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

[Azukai]

TerraBooma Boss

Both twins remained unperturbed by Colt's sudden ultimatum. August was content letting silence speak for himself; though Sylvia remained true to her nature, and opened her mouth to voice her usual snarky opinions. "Your loss--perhaps you have already forgotten that it's us whose gonna be helping you, not the other way around?" There was a small chuckle from August who placed a hand on his sister's shoulder--a sign that he would be taking over negotiations from there. "Colt, I understand and sympathize with your impatience towards Camilla, yet there is something you must understand. Fate does not make mistakes--if Camilla is not to be found in the present time, it does not imply that there will never be reunion. Rather, it means that there is an alternate path you must walk if you wish to achieve your goal. Not every road we must walk is direct..." There was a pause as he rose from the chair and onto his feet, all while beckoning his sister to follow. "...watch" he muttered, right before skipping a small distance away and beginning a ritual that was akin to a dance. White energy began to swirl around his body, soon accompanied by the balance of his sister's darkness. With each intricate step, the energies began to grow, swirling around their bodies until they reached the form the twins desired. At their peak, there was an immediate eruption of energy that expelled a small gale of wind and formed a symbol of Yin and Yang in a two foot diameter around their feet. With a small hop, each twin exited the circle. while August beckoned for the others to come see.

At first, there was nothing particularly interesting about the balanced symbol; however, gradually the colors began to fade--leaving only an outline of the circle and a gray interior that began to depict a divination of Colt and Sam's fate. There was a splash of black, and from it rose a white figure in the image of a shark. For a moment, the shark-like figure hovered in the center of view, just before black splotches exploded from its body, which subsequently began to melt away. The entire divination lasted only a few seconds, after which the manifested circle vanished from the ground. There was a moment's pause, just before Sylvia's eyes turned obsidian, and she began to speak in her peculiar ethereal tone.

"The faith that you lack, risks the loss of more than two. Death nears the ruler of the seas..."

Like before, Sylvia was unable to handle the possession that had occurred, and as a result, her body slumped into her brother's arms who had been waiting by her side. "And there you have it..." August began in a tone that harbored growing boredom. "...ignore fate, you lose Camilla. Also, one of you has some relation to a shark, and whatever that entity is, is about to die. Any ideas?"

 

[Solemn Jester]

James & Janaiya


James smirked at Janaiya, always so spunky she was. He grinned patting her head like a little child and Janaiya couldn’t help but glare at him for the gesture.”Ha! It's more like four inches, but I wasn't talking about size. I was talking about how you're still just a young lady. Even if ya act like a boy.” He answered, before turning towards the punching bag in the gym, and delivering a flurry of well placed strikes to it's hanging body. It went flying away from his fist as if trying to run from James. Then once he stopped his strikes it flung back at him, as if in retaliation.Before he held up his hand catching it, and preventing it from striking him or anyone else.


Janaiya rolled her eyes, “I don’t act like anything or anyone besides myself. But whatever, we fightin’ or are you gonna play with the punching bag a few more minutes?”


He turned back to Janaiya, giving a smug smirk.”Aye, I'll take you on. Just give me a minute. I'll get ready for the session.” With that he headed to the locker room. It was your basic locker room. A few old gray lockers lined up in rows, where members would put their stuff so they could keep it safe from any miscreants who might try to take it while they got “jacked.” James didn't have to worry about that, anyone who was stupid enough to try and steal from him wizened up real quick. later he returned in some old black red boxing shorts. No shirt on, which only made him appear more intimidating. His massive form chiseled like that of a old marble statue.

Several small scars could be made out by anyone close enough to him, but they didn't seem to be bothering him at this moment. James was ready for a little sparring. Janaiya peeked up from her phone at him before looking back down quickly.

He wouldn't be working out much today. It was a light day, so honestly he shouldn't have really been doing any sparring. But he decided what the hell, and figured it was for Janaiyas benefit. After all, she wasn't going to get enough experience fighting the other guys in here. James was ready to fight when something felt off..he looked around the gym and realized something.”Huh, where's Champ?” He asked searching the gym for him. He was waddling behind James on the jog here. He hoped he hadn't stopped to rest and gotten lost, or gotten tangled up with some other dog. But moments later his worries were put to ease as a scratching noise could be heard on the door of the gym. Followed by everyone in the gym saying,”Who is it?” In unison, only to be hear a hearty,”RUFF!” In response. They all laughed, this was a old inside joke they had going on ever since James had accidentally left Champ behind the first time. One of the gym members opened the door for the chubby little Pug. Who waddled in wearing a gray hoodie similar to James, and panting happily.”Aye! There's mah boi! Slowing down in your old age huh buddy? Hope ya got a good workout. Now watch as I show the lil Miss here how a Champ sparrs.” He told Champ who let out a tired bark before plopping down on a bench like usual. James then leapt into the ring. Walking over the ropes easily due to his size. He then went to his corner alone raising his dukes ready to brawl.”Come at me when you're ready Doll. I promise I won't bite.” He teased giving her another wink.

“I thought I told you not to call me doll.” before she jumped into the ring she went over to Champ to give him her obligatory head pat along with some of the other gym goers that couldn’t resist the cute little thing.
“Hey you little stinky old man.” Champ wagged his tail , lazily absorbing all the attention with obvious glee. She turned back towards the ring, climbing up and hopping inside with James, Janaiya grabbed her container with her mouth guard, she knew he’d just go for body shots but she put on the guard just in case. She had sparred with him before, and she wouldn’t really risk it. The man hits like a truck after all.

Collaboration between myself, and Kiosk second part coming soon

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone

Tom frowned at the tentacles answer."Oh come on. Everyone has a name! Even lifeless objects, and orphans! How about I call you Spike? Cuz you got those spiky teeth." Tom suggested as they headed into the alley. Once there he waited holstered in the air. Waiting, it wasn't long before he was hacking, and slashing, and suction cupping the poor stupid goons. Before he knew what was going on a flurry of memories belonging to one of his victims hit him. Tom blinked, looking around at the carnage surrounding him. He turned to Spike nodding impressed."Wow, you are the most useful appendage ever. Speaking of which." Tom stared at his regrown limbs, and restored good looks. His expression changing from joy, to a more sadistic smile as a thought popped into his head."Let's go ahead back to the HQ already. There's a certain masked fool I want to introduce you to." With that Tom requested the tentacles retract. Then made his way towards the HQ. Once he'd arrive he'd immediately make his way to the room Clown was located in, once they told him which room that was anyway. Then he'd knock on the door, and use Spike to hold Clown upside down in the air until he got answers.


Sinny The Fool Boss

 

[Kiosk]

Janaiya & James



Janaiya tapped her glove against James', and backed off. It was just a formality, she didn’t do that to many people she faced in the ring but she respected James despite his demeanor at times. There was a standstill for a moment as she waited for him to make the first move.

James stood at his end of the ring smiling as confident as ever. His arms raised in a defensive stance. His fist turned at their sides just low enough for him to see over them without leaving him open. He could feel his blood start to race. The tension rising before the match even began. Then all at once his muscles converged, pushing him forward in a charge towards Janaiya. He wouldn't go all out on her. But she had talent, and he didn't want to disrespect her skills as a fighter. He came within striking distance and sent several punches at her body. ”Hope you can handle these hammers, doll. Wouldn't want you cracking.” He teased although his expression was far more serious than it had been previously.

Now he was just over doing the doll thing to piss her off.

If there was one thing good about her weight, she was light on her feet. It wasn’t surprising he’d charge in for the fast punches being a swarmer, she raised her guard and moved to get just out of his reach. She had fought him a few times and she had a good measurement on how far his reach was, but still, he managed to clip her in the arm before she could distance herself properly.

“Stop talking.” she hissed at him, winching a bit at the dull pain, glad she put her guard up just in time. Before he could corner her she ducked low and circled to the side of the beefed up man and swung towards his ribcage.


James eyes reflected his wild warrior spirit. He gave her a hard “HA” in response. ”Make me!” He told her ready to strike again, but unexpectedly receiving a strike to the rib cage. James stopped moving for a moment, he patted himself down before turning back to Janaiya.”Did anyone see a fly just land on me? I could have sworn I just felt something. Sure felt like a bug.” He said, but before Janaiya could reply he was back on top of her. Swinging his massive meat hooks like a berserker in battle. Still making sure to aim for her body. Her hit wasn't nearly as weak as James lead on, but he couldn't help teasing her every chance he got.


He was relentless and as soon as she managed to get a hit in she was back on the defensive in an instant.
He’s so annoying.
But despite it, she had a grin on her face, it was good old fun. As she backed up doing her best to keep out of reach and guard her body, he landed a solid punch to her gut while she was thinking about how to land her next hit. She nearly spat out her mouth guard, stumbling backwards but not falling yet. Still, her breathing was ragged. The girl ducked away from the absolutely batshit speed this man could toss a punch. But she started to get a system set, as he threw out a left she threw up her arm to block from her left side.
And- fuck, that stung.
Pushing on, Janaiya took a quick step in and knocked him in the jaw, quickly dancing out and to the left of the massive fighter before he could get properly oriented and swung at his rib cage once more.


James was slightly shook by the strike to the jaw. Regardless of size the chin area was always a weaker point. No amount of muscle would change that. He stumbled a bit taking another hit to the rib cage before he regained his composure. He glared at Janaiya, his blood really flowing now. He put up his right hand, ready to strike. He moved slowly, circling Janaiya. Waiting, then once he had his opening he'd use all his force to aim a strike at her midsection.



...


And that was the difference, between a heavy weight champ and a feather weight like her. Even when she saw it coming, even when she had her guard up. At the point of impact it was like he blew straight threw her defense with a force she didn’t have a chance to defend against. She was already weak and the blows to her arms just couldn’t stand up to it. The punch hit her right in the stomach and suddenly she found herself staring up at the ceiling.

“Shit.” She pulled out her mouth guard and dry heaved, holding her gut.

“Why the fuck do you have to hit so fucking hard, you asshole?” she forced herself to sit up but couldn’t get herself to stand so she reached her hand upwards.

“Help me up, you Irish bastard.” she coughed.



James watched as Janaiya hit the mat. Knowing it was over he slipped his glove between his armpit and yanked his hand out. With one hand free he pulled the other free. He smirked down at Janaiya, forcing back a laugh. ”Aww, did I hurt the lil Doll? Alright, alright! Don't throw a tantrum,” James stretched his hand out to Janaiya. Helping her up he turned and headed out of the ring. ”Alright, I guess that's good for today. I'm going to shower, then we can head out and get some grub or something aye?” James suggested, then headed to the showers where he cleaned himself off, and returned in clean clothes. ”You ready? Or do ya need some more time to rest?” His tone slightly taunting, but he was perfectly fine with it if she needed some more time to recuperate. After all he didn't really hold back on that last punch.


Janaiya opened her eyes from the bench where she was sitting to scowl at James, she was a bit slumped with her gloves tied together hanging over her shoulders as if they weighed her down. “I’m fine.” Still sounding a bit miffed at her recent loss and his tone. Champ was stretched across her lap so instead of moving him she just scooped the dog up in her arms and stood up.
“Let’s go.”
The walk to Soul Food wasn’t very long, that was one of the plus sides and Nikky was sitting there waiting for them, dressed in her black apron, orange t-shirt and jeans her aunt made a lazy wave towards them. Janaiya took a seat next to her as soon as she could resting her forehead on the cool table and setting the dog on the ground.

“Hey Aunt Nikky.”

Boss
This was a collaboration between me and Solemn Jester
Fight proceedings go to charity

 

[TerraBooma]

Samantha, Rogue Spirit
​

As the battle neared to a close, Samantha brought back her energies. The shield of water that surrounded Camilla and Lucy fell to their feet, before the water pooled together back by her legs. The fight clearly over, Samantha floated from a distance. She turned from participant...to observer. She hovered around the edge of the group like a shark circling prey, though she had no mal intent. As Lucy brought down a killing blow, the shark spirit smiled. Following the pair as they walked away, she hovered and continued to grin.

"Good. A good fight! your faster than he ever mentioned Camilla." Samantha snorted to herself as she laughed. "And I thought I'd already heard everything there was about you! The way he went on and on...one day we'll get you into the soiree eh? There's a buncha folks who'd like to meet ya. How you hold you drink? You can come too lucy, we'll make it a right party." The shark-woman swished through the air in front of them, turning and crouching forward with a much more humane smile than one she'd donned in the past.

"Speaking of! Girl. I'm proud of you. You were scared, but you pushed through it, and most importantly, you respected your prey at the end. Never inflict more suffering than is necessary. The best kills are one where your prey suffers little, if not at all....sadly, in the realm of spirits, these come far and few between. But always treat your prey with respect...it is often the lack of respect that turns a hunter into prey itself. So keep your chin high! Today was a battle fought well."
With that, she spun around and turned her gaze forward, allowing the two girls to pass her before following behind.

"Now then! We have struck down a terrible hollow, and made our mark upon this limbo. But...what is our purpose now?"

Randomfella Boss

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

???
Limbo
Dark Cave​

The group's ultimatum hung in the air with the hollow's pained groaning. There was no amount of ushering Camilla could provide that would take her mind off of the creature that attacked them. It begged for death's touch, a plea that fell on deaf ears as the girl turned away to make for the exit, completely content in letting the creature suffer for its actions. Camilla froze when the noise stopped. Looking back, she witnessed Lucy pulling the borrowed harpoon from the hollow's now lifeless corpse.

"Let's go..."

Replying with a gentle nod, the two made their way back towards Samantha, who had begun to compliment both Camilla and Lucy on their performance. She couldn't tell if Samantha was incapable of reading somber situations or if she was always meant to be the light to someone's darkness. Camilla's cheeks flushed in brief embarrassment as she lifted her hand up. "I had a little upgrade." she commented, as lightning bounced between her fingers. Even now, Camilla felt boundless energy course through her body. Normally she would have suffered aching pains throughout all of her muscles, but ever since taking the life of Byakko, Camilla felt... different.

"Now then! We have struck down a terrible hollow and made our mark upon this limbo. But...what is our purpose now?"

"Make contact with the Zodiac interested in Lucy, of course." It had been their original plan, and it would've gone smoothly if Lucy's spirit hadn't been trapped within the clutches of another strange hollow. The three continued to walk down the dark, damp cave until they had arrived at the exit, where the fiery sun hung over clouds and pierced through the treelines of a relatively stable pocket of Limbo.

Daylight
Limbo | Forest?
​

They emerged out of the cave entrance, which had formed on the side of a small hill surrounded by trees. Compared to the previous environment, the forest was a positive change - and didn't feel all that different from a forest in the waking realm. Camilla stopped to scan their surroundings. "Now to find that Zodiac-... It's strange for a Zodiac to take interest in you and suddenly leave you to die in the hands of a.. hollow." Camilla's trailing words started to slur. It was then that Samantha would feel a disruption in her connection to the young Ferrari. "He-..hey, guysss-...?" Eyes rolling back, Camilla suddenly collapsed onto forest bedding.

Morning
Brookfield | Downtown
Lucy's Apartment​

The entire world began to darken despite being out in the sun. Seconds later, Lucy would find herself back in her own apartment, staring directly into the worried gaze of Ben. Her apartment was filled with armed Dominion soldiers, most of which had their guns trained on Camilla as she regained consciousness. "Wai-.. Wha-..." She muttered. Panic began to flow through her as she realized her arms were restrained behind her back. Tapping into her powers merely allowed the collar that sat around her neck to glow a bright blue. "On your feet, Ferrari!" commanded an aggressive Len as she grabbed and yanked Camilla up to a standing position, only to pin her face-first into a wall.

"Why, Lucy?" Ben asked, clearly upset about the events going on. "L-Lucy?! Wait, what's going on?!" Camilla shouted, only to get Len's custom-made pistol pressed to the back of her head. "Don't you fucking move. You took the lives of countless Dominion agents, including the life of a Chinese special agent." Using a free hand, she beckoned another soldier to hand her an item, and Len forced Camilla to recognize the blood-caked collar she used to murder Byakko in a blind rage. "Does this look familiar?"

While all of this was happening, Samantha was steadily losing her connection to Camilla. Her voice wouldn't get through to Camilla, and she wasn't visible to anyone but Lucy.

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown
*Crunch, Crunch* Clown had been slouching back in the half-broken computer chair, potato chips crunching away in his mouth as he looked over the security footage of around the time of Diana’s kidnapping. Scanning the tapes for any details or clues on their ‘mysterious’ teleportation assassin's identity, and using the information he already knew to start searching for a match. Using his hacker ‘know-how’ and the security tapes, in an attempt to find information on their target and who possibly sent them. Narrowing his list down to ‘black hair Asian girls’, and starting there. Doing his best to keep an eye on the phone he was tracking, keeping updated with the user's movements and halfway through searching for their kidnapper, from the corner of Clown’s eye he noticed that the tracker was getting closer & closer to his location. ‘What?? Those guys should have intercepted him by now…Jeez, I bet they miss- WAIIT WHAT?! THEY ARE REALLY CLOSE!’ standing up, he put out another announcement.

*Bzzt* “ATTENTION, ATTENTION!!! I WANT EVERYONE ON HIGH ALERT, ANYONE SEES AN UNFAMILIAR FACE GET CLOSE TO THIS BUILDING I WANT IT SHOT!” *Bzzt*

He watched the tracker, as it reached the building falling back from his chair “AAHHH, THEY ARE HERE CRAAAAPP!!!” cradling behind the back cover of his chair as he faced the spare room door. Suspiciously there was a complete absence of shots being fired, instead all Clown could notice was an intense, petrifying silence before heading the heavy footsteps of something on the other side of the door...*CRACK* The door was broken down, as a shadowy figure stormed in and towered over Clown; Clown felt something ‘weird’ wrap around his ankle and pull him off from his feet and hanging in the air, causing the half-empty bag of potato chips he had in his lap flying into the air, as the single light in the room revealed the face of the intruding shadowy figure...

“....TOOOOM!?!?!” His arms started flailing around helplessly, his eyes and mouth gaping wide open and he panicked at the sight of tentacles forming from Tom’s body “AAAARGHHH!! TOM CAME BACK AS A TENTACLE DEMON TO KILL ME!!!” pausing for a second so he could take a few desperate gasps of air to continue on “Look, look - I know how this might look but I swear- I was looking for you the WHOLE time, really!!” he yelled in a panicked tone as he kicked and swung around in the air.​

(Mentions - Solemn Jester Boss )

 

[TerraBooma]

Cetus, Zodiac
​

"What? These beasts..." Cetus paused, before nodding to her crew. "ALRIGHT MEN! LET'S SHOW THESE BASTARDS WHO OWNS THE PLACE NOW!"

The shark zodiac let out a roar of anger and frustration as her ship launched into the throws of combat. She was the first to react, leaping off the boat and into the air as an arsenal of harpoons followed after her. The rest of the crew soon sullied out after their leader, and the ship was quickly in the throws of chaos and combat. Like before in the soiree, the crew of the boat was made up of a large number of loosely organized militia. Guns, harpoons, spears, and even the lone sling user (Having survived the attack on the soiree) launched into battle. The ship included a small menagerie of spectral guns, cannons that began to be loaded. It wouldn't take long for their shot to come to bear.

While the crew started opening fire, Cetus, Jericho, and Oliver split off to deal with each of the monsters.

Cetus went after the one that attacked her ship, a roar of in dignified fury escaping her lips as she flew down at the beast. She extended her hand, and a torrent of harpoons shot down, sparking with energy as they flew. Following behind her attack was the shark-zodiac herself. Sparking tentacles flew from her body and drove into the monster as her hands twirled deadly harpoons of her own. She moved quickly, never long in one place, and a long trail of wounds quickly formed as she spun and darted around the beast. Occasional bursts of supportive fire shot down, harassing the beast. After her flurry of attacks, Cetus spun in the air and aimed down. A torrent of water formed from nowhere spiked down into the monster. She was hoping to make an opening as harpoons followed the water deep into the skin. Cetus was out for blood.

Jericho, ever the group's tactician, started to organize the crew against his tasked monster. Soon, the meager gunfire became lethal volleys, and the roaring of the ship's cannons began to boom out, blowing into the beast below. He began a careful and methodical assault from range, tossing harpoons with one hand while a spectral laptop formed in the other. He began scanning a database in which not even he knew the source. In general, his approach was much more careful. Testing the beast of its defenses, and propping at weakspots. A slower approach, but Jericho's eye was unerring, any weakness would be callously and quickly exploited.

Finally, Oliver let out a holler of joy as he threw harpoons down at the beast from afar. Compared to Jericho his assault was much more wild: But even more accurate. Harpoons rained down on any openings the beast displayed, eyes, ears, and soft underbelly. He flew around darting and hollering. It was clear he was enjoying the fight, and his movement made it difficult to deal with him.

Sam Sarith
​

Sam had not been having a good few minutes. The simple mentioning of Fushinsetsu clearly had the older host on edge. He clenched his fist, knuckles white. He still remembered fushinsetsu, and reflexively his teeth started to grow as the conversation turned. But he stopped himself. Clearly these two were going to be the key...so he wouldn't lose his cool. His nails dug into his skin, threatening to cut himself, but he held his tone. Watching the mysterious divination, his emotions turned again. From one of suppressed anger to more of an irritated one.

"I'll play your game. Fine. We get to camilla at the end if we do things your way? Fine. We'll deal with whatever hell is going on. As for the shark thing...yeah. That's me. Cetus, my zodiac? She's always had a bit of a shark motif, but I don't know what the hell you think could threaten her. He sighed and turned, waving his hand, feeling the connection between him and Cetus herself. Behind him, seafoam rose from nothingness, and within a few seconds a gate had materialized, though it's destination was blurred, a small whirlpool of energy and water focusing on it's core. "We can go visit her, if you say she's in danger, then I just got a whole lot more angry. And I'm already having a bad week." He looked to Colt, and gave her a nod. He was clearly not in a good space, but he was channeling his emotions into getting ready for a fight. He went to draw his gun and walked up to the portal before looking behind him.

"You guys coming with or what? Just...small warning. Traveling between limbos can feel a bit weird for those who dont do it often. Also there's no oxygen. So uh...hold your breath until we reach the destination."

Samantha, Rogue Spirit​

It didn't take long for the spirit to realize something was wrong. Samantha felt herself fading from the moment that reality snapped itself back into focus. Gone was the triumphant defeat of a hollowed foe, now the situation was much more dire. Seeing Camilla trapped sent the protective spirit into a hasty defense, but as she rose her hands, no water came to follow her. She looked in confusion. Trying to call the waves to her, but nothing happened. The building seemed to...groan slightly, for a fraction of a second, lights flickered and the pipes seemed to groan in protest of...something. But nothing came to be. Seeing her attacks fail her, Samantha tried to attack the dominion in the room physically, flying forward and attempting to bite down with the wide jaws of a shark, but as she tried to manifest herself into reality...nothing. She flew through each of the dominion members in her attack pattern, and all they felt was a cold chill down the back of their spine.

Turning to Lucy, for the first time the girl would uncertainty in Samantha's eyes. She didn't know what was going to happen to her...normally she was dismissed by sam or taken out of a fight by brute force. This slow dissipation...this was new. Her form started to warble, and as she flew back to Lucy's side, it was clear she was already starting to fade from view. She called out.

"Girl! Lucy! You have to...she's being taken away!" She turned her head back, growling low. "I can't...I'm losing it. The connection was already weakened from....from something, but I don't know what. And that collar now, I feel my essence being drawn away. I don't have long." Samantha spoke fast. "But you can still help her. That must be it. Camilla showed you nothing but kindness, she was trying to help. Don't forget that!" A leg started vanishing into sea foam nothingness, prompting Samantha to speak faster. "The village...Sam. They'll come for her! You just need to hold out." Another limb faded away into the ether. "That harpoon I gave you in limbo. It can still be your guide. Simply will it to your side, and it will appear. But...now is not the time. Bide it well! That weapon is my trust. A sign of faith. It means..." Her left arm faded away. The spirit was starting to panic now, she clawed at the sea foam with her right arm, trying to hold herself together. "This world...I..." She shook her head, she was running out of time. "it's up to you now. To save her. Don't trust the dominion! I'll be...i don't..." Her torso began to fade, as well as the left side of her face.

"I don't...I don't want to go Lucy, please...help me!" She extended a hand out to her, and in her last eye, Lucy would see fear, confusion, and desperation. She was almost gone in that moment. Nothing more than a hand and half a desperate face, reaching out in an attempt at salvation.

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma Boss

A smile formed on August's face as he watched Sam's portal manifest itself with a sudden rush of sea water and foam. "Oh, don't worry about us. We won't be accompanying you..." He began in response to Sam's advice on travelling to alternate limbos. "...Our purpose in life is to lead the lost--the journey is, however, yours to walk." In a gentle motion, he placed his unconscious sister on a nearby bed of lush undergrowth, before bidding farewell with a low bow. He watched as Sam and Colt entered into the portal and vanished from the realm. In time, however, his smile began to fade, replaced by a solemn expression that was in response to a sudden sound of shattered glass.

"The sensation of betraying another, stings does it not?" The voice which spoke came from an edge of the courtyard where a masked youth dressed in checkered black and white was standing with a cunning grin plastered on his face. His words were an obvious jab, meant to provoke needless emotion from his target; to which, August responded with absolute silence. "I'm a bit hurt, August. Am I not even worth a response now." The silence continued, and soon, the masked youth began to grow bored; his smile fading away as he began walking towards the twins with several exasperated yawns. August grew defensive as he watched the youth approach, though there was little he could do given the state of his sister--a fact the youth was well aware of. "Now, now, I have no intentions of meddling with fate. I simply wished to know the identity of the opposition you claimed would exist. Quite frankly, I am disappointed in what I saw..." The youth paused, distracted by a sudden notification that vibrated the phone which rested in his hand.

Ecstasy

them

We've got her

"...I suppose time will tell. My father's realm is a treacherous place. It is not likely that they will survive without the key, but perhaps, they will impress me after all. Either way, they die and it proves my future is fate's will, or they clear it and saves me the hassle; I come out on top regardless."

Again, the sound of shattered glass filled the air as the masked youth suddenly exploded into minuscule shards that fell into a pile on the ground. A heavy sigh of relief escaped August's lips, just as his sister began to stir from her time unconscious. "It seems the war is about to begin, Sylvia..." He began while gently petting his sister's groaning head. "...let us hope that fate has chosen the least amount of suffering for us all..."


----------------------------------------------



The other end of the portal was not the lush beach waters Sam might have expected from the Soiree, but instead, a violent, foreign atmosphere whose air was filled with the scent of decay mixed with heavy gunpowder. Urgent sounds sounded from above, soon overpowered by the booming echos of cannon fire and thunder that filled the sky with fire and lightning. For a moment, Colt and Sam hung suspended in the purple haze that seemed unaffected by nature's rules of gravity; however, soon their bodies were sent flying in a wayward direction by a violent gust of wind that had swept through the area.

"I GOT CHA!" A voice shouted, right before a grapple wrapped itself around Colt and Sam's legs and left them dangling against the wind; now suspended from the ship which waged war above their heads. "GET EM IN THE SHIP, HURRY" The voice shouted again, this time followed with sounds of agreement as several men approached the edge of the hull and began tugging on the ropes that held their marks. Below Sam and Colt's position, a large shadow began to form--a development which caused notable amounts of panic from the men hauling them upward. "CANNONS IN POSITION, DOWNWARD, WESTWIND, FIRE!" Cannonballs began hurling past Colt and Sam's position, falling into the abyss and exploding upon contact with the shadow below them. A high pitched scream filled the skies with its shrill cries of pain, and not a moment to soon, as a large, talon-filled hand had extended from the haze, only to falter at its attempt of claiming its prey. Having realized the danger Sam and Colt were in, the crewmen on the ship began doubling down on their efforts of tugging, and within seconds, Sam and Colt were safely pulled up and onto the ship. "CETUS, THE YOUNG MASTA IS HERE." The same crewman shouted for the last time, before he ran off to the nearest cannon and continued his efforts at fending off the opposition.

All together, the creatures in the sky were beginning to grow weary, while the one locked in combat with Cetus was showing signs of death. Black blood soaked the surface of its body which was impaled with dozens upon dozens of harpoons; all while, an entire arm was missing from the torrents of water-like blades that had been summoned against it. The creature which faced the ship head on gave one final roar before it lunged forward in a hapless dive--an act that surfaced a small smirk on Cetus' now exhilarated face. Using the force behind a torrent of water, she propelled herself down and under the path of the creature, where she sent a final harpoon, supported by yet another torrent, spiking through the creature's chest. Cannon fire filled the air and exploded directly against the creature's head--all together dealing the final blow that left it plummeting into the abyss below, finally dead. Satisfied with her work, Cetus flung a roped harpoon into the side of the ship, and used the momentum of the region's violent gales to propel her under the hull and onto the banister of the ship's edge.

"Ah, there you are. You've been missing all the fun, Sam!"

Having witnessed the death of their brethren, the two remaining creatures sent a bellowing roar directed at the ship, before falling back and circling at a distance outside of the cannon's range. They remained far enough away that they posed no immediate threat; however, close enough to serve as a reminder they were still there. "Another victory for the Soiree!" Cetus suddenly shouted while thrusting a harpoon into the air. Immediately, the crewman of the ship erupted into violent cheers and revelry that included several slaps against Sam and Colt's shoulders.

-----------------------------

TerraBooma Randomfella Boss

Under the veil of the Dominion's commotion, there was a small flicker of light towards one end of the room--in particular, where Samantha was beginning to fade. If anyone was paying attention , they might have noticed a shimmer, followed by a myriad of color that formed the faint silhouette of a person. "...don't worry, I'm here for you..." The figure whispered while wrapping his arms around the fading spirit and flaunting a sinister smile. And with that, both he and Samantha were gone, almost as if they never were...

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight..?
Limbo | Tundra?
Armored Train
​

Axel spun around in place, leaning her back against the steel railing of the train. "I could have explained it to you, but I severely doubt you could process it all. For one, we aren't going to kill hosts. Maidens are Zodiacs, like me." Axel's dagger manifested in her open palm. The entire weapon looked like it was made of obsidian, the same material used in the cuffs Diana wore. The length was akin to a shortsword, but Axel always handled it like a smaller weapon. She tossed Diana the Zodiac's signature weapon, which had a surprising amount of weight to it. "Secondly, most Maidens are accompanied by a vanguard. They are essentially guardian spirits that are crafted when a Zodiac is dubbed a Maiden. My vanguard is in the form of a stone golem. It cannot speak, but it carries out orders even if it meant its destruction."

Daylight
Limbo
Maiden Manor | ???​

Shuffling along a velvet carpet that stretched down a dark but decorated hall was a fully robe-clad figure. The beams of sunlight that crept through the tall windows failed to reveal the identity of the hooded being that stopped at the end of the hall. Large grand doors stood in the figure's way of its destination. All the while, a foul essence leaked through the cracks of the doors, hinting at a great evil existing just on the other side. The figure lifted up both arms and pushed open the doors, where a steady flow of corruption spilled into the grand hall and enveloped the figure.

Continuing its march, the figure waddled through a near pitch-blackness, seemingly unaffected by the negative energy brimming around it. The figure halted in the middle of the chambers, completely surrounded by bad vibes.

"Axel and her apostle live." the figure spoke out with a female voice. It was almost as if the darkness itself shifted in response. "Xander is transporting the two as we speak. What are your orders, Tyrik?"

"Welcome them."

Daylight..?
Limbo | Tundra?
Armored Train
​

The conversation between Diana and Axel was cut short by the conductor who cleared his throat to borrow attention. Despite the frigid temperature of their locale, sweat was clearly visible on the conductor's paling face. "We're getting close, lasses, but this is as close as I'll take you." The man spoke with a slight stammer that showed fear. Both he and Axel exchanged glances. "I understand, we'll walk from here." she responded.

The train gradually began to lower its altitude following the self-constructing track it ran on. It came to a stop at the bottom of a snow-covered mountain, but their destination wasn't far. At the very top of that same mountain was an area devoid of snow. Diana could make out a large mansion that resided at the tip. "We'll uphold our end of the deal when we're finished here." stated Axel. "What good's that when you won't live to fulfill it?" returned the conductor. Fear had almost completely ruled the man who had been relatively calm for the entire journey. Not waiting for a response, the train began to move again once Axel and Diana were off, heading back in the direction they came.

Axel watched the train hauled ass in the opposite direction, a stressed sigh visibly escaping her against the chilled gale. Looking over to Diana, she gave the host a brief nod before beginning to climb the snowy mountain.

 

[Kiosk]

Nikky


Just as it hit 3, Nikky pulled off her gloves and pulled herself away from the heat of the grill, the next shift taking over. She sighed, pulling at her orange t-shirt to try and cool off waving over at the boss.
"I'm off!" Nikky pulled off her cap, making sure her sweatband was still properly placed.
She had been waiting a few minutes before the two showed up, the restaurant was having a slight lull in business but seemed to be picking back up as she got off work.

Nikky looked over at her niece and smiled, "You look like shit."
Janaiya rolled her forehead on the table, "Thanks."
She laughed, they had been in Brookfield not very long but she could tell Janaiya was feeling better being out here. She was still the angry little fire ball but without her father around she really seemed to relax a bit. She had expected to struggle but for the most part they had settled in easy with some help from James. Despite that she kept her ear to the ground, or rather just kept up with the news. The name 'Ferrari' seemed to be going around a lot, and Hosts and The Dominion were both active. Gang activity seemed to be on the up and up as well, from what the news states this was definitely not a safe place to be but she felt like she should be here. Her regret was just bringing Janaiya into all this, still, if she had left her behind..

Nikky felt something paw her pants leg, drawing her out of her thoughts and she glanced down to see the little pug trying to climb her. The woman reached down and picked up the little butt munch placing him in her lap.
"Hey there, you old bastard." she scratched his head and looked over at James.
"So y'all couldn't wait for me to get there." She place her hand to her chest feigning hurt as the waitress set down a few menus on the table.


Solemn Jester

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Diana had kept silent as she watched the exchange happen, giving a wave to the guy as it was faster going away than it did get here which she had to say was a feat in that of itself. Following after Axel Diana looked out across the endless snow and the mansion as she walked up the mountain, "So why is there even a mansion in the first place? I mean, it's not like you guys need sleep or something? Or is it like one of those common room's?" Saying that she spouted out the first thing that came to mind.

Giving another look at the building built in the middle of nowhere she let out a sigh at the distance she had to keep walking to even get there, "You wanna start singing 199 bottles on the wall?" Saying that she let out a laugh to herself expecting Axel to at least give a half hearted response before she looked down at her plastic arm, the one that was holding Axel's Obsidian piece that well, felt like she was carrying a broadsword in her palm if anything, "You know, he never did explain how to copy Zodiacs weapons, I mean, you kind of need to explain how I can copy shit that can kill hundreds if not thousands of people right?" Saying that she was pointing out the obvious, but she switched hands the blade was in and tried manifesting a perfect copy of the blade in her hand.​

 

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac niadh Lane.


James hadn't known Janaiya, and Nikky long. He had actually met them both at the gym. Right after they moved down to Brookfield. He immediately took a liking to them. Even inviting them to his church. Of course, so far only Nikky had come. He figured Janaiya was being lazy or something of that sort. He didn't mind. Young people had such short attention spans after all. He'd get her over there eventually.


They entered the restaurant, taking seats in their usual seat. James leaned forward onto the table. His massive form resting on its surface. He snickered at Nikky's comment on Janaiya's appearance." Hey, Nikky. You should have seen her after our match. She sure left the janitor quite the mess." He said giving her a wave in greeting. He gave Janaiya a pat on the back in an attempt to make her feel better. "It's ok kid. You're improving at least. Sooner or later you'll be able to take just about anyone. Well, so long as they don't outweigh you by a ton." James picked up the menu's, looking through for something to eat. He rolled his eyes at Champ, " ya damn traitor. Today was a easy day. So I decided to end my workout early. Alright, now I'll have the usual. The biggest slab of protein filled meat you got. Please, and thank you." He said with a big hungry grin on his face. His stomach rumbling in demand of food.

Kiosk Boss

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma

Contrary to her fears, Samantha was quite alive and well, though she was in a groggy state of mind as her conscious began its its slow, gradual return. She was no longer in the same room as before; the Dominion agents were gone, as were her friends and her tangible connection to Camilla. Her new environment was cold, and the grimy walls echoed with the sounds of a gradual drip; but more important was her sudden inability to move. Her body was strapped to the base of a heavily tattered barber chair, just as her arms were strapped to the armrests on each side. Around her neck was a thin, metal collar that was center-fit with a milky gem which seemingly swirled with an unknown substance. In her right arm was an IV delivering a somewhat clear substance under her skin that was no longer of its original color. Starting from the base of her wrist and moving up through her chest was now a blackened color akin to that of a hollow's existence--though the skin directly around the IV had begun to lose some of its cursed shade.

Moving past the chair, the room was fairly large in size, yet it reeked with a moldy musk as if it were located underground. Where she was directly situated, the area was cast under the veil of darkness; though there was a gentle, blue glow that emanated from a plethora of monitors situated on her left side. On each monitor was a different view of the streets of Brookfield; each being watched by the host of the room who was hidden by the back of an equally tattered swivel chair. Ominous crunching noises emanated from the host, but they came to a sudden halt upon his realization of Samantha's awakening. Slowly, the chair began to rotate, revealing a heavily splattered face and a severed arm which he held voraciously in his hands.

Seeing Samantha awake left his eyes glistening with excitement, as he tossed aside the arm aside and jumped off the chair into a crouched position on the ground. Using both his arms and legs, he began scampering across the grimy floor, in a manner that made him seem far more animalistic than his humanoid appearance portrayed. Low chuckles began to rumble in his throat, up until the point that he hopped onto Samantha's bound lap and began sniffing her with piqued curiosity. A heavy stench of blood emanated from his coated face and purple strands of hair; yet up close, it became obvious that the blood was black, rather than the expected red.

"H-Hello...wel-welcome...b-back..." His words were stuttered and heavily slurred, and soon, they were followed by another fit of cackles as he began stroking the collar that was strapped around her neck. "C-Challenge...it...w-was...b-but...s-s-smart...Ec-Ecstacy...is. Luc-Lucky, y-you are." He opened his mouth to grin, exposing the set of long, narrow fangs that defined his incisor and canine teeth.

 

[Sinny The Fool]

"Clown & Tom B. Stone"

Tom stood scowling down at his foolish employee. Tightly enveloped in his tentacles clutches. He walked forward getting really close to his stupid mask. "Oh really? Then do tell me, Clown..why don't I believe you?" He growled, really tempted to crush his legs between his tentacles. Clown gulped “Well, I did send a few guys looking for you,! Yeah, gave them places to look and everything - even told them to bring you back safe and sound! They should be back any moment...”

Tom grinned evilly, a truly sinister sight with the mood of the dark room "Oh really? I think I actually met those guys on the way here. Yeah, yeah, they blocked off my road. Killed my cab driver. Then I used spike over here.” he said gesturing to one of his tentacles. “To say hello to him and his friends….they won't be coming in for work.” He said exchanging his scary smile for an intimidating frown "So do give me a reason I shouldn't give you the same treatment?” He asked crossing his newly reformed arm, with the newly healed one.

“They...You.What.Oh shit.AAAAHHHHH!!!!!” Clown began flailing around again helplessly, kicking and swinging to no avail he came straight “OKAY! OKAY! So maybe I didn’t come looking for you, and maybe I sent people to intercept what happened to BE YOU, but I thought you were just some other guy coming to finish me off. BUT WAIT! BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK OF FINISHING ME OFF JUST REMEMBER I CAN STILL HELP YOU AND…..Uhhh…..Spike?” muttering under his voice “Oh God, this thing is creepy..” and continuing “In FAAACT! I was just trying to find Diana’s kidnapper, LOOOK!!” his tone getting desperate and his voice breaking a few times, he pointed across the room to the old flickering monitor screen.

Tom looked towards the monitor still holding Clown in his tentacles. “Looks like you were looking for something else. Didn't know you were into Asians Clown. Guess you never know with some people.” He pointed at the tentacle holding Clown upside down ”Jerry drop the fool. Oh, and next time make sure you know who you're putting a hit on. I woke up looking like an amputee Freddy Krueger. If I hadn't gotten healed, and absorbed some memories from one of my victims you'd be dead right now.” Tom walked over to the monitor giving it a look over. “You find anything on our psycho schoolgirl?” Tom asked his arms crossed, and expression deadly serious. “I'm just dying to say hello.”

As Clown dropped to the floor, he scurried over toward the computer chair, using it to pull himself back up to his feet ‘I suppose him waking up looking like an amputee Freddy Krueger does make up for him shooting me..’ “Who is Jerr- Wait nevermind I don’t want to know…” turning his attention toward the monitor screen, he continued from where he left off from earlier “For your information, yes I DID. Or at least I’ve started narrowing down the list by race, age, gender and hair color - all I need to do is find a match with the footage from the security tapes and the rest will be easy.”

Tom stared intensely at the monitor at the monitor, deep in thought as to all the things he’d do to the fools who took Diana. He turned to Clown a solemn expression on him "Well what are you waiting for then? Get to work before I decide to let Jerry have you for a snack.” He said taking a seat in the back to wait for some answers before they moved on.

“Uh erm, yes boss..” ‘Things couldn’t be possibly worse for me right now…’ The terrifying thoughts of ‘Jerry’ having him for a snack, Clown didn’t hesitate to get right to work on identifying their kidnapper, and it would only be a matter of time before he did.
​

(This was a collaboration post done by Solemn Jester & Sinny The Fool )
(Mentions - Boss )
(Color Code - Tom B. Stone & Clown)

 

[TerraBooma]

Samantha, ???​

It didn't take long for confusion and fear to set in for Samantha once she woke up. She struggled against her bonds from the moment consciousness hit her. It was such an alien feeling, of being restrained. Of...even just having feeling. She barely took in her surroundings as she tried to break free, the musty smell...the televisions. What was happening? Samantha had always been able to just walk through objects in the real world. Even in the soiree, things were...more of a suggestion for her than an actual barrier. To be restrained was...a jarring expereience, and the mysterious goo being pumped into her system wasn't help-

wait. A...system? Samantha didn't have anything like that, what was going on?

As the strange man bound into her lap, a low and rather hostile growl emanated from her throat. She tried to break free to call water to her side, but...nothing. Her teeth grew sharper, and soon resembled that of a shark. Her mouth started gnawing wildly, but given her restrained condition, there was no danger for the man who was inspecting her.

"Who are...what have you done to me!?" She continue to struggle against the bonds, cycling through what powers she had. Her breath grew raggedy and panicked. Informing her of the fact that she could now breath. The motion scared her further. "This...what is going on!?" She tried to reach out to Cetus, to Sam, to Camilla, to...anyone, but she felt nothing. Samantha's powers were mostly defensive in nature. The woman went to summon her harpoon but...stopped. If Lucy was using it now, she wouldn't jeopardize that chance she was taking. She had to have faith. Stretching herself, she tried to bite at her bonds. Like a cornered beast trying to worm it's way free.

"Release me!"

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
???????????​

Lucy gazed at Samantha as she spoke of the battle, a sort of uncertainty in her expression. She would have told her she didn't drink, yet the bevy of things on her mind distracted her from such thoughts. "She's wrong." The girl thought to herself at Samantha's complements. She was scared, that was truth enough, but calling that thing their prey, minimising pain in a hunt, that wasn't it at all, she didn't want to hurt anything the way they had to it, let alone at all... Yet...

Looking back up toward Samantha, the girl forced out a small half-smile, before looking back down. Usually she would have stared in awe, or fright, at Camilla's 'upgrade', yet she continued on silently. None of it mattered now, thanks to their help, it was all over... "What!?" Lucy's mind shattered at Camilla's following words. Sweat began to drip from her brow as they walked, hadn't they just killed the zodiac? The evil being that infected her dreams?

"Di-didn't we just..." Lucy started to mumble as they emerged from the cave, looking toward Camilla with a sort of terrified confusion. "Hollow?" She could only wonder aloud, in her mind all of these... Things were evil. Lucy stared back to Camilla, her words, the way she moved. "Camilla!?" She gasped as the girl fell to the forest floor, quickly moving down toward her, head frantically moving side to side as darkness enveloped them.

Home?​

What just happened? Lucy could only think as her eyes stared into Ben's, before awkwardly quickly diverting away from his gaze. It didn't take long before they drifted to Camilla, her shock turning to concern near-instantly as the agents manhandled her. The light in the room was almost blinding after the darkness she had just returned from... Light!? It wasn't even midnight when they had entered that strange realm. How long had it been? "The appointment!" Lucy's mind suddenly reminded her, her worrisome expression turning back to Ben as he spoke.

"Wh... why?" Lucy repeated his question in confusion, her voice lowering itself to an almost inaudible level. Eyes shivered as they watched Samantha rush through the agents, the fear in her body increasing as she imagined what fury the spirit would unleash. As it became clear that she had little effect, however, those feelings did not get any better. Samantha's words echoed through her mind, yet she was still startled, trying to grasp at an understanding of what was going on.

Lucy could only stare back with equal confusion as Camilla called out her name. "S-Stop!" She attempted to plea with the agents, arms gesturing toward Camilla. "She saved my life yesterday, you can't just..." Though her voice barely made a sound, her words still flowed out in desperation, yet the girl suddenly paused as her arms waved before her face. "My watch!" She frantically questioned herself allowed, eyes gazing back around until they landed on the table beside her, rushing to take it.

Eyes fixating on the stained collar the agents held up, Lucy's gaze drifted back to Camilla, her expression growing more confused by the second. "Is... That true?" Were the only words that left the girl's mouth, though for what would seem like the first time, she stared to the girl's eyes, almost as if desperately searching for her reaction... For something that would prove the dominion agent wrong. Lucy's gaze only faltered to look back to Samantha, only being able to watch at the extended hand, a tear beginning to form as it rolled down her eye. Once again, she felt helpless. She had no idea what to do, let alone the ability to do it. Averting her gaze for but a moment, Samantha was gone, her eyes completely welling at the empty spot on the floor, before she turned back to Camilla.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith |​

???
Limbo | Soulless Sea
Cetus' Ship
​

Having spent the last minute being flailed about the ship without any control in the matter only made the situation seem worse. Sam and Colt had arrived at the tail-end of a battle, or so Cetus and her crewmates believed. Colt was unable to share the same enthusiasm as the spirits around her considering that the attack was somehow involved with Fushinsetsu. "I wouldn't celebrate so quickly." She protested, eyes locked onto the waves at sea. With the weather being as it was, looking past the surface of the water was nearly impossible, thus the enemies' numbers were unknown. Reaching out, Colt slipped her hand into a tear in reality that shimmered with golden light and akin to a portal. Grabbing onto an unforeseen object, Colt extracted a pump-action shotgun from her hammerspace. Wrapped around the weapon itself was an ammo sling that Colt attached to her person. She spent the next 15 seconds loading her shotgun for the next encounter to come.

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight
Limbo | Tundra
Base of the mountain
​

As they climbed up the daunting path to the manor, Diana's words were falling on deaf ears. Axel was growing increasingly tense since they dismounted the train. With the manor sitting visibly atop the mountain, it was all Axel focused on - that was until a perfect replica of Axel's dagger formed in Diana's hand. "So the conductor's weapon works. That's good news." Axel offered a meager smile, but it was clear that returning to the manor was getting to her. Stern eyes glared back at the mansion. "We're being watched." That's when it became clear that Axel was locked in a staredown with an unknown entity far atop the mountain. Despite this, she continued to march upward.

"How very perceptive of you, big sis!"

Spoiler

Count, The Blood Maiden

Peering over Diana's shoulder was a peach-haired girl drabbed in inverted gothic wear. Her red irises shined over blackened eyes, a common sign of a hollowed Zodiac. The girl skipped around the two with a cheerful glee. "Oh, the others will be so delighted to hear that I found you!" Bouncing up to Axel, the girl lunged forward with arms extended only to be shoved back with enough force to drag the girl's body along the snow-covered ground several meters away. The smaller girl's energetic demeanor sizzled as she stared blankly at the skies above.

"Count-.. If they let you out then they really must be insane." Axel sneered.

A wide grin crept its way back onto the girl's face as she flipped her body upward to a standing position. "It's a special occasion! We're setting up a home-welcoming party for you! You even brought a guest!"

"We're here to cleanse everyone of their sickness."

"Eh? You're still going on about that? We're not sick, sis! Everyone's so lively now!"

Axel dipped her head with a sigh. "Of course you'd see it that way..."

Slowly, Count's wide smile deteriorated along with her hospitality. Through her quieting demeanor, she let out a threatening phrase. "I think you're the one who's sick, big sis."

All around Count, blood-coated butterflies began to pop out of the snow. Each one had gathered behind the girl, materializing into her vanguard - a four-winged beast ruined with corruption. Unfiltered negative energy suddenly exploded from Count, clearing out the snow around her in a large radius. "You will not ruin this party for me."

​

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma

Ecstasy's reaction to Samantha's sudden struggles was the least likely scenario that could have happened. Gone was his gusto, replaced by an expression of horror that left him cowering in a corner of the nearest wall. He began to whimper; his eyes wide with fear as he watched Samantha attempted to bite through her restraints. "P-Plea...n-no...." he attempted to mutter, in a low voice that was unlikely to reach her ears. Thankfully, it wasn't necessary as a louder, more firm tone boomed into the room, just before a hand placed a firm grasp upon Samantha's head. "Calm yourself, spirit."

For a split second, Zodiac energy rushed into the immediate area, and with it came a soothing experience that cleared Samantha's mind and left her in a state of forced calm. "You are not in danger, calm your heart and let Ecstasy explain himself." With Samantha no longer struggling against her restraints, the unknown entity removed his hand and stepped to the side. Like Ecstasy, he was no less suspicious, dressed in an open cloaked figure that was complemented with fox-like features such as his auburn ears and bushy tail. In his free hand was a body-tall staff that resembled something akin to a monk, and contained a series of rings that jingled every time he took a step. "The name's Willow by the way." He added in a small whisper before turning his attention towards the still cowering creature in the corner.

"I-I...felt...y-y-ou...all...o-of...y-you. Un-un...happiness...f-fear...b-but...th-they...c-came. I h-hide...t-then...y-you..s-s-so...s-scared. I...h-help...b-but..fr-friends...t-taken..." Ecstasy's explanation was stuttered and his english heavily broken, as he attempted to explain the reasoning behind his actions. Tears were beginning to run down his cheeks, to which Willow took as a sign to interject with his own explanation. "What I understand is that there was Dominion interference concerning you and your companions. Ecstasy was there, when it was happening, but he was only able to save you. He brought you here, and...well, it would probably be better if he explained. I am unsure what he has done past that...Its...sciencey..."

At the mention of science, Ecstasy's eyes began to burn with sudden passion, as he sprung into his crouched stance and cheerfully rushed over to Samantha's side. In a single motion, he ripped the IV out of her arm, which was no longer blackened as it was before. Blood began to seep from the minor wound, though it was not the usual red; rather, a darker crimson that bordered the line between a human and hollow. "You..were..fading..." Ecstasy began, no longer speaking with his usual stutter. "I...anchored...your...spirit...to...this...realm...with...this...body. I...made...it. Master...taught...me..." Laughter began to fill the room, as Ecstasy fell onto his back, chuckling at his own accomplishments. Seconds passed, and he showed no signs of stopping; leaving Willow as the only coherent person left to explain--he sighed as a result.

"Okay, so he's explained the process to me once. I'm not really sure how he does it, but he's capable of...growing...I think that's the right word here...a hollow, human hybrid thing. Normally, the process requires a human to make it happen, but in your case, he converted an existing hollow into an empty shell that could anchor you to this world." Expecting to see panic in Samantha's eyes, he quickly shook his hands as if to say, it's okay. "What I hear is that you shouldn't worry, thanks to the gem in your collar. It absorbs hollow energy and keeps it at bay. I think you have to change them out regularly though..." He shrugged and pointed at the milky gem which was far more darker in color than it was before. Leaning in, he began to whisper his next words, hoping that Ecstasy would be unable to hear. I know this probably isn't what you wanted, but please, try to go easy on him. He's weird and he isn't all there, but he really does care for people in distress. He helped me, and...her...

 

[Kiosk]

JANAIYA


Janaiya rolled her eyes at James's words of 'encouragement'.
"Asshole." she muttered under her breath and Nikky clears her throat at her.
"I mean- dickhead." the older woman busts out laughing. She always liked that her aunt had a sense of humor it was so much easier to get along with her. Her father was like the complete opposite. Janaiya looked around the restaurant at the people coming in, sitting down, eating. She really hated being in places like these, so crowded and noisy, but her company made it more manageable. The girl raised her head from the table and ordered a cheese burger as the waitress swung by.
"Oh yeah, I won't be home tonight, Janaiya, so-" Nikky slides her a 20 dollar bill and she turned it over in her hands furrowing her eyebrows.
"Where do you even go at night?"
the older woman sipped her coffee, which was just mostly milk and cream after she got done with it.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Anyways Jame-"

"You're just gonna go meet that Neil guy, right?" Janaiya blurted before her aunt could change the subject. She hated when Nikky did that, whenever she asked about this she always deflected or turned it on her, not today. Her aunt looks up from her coffee and at her with an odd expression. It wasn't surprise, or even embarrassment, but it was gone in a second as she grinned.
"Well damn, can't keep a secret from you!"
"Yeah, I guess. But you never-"
"Illegal gambling." Nikky took another sip of her coffee.
"I'm illegally gambling."
Janaiya snorted, "I hate you, just say you're dating this Neil guy."
Nikky set her cup down and rested her chin on her fist, and just stared at her niece. It was obvious to Janaiya she wasn't going to say anything more. The girl huffed, "If you're not gonna be honest then I'm heading home and taking a shower." Janaiya scoots out from her seat and stands.
"You always expect everyone around you to be honest with you, but you aren't even honest yourself, Janai."
There was something about the way she said that that immediately pissed Janaiya off so she leaned down to meet her aunt at eye level, "Why the fuck do I have to be honest?"
"It's a two way street, kid. You're gonna have to learn that one day." but she pretends she didn't hear her aunt say this, instead she straightens up and walks towards the door
"Seeya later James."
and she was gone, just like that.

Solemn Jester

 

[TerraBooma]

Samantha, ???

​

Samantha had been quiet throughout the explanation, if on edge. Just as Willow predicted, she didn't take the idea of being pumped full of hollow...ness, very appealing. She had begun to visibly panic, but the calming gesture of the presumed zodiac was...enough to keep her from freaking out and attempting to break free. She took a few moments to compose herself, taking deep breathes. She had to...breathe now? Some facsimile of life? The unease ate away are her. This sense of...physicalness, was wrong, but at the same time...not bad? She flexed her muscles, taking in the sensation of touch. Before she finally spoke, nodding softly.

"I...see."

For a short time, that was all the woman said. She made a mental note to ask who 'her' was, and the look in her eyes reflected that she wasn't going to wait forever for answers.

"While I'm not what I would call pleased about...this." Samantha tried to gesture to her collar, but couldn't, still being restrained in place. She growled, but it was clearly in frustration at her bindings than at her captors. "But...I don't know what would have happened to me had I dissipated fully. It is a...scary thought, to be faced with that nothingness, so while I'm not happy about this, I suppose thanks are in order." She nodded to Ecstasy.

"I'm Samantha, and...I'm not going to bother asking why you were in that house. At least not now, but we need to save them! The girls...especially the collared one, she's...she's all I know right now. If something happens to her I..." She didn't finish the sentence, but it was clear she didn't know what she'd do. "Where is she now? Do you have eyes on her? And we need to..." She struggled a bit. "Get me out of these bonds!"

 

[Solemn Jester]

Nikky, & James

James let out a disapproving sigh,” really now? Insulting clergymen have ye no respect for the faith?” He said, although his tone hinted that he wasn't all that offended. He ordered along with Janaiya, his meal arriving moments later. He clasped his hands together and said a short prayer to himself.”Thank you, heavenly father, for this bountiful meal you have delivered upon me, and thank ye for the meals to come. Ahmen.” With that James started digging into his juicy tinder pile of meat. It wasn't long before James found himself in the middle of an uncomfortable family feud. He watched quietly from the sidelines, his eyes slowly moving from Janaiya to Nikky as the traded words. James had seen a lot of gruesome things in his time on this planet. But man was this painful to watch. He was glad they felt comfortable enough to have these little arguments around him...and the rest of the restaurant, but he hated drama. So he was glad, although a bit embarrassed when Janaiya stormed off. He hid his face, not wanting anyone to look over and recognize the former champ. Just another reason he hated drama, causing a scene almost always got him noticed.”So uhm...should we uh...go after her? Make sure she's ok?” He asked Nikky. Swallowing the food he had been chewing the entire argument. Not sure what to do from here.



“Nah it’s fine.” Nikky leaned back in her chair and huffed.

“She’s just melodramatic, mainly, sorry.” Nikky leaned in and gave an awkward half smile. She raised her hand asking for a box for the cheese burger now getting colder and colder.

“This is why I don’t have kids, man. It’s tough.” she took another sip of her coffee and sighed.


James grinned, and put a hand on Nikky’s shoulder, ” Hon. I’ve had fist fights with roided out walking muscles twice my size. That's tough. If given the choice between doing that again, and raising a kid...I think I’d take the roid muscles every time.” He pulled his hand back and took another bite from his meal. Tossing a bit on the floor so Champ could get some grub.



Nikky chuckled, honestly feeling the weight of comfort come and go with James’ pat on her shoulder, ”I think I’d do the same thing.” she picked up the box and placed the burger and fries in it. “Having that kind of patience all the time is crazy .” she looks over to the side at a few people who seemed to have been listening. She couldn’t help but be a bit flustered, sinking into her shoulders.


James gave her one of his casual charming smiles. Showing off his dimples, and lifting up his glass of water. “Aye, you’re a stronger person than I. If I can't solve a problem with violence I tend to walk away.” Just saying this caused a noticeable change in his demeanor. His shoulders seemed to drop some, and his head hung just slightly lower. He let out a sigh and gulped down some of his water. Then turned his gaze at those around him. “Eh, it's hard to say anything in a crowded place like this without someone sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong. Don't worry about it. So uhm, who's this Neil fellow? Oh, and what's this about gambling?” He asked curious about both things, although for pretty much the same reason.




Nikky downs the rest of her coffee, “I was just kidding.” she shrugged, the last thing she wanted to do was bring, albeit a very capable, human into a world of hosts. “As for Neil? He’s a.. Close friend of mine.” She laughs though she couldn’t muster it very convincingly. As much as she knows she shouldn’t bring him. She still thinks about it though, there are plenty of bad sorts where she’s headed to and having some muscle would keep most of the unsavory folks away. She locks her fingers together staring right through James as she thinks. After a moment, Nikky leans in a bit closer, “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about stuff like this here?” she smiles, “I’m going for a smoke. Take your time.” she stands and heads outside walking around the side of the building to pull out a cigarette

Collab with ~ Kiosk

Boss

 

[Kiosk]

NIKKY & JAMES

James let out a tsk sound as Nikky left for a smoke, he waved down a waitress and got a box for his remaining meal. Once he had that all wrapped up he lifted it and headed outside, calling Champ along as he did.
”Come on boy. I got a feeling it's going to be one of those nights.” He informed his chubby companion, who let out a nervous whine before waddling alongside him. He passed several tables, of course getting looks, he was large after all. But managed to get through without being recognized, then pushed the exit door open with one massive arm, and heading to the side of the building where Nikky would be. He leaned against the wall, pulling out a cigarette from his own stash, and taking out an old silver lighter. The kind you had to close the top of to put out the fire. He lit his first cigarette of the day. Inhaling deeply, and holding it for a few seconds before letting out a big puff of smoke. He could already feel his nervous calming.
“You know, I really shouldn't be smoking. It's bad for my health, and I'm a man of the cloth. But I guess we all have those things we shouldn't do but can't help doing. Tell me, what's yours? Got anything to confess? Don't worry. This one's on the house.” He told her, making a bit of a joke. Although it was really just his fun way of saying. Hey? What's up? He slide down the wall rubbing the back of Champs wrinkly neck as he rubbed against James leg.

Nikky clasps her hands together with a flourish of obvious overdramatization, “Oh Father Lane, please forgive me for I have sinned.” she grins down at the priest, her tone just dripping with sarcasm until her charade deflates and she just closes her eyes and sighs letting her arms hang by her side.

“I got something I wanna do, I have a lot of regrets. And all I want to do is just talk to someone. Thing is, he’s real hard to find these days.” she runs a hand through her hair, “Way too hard to find, might as well just call him waldo.” she chuckles at her own terrible joke before continuing. “James, I’m a selfish piece of shit, but I wanna ask you to come with me. Where I’m going- it’s gonna be dangerous-” she pauses realizing how cliche she sounds and that gives her a sour taste in her mouth. “Well, it definitely won’t be completely safe, I’d just feel good to have you around.” Her powers were decent, but she’d feel more confident to have someone watch her back. At least, that’s what she told herself, she didn’t want to admit she was anxious.

James sat nodding along as Nikky spoke. He could hear the pain in her voice. She needed him to go with her. She needed some kind of support. James figured Nikky had some skeletons in the closet. Hell, everyone did. But this was beginning to seem like some old Noir film. He was the seasoned private eye, and she was the beautiful mysterious woman come to hire him for a job. The thought made him laugh, he scratched Champs noggin one more time before rising up to his full height.
”What did I tell ya, boy? It's definitely going to be one of those night.” He turned to Nikky, grinning a toothy, almost devilish grin.
”Of course, I'll help you. I wouldn't be a very good Christian if I didn't now would I?” He asked, before taking another puff of his cigarette.
“My only request is that Janaiya watch champ, and you fill me in on just what I'm getting myself into. Well, as much as you can without having to kill me anyway.” He gave a warm laugh at the last bit, his expression almost softening to a kinder look. He always managed to get himself into trouble. But so long as he didn't actually do anything illegal he should be fine...at least in the eyes of God...he hoped.

Nikky was laughing so much she was struggling to light her cigarette, “Good christian… bah.” she teased. The woman flicked her lighter a few times, taking a drag. watching the smoke flow out of her and into the sky.

“I’m pretty sure Janaiya would love to watch your mutt, but..” she looked up at him, meeting his eye, “Are you sure, James? I mean, I’m asking you to get caught up with possible gangs and underground dealings and..” she pauses and rethinks it, “Really bad guys in general. This is a different kinda trouble, so before we continue, I need to ask again- Are you in?” she pushes off the wall to stand in front of him holding her hand out towards him.

James expression turned serious. He thought back to his last match as the champion. The fear he felt. The shame he still felt. He couldn't imagine anything worse than that. So long as he wasn't forced to face off against a freak like those host he figured he'd be fine. Besides, if something happened to Nikky. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself, and he knew Janaiya wouldn’t forgive him. He looked down at Nikky, taking in just how brave she appeared before him. Even while seemingly terrified of what might happen. He grabbed her hand in his much larger mitt. ”I told you once, don't make me repeat myself. Of course, I'll help you. I'll just think of it as God's work. So, what's our first stop?”

Nikky Iooked up at the bigger man and squeezed his hand, unable to shake off the genuine smile that stuck to her face. “Atta boy.” She sighed in relief.
“Well, I want to hit the red light district, but we’ll have to wait ‘til a little later tonight. There’s someone I need to meet... an informant.”


Collab with Solemn Jester and I
Boss
haha, hey

 

[Boss]

The Clown | Tom B. Stone​

Afternoon
Brookfield | Red Light District
Diana's Base | Security Room
​

One massive benefit to Diana's coup against the previous boss was that the casino was already a fortress by nature. Every corner of the building had an array of cameras watching all sorts of angles. It was impossible to sneak into the hideout by normal means, which explained why 13 wasn't spotted until she was standing in the same room as Tom and the Clown. One forward facing camera was tasked with watching the traffic out front. 7 minutes before the attack, a blacked out vehicle could be seen parking on the other side of the road. Darkened tint windows made it hard to identify the driver, but with Clown's skills, he could be able to spot a second an older, blonde-haired man sitting in the back seat the moment 13 got out of the car.

Running facial recognition on the male yielded interesting results, as he was revealed to be Lorenzo Albeck - a local crime lord and a familiar face from the summit just a few days ago. His whereabouts weren't a secret. By day, Lorenzo worked at a law firm dubbed 'Prime Defence'. Any lowlife would know that Lorenzo didn't specialize in armies full of goons. His muscle consisted of nameless hosts 'given' hospitality from the Dominion in favor of being his personal hit squad. Because it was the afternoon, Lorenzo was most likely working at his firm as they spoke