begging to be worn by the likes of him! Not avoiding his calling for much longer, he stripped off his clothing at a speed almost thought inhuman to which many would believe that he's spent most of his days taking his own clothes, of course, they're not exactly wrong. "Mmm, aren't I just good enough to eat? Huhu, maybe i'll have someone do that later." Completely naked, he gazed down at his figure and had already become obsessed with his own appearance to which even he was wishing that he could make a clone of himself just to sleep with, although, thinking about it more in depth it would probably be a bad idea, after all this world of his could only withstand the beauty of one Pelagius but two? That would certainly spell disaster for everyone involved. "Oh my! That's a snug fit." Snapping on his multi-pattern stockings and adding the last few remaining touches of his outfit, he was soon fully dressed and ready to impress those attending the event and naturally being the theatrical man that he was, he decided what better way to fascinate his captivating audience than with a spectacular introduction from theirs truly? Vacating his office, Pelagius cautiously rehearsed a few of the lines he'd thought up in his head to himself as he found himself in front of a towering doorway that shook tremendously as the muffled noise from behind it vibrated the frame of it, there'd been a few times in life where he'd ever been nervous and this was one of them! Palms sweating, throat shaking, and legs quivering... It took all of his might to press onward and go through those double doors but hearing the booming music beginning to play in the background marking his entrance was enough to give him the courage to look up at the bewildering sight of several hundred people that'd been compiled in seats all around a circus-themed arena, a deafening applause erupted from all around as he placed himself in the middle of confined stadium, a wandering spotlight soon making its way onto him as a lonely microphone lowered itself from the rafters down to his hands. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Degenerates and Perverts everywhere! Are you ready for your wildest and sickest desires to become fulfilled?" Swiveling the microphone in his hand, Pelagius cherished in the waves of cheering that had enveloped his ears before resuming the second half of his introduction. "I, your Grand Ringleader shall humble your requests! So without further or do, let this night of debauchery commence!"

In due course, Pelagius had withdrawn to a private section of the stadium dedicated to him and him alone, within that section had contained an embellished throne fit worthy enough for the 'king' that he thought he was, once he'd sat down and comfortably wiggled his rump into the cushions the show had begun and without a moment to spare there'd been scantily dressed women brushing through the draped curtains of the entrance all the while huddling themselves around what appeared to be small cage that was being drugged in by a couple of heavily built lackeys. "For the love of God, please help me! These people are fucking insane!" Crying and screaming inside of the enclosure was none other than the same exact prisoner from earlier, his gouged eye had an eyepatch placed over it but still didn't do much to stop the fact that he was still wounded, nevertheless it was impressive that he managed to survive the whole ordeal thanks to the tremendously helpful staff that Pelagius had, it would've been a shame for him to not have anything interesting happen for the opening event. Pyrotechnics had flared off in every direction with them creating a flashy spectacle as the nearly fully bare women had seductively danced their way around the cage, the last one unlatching it as they pranced their way back behind the curtain where another disturbing surprise had been lurking just behind the corner, one that soon came as a blood-curdling discovery as the prisoner was trying to escape the arena by going out the same set of drapes he'd been drug out from, nothing could've prepared him for what came next as he'd felt like he'd bumped against a wall that'd caused him to land backwards onto the unforgiving sand of the stadium, his next words became nothing more than a jumbled phrase as he saw a monstrous head pop out from in between the curtains, it'd looked like a scarred demon with the way its hungry eyes stared into his soul. "W-what the fuck is that?!" Stumbling further away, he couldn't help but become filled with regret as he saw a behemoth-sized lion, not alike any ordinary one but one that looked like it'd swallowed the whole family tree just from its sheer size alone, faded scars ran down its face and the entirety of its body while fear-inducing chains wrapped itself around the beast, one of them a large spiked collar that had the name 'Brutus' engraved in the metal. "Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever darn seen?! Brutus the eater of man, a claimer of around seventy lives! Once believed to be a myth after being hunted down for slaughtering an entire African Village but now here he is in the flesh before all of us! My, will this poor soul be enough for our Ringleader's pet? Let's find how long he can last, remember! Our record so far is around fifty seconds!" An unknown voice announced its way through the speakers of the arena, revealing itself to be the 'bunny girl' staff from earlier Caroline who was now lazily motioning from side to side on a tight-rope that hung right above, her quirky innocent behavior now a thing of the past as she teasingly spat at the captive beneath her.

Sickening noises could be heard after a few seconds of the prisoner and Brutus sprinting around the circumference of the ring, everyone cheering wildly as they witnessed the man being corned up against the spectator wall with the Lion's humongous paw tearing itself into his poor man's throat, his whole jaw wide enough to clamp itself down on the person's head, just enough to crush it like a walnut being hit with a hammer.

Pelagius felt a bit full of himself as he snuggled himself against his seat, if Lorenzo believed he was a madman before, he could only imagine what he thought of him now.

Spoiler: Underground Arena

Spoiler: Pelagius Costume Change Song

Spoiler: Brutus Theme

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[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Host Village​

The frail grip only tightened around the former spirit's body, tears flowing down Lucy's cheeks barely noticeable upon Samantha's doused body. The girl was almost ecstatic to see Samantha was okay, if only physically, brushing her cheek against her arm. Yet as Samantha's shaking arms returned the gesture, the feeling of dread, of sorrow, continued to flow through Lucy's body. All this time, while she had been adjusting to her surroundings, to her own curse, her friend had clearly been struggling with her own... Her friend, one of only two she had ever had, and she had neglected her so. Of course, Lucy was prone to worry, to blame herself, yet it didn't change how she felt.

As Samantha reached out to the strangers, Lucy released her grip, her expression and head down in every way as she stared up toward them. Pulling herself out of the shallows, the lower half of her body now drenched, the girl moved back toward them, still keeping a slight distance. "We don't... Completely know..." Lucy admitted shamefully, her voice barely a squeek, but still audible enough, her gaze moving to Camilla in hopes she could explain with more clarity.

Boss TerraBooma Kiosk

 

[Boss]

James Mac niadh Lane | Mason Mendella

​

Afternoon
Brookfield | The Mountain Shrine
Brookfield Branch | Briefing Room
​

The hours that followed each applicant's test with Len were packed with enough paper signing to fool someone into thinking they were signing their life away, and in a way that wasn't entirely inaccurate. Whenever the applicants weren't bogged down with stacks of paper, they would often be given graduations by various Dominion staff on a number of the challenges they had overcome to get where they were today. Before long, the applicants soon found themselves standing in the same room once more; this time they had been instructed to wait in the briefing room for further orders. It became apparent that somewhere along their room-to-room paperwork signing; the applicants were given what almost looked like a shoebox with their names written on it and told to carry it around until informed otherwise.

At the very least, the briefing room was quite impressive. Its form rivaled that of a small theater but lined with the signature Dominion white and blue. Frames of important figures in the Dominion's past were lined along the wall along with their medals and accomplishments. One outstanding factor was that not every face on the wall American, nor was there a dominating age group. People both young and old shared the same space on the wall. Apart from those that passed Len's test. the briefing room was empty.

Ten minutes of waiting, before finally there was some progression. Marching down the side of the room were Kasim and an intelligent-looking fellow that shadowed him. Together, they stood in front of the display where mission information was typically given - and stood in clear sight of the new-bloods. "Attention!" Kasim called out, bringing everyone's focus on him. "Now as some of you might have figured, while you carry the title of Templars now, you haven't fully assumed the role. It has been a tiring day for us all, but there's one last task for each of you to carry out." Kasim cast his glance to the man standing beside him and took a seat to literally give him the center of the attention. Pushing up his glasses and clearing his throat, the nerd began with his introduction. "Good afternoon and welcome to the Dominion. My name is Ben Peterson. I take on a lot of roles here at the base; dispatch - chief engineer - weapons designer - scientist-.. the list goes on. A-anyway, I'm here to convey the details of the boxes each of you were given, and the nature of your true, final step into the transformation of a Templar."

Held against his chest was a stack of documents which he soon spread across the table in front of him once his initial opening speech had concluded. In real time, the large screen behind him began to display each page after it had been scanned on the table. Every other light dimmed - like a theater would at the beginning of a movie - to focus attention on the now bright screen.

"This might be common knowledge for a lot of you, but I'm going to go over it officially so that nobody misses any details. This could mean the difference between life and death, after all." Ben cleared his throat once more and continued. "Believe it or not, our world is no stranger to the existence of the supernatural. Ever since early civilization," As Ben droned on, pictures of places like Eygpt and Rome were displayed to accurately match his presentation automatically. "there existed the supernatural. Miracle workers, as we sometimes called them-.. hosts. Urban legends like Nesse, and Bigfoot? Hollows. You get the picture, so on and so forth. Moving on, it wasn't until the last 400 or so years that we discovered that these supernatural phenomena had an origin, and we as a species have been a part of it for as long as we can remember. We call it Limbo."

"A realm in which all living things return to after death, as well as a place where our dreams take place. The public still recognizes it as just a dream world where nothing of consequence takes place. Anyway, scientists have discovered that every one of us has a second body in this Limbo. Sometimes when we sleep, our soul transfers to that second self - no matter where it is in that ever-changing realm. Again, we confuse our visions for simple dreams with no meaning, but the nature of Limbo can be so dynamic and abstract that it explains why some of us have very-.. vivid, sensible dreams while others can only recall faint events with no connection between them. Furthermore, our negative emotions have been proven to manifest into a cancer that helps create monstrosities like the ones that attacked the city just two months prior. In that light, you can imagine the scale of ever-present danger the Dominion fends off on every corner of the world, we are literally at war with our own negative thoughts."

"We still don't understand why, but there is a low percentage -- maybe 7-.. or even 10 percent of our current population that still retain their consciousness after death. They're alive, but their bodies are beyond use and their souls are forever trapped within Limbo. We call these entities Zodiacs. Long-term exposure to the baffling nature of Limbo can grant these lingering souls impossible power but at the cost of their own sanity. To stabilize this decline, they prey after the secondary bodies of the average man, woman, or child. Their souls are able to possess or somehow interlink with those bodies, and that results in the creation of a host. Now, I personally knew several hosts in my high school days, and I remember back then when they talked about how they were approached by these entities with an offer. Nowadays, they simply possess without offering, and that's why hosts in today's age are many levels more dangerous compared to 20 years ago when both hosts and the Dominion fought on the same side."

"Now I talk about where you as a Templar comes in. Right now - as we speak, your secondary body still exists in Limbo. It's ripe for a Zodiac to exploit it. Obviously, as a Templar, we can't have that, so your final task is traverse Limbo, find your secondary body, and dispose of it before a Zodiac or even a Hollow can get to it. By doing this, you completely eliminate any possibility of possession. In each of those boxes is a specialized charm crafted from the results of your written test earlier. Everything -- from the way you wrote your answers to the time it took you to write it -- that test took everything into account in order to get a firm grasp of your spiritual selves. When you place this charm down at your bedside tonight, you'll be transported fairly close to your secondary body in Limbo. Because of the nature in which you'll be sent, you'll have to do this task alone, and your safety cannot be promised. Not everyone will have the same experience. When I underwent the same task, I was trapped in an old construction of Armstrong High where I studied. My secondary self was-.. not what I expected. The most amount of information I can tell you is that your secondary selves will be often be trapped in what looks like an old memory -- likely something that traumatized you, or-.. what still bothers you today. What you'll see in Limbo tonight will most often be something you've been avoiding your entire life, so be careful. If there aren't any questions, I'll stop my ramble and give the floor back to Kasim."

Poking out from the small crowd was Justine's good arm hailing Ben for a question. "Just one: Are we able to bring weapons into Limbo?" "Aah-.. That's something I can't give you a yes or no answer on. The items that come with you - if anything - will be whatever you hold dearest. If that's a weapon of some kind, then yes. However, nothing can be assured. Some Templars even reported having been returned to early childhood when they went into Limbo. It's all about what kind of aliment troubles you, and at what point in your lives."

 

[Jackaboi]

​

The door shook and shuddered under the ruthless Father's fury, but the brave little chair stood it's ground. Lexi's eye was clenched shut, trying to block out the sight of Henry's drink induced rage battering against her first and last line of defense. She held dearly on to Champ, prepared to take the punishment if it meant the old dog would get away unharmed. Even then she questioned her own choice of actions that led to this moment. If she just stayed still and did as she wouldn't be in this predicament. After all there's no way she can fight back against her father, he was bigger, stronger, smarter... Although as if some kind of miracle happened. Henry's assault on the door came to an abrubt halt. What happened? Did he decide to give up? Lexi could've sworn that chair was on it's last legs too. Then heavy steps started fading into the distance and Lexi heard voices that were all to familiar. Her Father's drinking buddies arrived. A wave of relief washed over the poor girl as her grip on Champ loosened while he squirmed free. She couldn't believe her luck. But she wasn't out of the woods yet. Henry has a tendancy to remember things that annoy him and Lexi wasn't likely to get away with throwing a beer bottle at his head. She could only hope at this point he'd sober up before his friends leave. Or at least drink until he passes out again. Henry is only physical when he's drunk. But without a drink he wouldn't lay a hand on her.

One thing caught her attention though, one of Henry's friends mentioned that the Dominion was going make an official statement some time after the big game. "Could this be about the attack two months ago? Or maybe they're announcing the new Templars!" Lexi had an old radio in her room that she'd use to listen to music or news broadcasts. If it was a statement from the Dominion it was likely to be broadcast on every public radio station in Brookfield too. She plugged in her head phones and had it set up ready for the broadcast. All she had to do was wait for this 'big game' to end. "Alright Champ. If this is what I think it is, James is gonna be a Templar! He'll surely keep us safe from those monsters! ... Surely..." Lexi had the utmost confidence that he'd make it into their ranks but she was still concerned. Whether it was about that topic or not. She had to hear something from the Dominion. Something to prove that they haven't just been slacking since that Cerberus Incident...

Boss
Mentions: Solemn Jester

 

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac Niadh Lane

James had been feeling exquisite. God had smiled down upon him and he couldn't help but smile back. He had actually managed to pass all the test, and on his first try no less. He knew he was a good fighter, but he had had his doubts. Hell he had doubted himself so much since his retirement that he didn't remember what being confident felt like. That was until now. So when the equally large, as well as in charge Kasim, and his nerd friend arrived, James was happy to sit back and listen to their boring science speak. Personally believed in science, but he also believed it was something set in motion by God.

He was surprised to find the mans speech while boring, wasn't all that complicated to understand. But he couldn't help but gulp down whatever confidence he had regained as the man finished. Meekly raising a hand in the air to ask a question. Hoping it didn't make him sound stupid in the process."....Uhm...uh..by dispose of them...you don't mean kill do you? If so..how would that work? Would it effect us any? Would we feel different, or act different? What if he lose? Do we die, would use dying be a way for our other selves to take over? S-sorry....I'm babbling..just kind of crazy to think about." James admitted looking down to the ground. His eyes turning back to the hollow look they had after he had finished the written test portion of the exams. What was really bothering him wasn't so much fighting an alternate version of himself. No, it was more the memory he would end up in. He had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly where it would be, and he prayed to God he was wrong.

Skaggon Boss

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari| Sam Sarith | Lucy Black | NIKKY VIOLE

​

Noon
Host Village
The Lake
​

Seeing Sam's crew finally united felt infinitely satisfying. After a long string of morally questionable decisions Camilla had made thus far, it was good to finally see some form of positive conclusion. The girl smiled in glee as even Cetus manifested to welcome her long lost crew member. All in all, it was a very heartfelt moment that wouldn't be easy to forget for any of them. Behind a nearby tree, Lucy's Zodiac had silently eavesdropped ever since Samantha had emerged from the lake. Umbra didn't have to look to know what was transpiring at the shore. Like always, she watched the lives of both Camilla and Lucy unfold in the most curious of ways, which brought a smile and a faint giggle to light.

That was the first time Camilla felt uneasy in months. She couldn't explain it well, but it felt like the passing breeze carried with it an unfamiliar presence, even for just a moment. Without knowing exactly why, the speedster glanced off towards the same tree in which Umbra hid behind, pulling her attention from the reunion and completely derailing her train of thought. It wasn't until she sensed the slight pause in the conversation that she realized it was her turn to speak. Rather awkwardly, she tossed aside the slight notion that someone could have been watching and rejoined their chat. "W-well, we got separated by the Dominion. Some lady by the name of Len forced one of those inhibitors on me. That was when I lost contact with Samantha." Feeling the atmosphere getting dark, she looked up towards the sobbing Samantha with a cheerful smile. "When she found us, I could sense she was on an entirely different level than before. Like - she grew really strong while we were apart." Camilla had to be mindful to avoid certain details that pertained to the Dominion and why they were locked up, or rather, why they were able to escape. She avoided talking about how they were simply 'let go', and decided to think things over before simply telling Sam how she had made a deal with the Dominion. Last time she spoke about it, her audience wasn't too pleased. Camilla had no idea how Sam would react.

Within that brief silence that followed after her words, Camilla had just realized she still didn't know what Nikky wanted with her father. If there was an opportunity to find out, now would be it. "So, Nikky!" Camilla hopped up off the grass. "What sort of business did you have with my father? If you don't mind me asking, that is.."

 

[Azukai]

SidTheSkid

There was a twinkle of amusement in the Herald's eyes. It had taken Devan all of two months to realize her conniving, which was somewhat pathetic given his former status as a detective. Nonetheless, it was that very childish ignorance that made him the occasional, endearing idiot. She listened to his scheme in silence, periodically nodding at the points she agreed with. At the end of the day, however, the plan was concocted by an amateur--somewhat useful if push came to shove, but un-needed for the crux of their inevitable escape. "Not bad for your first attempt. A bit short sighted, but it should keep you alive in a pinch." She interjected, right before he continued on to question the truth behind her identity. At his mere mention of an antiquated gentleman, she burst into a fit of laughter. Soon, she was on the ground with tears of joy streaming down her face. It was an obvious overreaction, and one that was likely spurred from the alcohol in her system; however, at the end of the day, it was a short-lived experience. She rose to her feet; humor replaced with a harrowing expression--a sinister grin, which for the first time in their time together, had potential to bring a wave of fear crashing down onto Devan. "Watch and learn, kiddo."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Kiosk hwayi

It was to nobodies surprise that Yue and Janaiya begrudgingly accepted the offer of the Si Xiang. They had been shoved into a corner under the pretense of demonic collusion--a falsity that had been entirely pushed by the leader of the Dragons. Up in the stands, Tuzi was furious. For the last two months, she had promised her tutelage an end to their nightmare...a promise that now stood broken in light of the circumstances that remained outside of her sphere of influence. It took everything within her to prevent her fist from coming into contact with the dragon leader's face--not that it would have done much damage since a majority of her lightning had been sapped by the Elder in the room.

"It is a wise decision you have made today..." The elder began, his eyes shifting to gaze between the two girls on the floor. "...your freedom is now within grasp. I would imagine such desire shall compel you towards success in your training." A small tut followed the conclusion of his words, right before he rose from his chair and slammed the gavel on his podium. With that, he turned away from the floor and began his gradual departure from the room. It was his secretary who remained at the front of the podium to dictate the remainder of Yue and Janaiya's sentence. "Both shall be removed from the House of Rabbit. Janaiya shall be placed under the tutelage of the Dragon; whereas, Yue shall be placed under the tutelage of the Ram. All are dismissed."

The uproar was immediate, especially from the House of Dragon. Though without the Elder in the room, their complaints fell entirely on deaf ears. If anything, they were nothing more than a signal for the chaos that was about to begin.

------

Unbeknownst to anyone in the room were the squadrons of hooded figures that remained shrouded from view, apart from a mild shimmer. Each them were grappled onto one of the many support beams that ran across the building's elevated ceiling. For the duration of the trial, none of them spoke; instead they communicated solely through hand gestures that were somehow visible to each other. They were patient in waiting for the opportune moment to strike, which was determined the moment the in-fighting began. In an instant, their grapples were released and each figures began plummeting ten feet towards the stands. Despite the distance, each of landed perfectly on their feet, seconds before the metal claws on their hands ripped through the throat of the nearest house member. One by one, bodies began to fall--up until Tuzi became one of the assassin's target. Against her, invisibility was hardly a boon as the static on her skin immediately reacted to the metal of the claw that reached for her throat. In an instant, an electrified kick sent her assassin flying backwards--the force of the blow damaging the cloak which controlled his invisibility and left him fully visible for the world to see.

"We are under attack!" The dragon leader bellowed as he drew the sword on his hip, and not a moment too soon. A faint shimmer appeared directly at his side and sent a claw hurtling towards a fold in his armor. With a quick side step, he barely managed to dodge the attack, before delivering a counter attack that sent a fiery slash through the cloak and leather armor of his assailant. The assassin was practically dead; however, the dragon's fight was not yet over as a fist smashed against his armor and sent him tumbling several yards through the stands. Despite the intensity of the blow, the dragon was no worse for wear as he quickly sprung to his feet and cracked his neck with a feral snarl. His eyes immediately fixated on the source of the blow--a white-haired man who had done away with his cloak to reveal his leather-clad form and the waves of blue-black energy that emanated from his hands. Without hesitation, he burst into a sprint that closed the distance between himself and the dragon; though this time the dragon was prepared. He sent his blade hurtling into the ground, which in turn erupted a pillar a flame directly at his forefront. The fire enveloped the body of the assassin; however, upon making contact with the energy that surrounded his hands, the flames were instantly dissipated without so much as a trace. Another fist effortless slammed against the dragon; this time against directly against his face which pummeled him headfirst into the ground.

Down on the court room floor, things were no better than they were in the stands. One assassin had determined Yue to be an easy target. His claws had been mere inches away from her throat; before she was saved by a pair of daggers that embedded themselves into his arms. "Pay attention, you two. You're going to have to fend for yourselves." Tuzi called from the stands, and like that she was gone, having zipped away to join the Dragon in combat.

The force of Tuzi's daggers had staggered the assassin who was now partially visible from his blood which stained the surface of his cloak's arms. That being said, the dagger wounds were minor and did little to impact his follow-up assault. With surprising agility, he sprung forward and sent a double claw strike at Yue once more.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

SidTheSkid

Breaking them out of the isolated limbo was so effortless it was almost funny. Without so much as a drop of power, she reached forward and practically ripped a tear in the very space of the endless grey. The tear wasn't large, and it was already beginning to mend itself at the edges; however, its milky surface was more than enough for a human to pass through--out into an ordinary cell which defined the reality of their confinement. There was a barrier of energy that stood between their immediate cell and the adjacent hallway where two guards were posted in an obvious state of panic. "Hello boys." The Herald muttered in a somewhat flirtatious tone. With each hand, she formed a new tear inside of the cell; both of which connected with another that hovered behind the guards. With a firm grasp, she gripped the hair from both of their heads and yanked them up and through the tears. In a literal second, two lifeless, severed heads were dangling from each of her opposing hands, while the remaining bodies of the guards flopped into a growing puddle of their own blood. "Fix yourself." She said whilst tossing both of the heads Devan's way.

With her hands freed from the corpses, she reached down and ripped a forth tear in the floor of the cell. This time it expanded to the width of the ground and sent both of them plummeting through an alternate space. It was a perfect escape, and one that prevented any need for combat--or it should have been, if not for the fact that a pair of green claws ripped through the edges of the dimensional tunnel and pulled them back into reality.

Jolts of pain rushed through their bodies, having been flung onto the hardened floor of a new, foreign environment. The space which surrounded them was an expansive, rectangular space, defined by nothing more than solid grey walls. In the distance, standing towards the center of the area, was a short female, figure--one that was dressed in a tattered, nomads attire and had glowing turquoise eyes that remained fixated on the pair. In her hand was a long red stave, which she pointed in their direction as she spoke with a tone of contempt.

"And just where do you think you're going..."

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown

Noon
Brookfield | Downtown
Kruz's Place | Spare Storage Room
(Color Code - Clown & Kruz) (Mentions - Boss Solemn Jester )​

Inside one of the spare storage rooms of Kruz’s new place in Downtown Brookfield, after Kruz grudgingly accepted to loan Elijah some equipment to borrow for some ‘errand’ of his. Elijah had been spending the time since he had come back from his final meeting with Hinako, working on setting up everything he borrowed in the spare room he’d been occupying ever since taking up employment with Kruz. Littered across the room were several crumped up potato chip packets, crunched up soda-cans and an array of empty coffee mugs, the overloading stench of coffee and shotty electrical wiring filling the room. Utilizing one of the old desks that came with the storage room as the base for his set up of multiple computer monitors, keyboards set up both on top of the desk and on top of a cardboard box on the floor and processors, as well as other technological nick-knacks to aid him with his exploits. During the process of setting everything up, he had also practically turned the entire storage room upside down, with wires running across the entire room, and lapping over each other, loosely forming what looked like a spider web of wires.

‘Now you’ve done it, Clown, there is officially no coming back from this..’

*Zzzap* The sound of the electrical cracking made from the last switch being plugged into the shotty wiring system of Kruz’s place, and the sounds of booting computer systems, had also signified the point of no return for Elijah. Standing upright and taking a few steps back to gaze upon his elaborate setup, as though he was a certain ‘mad scientist’ who had just created life, realized on a single moment of self-reflection that if Kruz was to know, or ever find out what he was planning to use this for his time working for Kruz was to likely be cut short. Ever since the time he managed to successfully fake his death, wiping out any record of his existence from the memory of his enemies minds Kruz had treaded lightly wherever he went in Brookfield and was happy sticking to his small downtown business of trafficking technological wares, and was clearly unwilling to change his current state of affairs, even if for the betterment of his own business profit.

“And to think all it took was a bit of sweat, a dozen mugs of coffee and a few small jolts to get this done” he spoke to himself under his own breath, wiping away any built of sweat or dirt from his forehead. Normally, the sight of a set-up like this would bring nothing but a blissful delight to Elijah’s heart, in the face of recent events, as well as the familiar burden of death weighing on the forefront of his mind. For the first time in a long time, specifically since the death of his past friend, ‘Jasmine’, he found little joy from his work, and instead, his typical feelings of ecstatic enthusiasm now became replaced by a need to redeem himself and using the only way he knew how. Elsewhere in the building, most likely alerted by the sounds of booting computer systems, Kruz made his way and entered the room with an estranged expression on his face as he glanced around the room which had now been unrecognizable from its original state, eventually resting his piercing gaze on Elijah.

“What in - ..I feel almost compelled to post a death hazard sign at the door here, I suspect you clean all of this mess up once you return all of this to me, I expect to find everything back where they were. Since we are on the topic, whatever you needed all of this for Clown...You better not go and do anything stupid and get me caught up in any of your business Clown. It seems like wherever you go, bad luck eventually follows.”

Elijah returned Kruz’s gaze with a surprised, wide-eyed blinking stare, “Firstly, that is just rude and uncalled for.” flicking his hands toward Kruz in a ‘shoo shoo’ like gesture and doing his best to convey his facade of false confidence “And secondly...Ohhh! this is nothing to worry your head over good friend~ Just figured it was time to stop playing with my cards to my chest and do something, I can’t stay here forever after all, or could it be? Gasp! Would you just miss me too much? Heehee~” he said with a facetious tone, and for a moment Elijah almost thought he caught a glimpse of Kruz casting him a skeptical, almost suspecting eye before facing back out the door, leaving without as much of a word aside from the mutterings from under Kruz’s breath that Elijah couldn’t make out. Elijah didn’t spend much time contemplating whatever Kruz was thinking, placing whatever worries he had about Kruz’s suspicions for the time being aside and instead focusing on the task at hand. Taking another unopened packet of potato chips off from a nearby counter, as well as a half-full mug of now-cold coffee as he swiftly moving into the semi-comfortable confines of a cushioned chair he used as a replacement for a real computer chair. Reclining back, popping open the packet of potato chips, dipping his hand inside and taking his first crunchy bite as he gazed up at the computer monitors. Followed by him taking a sip from his mug of cold & bitter coffee, he went into a scheming, contemplative state of mind on his current course of action. For him, finding Anzu would be the easy part, but constructing a sound plan to actually break her out of wherever she was being held was where things got complicated.

‘Well, I doubt just sneaking in there after shutting off their power source was do me much good, even if I did manage to sneak myself in there - sneaking both myself and Anzu out at the same time is another story...It’s not like I can go in guns blazing either, I’m not Tom after all, huh, Tom…’ A rather obvious suggestion popped into Elijah’s mind, despite the great risk it came with. Before Tom had gone through his ‘transformation', that turned Tom into some freakish tentacle monster, and before Elijah lost his money. Elijah had plans on getting Tom involved in one of his own schemes, only that this time his plans were a little different but he saw a slight opportunity to solve two of his bigger problems; breaking Anzu free from the captivity of the Dominion, and paying back everything he owed Tom. Frankly, the very idea of confronting Tom after all this time, with what transpired in mind sent cold shivers through every nerve of Elijah’s body, being well aware of the likelihood he would end up being Hollow-Food. He let out a heavy, anxious sigh as various images of ‘Spike’ torturing and killing him in numerous ways popped into the recesses of his mind.

Kicking off his shoes and putting on his headset “Well, here goes nothing” igniting with the ‘clickity clackity’ sounds of the usage of his various keyboards, which he operated with both fingers and toes. First thing on his ‘to-do’ list, dig up information on the current whereabouts of Anzu, which he already had the starting advantage of knowing where to start looking, whilst doing this, he would also start on the second thing on his mental list. Which is to get back into contact with Tom, and take the risk of setting up a meeting with him in the hopes he can arrange a deal, his hopes were to find something about where Anzu was being held to use as a bargaining chip to entice Tom to go along and aid Elijah in his scheme and if there was nothing there to profit Tom in the first place, Elijah had a backup plan. Of course, this was all going under the assumption Tom wouldn’t butcher Elijah on sight, which is also why he was planning to meet with Tom in a public location. Lessening the risk, even by a little of getting killed on sight, and buy himself the time he needed to appeal to Tom’s better nature.. ​

 

[Azukai]

Jackaboi

Lucius was in a peculiar position in regards to his employment with the Far Eastern Dominion. For starters, he hadn't been given a true position in any of the core Houses. Rather, he was an offshoot member, joined by a handful of other scientists, all whom shared a similar fate--relegation outside of the Si Xiang. Advanced technology was a relative taboo among many in the organization, and it was only in the last decade that such advancements had even been considered. What this meant for Lucius and his rag tag crew of colleagues, however, was a small, secret facility found in the city of Seoul, Korea, where all members were practically isolated. Nonetheless, it wasn't all bad--the funding, while lower than the American branch, was generous enough, but what truly made the experience was the freedom of research. Isolation meant no higher order, and so long as they delivered the occasional results, the world was the oyster for their mind's deepest desires...

...which in turn made them a far more curious target than anyone in the American branch.

"Status?"

"I'm breaching their security network as we speak. It's been a while since I've been a field agent, and the network....well, it's unorthodox to say the least." Several methodical beeps followed ICE's hushed explanation, and in seconds the door which barred entry into her target slid open without any resistance. "I'm in, seekers going out now." On cue, a series of digital manifestations erupted from the screen which surrounded her cloak-shrouded body--all of them in the shape of small, blue swallows that quickly began their mission: corrupt and dismantle. Cameras, network lines, and anything else utilizing the internal network were a target of the birds, which in turn were armed with a mutating malware aimed to reverse control. In a matter of seconds, internal data began streaming onto her monitor--another quick victory that brought a grin to her face.

"Alright, boys and girls. This is how it's gonna be. Your facility is now under my control, so let's act like civil people and nobody will have to get hurt. Better yet, let's make this super easy for everyone and have Lucius come on out. We need to have a chat."

 

[Boss]

T H E W O R L D

​

Noon
Brookfield | Downtown
Dominion Public Headquarters
​

It was just before noon when the Arch-Bishop’s craft entered Brookfield’s airspace. Its state-of-the-art stealth technology deactivated as its airspeed was reduced to a slow hover over the taller buildings of Brookfield. The mere sight of it glancing above the rooftops was no spectacular event for the general public as Dominion airships patrolled the city daily. Those within the organization's ranks, however, knew the true significance of it’s arrival to their city. Communications were bounced back and forth between the pilot and the air marshal that had designated a specialized landing pad atop one of Brookfield’s tallest and most impressive-looking buildings: The Dominion’s public headquarters. During the day, the sun’s rays reflected sharply off of the large symbol that was branded on the face of the skyscraper, which served as a reminder that the city was under its watchful care or oppressive rule for some. At night, the four corners of the building were lined with a bright neon cyan along with the logo, making it impossible to mistake for an average building.


Surrounding the landing pad on the rooftop of said building were dozens of armed soldiers presented for the Arch-Bishop’s arrival. When the craft gently landed, a section of it slid away like a door, revealing the prodigy who was destined to lead the American branch in the right direction. Julius extended his hand into the rays of the sun and said “The air here-... It’s heavy.” Beneath him, a hidden compartment of folding steps manifested, and Julius stepped down into his valley of loyal comrades. Behind him was his elder advisor, lacking the expression of wanderlust and instead carried with him a cold, calculated stare.


On the other end of the path stood Brookfield’s current chief, Boone Armstrong, who had managed to reach the rooftop with the help of his trusted Templar, Len, who stood to salute next to him. The sight of such a warm reception brought an honest smile out of Julius as he marched down the path laid out for him. Row after row, soldiers saluted their young leader dutifully as he closed the gap between his hosts and himself. “Welcome to our city, Arch-Bishop Julius July.” Boone expressed. “Just Julius, please.” the Arch-Bishop returned lightly. “I’m sorry that this is all we could muster for your arrival. Most of our forces have been securing the neighboring blocks for your speech.”


Showing approval through a smile with his eyes, Julius’ attention shifted over to Len, who hadn’t seemingly moved a muscle since he stepped off of the airship. “Templar Len~” he cooed, breaking Len’s intense focus on being professional. “I hear you’re the one who apprehended Dominic Ferrari.” “That’s correct, Arch-Bishop.” “And where is he now?” Julius glanced around, clearly more interested in more than just a fancy receiving. It was Boone who had filled him in. “By this time, he’s should be coming out of his stasis cell to be presented for court.” “Oh, court-..!” Julius exclaimed, having completely forgotten that was a thing. All the Arch-Bishop wanted was to have a face-to-face conversation with the terrorist himself. He cared little for the due processing. That was when his advisor leaned over his shoulder slightly. “Do you remember our briefing this morning? We’re required to attend his sentencing.” “Y-yes, of course, I remembered.” Julius returned to bashfully.

SCENE MUSIC


​

The courtroom had already been set up. Vast in size and covered with clean marble and blue linings, there were roughly a hundred different people who had been waiting for at least half an hour for the session to begin. Unlike a regular courtroom which offered rows upon rows of seating toward the back, the seating was built high up around the sides of the room, leaving the accused to stand alone in the center before the eyes of everyone. There was no Dominic and no Julius, which left the many different high-ranking members to talk amongst themselves. The outcome was obvious - the real mystery was trying to find the point of even having a trial for a thorn as big as Dominic Ferrari, who had personally reduced their numbers drastically just out of spite at times.


Emerging from a connecting hallway to the higher seatings, Len scanned the crowd one last time to ensure everything would go as planned - it seemed events like these were primed for some sort of interruption. She briefly made eye-contact with Kaivant, who had been given a small section apart from the general crowd to represent the Chinese branch. Kaivant matched Len’s eyes with his own--a glowing smile on his face as if he were greeting an old friend. Even if his familiarity wasn’t returned, a neutral expression was far more cordial than the glares he had been receiving since his arrival in the courtroom. Although the American and East Asian branches were under the same umbrella organization, relations between the two were passable at best, with heavy differences being noted over their policies on the supernatural. Out of everyone who had a seat in the room, Kaivant was the only host, and it was likely to stay that way…at least until Dominic arrived.



Giving Kaivant a brief affirmative nod, Len threw a glance down the hallway she had emerged from, confirming the all-clear for the arrival of Julius. It was then that a voice within the crowd had declared the room’s full attention. Stepping out of the darkness with his advisor on one side and Boone on the other was Julius, who scanned the many faces with an expression that was both warm yet devaluing of everyone around him. The court fell silent as the Arch-Bishop lazily found his isolated seat among the observers. “Arch-Bishop Julius July has arrived, bring in the accused!” shouted a voice, and as commanded, a section in the center of the blue-carpeted flooring opened up, and rising from its opening was a chained and battered Dominic, accompanied by baton-wielding security wardens on either side of him. The hidden mechanical workings beneath the courtroom halted with an echoing click that resulted in a heavy silence. Wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and a makeshift blindfold out of the same fabric, the host could feel the hateful eyes on him, even without his supernatural smoke painting him an idea of his surroundings. Julius couldn’t hide the grin of excitement from donning his face though.


“Dominic Ferrari, you stand accused of multiple acts of terrorism, desertion, extortion, murder, the kidnapping and torturing of several Dominion personnel, destruction of Dominion property, civilian property, state property-... should I go on?” The speaker, who couldn’t find the effort to list every single offense in the long display of crimes in front of him, decided to let Dominic’s silence answer for him. “You stand in the presence of Arch-Bishop Julius July, leader of the American division. He is accompanied by Kaivant T, who is actively representing the Far Eastern division. As they and the court as witnesses, what do you plead?” “..Why am I alive?..” was his only response. If it weren’t for technological assistance, his voice wouldn’t be audible for everyone to hear. “So guilty, then. If there is no one to speak on the behalf of Dominic Ferrari, then we shall proceed to sentence.” “Hold on a moment, would you?” called out the Arch-Bishop, who raised a hand to halt the session’s momentum. “I have questions that I want him to answer directly.” These words sprouted curiosity among those in the courtroom. “Very well, Arch-Bishop Julius.” replied the speaker


Leaning forward, Julius propped his head upon his balled fist in an act of genuine wonder towards the host. “Listen to me, Dominic Ferrari. You’re going to answer every single question I have with complete transparency and honesty, starting now.”


“Firstly, you’ve been dancing outside of our grasp for years, so why surrender now?”


Dominic cleared his throat and found the strength to straighten up a little. “My time in this life is coming to an end.” “Be more specific.” Julius commanded. With an almost threatening tone, the Arch-Bishop took on a darker persona than his usual, carefree attitude. “The sins and negative emotions of those around me are reacting poorly to my connection with Kenshi, which has been slowly killing me over the years. Some part of me wants to die to help atone for what I’ve done.”


“Hmm~” Julius tilted his head to the side before quickly glancing over to Kaivant, then back to Dominic. “I suppose that gives you an answer, huh?” he smiled towards the speaker from earlier before dropping that expression to continue firing questions. “What is your relation with Kaivant Tsukino? You don’t plan to break out of here, do you?”


“..No, I died when I was put under custody. Kaivant and I no longer see eye-to-...eye, on things.”


Dominic’s sudden behavior was unexpected. For two months, they had received nothing but silence, even when being put under weeks of torture. For him to attend his trial with cooperation was a development they could have used a while ago. “Okay, last question then.” Julius rose from his slouched position. “Where is the location of your host hideout?” He asked with a smirk.


Dominic opened his mouth to answer, but Kaivant was first to answer. “Irrelevant, Julius.” He rose to his feet with a stern expression directed at the Archbishop. “This trial is for the conviction of Dominic, alone. If you desire information on the village, then someone of your caliber surely has access to the report that was filed from the incident.” With his answer, he returned to his seat, where he crossed his legs and awaited the continuation of the trial. Kaivant’s bold interruption didn’t slide without backlash, as a number of observers felt the urge to put the host in his place. “How dare yo-” rose one of many voices, all of which were again halted by a rise of Julius’ hand. His deadpan stare towards Kaivant gave him a solid idea of how the Arch-Bishop felt about the host representative. “No, he’s right.” the man admitted, lowering his hand. “What better way to locate the whereabouts of the hideout than to investigate the man who has been there himself?” Finishing his reply with a smirk, the tense air filled with whisperings between one another. “Asia may have their own ideologies and principles involving hosts, but so do we. Make no mistake, the only variable separating you and that terrorist down there is that you carry a badge.”


The advisor took a moment to approach Julius from the side and whisper a few phrases in his ear before backing away to his original spot. With a tense sigh, the Arch-Bishop swung his chair forward once more and glanced to the court speaker. “I’m finished with my inquiries.” The man nodded, returning to his holographic list in front of him. To nobody’s surprise, the jury’s verdicts were all in unison and given without needing time to ponder Dominic’s fate. “By the order of the jury, Arch-Bishop, and people of Brookfield; you - Dominic Ferrari, are guilty, with an outstanding vote of 100%. You are sentenced to death, which is to be carried out immediately at the requests of the voters.”

COLLABORATION POST 1/2
Boss Azukai​

​

 

[Boss]

T H E W O R L D

​

Noon
Brookfield | Downtown
Dominion Public Headquarters | Courtroom
​

“That cannot happen | So long as value the life of us all”​

SCENE MUSIC

​

The voices which spoke were ethereal and not at all human. There was obvious authority giving weight to their words--on top of the sheer force of Zodiac energy that suddenly erupted within the courtroom. The colossal doors to the room swung open, not at the hands of the twins, themselves, but rather at the will of fate. Outside of the courtroom, the halls were in utter chaos. Any form of security had simply not worked--whether it was guns lodging and backfiring, all forms of security networks crashing out of the blue, or guards simply not even existing in the first place.


At the exact moment the power had surged, Kaivant had sprung to his feet with his blade half-drawn and his flames at the ready; however, what started as a burning blue, faded into nothingness. Another element willed away by whatever beings that now stood in the room. Len too had been ready on the draw to deal with what felt like an inevitable event, after all, she had triple-checked security solely for the purpose of an uninterrupted court session. Unfortunately, Len’s fire was quickly doused when she realized that she had left her trusted staff behind some time ago.

“The madness, the hatred, the suffering, and the pain | All of it has brought us to a turning point of humanity | One that we will not survive.”​

Needless to say, the state of the session was thrown into a mixture of panic and sheer chaos. The deadlock technology that had been built into the court’s walls were malfunctioning - any and all communications offline - it was as if every single thing that could go wrong, did. However, among the many that were terrified of their lives, Julius remained as he was; relaxing in his seat with an air of curiosity about him. It took a solid minute for the room to realize their predicament and that nothing could be done. That was when the Arch-Bishop chose to speak up. “These two aren’t here to kill anyone.” Of course, that declaration did little to bring everyone’s minds at ease. “Honestly, does anyone watch movies? They’re messengers, isn’t that right?” Julius turned to the intruders, expecting an answer.

“Fate has dictated our arrival | With a warning for thou to heed or reject | The choice remains in your hands, Julius July | Or should we say, Julius, as you prefer it?”​

“Oho~, very well, I’ll hear you out.” was the leader’s response. Just shortly after, the guards that had been assigned to patrol the outer rooms had finally managed to catch up and block the twin’s means of escape. As predicted, their weapons proved futile the moment they pulled their triggers. Magazines fell, bullet casings jammed, even entire weapons began to fall apart. A raised hand from Julius signaled the late squad to stand down, despite the clear violation both hosts were committing. “Explain with haste. My colleagues aren’t convinced by your intentions.”


It started low and infrequent, but gradually intense laughter began to fill the room--not from a single twin, but rather a unified voice that was almost as if the pair had merged into one. Tendrils of white and black energy began to visibly erupt from the bodies of the twins, and soon, all of it began to interweave and intertwine, up until a single being remained standing before the crowd.


The creature was unlike anything known to the supernatural world--a being that gave off the expected energy of a Zodiac, yet something more, something unknown, but something of raw power. There was nothing of hostility emanating from the creature, however. Rather, its energy was a careful blend between happiness and sorrow, fear and confidence, love and anger. For the people in the crowd, emotions would have begun to well, but not too much, or even too little--a perfect balance, a harmonious experience of absolute peace.


“A mere mortal mocks my children with threats against their lives. It amuses me, to say the least.” As it spoke, the creature directed a perfect smile at Julius--one that reflected the humor which was truly defined on its face. “But as you wish, time is of everyone’s essence, after all.”


The creature extended its hand towards the floor and from it came another swirl of black and white energy. In a matter of seconds, the energy began to mold itself into a scene which depicted various cities of the world...or rather what was left of them, ravished by the waves of blue flames that were much like the ones from the battle just prior.


“The time for Factions have come to an end. A calamity like none other shall befall this world in two months time--one that your race will not survive.”


The energy vanished, just as the creature fell silent, smiling and waiting for Julius’ response.


Dominic, who had been momentarily ignored with a more immediate threat in the room, let out a heavy sigh in response to a ‘calamity’. ”And who is responsible for delivering this calamity you speak of? Hollows?”


Again laughter began to fill the room. “Hah, the naivety of mortals knows no bounds! Perhaps, if you spent less time fighting amongst each other, there would be time for you to grow as a species.” The laughter continued for a small while longer until eventually the creature fell silent and continued in a serious tone. “You know little of the world that surrounds you. There are far greater beings than what you have encountered. Mine brother has very different ideals when it comes to peace.”


“You expect us to blindly trust your word?!” shouted Len, who found it difficult to mask the anger and frustration behind her voice. “The word of a host, or whatever you are?!”


For the first time in the night, the creature flared with a short window of anger in response to Len’s words. It was short-lived, soon balanced by a wave of happiness; however, the intensity of power was enough to convey its point. “You are not important in mine eyes, remember this fact. The survival of your race means little to me. If not for mine sister, mine children would not be on this realm.”


“Then-” “That’s enough out of you, Templar.” interrupted Julius, who too, shot a glare towards the fuming agent. “I said I would humor the thing, so I shall.” Turning his attention back to the uninvited guest, he continued. “If what you’re saying is as important as you claim, then you should take all the time you need to explain every last detail, including why you chose to arrive now - at the time of Dominic’s trial.”


“I am not here to dictate your fate. The survival of your race is in your own hands and shall remain as such. To shed light onto the man that goes by Dominic; there is no better man, fit to lead humanity to its survival--one who has been beaten down by all, but yet remains pure at the deepest depths of his soul.”


“Surely you’re joking?” Julius replied.


“A god does not jest.”


For a moment, there were audible protests from the observers. Words such as ‘Liar’ and other expressions of distrust were often heard. The ridiculousness of it all made Julius not even want to silence his court. Not a single soul saw an ounce of dignity within Dominic - the man that ruthlessly slaughtered hundreds, if not thousands purely for his own benefit. One exchange of glances between Julius and the speaker, and the speaker declared “For the sake of argument, Dominic Ferrari is permitted to speak.”


It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Dominic’s chest. So it seemed, there was more to the Dominion’s restraints than a simple energy inhibitor. However, the host was still without his connection to Kenshi, meaning he was still without ‘sight’ in his own special way. Nonetheless, he turned to face the direction which the intruder stood. “You people just won’t let me die, will you?” He gave voice to his inner thoughts before pausing to sigh once more. It wasn’t long that Kaivant had tried to convince him to involve himself more within a larger scale than just his village. “What could I possibly offer? I’m at death’s door and hardly a commander.”


“That is for you to find within yourself, Dominic Ferrari. Perhaps you should take a step back from your own troubles, and observe those who still hold hope for you yet.” A sly expression manifested on the creature’s face, and soon, it was twirling its fingers with energy enveloping them in swirls of black and white. It quickly flicked its wrist and shot the energy directly at Dominic, who was then enveloped in a rising burst of spiraling energy. “You have wasted my time as is it. Thus, for my own enjoyment and as compensation for my presence, I leave you with a gift. May you do well with it...”


In an instant, the energy dissipated from the room, and with decaying tendrils, the creature came apart and reformed the individual twins who fell to the ground. There was little to no energy left to sustain their conscious, but even still their protection from fate would continue to remain. The creature’s ‘departure’ from the court left it in a state of silence and fear. Most expected Dominic to utilize whatever energy he was given to escape, but the prisoner simply ‘gazed’ at his open palm in thought. On the surface of his hand was the symbol of balance; yin and yang. He didn’t feel any different, but he had been involved in the supernatural world long enough to know it had a much bigger purpose than an ‘energy boost’. He didn’t want to admit, but a few people popped into his mind at the creature’s mention of those who still had hope in him. Camilla, Sam, the village… The faith that had been put in him by others was a very real factor that he had to realize, and in that realization, he saw that his work was still undone.


“What are your orders, Arch-Bishop?” inquired his advisor, who had largely remained silent. In response, Julius stared at the marble walls and flooring as if he were critically thinking on the matter, albeit childishly. Suddenly, the Arch-Bishop shot out from his chair with a shout. “Alright!” It was an action that drew everyone’s attention. “I’ve changed my mind. We won’t execute Dominic Ferrari.” This declaration nearly sparked protest, but he wasn’t done. “I’ve decided that we will reinstate Dominic as an active member of the American division.”


Almost immediately, the court was thrown into an outrage, surprising even the likes of his advisor, who stood speechless at his decision. Len’s fist tightened to an extent that her own nails drew blood. They were so close. Dominic was so close justice, yet again he was saved by an unknown force. Was this fate's way of punishing her for her own actions against her family? Dominic himself stood in confusion, unsure how to react to the leader’s change of heart. More importantly, what did it mean for him? Freedom wasn’t something that was given to him, rather it was a fancy way of saying he was to become enslaved like the countless other hosts who proved too stubborn or useful to die.


“What say you, Kaivant-kun?” Julius teased. “How shall the Chinese react?”


“It would be wise to heed the words of that being.” Kaivant was quick to respond, rising to his feet with a sudden sense of authority. If there was anyone knowledgeable about so called “gods”, it was the Far East who worshiped the supernatural as such. “I know of these children, August and Sylvia. In our land, they are known as the harbingers of fate--children of a divine being that seems to have to ability to read and twist the threads of fate. If they claim a calamity, then there is no reason to doubt their words.”


“While I don’t doubt that information, I fail to see how a terrorist should prove to be invaluable in preventing this ‘apocalypse’.” The advisor voiced his concerns over the matter. “There are plenty of actual strategists with years of confirmable experience in the field who are suitable for-.. ‘Leading humanity’.” “You just aren’t seeing the bigger picture.” Julius said, “It’s natural for fate to work outside of our understanding. It’s not something we can analyze, calculate and predict - a mistake my father constantly made. At the very least, we can all agree that Dominic certainly has the ability to make himself useful in combat.” The advisor sighed, obviously not keen on hinging the future of the Dominion to a single entity claiming to be the harbingers of fate. “Since you know so much about them, I leave those twins in your care, Kaivant. I, however, have an announcement to make.” With that, the Arch-Bishop rose from his seat and made his departure along with his advisor, Len, and a few others. That marked the official end of the trial.

COLLABORATION POST 2/2
Boss Azukai​

 

[Jackaboi]

​

"CODEC? Give me some good news... How long until we have some results..." "Do not worry Doctor. Your latest project has nearly finished testing procedures. No problems have been dectected yet." Lucius waited impatiently, pacing back and forth as CODEC, Lucius' personal AI finished up error checking his latest invention. Soon, one of his colleagues approached him, a brown-haired woman around her early 30's. "Lucius... I appreciate you asking me for my opinion on your latest project but do I have to wait any longer? I could be making progress of my own..." "It won't be long Karen. Testing procedures have nearly been completed..." "My name's not Ka-..." "SHUSH! IT'S DONE!" Soon a small metallic box slowly rose from the testing chamber, Lucius handled the box with great care moving it to his desk and plugging it in to a nearby outlet. Lucius could hardly contain his excitement as he poured two oddly coloured compounds and switched it on. Suddenly a bright flash enveloped the two scientists before it died down again and the front of the box opened up, the contents hidden by the steam. A large grin stretched across Lucius' face as he reached in. "SUCCESS!" Lucius pulled out the mystery object... "BEHOLD! THE WORLD'S FIRST FLASH COOKED SLICE OF PIZZA!" The tension in the air completely dissapeared as Lucius' colleague stared wide eyed at the slice of cheesy goodness. "Speechless? I get it... Anyone would be after seeing such a marvel in ac-(SMACK)" Lucius was cut off as a flying clipboard went flying at his face, Lucius remained unflinched, staying there for a solid second before it slid off again, leaving behind a big red mark that covered his features. "YOU WASTED MILLIONS OF THE FACILITIES BUDGET MAKING A FUCKING COOKING APPLIANCE!!???" "Now now just calm down Kar..." "MY NAME IS NOT KAREN! IT'S HELEN! DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU!? AND DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER WHO YOU WORK FOR!? IF WE DON'T MEET OUR QUOTA BY THE END OF THE MONTH WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THIS LAB ANYMORE!!! UNDERSTAND!?" Helen stormed off, visibly fuming with Lucius' big surprise.

He took a bite of his slice of pizza and looked back at his invention. Thinking heavily about where he could've gone wrong. "Does she not like Pizza...?" "If it makes you feel better doctor I think it's a fantastic invention!" CODEC spoke from Lucius' worktop computer. "No need to console me CODEC. Some people just can't appreciate the sight of a great invention. This device will CHANGE life in the kitchen FOREVER!" "Well said Doctor! ... Doctor. I have detected a security breach. Unauthorized access to the facility main entrance, I recommend dispatching a security detail to the... Warning security camera's are shutting down, unidentified malware has breached the internal network. Our data is compromised." Lucius continued eating his slice of pizza, his features unfazed by the news. "Wow... That doesn't sound good... (Munch) Think you could run some anti-virus program or something?" "Negative Doctor, control of the facility has been forcibly taken by the intruder... Incoming message." A message was broadcast around the facility, the voice of a girl could be heard, making threats to get Lucius outside. "Alright, boys and girls. This is how it's gonna be. Your facility is now under my control, so let's act like civil people and nobody will have to get hurt. Better yet, let's make this super easy for everyone and have Lucius come on out. We need to have a chat."

Lucius' face remained unchanged, as he span round and started making his way out to the main entrance of the facility with no hesitation. "Am I famous or somethin'? Weird..." As he arrived at the entrance he was met with a cloaked girl surrounded with drones. Probably the same ones that took over the whole facilty. "So uuuuuuh you mind uh y'know... Giving back the building? That'd be great." Lucius waited for a couple seconds before realising there was probably a reason why she wanted this. "Ah right... You probably want something in return.... So what is it? C'mon name your price. Money? Information? Honestly I couldn't care less... Unless... your here for my latest project!?!? Well I have no idea how'd you came across such classified information but that project is MINE y'hear!? You can't have it!"

Azukai